Ithaca College

Rite, Cyepress

Cyepress Rite 
Whalen Symposium Abstract 
Project Title: Past Our House: Reclaiming the Role of Vodun in Black Liberation  
Abstract: 
 Previous research has explored the role of the Black Church as a galvanizing source of 
hope and base for political organizing in the Civil Rights Movement (Cone, 2011). There has 
even been research tracing the prevalence of African traditional religious practices in Black 
Christian churches (Hazzard-Donald, 2012). However, scholarship that centers African 
Traditional Religions (ATR) and their essential role in historical Black freedom struggles 
remains on the periphery of discussions about the repertoire of contention available to people in 
the African Diaspora (Tilly, 2006). This is largely due to the widespread association of ATR, 
especially Vodun, with evil. This notion is perpetuated through the colonial construction of 
“black magic” and popular media portrayal of Vodun revolving around voodoo dolls. My 
research unabashedly reclaims Vodun as an African Diasporic “theology of liberation” (Adofo, 
2021).  
‘Vodun’ simply means ‘spirit’ in the Fon language. It can also be understood as ‘that 
which is sacred’ (Mamiwata Priestess, 2015). My goal for this study is to decolonize perceptions 
of Vodun. I do this, firstly, by situating popular media portrayals of Vodun in relation to 
historical moments of colonization, and then by unveiling tenets of Vodun that provide Black 
people with a framework for engaging with their humanity beyond Western metrics of value and 
power. My research is not conducted with the intention of converting anyone, nor does it 
position Vodun as the one-and-only right religion for Black people, to do so will only reinscribe 
the imperialist ideologies that I essentially contend. Instead, I posit Vodun as relevant to our 
contemporary experiences as peoples both constrained and empowered by the social construction 
of Blackness, first as a biopolitical marker of deviance and then as a reclaimed, cross-cultural, 
border-breaking declaration of diasporic unity. My research shows that embedded in Vodun are 
sociopolitical tools of liberation that extend beyond rigid constructs of religious engagement. 
These tools include the uses of the erotic (Lorde, 1978), the power of joy (brown, 2019), and 
understanding the body as a vessel for the divine that exists beyond the gender binary. I trace 
how Christian doctrine has been co-opted and weaponized by imperialist forces and used to 
create a culture of fear around Vodun because its existence poses a threat to the interlocking 
systems of oppression, white supremacist patriarchal capitalism (Combahee River Collective, 
1977).  
 My research builds on Foucault’s theories of biopolitics, as I examine the ways in which 
the U.S. government constructs power in the hands of Black people as something inherently 
worthy of fear. By analyzing the first zombie films produced in the U.S. in parallel with themes 
in The Birth of a Nation, I uncover the behind-the-scenes politics of religion as it pertains to the 
on-scene politics of race and class to delineate how scripts of dominance, oppression, violence, 
and justice are casted onto bodies. My study pulls from primary sources from initiated Vodun 
priestesses and white American journalist, William Seabrooks’, The Magic Island to build my 
analysis of how Black African people understand Vodun versus how it is portrayed via white 
American narrative. I also include autoethnographic data, through notes on my personal 
involvement with Ifa, the Yoruba Vodun tradition, and my experience with attending my 
Caribbean family’s weekly devotion sessions on zoom in which we engage with the Bible. This 
research began last Summer in my Politics of Development course and is on-going as my senior 
thesis. I interweave the themes illuminated through this study in a culminating analysis of the 
sociocultural significance of needing to walk a zombie past their former house to seal the bind 
that keeps them as “bodies without souls” who labor ceaselessly (Hurston, 1990, p. 179). 
“This is always done. Must be. If the victim were not taken past his former house, later on he 
would recognize and return. But once he is taken past, it is gone from his consciousness forever. 
It is as if it never existed for him.” [emphasis in original] (Hurston, 1990, p. 183)  
 
