Differentiation on Demand: How Consumer Preferences Shape Product Variety in Hotelling Duopoly

Description
In this paper, a novel model of Hotelling duopoly is introduced that explains horizontal product variety as the result of consumer preferences, expanding on and meshing the works of Hotelling (1929) and Neven (1985). From this model, two opposing forces

In this paper, a novel model of Hotelling duopoly is introduced that explains horizontal product variety as the result of consumer preferences, expanding on and meshing the works of Hotelling (1929) and Neven (1985). From this model, two opposing forces from consumer preferences are found that impact the variety and price decisions of firms: market share revenues and price revenues. As firms face consumers with highly linear (weak) preferences over variety, the profit incentive is to simply capture the market by offering products that appeal to the middle consumer. However, as firms face consumers with highly quadratic (strong) preferences over variety, the profit incentive is to carve out and exploit a market segment by offering a distinct variety. Thus, observed product variety between minimal and maximal differentiation is emergent from consumer preferences, as firms face a balance of price and market share incentives.
Date Created
2024-05
Agent

Mugs for all; an investigation into adaptive technology, the value of handmade art, and the future of multi-scalar solutions.

Description
For my thesis, I made a series of handmade adaptable ceramic mugs for people with a variety of different needs. This includes limited neck mobility, limited hand/wrist strength and flexibility, hand tremors, and more. In order to do this, I

For my thesis, I made a series of handmade adaptable ceramic mugs for people with a variety of different needs. This includes limited neck mobility, limited hand/wrist strength and flexibility, hand tremors, and more. In order to do this, I collected feedback from a variety of people involved in functional movement and adaptive technology to produce multiple handmade mugs.
Date Created
2024-05
Agent

Examining the effects of heart rate variability biofeedback training for increased resiliency in collegiate student athletes: A scoping review

Description
The primary objective of this research was to investigate the efficacy of heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) training interventions aimed to enhance resiliency across collegiate student athletes. This current work focuses on examining the effects of HRVB training and its effects on resiliency in collegiate student athletes.
Date Created
2023-12
Agent

An Analysis of Accessible Design in the Game Industry

Description

Games have traditionally had a high barrier to entry because they necessitate unique input devices, fast reaction times, high motor skills, and more. There has recently been a push to change the design process of these games to include people

Games have traditionally had a high barrier to entry because they necessitate unique input devices, fast reaction times, high motor skills, and more. There has recently been a push to change the design process of these games to include people with disabilities so they can interact with the medium of games as well. This thesis examines the current guiding principles of accessible design, who they are being developed by, and how they might help guide future accessible design and development. Additionally, it will look at modern games with accessibility features and classify them in terms of the Game Accessibility Guidelines. Then, using an interview with a lead developer at a game studio as aid, there will be an examination into modern game industry practices and what might be holding developers or studios back when it comes to accessible design. Finally, further suggestions for these developers and studios will be made in order to help them and others improve in making their games more accessible to people with disabilities.

Date Created
2023-05
Agent

Salomon's House: A Synthetic Biology Science Fiction Prototype

Description
Based upon the idea of a "science fiction prototype" as originally designed by Brian David Johnson, Salomon’s House is a science fiction novella, written to be as scientifically accurate as possible and to present a balanced account of the potential

Based upon the idea of a "science fiction prototype" as originally designed by Brian David Johnson, Salomon’s House is a science fiction novella, written to be as scientifically accurate as possible and to present a balanced account of the potential social consequences of genetic engineering. It aims to explore the answers to some core questions that have plagued scientists and philosophers alike while entertaining its readers with a punchy, character-driven narrative.
Date Created
2023-05
Agent

Navigating the Next Frontier of Journalism: A Project to Restore Regional Voices and Community-Based Storytelling

Description

There is a serious lack of local news in Arizona, the American Southwest, and the United States at-large. Arizonans are craving quality, factual, no-holds-barred journalism that is easy-to-read, and upfront. Quality, local news that covers the ins and outs of

There is a serious lack of local news in Arizona, the American Southwest, and the United States at-large. Arizonans are craving quality, factual, no-holds-barred journalism that is easy-to-read, and upfront. Quality, local news that covers the ins and outs of politics, culture, and community has an opportunity to not only enhance civic life, promote community healing, and expand knowledge made available to the general public (thus serving the communities it calls home), but to also generate revenue. Further, independent and center-right leaning voters in the state of Arizona — be reminded that independents make up the second largest voting bloc among Arizonans — are often crowded out in a media environment that consists of far-left nonprofit-funded news sites like the Arizona Mirror, formerly reputable papers that have bled readership as they veer further left like the Arizona Republic, and far-right online blogs that reach a very limited audience. The Western Tribune is an Arizona-based journalistic publication. This institution is dedicated to providing high-quality, well-sourced news and commentary on statewide, regional, national, and international current affairs through the lens of good government and free enterprise — as well as Southwestern values. We are a free institution that believes in free institutions. We cover stories that go uncovered because of the corporate media’s blind spots (and they’ve got many — they’re a result of news deserts and out-of-touch coastal attitudes) with the stable support of a robust institution dedicated to Truth-seeking behind them. Our storytellers are not just good writers. We seek to recruit and form critical thinkers with skills that span trades, disciplines, and educational backgrounds. We are building an institution committed to excellence.

Date Created
2023-05
Agent

Taking it Outside: Does Moving Class Outdoors Help Students Concentrate?

