FTSE WGBI, us balance sheet policy and foreign holdings of Malaysia government securities

On 15th April 2019, it was announced that FTSE Russell has placed Malaysia on the watch list in reviewing Malaysia position in the FTSE World Government Bond Index (WGBI). This announcement contributes to the current debates on the potential effects pertaining to Malaysia’s future position in the WGBI especially its effect on foreign holdings of Malaysia Government Securities (MGS) as the recent data have shown Malaysia weight in the WGBI is equivalent to MYR 16.2 billion or 11% of foreign holdings of MGS. Hence, this research primarily aims to address these ongoing debates by investigating the direct effect of WGBI towards the level of foreign holdings of MGS in Malaysia. Further, this research will also investigate the effect of domestic or pull factors and the US balance sheet policy on the level of foreign holdings of MGS. This research employs monthly data from January 2008 until April 2018 and Auto regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method. The empirical results reveal that the inclusion of Malaysia in the WGBI has no significant effect towards the level of foreign holdings of MGS. Consistent with the literature, this research finds that US balance sheet policy is more significant in influencing the level of foreign holdings of MGS. Further, the positive and significant association between US balance sheet policy and foreign holdings of MGS indicates the need for the government of Malaysia to craft relevant policies to mitigate against the risks in the event of US balance sheet policy reversal

Direct Calophyllum oil extraction and resin separation with a binary solvent of n-hexane and methanol mixture

This study investigated the use of a mixture of n-hexane and methanol as a binary solvent for the direct oil extraction and resin separation from Calophyllum seeds, in a single step. Optimal oil and resin yields and physicochemical properties were determined by identifying the best extraction conditions. The solvent mixture tested extracted oil and resin effectively from Calophyllum seeds, and separated resin from oil. Extraction conditions affected oil and resin yields and their physicochemical properties, with the n-hexane-to-methanol ratio being the most critical factor. Oil yield improved as n-hexane-to-methanol ratio increased from 0.5:1 to 2:1, and resin yield increased as methanol-to-n-hexane ratio increased from 0.5:1 to 2:1. Physicochemical properties of oil and resin, particularly for acid value and impurity content, improved as the n-hexane-to-methanol ratio decreased from 2:1 to 0.5:1. The best oil (51% with more than 95% triglycerides) and resin (18% with more than 5% polyphenols) yields were obtained with n-hexane-to-methanol ratios of 2:1 and 0.5:1, respectively, at a temperature of 50 °C, with an extraction time of 5 h. The best values for physicochemical property of oil were a density of 0.885 g/cm3, a viscosity of 26.0 mPa.s, an acid value of 13 mg KOH/g, an iodine value of 127 g/100 g, an unsaponifiable content of 1.5%, a moisture content of 0.8% and an ash content of 0.04%

Associations between cytokines, endocrine stress response, and gastrointestinal symptoms in autism spectrum disorder

PosterAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in social communication and abnormal repetitive behavior patterns. Recent studies have shown a strong association between ASD and gastrointestinal (GI) symptomatology. Some individuals with ASD show altered reactivity to stress, as well as altered immune markers, particularly stress responsive cytokines including TNF-alpha and IL-6. To assess potential relationships between GI symptoms and stress response, we examined whether GI symptoms are associated with increases in stress-associated endocrine markers and cytokines in ASD. We also conducted exploratory analyses the examine the relationship between IL-6, TNF-alpha, cortisol, and intelligence, as well as the effects of the presence or absence of co-occurring medical conditions on the relationship between IL-6, TNF-alpha, cortisol, and GI symptoms. Given the aforementioned findings, we expected to find positive relationships between GI symptoms and biomarkers of stress, including cortisol levels, IL-6, and TNF-alpha

Prader–Willi syndrome and autism spectrum disorders: an evolving story

Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) is well-known for its genetic and phenotypic complexities. Caused by a lack of paternally derived imprinted material on chromosome 15q11–q13, individuals with PWS have mild to moderate intellectual disabilities, repetitive and compulsive behaviors, skin picking, tantrums, irritability, hyperphagia, and increased risks of obesity. Many individuals also have co-occurring autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), psychosis, and mood disorders. Although the PWS 15q11–q13 region confers risks for autism, relatively few studies have assessed autism symptoms in PWS or directly compared social, behavioral, and cognitive functioning across groups with autism or PWS. This article identifies areas of phenotypic overlap and difference between PWS and ASD in core autism symptoms and in such comorbidities as psychiatric disorders, and dysregulated sleep and eating. Though future studies are needed, PWS provides a promising alternative lens into specific symptoms and comorbidities of autism

Characteristics of Adults in the Hepatitis B Research Network in North America Reflect Their Country of Origin and Hepatitis B Virus Genotype

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an important cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide; populations that migrate to the US and Canada might be disproportionately affected. The Hepatitis B Research Network (HBRN) is a cooperative network of investigators from the United States and Canada, created to facilitate clinical, therapeutic, and translational research in adults and children with hepatitis B. We describe the structure of the network and baseline characteristics of adults with hepatitis B enrolled in the network

The Factors That Influence Foreign Holdings of Malaysian Government Bonds

While the flows of global capital can facilitate optimal global monetary allocation, they can also cause global macroeconomic imbalances before and after financial crises. From this point of view, looking into what causes the flows of capital is important to prevent economic turmoil and financial crises. Therefore, this research aims to examine the impact of pull factors (domestic factors) and push factors (US unconventional monetary policy) on the foreign bondholding in Malaysia. This research analyses monthly data for the period January 2008 - April 2018 using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method. The empirical results reveal that the empirical model with US total assets is the best model in investigating the impact of all the independent variables toward the foreign bondholding in Malaysia. According to the findings of this research, each of the pull variables has a significant long-run relationship with foreign bondholding in Malaysia. Most crucially, total asset, an unconventional monetary policy tool used by the United States, has a significant positive link with foreign bondholding in Malaysia. Despite these promising findings, further research should be conducted to investigate the disaggregated analysis of US total assets on the foreign bondholding of Malaysian government bonds