Iran in Talks with 8 Countries Regarding Giving Safe Passage of Yuan-Denominated Oil Going Through the Strait of Hormuz, Sources Said

 Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

人民元で取引される石油の安全なホルムズ海峡通過、イランが8カ国と協議　情報筋

2026.03.18 Wed posted at 11:00 JST

（CNN） イラン政府は中東以外の8カ国との間で、中国人民元で取引される石油の安全なホルムズ海峡通過を認めるイランの提案について協議していることが分かった。イランの治安情報筋がCNNに明らかにした。

これらの国は、イランが人民元で石油を取引する国の船舶に海峡通過を認める案を検討しているとの報道を受け、合意の可能性を探るためイラン政府に接触した。

情報筋は8カ国の国名を明らかにしなかった。イランは現在の封鎖措置を維持することに加え、海峡を通る船の交通を管理することを含むより広範な対応も検討しているという。

イランは先日、米国やイスラエル、その同盟国の船舶を攻撃目標にすると表明。世界の石油の約5分の1が通過する航路を事実上封鎖する形となり、エネルギー価格の急騰を招いている。ホルムズ海峡への機雷の敷設も開始しており、海峡再開に向けた今後の取り組みは複雑化しそうだ。

Translation

Iran in Talks with 8 Countries Regarding Giving Safe Passage of Yuan-Denominated Oil Going Through the Strait of Hormuz, Sources Said

March 18, 2026, Wed, posted at 11:00 JST

(CNN) The Iranian government was reportedly in discussions with eight countries outside the Middle East regarding Iran's proposal to allow safe passage of oil traded in Chinese yuan to go through the Strait of Hormuz. An Iranian security source told CNN.

These countries contacted the Iranian government to explore the possibility of an agreement following reports that Iran was considering a plan to allow ships from countries trading oil in yuan to pass through the strait.

The source did not name the eight countries. Iran was reportedly considering broader measures, including controlling shipping traffic through the strait, in addition to maintaining its current blockade.

Iran recently declared it would target US, Israeli, and their allied ships. This effectively blocked a shipping lane through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil passes, leading to a surge in energy prices. With the laying of mines in the Strait of Hormuz also beginning, future efforts toward reopening the strait were likely to become more complicated.

So, Iran is reportedly in discussions with some countries outside the Middle East to allow safe passage of oil traded in Chinese yuan to go through the Strait of Hormuz. I am interested to know what are these countries.

印度如何成為世界最大經濟體之一（1/2）

Recently the New York Times reported the following:

How India Became One of the World’s Biggest Economies (1/2)

India has grown rapidly despite its slow industrialization, and its economy is now nearly as big as Japan’s.

NYT - By Alex Travelli and Aaron Krolik. Alex Travelli reported from New Delhi, and Aaron Krolik from Seoul.

Feb. 27, 2026

India, the world’s fastest-growing large economy for four years in a row, released data on Friday showing that it expanded at a rate of 7.5 percent last year, driven in part by strength in manufacturing.

Many economists, and India’s government, had expected India to become the world’s fourth-largest economy in 2025, overtaking Japan in size. Instead, with the Indian rupee weak against the dollar and Japan’s yen relatively strong, India’s economy stayed a step behind when measured in dollar terms.

But in terms of growth, India far outperformed Japan, which grew only 1.1 percent in 2025. The three largest economies — the United States, China and Germany — all grew more slowly than India last year.

India became the world’s fifth-largest economy four years ago, pushing aside Britain, its former colonial ruler. The International Monetary Fund has projected that India will nudge past Japan in 2026.

The strong growth last year underscores India’s place as one of the world’s most consequential centers of economic gravity, despite breaking every rule about how countries are supposed to modernize. Its rise up the league table of economies has given it geopolitical clout and drawn interest from investors. Yet the shape of its progress is unique. With India’s economic power growing even faster than its population — now more than 1.4 billion people, larger than any other country’s — India is on a course all its own.

The country’s thousands of small businesses hire most of its workers, but an increasing share of growth has come from its biggest companies. Dynastic family firms play an outsize role at every scale, from conglomerates like Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Group to industry-specific companies.

