兩種藥物為致命胰臟癌的治療帶來希望 (2/2)

Recently the New York Times reported the following:

Two Drugs Stir Hope for Treatment of Deadly Pancreatic Cancer (2/2)

In separate small clinical trials, two treatments showed promise that they could help patients with one of the most dire diagnoses in oncology.

The NYT - By Rebecca Robbins and Gina Kolata

April 21, 2026

(continue)

Revolution, based near San Francisco, said that it was planning to seek regulatory approval soon for the treatment, which the Food and Drug Administration has already designated for a fast-track review.

The other promising treatment involved a personalized vaccine using mRNA technology. Unlike vaccines for infectious diseases, which aim to prevent people from contracting an illness, there is hope that vaccines could be used to treat cancer that has already been diagnosed, though the approach is not widely used for most cancers.

In San Diego this week, researchers reported that in a small safety study, seven of eight patients whose immune systems responded to the treatment were alive up to six years after receiving the last treatment, compared with just two of out [sic] eight of those whose immune systems did not respond.

Phase 1 studies like this one are not designed to assess whether a treatment is effective, only whether it is safe. The treatment is being developed by BioNTech and Roche’s Genentech unit.

The technology used in the vaccine, known as messenger RNA, or mRNA, is best known for its use in Covid vaccines. It instructs the body to produce a fragment of a virus that then sets off an immune response.

Under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Trump administration has made a series of funding and policy changes that are hostile to the technology.

Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer fare far worse than people with other cancers, like some of the blood or breast. In those other forms of cancer, significant treatment advances in recent years have turned once devastating diagnoses into manageable chronic illnesses for large numbers of patients.

Pancreatic cancer is different from many other cancers. It is often caught very late, when the disease has already spread widely, because it often presents no early symptoms. Patients often realize something is wrong only when they suddenly lose weight and become jaundiced. And treatment approaches like immunotherapy that have transformed the outlook for other cancers have not worked for that of the pancreas.

Translation

兩種藥物為致命胰臟癌的治療帶來希望 (2/2)

在兩項獨立的小型臨床試驗中，兩種療法展現出治療胰臟癌的潛力，這種癌症是腫瘤學中最致命的疾病之一

（繼續）

總部位於舊金山附近的Revolution公司表示，他們計劃很快向監管機構申請批准該療法。美國食品藥物管理局（FDA）已將它列入快速審批通道。

另一種有前景的療法是一種利用mRNA技術的個人化疫苗。它與旨在預防疾病的傳染病疫苗不同，人們希望這種疫苗能夠用於治療已確診的癌症，儘管這種方法目前尚未廣泛應用於大多數癌症的治療。

本週在聖地牙哥，研究人員報告稱，在一項小型安全性研究中，8名免疫系統對治療有反應的患者中有7名在接受最後一次治療後存活長達6年，而8名免疫系統無反應的患者中只有2名存活。

像這樣的一期研究並非旨在評估治療的有效性，而僅評估其安全性。此療法由BioNTech和羅氏旗下的Genentech單位共同研發。

此疫苗採用的技術稱為信使RNA（mRNA），最廣為人知的應用是新冠疫苗。它能引導人體產生病毒片段，進而引發免疫反應。

在 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 擔任衛生部長期間，特朗普政府對這項技術進行了一系列不利的資金和政策調整。

胰臟癌患者的處境遠差於其他癌症患者，例如某些血液癌症或乳癌患者。在其他類型的癌症中，近年來治療技術的顯著進步已將曾經令人絕望的大量患者被診斷為可控制的慢性疾病。

胰臟癌與其他許多癌症不同。由於胰臟癌早期通常沒有症狀，因此往往發現時已是晚期，癌細胞已廣泛擴散。患者往往只有在突然體重下降和出現黃疸時才意識到身體出了問題。類似免疫療法等現已改變其他癌症的治療前景，但對胰臟癌卻仍然無效。

So, two separated test treatments that are carried out in clinical trials are raising hopes for patients with pancreatic cancer. Currently, patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer fare far worse than people with other cancers. In those other forms of cancer, significant treatment advances in recent years have turned once devastating diagnoses into manageable chronic illnesses. Apparently,  new drugs are offering new hope to many patients. This is good news to everyone.

兩種藥物為致命胰臟癌的治療帶來希望（1/2）

Recently the New York Times reported the following:

(Source: The NYT)

Two Drugs Stir Hope for Treatment of Deadly Pancreatic Cancer (1/2)

In separate small clinical trials, two treatments showed promise that they could help patients with one of the most dire diagnoses in oncology.

