While multiple step saccades (MSS) are occasionally reported in the healthy population, they are more evident in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Therefore, MSS has been suggested as a biological marker for the diagnosis of PD. However, the lack of clarity on the neural mechanism underlying the generation of MSS largely impedes their application in the clinic. We have proposed recently that MSS are triggered by the discrepancy between desired and executed saccades. Accordingly, brain regions involved in saccadic planning and execution might play a role in the generation of MSS. To test this hypothesis, we explored the role of the prefrontal (PFC) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC) in generating MSS by conducting two experiments: electroencephalographic recording and single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation in the PFC or PPC of humans while participants were performing a gap saccade task. We found that the PFC and PPC are involved in the generation of MSS.
Humans ; Parietal Lobe/physiology* ; Saccades/physiology* ; Prefrontal Cortex/physiology* ; Male ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ; Female ; Electroencephalography ; Adult ; Young Adult

Objective:This study aimed to identify key genes in endothelial cell (EC) associated with the pathogenesis and progression of human venous malformations (VMs) through bioinformatics analysis, providing potential biomarkers for early screening and targeted therapy of VMs.Methods:A case-control study was conducted using surgically resected tissue specimens from VMs patients at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (from September 2021 to September 2023), with malformed venous tissues as the experimental group and distal normal venous tissues as controls. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) was performed on paired experimental and control samples from four VM patients. High-dimensional weighted gene co-expression network analysis (hdWGCNA), combined with gene ontology (GO), Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, identified critical genes. Validation experiments included 15 additional VM cases and controls using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and Western blot.Results:A total of 55 430 nuclei were captured using snRNA-seq, with 30 391 nuclei from the experimental group and 25 039 nuclei from the control group. Cluster analysis identified 22 distinct cell populations, which were annotated into 8 cell types. hdWGCNA revealed four modules associated with invasion, which were enriched in angiogenesis, integrin signaling, and cell adhesion according to GO analysis. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway and focal adhesion are key regulatory mechanisms. PPI network analysis combined with cytoscape identified EGFL7, TEK, and FLT1 as key genes. RT-qPCR results demonstrated that the relative mRNA expression levels of these three genes in the experimental group (6.66±2.31, 1.86±0.62, 3.49±0.58) were significantly higher than those in the control group (1.05±0.14, 1.00±0.14, 1.06±0.25), with statistically significant differences ( t=9.37, 4.27, 11.20, P<0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the relative protein expression levels of these three genes in the cytoplasm of the experimental group (0.84±0.15, 0.68±0.14, 0.85±0.12) were also significantly higher than those in the control group (0.19±0.05, 0.23±0.06, 0.30±0.05), with statistically significant differences ( t=16.62, 5.93, 11.68, P<0.05). Western blot analysis confirmed that the relative protein expression levels of these three genes in the experimental group (0.35±0.04, 0.36±0.09, 0.31±0.04) were significantly higher than those in the control group (0.19±0.01, 0.13±0.02, 0.14±0.04), with statistically significant differences ( t=7.05, 4.61, 5.93, P<0.05). Conclusion:EGFL7, FLT1, and TEK in EC may play crucial roles in the occurrence and invasion of VMs.

The concept of "qi deficiency with stagnation" refers to a pathological state characterized by the depletion of primordial qi， impaired qi transformation， and the development of internal stagnation. Under the cyclic chemotherapy regimen in oncology， chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression follows a progressive pathological course from qi deficiency to increasing stagnation. This sequential evolution from mild to severe myelosuppression closely aligns with the dynamic syndrome differentiation and treatment framework of "qi deficiency with stagnation". "Qi deficiency" reflects the gradual depletion of qi， blood， and essence， while "stagnation" refers to the accumulation of phlegm， turbid dampness， and blood stasis. These two components interact reciprocally， forming a vicious cycle where deficiency leads to stagnation， and stagnation further damages the healthy qi. In the early stage of mild myelosuppression， chemotoxicity begins to accumulate in the bone marrow， leading to qi consumption， blood deficiency， yin injury， and the gradual formation of turbid phlegm and damp stagnation. In the advanced stage of severe myelosuppression， the accumulation of toxicity causes qi sinking， exhaustion of essence， and marrow depletion， along with blood stasis obstructing the collaterals. Treatment strategies should be based on syndrome differentiation， with an emphasis on assessing the severity of the condition， balancing deficiency and excess， and achieving both symptomatic relief and root cause resolution.

