University of San Francisco

Plain Language Summary Understanding how non‐aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) gets trapped in the subsurface is important for cleaning up NAPL contamination in groundwater. While previous studies have investigated how NAPLs get trapped and dissolved in subsurface within porous media, NAPL entrapment mechanisms are not well understood for fractured systems. To investigate NAPL entrapment architectures and underlying mechanisms, we conducted experiments using a microfluidic setup to investigate how NAPL gets trapped as water flows through and displaces NAPL in real‐time. We identified three main patterns of NAPL entrapment: Pools Pattern (PP), Mixed Pattern (MP), and Ganglia Pattern (GP). These patterns are based on how NAPL behaves at the pore scale. PP emerges due to capillary forces causing water to bypass certain areas and creating NAPL pools. GP is caused by viscous forces creating NAPL ganglia. MP results from a combination of both capillary and viscous forces induced trapping mechanism. Two key factors, the aperture heterogeneity (anisotropy and roughness) and the water flow rate, influence how these forces compete and how resulting residual patterns form. Our findings help in predicting how NAPL will be trapped in rock fractures by looking at measurable aspects like fracture structure and flow rate, aiding in better management and remediation of NAPL‐contaminated groundwater.

We consider bounds on maximum nullity of a graph via transversal numbers of compatible collections of forts. Results include generalizations of theorems from symmetric to combinatorially symmetric matrices, special bases of matrix nullspaces derived from transversal sets, and examples of issues that arise when considering only minimal forts and how to avoid them. We also show an important difference between constructing symmetric and combinatorially symmetric matrices associated to a graph whose nullspaces are supported on collections of disjoint forts.

In large-scale recommender systems, high-cardinality features pose significant challenges, including sparse representations, cold-start problems, limited generalization capabilities, and computational inefficiency. This article explores how the Residual-Quantized Variational AutoEncoder (RQ-VAE) addresses these challenges through hierarchical semantic IDs. The technique quantizes embeddings via a multi-level process that preserves semantic relationships while reducing dimensionality. By implementing residual connections between quantization levels, RQ-VAE creates a structured discrete representation where proximity in codeword sequences corresponds to item similarity. This article maintains the advantages of discrete representations while preserving semantic richness, enabling more effective cold-start handling, improved retrieval efficiency, and enhanced prediction performance. The hierarchical nature of semantic IDs facilitates generalization across similar items even with limited observation data, addressing fundamental limitations of traditional feature hashing and embedding-based methods while significantly improving recommendation quality for new and sparse items

Although periodontal disease (PD) is reported to be associated with changes in various genes and proteins in both invading bacteria and the host, its molecular mechanism of pathogenesis remains unclear. Changes in immune and inflammatory genes play a significant role in PD pathogenesis. Some reports relate alterations in cellular epigenetic patterns to PD characteristics, while several high-throughput analyses indicate thousands of differentially methylated genes in both PD patients and controls. Furthermore, changes in DNA methylation patterns in inflammation-related genes have been linked to the efficacy of periodontal therapy, as demonstrated by findings related to the cytochrome C oxidase II gene. Distinct DNA methylation patterns in mesenchymal stem cells from PD patients and controls persisted despite the reversal of phenotypic PD. Methyl groups for DNA methylation are supplied by S-adenosylmethionine, which is synthesized with the involvement of folate, an essential nutrient known to play a role in maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis, reported to be compromised in PD. Folate may benefit PD through its antioxidant action against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that are overproduced by dysfunctional mitochondria. As such, DNA methylation, dietary folate, and mitochondrial quality control may interact in PD pathogenesis. In this narrative/hypothesis review, we demonstrate how PD is associated with changes in mitochondrial homeostasis, which may, in turn, be improved by folate, potentially altering the epigenetic patterns of immune and inflammatory genes in both the nucleus and mitochondria. Therefore, a folate-based dietary intervention is recommended for PD prevention and as an adjunct therapy. At the same time, further research is needed on the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in the beneficial effects of folate on PD studies.

The expiratory time constant (RC EXP ) plays an important role in understanding the mechanical properties of the respiratory system in patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Initially conceived as a tool to illustrate nonlinearity in lung emptying, RC EXP has transitioned from a theoretical concept to a clinically relevant parameter, particularly within the realm of intelligent ventilation strategies. This narrative review explores the historical development of RC EXP , starting with its foundational definition based on fixed values of respiratory system resistance and compliance (i.e., the single-compartmental model). This early approach to RC EXP largely overlooked the intricate viscoelastic characteristics of the lungs. The inherent limitations of this simplified model are discussed. The review then shifts its focus to clinical evidence describing the severity of deviations in RC EXP from the ‘‘ideal’’ state in both acute lung injury and obstructive lung disease. This includes an analysis of which portions of the expiratory phase are most affected and how adjustments in tidal volume and positive end-expiratory pressure can potentially improve the homogeneity of lung emptying. The review concludes with a discussion of the clinical applications of RC EXP and proposes future directions for its integration into ventilator management.

