Japan

Four years ago, NASA made a long promised return visit to a place so legendary in the history of space exploration that it felt like a reunion with a long lost relative. With the liftoff of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), NASA made a bold statement about its commitment to exploring Earth's closest neighbor, as well as other parts of the solar system. In the years since it rose on its rocket, LRO has amassed a stunning array of data on a wide range of subjects. From vital research about the formation of the early solar system, to fundamental research about the structure and natural history of the Moon itself, LRO continues to deliver state-of-the-art information about a place that almost every human being has pondered as it drifts through our skies and our collective imaginations. In the last decade, Europe, Japan, China, India and the United States have all sent unmanned orbiters to probe the Moon’s chemical composition, gravitational field and topography. Among other things, they’ve proved the presence of water, discovered potentially useful minerals and uncovered evidence that the Moon may still be geologically active. In September, NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) will launch from Wallops Island, Virginia to join LRO in orbit around the Moon. LADEE is designed to study the lunar exosphere and dust in the Moon's vicinity and test a new Earth-Moon laser communication system. In December, the Chinese Chang'e 3 spacecraft will be launched. The vehicle is designed for a soft landing on the lunar surface at the Sea of Rainbows. The Chang'e 3 mission incorporates a lunar rover, designed to deploy from the lander and explore the lunar surface independently. If successful, it will be the first spacecraft to perform a soft landing on the Moon since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976, breaking a 37-year gap in lunar surface exploration.

Botox may be best known for its ability to combat crow's feet and other facial wrinkles, but it also serves an important role in the medical community. Since it was first approved for two eye muscle disorders in 1989 -- cosmetic uses were not approved until 2002 -- the drug has been approved for 26 unique indications in 88 countries. In total, Allergan has evaluated nearly 15,000 patients in clinical trials in the last 30 years and completed an estimated 29 million treatment sessions since the drug's first approval.   If that doesn't change your perception of Botox, consider that therapeutic uses comprised 52% of the drug's sales in 2012. That share should increase, although Allergan will need to deal with a growing mob of competitors. Given its growing importance to patients and Allergan -- sales made up 31% of total revenue in 2012 -- perhaps there is a bigger opportunity brewing for investors. Top medical usesWhat makes this a $1.77 billion per year drug? Botox is a neurotoxin isolated from Clostridium botulinum. It is used primarily as a neuromodulator -- a chemical that inhibits a nerve impulse -- to treat everything from muscle spasms to compulsive sweating. It remains the most potent neuromodulator known to date. There are 26 indications to choose from, but these three are especially important. Overactive bladder: Botox gained approval for this indication in first quarter of 2013, specifically for individuals who do not respond to the first line of treatment, anticholinergics. Luckily for Allergan, more than half of patients initially prescribed anticholinergics become intolerant or do not respond at all. I don't know what is more amazing -- what that statistic means for Allergan or the fact that it is still discovering new uses for Botox decades after its first clinical trials. Chronic migraines: If you suffer from debilitating migraines lasting longer than four hours at least 15 days per month, then you can be treated with Botox in 56 countries. The condition, which affects 3.2 million people in the United States alone, has crippling social and economic consequences as well. It may go without saying, but a study featured in the journal Neurology in 2008 found that chronic migraine sufferers are more likely to miss five or more days of school, work, and social activities over a three-month period. That pushed Allergan to merge with MAP Pharmaceuticals earlier this year to get its hands on the novel migraine therapy Levadex, which was accepted for regulatory filing in the United States in November 2012. The two therapies give the company a growing stable of migraine treatments.    Uncontrollable blinking (blepharospasm): Botox was approved for blepharospasm all the way back in 1989 and remains one of the most effective treatments. Whereas oral medications improve symptoms for 15% of patients and surgical procedures to remove muscles and nerves in the eyelids work 75-85% of the time, Botox improves symptoms in 93% of those treated. The condition affects approximately five in 100,000 people worldwide.   Ironically, losing control of your bladder is one of the side effects associated with Botox. There are other serious side effects that can occur in certain individuals or if you get multiple injections within a period of several months. Overall, Botox has a relatively clean safety profile as long as it is used as prescribed. Couple that with its potency -- injections are needed as infrequently as once every three months -- and it is easy to see why other pharmaceutical companies are looking to commercialize similar neurotoxin neuromodulators. Injecting some competition  Allergan has licensed Botox to GlaxoSmithKline in Japan and China. The agreement covers all current and future therapeutic indications and allows Glaxo to get its hands on the most widely used botulinum toxin for medical use. That's good, because the competition is really heating up. US WorldMeds had its neuromodulator therapy Myobloc approved in the

