The burden of upper motor neuron involvement is correlated with the bilateral limb involvement interval in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis:a retrospective observational study

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a rare neurodegenerative disease characterized by the involvement of both upper and lower motor neurons.Early bilateral limb involvement significantly affects patients'daily lives and may lead them to be confined to bed.However,the effect of upper and lower motor neuron impairment and other risk factors on bilateral limb involvement is unclear.To address this issue,we retrospectively collected data from 586 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with limb onset diagnosed at Peking University Third Hospital between January 2020 and May 2022.A univariate analysis revealed no significant differences in the time intervals of spread in different directions between individuals with upper motor neuron-dominant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and those with classic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.We used causal directed acyclic graphs for risk factor determination and Cox proportional hazards models to investigate the association between the duration of bilateral limb involvement and clinical baseline characteristics in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.Multiple factor analyses revealed that higher upper motor neuron scores(hazard ratio[HR]=1.05,95%confidence interval[CI]=1.01–1.09,P=0.018),onset in the left limb(HR=0.72,95%CI=0.58–0.89,P=0.002),and a horizontal pattern of progression(HR=0.46,95%CI=0.37–0.58,P<0.001)were risk factors for a shorter interval until bilateral limb involvement.The results demonstrated that a greater degree of upper motor neuron involvement might cause contralateral limb involvement to progress more quickly in limb-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.These findings may improve the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with limb onset and the prediction of patient prognosis.

Cross-Domain Bilateral Access Control on Blockchain-Cloud Based Data Trading System

Data trading enables data owners and data requesters to sell and purchase data.With the emergence of blockchain technology,research on blockchain-based data trading systems is receiving a lot of attention.Particularly,to reduce the on-chain storage cost,a novel paradigm of blockchain and cloud fusion has been widely considered as a promising data trading platform.Moreover,the fact that data can be used for commercial purposes will encourage users and organizations from various fields to participate in the data marketplace.In the data marketplace,it is a challenge how to trade the data securely outsourced to the external cloud in a way that restricts access to the data only to authorized users across multiple domains.In this paper,we propose a cross-domain bilateral access control protocol for blockchain-cloud based data trading systems.We consider a system model that consists of domain authorities,data senders,data receivers,a blockchain layer,and a cloud provider.The proposed protocol enables access control and source identification of the outsourced data by leveraging identity-based cryptographic techniques.In the proposed protocol,the outsourced data of the sender is encrypted under the target receiver’s identity,and the cloud provider performs policy-match verification on the authorization tags of the sender and receiver generated by the identity-based signature scheme.Therefore,data trading can be achieved only if the identities of the data sender and receiver simultaneously meet the policies specified by each other.To demonstrate efficiency,we evaluate the performance of the proposed protocol and compare it with existing studies.

Morphological and functional observations of a novel model of retinal ischemia injury induced by bilateral carotid artery stenosis in mice

AIM:To investigate the features of retinal ischemic injuries in a novel mouse model with bilateral carotid artery stenosis(BCAS).METHODS:BCAS was induced with microcoil implantation in 6-8-week-old C57BL6 mice.Cerebral blood flow was monitored at 2,7,and 28d postoperatively.Retinal morphological changes were evaluated by fundus photography and hematoxylin-eosin staining.Fluorescein fundus angiography(FFA)was performed to detect retinal vascular changes and circulation.The levels of apoptosis,activation of neurogliosis,and expression of hypoxiainducible factor(HIF)-1αin the retina were assessed by Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining,followed by retinal ganglion cell(RGC)density detection.Additionally,electrophysiological examinations including photopic negative response(PhNR)was also performed.RESULTS:The mice demonstrated an initial rapid decrease in cerebral blood flow,followed by a 4-week recovery period after BCAS.The ratio of retinal artery and vein was decreased under fundus photography and FFA.Compared with the sham mice,BCAS mice showed thinner retinal thickness on day 28.Additionally,apoptosis was increased and RGC density was decreased mainly in peripheral retinal region.Neurogliosis was mainly located in the inner retinal layers,with a stable increase in HIF-1αexpression.The dark-adapted electroretinogram showed a notable reduction in the a-,b-,and oscillatory potential(OP)wave amplitudes between days 2 and 7;this gradually recovered over the following 4wk.However,the b-and OPwave amplitudes were still significantly decreased on PhNR examination on day 28.CONCLUSION:BCAS can result in relatively mild retinal ischemia injuries in mice,mainly in the inner layer and peripheral region.Our study provides a novel animal model for investigating retinal ischemic diseases.

