Deciphering the Drivers of Smart Livestock Technology Adoption in Japan: A Scoping Review, Expert Interviews, and Grounded Theory Approach

With global demand for animal products projected to increase significantly by 2050, understanding the factors that influence the adoption of smart livestock technologies has become increasingly crucial. Conducted within the unique agricultural context of Japan, our study builds upon traditional theoretical frameworks that often oversimplify farmers' decision-making processes. By employing a scoping review, expert interviews, and a Modified Grounded Theory Approach, our research uncovers the intricate interplay between individual farmer values, farm management policies, social relations, agricultural policies, and livestock industry trends. We particularly highlight the unique dynamics within family-owned businesses, noting the tension between an "advanced management mindset" and "conservatism." Our study underscores technology adoption's sequential and iterative nature, intricately tied to technology availability, farmers' digital literacy, technology implementation support, and observable technology impacts on animal health and productivity. Despite certain limitations, our findings carry profound implications for stakeholders, providing valuable insights to overcome adoption barriers and advocating for more sustainable, efficient, and animal welfare-oriented livestock production systems. This research establishes a solid foundation for future explorations into smart livestock technology adoption.Comment: 56 pages, 3 figure

Relative stereochemical determination of the C61–C83 fragment of symbiodinolide using a stereodivergent synthetic approach

Structural determination is required in the use of marine natural products to create novel drugs and drug leads in medicinal chemistry. Symbiodinolide, which is a polyol marine natural product with a molecular weight of 2860, increases the intracellular Ca2+ concentration and exhibits inhibitory activity against cyclooxygenase-1. Seventy percent of the structure of symbiodinolide has been stereochemically clarified. Herein, we report the elucidation of the relative configuration of the C61–C83 fragment, which is among the remaining thirty percent, using a stereodivergent synthetic strategy. We first assigned the relative configuration of the C61–C74 fragment. Two candidate diastereomers of the C61–C74 fragment were synthesized, and their NMR data were compared with those of the natural product, revealing the relative stereochemistry of this component. We then narrowed down the candidate compounds for the C69–C83 fragment from 16 possible diastereomers by analyzing the NMR data of the natural product, and we thus selected eight candidate diastereomers. Stereodivergent synthesis of the candidates for this fragment and comparison of the NMR data of the natural product and the eight synthetic products resulted in the relative stereostructural clarification of the C69–C83 fragment. These individually determined relative stereochemistries of the C61–C74 and C69–C83 fragments were connected via the common C69–C73 tetrahydropyran moiety of the fragments. Finally, the relative configuration of the C61–C83 fragment of symbiodinolide was determined. The stereodivergent synthetic approach used in this study can be extended to the stereochemical determination of other fragments of symbiodinolide

Late-stage divergent synthesis and antifouling activity of geraniol-butenolide hybrid molecules

Hybrid molecules consisting of geraniol and butenolide were designed and synthesized by the late-stage divergent strategy. In the synthetic route, ring-closing metathesis was utilized for the construction of a butenolide moiety. A biological evaluation of the eight synthetic hybrid compounds revealed that these molecules exhibit antifouling activity against the cypris larvae of the barnacle Balanus (Amphibalanus) amphitrite with EC50 values of 0.30-1.31 μg mL-1. These results show that hybridization of the geraniol and butenolide structural motifs resulted in the enhancement of the antifouling activity

Menaquinone-4 enhances testosterone production in rats and testis-derived tumor cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Vitamin K is essential for the posttranslational modification of various Gla proteins. Although it is widespread in several organs, including the testis, the function of vitamin K in these organs is not well characterized. In this study, we investigated the function of vitamin K in the testis and analyzed its role in steroidogenesis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Eight-week-old male Wistar rats were fed a diet supplemented with menaquinone-4 (MK-4, 75 mg/kg diet), one of the predominant K₂vitamins present in the testis, for 5 weeks. <it>In vivo </it>testosterone levels of the rats' plasma and testes were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and <it>in vitro </it>testosterone levels of testis-derived tumor cells (I-10 cells) maintained in Ham's F-10 medium with 10% fetal bovine serum were measured following treatment with MK-4 (0 to 100 μM) at several time points. Testosterone and cellular protein levels were analyzed with respect to their effects on steroidogenesis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Testosterone levels in the plasma and testes of MK-4-fed rats were significantly increased compared to those of control rats, with no obvious differences in plasma luteinizing hormone levels. Secreted testosterone levels from I-10 cells were elevated by MK-4, but not by vitamin K₁, in a dose-dependent manner independent of cAMP treatment. Western blot analysis revealed that expression of CYP11A, the rate-limiting enzyme in steroidogenesis, and phosphorylation levels of protein kinase A (PKA) and the cAMP response element-binding protein were all stimulated by the presence of MK-4. Enhancement of testosterone production was inhibited by H89, a specific inhibitor of PKA, but not by warfarin, an inhibitor of γ-glutamylcarboxylation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>MK-4 stimulates testosterone production in rats and testis-derived tumor cells via activation of PKA. MK-4 may be involved in steroidogenesis in the testis, and its supplementation could reverse the downregulation of testosterone production in elders.</p

Access to mechanical thrombectomy and ischemic stroke mortality in Japan: a spatial ecological study

