COVID-19 and Spillover Effect of Global Economic Crisis on the United States' Financial Stability.

Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), the lockdown engendered has had a vicious impact on the global economy. This analysis' prime intention is to evaluate the impact of the United States' economic and health crisis as a result of COVID-19 on its financial stability. Additionally, the investigation analyzed the spillover impact of the worldwide economic slowdown experienced by COVID-19 on the United States' financial volatility. The study applied an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and discovered that the economic and health crises that occurred in the United States portentously upset the future expectations of its investors. Conspicuously, the health crisis in Spain and Italy were ominous spillovers of the United States' financial instability in the short-run. Likewise, an economic crisis ensued in the United Kingdom because of COVID-19 causing spillover for the United States markets' financial instability. The examination evaluated that Asian and African nations' economic crises perilously affects the United States' financial stability. The study determined that financial instability occurred in the United States due to its own economic and health crises persisted for a longer period than financial disequilibrium that occurred in other nations. The analysis suggested some strategies of smart lockdown that the government of the United States and other nations should follow to restart the economic cycle through tighter controls to minimize losses by following the steps of (a) preparing a lockdown checklist, (b) monitoring completion of lockdown tasks, and (c) complete a close-down stock take or count.

COVID-19 outbreak, lockdown, and air quality: fresh insights from New York City.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected all aspects of life and poses a severe threat to human health and economic development. New York City administration enacted a strict isolation decision at the end of March 2020 to tackle the COVID-19, creating a unique opportunity to assess air quality. Therefore, we investigated the impact of the lockdown on air quality in New York City. We evaluated the air pollutants concentration, i.e., PM2.5, CO, NO2, SO2, and O3, during the lockdown and compared them with pre-COVID-19. We explored the first phase of lockdown through a spatial approach, then formulated the air quality index (AQI) of each pollutant before and during the lockdown. Our findings revealed that (1) there was a significant decline in the concentration level of PM2.5 from 10.3 to 4.0 µg/m3 during phase one of lockdown. (2) NO2 concentrations have been decreased by up to 52% in 1st phase of lockdown. (3) O3 concentration has been increased by 44.4%. (4) Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island County encountered 18.75%, 55.62%, 47.14%, and 47% diminution in AQI due to lockdown as compared to 2018, respectively. Our key findings can provide critical environmental implications for policymakers, researchers, academics, and the US government.

Does air pollution upsurge in megacities after Covid-19 lockdown? A spatial approach.

The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has a high spreading and fatality rate. To control the rapid spreading of the COVID-19 virus, the government of India imposed lockdown policies, which creates a unique opportunity to analyze the impact of lockdown on air quality in the two most populous cities of India, i.e., Delhi and Mumbai. To do this, the study employed a spatial approach to examine the concentration of seven criteria pollutants, i.e., PM2.5, PM10, NH3, CO, NO2, O3, and SO2, before, during, and after a lockdown in Delhi and Mumbai. Overall, around 42%, 50%, 21%, 37%, 53%, and 41% declines in PM2.5, PM10, NH3, CO, NO2, and SO2 were observed during the lockdown period as compared to previous years. On the other hand, a 2% increase in O3 concentration was observed. However, the study analyzed the National Air Quality Index (NAQI) for Delhi and Mumbai and found that lockdown does not improve the air quality in the long term period. Our key findings provide essential information to the cities' administration to develop rules and regulations to enhance air quality.

Investigating the Psychology of Financial Markets During COVID-19 Era: A Case Study of the US and European Markets.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has imperatively shaken the behavior of the global financial markets. This study estimated the impact of COVID-19 on the behavior of the financial markets of Europe and the US. The results revealed that the returns of the S&P 500 index have been greatly affected by a lockdown in the US owing to COVID-19. However, the health crisis generated due to the novel coronavirus significantly decreased the stock returns of the Nasdaq Composite index. The results also showed that the economic crisis generated from the pandemic in Spain has had more impact on the IBEX 35 as compared to the health crisis itself. On the other hand, in the long-run, Italy's stock markets are more affected by the health crisis as contrasted with the economic crisis, while, in the short-run, both lockdown conditions and economic instability lower the stock returns of FTSE MIB. The UK stock markets witnessed that in the short-run, deficiency of health management systems imperatively damaged the stock returns of the London Stock Exchange. The investigation revealed that deficiency of health systems and lockdown conditions have imperatively damaged the structure of financial markets, inferring that sustainable development of these nations is at risk due to COVID-19. The study suggested that governments should allocate more of their budget to the health sector to overcome a health crisis in the future.

