Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Critical Pedagogy in Higher Education Insights from English language teachers

In this thesis, I explore the experiences of English language teachers who have knowledge of the theory and practice of critical pedagogy. Critical pedagogy is grounded on a vision of impacting social change through education and in the context of English language teaching (ELT), personal and social reform is sought through language education. Critical pedagogy is greatly needed at a time when the world continues to suffer from violence, poverty, war, injustice, and environmental change. In the midst of such adversity, critical pedagogy seeks to bring forth a hope for an improved and transformed future. Teachers who engage with critical pedagogy make a stand for justice and equity in their respective classrooms and are intent on nurturing students to become critic and conscience of society. The teachers who participated in this study were from various higher education institutions that were located in different parts of the world. Eleven teachers selfidentified as ‘critical pedagogues’, while two others had rejected critical pedagogy in their professional practice. I conducted semi-structured interviews with these thirteen teachers who were from Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Turkey, the US and the UK. Many had also lived and taught in other countries, and so they also drew from their experiences in Australia, Nepal, Indonesia, South Africa, Macedonia, Poland and Hungary. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and were then analysed based on a general inductive approach. The themes that emerged from my analysis related to why teachers became critical pedagogues, how they implemented critical pedagogy in their ELT classrooms, and how they and their students were affected by this process. Additionally, I found out why two teachers who were familiar with the theory of critical pedagogy had decided to reject it. The choice to become a critical pedagogue was a value driven one. There were five main influences including the theoretical, pedagogical, religious, institutional and political values that the teachers had been exposed to. When these teachers embedded critical pedagogy in their respective classrooms, they ensured that
Drivers of firms’ debt ratios: evidence from Taiwanese and Turkish firms

This study investigates the drivers of debt ratios of the firms listed on the stock markets of two different countries, namely Turkey, a developing country and Taiwan, a newly developed country. The factors impacting short-term, long-term, and total debts are selected as EBIT (Earnings before Interest and Tax), ROE (Return on Equity), sales, total assets, fixed assets-total assets ratio, and depreciation-total assets ratio. The findings indicate that there are differences between Turkish and Taiwanese firms in terms of the drivers’ impacts on the debt structures of the firms. The proposed regression models work better on the data collected from Taiwan as compared to the data from Turkey. Possible reasons are discussed in the final section.
COMPARATIVE STUDY OF NATIONAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS OF NIGERIA AND CHINA

The study is a comparative study of media system of Nigeria and China . To a greater extent the two countries have immense population of both huge human and material resources which provided a ready market for private investors. Nigeria and china are two most populous nations in Asia and the African continents. According to the national population commission‘s figures, Nigeria has over 167 million people, with a very low 2.5 per capital income. The political system is federal, executive democracy with bi –camera legislatures. The country has witnessed a civil war, and also gone through military dictatorship rule for over 30 years. In the 2010 census, the people’s republic of china has over 1.3 billion people, the largest in the world. It has 8.382 per capital income. The country has gone through, maximum dynasty and military dictatorship . At present china practice democracy of a one party state . The study examines the contrast and similarities of both countries media systems. The study found that China is more advance than Nigeria in terms of media systems development but not enjoying utmost press liberty like that of Nigeria. The study is descriptive and data sourced from both primary and secondary sources, moreover, it borrows leaf from the Authoritarian Media theory and The Libertarian or free press media theory. The research work concludes that there are no-go-areas for Nigerian press contents while the china operates a full blown totalitarian media system but latter to a bit liberal media dichotomy due to her economic reforms and globalisation. It recommends the kind of media technological advancement of China for Nigeria and outright condemnation of the China authoritarian media tendencies.
Expectations for hotel service quality: Do they differ from culture to culture?

Globalisation has created a demand for competent and qualified global managers who are sensitive to meeting the needs of customers from different cultures. In order to enhance the understanding of hotel service quality expecta tions of international tourists, this study aims to examine such expectations in the cross-cul tural context. This study included tourists from the UK, USA, Australia, Japan and Taiwan. Results of the study indicate that there are significant differences in two expecta tion dimensions among guests from different countries.
Political corruption in comparative perspective : sources, status and prospects

