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Morphological comparisons and multi locus phylogenetic analyses (base on the combined genes of ITS, LSU, rpb2 and tub) demonstrated that three new saprobic taxa isolated from bamboo belong to Cainiaceae. These taxa comprise a novel genus Paramphibambusa (P. bambusicola sp. nov.) and two new species, Arecophila xishuangbannaensis and A. zhaotongensis. The three new taxa belong to Cainiaceae (Xylariales, Sordariomycetes) a poorly studied family, which now comprises eight genera. Paramphibambusa can be distinguished from other Cainiaceae genera in having ascomata with a neck and ascospores lacking longitudinal striation, germ slits or germ pores. The two new Arecophila species clustered in a clade with Arecophila sp. and A. bambusae. Detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations, and an updated phylogenetic tree are provided for the new taxa.

Conventional techniques for sharing paper documents in teleconferencing tend to introduce two inconsistencies: 1) media inconsistency: a paper document is converted into a digital image on the remote site; 2) space inconsistency: a workspace deliberately inverts the partner’s handwriting to make a document easy to read. In this paper, we present a novel system that eliminates these inconsistencies. The media and space inconsistencies are resolved by reproducing a real paper document on a remote site and allowing a user to handover the paper document to a remote partner across a videoconferencing display. From a series of experiments, we found that reproducing a real paper document contributes to a higher sense of information sharing. We also found that handing over a document enhances a sense of space sharing, regardless of whether the document is digital or paper-based. These findings provide insights into designing systems for sharing paper documents across distances.

In recent years, virtual idols have garnered considerable attention because they can perform activities similar to real idols. However, as they are fictitious idols with nonphysical presence, they cannot perform physical interactions such as handshake. Combining a robotic hand with a display showing virtual idols is the one of the methods to solve this problem. Nonetheless a physical handshake is possible, the form of handshake that can effectively induce the desirable behavior is unclear. In this study, we adopted a robotic hand as an interface and aimed to imitate the behavior of real idols. To test the effects of this behavior, we conducted step-wise experiments. The series of experiments revealed that the handshake by the robotic hand increased the feeling of intimacy toward the virtual idol, and it became more enjoyable to respond to a request from the virtual idol. In addition, viewing the virtual idols during the handshake increased the feeling of intimacy with the virtual idol. Moreover, the method of the hand-shake peculiar to idols, which tried to keep holding the user’s hand after the conversation, increased the feeling of intimacy to the virtual idol.

Background While pincer nails may be treated using overcurvature-correcting devices, it takes several months to achieve successful outcomes. Nail-softening drugs may reduce the treatment duration required. Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of treatment with acetylcysteine (AC) gel added to an overcurvature-correcting device, and define the optimal AC concentration. Methods In this investigator-blinded study, 70 patients with hallux pincer nail were fitted with an overcurvature-correcting device for 7 days and were randomly assigned to receive a single 24-h administration of a gel containing 10%, 20% or 30% AC or vehicle. Nail improvement was objectively evaluated by calculating the distal narrowed nail width (dNNW) ratio. Results All three AC concentrations plus device showed earlier sustained improvement of pincer nails versus vehicle plus device. There was no observable correlation between AC concentration and effectiveness. No clinically problematic adverse events were observed at any AC concentration, and we recommended AC gel at a concentration of 10%. Conclusions By adding AC gel application to an overcurvature-correcting device, early and sustained reductions in transverse curvature were produced compared with using a device alone (vehicle control). The dNNW ratio used in this study was an appropriate objective index for evaluating therapeutic effects.

