Bad Pixels is a feature-length, microbudget, digital motion picture, produced, written, and directed by Alexander Jon Bowser as part of the requirements for earning a Master of Fine Arts in Film & Digital Media from the University of Central Florida. The materials contained herein serve as a record of the microbudget filmmaking experience. This thesis documents the challenges confronted by a first-time feature filmmaker; an evaluation of both the theory and application of a dynamic microbudget approach to digital content creation. From script development to digital distribution, the thesis aims to reflect on technical and procedural decisions made and assess their impact on the overall experience and final product.

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1964 Los Angeles. Five marriages are put to the test as their struggles to communicate boil over, all while ignoring the mysterious disappearing street signs wreaking havoc on the city around them.

This study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management and user services of the public libraries staff in Denton County, Texas, by understanding the challenges faced by library staff during the pandemic, adaptation strategies used, and lessons learned for future crises. The study employed quantitative methodology, utilizing a survey distributed online via email to 152 library staff. Participants were selected through a random sampling method, and 107 respondents met the criteria for the study. The findings of the study are as follows: The management issues faced by the library staff involved remote work arrangements, online services provided, the need to increase the number of digital resources available, and staff training. The most common issues staff faced were providing remote library services to the user, balancing work and personal life, and attending virtual meetings using various digital platforms. The public library staff dealt with the COVID-19 changes by increasing their hours on remote work, using digital platforms, and making remote work arrangements. Despite the challenges, most participants gained valuable and positive experiences during the pandemic. It can be said that overall, COVID-19 did have an impact on the staff. The results of this study provide valuable insights for library employees, managers, policymakers, and researchers and offer guidance for future pandemic preparedness.

Wasser ist für Kinder ein faszinierendes Medium. Es eröffnet vielfältige Bewegungsmöglichkeiten und bietet im Sommer erfrischende Abkühlung. So erfreuen sich Baden und Schwimmen auch in sächsischen Einrichtungen der Kindertagesbetreuung (Kita) großer Beliebtheit. Einige Einrichtungen betreiben eigene Badebecken, andere nutzen öffentliche Bäder. Leider ereignen sich im Zusammenhang mit dem Badevergnügen immer wieder folgenschwere Unfälle, die schlimmstenfalls tödlich enden können. Kinder ertrinken lautlos. Vor allem für Nichtschwimmer oder für unsichere Schwimmer können sich erhebliche Gefahren ergeben. Damit das Baden und Schwimmen in der Kita für Kinder zu einem sicheren Erlebnis wird, hat die Unfallkasse Sachsen wichtige Hinweise für Kita-Leitungen und die verantwortlichen pädagogischen Fachkräfte zusammengefasst.

Yes / Drawing on distinct German institutional characteristics related to cultural, legal, financial, and regulatory features, this paper investigates the extent to which environmental incentives influence German non-financial firms in revealing risk information in their annual report narratives. The paper also examines whether risk-related disclosure (aggregate risk reporting and the tone of news about risk) is useful by investigating its impact on market liquidity and investor-perceived risk. We find that the decision to provide or withhold such risk information is less likely to be significantly associated with environmental incentives. Among those incentives, we find that German firms are significantly influenced by their underlying risks rather than other factors including ownership structure, capital structure, external equity finance, and borrowing. The decision to disclose is likely to be influenced by the size of the firm and whether or not it produces lengthy annual reports. The results also suggest that the impact of aggregate risk reporting levels was not observable until a distinction was made between bad and good news about risk. Specifically, we find that the German market tends to positively (negatively) price good (bad) news about risk by either improving (worsening) market liquidity through removing (creating) information asymmetries, or reducing (increasing) investor-perceived risk.