Contents: Preface Political corruption: causes and consequences, Charles Funderburk Corruption in the United States: the access market, Charles Funderburk Corruption in Brazil, December Green Corruption in Russia: past, present and future, Liam Anderson Corruption in China: red capitalists on parade, Laura M. Luehrmann Corruption and governance in South Asia, Pramod K. Kantha Corruption in the Palestinian Authority and Israel, Vaughn P. Shannon Corruption at the United Nations: a nonprofit, humanitarian organization confronts ethical and financial misconduct, Donna M. Schlagheck Changing political culture by combating corruption: the role of democratization NGOs in South Africa, Tajikstan, and Argentina, Julie Fisher Conclusion: comparative corruption and the challenge of reform, Vaughn P. Shannon, Charles Funderburk and Julie Fisher Index.
A Neoclassical Analysis of the Asian Crisis: Business Cycle Accounting for a Small Open Economy

This paper applies the business cycle accounting method à la Chari, Kehoe and McGrattan (2007) to a standard neoclassical small open economy model and assesses the economic crises in Hong Kong, Korea and Thailand. Quantitative results show that distortions in production efficiency are important in all countries in accounting for the sudden output collapses while distortions in the investment and international financial markets are not. If domestic or international financial frictions are the main source of the Asian crisis, they must have operated through total factor productivity (TFP).
Impact of International Financial Reporting Standards on Stock Price Synchronicity for Asian Markets

Stock price synchronicity since the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) has been significant due to its strong relationship with the economic development and capital market stability of a country. Using data from 2006–2011, the study examines whether the mandatory adoption of IFRS reduces stock price synchronicity in the Asian context. The study utilizes a sample of 1,800 firm-year observations for firms in four Asian markets—China, Hong Kong, Israel, and the Philippines—where IFRS have been mandatory since 2009. The empirical model, relating to stock price synchronicity with the adoption of IFRS, and other firm-specific control variables were analysed using both univariate and multivariate techniques. Different types of panel data estimates were used and compared so as to interpret the results with the best-suited parameters for different data sets for different markets. The empirical results support the argument that, for all four markets considered, IFRS adoption improves the information environment through the capitalization of firm-specific information into stock prices, thereby reducing the stock price synchronicity. Along with IFRS adoption, other firm-specific control variables are found to have significant influence on stock price synchronicity, such as cross-listings in foreign stock exchanges in China and Philippines, the Herfindahl index in Hong Kong, and the percentage of foreign sales in Israel. Keywords: International Financial Reporting Standards, Stock Price Synchronicity, Information Environment, Mandatory Adoption of IFRS, Asian Markets To cite this document: Archana Patro and V. K. GUPTA, "Impact of International Financial Reporting Standards on Stock Price Synchronicity for Asian Markets", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.12, No.1, pp. 61-88, 2016. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi. org/10.7903/cmr.14160
Incidence and mortality of female breast cancer in the Asia-Pacific region

Objective To provide an overview of the incidence and mortality of female breast cancer for countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Methods Statistical information about breast cancer was obtained from publicly available cancer registry and mortality databases (such as GLOBOCAN), and supplemented with data requested from individual cancer registries. Rates were directly age-standardised to the Segi World Standard population and trends were analysed using joinpoint models. Results Breast cancer was the most common type of cancer among females in the region, accounting for 18% of all cases in 2012, and was the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths (9%). Although incidence rates remain much higher in New Zealand and Australia, rapid rises in recent years were observed in several Asian countries. Large increases in breast cancer mortality rates also occurred in many areas, particularly Malaysia and Thailand, in contrast to stabilising trends in Hong Kong and Singapore, while decreases have been recorded in Australia and New Zealand. Mortality trends tended to be more favourable for women aged under 50 compared to those who were 50 years or older. Conclusion It is anticipated that incidence rates of breast cancer in developing countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region will continue to increase. Early detection and access to optimal treatment are the keys to reducing breast cancer-related mortality, but cultural and economic obstacles persist. Consequently, the challenge is to customise breast cancer control initiatives to the particular needs of each country to ensure the best possible outcomes.
Multidisciplinary Ophthalmic Imaging In Vivo Assessment of Aqueous Humor Dynamics Upon Chronic Ocular Hypertension and Hypotensive Drug Treatment Using Gadolinium-Enhanced MRI

NeuroImaging Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States UPMC Eye Center, Eye and Ear Institute, Ophthalmology and Visual Science Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Department of Biological Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
The use of Pillcam Colon in assessing mucosal inflammation in ulcerative colitis: a multicenter study

