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This paper investigates the relationships of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index and the MSCI World Index in global financial markets. The main objective is to analyze the degree of integration of each index from a fractional perspective for the years 2014–2021. The methodology involves fractional integration to assess the consistency and integration levels of both indices, revealing that they are remarkably consistent with integration orders close to 1 and no evidence of mean-reverting behavior. When examining potential cointegrating relationships between the two indices using the classical two-step method of Engle and Granger, the order of integration of the estimated errors is very close to 1, showing no evidence of cointegration. However, employing the more robust fractional CVAR (FCVAR) approach, the results strongly support the hypothesis of cointegration, indicating evidence of long-term co-movements between the two indices. The findings suggest that investment strategies should incorporate gender diversity criteria, as companies aligning with these benchmarks may enhance co-movements with the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index. Policymakers should promote transparency and initiatives that support gender diversity to improve market stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal imaging is widely used in the assessment of surrogate markers of nephron mass correlated to renal function. Autopsy studies have tested the validity of various imaging modalities in accurately estimating 'true' nephron mass. However, in vivo assessment of nephron mass has been largely limited to kidney volume determination by ultrasonography (US) in pediatric populations. Practical limitations and risks create challenges in incorporating more precise 3D volumetric imaging, like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) technologies, compared to US for routine kidney volume assessment in children. Additionally, accounting for structural anomalies such as hydronephrosis when estimating renal parenchymal area in congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) is important, as it correlates with chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. 3D imaging using CT and MRI has been shown to be superior to US, which has traditionally relied on 2D measurements to estimate kidney volume using the ellipsoid calculation. Recent innovations using 3D and contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) provide improved accuracy with low risk. Indexing kidney volume to body surface area in children is an important standard that may allow early detection of CKD progression in high-risk populations. This review highlights current understanding of various imaging modalities in assessing nephron mass, discusses applications and limitations, and describes recent advances in the field of imaging and kidney disease. Although renal imaging has been a long-standing, essential tool in assessing kidney disease, innovation and new applications of established technologies provide important tools in the study and management of kidney disease in children., Author(s): Marissa J. DeFreitas [sup.1] , Chryso P. Katsoufis [sup.1] , Juan C. Infante [sup.2] , Michael L. Granda [sup.3] , Carolyn L. Abitbol [sup.1] , Alessia Fornoni [sup.4] Author [...]