BackgroundAdvances in stroke treatment have greatly improved outcomes; however, disparities in access to treatment might increase. Achieving equitable access to stroke treatment is a health policy challenge, as rapid treatment is essential for positive outcomes. This ecological cross-sectional study aimed to determine the relationship between the disparities in spatial accessibility to mechanical thrombectomy (SAMT) and stroke mortality rates in Japan, hypothesizing that disparities in SAMT may increase the differences in stroke mortality between regions.MethodsWe used the average number of ischemic stroke (IS) deaths between 2020 and 2021 as the response variable; and SAMT, medical resources, and socioeconomic characteristics of each municipality as explanatory variables. A conditional autoregressive model was used to examine the association between the risk of stroke mortality and SAMT. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was mapped to understand the nationwide disparities in stroke mortality risk.ResultsThe median number of IS deaths was 17.5 persons per year in the municipalities (2020 to 2021). The study also found that municipalities with low SAMT were located in the northern part of Japan. The non-spatial regression model results indicated that poor accessibility, a small proportion of bachelor’s degrees or higher, and a high proportion of workers in secondary industries were related to high IS mortality. Three models were evaluated using spatial analysis; Model 1 with accessibility indicators alone, Model 2 with medical resources added to Model 1, and Model 3 with socioeconomic characteristics added to Model 2. In Models 1 and 2, the population-weighted spatial accessibility index (PWSAI) showed a significant negative relationship with stroke mortality. However, this was not evident in Model 3. Mapping using Model 3 showed that the high-risk areas were predominantly located in northern Japan, excluding Hokkaido.ConclusionAccess to mechanical thrombectomy was estimated, and regional differences were observed. The relationship between accessibility and IS mortality is unknown; however, regardless of accessibility, municipalities with a high proportion of workers in secondary industries and a small proportion with bachelor’s degrees or above are at risk of death from stroke

Potential of ferritin 2 as an antigen for the development of a universal vaccine for avian mites, poultry red mites, tropical fowl mites, and northern fowl mites

IntroductionPoultry red mites (PRMs, Dermanyssus gallinae), blood-sucking ectoparasites, are a threat to the poultry industry because of reduced production caused by infestation. In addition, tropical fowl mites (TFMs, Ornithonyssus bursa) and northern fowl mites (NFMs, Ornithonyssus sylviarum) are hematophagous, distributed in various regions, genetically and morphologically close to PRMs, and cause similar problems to the poultry industry. Vaccine approaches have been studied for PRM control, and several molecules have been identified in PRMs as candidates for effective vaccine antigens. The development of an anti-PRM vaccine as a universal vaccine with broad efficacy against avian mites could improve the productivity of poultry farms worldwide. Molecules that are highly conserved among avian mites and have critical functions in the physiology and growth of mites could be ideal antigen candidates for the development of universal vaccines. Ferritin 2 (FER2), an iron-binding protein, is critical for the reproduction and survival of PRMs and has been reported as a useful vaccine antigen for the control of PRMs and a candidate for the universal vaccine antigen in some tick species.Method and resultsHerein, we identified and characterized FER2 in TFMs and NFM. Compared with the sequence of PRM, the ferroxidase centers of the heavy chain subunits were conserved in FER2 of TFMs and NFMs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that FER2 belongs to clusters of secretory ferritins of mites and other arthropods. Recombinant FER2 (rFER2) proteins from PRMs, TFMs, and NFMs exhibited iron-binding abilities. Immunization with each rFER2 induced strong antibody responses in chickens, and each immune plasma cross-reacted with rFER2 from different mites. Moreover, mortality rates of PRMs fed with immune plasma against rFER2 from TFMs or NFMs, in addition to PRMs, were higher than those of control plasma.DiscussionrFER2 from each avian mite exhibited anti-PRM effects. This data suggests that it has the potential to be used as an antigen candidate for a universal vaccine against avian mites. Further studies are needed to access the usefulness of FER2 as a universal vaccine for the control of avian mites

Efficacy of gilteritinib in comparison with alectinib for the treatment of ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer

Gilteritinib is a multitarget tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), approved for the treatment of FLT3-mutant acute myeloid leukemia, with a broad range of activity against several tyrosine kinases including anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). This study investigated the efficacy of gilteritinib against ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). To this end, we assessed the effects of gilteritinib on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and acquired resistance responses in several ALK-rearranged NSCLC cell lines and mouse xenograft tumor models and compared its efficacy to alectinib, a standard ALK inhibitor. Gilteritinib was significantly more potent than alectinib, as it inhibited cell proliferation at a lower dose, with complete attenuation of growth observed in several ALK-rearranged NSCLC cell lines and no development of drug tolerance. Immunoblotting showed that gilteritinib strongly suppressed phosphorylated ALK and its downstream effectors, as well as mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) signaling. By comparison, MET signaling was enhanced in alectinib-treated cells. Furthermore, gilteritinib was found to more effectively abolish growth of ALK-rearranged NSCLC xenograft tumors, many of which completely receded. Interleukin-15 (IL-15) mRNA levels were elevated in gilteritinib-treated cells, together with a concomitant increase in the infiltration of tumors by natural killer (NK) cells, as assessed by immunohistochemistry. This suggests that IL-15 production along with NK cell infiltration may constitute components of the gilteritinib-mediated antitumor responses in ALK-rearranged NSCLCs. In conclusion, gilteritinib demonstrated significantly improved antitumor efficacy compared with alectinib against ALK-rearranged NSCLC cells, which can warrant its candidacy for use in anticancer regimens, after further examination in clinical trial settings