The NYT - By Rebecca Robbins and Gina Kolata

April 21, 2026

Two treatments being tested in clinical trials are raising hopes for patients with pancreatic cancer, which has long been one of the most dire diagnoses in oncology.

Researchers presented the promising data this week at a cancer conference in San Diego. The data was collected from a small number of patients and has not yet been published in a medical journal or reviewed by regulators. Neither drug has been approved for use.

Cancer of the pancreas, the gland buried deep in the abdomen that is involved in digestion and regulates blood sugar, kills more than 50,000 Americans each year, accounting for about 8 percent of cancer deaths in the United States. Many patients die within a year of diagnosis, and only 13 percent of people live for five years after being diagnosed.

There are few treatment options, and those that are available often do little to help, which is why the new drugs are generating so much excitement.

“We are having to tell ourselves that this is in fact unprecedented,” said Dr. Robert Vonderheide, director of the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the new research.

One of the experimental drugs, daraxonrasib, doubled diagnosed patients’ life expectancy, giving them over 13 months, compared to less than seven months for those who received chemotherapy in a late-stage clinical trial, according to Revolution Medicines, the company developing the drug.

A gain of six months of life is virtually unheard-of in the field. The company also said the drug’s side effects were “manageable.”

“The statistic that caught everyone’s eye was a doubling of overall survival,” said Dr. Vonderheide, who is also president-elect of the American Association for Cancer Research, the group of oncologists and scientists that is hosting the meeting in San Diego this week. “This is a patient population that has very limited options. To see that effect with a side-effect profile that is manageable unleashed a lot of excitement in the field.”

Researchers plan to present the data next month at a cancer conference in Chicago. In San Diego this week, researchers presented data from earlier stage testing of the drug that involved a few dozen patients. Many patients reported side effects like rash, diarrhea, fatigue and nausea. No patients died because of the treatment.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, former Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, who late last year disclosed his terminal pancreatic cancer diagnosis, said he had been receiving that drug in a clinical trial.

He said he had been told in December that he had three or four months to live, but that the drug had shrunk his tumors and allowed him to reduce his reliance on pain medication. He had a rash on his face that he attributed to a side effect from the drug.

(to be continued)

Translation

兩種藥物為致命胰臟癌的治療帶來希望（1/2）

在兩項獨立的小型臨床試驗中，兩種療法展現出治療胰臟癌的潛力，這種癌症是腫瘤學中最致命的疾病之一。

兩種正在進行臨床試驗的療法為胰臟癌患者帶來了希望，胰臟癌長期以來都是腫瘤學中最致命的疾病之一。

研究人員本週在聖地牙哥舉行的癌症會議上公佈了這些令人鼓舞的數據。這些數據來自少量患者，尚未在醫學期刊上發表，也未經監管機構審查。這兩種藥物均未獲準使用。

胰臟癌是位於腹部深處的一個腺體，負責消化和調節血糖。每年，胰臟癌導致超過5萬美國人死亡，約佔美國癌症死亡人數的8%。許多患者在確診後一年內死亡，僅有13%的患者在確診後能存活五年。

治療選擇寥寥無幾，現有的治療手段往往收效甚微，因此，這些新藥的出現令人振奮。

未參與這項新研究的賓州大學艾布拉姆森癌症中心主任Robert Vonderheide博士說道:「我們不得不承認，這確實是前所未有的」。

根據研發該藥物的Revolution Medicines公司稱，其中一種名為daraxonrasib的實驗性藥物，使確診患者的預期壽命延長了一倍，超過13個月，而相較之下，在後期臨床試驗中接受化療的患者，其存活期不到七個月。

在癌症治療領域，延長六個月的生命幾乎是聞所未聞。該公司還表示，該藥物的副作用「可控」。

Vonderheide博士說: 「最引人注目的數據是總生存期翻了一番」。他同時也是美國癌症研究協會的候任主席，該協會由腫瘤學家和科學家組成，本週在聖地牙哥舉辦了這場會議。 「這類患者的治療選擇非常有限。這種藥物在副作用可控的情況下還能取得如此顯著的療效，在業內引起了極大的鼓舞。”

研究人員計劃下個月在芝加哥舉行的癌症會議上公佈這些數據。本週在聖地牙哥，研究人員展示了該藥物早期階段試驗的數據，該試驗涉及數十名患者。許多患者報告了皮疹、腹瀉、疲勞和噁心等副作用。沒有患者因治療而死亡。

