宝の山も一歩から～学んだことのMEMO～

今になってコロナ感染認めるって相変わらずの訳わかめ～！
その内、感染者を大砲に込めて、打ち込んでくるぞー！

家康の次は紫式部！

女王陛下の代理で議会開会宣言って。皇太子に代理が必要な年齢じゃん。

Japanese scientists say they've successfully restored function to intervertebral disks in rats by implanting tissue derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells.
A team led by researchers from Kyoto and Osaka universities conducted the study on the inner core of the intervertebral disk, called the nucleus pulposus. They say intervertebral disk degeneration occurs when the core is damaged or dissipates, and is a major cause of lower back pain.
The scientists say they found the jelly-like inner core contains cells resembling those in cartilage. They created similar cartilaginous tissue using iPS cells. The tissue was implanted in the intervertebral disks of rats from which the nucleus pulposus had been removed.
The researchers say six months later the rats had no intervertebral disk degeneration, and the shock absorbing function of the disks was maintained. Rats with no inner disk core that didn't receive the iPS cells showed signs of tissue breakdown and disk degeneration.

Household budgets in Japan are being squeezed. A private survey shows price hikes affecting about 6,100 food and beverage items in the first half of this year.
The survey, conducted this month by research firm Teikoku Databank, shows that 54 companies raised or plan to raise prices from January to July. That's more than half of the 105 businesses approached. Prices are going up by an average of 11 percent.
The processed foods category is most widely affected. About 2,900 items, including cup noodles, ham, and frozen products, are being marked up by 12 percent on average.
The spike in crude oil prices is raising packaging costs. That's compounding the impact of more expensive wheat and raw materials.
A poor harvest for rapeseed used in cooking oil is driving up prices for 1,300 dressings and other seasonings by an average of 9 percent. The crop is also in demand for biofuel.

Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries has opened a restaurant staffed by robots. The operation will provide the company with data to improve robot development to help ease labor shortages.
The restaurant is located in the machinery maker's research facility near Haneda Airport in Tokyo and is equipped with seven robots.
Customers place their orders by smartphone. Robots in the kitchen heat up packs of soup or curry and pour them into cups. They also use microwaves for rice.
Other robots deliver meals to tables and serve them using two arms. They also collect empty plates.
Kawasaki Heavy aims to use customer feedback to improve the robot service quality. It also plans to apply what it learns to resolving labor shortages in nursing care.

An editorial written by China's top respiratory expert, who once headed Beijing's coronavirus response team, is drawing mixed reactions over the so-called dynamic zero-COVID policy.
Zhong Nanshan co-authored the article that appeared in a science magazine earlier this month. It argues that China needs to reopen to normalize socio-economic development and adapt to global trends. It also says pursuing a zero-COVID approach is not sustainable in the long run.
Many people took to social media to express views for and against the article.
Media affiliated with the Communist Party said Zhong had stressed the need to stick to the strategy for now in a lecture two days after the article's publication. Observers say such reports suggest that China's leadership is trying to contain public opposition to its zero-COVID policy.

French President Emmanuel Macron has won re-election, but rival Marine Le Pen had the best showing ever for a far-right candidate in a presidential runoff. The centrist Macron won with more than 58 percent of the votes, while Le Pen garnered 41 percent.

(Emmanuel Macron / French President)
“Now I am no longer a candidate in the single camp, but a president for all the people. I have to find one answer to the anger and differences of opinion that led people to vote for far-right forces.”

Macron had campaigned on his achievements, including measures taken against the coronavirus pandemic, as well as his response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Marine Le Pen criticized the government's handling of surging prices of goods such as fuel. She pledged to take economic measures to raise people's living standards.

Leading economic institutes in Germany are warning that Europe's biggest economy would experience a deep recession if it stops importing natural gas from Russia.
The joint forecast comes from the Ifo Institute and four other research bodies. They say Germany's economy would lose a total of 220 billion euros, or roughly 240 billion dollars, by the end of next year in case the gas supplies are shut off.再生解説 The loss is equivalent to more than 6.5 percent of Germany's annual gross domestic product.
German officials have been discussing a possible embargo of Russian gas as part of tougher sanctions against Moscow.
The institutes also believe that German GDP will grow only by 1.9 percent this year and contract by 2.2 percent in 2023.

Japanese elementary school children have used traditional box-shaped backpacks for over a century. The satchels, called “randoseru,” are usually made of leather or synthetic materials. But now recycled materials are increasingly being used, and demand is strong.
The new lineup currently hitting the stores is for children who will start school next year. Tokyo-based startup Ranaos makes its “randoseru” with polyester recovered from used clothing. It weighs about 980 grams, much lighter than leather satchels.
Since it went on sale last month, orders have been more than three times higher than the monthly average for last year's version.
An eco-friendly satchel made by another Tokyo-based firm, Ikeda Chikyu, is also attracting demand. The company uses recycled plastic bottles to make polyester, which is then processed to give it a leather-like texture.

