bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An LSM Tree Augmented with B
+
Tree on Nonvolatile Memory
Authors: Kim Donguk , Lee Jongsung , Lim Keun Soo , Heo Jun , Ham Tae Jun , Lee Jae W.
Published: December 2023

Modern log-structured merge (LSM) tree-based key-value stores are widely used to process update-heavy workloads effectively as the LSM tree sequentializes write requests to a storage device to maximize storage performance. However, this append-only approach leaves many outdated copies of frequently updated key-value pairs, which need to be routinely cleaned up through the operation called
compaction
. When the system load is modest, compaction happens in background. However, at a high system load, it can quickly become the major performance bottleneck. To address this compaction bottleneck and further improve the write throughput of LSM tree-based key-value stores, we propose LAB-DB, which augments the existing LSM tree with a pair of B
+
trees on byte-addressable nonvolatile memory (NVM). The auxiliary B
+
trees on NVM reduce both compaction frequency and compaction time, hence leading to lower compaction overhead for writes and fewer storage accesses for reads. According to our evaluation of LAB-DB on RocksDB with YCSB benchmarks, LAB-DB achieves 94% and 67% speedups on two write-intensive workloads (Workload A and F), and also a 43% geomean speedup on read-intensive YCSB Workload B, C, D, and E. This performance gain comes with a low cost of NVM whose size is just 0.6% of the entire dataset to demonstrate the scalability of LAB-DB with an ever increasing volume of future datasets.
A Design Flow for Scheduling Spiking Deep Convolutional Neural Networks on Heterogeneous Neuromorphic System-on-Chip
Authors: Das Anup
Published: December 2023

Neuromorphic systems-on-chip (NSoCs) integrate CPU cores and neuromorphic hardware accelerators on the same chip. These platforms can execute spiking deep convolutional neural networks (SDCNNs) with a low energy footprint. Modern NSoCs are heterogeneous in terms of their computing, communication, and storage resources. This makes scheduling SDCNN operations a combinatorial problem of exploring an exponentially-large state space in determining mapping, ordering, and timing of operations to achieve a target hardware performance, e.g., throughput.

We propose a systematic design flow to schedule SDCNNs on an NSoC. Our scheduler, called SMART (
S
DCNN
MA
pping, Orde
R
ing, and
T
iming), branches the combinatorial optimization problem into computationally-relaxed sub-problems that generate fast solutions without significantly compromising the solution quality. SMART improves performance by efficiently incorporating the heterogeneity in computing, communication, and storage resources. SMART operates in four steps. First, it creates a self-timed execution schedule to map operations to compute resources, maximizing throughput. Second, it uses an optimization strategy to distribute activation and synaptic weights to storage resources, minimizing data communication-related overhead. Third, it constructs an inter-processor communication (IPC) graph with a transaction order for its communication actors. This transaction order is created using a transaction partial order algorithm, which minimizes contention on the shared communication resources. Finally, it schedules this IPC graph to hardware by overlapping communication with the computation, and leveraging operation, pipeline, and batch parallelism.

We evaluate SMART using 10 representative image, object, and language-based SDCNNs. Results show that SMART increases throughput by an average 23%, compared to a state-of-the-art scheduler. SMART is implemented entirely in software as a compiler extension. It doesn’t require any change in a neuromorphic hardware or its interface to CPUs. It improves throughput with only a marginal increase in the compilation time. SMART is released under the open-source MIT licensing at https://github.com/drexel-DISCO/SMART
to foster future research.
Mixed-trust Computing: Safe and Secure Real-time Systems
Authors: de Niz Dionisio , Andersson Bjorn , Klein Mark , Lehoczky John , Kim Hyoseung , Moreno Gabriel
Published: December 2023

