Objective To examine the mediating role of empathy and emotional competence in the association between family functioning and internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors among adolescents in China.Methods In this study,we used the data from the June-July 2022 survey of Chengdu Positive Child Development(CPCD)cohort.All respondents were 5th-9th graders from six primary or secondary schools in Chengdu.The Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist(CBCL),the Chinese Family Assessment Instrument(C-FAI),the empathy subscale of the Chinese version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index(C-IRI),and the emotional competence(EC)subscale of the Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale(CPYD)were used to evaluate the respondents'internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors,family functioning,empathy,and emotional competence,respectively.The average score derived from the total score of a scale divided by the number of entries in each dimension was used as the final score of the scale.Independent samples t-tests or one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA)were performed to examine the differences in family functioning,empathy,emotional competence,and internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors across student groups with different demographic characteristics(sex,grade,and region).Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between family functioning,empathy,emotional competence,and internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors.AMOS 24.0 was used to validate the hypothesized model and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the mediating effects of empathy and emotional competence between family functioning and internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors among adolescents.Results A total of 3026 eligible participants were included,including 1548(51.16%)male students and 1478(48.84%)female students.Among the respondents,798(26.37%)were 5th graders,738(24.39%)were 6th graders,567(18.74%)were 7th graders,614(20.29%)were 8th graders,and 309(10.21%)were 9th graders.In addition,2064(68.21%)of all respondents were from urban areas and 962(31.79%)were from rural areas.The results of the difference analysis showed that the differences in adolescents'internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors were statistically significant between students of different grades(P=0.004),and that the differences in family functioning and empathy scores were also statistically significant between students of different grades(all P<0.001),whereas the differences in adolescents'internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors were not statistically significant between sexes and regions(P=0.919,0.959).The results of correlation analysis showed that family functioning scores(the higher the score,the worse the family functioning)were significantly negatively correlated with empathy and emotional competence(r=-0.482,-0.432,P<0.01),and significantly positively correlated with internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors(r=0.220,P<0.01).Empathy was significantly positively correlated with emotional competence(r=0.402,P<0.01).Empathy and emotional competence were significantly negatively correlated with all the dimensions of internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors(r=-0.115,-0.305,P<0.01).Emotional competence partially mediated the relationship between family functioning and adolescents'internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors,with a mediation effect value being 0.042(95%[confidence interval]CI:0.031-0.057).Empathy and emotional competence had chain mediation effect between family functioning and adolescents'internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors,with the value of the mediation effect being 0.010(95%CI:0.007-0.014).Conclusion Family functioning influences adolescents'internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors in a direct way and through the chain-mediating roles of empathy and emotional competence.

Objective To investigate the effect of empathy on depressive symptoms in adolescents and to explore the potential mediating role of family functioning in the effect of empathy on depressive symptoms.Methods The 2022 cross-sectional data from the Chengdu Positive Child Development(CPCD)cohort were analyzed in the study.A survey was conducted in Chengdu in June 2022,involving 3 020 students in grades 5-8 from three randomly selected stratified schools.The Interpersonal Reactivity Index(IRI-C),the Chinese Family Assessment Instrument(C-FAI),and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children(CES-DC)were used in the survey.Chi-square test or one-way analysis of variance was performed to examine the differences in various demographic characteristics(sex,grade,region,and total monthly household income)between groups of respondents,as well as the differences in family functioning,empathy,and depression.Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine the correlation between family functioning,empathy,and depressive symptoms.Structural equation modeling and SPSS PROCESS component Model 4 were used to analyze whether family functioning played a mediating role in the effect of empathy on depressive symptoms in adolescents.Results The detection rate of depressive symptoms among survey respondents was 25.40%.The results of the difference analysis revealed significant differences in the detection rates of depressive symptoms among respondents of different grades,regions,and monthly household incomes(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the detection rates of depressive symptoms between male and female students.There was a significant difference in the detection rate of depressive symptoms between respondents with different scores for family dysfunction and empathy ability(P<0.001).Correlation analysis results showed that empathy scores were negatively correlated with depression(r=-0.11,P<0.001),that family dysfunction was positively correlated with depression(r=0.29,P<0.001),and that empathy scores were negatively correlated with family functioning(r=-0.37,P<0.001).The mediating role of family dysfunction in the relationship between empathy and depressive symptoms was established,with the direct effect being 0.039(95% confidence interval[CI]:0.010-0.069,P<0.001)and the indirect effect value being-0.096(95% CI:-0.115--0.079,P<0.001).The direct effect value accounted for 28.89% of the total effect value,while the mediation effect value accounted for 71.11% of the total effect value.Conclusion The empathy ability of adolescents is correlated to depressive symptoms,and family functioning plays a mediating role between empathy and depressive symptoms in adolescents.It is suggested that adolescents'empathy ability and family functioning should be enhanced through multiple channels to reduce the occurrence of depressive symptoms.

Objective To determine the association between homocysteine and severity of large cerebral artery atherosclerosis.Methods Total 152 ischemic stroke patients were evaluated using transcranial Doppler(TCD),magnetic resonance angiography(MRA) or digital substraction angiography(DSA).Severity of cerebral artery atherosclerosis was scaled by number of stenosed or occluded artery.Results There were 83 patients in low level homocysteine group with mean Hcy level(15.31?3.08)?mol/L,while 69 patients in high level homocysteine group with mean Hcy(34.47?21.38)?mol/L.Number of abnormal intra-and extra-artery was 1.86?1.51 and 1.52?1.46 respectively.No significant difference was demonstrated in the number of abnormal artery between two groups.No correlation was noted between Hcy and number of abnormal artery.Conclusion There is no relationship between high homocysteine and severity of large cerebral artery atherosclerosis in ischemic stroke patients.Homocysteine might be the marker of the disease.

AIM: To explore the localization and expression of transfo rming grow th factor-? 1,2 (TGF-? 1,2 ) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (?- ASMA) in fetal a nd adult skins. METHODS: Skins of 15 cases of fetuses with different gestational ages and 5 cases of adults were taken, embedded with paraffin wax, and sectione d. Immunohistochemistry method and pathological method were used to detect the e xpression intensity and distribution of TGF-? 1,2 and ?-ASMA. RESULTS: Positive immunohistochemical signals of TGF-? 1,2 and ?-A SMA were found in fetal and adult skins. In skins derived from young fet us, the positive signals of these three proteins were very weak. Along with the incr ement in gestational age, the positive cellular rates of TGF-? 1,2 and ?- ASMA were elevated pro gressively. In elder fetal and adult skins, TGF-? 1,2 were mostly distributed i n epidermal cells, endothelial cells and some fibroblasts, while ?-ASMA was mainly located in myofibroblasts and sweat gland epithelial cells. CONCLUSION: The endo genous TGF-? 1,2 might be involved in the cutaneous development at embryoni c stage, in the cutaneous structure maintenance at adult stage, and in the wound healing af ter injury.