Depression has been cited as the most prevalent of the Axis I disorders affecting upward of 16% of American adults in their lifetimes (Kessler et al., 2005). The literature on effective treatments for depression is substantial, however the follow-up literature that speaks to what happens after treatment ends is much smaller. This thesis describes two studies. The first is an overview of reviews of post-treatment outcomes for adults treated for major depressive disorder (MDD). The second is a narrative systematic review of studies of long-term (at least 12 months) post-treatment outcomes after the completion of treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). These studies synthesize the available evidence concerning post-treatment outcomes and discuss the limitations of these data. Relapse is a significant issue for many people who respond to treatment with upwards of 50% of people relapsing within a year of the end of treatment, depending on the type of treatment. Some treatments have significant relapse prevention effects, including continued medication treatment, acute and continuation phase CBT, and variations of CBT designed specifically for addressing residual symptoms after acute treatment or specifically aimed at relapse prevention. Given that the risk of relapse after treatment is significant, it should be discussed during acute treatment, as should approaches to reducing the risk of relapse. Recommendations for future research are discussed. Within the overview of reviews, there was considerable consistency across reviews which aided in the formulation of practical recommendations for clinicians and for patients. Examples include provision of education about the probability of relapse and planning for relapse prevention during acute phase treatment. Engaging in continuation and maintenance treatments that are aimed at reducing relapse, and whenever possible, continuing treatment until patients are considered to be in recovery, and not just for a certain period of time, or until the point of remission of symptoms are also recommended to reduce rates of relapse.

As a consequence of a turbulent financial market with recurring recessions, the Basel regime was developed, an institutional change with the purpose to create enhanced financial stability through increased capital requirements and increased scrutiny of internal procedures. The Basel regime is an often recurring element in social debates where various aspects are discussed, one of which is whether it maintains its purpose to secure financial stability or whether it is cost effective, and if not, who gets affected by these potential costs. The majority of previously conducted research within this area agrees with the opinion that changes in the regulatory framework within the financial markets, such as the Basel regime, has led to reduced risk of bankruptcy for the banks which has contributed to increased global financial stability. However, research illustrates that these types of changes in the regulatory framework impose a financial burden leading to contradictions in the division of these costs between costumers and shareholders. This dissertation has been conducted from a shareholders perspective, out of which the study ́s three hypothesis has been created from. The data in this study is built upon the stock price from the three largest available banks’ shares (based on total assets), in the 26 countries which are represented in the Basel committee from (2007) to (2013). Calculations of the shares’ systematic risk (beta-value), return, and risk-adjusted return (Treynors ratio) throughout a period of time have been conducted in order to later be tested and lead to statistically significant results and thereby display whether the hypotheses were valid or not. The result of the study indicated that the systematic risk of these shares have declined from (2007) to (2013), which is a confirmation that the Basel regime has fulfilled its purpose in reducing the risk within the banks. However, the study has not been able to show that the return or risk-adjusted return had been condensed, a result which suggests that it is not the banks’ shareholders who carries the costs for alterations of the regulations within financial markets. / Till följd av en turbulent finansiell marknad med återkommande finanskriser utvecklades Baselregimen, en institutionell förändring med syftet att skapa ökad finansiell stabilitet genom bland annat ökade kapitalkrav och skärpta tillsynskrav av interna processer. Baselregimen är ofta förekommande i samhälleliga debatter där olika aspekter diskuteras, så som huruvida den lyckas uppfylla sitt syfte om att skapa ökad finansiell stabilitet eller om huruvida den är kostsam och vem som i så fall drabbas av eventuella kostnader. Majoriteten av tidigare forskning är överens om att regelförändringar inom finansiella marknader, så som Baselregimen, lett till minskad konkursrisk i banker vilket bidragit till ökad global finansiell stabilitet. Dock påvisar forskningen att denna typ av regeländringar är kostsamma, vilket leder till motsägelser kring hur kostnadsfördelningen mellan kunder och aktieägare ser ut. Valet föll i denna uppsats på att studera aktieägarnas perspektiv, vilket studiens tre hypoteser skapats utifrån. Datan har i denna studie utgjorts av aktiekurser från tre av de tillgängliga största bankernas aktier (baserat på totala tillgångar), i de 26 länder som finns representerade i Baselkommittén från år (2007) till år (2013). Beräkningar av bankaktiernas systematiska risk (betavärde), avkastning och riskjusterade avkastning (Treynors kvot) över tiden har genomförts för att sedan testats och leda fram till statistiskt signifikant påvisbara resultat och därmed huruvida hypoteserna förkastas eller inte. Studiens resultat påvisar att den systematiska risken i bankaktierna har sjunkit från år (2007) till år (2013), vilket är en bekräftelse på att Baselregimen uppnått sitt syfte om att sänka risken i bankerna. Dock har inte studiens resultat kunnat påvisa att bankaktiernas avkastning eller riskjusterade avkastning sjunkit, ett resultat som tyder på att det inte är bankernas aktieägare som får bära kostnaden för regelförändringar inom finansiella marknader.

