Objective: The aims of this study were to examine the preparedness of vulnerable people ages 75 years and older and to clarify the characteristics of older adults that are associated with disaster preparedness. Methods: We conducted interviews with persons requiring special care ages 75 years and older living in coastal communities of western Japan, where earthquakes and tsunami disasters are a concern. The survey included participant characteristics such as demographic indicators, physical function, health status, community involvement, and disaster preparedness. Binomial logistic regression analysis was performed with participant characteristics as independent variables and disaster preparedness as the dependent variables. Results: The characteristics related to disaster preparedness were age, family composition, cognitive function, level of interaction with neighbors, and participation in community activities. Conclusions: Being female, living alone, and having cognitive impairment were factors that led to decreased disaster preparedness. However, it was suggested that close human interactions in the community facilitated preparedness. Community engagement is crucial in reducing disaster damage and recovering effectively. In order to facilitate preparedness measures for persons requiring special care ages 75 and older, it is important to establish community preparedness.

Taxonomical re‐examination of the Phyllosticta species parasitic fungi on coniferous trees (Cupressaceae) in Japan was conducted based on current criteria, such as morphological and cultural characteristics, phylogenetic relationship and pathogenicity. Phylogenetic analyses revealed several clades composed of plant pathogens isolated from a specific host as well as clades composed of endophytic species isolated from various Cupressaceae trees. Each clade was recognized as a species from the morphological characteristics and other features, respectively. Five species of Phyllosticta sensu stricto were recognized, and two of them were newly recorded in Japanese mycoflora. Furthermore, new comibination P. pilospora and its epitype are proposed. The epitype and ex‐type strain are also proposed for P. cryptomeriae in this study.

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The reexamination of the fungal genus Botryosphaeria on 12 plant species of 10 families was carried out based on molecular phylogenetic analyses using the regions of translation elongation factor 1-a, b-tubulin, DNA-directed RNA polymerase II subunit, and internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA and morphological characteristics. Japanese isolates were divided into five clades and include Botryosphaeria dothidea, B. qingyuanensis, B. sinensis, and Botryosphaeria spp. Two species, B. qingyuanensis and B. sinensis have been newly added to the Japanese mycoflora, but their host plants are not specified. Botryosphaeria tenuispora isolated from Leucothoe fontanesiana and insect galls on fruits of Aucuba japonica has been proposed as a new species.

Neofusicoccum (Botryosphaeriaceae) is a genus of plant pathogenic fungi associated with various woody plants that causes shoot blight, canker, and dieback of fruit and forest trees (Phillips et al., 2008). The genus was established by Crous et al. (2006), based on the type species N. parvum (Pennycook & Samuels) Crous, Slippers & A. J. L. Phillips, and is closely related to the genus Fusicoccum. Neofusicoccum is characterized by fusiform to ellipsoid aseptate conidia and "dichomera-like" synanamorphs, which septate and turn brown with age, to form globose to pyriform conidia (Barber et al., 2005;Phillips, Rumbos, Alves, & Correia, 2005;Crous et al., 2006). The sexual morphs of Botryosphaeriaceae are similar in morphology, such that these structures are difficult to distinguish among the genera Botryosphaeria, Fusicoccum, and Neofusicoccum. These genera have been historically confused. The genus Fusicoccum, which had been regarded as an asexual morph of the genus Botryosphaeria, is known to be polyphyletic and synonymous with various other genera (Phillips, Fonseca, Povoa, Castilho, & Nolasco, 2002;Crous et al., 2006). Therefore, molecular phylogenetic analysis is essential to discriminate between Fusicoccum and other Fusicocum-like genera (Marin-Felix et al., 2017). Taxonomic studies of the genus Neofusicoccum and its related genera have been conducted based on worldwide multi-locus phylogenetic analyses (Dissan-

The re-emergence of the Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium odoratissimum (F. odoratissimum) causes global banana production loss. Thirty-eight isolates of Fusarium species (Fusarium spp.) were examined for morphological characteristics on different media, showing the typical Fusarium spp. The phylogenetic trees of Fusarium isolates were generated using the sequences of histone gene (H3) and translation elongation factor gene (TEF-1α). Specific primers were used to confirm the presence of F. odoratissimum. The phylogenetic trees showed the rich diversity of the genus Fusarium related to Fusarium wilt, which consists of F. odoratissimum, Fusarium grosmichelii, Fusarium sacchari, and an unknown species of the Fusarium oxysporum species complex. By using Foc-TR4 specific primers, 27 isolates were confirmed as F. odoratissimum. A pathogenicity test was conducted for 30 days on five different local cultivars including, Musa acuminata (AAA, AA) and Musa paradisiaca (AAB, ABB). Although foliar symptoms showed different severity of those disease progression, vascular symptoms of the inoculated plantlet showed that infection was uniformly severe. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Fusarium oxysporum species complex related to Fusarium wilt of banana in Malaysia is rich in diversity, and F. odoratissimum has pathogenicity to local banana cultivars in Malaysia regardless of the genotype of the banana plants.

Ambrosia beetles in the subtribe Hyorrhynchini are one example of an entire ambrosia beetle lineage whose fungi have never been studied. Here, we identify one dominant fungus associated with a widespread Asian hyorrhynchine beetle Sueus niisimai. This fungus was consistently isolated from beetle galleries from multiple collections. Phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS rDNA and β-tubulin sequences identified the primary fungal symbiont as Diatrypella japonica Higuchi, Nikaido & Hattori (Diatrypaceae, Xylariales, Sordariomycetes), which was recently described as a pathogen of sycamore (Platanus spp.) in Japan. To assess the invasion potential of this beetle-fungus interaction into the US, we have investigated the pathogenicity of two Diatrypella japonica strains on four species of healthy landscape trees native to the southeastern United States. Only Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii) responded with lesions significantly greater than the control inoculations, but there was no observable dieback or tree mortality. Although disease symptoms were not as prominent as in previous studies of the same fungus in Japan, routine re-isolation from the inoculation point suggests that this species is capable of colonizing healthy sapwood of several tree species. Our study shows that the geographical area of its distribution is broader in Asia and potentially includes many hosts of its polyphagous vector. We conclude that the Sueus-Diatrypella symbiosis has high invasion potential but low damage potential, at least on young trees during the growing season.

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