Background and study aim: Treatment of ulcerative colitis should be tailored to the severity of colonic inflammation, which in the past has been gauged mainly by clinical features and biochemical parameters. Recently, mucosal healing has been proposed as a standard to guide therapy. The aim of this multicenter study was to test whether mucosal appearance, as reported by colon capsule endoscopy (CCE), can be used to differentiate active from inactive ulcerative colitis. Patients and methods: Adult patients from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan who were suspected or known to have ulcerative colitis were included in this prospective study. CCE and conventional optical colonoscopy were offered to these patients on the same day after receiving standard bowel preparation. The primary endpoint was the accuracy of CCE in assessing colonic inflammation (defined as the presence of ulcers, erythema, erosions, edema, exudates in mucosa), using optical colonoscopy as the gold standard. Results: At total of 100 patients (42 females; median age 50 years; range 22 – 68 years) were enrolled. Four cases were excluded from the analysis due to technical failure or slow transit of the capsule. In nine patients, the capsule was not excreted within 8.5 hours and required retrieval during colonoscopy. The sensitivity of CCE to detect active colonic inflammation was 89 % (95 % confidence interval [CI] 80 – 95) and specificity was 75 % (95 %CI 51 – 90). The positive and negative predictive values of CCE for colonic inflammation were 93 % (95 %CI 84 – 97) and 65 % (95 %CI 43 – 83), respectively. No serious adverse event related to the CCE procedure or preparation was reported. Conclusion: CCE is a safe procedure to monitor mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis. However, at this stage, CCE cannot be recommended to replace conventional colonoscopy in the management of this condition.
Anticyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibodies and Rheumatoid Factor as Risk Factors for 10-year Cardiovascular Morbidity in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Large Inception Cohort Study

Objective. To determine whether anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) are risk factors for 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. Analyses were performed using data from the Nijmegen early RA inception cohort, in which patients with newly diagnosed RA, consecutively included since 1985, were regularly followed up. Anti-CCP and RF were determined at baseline (diagnosis). Outcome was the first cardiovascular disease (CVD) event [ischemic heart disease, nonhemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident (CVA), or peripheral artery disease (PAD)] after baseline as retrieved from physician diagnosis. Fatality was checked against death certificates. Cox regression including correction for baseline confounders was performed to estimate the effect of anti-CCP, RF, and their interaction on 10-year CVD-free survival. Results. Of 929 patients included, 628 were anti-CCP–positive and 697 were RF-positive. During followup, with a median of 7.5 years, 162 CV events were observed (101 ischemic heart disease, 45 CVA, and 16 PAD), of which 15 were fatal. The HRadjusted for anti-CCP was 1.17 (95% CI 0.82–1.67) and the HRadjusted for RF was 1.52 (95% CI 1.00–2.30). The association of RF positivity with CVD was even stronger in the anti-CCP–negative patients: HRadjusted 2.09 (95% CI 1.18–3.71). There was no significant interaction (p = 0.098) between anti-CCP and RF. Conclusion. Rather than anti-CCP, presence of RF was associated with CVD in this cohort of patients with RA.
TECHNICAL NOTE CRIMINALISTICS

Saliva plus DNA from a suspect is commonly encountered in sexual assault cases on bodily swabs. However, without background knowledge, the weight of this evidence is unknown. It may indicate the presence of saliva resulting from cunnilingus, or it may represent indirect transfer. In this study, females who refrained from cunnilingus donated 43 items of underwear and 19 vaginal swabs. The samples were subjected to Phadebas , RSID-Saliva and mRNA profiling and were subsequently DNA-profiled to determine the prevalence of background saliva in the female population. The results report that 15.8% of females who refrained from cunnilingus were positive for saliva and a further 10.5% also had DNA from unknown source(s). These findings of the rate of indirect transfer were evaluated with the Bayesian approach, and it was found that the evidence of saliva plus a high foreign DNA source adds moderately strong support to the allegation of cunnilingus.
LRRK2 Gly2385Arg variant is a risk factor of Parkinson’s disease among Han‐Chinese from mainland China