The purpose of this study was to explore how living outside of the passport country during the developmental years affected the experiences of adult Third Culture Kids (TCKs). Individual interviews were conducted with 15 adult TCKs who had lived at least one year outside of their passport country prior to age 18 and had returned to their passport country for at least one year. They were asked questions about how their experiences living outside of their passport country affected them. Data analyzed from the interviews generated 13 themes: (a) broader understanding of the world and the differences of people, (b) developing a support system of genuine relationships based on support and understanding, (c) development of an identity that integrates experiences and cultures, (d) feeling misunderstood, isolated, and different, (e) experience resulted in opportunities and skills sets that are not traditional in the passport country, (f) challenges of returning to the passport country, (g) internal struggles in relating to others and developing effective coping skills, (h) ability to negotiate change and a lack of fear of change, (i) difference in understanding of wealth and financial management, (j) view experience as positive and life-changing, (k) challenges in adjusting to a different culture, (l) variation in relationships with family, and (m) desire to travel and be in other places. These themes and their repeating ideas generated a grounded theory about the experiences of TCKs. This theory represents the relationships between the themes and the research questions. The theory consisted of six elements: (a) development of a global perspective, (b) affirmation of the complexity of relationships, (c) struggle to achieve cultural efficacy, (d) confirmation of the value of the experience, (e) challenge of acculturation, and (f) change as a source of achieving equilibrium. Findings from this study demonstrated that the experience of growing up outside of the passport country during the developmental years was perceived as a valuable and beneficial experience that significantly affected the participants. The results also identified challenges of the TCK experience and the influences these had in participants’ lives. Research and practice implications are presented. Results of this study may assist mental health professionals to understand the term TCK and the challenges with which they may present for treatment. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

MIKALONYTĖ, Loreta. (2007) Lietuvos savivaldybių finansavimo šaltinių ir lėšų naudojimo vertinimas Magistro baigiamasis darbas Kaunas: Vilniaus universiteto Kauno humanitarinis fakultetas.78 p. SANTRAUKA RAKTINIAI ŽODŽIAI: savivaldybė, pajamos, išlaidos, mokestinės pajamos, dotacijos. Vietos savivaldos biudžeto formavimo principus ir metodus bei kitus biudžetinio proceso teorinius pagrindus nagrinėjo K.Ehrhart, S. Schwarz-Jung, H-Welge (1996), R. Šimašius (1998), A. Astrauskas (1999), J. Bivainis, A. Butkevičius (2002), Dominique Fausser (2004), Aleknavičienė V. (2005), Philip LeBel (2005), Hcristian Fournier, Silvana Petrolese (2005), tačiau nežinoma mokslininkų, kurie lygino Lietuvos ir užsienio savivaldybių biudžetinį procesą, išskyrė Lietuvos vietos savivaldos finansavimo šaltinių ir lėšų naudojimo problemas užsienio savivaldybių kontekste bei nurodė jų sprendimo kryptis. Tyrimo objektas – Lietuvos savivaldybių finansavimo šaltiniai ir jų panaudojimas. Tyrimo tikslas – vertinti Lietuvos savivaldybių finansavimo šaltinių ir lėšų naudojimo teorinius ir praktinius aspektus lyginant su užsienio šalių savivaldybėmis, įvardinti problemas ir nurodyti Lietuvos savivaldybių finansavimo ir lėšų naudojimo tobulinimo kryptis. Tyrimo uždaviniai:  vertinti vietos savivaldos biudžetinio proceso teorinius pagrindus, vietos savivaldybių biudžeto formavimo principus ir metodus, fiskalinę decentralizaciją, tarpbiudžetinį lėšų paskirstymą;  vertinti užsienio šalių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / MIKALONYTĖ, Loreta. (2007) Evaluation of Lithuanian Municipality Financing Source and Resource Consumption MBA Graduation Paper. Kaunas: Kaunas Faculty of Humanities, Vilnius University. 78 p. SUMMARY KEYWORDS: municipality, revenue, expenditure, return, subvention. The principles, methodes and other budgetary process theorical basics of local authorities budget‘s formation were studing K.Ehrhart, S. Schwarz-Jung, H-Welge (1996), R. Šimašius (1998), A. Astrauskas (1999), J. Bivainis, A. Butkevičius (2002), Dominique Fausser (2004), Aleknavičienė V. (2005), Philip LeBel (2005), Hcristian Fournier, Silvana Petrolese (2005). But we possibly can‘t find any scientist, who was comparing Lithuanian and foreign government‘s budget process, accentuated Lithuanian local government‘s financial source and recource using problems in context of foreign government, and showed it‘s solution trends. The subject of research is – Lithuanian government financial sources and practice of it. The aim of research is – to take financial sources and recources of Lithuanian government measure, also to compare it with foreign government, moreover to find out problems and to show Lithuanian government financing and source using tender tendency. The aim of research: • To explore theoretical evidence of local authorities, also the principles and methodes of budget’s formation, furthermore fiscal decentralization and interbudgetary resource distribution; • To study out financial sources and resources of... [to full text]

