THE REASONS that aged persons live independently or together with relatives are many and varied. There are financial and emotional motivations and factors related to health and convenience as well. The 1968 Social Security Survey of the Demographic and Economic Chxrncteristics of the Aged (DECA) provides a coherent and relatively recent body of data on the living arrangements of the population ...

This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 93 aged people, divided among four institutions in the municipality of Lamego (Portugal). The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of life of the sample and the factors affecting it, and identify the degree of dependence in basic daily living activities. The data was collected using the following: i) a bio-rela...

It is now nearly three years since our last newsletter. During that time we have continued to collect more samples from volunteers and enlarged our collection of photos for the face genetics project to nearly 2000. Most importantly, a subset of 2039 of our samples has been extensively analysed, and, after several revisions and adjustments, the results have appeared on 19 March as a major paper ...

This paper addresses a pet-type robot rehabilitation system for aged people. The robot offers interactivity, which can communicate autonomously and communicate with others using Internet-connectivity, for being a partner. To avoid being satiated with conversation, we propose reconfigurable interactivity, especially focused conversation contents. In order to watch over aged people through the Ne...

Similar to many other countries worldwide, Vietnam is facing a challenge of an ageing population. This challenge is even more difficult to overcome because Vietnam is a developing country lacking an established aged care infrastructure and system. Many aspects of aged care have largely been relied on families of aged people due to a strong influence of Confucian philosophy. Looking after aged p...

Most reference ranges are not considered sex-age specific differences. We collected about 700,000 health examination data with 24 items to estimate sex-age specific clinical reference ranges. We proposed nonlinear optimization method as a new method compatible with NCCLS guideline. All items showed sex-age specific differences of reference ranges. Especially, hepatic functions in young aged men...

BACKGROUND In the past two decades the suicide rate in young people has risen in the UK and other countries. AIMS To identify the characteristics of people aged under 35 who commit suicide. METHOD Psychological autopsy study with case-control design. Cases were 84 suicides and probable suicides (open verdicts). Controls were 64 age- and gender-matched non-suicides obtained through the gener...

Herpes zoster (or shingles), an infectious disease caused by reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in the dorsal root or cranial nerve ganglia, typically manifests as unilateral acute pain accompanied by a vesicular rash. The acute pain and rash usually resolve within 2– 4 weeks without treatment. Postherpetic neuralgia, commonly defined as pain that lasts .3 months after the onse...