Digital Commons Network^™

Kinesthetic Aftereffects And Anticipation Timing Of A Weighted Bat Warm-Up In Softball Players, Kylee L. Hill

Honors Theses

Abstract

It has long since been a tradition for baseball players to use weighted bats in the on-deck circle and for many sport companies to market these training aids with promises to “increase swing velocity” and “improve hand speed and strength”. Increased research in the area has indicated the potential adverse effects of weighted-bat warm up, including potential impacts on swing mechanics, bat swing velocity, and anticipation timing. Since bat swing velocity and interceptive timing are crucial elements to success in baseball and softball batting, there is a need to further investigate the effects of weighted bat warm-up. In this …

The Opioid Crisis: Implications For Western Michigan University, Kennedy Koebbe

Honors Theses

The opioid epidemic has become a national crisis in the United States of America. The area of study for this paper, is how university students ages 18-25 are affected by the opioid crisis. This thesis will include a review of current literature pertaining to the opioid epidemic. The main goal of this thesis is to educate Western Michigan University students and faculty about the nationwide opioid epidemic. A PowerPoint will be created using the structure of a professional poster. The PowerPoint will be presented in an online face-to-face browser. Commonalities in the findings are discussed throughout the presentation. These include …

The Fundamentals Of Financial Accounting: A Compilation Of Case Studies, Grace Anne Harlan

Honors Theses

Financial accounting encompasses many topics such as different accounting methods, ethical practices, financial reporting, and more. Dr. Victoria Dickinson assigned students twelve case studies, each covering a different category of financial reporting, including case studies about accounting methods, accounting standards, and financial statements. The cases are designed to help students understand real examples, think critically to solve problems, and develop strong research and collaboration skills. At the conclusion of this course, students had an improved technical knowledge of accounting and a better understanding of the importance of proper financial accounting methods. The knowledge learned will continue to benefit students in …

Impact Of Denial Of Sexual Offenses On Sentencing And Treatment Strategies, Jenna Luallen

Honors Theses

The prevalence of sexual offenses calls for a reevaluation of how the system treats offenders and addresses indicators of risk. How an individual convicted of a sexual offense accepts or denies the assault can weigh heavily on the sanctions imposed upon them, and how the system processes the offender. Acceptance of guilt is an important goal in offender treatment programs, and denial is reportedly used as an indicator of high risk of recidivism. Deeper examination into how individuals who deny their offense are understood and processed throughout treatment aids in the identification of best practices for working with sex offender …

Phenotypic Analysis Of S. Aureus Strains From University Student Health Centers And Environmental Controls, Antonio Teixeira

Honors Theses

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a group of pathogenic bacterial strains resistant to a class of antibiotics that is a major cause for concern in health care systems. There is a lack of study in whether health care centers are reservoirs for these bacteria, especially within developed countries. Five environmental swab samples were collected from five different university health care centers across the region, and 16 swab samples from a general university environment. Any isolated bacterial strains collected underwent five biochemical tests (mannitol fermentation, DNase activity, oxidase activity, catalase activity, and coagulase activity) to preliminarily identify S. aureus bacteria. 24% …

Delinquency In The Caribbean: Stakeholder Perceptions Of Root Causes, Laura Nolterieke

Honors Theses

There is a gap in the research on juvenile delinquency within the Caribbean context. As countries such as St. Lucia, Guyana, St. Kitts, and Nevis have growing delinquency and crime rates, there is a need to bridge this gap in the literature. This research sought to examine the main causes of juvenile delinquency within St. Lucia, Guyana, St. Kitts, and Nevis, as described by juvenile justice stakeholders, such as probation officers, prosecutors, and judges, within their respective countries. Through the use of grounded theory, the data were coded and analyzed using a constant comparison method. From these data, six themes …

Tiny Homes As A Method To Increase Equitable Housing: Tiny Homes Detroit And Kalamazoo, Katie Kozlowski

Honors Theses

This thesis assesses the relative merits of housing programs such as Tiny Homes Detroit for other places where equitable and affordable housing is in short supply such as Kalamazoo, MI. For context, prior to information on Tiny Homes, and Tiny Homes in Detroit, information about the forces that shaped the contemporary housing crisis in both Detroit and Kalamazoo are provided. Topics in these preliminary sections include information on Redlining, Subprime Mortgages, Equitable Development, and Gentrification. For a variety of factors summarized in the thesis, Tiny Home Communities are a possible solution that, on a micro scale, can provide the most …

