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A Compilation of Accounting Case Studies and Analyses
Get PDFOver the course of two semesters I completed twelve case studies under the direction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson. Each of those cases is presented here to serve as my Honors Thesis. They are accompanied by brief analyses to show my understanding of each topic covered in the case. In addition to the completion of case studies, I also had the opportunity to attend twelve presentations from Big 4 firms. During these presentations, I learned the values of each firm and had the opportunity to network with professionals from each firm. Furthermore, I participated in two case competitions, during which I was required work with a team to use critical thinking and problem solving skills to solve particular financial problem. Once we determined the best course of action, my team and I presented our analysis and solution to firm management. Each of these opportunities and the direction of Dr. Dickinson ultimately lead me to my senior accounting internship, which I completed with PwC in Dallas. I have accepted a full-time job offer with this firm and will start in 2020 once I have received my Master’s of Accountancy: Data and Analytics from the Ole Miss Patterson School of Accountancy
Differential analysis of gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana organ boundary mutants
Get PDFDifferences in gene expression occur due to cell type differentiation, the stages of an organism’s life cycle, genetic variation, and changes in the environment. The quantification of these changes can be valuable for helping deduce the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of model organisms such as Arabidopsis. A pair of homeobox genes, ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA HOMEOBOX GENE1 (ATH1) and SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM), encode transcription factors that play key roles in establishing organ boundaries in Arabidopsis flowers. Plants that carry mutations in both of these genes are missing floral organ-stem boundary regions and fail to shed their outer floral organs. Previous studies have shown that expression of HAESA, a receptor-like kinase that activates a signaling cascade necessary for organ shedding, is substantially reduced in stm ath1 mutant flowers.
RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) was used to profile the transcriptomes of wild-type and stm ath1 inflorescences (clusters of flowers). The first aim of my study was to test the hypothesis that the expression of HAE is reduced in stm ath1 inflorescences compared to wild-type. The second aim was to identify other candidate genes whose expression may be regulated by the STM and ATH1 transcription factors and that may play downstream roles in forming organ boundaries and regulating organ abscission. My analysis of a pilot RNA-seq study carried out through the ‘RNA-Seq for the Next Generation’ project at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory identified a set of twenty-four genes that are expressed at significantly lower levels in stm ath1 mutants compared to wildtype. Although expression of HAE is also reduced in stm ath1 plants compared to wildtype, this result does not fall within the range considered to be significant
Cannabinoid Conundrum: A Study of Anti-Epileptic Efficacy and Drug Policy
Get PDFCannabis is the most commonly used, cultivated, and trafficked drug worldwide. The use and acceptance of marijuana is evolving rapidly, as indicated by the volume of new State cannabis legislation across the U.S. Many of the changes in state laws have occurred without significant input from medical or scientific communities. Additionally, marijuana policy in the US is convoluted with significant inconsistencies between state and federal law. The status of marijuana as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substance Act creates numerous restrictions and issues that impact the industry as a whole. The most promising development has been the 2018 Food and Drug Administration approval of the first ever marijuana-derived drug, Epidiolex (cannabidiol or CBD). This drug is now indicated for the treatment of the pharmaco-resistant forms of epilepsy, Dravet and Lennox-Gaustaut syndromes. Further clinical development is necessary in order to substantiate marijuana's therapeutic status. Moreover, scientific research needs to be a key factor in the creation of new marijuana policy. In an effort to conduct this research, and to explore the anti-epileptic efficacy of CBD, this study utilized a zebrafish model of Dravet Syndrome. About 80% of Dravet Syndrome patients carry a mutation in the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.1 (scn1a). scn1a mutant zebrafish underwent both acute and subchronic exposures to various concentrations of CBD. CBD was found to significantly decrease seizure activity within the acute exposure. To provide context and relevancy to this research, the complicated legal status of marijuana is discussed, and potential reform options are provided as advocacy for policy change
Diurnal Variation in CO2 Efflux by Pine Seedlings and Root-Associated Mycorrhizal Fungi
Get PDFThis project was part of a larger experiment conducted by Amber Horning and Jason Hoeksema in the Department of Biology at the University of Mississippi, which was set up to investigate variation (over time, and with different light levels) in resource exchange between pine seedlings and two different species of ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi. The experiment was conducted in a growth chamber, with mycorrhizal pine seedlings growing in plexiglass "mycocosms." I worked with two EM fungal species (Rhizopogon roseolus and Pisolithus arhizus, hereafter "Rhizopogon" and "Pisolithus"), which were collected locally near Oxford, Mississippi under loblolly pine. I selected a subset of replicates from the main experiment, three each for each combination of fungal species and light level (high and low). These twelve mycocosms were examined at 5 time points over a 24-hour period (0100, 0500, 0900, 1400, and 2000) in November 2017 and February 2018. I found that carbon efflux rates varied throughout the 24-hour period and increased during the night in the November measurements. I also found that the amount of light exposed to the mycocosm altered the respiration rates, with the low-light treatment primarily having higher carbon dioxide efflux than the high-light treatment, particularly in the November measurements. I also found that carbon dioxide efflux rates of the plant-side of the mycocosm differed based on which mycorrhizal fungi was associated with the P. taeda. I concluded that it is not ideal to extrapolate soil respiration rates taken at one time point throughout an entire 24 hours
Dworkinian Liberalism, the Right to Pornography, and the Internet