[pt] A presente dissertação tem como objetivo analisar a quantificação do lucro da intervenção, partindo da convicção de que a utilização indevida do direito de um terceiro não pode jamais ser um bom negócio. Inicialmente, será demonstrado que o enriquecimento sem causa é o instituto mais adequado para lidar com situações em que uma pessoa se beneficia injustamente à custa de outra. Serão minuciosamente analisados os critérios que precisam ser atendidos para que se caracterize esse tipo de enriquecimento, como o aumento patrimonial do interveniente, a obtenção da vantagem à custa de outrem, a ausência de justa causa e a subsidiariedade do instituto. Em seguida, serão explorados os métodos objetivos para calcular o valor que deve ser devolvido ao titular do direito violado, apontando a inaplicabilidade da teoria do duplo limite aos casos de lucro da intervenção, bem como as razões pelas quais os valores pagos a título de reparação de danos extrapatrimoniais não devem ser abatidos do montante a ser restituído. Sustenta-se, ainda, a inadequação de compensar o lucro com o dano dentro do contexto de enriquecimento sem causa. Por fim, será discutido o papel da boa-fé e da má-fé na conduta do interventor, onde o trabalho explorará as divergências na doutrina sobre o tema, concluindo que se o interventor age de boa-fé deve restituir o valor de mercado da vantagem obtida e o lucro da intervenção deve ser repartido entre o interventor e o titular de direito, de forma proporcional à contribuição de cada um. Quanto à má-fé, conclui-se que, além do valor devido pelo uso do bem, o interventor deve restituir todo o lucro obtido com a intervenção. Essa abordagem proporcionará uma análise detalhada dos aspectos legais e éticos envolvidos na quantificação do lucro da intervenção, contribuindo para uma compreensão mais profunda do tema no contexto do Direito brasileiro. / [en] This dissertation aims to analyze the quantification of the disgorgement of profits, based on the conviction that the improper use of a third party s right can never be a good deal. Initially, it will be demonstrated that unjust enrichment is the most appropriate institute for dealing with situations in which one person benefits unfairly at the expense of another. The criteria that need to be met in order to characterize this type of enrichment will be thoroughly analyzed, such as the increase in the intervening party s assets, obtaining the advantage at the expense of others, the absence of just cause and the subsidiarity of the institute. Next, objective methods will be explored to calculate the amount that must be returned to the holder of the violated right, pointing out the inapplicability of the double limit theory to cases of profit from intervention, as well as the reasons why the amounts paid as reparation of moral damages must not be deducted from the amount to be refunded. It is also argued that it is inappropriate to compensate profit for damage within the context of unjust enrichment. Finally, the role of good faith and bad faith in the intervenor s conduct will be discussed, where the work will explore the divergences in the doctrine on the subject, concluding that if the intervenor acts in good faith he must restore the market value of the advantage obtained and the profit from the intervention must be shared between the intervener and the right holder, in proportion to the contribution of each one. As for bad faith, it is concluded that, in addition to the amount due for the use of the asset, the intervener must refund all the profit obtained from the intervention. This approach will provide a detailed analysis of the legal and ethical aspects involved in quantifying the profit from the intervention, contributing to a deeper understanding of the topic in the context of Brazilian Law.

