Proceedings
McNeese Alumni Association
Undergraduate Scholar Program
March 14-15, 2012
Lake Charles, Louisiana
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Burton College of Education
Hidden in Plain Sight ............................................................................................................................................ 1
Case Study of a Right Shoulder Injury in a Division-I Collegiate Track Athlete ................................................. 1
College of Engineering & Engineering Technology
Measurement of Unsteady Water-Surface Elevation in Lake Charles Using a GPS Depth Finder ...................... 2
Evaluation of Erosion for Coastal Highways and Levees ..................................................................................... 3
Research on the Effects of Crumb Rubber on the Permeability of Soil and Ash Fly ........................................... 4
Road-Tire Noise and Sound Absorption Properties of Ash Roadways ................................................................ 4
College of Liberal Arts
Times are A-Changing: An Assessment of the Technology and Activity Related Reading Habits of College
Students ................................................................................................................................................................ 5
The Representation of OCD in Film ..................................................................................................................... 5
Effects on Viewers Watching ASPCA Commercials “American Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals” ......................................................................................................................................... 6
The Effect of Television on Senate Discourse ...................................................................................................... 6
Jupiter Chemical Company Incident, Lake Charles, Louisiana, January 15, 1976: A Story of Bribery,
Political Corruption, Violence and Murder .......................................................................................................... 7
College of Nursing
Patients Can STOP Pressure Ulcers: If They Know the Signs ............................................................................. 7
College of Science
Use of Used CIDRs on Day 3 to 5 Post-Estrus to Improve Pregnancy Rates in AI-Bred
Beef Heifers .......................................................................................................................................................... 8
Plant Response to Controlling Salt Water Soil Damage with Industrial Wastes .................................................. 8
Lack of Effect of Dehydration on Cutaneous Resistance to Evaporative Water loss in Green
Tree Frogs (Hyla cinerea) ..................................................................................................................................... 9
Urban Ecology of Water Bears in Southwestern Louisiana ................................................................................. 9
Characterization of Serum Phospholipase A2 Activity in Three Species of West African Crocodiles ................. 10
Continued Study of Trace Metals in Oysters by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical
Emission Spectrometry ......................................................................................................................................... 10
Prenylated Benzophenones from Native Louisianan Species of Hypericum hypericoides .................................. 11
The Superhalogen Properties of Gold Oxide Nanoclusters .................................................................................. 11
2012 Academic Summit Presenters, USP Committee Members, and Proceedings Editors ......................... 12
Author Index ....................................................................................................................................................... 13
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT
Amy Locklin, Stephanie Boudreaux
Department of Health and Human Performance, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
A football player injured his knee during practice while receiving a catch by landing on the
anterior portion of his knee. He was first diagnosed incorrectly with an ACL and PCL strain. His
MRI results showed no signs of a meniscus tear. He was treated by his first diagnosis but was not
showing any signs of improvement. It was decided that further examination was needed and a
scope was performed to see what his possible injury was. The scope results showed that he had a
flap tear on both his medial and lateral meniscus. Further treatment was given to his final
diagnosis.
CASE STUDY OF A RIGHT SHOULDER INJURY IN A DIVISION-I COLLEGIATE
TRACK ATHLETE
Lauren Lewis, Stephanie Boudreaux
Department of Health and Human Performance, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
The objective is to present an evidence-informed approach to the operative management of a
first-time, glenoid labrum tear. A twenty-one year old male collegiate track athlete, with prior
partial rotator cuff tear, presented two years following a first-time glenoid labrum tear. An
individualized operative and rehabilitation program was immediately begun upon presentation.
Management consisted of arthroscopic corrective surgery and a progressive rehabilitation
program aimed at restoring range of motion, strength of the dynamic stabilizers, and
proprioception of the shoulder. Four months post-surgery, the athlete had regained full range of
motion and strength compared to the unaffected limb. This case illustrates successful
management of a first-time glenoid labrum tear using operative treatment combined with an
intensive rehabilitation program.
