Defaulted retail mortgage loans as a percentage of retail mortgage loans and advances averaged 9 percent over 2010 as reported in the SARB Bank Supervision Annual report. Banks are in the business of risk taking and as a result need to constantly evaluate and review credit risk management to attain sustained profitability. In credit risk modelling, default risk is associated with client-specific factors particularly the client’s credit rating. However, Brent, Kelly, Lindsey-Taliefero, and Price (2011), have shown that variation in mortgage delinquencies reflect changes in general macroeconomic conditions. This study aims to provide evidence of whether macroeconomic factors such as the house price index, CPI, credit growth, debt to income ratio, prime interest rates, and unemployment, are key drivers of residential mortgage delinquencies and default in South Africa. In this study, data from an undisclosed bank is used to estimate three models that are supposed to capture the influence of several macroeconomic variables on 30 day, 60 day, and 90 day delinquency rates over the 2006-2010 period. In order to eliminate the potential bias introduced by those observations, a fourth model was estimated using aggregated banking industry published by the SARB. However, due to data constraints, only the severe mortgage delinquency state, that is the 90 day delinquency rate was modelled using this aggregate data. The SARB sample covers the period between 2008 and 2010. The choice of the date 2008 coincides with the introduction of the Basel 2 regulatory framework. Prior to 2008, the big four South African banks were governed by the Basel 1 framework, and measured their credit risk using the so-called Standardised Approach which has different loan categories and different default definitions compared to the Basel 2 Advanced Internal Ratings Approach adopted in 2008. The findings suggest that the two samples (i.e. the data from the individual bank and the SARB data) imply different explanatory macroeconomic factors. Prime interest rates were found to be the only important variable in determining 30 day and 60 day delinquency rates for the individual bank. The house price index, CPI, credit growth, and prime interest rates were found to be the main determinants of the 90 day delinquency rates for the undisclosed bank, while the house price index, CPI, and credit growth, determine the 90 day delinquency rates for the big four banks.

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Background: Indoor air contaminants generally have a greater impact on health than outdoor air contaminants, which increases the importance of a dependable, accessible, and minimally impactful method for measuring indoor air exchange rates. Objective: Evaluate the use of naturally generated CO2 as a tool to measure indoor ventilation. Methods: Indoor CO2 levels were measured over seven sample intervals in an airtight one-bedroom apartment with two residents. High frequency noise was removed from the measurements with Fourier, Kalman, LOESS, and rolling average filters. Root-mean squared errors (RMSE) between filtered and measured CO2 were calculated and compared for each sample interval and filter pair. A multivariable linear regression was used to assess differences between digital filters. Local minima and maxima were identified to calculate air exchange rates. The R statistical software was used for all data management and analysis. Results: The RMSE for all filter types had geometric standard deviations between one and two, indicating that all filters were stable across sample intervals. Results of the multivariable linear regression indicate that the RMSE of the Fourier filter were significantly lower than those of the Kalman filter with a P-value ofConclusions:The Fourier filter performed best based on visual analysis and RMSE comparisons. All filters except for the rolling average filter identified the majority of primary local minima/maxima effectively.

Residential placement is considered the most severe sanction for adjudicated youth, yet there is little consensus on best practices and interventions in residential settings. Demographic trends in the juvenile justice system further exacerbate challenges in studying residential placements. Disparities among minority youth, diverging state definitions of juvenile sex offenses, discrepancies in recidivism measures, and variations in local and state juvenile courts have contributed to a convoluted system that has struggled to identify the meaning of "success" in residential settings. Building on theories of engagement in residential care and program theory of change, this mixed methods study explores how various components of a residential program for adjudicated young males contribute to time in the program leading up to transition out of the program. Event history analysis was used to examine administrative program data. Then, follow-up interviews were conducted with program employees to gather further insight to supplement quantitative findings. Findings indicated that juvenile sex offenses and home visits played a significant role. Additionally, race, ethnicity, and duration and engagement in family, individual, and group sessions also played varying roles in youths' transition out of the program. Findings from the employee interviews further supported that race, ethnicity, culture, and family are all critical parts of residential treatment. The interviews also discussed the role that Collaborative and Proactive Solutions, a behavioral modification approach used in this program, plays in youths' overall engagement during their time in the program.

