• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.623-635
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• 2011

Over the past few decades, the proportion of elderly people with depression in Korea has been rapidly increasing. The purpose of this study is to explore relative effects of health and family factors on geriatric depression. The data sources are from Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging(2008). The Analysis sample consists of 4,040 cases. Analysis results show that there is a significant variability in geriatric depression according to sociodemographic characteristics, health characteristics, and family characteristics. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses are employed to assess the causal relationship between health characteristics and geriatric depression. Model II showed that ADL(exp(B)=1.732), having difficulties due to sight deterioration(exp(B)=1.398), having difficulties due to masticatory force deterioration(exp(B)=1.414), having difficulties due to pain(exp(B)=2.435), and subjective health status(exp(B)=2.010) are reported as predictors of geriatric depression. Namely, the probability of having geriatric depression of the above predictors has been 1.7 times, 1.4 times, 1.4 times, 2.4 times. 2.0 times higher than normal figures. Among health characteristics, pain is the most prevalent factor. Model III showed that as for family characteristics, coresiding with children(exp(B)=1.312) and frequency of contacting with children by phones, letters, or emails(exp(B)=1.477) are reported as predictors of geriatric depression. Key findings are that health factors have larger effects than family factors on geriatric depression.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers D
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.247-254
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• 2001

Silent period(SP) is transient stops of muscle activity that are induced by mechanical or electrical stimulus and the duration of silent period is a important parameter that have been associated with symptoms of masticatory dysfunction. Muscle fatigue is induced by sustained muscular contractions. It is associated with the external manifestations as the inability to maintain a desired force output, muscular tremor, and localized pain. Muscle fatigue is a parameter that have been measured or monitored the deterioration of a performance of muscles. On the study of relationship between SP and masticatory muscle fatigue, Nagasawa suggested that SP increases up to 3 min. from the beginning of clenching when the subjects performed sustained contractions at 50% maximum clenching level. In this paper, in order to evaluate a relationship between SP and muscle fatigue, 10 SPs per 1 minute are measured at 10%, 20%, 50% maximum clenching level. We used the median frequency in order to quantify the degree of muscle fatigue. However, the results shows that the duration of silent period was not significantly affected by differing levels of muscle fatigue. Therefore, we suggest that the SP is not increased or decreased as the results of muscle fatigue, also the origin of the SP generation mechanism is discussed.