Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: A Challenging Diagnosis. A New Nonenhanced Computed Tomography Standardized Semi-Quantitative Method

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) on non-contrast CT (NCCT) is often challenging to detect. We retrospectively selected 41 children and 36 adults with confirmed CVST and two age-matched control groups with comparable initial symptoms. We evaluated NCCT placing four small circular ROIs in standardized regions of the cerebral dural venous system. The mean and maximum HU values were considered from each ROI, and the relative percentage variations were calculated (mean % variation and maximum % variation). We compared the highest measured value to the remaining three HU values through an ad-hoc formula based on the assumption that the thrombosed sinus has higher attenuation compared with the healthy sinuses. Percentage variations were employed to reflect how the attenuation of the thrombosed sinus deviates from the unaffected counterparts. The attenuation of the affected sinus was increased in patients with CVST, and consequently both the mean % and maximum % variations were increased. A mean % variation value of 12.97 and a maximum % variation value of 10.14 were found to be useful to distinguish patients with CVST from healthy subjects, with high sensitivity and specificity. Increased densitometric values were present in the site of venous thrombosis. A systematic, blind evaluation of the brain venous system can assist radiologists in identifying patients who need or do not need further imaging.

Students’ Interests in Biodiversity: Links with Health and Sustainability

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that sustainable actions to preserve biodiversity are critical to preventing new microorganisms from harming human health. In this sense, education and encouraging young people’s interest in local biodiversity are crucial to promoting its preservation and sustainability. This research studied the biodiversity interests of 14–15-year-old students in São Paulo State, focusing on the links between biodiversity and human health. The criterion of maximum variation was used to constitute a heterogeneous sample of students. Students answered a four-point Likert questionnaire. The items in this questionnaire were divided into categories related to the interest of young people in biodiversity, and these were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (Wilcoxon test). Categories of biodiversity linked to “health or human utility” were of higher interest to young people than those with no links to human benefits, such as “diversity of organisms”. These findings, along with the literature, showed that young people are interested in biodiversity issues associated with human health. Therefore, teaching biodiversity should reflect on new possibilities for making a more sustainable environment and promoting social and environmental justice, fundamental aspects of promoting and guaranteeing human health.

Waiters’ Needs Analysis in English: Viewed From Learning Situation Analysis (LSA)

ABSTRAKDi era global ini, bahasa Inggris merupakan bahasa yang perlu dikuasai oleh banyak kalangan, salah satunya kalangan penyedia jasa seperti pelayan restoran (dihotel). Berdasarkan observasi non-formal, ditemukan bahwa masih banyaknya pelayan restoran yang kesulitan berbahasa Inggris. Untuk itu dilakukan penelitian ini dengan tujuan menganalisa keinginan pelayan restoran dalam belajar bahasa Inggris dengan menggunakan metode deskriptif kualitatif dan maximum variation sampling dalam menentukan respondennya . Respondent penelitian ini ialah 20 pelayan restoran yang berasal dari 4 hotel dengan tingkatan bintang yang berbeda. Peneliti mengumpulkan data dengan cara mendistribusikan angket dengan menggunakan Google Form. Adapun teknik yang peneliti gunakan untuk menganalisis data yaitu Reading, Describing, dan Classifying. Peneliti menggunakan enam indikator dari Learning Situation Analysis dengan hasil sebagai berikut;1) tujuan pelayan restoran belajar bahasa inggris adalah untuk berkomunikasi dengan tamu, dan kemampuan yang ingin dikuasai adalah speaking skill, 2) metode pembelajaran yang diinginkan pelayan restoran adalah Role-play, 3) ketersediaan material yang diinginkan pelayan restoran yaitu materi yang diberikan lengkap teori dangan contoh, dan media pendukung pembelajaran dalam bentuk vidio, 4) mayoritas pelayan restoran memiliki gaya belajar visual dan menginginkan lebih banyak melakukan praktek dalam proses pembelajaran, 5) pelayan restoran menginginkan agar proses pembelajaran berlangsung di dalam kelas, 6) pelayan restoran memilih untuk belajar dipagi hari, dan dilakukan tiga kali seminggu. Dari hasil tersebut diatas dapat disimpulkan bahwa Learning Situation Analysis dapat membantu pengajar mengetahui keinginan pelayan restoran dalam belajar bahasa inggris Jadi sebaiknya, pengajar melakukan analisa kebutuhan sebelum mengajar. Kata kunci: Pelayan restoran, Analisa Kebutuhan, Learning Situation Analysis.

