Financial integration is the process that has been occurring in the European Union for many years and that intensified after adoption of the common currency in 1999. This paper discusses the theoretical framework of financial integration, particularly the definition, typology, benefits and drawbacks. More opportunities for risk sharing and diversification, better allocation of capital among investment opportunities, and potential for higher economic growth were identified as the crucial benefits of financial integration. By contrast, we consider increased vulnerability to external macroeconomic shocks and financial crises transmitted to higher output and consumption volatility as the most serious drawbacks of financial integration. The paper also summarizes the progress in financial integration that has been achieved in individual segments of the European Union financial sector. It is evident that the most integrated are the euro area money market and the government bonds markets. The remaining financial markets are still rather fragmented.

https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/34393/1/MPRA_paper_34393.pdf

Theory of financial integration and achievements in the European Union

This thesis studies international financial integration in the Gulf region. It develops measures of international financial integration for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, investigates the drivers of financial integration, and examines volatility spillovers from regional (Saudi) and global (US) markets to GCC stock markets. The GCC was established in 1981, when a unified economic agreement between six countries, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, was signed with the objective of realising coordination, integration, and cooperation in various aspects of economic affairs. Understanding of the drivers of international financial integration will provide important insight into the process of monetary and financial integration and of shaping policy decisions in the GCC region. The overall contribution of this thesis is to provide a careful review and understanding of the financial integration, and offer valuable information for policy makers in the GCC region. In this regard, the thesis analyses the degree of international financial integration of the GCC member countries with the rest of the world by employing several quantity measures for international financial integration based on foreign assets and liabilities. The thesis develops time-varying measures of international financial integration of GCC countries based on the international asset pricing theory by employing the multivariate DCC-GARCH model of Engle (2002). The thesis examines the drivers and impact of global financial crisis on GCC countries’ international financial integration. The thesis employs three different bivariate GARCH(1,1) models in symmetric and asymmetric cases (constant

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Financial integration in the Gulf Region

The relationship between multinationality and value is still one of the most fundamental questions in IB research Gande, Schenzler, and Senbet (2009) claim to have found empirical evidence for the incomplete capital markets theory (ICMT), which stipulates that investors value corporate multinationality due to its risk‐reducing effect We show here that their findings do not support the hypothesis that investors value geographical diversification at the firm level because of its risk reducing effect Further, a review of extant research shows that empirical results concerning the valuation impact of the risk‐reducing effect of geographical diversification at the firm level have to be regarded with caution due to conceptual and methodological inconsistencies Consequently, this paper proposes several methodological refinements

A Commentary on Risk Reduction by Geographic Diversification

Abstract The restoration of nerve dysfunction after traumatic brain injury (TBI) faces huge challenges due to the limited self-regenerative abilities of nerve tissues. In situ inductive recovery can be achieved utilizing biological scaffolds combined with endogenous human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSCs)-derived exosomes (MExos). In this study, brain-derived neurotrophic factor-stimulated HUCMSCs-derived exosomes (BMExos) were composited with collagen/chitosan by 3D printing technology. 3D-printed collagen/chitosan/BMExos (3D-CC-BMExos) scaffolds have excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. Subsequently, in vivo experiments showed that 3D-CC-BMExos therapy could improve the recovery of neuromotor function and cognitive function in a TBI model in rats. Consistent with the behavioural recovery, the results of histomorphological tests showed that 3D-CC-BMExos therapy could facilitate the remodelling of neural networks, such as improving the regeneration of nerve fibres, synaptic connections and myelin sheaths, in lesions after TBI.

https://academic.oup.com/rb/article-pdf/doi/10.1093/rb/rbac085/48758804/rbac085.pdf

Integrated printed BDNF-stimulated HUCMSCs-derived exosomes/collagen/chitosan biological scaffolds with 3D printing technology promoted the remodelling of neural networks after traumatic brain injury

Extracellular vesicles (EV) are membrane vesicles surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane and include microvesicles, apoptotic bodies, exosomes, and exomeres. Exosome-encapsulated microRNAs (miRNAs) released from cancer cells are involved in the proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells via angiogenesis. On the other hand, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy, which is being employed in regenerative medicine owing to the ability of MSCs to differentiate into various cells, is due to humoral factors, including messenger RNA (mRNA), miRNAs, proteins, and lipids, which are encapsulated in exosomes derived from transplanted cells. New treatments that advocate cell-free therapy using MSC-derived exosomes will significantly improve clinical practice. Therefore, using highly purified exosomes that perform their original functions is desirable. In this review, we summarized advances in the purification, modification, and application of EVs as novel strategies to treat some diseases.