Bilateral meibomian gland morphological alterations in unilateral herpes simplex keratitis based on artificial intelligence analysis

AIM:To explore whether unilateral herpes simplex keratitis(HSK)can cause morphological changes of bilateral meibomian glands(MGs)based on artificial intelligence(AI)analytical system.METHODS:In the retrospective study,29 patients with unilateral HSK and 29 participants matched in terms of age and sex were included as control group.Meibographic images of the upper eyelid using Keratograph 5M and assessed ocular surface parameters including tear meniscus height and tear break-up time.MG density and vagueness values were automatically analyzed and calculated using an AI analytical system.We compared the differences between the affected and the contralateral unaffected eyes in HSK patients,and the normal control eyes.We employed either the paired t-test or the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare significant difference between the affected and unaffected eyes in HSK patients or between the HSK group and control group.RESULTS:The MG density was 0.19±0.09 in the HSKaffected eye and 0.18±0.07 in contralateral unaffected eye,which had no significant difference(P=0.616).The MG density between the affected eye with HSK and the normal control group was statistically significant(P=0.028).There was a significant difference in MG density between the contralateral unaffected eye and the normal control group(P=0.012).However,no significant difference in vagueness value was observed between the eye with HSK and the control group or between HSK eye and contralateral eye.CONCLUSION:The MG density between the HSKaffected eye and the contralateral unaffected eye don’t significantly differ,whereas there is a significant decrease in the HSK group compared to that of the normal participants.Unilateral HSV keratitis may suffer from bilateral changes of MG morphology indicating bilateral dry eye.Therefore,the fellow eye of patients with unilateral HSK should be considered a potential case of MG dysfunction,necessitating early treatment for bilateral dry eye in the clinic.

Bilateral adrenal histoplasmosis in a Malaysian tertiary hospital:Report of four cases

Rationale:Adrenal histoplasmosis can present as bilateral adrenal enlargement with constitutional symptoms and/or adrenal insufficiency.Often these patients are initially investigated as secondary adrenal metastases before eventually their diagnosis established by histopathological examination of the adrenal tissues.Patients concerns:We report 4 cases of patients aged 55-78 who presented with hypocortisolism and bilateral adrenal masses.Diagnoses:Bilateral adrenal histoplasmosis.Interventions:Three patients received antifungal treatment for at least one year while 1 patient passed away before the initiation of antifungal treatment.Outcomes:Two patients’adrenal function recovered not requiring any steroid replacement,while 1 patient still requires long-term steroid replacement.Lessons:Adrenal histoplasmosis should be excluded in patients from endemic areas presenting with bilateral adrenal masses and adrenal insufficiency.Usually patients have an exposure to bird droppings,bat guano or soil contaminated with histoplasmosis fungi.Histopathological examination of biopsied adrenal tissues is still the gold standard investigation as serology and molecular diagnostic methods are still not widely available in most centers in Malaysia.

Ocular rosacea without facial erythema involvement manifesting as bilateral multiple recurrent chalazions:A case report

BACKGROUND In addition to the non-specific symptomatology of ocular rosacea,currently,there are no reliable diagnostic tests for the disease,which may lead to its misdiagnosis.Here,we report a case of ocular rosacea presenting with multiple recurrent chalazion on both eyelids.CASE SUMMARY A 63-year-old female patient presented with multiple chalazion and dry eyes in both eyes,with no facial erythema.Initial management done were application of steroid eye ointment on both eyelids,hot compresses,and eyelid margin cleaning;noting that there was no relief of symptoms.Surgical excision of the chalazion was done on both eyes,however,bilateral recurrence occurred post-operatively.The pathological studies showed infiltration of a small amount of fibrous tissue with many chronic inflammatory cells.Immunohistochemistry studies were positive for LL-37.Resolution of the chalazion occurred after oral administration of doxycycline and azithromycin.CONCLUSION Our findings show that ophthalmologists should recognize the ocular manifestations of skin diseases.

Rare Bilateral Radius and Ulna Fractures: A Case Report

Introduction: Forearm fractures involving both the radius and ulna, present distinctive challenges in orthopedic trauma management. This case report explores the complexities of a rare case of bilateral fractures, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach for optimal outcomes. Case Presentation: This report presents the case of a 40-year-old motorcyclist who was involved in a road accident and arrived at the emergency department shortly after the incident. Clinical examination revealed closed fractures in both forearms with mild swelling and severe tenderness. Fortunately, no neurovascular issues or compartment syndrome were detected. The patient was administered intravenous fluids and effective pain relief. Forearm splints were applied and the arms were elevated using pillows. Radiographs showed fractures in the right distal radius and ulna, as well as the left mid-shaft radius and ulna. Under general anesthesia, open reduction and internal fixation were per-formed using plates and screws for all four fractures. Postoperatively, the patient’s arms were immobilized and elevated, with gradual recovery during follow-up appointments over six months, eventually achieving full function without complaints. Conclusion: This article highlights the possibility, although infrequent, of bilateral shaft fractures of the ulna and radius. With thorough clinical assessment and radiological investigation, such fractures can be well-defined. The required definitive treatment, which usually involves open reduction and internal fixation, can be performed.