Genetic diversity and variation of seven Chinese grass shrimp (Palaemonetes sinensis) populations based on the mitochondrial COI gene

Background Chinese grass shrimp (Palaemonetes sinensis) is an important species widely distributed throughout China, which is ecologically relevant and possesses ornamental and economic value. These organisms have experienced a sharp decline in population due to overfishing. Therefore interest in P. sinensis aquaculture has risen in an effort to alleviate fishing pressure on wild populations. Therefore, we investigated the genetic diversity and variation of P. sinensis to verify the accuracy of previous research results, as well as to assess the risk of diversity decline in wild populations and provide data for artificial breeding. Methods Palaemonetes sinensis specimens from seven locations were collected and their genetic variability was assessed based on mitochondrial COI gene segments. DNA sequence polymorphisms for each population were estimated using DNASP 6.12. The demographic history and genetic variation were evaluated using Arlequin 3.11. At last, the pairwise genetic distance (Ds) values and dendrograms were constructed with the MEGA 11 software package. Results Our study obtained sequences from 325 individuals, and 41 haplotypes were identified among the populations. The haplotype diversity (Hd) and nucleotide diversity (π) indices ranged from 0.244 ± 0.083 to 0.790 ± 0.048 and from 0.0004 ± 0.0001 to 0.0028 ± 0.0006, respectively. Haplotype network analyses identified haplotype Hap_1 as a potential maternal ancestral haplotype for the studied populations. AMOVA results indicated that genetic variations mainly occurred within populations (73.07%). Moreover, according to the maximum variation among groups (FCT), analysis of molecular variance using the optimal two-group scheme indicated that the maximum variation occurred among groups (53.36%). Neutrality and mismatch distribution tests suggested that P. sinensis underwent a recent population expansion. Consistent with the SAMOVA analysis and haplotype network analyses, the Ds and FST between the population pairs indicated that the JN population was distinctive from the others. Conclusions Our study conducted a comprehensive characterization of seven wild P. sinensis populations, and our findings elucidated highly significant differences within populations. The JN population was differentiated from the other six populations, as a result of long-term geographical separation. Overall, the present study provided a valuable basis for the management of genetic resources and a better understanding of the ecology and evolution of this species.

O-097 The presentation of medical risks and incentives in egg donation: an analysis of Belgian, Spanish and UK fertility clinic websites

Study question How do fertility clinics’ websites of the UK, Belgium and Spain present the medical risks of egg donation and incentives? Summary answer Spanish and UK websites typically included more incentives to recruit egg donors compared to the Belgian websites. OHSS was overall the most discussed risk. What is known already People commonly turn to the internet for initial information. Primary presentations of information of a subject co-determine how an individual interprets the topic and thus influence later decisions. Considering the growing demand and clinics’ dependency on egg donors, some scholars have expressed concerns that clinics might (initially) misrepresent risks to recruit more egg donors. Offering appealing incentives may also encourage potential donors to dismiss possible risks and side-effects. Therefore, it is important to see how incentives (both monetary and non-monetary rewards) and risks are presented on the websites of fertility clinics, the first source of information for egg donors. Study design, size, duration This study is part of the EDNA-project, a multi-phased comparative study (2017-2021), that aims to explore the social, political, economic and moral configuration of egg donation in the United Kingdom, Belgium and Spain. In this study, we only focused on the medical risks of egg donation and incentives presented on the fertility clinics’ websites of the three countries. Participants/materials, setting, methods We analysed the websites of all Belgian fertility clinics (n = 18), and a maximum variation sample in the UK (n = 21) and Spain (n = 23). The sampling was based on the geographical location of the clinic, size/number of cycles performed each year, the clinic’s status (independent or part of a larger clinical group) and whether the clinic was public or privately funded in the UK. Frame analysis and content analysis were used for analysis in Nvivo12. Main results and the role of chance No misrepresentation of risks was found. There was an extensive variety in the representation of risks. There were differences between the websites of the three countries (e.g. the risks of having acne was only discussed on Spanish websites), but also remarkable differences within the websites of a particular country (of the 40 risks, 13 were one-off mentions, each found on a single website). A description of a risk was generally accompanied by a minimization or normalization of the risk, or a statement about the fertility clinic’s excellent care for their egg donors. These three approaches were often combined. Our analysis differentiated between incentives (i.e. external rewards) and emotional appeals. An appeal to emotions (e.g. empathy) can also motivate behavioural action (e.g. donation) but was not considered as an incentive since there is no external reward. While Belgian websites used almost no incentives, Spanish and UK websites used gratitude and a rewarding experience as incentives. However, only Spanish websites used free medical tests as incentives, while UK websites were the only ones that used discounts received with egg sharing as an incentive. All countries’ websites used emotional appeals by enticing feelings of empathy for the recipients. Limitations, reasons for caution Not all UK and Spanish fertility clinics’ websites were analysed. However, our international team of researchers applied a maximum variation sampling strategy. This generated samples of clinics per country that were as diversified as possible. Wider implications of the findings The study shows that incentives are more often used on the UK and Spanish websites than on the Belgian websites. All three countries’ websites used emotional appeals. It should be studied how effective these incentives and emotional appeals are, and if there is a correlation with the potential donors’ risk-perceptions. Trial registration number not applicable