內布拉斯加州共和黨前參議員Ben Sasse在最近接受《紐約時報》採訪時表示，他曾參與一項臨床試驗，並接受過該藥物的治療。Sasse於去年年底公開了他被診斷出患有晚期胰腺癌。

他說，去年12月醫生告訴他，他只有三、四個月的壽命了，但這種藥縮小了他的腫瘤，讓他減少了對止痛藥的依賴。他臉上長了皮疹，他認為這是藥物的副作用。

（待續）

In Hong Kong Japanese Artists Cancel Concerts One After Another : Is It Due to Sino-Japanese Relations

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

香港で日本アーティストの公演中止相次ぐ 日中関係が影響か

2026年4月21日22:30

香港

香港で予定されていた日本のアーティストのコンサートの中止が相次いで発表され、日中関係の悪化が影響したのではないかという見方も出ています。

ミュージシャンの藤井 風さんは来年にかけて世界各地で開催するワールドツアーのうち、香港で予定されていた公演を中止するとホームページで発表しました。

理由については明らかにしていません。

香港メディアは、おととし藤井さんが香港で開いたコンサートには、2日間で2万人以上のファンが詰めかけたと伝えています。

また、5月2日と3日に香港で予定されていた人気ロックバンド「ONE OK ROCK」のコンサートも4月に入って突然、中止が発表され、主催者側は理由について「予期せぬ不可抗力のため」としています。

去年秋以降、中国本土や香港では日本に関連するイベントの中止や延期が相次いでいて、日中関係の悪化が影響したのではないかという見方も出ています。

Translation

In Hong Kong Japanese Artists Cancel Concerts One After Another : Is It Due to Sino-Japanese Relations

April 21, 2026, 10:30 PM

Hong Kong

A series of cancellations of concerts by Japanese artists scheduled to be held in Hong Kong had been announced, leading to speculation that the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations might be a contributing factor.

Musician Fujii Kaze (藤井 風) announced on his website that he was canceling his Hong Kong performances, which would be part of his world tour scheduled for next year.

The reason had not been disclosed.

Hong Kong media reported that over 20,000 fans attended Fujii's concerts in Hong Kong two years ago.

Furthermore, the concerts of the popular rock band "ONE OK ROCK," scheduled for May 2nd and 3rd in Hong Kong, were suddenly canceled in April. The organizers cited "unforeseen circumstances beyond their control" as the reason.

Since last autumn, there were a series of cancellations and postponements of events related to Japan in mainland China and Hong Kong, leading to speculation that the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations might be a contributing factor.

         So, there have been a series of cancellations and postponements of events related to Japan in mainland China and Hong Kong, it is speculated that the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations may be a contributing factor. Apparent, political tension between the two countries has affected cultural exchange activities in the private sector.

日本擁有1200年歷史的櫻花資料庫迎來新主人（2/2）

Recently the New York Times reported the following:

Japan’s Cherry Blossom Database, 1,200 Years Old, has a New Keeper (2/2)

The remarkable catalog of dates is one of the longest-running records of climate change. Its creator died, setting off a search for a successor.

The NYT - By Hiroko Tabuchi - Hiroko Tabuchi covers pollution and the environment for The Times. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years in Tokyo and New York.

Published April 17, 2026

Updated April 18, 2026, 10:43 a.m. ET

(continue)

Slowly, the snippets of everyday life became records of the changing climate. Cherry blossoms need a period of winter cold to break dormancy, followed by warmer days to trigger blooming.

His data showed that, for roughly 1,000 years, peak bloom dates tended to fall around mid-April, with fluctuations in response to natural climate variations. But starting around 1820 to 1830, cherry trees began to bloom earlier, as Kyoto urbanized and humans burned more fossil fuels, releasing planet-warming gases into the atmosphere.

That trend has accelerated sharply in recent years. In 2021, the peak bloom in Kyoto happened on March 26, its earliest arrival in 1,200 years. That represents a shift of nearly three weeks compared to the historic average.

Using computer modeling, Prof. Aono estimated a general temperature rise of 3.4 degrees Celsius, or about 6 degrees Fahrenheit, on average in the Kyoto area over the past 170 years. He also examined the effect of Kyoto’s urbanization on local temperatures, because buildings and roads trap heat, which drives up local temperatures in a phenomenon researchers call the heat island effect.

His research still clearly indicated the effects of global warming. Climate change was making extremely early blooming events, like the record-early 2021 season, many times more likely, researchers at the British meteorological service found in a 2022 study coauthored by Prof. Aono.