In his book Seeing Like a State , James Scott writes, “We have repeatedly observed the natural and social failures of thin, formulaic simplifications imposed through the agency of state power” (1998, 309). State and top-down planning lacks mētis , or the common sense and practical experience that people on the ground possess of their everyday environments. Instead, Scott proposes a focus on practical knowledge, which “depends on an exceptionally close and astute observation of the environment” (1998, 324).

Background and Objectives Neurodegenerative diseases cause socioemotional changes that are commonly measured using laboratory-based assessments. However, these assessments can be labor, cost, and time intensive. We aim to establish the psychometric properties of a novel informant-rated measure, the Caregiver Assessment of Socioemotional Functioning (CASEF). Research Design and Methods Using three independent samples including 366 informal caregivers and their 366 care recipients with a variety of neurodegenerative diseases and 240 neurotypical individuals, we conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to establish the structural validity of the CASEF. Additionally, to establish convergent validity, we compared caregiver reports of socioemotional functioning to care recipients’ objective performance on a variety of laboratory measures of socioemotional functioning. Results The CASEF captured multiple aspects of care recipients’ socioemotional functioning, including the ability to (a) generate negative emotional responses (negative emotional reactivity), (b) generate positive emotional responses (positive emotional reactivity), (c) recognize others’ emotions (emotion recognition), and (d) control emotional responses (emotion regulation). Each factor was associated with a corresponding laboratory-based measure, except for emotion regulation, which instead corresponded to a clinician-rated measure of care recipient disinhibition. Discussion and Implications Findings suggest the CASEF is a psychometrically sound informant-report measure of socioemotional functioning in people living with neurodegenerative diseases and may be a valuable tool for identifying specific socioemotional impairments in the context of neurodegenerative disease.

A Mahābhārata kind of textual war has been raging between science (the sciences) and religion (theology and traditional ortho-doxastic systems), for some time now, let us say since the Renaissance period, through Europe’s Enlightenment, to the present era. This war has many protagonists and antagonists on both sides. Both sides of the camp engage in quasi-philosophical and other intellectual disputations to either drive the wedge of disagreement toward, as it were, the death of one side, or attempt a rapprochement between the seemingly incommensurable claimants to the truth. The fangs and reverberations of this war have been spilling over onto the Indian subcontinent as well, since about the late nineteenth century, albeit with significant differences. In this latter fray enters Meera Nanda, a strident apologist for the eventual triumph of science or ‘objectivity’ over the ruse of religions. That in itself is not an ignoble cause. But she further champions a thesis of the wayward contemporary "collusion" of Indian science and religion, i.e., of what she calls ‘the emerging state-temple-corporate complex’. The paper offers a critique of Nanda’s claim, on the one hand, for want of convincing evidence for the overarching claim, and, on the other hand, the utter disregard on the part of the sectarian-right for the methods and intersubjective epistemé of science. The Nobel Laureate C V Raman arguably had chauvinist strains in the way he treated his female research fellows, as Abha Sur points out in a separate study which I discuss. But here too there is no direct complicitous relation between science and religion; rather the problematic relation lies with genderized caste proclivity in modern Indian science practices as in the culture broadly. The present paper is a sequel to ‘War and peace between science and religion: the divine arch after the four horsemen’, published in the Journal of the Indian Council for Philosophical Research 28/2, 2011: 3‐30).

Founder-event speciation can occur when one or more organisms colonize a distant, unoccupied area via long-distance dispersal, leading to the evolution of a new species lineage. Species radiations established by long-distance, and especially transoceanic, dispersal can cause substantial shifts in regional biodiversity. Here, we investigate the occurrence and timing of the greatest known long-distance oceanic dispersal event in the history of terrestrial vertebrates—the rafting of iguanas from North America to Fiji. Iguanas are large-bodied herbivores that are well-known overwater dispersers, including species that colonized the Caribbean and the Galápagos islands. However, the origin of Fijian iguanas had not been comprehensively tested. We estimated the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary timescale of the iguanid lizard radiation using genome-wide exons and ultraconserved elements (UCEs). Those data indicate that the closest living relative of extant Fijian iguanas is the North American desert iguana and that the two taxa likely diverged during the late Paleogene near or after the onset of volcanism that produced the Fijian archipelago. Biogeographic models estimate North America as the most probable ancestral range of Fijian iguanas. Our analyses support the hypothesis that iguanas reached Fiji via an extraordinary oceanic dispersal event from western North America, and which spanned a fifth of the earth’s circumference (>8,000 km). Overwater rafting of iguanas from North America to Fiji strengthens the importance of founder-event speciation in the diversification of iguanids and elucidates the scope of long-distance dispersal across terrestrial vertebrates.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES COVID-19 vaccination is recommended during pregnancy; however, evidence on the prevalence of major structural birth defects born to people vaccinated early in pregnancy (≤20 weeks of gestation) is limited. We compared the prevalence of major structural birth defects by COVID-19 vaccination status and key strata: insurance provider, clinically diagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, and concomitant administration of other maternal vaccines. We also compared, head-to-head, the prevalence of birth defects by brand (Moderna mRNA-1273 vs Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2). METHODS A claims-based cohort study captured pregnancies ending in a live birth among people with an estimated last menstrual period between August 15, 2021, and December 24, 2021. Prevalence ratios comparing birth defects by exposure to COVID-19 vaccines were estimated using binomial regression with inverse probability treatment weights. RESULTS Among 78 052 pregnancies, we identified 1248 major structural birth defects (1049 [160.6 per 10 000 live births] among unvaccinated people and 199 [156.4 per 10 000 live births] among vaccinated people). No differences in the prevalence of major structural birth defects were observed given COVID-19 vaccination (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR], 0.96; 95% CI, 0.81–1.13). Findings were unchanged by insurance provider, SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, and concomitant of other maternal vaccines. No differences in the prevalence of birth defects were observed among vaccinated people by brand (aPR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.77–1.37). CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 vaccination during early pregnancy is not associated with an increased prevalence of major structural birth defects in infants. These results support the safety of COVID-19 vaccination in early pregnancy.

