41 research outputs found
Money Supply and Equity Price Movements in Pakistan
The relationship between stock prices and money supply in Pakistan is examined by monthly data from January 1992 to June 2009. The Co-integration, Error-Correction Model and Granger Causality Techniques are used to test the causal association among money supply and stock prices. The empirical results indicate the uni-directional causal relationship between stock prices and money supply. The results also indicate that stock price has negative significant short run causal effect on money supply in Pakistan. It suggests that as stock prices increase, equities become more attractive as compared to other assets; thus there is a shift from money to stock. Money supply does not determine the stock price in long run. However, during the short run, broad money M2 has significant causal effect on stock prices. Thus stock market, in the long run, is inefficient with respect to money supply. Moreover, income and interest rate do affect the stock prices, which suggest that tight monetary policy may be used more effectively to check the movement in stock prices in Pakistan. Key Words: Money supply, stock price, interest rate
Use of Geometric Mean in Bioequivalence Trials
Bioequivalence data often do not follow the normality assumption on the linear (original) scale, therefore in that situation, the use of the logarithmic transformation is recommended. In the bioequivalence analysis, confusion arises about the use of geometric mean ratio when the logarithmic transformation is recommended by the regulatory authorities. The purpose of this research paper is to clear this confusion. Different average bioequivalence criteria are also reviewed in this paper
Assessment of Statistical Approaches to Model Low Count Data: An Empirical Application to Youth Delinquency
Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with number of crime committed by youth (Youth Delinquency) between ages 10-17, using Ordinary Least Square (OLS), Poisson Regression model (PRM), Negative Binomial Regression model (NBRM)& Zero Inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) with the aim to choose the most appropriate model for the observed count data.Methodology: The data in the study was collected from youth whose mothers enrolled in Philadelphia Collaborative Perinatal Project (CPP). School and delinquency record (between ages 10-17) was obtained by the Centre for studies in Criminology and Criminal Law. Literature search suggest that factors associated with child delinquency can be divided into four main factors as Individual, Family, School and Peer. Therefore we included variables in the analysis accordingly.Result: For OLS scatter plot of residuals versus estimated counts showed definite pattern of heterogeneity (non-constant variance). The likelihood-ratio (LR) test of over dispersion yields the significant p-value, which implied that the outcome variable is overdispersed. The plot of the difference between the actual probabilities and the mean predicted probabilities for each model showed that PRM has poor predictions for low counts (0-2).Conclusion: NBRM and ZINB both performed well, however fit statistics revealed that NBRM has provided more closed predication as compare ZINB.NB modeling techniques provides much more compelling and accurate results instead of basic PRM or those available through simple linear or log-linear modeling techniques
Consequences of Drug Abuse among Female and Male Population of Karachi: A Statistical Surveyed Approach
Drugs are chemicals. Different drugs, because of their chemical structures, can affect the body in different ways. The most obvious effects of drug abuse which are manifested in the individuals include ill health, sickness and ultimately, death. The social life is also not spared by the hazardous impacts of the problem. Whereas the load at health department is increased, rise in crime rate is also a perilous effect faced by the society related to the growth of abusers in the country. The following study highlights the different effects that can influence male and female drug abusers to get rid of their drug misuse habits. Abusers age, level of awareness about drugs adverse effects, their encounters to health ailments including the life threatening infection HIV, and involvement in crimes were included in the survey which was carried out in Karachi in order to assess the magnitude of this problem
A Dynamical Study of Risk Factors in Intracerebral Hemorrhage using Multivariate Approach
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of clinical covariates to the outcome of Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ICH) patients in terms of best fitted and excellent discriminate model of binary response variable.
Clinical data of 985 patients with ICH have collected using the International classification of diseases, Ninth revision codes. The diagnosis of ICH was confirmed by neuro-imaging in all patients.
Univariate analysis revealed that out of 88 covariates 46 were found to be significant (p\u3c0.05). The multivariable analysis using multiple logistic regressions, exhibited a significant negative relationship between ICH and hypertension. The improvement among ICH patients having hypertension was 0.5 (p=0.001, ARR=0.5, 95% C.I. 0.3 – 0.8). The improvement among ICH patients using antihypertensive medicine was 1.3 (p = 0.016, ARR=1.3, 95% C.I. 1.1 – 1.5). Thus present study showed that ICH has strong relationship with use of antihypertensive medicine. The improvement of patients who were using antihypertensive medicine at the time of discharge was 3.0 times (p \u3c 0.0001, ARR=3.0, 95% C.I. 2.7 – 3.2) as compared to those who did not use antihypertensive medicine. The change in ARR from 1.3 to 3.0 times shows that the use of antihypertensive medicine and ICH outcome variable are positively associated. The change in ARR of hypertensive range of SBP also indicates that the blood pressure range and ICH outcome variable are negatively associated. The neurological symptomatology, slurred speech and double vision are important factors of proposed statistical models. Moreover, a clear decrease was found in mental status from normal to coma in applicable model.
Surgery is an important part of recovery, and estimated that the improvement among the ICH patients, who were treated with surgery, was 1.4 times with significant p-value in best fitted models. The complication of pneumonia during treatment of ICH subjects has highly significant negative association with outcome variable.