Get PDFIn a 1981 journal article, “Is There A Right to Pornography?,” Ronald Dworkin argues that we have a right to ethical independence that includes the right to consume pornography. The purpose of this thesis is to inquire as to whether Dworkinian liberalism does entail a right to specifically internet pornography. This research is primarily focused on Ronald Dworkin’s writings in Justice for Hedgehogs, Sovereign Virtue: The Theory and Practice of Equality, and Taking Rights Seriously to describe the principles and character of Dworkinian liberalism and its philosophical relationship to the question of the right to pornography. This thesis considers contemporary pornography consumption and its prevalence as it relates to the effects of internet technology on its availability. Given the nature and the source of pornography’s influence upon the ethical landscape, this thesis argues that contemporary pornography availability undermines the conditions of dignity and that certain types of prohibition do not offend the right to ethical independence
How Small Business Owners and Managers Make Marketing Decisions Based on the Success of the Local College Football Team
Get PDFExisting literature suggests that while many people, especially business owners, believe that their local economy suffers when the nearby sports team is not performing well, that is not the case. Student enrollment can take a dip when this occurs in college towns, but economic growth and prosperity is not dependent on a successful sports team. Studies have explored these effects in large cities, but less attention has been paid to the cities that would be more affected by the performance of sports teams, which is small college towns. This research explores the relationship between college football team success and small towns’ economic growth; this study takes a deeper focus into how college town business owners and managers make marketing decisions with this belief in mind. In Study 1, we identify common practices among small business owners by conducting one-on-one interviews with business owners and managers in Oxford, Mississippi. In Study 2, we explore those practices among ten NCAA Division I college towns with less than 65,000 in population. Results suggest that business managers who make decisions based on the performance of the football team see a positive effect on business performance. We also found that managers who focused their marketing decisions on new product or service offerings reported increased profitability compared to competitors. This paper concludes with recommendations for managers and opportunities for further research
GradYear: From Ideation Through Product Delivery
Get PDFThis thesis will serve to document the first year of GradYear, from ideation through product delivery. GradYear is a Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME) Senior Capstone Project; the GradYear team is comprised of five students with academic disciplines ranging across business, accountancy, and engineering. The goal of the team was to design and manufacture a high-quality, classic wooden picture frame for college or university graduates that highlights their graduating class year. Under the direction of Dr. Jack McClurg, Dr. Matthew O’Keefe and factory floor technician Mr. James McPhail, the team designed the GradYear Classic using principles of DFMA and implementing principles of lean manufacturing during production. The author also created a supplementary GradYear Order Management System, applying what she learned from her Management Information Systems and Computer Science coursework.
This thesis will give an in-depth introduction to GradYear and will analyze how the GradYear Classic was designed and manufactured. It will provide a risk analysis, marketing plan, and financial report, each written under the assumption of full production. It will discuss how the GradYear Order Management System was built and include a brief software and technical specification overview of the system. Finally, the author will provide an analysis of the project and give recommendations for the future of GradYear
Super PACs: Where They Came from and What We Know About Dark Money Seven Years Later
Get PDFThe purpose of this thesis is to explore Super PACs as a source of campaign finance and their impact on the federal elections process. After explaining the history of federal campaign finance law in the United States, the role of anonymity by Super PACs is questioned. This thesis argues that two court case decisions are responsible for the creation of Super PACs: Citizens United v. FEC and SpeechNOW.org v. FEC. The cases, and their conflicting interests, are both summarized and analyzed. Next, using federal campaign finance data from the past decade, the impact of Super PACs on campaign finance is both described and analyzed. These data are used to draw conclusions about the immense impact the dark money produced by Super PACs has had on recent election cycles and on the modern era of campaign finance. The struggle between anonymous big money donations and democracy is discussed. It is concluded that Super PACs are incompatible with an open and equal democracy, as they allow unlimited, anonymous donations to overpower the interests of individuals
Ethics in 21st Century Art Conservation: Confederate Monuments
Get PDFThis paper explores the ethics surrounding the conservation of damaged confederate monuments, specifically as educational tools for understanding their place in society and memory over time. Much of this research has been conducted through the use of contemporary news sources and memory studies scholarship on account of the recent influx of interest towards the monuments and their controversies in the 21st century. The ultimate purpose of this paper is to provide an unbiased source of material for future scholarship in memory studies towards confederate monuments, for if damages dealt to the monuments are repaired, that portion of their physical history is then erased. In summation, I argue it would be best to retain iconoclastic damages on choice confederate monuments to provide a solid basis for the future scholarship in ethics of 21st century art history and conservation issues
Effects of Kanglaite, An Anticancer Herbal Medicine, on Breast Cancer Cell Metabolism
Get PDFKanglaite (KLT) is an anticancer herbal medicine developed in China that consists of mainly fatty acid triglycerides from Coix lacryma-jobi L. var. mayuen (Roman.) Stapf. In this study, we analyzed the effects of KLT on normal versus breast cancer cell metabolism using the C2C12, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Each cell line was divided into controls (n=3), cells with 1 μM of rotenone (n=2), or cells 0.3%, 1%, and 1.72% KLT concentrations. Cells were cultured in serum containing regular FCS and serum containing charcoal-stripped FCS in order to examine the full effects of KLT on the cell. Cell energy phenotype assays were conducted using the Seahorse XFe96 Analyzer, which simultaneously measured the cellular oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR). The data from the cell phenotype assay was then analyzed in order to determine the effect of KLT on breast cancer cell metabolism by comparing OCR and ECAR within and between cell lines and generating cell energy phenotypes. The results showed that KLT increased OCR and ECAR for C2C12 cells when cultured in charcoal-stripped fetal calf serum (FCS)-enriched media. The KLT increased OCR and ECAR in MCF-7 cells when cultured in regular FCS. The KLT increased OCR in MDA-MB-231 cells cultured in both serums and decreased ECAR in MDA-MB-231 cells cultured in regular FCS-enriched media