Abstract word count: 649 
Works Cited: 
Adofo, D. (Director). (2020). Vodou: Theology of liberation. [film]. The African World 
Collective. 
brown, a. m. (2019). Pleasure activism: The politics of feeling good. AK Press. 
Combahee River Collective. (1977). The Combahee River Collective statement. Combahee River 
Collective. 
Cone, J. H. (2011). The cross and the lynching tree. Orbis Books.  
Hazzard-Donald, K. (2013). Mojo workin’: The old African American hoodoo system. University 
of Illinois Press. 
Lorde, A. (1978). Uses of the erotic: The erotic as power. Out & Out Books. 
Mami Wata Priestess. (2015). Thy name is Vodun: Conversations with Mamiwata Priestess. 
Behumbeza Foundation. 
Neale Hurston, Z. (1990). Tell my horse: Voodoo and life in Haiti and Jamaica. Harper & Row 
Publishers. 
Tilly, C. (2006). Regimes and repertoires. University of Chicago Press. 
 


English

Past our House: Reclaiming the Role of Vodun in Black Liberation

Snyder, Justina

Risk Factors for Periprosthetic Fracture and Arthroplasty Revision: A Case Report and 
Literature Review 
Author: Justina Snyder, SPT 
Research Mentor: Mike Costello, PT, DSc, OCS, MTC  
  
ABSTRACT 
  
Background and Purpose: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading contributor of musculoskeletal 
disability in the United States, commonly affecting weight bearing joints such as the knee. A 
unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) is often chosen over a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) to 
manage chronic knee pain when OA is isolated to one compartment of the knee. Despite the 
many benefits of UKA, literature has shown higher revision rates compared to TKA. One cause 
for UKA failure is periprosthetic fracture, which is most often corrected via conversion of a 
UKA to a TKA. Given that research has found poorer patient outcomes and higher healthcare 
costs with UKA conversion compared to primary TKA, lowering the risk of revision is 
imperative. Developing an understanding of risk factors for arthroplasty failure can inform 
clinical reasoning and lead to better outcomes. The purpose of this case report is to describe a 
patient with a failed UKA and review the available literature regarding risk factors for 
periprosthetic fracture and revision surgery. 
 
Case Description: The patient was a 51-year-old male who presented to outpatient physical 
therapy (PT) with a right TKA. In the two years prior to the TKA, the patient had undergone a 
partial medial meniscectomy and eventually a UKA due to pain related to medial compartment 
OA. During rehabilitation for the UKA, the patient had an exacerbation of pain and swelling 
following aggressive passive range of motion (ROM), and subsequent radiographs revealed a 
periprosthetic fracture. The failed UKA was converted to a TKA. At the initial evaluation (IE), 
the patient presented with pain, swelling, decreased lower extremity strength and ROM limiting 
his ability to drive, work, and tolerate long bouts of standing and walking. His comorbidities 
included bipolar depressive disorder, anxiety, asthma, and hypertension. PT interventions 
focused on improving functional mobility, strength, ROM, balance, and flexibility.  
 
Outcomes: Outcome measures included the Numeric Pain Rating Scale and Lower Extremity 
Functional Scale (LEFS). The patient’s functional goals were not met due to changes in 
weightbearing status when an additional femoral fracture was discovered during TKA 
rehabilitation. However, the patient did report clinically significant improvements in his ability 
to perform self-care activities and home maintenance as reflected by a 9-point increase in his 
LEFS score. 
  
Discussion: The additional femoral fracture posed challenges as it slowed this patient’s 
recovery. Although the exact causes of the initial periprosthetic fracture and subsequent fracture 
cannot be determined, clinicians need to be aware of risk factors such as high body mass index 
(BMI), advanced age, low bone mineral density (BMD), and others described in the literature. 
Low BMD is an important factor to consider as studies have shown that certain comorbidities 
(i.e., bipolar depressive disorder), medications (i.e., antidepressants and inhaled corticosteroids), 
and exposure to chronic stress may negatively affect bone health. Perhaps the stressful nature of 
the traumatic accident causing this patient’s initial injury, his past medical history, medication 
intake, and high BMI are associated with an increased risk for periprosthetic fracture. An 
awareness of these risk factors can lead clinicians to work with patients to modify characteristics 
such as high BMI and stress levels. Knowledge of these risk factors may also guide how 
aggressive a clinician is during ROM and joint mobilization. Further research is warranted on 
whether preoperative counseling, including patient education of risk factors, changes the surgical 
management of unicompartmental OA. Perhaps a formalized method to screen patients for the 
likelihood of needing arthroplasty revision in the future can be developed with the goal of 
improving patient outcomes and reducing the economic burden associated with revision 
procedures.  
 