The genus Thyridium, previously known as a saprobic or hemibiotrophic ascomycete on various plants, was revised taxonomically and phylogenetically. Sequences of the following six regions, that is, the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the large subunit (LSU) of rDNA, the second largest RNA polymerase II subunit (rpb2) gene, translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) gene, the actin (act) gene, and the beta-tubulin (tub2) gene, were generated for molecular phylogenetic analyses of species of this genus. Phialemoniopsis, a genus encompassing medically important species, is synonymised with Thyridium based on molecular evidence and morphological similarities in their asexual characters. The generic concept for Thyridium is expanded to include species possessing both coelomycetous and hyphomycetous complex asexual morphs. In addition to type species of Thyridium, T. vestitum, nine species were accepted in Thyridium upon morphological comparison and molecular phylogenetic analyses in this study. All seven species of Phialemoniopsis were treated as members of the genus Thyridium and new combinations were proposed. A bambusicolous fungus, Pleospora punctulata, was transferred to Thyridium, and an epitype is designated for this species. A new species, T. flavostromatum, was described from Phyllostachys pubescens. The family Phialemoniopsidaceae, proposed as a familial placement for Phialemoniopsis, was regarded as a synonym of Thyridiaceae. A new order, Thyridiales, was established to accommodate Thyridiaceae; it forms a well-supported, monophyletic clade in Sordariomycetes.

Copy number variation (CNV) of the AMY gene in humans has been enthusiastically studied for its association with starch digestibility and obesity. The alpha-amylase (AMY) is a major starch digestive enzyme in mammals. This study aimed to determine the association between CNV of the porcine pancreatic amylase (AMY2B) gene and feed efficiency. Improvement of feed efficiency in growing pigs is of great economic interest. We assayed the copy number of AMY2B by using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in a Large White pig population. We identified three genotypes for AMY2B CNVs, namely I/I (homozygotes of haplotype I; a chromosome with one copy of AMY2B), I/II (heterozygotes of haplotype I and II; a chromosome with two copies) and II/II (homozygotes of haplotype II). We tested the genotypes of the parental generation consisting of six males, 21 females and 265 offspring piglets to validate the AMY2B CNV genotyping. With very few mistyping exceptions, copy numbers of AMY2B were transmitted to piglets in segregation ratios following Mendelian inheritance. Finally, we performed an association analysis between the CNV of the AMY2B gene and feed efficiency traits in 207 uncastrated male pigs. The generalised linear model analysis showed the significant effects of AMY2B CNV genotype on average daily feed intake, total feed intake and feed conversion ratio during growth from 30 kg to 100 kg body weight. However, it was not associated with average daily gain, backfat thickness and loin eye muscle area. Individuals with the genotype I/I had about 76.6 ± 27.1 g lower average daily feed intake, 5.35 ± 1.90 kg lower total feed intake and 0.089 8 ± 0.026 5 lower feed conversion ratio than individuals with I/II and II/II genotypes. Thus, AMY2B CNV has the potential to be an effective genetic marker that could reduce feed costs for pig farming.

Copy numbers of alpha amylase genes (AMY), which encode starch-digesting enzymes, are markedly increased in modern humans and domesticated dogs as an adaptive evolutionary mechanism in response to increased consumption of starch-rich foods acquired either by farming or domestication. In this study, we surveyed total AMY gene copy numbers in 150 domestic pigs (50 pigs of Berkshire breed, 50 of Landrace breed, and 50 of Large White breed) and 51 wild boars (30 Sus scrofa leucomystax and 21 S. s. riukiuanus) to identify whether the gene copy number has changed during the domestication of pigs. The relative copy number of AMY genes was measured using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and it varied from 2.7 to 10.8 per haploid genome among individuals. However, in the four remaining populations, excluding S. s. riukiuanus, the average copy number was approximately six, and no significant differences were observed between the three selected pig breeds and S. s. leucomystax wild boar. Conversely, S. s. riukiuanus had an average of 7.2 copies. The results indicating six AMY copies per haploid genome were consistent with the porcine genome reference sequence (Sscrofa11.1). These results suggest that there has been no significant increase in the AMY gene copy number during the domestication process of pigs.