Dr. Katata, his soon-to-be successor, said he aimed to further disentangle the distinct effects of global warming, urbanization, and natural variability on cherry trees. “That’s important to separate out to accurately see the impacts of climate change,” he said.

He said he hadn’t expected to be taking on a 1,200-year legacy. He had assumed that other researchers closer to the late scholar would have been prepared to take up his work, he said. But in recent years, Dr. Katata’s own research has been increasingly focused on reconstructing long-term historic climates, had started to converge with Prof. Aono’s.

The two scholars had been discussing working on a joint paper when Prof. Aono died in August, Dr. Katata said. “I had sent two final emails that I didn’t receive replies to,” he said. “I knew something was wrong.”

Patrick Gonzalez, a climate change scientist and forest ecologist at the University of California, Berkeley, called the cherry trees research “rigorous.” The data represented “a unique ecological time series,” Dr. Gonzalez said. In Washington, research had also shown cherry flowers blooming one week earlier, on average, he noted.

A shift in blossoms can have wider consequences. When flowers bloom too early, they may miss pollinators like bees and insects, for example, or be killed by a sudden late-spring frost.

Earlier blossom times can also harm fruit harvests in some species, or even lengthen pollen seasons, worsening allergies and affecting human health, said Lewis H. Ziska, a plant physiologist at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

“The rise in carbon dioxide and change in temperature are affecting every aspect of human existence,” he said.

In some parts of Japan, seasons may be getting too warm for certain kinds of cherry blossoms to thrive. In a study this year, researchers at the Kyushu Research Center in Japan used weather models to investigate how warmer winters were failing to provide the necessary chilling for cherry trees. That was already starting to cause abnormal flowering on Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost island, they found.

The millennium of data will be vital in navigating the coming changes, said Richard B. Primack, a plant ecologist and conservation biologist at Boston University and a co-author of the Kyushu study.

Still, some things don’t change, he noted. Just as ancient letters and diaries had provided valuable records in the past, today there is an abundance of photos of the blossoms uploaded onto social media, complete with time stamps and location tags, he said — a modern-day chronicle of cherry blossoms. This year, the cherries again reached full bloom significantly earlier, in early April, though later than the 2021 record.

“That data is all out there,” he said. “Scientists will have to just put it all together.”

Translation

日本擁有1200年歷史的櫻花資料庫迎來新主人（2/2）

這本非凡的日子目錄是紀錄氣候變遷持續最長時間的册子之一。在它的創建者去世後，人們開始尋找接班人

（繼續）

逐漸地，日常生活中的點滴演變成氣候變遷的紀錄。櫻花需要經歷一段冬季的寒冷才能打破休眠，隨後氣溫回暖才能開花。

青野教授的數據顯示，大約1000年來，櫻花的盛花期通常在4月中旬左右，並會隨著自然氣候變化而有所波動。但大約從1820年至1830年開始，隨著京都的城市化進程以及人類燃燒更多化石燃料，向大氣中排放更多導致全球暖化的氣體，櫻花開始提前開花。

近年來，這一趨勢急劇加速。 2021年，京都櫻花盛開的高峰期出現在3月26日，這是1200年來最早的一次。與歷史平均值相比，這提前了近三週。

青野教授利用電腦模型估算，過去170年間，京都地區的平均氣溫上升了3.4攝氏度，大約6華氏度。他也研究了京都城市化對地區氣溫的影響，因為建築物和道路會吸收熱量，導致局部氣溫升高，這種現像被研究人員稱為「熱島效應」。

他的研究仍然清晰地表明了全球暖化的影響。英國氣象局的研究人員在2022年發表的一項研究中發現，氣候變遷使得櫻花極度提前開花的現象（例如2021年創紀錄的早花期）發生的機率大大增加。青野教授有參與撰寫這項研究。

即將接替青野教授的Katata博士表示，他的目標是進一步釐清全球暖化、都市化和自然變異對櫻花樹的不同影響。他說 : 「要了解氣候變遷的影響，準確地區分這些因素至關重要」。

他表示，自己沒想到會接手青野教授長達1200年的研究遺產。他原本以為，與這位已故學者關係更密切的其他研究人員會接手他的工作。但近年來，Katata博士的研究越來越著重於重建長期歷史氣候，這與青野教授的研究方向開始趨於一致。

