Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Utility of Adaptive Designs in Publicly Funded Confirmatory Trials

Introduction: Adaptive designs (ADs) are underused, particularly in publicly funded confirmatory trials, despite their promising benefits and methodological prominence given in the statistical literature. Research Question: This thesis investigates why ADs are underused in the publicly funded setting, explores facilitators, and proposes recommendations to improve their appropriate use. Methods: Confirmatory ADs are reviewed from a statistical and practical perspective. Cross-disciplinary key stakeholders are then interviewed to explore roadblocks to the use of ADs. Based on the interview findings, follow-up quantitative surveys are undertaken to explore wider perceptions on barriers, concerns, and facilitators aimed to generalise the findings. The surveys targeted CTUs (Clinical Trials Units), private sector organisations, and Public Funders in the UK. In view of some of the findings, case studies of applied confirmatory ADs are reviewed to highlight their scope and characteristic, and to investigate the state of reporting of the most common AD. The design and implementation of selected ADs is demonstrated using retrospective and prospective planned case studies. Lessons learned are highlighted to enhance the design of future trials of similar characteristics. Results: The main barriers to the use of ADs include the lack of funding support accessible to UK CTUs to aid their design; limited practical knowledge; preference for traditional mainstream designs; difficulties in marketing ADs to key stakeholders; limited time to support ADs relative to other competing priorities; lack of applied training; and insufficient access to case studies of undertaken ADs, which would facilitate practical learning and successful implementation. Researchers’ inadequate description of AD-related aspects (such as rationale, scope, and decision-making criteria to guide the planned AD) in grant proposals was viewed among the major obstacles by Public Funders. Suboptimal reporting of the design and conduct of undertaken ADs appears to influence concerns about their robustness in decision-making and credibility to change practice. Conclusions: Most obstacles appear connected to a lack of practical implementation knowledge and applied training, and limited access to adequately reported case studies to facilitate practical learning. Assurance of scientific rigour through transparent adequate reporting is paramount to the credibility of findings from adaptive trials. There is a need for a consensus guidance document on ADs and an AD-tailored CONSORT statement to enhance their reporting and conduct. This thesis provides detailed recommendations to improve the appropriate use of ADs and areas for future related research.
Student Engagement Towards HEIs: Relationship Marketing Perspective

To effectively retain high quality students, it is critical for the HEIs to provide an excellent customer experience across the student lifecycle. Thus, adopting the relationship marketing perspective, this study extends the Relationship Investment Model in order to identify the determinants student engagement with the institutions. Specifically, this study attempts to examine the effect of satisfaction, dimensions of relationship investment and alternative attractiveness on commitment, and consequently on the student engagement towards HEIs. The findings of this study are expected to reveal the significant predictors of student commitment and consequently on student engagement. The findings may as well provide the foundation that fit the HEIs to design an effective program that will engage the students and consequently ensure their relevance in the competitive educational world.
When one childhood meets another – maternal childhood trauma and offspring child psychopathology: A systematic review

Background: Child maltreatment can have a long-term impact on mental health. Less is known about the consequences of child maltreatment on the next generation’s psychological wellbeing. Aim: This systematic review aimed to synthesise the existing empirical literature on the association between a mother’s history of maltreatment in her own childhood and her children’s experiences of psychopathology, and to characterise potential mediating pathways. Method: Electronic database and hand searches yielded 12 studies, with a combined sample size of 45,723 mother–child dyads, which met criteria for inclusion in the review. Results: There was evidence of an overall positive association between a mother’s history of child maltreatment and her child’s experience of emotional and behavioural difficulties across childhood and adolescence. Maternal psychological distress and poorer parenting practices were found to be key mediating pathways of this association. Conclusion: Children of mothers who were exposed to maltreatment in childhood appear to be at an increased risk for psychopathology. Mothers with traumatic childhood experiences should be offered improved access to psychological therapies and parenting programmes to help mitigate the potential impact of child maltreatment on future generations.
A gendered analysis of teaching employment in Pakistan

