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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

How Gun Control Laws Affect Homicide, Abbey Maloney Dec 2019

How Gun Control Laws Affect Homicide, Abbey Maloney

Honors Theses

Homicide is an ever-prevalent problem in the United States (U.S.). One solution that is often turned to is the implementation of stricter gun control laws. This causes much divide as many citizens are not in agreement about whether or not these laws do what they are intended to. The aim of this study was to determine whether or not gun control laws have an effect on homicide, and, if so, what this effect is. The U.S. states were evaluated in several different categories to determine how strict or lax their gun laws were. They were scored using the number of …


Effect Of 17a - Ethynylestradiol On The Pupation Rate, Emergence Rate, And Sex Ratio Of Phormia Regina (Calliphoridae), Bethany K. Hoschar Dec 2019

Effect Of 17a - Ethynylestradiol On The Pupation Rate, Emergence Rate, And Sex Ratio Of Phormia Regina (Calliphoridae), Bethany K. Hoschar

Honors Theses

After death, blowflies are attracted to decomposing remains for feeding and reproduction purposes. Since blowflies are usually the first species to colonize a set of remains, they are important to forensic scientists when estimating the time since death. Using the knowledge of the life cycle of a blowfly and any interferences of the environment that can affect the development, forensic entomologists can estimate the time since the arrival of blowflies, otherwise considered time since deposition. This research investigated how a specific estrogen, 17 a-ethynylestradiol, present in pollutants affects the development time of blowflies, and therefore the time since death estimation. …


Impact Of High Profile Police Use Of Force Incidents On Violent Crime Rates, Megan Galante Dec 2019

Impact Of High Profile Police Use Of Force Incidents On Violent Crime Rates, Megan Galante

Honors Theses

This research study examined the relationship between high-profile police use of force incidents and local violent crime rates. It is important to analyze the impact that police use of force has on the respective community in regard to crime rates. This study analyzed three incidents of police use of force that have received extensive coverage in the media in order to determine if there was a change in the rates of violent crime in that city. The theory of de-policing suggests that in the aftermath of a high-profile incident of police brutality, police departments in the area change their behaviors …


Evaluation Of Dna From Blood And Saliva Overtime, Janine Smalling Dec 2019

Evaluation Of Dna From Blood And Saliva Overtime, Janine Smalling

Honors Theses

In this research, we will examine the quantity of DNA over time. In John M. Butlers, "Fundamentals of Forensic DNA Typing", he charts out the average amount of DNA extracted from different bodily fluid samples. Examples include blood, semen, saliva, urine, etc. Though valuable, the values presented are in the cases of a fresh extraction of the sample. It is important to note that in most cases when DNA is being extracted from crime scene evidence, the samples are not fresh and have been degraded to some extent. On a crime scene, time is only one of the factors affecting …


In For A Shock?: Discretion And Disparity In Program Assignment, Brianna Mathis Dec 2019

In For A Shock?: Discretion And Disparity In Program Assignment, Brianna Mathis

Honors Theses

Due to the massive prison population in America, correctional agencies are considering alternatives to standard incarceration. These programs are designed to redirect individuals from serving a prison sentence, and are instead assigned to a program specifically targeted at reducing offenders’ likelihood at recidivating. Typically, the main focus of these programs centers on education, job training, and various types of counseling. The Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) has implemented two programs that aim at reducing recidivism: the first was the Regimented Inmate Discipline Program (RID), which was later replaced with the Recidivism Reduction Program (RRP). While both programs were intended to …


An Analysis Of The Effects Between Prison Documentaries And Popularity Among Viewers, Dominique Malone Dec 2019

An Analysis Of The Effects Between Prison Documentaries And Popularity Among Viewers, Dominique Malone

Honors Theses

This research examines the themes between a variety of prison documentaries and the subsequent viewership. In recent years, documentaries depicting prison life have risen in popularity due to a number of factors such as violence, drama, hysteria, and an overall sense of fascination (Cecil, 2009). This popularity may have impacted views on the current criminal justice system considering most people never have contact with the criminal justice system in their lifetimes (Cecil, 2009). Therefore, these documentaries may serve as one of the only bases for information that they may have about the system (Cecil, 2009). Because prison documentaries are fulfilling …


The Regime Of Sex Trafficking Of Women In The United States, Julia Wilson Jun 2019

The Regime Of Sex Trafficking Of Women In The United States, Julia Wilson

Honors Theses

Sex trafficking is a vicious crime and has been denoted as a form of modern-day slavery, accumulating nearly 21 million victims worldwide. Women and girls make up 95% of victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation, which reflects the dominance of patriarchy operating in the U.S. and across the globe. When it comes to the sex trafficking of women, it is often seen as a problem that happens elsewhere, never close to us. This hegemonic narrative that exoticizes sex trafficking contributes to keeping the problem in the dark. Yet an estimated 200,000 people are forced into the sex trade in the …


Analysis Of Error Within Forensic Measurements And Photogrammetry Programs, Amy Douglas May 2019

Analysis Of Error Within Forensic Measurements And Photogrammetry Programs, Amy Douglas

Honors Theses

Digital images and photography have been considered commonplace in forensic science since the late 1990’s. Photogrammetry is a tool used in forensic science to measure objects within photographs that contain a scale or programs that are able to measure items in 3D images. Items at crime scenes often need to be measured and forensic scientists may not know what the best option is for their situation. This research will be conducted to show which type of measurement technique is most accurate, calculated against NIST traceable measurements, at various sizes of objects. The measurement techniques that will be tested are standard, …


Femicide In The News: How Newspaper Articles Represent The Killing Of Women & Girls In Detroit And Ciudad Juárez, Danielle Branch Apr 2019

Femicide In The News: How Newspaper Articles Represent The Killing Of Women & Girls In Detroit And Ciudad Juárez, Danielle Branch

Honors Theses

In the year 2017 alone, 87,000 women were intentionally murdered across the globe, while 58% of these victims were murdered by someone they knew — family members or intimate partners (Global Study on Homicide: Gender-Related Killing of Women and Girls, 2018). The intentional killing of women and girls, typically by men and motivated by gender, is classified as a crime called “femicide.” Broader definitions of femicide simply state that it is the murder of women and girls, by someone of any gender, regardless of their motive. In some regions of the world, this phenomenon is more prevalent than in others. …


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 …


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.


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 …


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 …