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Victoria Aranda

New York

Senior Editor at Nature

Senior Editor, Clinical and Translational Medicine, @nature-all views my own

Articles

  • 1 month ago | nature.com | Ida-Johanne Jensen |Jørgen Lerfall |Rikke Harveland Ølberg |Lene Waldenstrøm |Victoria Aranda

    Beef jerky is widely consumed for its convenience, sensory appeal, and shelf stability. Reducing sugar content is a public health priority but presents technological and sensory challenges. Drying time also plays a crucial role due to its economic and sustainability impacts. This study evaluated the effects of different drying times (2, 3, 4, and 6 h) and sugar levels (0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%) on beef jerky’s sensory and physicochemical properties. Drying time significantly influenced product quality, affecting sensory attributes. Results showed that reducing added sugar did not compromise the sensory properties preferred by consumers. Moreover, optimizing both drying time and sugar content can improve production efficiency while maintaining consumer acceptance. These findings highlight the potential for healthier beef jerky with enhanced sustainability.

  • 1 month ago | nature.com | Jung Hun Kang |Jun Lee |Dong-gi Lee |Jae Choi |Jun Baek Park |Yeasol Kwon | +2 more

    We aimed to evaluate the relationship between serum testosterone levels and kidney stone prevalence in men. We examined cross-sectional data from 3234 men who participated in a health examination (2010–2020). A full metabolic work-up, including serum testosterone levels, was performed. Combined ultrasonography with KUB radiography was used for stone detection. The participants’ median age and testosterone concentration were 53.0 years and 4.7 ng/mL, respectively. A total of 178 men had kidney stones. A cutoff value for determining the presence of kidney stones was a testosterone concentration <3.33 ng/mL ng/mL. After adjusting for confounders, only age and a testosterone concentration <3.33 ng/mL were significantly related to the presence of kidney stones. However, body mass index, blood pressure, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, HbA1c, uric acid, hs-CRP, calcium, aspartate transaminase, alanine aminotransferase, and albumin were not significantly and independently related to kidney stones. The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for kidney stones according to age and testosterone concentration <3.33 ng/mL were 1.029 (1.010–1.04) and 1.655 (1.071–2.556), respectively. Our study revealed that the prevalence of kidney stones significantly and independently increased when the serum testosterone was less than 3.33 ng/mL in men.

  • 1 month ago | nature.com | Wenqi Zhao |Wen Zheng |Zimin Wang |Xiaoli Pan |Gaoting Yang |Zongyi Zhao | +2 more

    Alismatis Rhizoma (AR) is widely utilized as a natural medicine across many Asian countries. However, in China, due to its complex origins, AR quality varies, which can affect clinical efficacy. Therefore, there is a need for a method that is both fast and objective to determine the source of AR. In this study, a total of 400 samples of two species and four geographic origins from AR were imaged and processed. From these images, 17 features were extracted, including three shape (S), two color (C), and 12 texture features (T), resulting in a total of 6800 data points. Four commonly used classification models Random Forest (RF), Extreme Learning Machine (ELM), Back Propagation (BP) neural network, and Support Vector Machines (SVM) were tested to find the optimal combination of AR fusion features and classification models. The S + T-RF combinations achieved the best results, with 99.17% accuracy in two species identification and 96.67% accuracy in four geographic origin identification on test sets. These results suggest that image processing combined with the RF model can quickly and effectively identify the complex origins of AR and can provide a reference for the origins identification of other natural medicines.

  • 1 month ago | nature.com | Lixin Xiong |Shengqi Liu |Ban Liu |Victoria Aranda

    Under the “dual carbon” goals, heavily polluting enterprises face dual pressures to reduce both pollution and carbon emissions, necessitating the urgent exploration of effective pathways for coordinated emission reductions. This study investigates the potential of digital transformation in enterprises to achieve synergistic emission reductions. First, the entropy method is employed to measure enterprise digitalization and pollutant levels, and the spatial–temporal evolution characteristics of regional coordinated emission reductions are analyzed. Subsequently, using panel data from heavily polluting enterprises in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the study examines the impact of digital transformation on pollution and carbon reduction, its underlying mechanisms, and the moderating effects of environmental policies on these relationships. Robustness tests confirm the synergy between carbon and pollution emissions. The findings reveal that digital transformation contributes to the synergistic reduction of carbon and pollutant emissions in enterprises, primarily through two pathways: the coordinated integration of internal innovation resources and the collaborative engagement in external innovation networks. Furthermore, air pollution control policies and low-carbon city initiatives significantly enhance the synergistic emission reduction effects of digitalization. Interestingly, heavily polluting enterprises located in the downstream regions of the Yangtze River, those with smaller operational scales, or those facing strong financing constraints, demonstrate more pronounced synergistic emission reduction effects through digital transformation. Based on these conclusions, we recommend that governments focus on strengthening either “pollution reduction” or “carbon reduction” policies, as either alone can yield dual emission reduction benefits. Additionally, tailoring regional emission reduction policies to local conditions can maximize economic and environmental benefits.

  • 1 month ago | nature.com | Haytham F. Isleem |Victoria Aranda |Khalil Ivan |Wang Zonghui |Kalugina Olga Veniaminovna

    The application of intelligent technology to enhance decision-making, optimize processes, and boost project economics and sustainability has the potential to significantly revolutionize the construction industry. However, there are several barriers to its use in small-scale construction projects in China. This study aims to identify these challenges and provide solutions. Using a mixed-methods approach that incorporates quantitative analysis, structural equation modeling, and a comprehensive literature review, the study highlights key problems. These include specialized challenges, difficulty with data integration, financial and cultural constraints, privacy and ethical issues, limited data accessibility, and problems with scalability and connection. The findings demonstrate how important it is to get rid of these barriers to fully utilize intelligent computing in the construction sector. There are recommendations and practical strategies provided to help industry participants get over these challenges. Although the study’s geographical emphasis and cross-sectional approach are limitations, they also offer opportunities for further investigation. This study contributes significantly to the growing body of knowledge on intelligent computing in small-scale construction projects and offers practical guidance on how businesses might leverage their transformative potential.

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Victoria Aranda
Victoria Aranda @mvicaracal
11 May 23

RT @GenomeDoctor: I'm happy to share that our article, published in @Nature (https://t.co/ayMsEbUOft), highlighting the mutations occurring…

Victoria Aranda
Victoria Aranda @mvicaracal
11 May 23

RT @BarbMarte: new out in Nature https://t.co/ZFwWgbSoDp

Victoria Aranda
Victoria Aranda @mvicaracal
11 May 23

RT @BarbMarte: new out in Nature https://t.co/IcdvMcwcM2