1
MEASUREMENT OF UNSTEADY WATER-SURFACE ELEVATION IN LAKE
CHARLES USING A GPS DEPTH FINDER
Lane Blocker, Olanrewaju Adiro, Ning Zhang
Department of Engineering, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
Water-surface elevation is an important variable for the study of shallow-water hydrodynamics.
Due to the regular tide and local turbulence, the water-surface elevation in a coastal shallowwater is fully unsteady. In this project, a water-surface elevation measurement device was
designed, built and tested. The device consists of a GPS depth finder and a floating device. The
measurement was conducted in Lake Charles and the data were collected for a 12-hour period.
The measured elevation history was compared with data from NOAA station in Lake Charles,
and the agreement is reasonably good. The spectral analysis of the measured time-history data
was conducted to identify the frequency components of wave and turbulence. The device will be
used to assist the hydrodynamic simulation for Lake Charles. It can measure the water-surface
elevations at river inlet and outlet for the Lake, which are boundary conditions for the
simulation.
2
EVALUATION OF EROSION FOR COASTAL HIGHWAYS AND LEVEES
Lane Blocker, Ning Zhang, Zhuang Li
Department of Engineering, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
The coastal highways are a major element of the Multiple Lines of Defense that protect our
coastal cities and industry along the Gulf of Mexico. The highways are barriers to flood damage
from wave action that occurs normally along the coastal shoreline as a result of wave surges
during stormy weather and hurricanes. A highway is lost when the shoulder materials are eroded
away and the pavement is undermined and collapses. The loss of a coastal highway can mean the
loss of access and emergency routes from the coastal areas and an increase in land loss. The cost
of rebuilding a failed highway is significant. There is a need for a better understanding of the
erosion forces and the ability of various shoulder materials to withstand these forces. Highway
82 in Southwest Louisiana was chosen as the study site because there has been significant
erosion damage to the north side of the road, often resulting in destruction of the shoulder and
the roadway that it supports. This has resulted in significant maintenance costs for the State of
Louisiana. In this study, experimental analyses were conducted to uncover the erosion-causing
flow physics, which aims to improve the erosion-resistant design of coastal structures. The
impacts of wave actions, especially frequency components, on the coastal structures were
investigated. A test levee was built, and was placed on a Gulf beach for experiment. Real time
was action pressure data on the surface of the test levee were collected and analyzed. The
frequency components of the pressure data agree with numerical simulation results.
3
RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF CRUMB RUBBER ON THE PERMEABILITY OF
SOIL AND ASH FLY
Jared Fusilier, J. Uppot
Department of Engineering, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
Fine grained soils with different amounts of crumb rubber are tested for permeability in the
laboratory. Crumb rubber is currently used by LA DOTD as an additive to asphalt concrete to
enhance its properties and for economy. Adding crumb rubber to a fine grained non plastic to
slightly plastic soil will increase its permeability. When compacted with a determined amount of
crumb rubber, the coefficient of permeability will be increased compared to without crumb
rubber and the compacted soil will be more flexible. The work is under progress at McNeese
geotechnical lab.
ROAD-TIRE NOISE AND SOUND ABSORPTION PROPERTIES OF ASH ROADWAYS
Ervin Cutright, Zhuang Li
Department of Engineering, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
The overall goal of this project is to conduct scientific research on the traffic noise and acoustical
properties of such a new road surface material. With modern well-designed automobiles, the
power train noise has been reduced dramatically over the last few decades. The exterior noise is
dominated by road/tire noise. Therefore, great efforts have been made to use more sound
absorbent road surfaces in order to reduce traffic noise. The ashes are calcined limestone
products. The ash-based pavements have been commercially built at various locations in
Louisiana. This new material has shown good civil and mechanical properties, and is more
environmentally friendly than asphalt and concrete. However, the acoustical properties of
pavement are not known.