Predicting the optimal solution in fuzzy linear programming problem

In this paper we try to define a percentage form of LR fuzzy numbers which is a useful form of fuzzy numbers and its’ arithmetics. So, we show how the maximum variation range of optimal value of fuzzy objective function can be predicted by using this form of fuzzy numbers. Since fuzzy problems are generally solved through a complicated manner, the purpose of this study is releasing a kind of prediction for the final solution in the way that the manager can access to an outlook to optimal solution (Z∗) without solving the problem. Finally, optimal value of fuzzy objective function on fuzzy linear programming is predicted when maximum variation range of fuzzy variable have been predetermined.

Integration, Enlightenment or Rights?

This article examines how Danish Muslim organisations ascribe meaning to hate crimes against Muslims in Denmark. The study is a maximum variation case study of three Muslim organisations. Drawing on intersectional theory, organisations were included that vary on identity markers. While there are great similarities in how the organisations define hate crime, the article argues that they articulate the concept as part of very different socio-political contexts. This suggests that while the organisations in general agree on what hate crime is, the organisations’ intersectional identities affect which socio-political contexts they articulate as relevant in relation to hate crime.

The Classification Performance and Mechanism of Machine Learning Algorithms in Winter Wheat Mapping Using Sentinel-2 10 m Resolution Imagery

Machine learning algorithms are crucial for crop identification and mapping. However, many works only focus on the identification results of these algorithms, but pay less attention to their classification performance and mechanism. In this paper, based on Google Earth Engine (GEE), Sentinel-2 10 m resolution images during a specific phenological period of winter wheat were obtained. Then, support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and classification and regression tree (CART) machine learning algorithms were employed to identify and map winter wheat in a large-scale area. The hyperparameters of the three machine learning algorithms were tuned by grid search and the 5-fold cross-validation method. The classification performance of the three machine learning algorithms were compared, the results of which demonstrate that SVM achieves best performance in identifying winter wheat, and its overall accuracy (OA), user’s accuracy (UA), producer’s accuracy (PA), and kappa coefficient (Kappa) are 0.94, 0.95, 0.95, and 0.92, respectively. Moreover, 50 various combinations of training and validation sets were used to analyze the generalization ability of the algorithms, and the results show that the average OA of SVM, RF, and CART are 0.93, 0.92, and 0.88, respectively, thus indicating that SVM and RF are more robust than CART. To further explore the sensitivity of SVM, RF, and CART to variations of the algorithm parameters—namely, (C and gamma), (tree and split), and (maxD and minSP)—we employed the grid search method to iterate these parameters, respectively, and to analyze the effect of these parameters on the accuracy scores and classification residuals. It was found that with the change of (C and gamma) in (0.01~1000), SVM’s maximum variation of accuracy score is up to 0.63, and the maximum variation of residuals is 76,215 km2. We concluded that SVM is sensitive to the parameters (C and gamma) and presents a positive correlation. When the parameters (tree and split) change between (100~600) and (1~6), respectively, the RF’s maximum variation of accuracy score is 0.08, and the maximum variation of residuals is 1157 km2, indicating that RF is low in sensitivity toward the parameters (tree and split). When the parameters (maxD and minSP) are between (10~60), the maximum accuracy change value is 0.06, and the maximum variation of residuals is 6943 km2. Therefore, compared to RF, CART is sensitive to the parameters (maxD and minSP) and has poor robustness. In general, under the conditions of the hyperparameters, SVM and RF exhibit optimal classification performance, while CART has relatively inferior performance. Meanwhile, SVM, RF, and CART have different sensitivities toward the algorithm parameters; that is, SVM and CART are more sensitive to the algorithm parameters, while RF has low sensitivity toward changes in the algorithm parameters. The different parameters cause great changes in the accuracy scores and residuals, so it is necessary to determine the algorithm hyperparameters. Generally, default parameters can be used to achieve crop classification, but we recommend the enumeration method, similar to grid search, as a practical way to improve the classification performance of the algorithm if the best classification effect is expected.