Do shocks to G7 stock prices have a permanent effect? : evidence from panel unit root tests with structural change

There is a plethora of studies that investigate evidence for the behaviour of stock prices using univariate techniques for unit roots. Whether or not stock prices are characterised by a unit root have implications for the efficient market hypothesis, which asserts that returns of a stock market are unpredictable from previous price changes. The extant literature has found mixed evidence on the integrational properties of stock prices. In this paper, for the first time, we provide evidence on the unit root hypothesis for G7 stock price indices using the Lagrangian multiplier panel unit root test that allows for structural breaks. Our main finding is that stock prices are stationary processes, inconsistent with the efficient market hypothesis.

Organisation change and its impact on Australian Building Societies' performance

The paper examines the relation between changing ownership structure and performance of Australian building societies. An analysis and discussion of the theories of organizational development and change is undertaken to explore the mutual building societies' motivation for change. The financial performance measures, provided by financial ratios of the major mutual building societies in Australia, are examined to assess the behaviour of building societies under different governance structures in the 1980s and 1990s. The theoretical and empirical literature has suggested that mutual deposit-taking institutions should have lov^^er profitability and higher operating expenses than their publicly listed counterparts. Accounting ratios are observed over time to investigate if governance change in mutual deposit-taking organizations accounted for any discernable differences in profitability and cost efficiency pre- and post- demutualization. The study finds support for the contention that demutualized building societies will have higher profitability and lower costs than their mutual counterparts. The study is confined to investigation of the six largest building societies that undertook the demutualization process. It could he extended to the entire building society sector. The results have implications for investors, managers and 'ovraers' of firms that retain their mutual structure, suggesting the demutualization vnû benefit these groups. There is no study that compares mutual deposit-taking institutions pre- and post-conversion in Australia.

Changing perception of average person's risk does not suffice to change perception of comparative risk

The direct method of assessing “unrealistic optimism” employs a question of the form, “Compared with the average person, what is the chance that event X will occur to you?” It has been proposed that when individuals construct their responses to this question (direct-estimates) they focus much more strongly on estimates of their own risk (self-estimates) than on estimates of the average person's risk (other-estimates). A challenge to this proposal comes from findings that interventions that alter other-estimates also change direct-estimates. Employing a novel intervention technique, we tested the possibility that such interventions may indirectly also change self-estimates and that this is what accounts for their effect on direct-estimates. Study 1 (n = 58) showed that an intervention which was designed to (and did) affect other-estimates also affected self-estimates, while Study 2 (n = 101) showed that it affected direct-estimates. Study 3 (n = 79) confirmed that we could modify the intervention so as to maintain the effect on other-estimates, but eliminate that on self-estimates. Study 4 (n = 112) demonstrated that when this was done, there was no longer any effect on direct-estimates. The findings are consistent with the proposal that direct-estimates are constructed largely just out of self-estimates. Implications for heath education programs are discussed.

Managing behavioural symptoms of dementia : Effectiveness of staff education and peer support

This study was designed to investigate the impact of staff education on the behaviour and quality of life of residents with dementia and on staff members' attitudes about working with people with dementia and level of burnout. Staff from three aged care facilities participated in the study (n = 52). These facilities were randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups or a control group. Staff assigned to the intervention groups received an eight-week behaviourally-based programme. Staff from one aged care facility also participated in a peer support group designed to reinforce educational material and facilitate positive changes among staff members. Behavioural symptoms displayed by residents (n = 76) in each of the facilities were also assessed. Assessments were conducted at pre-intervention, post-intervention, three- and six-month follow-up. The results of this study indicated that education or peer support was not associated with an improvement in resident behaviour or quality of life. Education or peer support also did not impact on staff members' level of burnout. There was, however, a change in staff members' attitudes about working with people with dementia. Possible explanations for these findings and implication for further research are considered.

The effect of an area-based intervention on breastfeeding rates in Victoria, Australia

Objectives
Best Start is an area-based early childhood intervention where projects are developed and implemented through a community partnership. A core tenet of the initiative is that implementing projects through a partnership generates greater value than would be expected if projects were undertaken independently by partner members. In this study we examine whether: (1) Best Start is effective in increasing the proportion of infants being fully breastfed at 3 months and 6 months. (2) The quality of community partnerships is a potential mechanism for change.