Next-Level Relations China-Laos Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conference fortifies bilateral economic ties

On September 5,the ChinaLaos Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conference,themed"Highlevel Opening-up and Building a China-Laos Community with a Shared Future,"took place in Vientiane,capital of Laos.The purpose of the conference was to review the achievements of bilateral economic and trade cooperation and work together to develop the roadmap to high-quality development of China-Laos economic and trade cooperation by focusing on shared goals,pooling strength,and adhering to results-oriented collaboration.

Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome with Angiokeratoma Circumscriptum Naeviforme and Bilateral Congenital Anorchia: A Rare Association

Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is not a common congenital vascular abnormality. A trio of capillary malformation, venous varicosities, and bony or soft-tissue hypertrophy define this syndrome. Significant morbidities associated with this illness include bleeding, deep vein thrombosis, and embolic consequences. Angiokeratoma circumscriptum naeviforme (ACN) is indeed a congenital variant of angiokeratoma that appears as a hyperkeratotic plaque on the lower extremity. Bilateral congenital anorchia (BCA) is the total lack of testicular tissue in a male with a normal phenotype and karyotype. KTS has been linked to ACN. Here we presented an 8-year-old male child who came with a swollen left thigh and the right side of his face with overlying blackish nodules on his left thigh and scrotum. The patient was diagnosed as KTS with angiokeratoma circumscriptum naeviforme and bilateral congenital anorchia based on his history, imaging studies and the typical clinical features of the disease.

Effectiveness of Low-Temperature Plasma Adenoidectomy Combined with Bilateral Tonsillectomy in the Treatment of Snoring in Children and Its Effect on Sleep Quality

Objective:To evaluate the therapeutic effect of low-temperature plasma adenoidectomy(abbreviation:adenoid low-temperature plasma excision)coupled with tonsillectomy(bilateral)on snoring in children.Methods:Seventy-six cases of snoring children treated in the hospital between November 2020 and November 2023 were selected.38 cases of children in Group A agreed to surgery and were admitted to the hospital for surgical treatment and were treated with adenoid cryo-plasma excision combined with tonsillectomy(bilaterally),and 38 cases of children in Group B did not agree to outpatient conservative treatment for surgery,and the results of the treatment were compared.Results:Before treatment,there was no difference between the ventilation function indexes,sleep quality scores,and quality of life scores of the two groups compared with each other(P>0.05).After treatment,the ventilation function indexes of Group A were better than Group B,and the sleep quality score and quality of life score were higher than that of Group B.The total effective rate of Group A was higher than that of Group B(P<0.05).Conclusion:Adenoid cryo-plasma excision combined with tonsillectomy(bilateral)can improve the quality of life,ventilation function,and sleep quality of children with snoring,and can enhance the efficacy.

Rare uterine serosal pregnancy after in vitro fertilization in a woman with bilateral salpingectomy

Objective:To improve the understanding of ectopic pregnancy after bilateral salpingectomy through case analysis and literature review.Method:A case of uterine serosal pregnancy after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET)in a woman with bilateral salpingectomy was reported in detail and summarized,and relevant literatures searched in Pubmed were analyzed.Results:The patient had a sudden abdominal pain 18 days after transplantation.Ultrasound showed no pregnancy sac in the intrauterine cavity and bilateral adnexal areas,but there was a large amount of fluid in the Pouch of Douglas,which was an indication for surgical exploration.During the operation,the pregnancy tissue was found on the uterine serosal and cleared in time.And the patient recovered well after surgery.Review of the literatures showed that most of ectopic pregnancies after bilateral salpingectomy were treated surgically and had a good prognosis.Conclusion:Ectopic pregnancy after bilateral salpingectomy is extremely rare and should be early judged by the patients’signs.Surgical treatment timely can achieve good outcome.

