Volatility contagion (spillover) between Chinese and Pakistani stock markets during COVID-19: pre and post analysis of trade-level data

This research study examines volatility contagion (spillover) before and during the COVID period from the Chinese stock market (Shanghai stock market) to the Pakistani stock market (Karachi stock market). We used aggregate market datasets and various industry datasets (11 industries according to GICS classification), employed the EGARCH model to investigate the volatility spillover. Our results indicate that volatility demonstrates different characteristics in aggregate data samples as compared to industrial data samples. Moreover, this study finds return spillover and volatility spillover in both datasets (aggregate and industries). This study suggests that stakeholders should analyse both datasets (aggregate and industry) before taking investment decisions. Copyright © 2022 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Role of Corticosteroids in Dengue Fever in Pakistan

Aim: To compare and evaluate clinical efficacy of corticosteroids in thrombocytopenia in patients suffering from moderate to severe Dengue. Methods: This randomized single blinded study was conducted at Furqan Clinic Gulbahar Peshawar from August 2021 to October 2021. 100 individuals of ages between 20 to 60 years irrespective of gender, with positive NS1 antigen test and no co-morbidities were included in study by convenient sampling technique. Patients with dengue and Covid-19 were excluded from the study. Randomization was done in four treatment groups. Consent was taken from all patients prior treatment with Cefixime, artemether/lumefantrine, IV Dexamethasone in adjunct to oral papaya leaf extracts. Duration of study was 3 months. Statistical analysis done using SPSS software version 24. Results: Group C and D showed the significant increase in platelet count as compared to group A and B. Pronounced effect was observed in group D. Conclusion: Intravenous Dexamethasone produced more beneficial effects in adjunct to oral carica papaya leaf extracts on thrombocytopenia with reduced risk of bleeding.

Understanding the Influences of Cognitive Biases on Financial Decision Making During Normal and COVID-19 Pandemic Situation in the United Arab Emirates

The purpose of the study is to identify the effects of behavioral/psychological factors i.e. overconfidence, anchoring bias, loss aversion, herding effect on financial decision making, in both normal situation (NS) and COVID-19 pandemic uncertain situation (CVD-19) separately. This paper used a qualitative method by using semi-structured interview (virtual and physical) and all fifteen interviewers were based in the United Arab Emirates. Whereas, the results of the study show that in NS all the factors have a positive significant relationship with financial decision-making. But on the other hand, in the CVD-19 uncertain situation, majority of the factors has a negative effect on financial decision making, except for overconfidence, which shows positive effect. Though the limitation was a time constraint, limited factors, and CVD-19 itself is a stressful environment and people do not prefer to participate in interviews. Finally, the future research direction is to increase sample size and factors to understand the financial decision impact on performance. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes in Patients with COVID-19 and Cancer: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Much of routine cancer care has been disrupted due to the perceived susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection in cancer patients. Here, we systematically review the current evidence base pertaining to the prevalence, presentation and outcome of COVID-19 in cancer patients, in order to inform policy and practice going forwards. A keyword-structured systematic search was conducted on Pubmed, Cochrane, Embase and MedRxiv databases for studies reporting primary data on COVID-19 in cancer patients. Studies were critically appraised using the NIH National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's quality assessment tool set. The pooled prevalence of cancer as a co-morbidity in patients with COVID-19 and pooled in-hospital mortality risk of COVID-19 in cancer patients were derived by random-effects meta-analyses. In total, 110 studies from 10 countries were included. The pooled prevalence of cancer as a co-morbidity in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 was 2.6% (95% confidence interval 1.8%, 3.5%, I2: 92.0%). Specifically, 1.7% (95% confidence interval 1.3%, 2.3%, I2: 57.6.%) in China and 5.6% (95% confidence interval 4.5%, 6.7%, I2: 82.3%) in Western countries. Patients most commonly presented with non-specific symptoms of fever, dyspnoea and chest tightness in addition to decreased arterial oxygen saturation, ground glass opacities on computer tomography and non-specific changes in inflammatory markers. The pooled in-hospital mortality risk among patients with COVID-19 and cancer was 14.1% (95% confidence interval 9.1%, 19.8%, I2: 52.3%). We identified impeding questions that need to be answered to provide the foundation for an iterative review of the developing evidence base, and inform policy and practice going forwards. Analyses of the available data corroborate an unfavourable outcome of hospitalised patients with COVID-19 and cancer. Our findings encourage future studies to report detailed social, demographic and clinical characteristics of cancer patients, including performance status, primary cancer type and stage, as well as a history of anti-cancer therapeutic interventions.

The Impact of the Behavioral Factors on Investment Decision-Making: A Systemic Review on Financial Institutions

The purpose of the study is to identify the effects of behavioral factors (cognitive biases) on financial decision-making. A systematic review method was implemented and selected 29 research published studies between the years 2010-2020 and were critically reviewed. The main findings of the study indicate that the most common factors appear in papers were overconfidence (18), anchoring bias (11), herding effect (10) and loss aversion (9), which has a significant impact on the financial decision making process. Moreover, almost half of the articles were survey-based (questionnaire), quantitative method and the rest of the articles were the qualitative and mixed-methods. The study concluded that the overall impact of behavioral/psychological factors highly influence on financial decision-making. However, the time and search of the key terms in the papers’ title were considered as the key limitations, which prevent in-depth investigation of the study. For future research, those most repetitive cognitive bias should be measured during COVID-19 pandemic uncertain situation. © 2021, The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.