Katata博士說，在青野教授於8月去世時，兩位學者正在討論合作撰寫論文。 他說:「我最後發了兩封郵件，但都沒有收到回覆」。 「我知道有些不對勁」。

加州大學柏克萊分校的氣候變遷科學家兼森林生態學家Patrick Gonzalez稱這項櫻花研究「嚴謹」。Gonzalez博士說，這些數據代表了「獨特的生態時間序列」。他也指出，在華盛頓州，研究也顯示櫻花平均提早了一週盛開。

花期的變化可能會產生更廣泛的影響。例如，花朵過早開放可能會被授粉媒介如蜜蜂和昆蟲等錯過，或被晚春突如其來的霜凍凍死。

哥倫比亞大學梅爾曼公共衛生學院的植物生理學家Lewis H. Ziska表示，花期提前還會影響某些植物的果實產量，甚至延長花粉季，加劇過敏症狀，影響人類健康。

他說:「二氧化碳濃度上升和氣溫變化正在影響人類生存的方方面面」。

在日本部分地區，氣候可能變得過於溫暖，不利於某些品種的櫻花生長。今年，日本九州研究中心的研究人員利用氣像模型進行了一項研究，調查了冬季氣溫升高如何導致櫻花樹無法獲得必要低溫的原因。他們發現，這種情況已經開始在日本最南端的九州島造成異常開花。

波士頓大學植物生態學家兼保育生物學家、九州研究報告的合著者Richard B. Primack表示，千年來累積的數據對於應對即將到來的變化至關重要。

不過，他也指出，有些事情始終不變。正如古代書信和日記曾提供寶貴的記錄一樣，如今社交媒體上也湧現出大量帶有時間戳記和位置標籤的櫻花照片 - 這堪稱現代版的櫻花編年史。今年，櫻花再次提前盛開，在四月初就已盛開，但比2021年的記錄晚了一些。

他說:「所有數據都已公開」;「科學家們只需要把它們整合起來」。

So, for more than 1,200 years, Japanese have carefully recorded the timing of cherry blossoms in Kyoto. Cherry trees are particularly sensitive to changing temperatures, and as the planet is getting warmer, they bloom earlier and earlier. Apparently, the millennium of data is vital in knowing the past and comparing to the present. That data is out there and waiting scientists to put them together. 

日本擁有1200年歷史的櫻花資料庫迎來新主人（1/2）

Recently the New York Times reported the following:

Japan’s Cherry Blossom Database, 1,200 Years Old, has a New Keeper (1/2)

The remarkable catalog of dates is one of the longest-running records of climate change. Its creator died, setting off a search for a successor.

The NYT - By Hiroko Tabuchi - Hiroko Tabuchi covers pollution and the environment for The Times. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years in Tokyo and New York.

Published April 17, 2026

Updated April 18, 2026, 10:43 a.m. ET

For more than 1,200 years, Japanese noblemen, monks and bureaucrats have carefully recorded one of the most eagerly awaited days of the year — when cherry blossoms bloom in the ancient capital, Kyoto.

In recent years, a climate scientist, Yasuyuki Aono, has been the keeper of this trove of dates, one of the world’s most remarkable and longest-running climate records. Cherry trees, or sakura, are particularly sensitive to changing temperatures, and as the planet has warmed, they have bloomed earlier and earlier.

Then last summer, Prof. Aono, who had meticulously updated the record year after year, died after a battle with cancer. That prompted supporters of his work to start looking for a worthy successor.

“We need help from a botanist or someone local to Kyoto, Japan!” Tuna Acisu, a data scientist at Our World in Data, posted on X this month. The key qualifications, she wrote, were scientific expertise and being “local to Arashiyama,” a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto famous for its cherry trees.

Initially, they didn’t have much luck. No other researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University, where Prof. Aono worked, would be taking over his record-keeping, Hiroko Nishino, a university spokeswoman, wrote in an email.

But now, just as Kyoto sees the last of the year’s cherry blossoms, Prof. Aono’s successor has been found, Ms. Acisu said. On Friday, a Tokyo-based environmental biophysicist, Genki Katata, said he had agreed to be the new custodian of the records.

“Making sure the Kyoto data lives on is a very important job,” Dr. Katata, a senior fellow at the Canon Institute for Global Studies, said in an interview from Tokyo. “I want to carry this forward for as long as I can.”

Cherry blossoms are beloved worldwide. Crowds flock to see them in Washington, D.C., and Vancouver, both recipients of trees gifted from Japan, as well as in Wuhan, China, and Jinhae, South Korea. But perhaps nowhere are they as deeply enshrined in history and culture as in Japan.

