Building Jefferson\u27s future

2002 Annual report of Thomas Jefferson University

Sign Language Translation Using Machine Learning and Computer Vision

Over the past several years there have been incredible advancements in machine learning and object detection. They’re now being used in everything from security systems to self-driving cars, to automated sorting facilities. One area that has had little benefit from the advancements in breaking down the communication barriers between the Deaf and those who are unable to understand sign language. This paper examines one attempt to start to address those barriers and how that attempt took an unexpected turn that looked deeper at the differences and challenges among various object detection algorithms, how computing power affects how fast and efficiently code can run, and how difficult it can be to work with people

Environmental Liability for Deep Seabed Mining in the Area: An Urgent Case for a Robust Strict Liability Regime

This article will focus on liabilities for the Area and examine the question of liability for the various actors involved, including contractors/operators who carry out the exploitation of resources, sponsoring States, flag States, and the International Seabed Authority. It is necessary to analyze the current state of liability provisions, should environmental damage occur in the Area. The rapid pace of technological advancement and the unknown extent of environmental damage make a fulsome liability regime necessary. Unfortunately, as will be shown in this article, there are still extensive unknowns in the legal landscape. This article will investigate two areas of liability: the standard of liability (strict, negligence, and whether there is a potential for a due diligence defense, active act, or mens rea requirements) and the extent of liability (limited or unlimited damage claim potentials). The UNCLOS seems to provide for one type of liability for operators, but the subsequent legislation, as will be shown, seems to “water down” liabilities, making a detailed analysis required

Chasing the carrot: organizing part-time ontario college workers

This thesis explores issues of union renewal in the context of precarious work, and examines strategies and tactics for effective union organizing of precarious workers in the particular case of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union's (OPSEU) efforts to organize the Ontario part-time college workers. The question of how to successfully . organize precarious workers is explored by examining established organizing strategies and tactjcs and their effectiveness when organizing a group of precarious workers. In a political setting that is increasingly hostile to organized labour, this study examines the impact ofrights-based strategies on organizing, as well as a series of organizing tactics which include 1) engaging members as activists, 2) recruiting organizers whom irror the workplace, 3) evaluating change-oriented leadership in the union, and 4) cross- constituency organizing to build solidarity

Sustainable Seabed Mining and the Phase 1 Environmental Standards and Guidelines

The oceans are home to a rich diversity of plant and animal life and a source of food and marine resources that drive economies. Climate change and pollution are changing ocean dynamics and the ability to support life. Seabed mining in areas beyond national jurisdiction will add to the ocean\u27s stressors and could cause severe environmental damage. The International Seabed Authority (“ISA”) is mandated to manage access to and benefits from the seabed, its subsoil and mineral resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction (the “Area”). Although the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea sets out the legal framework for developing the Area and its resources, it does so in broad terms and leaves substantial gaps. These gaps include the scope of activities in the Area, the interrelationship of international obligations, the division of responsibilities between the ISA and sponsoring states, and the regulation of the mining system in situ. To partially fill these gaps, the ISA has drafted a set of “Phase 1” Standards and Guidelines under the Draft Regulations on Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area. This paper investigates and critiques five environmental Draft Standards from a precautionary and comparative law perspective. Phase 1 standards and guidelines should adopt a more rigorous interpretation of the precautionary principle. Additional recommendations include creating enhanced governance processes and incorporating an ecosystem-based framework for regional environmental assessments and management plans not present in Draft Standards. This research will assist academics, practitioners, governments, and the ISA with policies and strategies to enhance environmental and social protections from seabed mining

Responsible Investing: Access Denied

Retail investors are increasingly demanding responsible investments. Retail investors also require the services of an advisor. Many responsible funds may not be responsible. This is due to many factors, including incomplete disclosures, and lack of financialization of risks. The thesis shows that traditional mutual funds, while structurally able to provide responsible investments, have not provided responsible holdings to mass affluent clientele. Institutional investors, and wealthy retail investors, have options to avail themselves of responsible investments; mass affluent investors have less choice to invest responsibly. The thesis recommends enhanced material disclosures and financial valuation models to better identify responsible investments. Advisors and investors do not have access to the majority of responsible investments, nor are advisors properly trained or compensated to provide advice on these products. Regulatory changes to advisor licensing and advisor training are recommended to address these problems, to provide mass affluent investors with better access to responsible investments

Responsible Investing: Access Denied

Retail investors are increasingly demanding responsible investments as part of their portfolios. Retail investors also, generally, require the services of an advisor. This article argues that traditional mutual funds, while structurally able to provide responsible investments, have not provided responsible holdings to their mass affluent retail investing clientele. While institutional investors, and certain very wealthy retail investors, have a multitude of options to avail themselves of responsible investments, mass affluent retail investors have less of an ability to invest responsibly. Advisors and investors do not have access to the majority of responsible investments, nor are advisors adequately trained or properly compensated to provide advice on these products. Regulatory changes to advisor licensing and training are recommended to address these problems to provide mass affluent retail investors with better access to responsible investing options

Maturity-status bio-banding as a tool for ongoing talent (de)selection of academy soccer players using a multi-disciplinary approach