Verifying complex Cyber-physical Systems (CPSs) is increasingly important given the push to deploy safety-critical autonomous features. Unfortunately, traditional verification methods do not scale to the complexity of these systems and do not provide systematic methods to protect verified properties when not all the components can be verified. To address these challenges, this article proposes a real-time mixed-trust computing framework that combines verification and protection. The framework introduces a new task model, where an application task can have both an untrusted and a trusted part. The untrusted part allows complex computations supported by a full OS with a real-time scheduler running in a VM hosted by a trusted hypervisor. The trusted part is executed by another scheduler within the hypervisor and is thus protected from the untrusted part. If the untrusted part fails to finish by a specific time, the trusted part is activated to preserve safety (e.g., prevent a crash) including its timing guarantees. This framework is the first allowing the use of untrusted components for CPS critical functions while preserving logical and timing guarantees, even in the presence of malicious attackers. We present the framework, its schedulability analysis, and the coordination protocol between the trusted and untrusted parts. Our implementation on a Raspberry Pi 3 is also discussed along with experiments showing the behavior of the system under failures of untrusted components and a drone application to demonstrate its practicality.
Secure Low-complexity Compressive Sensing with Preconditioning Prior Regularization Reconstruction
Authors: Huang Hui , Xiao Di , Liang Jia
Published: December 2023

Compressive sensing (CS), a breakthrough technology in image processing, provides a privacy-preserving layer and image reconstruction while performing sensing and recovery processes, respectively. Unfortunately, it still faces high-complexity, low-security, and low-quality reconstruction challenges during image processing. Therefore, this article presents a secure low-complexity CS scheme with preconditioning prior regularization reconstruction. More specifically, the original image is compressed by a low-complexity LFSR-based sparse circulant matrix to obtain measurements. It is worth noting that measurements achieve preliminary distribution equalization through the Tanh sequence to acquire processed measurements. Furthermore, the privacy-preserving edge processing for processed measurements can achieve high security. Finally, preconditioning prior regularization CS reconstruction is designed to improve reconstruction performance. Simulation results and analyses demonstrate that the proposed scheme can achieve low-complexity sampling, high security, and superior reconstruction performance.
Synthetic Data and Hierarchical Object Detection in Overhead Imagery
Authors: Clement Nathan , Schoen Alan , Boedihardjo Arnold , Jenkins Andrew
Published: December 2023

The performance of neural network models is often limited by the availability of big datasets. To treat this problem, we survey and develop novel synthetic data generation and augmentation techniques for enhancing low/zero-sample learning in satellite imagery. In addition to extending synthetic data generation approaches, we propose a hierarchical detection architecture to improve the utility of synthetic training samples. We consider existing techniques for producing synthetic imagery–3D models and neural style transfer–as well as introducing our own adversarially trained reskinning network, the GAN-Reskinner, to blend 3D models. Additionally, we test the value of synthetic data in a two-stage, hierarchical detection/classification model of our own construction. To test the effectiveness of synthetic imagery, we employ it in the training of detection models and our two stage model, and evaluate the resulting models on real satellite images. All modalities of synthetic data are tested extensively on practical, geospatial analysis problems. Our experiments show that synthetic data developed using our approach can often enhance detection performance, particularly when combined with some real training images. When the only source of data is synthetic, our GAN-Reskinner often boosts performance over conventionally rendered 3D models and in all cases, the hierarchical model outperforms the baseline end-to-end detection architecture.
Dynamic Weighted Adversarial Learning for Semi-Supervised Classification under Intersectional Class Mismatch
Authors: Li Mingyu , Zhou Tao , Huang Zhuo , Yang Jian , Yang Jie , Gong Chen
Published: December 2023

Nowadays, class-mismatch problem has drawn intensive attention in Semi-Supervised Learning (SSL), where the classes of labeled data are assumed to be only a subset of the classes of unlabeled data. However, in a more realistic scenario, the labeled data and unlabeled data often share some common classes while they also have their individual classes, which leads to an “intersectional class-mismatch” problem. As a result, existing SSL methods are often confused by these individual classes and suffer from performance degradation. To address this problem, we propose a novel Dynamic Weighted Adversarial Learning (DWAL) framework to properly utilize unlabeled data for boosting the SSL performance. Specifically, to handle the influence of the individual classes in unlabeled data (i.e., Out-Of-Distribution classes), we propose an enhanced adversarial domain adaptation to dynamically assign weight for each unlabeled example from the perspectives of domain adaptation and a class-wise weighting mechanism, which consists of transferability score and prediction confidence value. Besides, to handle the influence of the individual classes in labeled data (i.e., private classes), we propose a dissimilarity maximization strategy to suppress the inaccurate correlations caused by the examples of individual classes within labeled data. Therefore, our DWAL can properly make use of unlabeled data to acquire an accurate SSL classifier under intersectional class-mismatch setting, and extensive experimental results on five public datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model over other state-of-the-art SSL methods.
SourcererJBF: A Java Build Framework For Large-Scale Compilation
Authors: Misu Md Rakib Hossain , Achar Rohan , Lopes Cristina V.
Published: December 2023