基于自适应Bilateral滤波的SAR图像相干斑抑制

SAR图像的相干斑抑制一直是SAR图像预处理的关键步骤。Bilateral滤波器是一类可以同时利用像素间的空间相似性与灰度相似性进行图像去噪的算法。针对直接用Bilateral滤波器进行相干斑抑制时存在空间方差系数选择困难及灰度相似性模型不合理的问题,该文提出一种自适应Bilateral滤波算法,该算法根据图像的局域变差系数自动调整空间方差系数,利用SAR图像的似然概率函数代替高斯函数来进行灰度相似性度量。理论分析及实验表明,提出方法较相关算法有更强的噪声平滑能力和更好的细节保持能力。

一种基于逆Bilateral滤波的边缘提取方法

为了增强图像中边缘的响应,进而获得具有鲁棒性的边缘提取算法,提出了一种逆Bilateral滤波的图像预处理方法,将图像中的边缘很好地显现出来,在此基础上添加策略进行边缘提取.Bilateral滤波器能够进行边缘保持,鉴于其在低频和高频的良好响应,给出新的含义,构造逆Bilateral滤波器进行边缘增强处理,然后在梯度模图像上,采用自适应阈值获得和非最大抑制策略,提取图像中的边缘.实验证明,逆向思维的应用能够提高光照不一致的条件下的边缘提取效果,以及增强对噪声的低敏感性。

Ipsilateral versus bilateral limb-training in promoting the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells following cerebral infarction in rats

We investigated the effects of ipsilateral versus bilateral limb-training on promotion of endogenous neural stem cells in the peripheral infarct zone and the corresponding cerebral region in the unaffected hemisphere of rats with cerebral infarction. Middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced in Wistar rats. The rat forelimb on the unaffected side was either wrapped up with tape to force the use of the paretic forelimb in rats or not braked to allow bilateral forelimbs to participate in training. Daily training consisted of mesh drum training, balance beam training, and stick rolling training for a total of 40 minutes, once per day. Control rats received no training. At 14 days after functional training, rats receiving bilateral limb-training exhibited milder neurological impairment than that in the ipsilateral limb-training group or the control group. The number of nestin/glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive and nestin/microtubule-associated protein 2-positive cells in the peripheral infarct zone and in the corresponding cerebral region in the unaffected hemisphere was significantly higher in rats receiving bilateral limb-training than in rats receiving ipsilateral limb-training. These data suggest that bilateral limb-training can promote the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells in the bilateral hemispheres after cerebral infarction and accelerate the recovery of neurologic function. In addition, bilateral limb-training produces better therapeutic effects than ipsilateral limb-training.

基于NSCT和Bilateral滤波器的含噪声图像融合

对于含噪声红外与可见光图像的融合,在滤除噪声的同时通常也会损失同为高频信息的边缘细节.为了解决这个问题,提出了一种基于Bilateral双边滤波器和非下采样Contourlet变换(nonsubsampled contourlet transform,NSCT)的含噪声图像融合算法.首先采用NSCT方法对图像进行多尺度分解,调整参数使得到的红外图像和可见光图像的高频图像中包含了大部分的边缘信息和噪声,为了保留边缘信息和滤除噪声,采用Bilateral双边滤波器分别对两幅高频图像进行处理,并得到红外高频图像的细节图像.为了将原始图像的边缘细节信息尽可能多地提取到融合图像中,同时增强边缘信息,将红外细节图像与可见光高频图像叠加到一起,提升融合图像的视觉效果.然后,采用局部区域标准方差系数方法作为红外与可见光图像低频图像的融合规则进行融合.最后,将融合后的高频图像和低频图像根据NSCT反向变换进行重构,得到融合后的图像.实验结果表明,该算法在滤除噪声的同时能够很好地保持边缘细节,对于含噪声图像的融合具有很好的效果.

Bilateral liver resection for bilateral intrahepatic stones

AIM: To evaluate the shortand long-term outcomes of bilateral liver resection for bilateral intrahepatic stones. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively 101 consecutive patients with bilateral intrahepatic stones who underwent bilateral liver resection in the past 10 years. The shortand long-term outcomes of the patients were analyzed. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify the risk factors related to stone recurrence. RESULTS: There was no surgical mortality in this group of patients. The surgical morbidity was 28.7%. Stone clearance rate after hepatectomy was 84.2% and final clearance rate was 95.0% following postoperative choledochoscopic lithotripsy. The stone recurrence rate was 7.9% and the occurrence of postoperative cholangitis was 6.5% in a median follow-up period of 54 mo. The Cox proportional hazards model indicated that liver resection range, less than the range of stone distribution (P = 0.015, OR = 2.152) was an independent risk factor linked to stone recurrence. CONCLUSION: Bilateral liver resection is safe and its shortand long-term outcomes are satisfactory for bilateral intrahepatic stones.