This repeated measures design study aimed to provide a greater understanding of the physical, psychological, technical and tactical responses of youth soccer players to maturity status bio-banding within small sided games, as a potential tool for talent identification. Ninety-two youth soccer players aged 11 to 15-years-old (age: 13.6 ± 1.1 years, height: 163.0 ± 9.7cm, weight: 49.5 ± 9.1 kg, % of estimated adult stature attained (EASA): 89.6 ± 4.2 %, years from peak height velocity (YPHV): -0.3 ± 1.1 years) were recruited for the study from three professional soccer club’s youth academies. The players were arranged into three maturity status groups; pre-PHV, circa-PHV and post-PHV. This arrangement was completed by the use of predictive maturation equations (Khamis & Roche, 1994; Fransen, et al., 2018). Cut off values for each of the methods were used to distinguish between the groupings (Khamis & Roche, 1994: pre 0.0 YPHV; Fransen et al., 2018: pre <87.0% EASA, circa 87.0-91.9% EASA and post ≥92.0% EASA). Using their predicted maturity status, players were assigned to one of six teams per testing club, comprised of players with the same maturity status, with the exception of the final testing week where random selection to teams was used. Teams competed against the other five squads once per testing night creating maturity matched and maturity unmatched fixtures during the first two testing weeks and mixed maturity fixtures during the final testing week. Players were monitored using micro-electromechanical systems with an integrated global positioning system, a heart rate monitor and subjectively by a technical and psychological scoring chart, completed by coaching staff. Through linear mixed modelling of the collected data, it was revealed how pre-PHV players experience significantly (Khamis and Roche (1994): P ≤ 0.001; Fransen et al. (2018) P < 0.05) greater physical loading, as determined by the summation of accelerations across three planes of motion using the PlayerLoadTM calculation. They also perceive the small sided match play to be significantly (Khamis and Roche (1994): P < 0.05; Fransen et al. (2018): P < 0.05) harder, compared to the ‘circa’ and post-PHV maturity bandings, assessed by collection of rating of perceived exertion (RPE) values. ‘Between biological maturity banding’ small sided match play produced very little difference in psychological, technical and tactical values. However, when players competed within maturity ‘matched’ bio-banded games, they produced their best overall performances. Pre-PHV players covered significantly (P < 0.05) more distance, with seven of the ten technical variables being scored higher and players also perceived these matches to be less demanding. Post-PHV players perceived a greater challenge, as assessed by RPE, against matched maturity squads and in addition, recorded higher physical and technical marks, with six of their ten technical values scoring higher. PlayerLoadTM was also greater, conveying a greater physical demand, with a significant difference being present between ‘pre’ and ‘post’ squads (P < 0.05) (Khamis and Roche (1994); matched: 56.6 AU, post v circa: 54.2 AU, post v pre: 55.0 AU, Fransen et al. (2018); matched: 56.8 AU, post v circa: 55.3, post v pre: 53.3 AU). Tactical differences as assessed by maturity status and fixture setup i.e. maturity status bio-banding were not present within the results, however tactical differences were possibly constrained by pitch dimensions. These findings highlight the possible use of maturity status bio-banded small sided match play within youth soccer for (de)selection purposes by eliciting changes in the physical, technical and psychological responses of the players, facilitating the talent identification process

Judicial Deference to Administrative Statutory Interpretation in the Modern American Administrative State

The American administrative state of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries is defined by deference by federal courts to administrative agencies. The political science and (especially) legal literatures have long discussed how federal courts defer to agencies, but little attention has been dedicated to how to identify deference and why courts defer. This dissertation redefines deference, a term that has been topic of extensive discussion in the last forty years but that was missing a key feature: the intent of the deferrers. Using administrative courts as the proxy for agencies at large, this dissertation suggests three reasons why judges may defer. First, an Article III court might defer to an administrative court by the advice of Chevron v. National Resource Defense Council (1984), a case that provided an explicit declaration in favor of deferring to agencies on the subject matters of which they are an expert. Second, an Article III court might defer to an administrative court when the courts are staffed by co-partisans (i.e. when the partisanship of the Article III court panel and the administrative court panel match). Third, an Article III court might defer to an administrative court when the Article III court would like to communicate instructions on good judicial practice to administrative law judges. To test these theories, this dissertation utilizes a new approach to identifying deference. Using the universe of precedent decisions at the Board of Immigration Appeals, I identified each decision where there was a companion case in the various courts of appeals. This created dyads of cases (n = 116) that provide the opportunity to trace a dispute through two different judicial institutions. I coded each dyad on several variables that provided analytical leverage on all three theories. Upon explicating the research design and case selection featured in this dissertation, I introduce the four forms of deference. If a court rules in favor of an agency and there is evidence in the text of the opinion that the court is actively deferring to the agency, then we can code this instance as active deference. If a court rules in favor of an agency and there is no evidence in the text of the opinion that the court is actively deferring to the agency, then we can code this instance as passive deference. If a court rules against an agency and there is no evidence in the text of the opinion that the court is actively not deferring to the agency, then we can code this instance as passive non-deference. If a court rules against an agency and there is evidence in the text of the opinion that the court is actively not deferring to the agency, then we can code this instance as active non-deference. In this deference scheme, even non-deference has theoretical significance. When a court provides rationales directly related to the actions of the agency, it is the rationale rather than the outcome that matters. When we combine an agency\u27s outcome in court with active language either for or against the agency\u27s actions, we can confidently make conclusions about judicial intent regarding administrative behavior in a way that is impossible when solely relying on win rates