Objective To explore the prognostic value and immune effects of insulin-like growth factor family 2(IGFL2)in bladder cancer based on data from TCGA,TIMER2.0 and HPA.Methods Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to analyze the expression of IGFL2 in bladder cancer and its relationship with survival and prognosis of bladder cancer patients.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and prognostic nomogram were plotted to analyze the diagnostic value of IGFL2 for bladder cancer and its ability to predict the 5-year overall survival rate of patients.IGFL2-related signaling pathways were analyzed with GSEA enrichment.The correlation between IGFL2 expression and immune cells was analyzed based on data from the TIMER database.Results IGFL2 was highly expressed in bladder cancer(P＜0.001).The high expression of IGFL2 was positively correlated with patients'age,pathological stage,histological grade and T stage(all P＜0.05).Patients'with high IGFL2 expression had shorter overall survival and disease-specific survival than those with low IGFL2 expression(all P＜0.05).IGFL2 could be used as an independent prognostic factor for bladder cancer with good diagnostic and predictive value.GSEA enrichment analysis showed that IGFL2 was involved in signaling pathways related to immunity,inflammation and tumor.High IGFL2 expression was positively correlated with the infiltration of most immune cells.Conclusion IGFL2 is highly expressed in bladder cancer and can be a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of this disease.It may become a potential target for immunotherapy.

Objective To analyze the impact of the interval time(IT)between prostate biopsy(PB)and radical prostatectomy(RP)on the perioperative safety and prognostic efficacy of prostate cancer patients.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 87 patients who underwent extraperitoneal laparoscopic RP at our hospitals during Jun.2022 to Nov.2024.The patients were divided into the IT ≤2 weeks group(n=42)and the IT ≥4 weeks group(n=45)according to the interval between PB and RP.Baseline data,perioperative indicators,postoperative inflammatory factors,postoperative pathological results,urinary continence,and complication rates were compared between the two groups.Results No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in baseline information,operation time,intraoperative blood loss,intraoperative transfusion rate,postoperative hospital stay,catheter removal time,inflammatory factors and complications(P＞0.05).Pathological results showed no significant differences in cancer tissue proportion,positive rate of lymph node,positive rate of surgical margins,and postoperative Gleason scores(P＞0.05).However,the IT ≤2 weeks group exhibited significantly fewer cases of perineural invasion(25 vs.36,59.52％vs.80.00％)and vascular invasion(5 vs.12,11.90％vs.26.67％)compared to the IT≥4 weeks group(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in postoperative urinary control rate and prostate-specific antigen(PSA)level between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion Radical prostatectomy performed ≤2 weeks after prostate biopsy demonstrates better safety and prognosis.

Objective:To gain a understanding of the occurrence of cognitive impairment among residents in drinking water-borne endemic fluorosis (drinking water-borne fluorosis) areas, and to study its influencing factors.Methods:In March 2023, a cluster sampling method was used to select local residents aged 18 and above from the drinking water-borne fluorosis areas in Jishan County, Shanxi Province as survey subjects. General demographic data were collected through face-to-face surveys, and a random urine sample was collected once to determine urinary fluoride level. Cognitive function was assessed using the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), and the survey subjects were divided into a cognitive impairment group ( < 27 points) and a control group (27 - 30 points) based on the MMSE scores. A multiple logistic regression model and a decision tree model based on chi-squared automatic interaction detector were constructed to analyze the factors affecting cognitive impairment, and the model fitting effect was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:A total of 3 301 subjects were included in the survey, including 2 081 females and 1 220 males. There were 1 515 subjects < 60 years old and 1 786 subjects ≥60 years old, with urinary fluoride level [ M ( Q1, Q3)] of 2.92 (1.78, 4.54) mg/L. There were 1 939 cases in the cognitive impairment group and 1 362 cases in the control group, with a detection rate of 58.74% (1 939/3 301) for cognitive impairment; and the differences in gender, age, education level, marital status, annual household income, alcohol consumption, smoking distribution, and urinary fluoride level between the two groups were statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that female, ≥60 years, and urinary fluoride > 4.54 mg/L were risk factors for cognitive impairment [ OR (95% CI): 1.25 (1.01, 1.54), 2.66 (2.26, 3.14), 1.32 (1.06, 1.65), P < 0.05]. Education level of primary school or above, annual household income≥12 000 yuan, and mild alcohol consumption were protective factors for cognitive impairment [ OR (95% CI): 0.15 (0.09, 0.25), 0.58 (0.48, 0.68), 0.67 (0.51, 0.87), P < 0.05]. The analysis results of the decision tree model showed that age had the greatest impact on the occurrence of cognitive impairment, followed by annual household income, education level, and urinary fluoride. The areas under the ROC curves of the multiple logistic regression and decision tree model were 0.72 and 0.70 ( P < 0.001), respectively, indicating good model fitting performance. Conclusion:The detection rate of cognitive impairment in residents of drinking water-borne fluorosis areas is relatively high, and age, annual household income, education level, and urinary fluoride are all influencing factors for occurrence of cognitive impairment.