Yesterday, we received an email from Kotaku reader Jacob. He said he was bummed out. See, he really wants to play Phantasy Star Online 2, the free-to-play online RPG that was released in Japan last year. But he can’t because it’s not out in the West, and publisher Sega hasn’t told anyone what’s going on. More »      

Click through to see the images. Unagi, the sea-going Japanese freshwater eel, harbors a fluorescent protein that could serve as the basis for a revolutionary new clinical test for bilirubin, a critical indicator of human liver function, hemolysis, and jaundice, according to researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute. The discovery also sheds light on the mysterious and endangered Unagi that could contribute to its conservation. Science from kitchen to lab to clinic Best known as a culinary delicacy in Japan, the freshwater eel Unagi (Anguilla japonica) and related species have seen a worldwide decrease in population, probably due to the effects of global warming, and Unagi is on the brink of extinction in Japan. Yet almost nothing is know about the biology of the eel. Drs. Atsushi Miyawaki, Akiko Kumagai and their team cloned a gene from Unagi for an unusual fluorescent protein they named UnaG, for Unagi Green protein, that allows eels to glow in the dark. UnaG is the first fluorescent protein found in vertebrates; previously they were thought to exist only in simple animals like jellyfish. But what makes UnaG truly unique in nature is that it needs a natural chemical to activate its powerful green light emission. In a surprise twist, the compound was identified by the authors to be bilirubin, a slippery molecule universally used in clinical labs around the world as a human blood marker for liver function. New clinical test for bilirubin Bilirubin is the breakdown product of blood hemoglobin and is toxic if present in excess in the body like in the characteristic yellow skin and eye color conditions seen in newborn babies, jaundice and kernicterus. It is also a common marker in blood tests where bilirubin is used by doctors to assess liver function and for the assessment of health, including hemolysis, the loss of red blood cells in anemia. By analyzing the structure of UnaG, the team discovered a novel mechanism of fluorescence enabling bilirubin to bind to UnaG and activate its light emission. With this property, they developed a superior new assay for bilirubin with high sensitivity, accuracy and speed that may become the global clinical standard, and can be used in developing countries where child liver health is a major issue. Role of UnaG in eel conservation Japanese freshwater eels have a long-distance migration life cycle, growing in inland rivers and swimming far into the sea to spawn. The authors identified UnaG and bilirubin in the muscle cells of Japanese, American, and European eels where they may aid in endurance swimming during migration. The unexpected discovery of UnaG may initiate legislation to conserve endangered eel species. “We believe that UnaG provides an unexpected foothold into several important but currently obscure areas of human health including bilirubin metabolism and muscle physiology during endurance exercise,” Miyawaki concludes. “Before the discovery of UnaG, I couldn’t imagine that basic science could have such a direct impact on human health. From a simple eel, we found a new path to the clinic.” (Via Riken)

On Sunday night, AAA was set to host their first iPPV, TripleMania 21, following in the footsteps of New Japan. New Japan’s iPPV’s have been reasonably successful, giving US fans a chance to watch a product that isn’t on television in the states. Konnan and the MLW crew (Court Bauer and MSL) had been pushing the show, which went head to head with WWE’s offering of Payback. But on Sunday night, word was that the show wasn’t working at all. The Cubs Fan on his Lucha blog was on top of the situation. AAA put all of the blame on uStream. To make up for it, AAA has now put the entire show on YouTube in four parts. You can watch below. The post Video – TripleMania XXI: Full Show appeared first on Fight Game Blog.