This thesis aims to identify the relationships, structures and actors shaping the gender composition of the teaching workforce in Pakistan, with attention to the societal (or macro) level and through the experiences and interpretations of women and of men employed in school teaching and in higher education. In addition, the thesis compares the rewards of teaching for men and for women in different sectors of education and at different levels, and explores women and men teachers’ perceptions of the status of the teaching profession. The methodological approach is that of a multi-level analysis, so as to understand women teachers’ experiences of employment in the education sector at different levels as well as those of male teachers within the broader cultural, political and economic context of Pakistan. The thesis draws on secondary data sources including published research, statistical employment data and documentary evidence to address state policy in respect to education provision and employment policies and practices in public and private educational institutions. The original data is collected through semi-structured interviews – 70 in total - with women and men school teachers and university faculty in Lahore. The findings demonstrate that the feminisation of teaching is relative, not absolute in Pakistan. The private teaching sector is feminised to a larger extent and the public sector remains male-dominated. Women and men referred to teaching as respectable employment for women, which cohered with societal expectations of women and conserved the propriety of the household. Working hours in the teaching profession were thought of as accommodative of women’s ‘homemaker’ role and an incentive, for men, to hold multiple paid job-roles. Pay, while commonly thought of as inadequate for teachers in general, was typically better in the public sector compared to the private sector. The occupational status of teaching varied in respect to the level of teaching and sector. The public sector with standard pre-service credential requirements and career advancement opportunities is seen as a better employer compared to the private sector. On the one hand, the feminisation of teaching depicts gender segregation of society while associating teaching with ‘women’s work’. On the other hand, it presents women with an opportunity to gain entry into a socially and culturally respected and accepted profession while empowering them through reducing their economic dependability.
Towards a matrix for the advancement of black working class students in South Africa’s historically privileged universities

As a result of educational reform, historically privileged white universities are experiencing an influx of black students, whose ‘underpreparedness’ is evidenced in low throughput rates. My research question is: How should black students’ views on key factors in their learning be incorporated in a historically privileged South African university’s student support measures? Utilizing the model on student development by Chickering and Reisser (1993) which propose seven vectors that represent the main aspects of student development, the empirical data contributed towards the development of a matrix for the advancement of black working class (BWC) students in South Africa’s historically privileged universities.
Inhibition of Gastric H+,K+-ATPase and Acid Secretion by Ellagic Acid

The effects of ellagic acid on gastric H+, K(+)-ATPase, acid secretion, and the occurrence of gastric ulcers were studied. Ellagic acid inhibited hog gastric H+, K(+)-ATPase activity with a 50% inhibition at 2.1 x 10(-6)M; kinetic studies showed that the inhibition of H+, K(+)-ATPase by ellagic acid is competitive with respect to ATP and is noncompetitive with respect to K+. The effect on gastric ulcers was investigated by using a stress ulcer model. Intraperitoneal administration of ellagic acid at above 5 mg/kg markedly reduced the occurrence of gastric lesion. Ellagic acid significantly reduced acid secretion at the same doses. These results suggest that ellagic acid has a marked inhibitory effect on acid secretion and the occurrence of stress-induced gastric lesions, and these effects may be attributed to the inhibition of H+, K(+)-ATPase activity.
Genomic-wide analysis of lymphatic metastasis-associated genes in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM To identify the genes related to lymph node metastasis in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 32 HCC patients with or without lymph node metastasis were investigated by high-throughput microarray comprising 886 genes. METHODS The samples of cancerous and non-cancerous paired tissue were taken from 32 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy with lymph node dissection. Total RNA was extracted from the cells obtained by means of laser microdissection (LCM) and was amplified by the T7-based amplification system. Then, the amplified samples were applied in the cDNA microarray comprising of 886 genes. RESULTS The results demonstrated that 25 up-regulated genes such as cell membrane receptor, intracellular signaling and cell adhesion related genes, and 48 down-regulated genes such as intracellular signaling and cell cycle regulator-related genes, were correlated with lymph node metastasis in HCC. Amongst them were included some interesting genes, such as MET, EPHA2, CCND1, MMP2, MMP13, CASP3, CDH1, and PTPN2. Expression of 16 genes (MET, CCND1, CCND2, VEGF, KRT18, RFC4, BIRC5, CDC6, MMP2, BCL2A1, CDH1, VIM, PDGFRA, PTPN2, SLC25A5 and DSP) were further confirmed by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptional polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). CONCLUSION Tumor metastasis is an important biological characteristic, which involves multiple genetic changes and cumulation. This genome-wide information contributes to an improved understanding of molecular alterations during lymph node metastasis in HCC. It may help clinicians to predict metastasis of lymph nodes and assist researchers in identifying novel therapeutic targets for metastatic HCC patients.
Quantitative Immuno-SPECT Monitoring of Pretargeted Radioimmunotherapy with a Bispecific Antibody in an Intraperitoneal Nude Mouse Model of Human Colon Cancer

