18431 research outputs found
Sort by
Weighted WAR: A Team-Specific Approach to Optimizing MLB Rosters
Get PDFThis paper introduces a new baseball statistic, Weighted WAR (wWAR), designed to enhance Major League Baseball (MLB) roster optimization by incorporating team-specific factors into player valuation. Traditional WAR (Wins Above Replacement) offers a generalized measure of player performance relative to the league minimum salaried player. The study bridges the gap by developing wWAR, a customizable, team-specific framework for evaluating player impact. Taking player data, team data, and salary data from 2021-2023 the study proves the significance of wWAR’s impact relative to the traditional WAR statistic using case studies and regression analysis. The results demonstrate that wWAR outperforms traditional WAR in forecasting team regular season success, particularly for small and large-market teams where payroll efficiency and strategic resource allocation are critical. The research does not undermine the value of WAR, but rather provides an alternative way to look at a player\u27s WAR based on team specific constraints. While limitations in data availability, data manipulation, and non-quantifiable factors remain, wWAR provides a transformative tool for enhancing team performance and competitive balance in the ML
China’s Economic Slowdown: How Does It Affect New Zealand’s Economy?
Get PDFThis paper examines the impact of China’s economic slowdown on New Zealand’s economy, focusing on sector-specific linkages across real estate, the stock market, exports, and import prices. As a small open economy, New Zealand’s deep integration with global markets makes it particularly vulnerable to external shocks from its largest trading partner. Employing OLS regression models and monthly economic data, this study reveals the nuanced pathways through which China’s economic conditions influence New Zealand. Key findings include the sensitivity of New Zealand’s housing market to Chinese property investments and Chinese stock market performance, the influence of Chinese financial market performance on New Zealand’s equity market, and the pivotal role of Chinese industrial production in shaping New Zealand’s import prices. These results underscore the depth of China’s economic spillovers into New Zealand and highlight the importance of targeted policy measures to bolster resilience in a highly interconnected global economy
Evaluating the Dual-Faceted Growth Strategies in the Healthcare Sector: A Comparative Analysis of Organic Innovation and Inorganic Expansion
Get PDFIn order to stay competitive in an expansionary industry like healthcare, companies must consistently meet market demands for growth. This paper builds an empirical model to identify which growth strategies are most highly rewarded by the public markets. The model consists of a data set of 70 healthcare companies, across various healthcare verticals, to measure market returns from 2010 to 2023. The number of completed acquisitions is used as a proxy to identify each company’s propensity towards a growth strategy. Factors from the Fama-French Model and dummy variables used to signal growth strategy expertise, indicate that firms who invest more heavily in R&D strategies tend to be more heavily rewarded by the public markets. Furthermore, results from the Fama-French Model suggest that the companies observed in the model are defensive, growth-oriented, and benefit from momentum. As for specific crises, such as the global coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the results suggest an even stronger market appreciation for healthcare companies that focus on internal innovation
We Are All Mestiz(ç)os: An Exploration and Deconstruction of The Myth of Mestizaje/Mestiçagem in Mexico and Brazil
No full textDifferent from the United States, racial-mixing was permissible in Latin America throughout its history. Furthermore, race-mixing has been cemented into the national identities of LatAm states through Mestizaje, thus painting these states as racial democracies. This thesis examines the construction and maintenance of Mestizaje as a myth and sign for racial democracies as well as the racial disconnect created within those in “Mestizo” nations. This thesis contributes to existing literature by utilizing Mexico and Brazil due to their different socio-historical contexts. They will serve as case studies to evaluate the mechanisms that allow this myth to persevere. First, I will explain a brief history of Mestizaje in each of these countries beginning with the Spanish and ending with Mestizaje as a tool for nation building. Next, utilizing analytical philosophy, I will explain how Mestizaje operates as a myth and its function. I will argue that the myth of Mestizaje provides avenues for the denial of responsibility when racist acts occur. I argue that Mestizaje legitimizes the inclusion of White latinos and exclusion of Indigenous, Black, and darker skinned Latinos as natural and coincidental. In fact, I argue that the myth of Mestizaje harms individuals within nations that adhere to this myth by creating hermeneutical injustice–depriving the individuals of the framework and concepts to describe their marginalization. The upholding of Mestizaje is dangerous and incredibly harmful as it obscures the white supremacy integrated within LatAm countries; thus, preventing vulnerable communities within these states from receiving the rights and resources they require
From Roe to Reality: Investigating the Long-Term Impacts of Reproductive Rights Restrictions on Maternal Health Outcomes in the U.S.