References:  
 Burger JA, Jager T, Dooley MS, Zuiderbaan HA, Kerkhoffs GMMJ, Pearle AD. Comparable 
incidence of periprosthetic tibial fractures in cementless and cemented unicompartmental knee 
arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 
2021. doi:10.1007/s00167-021-06449-3. 
 
Della Rocca, GJ. Periprosthetic fractures about the knee - an overview. J Knee Surg. 
2013;26(01):003-008. doi:10.1055/s-0033-1333900 
 
Vasso M, Corona K, D’Apolito R, Mazzitelli G, Panni AS. Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: 
modes of failure and conversion to total knee arthroplasty. Joints (Roma). 2017;5(1):044-050. 
doi:10.1055/s-0037-1601414 
 
Craik JD, El Shafie SA, Singh VK, Twyman RS. Revision of unicompartmental knee 
arthroplasty versus primary total knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty. 2015;30(04):592-594. 
doi:10.1016/j.arth.2014.10.038 
 
Koskinen E, Eskelinen A, Paavolainen P, Pulkkinen P, Remes V. Comparison of survival and 
cost-effectiveness between unicondylar arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty in patients with 
primary osteoarthritis: a follow-up study of 50,493 knee replacements from the Finnish 
Arthroplasty Register. Acta Orthop. 2008;79(4):499-507. doi:10.1080/17453670710015490 
 
Jeschke E, Gehrke T, Günster C, et al. Five-year survival of 20,946 unicondylar knee 
replacements and patient risk factors for failure. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. 2016; 
98(20): 1691-1698. doi:10.2106/JBJS.15.01060. 
 
 Li S, Qui Y, Teng Z, et al. Association between bipolar disorder and low bone mass: a cross-
sectional study with newly diagnosed, drug-naïve patients. Front Psychiatry. 2020;11:530. doi: 
10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00530 
 
 Richards JB, Papaioannou A, Adachi JD, et al. Effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors 
on the risk of fracture. Arch Intern Med. 2007;167(2):188-194. doi:10.1001/archinte.167.2.188 
 
Chiodini I, Scillitani A. Role of cortisol hypersecretion in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. 
Recenti Prog Med.2008;99(6):309-313. 
 
 Santaguida PL, Hawker GA, Hudak PL, et al. Patient characteristics affecting the prognosis of 
total hip and knee joint arthroplasty: a systematic review. Can J Surg. 2008;51(6):428-43. 
 
Key words: arthroplasty revision, periprosthetic fracture, physical therapy, risk factors, 
unicondylar knee arthroplasty 
 
 
 
Table 1. Risk Factors for Periprosthetic Fracture 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Risk Factors for Periprosthetic Fracture 
Non-Modifiable Modifiable 
Female 
sex 
Advanced 
age 
Related to surgical technique: Related to patient characteristics: 
Increased 
postoperative 
knee joint 
alignment 
Overhanging 
medial tibial 
condyle 
 
Low bone mineral density (BMD) 
influenced by: 
• Bipolar Depressive Disorder  
• Pharmacologic Interventions (i.e., 
selective serotonin reuptake 
inhibitors, inhaled corticosteroids) 
• Chronic Stress Exposure 
 
High body mass 
index (BMI) 
(i.e., the patient’s 
BMI was 31.94) 
Table 2. Changes in Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) Scores from Initial Evaluation 
to the End of Observed Care 
  
 
LEFS 
NPRS  
(Pain at worst) 
Initial Evaluation 15 7 
Week 8 32 5 
Week 11 24 7 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 1. Timeline of events.  
 