Researchers and tool developers working on dynamic analysis, software testing, automated program repair, verification, and validation, need large compiled, compilable, and executable code corpora to test their ideas. The publicly available corpora are relatively small, and/or non-compilable, and/or non-executable. Developing a compiled code corpus is a laborious activity demanding significant manual effort and human intervention. To facilitate large-scale program analysis research, we develop
SourcererJBF
, a
J
ava
B
uild
F
ramework that can automatically build a large Java code corpus without project-specific instructions and human intervention. To generate a compiled code corpus, SourcererJBF creates an offline knowledge base by collecting external dependencies from the project directories and existing build scripts (if available). It constructs indices of those collected external dependencies that enable a fast search for resolving dependencies during the project compilation. As the output of the large-scale compilation, it produces JAigantic, a compilable Java corpus containing compiled projects, their bytecode, dependencies, normalized build script, and build command. We evaluated SourcererJBF’s effectiveness, correctness, performance, and scalability in a large collection of Java projects. Our experimental results demonstrate that SourcererJBF is significantly effective and scalable in building large Java code corpus. Besides, it substantiates reasonable performance and correctness similar to projects’ existing build systems.
Aluminum Alloys as Anodes for Aluminum Batteries
Authors: Bandiera M. , Pavesi A. , Valota G. , Abello M. A. , Trombetta V. , Daga M. , Fiocchi C. , Bonfanti A. , Mancini A. , Bertasi F.
Published: December 2023

The manuscript investigates the synthesis and characterization of Aluminum alloys, comprising Si, Ti and B as alloying elements, as anodes for Al-ion batteries. Deposition/stripping measurements, impedance spectroscopy, metallographic, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques unveil the complex interplay existing between the microstructures of the alloys and the obtained electrochemical performance. Prototype cycling and post-mortem battery failure analysis are performed as well. It is demonstrated that a remarkable improvement in the: a) oxidation/reduction currents and overvoltages; and b) interfacial stability with the electrolyte; can be obtained, with respect to a conventional Al anode.
AC Conductivity and Dielectric Constant of Fast Ion-Electronic Conductor AgI-C
Authors: Jayakrishnan V. B. , Mishra S. K. , Selvamani Rachna , Sen D. , Sastry P. U.
Published: December 2023

The conductivity, dielectric constant and crystal structure of the superionic-electronic conductor AgI-porous carbon composites have been investigated at various temperatures and carbon concentrations (ϕ ≤ 10%). At a fixed temperature, both conductivity and dielectric constant exhibit anomalous variation with ϕ showing maxima of the values. We observed significant differences in the behavior between the superionic (α) phase and insulating (β) phase. By incorporating carbon, the conductivity increases by four times in the β phase and six times in the α phase whereas the dielectric constant increases by five times and eight times respectively. Unlike in the β phase, the conductivity of the α phase exhibits two distinct maxima whereas the dielectric constant exhibits different features of the profiles in different frequency regions in the α phase. Also, the peak value of these properties exhibits power-law dependence on the frequency in both phases but with different values for the exponents.
Problem of Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.)) in Lake Tana (Ethiopia): Ecological, Economic, and Social Implications and Management Options
Authors: Getahun Sewnet , Kefale Habtamu
Published: December 2023

