NEWS

aides 1.3.3 (2024-04-08)

Date: April 08, 2024

Modify document: improve Vignettes file of package aides with much more information regarding sequential analysis.

** Note:** functions DoSA() and DoOSA() work as argument IV for parameter poolProp with package lme4 1.1-35.2. Users have to downgrade package lme4 to version 1.1-35 if they would like to run functions DoSA() and DoOSA() with argument GLMM for parameter poolProp.

Release: submit aides 1.3.3 to the CRAN.


Date: March 31, 2024

Modify function: improve function DoSA() by introducing two new parameters, including trnsfrm and poolProp. The two parameters support users to obtain proportion of risk in each group using different method. Parameter trnsfrm is added for allowing users to calculate proportion of risk with transformation by log, logit, arcsine, or double arcsine approach. Parameter poolProp enables users to pool proportion of risk using inverse variance method and generalized linear mixed model.

Modify function: improve function DoOSA() by introducing two new parameters, including trnsfrm and poolProp. The two parameters support users to obtain proportion of risk in each group using different method. Parameter trnsfrm is added for allowing users to calculate proportion of risk with transformation by log, logit, arcsine, or double arcsine approach. Parameter poolProp enables users to pool proportion of risk using inverse variance method and generalized linear mixed model.


aides 1.3.2 (2024-03-07)

Date: March 07, 2024

Modify document: improve Vignettes file of package aides with much more information regarding sequential analysis.

Release: submit aides 1.3.2 to the CRAN.


Date: February 27, 2024

Modify function: improve function DoSA() by introducing two new parameters, including smooth and SAP. Parameter smooth is added for allowing users to generate sequential plot with smooth boundaries, and parameter SAP enables users to calculate sequential-adjusted power. Pooling method was added on the plot during this modification. Besides, scale on the x axis scale was limited for reducing plot size.

Modify function: improve function DoOSA() by introducing a new parameter, anchor, enabling users to specify anchor-based minimal important difference in order to estimate required information size. Pooling method was added on the plot during this modification.

Modify function: improve function PlotOSA() by introducing a new parameter, lgcZone, enabling users to show six zones of finding. Pooling method was also added on the plot during this modification.


aides 1.3.1 (2024-02-03)

Date: February 3, 2024

Modify function: improve function DOSA(), DoOSA(), and PlotOSA() for avoiding the overlapping between OIS information and legend on the plot.

Modify function: improve function DoSA() by introducing a new parameter, RRR, enabling users to specify a pre-assumed relative risk reduction for estimation of required information size. This parameter is designed exclusively for dichotomous outcomes and replaces the argument of PES parameter.

Modify document: improve Vignettes file of package aides with much more information regarding sequential analysis.

Modify document: improve README file of package aides with appropriate plot size.

Release: submit aides 1.3.1 to the CRAN.


aides 1.3.0 (2023-12-20)

Date: December 21, 2023

Modify document: improve package aides vignette by illustrating an example for the function PlotPower(), and ensuring consistency by utilizing the same data set to illustrate examples for the functions DoSA(), DoOSA(), and PlotOSA().

Modify document: improve package aides manual by introducing a detailed section for the PlotPower() function, and ensuring consistency by utilizing the same data set to illustrate examples for the functions DoSA(), DoOSA(), and PlotOSA().

Release: submit aides 1.3.0 to the CRAN.


Date: December 15, 2023

Add function: PlotPower() has been added in the package aides to visualize sequential-adjusted power.


aides 1.2.3

Date: December 08, 2023

Modify function: improve function DoOSA() by setting argument "D2" as default for parameter adjust and calculating sequential-adjusted power.

Modify function: improve function DoSA() by setting argument "D2" as default for parameter adjust.

Modify function: improve function PlotOSA() for better visualization.


aides 1.2.2

Date: November 03, 2023

Modify function: improve function PlotDistrSS() with parameters method for indicating normality test method in terms of Shapiro test or Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.


aides 1.2.1

Date: October 31, 2023

Modify function: improve function TestDisparity() with parameters for user-defined cutoff value of proportion of excessive cases in outlier-based disparity test, and for user-defined bootstrap replications for obtaining probability in variability-based disparity test.

  1. parameter ctf with a numeric argument can be used for determining the threshold for proportion of excessive cases in outlier-based disparity test.

  2. parameter rplctns with an integer argument can be used for assigning bootstrap replications for obtaining probability of variability-based disparity test.


aides 1.2.0 (2023-10-26)

Date: October 26, 2023

Release: submit aides 1.2.0 to the CRAN.


Date: October 24, 2023

Add function: PlotOSA() has been added in the package aides to visualize observed sequential analysis.

Add function: DoOSA() has been added in the package aides to facilitate sequential method employing observed data, thereby distinguishing it from information derived from prospective planning.

Add function: PlotDistrSS() has been added in the package aides to assist decision on the method selection for outlier detection and variability in disparity test.


aides 1.1.6

Date: October 05, 2023

Modify document: improve package aides manual by adding details section for function DoSA().


aides 1.1.5

Date: September 28, 2023

Modify function: improve function DoSA() for showing information of relative risk reduction.


aides 1.1.4

Date: September 20, 2023

Modify function: improve function PlotDisparity() for fixing bug of labeling proportion of excessive cases.

Modify document: improve package aides vignette.


aides 1.1.3

Date: September 08, 2023

Modify function: improve function TestDisparity() with robust Coefficient of Variations.

Modify document: improve package aides manual by detailing returned values from function TestDisparity().


aides 1.1.2

Date: August 30, 2023

Modify function: improve function TestDisparity() with default method for outlier detection according to distribution.


aides 1.1.1

Date: August 17, 2023

Modify function: improve function PlotDisparity() with parameters for legend information, user-defined color of the association line between standard deviation and sample size on disparity plot (variability), and angle of study labels on disparity plot (outlier).

