The change of sleeping and lying posture of Japanese black cows after moving into new environment

Objective Environmental change is one of the stressful events in livestock production. Change in environment disturbs cow behavior and cows require several days to regain a stable behavioral pattern. Sleeping posture (SP) and lying posture (LP) have been used as indicators for animal that are relaxed and well-acclimated to their environment. The aim of this study was to examine the time required by Japanese black cows for stabilization of SP and LP after moving into new environment. Methods Seven pregnant Japanese black cows were used. Cows were moved into new tie-stall shed and their sleeping and lying posture measured 17 times during 35 experimental days. Both SP and LP were detected by accelerometer fixed on middle occipital and hip-cross, respectively. Daily total time, frequency, and average bout of both SP and LP were calculated. Results Daily SP time was the shortest on day 1 and increased to the highest on day 3. It then decreased until day 9, after that stabilized about 65 min/d till the end of experiment. Daily LP time changed in same manner as daily SP time. The average SP bout was the longest on day 1, and then decreased to stable level on day 7. On the other hand, the average LP bout was the shortest on day 1, and it increased to stable level on day 7. Conclusion These results showed that pregnant Japanese black cows needed 1 week to stabilize their SP. However, there were different change patterns between the average SP and LP bout, even though the change pattern of daily SP and LP time were similar

看護学生における子宮頸がん検診行動の継続にかかわる動機

　【目的】本研究は, 青年期後期からの子宮頸がん検診啓発をめざし, 看護学生の子宮頸がん検診の継続にかかわる動機を探索した.【方法】A県内の看護大学・専門学校に在籍する学生293名に, 無記名自己記入式質問紙調査を行った. 子宮頸がん検診を動機づけるプロセスは, ノラJ. ペンダーの改定ヘルスプロモーションモデルを参考にした. 対象者を検診状況から「行動あり群」46名（15.7%）, 「継続群」17名（5.8%）, 「行動なし群」230名（78.5%）の3群に分けて分析した. 分析には, クラスカル・ウォリス検定, および，χ ₂ 検定を用いた.【結果】検診の利益の認識については, 3群全てが「早期発見の機会」, ｢早期治療の機会｣, ｢健康を考える機会｣と捉えていた. 検診イメージについては, 継続群は他群より｢安心な｣（H（2）=19.970,p<.001）, ｢のんびりした｣（H（2）=11.298,p=.004）, ｢幸福な｣（H（2）=8.081,p=.018）, ｢清潔な｣（H（2）=8.076,p=.018）というポジティブなイメージを持っていた. 検診の負担の認識については, 3 群全体で負担得点が高かった項目は「羞恥心がある」, ｢男性医師は嫌｣であった. また, 継続群は他群より「検査内容がわからず不安」（H（2）=38.175,p<.001）, ｢検診をうけたことを他人に知られたくない｣（H（2）=14.012,p=.001）という意識が低かった. さらに, 継続群は他群より有意に検診実行の自信（H（2）=50.447, p<.001）を持っていた. 検診実行の意志については継続群が行動なし群より有意に検診実行の意志を持っていた（H（2）=35.768,p<.001）.【結論】子宮頸がん検診の継続に関わる動機は, 検診に対する認識と感情に大きく影響されることが示された

Real-time nanodiamond thermometry probing in vivo thermogenic responses

蛍光ナノダイヤモンドを用いた量子温度計により動物個体の発熱を捉えることに成功. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2020-09-25.Get diamonds, take temperature. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2020-10-06.Real-time temperature monitoring inside living organisms provides a direct measure of their biological activities. However, it is challenging to reduce the size of biocompatible thermometers down to submicrometers, despite their potential applications for the thermal imaging of subtissue structures with single-cell resolution. Here, using quantum nanothermometers based on optically accessible electron spins in nanodiamonds, we demonstrate in vivo real-time temperature monitoring inside Caenorhabditis elegans worms. We developed a microscope system that integrates a quick-docking sample chamber, particle tracking, and an error correction filter for temperature monitoring of mobile nanodiamonds inside live adult worms with a precision of ±0.22°C. With this system, we determined temperature increases based on the worms’ thermogenic responses during the chemical stimuli of mitochondrial uncouplers. Our technique demonstrates the submicrometer localization of temperature information in living animals and direct identification of their pharmacological thermogenesis, which may allow for quantification of their biological activities based on temperature

Long-term eradication of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, by induced pluripotent stem cell-derived Epstein-Barr virus-specific rejuvenated T cells in vivo

Functionally rejuvenated induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are expected to be a potent immunotherapy for tumors. When L-asparaginase-containing standard chemotherapy fails in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKL), no effective salvage therapy exists. The clinical course then is miserable. We demonstrate prolonged and robust eradication of ENKL in vivo by Epstein-Barr virus-specific iPSC-derived antigen-specific CTL, with iPSC-derived antigen-specific CTL persisting as central memory T cells in the mouse spleen for at least six months. The anti-tumor response is so strong that any concomitant effect of the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) blockade is unclear. These results suggest that long-term persistent Epstein-Barr virus-specific iPSC-derived antigen-specific CTL contribute to a continuous anti-tumor effect and offer an effective salvage therapy for relapsed and refractory ENKL