Cherry blossom viewing, or hanami, has been a part of daily and aristocratic life in Japan for more than a millennium, celebrated in haiku, depicted in paintings and meticulously recorded in court diaries and chronicles. Today, hanami season is a boisterous affair, marked with bento picnics under the trees and drunken parties that stretch into the night.

The historical records Prof. Aono compiled weren’t originally intended for science. But the dates, locations, and other details contained in the scripts have proven to be a rich source of data from an age that precedes the birth of thermometers.

In one diary entry dated April 14, 1644, Tokitsune Hiramatsu, a court noble and scholar, referred to a cherry blossom viewing party on the grounds of the Seiryoden palace at the Kyoto Imperial Palace, the residence of Japan’s emperor for centuries. “We enjoyed watching cherry blossoms, and took sake provided by the emperor,” he wrote.

Over the centuries, various chroniclers would note the progression of blossoms — whether they were just starting to flower, were in peak bloom or were beginning to scatter their petals, adding a level of specificity that has allowed for relatively consistent data through the generations.

Prof. Aono focused on a sturdy native variety called Yamazakura, highly sensitive to spring temperatures and long Japan’s standard cherry tree, before the more delicate Somei-Yoshino hybrid gained popularity.

Prof. Aono pored over those records, teaching himself ancient Japanese script. The effort took more than 15 years. “I was never good at literature in school, and at first I had no idea even where to look,” he said in an acceptance speech for an academic award he received in 2017. “Incredulous colleagues would ask, ‘Are you still studying cherry trees?’”

(to be continued)

Translation

日本擁有1200年歷史的櫻花資料庫迎來新主人（1/2）

這本非凡的日子目錄是紀錄氣候變遷持續最長時間的册子之一。在它的創建者去世後，人們開始尋找繼任者。

1200多年來，日本的貴族、僧侶和官員們一直認真記錄著一年中最令人期待的日子之一 - 古都京都櫻花盛開的日子。

近年來，氣候科學家青野康之(Yasuyuki Aono) 一直負責維護這份珍貴的日期記錄寶藏，這是世界上最引人注目、持續時間最長的氣候記錄之一。櫻花樹 (sakura) 對氣溫變化特別敏感，隨著全球暖化，它們的花期也越來越早。

去年夏天，青野教授因癌症過世，他生前一直一絲不苟地逐年更新著這份紀錄。他的支持者們開始尋找合適的繼任者。

資料科學家Tuna Acisu本月在X網站上發文說道:「我們需要一位植物學家，或是一位居住在日本京都的本地人！」。她寫道，關鍵條件是具備科學專業知識，並且「“是嵐山(Arashiyama)本地人”。嵐山位於京都西郊，以櫻花聞名。

起初，他們的進展並不順利。大阪市立大學發言人西野弘子 (Hiroko Nishino) 在一封電子郵件中寫道，青野教授生前所在的大阪市立大學沒有其他研究人員接手他的記錄工作。

但就在京都櫻花即將凋謝之際，Acisu女士表示青野教授的繼任者已經找到。週五，東京環境生物物理學家片田元氣(Genki Katata)博士宣布，他已同意擔任新的記錄保管人。

作為佳能全球研究所的高級研究員的片田博士在東京接受採訪時說道:「確保京都的數據得以保存是一項非常重要的工作」;「我希望盡可能長久地將這項工作傳承下去」。

櫻花深受世界各地人們的喜愛。在華盛頓特區和溫哥華（這兩個城市都曾收到日本贈送的櫻花樹），以及中國武漢和韓國鎮海，人們都蜂擁而至欣賞櫻花。但或許沒有哪個地方像日本一樣，將櫻花深深融入歷史和文化之中。

賞櫻，或稱為“花見”( hanami)，在日本已有超過千年的歷史，是日常生活和貴族生活的重要組成部分。人們用俳句歌頌櫻花，用繪畫描繪櫻花，並在宮廷日記和編年史中一絲不苟地記錄下賞櫻的場景。如今，賞櫻季已成為一場熱鬧非凡的盛事，在樹下享用便當野餐，以及持續到深夜的醉酒派對。

青野教授收集的這些歷史記錄最初並非用於科學研究。但這些手稿中所包含的日期、地點和其他細節，已被證明是了解溫度計發明之前時代的寶貴資料。

在1644年4月14日的一篇日記中，宮廷貴族兼學者 平松時庸 (Tokitsune Hiramatsu)提到了在京都皇宮青陵殿（日本天皇數百年來的居所）舉行的賞櫻活動。 他寫道:「我們欣賞了櫻花，還喝了天皇賜予的清酒」。