Abstracts in English, Zulu and Southern Sotho / The advent of Basel II Capital Accord has revolutionised credit risk measurement (CRM) to the extent that the once “perceived riskier bank assets” are now accommodated for lending. The Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector has been traditionally perceived as a riskier and unprofitable asset for lending activity by Commercial Banks, in particular. But empirical studies on the implementation of the Basel II internal-ratings-based (IRB) framework have demonstrated that SME credit risk is measurable. Banks are still finding it difficult to forecast SME loan default and to provide credit to the sector that meet Basel’s capital requirements. The thesis proposes to construct an empirical credit risk measurement (CRM) model, specifically for SMEs, to ameliorate the adverse effects of SME credit inaccessibility due to high information asymmetry between financial institutions (FI) and SMEs in Zimbabwe. A well-performing and accurate CRM helps FIs to control their risk exposure through selective granting of credit based on a thorough statistical analysis of historical customer data. This thesis develops a CRM model, built on a statistically random sample, known-good-bad (KGB) sample, which is a better representation of the through-the-door (TTD) population of SME loan applicants. The KGB sample incorporates both accepted and rejected applications, through reject inference (RI). A model-based bound and collapse (BC) reject inference methodology was empirically used to correct selectivity bias inherent in CRM domain. The results have shown great improvement in the classification power and aggregate supply of credit supply to the SME portfolio of the case-studied bank, as evidenced by substantial decrease of bad rates across models developed; from the preliminary model to final model designed for the case-studied bank. The final model was validated using both bad rate, confusion matrix metrics and Area under Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) curve to assess the classification power of the model within-sample and out-of-sample. The AUROC for the final model (weak model) was found to be 0.9782 whilst bad rate was found to be 14.69%. There was 28.76% improvement in the bad rate in the final model in comparison with the current CRM model being used by the case-studied bank. / Isivumelwano seBasel II Capital Accord sesishintshe indlela yokulinganisa ubungozi bokunikezana ngesikweletu credit risk measurement (CRM) kwaze kwafika ezingeni lapho izimpahla ezazithathwa njengamagugu anobungozi “riskier bank assets” sezimukelwa njengesibambiso sokuboleka imali. Umkhakha wezamaBhizinisi Amancane naSafufusayo, phecelezi, Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) kudala uqondakala njengomkhakha onobungozi obukhulu futhi njengomkhakha ongangenisi inzuzo, ikakhulu njengesibambiso sokubolekwa imali ngamabhange ahwebayo. Kodwa izifundo zocwaningo ezimayelana nokusetshenziswa nokusetshenziswa kwesakhiwo iBasel II internal-ratings-based (IRB) sezikhombisile ukuthi ubungozi bokunikeza isikweletu kumabhizinisi amancane nasafufusayo (SME) sebuyalinganiseka. Yize kunjalo, amabhange asathola ukuthi kusenzima ukubona ngaphambili inkinga yokungabhadeleki kahle kwezikweletu kanye nokunikeza isikweletu imikhakha enemigomo edingekayo yezimali kaBasel. Lolu cwaningo beluphakamisa ukwakha uhlelo imodeli ephathekayo yokulinganisa izinga lobungozi bokubolekisa ngemali (CRM) kwihlelo lokuxhasa ngezimali ama-SME, okuyihlelo elilawulwa yiziko lezimali ezweni laseZimbabwe. Imodeli ye-CRM esebenza kahle futhi eshaya khona inceda amaziko ezimali ukugwema ubungozi bokunikezana ngezikweletu ngokusebenzisa uhlelo lokunikeza isikweletu ababoleki abakhethekile, lokhu kususelwa ohlelweni oluhlaziya amanani edatha engumlando wekhasimende. Imodeli