Sanjiv Bajaj, a scion of a 100-year-old family business with roots in the automotive sector, has had a ringside view of India’s growth. Mr. Bajaj, 56, split off the Bajaj group’s financial services operation from Bajaj Auto in 2007. Bajaj Finserv started with $550 million under management and now controls $53 billion. Its own market value has grown 377 times over.

Much of the company’s success can be traced to India’s policies to modernize technology. In the past decade, the government has pushed biometric IDs and digital payments, pulling a majority of India’s adults into the banking system. India’s own digital payments system now processes 20 billion transactions a month. Most amounts are tiny, Mr. Bajaj said, but the sheer size of the country’s population means that even small shifts in behavior turn into tremendous moneymaking opportunities.

All of that data, Mr. Bajaj said, “allows us to look at every small shop owner and see his inflows and outflows every day.” His company can now make lending decisions at an enormous scale, bringing millions of Indians into the formal credit system, he said.

Among the world’s economies, the United States and China are way ahead in terms of size, ahead of Germany, Japan and India, all in a tight cluster, by about four to six times.

India has been holding tight to its position as the fastest-growing large economy since 2021. With annual growth of more than 6 or 7 percent, it doubles in size every decade, while Germany, Japan and most other rich countries struggle to hit yearly growth of 2 percent.

Germany and Japan have over decades become manufacturing powerhouses that have lifted their populations out of post-World War II poverty.

(to be continued)

印度如何成為世界最大經濟體之一（1/2）

 儘管工業化進程緩慢，印度經濟仍實現了快速成長，如今其經濟規模已接近日本

 印度連續四年蟬聯全球成長最快的大型經濟體，週五公佈的數據顯示，去年印度經濟成長率達7.5%，部分原因是製造業的強勁成長。

許多經濟學家和印度政府曾預計，印度將在2025年超越日本，成為世界第四大經濟體。然而，由於印度盧比對美元疲軟，日圓相對強勢，以美元計價，印度經濟仍落後日本。

但就成長而言，印度遠超過日本，日本2025年僅成長了1.1%。三大經濟體 - 美國、中國和德國 - 去年的成長速度都低於印度。

四年前，印度超越其前殖民統治者英國，成為世界第五大經濟體。國際貨幣基金組織預測，印度將在2026年超越日本。

儘管印度打破了各國現代化進程的常規，但其去年的強勁成長凸顯了印度作為全球最具影響力的經濟中心之一的地位。印度在全球經濟排名中的崛起賦予了其地緣政治影響力，並吸引了投資者的注意。然而，印度的發展軌跡卻獨樹一格。印度的經濟實力成長速度甚至超過了其人口成長速度 - 目前印度人口已超過14億，超過其他國家 - 印度正走著一條與眾不同的道路。

印度數以千計的小企業僱用了大部分勞動力，但越來越多的成長卻來自其最大的公司。世代家族企業從Mukesh Ambani的信實集團 (Reliance Group) 到行業特定型公司，各個層級的都扮演著舉足輕重的角色。

Sanjiv Bajaj，一位擁有百年歷史的汽車行業家族企業的繼承人，親眼見證了印度的經濟成長。現年56歲的Bajaj先生於2007年將Bajaj集團的金融服務業務從Bajaj Auto公司剝離。Bajaj金融服務公司(Bajaj Finserv) 最初管理的資產為5.5億美元，如今已控制著530億美元的資產。其市值成長了377倍。

該公司的巨大成功很大程度上要歸功於印度推行的技術現代化政策。過去十年，印度政府大力推廣生物辨識身分和電子支付，使大多數印度成年人納入了銀行體系。印度的電子支付系統目前每月處理200億筆交易。Bajaj先生表示，雖然大多數交易金額都很小，但印度龐大的人口基數意味著，即使是微小的行為變化也能轉化為巨大的獲利機會。