Lake Tana is Ethiopia’s largest body of fresh water, covering approximately 3,200 km2. Despite its multidisciplinary applications in Ethiopia and neighboring countries, water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms) is a significant problem in this large lake. This invasive weed first appeared in Lake Tana in 2011 and quickly spread to the water’s surface over the next two to three years. In this background, this article aims at reviewing the existing knowledge on the occurrence, impact, and management options for water hyacinths in Lake Tana. Water hyacinth is one of the most dangerous water weeds, causing a wide range of problems in bodies of water and water resources, including ecological, environmental, economic, and social consequences. Due to the weed species’ rapid spread via sexual and asexual reproduction, it covers a wide range of water bodies, and appropriate management options must be implemented before seriously affecting the water body and spreading to the Nile Basin.
A Novel Surface Subsidence Prediction Model Based on Stochastic Medium Theory for Inclined Coal Seam Mining
Authors: Yan Weitao , Guo Junting , Yan Shaoge , Yan Yueguan , Tang Wei
Published: December 2023

Most coal resources are deposited in the form of inclined coal seams, and surface subsidence basin morphology induced by the mining of inclined coal seams is frequently skewed. The probability integral method with symmetrical distribution characteristics is widely used at present in surface subsidence prediction in coal mining in China. However, this method performs poorly when the inclined coal seam mining subsidence is predicted, and prediction accuracy decreases considerably with an increase in coal seam inclination. To solve this problem, this study first establishes three coordinate systems: a working surface rectangular coordinate system, a working face body-following coordinate system, and a surface rectangular coordinate system. Then, a random medium theory is applied to realize the superposition integral operation of the subsidence influence of unit mining in the working faces body-following coordinate system. Subsequently, the subsidence effect of a certain point on the surface is converted into the surface rectangular coordinate system. Finally, the inclined coal seam mining subsidence prediction model is constructed under the surface rectangular coordinate system. Results show that the surface subsidence caused by the mining of the inclined coal seam units conforms to the Weibull polar distribution law, and the effectiveness of the prediction model is verified through examples. The relative mean squared error of the prediction is less than 10%. The results of the study can provide theoretical and technical support for the subsidence prediction of similar mining areas.
Microwave-Assisted Hot Air Drying of Orange Snacks: Drying Kinetics, Thin Layer Modeling, Quality Attributes, and Phenolic Profiles
Authors: Özkan-Karabacak Azime , Acoğlu-Çelik Büşra , Özdal Tuğba , Yolci-Ömeroğlu Perihan , Çopur Ömer Utku , Baştuğ-Koç Ayşe , Pandiselvam Ravi
Published: December 2023

Citrus fruits, regarded as a prominent fruit crop, are cultivated extensively around the globe and orange (Citrus sinensis L.) is a widely cultivated popular member of the citrus family. Dried oranges have gained recognition as a healthy snack option among consumers and worldwide markets due to the absence of additional ingredients such as sugar and chemicals, whilst yet containing significant natural beneficial components. The drying method is very intriguing due to its ability to facilitate the efficient production, packaging, storage, and transportation of dried oranges at a cost-effective price. In this study, the effects of microwave pretreatment (Mpt) (90 W, 30 min) on hot air drying (HTAD-MW) (60, 70, and 80°C) were investigated, along with the effects on the drying kinetics, rehydration capacity, and quality properties of the orange snack including phenolic compounds (vanillic acid, gallic acid, epicatechin, hesperidin, naringenin, chlorogenic acid, sinapic acid, and o-coumaric acid), antioxidant capacities (with DPPH, FRAP, and CUPRAC methods), and ascorbic acid contents. For modeling the kinetics of orange snack drying in all tests, logarithmic, Wang and Singh’s, diffusion approach, two term, and Wang and Sing’s models performed best. Hot air drying (HTAD) at 70°C applied orange snacks showed the lowest △E