 
Mar. 2019
Initial Incident: 
Injured right knee 
while assisting a 
coworker who was 
hit by a car
First Surgery: 
Partial medial 
meniscectomy 
followed by a course 
of postoperative 
physical therapy  
Persistent pain and 
discomfort returned 
with episodes of 
swelling; cortisone 
injection given
Second Surgery: 
Unicondylar knee 
arthroplasty due to 
pain from medial 
compartment OA 
Third Surgery: 
Total knee 
arthroplasty 
Periprosthetic 
medial tibial 
plateau 
fracture
Closed 
nondisplaced 
fracture of medial 
femoral condyle; 
non-weight bearing 
status begins 
Began home 
therapy and then 
transferred to 
outpatient setting 
the following week
Nov. 2019 Jun. 2020 Mar. 2021 Apr. 2021 May 2021 Jun. 2021


Risk Factors for Periprosthetic Fracture and Arthroplasty Revision: A Case Report and Literature Review

Ryden, Elyse

Title: Effects of Psychosocial Factors and Aquatic Physical Therapy on a Patient with Chronic Low Back Pain: 
A Case Report 
Presenter: Elyse Ryden, SPT 
Presentation Type: Poster Non-Award  
Faculty Mentor: Karen Lomond, PhD; Kristopher Bosela, PT, DPT, OCS 
Institution: Department of Physical Therapy, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY 
  
Abstract  
Background and Purpose: Low back pain (LBP) posts an economic toll of billions of dollars annually and is 
the most common reason for seeking care in outpatient physical therapy1. Lumbar fusion surgery is a popular 
treatment option, but operative indications are not always clear, and the surgery may not reduce a patient’s pain. 
Central sensitization has been proposed as one potential cause for persistent post-operative pain and has been 
associated with lower quality of life after spine surgery1. Aquatic therapy has shown positive results with 
increased strength, reduction of medication usage, increased independence, better sleep, and increased rates of 
returning to work2,3. The purpose of this case report is to describe the effects of aquatic physical therapy on a 
patient with chronic LBP experiencing elements of central sensitization with significant psychosocial factors 
and illustrate the need for multi-disciplinary pain management.  
 
Clinical Findings and Treatment: A 37-year-old female with a 10-year history of LBP and 2 lumbar fusions 
was evaluated at an outpatient physical therapy clinic. She required moderate assistance for tasks like shopping, 
laundry, and cooking, and occasionally used a straight cane to help with ambulation. Her primary concerns for 
seeking outpatient physical therapy involved improving walking tolerance and managing severe pain. She 
presented with decreased strength in the lower extremities, decreased lumbar range of motion (ROM), and a 
positive straight leg raise test. She was treated for six weeks with land-based exercises, aquatic physical 
therapy, manual therapy, and education. Land based exercise focused on building strength, aquatic therapy 
centered on desensitization training, and the goal of education was to improve positive coping skills and 
knowledge of pain. The patient denied a referral to counseling services due to her belief that thoughts and 
feelings did not influence her pain. 
 
Outcomes: The patient’s Oswestry Disability Index remained unchanged at 58% throughout her plan of care, 
and her Fear Avoidant Beliefs Questionnaire decreased from a 19/24 to 17/24, a clinically insignificant 
improvement. The patient initially scored a 45% on the Central Sensitization Inventory, indicating moderate 
levels of central sensitization were present. In 6 weeks of treatment, the patient made minimal improvements in 
strength and ROM but noted a subjective improvement in pain levels from 7/10 to 4/10 on the Numeric Pain 
Rating Scale following aquatic therapy, which is significant4. Land-based therapy did not produce a change in 
pain.  
 
Discussion: For this patient, aquatic therapy resulted in clinically significant subjective improvements and 
insignificant objective improvements. The patient demonstrated psychosocial factors that were ineffectively 
managed which may have limited her participation in her plan of care. While the patient was open to discussing 
pain education concepts, she was unwilling to address psychosocial influences such as social support, anxiety, 
and catastrophizing. This is proposed as one explanation for her lack of objective progress. Another limitation 
to her progress may have been her high levels of central sensitization and the resulting nervous system 
hypersensitivity. In retrospect, multidisciplinary pain management may have had a larger effect in decreasing 
the patient’s chronic pain and fear-avoidant beliefs5.  
 