Methods
Best Start was implemented in Victoria, Australia. The study examined breastfeeding rates before and after Best Start in sites with Best Start breastfeeding projects compared to the rest of state. The relationship between partnership quality scores and breastfeeding percentages was also examined. Both analyses controlled for socioeconomic and demographic differences and clustering by area.

Results
Best Start targeted some of the most socially disadvantaged communities in Victoria. In the 3 years of its operation, the rates of fully breastfeeding at 3 months (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.14–1.47) and 6 months (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.1–1.61) increased in Best Start sites compared to the rest of the state. Quality of partnership scores was positively associated with increased percentages of fully breastfeeding (3 months = OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.06; 6 months = OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.98–1.08).

Conclusions
These results suggest that area-based interventions are effective in increasing percentages of fully breastfeeding. The study also supported the idea that developing quality community partnerships had a positive influence on their success.

The effect of active support training on engagement, opportunities for choice, challenging behaviour and support needs

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate active support (AS) training and to investigate changes to perceived engagement in domestic tasks, opportunities for choice, frequency of challenging behaviour, and level of support needs.

Method: Participants were 12 adults with ID aged 27–57 years (M = 37 years) residing in three group homes, and their support workers. The support workers completed assessments on three occasions (at baseline, post-training, and at follow-up).

Results: Residents' engagement in domestic tasks increased over time, and overall choice increased, although perceived choice in two life domains initially increased, but decreased to baseline levels at follow-up. Residents exhibited an overall decrease in anxiety, self-absorbed behaviour, disruptive behaviour, and problem behaviour in general. There was also an overall decrease in perceived support needs for five activity domains, with no change for one domain.

Conclusions: The results contribute to a growing body of evidence demonstrating favourable outcomes of AS in terms of engagement and challenging behaviour in people with ID. Surprising results are presented for choice and perceived support needs, warranting further investigation.

The infant feeding activity and nutrition trial (INFANT) an early intervention to prevent childhood obesity : cluster-randomised controlled trial

Background : Multiple factors combine to support a compelling case for interventions that target the development of obesity-promoting behaviours (poor diet, low physical activity and high sedentary behaviour) from their inception. These factors include the rapidly increasing prevalence of fatness throughout childhood, the instigation of obesity-promoting behaviours in infancy, and the tracking of these behaviours from childhood through to adolescence and adulthood. The Infant Feeding Activity and Nutrition Trial (INFANT) aims to determine the effectiveness of an early childhood obesity prevention intervention delivered to first-time parents. The intervention, conducted with parents over the infant's first 18 months of life, will use existing social networks (first-time parent's groups) and an anticipatory guidance framework focusing on parenting skills which support the development of positive diet and physical activity behaviours, and reduced sedentary behaviours in infancy.

Methods/Design : This cluster-randomised controlled trial, with first-time parent groups as the unit of randomisation, will be conducted with a sample of 600 first-time parents and their newborn children who attend the first-time parents' group at Maternal and Child Health Centres. Using a two-stage sampling process, local government areas in Victoria, Australia will be randomly selected at the first stage. At the second stage, a proportional sample of first-time parent groups within selected local government areas will be randomly selected and invited to participate. Informed consent will be obtained and groups will then be randomly allocated to the intervention or control group.

Discussion : The early years hold promise as a time in which obesity prevention may be most effective. To our knowledge this will be the first randomised trial internationally to demonstrate whether an early health promotion program delivered to first-time parents in their existing social groups promotes healthy eating, physical activity and reduced sedentary behaviours. If proven to be effective, INFANT may protect children from the development of obesity and its associated social and economic costs.

