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Summary: Bursaphelenchus tadamiensis , which was initially isolated from a stag beetle, Dorcus striatipennis , collected from sap flow of Quercus crispula in Fukushima, north-eastern Japan, was re-isolated three times from sap flow of Quercus spp. in western Japan. The re-isolated populations were mostly morphologically consistent with the type population, but the male bursal flap showed high variations in the newly collected populations. Molecularly, the type and new populations showed differences in the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene, suggesting that the species is genetically divided into several local populations. The isolation pattern of B. tadamiensis , i.e. , the species was initially isolated from sap flow-associated beetles and subsequently isolated from sap flow, suggests that the species prefers and is adapted to the sap flow environment as its habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The molecular epidemiology of mumps virus (MuV) has been carried out worldwide based on genotyping proposed by the World Health Organisation. However, longitudinal molecular epidemiological studies of MuV are still limited. Methods: This study carried out genotyping of MuVs isolated in Yamagata prefecture, which is located in northern Japan, between 1999–2013, using standard nomenclature based on the sequence analysis of the entire 316 nucleotides of the small hydrophobic (SH) gene. Results: During this 15-year period, 249 MuVs were isolated, with the majority of them belonging to genotype G. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that genotype G strains were divided into two distinct clusters 1 and 2, consisting of 178 and 47 strains, respectively. The cluster 1 strains were isolated every year since 2001, except for 2012. The cluster 2 strains first appeared in 2011 and were dominant in 2011 and 2012. The epidemic pattern of genotype G strains observed in Yamagata was similar to those in Kanagawa and Hyogo prefectures located in eastern and western Japan, respectively. Only one L, three H and one F genotype strains were isolated in 2001, 2004 and 2010, respectively. Almost every year several genotype B strains related to Japanese vaccine strains were isolated. Conclusions: These data demonstrated that the genotype G strains have been endemically perpetuating as the major type over a wide area of Japan since 2001, although the genotype G strains that emerged after 2011 differed from the earlier strains. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To clarify the evolution of canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) that has recently been epidemic in Japan, VP2 gene sequences at positions 3556-4166 were analyzed in 107 CPV-2 strains obtained from rectal swabs of diarrheic dogs from 2009 to 2011. CPV-2b (95 strains) was more frequently detected than CPV-2a (nine strains), while CPV-2c was not detected. Remaining three strains were identified as the original type CPV-2, which should be derived from vaccines. These findings are similar to the previous results involving Japanese strains, suggesting there has been no great change in the recent CPV-2 epidemic in Japan. This epidemic is the same as that in Taiwan. Furthermore, a 324-lle mutant, which has been reported in Korean and Chinese strains, was detected in 66.7% of CPV-2a strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses results of a study that determines the full genome sequence of the equine isolate of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) strain. It notes that there has been only one reported case of equine Japanese encephalitis for the past 25 years. Results of the sequence analysis showed that the JEV genome is similar to that of the dominant JEV genotype circulating in Japan. The neurovirulence of genotype I was high as it was for genotype III. The study indicated the need and importance of continuous vaccination of horses against JEV in Japan.

Abstract: In the tradition of interaction studies, the organization of vision has been well investigated since video became available for the detailed analysis of the directions in which participants in interaction look. The focus of this article is rather on the organization of touch, and, in particular, on ways in which reference to a body part is accomplished when the body part is only tactilely accessible to participants. Through the detailed analysis of segments from vaginal palpation (or “pelvic examination”) performed by a Japanese independent midwife, I elucidate practices that these participants employ to deal with the limitation on the accessibility of what they refer to in their interaction. The practices to be elucidated include current position marking, spatial-pattern evoking, and being explicitly responsive. The elucidation reveals that reference is interactionally accomplished through deployment of more or less generic practices in ways sensitive to situational particularities. In conclusion, I discuss a possible consequence of the analysis to the conceptualization of human interaction in technological society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the relationship between the growth behavior of Vero cells and the molecular characteristics of the recent isolated classification of Canine Distemper Virus (CDV). Ten CDV strains were isolated and classified according to their growth ability and development of syncytial cytopathic effects. Type 1 strains include P94S, Lm, S124C and MD231, while Type 2 strains include 007Lm, 009L and 011C. The findings also suggest that the recent Asia 2 isolated of CDV in Japan and their growth ability is related to their molecular characteristics.

