Recent Competition in the Japanese Life Insurance Industry

This paper examines a change in the level of competition in the Japanese life insurance industry over the last 17 years. We estimate the first order condition for profit-maximizing insurance oligopolies to obtain the degree of non-competition and collusion. Estimation results suggest that: 1) not only stock companies, but also mutual companies maximize their own profits rather than pay out dividends to policyholders; 2) competition has become stronger since 1995; 3) revision of Insurance Industry Law and failures of insurance companies promoted the competition; and 4) the competition in the recent years is still more lax than the pre-war period.

Milk Replacers and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in Calves, Japan

Milk Replacers and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in Calves, Japa

Outcome of an elbow check-up system for child and adolescent baseball players

Purpose : Our aim was to examine the outcome of an elbow check-up system for youth baseball players. In particular, we investigated the nature of elbow injuries in youth baseball players with elbow pain and ultrasonographic findings of the capitellum. Materials and Methods : A total of 1605 players participating in the regional summer championship in July 2013 underwent a questionnaire survey, physical examination, ultrasound imaging, and radiographic examination. Results : A total of 499 (31.1%) players reported episodes of elbow pain, of whom 320 (64.1%) had abnormal findings on physical examination, and 115 (35.9%) agreed to undergo radiography. Among them, 98 (85.2%) exhibited radiographic abnormalities. On the initial ultrasonography screening, 60 (3.7%) players had an abnormal finding and 55 (91.7%) agreed to undergo radiography. Among them, 26 (47.3%) were found to have osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the capitellum on radiographs. Conclusions : About 30% of youth baseball players had episodes of elbow pain, and 64.1% of players with elbow pain had abnormal findings on physical examination. Furthermore, 85.2% of subjects who underwent radiographic examination exhibited radiographic abnormalities. About 4% of young baseball players had an abnormal finding on initial ultrasonography screening, and nearly 50% of them had OCD of the capitellum on radiographs

Recent Competition in the Japanese Life Insurance Industry

This paper examines a change in the level of competition in the Japanese life insurance industry over the last 17 years. We estimate the first order condition for profit-maximizing insurance oligopolies to obtain the degree of non-competition and collusion. Estimation results suggest that: 1) not only stock companies, but also mutual companies maximize their own profits rather than pay out dividends to policyholders; 2) competition has become stronger since 1995; 3) revision of Insurance Industry Law and failures of insurance companies promoted the competition; and 4) the competition in the recent years is still more lax than the pre-war period

State-of-the-art ultrasonographic findings in lower extremity sports injuries

Athletes sometimes experience overuse injuries. To diagnose these injuries, ultrasonography is often more useful than plain radiography, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ultrasonography can show both bone and soft tissue from various angles as needed, providing great detail in many cases. In conditions such as osteochondrosis or enthesopathies such as Osgood-Schlatter disease, Sinding- Larsen-Johansson disease, bipartite patella, osteochondritis dissecans of the knee, painful accessory navicular, and jumper’s knee, ultrasonography can reveal certain types of bony irregularities or neovascularization of the surrounding tissue. In patients of enthesopathy, ultrasonography can show the degenerative changes at the insertion of the tendon. Given its usefulness in treatment, ultrasonography is expected to become essential in the management of overuse injuries affecting the lower limb in athletes