Impact of Covid-19 on the Performance of The Nigeria`s Stock Market

This study identifies the structural break date in the series of All Share Index (ASI) of the Nigeria’s capital market using innovational outlier methodology with the Augmented Dickey-Fuller unit root with structural break test. The study also examines the descriptive characteristics and model structure of ASI before and after the identified break date using ARIMA methodology. It uses daily data of ASI from November 27, 2018 to November 24, 2020. The results indicate that the break date is March 6, 2020. The mean results decreased after the break. The series before the break follows ARIMA (3,1,12), while it follows ARIMA (7,1,9) after the break. The diagnostic test revealed that the ARIMA (7,1,9) fails to capture the entire variation in the series. The modified model for post break period is AR(7), MA(8) and MA(9) process. However, the estimated volatility of the series decreased after the break. The study recommends that capital market studies and policies going forward should incorporate the impact of Covid-19 induced structural break.

Break events of the western North Pacific summer monsoon during 1979–2018

The monsoon break is a typical phenomenon representing the monsoon’s subseasonal variability, but its understanding is still limited for the western North Pacific (WNP) area. This study identified all break events of the WNP summer monsoon (WNPSM) from 1979 to 2018. The statistical analysis suggests that break events occur from late June to late October and peak at the end of August. The occurrence frequency of break events decreases as the duration increases, with 74% persisting 3–7 days and merely 26% lasting longer (8–15 days). During the break period, which is characterized by significant suppression of convection, there is an extensive anticyclonic anomaly in the lower troposphere, corresponding to a notable westward retreat of the monsoon trough and a southwestward shift of the subtropical high. Meanwhile, an anomalous cyclone and convergence in the upper troposphere are also conducive to inhibiting convection.The composite results indicate that both 10–25-day and 30–60-day oscillations contribute to the break, with their dry phases explaining 49.6% and 37.5% of the original suppression of convection, respectively. Around the break, the phase alternation of the 10–25-day oscillation causes convection fluctuation, while the 30–60-day oscillation maintains a stable dry phase that favors the establishment and maintenance of the break. A further case-by-case diagnosis suggests that 46 (51) out of the 61 break events occur in dry phases of the 10–25-day (30–60-day) oscillation, while only 10 (4) events occur in wet phases, indicating that the phase of the two oscillations significantly modulates the occurrence of the monsoon break.

COVID-19 pandemic and cryptocurrency markets: an empirical analysis from a linear and nonlinear causal relationship

Purpose This paper aims to empirically examine the effect of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on cryptocurrency market returns with particular attention to top five cryptocurrencies and COVID-19 confirmed and death cases. Design/methodology/approach The study applies the linear Toda and Yamamoto and nonlinear Diks and Panchenko Granger causality test to know the causal relationship of cryptocurrencies with COVID-19 pandemic. The study also uses the Narayan and Popp endogenous two structural break tests to capture the break period of the sample. Findings The findings of the study confirm the existence of unidirectional causal relation from COVID-19 confirmed and death cases to cryptocurrency price returns. While examining the break periods, the post-break period result indicates the presence of unidirectional linear causality from COVID-19 confirmed cases to Bitcoin and Ethereum price returns. This shows that prior knowledge of COVID-19 pandemic growth helps to predict the return of cryptocurrencies. Originality/value The study suggests the investors or crypto lovers to observe the growth of COVID-19 situations during their investment in cryptocurrency markets.

Recomendaciones generales de atención de la patología quirúrgica en el contexto de la pandemia por COVID-19 (SARS COV-2)

Establish a communication channel between the department of surgery and the hospital board of directors, with daily reports about the department and the hospital. 2. Consider a 14-day shift followed by a 14-day break period according to the incubation period of the disease. 3. The usual work of the department will be lower due to the decrease in the normal activity. The surgeon without an assigned activity or who has finished it should remain at home to reduce exposure and infection and should be available for any emergency. This distribution should be coordinated by the person designated to such task. 4. All the staff members should receive practical training in donning and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE) as established in each center. Recomendaciones para equipos de salud | Argentina.gob.ar 5. Working areas, offices and lecture halls must be well ventilated, keeping the safe distance between doctors and with the rest of the hospital staff.

Encuesta sobre docencia online en las Facultades de Enfermería y Medicina de la Universidad de Murcia.

Presentamos los resultados de una encuesta sobre docencia virtual realizada por las Delegaciones de Estudiantes de Enfermería y Medicina de la Universidad de Murcia. Ha sido llevada a cabo en el período de suspensión de la docencia presencial en la Universidad de Murcia, previo al período de vacaciones de primavera. En general, la percepción del estudiantado de las Facultades de Enfermería y Medicina dista de ser satisfactoria, por lo que los profesores debemos hacer un esfuerzo para intentar suplir las deficiencias en la formación de los estudiantes tras el cierre presencial de la Universidad. We present the results of a survey on virtual teaching carried out by the Delegations of Nursing and Medicine Students of the University of Murcia (Spain). It has been carried out in the period of suspension of classroom teaching at the University of Murcia, prior to the spring break period. In general, the perception of the students of the Faculties of Nursing and Medicine is far from being satisfactory. Then, the teachers must make an effort to try to fill the deficiencies in the training of students caused by the face-to-face closure of the University.