No full textThis thesis examines maternal health in the United States by investigating certain outcomes pre-Roe v. Wade and post-Roe v. Wade and then proposing how to examine these outcomes after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Maternal health mortality and morbidity is a growing concern and issue for women and families within the United States. The thesis focuses on four variables that directly impact maternal health: nutrient intake, pre-existing conditions, age, and mental health. In addition, it explores certain factors such as race and state policies that exacerbate outcomes and disparities. Findings show that older mothers face increased risk and poor nutrient levels correlate with worse maternal and fetal outcomes. Mental health challenges, such as stress, anxiety, and depression are linked to poor maternal health outcomes and certain pre-existing conditions may contribute to severe complications in birth or pregnancy or even death. In terms of disparities, non-White women historically suffer through worse health outcomes and across states women are seeking better health care, leaving their home-states with restrictive policies for states with more reproductive care options. To better understand how these outcomes will change and likely worsen with the Trump Administration and increase in restrictive policies across certain states, I propose a longitudinal experiment that examines the long-term impacts of the Dobbs decision on maternal health. The experiment’s focus is on all four variables and additionally examines telomeres; it includes a methodology, participant recruitment data sourcing, measurement techniques, data analysis, and a procedure necessary to analyze the maternal health trends in health care in a post-Roe v Wade society
Comparative Analysis of Lipid Accumulation and Antioxidant Responses in MASLD and Control iPSC-Heps
Get PDFMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a prevalent liver condition characterized by lipid accumulation and associated inflammation, driven by genetic, environmental, and metabolic factors. Much is still unknown about the mechanisms of the disease, and research on this is important for advancing effective treatments. This study investigated lipid accumulation and oxidative stress responses to varying concentrations of oleic acid (OA) and palmitic acid (PA) in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes (iPSC-Heps) from MASLD and healthy donors. BODIPY staining revealed that MASLD iPSC-Heps exhibit significantly higher lipid accumulation than controls, especially under prolonged OA and PA exposure. Additionally, PLIN2 expression was consistently higher in MASLD cells, consistently with increased lipid accumulation. Further, gene expression analysis revealed that MASLD iPSC-Heps exhibited an impaired antioxidant response after fatty acid treatments, compared to the adaptive upregulation in the control cells. These findings emphasize MASLD cells’ increased vulnerability to lipid overload and oxidative stress, suggesting a link between lipid accumulation and cellular dysfunction. Experiments suggest that targeted interventions to enhance antioxidant pathways could mitigate disease progression. This research adds to understanding MASLD’s pathogenesis, offering insights for developing therapeutic approaches for MASLD and related liver disorders
How do babies come to know what babies know?
Get PDFElizabeth Spelke’s What Babies Know is a scholarly presentation of core knowledge theory and a masterful compendium of empirical evidence that supports it. Unfortunately, Spelke’s principal theoretical assumption is that core knowledge is simply the innate product of cognitive evolution. As such, her theory fails to explicate the developmental mechanisms underlying the emergence of the cognitive systems underlying that knowledge
An examination of tools and strategies that have increased a hegemon’s sphere of influence and the subsequent effect on developing countries.
No full textGlobal hegemonic powers have dominated power relationships since the beginning of civilization formations. The rise and fall of these powers have been in turn with successful and unsuccessful strategies to increase their sphere of influence and power. This paper looks to examine recent hegemonic powers and how successful they have been in their respective strategies in increasing their influence. This coincides with the investigation into the effects on the developing world where the global superpowers have been vying for influence. This paper looks at older empires and then an in-depth look at the Cold War and the struggle for power. Then it moves to modern American strategies and a look at the emergence of China as a global superpower
The Evolution of Tokenomics: Structuring Sustainable Token Economies
No full textIn the rapidly-evolving landscape of blockchain technology, tokenomics has emerged as a fundamental pillar shaping the dynamics of decentralized ecosystems. Tokenomics, short for ‘token economics,’ refers to the study and design of the rules and mechanisms governing the creation, distribution, and management of a cryptocurrency or digital token. As we stand at the crossroads of a blockchain-ruled world, a comprehensive framework for structuring tokenomics is yet to be solidified. This paper aims to contribute to the existing literature by examining how tokenomics influences the price returns between Bitcoin, Ethereum, and 25 web3 tokens. Through fixed effects regressions, this study found that token returns typically correlate with Bitcoin, in regards to overall market sentiment and health. Alternatively, token returns are more heavily influenced by Ethereum and aspects of the Ethereum ecosystem