The title of the research is “How mentorship is perceived to contribute to the well-being of an employee in an explosives manufacturing organisation”. This research was conducted within AEL Mining Services, an explosives manufacturing organisation that is part of the AECI group of companies. The object of the research was to gain a better understanding of the association between mentorship and well-being, based on how the experience is perceived by the employee that was either part or not part of such a program, be it formal or informal. During the literature study authors such as Keating (2012:91), Govender and Parumasur (2010:2) and Masango (2011:1) felt very strongly that mentorship begins on the day of birth and continues throughout one‟s entire life where competencies in the mentor role entail understanding self and others, communicating effectively and developing employees and it is clear that great leaders would not have achieved their full potential without effective mentoring. During the literature study it was also found that advantages as well as disadvantage are linked to mentorship, but that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Research identifies the need for sustainable development and although a variety of mentorship models exist that are currently used, it is evident that mentorship does have an impact on whoever is subjected to it. The study adopted a quantitative methodology, in which more than one questionnaire was utilised. Mentorship was identified as the independent variable and well-being as the dependent variable. For this study, the respondents were required to disclose geographical information concerning themselves and in addition to this, the Mental Health Continuum and General Health Questionnaire was utilised in order to determine the level of well-being as perceived by the respondents, based on mentorship or the lack thereof. The Statistical Consultation Services of the North-West University determined the statistical methods and procedures for the analyses of the research. Ellis and Steyn (2003:51-53) make it clear that in many cases it is important to know whether a relationship between two variables is practically significant. The research made use of triangulation where Gratton and Jones (2010:121) propose that triangulation can strengthen the validity of research, and is useful as a means to demonstrate trustworthiness in the analysis. Based on the results generated from the statistical analysis, the mentored group has a better overall state of health and psychological well-being than the non-mentored group. The deduction is thus made that with mentorship there is a significant difference in the overall well-being of an employee that was subjected to such a program. Recommendations were made regarding further research that needs to be conducted, in which a mentorship program is tailored for a specific company/organisation within the explosives manufacturing industry, then implemented and the results of it measured over a period of time. / PhD, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The title of the research is “How mentorship is perceived to contribute to the well-being of an employee in an explosives manufacturing organisation”. This research was conducted within AEL Mining Services, an explosives manufacturing organisation that is part of the AECI group of companies. The object of the research was to gain a better understanding of the association between mentorship and well-being, based on how the experience is perceived by the employee that was either part or not part of such a program, be it formal or informal. During the literature study authors such as Keating (2012:91), Govender and Parumasur (2010:2) and Masango (2011:1) felt very strongly that mentorship begins on the day of birth and continues throughout one‟s entire life where competencies in the mentor role entail understanding self and others, communicating effectively and developing employees and it is clear that great leaders would not have achieved their full potential without effective mentoring. During the literature study it was also found that advantages as well as disadvantage are linked to mentorship, but that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Research identifies the need for sustainable development and although a variety of mentorship models exist that are currently used, it is evident that mentorship does have an impact on whoever is subjected to it. The study adopted a quantitative methodology, in which more than one questionnaire was utilised. Mentorship was identified as the independent variable and well-being as the dependent variable. For this study, the respondents were required to disclose geographical information concerning themselves and in addition to this, the Mental Health Continuum and General Health Questionnaire was utilised in order to determine the level of well-being as perceived by the respondents, based on mentorship or the lack thereof. The Statistical Consultation Services of the North-West University determined the statistical methods and procedures for the analyses of the research. Ellis and Steyn (2003:51-53) make it clear that in many cases it is important to know whether a relationship between two variables is practically significant. The research made use of triangulation where Gratton and Jones (2010:121) propose that triangulation can strengthen the validity of research, and is useful as a means to demonstrate trustworthiness in the analysis. Based on the results generated from the statistical analysis, the mentored group has a better overall state of health and psychological well-being