 
  
References:   
1.  Bennett EE, Walsh KM, Thompson NR, Krishnaney AA. Central Sensitization Inventory as a Predictor 
of Worse Quality of Life Measures and Increased Length of Stay Following Spinal Fusion. World 
Neurosurg. 2017. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2017.04.166 
2.  Kim YS, Park J, Shim JK. Effects of Aquatic Backward Locomotion Exercise and Progressive 
Resistance Exercise on Lumbar Extension Strength in Patients Who Have Undergone Lumbar 
Diskectomy. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2010;91(2):208-214. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2009.10.014 
3.  Konlian C. Aquatic therapy: making a wave in the treatment of low back injuries. Orthop Nurs. 
1999;18(1). doi:10.1016/s1361-3111(99)80068-5 
4.  Michener LA, Snyder AR, Leggin BG. Responsiveness of the Numeric pain rating scale in patients with 
shoulder pain and the effect of surgical status. J Sport Rehabil. 2011;20(1):115-128. 
doi:10.1123/jsr.20.1.115 
5.  Kamper SJ, Apeldoorn AT, Chiarotto A, et al. Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for 
chronic low back pain: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2015;350(February):1-11. 
doi:10.1136/bmj.h444 
  
Keywords: Lumbar Fusion, Failed Low Back Surgery Syndrome, Chronic Back Pain, Central Sensitization, 
Aquatic Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physiotherapy, Psychosocial Approach  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 


Effects of Psychosocial Factors and Aquatic Physical Therapy on a Patient with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Report

Holske, Marissa

  
Title: Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Strengthening Rehabilitation of a Long COVID-19 Patient: 
A Case Report 
Author: Marissa Holske, SPT 
Research Mentor: Sanghee Moon, PT, PhD 
 
ABSTRACT 
 
Background: Long SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is a diagnosis used with individuals who have 
been experiencing COVID-19 symptoms longer than 28 days; fatigue being one of the most 
significant symptoms. It is important to incorporate strengthening exercises during COVID-19 
rehabilitation to train/lessen the demand on the cardiorespiratory system to alleviate the effects 
of fatigue. There is limited evidence on rehabilitation specific to COVID-19 but it is shown that 
pulmonary rehabilitation is essential in combination with focusing on task-specific training.1 The 
purpose of this case report is to describe the effects of a comprehensive treatment approach 
designed to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and overall strength in a post long term COVID-19 
patient. 
 
Methods: This case report follows a 66-year-old female who was referred to outpatient physical 
therapy for generalized deconditioning following Long COVID-19. The patient had a history of 
pulmonary complications. She followed up with a pulmonologist in 2019 due to experiencing 
mild shortness of breath (SOB) and was diagnosed with long term asthma. She had no history of 
falls within the past year and did not return to work due to the extent of her symptoms, 
specifically SOB. She presented in physical therapy with impaired strength, balance, and 
decreased endurance primarily due to significant SOB secondary to COVID-19. Physical therapy 
interventions included balance training, gait/stair training, endurance training, strengthening, and 
stretching. The 6 Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and the 30 Second Sit to Stand were the outcome 
measures utilized. 
 
Results: Approximately 32 days after the initial evaluation, the patient had a 675-foot distance 
improvement in her 6MWT distance (425 feet at baseline; 1100 feet at day 32). This 
improvement in the 6MWT was clinically significant, surpassing the minimally clinically 
important difference of 164 feet.2 No change in the 30 Second Sit to Stand was observed (9 Sit to 
Stands at baseline and day 32). Approximately 12 weeks after the initial evaluation, the patient 
was discharged from physical therapy. At the time of discharge, the patient reported no difficulty 
with activities of daily living, stair climbing, and strength training and was no longer limited by 
SOB. The patient was able to climb up 4 flights of stairs which she was not able to do at the start 
of therapy. 
 