Abstract This paper is concerned with an explicit value of the embedding constant from W 1 , q ( Ω ) $W^{1,q}(\Omega)$ to L p ( Ω ) $L^{p}(\Omega)$ for a domain Ω ⊂ R N $\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^{N}$ ( N ∈ N $N\in\mathbb{N}$ ), where 1 ≤ q ≤ p ≤ ∞ $1\leq q\leq p\leq\infty$ . We previously proposed a formula for estimating the embedding constant on bounded and unbounded Lipschitz domains by estimating the norm of Stein’s extension operator. Although this formula can be applied to a domain Ω that can be divided into a finite number of Lipschitz domains, there was room for improvement in terms of accuracy. In this paper, we report that the accuracy of the embedding constant is significantly improved by restricting Ω to a domain dividable into bounded convex domains.

In semi-autonomous robot conferencing, not only the operator controls the robot, but the robot itself also moves autonomously. Thus, it can modify the operator’s movement (e.g., adding social behaviors). However, the sense of agency, that is, the degree of feeling that the movement of the robot is the operator’s own movement, would decrease if the operator is conscious of the discrepancy between the teleoperation and autonomous behavior. In this study, we developed an interface to control the robot head by using an eye tracker. When the robot autonomously moves its eye-gaze position, the interface guides the operator’s eye movement towards this autonomous movement. The experiment showed that our interface can maintain the sense of agency, because it provided the illusion that the autonomous behavior of a robot is directed by the operator’s eye movement. This study reports the conditions of how to provide this illusion in semi-autonomous robot conferencing.

Genetic variations were detected in duck growth hormone (GH) gene promoters at 8 positions in the genome of ducks from 3 regions (Mandalay, Khayan, and Sittwe) in Myanmar. Different frequencies were detected in the 3 regions. Higher frequencies were detected at positions, 244, 294, 586, and 665 of the GH promoter from both Mandalay and Khayan than in the ducks from Sittwe. The duck populations of Mandalay and Khayan have been partially selected for egg production by introducing a layer strain of Thailand native ducks, whereas that of Sittwe has been maintained without introduction of any other strain. The differences in the frequency of variations reflect that the breeding method in each region is unique. Since most of the variations were located in sequences similar to the promoters found in chickens and turkeys, variations in the promoter may affect laying performance by changing the expression of GH mRNA levels in the anterior pituitary gland.

Synnemapestaloides rhododendri, the type species of the genus Synnemapestaloides, is a pathogen of Rhododendron brachycarpum. This fungus produces six-celled conidia with appendages at both end cells, and are generated by annellidic conidiogenous cells on the synnema. These conidial structures are similar to those of the genus Pestalotia. The monotypic genus Synnemapestaloides is currently classified in the family Amphisphaeriaceae solely based on conidial morphology. Here we demonstrate that Synnemapestaloides represents a distinct genus in the family Sporocadaceae (Amphisphaeriales) based on differences in the nucleotide sequences of the partial large subunit rDNA gene, the rDNA internal transcribed spacer, and the partial β-tubulin. The genus most closely related to Synnemapestaloides is Seimatosporium and the species most similar to Synnemapestaloides rhododendri is Seim. foliicola which produces short synnema-like conidiomata (sporodochia). These results demonstrate that Seim. foliicola should be transferred to Synnemapestaloides, and also demonstrate that Sporocadaceae can have synnematal in addition to pycnidial and acervular conidiomata.

BACKGROUND: To monitor the richness in microbial inhabitants in the phyllosphere of apple trees cultivated under various cultural and environmental conditions, we developed an oligo-DNA macroarray for major pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungi and bacteria inhabiting the phyllosphere of apple trees. METHODS AND FINDINGS: First, we isolated culturable fungi and bacteria from apple orchards by an agar-plate culture method, and detected 32 fungal and 34 bacterial species. Alternaria, Aureobasidium, Cladosporium, Rhodotorula, Cystofilobasidium, and Epicoccum genera were predominant among the fungi, and Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, Methylobacterium, and Pantoea genera were predominant among the bacteria. Based on the data, we selected 29 major non-pathogenic and 12 phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria as the targets of macroarray. Forty-one species-specific 40-base pair long oligo-DNA sequences were selected from the nucleotide sequences of rDNA-internal transcribed spacer region for fungi and 16S rDNA for bacteria. The oligo-DNAs were fixed on nylon membrane and hybridized with digoxigenin-labeled cRNA probes prepared for each species. All arrays except those for Alternaria, Bacillus, and their related species, were specifically hybridized. The array was sensitive enough to detect 10(3) CFU for Aureobasidium pullulans and Bacillus cereus. Nucleotide sequencing of 100 each of independent fungal rDNA-ITS and bacterial 16S-rDNA sequences from apple tree was in agreement with the macroarray data obtained using the same sample. Finally, we analyzed the richness in the microbial inhabitants in the samples collected from apple trees in four orchards. Major apple pathogens that cause scab, Alternaria blotch, and Marssonina blotch were detected along with several non-phytopathogenic fungal and bacterial inhabitants. CONCLUSIONS: The macroarray technique presented here is a strong tool to monitor the major microbial species and the community structures in the phyllosphere of apple trees and identify key species antagonistic, supportive or co-operative to specific pathogens in the orchard managed under different environmental conditions.