Bajaj先生說，所有這些數據「讓我們能夠了解每一位小商戶每天的資金流入和流出」。他表示，他的公司現在可以大規模做出貸款決策，將數百萬印度人納入正規信貸體系。

在全球經濟體中，美國和中國的規模遙遙領先，遠超德國、日本和印度這三個緊密相連的一組國家，大約是它們的四到六倍。

自2021年以來，印度一直保持著全球成長最快的大型經濟體的地位。其年增率超過6%或7%，每十年經濟規模翻一番，而德國、日本和大多數其他富裕國家卻難以達到2%的年增長率。

德國和日本經過數十年的發展，已成為製造業強國，使兩國人民擺脫了二戰後的貧困。

（待續）

50多歲的男性可能比女性老化得更快，原因在於有毒的「永久性化學物質」（2/2）

Recently CNN.com reported the following:

Men in their 50s may be aging faster than women due to toxic ‘forever chemicals’ (2/2)

CNN- By Sandee LaMotte

UPDATED FEB 26, 2026

(continue)

Using a biological clock

The study, published Thursday in the journal Frontiers in Aging, used public data from a randomly chosen group of 326 older women and men enrolled in 1999 and 2000 in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Blood samples gathered at the time were examined for the presence of 11 types of PFAS chemicals. The DNA methylome — an epigenetic marker regulating gene expression — was also measured in the blood cells of the participants.

For this study, researchers fed these DNA data into a dozen “epigenetic clocks,” also known as biological clocks, to estimate the aging of blood and other tissues in the participants.

The dangers of PFAS

Used since the 1950s to make consumer products nonstick, oil- and water-repellent and resistant to temperature change, PFAS chemicals have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer, fertility issues, high cholesterol, hormone disruption, liver damage, obesity and thyroid disease.

The dangers of so-called legacy PFAS, such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, or PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, and perfluorohexane sulfonate, or PFHxS, are so well-known they have been targeted for elimination worldwide under the 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, a global treaty that would reduce toxic chemicals that bioaccumulate in organisms and the environment. The United States has signed the treaty but has not ratified it.

Under the Biden administration, the US Environmental Protection Agency planned to impose stricter guidelines about legacy PFAS levels, including labeling them as “hazardous substances” under the US Superfund law. However, those plans have been rolled back or delayed under the Trump administration.

The chemical industry has created many other forms of PFAS that have not been as widely studied. Those chemicals may well have the same biological impacts as the rest of the PFAS family — and that’s what the new study found, Li said.

“Our results suggest that some less-studied PFAS — namely perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA) — may also have biologically meaningful associations,” Li said.

In fact, the study found higher concentrations of PFNA and PFOSA were strong predictors of faster epigenetic aging in men between 50 and 64 years of age but not in women.

Despite these findings, “it’s important not to panic,” Li said. “Our study shows associations, not proof of causation. PFAS exposure is widespread, and complete avoidance is unrealistic.

“However, reducing exposure where feasible — such as using certified water filters, following local water advisories, and minimizing contact with stain- or grease-resistant materials — may be reasonable steps,” he added. “At the same time, meaningful risk reduction depends largely on regulatory action and environmental cleanup, since many exposures occur at the community level.”

Translation

50多歲的男性可能比女性老化得更快，原因在於有毒的「永久性化學物質」（2/2）

（繼續）

利用生理時鐘

這項研究於週四發表在《老化領域探索》（Frontiers in Aging）雜誌上，使用了來自美國國家健康與營養調查的公開數據，該調查隨機選取了326名老年男女，他們於1999年和2000年參與了調查。

研究人員檢測了當時採集的血液樣本中是否有11種PFAS化學物質。此外，研究人員還測量了參與者血細胞中的DNA甲基化組 - 一種調節基因表現的表觀遺傳標記。

在這項研究中，研究人員將這些DNA數據輸入到十幾個「表觀遺傳時鐘」（也稱為生理時鐘）中，以估算參與者血液和其他組織的衰老程度。

PFAS的傷害

自 1950 年代起，PFAS 化學物質被用於製造不沾黏、防油、防水和耐溫變的消費品。然而，這些化學物質已被證實與多種嚴重的健康問題有關，包括癌症、生育問題、高膽固醇、荷爾蒙失調、肝損傷、肥胖和甲狀腺疾病。

