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Objective Lack of knowledge about a disease could impede early diagnosis and may lead to delays in seeking appropriate medical care. The aim of this study was to explore knowledge of dementia (KOD) and to find the determinants of KOD among three groups: older adults with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia. Methods A representative nationwide sample of 6141 Korean elders aged 65 years or older participated in face-to-face interviews and answered 14 questions pertaining to general information, etiology, symptoms, and treatment of dementia. Stepwise multiple regressions and path analyses probed the relationships between various sociodemographic variables and KOD. Results The percentage of correct responses was only 62%. The item ‘A person who remembers things that happened in the past does not have dementia’ was answered correctly (false) by only 24.8–27% of the respondents in all groups. Older adults with normal cognition had higher KOD scores than those with MCI or dementia. In the normal-cognition group, KOD scores were higher among highly educated, younger, and literate women with no depression and a family history of dementia. In contrast with the determinants in the normal-cognition group, only the ability to read and write predicted KOD scores in the dementia group. Conclusions Efforts to enhance KOD in elder adults are needed. Public education regarding the differences between dementia and healthy aging may increase KOD among normal elders and those with MCI. Among elders with dementia, educational materials that do not require literacy may be more helpful in increasing KOD with the aim of preventing treatment delay.

Background There are no cross-sectional or longitudinal epidemiological studies present on MRI-defined vascular depression in community populations. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence rates of both vascular and non-vascular late life depression (LLD) at baseline, to examine the natural course of LLD, and to investigate the influence of White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) on depression after three years. Method The baseline study employed a two-stage design, Phase I population survey (n=783) and Phase II diagnostic evaluation (n=122). In the 3-year follow-up study, baseline participants completing the second phase were reassessed with the same methodology. WMHs severity was rated visually by the modified Fazekas scale and WMHs volume was calculated using an automated method. Results The prevalence rates of vascular major depressive disorder (MDD) and vascular non-major depressive disorder (nMDD) were 2.39% (56.2% of MDD) and 4.24% (34.0% of nMDD). Subjects with a score of 2 or more on the modified Fazekas scale in either deep white matter hyperintensities or subcortical gray matter ratings had an 8.1 times greater risk of developing a depressive disorder in the 3-year follow-up study. Greater Log WMHs volume (odds ratio=5.78, 95% CI, 1.04–31.72) at baseline was an independent predictor for depressive disorder in the 3-year assessment. Limitations Response rate and follow-up rate were relatively low. Conclusions Vascular depression is common and makes up about a half of MDD in elders. Greater WMHs severity is a crucial factor predicting future depression risk, which supports the previous vascular depression hypothesis.

We transform the motion and shape of a video object into cartoon style using a set of representative cartooning deformations which we relate to a modal analysis of the object. Results can be obtained at interactive rate and a user survey confirmed their plausibility.

We introduce a stable noise function with controllable properties. The well-known Perlin noise function is generated by interpolation of a pre-defined random number table. This table must be modified if user-defined constraints are to be satisfied, but modification can destroy the stability of the table. We integrate statistical tools for measuring the stability of a random number table with user constraints within an optimization procedure, so as to create a controlled random number table which nevertheless has a uniform random distribution, no periodicity, and a band-limited property.

The effect of boron on the thermal fatigue behavior of Fe–20Cr–1.7C–1.0Si- x B ( x = 0, 0.3 and 0.6 wt.%) hardfacing alloys was investigated using a high frequency induction heating/water cooling system. Formation and growth of thermal fatigue cracks in tested alloys was also investigated, and the effect of the strain-induced martensitic transformation on cracking was analyzed by means of optical microscopy and by nondestructive testing using ultrasonic elastic waves. These experiments demonstrated that the alloy exhibits sustained resistance to thermal fatigue in its early stages since the strain-induced martensitic transformation interfered with the propagation of fatigue cracks.