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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Structural Integrity And Stability Of Dna In Ionic Liquid And Near-Infrared Indolizine Squaraine Dye, Ember Yeji Suh May 2023

Structural Integrity And Stability Of Dna In Ionic Liquid And Near-Infrared Indolizine Squaraine Dye, Ember Yeji Suh

Honors Theses

Luminol, the most common presumptive test for blood at a crime scene, has multiple issues, such as false positive results with chemical agents, no luminescence due to “active oxygen” cleaning agents on bloodstains, and inability to penetrate textile materials. A combination of indolizine squaraine dye and ionic liquid (IL), or Dye Enhanced Textile Emission for Crime Tracking (DETECT), have shown potential to address these issues. The purpose of this study was to assess the binding mechanism of CG (1:1) and SO3SQ dye to HSA and how the mechanism can explain the W214 fluorescence quenching effect and to determine …


At The End Of Life: Conceptualizing Human Dignity And Assisted Suicide Debates In Contemporary Germany, Edith-Marie Green May 2023

At The End Of Life: Conceptualizing Human Dignity And Assisted Suicide Debates In Contemporary Germany, Edith-Marie Green

Honors Theses

As medicine improves and breakthroughs on cures for illnesses formerly thought deadly continue to develop, the global population continues to age. This has introduced new concerns about aging and end-of-life health care. One proposed end-of-life healthcare solution is assisted suicide, although the practice is not without its controversies. The case of assisted suicide in Germany is of particular interest for a variety of reasons, and the practice has not had an easy path there. A series of debates in 2015 led to the practice being banned, but that ban was overturned in 2020 by Germany’s Constitutional Court. While assisted suicide …


Comparing And Contrasting Campus Sexual Assault Policies And Definitions From Universities In The Southeastern Conference, Remy Heinen May 2022

Comparing And Contrasting Campus Sexual Assault Policies And Definitions From Universities In The Southeastern Conference, Remy Heinen

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the campus sexual assault policies and definitions in place at the 14 universities in the Southeastern Conference in order to compare and contrast them. Data was collected from each university’s online resources regarding sexual misconduct and an instrument based on a 2014 White House Task Force was used to compare the schools’ definitions and policies.


On The Intersections Of Childhood Maltreatment, Self-Control, And Behavioral Outcomes Across The Life-Course, Ameleigh Bippen May 2022

On The Intersections Of Childhood Maltreatment, Self-Control, And Behavioral Outcomes Across The Life-Course, Ameleigh Bippen

Honors Theses

Childhood abuse and neglect are highly deleterious experiences that a number of children continue to encounter. The purpose of the current discussion is to examine the impact of childhood abuse and neglect on the growth and development of self-control in early childhood. In service of this goal, several methods were employed, including a review of the historical and current research on the development of self-control. In addition to this, specific scientific theories and their advancements were analyzed to provide further insight into the connection between poor impulse regulation (and decision-making) and downstream linkages with criminal offending. Perhaps not surprisingly, evidence …


Lawyers That (Say They) Listen: An Exploratory Study Into Law Firms With Listening Specific Branding, Kacey Henriques May 2022

Lawyers That (Say They) Listen: An Exploratory Study Into Law Firms With Listening Specific Branding, Kacey Henriques

Honors Theses

The following investigation attempts to explore the communication dynamics between law firms and their clients. As shown in this research, clients tend to make note of poor communication skills, specifically listening skills, when they interact with attorneys. In an attempt to appeal to clients who have had negative interactions in respect to listening, several law firms across the country are utilizing branding that stresses their strengths in listening (what I term listening specific branding). In the investigation to come, three law firms are analyzed that utilize this type of branding. Additionally, three law firms that specialize in similar areas of …


The American Prosecutor And The Carceral State: An Analysis To Address Prosecutorial Power And Discretion In An Effort To Reduce Overincarceration In The United States, Olivia Jordan May 2022

The American Prosecutor And The Carceral State: An Analysis To Address Prosecutorial Power And Discretion In An Effort To Reduce Overincarceration In The United States, Olivia Jordan

Honors Theses

There is perhaps no other actor within our legal system that shares more power and control over the carceral state than the American prosecutor. This thesis examines the powers of the prosecutor at every stage of criminal procedure, how these powers contribute to the carceral state, and how prioritizing prosecutorial policy reform can effectively reduce persistent mass incarceration in the United States. This thesis uses three criteria- effectiveness at reducing overincarceration, feasibility of implementation, and ethical impact- to critically evaluate several proposals for addressing prosecutorial power and discretion. Ultimately, the thesis recommends a combination of three proposals for a more …


Development Of A Non-Invasive Dna Extraction Method From Teeth, Monalisa Heng Apr 2022