所謂「 延存PFAS」（例如全氟辛烷磺酸 (PFOS)、全氟辛酸 (PFOA) 和全氟己烷磺酸 (PFHxS)）的危害已廣為人知，因此，根據 2001 年《關於持久性有機污染物的斯德哥爾摩公約》，這些物質已被列為全球消除的目標。該公約是一項旨在減少生物體和環境中生物累積性有毒化學物質的全球性條約。美國已簽署該條約，但尚未批准通過。

在拜登政府時期，美國環保署曾計劃對PFAS 的延存水平實施更嚴格的指導方針，包括根據美國「超級基金法」將其列為「有害物質」。然而，這些計劃在特朗普政府時期已被撤銷或推遲。

化學工業也製造了許多其他形式的 PFAS，但這些物質的研究並不廣泛。Li教授表示，這些化學物質很可能與 PFAS 家族的其他成員具有相同的生物學影響 - 而這正是這項新研究的發現。

Li教授說： “我們的研究結果表明，一些研究較少的 PFAS - 即全氟壬酸 (PFNA) 和全氟辛烷磺酰胺 (PFOSA) - 也可能具有生物學上有意義的關聯。”

事實上，研究發現，PFNA 和 PFOSA 濃度較高是 50 至 64 歲男性表觀遺傳老化加速的強有力預測指標，但在女性中則沒有這種預測作用。

儘管有這些發現，李教授說:「重要的是不要恐慌」。 「我們的研究表明存在關聯，但並未證明因果關係。我們十分普遍地暴露於PFAS，完全避免接觸是不切實際的」。

他補充道:「然而，在可行的情況下減少接觸 - 例如使用經認證的淨水器、遵循當地的水質建議以及盡量減少接觸防污或防油材料 - 地可以是合理的措施」; 「與此同時，真正的有效風險降低在很大程度上取決於監管措施和環境清理，因為許多接觸是在社區層面發生」。

              So, a new study finds that the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS appear to be making men to age faster in their 50s and early 60s. Researchers find that higher concentrations of PFNA and PFOSA are strong predictors of faster epigenetic aging in men. Apparently, in view of the dangers of PFAS, on personal level, reducing contacting them in our daily life is a good solution while meaningful risk reduction depends largely on regulatory action and environmental cleanup.

Note:

1. In genomics, 'DNA methylome' (“DNA甲基化組”) refers to the complete set of DNA methylation marks across the genome and it plays a crucial role in gene regulation and expression. (ChatGPT)

50多歲的男性可能比女性老化得更快，原因在於有毒的「永久性化學物質」（1/2）

Recently CNN.com reported the following:

Men in their 50s may be aging faster than women due to toxic ‘forever chemicals’ (1/2)

CNN- By Sandee LaMotte

UPDATED FEB 26, 2026

The “forever chemicals” known as PFAS appear to be aging men faster in their 50s and early 60s, a new study found.]

Called forever chemicals due to the years it takes for them to break down, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are present in the blood of an estimated 98% of Americans, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Epigenetic aging — a measurement of one’s biological age instead of chronological age — was most advanced in men, according to the study.

“The associations between PFAS exposure and accelerated epigenetic aging were strongest in men aged 50 – 65,” said senior study author Xiangwei Li, a professor of epidemiology at China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, in an email.

“In younger men and those over 65, the associations were weaker and generally not statistically significant,” Li said. “We observed some associations in women, but they were generally smaller and less consistent than those seen in middle-aged men.”

The findings indicate a “sex-specific effect” that can be expected for chemicals that disrupt the endocrine system, a vital network that regulates key bodily functions such as growth, metabolism, mood and reproduction, said Jane Muncke, managing director and chief scientific officer at the Food Packaging Forum, who was not involved in the study.

The forum is a nonprofit foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland, that focuses on science communication and research on plastics and other chemicals used in industry.

In men, the accumulation of PFAS may lower testosterone levels, impair sperm quality and increase risks of testicular and kidney cancers.

Earlier studies show women appear to eliminate certain PFAS faster than men due to pregnancy, breastfeeding and menstrual blood loss. Studies have also found the difference in PFAS accumulation between women and men narrows after menopause.