0412 Parents Sleep Longer When School is Out for the Summer: Associations Among Parenthood, Gender, and Season

Introduction Seasonal effects in sleep are often attributed to day length; however, change in obligatory daily activities might also have an impact on sleep behavior. Longitudinal measurement using consumer sleep technology enables the observation of patterns in sleep behavior in the home environment. We analyzed the impact of parenthood and gender on total sleep time (TST) over the summer break period using data collected in the home. Methods Sleep data were collected using the SleepScore mobile application from October 2018 through October 2019, with the summer break period defined as June 25th - August 5th. U.S. age and gender matched samples of parents and non-parents were selected using Mahalanobis distance from a pool of users more likely to have school-aged children. The final samples included n=345 parents (38.7 +/- 4.5 years) and n=345 non-parents (37.8 +/- 4.7 years); both groups were 46% female. Only weeknights (n=34,323) were analyzed to maximize impact of school schedule. Linear regression and independent t-tests were used to analyze main and interaction effects for gender, parenthood, and summer break. Results Male gender, parenthood, and summer break were associated with decreased sleep duration (ps < .01). However, during summer break, parents exhibited an increase in TST, with mothers (+5.6 mins) having a greater increase than fathers (+1.1 mins). In contrast, adults without children showed a decrease in TST during summer break, with males having a greater reduction (-8.8 mins) than females (-6.5 mins). Conclusion These results suggest that parental status may play a part in seasonal sleep patterns. Contrary to the typical trend of shorter TST during summer, being a parent is associated with longer TST during summer break, with a greater increase for females. This change may be attributed to parents following a less rigid schedule when their children are not in school. Support N/A

Thin-Ideal Images and Affect: An Investigation Using Magazines and Minimizing Demand

Women and girls generally experience slightly reduced satisfaction with their appearance following exposure to thin-ideal media images. Inconsistent findings have been obtained regarding the impact of such images on positive and negative affect. However, in experimental studies, researchers have typically exposed participants to a concentrated dose of such images, isolated from context, instead of showing them in an everyday context such as within a fashion magazine. This has implications for external validity because the context in which thin-ideal images are viewed may change their effects. Concentrated exposure also increases demand characteristics. The present study investigated the effect of thin-ideal images presented in magazines on viewers’ affect, while manipulating the level of demand characteristics. Undergraduate female students (N = 172) were assigned to three groups (Implied Demand, Minimized Demand, and Control), two of which were exposed to fashion magazines; the third group was exposed to control magazines containing no thin-ideal images. Demand characteristics were manipulated when the experimenter provided the magazines during a putative break period, and participants’ affect was assessed both pre- and post-exposure. Our results indicated that exposure to fashion magazines was no different from exposure to control magazines in the effects on participants’ affect.

The effect of climate on Burgundy vintage quality rankings

Aim: Based on consensus rankings from prominent rating authorities, we examined the importance of a suite of climatic variables, organized by winegrape phenological stage, in distinguishing between high- and low-ranked vintages in Burgundy.Methods and Results: Vintage ratings of Burgundy wines acquired from 12 sources were evaluated to develop consensus rankings for red and white wines from 1961–2015. Climate variables (air temperature, precipitation, degree-day accumulations, etc.) were organized by mean phenological stage and compared between good and poor vintages using Mann-Whitney U tests and multivariate stepwise discriminant function analysis. High temperatures, particularly during the growing season, were found to be the most consistently important climatic factor in distinguishing good-quality vintages from poor-quality vintages. The best red vintages had a greater diurnal temperature range during the growing season, whereas the top white vintages were not distinguished by unusually warm conditions, but the bottom-ranked white vintages were particularly cool and wet. The impact of rainfall varied across the growing season, with top-ranked Burgundy wines benefitting from rainfall during the bud break period and dry conditions during the ripening phase.Conclusions: The most important climatic factor in distinguishing between top- and bottom-ranked vintages is growing season temperature, especially high diurnal temperature range (for reds) and high average maximum temperatures (for whites). Good Burgundy vintages are more likely when there is ample rainfall during the bud break period in April and dry conditions during the véraison and ripening phases.Significance and Impact of the Study: As viticulturalists adapt to regional climate trends, a better understanding of how specific climate variables affect wine quality becomes increasingly important in viticulture management.

Passenger Condition Based Route-Planning for Cognitive Vehicle System

This article proposes a route-planning method for an environment in which self-driving vehicles are widely used. Such vehicles generate a new route to avoid traffic congestion when it occurs. Through the self-developed traffic simulator, the author was able to clarify that it is not always best to generate an avoidance route, and the decision to drive along the current route without generating an avoidance route becomes important in certain cases. Thus, the author proposes a method in which a vehicle judges whether to generate an avoidance route based on the passenger's condition. To detect the passenger's condition, the author uses a sitting-pressure sensor and succeeded in recognizing passenger fatigue. The author can therefore make certain judgments: The vehicle will go along the current route if the passenger seems to be relaxed and in a comfortable atmosphere, the vehicle will arrive earlier by avoiding traffic congestion if the passenger seems to be tired or irritated, or the vehicle will stop for a break period if the passenger seems to be significantly tired.