than the non-mentored group. The deduction is thus made that with mentorship there is a significant difference in the overall well-being of an employee that was subjected to such a program. Recommendations were made regarding further research that needs to be conducted, in which a mentorship program is tailored for a specific company/organisation within the explosives manufacturing industry, then implemented and the results of it measured over a period of time. / PhD, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Bitcoins have the potential to fundamentally change the way value is transferred globally. Their rapid adoption over the past four years has led many to consider the possible results of such a technology. To be a viable currency, however, it is imperative that the market for trading Bitcoins is efficient. By examining the changes in availability of predictable outsized returns and market liquidity over time, this paper examines historical Bitcoin market efficiency and establishes correlations between market liquidity, price predictability, and return data. The results provide insight into the turbulent nature of Bitcoin market efficiency over the past years, but cannot definitively measure the magnitude of the change due to the limitations in efficiency analysis. The most meaningful result of this study, however, is the statistically significant short-horizon price predictability that existed over the duration of the study, which has implications for Bitcoin market efficiency as well as for continued research in short-horizon Bitcoin price forecasting models.

Professional rugby union has grown to become the third most popular team contact sport in the world. The physical nature of the game results in a high prevalence of injuries on all levels of play. Injury prevalence as high as 83.9 injuries per 1000 playing hours has been reported for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. Although research indicates schoolboy rugby union to be safer than professional rugby, injury rates as high as 65.8 injuries per 1000 playing hours have been reported. These injuries are mostly caused by the tackle situation, with the knee– and shoulder–joints being the most injured site. The risk of injuries in rugby union is heightened by professionalism, previous injuries, higher training demands, intrinsic factors and psychological issues. Due to the professional nature the game has taken on, the management of rugby union injuries has become increasingly more important. This should include prehabilitation or injury prevention programs, rehabilitation up until the final, sport specific phase as well as structured return to play testing. Another important aspect of injury management is the education of coaches, players and other persons involved in the sport. Objectives The first objective of the study was to observe the prevalence and nature of injuries in South African schoolboy rugby union players. Secondly, the treatment of these injuries was observed as well as the return to play criteria used to determine readiness to return to play after injury. The association between the treatment of injuries and the severity of injuries was then obtained. Lastly re–injury prevalence was compared to treatment received and return to play criteria used to determine readiness. Methods Ten schools from across South Africa partook in the study. The schools were all identified by the NWU–PUK as elite schools due to performances in the previous year (2008). Only the first team squad of each school was participated, amounting to a total number of 194 boys answering questionnaires conducted by the researcher for each of their injuries. The questionnaires included injury severity and site, recurrence of injury, cause of injury, treatment procedures and criteria used for return to play. Severity was defined in terms of game and training days missed due to injury and are describe as slight (0 – 1 day), minimal (2 - 3 days), mild (4 - 7 days), moderate (8 - 28 days) or severe (>28 days). The results were then analyzed and presented through descriptive statistics. Statistical significance was indicated by p <= 0.05. Practical significance was described by the Phi–coefficient. The practical significance indicated by phi, was indicated as large if phi >= 0.5. Results A total number of 118 injuries were reported amounting to 78.51 injuries per 1000 playing hours. New injuries accounted for 68.64% (n=81) while recurrent injuries was reported to be 31.36% (n=37). The most frequent site of injury was the knee (n=26), followed by the shoulder (n=21). The event leading to injury that was most frequently reported, was the tackle (including making the tackle and being tackled) (n=49). Most injuries were slight (48%) but a high rate of moderate and severe injuries (39%) were reported. These moderate to severe injuries resulted in a minimum total of 360 days missed. Severe injuries were more likely to be treated by a doctor. Treatment by a doctor for severe injuries indicated the only significance in the study (p = 0.7). No fixed return to play protocol was in place for deciding if a player should be allowed to return to play. Thirteen of the injuries were however investigated through further testing (either through isokinetic or on–field testing). Conclusion Injury prevalence amongst top teams in South African schoolboy rugby union is very high. Rehabilitation does not follow a structured program or guidelines and there is no definite return to play protocols available. Re–injury rates are high, possibly due to the lack of structured rehabilitation and return to play protocols. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Biokinetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This study was done against the backdrop that executives should carefully consider all the options to manage difficult periods before letting employees go, especially if they are going to rehire employees shortly after the economic recovery. Therefore, the study investigated whether investing in operational development of a plant can be used to increase feasibility, rather than to make across–the–board labour cuts. Two South African mining companies were chosen for this study. They are two investment centres at AngloGold Ashanti, Mine X Ltd. and Mine Z Ltd. The investigating project was done at Mine X to extract gold from the neighbouring Mine Z. Mine X will have access to the minerals 40 years in advance of Mine Z due to insufficient essential infrastructure at Mine Z. The life–time of the project is 18 years (estimated). The main objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility, from Mine X’s point of view, with a deepening project including Mine Z. The most significant aspect will be to determine which investment timeframe decision will gain Mine X a feasible position in terms of economic growth. This will be achieved by the following secondary objectives in making a capital investment decision: 1. To describe the nature and significance of investment decision making. 2. To recognise appropriate capital investment evaluation techniques in conjunction with sensitivity analysis. 3. To apply the techniques and sensitivity analysis in order to make a decision of a possible, feasible investment opportunity at Mine X. 4. To develop a framework to identify the project’s components and associate and access difficulties for Mine X‘s project lifecycle. The feasibility study undertakes multiple scenarios and provides recommendations and a final report, based on the scenario that is the most viable. The following techniques which were identified were used to analyse the feasibility of the project: Net present value, internal rate of return and payback period. All these above techniques will be analysed in three different scenarios, namely: 1. Mine X will stay with its current operations without any new projects. 2. The development project will begin immediately. 3. A six–month delay in development of the project. The study found that the net present value was positive, the internal rate of return was more than the discount rate and the payback period was shorter than the project’s life–time regarding to all three above–mentioned scenarios. The highest net present value is calculated in case the project starts immediately. Both the internal rate of return and the payback period indicated that a six month delay in the project is the most viable. After considering all the facts, the study concluded due to the highest net present value the best feasible recommendation would be to start the project immediately. The value of this study is that it is the first study to investigate the relationship between the viability to delay or to start the investment project immediately in the South African mining industry. This study is also unique, since it takes into account how mining industries world–wide can achieve long–term success through development projects without losing key players, due to impulsive short–term downsizing decisions. / Thesis (M.Com. (Management Accountancy))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

There can be little doubt that Six Sigma is far more than just another novelty concept; in fact, it can be considered as a proven quality philosophy and if applied correctly, ensures a competitive advantage. A rapidly increasing number of firms, from all industries and of all sizes, are now reporting significant savings or returns on their program and training investments, because of the implementation of Six Sigma. This paper investigates the origin, definition, financial benefits and challenges of Six Sigma and its implementation. Certain critical success factors determine the successful implementation of Six Sigma in any firm. Many firms have reported significant benefits as a result of Six Sigma project implementation, though not all are yet success stories. This paper reviews the literature related to the critical success factors for the effective implementation of Six Sigma. This research will provide the useful information for firms, which are willing to implement Six Sigma and help firms avoid the risks during the process of Six Sigma implementation. The primary objective of this exploratory research is to identify the critical success factors required for the successful implementation of Six Sigma. Then, based on the critical success factors identified in literature and the survey, the purpose is to develop and propose an applicable framework for firms to successfully implement Six Sigma. The research is explorative of nature and a survey research design was used with a questionnaire as data-gathering instrument. Descriptive statistics (e.g. means and standard deviations) were used to analyse the data. The results confirmed that the most critical success factors for successful Six Sigma implementation include management commitment, change management, effective communication and alignment. The proposed framework presents six interlinking components of Six Sigma which is dependent on these four critical success factors. Limitations in the research are identified and recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.