Investigating The Efficacy Of Dna Damage With Bleach In Forensic Laboratories And At Crime Scenes, Alyssa Tuccinardi

Honors Theses

Household/commercial bleach (6% NaOCl, sodium hypochlorite) degrades DNA through oxidative damage, production of chlorinated base products, and cleavage of DNA strands (breaking it into smaller and smaller fragments). The presence of these lesions significantly impacts the ability to generate a full genetic profile from an evidentiary sample. In fact, knowledge of the damaging effect of bleach on DNA is the basis for its use in forensic laboratories to clean workbenches and prevent cross-contamination of samples between cases. Additionally, bleach is used intentionally by criminals to clean up crime scenes and destroy DNA evidence. A previous study demonstrated that bleach has …

Photofading Of Black Dyes In Cotton And Polyester Fibers Resulting From Environmental Exposure To Sunlight, Maggie E. Mahaney

Honors Theses

Color is one of the most important properties analyzed during forensic fiber examinations due to its discriminatory power. Differing colors in fibers are usually sufficient grounds for exclusion, but in cases where a lengthy period has passed between crime commission and evidence recovery, the high probability of environmental degradation having altered the questioned fibers’ properties could lead to false exclusions. Photofading, the loss of color resulting from exposure to light, is a common form of degradation observed in fibers. Although well-known in the dyeing industry, it is not typically factored into forensic fiber examinations. Published photofading research has been limited …

Kidney Tomosynthesis Image Reconstruction Algorithms And Image Quality Evaluation, Allison Mcminn, Ying Chen

Honors Theses

Kidney stone disease is one of the most common diseases that faces the American population. For proper diagnosis of kidney stones medical imaging must be performed. The current gold standard for kidney stone detection is computed tomography (CT) imaging. However, CT imaging exposes the patient to large amounts of x-ray radiation. Digital tomosynthesis is a novel technique in medical diagnosis due to its ability to generate high-resolution images while limiting the radiation dosage to patients. Tomosynthesis is a three-dimensional imaging technique that allows the reconstruction of an arbitrary set of planes from limited-angle series of projection images. Tomosynthesis has well-published …

Innovating Sustainability Education Through The “Bird’S Eye” Perspective, Carly Kasicki

Honors Theses

Various disciplines were used to define sustainability through their lens and set an education space that integrated students into finding needed and creative solutions for the problems affecting their community. This was done through the creation of an University Honors course that took 13 students and put them into a class split into two parts: setting a base foundation of sustainability knowledge through learning the views and struggles of different disciplines every week and then building a sustainability project that caters to the needs of the community. This class was used to create an education experience that is responsive to …

A Compilation Of Accounting Case Studies, Richard Brohaugh

Honors Theses

This thesis compiles twelve case studies provided by Dr. Victoria Dickinson. Each of these cases, which were performed over the course of the 2018-2019 academic year, presented accounting problems that used both fictional and real-world situations to provide an experiential approach to learning. These cases presented numerous types of business problems and challenged me to better understand the various dimensions of accountancy, ranging from data analytics to banking and finance. The procedures used to gather solutions and data for each of the cases were unique, but for each case, I was able to learn how to research potential issues and …

The Effects Of Emotionally Appealing Messages On Perceptions About Marine Plastic Pollution: Implications For Science Communication On Social Media Outlets, Shelby Miller

Honors Theses

Marine plastic pollution (MPP) is one of the most pressing problems in the world today with many effects on ecological, economic, and social aspects of society. Global plastic production is around 322 million tons, with 10% of the world’s plastic products entering the ocean every year. Environmental campaigns use humor and shock in order to influence consumer behavior in regard to plastic products. Such approaches are important to utilize on social media in order to effectively communicate the issues posed by MPP. In this study, students and staff at the University of New Haven campus were given a survey containing …

Hiv-1 Tat Interactions With Opioids Are Modulated By Progesterone And Estradiol, Dejun Jackson

Honors Theses

HIV infection and combined substance abuse are comorbid epidemics. Previous studies show that concurrent opioid drug use may potentiate HIV-1-mediated neurotoxicity partly via interactions with opioids. Preclinical studies suggest that the HIV-1 trans-activator of transcription (Tat), an HIV regulatory protein, can synergize with opioids to exacerbate its already neurotoxic effects. However, its interactions with clinical opioids, such as oxycodone, have yet to be elucidated. Additionally, Tat disrupts a number of systems including the dopaminergic system, which contribute to its capacity to potentiate the rewarding effects of abused drugs. Although the neurotoxic effects of Tat may be inhibited by gonadal steroids …