While the new study’s results are interesting, they “cannot be interpreted as cause-and-effect but rather are puzzle pieces, or building blocks, to establish biological plausibility,” Muncke said in an email.

The American Chemistry Council, which represents the industry, told CNN the “exploratory” study was based on a small sample of older adults using data collected more than 20 years ago.

“This paper does not provide evidence that PFAS exposure causes aging, nor does it change the extensive body of scientific and regulatory work already underway to understand and manage specific PFAS of potential concern,” Tom Flanagin, the council’s senior director of communications, said in an email.

(to be continued)

Translation

一項新研究發現，50多歲的男性可能比女性老化得更快，原因在於有毒的「永久性化學物質」（1/2）

一項新研究發現，被稱為PFAS的「永久性化學物質」似乎正在加速50多歲和60歲出頭男性的衰老。

由於全氟烷基(perfluoroalkyl) 和多氟烷基(polyfluoroalkyl)物質需要數年才能分解，因此被稱為「永久性化學物質」。根據美國國家科學院、工程院和醫學院估計，約98%的美國人血液中都含有這些物質。

研究表明，表觀遺傳老化 - 一種衡量生物在生理上的年齡，而非年歲上計算的年齡指標 - 在男性中最為顯著。

該研究的資深作者、上海交通大學醫學院流行病學教授Xiangwei Li在電子郵件中表示:「暴露於PFAS與表觀遺傳老化的加速之間的關聯在50至65歲的男性中最為顯著」。

Li教授說: 「在年輕男性和65歲以上的男性中，這種關聯較弱，通常不具有統計意義」; 「我們在女性中也觀察到一些關聯，但它們通常比中年男性看到的更小且更不一致」。

未參與這項研究的食品包裝論壇（Food Packaging Forum）的董事總經理兼首席科學官Jane Muncke表示，這些發現表明“性別特異性效應” 的存在，這對於幹擾內分泌系統，一個重要網絡的化學物質來說，是可以預期的。內分泌系統負責調節著生長、新陳代謝、情緒和生殖等。

該論壇是一個總部位於瑞士蘇黎世的非營利基金會，它致力於科學傳播以及對工業中使用的塑膠和其他化學品的研究。

在男性體內，PFAS 的累積可能會降低睪固酮水平，損害精子質量，並增加睪丸癌和腎癌的風險。

早期研究表明，由於懷孕、哺乳和月經失血，女性似乎比男性更快清除某些 PFAS。研究也發現，停經後，女性和男性體內 PFAS 累積的差異會縮小。

Muncke 在一封電子郵件中表示，雖然這項新研究的結果很有趣，但「不能將其解釋為因果關係，而更像是拼圖碎片或構建單元，用於建立生物學上的合理性」。

代表該行業的美國化學理事會告訴 CNN，這項「探索性」研究是基於一小部份老年人樣本，並使用 20 多年前收集的數據。

該理事會高級通訊主管 Tom Flanagin 在一封電子郵件中表示：“這篇論文並沒有提供 PFAS 暴露會導致衰老的證據，也沒有改變目前正在進行的大量科學和監管工作，這些工作旨在 理解並管理有潛在關注的特定 PFAS。”

（待續）

Note:

1. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS or PFASs) (全氟和多氟烷基物質) are a group of synthetic organofluoride chemical compounds that have multiple fluorine atoms attached to an alkyl chain. Widespread use of PFAS began in 1938 with the invention of Teflon, a fluoropolymer coating that resists heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. They are used in a wide variety of products including waterproof fabric, yoga pants, carpets, shampoo, mobile phone screens, wall paint, furniture, adhesives, food packaging, firefighting foam, electrical insulation, and cosmetics. (Wikipedia)

2. Epigenetic aging (表觀遺傳老化) refers to the changes in gene expression that occur as an individual ages which are not caused by changes in the underlying DNA sequence but rather by chemical modifications that affect how genes are activated or silenced. (ChatGPT)

Hair Regeneration Success in Experiments Using Mice: "Aiming for Application to Treat Alopecia"

