Major market influencers: The co-integration of the Philippine stock market with the U.S. and selected Asian stock markets

This thesis investigated the stock market co-integration between the Philippines and the following countries: U.S., China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. The daily closing index levels of each stock market index were then divided into three sub-periods: pre-financial crisis (January 2002 to July 2007), during the financial crisis (August 2007 to December 2011) and the post-financial crisis (January 2012 to December 2016). The following statistical methods were employed: correlation analysis, augmented Dickey Fuller test, Engle-Granger co-integration test, error correction model, and pairwise granger causality. Results from the study indicated that there was co-integration between the PSEi and DJIA, HSI and STI. The stock market index that exhibited the highest degree of co-integration with the PSEi would be DJIA, and this may be because the Philippines had always been strongly linked with the U.S. due to them being active trading partners. In the second period, it was found that the PSEi exhibited no co-integration with all of the stock market indices. The researchers conclude that during a crisis, there is high uncertaity among stock markets. Lastly, the PSEi was only found to have co-integration with the DJIA in the last period. This may be because the Philippines followed U.S. again when the latter rebounded from a bear market condition. The other tests were conducted in order to give more insights into the association of the Philippine stock market, with foreign stock markets

Post-systolic shortening and circumferential strain as predictors of acute cellular refection in patients with recent orthotopic cardiac transplantation during dobutamine stress echocardiograpy

Purpose. Three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) is more accurate and reproducible than conventional echocardiography in assessing left atrial (LA) volumes and function. Impairment of myocardial longitudinal strain has been recently correlated with fibrosis burden at both left ventricular (LV) and LA level. Our aim was to assess the relationship of LA longitudinal strain with LA function indices provided by 3DE, as well as their respective relationship with LV function in HCM. Methods: 32 pts with HCM (51+13 yrs, 20 men), 2D and 3D LA data sets were analyzed using GE EchoPac BT12 and TomTec 4D LA analysis software. 2 pts have been excluded due to poor quality LA acquisitions. 2D LA longitudinal strain at the end of reservoir phase (PALS) and LA strain at atrial contraction (PACS) obtained from 4- and 2-chamber views were averaged. 3D LA volumes (maximal, LAV max; minimal, LAVmin; and before atrial contraction, LAVpreA), total emptying fraction (total EF) and active emptying fraction (active EF) were semi-automatically computed using 3D echocardiography. LV mechanical function was assessed in terms of 2D longitudinal strain (2DLS - absolute values) and E/e\u2019average. Results: Impairment of LA longitudinal performance was correlated with LA volumes across all phases: LAVmax (r=-0.73 for PALS and PACS), LAV preA (r=-0.76 for PALS and -0.73 for PACS), LAVmin (r=-0.70 for PALS and -0.71 for PACS) (p,0.0001 for all). Modest correlations were identified for LA strain parameters with 3D LA total EF and active EF (r=0.57 and 0.56 for PALS; r=0.54 and 0.50 for PACS). LA strain parameters, as opposed to total EF and active EF, were correlated with LV 2DLS (r=0.74 for PALS and 0.54 for PACS) and inversely with E/e\u2019average (r=-0.38 for PALS and -0.42 for PACS). 3D LA phasic volumes were also correlated with LV 2DLS (r=-0.43 for LAVmax and r=-0.36 for LAVpreA, p,0.05) and filling pressures (r=-0.43, p=0.02 for all LA phasic volumes). Conclusion: InHCMpatients, there is only a modest relationship between LA longitudinal deformation and LA function parameters assessed by 3DE. LA 2D longitudinal strain and LA 3D volumes could be more useful clinical indicators of myocardial impairment inHCM than 3D LA emptying fraction