Holger Osieck was strong when he needed to be; this was the Socceroos' most gruelling campaign; and other talking pointsHolger Osieck is the manFor 48 hours before the game, a major Sydney road was rechristened as the Tim Cahill Expressway. This was a man who had scored his country's first ever World Cup goal and at times had dragged the team through qualification. For years, he has been the source of goals when all others had run dry. Yet with 13 minutes remaining and Australia starting to come to terms with the realisation that they may not actually secure a place at Brazil, Holger Osieck changed things around. And boy, did he make a change. In a stadium packed with more than 80,000 fans, Cahill was far from alone in looking nonplussed and annoyed to see his number up. In came Josh Kennedy. Within minutes Mark Bresciano, who did not see enough of the ball until the last quarter, sent over a perfect cross for Kennedy to head home. The striker known as Jesus may not walk on water but he does float through the air. In the trilogy of games in June, the German really took charge of the team in the 78th minute of game three, as decisively as when Darth Vader threw the Emperor into the core of the Death Star. Osieck has turned around his reputation almost as quickly as the Vader and deserves huge credit. The criticism would have been vicious. It was a big call that took big balls.Pretty it wasn'tSo often was it said before the game that three points was all that mattered, and not the performance, that it perhaps became a self-fulfilling prophecy. After the game, it was, all agreed, including captain Lucas Neill, "not pretty". After the spit and polish of Japan and the sparkle of Jordan this was all a bit huff and puff on a wet night in Sydney. Australia gave the ball away too easily and when chances were created, they were wasted. Brett Holman was running into dead ends, Robbie Kruse just was not able to repeat his antics of a week previously when he got behind the defence almost at will, and the two full-backs were ineffective. There were mitigating circumstances. The pitch was poor and not helped by the pouring rain. In the end though, it provided a dramatic backdrop to celebrations as Australia qualified for a third successive appearance on the global stage. Now the Socceroos are World Cup regulars.Iraq don't deserve to finish lastWith five teenagers in the starting XI, the average Iraq player was a full decade younger than his green and gold equivalent. Their performance was impressive – doubly so when you consider the following: they play home games away; their federation, coach (apt to change quite often) and players spend as much time arguing with each other as they do focusing on the opposition; and their two biggest stars retired just last week. And then there was the fact that they were playing in front of over 80,000 fans against a highly experienced and hugely committed opponent as well as already being eliminated. And yet Iraq showed what they were made of. After a shaky start, they started to pass their way out of defence in the first half. In the second they started to trouble Mark Schwarzer. Much more than Jordan last week, Iraq, whose players showed some delightful touches, made a game of it. In the end, their weakness in the air was punished but there was much to be pleased about. The experience will serve the players well in their Under-20 World Cup campaign next week and for much further into the future. Australia like to leave it lateLate goals have been something of a specialty for Australia. The scene was set in the third round of qualification when all but three of the 13 goals scored came in the second half but the trend intensified in the final stage. Of the 12 goals scored in these eight games, just one has come before the break and just one more has come before the hour. Seven of the 12 scored have come in the last 10 minutes. For a team supposedly full of wheezing veterans, it suggests impressive stami

UBS (NYSE:UBS): Current price $18.07 On Tuesday, the United Kingdom’s fraud prosecutor charged the former UBS and Citigroup (NYSE:C) trader Tom Hayes with eight counts of conspiracy to defraud, while it set the groundwork for what might become the first Libor trial. Hayes was arrested by London police and the Serious Fraud Office in December as part of a worldwide inquiry, traversing North America, Europe and Japan, into the manipulation of benchmark interest rates. Thus far, United States. and British regulators have fined three banks, among which include UBS, a total $2.6 billion for their role in the scandal. Are these stocks a buy or sell? Let us help you decide. Check out our Stock Picker Newsletter now. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS): Current price $26.32 The Philadelphia-based brokerage Janney Montgomery Scott said Tuesday that it has recruited a team of veteran advisers from Morgan Stanley Wealth Management to join its private client group in Maryland. Advisers Alfred DeRenzis and Scott Ford came to Janney in late May from Morgan Stanley, where they had overseen $159 million in client assets, and had annual revenue output in excess of $1.2 million. DeRenzis has been employed in the advising industry for 32 years, and joined Janney as a senior vice president, while Ford, who is a 26-year industry veteran, joined Janney as a first vice president. The two executives were joined by registered private client assistant Karen Seipp, who is also from Morgan Stanley. Are these stocks a buy or sell? Let us help you decide. Check out our Stock Picker Newsletter now. Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS): Current price $164.15 Goldman Sachs’ former chief of EMEA syndicate and leveraged capital markets Ian Gilday, has assumed a new position as the  head of origination for collateralized loan obligations in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, said an internal memo obtained by IFR, confirmed by Goldman Sachs, which also indicated that Gilday has relocated to the securities division, working in fixed income currency and commodities credit as part of the move. This is a newly-formed role, and is part of an expected resurgence in CLO activity during the coming months. Are these stocks a buy or sell? Let us help you decide. Check out our Stock Picker Newsletter now. Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB): Current price $46.36 The German megabank believes that commodity prices are set to remain in “subdued territory for years to come,” following a bull run that nearly quadrupled prices in the past 12 years. Banks ranging from Citigroup to Goldman Sachs have announced an end to the commodities supercycle, as the economy in China, which is the number-one user of raw materials, grows at a slower rate and the country transitions to consumer-driven growth. The Standard & Poor’s GSCI Index of 24 raw materials fell by 2.5 percent in 2013 after almost increasing by a factor of four since 2001. In a Tuesday email report,Deutsche Bank’s economists Taimur Baig and Jun Ma remarked that “Many of the factors and fears that drove the supercycle have dissipated in the last few years. Emerging markets demand is robust but not as insatiable as once thought, especially with China’s appearing to be slowing down. Fear of a global spike in inflation due to exceptionally loose monetary policy has proven to be unfounded.” Are these stocks a buy or sell? Let us help you decide. Check out our Stock Picker Newsletter now. Don’t Miss: Is the Housing Recovery Story Still Building? Read the original article from Wall St. Cheat Sheet