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

毛の再生 マウス使った実験で成功 “脱毛症治療に応用目指す”

2026年2月25日午後5時20分

サイエンス

毛の再生に必要な3種類の細胞を特定し、マウスを使った実験で実際に毛を再生することに成功したとする研究成果を理化学研究所などのグループがまとめました。グループは脱毛症の治療への応用を目指すとしています。

理化学研究所の辻孝客員主管研究員らのグループは、これまでにマウスの皮膚から採取した2種類の細胞を使って、髪の毛を作り出す「毛包」という器官のもとを作製しています。

しかし、毛を生やすには皮膚に移植する必要があり、グループはほかにも発毛に関係する細胞があるとみてマウスの皮膚の細胞を詳しく解析しました。

その結果、ABM細胞という毛穴の近くから採取した細胞に、毛包を成長させ発毛を促す働きがあることを突きとめたということです。

この細胞と毛包のもとを作る2種類の細胞を大人のマウスから採取して一緒に培養したところ、1センチほどの毛が生え数週間ほどで生え替わったということです。

グループによりますと、薄毛などの脱毛症に悩む人は国内で2000万人以上いるとされますが、治療は毛が細くなるのを抑える薬などに限られるということで、グループは今後ヒトの細胞でも研究を進め、体の外で毛包と毛を作り出して患者に移植する臨床研究を行いたいとしています。

辻客員主管研究員は「髪の毛を毛包ごと移植できれば症状の重い人でも治療できる可能性がある。ヒトにも同様の細胞があり、実用化に向けて研究を進めたい」と話していました。

Translation

Hair Regeneration Success in Experiments Using Mice: "Aiming for Application to Treat Alopecia"

Science

A group including the RIKEN Institute had reported successful research results in identifying three types of cells necessary for hair regeneration, and successfully regenerating hair in experiments using mice. The group aimed to apply this to the treatment of alopecia.

A group led by Takashi Tsuji, an honorary supervising researcher at the RIKEN Institute who had previously used two types of cells extracted from mouse skin to create the base of “hair follicles” which were organs that produced hair.

However, hair growth required transplantation into the skin to grow. The group suspected that there were other cells involved in hair growth, so they conducted detailed analysis of mouse skin cells.

As a result, they discovered that ABM cells, cells extracted from near hair follicles, had the function of growing hair follicles and promoting hair growth.

When these cells, cultured together with two types of cells which formed the base of hair follicles that were extracted from adult mice, the hair grew about 1 cm and was then regenerated in a few weeks’ time. 

According to the group, it was said that there were more than 20 million people in Japan who were suffering from alopecia such as thinning hair, but treatments were limited to medications that controlled hair thinning. Therefore, the group planned to continue their research using human cells, and conduct clinical research to create hair follicles and hair outside human body and transplant them into patients.

Tsuji said, "If we can transplant hair along with its follicles, it may be possible to treat even people with severe symptoms. Human also have similar cells, and we would like to continue our research with the aim to put this into practical use."

So, a group from the RIKEN Institute has reported success in identifying three types of cells necessary for hair regeneration and successfully regenerating hair in experiments using mice cells. The group aims to use their finding to treat alopecia.

Note:

1. Hair loss, also known as alopecia or baldness, refers to a loss of hair from part of the head or body. Typically, at least the head is involved. The severity of hair loss can vary from a small area to the entire body. (Wikipedia)

2.  RIKEN ​is a large natural sciences research institute in Japan. Founded in 1917, it now has approximately 3000 scientists on seven campuses across Japan, the main one in Wako, just outside Tokyo. RIKEN is an Independent Administrative Institution whose formal name in Japanese is 理化学研究所 (Rikagaku Kenkyūjo) and in English is The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research. (Wikipedia)

3. Takashi Tsuji（つじ たかし） (辻 孝) is the honorary member of the group. He is a Japanese Life Science Researcher doing research activities at the RIKEN Institute (RIKEN). (ChatGPT)

To transplant iPS Cell into Patients with Spinal Cord Injury: Clinical Trials to Begin as Early as December Next Year