幾個世紀以來，不同的史官都會記錄櫻花的生長過程 - 無論是剛綻放、正值盛花期，還是花瓣開始凋落，這增加了一定程度的精確性，使得幾個世代的數據都相對一致。

青野教授專注於一種名為「山櫻」的本土櫻花品種，這種櫻花對春季氣溫非常敏感，在更為嬌嫩的染井-吉野雜交品種流行之前，它一直是日本的標準櫻花樹。

青野教授仔細研讀這些記錄，自學日本古文，這項工作耗時超過15年。 他在2017年獲得學術獎時的獲獎感言中說道:「在學校時我的文學成績不好，在開始這時工作甚至不知道該從何入手」;「同事們會難以置信地問， ' 你還在研究櫻花樹？'」。

 （待續）

Note:

1. Tokitsune Hiramatsu (平松時庸)（ひらまつ ときつね） (1599-1654) was a court noble during the early Edo period holding the official rank of Junior Second Rank, Provisional Middle Counselor (従二位、権中納言). He was the second son of Tokiyoshi Nishinotōin (西洞院時慶) （1552 - 1640）. He established the Hiramatsu family (平松家), a branch of the Nishinotōin family (西洞院家). (https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/)

郭家麒醫生因違反國安法被定罪，被吊銷行醫執照

Recently Hong Kong Free Press reported the following:

Doctor and former lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki struck off medical register over National Security conviction

Hong Kong Free Press

NEWS

16-04-2026 21:15 HKT

The Medical Council of Hong Kong has indefinitely removed former lawmaker and urologist Dr. Kwok Ka-ki from the medical register on Thursday following a disciplinary hearing concerning his conviction under the National Security Law, marking the first time the council has held a hearing related to a national security case.

The Medical Council held a disciplinary inquiry today into Dr. Kwok, who was previously imprisoned for 50 months for his role in the "47-person" pro-democracy primary case.

Dr. Kwok did not attend the hearing, nor did he appoint any legal representation.

The charge against him stated that as a registered medical practitioner, he was convicted by the High Court in 2024 of "conspiracy to commit subversion," a violation of Article 22(3) of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Crimes Ordinance.

In a written submission, Dr. Kwok argued that his conviction was unrelated to his medical practice, did not involve dishonesty or violence, and that his level of participation was limited, contending it should not be considered a serious offense.

However, the Medical Council's legal advisor urged the panel to consider the adverse impact of the conviction on the medical profession's reputation and the public interest, as well as Dr. Kwok's overall fitness to practice medicine.

Ultimately, the council's chairperson, Grace Tang Wai-king, ruled to remove Dr. Kwok's name from the doctors' register indefinitely.

Lawmaker Kitson Yang Wing-kit, a member of the Panel on Health Services, expressed his respect for the Medical Council's decision. He stated that national security is of utmost importance, and since Dr. Kwok violated national security laws, it is reasonable to revoke his professional medical qualification.

Yang added that while opinions on the extent of an individual's involvement in illegal activities may vary, he trusts that the Medical Council has a set of established criteria for its judgments.

Translation

郭家麒醫生因違反國安法被定罪，被吊銷行醫執照

香港醫學委員會週四就郭家麒醫生違反國安法的定罪舉行紀律聆訊後，無限期吊銷了這位前立法會議員兼泌尿科醫生的行醫執照。這是醫學委員會首次就國安案件舉行聆訊。

醫學委員會今日就郭家麒醫師舉行了紀律調查。郭家麒醫生先前因參與「47人」民主黨初選而被判入獄50個月。

郭家麒醫生未出席聆訊，也未委託任何法律代表。

對他的指控稱，他作為一名註冊醫生，於2024年被高等法院裁定犯有“串謀顛覆國家政權罪”，違反了香港國安法第22(3)條和刑事條例。

郭醫師在書面陳述中辯稱，他的定罪與他的行醫無關，不涉及不誠實或暴力行為，而且他的參與程度有限，因此不應被視為嚴重罪行。

然而，醫學委員會的法律顧問敦促委員會考慮該定罪對醫療行業聲譽和公眾利益的不利影響，以及郭醫生整體上是否適合行醫。

最終，醫委會主席Grace Tang Wai-king裁定無限期地將郭醫生的名字從醫生名冊中除名。

立法會議員Kitson Yang Wing-kit，作為衛生事務委員會成員，對醫委會的決定表示尊重。他指出，國家安全至關重要，郭醫師違反了國家安全法，因此吊銷其行醫資格是合理的。

Yang補充說，雖然對於這個人參與非法活動的程度各人可能有不同看法，但他相信醫務委員會會有一套既定的判斷標準。

So, the Medical Council of Hong Kong has indefinitely removed Dr. Kwok Ka-ki from the medical register due to his conviction under the National Security Law. I tend to think that Dr. Kwok’s conviction is unrelated to his medical practice, does not involve dishonesty or violence, and therefore should not be considered a serious offense that justifies his removal from the medical register.

