Dementia with Lewy bodies versus nonconvulsive status epilepticus in the diagnosis of a patient with cognitive dysfunction, complex visual hallucinations and periodic abnormal waves in EEG: a case report

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is often challenging in elderly individuals, not only for its various clinical features, sometimes, but also for its rare changes of periodic synchronous discharges (PSD) in electroencephalogram ( EEG). So, we reported one case of DLB and gave a detailed analysis. CASE PRESENTATION: A Chinese patient (Female, 56 years old) presented with progressive cognitive decline and complex visual hallucinations. Several days after admission, she gradually showed focal myoclonic jerks. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score was 19/30, EEG revealed PSD, Cerebrospinal fluid and 14-3-3 brain protein was negative, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed diffuse atrophy. To differentiate the PSD derived from DLB or from late-onset Absence Status Epilepticus, we have given the treatment with intravenous valproate (1200 mg/24 h) and diazepam 20 mg under the EEG monitor, a clinical improvement was absent and PSD in EEG did not disappear. Two weeks later, the patient showed akinetic-rigid syndrome and PSD in EEG persisted for a long time. According to her history and therapy, a clinical diagnosis of DLB has been made, but no autopsy for confirmation, and in the following visit, she has a poor prognosis. CONCLUSION: PSD in EEG may occasionally be recorded in neurodegenerative disorders such as AD, DLB other than CJD or NCSE. Hence it should not dissuade clinicians from the diagnosis of DLB where the clinical and neuropsychological findings were consistent with suggested diagnostic criteria for DLB

Toroidal dipole and magnetic multipole excitations from the same nanostructure with different direction of electric dipole emitters

Abstract The toroidal dipole (TD) and magnetic multipole with optical response from high-index dielectric nanostructures are emerging optical nanostructures especially in the visible spectrum. However, interference of the involved multipoles is generally overlooked in the ultraviolet region. In this work, a novel nanostructure which can achieve excitations of TD, magnetic quadrupole and magnetic dipole is demonstrated by simply changing the direction of the electric dipole emitters in the wavelength range between 230 and 430 nm. Near perfect TD and magnetic excitations from the same structure are accomplished and our results also provide insights into the design and application of light nanoantennas, spectroscopy, and ultrafast light emitting devices

Psychological changes in athletes infected with Omicron after return to training: fatigue, sleep, and mood

Background This study aims to analyze the changes of approximately 1 month in fatigue, sleep, and mood in athletes after returning to training following infection with the COVID-19 Omicron strain and provide recommendations for returning to training after infection. Methods Two hundred and thirty professional athletes who had returned to training after being infected with COVID-19 in December 2022 were recruited to participate in three tests conducted from early January 2023. The second test was completed approximately 1 week after the first, and the third was completed about 2 weeks after the second. Each test consisted of completing scales and the exercise-induced fatigue measure. The scales included a visual analog scale, the Athens Insomnia Scale for non-clinical application, and the Depression-Anxiety-Stress scale. The exercise task was a six-minute stair climb test, and athletes evaluated subjective fatigue levels before and after exercise using another Visual Analog Scale and the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale. Results After returning to training, athletes’ physical fatigue decreased initially but increased as training progressed. Cognitive fatigue did not change significantly. The exercise task led to elevated levels of physical fatigue after a longer duration of training. Sleep quality problems decreased rapidly after the start of training but remained stable with prolonged training. Depression levels continued to decline, while anxiety levels only reduced after a longer duration of training. Stress levels decreased rapidly after the start of training but did not change with prolonged training. Conclusion Athletes who return to training after recovering from COVID-19 experience positive effects on their fatigue, sleep, and mood. It is important to prioritize anxiety assessment and interventions during the short period after returning and to continue monitoring fatigue levels and implementing recovery interventions over a longer period of time

Peptides derived from the integrin β cytoplasmic tails inhibit angiogenesis

Abstract Background Integrins are essential regulators of angiogenesis. However, the antiangiogenic potential of peptides derived from the integrin cytoplasmic tails (CT) remains mostly undetermined. Methods Here we designed a panel of membrane-penetrating peptides (termed as mβCTPs), each comprising a C-terminal NxxY motif from one of the conserved integrin β CTs, and evaluated their antiangiogenic ability using both in vitro and in vivo approaches. Results We found that mβ3CTP, mβ5CTP and mβ6CTP, derived respectively from the integrin β3, β5 and β6 CTs, but not others, exhibit antiangiogenic ability. Interestingly, we observed that the integrin β3, β5 and β6 CTs but not others are able to interact with β3-endonexin. In addition, the antiangiogenic core in mβ3CTP is identical to a previously identified β3-endonexin binding region in the integrin β3 CT, indicating that the antiangiogenic mβCTPs may function via their binding to β3-endonexin. Consistently, knockdown of endogenous β3-endonexin in HUVECs significantly suppresses tube formation, suggesting that β3-endonexin is proangiogenic. However, neither treatment with the antiangiogenic mβCTPs nor knockdown of endogenous β3-endonexin affects integrin-mediated HUVEC adhesion and migration, indicating that their antiangiogenic effect may not rely on directly regulating integrin activity. Importantly, both treatment with the antiangiogenic mβCTPs and knockdown of endogenous β3-endonexin in HUVECs inhibit VEGF expression and cell proliferation, thereby providing mechanistic explanations for the functional consequences. Conclusion Our results suggest that the antiangiogenic mβCTPs can interact with β3-endonexin in vascular endothelial cells and suppress its function in regulating VEGF expression and cell proliferation, thus disclosing a unique pathway that may be useful for developing novel antiangiogenic strategies

Additional file 1: of Peptides derived from the integrin β cytoplasmic tails inhibit angiogenesis

Figure S1. mβ3CTP is membrane-permeable. The peptides of mβ3CTP (a) and β3CTP (b) were Nterminally conjugated with FITC and used to incubate with HUVECs, and the signal of FITC in HUVECs was evaluated under fluorescent microscopy. Scale bar, 15 μm. Figure S2. The antiangiogenic peptides do not suppress RM1 cancer cell proliferation. RM1 cancer cells were treated with mβ3CTP or mβ5CTP (each at 20 μM) and their effects on cell proliferation were evaluated using CCK-8 cell proliferation assay. Cells without treatment were used as a control. Figure S3. Both mβ3CTP and mβ5CTP suppress in vivo tumor growth. RM1 cancer cells were subcutaneously injected into BALB/c nude mice. Mice were treated with mβ3CTP and mβ5CTP as described in Methods. PBS alone was used as a control. Mice were sacrificed at the end point and tumor tissues were isolated and photographed. Figure S4. mβ3CTP and mβ5CTP fail to affect VEGF-induced HUVEC adhesion and migration on vitronectin. a HUVECs were treated with the indicated mβCTPs (20 μM) and allowed to adhere to immobilized vitronectin for 30 min in the absence or presence of VEGF (20 ng/ml). b HUVECs were treated with the indicated mβCTPs (20 μM) and allowed to migrate on Transwell membrane coated with vitronectin for 8 h in the presence of VEGF (20 ng/ml). The adhered and migrated cells were fixed, stained, photographed and counted (*, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01). Figure S5. The antiangiogenic mβCTPs and siRNA against β3-endonexin suppress HUVEC proliferation. HUVECs were treated with the indicated mβCTPs (a) or siRNA against β3-endonexin (b). Their effects on cell proliferation were evaluated using the MTT assay (**, p < 0.01). (PDF 230 kb