Family physical activity and sedentary environments and weight change in children

Objective. To examine associations between family physical activity and sedentary environment and changes in body mass index (BMI) z-scores among 10-12-year-old children over three years.
Method. Design. Longitudinal (three-year follow-up). Subjects. In total, 152 boys and 192 girls aged 10-12 years at baseline.
Measurements. Measured height and weight at baseline and follow-up (weight status, BMI z-scores); aspects of the family physical activity and sedentary environment (parental and sibling modelling, reinforcement, social support, family-related barriers, rules/restrictions, home physical environment) measured with a questionnaire completed by parents at baseline.
Results. At baseline, 29.6% of boys and 21.9% of girls were overweight or obese, and mean (standard deviation, SD) BMI z-scores were 0.44 (0.99) and 0.28 (0.89), respectively. There was a significant change in BMI z-score among girls (mean change=0.19, SD=0.55, p<0.001), but not boys. Among boys, the number of items at home able to be used for sedentary behaviour (B=0.11, p=0.037) was associated with relatively greater increases in BMI z-score. Among girls, sibling engagement in physical activity at least three times/wk (B=-0.17, p=0.010) and the number of physical activity equipment items at home (B=-0.05, p=0.018) were associated with relatively greater decreases in BMI z-score.
Conclusion. Sibling physical activity and environmental stimuli for sedentary behaviours and physical activity within the home may be important targets for prevention of weight gain during the transition from childhood to adolescence.

Intervention strategies to engage small and medium sized enterprise in environmental good practice

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are an important part of the world economy but they are thought to be responsible for around 60% of all carbon dioxide emissions by businesses in the UK and 70% of all pollution. SMEs often have major problems with limited resources, limited knowledge and limited technical capabilities to deal with their own environmental impact. SMEs exhibit widely differing characteristics and behaviours where environmental issues are concerned. Yet under these conditions they are all expected to engage in environmentally responsible business for the greater good of society. Interventions that encourage good environmental behaviour are often polarised between regulation and legislation at one extreme and voluntary environmental agreements at the other. It is clear that a holistic mixture of interventions is necessary to achieve maximum engagement by all SMEs. This paper categorises the main behaviours observed in SMEs towards environmental issues and develops a selection or 'tool kit' of intervention strategies that might be deployed within each category of SME for maximum effect.

Magnitude and meaningfulness of change in SF-36 scores in four types of orthopedic surgery

Background: The Medical Outcomes General Health Survey (SF-36) is a widely used health status measure; however, limited evidence is available for its performance in orthopedic settings. The aim of this study was to examine the magnitude and meaningfulness of change and sensitivity of SF-36 subscales following orthopedic surgery.

Methods: Longitudinal data on outcomes of total hip replacement (THR, n = 255), total knee replacement (TKR, n = 103), arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM, n = 74) and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL, n = 62) were used to estimate the effect sizes (ES, magnitude of change) and minimal detectable change (sensitivity) at the group and individual level. To provide context for interpreting the magnitude of changes in SF-36 scores, we also compared patients' scores with age and sex-matched population norms. The studies were conducted in Sweden. Follow-up was five years in THR and TKR studies, two years in ACL, and three months in APM.

Results: On average, large effect sizes (ES≥0.80) were found after orthopedic surgery in SF-36 subscales measuring physical aspects (physical functioning, role physical, and bodily pain). Small (0.20–0.49) to moderate (0.50–0.79) effect sizes were found in subscales measuring mental and social aspects (role emotional, vitality, social functioning, and mental health). General health scores remained relatively unchanged during the follow-up. Despite improvements, post-surgery mean scores of patients were still below the age and sex matched population norms on physical subscales. Patients' scores on mental and social subscales approached population norms following the surgery. At the individual level, scores of a large proportion of patients were affected by floor or ceiling effects on several subscales and the sensitivity to individual change was very low.

Conclusion: Large to moderate meaningful changes in group scores were observed in all SF-36 subscales except General Health across the intervention groups. Therefore, in orthopedic settings, the SF-36 can be used to show changes for groups in physical, mental, and social dimensions and in comparison with population norms. However, SF-36 subscales have low sensitivity to individual change and so we caution against using SF-36 to monitor the health status of individual patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.

Personality change and personality disorder : some initial thoughts on the application of McAdams' triarchic model to the treatment of personality disorder

It is increasingly accepted that psychological therapies have an important role to play in the management and treatment of those who are considered to have disorders of personality, particularly those with forensic histories. Whilst there appears to be an emerging evidence base supporting the effectiveness of treatment for this group, there have been relatively few attempts to link treatment approaches to current models of normal personality. In this paper we use McAdams' (1994) triarchic model of personality as a basis for understanding the effective treatment of personality disorders. We conclude that the model may be useful in assisting clinicians to engage patients in treatment, identify innovative methods of intervention, and conceptualise therapeutic progress.