Objective:This study aimed to identify key genes in endothelial cell (EC) associated with the pathogenesis and progression of human venous malformations (VMs) through bioinformatics analysis, providing potential biomarkers for early screening and targeted therapy of VMs.Methods:A case-control study was conducted using surgically resected tissue specimens from VMs patients at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (from September 2021 to September 2023), with malformed venous tissues as the experimental group and distal normal venous tissues as controls. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) was performed on paired experimental and control samples from four VM patients. High-dimensional weighted gene co-expression network analysis (hdWGCNA), combined with gene ontology (GO), Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, identified critical genes. Validation experiments included 15 additional VM cases and controls using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and Western blot.Results:A total of 55 430 nuclei were captured using snRNA-seq, with 30 391 nuclei from the experimental group and 25 039 nuclei from the control group. Cluster analysis identified 22 distinct cell populations, which were annotated into 8 cell types. hdWGCNA revealed four modules associated with invasion, which were enriched in angiogenesis, integrin signaling, and cell adhesion according to GO analysis. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway and focal adhesion are key regulatory mechanisms. PPI network analysis combined with cytoscape identified EGFL7, TEK, and FLT1 as key genes. RT-qPCR results demonstrated that the relative mRNA expression levels of these three genes in the experimental group (6.66±2.31, 1.86±0.62, 3.49±0.58) were significantly higher than those in the control group (1.05±0.14, 1.00±0.14, 1.06±0.25), with statistically significant differences ( t=9.37, 4.27, 11.20, P<0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the relative protein expression levels of these three genes in the cytoplasm of the experimental group (0.84±0.15, 0.68±0.14, 0.85±0.12) were also significantly higher than those in the control group (0.19±0.05, 0.23±0.06, 0.30±0.05), with statistically significant differences ( t=16.62, 5.93, 11.68, P<0.05). Western blot analysis confirmed that the relative protein expression levels of these three genes in the experimental group (0.35±0.04, 0.36±0.09, 0.31±0.04) were significantly higher than those in the control group (0.19±0.01, 0.13±0.02, 0.14±0.04), with statistically significant differences ( t=7.05, 4.61, 5.93, P<0.05). Conclusion:EGFL7, FLT1, and TEK in EC may play crucial roles in the occurrence and invasion of VMs.

Objective To explore the prognostic value and immune effects of insulin-like growth factor family 2(IGFL2)in bladder cancer based on data from TCGA,TIMER2.0 and HPA.Methods Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to analyze the expression of IGFL2 in bladder cancer and its relationship with survival and prognosis of bladder cancer patients.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and prognostic nomogram were plotted to analyze the diagnostic value of IGFL2 for bladder cancer and its ability to predict the 5-year overall survival rate of patients.IGFL2-related signaling pathways were analyzed with GSEA enrichment.The correlation between IGFL2 expression and immune cells was analyzed based on data from the TIMER database.Results IGFL2 was highly expressed in bladder cancer(P＜0.001).The high expression of IGFL2 was positively correlated with patients'age,pathological stage,histological grade and T stage(all P＜0.05).Patients'with high IGFL2 expression had shorter overall survival and disease-specific survival than those with low IGFL2 expression(all P＜0.05).IGFL2 could be used as an independent prognostic factor for bladder cancer with good diagnostic and predictive value.GSEA enrichment analysis showed that IGFL2 was involved in signaling pathways related to immunity,inflammation and tumor.High IGFL2 expression was positively correlated with the infiltration of most immune cells.Conclusion IGFL2 is highly expressed in bladder cancer and can be a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of this disease.It may become a potential target for immunotherapy.