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting using a bilateral internal mammary artery Y graft

Objective To evaluate the outcome of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting （OPCABG） using a bilateral internal mammary artery （BIMA） Y configuration graft to achieve total arterial myocardial revascularization. Methods From October 2002 to December 2008, 208 patients （196 males and 12 females） underwent OPCABG using a BIMA Y configuration graft. The average age of the patients was 56.5 ± 11.3 years, with an age range of 33-78 years. A total of 167 （80.2%） cases had triple-vessel disease. Left main stem disease was found in 33 （15.9%） cases, and double-vessel disease was found in 8 （3.9%） cases. The semi-skeletonization technique was used to harvest the two internal mammary arteries （IMAs）, and then the free right internal mammary artery was connected end-to-side to the left internal mammary artery （LIMA） in situ to complete the Y configuration graft. Off-pump and sequential anastomosis methods were used to perform coronary artery bypass surgery in all patients. Graft patency was assessed intm-operatively with the HT311 transit time flowmeter. Results A total of 728 distal anastomoses were performed in 208 patients, with the average being 3.5± 1.3 per person. No one died or experienced recurrent angina within 30 days after the operation. Conclusions OPCABG using the BIMA Y graft was safe and effective to achieve total arterial revascularization. This method avoids surgical operation on the ascending aorta and other incisions.

The CFTR polymorphisms poly-T, TG-repeats and M470V in Chinese males with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens

Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens （CBAVD） is a frequent cause of obstructive azoospermia, and mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator （CFTR） gene have also been frequently identified in patients with CBAVD. However, the distribution of the CFTR polymorphisms M470V, poly-T, TG-repeats and F508del mutation in the Chinese CBAVD population with presumed low cystic fibrosis （CF） frequency remains to be evaluated. Samples obtained from 109 Chinese infertile males with CBAVD and 104 normal controls were analyzed for the presence of CFTR （TG）m（T）n, M470V and F508del by PCR amplification followed by direct sequencing. Our study showed that the F5OSdel mutation was not found in our patients. The 5T mutation was present with high frequency in Chinese CBAVD patients and IVS8-5T linked to either 12 or 13 TG repeats was highly prevalent among CBAVD patients （97.22% of 72 cases and 96.91% of 97 alleles with IVS8-5T）. Moreover, a statistically significant relationship between TG 12-5T-V470 haplotype and CBAVD was detected. This study indicated that the CFTR polymorphisms poly-T, TG-repeats and M470V might affect the process of CBAVD in the Chinese population.

Statistical Analysis for the Birnbaum-Saunders Fatigue Life Distribution under Type-Ⅱ Bilateral Censoring and Multiply Type-II Censoring

In present paper, we obtain the inverse moment estimations of parameters of the Birnbaum-Saunders fatigue life distribution based on Type-Ⅱ bilateral censored samples and multiply Type-Ⅱ censored sample. In this paper, we also get the interval estimations of the scale parameters.

Laparoscopic repair via the transabdominal preperitoneal procedure for bilateral lumbar hernia: Three cases report and review of literature

A lumbar hernia is a rare entity, and a bilateral lumbar hernia is much rarer. From May 2015 to October 2017, we treated only three patients with bilateral lumbar hernias. One patient came to the hospital presenting with right-sided abdominal pain, and the other two patients presented with bilateral lumbar masses. The previous bilateral lumbar hernia reported in the literature was repaired by open surgery. The laparoscopic approach via the transabdominal preperitoneal(TAPP) procedure with the self-gripping Parietex ProG rip? mesh was performed at our center. The laparoscopic repair was conducted by a skilled hernia surgeon, and was successfully performed in the three patients. The patients resumed a semiliquid diet and had no activity restriction after six hours following the operation. No antibiotics were used after the surgery. The operative times of the three patients were 120 min, 85 min, and 130 min. The blood loss volumes of the three patients were 20 mL, 5 mL, and 5 mL. The visual analogue scale pain scores of the three patients were 1, 2, and 2 on postoperative day 1, and were 1, 2, and 1 on postoperative day 3. No perioperative complications, such as bulge, wound infection and hematoma, occurred after the surgery. All of the patients were discharged on the third day after the operation. There was no chronic pain and no hernia recurrence during the follow-up. This study showed that the laparoscopic TAPP approach with the self-gripping mesh is safe and feasible, and can be considered an alternative method for the treatment of bilateral lumbar hernias.