In light of the changes in the environment surrounding broadcasting in recent years, Amendments to the Broadcasting Act and the Radio Act, which was approved by the 211th ordinary session of the ...Diet, offers domestic basic broadcasters the following measures to ensure that they will continue to play their social roles in broadcasting in the future while improving the efficiency of their business operations: (i) they can operate the simultaneous broadcasting of programs in multiple target regions for broadcasts; (ii) they can use relay station facilities jointly; and (iii) they can operate broadcasting management system more ensurely.With regard to (i), the Government will revise the approval system for the Business Infrastructure Reinforcement Plan and establish a system under which domestic basic broadcasters in different target regions for broadcasts can simultaneously broadcast the same program in regions, including those designated by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications as regions where a decline in demand for domestic basic broadcasting services is recognized, regardless of their individual business conditions, under certain conditions, such as by taking measures to ensure regionality.With regard to (ii), in order to make it possible for multiple specified terrestrial basic broadcasters to increase the efficiency of their business operations by jointly using relay station facilities, the Act will allow specified terrestrial basic broadcasters to conduct terrestrial basic broadcasting operations using relay stations of other parties (suppliers of basic broadcasting stations) after confirmation by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications.In addition, in areas designated by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications as areas where there is a particularly high need to improve the efficiency of the terrestrial basic broadcasting operations of the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), only the subsidiary of NHK will be able to own and manage relay stations and use them for the terrestrial basic broadcasting operations of the NHK. The transfer of NHK's broadcasting equipment to the subsidiary will be an exception to the Broadcasting Act’s restriction on the transfer of broadcasting equipment of NHK.With regard to (iii),the basic broadcasters and basic broadcasting station suppliers will be obliged to maintain the broadcasting management system for operating the facilities ,including that operated by outsourcees, in compliance with the standards specified by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. And by adding matters pertaining to the outsourcing of the operation of facilities to the matters stated in the application for approval of basic broadcasting operations and license of basic broadcasting stations, the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications will be able to grasp the actual status of the outsourcing.
The Act to Partially Amend the Radio Act and the Broadcasting Act which was approved by the 208th ordinary session of the Diet, is composed of five elements; (1) Strengthening the functions of the ...Radio Regulatory Council, (2) Creating a system for reassigning frequencies for mobile phones and other systems, (3) Revising the Spectrum User Fee system, (4) Revising restrictions on foreign investment in the information and telecommunications sector, (5) Arranging for mechanisms to ensure the appropriate and fair sharing of NHK Subscription Fees, and other related amendments. Specifically, as for (1), up until now, assessments regarding the degree to which radio spectrum is being utilized effectively have been implemented by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications based on the results of actual utilization surveys; under the amended Radio Act, the assessments will be implemented by the Radio Regulatory Council, which is made up of council members who have broad-ranging experience and knowledge, in order to allow for the implementation of more appropriate assessments that are adapted to matters such as technological progress. The amending act enables the Radio Regulatory Council to make the necessary recommendations to the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications regarding effective utilization assessments, and requires the Minister to report to the Council on measures taken based on its recommendations.As for (2), the amending act makes it possible to reassign frequencies that are being used by base stations, for telecommunications operations involving devices such as mobile phones, under the following cases:- If the result of an effective utilization assessment by the Radio Regulatory Council does not meet certain standards.- If the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications determines that a reassignment review is necessary based on a competing application.- If the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications determines that frequencies for mobile phones and other systems need reassigning to ensure fair and efficient use of radio wavesIn addition, the amendment newly establishes a system for allowing requests for reassignment reviews. Under the amended act, information for ensuring fair use of the radio spectrum, such as information on the maximum bandwidth that each business can apply for in consideration of the aggregate bandwidth they already hold, is added as information that is to be included in the establishment guidelines for mobile phones and other systems.As for (3), the amending act modifies spectrum user fees while taking into account matters such as aggregate expenses for spectrum users’ common benefit in the next three years (FY2022 to FY2024) and the expected operational status of radio stations.The amendment makes it possible to use spectrum user fees to issue grants for research and development that are aimed at matters such as the realization of Beyond 5G (6G).As for (4), the amending act adds the ratio of foreign capital and foreign officers as information that is required to be given on applications for certification for basic broadcasting operations, applications for radio station licenses, and elsewhere, and makes it mandatory to provide notifications regarding changes in matters such as the ratio of foreign capital. Moreover, the act arranges for corrective measures upon violation of restrictions on foreign investment.View PDF for the rest of the abstract
The ideal biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) should detect a fundamental feature of neuropathology and be validated in neuropathologically-confirmed cases; it should have a sensitivity >80% for ...detecting AD and a specificity of >80% for distinguishing other dementias; it should be reliable, reproducible, non-invasive, simple to perform, and inexpensive. Recommended steps to establish a biomarker include confirmation by at least two independent studies conducted by qualified investigators with the results published in peer-reviewed journals. Our review of current candidate markers indicates that for suspected early-onset familial AD, it is appropriate to search for mutations in the presenilin 1, presenilin 2, and amyloid precursor protein genes. Individuals with these mutations typically have increased levels of the amyloid Aβ
42 peptide in plasma and decreased levels of APPs in cerebrospinal fluid. In late-onset and sporadic AD, these measures are not useful, but detecting an apolipoprotein E e4 allele can add confidence to the clinical diagnosis. Among the other proposed molecular and biochemical markers for sporadic AD, cerebrospinal fluid assays showing low levels of Aβ
42 and high levels of tau come closest to fulfilling criteria for a useful biomarker.
Five thousand eight hundred elderly persons (2, 212 males and 3, 588 females) aged 40 years or above, who lived in Miyako district, Okinawa, were examined for the occuccence of dental caries, ...periodontal diseases, and tooth loss with reference to systemic conditions of the examinees. The Average number per person of present, intact, and carious teeth decreased with increase of age, and the rate of carious teeth (the total, untreated and heavy) and tooth loss increased. However, the relative number of persons who suffered from dental diseases, namely dental caries. periodontal diseases, or untreated tooth defects, decreased with higher age. Compared to ambulatory (non-bed-ridden) persons aged 60 years or higher, the bed-ridden had fewer present and intact teeth and the rate of untreated and severe carious teeth was higher. The Majority of the bed-ridden also had multiple and severe dental diseases, mainly dental caries and tooth loss, at higher rate. The tooth defects were mostly untreated but no other dental diseases coexisted in most of the cases. A significant number (41.3%) of the examinees had systemic disorders, mainly cardiovascular diseases. Most of the patients suffered from multiple diseases (40.2%) and required medical treatment (51.9%). Approximately two-thirds (63.4%) of the examinees required dental treatment. The bed-ridlen had generally a multiple number of systemic diseases, of which more than half (55.3%), compared to onefourth (28.1%) for the healthy, required prompt medical examination and treatment. The neccessity of dental treatment was higher (61.9%) for the bed-ridden than for the ambulatoy (53.9%), and in most cases prompt treatment was desirable.
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