US Navy Loses Rare and Expensive Drone Over the Persian Gulf

 Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

(The MQ4C Triton drone. Source: CNN )

米海軍、希少で高価なドローン失う　ペルシャ湾上空

2026.04.16 Thu posted at 17:27 JST

（CNN） 米海軍は先週、所有する中で最も高価な部類の航空機をペルシャ湾上空で失った模様だ。

14日に発表された海軍安全司令部の報告書によると、「MQ4Cトライトン」ドローン（無人機）が9日に墜落した。作戦の安全保障上の理由から、墜落地点は非公開とされている。

CNNが航空機追跡サイトの「フライトレーダー24」のデータを検索したところ、MQ4Cは9日にイタリアのシゴネラ海軍航空基地を離陸し、ペルシャ湾上空で消息を絶ったことが分かった。

同機はホルムズ海峡上空を飛行していたが、海峡上空を離れた後、高度約1万5000メートルから約2700メートルまで降下し、レーダーから消失した。

飛行データによるとトライトンは飛行中、地上のパイロットとの通信が途絶えたことを示すスコーク信号を発信した。その約70分後、高度約1万3400メートルまで降下した際に、緊急事態を示すスコーク信号を発信。その後も同じスコーク信号を発信し続け、協定世界時（UTC）午前10時12分に高度約2800メートルでレーダーから消えた。

飛行追跡データからは喪失の原因を特定できず、海軍はMQ4Cが墜落したという情報のみを公表している。

製造元のノースロップ・グラマン社はトライトンを「世界最高峰の無人海上情報収集・監視・偵察・標的設定機」と形容している。

ジェットエンジンを搭載し、航続距離約1万3700キロを誇るMQ4Cは、24時間以上の飛行が可能だ。

このドローンは海軍艦隊の中でも最も希少な機体の一つであり、ノースロップ・グラマン社によるとわずか20機しか製造されていない。また、1機あたり約2億4000万ドル（約380億円）という極めて高価な機体でもある。これはF35Cステルス戦闘機の2倍以上の価格に相当する。

Translation

US Navy Loses Rare and Expensive Drone Over the Persian Gulf

(CNN) The US Navy appeared to have lost one of its most expensive aircraft last week over the Persian Gulf.

According to a report from the Naval Security Command released on the 14th, an MQ4C Triton drone crashed on the 9th. The crash site was being kept secret for operational security reasons.

CNN searched the aircraft tracking site called “Flightradar24 data”, it revealed that the MQ4C took off from Sigonella Naval Air Station in Italy on the 9th and disappeared over the Persian Gulf.

The aircraft was flying over the Strait of Hormuz, and after leaving the airspace above the strait, it descended from an altitude of approximately 15,000 meters to approximately 2,700 meters and disappeared from radar.

Flight data indicated that during flight, the Triton transmitted a squawk signal indicating a loss of communication with the pilot on the ground. Approximately 70 minutes later, while descending to an altitude of approximately 13,400 meters, it transmitted an emergency squawk signal. It continued to transmit the same squawk signal until it disappeared from radar at an altitude of approximately 2,800 meters at 10:12 AM UTC.

The cause of the loss could not be determined from the flight tracking data, and the Navy had only released information that the MQ4C crashed.

Northrop Grumman, the manufacturer, described the Triton as "the world's top unmanned maritime intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting aircraft."

Equipped with a jet engine and boasting a range of approximately 13,700 kilometers, the MQ4C could fly for more than 24 hours.

This drone was one of the rarest aircraft in the Navy fleet, with only 20 ever manufactured, according to Northrop Grumman. It was also extremely expensive, costing approximately $240 million (about 38 billion yen) per unit. This would be more than twice the price of an F-35C stealth fighter jet.

              So, the US Navy appears to have lost one of its most expensive aircraft last week over the Persian Gulf. This drone is one of the rarest aircraft in the Navy fleet, with only 20 ever manufactured and is also extremely expensive. I am interested in knowing why it crashed.