Objective To analyze the impact of the interval time(IT)between prostate biopsy(PB)and radical prostatectomy(RP)on the perioperative safety and prognostic efficacy of prostate cancer patients.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 87 patients who underwent extraperitoneal laparoscopic RP at our hospitals during Jun.2022 to Nov.2024.The patients were divided into the IT ≤2 weeks group(n=42)and the IT ≥4 weeks group(n=45)according to the interval between PB and RP.Baseline data,perioperative indicators,postoperative inflammatory factors,postoperative pathological results,urinary continence,and complication rates were compared between the two groups.Results No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in baseline information,operation time,intraoperative blood loss,intraoperative transfusion rate,postoperative hospital stay,catheter removal time,inflammatory factors and complications(P＞0.05).Pathological results showed no significant differences in cancer tissue proportion,positive rate of lymph node,positive rate of surgical margins,and postoperative Gleason scores(P＞0.05).However,the IT ≤2 weeks group exhibited significantly fewer cases of perineural invasion(25 vs.36,59.52％vs.80.00％)and vascular invasion(5 vs.12,11.90％vs.26.67％)compared to the IT≥4 weeks group(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in postoperative urinary control rate and prostate-specific antigen(PSA)level between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion Radical prostatectomy performed ≤2 weeks after prostate biopsy demonstrates better safety and prognosis.

Objective:To gain a understanding of the occurrence of cognitive impairment among residents in drinking water-borne endemic fluorosis (drinking water-borne fluorosis) areas, and to study its influencing factors.Methods:In March 2023, a cluster sampling method was used to select local residents aged 18 and above from the drinking water-borne fluorosis areas in Jishan County, Shanxi Province as survey subjects. General demographic data were collected through face-to-face surveys, and a random urine sample was collected once to determine urinary fluoride level. Cognitive function was assessed using the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), and the survey subjects were divided into a cognitive impairment group ( < 27 points) and a control group (27 - 30 points) based on the MMSE scores. A multiple logistic regression model and a decision tree model based on chi-squared automatic interaction detector were constructed to analyze the factors affecting cognitive impairment, and the model fitting effect was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:A total of 3 301 subjects were included in the survey, including 2 081 females and 1 220 males. There were 1 515 subjects < 60 years old and 1 786 subjects ≥60 years old, with urinary fluoride level [ M ( Q1, Q3)] of 2.92 (1.78, 4.54) mg/L. There were 1 939 cases in the cognitive impairment group and 1 362 cases in the control group, with a detection rate of 58.74% (1 939/3 301) for cognitive impairment; and the differences in gender, age, education level, marital status, annual household income, alcohol consumption, smoking distribution, and urinary fluoride level between the two groups were statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that female, ≥60 years, and urinary fluoride > 4.54 mg/L were risk factors for cognitive impairment [ OR (95% CI): 1.25 (1.01, 1.54), 2.66 (2.26, 3.14), 1.32 (1.06, 1.65), P < 0.05]. Education level of primary school or above, annual household income≥12 000 yuan, and mild alcohol consumption were protective factors for cognitive impairment [ OR (95% CI): 0.15 (0.09, 0.25), 0.58 (0.48, 0.68), 0.67 (0.51, 0.87), P < 0.05]. The analysis results of the decision tree model showed that age had the greatest impact on the occurrence of cognitive impairment, followed by annual household income, education level, and urinary fluoride. The areas under the ROC curves of the multiple logistic regression and decision tree model were 0.72 and 0.70 ( P < 0.001), respectively, indicating good model fitting performance. Conclusion:The detection rate of cognitive impairment in residents of drinking water-borne fluorosis areas is relatively high, and age, annual household income, education level, and urinary fluoride are all influencing factors for occurrence of cognitive impairment.