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Abstract Blepharospasm (BSP) is a common focal movement disorder linked to the basal ganglia and plasma catecholamines (CAs). This study aimed to analyze clinical characteristics of BSP patients and explore the relationship with plasma CAs. Clinical characteristics, clinician-rated scales, and plasma CAs were recorded, including dopamine (DA), 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT), and the 3-MT/DA ratio. Plasma CA levels were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Clinical features, plasma CAs, and metabolite contents were compared between groups. Spearman’s correlation analysis examined the relationship between plasma CA levels, metabolites, and severity of BSP symptoms. We found that dry eye was an independent risk factor for BSP. Coffee consumption history was an independent protective factor against BSP. Compared to healthy controls, patients had increased DA and decreased 3-MT and 3-MT/DA levels. Anxiety severity negatively correlated with 3-MT and 3-MT/DA levels. The decreased 3-MT/DA ratio is more likely to be a potential biomarker of BSP. These findings highlight the importance of abnormal DA metabolism in BSP pathophysiology and suggest that anxiety symptoms may contribute to BSP pathogenesis by affecting CAs, providing new perspectives for future diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation of BSP.

Abstract We propose and validate a novel optical semantic transmission scheme using multimode fiber (MMF). By leveraging the frequency sensitivity of intermodal dispersion in MMFs, we achieve high-dimensional semantic encoding and decoding in the frequency domain. Our system maps symbols to 128 distinct frequencies spaced at 600 kHz intervals, demonstrating a seven-fold increase in capacity compared to conventional communication encoding. We further enhance spectral efficiency by implementing 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4), achieving 9.12 bits/s/Hz without decoding errors. Additionally, we explore the application of this system for sentiment analysis using the IMDb movie review dataset. By encoding semantically similar symbols to adjacent frequencies, the system’s noise tolerance is effectively improved, facilitating accurate sentiment analysis. This work highlights the potential of MMF-based semantic communication to enhance both capacity and robustness in optical communication systems, offering promising applications in bandwidth-constrained and noisy environments.

Abstract Background Risk factors for bloodstream infection in patients with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (ICU) remain unclear. The purpose of this systematic review was to study the risk factors for BSI in patients admitted to ICUs for COVID-19. Methods A systematic search was performed on PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science up to July 2024. Data were reported as combined odds ratio (OR) for categorical variables and weighted mean difference (WMD) for continuous variables. Results 6914 studies were retrieved, of which 55 were included in the meta-analysis. Men (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.10–1.50, P = 0.006), high SAPS II score (WMD = 6.43, 95% CI: 0.23–12.63, P = 0.042), diabetes (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.04–1.73, P = 0.022), tracheal intubation (OR = 8.68, 95% CI: 4.68–16.08, P

Asian rainforests are a biodiversity hotspot and are dominated by dipterocarps. Thus, protecting endangered dipterocarp species living on the distribution boundary of dipterocarps is a central factor in maintaining the range of Asian rainforests. Despite the perceived conservation priority of these species, we know little about how they became endangered and how they have adapted to marginal habitats. Here, we focused on the population genomics of Hopea chinensis, an endangered species narrowly distributed at the northern limit of dipterocarps, to (1) reveal its demographic history and infer factors contributing to endangered status; (2) evaluate the genetic consequences of its small remnant population; and (3) identify key genes associated with its adaptation. We found drastic population declines after the Last Glacial Maximum, suggesting the role of human disturbances in the endangered status. Despite high levels of inbreeding, we detected only 441 derived deleterious and 337 derived major-effect mutations, which were not significantly enriched in any KEGG pathway, providing evidence of low genetic loads. Furthermore, selective sweep analysis showed 12 genes associated with cold and drought tolerance and plant defense and immunity. Comparative genomics identified 125 specific and 30 lost gene families in the genome of H. chinensis, many of which were relevant to the responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Our findings, therefore, reveal the genomic characteristics linked with the endangered status and adaptations for H. chinensis. Together with the population genomic results from two other dipterocarp species, we highlighted the necessity to establish nature reserves to prevent further human disturbances and to comprehensively describe the mutualistic and antagonistic networks associated with endangered dipterocarp species to guide in-situ and ex-situ conservation.