The use of physical restraints in residential treatment centers for children has been shown to be detrimental to both staff and the children. Although there have been nationwide initiatives to reduce or eliminate the use of physical restraints on children, to date, researchers have not yet identified the organizational factors that predict the likelihood of using physical restraints on children. Based on the two-factor theory, in which two different types of predictors of motivation and behavior in the workplace were identified, the purpose of this quantitative non-experimental study was to examine whether satisfaction with pay, a hygiene factor, and satisfaction with supervision and perceived organizational support, motivating factors, predict the frequency of the use of physical restraints. Satisfaction with pay and supervision were measured using the Job Satisfaction Survey and perceived organizational support was measured using the Perceived Organizational Support Survey. Data were collected from 245 direct care staff members employed at residential treatment centers for children. Pearson product moment correlations and multiple regression analysis were conducted. The results indicated that satisfaction with supervision was negatively and statistically significantly related to the use of physical restraints on children in residential care and satisfaction with pay approached significance. Organizational changes that address training, development, pay, and best practices for supervision may aid in the reduction of physical restraints used on children. The reduction in physical restraints would thereby reduce the undesirable impact they have on children and result in positive social change.

Nowadays, the strategy of improving the energy conserving situations of existing buildingshas been playing a more and more important role of further promoting the worldwide sustainabledevelopment paths, especially in China. This thesis presents the results of a case study based researchwhere several different building Energy Conservation and Efficiency Refurbishment (ECER) options toimprove the energy performance of two representative Chinese Residential Multi-Family Buildings(RMFBs) of two very different climate conditions are evaluated and compared, which have been seenas the typical case buildings of existing and aging less energy efficient urban residential building inthat regions (i.e. one in Urumqi belongs to north cold winter region; and other one in Shanghai belongsto south cold winter and hot summer region). In order to provide a scientific base to present the detailenergy conserving improvements in a quantity and quality way, the research methods are including: therelevant literature reviews; the real case data based interview data collections from the professionalworkers in building ECER field; the simulation and analysis processes are based on the building energysimulation computer program – VIP-Energy (Version 2.0.7). The study results are presented in acomprehensive yet straightforward way, and allow for later interesting comparisons between thedifferent building ECER measures for improvement. In a broader perspective, this research will help toexplore a comparative long-term perspective point of view on the existed and most commonly usedresidential building envelope refurbishment measures in a more comprehensive way, and identify thepotential opportunities for further promoting the building energy consumption reductions to meet thefuture increasingly restrict national building energy conservation standards. In addition, the researchalso suggested the optimal RMFB envelope refurbishment strategy based on the case buildings’ statusquo and subject ECER measures, which is introducing an advancing system thinking pattern to theexisting conventional ECER measures, implementing the combined building ECER options to the casebuildings are put forward. And the separate considerations of environmental and economic benefits thatobtained by the subject ECER measures are both presenting simultaneously in the end.

This thesis arises out of a participant-observational study of narrative histories of people's experiences in Catholic residential schools in Saskatchewan. All the Elders interviewed are First Nations Anisin&#257b&#275^l people, most of whom live on five reserves north-west of Yorkton. All are recognized Elders². The Elders have the common experience of having had at least one youth (or a young relative between the ages of ten to twenty-five years old) in their immediate families commit one of these acts of violence: murder, manslaughter, infanticide, or suicide. The Elders also had the shared personal experiences of being in residential schools.<p> One research objective was to evaluate the influence of historical residential school experience upon subsequent attitudes to violence by youth in their family units. I formulated the study as an empirical test for a number of reasons: i) to examine a principal conclusion of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996) that documented the high rate of suicide among Aboriginal youth is a consequence of psycho-social dysfunction arising out of the residential school experience; ii) to review government policies of colonalization that led to personal abuse of Aboriginal youth in parochial residential schools, abuses that have contributed to lasting social problems for Aboriginal peoples; and iii) to study the healing movement. A Government policy lead to personal abuse that lead to a social problem.<p> The common theme that emerges out of the collective experiences of Elders is the common history of abuse suffered by Aboriginal students at parochial residential schools, the wholesale destruction of the Aboriginal family unit, and "social dysfunction" within the Aboriginal community caused by church and state for ideological and political objectives. My argument focuses on genocide and not justice issues, and it is framed by my own experiences as an Aboriginal woman who survived residential school.<p> <b>¹ Anisin&#257b&#275 means a beautiful people who are Saulteaux speaking people living in Saskatchewan whose ancestors signed Treaty Four.<p> ² All are recognized Elders in my mind. In my culture if you as a person, in this case myself, consider some person as an expert or as an Elder, who is to argue with me and say my opinion does not count. For example I chose a woman from my tribe and my clan to give me the correct spellings to the Saulteaux words I use in my thesis. In my culture you do not name yourself as an Elder, other people do that. Some Elders get widely known by many people, others are known as Elders in their immediate clans and tribes. Therefore in my thesis, they are Elders in my eyes because they have experiential wisdom.</b><p>