  1. parameter lgcDtls with logic value TRUE or FALSE can be used for determining whether to show details of disparity test on the plot.

  2. parameter txtLbl with argument n, n.excessive, or prop.excessive can be used for showing study information of each observed point on disparity plot (outlier).

  3. parameter szFntEC with a numeric value between 0 and 5 can be used for setting font size of study label on axis X for those studies with excessive cases.

  4. parameter szFntLbl with numeric value(s) between 0 and 5 can be used for setting font size of observed values.

  5. parameter szFntLblEC with a numeric value between 0 and 5 can be used for setting font size of observed value(s) among those studies with excessive cases.

  6. parameter clrLnCV with a color name can be used for changing line of the association between standard deviation and cases on disparity plot (variability).

  7. parameter clrLbl with color name(s) can be used for coloring observed values on disparity plot (outlier).

  8. parameter clrLblEC with a color name can be used for coloring observed value(s) among those studies with excessive cases on disparity plot (outlier).

  9. parameter anglAxsX with a numeric value between 0 and 360 can be used for setting angle of study labels on disparity plot (outlier).

  10. parameter anglLbl with a numeric value between 0 and 5 can be used for setting angle of observed values on disparity plot (outlier).


aides 1.1.0 (2023-08-11)

Date: August 11, 2023

Add function: PlotDisparity() to illustrate disparity plot.

Release: submit aides 1.1.0 to the CRAN.


aides 1.0.5

Date: July 29, 2023

Modify function: improve function TestDisparity() with parameters for sorting data and building a data frame for user-defined disparity plot.

  1. parameter sort with options of reference for data sorting (i.e. time, size, and excessive cases).

  2. returning a data frame for user-defined disparity plot by argument TRUE for parameter plot.


aides 1.0.4

Date: July 17, 2023

Modify function: improve function TestDisparity() with summary information.

  1. displaying the results of outlier detection.

  2. displaying information of outlier detection method.

  3. removing results of normal distribution test from the summary infomation.


Modify function: improve function TestDisparity() with parameters for data input and outlier detection.

  1. parameter data can be used for importing a data frame for disparity test.

  2. parameter time is a vector of study year.

  3. calculation of outlier detection (default with GESD and MAD for normal and non-normal distribution respectively).

  4. parameter outlier consists of four outlier detection methods (i.e. IQR, Z, GESD, and MAD).


aides 1.0.3

Date: July 01, 2023

Modify function: improve function DoSA() with parameters for sequential analysis.

  1. parameter PV for presumed variance (default with post-hoc analysis mode).

  2. parameter ref with options of reference group (i.e. 1 and 2; default with 2).

  3. parameter pooling with options of pooling method (e.g. inverse variance, Mantel-Haensze, and Peto; default with IV).

  4. parameter adjust with options of adjustment factor (including D-squared, I-squared, and conceptual heterogeneity; default none).


aides 1.0.2

Date: June 30, 2023

Modify function: improve function DoSA() with information and displaying appearance on plot.

  1. information on model of the meta-analysis and method for heterogeneity estimetor.

  2. displaying spending boundaries with continuous curve rather lines between observed fraction points.

  3. displaying cumulative z score with weighted points according to weights of each data source in the meta-analysis.

  4. displaying required information size with red dash line.

  5. displaying labels of each data source using parameter id = TURE.

  6. displaying y axis title with inverted favorable direction using parameter invert = TRUE.

  7. displaying beta-spending boundaries using parameter BSB = TRUE.


aides 1.0.1

Date: June 25, 2023

Modify function: improve function DoSA() with structured summary information as follows:

1. information on main outputs of sequential analysis

1.1. acquired sample size

1.2. required sample size

1.3. cumulative z score

1.4. alpha-spending boundary

1.5. adjusted confidence interval (based on alpha-spending boundary)

2. presumed parameters for sequential analysis

2.1. probability of type I error.

2.2. probability of type II error.

2.3. statistic power.

2.4. effect size (including risk in each group for outcome with binary data).

2.5. variance.

3. meta-analysis

3.1. settings for the meta-analysis.

3.2. result of the meta-analysis.

4. adjustment factor

4.1. diversity (D-squared).

4.2. heterogeneity (I-squared).

4.3. value of the adjustment.


aides 1.0.0 (2023-06-20)

Date: June 20, 2023

Release: submit aides 1.0.0 to the CRAN.

Date: June 15, 2023

Initiation: Build package aides with first three functions including TestDisparity(), TestDiscordance(), and DoSA().

  1. TestDisparity() is to test assumption of disparity in sample size.

  2. TestDiscordance() is to test assumption of discordance between theoretical and observed study scale.

  3. DoSA() is to conduct sequential analysis.


Writing style of aides

This package is mainly written according to Google's R style. For readers, details of naming rules are listed as follows:

  1. .R file is named using lower case with underscore "_" between words (e.g. test_disparity.R).

  2. function is named using verb or verb with noun, and the first character of each word is written in capital letter (e.g. TestDiscordance()).

  3. object is named using noun with the first word in lower case, but the first character of rest words is written using capital letter (e.g. dataCases).

  4. variable is named using noun written in lower case. Words of variable name are separated by "." if a variable name consists of more than two words (e.g. dataDiSS$w.normality).


Version numbering rule of aides (June 20, 2023)

version number consists of three integers with a period between them (eg. version 1.0.0).

  1. Updating the first integer refers to a modification with new methodological impact.

  2. Changing the second integer refers to an update with a new function without new methodological impact.

  3. Updating the third integer refers to a modification in a function.