4
TIMES ARE A-CHANGING: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND
ACTIVITY RELATED READING HABITS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS
Anne Robicheaux, Tracy Standley
Department of Mass Communication, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
A survey regarding reading habits was administered to about 150 McNeese students. Based on
the results of that survey, conclusions were drawn regarding the reading habits of college
students in general and how they were affected by age, gender, race and technology preferences
(i.e. physical copies of media versus electronic copies).
THE REPRESENTATION OF OCD IN FILM
Jesse Freeman, Tracy Standley
Department of Mass Communication, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
With a general ignorance of mental illness existing in the public, it’s important that what
little exposure people have to it be accurate. In order to test the representation of a specific
mental illness, OCD, a screening of three films containing an OCD character was conducted. The
movies were screened for accurate and inaccurate symptoms as well as symptoms attributed to
the disorder, and those that were not. It was found that inaccurate symptoms make up a large
portion of screen time devoted to symptoms, and this could create a misrepresentation of the true
nature of this disorder.
5
EFFECTS ON VIEWERS WATCHING ASPCA COMMERCIALS “AMERICAN
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS”
Rachel Key, Tracy Standley
Department of Mass Communication, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
This project consisted of surveying approximately 150 McNeese Mass Communication students.
A short video of an ASPCA commercial that has previously viewed on television was shown to
the participants of the study. A five-question survey was given subsequent to the viewing of the
commercial in order to capture participant effects. The goals of this research were to prove how
relevant ASPCA commercials were to all television viewers, and to see how many people
actually want to watch them.
THE EFFECT OF TELEVISION ON SENATE DISCOURSE
Catherine David, Thomas Laehn
Department of Social Sciences, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
In 1986, the United States voted to allow television cameras into the Senate chamber. The debate
preceding the vote had centered on maintaining the Senate’s distinctive deliberate function.
Proponents hoped to restore the quality of Senate debate. Opponents, however, feared cameras
would destroy the character of the Senate as a forum for genuine deliberation. In this paper, we
develop a measure of the “deliberate richness” of legislative discourse. We apply this measure to
Senate debates both before and after the introduction of television cameras in order to determine
the impact of televising of Senate proceedings on senatorial speechmaking.
6
JUPITER CHEMICAL COMPANY INCIDENT, LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA,
JANUARY 15, 1976: A STORY OF BRIBERY, POLITICAL CORRUPTION,
VIOLENCE AND MURDER
Sonja Davis, Janet Allured
Department of History, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
The student researched the circumstances leading to the violence at the Jupiter Chemical
Company on January 15, 1976, including the individuals responsible for orchestrating the attack,
the consequences of the violence, and its effect on the passage of Right-to-Work legislation in
Louisiana. Newspapers, court records, and interviews with law enforcement and union leaders
were the main sources. Charges were dropped on or the accused were acquitted at trial. Only one
person served a short prison sentence for the violence. Right-to-Work legislation passed the
Louisiana legislature July 6, 1976 as a direct result of events that happened at Jupiter. Labor
unions also lost their power, influence, and members.
PATIENTS CAN STOP PRESSURE ULCERS: IF THEY KNOW THE SIGNS
Rebecca Edwards, Ginger Robertson, Kermit Troy Thompson
Department of Nursing, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
Pressure ulcers (PUs) are localized on skin and tissue injuries that cause numerous physical
complications and financial burdens (NPUAP, 2007; Reddy, Gill, & Rochon, 2006). While most
studies have focused on educating nurses and other healthcare workers in preventative strategies,
education of patients and caregivers is an integral part of any prevention program. We
recommend an education program to include one-on-one teaching using an informational
pamphlet for the patient/family, a teaching guide for the educator, and a video to play on demand
and/or on the Patient Education Channel. We would recommend further research into the
efficacy patient and caregiver educational strategies.