Discussion: The patient’s strength and balance both improved shown by her improvement on the 
6MWT. Throughout the treatment, she was not limited by lack of strength but by feelings of 
SOB. As the literature states, patients with Long COVID-19 typically suffer from continuous 
fatigue.1 Limitations in this study include variations in the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) 
due to lack of patient understanding, not tracking the patient's vitals or RPE routinely. Currently, 
there is a gap in the literature regarding rehabilitation in individuals with Long COVID-19, on 
how the effects of COVID-19 differ in individuals with long term asthma as well additional 
research being conducted on the effects of water-based exercises on patients who had COVID-
  
19. Minimal detectable change, minimally clinically important difference, reliability, and validity 
measurements have not yet been established. Values were used from a population with similar 
conditions. In the future, incorporating more education on breathing exercises/interventions 
throughout the treatment could be beneficial as SOB can be due to fatigue; the primary symptom 
of Long COVID-19.  
 
Key words: COVID-19, cardiorespiratory rehabilitation, Long COVID-19, physical therapy 
 
 
 
References: 
 
1. Mendelson, M., Nel, J., Blumberg, L., et al. (2020). Long-covid: An evolving problem with an 
extensive impact. Samj S Afr Med J, 111(1), 10. 
2. Perera, S., Mody, S. H., Woodman, R. C., and Studenski, S. A. (2006). Meaningful change 
and responsiveness in common physical performance measures in older adults. J Am Geriatr 
Soc, 54(5), 743–749. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Supporting Materials: 
Table 1. Physical Therapy Short Term and Long-Term Goals 
Short Term Goals Long Term Goals 
1. The patient will be able to walk 600ft during the 
6 minute walk test 
 
2. The patient will be able to complete 11 sit to 
stands during the 30 second sit to stand test 
 
3. The patient will be able to balance, eyes open in 
a Romberg stance for 20 seconds 
 
4. The patient will be able to achieve a 4- for hip 
flexion strength 
 
5. The patient will be able to achieve a 4- for hip 
extension strength 
1. The patient will be able to walk 800ft during 
the 6 minute walk test 
 
2. The patient will be able to complete 13 sit to 
stands during the 30 second sit to stand test 
 
3. The patient will be able to balance, eyes open 
in a Romberg stance for 30 seconds 
 
4. The patient will be able to achieve a 4+ for hip 
flexion strength 
 
5. The patient will be able to achieve a 4+ for hip 
extension strength 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Table 2. Physical Therapy Interventions 
 
Intervention 
Visit 1 (first visit 
following the 
eval) July 6 
Visit 3 - July 8 Visit 5 - July 16 Visit 7 - July 22 Visit 9 - July 29 
Vitals  At start of session: 
160/90mmHg, 
79bpm 
After stair/gait 
training: 
168/75mmHg, 
102bpm 
  At start of session: 
156/78mmHg, 
97Sp02, 88bpm 
RPE   After squats: 9 
After table 
exercises: 13 
After stair training: 
14 
After stair and 
gat training: 13 
After standing 
exercises: 10 
After bike at end 
of session: 11 
 
Education   Pursed lip and 
diaphragmatic 
breathing.  
Pursed lip and 
diaphragmatic 
breathing. Use of 
stairs outside of 
PT 
 
Balance  Rocker board: 
anterior/posterior, 
medial/lateral  
Rocker board: 
anterior/posterior, 
medial/lateral  
-Side stepping 
on foam surface 
over small 
hurdles 
-Feet together 
and Romberg 
stance on foam 
surface 
-Tandem gait on 
foam surface 
Rocker board: 
anterior/posterior, 
medial/lateral 
Gait/stair 
training 
Ascending and 
descending two 
flights of stairs (5 
minute rest break 
between each 
flight) 
Ascending and 
descending two 
flights of stairs (5 
minute rest break 
between each 
flight) 
Ascending and 
descending two 
flights of stairs (5 
minute rest break 
between each 
flight) 
Ascending and 
descending two 
flights of stairs 
(5 minute rest 
break between 
each flight) 
Ascending and 
descending two 
flights of stairs (5 
minute rest break 
between each 
flight) 
Endurance Nu-step 10 Nu-step 10 minutes Nu-step 5 minutes Nu-step 10 Stationary bike 8 
  