The prospects for using pretargeted immuno-SPECT to monitor the response to pretargeted radioimmunotherapy were examined. In this study, a bispecific anticarcinoembryonic antigen (CEACAM5; CD66e) × antihapten monoclonal antibody, TF2, was used in combination with a small (1.5 kD) peptide, IMP288, labeled with 111In and 177Lu. Methods: First, tumor uptake of 111In-IMP288 and 177Lu-IMP288, as determined by immuno-SPECT, was validated by ex vivo counting. Two groups of female BALB/c nude mice had LS174T tumors implanted in the peritoneal cavity. They received intravenous injections of TF2, followed by 10 MBq of 111In-IMP288 or 90 MBq of 177Lu-IMP288. A control group of non–tumor-bearing mice received TF2 and 111In-IMP288. One hour after the radiolabeled IMP288 was given, small-animal SPECT/CT images were acquired, and subsequently animals were dissected. Furthermore, a survival study was performed in 3 groups of 10 mice with intraperitoneal tumors: mice received TF2 and 177Lu-IMP288 (60 MBq), nonpretargeted 177Lu-IMP288 (60 MBq), or phosphate-buffered saline. Immuno-SPECT scans were acquired directly after therapy and at 14 and 45 d after therapy. Tumor growth was analyzed in the successive scans in each animal. Results: 111In- and 177Lu-labeled IMP288 had similar in vivo distribution. The activity measured in the pretargeted immuno-SPECT images correlated well with the uptake measured in the dissected tumors (Pearson r = 0.99, P < 0.05). In the therapy study, the SPECT images showed rapid and selective tumor targeting with high tumor-to-background contrast (30 ± 12) as early as 1 h after injection. The successive images of the treated mice showed delayed tumor growth in the pretargeted radioimmunotherapy group, corresponding with their prolonged survival. Conclusion: Pretargeted immuno-SPECT with TF2 and 111In- or 177Lu-IMP288 can be used to predict and confirm tumor targeting and monitor the therapeutic effect of pretargeted radioimmunotherapy.
HPLC Determination of Omeprazole in Human Plasma Using a Monolithic Column

Summary A rapid and sensitive HPLC method using a monolithic column has been developed for quantification of omeprazole (CAS 73590-58-6) in plasma. The method was specific and sensitive with a quantification limit of 10 ng/ml. Sample preparation involves simple, one-step extraction procedure and analytical recovery was complete. The separation was carried out in reversed-phase conditions using a Chromolith Performance (RP-18e, 100 × 4.6 mm) column with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of 0.01 mol/l disodium hydrogen phosphate bufferace-tonitrile (73:27 v/v) adjusted to pH 7.1. The wavelength was set at 302 nm. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range 20–1500 ng · ml−1. The coefficients of variation for inter-day and intra-day assay were found to be less than 7 %.
Health Beliefs Associated with Cancer Screening Intentions in Korean Workers.

BACKGROUND Cancer is a leading cause of death in Korea. To prevent cancer, it is essential to facilitate and promote appropriate cancer screening behavior in the adult population. The aim of this study was to examine health beliefs related to cancer screening intentions using the Health Belief Model (HBM). MATERIALS AND METHODS The research participants comprised 275 male health and safety managers at commercial companies in Korea. The selfadministered survey explored demographic characteristics, cancerrelated factors, beliefs about cancer/cancer screening (BCCS) (vulnerability to cancer, severity of cancer, benefits of screening, and barriers to screening), and cancer screening intention. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with an intention to be screened for cancer. RESULTS Perceived health status and need for cancer prevention education were major factors associated with BCCS. Poorer health status was associated with greater perceived vulnerability, a perception of fewer benefits, and more barriers (p<0.05). A perceived greater need for cancer prevention education was associated with a higher perceived severity of cancer and more perceived barriers to screening (p<0.05). Marital status, cancer screening experience, and perceived vulnerability to cancer were significant influences on the cancer screening intention (p<0.05). Participants who had undergone cancer screening in the past 2 years were more likely to intend to be screened for cancer than were those who had not been screened; this was true across all degrees of intention and all types of cancer (p<0.01). Hesitant people considered themselves less vulnerable to gastric, lung, and liver cancer than did the poeple who intended to undergo cancer screening (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Based on our findings, we recommend that workplace cancer prevention programs attempt to increase awareness about vulnerability to cancer among workers who hesitate to undergo cancer screening.
Effects of levosimendan without loading dose on systolic and diastolic function in patients with end-stage heart failure.

BACKGROUND Levosimendan (L) is used in clinical practice for the treatment of severe heart failure (HF); it has inotropic and vasodilatory effects, without increasing myocardial oxygen consumption. In acute HF, levosimendan improves hemodynamic parameters; previous studies have demonstrated that it has favorable effects on left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of on LV long-axis function that represents the earlier marker of diastolic dysfunction. METHODS We enrolled 41 patients (age 62 ± 12 years) admitted to our Department for acute HF, NYHA class IV and severe LV dysfunction. Twenty-six patients were treated with L (0.1 μg/kg/min ev for 24 h without loading dose) and 15 patients were treated with standard therapy (C). We evaluated clinical, blood exams and echocardiographic parameters at baseline and one week after L or C treatment. RESULTS Baseline demographic, clinical and biochemical data were similar in both groups. After one week, the L group had shown a significant improvement in NYHA class and a reduction of pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (pro-BNP). In echocardiographic study, we observed an improvement in LV longitudinal function (p 〈 0.05) and LV ejection fraction (p 〈 0.05) with a reduction of E/E' (p 〈 0.05) in the L group. We divided the L group into ischemic and non- -ischemic patients and we demonstrated a significant increase in systolic function in the former. No differences were found between subgroups in diastolic function. CONCLUSIONS L therapy, without loading dose, improves NYHA class and ventricular function in patients with acute HF; we believe that these prolonged hemodynamic effects are due to active metabolities of L.
Combination of Video Change Detection Algorithms by Genetic Programming