7
USE OF USED CIDRS ON DAY 3 TO 5 POST-ESTRUS TO IMPROVE PREGNANCY
RATES IN AI-BRED BEEF HEIFERS
Heather Nordberg, Jennifer Veillon, C. Edward Ferguson
Department of Agricultural Sciences, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
The study was designed to determine if increasing progesterone (P4) post-insemination
could improve pregnancy rates. Beef heifers were randomly allotted to receive a use CIDR on
day 3 to 5 to serve as a control. In Replicate 1, significantly more treated heifers became
pregnant compared with control heifers; however there was no difference in pregnancy rate in
Replicate 2. Among control heifers in Replicate 2 pregnant heifers had significantly higher
plasma P4 on day 4 and 5 compared with non-pregnant heifers. Supplementing P4 can possibly
improve pregnancy rates as pregnant heifers had higher P4 concentrations than open heifers.
PLANT RESPONSE TO CONTROLLING SALT WATER SOIL DAMAGE WITH
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
Jessica Hargrave, David Kee
Department of Agricultural Sciences, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
A greenhouse study examined the response of Timothy canarygrass (Phalaris angusta),
planted in a salt water inundated Vidrine loamy silt soil, to industrial by-product remediation
treatments. Five soil amendments [gypsum (4 g/pot) CFB ash (2 or 6 g/pot) or Ricehull ash (2 or
6 g/pot)] were applied either pre or post flood. A control increased total treatments to 11.
Previously, soil leachate and plant available nutrient data had been collected. At least 5 seeds
were planted in each pot on 11/8/2001. Crop number and height data were collected monthly.
Only crop number was significantly affected by soil amendment.
8
LACK OF EFFECT OF DEHYDRATION ON CUTANEOUS RESISTANCE TO
EVAPORATIVE WATER LOSS IN GREEN TREE FROGS (HYLA CINEREA)
Caitlin Richard, Mark Wygoda
Department of Biology and Health Sciences, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
This study aimed to determine whether dehydration results in increased cutaneous resistance to
evaporative water loss in Green Tree Frogs. Total resistance was calculated from measurements
taken of evaporative water loss rates and body temperatures of 10 animals at various states of
dehydration using a wind tunnel measuring system. Boundary layer resistance was determined
using agar replicas of the animal so that cutaneous resistance could be calculated. Hydration state
had no effect on cutaneous resistance. Based on evidence of ventral skin blood flow, it is
unlikely that arginine vasotocin and angiotensin II have a role in controlling cutaneous
resistance.
URBAN ECOLOGY OF WATER BEARS IN SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA
Cari Samletzka, Juliana Hinton
Department of Biology and Health, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
During 2011, tardigrades of foliose and fruiticose lichens, moss, tree fern, and leaf litter from
Sam Houston Jones Park and urban areas of Lake Charles, Louisiana were collected at different
levels of natural, developed, and undeveloped regions and fixed for identification. Currently,
more tardigrades found have been in Sam Houston Jones Park. However, urban areas are
indicating a greater diversity. Of samples analyzed, the most common tardigrade found in these
areas is Minibiotis acadianus at approximately 70% for both areas. As of February 24, 2012,
ecological patterns are as expected and research is ongoing.
9
CHARACTERIZATION OF SERUM PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 ACTIVITY IN THREE SPECIES
OF WEST AFRICAN CROCODILES
Taylor Hood, Mark Merchant
Department of Chemistry, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Louisiana
Phospholipase A2 (PLA2), an enzyme that exhibits immunological activity, was measured in the
serum of three species of diverse West African crocodiles. Incubation of different volumes of
serum with bacteria labeled with a fluorescent fatty acid in membrane lipids, resulted in titerdependent activity. The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) exhibited slightly higher activity
than the slender-snouted crocodile (Mecistops cataphractus) and the African dwarf crocodile
(Osteolaeumus tetraspis). Product formation was inhibited by p-bromophenacyl bromide, a
specific PLA2 inhibitor, and kinetic analysis showed that C. niloticus serum produced product
more rapidly than M. cataphractus or O. tetraspis. Serum from all three crocodilians exhibited
temperature-dependent activities, but with slightly different thermal profiles.