Genistein improves spatial learning and memory in male rats with elevated glucose level during memory consolidation

Cognitive dysfunction due to higher blood glucose level has been reported previously. Genistein (GEN) is a phytoestrogen that we hypothesized might lead to improved memory, despite elevated blood glucose levels at the time of memory consolidation. To investigate this hypothesis, we compared the effects of orally administered GEN on the central nervous system in normal versus glucose-loaded adult male rats. A battery of behavioral assessments was carried out. In the MAZE test, which measured spatial learning and memory, the time of normal rats was shortened by GEN treatment compared to the vehicle group, but only in the early stages of testing. In the glucose-loaded group, GEN treatment improved performance as mazes were advanced. In the open-field test, GEN treatment delayed habituation to the new environment in normal rats, and increased the exploratory behaviors of glucose-loaded rats. There were no significant differences observed for emotionality or fear-motivated learning and memory. Together, these results indicate that GEN treatment improved spatial learning and memory only in the early stages of testing in the normal state, but improved spatial learning and memory when glucose levels increased during memory consolidation

Perinatal exposure to genistein, a soy phytoestrogen, improves spatial learning and memory but impairs passive avoidance learning and memory in offspring

This study investigated the effects of perinatal genistein (GEN) exposure on the central nervous system of rat offspring. Pregnant dams orally received GEN (1 or 10. mg/kg/day) or vehicle (1. ml/kg/day) from gestation day 10 to postnatal day 14. In order to assess the effects of GEN on rat offspring, we used a battery of behavioral tests, including the open-field, elevated plus-maze, MAZE and step-through passive avoidance tests. MAZE test is an appetite-motivation test, and we used this mainly for assessing spatial learning and memory. In the MAZE test, GEN groups exhibited shorter latency from start to goal than the vehicle-treated group in both sexes. On the other hand, performances in the step-through passive avoidance test were non-monotonically inhibited by GEN in both sexes, and a significant difference was observed in low dose of the GEN-treated group compared to the vehicle-treated group in female rats. Furthermore, we found that perinatal exposure to GEN did not significantly alter locomotor activity or emotionality as assessed by the open-field and elevated-plus maze tests. These results suggest that perinatal exposure to GEN improved spatial learning and memory of rat offspring, but impaired their passive avoidance learning and memory

保健師学生の関わりからみたB地区自主防災活動の課題

B地区における8年間の保健師学生の防災活動の取り組みについて分析し、地域の自主防災活動の課題を明らかにした。①学生が作成した既存資料等の分析、②防災対策関係者と学生の意見交換、③2町内における防災講習会の実施と自主防災活動への意識調査、④防災対策関係者への聞き取り調査を行った。その結果、①リーダーの積極的かつ先駆的な働きかけのもとに、町内単位やコミュニティセンター活動を活かして自主防災活動の啓発を行う。②時間の経過とともに防災意識が薄れる中で学生が継続的に介入し、地域の防災行動の普及・啓発を図る。③専門職や他地区の自主防災組織等と連携、協働の上、自主防災組織の繋がりをさらに強化する

Bisphenol A Does Not Affect Memory Performance in Adult Male Rats

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogenic endocrine disruptor used for producing polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. This study investigated the effects of oral BPA administration on memory performance, general activity, and emotionality in adult male Sprague Dawley rats using a battery of behavioral tests, including an appetite-motivated maze test (MAZE test) used to assess spatial memory performance. In addition, in order to confirm the effects of BPA on spatial memory performance, we examined whether intrahippocampal injection of BPA affects spatial memory consolidation. In the MAZE test, although oral BPA administration at 10 mg/kg significantly altered the number of entries into the incorrect area compared to those of vehicle-treated rats, male rats given BPA through either oral administration or intrahippocampal injection failed to show significant differences in latencies to reach the reward. Also, oral BPA administration did not affect fear-motivated memory performance in the step-through passive avoidance test. Oral BPA administration at 0.05 mg/kg, the lowest dose used in this study, was correlated with a decrease in locomotor activity in the open-field test, whereas oral administration at 10 mg/kg, the highest dose used in this study, was correlated with a light anxiolytic effect in the elevated plus-maze test. The present study suggests that BPA in adulthood has little effect on spatial memory performance in male rats

Business Intelligence Maturity Level in Brazilian Companies

In an increasing competitive business environment, the strategic use of information has gained a bigger relevance as a factor to competitivity, enhancing the strategic role of BI in organizations. Thus, understanding the level of BI maturity becomes necessary to track its evolution and situation within different factors of influence, such as the size of the organization and its industry. This study aims to identify BI development level within organizations and its mean of insertion in the organizational strategy, setting the variables that affect the level of maturity in the organizations studied, creating insights of good practices to other organizations. The research is qualitative, exploratory-descriptive, using multiple case studies with organizations of different sizes and industries. The results indicated that the support of the senior management to BI activities positively affect the level of maturity. Larger companies performed more uniform than the smaller ones, showing higher levels of maturity