Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Journal

Machine learning techniques have revolutionized the field of financial engineering by providing accurate and efficient methods for pricing American options. This research project aims to explore the effectiveness of deep learning algorithms in accurately pricing American options. The project is divided into two schemes: Scheme I employs a sequence of neural networks, while Scheme II utilizes a single aggregate neural network to eliminate time discretization. By testing various combinations of neural network hyperparameters in both schemes, we seek to optimize the accuracy and computational speed for pricing nine different Put and Call options. Our results are compared against existing efficient algorithms, such as polynomial regression and random forest, as documented in [5]. Based on the analysis of optimal hyperparameters that enhance the accuracy of machine learning-based American option pricing, we identify the top five solvers (hyperparameter sets) in Scheme I and the top two solvers in Scheme II. These solvers are benchmarked and reproducible, serving as reference points for future comparisons with prior studies.

This paper presents a systematic literature review on the relationship between influencer marketing and parasocial relationships in social media. Influencer marketing has gained significant traction as an effective marketing strategy with the advent of social media platforms. Thus, this study seeks to explore the impact of parasocial relationships between influencers and their followers on consumer trust, purchasing decisions, the factors that influence these relationships, and how influencers can enhance them to optimize marketing outcomes. The review encompasses analysis of five primary research studies, investigating factors such as interpersonal attraction, personal attributes, intimate self-disclosure, and empathy as determinants of parasocial relationships. The findings indicate that parasocial relationships exert a positive influence on consumer trust, purchase intentions, and brand evaluations. Notably, factors such as interpersonal attraction, intimate self-disclosure, and empathy emerge as key drivers in fostering and reinforcing parasocial connections. The paper concludes by discussing practical strategies that influencers can employ, including two-way communication, personal disclosures, advertising transparency, and tailored content, to cultivate and strengthen parasocial relationships, ultimately enhancing marketing effectiveness. The study underscores the need for further research to deepen our understanding of this phenomenon and its implications for influencer marketing.

The effects of motivation and the depletion of cognitive resources on performance in a sustained attention task were investigated. 17 participants completed a modified version of the continuous temporal expectancy task (CTET; O’Connell et al., 2009). Performance on the CTET is a measure of sustained attention. Monetary reward was introduced as a between-subjects manipulation. Overall performance and performance across time served as behavioural measures of general sustained attention and the vigilance decrement, respectively. An electroencephalogram (EEG) was used to measure the neural correlates of behaviour, in particular, the alpha band oscillation. EEG analysis revealed higher alpha power for pre-target misses compared to hits, indicating a phase-dependent influence on sustained attention influenced by motivation levels. The vigilance decrement occurred in both reward and no reward groups, unaffected by rewards alone. Ceiling effects may have weakened the impact of rewards. Task performance variability suggests the need for a larger sample size to enhance reliability. In conclusion, alpha power differences between misses and hits suggest its role in sustained attention. However, reward did not mitigate the vigilance decrement which persisted across groups. Further research with a larger sample size is necessary to gain a deeper understanding of these effects.

The cultural object known as “sweet purses” was fabricated and rose in popularity in England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries for its ability to supersede extravagance restrictions in a Post-Reformation court culture and support ideas within early modern neuroscience. This paper explores the cultural shifts and interest in early modern neuroscience and the influence of the soul that are truly responsible for the nature and being of sweet purses, despite often being examined in current collections purely for their visual appeal. Discussing the interest and consequent belief in ideologies such as imagination and humoral theory better explicates the impact and importance that sweet purses had within English court life and often why these objects were able to circumvent the regulations of sumptuary laws. This paper examines the construction and use of sweet purses to best understand the inner workings of early modern English court culture in the aspect of theocratic court functions, the intersection between religious values and developments within scientific spaces, and how the conversation between these territories can be reflected within physical objects.

Phosphonates are organophosphorus compounds recalcitrant to degradation. The Carbon - Phosphorus lyase pathway allows certain microbes to make use of such compounds, releasing a hydrocarbon in the process. This process is shown when methane derives from methylphosphonate consumption. Methane liberation from methylphosphonate facilitated by microbial activity has been shown to occur in the oxygen-rich surface ocean around the world. It may provide these bacteria a phosphorus source used to support growth when phosphate is limited. This project tested the hypothesis that the cyanobacteria Trichodesmium in wild populations in the Gulf of Mexico and lab cultures use methylphosphonate when phosphate concentrations are low, releasing methane as a byproduct.

Tehachapi Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps stebbinsi) is endemic to the Tehachapi Mountains to the Piute Mountains and is listed as a threatened species by the State of California. This species is found in scattered populations from the San Andreas Fault to Walker Basin. Previous studies have found that northern and southern populations of this species have high levels of genetic, color, and size differences. It has been suggested that northern and southern populations of B. stebbinsi, divided by the Tehachapi Valley, could be separate species. We obtained morphological measurements from images of preserved specimens from northern (N = 27) and southern (N = 10) populations. No significant differences in shape or size were detected between these two populations. In future work, we will explore local adaptation, increase sample sizes, and incorporate the evolution of color variation across the range of this species.

Past literature examining dissociation beyond white populations is sparse. The few studies that have diversified their sampling report higher rates of dissociative symptomatology amongst black participants as compared to other racial groups. However, much of this research has failed to extend their findings beyond the general conclusion of an observable racial discrepancy in experienced dissociation. The present study incorporates theoretical models of racial traumatic stress and maladaptive dissociative coping in its investigation of perceived exposure to racial abuse as a potential factor for racial differences in dissociation—specifically of the nonpathological variety. Findings reveal a significantly higher rate of nonpathological dissociation amongst black individuals as compared to white individuals. Less statistically conclusive results were obtained regarding the degree of exposure to racial abuse and related dissociative tendencies. Yet, intrinsic limitations within the study were largely due to the difficulty in quantifying the vast complexities of experienced racism, suggesting the tentative importance of the findings. Discussions on racial trauma, dissociative phenomena, and hierarchical networks—as well as suggested directions for future research—are included.

The zine is curated for people who have experienced a world made unlivable for them. It stands strong for those who have faced trauma and felt shattered beyond repair. This is my message to you: Even though some parts of us are lost forever, we can still become someone even greater. We can still cultivate a life that is worth living, having a radically different outlook and appreciation for life.

Most research on allyship in the racial domain focuses on White allies while overlooking allies from other racial/ethnic minority groups. White allies and racial/ethnic minority allies may have different motives for supporting the targeted group. The current study assessed the perceived motivations of White and racial/ethnic minority allies from the perspective of the targeted group. The study was conducted between subjects, in which half of the participants read a vignette on an example of White allyship during a BLM protest, while the other half read a vignette on an example of Latinx allyship during a BLM protest. We found that Black Americans perceived Latinx allyship during a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest to be significantly more outgroup motivated, morally motivated, internally motivated, ingroup motivated, less personally motivated, and less externally motivated than White allyship.

Everyone will suffer from the effects of climate change and environmental degradation, but it is having the greatest impact on people and communities who are already socially and economically disadvantaged. Historical, political, and economic inequalities have created systemic injustices that have always been present, but are now rampaging society at an ever more menacing pace. In the face of climate change, these inequities are not only a detriment to society, but also a threat to human life, disproportionately assailing the most marginalized communities. The present study explores the environmental injustices that are actively forcing countless people and entire communities out of their homes. Through interviews with experts in the field, as well as people directly affected by the issue, this research aims to raise awareness of the problems and human rights abuses that are arising as a result of climate changes. In addition, it explores possible solutions to these problems threatening the environment and human society.