Abstract: Employing the methodological framework of conversation analysis (cf. Sacks, Schegloff, and Jefferson, 1974), this study provides a detailed analysis of the ways in which the token hee is used in Japanese conversations. Hee has often been identified as a “news-receipt token,” and indeed it frequently occurs in response to deliveries of news or other types of informing in the current data. However, close examination of the sequential context, turn shape, and prosody involved in each occurrence of hee demonstrates the varying contributions this token can make in the development of informing sequences. On some occasions, the token displays its producer''s “assessment” (cf. Goodwin, 1986; Goodwin and Goodwin, 1987, 1992) of the news received, whereas on other occasions it serves as a “continuer” (cf. Schegloff, 1982), occurring in the midst of a projected, extended informing, and yet on other occasions it is treated as a “repair initiator” (cf. Schegloff, Jefferson, and Sacks, 1997). The results of the current microanalysis reveal potential pitfalls in classifying variants of a particular token into one category by virtue of its prescriptive orthographic representation and perceived core function. The concluding discussion considers implications for methodological issues involved in cross-linguistic, cross-cultural comparisons of interactional styles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Bovine papillomavirus types 1 and 2 (BPV1/2) infection in horses has been associated with the development of equine sarcoids. Previous findings revealed the presence of sarcoid-associated BPV sequence variants that have been proposed as a key factor of cross-species infection in horses. To verify this hypothesis, sarcoid-associated BPV variants should be identified regardless of geographic location., Objectives: Sequence analyses of BPV1/2 derived from both horses and cattle were conducted to clarify the sarcoid-associated sequence variants. The aim of this study was to clarify the correlation between BPV phylogeny and the geographic origin/host species., Study Design: Cross-sectional study., Methods: Conventional PCR to detect BPV1/2 was performed with genomic DNA extracted from equine sarcoid (n = 10) and bovine papilloma (n = 10) samples collected in Japan. Direct sequencing results were compared between equine and bovine (equine/bovine)-derived BPV to identify sarcoid-associated variants of two early regions (E2, E5), one late region (L1) and the long control region (LCR). Phylogenetic and phylogeny-trait correlation were analysed using Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method and Bayesian tip-association significance testing (BaTS)., Results: Seven BPV1 and three BPV2 were identified from equine sarcoids using PCR and direct sequencing. Sequence analysis of equine/bovine-derived samples showed no sarcoid-associated variants in four regions (E2, E5, L1 and LCR) of either BPV1 or BPV2. The phylogenetic tree of BPV1 E2, L1 and LCR tended to cluster within its geographic origins. BaTS analysis demonstrated that BPV1 sequence variability may be due to the geographic origin rather than host species difference., Main Limitations: There was a limitation in sample numbers., Conclusions: This study supports the geographic-specific hypothesis of sequence variability, suggesting that BPV1 is shared between local equids and bovids. However, more extensively collected sequences worldwide and functional evaluations are needed to verify the geographic-specific sequence variability of BPV1/2 between equine- and bovine-derived sequence., (© 2020 EVJ Ltd.)

Abstract: We investigated a region of repetitive DNA located in intron 40 of the von Willebrand factor (vWF) gene (nucleotides [nt] 1639–2404; i.e., F8VWF). We identified 13 alleles and 33 genotypes in 49 unrelated Japanese individuals. The heterozygosity of the region was 0.897. Direct sequence analyses revealed five single-base substitutions, one tetranucleotide (TTAT) insertion, and seven short tandem repeats (STRs) in the intron; four of the STRs and one single-base substitution had been reported previously. The four new base substitutions we identified were 1849T>A, 2122C>T, 2180C>T, and 2192C>T. The novel TTAT tetranucleotide was inserted between nt 2057 and 2058. The three newly identified STRs were 1978(TATC)1–2, 2193(ATCT)5–13, and 2234(TGTA)5–7. The five single-base substitutions and the TTAT insertion were identified only with 3′ downstream of vWA allele 14. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We have performed haplotyping of 16 Y-STRs (giving 17 PCR products): DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS635, and Y GATA H4 in 47 biological paternity cases (father and son) in Japan. We have detected two unusual alleles at the DYS439 and DYS448 locus in two paternity trio cases. In one case, DYS439 allele 15 of the son was found not to derive from the father (allele 14). In the other case, the father (allele 18) and the son (allele 17) shared no bands at DYS448. Sequencing showed that the son gained a single unit (GATA) at DYS439 in one case and the son losed 1 unit (AGAGAT) at DYS448 in the other case. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]