∗

ab value, and the color values were close to those of fresh orange slices. The levels of total and individual phenolics, antioxidant capacity (AC), and ascorbic acid (AA) in dried orange snacks were found to be significantly lower (

p

 < 0.05) than in the fresh orange slices. Results also showed that HTAD-MW-applied orange snacks contained more total phenolic (TP) content, individual phenolic content, and AC but lower AA than HTAD-applied samples. The highest amount of phenolic compound was hesperidin for fresh and dried orange snacks. The method that best preserves the TP content and AC of dried orange snacks was found at the drying condition of HTAD-MW at 60°C. As a conclusion, it was suggested that the use of microwave and hot air combination is a promising method to introduce a new functional healthy snack to the dried product market with high quality.
Effects of Soret and Dufour on Unsteady Magneto-Convective Transport through a Vertical Perforated Sheet with Chemical Reaction
Authors: Hossain Md. Mosharrof , Hasanuzzaman Md. , Rahim Laskar A. , Barmon Ashish
Published: December 2023

An investigation of the effects of Soret and Dufour on an unsteady MHD convective transmission over a vertical porous sheet with chemical reaction was introduced throughout this study. The model that formed nonlinear governing equations is transformed by applying the similarity analysis with the help of the finite difference method. The numerical resolutions of the fluid characteristics like velocity, concentration, and temperature are explained graphically. This research also presented the mass transmission rate, heat transmission rate, and the local skin friction coefficient, which are explained in tabular form. The results give the fluid motion and temperature improvement for growing values of the Dofour effect. Also, the fluid velocity and concentration improve for elevated amounts of the Soret effect. The local skin friction improves by around 66% whereas the mass transmission rate lessens by around 247% with the growing Soret number (0.5–2.0).
Antistaphylococcal Efficacy of Cefepime, Meropenem, and Piperacillin-Tazobactam in Patients with Polymicrobial Infection with MSSA Bacteremia or Pneumonia
Authors: Najia Laila M. , Pyles Eric , Lopez-Ruiz Arnaldo , Subedi Bibidh
Published: December 2023

There is a paucity of literature describing de-escalation techniques in patients with polymicrobial infections with one offending organism being methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) being treated with β-lactam therapy. The purpose of this study is to determine treatment outcomes for patients with polymicrobial infections with MSSA bacteremia or pneumonia who are treated with cefepime (FEP), meropenem (MEM), or piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP). This trial design represents a retrospective observational three-group comparison study of patients at a community teaching hospital system. Patients reviewed included those who had a MSSA bacteremia or pneumonia in addition to a confirmed polymicrobial infection or presence of a coinfection and received definitive therapy with FEP, MEM, or TZP. The primary outcome is defined as the resolution of fever of ≥100.4°F, hypothermia (≤95°F), leukocytosis (WBC °>° 12,000 cells/mm3), and leukopenia with WBC °<° 4,000 cells/mm3. Secondary outcomes included duration of definite therapy, in-hospital mortality, hospital and ICU length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmission rates for a presumed infection, and hospital-acquired Clostridioides difficile infection (HCDI). From August 1, 2016, to August 30, 2019, 45 patients met eligibility criteria. There were no observed differences in primary endpoint (

p

 = 0.65) or secondary endpoints, i.e., in-hospital mortality (

p

 = 0.10), hospital LOS (

p

 = 0.75), ICU LOS (

p

 = 0.53), 30-day readmission rates for presumed infection (

p

 = 0.07), or HCDI (

p

 = 0.34). There was no difference in treatment success with FEP, MEM, or TZP for polymicrobial infections with one offending organism being MSSA. Due to the lack of evidence in this unique patient population and observed results of our study, randomized studies are warranted to determine appropriate therapy in this complex patient population.
We Have Never Been Modern (Enough)
Authors: Bardin Andrea , Ferrari Marco
Published: December 2023

This article offers a philosophical-political commentary of Jason Ā. Josephson Storm’s Metamodernism: The Future of Theory (2021). We welcome Josephson Storm’s integrated interdisciplinary distillation and ambitious ethico-political perspective, but we also point out the necessity to go further in the cross-disciplinary theoretical effort to rebuild a post-postmodernist academia. In particular, we identify the very modern/postmodern dialectic as problematic, and we contend that a materialist philosophy able to rethink politics and non-human agency through all the sciences would better serve the project. We also highlight how the metamodernist project might benefit from the adoption of a Simondonian approach insofar as the conceptualisation of both biology and technology is concerned. Finally, we end with a plea for an ongoing vigilance of the material conditions of possibility that support cutting-edge inter- and cross-disciplinary research, for they are fragile and need institutional and societal support.
“Breast is Best”—Really?
Authors: Andrews Donna , Paremoer Lauren
Published: December 2023