Within the field of computer vision, change detection algorithms aim at automatically detecting significant changes occurring in a scene by analyzing the sequence of frames in a video stream. In this paper we investigate how state-of-the-art change detection algorithms can be combined and used to create a more robust algorithm leveraging their individual peculiarities. We exploited genetic programming (GP) to automatically select the best algorithms, combine them in different ways, and perform the most suitable post-processing operations on the outputs of the algorithms. In particular, algorithms’ combination and post-processing operations are achieved with unary, binary and ${n}$ -ary functions embedded into the GP framework. Using different experimental settings for combining existing algorithms we obtained different GP solutions that we termed In Unity There Is Strength. These solutions are then compared against state-of-the-art change detection algorithms on the video sequences and ground truth annotations of the ChangeDetection.net 2014 challenge. Results demonstrate that using GP, our solutions are able to outperform all the considered single state-of-the-art change detection algorithms, as well as other combination strategies. The performance of our algorithm are significantly different from those of the other state-of-the-art algorithms. This fact is supported by the statistical significance analysis conducted with the Friedman test and Wilcoxon rank sum post-hoc tests.
Comparison of Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Levels Between Stages Three, Four, and Five Non-dialysis of Chronic Kidney Disease.

AIM to determine the differences of ADMA level between stages 3, 4, and 5 non-dialysis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients at Outpatient Nephrology Clinic, Dr. Soetomo Hospital. METHODS a cross-sectional study was conducted on stage 3, 4, and 5 non-dialysis CKD patients at Outpatient Nephrology Clinic, Dr. Soetomo Hospital, Surabaya from January to February 2015. Stages of CKD were determined based on GFR estimation according to 4-variable MDRD formula. Statistical analysis of differences in the levels of ADMA in three subject groups use one-way ANOVA test. RESULTS seventy-five patients were included in the study. Each group consisted of 25 patients stage 3, 4, and, 5 non-dialysis patients. Mean age of stage 3, stage 4, and stage 5 non-dialysis CKD patients were respectively 57.12 years, 54.80 years and 53.68 years. The mean levels of ADMA in stage 3, stage 4, and 5 were 0.62 (0.11) IU/mL, 0.72 (0.16) IU/mL, and 0.73 (0.18) IU/mL respectively. Analysis of the differences between the groups showed significant differences in ADMA levels (p=0.04), with the highest difference between stage 3 and stage 5. CONCLUSION comparison of ADMA levels showed significant differences between CKD stages and the level tends to be higher along with increase severity of CKD stages.
Behavioural intention to adopt mobile wallet: a developing country perspective

Purpose This paper aims to understand the factors that affect consumers’ adoption of mobile wallet as an alternative method of making payments to purchase goods and services. Design/methodology/approach A survey of over 210 mobile phone consumers was made. The study added two additional constructs – perceived regulatory support (PRS) and promotional benefits (PBs) – and proposed an integrated approach to understanding mobile wallet adoption. The hypothesized relationships were analysed via structural equation modelling. Findings The results indicated performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, perceived risk, perceived value, PRS, as well as PBs, to be significant factors in predicting behavioural intentions to adopt mobile wallet solutions. The impact of effort expectancy was found to be statistically insignificant. Research limitations/implications The small sample size and the possibility of including new variables such as personal innovativeness, which have not been addressed here, are some of the limitations of this study. Practical implications The findings of this paper would be useful for mobile wallet service providers, mobile app writers and institutions involved in the facilitation and regulation of such services to develop suitable strategic frameworks to encourage the adoption of mobile wallets. Originality/value The study is the first of its kind in India and has added a new dimension in the assessment of technology adoption by proposing two new variables.
Accounting Research in Abacus, A&F, AAR, and AJM from 2008–2015: A Review and Research Agenda

This paper uses bibliographic mapping techniques to map the research conversation in four Pacific Basin accounting journals listed on the Social Sciences Citation Index (Abacus, Accounting and Finance, Australian Accounting Review, and the Australian Journal of Management). We identify the main research streams in these journals as Accounting Standards, Environmental Accounting, Earnings Management, Disclosure, Conservatism, Auditing, Impairment, Cost of Capital, and Corporate Governance. We critically review each research stream, identify emerging research trends, and suggest an agenda for future research on accounting in the Pacific Basin.