ye-CRM ephakanyisiwe yaqala yakhiwa ngohlelo lwamanani, phecelezi istatistically random sample, okuluphawu olungcono olumele uhlelo lwe through-the-door (TTD) population lokukhetha abafakizicelo zokubolekwa imali bama SME, kanti lokhu kuxuba zona zombili izicelo eziphumelele kanye nezingaphumelelanga. Indlela yokukhetha abafakizicelo, phecelezi model-based bound-and-collapse (BC) reject-inference methodology isetshenzisiwe ukulungisa indlela yokukhetha ngokukhetha ngendlela yokucwasa kwisizinda seCRM. Imiphumela iye yakhombisa intuthuko enkulu mayelana namandla okwehlukanisa kanye nokunikezwa kwezikweletu kuma SME okungamamabhange enziwe ucwaningo lotho., njengoba lokhu kufakazelwa ukuncipha okukhulu kwe-bad rate kuwo wonke amamodeli athuthukisiwe. Imodeli yokuqala kanye neyokugcina zazidizayinelwe ibhange. Imodeli yokugcina yaqinisekiswa ngokusebenzisa zombili indlela isikweletu esingagculisi kanye negrafu ye-Area under Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) ukulinganisa ukwehlukaniswa kwamandla emodeli engaphakathi kwesampuli nangaphandle kwesampuli. Uhlelo lwe-AUROC lwemodeli yokugcina (weak model) lwatholakala ukuthi luyi 0.9782, kanti ibad rate yatholakala ukuthi yenza i-14.69%. Kwaba khona ukuthuthuka nge-28.76% kwi-bad rate kwimodeli yokugcina uma iqhathaniswa nemodeli yamanje iCRM model ukuba isetshenziswe yibhange elithile. / Basel II Capital Accord e fetotse tekanyo ya kotsi ya mokitlane (credit risk measurement (CRM)) hoo “thepa e kotsi ya dibanka” ka moo e neng e bonwa ka teng, e seng e fuwa sebaka dikadimong. Lekala la Dikgwebo tse Nyane le tse Mahareng (SME) le bonwa ka tlwaelo jwalo ka lekala le kotsi e hodimo le senang ditswala bakeng sa ditshebetso tsa dikadimo haholo ke dibanka tsa kgwebo. Empa dipatlisiso tse thehilweng hodima se bonweng kapa se etsahetseng tsa tshebetso ya moralo wa Basel II internal-ratings-based (IRB) di supile hore kotsi ya mokitlane ya SME e kgona ho lekanngwa. Leha ho le jwalo, dibanka di ntse di thatafallwa ke ho bonelapele palo ya ditlholeho tsa ho lefa tsa diSME le ho fana ka mokitla lekaleng leo le kgotsofatsang ditlhoko tsa Basel tsa ditjhelete. Phuputso ena e ne sisinya ho etsa tekanyo ya se bonwang ho mmotlolo wa kotsi ya mokitlane (CRM) tshebetsong ya phano ya tjhelete ya diSME e etswang ke setsi sa ditjhelete (FI) ho la Zimbabwe. Mmotlolo o sebetsang hantle hape o fanang ka dipalo tse nepahetseng o dusa diFI hore di laole pepeso ya tsona ho kotsi ka phano e kgethang ya mokitlane, e thehilweng hodima manollo ya dipalopalo ya dintlha tsa histori ya bareki. Mmotlolo o sisingwang wa CRM o hlahisitswe ho tswa ho sampole e sa hlophiswang, e leng pontsho e betere ya setjhaba se ikenelang le monyako (TTD) ya batho bao e kang bakadimi ba tjhelete ho diSME, hobane e kenyelletsa bakopi ba amohetsweng le ba hannweng. Mokgwatshebetso wa bound-and-collapse (BC) reject-inference o kentswe tshebetsong ho nepahatsa tshekamelo ya kgetho e leng teng ho lekala la CRM. Diphetho tsena di bontshitse ntlafalo e kgolo ho matla a tlhophiso le palohare ya phano ya mokitlane ho diSME tsa banka eo ho ithutilweng ka yona, jwalo ka ha ho pakilwe ke ho phokotseho ya direite tse mpe ho pharalla le dimmotlolo tse hlahisitsweng. Mmotlolo wa ho qala le wa ho qetela e ile ya ralwa bakeng sa banka. Mmotlolo wa ho qetela o ile wa netefatswa ka tshebediso ya bobedi reite e mpe le mothinya wa Area under Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) ho lekanya matla a kenyo mekgahlelong a mmotlolo kahare ho sampole le kantle ho yona. AUROC bakeng sa mmotlo wa ho qetela (mmotlolo o fokotseng) e fumanwe e le 0.9782, ha reite e mpe e fumanwe e le 14.69%. Ho bile le ntlafalo ya 28.76% ho reite e mpe bakeng sa mmotlolo wa ho qetela ha ho bapiswa le mmotlolo wa CRM ha o sebediswa bankeng yona eo. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / D.B.L.