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

iPS細胞 脊髄損傷患者に移植 早ければ来年12月にも治験開始へ

2026年2月24日午後10時42分

iPS細胞

iPS細胞から作った神経のもとになる細胞を脊髄を損傷した患者に移植する世界初の治験を早ければ来年12月にも開始すると、慶応大学発のベンチャー企業が発表しました。

慶応大学などのグループは去年3月、事故などで脊髄を損傷し体が動かせなくなった患者4人にiPS細胞から作った神経のもとになる細胞を移植して運動機能を評価する臨床研究を行い、リハビリだけの場合よりも改善がみられたと報告しました。

この結果を受け慶応大学発のベンチャー企業「ケイファーマ」は24日に会見を開き、早ければ来年12月にも国の承認を得るための治験を始めると発表しました。

治験は脊髄を損傷してから数週間ほどたった重症患者7人程度を対象に行うということで、投与する細胞の数など具体的な計画は今後、検討するということです。

グループによりますとiPS細胞を使った脊髄損傷の治験は世界で初めてだということで、慶応大学の岡野栄之教授は「どんな患者にどれくらい細胞を投与すると効果が得られるのか見極め、一日も早く治療を社会実装できるよう進めていきたい」と話していました。

Translation

To transplant iPS Cell into Patients with Spinal Cord Injury: Clinical Trials to Begin as Early as December Next Year

iPS Cells

A venture company spun off from Keio University announced that it would as early as December next year begin the world's first clinical trial of transplanting nerve-forming cells created from iPS cells into patients with spinal cord injuries.

A group including Keio University conducted a clinical study in March last year by transplanting iPS cell-derived nerve-forming cells to evaluate the motor function of four patients who had been paralyzed by spinal cord injuries due to accidents or other causes. The group reported that the results showed improvement compared to just doing rehabilitation alone.

In response to these results, Kei Pharma, a venture company spun off from Keio University, held a press conference on the 24th and announced that it would begin clinical trials as early as December next year with the aim to earn government treatment approval.

The clinical trial would target approximately seven severely injured patients who had been injured for several weeks. Specific plans, such as the number of cells to be administered, would be considered later.

According to the group, this would be the first clinical trial in the world to use iPS cells for spinal cord injury, and Professor Hideyuki Okano (岡野栄之) of Keio University said, " We would like to determining which patients need how much of the cells to be administered to achieve a beneficial effect. We want to push it forward so that the treatment can be implemented in society as soon as possible."

So, a venture company under Keio University announces that it will begin the world's first clinical trial of transplanting nerve-forming cells created from iPS cells into patients with spinal cord injuries as early as December next year. I hope the transplant will be a success.

「人工智能素養」在學校興起。原因何在？ （2/2）

 Recently the New York Times reported the following:

‘A.I. Literacy’ Is Trending in Schools. Here’s Why. (2/2)

Artificial intelligence companies are urging teachers to prepare students for an “A.I.-driven future.” What that means varies from school to school.

The NYT - By Natasha Singer - Natasha Singer has covered A.I. in schools for more than a decade.

Feb. 23, 2026, 5:02 a.m. ET

(continue)

Which other groups are shaping A.I. education?

Some researchers and nonprofit groups are backing broader education efforts covering an array of related societal issues. Among them, the Kapor Center, a nonprofit in Oakland, Calif., recommends that students assess A.I. safety risks and examine tech industry power dynamics, including the companies profiting most from A.I.

These experts are urging schools to help students gain a technical understanding of A.I. as well as skills to investigate the consequences of the latest technologies.

The Computer Science Teachers Association, a nonprofit with nearly 10,000 teachers as members, recently revised its national learning standards to include a new proposed student skill: identifying how products like A.I. prioritize different values, such as promoting user engagement over accuracy or human civility.

“Students need to be able to make informed decisions about when and how A.I. tools are used — both in their own work and also when A.I. is used on them, as citizens who are entering a world where more and more decisions about their lives will be made by machines,” said Jake Baskin, the executive director of the Computer Science Teachers Association.

What have we learned from past tech literacy campaigns?