Weight, physical activity and dietary behavior change in young mothers : short term results of the HeLP-her cluster randomized controlled trial

Background
Preventing weight gain rather than treating established obesity is an important economic and public health response to the rapidly increasing rates of obesity worldwide. Treatment of established obesity is complex and costly requiring multiple resources. Preventing weight gain potentially requires fewer resources to reach broad population groups, yet there is little evidence for successful interventions to prevent weight gain in the community. Women with children are an important target group because of high rates of weight gain and the potential to influence the health behaviors in family members.

Methods
The aim of this cluster randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the short term effect of a community-based self-management intervention to prevent weight gain. Two hundred and fifty mothers of young children (mean age 40 years ± 4.5, BMI 27.9 kg/m2 ± 5.6) were recruited from the community in Melbourne, Australia. The intervention group (n = 127) attended four interactive group sessions over 4 months, held in 12 local primary schools in 2006, and was compared to a group (n = 123) receiving a single, non-interactive, health education session. Data collection included self-reported weight (both groups), measured weight (intervention only), self-efficacy, dietary intake and physical activity.

Results
Mean measured weight decreased significantly in the intervention group (-0.78 kg 95% CI; -1.22 to -0.34, p < 0.001). Comparing groups using self-reported weight, both the intervention and comparison groups decreased weight, -0.75 kg (95% CI; -1.57 to 0.07, p = 0.07) and -0.72 kg (95% CI; -1.59 to 0.14 p = 0.10) respectively with no significant difference between groups (-0.03 kg, 95% CI; -1.32 to 1.26, p = 0.95). More women lost or maintained weight in the intervention group. The intervention group tended to have the greatest effect in those who were overweight at baseline and in those who weighed themselves regularly. Intervention women who rarely self-weighed gained weight (+0.07 kg) and regular self-weighers lost weight (-1.66 kg) a difference of -1.73 kg (95% CI; -3.35 to -0.11 p = 0.04). The intervention reported increased physical activity although the difference between groups did not reach significance. Both groups reported replacing high fat foods with low fat alternatives and self-efficacy deteriorated in the comparison group only.

Conclusion
Both a single health education session and interactive behavioral intervention will result in a similar weight loss in the short term, although more participants in the interactive intervention lost or maintained weight. There were small non-significant changes to physical activity and changes to fat intake specifically replacing high fat foods with low fat alternatives such as fruit and vegetables. Self-monitoring appears to enhance weight loss when part of an intervention.

Anger and indigenous men : understanding and responding to violent behaviour

This book is for social work and criminal justice practitioners who wish to develop culturally appropriate and effective programs for reducing anger-related violence perpetrated by Indigenous men. It places cultural context at the heart of any intervention, broadening the focus from problematic behaviour to a more holistic notion of well-being.

Brief anger management programs with offenders : outcomes and predictors of change

Anger management interventions with offenders, particularly violent offenders, are a common form of rehabilitative activity. The rationale for addressing anger problems is clear-cut and there is good evidence that anger management can be effective with some client populations. Information relating to effectiveness with serious offenders, however, is sparse. An intervention study is reported in which offenders receiving anger management were compared with waiting list controls on a range of dependent measures. In general, the degree of pre-treatment/post-treatment change was small and experimental versus control differences were not statistically significant. The degree of improvement was found to be predictable from pre-treatment measures of anger and treatment readiness. Explanations of the low impact of anger management on violent offenders are discussed and recommendations made for improving outcomes.

Construction supply chain economic policy implementation for sectoral change : moving beyond the rhetoric

The improvement of the performance of the construction industry through the improved performance of the supply chains that make up the various sectors is a difficult task and one that has had considerable international debate (London, 2005). The idea of using the supply chain concept as a normative model to improve firm behaviour and thus ultimately industry performance through the development of supply chain clusters or integrated supply chains has been discussed in many public sector policy documents and in the academic research community since the late 1990s (London, 2005). However it has been difficult to see any real examples where this concept has had any major impact – or where the improvements have been measured and/or monitored.