Search

Enzootic bovine leucosis (EBL) is a neoplastic disease of cattle caused by Bovine leukaemia virus (BLV). EBL causes great economic losses, so a fast and reliable diagnostic method is critical for understanding the status of BLV. This will allow us to control BLV infections efficiently and mitigate economic losses. In this study, we established a direct diagnostic test for BLV using dried blood‐spotted filter papers without sample pre‐treatment. The study was based on 159 clinical blood specimens collected in EDTA from one farm in Kyushu, Japan. The blood‐spotted filter papers were used as the template for direct filter PCR. When an ELISA was used as the diagnostic gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the direct filter PCR were 90.1% and 97.5%, respectively. The kappa value for the direct filter PCR and real‐time PCR methods was 0.97. The dried blood samples spotted onto filter papers were stable for at least 10 days at room temperature, even when the samples were from cattle with a low BLV proviral load. Direct filter PCR is a rapid, easy, reliable and cost‐effective diagnostic test that directly detects the BLV proviral genome in clinical blood specimens without DNA extraction. Moreover, it simplifies the collection, transportation and storage procedures for clinical blood specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) caused a severe cattle neoplastic disease called enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL). EBL causes significant economic losses in farming by reducing milk production, reproductive performance, and fertility, and through cattle culling or death. The BLV proviral load (PVL) represents the quantity of BLV genome that has integrated into the host's genome in BLV-infected cells. It has been reported that PVLs differ according to the genetic background of the host, and some studies of BLV-associated host factors have reported on polymorphisms within the bovine major histocompatibility complex (MHC), namely bovine MHC is bovine leukocyte antigen (BoLA-DRB3). However, there is a great diversity in the PVLs associated with carrying various combinations of these alleles, especially for heterozygous alleles. Therefore, this research investigated whether heterogeneity in BoLA-DRB3 allele combinations would affect PVLs during BLV infections in different ages and breeds of cattle in Japan. This is the first report where the association between heterozygous allelic combinations and BLV PVLs phenotypes (HPLs, LPLs) was analyzed. Our findings augment current understanding about the immunological role played by BoLA heterozygosity in BLV-associated PVLs and biocontrol in BLV infections. Enzootic bovine leukosis is a lethal neoplastic disease caused by bovine leukemia virus (BLV), belongs to family Retroviridae. The BLV proviral load (PVL) represents the quantity of BLV genome that has integrated into the host's genome in BLV-infected cells. Bovine leukocyte antigen (BoLA) class II allelic polymorphisms are associated with PVLs in BLV-infected cattle. We sought to identify relationships between BoLA-DRB3 allelic heterozygosity and BLV PVLs among different cattle breeds. Blood samples from 598 BLV-infected cattle were quantified to determine their PVLs by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results were confirmed by a BLV-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction identified 22 BoLA-DRB3 alleles. Multivariate negative binomial regression modeling was used to test for associations between BLV PVLs and BoLA-DRB3 alleles. BoLA-DRB3.2*3, *7, *8, *11, *22, *24, and *28 alleles were significantly associated with low PVLs. BoLA-DRB3.2*10 was significantly associated with high PVLs. Some heterozygous allele combinations were associated with low PVLs (*3/*28, *7/*8, *8/*11, *10/*11, and *11/*16); others were associated with high PVLs (*1/*41, *10/*16, *10/*41, *16/*27, and *22/*27). Interestingly, the BoLA-DRB3.2*11 heterozygous allele was always strongly and independently associated with low PVLs. This is the first reported evidence of an association between heterozygous allelic combinations and BLV PVLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On average, one person dies by suicide every 40 s. However, extant studies have largely focused on the risk factors for suicidal behaviors, not so much on the formation of suicidal thoughts. Therefore, we attempt to explain how suicidal thoughts arise and persist inside one's mind using a multifiltering information mechanism called Mindsponge. Bayesian analysis with Hamiltonian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique was run on a dataset of multinational students (N = 268) of an international university in Japan. Item 9 in the PHQ-9 was used to survey suicidal ideation. The associations among four main variables, namely, (i) suicidal ideation, (ii) help-seeking willingness (informal and formal sources), (iii) sense of connectedness, and (iv) information inaccessibility (represented by being international students), were tested in four models. Sense of connectedness is negatively associated with suicidal ideation, but its effect becomes less impactful when interacting with international students. The impact of a sense of connectedness on informal help-seeking willingness (toward family members) among international students is also lessened. Informal help-seeking is negatively associated with suicidal ideation, whereas formal help is positive. The findings support our assumption on three fundamental conditions for preventing suicidal thoughts: (i) a high degree of belongingness, (ii) accessibility to help-related information, and (iii) healthy perceived cultural responses towards mental health. Therefore, systematically coordinated programs are necessary to effectively tackle suicidal ideation.