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  Chemistry in Medicine

  Olivia Visaggio, Alyssa Bondi, Matthew Gillingham, and Hailey Loughlin

  The chemistry behind medicine is important and necessary to study many different drugs and their effects. In this project, we focused on the chemical composition and mechanisms of various drugs. The drugs we focused on include Opioids, NSAIDs, and other medications, such as Benzodiazepines and antibiotics. For each drug, we provided its structure as well as the functional groups, which include a part of a molecule that is recognized based on its arrangement of atoms. Organic Chemistry provides individuals with an understanding of various organic compounds, and this field of study is important as it explains the ways in which medications and drugs work within the body.

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  Clinical Effectiveness of an Aquatic Exercise Program on Those with Visual Impairments: A Protocol Study

  Emma Weber, Allison Amos, Melanie Fry, Sarah Stevens, and Maureen Rinehimer

  BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Living with visual impairment can greatly affect one’s ability to exercise and maintain an active lifestyle. People with low vision or parents of children with low vision are often fearful of aerobic exercise because of the possibility of harm that could occur from the inability to see. Little research has been done on using aquatic therapy as a form of exercise in people with low vision. The purpose of this study is to see if aquatic exercise is well tolerated within this population. Additionally, this study serves to determine the effect of aquatic exercise on cardiovascular fitness, functional strength, and overall quality of life.

  METHOD(S): This is a quasi-experimental study with participants who have a visual impairment and are aged 30-85 from Northeast Sight Services located in Exeter, PA. Up to 25 participants will be guided by physical therapy students through an eight-week aquatic therapy program at the Misericordia University Anderson Center Pool. It is a pre-test and post-test design with the outcome measures being performed at the beginning of week one and at the end of week eight. The outcome measures selected to assess lower extremity strength and endurance, cardiopulmonary fitness and endurance, and quality of life include the 30 Second Chair Stand Test, Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), the Modified Borg Dyspnea Scale, and the SF-36.

  DISCUSSION: If aquatic exercise shows to be effective in improving lower extremity strength and endurance, cardiopulmonary fitness and endurance, and quality of life for those with visual impairments, it will show that this is a viable treatment method for physical therapists to use with this population. It will also give physical therapists the opportunity to promote health and wellness in community members that have visual impairments.

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  Freestanding "ER's" Come at a Cost

  Krystal Whitenight

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  Can We Innovate Our Way out of the Opioid Epidemic?

  Alexis Williard