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Description
Does holding class outdoors have a restorative impact for students? An experimental case study was done at an elementary school in Phoenix to explore this question. A group of 2nd grade students were given a cognitive assessment to measure concentration

Does holding class outdoors have a restorative impact for students? An experimental case study was done at an elementary school in Phoenix to explore this question. A group of 2nd grade students were given a cognitive assessment to measure concentration following exposure to different learning environments, i.e. their classroom and schoolyard. Results indicate that holding class outdoors may have a restorative influence on children's capacity to direct attention.
Date Created
2022-05
Agent

Self-Exploration on Stress Management: An Overview of Primal AlexanderTM and Proposal for Clinical Application

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Description

For my senior undergraduate thesis, I created a self-exploration project to understand stress management. The Alexander Technique, created by F.M. Alexander, is an educational “hands-on” awareness practice that has spurred variations since its inception (Gelb, 2003). Primal AlexanderTM (PATM), a

For my senior undergraduate thesis, I created a self-exploration project to understand stress management. The Alexander Technique, created by F.M. Alexander, is an educational “hands-on” awareness practice that has spurred variations since its inception (Gelb, 2003). Primal AlexanderTM (PATM), a variation of the Alexander technique developed by Mio Morales, is taught on online platforms, chiefly Zoom and other equivalent video communication. PATM shares with the traditional teachings of the Alexander Technique that learning the practice has many benefits – one of these benefits being effective internal stress management. After being introduced to Primal AlexanderTM by Faculty Honors Advisor Robert Kaplan of Arizona State University, I began researching stress management while also practicing Primal AlexanderTM. Considering that nearly half of U.S adults report that stress has a negative effect on their health, it is fair to assume that properly managing stress in individuals continues to be a major obstacle in healthcare (SingleCare, 2022). My personal afflictions that were a result of stress were beginning to affect my mental, emotional, and physical states of health. Learning PATM inspired my support for clinical application of the practice as a stress management technique as I recognized changes within my body that suggested effective, internal stress management.

Date Created
2022-05
Agent

The Future of Biological Big Data

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Description

In recent years, biological research and clinical healthcare has been disrupted by the ability to retrieve vast amounts of information pertaining to an organism’s health and biological systems. From increasingly accessible wearables collecting realtime biometric data to cutting-edge high throughput

In recent years, biological research and clinical healthcare has been disrupted by the ability to retrieve vast amounts of information pertaining to an organism’s health and biological systems. From increasingly accessible wearables collecting realtime biometric data to cutting-edge high throughput biological sequencing methodologies providing snapshots of an organism’s molecular profile, biological data is rapidly increasing in its prevalence. As more biological data continues to be harvested, artificial intelligence and machine learning are well positioned to aid in leveraging this big data for breakthrough scientific outcomes and revolutionized medical care. <br/><br/>The coming decade’s intersection between biology and computational science will be ripe with opportunities to utilize biological big data to advance human health and mitigate disease. Standardization, aggregation and centralization of this biological data will be critical to drawing novel scientific insights that will lead to a more robust understanding of disease etiology and therapeutic avenues. Future development of cheaper, more accessible molecular sensing technology, in conjunction with the emergence of more precise wearables, will pave the road to a truly personalized and preventative healthcare system. However, with these vast opportunities come significant threats. As biological big data advances, privacy and security concerns may hinder society's adoption of these technologies and subsequently dampen the positive impacts this information can have on society. Moreover, the openness of biological data serves as a national security threat given that this data can be used to identify medical vulnerabilities in a population, highlighting the dual-use implications of biological big data. <br/><br/>Additional factors to be considered by academia, private industry, and defense include the ongoing relationship between science and society at-large, as well as the political and social dimensions surrounding the public’s trust in science. Organizations that seek to contribute to the future of biological big data must also remain vigilant to equity, representation and bias in their data sets and data processing techniques. Finally, the positive impacts of biological big data lie on the foundation of responsible innovation, as these emerging technologies do not operate in standalone fashion but rather form a complex ecosystem.

Date Created
2021-05
Agent

Socio-Cultural Evaluation of Student Access to Emerging Telehealth Systems at Arizona State University with Clinical Suggestions

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Description

With the accelerated emergence of telehealth systems being deployed with promises to access unreachable populations in today’s socially distant environment, it is increasingly important to understand the barriers that underprivileged populations face when trying to access healthcare through digital platforms.

With the accelerated emergence of telehealth systems being deployed with promises to access unreachable populations in today’s socially distant environment, it is increasingly important to understand the barriers that underprivileged populations face when trying to access healthcare through digital platforms. This research investigates the use of telehealth in social and cultural sub-populations, focusing on how the diverse student population at Arizona State University (ASU) use the recently-launched ASU Telehealth system. Statistical analysis of demographic factors spanning the five categories of social determinants of health were coupled with population studies of the ASU student body to evaluate the reach of services and patient diversity across telehealth and in person health platforms. Results show that insurance, racial and international student identity influence the percentage of students within these demographic categories Also, though the ASU Telehealth patient body reflects ASU’s general student population, the platform did not increase the reach of Health Services and the magnitude of students served. using ASU Telehealth. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is difficult to determine the validity and reliability of these findings. However, the findings and background research point to targeted marketing campaigns, intentional policy decision-making, post-pandemic telehealth resilience, and the continuation of quantitative and qualitative data collection as means to expand the impact and equity of ASU Telehealth into future iterations of the platform. Outputs of this study include web communication materials and qualitative data collection mechanisms for future use and implementation by ASU Health Services.

Date Created
2021-05
Agent