Japan's Nissan Motor has acquired a French race team that participates in the Formula E championship, known as “F1 for electric vehicles.”
Nissan said Tuesday it has taken full ownership of the e.dams team. They have been partners since 2018, when Nissan became the first Japanese carmaker to take part in Formula E.
The company says it's strengthening collaboration with the team to help it achieve its strategy of electrifying all new vehicle offerings by early next decade in key markets.
All EVs feature quiet, smooth acceleration, making it difficult for automakers to differentiate their models in terms of ride comfort and handling.
Nissan said it aims to transfer its expertise and technology from the racetrack to the development of better EVs for customers.

Leaders in Finland and Sweden have chosen to keep their countries non-aligned since World War II. But what they've seen in Ukraine has prompted them to reconsider.
The leaders met in Stockholm to discuss their countries' relationship with NATO. Finland and Sweden are partners with the alliance, but not part of it.

(Sanna Marin / Finnish Prime Minister)
“The change in the security landscape makes it necessary to analyze how we best secure peace for Finland and in our region in the future.”

Finns and Russians share a border. Marin says members of parliament will debate and decide “within weeks” whether to apply for NATO membership.

(Magdalena Andersson / Swedish Prime Minister)
“We have to really think through what is best for Sweden and our security and our peace in this new situation.”

Many Swedes aren't convinced. But Andersson and Marin agree there's no other way to have such security guarantees “than under NATO's deterrence.

ウクライナ高官、5月末にも反転攻勢って。まだ、やるんかい！(# ﾟДﾟ)

Travel companies in Japan have begun selling package tours to Hawaii for the first time in about two years. The islands are one of the most popular foreign destinations for Japanese tourists, but the tours have been suspended since early in the pandemic.
Travel agency JTB began taking bookings Friday, with departures from April 28. Airline group ANA Holdings is also jumping back in. Their first flights leave a day later.
The Japanese government lowered its travel warning for the United States earlier this month from “Avoid all travel” to “Avoid non-essential travel.”
Officials from the Japan Association of Travel Agents visited Hawaii and concluded that the state was ready to accept tourists again.
Tourism companies say they hope to resume tours to Europe and other regions if infection situations allow.

調伏必要

今後は観光船に乗るのも、自分で船会社と天候をチェックしなくちゃいけない。

In a historic vote, the U.S. Senate has confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. She will become the first Black woman to serve on the top court.
The Senate approved President Joe Biden's nominee on Thursday in a 53-47 vote. Jackson will be formally sworn in this summer.
Biden tweeted, “Judge Jackson's confirmation was a historic moment for our nation. We've taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America.”
The nine justices of the Supreme Court make final decisions on socially divisive issues, such as abortion, gun control, and same-sex marriage.
Currently, there are six conservatives and three liberals. Jackson is seen as a liberal. She will succeed retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, who is also a liberal. The ideological balance on the court is expected to remain unchanged.

Japanese baseball superstar Ohtani Shohei has kicked off his fifth season in the United States. It was the first time in major league history a starting pitcher also led off an opening game at the plate. Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels faced the Houston Astros, last year's American League champs.
Fans are hoping Ohtani will repeat his historic season last year. He started on the mound with a strikeout in a scoreless first inning. And at the plate, he hit the first pitch, but grounded out.
Ohtani allowed one run in the third inning, but he struck out all three batters in the fourth. He had a total of nine strikeouts before leaving the game as pitcher in the middle of the fifth inning.
In the eighth inning, Ohtani hit a towering fly ball, but his night ended without a hit. The Astros beat the Angels 3-1, and Ohtani took his first loss of the year.

Large breeding colonies of Argentine ants have been found at Osaka Airport in western Japan. The insects native to South America are designated as an invasive alien species here in Japan. One expert has warned they could interfere with vital airport equipment.
Officials of the airport operator and Itami City say they found numerous colonies last week when they inspected over 10 hectares of the facility's grounds. They say each colony could comprise tens of thousands of ants. The insects are believed to have been breeding for several years.
The expert says reproduction of non-native ants in large numbers should be taken seriously, especially at places like airports, where safety is the top priority.

National Institute for Environmental Studies
“These ants have a tendency to get inside electronic equipment and cabling. When that happens, they can cause problems with air traffic control equipment.”

The airport operator plans to conduct a full-scale inspection and exterminate the pests.

Record-setting Japanese anime “Kimetsu no Yaiba,” or “Demon Slayer,” is now being adapted as a traditional noh play.
“Demon Slayer” is a manga series by Gotouge Koyoharu. The story is about a boy who battles demons in Japan about a century ago. Its film adaptation set a box-office record in Japan.
Actors and producers involved with the planned performance announced some details on Tuesday. Actor Ohtsuki Bunzo, who's a government-designated Person of Cultural Merit, will perform in the noh play, while Nomura Mansai will play the key demon and serve as stage director.

(Nomura Mansai / Kyogen actor)
“The story is well-suited to noh as its theme is demons, which are often a key feature of noh plots.”

The noh performance will last just over two hours and depict part of the original story. It's scheduled to start late July in Tokyo, then go to Osaka in December.