Hop stunt was a mysterious disorder that first emerged in the 1940s in commercial hops in Japan. To investigate the origin of this disorder, we infected hops with natural Hop stunt viroid (HpSVd) isolates derived from four host species (hop, grapevine, plum and citrus), which except for hop represent possible sources of the ancestral viroid. These plants were maintained for 15 years, then analyzed the HpSVd variants present. Here we show that the variant originally found in cultivated grapevines gave rise to various combinations of mutations at positions 25, 26, 54, 193, and 281. However, upon prolonged infection, these variants underwent convergent evolution resulting in a limited number of adapted mutants. Some of them showed nucleotide sequences identical to those currently responsible for hop stunt epidemics in commercial hops in Japan, China, and the United States. Therefore, these results indicate that we have successfully reproduced the original process by which a natural HpSVd variant naturally introduced into cultivated hops was able to mutate into the HpSVd variants that are currently present in commercial hops. Furthermore, and importantly, we have identified cultivated grapevines as a symptomless reservoir in which HSVd can evolve and be transmitted to hop crops to cause epidemics.

With the intensification and rising frequency of disasters in recent years, implementing disaster preparedness measures has become increasingly important. However, local governments must be prepared for disasters, with their limited resources of personnel and budget, to make the redressal plans relevant for facing problems such as population decline. This study aims to enhance resilience in the field of disaster management by facilitating identification of problems in the disaster management plan of local governments, and promotion of mutual understanding among those involved. For this purpose, a tool has been developed to evaluate local disaster management measures from the viewpoints of both local governments and residents, and to promote smooth communication and coordination among the stakeholders. A questionnaire survey was conducted using an index for self-assessment by local government officials, which was formulated based on the literature of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Based on the survey results, the elements of resilience were classified into three groups depicting the abilities to collaborate and organize, adapt to the environment, and manage for the next generation. The evaluation was conducted in four local governments. In two regions, the residents' awareness and preparedness for a disaster were surveyed. The survey results revealed that the questionnaire should be improved; nevertheless, the authors were able to identify the problems of local governments and the fields that the residents do not know sufficiently about. The results indicate the possibility to apply this method in other regions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the phylogeny and taxonomy of Anthostomella-like fungi (Xylariales, Sordariomycetes) found in association with bamboo in Japan. Four new genera, Amphigermslita (including three new species, i.e., A. deformis, A. fusiformis, and A. pseudofusiformis), monotypic Crassipseudostroma (C. phyllostachydis) and Minuticlypeus (M. discosporus), and Pallidoperidium (two new species, P. exasperatum and P. paraexasperatum), and one known genus, Nigropunctata (one new species, N. complanata) are recognized and described. These five genera were found to constitute a distinct monophyletic lineage based on molecular phylogenetic analyses utilizing sequences of ITS and LSU nrDNA, rpb2, and tef1-a sequences. A new family, Pallidoperidiaceae, is proposed to accommodate these bambusicolous Anthostomella-like fungi. The identification of this lineage contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary relationships and classification of these bambusicolous fungi. It suggests that these five genera share a unique evolutionary history and possess shared morphological and ecological characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]