A Note on the Over−valuation of the US Dollar

I examine the frameworks of analyzing this problem,　referring to some representative papers, and point out　that information on the real (as opposed to monetary)　economies plays a surprisingly large role.米ドルの過大評価の問題は，同国の経常収支赤字とのかねあいで，以前からかなりの関心を引いてきた。この研究ノートは，比較的新しい文献をいくつか参照しながら，本問題についての分析枠組みを筆者なりに整理するものである。問題の所在，すなわち過大評価の大きさと，その是正のための調整コストにかんしては，やや古いが，Bergsten and Williamson 編の二冊がまとまっている。なお最近，筆者は未見の（参考文献にも挙げない）新著が，同じ編者によって発刊されているはずである。以下で参照する論文も，多くはサーベイ的な叙述を含んでいるから，ここであえて問題そのものを紹介する必要はないであろう

H3K9 Demethylases JMJD1A and JMJD1B Control Prospermatogonia to Spermatogonia Transition in Mouse Germline

Histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation is dynamically regulated by methyltransferases and demethylases. In spermatogenesis, prospermatogonia differentiate into differentiating or undifferentiated spermatogonia after birth. However, the epigenetic regulation of prospermatogonia to spermatogonia transition is largely unknown. We found that perinatal prospermatogonia have extremely low levels of di-methylated H3K9 (H3K9me2) and that H3K9 demethylases, JMJD1A and JMJD1B, catalyze H3K9me2 demethylation in perinatal prospermatogonia. Depletion of JMJD1A and JMJD1B in the embryonic germline resulted in complete loss of male germ cells after puberty, indicating that H3K9me2 demethylation is essential for male germline maintenance. JMJD1A/JMJD1B-depleted germ cells were unable to differentiate into functional spermatogonia. JMJD1 isozymes contributed to activation of several spermatogonial stem cell maintenance genes through H3K9 demethylation during the prospermatogonia to spermatogonia transition, which we propose is key for spermatogonia development. In summary, JMJD1A/JMJD1B-mediated H3K9me2 demethylation promotes prospermatogonia to differentiate into functional spermatogonia by establishing proper gene expression profiles

Plasmapheresis for Spur Cell Anemia

A 45-year-old male patient with spur cell anemia was treated by plasmapheresis. At first, a membrane plasma separator was employed six times successively to try to prevent the progressive anemia. No significant improvement was achieved with respect to hematological parameters of hemolysis. A discontinuous flow centrifuge was then used four times consecutively. The spur cell count decreased and the progression of the anemia was transiently interrupted after every plasmapheresis of this type. Sequential measurements of the free cholesterol/phospholipid (FC/PL) molar ratio of the red cell membrane lipid revealed the importance of a plasma factor for spur cell formation. It showed that abnormal changes in FC/PL ratio of the red cell membrane were entirely dependent on a precursory change in the lipid composition of the patient\u27s plasma. Although, to our knowledge, plasmapheresis to treat spur cell anemia has not yet been recorded in the literature, in our experience, this therapeutic measure is recommendable for patients with spur cell anemia unresponsive to other forms of treatment

The Japanese space gravitational wave antenna; DECIGO

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

DECIGO pathfinder

DECIGO pathfinder (DPF) is a milestone satellite mission for DECIGO (DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory) which is a future space gravitational wave antenna. DECIGO is expected to provide us fruitful insights into the universe, in particular about dark energy, a formation mechanism of supermassive black holes, and the inflation of the universe. Since DECIGO will be an extremely large mission which will formed by three drag-free spacecraft with 1000m separation, it is significant to gain the technical feasibility of DECIGO before its planned launch in 2024. Thus, we are planning to launch two milestone missions: DPF and pre-DECIGO. The conceptual design and current status of the first milestone mission, DPF, are reviewed in this article