A Compilation Of Case Studies Focusing On Financial Reporting Issues, Haydn Brown

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a compilation of case studies that focuses on various financial reporting and accounting topics. Each case addresses different topics using real world examples of specific companies. The thesis demonstrates the understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and was completed under the supervision of Victoria Dickinson to satisfy the requirements for the University of Mississippi, Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, and Patterson School of Accountancy, and ACCY 420 course in the 2018-2019 academic year.

A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Accounting Environment And Procedures Through A Series Of Case Studies, Ryan Mccarty

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a culmination of twelve case studies completed throughout the academic year of 2018-2019 under the direction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson, as a requirement of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and completion of the ACCY 420 course. Each case study is independent of the next, and is an in-depth response to questions and theories that are found outside of this document. Each analysis is accomplished by myself alone and through the studies of Financial, Managerial, and Cost accounting courses in my career at the University of Mississippi. The thesis is intended to analyze accounting procedures and …

Veridical And False Memory Performance As A Function Of The Timing Of High-Intensity Acute Exercise, Claire Sanderson

Honors Theses

Background: Our recent experimental work demonstrated that high-intensity acute exercise improved veridical (true) memories and also increased the rate of false memories. The present experiment was designed to re-evaluate these effects for replication purposes. We also extend this literature by evaluating whether these effects are influenced by the timing of acute exercise. Methods: The sample included young adults (N=37; M_age = 21.16 years). We employed a three-condition, within-group, counterbalanced controlled design, consisting of two exercise conditions and a control condition. The exercise conditions involved a 15-minute bout of high-intensity acute exercise. These conditions included the bout of …

Foster A Better Future: A Comparative Analysis Of Foster Care Programs For Transition-Age Foster Youth And A Recommendation For The State Of Mississippi, Caroline Glaze

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to find and evaluate different programs aimed at

supporting older youth in foster care. This population of youth could be those in

high school and extends to youth who have aged out of the foster care system.

Through the evaluation of the selected programs based on a set of characteristics,

the study provides a policy recommendation for the state of Mississippi to begin to

better the lives of Mississippi foster youth. The methodology of this study is

qualitative and literature-based. Data was gathered from websites and other

published articles of the selected programs and …

The Book Of Twelve Accounted For Cases, Ty Craig

Honors Theses

This thesis is comprised of twelve case studies. The case studies were completed in conjunction with Professor Dickinson's ACCY 420 course. Each case is independent and has its own abstract.

Topics In Accountancy, Kara Kennedy

Honors Theses

For my thesis, I conducted a thorough analysis of the accounting field and profession through the lens of historical case study examples. In a classroom environment, I researched and debated case topics together with fellow accountancy students under the guidance of our thesis advisor, Dr. Dickinson. Case topics included analysis of broader areas, such as the current conceptual accounting framework or the analysis of accounting careers, along with analysis of more specific areas, such as the sale of debt securities or the appropriate capitalization of costs. Most cases required the evaluation of relevant financial statements in order to gain valuable …

An Examination Of Accountancy Case Studies, Joshua Cathey

Honors Theses

This thesis explores topics that are relevant to the profession of accounting, specific to the experience of a young professional in public accounting. Topics vary from exploration of tools used to analyze data, research into which city would be a good place to start a career, as well as relevant regulatory legal issues. The cases required a mixture of research as well as problem solving to obtain an understanding of the issues at hand. This research aided my ability to perform in front of accounting professionals at case studies that were hosted on campus. Through this research I decided on …

An Analysis Of Case Studies Related To Financial Accounting Concepts And Methods, Alexander Watkins

Honors Theses

Abstract

Alexander Pierce Watkins: An Analysis of Case Studies Related to the Field of Financial Reporting in Accounting

(Under the Direction of Dr. Victoria Dickenson)

The following thesis provides answers and descriptions to questions posed in various case studies that have to do with financial accounting,. The cases generally cover topics such as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, how specific fictional or real companies have navigated their complexities, the student’s takeaway from the material, and a technical real-life application. Taking Intermediate Financial Accounting in conjunction with the completion of these cases allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the subject …

