Family functioning and depression in primary caregivers of stroke patients in China

Objective:To determine the relationship between family functioning and depression in primary caregivers of stroke survivors in China.Design:Baseline cross-sectional data from an intervention study for stroke survivors and their families were used.Setting:Neurology inpatient service of a large urban hospital.Participants:Stroke survivors(n=180),each with a primary caregiver,were enrolled in this study.The mean age of stroke survivors was 65.60 years,and the mean age of primary caregivers was 57.60 years.Interventions:Not applicable.Methods:The Family Assessment Device(FAD)and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale(CES-D),respectively,were used.Results:Following a stroke of a family member,71%of caregivers experienced depressive symptoms.Higher depression severity in caregivers was linked to caregiver education,stroke survivor ADLs,and family functioning.Conclusion:Assessment of family functioning may help determine which caregivers are most at risk for developing depressive syndrome.

Family-relatedFactorsThatInfluenceChildren’sAcademicAchievementsinSchool

This essay studies various family-related factors that influence a child’s academic achievement in school in P.R. China. The factors are illustrated under three categories: the family’s social class and education, early home environment and family material condition. The author discusses the relevant factors by way of relating the knowledge of social environment to his own experiences as a student and then teacher in China. The essay closes with a discussion directing the public’s attention to the concern about home-related factors influencing a child’s academic achievements in school.

Loneliness in Older Chilean People: Importance of Family Dysfunction and Depression

Loneliness is considered a public health problem that negatively affects wellbeing,especially in the older population.In Latin-American countries,most of the older population live with their family.Although this is thought to diminish feelings of loneliness,there is scarce data to support this.The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of loneliness and evaluate its association with objective social networks,family functioning and perception of social support,in a sample of older people from Santiago,Chile.A survey was conducted of a representative sample of community older people(60–97 years)from Santiago,Chile,using the UCLA abbreviated scale of loneliness.Logistic regression was performed to test the variables related to the loneliness of older people.A total of 1,217 older people were interviewed.88%were living with at least one person at home and 92%had living children.Using the UCLA abbreviated scale,45%were found to perceive feelings of loneliness at least some of the time.Logistic regression showed significant association between loneliness and family dysfunction;depressive symptoms;living alone;not having a partner(widowed,separated or single);having little contact with relatives and friends;feeling a lack of social support;and sensation of poor self-efficacy.Loneliness is a prevalent public health problem in this older Latin-American community.Living accompanied does not protect against loneliness,particularly in vulnerable groups such as those with depression,or when there are family conflicts.The high prevalence of loneliness strongly conveys the need for public health policies to address loneliness in older people.

Tendency of Confucian Thought in Emily Dickinson’s Poems

Emily Dickinson’s poems embody both Confucianism and Daoism.Dickinson’s poems express attachment to earthly life and to family and friends;the poetess ponders over war from a unique viewpoint and she pays attention to the development of industry and technology in her poetry;many readers think Dickinson despises fame and fortune,however,some of her poems are full of dialectical thinking about fame and fortune.All these accord with Confucian thought which attaches importance to family and human relations and social affairs.Basing on some selected poetic texts,the tendency of Confucian thought in Emily Dickinson’s poems will be expounded in this paper.

Constructions for Anonymous Secret Sharing Schemes Using Combinatorial Designs

In an anonymous secret sharing scheme the secret can be reconstructed without knowledge of which participants hold which shares. In this paper some constructions of anonymous secret sharing schemes with 2 thresholds by using combinatorial designs are given. Let v（t, w, q） denote the minimum size of the set of shares of a perfect anonymous （t, w） threshold secret sharing scheme with q secrets. In this paper we prove that v（t, w, q） - Θ（q） if t and w are fixed and that the lower bound of the size of the set of shares in [4] is not optimal under certain condition.