training minutes minutes minutes 
Strengthening - Hip flexion, 
extension, 
abduction with 
4lb ankle weight 
-Heel raises with 
upper extremity 
support 
-Forward and 
lateral stepping 
over medium 
hurdles 
-Sit to stands 
holding 5lb 
weight 
-Standing 
shoulder press 
with 2lb 
dumbbells  
-Pallof press 5lbs 
-Resisted forward 
and backwards 
walking 
-Scapular 
retractions with 
red theraband 
-Shoulder 
extensions with 
red theraband  
-Side stepping with 
yellow theraband 
-Sit to stands 
holding 5lb weight 
-Standing shoulder 
press with 2lb 
dumbbells  
-Scapular 
retractions with red 
theraband 
-Shoulder 
extensions with red 
theraband  
-Hip adduction 
(supine)  
-Bicep curls with 
4lb dumbbells 
-Seated knee 
extensions with 2lb 
ankle weights  
-Scapular 
retractions with 
black theraband 
-Hip adduction 
(supine)  
-Bicep curls with 
2lb dumbbells 
-Supine bridges 
with green 
theraband 
-Squats with UE 
support 
-Shoulder scaption 
with 2lb dumbbells  
-Supine chest press 
with yellow 
theraband  
-Straight leg raises 
with 3lb ankle 
weight 
-Shoulder 
horizontal 
abduction with 
yellow theraband 
-Heel raises with 
UE support 
-Sit to stands 
holding 5lb 
weight 
-Pallof press 5 
pounds 
-Scapular 
retractions at 
cable column 
12.5lbs 
-Bicep curls with 
3lb dumbbells 
-Single leg heels 
raises with UE 
support 
-Sit to stands 
holding 5lb weight 
-Pallof press 10lbs 
-Scapular 
retractions at cable 
column 15lbs 
- Side lying hip 
abduction with 4lb 
ankle weight 
-Seated knee 
extensions with 
3lb ankle weights  
-Supine chest 
press with blue 
theraband 
Stretching  -Prone quad stretch   -Standing 
gastroc stretch 
-Supine 
hamstring stretch 
-Prone quad 
stretch 
-Standing gastroc 
stretch 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Table 3. Breakdown of Physical Therapy Rehabilitation  
  Physical Therapy Rehabilitation  
 Session #  1       2        3      4        5        6        7        8        9 
 
Seated Recumbent 
Stepper 
 
 
Stationary Bike 
 
Strength Training 
 
Stair/Gait 
Training 
 
 
Balance 
Exercises 
 
 
Breathing 
Exercises 
 
 
Stretching 
 
 
 
Time (mins) 
 
RPE (peak) 
 
Blood Pressure (mmHg) 
 
Heart Rate (BPM) 
 
 
54     54      59    54       62     58       60      53      58 
 
          -        -        -       -         14     13       13     -          - 
 
          -        -    160/90  -        -         -          -      -       156/78 
                  
        -          -        79     -         -        -         -       -           88 
       
 
                  
 
- =   Did not record  
 
 
 
 
  
Figure 1. 6 Minute Walk Test Measurements 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note: Figure 1 shows the distance the patient walked in feet during the 6 Minute Walk test on 
July 2, July 29, and August 31.  
 


Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Strengthening Rehabilitation of a Long COVID-19 Patient: A Case Report

Izzillo, Nick

Dugan, Ryan

Effects of REHIT on VO2 and Mental Health

Haseler, Ellen

O\u27Leary, Tessa

Fletcher, Marc

Hendi, Sara

Packing the \u27File Drawer\u27: Overestimation of the Effects of Emotional Memory Differences

Rodriguez-Zacarias, Jorge

Politics has been part of mainstream life since the 2016 election, people debate on fundamental 
issues of the United States and how it should be governed is one of the beauties of a democracy. 
However, the thought emerges of how people come to form their political orientation. My 
intention with this poster presentation is to make people wonder; What makes a person liberal or 
conservative? The objective of this study was to find out how politics influence people based on 
their race, sex and educational attainment. Such variables have potential for swaying a person’s 
political views. I am using the SPSS program to compute these variables using the General 
Social Survey Program from the year 2018 to gather the information to complete my objective. 
For example, using the GSS and SPSS programs, it was found that a person who obtained a 
bachelor’s degree was more likely to be liberal than a person who did not complete high school, 
the correlation of these two variables was statistically significant, meaning that there is a 
legitimate correlation to the two variables. At the end of this study, my hope is to get people to 
explore the environments they grew up in that influenced their political views.  