Development Of A Non-Invasive Dna Extraction Method From Teeth, Monalisa Heng

Honors Theses

Forensic dentistry has evolved from simple morphological investigations to genetic and molecular analysis. One of the most important techniques is DNA analysis which requires viable samples from an individual or crime site. The orofacial region can be a good source for DNA samples because the tissues can resist environmental, thermal, electrical, and mechanical challenges. Teeth are especially useful as a source of genetic material because the DNA located in the pulp is surrounded by protective mineral tissue. The DNA in the pulp tissue is currently accessed through destructive methods involving crushing, pulverization, and splitting the tooth. Unfortunately, destructive methods destroy …


How To Combat The Negative Effects Of Punishment Drift On Children, Madison Alliston Apr 2022

How To Combat The Negative Effects Of Punishment Drift On Children, Madison Alliston

Honors Theses

Approximately 2.7 million children have a parent that is currently incarcerated in the United States. Despite the fact that these children are innocent, they face a myriad of negative consequences due to the separation from their parents. The negative effect of incarceration on children is known as punishment drift. Because the effects of incarceration tend to “drift” onto children, these individuals typically face psychological impacts (e.g., social anxiety and depression), economic impacts (e.g., poverty and food insecurity), and environmental impacts (e.g., foster care) from punishment drift. Despite all of the detrimental effects, there have been very few policy solutions implemented …


Investigation Of The History Of Fingerprinting, Advancements In The Field, And Development Of Potential Methods That Could Improve The Detection Of Endogenous And Exogenous Drugs In Latent Prints, Kristen Malloy May 2020

Investigation Of The History Of Fingerprinting, Advancements In The Field, And Development Of Potential Methods That Could Improve The Detection Of Endogenous And Exogenous Drugs In Latent Prints, Kristen Malloy

Honors Theses

When someone thinks of fingerprinting, they are most likely going to picture how a latent print is matched to the fingerprint of a suspect based on ridge pattern analysis. However, there is much more information that can be obtained from a latent print. The work performed in this thesis focuses the detection of exogenous and endogenous drugs in latent prints. The experiments performed analyzed fingerprints from volunteers that were contaminated with one of three common painkillers: acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), and ibuprofen. Three different instruments were tested for this purpose: MALDI-MS, ATR-FTIR, and LC-MS. Based on the results gathered, it …


Analyses Of Prosecutorial Power And Discretion In Mississippi: Evaluating Proposals To Address Misconduct And Abuse, Lucy Pruitt Apr 2020

Analyses Of Prosecutorial Power And Discretion In Mississippi: Evaluating Proposals To Address Misconduct And Abuse, Lucy Pruitt

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to create a policy proposal in order to address incidences of prosecutorial misconduct and abuse of discretion in the Mississippi criminal justice system. To do so, the author has summarized and analyzed seven criminal cases in which defendants have become victims of prosecutorial misconduct in order to shed light on the lack of prosecutorial accountability in the state’s criminal justice system. In an attempt to solve the problem, the author has developed a novel grading rubric in order to objectively and systematically analyze and evaluate previously proposed policy recommendations by legal experts and justice organizations. The successes …


Cannabinoid Conundrum: A Study Of Anti-Epileptic Efficacy And Drug Policy, Kennedy Dickson Jan 2019

Cannabinoid Conundrum: A Study Of Anti-Epileptic Efficacy And Drug Policy, Kennedy Dickson

Honors Theses

Cannabis 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 …


Development Of A Dart-Mass Spectral Database For 3d-Printed Firearm Polymers, And Airborne Mercury At Three Lakes In North Mississippi, Parker Ball Jan 2019

Development Of A Dart-Mass Spectral Database For 3d-Printed Firearm Polymers, And Airborne Mercury At Three Lakes In North Mississippi, Parker Ball

Honors Theses

This research focuses on two studies: a development towards a DART-mass spectral database for 3D-printed firearm polymers, and a test for airborne mercury concentrations at three lakes in North Mississippi. With the relatively recent developments in 3D-printing technology, 3D-printed firearms have become increasingly prevalent as they have become more accessible to the public. Despite its growing popularity, little research has been done regarding the forensic analysis of evidence from 3D-printed firearms. Using DART-MS in conjunction with thermal desorption techniques, we obtained the mass spectra for 50 different commercially available 3D-printing polymers. Chemometric analysis was done to account for the high …


Investigating The Response Criteria Shift Account For The Verbal Overshadowing Effect, Matthew C. Dean Jan 2019

Investigating The Response Criteria Shift Account For The Verbal Overshadowing Effect, Matthew C. Dean

Honors Theses

The present study investigated the impact of response criteria shift effects within the verbal overshadowing effect (VOE). Participants watched a video recording of a burglary and were then given one of two tasks: either 1.) a recall task or 2.) a non- recall task (Tetris). Participants were then shown a two-person lineup and forced to identify the burglar. The results of the experiment indicated that participants who engage in the recall task demonstrate verbal overshadowing, despite being forced to identify from a lineup. Essentially, verbal overshadowing occurs without a shift in response criteria.