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Advances in Purification, Modification, and Application of Extracellular Vesicles for Novel Clinical Treatments

Over the past 15 years, financial markets have become increasingly global. The relationship among the equity markets of the developed and the emerging countries has been examined extensively in the literature. This paper studies the interdependence among the major stock markets of the world. Using the monthly data from January 1993 to September 2003, we examine the stock market indices of India (Sensex), Hong Kong (Hang Seng), the USA (DJIA) and the UK (FTSE-100). Co-integration technique has been employed to study the long-term linkages among the markets. We found that the equity markets of India and Hong Kong are co-integrated with the other markets whereas the markets of the USA and UK are not.

International Financial Markets Integration or Segmentation: A Case Study of Equity Markets

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles produced by various cell types and extensively distributed in physiological fluids. Because of their significant role in cancer progression, they have been a focal point for the novel cancer therapy approach. Exosomes are highly efficient at transporting proteins, RNAs, and small drugs into cancer cells for therapeutic purposes. In addition to their prominent role as potential biomarkers for transporting targeted information from their progenitor cells, exosomes have also emerged as a new avenue for developing more effective clinical diagnostics and therapeutic techniques, also known as exosome theranostics. Lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids transported by exosomes were investigated as potential biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and future cancer treatment targets. The unique mechanism of exosomes and their therapeutic as well as diagnostic uses, also known as theranostic applications of exosomes in malignancies, are discussed in this review.

/pdf/exosomes-as-theranostic-targets-implications-for-the-2qnvidtr.pdf

Exosomes as Theranostic Targets: Implications for the Clinical Prognosis of Aggressive Cancers

International Financial Markets Integration or Segmentation: Case Study on Equity Markets

Exosomal microRNA (ExomiRs) serves as potential cargo molecules responsible for post-translation of gene expression and intracellular communication playing a vital role in acting as clinically relevant prognostic biomarkers for identifying pregnancy-associated complications in patients. ExomiRs are associated with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) as potential targets for understanding the pathophysiology of beta-cell dysfunction. ExomiRs (ExomiR 122, ExomiR 16-5p, ExomiR 215-5p, ExomiR 450b-3p, ExomiR 122-5p) aid to act as biomarkers and regulate the progression of diabetes and its related complication. These ExomiRshave been reported to interfere with the regulation of various genes such as ZEB2, IRS1, IRS2, GLUT1, GLUT4, etc. and inhibition of several pathways like PI3K/AKT, Wnt, and mTOR signaling pathways leading to the modulation in the development of GDM affecting the clinical and pathological features of women. These ExomiRs have also been associated with other pregnancy-associated complications, including preeclampsia, hypothyroidism, pregnancy loss, and ectopic pregnancies. On the other hand, overexpression of certain ExomiRs such as Exomir-515-5p, ExomiR-221, and ExomiR-96 serve a regulatory role in overcoming insulin resistance. Taken together, the current review focuses on the prospective capabilities of ExomiRs for diagnosis and clinical prognosis of GDM women with respect to pregnancy outcomes. Graphical Abstract Depicts the graphical abstract of the article demonstrating the role of ExomiRs as potential biomarkers for the prognosis of GDM and related pregnancy outcomes as well as how AI-enabled algorithms can help in clinical resource allocation at the community level. Additionally, the arrow pointing down from AI-enabled niche-specific dashboards towards the automated clinical resource allocation is missing.

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Prospecting of exosomal-miRNA signatures as prognostic marker for gestational diabetes mellitus and other adverse pregnancy outcomes

http://www.thelancet.com/article/S2352301822002430/pdf

Richa Gulati

Papers

International Financial Markets Integration or Segmentation: A Case Study of Equity Markets

Exosomes as Theranostic Targets: Implications for the Clinical Prognosis of Aggressive Cancers

International Financial Markets Integration or Segmentation: Case Study on Equity Markets

Prospecting of exosomal-miRNA signatures as prognostic marker for gestational diabetes mellitus and other adverse pregnancy outcomes

Improving services to tackle the syndemic of HIV and mental ill health.