CONTINUED STUDY OF TRACE METALS IN OYSTERS BY INDUCTIVELY
COUPLED PLASMA-OPTICAL EMISSION SPECTROMETRY
Erik Sneddon, Ron Darbeau
Department of Chemistry McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
A method was developed and validated (quality assurance/quality control) for the determination
of selected metals (cadmium, chromium, lead, copper, and zinc) in oysters collected from the
West Cove area in Southwest Louisiana. The oysters were “shucked,” dried, and ground to a fine
powder. These samples were digested using microwave energy and the metals were determined
by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The results were
compared statistically to two previous studies performed in 2007 and 2009.
10
PRENYLATED BENZOPHENONES FROM NATIVE LOUISIANAN SPECIES OF
HYPERICUM HYPERICOIDES
Shreedu Pradhan, Anjela Manandhar, Omar Christian
Department of Chemistry, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
A new prenylated benzophenone derivative (1) has been isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of
the aerial parts of the native Louisianan species of Hypericum hypericoides. Inspection of other
plant parts yielded the known metabolites 7-epiclusianone (2) and clusianone (3). The structure
and stereochemistry of the metabolites were determined by spectroscopic methods, mainly 1D
and 2D NMR and mass spectrometry. All three prenylated benzophenone derivatives displayed
antioxidant activity at a concentration of 1 mg/mL in the MTT ([3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,
5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide]) colorimetric assay.
THE SUPERHALOGEN PROPERTIES OF GOLD OXIDE NANOCLUSTERS
Sonia Adtani, Pratik Koirala, Anil Kandalam
Department of Physics, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
Nanoclusters possessing anomalously large electron affinity (EA) values (EA > 3.7 eV) are
termed “superhalogens”. Superhalogens play an important role in a wide variety of areas, such as
oxidizing agents, nucleating centers of aerosols in the atmosphere, and bio-catalysis. The
existence of several superhalogens were first predicted and later verified experimentally. In this
work, we present results of our density functional theory-based calculations, along with
supporting experimental results, of the superhalogen behavior of Au3Ox [x = 0  4] clusters.
This is the first-time gold-oxide clusters have been reported to show superhalogen
characteristics.
11
2012 UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA SYSTEM ACADEMIC SUMMIT PRESENTERS
Poster Presentation Section
Sonja Davis
Jesse Freeman
Caitlin Richard
Cari Samletzka
Taylor Hood
Oral Presentation Section
Shreedu Pradham, Anjela Manandhar
Heather Nordberg, Jennifer Veillon
Sonia Adtani, Pratik Koirala
Lane Blocker
Catherine David
2012 MCNEESE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLAR
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Joyce Patterson
Janet Woolman
Dr. William Dees
Katie Fusilier Rather
2012 PROCEEDINGS OF THE MCNEESE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLAR PROGRAM REPORT EDITORS
Katie Fusilier Rather
Janet Woolman
C. Edward Ferguson
12
AUTHOR INDEX
Adiro, Olanrewaju
Adtani, Sonia
Allured, Janet
Blocker, Lane
Boudreaux, Stephanie
Christian, Omar
Cutright, Ervin
Darbeau, Ron
David, Catherine
Davis, Sonja
Edwards, Rebecca
Ferguson, C. Edward
Freeman, Jesse
Fusilier, Jared
Hargrave, Jessica
Hinton, Juliana
Hood, Taylor
Kandalam, Anil
Kee, David
Key, Rachel
2
11
7
2,3
1
11
4
10
6
7
7
8
5
4
8
9
10
11
8
6
Koirala, Pratik
Laehn, Thomas
Lewis, Lauren
Li, Zhuang
Locklin, Amy
Manandhar, Anjela
Merchant, Mark
Nordberg, Heather
Pradhan, Shreedu
Richard, Caitlin
Robertson, Ginger
Robicheaux, Anne
Samletzka, Cari
Sneddon, Erik
Standley, Tracy
Thompson, Kermit Troy
Uppot, Jay
Veillon, Jennifer
Wygoda, Mark
Zhang, Ning
13
11
6
1
3,4
1
11
10
8
11
9
7
5
9
10
5,6
7
4
8
9
2,3