APEX Presentations
March 6, 2008
Infection Control Performance Improvement: Hand Hygiene Compliance
Name: Cheryl Diroll
Majors: Biology and Biomedical Humanities
Academic and APEX Advisor: Matthew H. Hils
Location: Robinson Memorial Hospital, Infection Control Department
Beth Young and Joan Seidel
Robinson Memorial Hospital
6847 North Chestnut Street
Ravenna, OH 44266
330.297.2574
In a world of increasing antibiotic resistance, infection control has never been more important, and proper hand hygiene is the leading measure to reduce the spread of infection. Recent publications report compliant hand hygiene rates in hospitals between 40%-50% worldwide. The infection control department at Robinson Memorial Hospital created a performance improvement plan for 2007 which targeted hand hygiene. Baseline data were collected from March 12th to May 17th through clinical observations by trained volunteers. These data were used to assess the current compliance rates throughout the hospital and to shape the improvement plan. This agenda lead to many proactive hospital-wide modifications ranging from physical transformations of the facility to policy amendments. These changes shifted accountability from the institution to the individual. Altering behavior and ritual has proven to be the toughest challenge. In an effort to promote personal accountability, a new hospital-wide Code H was instated which is among the first of such measures taken in the U.S. Through these performance measures Robinson Memorial Hospital has both distinguished itself and greatly improved hand-hygiene compliance rates.
Connecting With Our Past Plant Fossils of the Carboniferous
Name: Nichole Edelman
Major: Biology
Academic Advisor: Matt Hils
APEX Advisor: Prudence Hall
Location: Hiram College
Hiram College has a plant fossil collection consisting of seedless vascular plants such as lycophytes, horsetails, and ferns. The collection was authorized by James A. Garfield when he was President of the College in the 1850’s. These specimens date from the Carboniferous Period about 290- 360 million years ago when the Midwest region was covered in Coal Forests. The fossils were gathered locally in Ohio and Northern Illinois. My project has involved identifying unknown specimens and trying to further classify or reclassify previously identified specimens. I have created a catalogue of the collection, assigning numbers and writing descriptions of the individual fossils, and I have taken photographs of some of the best examples in the collection. In addition, I am working on setting up an educational display for public viewing to teach and to explain about the fossils and their history. I have been learning about geological history, the environment of the Carboniferous Period, and the evolutionary relationships of the plants to each other and to today’s living plants.
Treatment Preference for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Patients: Prolonged Exposure vs. Zoloft
Name: Megan M. Szekely
Major: Biology
Academic and APEX Advisor: Brad Goodner
Location: Case Western Reserve University
Dr. Lisa Stines-Doane
10900 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland OH 44106-7123
216.368.3536
Abstract: Affecting approximately 1-15% of the population, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder which arises from a personal traumatic event such as rape, physical assault, or war experience (Gregg, Liversidge, & Tarrier, 2005). Persons diagnosed with PTSD often suffer from upsetting trauma-related thoughts, sleep deprivation, avoidance of trauma-related memories and situations (Feeny, 2004). An on-going research study at Case Western Reserve University and the University of Washington is designed to compare different treatment options for persons diagnosed with PTSD, particularly the medication Zoloft, and a cognitive-behavioral therapy known as Prolonged Exposure (PE). Eligibility is determined based on someone who has been diagnosed with PTSD. The research is set up as a double-blind experiment. Patients in the research study are randomly assigned to a “choice” or “no-choice” group. “Choice” meaning the patient can choose their treatment of either medication or PE and “no-choice” patients are randomly assigned to a treatment. No matter the outcome of treatment, patients are in active treatment (therapy) for 10 weeks followed by 2 years of additional check-ups (Feeny, 2004). The long-term goal of this study is to determine the most effective method of providing treatment for people suffering from PTSD.
Discrimination of social odors in brown capuchins (Cebus apella)
Name: Rebecca L. Velotta
Major: Biology
Academic Advisor: Dennis J. Taylor
APEX Advisor: Kimberley A. Phillips
Location: Laboratory of Neurobehavioral Investigations (LONI), at Hiram College
Kimberley A. Phillips
Biology and Psychology Departments, Hiram College
330.569.5229
Funding: Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Hiram College
The role of pheromones in social communication has been well documented in marmosets and tamarins and anatomical and behavioral evidence suggests a similar role in closely related families within platyrrhines. While brown capuchins seem to rely less on olfactory communication than their platyrrhine counterparts, they frequently engage in urine washing. The role of this behavior remains unknown, but sex differences in urine washing rates suggest a role in social communication. The purpose of this study was to examine sex differences in investigative behavior to conspecific urine. It was hypothesized that a sex difference to scents would exist and that more investigative behavior would be directed to unfamiliar than familiar scents. Subjects (male n = 4, female n = 4) were presented with urine stimuli in choice tests in three different conditions, where stimuli were randomized by familiarity and sex. Males investigated stimuli significantly more than females in all conditions. No behavioral differences were seen in two of the three conditions. Males performed more behaviors toward unfamiliar than to familiar male urine, F (1, 6) = 6.43, p < 0.05. Females did not differ. These results suggest socially relevant olfactory information may be utilized more by capuchin males than females.