Formation of Political Views

Ramkissoon, Paige

Bioluminescent bays, like Puerto Mosquito in Vieques Puerto Rico, are biodiversity hotspots
and have significant implications for the economies of the island.  Natural disasters can
offset this biological balance and put the “lights out” for these bioluminescent
dinoflagellates. Recent studies indicate that dinoflagellate health is tightly correlated to
changing conditions and competition for resources in the bays. Here, we examined the
microbiome diversity of Puerto Mosquito following the direct hit on the island by Hurricane
Maria (2017) . If the microbiome of the bioluminescent bay is unique it will differ
significantly from that of the neighboring bay, Puerto Ferro. Samples were collected from
Puerto Mosquito and Puerto Ferro in August of 2018, and then were filtered and sent for
sequencing. This project focused on time and location of collection to gather baseline data
for a more long-term study as the bioluminescent bay recovered from a natural disaster.
Puerto Mosquito and Puerto Ferro bays were examined for alpha and beta diversity
measures and found to be significantly different.  Additionally, proximity to fresh vs ocean
water altered the microbiome.  Collectively, these data have implications for understanding
long term effects of the microbial diversity at the collection sites.


Microbial Diversity of Bioluminescent Bays

Abreu, Carlos

The Truth is Out There!: Intellectualism, The Media & The Power of Indoctrination After the 9/11 Attacks

Patnaik, Neha

Everyone at a comic book convention knows multiverses are a big business. When Disney
purchased the remaining Marvel film rights in late 2009, many casual fans saw this as Disney
buying a comic book multiverse. It is less widely known that Disney was crossing over its
characters in a comic book multiverse at about the same time Marvel began having its heroes
interact in stories. The long-running comic book series Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories included
characters from Walt Disney’s Silly Symphonies short films as well as the Mickey Mouse shorts
starting in 1940. Initially Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories featured characters from different films
appearing in individual stories, in a very similar way to how DC’s World’s Finest Comics of the
same era had Batman and Superman stories, but none where Batman and Superman interact.
As Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories progressed, the same narrative innovations that were taking
place in superhero comics were near simultaneously happening in Disney comics. Captain
America was famously seen punching Hitler on the cover of the first issue of his eponymous
comic in 1941. Minnie Mouse has a gossip column about real-world Hollywood celebrities in
1941.  By 1944 Walt Disney’s movie characters began to interact in comics. Supporting
characters from Disney’s Bambi appear in a story with characters from Disney’s Snow White in
the April 1944 issue.
The way Disney’s comic books crossed over characters in the 1940s set standards for how they
handled their characters for decades. Characters from virtually every single Disney animated
film of the 1940s and 1950s can be seen interacting with characters from other films in  the
comics of the era. The comic books were Disney’s original crossover petri dish, and this research
will quantify how they formed their early comic book multiverse. Attendees will see
visualizations designed to clarify how narrative innovations in superhero comic books were also
reflected in Disney Comic books of the same era.
The research created visualizations of how Disney crossed over its library of characters in the
comics. It is based on a systematic analysis of both story and promotional content found in the
Disney Comics of the 1940s, 1950’s, and 1960s. A count of which characters interact, and the
frequency of interaction plotted a clear pattern of management applied to fictional characters.
For example, among the dozens of character crossovers, linking virtually every Disney movie of
the era to every other movie, no two princesses are shown interacting.
This quantitative analysis of Disney comics from the 1940s revealed patterns that are reflected
in Disney licensing 50 years later. This research created visualizations by plotting character
interaction from a sample of over 500 Disney Comic books of the era.  This analysis created a
portrait of their strategy for using comics to promote new film characters and get the most out
of old intellectual property.  This research’s first goal is to make attendees appreciate how comic
books have long been a place for innovative use of intellectual property. The second goal is to
make attendees appreciate that while comic books might not be the most high profile part of
Disney’s portfolio, they are a historically important part of the company's development.