Investigating The Binding Of Fentanyl And Fentanyl Analogs To The Μ-Opioid Receptor, Marissa Anne Teske Jan 2019

Investigating The Binding Of Fentanyl And Fentanyl Analogs To The Μ-Opioid Receptor, Marissa Anne Teske

Honors Theses

In 1960, Dr. Paul Janssen of the Janssen Company synthesized fentanyl. It is a rapid-acting analgesic that, unlike similar analgesics around that time, did not have negative cardiovascular effects. Fentanyl, and its derivatives, are strong μ-opioid receptor agonists. Rates of fatal opioid overdoses involving fentanyl have increases rapidly over the past two decades Due to these increasing concerns related to fentanyl and its derivatives, it is important to not only study fentanyl and its known derivatives, but to also study and understand potential new derivatives and how all these compounds interact with the opioid receptors. This study examined the interactions …


Al-Qaida, Boko Haram, And Isis: Tracking The Shift In Women’S Involvement, Anna Therese Beavers Jan 2019

Al-Qaida, Boko Haram, And Isis: Tracking The Shift In Women’S Involvement, Anna Therese Beavers

Honors Theses

This paper discusses the shift in women’s roles in Islamic extremist groups over the last two decades. Focusing on three violent Sunni groups, al-Qaida, Boko Haram, and ISIS, the research aims to fill gaps in United States and global counterterrorism and reintegration efforts by providing a comprehensive, accurate, and timely assessment of the recent change in women’s roles in terrorist organizations, shifting from foundational to limited operational to fully operational. The shift occurred and continues to unfold as several moving parts have fallen into place to create this situation. Women’s desire to participate at a more operational level, the need …


Intelligence-Led Policing: Linking Local And State Policies To Establish A Comdefinition, Chad B. Prosser Jan 2019

Intelligence-Led Policing: Linking Local And State Policies To Establish A Comdefinition, Chad B. Prosser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research project studied agencies within local and state levels through their official policies in order to establish a comdefinition of ILP while establishing themes that link the predominate policing methodologies together. A definition could not be generated based on the data analyzed. Despite this, three themes emerged that link ILP agencies to agencies that implement other policing philosophies: Intelligence, Community, and Analysis. The majority of agencies do not implement ILP; however, almost all of the agencies within the sample frame of this study acknowledge or implement certain portions of the ILP methodology making it a flexible alternative to implement …


Role Of School Counselors In Deterring Juvenile Delinquency: A Mississippi Pilot Study, Wesley A. Hendrix Jan 2019

Role Of School Counselors In Deterring Juvenile Delinquency: A Mississippi Pilot Study, Wesley A. Hendrix

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the world juvenile crime remains a major part of the criminal justice system. Although crime has been on the downward trend for the past decade there is still much research that has been done is this area and is on-going. Most research that has been done in this area has solely looked at the juveniles searching for reasons as to why they commit crime. This research looked at a different aspect of juvenile crime. School counselors have a direct role in shaping a youth’s future life and have influences that others may not have. This qualitative research referenced two …


A Study Of The Kratom Alkaloids And Their Binding To The Μ-Opioid Receptor, Reba Elizabeth Ann Chamblee Jan 2019

A Study Of The Kratom Alkaloids And Their Binding To The Μ-Opioid Receptor, Reba Elizabeth Ann Chamblee

Honors Theses

Kratom, a plant commonly found in southeast Asia, has traditionally been used for medicinal treatments. Recently, however, the popularity of the drug has significantly increased due to its euphoric effects, leading to it being used as an alternative to illegal opioids. Several alkaloid compounds have been isolated from the leaves of the plant. The main alkaloids seen are the following five alkaloids: mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, speciociliatine, speciogynine, and paynantheine. Two alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, have exhibited high potencies and are potentially even more potent than morphine. Previous studies have indicated that the main mediator of the psychoactive effects is the opioid …


Contemporary Terrorism Paradigm: Terrorist Attacks On Transportation Systems, Gabbi Berlanti Jan 2018

Contemporary Terrorism Paradigm: Terrorist Attacks On Transportation Systems, Gabbi Berlanti