Take social media literacy. The programs have helped some young people more easily identify certain online hazards. But tech literacy efforts are generally not designed to curb underlying risks like predators and sextortion, problems that regulators and lawmakers have long pressed tech companies to address.

In 2017, Google introduced a free digital citizenship curriculum called “Be Internet Awesome.” The gamelike lessons, featuring colorful virtual worlds like “Reality River,” asked students to distinguish between facts and misinformation or to make choices about how they shared their personal information online.

The intent was to help students become more alert, safer and kinder online. More than 100 million children have since tried the lessons, according to a Google blog post in 2024.

But a study of the digital citizenship game, involving more than 1,000 fourth to sixth graders, found mixed results.

Students who were randomly assigned to the Google lessons showed better knowledge of concepts like “catfishing” and approaches to handling online problems like mean behavior, according to the study, which was published in 2023 in Contemporary School Psychology, a peer-reviewed journal.

The Google lessons, however, did not reduce mean online behaviors like cyberbullying or improve children’s online kindness or their data privacy practices, the study said.

Google did not respond to a request for comment.

Translation

「人工智能素養」正在學校興起。原因何在？ （2/2）

人工智能公司正敦促教師們讓學生為「人工智能驅動的未來」做好準備。但具體意義因學校而異。

（繼續）

還有哪些團體正在塑造人工智能教育？

一些研究人員和非營利組織正在支持更廣泛的教育工作，涵蓋一系列相關的社會議題。其中，位於加州奧克蘭的非營利組織卡珀中心建議學生評估人工智能的安全風險，並研究科技業的權力動態，包括哪些公司從人工智能中獲利最多。

這些專家敦促學校幫助學生掌握人工智能的技術知識，以及掌握去研究最新科技所帶來之影響的技能。

電腦科學教師協會，作為一個擁有近萬名教師會員的非營利組織，近期修訂了其國家學習標準，新增了一項學生技能：識別人工智能等產品是如何考慮不同價值的優先次序，例如，優先提升用戶參與度而犧牲準確性或維護人類文明。

電腦科學教師協會執行董事Jake Baskin表示:「學生需要能夠就何時以及如何使用人工智能工具做出明智的決定 - 無論是在他們自己的學習中，還是在人工智能被用於他們自身上。作為公民，我們即將進入一個世界有越來越多自身生活的決策是由機器做出來的」。

我們從以往的科技素養宣傳活動中學到了什麼？

以社交媒體的素養為例。這些項目幫助一些年輕人更容易識別某些網路風險。但科技素養宣傳活動通常並非設計出來去遏制諸如網路掠食者和性勒索等潛在風險，而監管機構和立法者長期以來一直敦促科技公司解決這些問題。

2017年，Google推出了一套名為「Be Internet Awesome」（做個網路醒目人）的免費數位公民課程。這套遊戲化的課程以色彩繽紛的虛擬世界例如 “Reality River” 為特色，旨在引導學生區分事實與虛假信息，或他們如何在線上分享個人信息時去作出選擇。

其目的是幫助學生提高網路安全意識，變得更加謹慎和友善。根據Google2024年發佈的一篇博文，已有超過1億名兒童體驗過這套課程。

然而，一項針對1000多名四至六年級學生的關於這套數位公民課程的研究卻得出了參差的結論。

研究發表於同儕審查期刊《當代學校心理學》（Contemporary School Psychology），研究發現，隨機分配到Google課程的學生對「網路釣魚」等概念的理解更透徹，也更善於應對諸如惡意行為等網路議題。

但研究指出，Google課程並沒有減少網路霸凌等惡意行為，也沒有提升兒童的網路友善度或資料隱私保護意識。

谷歌未回應置評請求。

              So, tech giants in the US such as Google, Microsoft and OpenAI are urging schools to teach the latest topic: A.I. literacy. The U.S. government has issued A.I. education guidelines to ensure “all American workers are able to share in the prosperity that A.I. will create for our economy.” But tech literacy efforts are generally not designed to curb underlying risks like predators and sextortion. Apparently, more practical training and education are needed in order to equip students to face the day-to-day challenge in the world of AI that is developing rapidly.