Present Model has 0.892 area under the curve with sensitivity (0.852), specificity (0.793) and p-value (0.204). This indicates that the model gives the impression to fit quite well for predictive performance of the ICH outcome variable and the model is excellent model
Non-Parametric Test for Ordered Medians: The Jonckheere Terpstra Test
In clinical trials, sample size is usually lesser as compared to other epidemiological studies to make it more feasible and cost effective. Small sizes of such trials discourage the use of parametric test due to violation of the assumption under which they are applicable. Therefore, the use of nonparametric test is substantial in clinical trials to test two or more independent samples. The Kruskal-Wallis h test is an alternative to one-way ANOVA and can be used to identify significant differences among different populations. When we have several independent samples and assumed to be arranged orderly, Jonckheere Terpstra test is a best choice to compare population medians instead of means. For the application of Jonckheere Terpstra test the data from the study of cleaning methods for ultrasound probes are used. The Jonckheere Terpstra test is recommended over Kruskal-Wallis h test as it compares and provides significant difference between more than two population medians when they arranged in order. Therefore, the aim of this research paper was to explore the use and significance of Jonckheere-Terpstra test with the use of practical example
Evaluation of Essential and Toxic Elements in Blood Samples of Male Smokers Having Different Types of Cancers with Reference to Healthy Male Smokers
Immense epidemiologic studies have been reported about the role of essential trace and toxic elements as risk factors for incidence of different type of cancers in population of developed and developing countries. In present work the levels of carcinogenic, Arsenic, Cadmium, and Nickel (As, Cd and Ni) and anti-carcinogenic, Zinc and Selenium (Zn and Se) elements were measured in blood of male cancer patients (urinary bladder, lung, mouth and esophageal) and healthy referents. The all patients and referents were smoker. The blood samples were analysed with atomic absorption spectrometry after microwave assisted acid digestion. The resulted data indicated that the levels of toxic elements As, Ni and Cd were considerably elevated whereas essential elements, Zn and Se were lower in blood samples of all cancer cases as compared to those values found in noncancerous subjects. As the levels of essential trace elements were low in blood samples of male cancerous patients but difference was highly significant in lung and mouth cancer subjects (p<0.001), whereas sequence of decreasing order was not uniform. The levels of Zn in blood samples of different cancerous patients were found in decreasing order as: esophagus< mouth< urinary bladder<lung, whereas in case of Se as mouth<lung<urinary bladder<esophagus.The study revealed that the carcinogenic processes are significantly affecting the essential and toxic elements levels in biological samples of cancerous patients as related to those obtained for controls/referents
Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial
Background
Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy
A multi-targeted approach to suppress tumor-promoting inflammation
Cancers harbor significant genetic heterogeneity and patterns of relapse following many therapies are due to evolved resistance to treatment. While efforts have been made to combine targeted therapies, significant levels of toxicity have stymied efforts to effectively treat cancer with multi-drug combinations using currently approved therapeutics. We discuss the relationship between tumor-promoting inflammation and cancer as part of a larger effort to develop a broad-spectrum therapeutic approach aimed at a wide range of targets to address this heterogeneity. Specifically, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, cyclooxygenase-2, transcription factor nuclear factor-κB, tumor necrosis factor alpha, inducible nitric oxide synthase, protein kinase B, and CXC chemokines are reviewed as important antiinflammatory targets while curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, lycopene, and anthocyanins are reviewed as low-cost, low toxicity means by which these targets might all be reached simultaneously. Future translational work will need to assess the resulting synergies of rationally designed antiinflammatory mixtures (employing low-toxicity constituents), and then combine this with similar approaches targeting the most important pathways across the range of cancer hallmark phenotypes
Effects of antiplatelet therapy after stroke due to intracerebral haemorrhage (RESTART): a randomised, open-label trial
Background:
Antiplatelet therapy reduces the risk of major vascular events for people with occlusive vascular disease, although it might increase the risk of intracranial haemorrhage. Patients surviving the commonest subtype of intracranial haemorrhage, intracerebral haemorrhage, are at risk of both haemorrhagic and occlusive vascular events, but whether antiplatelet therapy can be used safely is unclear. We aimed to estimate the relative and absolute effects of antiplatelet therapy on recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage and whether this risk might exceed any reduction of occlusive vascular events.
Methods:
The REstart or STop Antithrombotics Randomised Trial (RESTART) was a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded endpoint, parallel-group trial at 122 hospitals in the UK. We recruited adults (≥18 years) who were taking antithrombotic (antiplatelet or anticoagulant) therapy for the prevention of occlusive vascular disease when they developed intracerebral haemorrhage, discontinued antithrombotic therapy, and survived for 24 h. Computerised randomisation incorporating minimisation allocated participants (1:1) to start or avoid antiplatelet therapy. We followed participants for the primary outcome (recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage) for up to 5 years. We analysed data from all randomised participants using Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusted for minimisation covariates. This trial is registered with ISRCTN (number ISRCTN71907627).
Findings:
Between May 22, 2013, and May 31, 2018, 537 participants were recruited a median of 76 days (IQR 29–146) after intracerebral haemorrhage onset: 268 were assigned to start and 269 (one withdrew) to avoid antiplatelet therapy. Participants were followed for a median of 2·0 years (IQR [1·0– 3·0]; completeness 99·3%). 12 (4%) of 268 participants allocated to antiplatelet therapy had recurrence of intracerebral haemorrhage compared with 23 (9%) of 268 participants allocated to avoid antiplatelet therapy (adjusted hazard ratio 0·51 [95% CI 0·25–1·03]; p=0·060). 18 (7%) participants allocated to antiplatelet therapy experienced major haemorrhagic events compared with 25 (9%) participants allocated to avoid antiplatelet therapy (0·71 [0·39–1·30]; p=0·27), and 39 [15%] participants allocated to antiplatelet therapy had major occlusive vascular events compared with 38 [14%] allocated to avoid antiplatelet therapy (1·02 [0·65–1·60]; p=0·92).
Interpretation:
These results exclude all but a very modest increase in the risk of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage with antiplatelet therapy for patients on antithrombotic therapy for the prevention of occlusive vascular disease when they developed intracerebral haemorrhage. The risk of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage is probably too small to exceed the established benefits of antiplatelet therapy for secondary prevention