Honors Theses

The Contemporary Terrorism Paradigm has been examined in concept, but little research has applied the theory to specific targeting of terrorist organizations. To build on this limited research, the current study analyzed the number of terrorist incidents targeting the transportation infrastructure in North America, Western Europe, and East Asia between 2001 and 2016 to ascertain if the Contemporary Terrorism Paradigm explains the variance between number of incidents and number of casualties. The use of North America, Western Europe, and East Asia created an opportunity to examine vulnerabilities in the transportation infrastructure and identify areas in the United States transportation infrastructure …


Procedural Justice And Police Officers: The Forgotten Perspective, Kirby Laura Rhodes Jan 2018

Procedural Justice And Police Officers: The Forgotten Perspective, Kirby Laura Rhodes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, there has been increased attention to questions about police legitimacy and the expectation of citizen compliance. Some scholars argue that procedurally just practices benefit police-citizen interactions (see Mazerolle et al., 2012, 2013). While there are many studies that focus on procedural justice and its effects on the civilian population, there is little research on police officers’ willingness to implement procedurally just practices. This study evaluates police officer perceptions of and willingness to engage in procedural justice using factor analytic techniques. There are four major findings: 1) Police officers are willing to engage in procedural justice, 2) police …


Rewiring The Anger: Learning New Responses In The Therapeutic Community, Emma Marie Burleson Jan 2017

Rewiring The Anger: Learning New Responses In The Therapeutic Community, Emma Marie Burleson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extensive research has been conducted in correctional settings on the effects that therapeutic programs that utilize cognitive-behavioral therapies have on recidivism rates and cognitive-behavioral changes among inmates. Research on anger management programs in correctional settings has shown that there are measurable effects on the anger levels of participants based on quantitative pre-testing and post-testing. The present study sought to build on this research in a unique way by conducting qualitative research to examine the personal perceptions of inmates that have graduated from a therapeutic program in a maximum security prison. The study focused on participants’ perceived changes in how they …


Intelligence Dissemination Among Local, State, And Federal Law Enforcement: The Necessity, Gaps, And Recommendations, Emily Holcomb Jan 2017

Intelligence Dissemination Among Local, State, And Federal Law Enforcement: The Necessity, Gaps, And Recommendations, Emily Holcomb

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine how intelligence is gathered in the Southern State Region, identify perceived gaps in the current policies used with this communication and offer potential solutions to intelligence communication flaws. An interview-based research of Southern State Region officers and agents and the support of peer-reviewed academic articles shaped the research in this paper. The results of this research indicated that (a) personal connections between law enforcement agents and federal agents are the backbone of the current process utilized in information sharing, (b) there are gaps when personnel leave their position in office because of …


The Attitudes And Awareness Of Sexual Assault, Relationship Violence, And Bystander Intervention Of Undergraduate Students, Megan Stidd Jan 2016

The Attitudes And Awareness Of Sexual Assault, Relationship Violence, And Bystander Intervention Of Undergraduate Students, Megan Stidd

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.


Social Disorganization In University Residence Halls, William Patrick Fennell Jan 2013

Social Disorganization In University Residence Halls, William Patrick Fennell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social disorganization theory researchers have paid little attention to college and university campuses. To build on this limited research the current study attempted to analyze the incident rates on The University of Mississippi's Oxford campus to ascertain if social disorganization theory explained any variance between the rates of the different types of residence halls. The presence of three different types of residence halls during the 2012-2013 school year, with three different approaches to socialization, created a unique opportunity to study if halls that promoted environments that encouraged social control according to social disorganization theory would have lower incident rates. The …


The Impact Of An Alcohol Deterrence Policy On College Students' Behavior, Matthew Douglas Defore Jan 2013

The Impact Of An Alcohol Deterrence Policy On College Students' Behavior, Matthew Douglas Defore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The university under study developed an alcohol control policy in 2006 in response to a string of tragic alcohol-related deaths. At the time of the study, the policy had been in operation for six years with a growing number of student sanctions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the university's alcohol control policy to determine its deterrence impact on students. By surveying students who have been sanctioned under the alcohol control policy, the researcher sought to gain insight on the strengths and weaknesses of the policy as well as to use these responses as an opportunity to recommend …


A Comparison Of Adolescent Drug Use Between Urban And Rural Populations, Randall G. Rhodes Jan 1998

A Comparison Of Adolescent Drug Use Between Urban And Rural Populations, Randall G. Rhodes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has found extensive levels of drug use among the adolescent population from standard metropolitan statistical areas. The reviestudies show high drug use rates in the urban minority population, particularly in regards to cocaine use. Also, arrestee data examining law violations compared to drug usage and the age of initial usage correlates to the onset of delinquent behavior in the juvenile population. There are relatively few studies that have examined rural populations in regards to drug usage rates in comparison to urban populations. This study compares, through descriptive statistical analysis, arrestee data from the rural adolescent population of Cape …