Mutations in the gene encoding Leucine‐rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) have been recently linked with autosomal‐dominant parkinsonism, and polymorphisms have been commonly associated with sporadic Parkinson’s disease (PD). A p.2385G>R variant has been reported as a risk factor for PD in Taiwan, Singapore and Japan. Herein, we have assessed the frequency of this polymorphism among the ethnic Han‐Chinese population in a case–control study. A total of 600 patients with PD and 334 unrelated healthy controls were genotyped using PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium of each group was calculated, and differences in genotype frequencies between groups were assessed by the Chi‐square test. In the PD cohort, 70 patients (11.7%) were heterozygous and 1 (0.2%) was homozygous for the p.2385G>R variant. This was significantly more frequent than in the controls [3.3%, Odds ratio = 3.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.1–7.5, P < 0.01]. Clinically, the age of PD onset of the p.2385G>R carriers was lower than the non‐carriers (P = 0.01). Our study indicates that this LRRK2 p.2385G>R substitution contributes to the development of PD in ethnic Han‐Chinese population, which may play important implications for future study on molecular genetics and pathogenesis of PD.
Men's and Women's Reports of Pretending Orgasm

Research shows that many women pretend or “fake” orgasm, but little is known about whether men pretend orgasm. The purpose of this study was to investigate (a) whether, how, and why men pretend orgasm and (b) what men's and women's reports of pretending orgasm reveal about their sexual scripts and the functions of orgasms within these scripts. Participants were 180 male and 101 female college students; 85% of the men and 68% of the women had experienced penile–vaginal intercourse (PVI). Participants completed a qualitative questionnaire anonymously. Both men (25%) and women (50%) reported pretending orgasm (28% and 67%, respectively, for PVI-experienced participants). Most pretended during PVI, but some pretended during oral sex, manual stimulation, and phone sex. Frequently reported reasons were that orgasm was unlikely, they wanted sex to end, and they wanted to avoid negative consequences (e.g., hurting their partner's feelings) and to obtain positive consequences (e.g., pleasing their partner). Results suggest a sexual script in which women should orgasm before men, and men are responsible for women's orgasms.
The Dark Triad of Personality: A 10 Year Review

Ten years ago Paulhus and Williams (2002) called attention to the 'Dark Triad', a constellation of three conceptually distinct but empirically overlapping personality variables. The three members -- Machiavellianism, narcissism and subclinical psychopathy -- often show differential correlates but share a common core of callous-manipulation. There are now dozens of studies on the triad and, according to Google Scholar, over 350 citations. The goal of this review is to update and critically evaluate this rapidly expanding literature. The standard measures of each Dark Triad member are reviewed along with newer combination measures. The Dark Triad members are located in in mainstream structural models, namely, the interpersonal circumplex as well as Five- and Six-Factor Models. Key issues and controversies are addressed. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
A test of the Fishbein‐Ajzen behavioral intentions model under Chinese cultural settings: are there any differences between PRC and Hong Kong consumers?

This study attempts to examine the applicability of the Fishbein‐Ajzen behavioral intentions model under Chinese cultural settings. Linear structural equation modeling was utilized to test the competency of the model in explaining the intentions of Chinese consumers from the PRC and Hong Kong to purchase Chuk Kam (24 carat gold) finger rings. As a whole, the Fishbein‐Ajzen model explained well behavioral intentions under the cultural settings in question. Apart from the model’s general applicability in both the PRC and Hong Kong samples, a cross‐sample comparison seemed to suggest that the model performs slightly better in the more internationalized Hong Kong sample. Lastly, an examination of the relative influence of attitudes and subjective norms on consumption intentions revealed the collectivist culture of Chinese consumers. In view of this cultural characteristic, marketers are advised to take full advantage of the dynamics of opinion leadership in shaping the purchasing intentions of their target customers.
Market Reaction to Mergers and Acquisitions: An Empirical Analysis on Banking Industry in the Asia Pacific Region

We examine the Asia banking acquisitions for the acquiring bank using an event-study methodology. Acquisition announcements are generally associated with a gain in value for the acquirer in the long term. The market reaction of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan are similar to the announcement of bank M&A events. They all have large cumulative abnormal returns after the announcements in the short time or long time period. Singapore is another case. It only reacts 5 to 10 days before the announcement, and there is no reaction after that. The results of Malaysia and Indonesia are different from other four countries. There is insignificant positive or negative performance of cumulative abnormal return to the announcement in Malaysia. But there is significant negative abnormal return from t-30 to t-20 before the announcement in Indonesia on average. Moreover, we also find that cross-border banking acquisitions announcements during 2002 to 2010 in Asia markets are found to be associated with negative cumulative abnormal returns for the acquirer after the announcement, especially most of cross-borders deals happened after year 2007. There are some different market returns results to before and after the sub-prime mortgage crisis of 2008. The bank M&A events do convey significant levels of new relevant information on average around the six Asian countries, and the excessive leakage to the announcements probably did occur.