Case Studies In Financial Accounting, Ian Ulmer

Honors Theses

The following thesis is intended to examine topics currently faced by accountants in the profession, in the areas of both technical proficiency and ethical theory, with an eye towards addressing potential areas of interest for accountants in the coming years. These case studies consist of established academic cases that use issues encountered and documented by several of the largest companies in the world to teach accounting theory, as well as cases in development by faculty of the Patterson School. These cases are designed to allow students to apply their previously theoretical knowledge of GAAP to case studies that document real-world …

Principles Of Accounting And Financial Reporting: A Case Study Compilation, Olivia Duke

Honors Theses

The following case studies are a demonstration of knowledge regarding proper accounting procedures in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as set by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). This thesis examines the various treatments of different areas of accounting as well as how a good accountant should carry himself or herself in the professional environment. Each case study presents a different set of solutions regarding various concepts crucial to the understanding of accounting as a subject that with which professionals should be familiar upon entering the workplace. The case studies were completed under the direction of Dr. Victoria …

A Study Of Key Accounting Principles For Financial Reporting Through Analysis Of Case Studies, Brent Austin Thomas

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a compilation of the solutions and analyses derived from twelve different case studies covering a variety of topics related to financial accounting standards in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles as set forth by the Financial Accounting Standards Board. These case studies demonstrate how key accounting principles studied in academia are adapted into practice by businesses for financial reporting. Through the case studies, the real-world presentations of financial statements are analyzed in order to establish a knowledge of the current accounting climate and promote understanding of specific accounting topics. The case studies were completed under …

An Analysis On Applications Of Contemporary Financial Accounting Topics, Audrey M. Dames

Honors Theses

This thesis is composed of twelve independent case studies, each focusing on a different topic in financial accounting. These cases were completed over the course of a year under the instruction of Dr. Dickinson through the Honors Accountancy Independent Study course. To develop this thesis, I examined the information provided in every case study and performed independent research to analyze each unique accounting topic. In addition to independent analysis, the cases were reviewed in collaboration with other students in the Independent Study course, promoting discussion of varying opinions on contemporary accounting theories. The subject matter of the cases ranged from …

An Exploration Of Financial And Accounting Principles And Methods, Stephanie Green

Honors Theses

This collection of case studies and text is a culmination of the twelve case studies assigned by Dr. Victoria Dickinson over the course of the Professional Research and Development Research Program. This program that is unique to Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College accounting students at the University of Mississippi, and it encourages the student to engage with the topic matter of accounting, taking a holistic view of what they are simultaneously learning in other courses. Each case examined a different issue or accounting method that ultimately expanded students’ knowledge and better prepared them for their future careers. The case study …

“We Got More Yesterday Than Anybody”: Child Ghosts And The National Trauma Of Anti-Black Racism In American Literature, Megan Swartzfager

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the roles of haunting in the context of racial violence in three texts: Beloved by Toni Morrison, Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, and Wolf Whistle by Lewis Nordan. In each of these texts, a parent is responsible for the death of a child. In the former two texts, both by Black authors, a Black parent kills a Black child in what they believe to be a protective act in the face of violence by white people. Wolf Whistle, however, written by a white author, is animated by the ghost of a character based on Emmett Till. …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Financial Reporting Through Case Studies, Sarah Clancy

Honors Theses

The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College gives students of the Patterson School of Accountancy the unique opportunity to undergo an alternative thesis process. I completed two classes, one in each semester of my third year, in which I studied technical accounting and financial reporting through case studies. These case studies required that I research multiple aspects of the accounting field, including data analytics, financial statements and other accounting principles. In addition, Dr. Dickinson invited accounting professionals from prominent accounting firms to our class to give honors students the opportunity to learn and network.

I could not be any more grateful …

Synthesis Of Fluorinated Pyrazoles Via Intra- And Intermolecular Cyclization Reactions, Matthew Saucier

Honors Theses

Pyrazole-based pharmaceuticals treat a wide array of diseases and conditions including obesity, diabetes, cancer, microbial and viral infections, pain and inflammation, and many neurological disorders. Syntheses for this biologically significant substrate have been well developed, but current methods to afford fluorinated pyrazoles are limited by variability and selectivity. By 2013, over 25% of all drugs available on the market contained the element fluorine due to its unique characteristics leading to improved target protein binding, bioavailability, and metabolic stability. In order to harness these pharmaceutical benefits of fluorine and overcome its difficulty in handling and stability, we set out to develop …