An estimated 20.6 million people live with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Eastern and Southern Africa. In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Option B+ which adopts a single, universal regiment to both treat HIV-infected pregnant women and prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Unlike other HIV treatment options, Option B+ is a lifelong provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all HIV-positive pregnant women regardless of their immune status or viral load. However, I hypothesize that the implementation of prolonged HIV treatment (Option B+) may pose a substantial financial burden for women in very resource poor settings, which could ultimately decrease ART adherence--resulting in no change or even an increase in maternal transmission. This research will examine how economically accessible Option B+ is for expecting mothers in different populations across Eastern and Southern Africa. I am statistically evaluating the cost of ART in relation to household income, living expenses, and cost of childcare at the national level. Future research will use this data to examine maternal transmission risk in relation to economic accessibility, and identify how conceptual frameworks of HIV healthcare are implemented in varied resource settings.

Premature infants are commonly born with an inability to feed properly from their mother’s breast, and enteral (tube) feeding is often too stressful on the still-growing body of a premature infant. A recent intervention called Oropharyngeal Colostrum (OPC) administration aims to safely and effectively strengthen the infant’s digestive and immune system, shortening the time to safe enteral feeding. Colostrum, the milk produced right after delivery, is exceptionally high in antibodies and proteins necessary for an infant’s development, and contains an even higher concentration of protective bodies after delivery of a susceptible premature newborn. With OPC administration, colostrum is swabbed on the infant’s cheek or tongue in small amounts on a regular schedule. When the colostrum comes in contact with the tissue in the mouth, the antibodies are taken in and boost the baby’s immune system, heightening resistance to common infections suffered by premature infants, especially in the gastrointestinal region. In 2018, the Lactation Program of the Hospital de la Madre y el Niño (HMN) in Formosa, Argentina began administering OPC to all infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit who were born <35 weeks gestational age and whose mothers consented to the procedure. This research will examine average time to enteral feeding among 400 premature infants administered OPC between 2018-2019. Differences are examined in average time to enteral feeding by gestational age, sex, Apgar score, birth weight, and colostrum administration. The data will be used to determine what characteristics in premature infants cause the most obstacles to enteral feeding. Results will be compared to other studies of time to enteral feeding with and without OPC administration. Results will be shared with the HMN administrators to inform them of the efficacy of the program.

The modern human longitudinal arch is a structural adaptation to bipedal locomotion, rigid enough to be a propulsive lever but flexible enough to stabilize a large body mass over a relatively small base of support. Early hominins appear to have a low or absent longitudinal arch—a condition equivalent to human pes planus. The morphology of the calcaneocuboid joint (CCJ) has been suggested to play a critical role in the stability of the longitudinal arch, but the relationship between articular shape and arch height has yet to be tested empirically. This study examines the covariation of the shape of the CCJ with arch height, via calcaneal inclination angle (CIA). Eleven calcaneal measurements and CIA were measured on weight-bearing radiographs of 103 patients from an urban US trauma center. An equation to predict CIA was determined using stepwise regression analysis using Böehler’s angle, plantar and distal angles of the calcaneal tuber, anterior angle, and the angle of inclination of the posterior talar facet (all p’s<0.01, R2=0.67). Landmark data were obtained from 3D surface scans of the CCJ of 24 calcanei from lower limbs amputated due to infection or acute ischemia. Individuals with bony pathology were excluded from analysis. Data were analyzed in R using Procrustes ANOVA with principal components analysis to explore patterns of variation within the sample. No significant associations were found between CCJ shape and CIA (p=0.51, R2=0.03, F=0.91). Consequently, calcaneocuboid joint shape may not be a useful for interpreting the longitudinal arch morphology of fossil hominin pedal remains.

Disproportionate representation of genders has long existed among different academic fields. Rising interest in gender equality in society, generally, has stimulated concern about how much progress has been made towards gender equality in academic activities. Analysis of peer-reviewed publication authorship patterns shows that archaeology and other academic fields have long been dominated by males. We ask if this gender disparity is evident among archaeologists participating in major conferences, such as the Society of American Archaeology (SAA), European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) and the Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA) meetings. Do these archaeological conferences show a trend over time towards a more balanced distribution of genders among their participants? We analysed presenter names in the published programs of archaeology conferences to infer gender. We found that the gender distribution from these conferences differs from the distributions of genders in peer-reviewed publication authorship. Recent conferences show approximate gender parity, and some even show more women than men presenters. We also find no relationship between the gender of the conference presenter and the topics presented, meaning that no one gender seems to favor one topic over another topic in their presentations. Our finding demonstrate that women and men are participating in archaeology conferences more equally, compared to journal article authorship. We expect these findings will be similar in other fields especially with increased priority given strong interest in gender equality in many research communities.

Seasonal and weather change on humans have countless effects on mood, sleep, and diet. Seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD, is a seasonally linked mood and behavior disorder that typically lasts for four months, starting in the autumn. Similar to depression, SAD involves symptoms of lowered mood, energy loss, fatigue and some atypical symptoms such as hypersomnia, and increased appetite and eating. SAD may have a genetic factor related to serotonin metabolism and melatonin secretion, and rates of autumn-winter SAD may increase with latitude because of the increased seasonal differences in daylight hours. Due to genetic variations among certain ethnic groups, SAD may also disproportionately affect populations who are genetically from southern climates but were raised in northern climates. Yet it is not known how prevalent SAD symptoms were historically in populations adapted to northern climates, and what cultural traditions, if any, these cultures may have evolved in response to SAD. To answer this question, I have conducted a systematic search of ethnographies available through the Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) database. The HRAF databases have indexed and coded ethnographic knowledge across over 400 cultures. I examine the prevalence and traditions of SAD in the indexed ethnographies, and apply these insights to current migrant populations in northern latitudes that may experience SAD.

At the University of Washington where Indigenous (Pacific Islander, Native American and Alaskan Native) students make up 2.4% of the student population, Indigenous students continue to maintain close relationships with their kin and non-kin families while shaping new ones at school. This study explores fluid definitions of “family” that emerged from my research. I interviewed 20 Indigenous students at the University of Washington to learn more about how they express "family" in the college context. The study brings forth diverse voices of Indigenous students who express the importance of kin and non-kin “family” in their retention and successes at UW. Findings suggest that UW families support students to heal from traumas, maintain community continuity, and build relationships. My data also suggests culturally relevant definitions of families are important yet lacking in UW's efforts to recruit and retain Indigenous students. This research is important because it highlights, for UW faculty and professional staff who work with Indigenous students, the inseparability of “family” and academics and its relationship to community wellbeing.

Geoarchaeology is a field in anthropology that furthers archaeological research by employing and borrowing techniques from several Earth sciences disciplines. Our research focuses on the site of Prasat Basaet, northwest Cambodia. This is a small provincial temple in Angkor, one of the largest preindustrial settlements in the world. Archaeological excavations at Prasat Basaet reveal an occupational history that includes the Pre-Angkorian (6-8th centuries), Angkorian (8-15th centuries CE), and Post-Angkorian (15-17th centuries CE) periods. Our research aims to investigate the relationship between urban expansion, temple construction, and the physical environment that people lived in. Our results will provide environmental context to help understand how provincial populations were involved in the rise and demise of the Angkorian state, and the importance of climate change in these processes. We are using sediment samples from archaeological excavations to extract lipid residues using Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to reconstruct ancient vegetation and faunal communities. We are also using particle size analysis to understand the environment of deposit formation at the time of human habitation. We hope that our research will provide insights into human-environmental relationships at key moments in the history of one of the world’s largest ancient empires.