Cities and their characteristics of energy use play an important role in climate change. While there is abundant research about the impact of energy use on transportation the impact of urban form and housing characteristics on residential energy use has not been considered widely. There is certainly a need to take a closer look about the residential energy use and housing relationships to identify planning implications. This study examines the relationship between various urban form, housing characteristics and the energy use that result from residential electricity and fuel use. Ordinary least squares regression methods are used to measure the correlations between energy consumption and variables describing housing and urban form characteristics in the metropolitan statistical areas in the United States. After controlling for differences in energy price and income, a positive relationship between residential energy consumption and a history of greater rates of land conversion was found. This study also finds significantly higher energy use associated with a greater incidence of detached single-family housing when compared against high-rise buildings. A correlation between increased rate of row housing and lower energy use was found as well. This study can contribute to a literature that can help planners to create more environmentally- friendly cities by contributing to the understanding of the impacts that certain energy- related housing characteristics have on the sustainability of a city. The literature regarding smart growth and new urbanism should explore potential impacts on household energy consumption in its discussion of urban planning along with considering impacts on transportation related energy use.

The rapid modernization and densification of Taipei has resulted in a culturally and socially unsustainable society. The North American paradigm of high-rise condominiums disrupts the social pattern of the vernacular family, cultural activities and communities, isolating the city dwellers within their own homes. The physical city no longer reflects or supports its social and cultural condition, thus has led to the disintegration of traditional customs and lifestyle without a sustainable replacement. The hypothesis of this thesis is that high-density residential architecture can be reinvented through the reinterpretation of vernacular dwelling to accommodate cultural sustainable activities and a sociable, identifiable community. <br /><br /> The first three chapters record and examine three branches of research: vernacular Taiwanese culture and architecture, high-density vernacular architecture, and the current condition of Taipei, Taiwan. The research deals with various disciplines, most importantly family and social structure, to provide a foundation for further discussion of dwelling condition versus culture. Chapter iv compares and analyzes the relationship between residential architecture and lifestyle of the vernacular and current dwelling. It argues for the importance of communities at different scales, bound together by a hierarchy of communal spaces. The condominium building is carefully reexamined under the categories of the unit, the floor, the building as a village, and the neighbourhood. <br /><br /> The design project, Vertical Vernacular [chapter v], presents a new typology of high-density residential architecture. It demonstrates the implantation of the theories and prototypes developed in the previous chapter, by consideration of current culture and family structure, including both traditional customs and modern lifestyle. A full range of unit plans are developed based on demographics, family structure, traditional custom, and adoption of tradition to modern imperatives. The co-operative living environment inspired by the vernacular dwelling creates friendly, strong and safe communities within the condominium. Furthermore, the project aims for the feasibility of the concept within the densest district of Taipei City from a developer's point-of-view.

Researchers are in broad agreement that energy-conserving actions produce economic as well as energy savings. Household energy rating systems (HERS) have been established in many countries to inform households of their house’s current energy performance and to help reduce their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In Canada, the national EnerGuide for Houses (EGH) program is delivered by many local delivery agents, including non-profit green community organizations. Waterloo Region Green Solutions is the local non-profit that offers the EGH residential energy evaluation service to local households. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the determinants of household’s participation in the residential energy efficiency program (REEP) in Waterloo Region, to explain the relationship between the explanatory variables and REEP participation, and to propose ways to improve this kind of program. A spatial (trend) analysis was conducted within a geographic information system (GIS) to determine the spatial patterns of the REEP participation in Waterloo Region from 1999 to 2006. The impact of sources of information on participation and relationships between participation rates and explanatory variables were identified. GIS proved successful in presenting a visual interpretation of spatial patterns of the REEP participation. In general, the participating households tend to be clustered in urban areas and scattered in rural areas. Different sources of information played significant roles in reaching participants in different years. Moreover, there was a relationship between each explanatory variable and the REEP participation rates. Statistical analysis was applied to obtain a quantitative assessment of relationships between hypothesized explanatory variables and participation in the REEP. The Poisson regression model was used to determine the relationship between hypothesized explanatory variables and REEP participation at the CDA level. The results show that all of the independent variables have a statistically significant positive relationship with REEP participation. These variables include level of education, average household income, employment rate, home ownership, population aged 65 and over, age of home, and number of eligible dwellings. The logistic regression model was used to assess the ability of the hypothesized explanatory variables to predict whether or not households would participate in a second follow-up evaluation after completing upgrades to their home. The results show all the explanatory variables have significant relationships with the dependent variable. The increased rating score, average household income, aged population, and age of home are positively related to the dependent variable. While the dwelling size and education has negative relationships with the dependent variable. In general, the contribution of this work provides a practical understanding of how the energy efficiency program operates, and insight into the type of variables that may be successful in bringing about changes in performance in the energy efficiency project in Waterloo Region. Secondly, with the completion of this research, future residential energy efficiency programs can use the information from this research and emulate or expand upon the efforts and lessons learned from the Residential Energy Efficiency Project in Waterloo Region case study. Thirdly, this research also contributes to practical experience on how to integrate different datasets using GIS.