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(Provided by Prof. Yoshitaka Oka)

Medaka brain teaches us the mechanisms common to all the vertebrate species

Prof. Yoshitaka Oka（Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo）, et al identified a novel physiologically active peptide, kisspeptin, for the first time in the brain of nonmammalian species. Kisspeptin has been reported to facilitate sexual maturation and ovulation by directly stimulating gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in several mammalian species. Here, they used Medaka for the identification of the gene that encodes kisspeptin (KiSS-1 gene) and the anatomical distribution of KiSS-1 mRNA expressing neurons (KiSS-1 neurons). They found two kisspeptin neuronal populations in the hypothalamic brain regions, called NPPv and NVT. We concluded that the Medaka KiSS-1 neuronal system is involved in the central regulation of reproductive functions, and, given many experimental advantages, such as the ease of application of transgenic technology based on the fully-equipped genome database, the Medaka brain may serve as a good model system to study its physiology....[more]

The Original Text
http://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/press/press-2008-10en.html
[From the press release of May 8, 2008 : Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo]

Published in Endocrinology 149: 2467-2476 (2008 May)
http://endo.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/149/5/2467

The Website of Laboratory of Biological Signaling
http://www.biol.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/users/naibunpi/lab.html

The Diet enacted Japan's first law on the use of space Wednesday, changing the decades-old principle of "nonmilitary" use and paving the way for the development of defense equipment, including full-scale spy satellites.
The law stipulates that the use and development of space be carried out in ways that contribute to Japan's security, relaxing the nonmilitary principle based on a 1969 Diet resolution under the Constitution. ...[more]

[From the article of June 14, 2008: The Japan Times Online]

Diet OK's military use of space / Law marks shift toward space strategy
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080522TDY01305.htm
[From the article of May 22, 2008: DAILY YOMIURI ONLINE]

(Provided by JAXA)

Space organizations have agreed on the schedule and members for the 20th Expedition Crew that will stay on the International Space Station (ISS).
Astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was selected as a prime member of the Expedition 20 Crew and that Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa was selected as his backup.
Astronaut Noguchi will conduct mainly space utilization activities such as Japan's scientific experiments in the ISS where six crew members will be staying by his flight. ...[more]

Noguchi to begin 6 months on ISS next year
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/science/20080515TDY03101.htm
[From the article of May 15, 2008:DAIRY TOMIURI ONLINE]

Biographical Data of Soichi Noguchi
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/noguchi.html

NASA Assigns Part of Crew for Expedition 20 Space Station Mission
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/may/HQ_08121_Exp_20_Crew.html