DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (DECIGO) is the future Japanese space gravitational wave antenna. DECIGO is expected to open a new window of observation for gravitational wave astronomy especially between 0.1 Hz and 10 Hz, revealing various mysteries of the universe such as dark energy, formation mechanism of supermassive black holes, and inflation of the universe. The pre-conceptual design of DECIGO consists of three drag-free spacecraft, whose relative displacements are measured by a differential Fabry-Perot Michelson interferometer. We plan to launch two missions, DECIGO pathfinder and pre-DECIGO first and finally DECIGO in 2024.

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MicroRNAs (miRNAs) belong to a class of the endogenously expressed non-coding small RNAs which primarily function as gene regulators. Growing evidence suggests that miRNAs have a significant role in tumor development and may constitute robust biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The miR-17-92 cluster especially is markedly overexpressed in several cancers, and is associated with the cancer development and progression. In this study, we have demonstrated that miR-92a is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In addition, the proliferation of HCC-derived cell lines was enhanced by miR-92a and inhibited by the anti-miR-92a antagomir. On the other hand, we have found that the relative amount of miR-92a in the plasmas from HCC patients is decreased compared with that from the healthy donors. Interestingly, the amount of miR-92a was elevated after surgical treatment. Thus, although the physiological significance of the decrease of miR-92a in plasma is still unknown, deregulation of miR-92 expression in cells and plasma should be implicated in the development of HCC.

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[1] The interannual Indian Ocean subtropical dipole (IOSD) event in the southern Indian Ocean is discussed using a coupled general circulation model to derive a scenario describing its complete life cycle for the first time. The positive (negative) IOSD is characterized by an anomalous warm (cool) sea surface temperature (SST) in the southwestern region of the Indian Ocean and by an anomalous cool (warm) SST in the southeastern region. The positive event brings about enhanced precipitation in the southeastern Africa during the peak phase. Composite pictures for the positive and negative IOSD clarify that an anomalous latent heat flux is the dominant factor in its formation. This flux anomaly is caused by an anomaly in the climatological wind field, which is associated with a pressure anomaly in the central region of the southern Indian Ocean. Since the flux anomaly starts during austral fall in the year previous to the event peak and develops for the next 9 months, air-sea interaction must play an active role in the formation of the IOSD. The reason the peak of the IOSD is locked to the austral summer is that the latent heat flux influences the sea surface temperature most efficiently in the austral summer when the depth of the surface mixed layer is shallowest.

DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (DECIGO) is a future Japanese space gravitational-wave antenna. The most important objective of DECIGO, among various sciences to be aimed at, is to detect gravitational waves coming from the inflation of the universe. DECIGO consists of four clusters of spacecraft, and each cluster consists of three spacecraft with three Fabry–Perot Michelson interferometers. As a pathfinder mission of DECIGO, B-DECIGO will be launched, hopefully in the 2020s, to demonstrate technologies necessary for DECIGO as well as to lead to fruitful multimessenger astronomy. B-DECIGO is a small-scale or simpler version of DECIGO with the sensitivity slightly worse than that of DECIGO, yet good enough to provide frequent detection of gravitational waves.

ABSTRACT. From November 2000 to July 2002, 112 fecal samples from pet reptiles, including 18 turtles, 71 lizards and 23 snakes, sold at a pet shop were examined for the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in Japan. Salmonella spp. were isolated from 83 (74.1%) of 112 samples, and a total of 112 Salmonella isolates were identified as subspecies I to IV. The majority of isolates (62.5%) belonged to subspecies I and 54 isolates could be identified as any of 28 serovars. The predominant serovars were found to be S. Bardo, S. Newport and S. Panama, which cause human salmonellosis. These results indicate that pet reptiles may be a potential infectious source of human salmonellosis in Japan.

The number of patients with severe invasive group-G streptococcal (Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis) infections has been increasing in Japan. The emm genotypes and SmaI-digested pulsed-field gel electrophoresis DNA profiles were variable among the strains isolated, suggesting there has not been clonal expansion of a specific subpopulation of strains. However, all strains carried scpA, ska, slo and sag genes, some of which may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.