THE IMPACT OF GREEN POLICIES ANNOUNCEMENTS ON SECTORAL PERFORMANCE: AN ANALYSIS FROM THE QATAR STOCK EXCHANGE

In recent decades, various governments have enacted green policies to solve the issue of exacerbating industrial pollution and environmental degradation. The emergence of green policies signifies a significant transition towards a low-carbon economy. Governments seek to establish a framework fostering sustainable practices and environmental responsibility through these initiatives. The frameworks exist to encourage financial activities to flourish in the long term in an environmentally sustainable fashion. However, implementing green policies may constrict various industrial operations, potentially reducing national production and contributing to short-term financial setbacks. Consequently, these policies can limit the investment options for the biggest drivers of the economy, which may indirectly influence the stock market. Therefore, one should evaluate the short-term financial implications of these environmental frameworks considering long-term financial and economic stability. While initial hurdles may arise, the goal of these policies is to establish a more sustainable and resilient economy. Qatar poses a unique challenge to enacting green policies, given its role as a major producer and consumer of fossil fuels and natural gas. As such, one may expect substantial resistance to green policy implementation in Qatar, which in turn suggests the potential for a turbulent financial period. In this regard, the relationship between green policies and Qatar's economic interests may have a substantial impact on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) and its diverse sectors. The purpose of this study is to understand the effect of the announcements of green policies on the stock market in Qatar, given its heavy reliance on non-renewable energy sources. It investigates the impact of twenty-five green policy announcements on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) and the associated risks, encompassing all seven sectors of QSE: banks and financial services, consumer goods and services, industrials, insurance, real estate, telecoms, and transportation. The study estimates abnormal returns (ARs) and cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) to determine the impact of green policy announcements on the performance of sectoral stock prices. The study also examines how these green policies influenced variations in systematic risk through various risk assessment techniques. The results highlight how promoting environmentally friendly policies created disparate impacts in the economy. While some green policy announcements had either positive or negative impacts, others showed no significant impact at all on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE). These differences across sectors can be attributed to their respective relationships with the specific policy announced. Additionally, the study indicates that green policy announcements involve systematic risk, influencing various market sectors and establishing high levels of market uncertainty. Policymakers should therefore consider a wide range of different approaches to setting public policy

One Year of SARS-CoV-2: Genomic Characterization of COVID-19 Outbreak in Qatar

Qatar, a country with a strong health system and a diverse population consisting mainly of expatriate residents, has experienced two large waves of COVID-19 outbreak. In this study, we report on 2634 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences from infected patients in Qatar between March-2020 and March-2021, representing 1.5% of all positive cases in this period. Despite the restrictions on international travel, the viruses sampled from the populace of Qatar mirrored nearly the entire global population's genomic diversity with nine predominant viral lineages that were sustained by local transmission chains and the emergence of mutations that are likely to have originated in Qatar. We reported an increased number of mutations and deletions in B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 lineages in a short period. These findings raise the imperative need to continue the ongoing genomic surveillance that has been an integral part of the national response to monitor the SARS-CoV-2 profile and re-emergence in Qatar

Association of corneal nerve fiber measures with cognitive function in dementia

Objectives: Corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) is a noninvasive ophthalmic technique that identifies corneal nerve degeneration in a range of peripheral neuropathies and in patients with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We sought to determine whether there is any association of corneal nerve fiber measures with cognitive function and functional independence in patients with MCI and dementia. Methods: In this study, 76 nondiabetic participants with MCI (n = 30), dementia (n = 26), and healthy age-matched controls (n = 20) underwent assessment of cognitive and physical function and CCM. Results: There was a progressive reduction in corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD), branch density (CNBD), and fiber length (CNFL) (P < 0.0001) in patients with MCI and dementia compared to healthy controls. Adjusted for confounders, all three corneal nerve fiber measures were significantly associated with cognitive function (P < 0.05) and functional independence (P < 0.01) in MCI and dementia. The area under the ROC curve to distinguish MCI with CNFD, CNBD, and CNFL was 69.1%, 73.2%, and 73.0% and for dementia it was 84.8%, 84.2%, and 86.2%, respectively. Interpretation: CCM demonstrates corneal nerve fiber loss, which is associated with a decline in cognitive function and functional independence in patients with MCI and dementia