Girls' Generation has released their Japanese single "LOVE&GIRLS" as news swirls of upcoming projects for the group and sub-unit. The new track...

InvenSense ® to Exhibit at Mobile Asia Expo 2013 SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InvenSense, Inc. (NYS: INVN) , the leading provider of MotionTracking™ devices, announced that it will be showcasing its latest technology breakthroughs at the 2013 Mobile Asia Expo at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in Pudong, Shanghai, China on June 26-28, 2013 in stand N2.EMR12 and N2.EMR11. InvenSense will demonstrate the company's latest MotionTracking solutions at Mobile Asia Expo 2013 including: Location Based Services enabled by sensor solutions for vehicle applications 9-axis MotionTracking SoC embedded in wearable sensors for health and fitness monitoring For more details, or to schedule a private meeting to see any of the company's product demonstrations at Mobile Asia Expo, please contact us at marketing@invensense.com. About InvenSense InvenSense, Inc. (NYS: INVN) is the world's leading provider of MotionTracking™ solutions for consumer electronic devices. The company's patented InvenSense Platform and patent-pending MotionFusion™ technology address the emerging needs of many mass-market consumer applications via improved performance, accuracy, and intuitive motion- and gesture-based interfaces. InvenSense technology can be found in consumer electronic products including smartphones, tablets, gaming devices, optical image stabilization, and remote controls for Smart TVs. The company's MotionTracking products are also being integrated into a number of industrial applications. InvenSense is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and has offices in China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Dubai. More information can be found at www.invensense.com. ©2013 InvenSense, Inc. All rights reserved. InvenSense, MotionTracking, MotionProcessing, MotionProcessor, MotionFusion, MotionApps, DMP, and the InvenSense logo are trademarks of InvenSense, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. InvenSense, Inc.Ali Foughi408-988-7339Vice PresidentMarketing and Business DevelopmentorInvenSense, Inc.David Almoslino408-988-7339 x 285DirectorMarketing and Communicationspr@invensense.comKEYWORDS:   United States  Asia Pacific  North America  China  CaliforniaINDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

While Capcom's arcade brawler compilation Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara hits the PlayStation Network in North America tonight (and Xbox Live Arcade tomorrow), D&D fans in Japan might want to hold out for an upcoming PlayStation 3 retail release, which offers exclusive features and enhancements not found in the digital version. The PS3 retail version's Facebook page describes the release as a treasure trove for retro gaming connoisseurs, comparing it to the well-received Street Fighter Alpha Anthology on the PlayStation 2. The collection includes a color-edit feature, and allows multiple players to play as same character. The retail edition also offers an in-depth series of options, allowing players to toggle features like random damage and breakable weapons. A similar "House Rules" system was announced for the digital release. The digital version set for release this week is developed by Iron Galaxy, who previously produced arcade compilations like Darkstalkers Resurrection and Marvel vs. Capcom Origins. NeoGAF member toypop notes that the PlayStation 3 Blu-ray version of Chronicles of Mystara is developed by an internal Capcom team staffed by developers of the original Dungeons & Dragons arcade games. The PlayStation 3 retail version of Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara will launch in Japan this August. Capcom confirmed with Joystiq that the retail edition is exclusive to Japan, and is not scheduled for a North American release.D&D: Chronicles of Mystara gets enhanced PS3 retail release in Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments More...