Current and foster youth regularly lack adequate mental health support before, during, and after leaving the foster care system. Research on mental health care with foster youth rarely relies on the direct experiences and recommendations of those with lived and professional experience in child welfare. The current community-based participatory action research study worked with key stakeholders (n = 22) in child welfare to understand successful mental health treatment outcomes for foster youth. Five categorical themes emerged from stakeholder interviews, including (a) psychotherapy is a developmental process, (b) increased understanding of self in context is an indicator of improved mental health, (c) therapy effectiveness ought to be individualized, (d) perceptions of helpfulness is a key driver of benefit, and (e) outcomes ought to be conceptualized at the individual and relational levels. Findings highlighted an overall perception that there is a lack of clarity between researchers and clinicians as to what constitutes successful psychotherapy, and offer implication for how to reconcile this by prioritizing the voice of those with lived experience in both processes.

As we approach the deadline of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (2030), using the benefits of technology becomes more crucial in accomplishing some of the SDGs in an efficient and collaborative way in this interconnected age. When the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) partnerships, a form of virtual exchange, are developed with the countries that are struggling for basic human rights, such as gender equity and education, it raises awareness and encourages people to take action toward a more sustainable world. Using evidence from the literature and semi structured interviews with Afghan students who have participated in various virtual exchange projects with universities in the US, this chapter illustrates how COIL projects have the potential to contribute to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, specifically the SDG 4. The data from the interviews with both the Afghanistan and US based COIL participants include commentary on some SDG 4 targets such as educational access, global citizenship, appreciation of cultural diversity and gender equality. Listening to the voices of the community members about the challenges and recommendations for the future implications of COIL projects identified opportunities to develop stronger online collaboration to accomplish SDG 4 targets through COIL.

Swarming Hymenoptera attacks can deliver high cumulative doses of venom resulting in death and life-threatening or chronically disabling injuries. Varespladib, a potent inhibitor of snake venom secretory PLA2 (sPLA2), is a relatively weak inhibitor of whole bee venom sPLA2 in vitro (pico-to low nanomolar for snake venom compared to μ M for Apis millera). Animal studies of varespladib against wasp (Vespa mandarinia) venom have shown promise against both nephropathy and coagulopathy, major markers of severe systemic toxicity distinct from hypersensitivity such as anaphylactoid and anaphylaxis reactions. We conducted a simple pilot study to evaluate if varespladib could feasibly decrease mortality against lethal doses of honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom in a murine model. When pre-mixed with a single dose of 10 mg/kg varespladib and administered intravenously (IV), varespladib prevented all mortality (0 of 10) in comparison to a cohort of mice administered lethal doses of whole bee venom alone (6 of 10) during a 24-h study period (N = 10 each group; log rank χ² = 8.29; p < 0.005), and it eliminated signs of toxicity within 2 h while control animals either died or continued to show signs of toxicity. Survival in these animals despite poor in vitro sPLA2 inhibition suggests that suppression of the host sPLA2 response itself might play a role in the treatment of venom toxicity using an enzyme inhibitor rather than antivenom antibodies. Varespladib could be a useful tool for dissecting fundamental interactions between exogenous toxins and their corresponding endogenous counterparts.

In 2022 and 2023, Human Rights Educators USA (HRE USA) developed a podcast by and for human rights educators, activists, and scholars to share and extend knowledge of the field through an asynchronous, accessible, open access space. Human Rights Education NOW! developed a framework utilizing the podcasting medium, transcripts and keywords, and the digital space to document collective work, expand on critical discussions about the field, and forge vital connections with and between US human rights educators with colleagues nationally and globally. This article details the project’s first year of development and production, February 16, 2023 to February 16, 2024, including 24 published and distributed episodes with 18 human rights education (HRE) practitioners, and analyzes both content and qualitative data from listeners and interviewees to explore how podcasting can be applied as a community building and sustaining HRE tool.

This chapter reviews how institutions of secondary and higher education could better incorporate human rights education into their curriculum and frameworks. It underscores many of the challenges that HRE educators face and the opportunities that HRE can provide students, schools, and communities, particularly in the United States context The World as It Could Be Human Rights Education Program (TWAICB) and other HRE programs are spotlighted in this chapter.