COVID-19's disasters are perilous than Global Financial Crisis: A rumor or fact?

This investigation employed the Asymmetric Power GARCH model and found that COVID-19 substantially harms the US and Japan's market returns. Moreover, COVID-19 has influenced the variance of the US, Germany, and Italy's stock markets more than the Global Financial Crises (GFC). However, GFC indicated a more significant impact on the financial volatility of the Nikkei 225 index and SSEC than COVID-19. The study confirmed the leverage effect for the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite Index, DAX 30, Nikkei 225, FTSE MIB, and SSEC. The analysis authenticated that the health crisis that befell due to COVID-19 have imperatively originated the financial crisis globally; however, the Asian markets still make available better prospects for portfolio optimization.

Signifying the imperative nexus between climate change and information and communication technology development: a case from Pakistan.

The globe has faced technological affluence that enormously revolutionized the lives of humankind. Today, the manufacturing process of the energy sector, production sector, agriculture sector, and service sector is exclusively or partially based on ICT tools. The key intention of this investigation is to find out the impacts of the utilization of ICT on CO2 emission. However, this investigation also evaluates the influence of investment in ICT and the trade of ICT tools on CO2 emission. Further, the estimation examined the subsistence of environment Kuznets curve (EKC) theory, for the nation of Pakistan. The investigation employed an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and found that the utilization of ICT has a negative impact on CO2 emission. Moreover, the long-run results revealed that the import of ICT equipment is more beneficial for the environment quality of Pakistan. However, ICT apparatus manufactured in Pakistan might produce electronic waste due to non-utilization of green technology. The study reported bidirectional causality between ICT and CO2 emission. These results point towards that the emergence of ICT in industries and daily life possesses a significant and positive role in climate change in Pakistan. Also, this study corroborates the veracity of EKC in Pakistan.

Effects of Tangtong Formula on RSC96 Schwann Cells Apoptosis and Proliferation Induced by High Glucose / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To screen the optimal dose of Tangtong Formula in vitro. Methods RSC96 Schwann Cells were cultivate by DMEM mediums which contains different concentrations of glucose (5–125 mmol/L). The prevention effects of Tangtong Formula at different concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 5.0 mg/mL) on the proliferation of RSC96 Schwann Cells induced by high glucose were detected. After the RSC96 Schwann Cells were cultivated in 100 mmol/L and 125 mmol/L high glucose mediums for 72 h, the apoptosis of RSC96 Schwann Cells was detected by flow cytometry Annexin V/PI, and the apoptosis rate was calculate; the proliferation situation of RSC96 Schwann cells in different times was detected by CCK-8 method. Results RSC96 Schwann cells were in apoptosis after being intervened by 100 mmol/L and 125 mmol/L high glucose mediums. The apoptosis rates were respectively(7.46±0.96)％ and(16.53±1.01)％, with statistical significance compared with control group (P<0.01). Different concentrations of Tangtong Formula could alleviate the inhibitory effect of high glucose on the proliferation of RSC96 Schwann cells, and the threshold concentration of Tangtong Formula in 24 h was 0.25 mg/mL. The concentrations of Tangtong Formula in 0.5 mg/mL, 1.0 mg/mL, and 1.5 mg/mL could inhibit the apoptosis of RSC96 Schwann cells induced by high glucos, compared with 125 mmol/L high glucose group, the apoptosis rate of RSC96 Schwann cells decreased significantly (P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusion Among three different doses, when the dose of Tangtong Formula is in 1.5 mg/mL, the effects on inhibiting apoptosis are the best.