This paper explores how the normalization of ‘breast is best’ has conceptualized women’s agency in relation to their role as (breast)feeders and how this has contributed to a very particular framing of women as working in private for the ‘public’ good. It does so by critically evaluating three case studies in which breastfeeding was framed as the best source of food for newborns: the 1970s campaigns against baby formula manufacturers, efforts during the early 2000s to assure HIV-positive mothers that they should breastfeed, and more contemporary framings by the agroecology movement of breastfeeding as the “first act of food sovereignty.” In each of these case studies we reflect on how the costs that this particular food/feeding practice imposes on women are obscured, ignored, or normalized. We suggest that breastfeeding, and exclusive breastfeeding in particular, often functions as a hegemonic practice, because breastfeeding is configured as ultimately being the personal responsibility of individual women (biological mothers). In what sense is this practice hegemonic? The case studies show that breastfeeding tends to be understood as something that is a universal good, but in practice constrains the agency of breastfeeding women and normalizes the status of women (and mothers in particular) as a dominated social group.
Automatic dispenser of live Black Soldier Fly larvae to feed poultry
Authors: Dörper A. , Gort G. , Veldkamp T. , Dicke M.
Published: December 2023

Feeding poultry with live insect larvae stimulates natural behaviour and improves poultry welfare, when poultry has prolonged or frequent access to the larvae. But how to feed live insect larvae to poultry without labour-intensive hand feeding? This paper focusses on the development of a device that overcomes this challenge. A circular device was designed with eight storage compartments, which were filled once a day with live Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae (Hermetia illucens). A motor controlled the timed rotation of the device multiple times per day, initiating the release of larvae when a compartment was pushed over an outlet. Every 60 minutes, a new compartment was pushed over the outlet, which means that after eight hours all compartments are emptied. To achieve a gradual release of larvae per storage compartment the device was timed to move every 30 minutes half a storage compartment forward. The larval release was recorded every 5 minutes within the 60 minutes. The device was tested at 18 °C, 24 °C and 30 °C, with 3.4 g and 129.8 g BSF larvae per compartment, and with three different outlet types of different size and shape. The larval release rate was influenced by temperature, amount of larvae, outlet type, and interactions between these factors. After placing a new compartment above the outlet, 50% of the larvae were on average released within 6 minutes. After 60 minutes, on average only 0.5% larvae remained in the compartment. Outlets with wider openings are preferred over the outlet with the narrowest outlet because less larvae remained in the compartments. The dispenser fulfilled the low-labour-intensity requirement as filling was only necessary once a day, the release of different amounts of larvae was achieved over several hours. This automatic dispenser provides a valuable tool to investigate the behaviour of poultry fed with live BSF larvae.
Burn Injuries From TikTok Challenges: A Brief Report
Authors: Doh Chang Yoon , Maluso Patrick J. , Kohler Casey L. , Dvorak Justin E.
Published: December 2023

Social media (e.g., TikTok) challenge is a relatively new phenomenon wherein a user creates and posts videos performing an often-dangerous task. The ease of access and availability of social media in recent times make teens and young adults susceptible to these viral Internet challenges and accidental injury. The severity, morbidity, and mortality of burn injuries from social media challenges have not readily been documented in the medical literature. In this brief report, we present three cases of accidental burns after attempting social media challenges involving boiling water or flame. The injuries ranged from superficial partial thickness burns to 24% total body surface area (TBSA) full thickness burns. Online challenges show the potential for severe injury and disability and underlie the importance of awareness and education of the public, further research into the usage of TikTok and other media platforms, and early referral to the American Burn Association recognized center.
Dark Personality Traits and Counterproductive Work Behavior: A PRISMA Systematic Review
Authors: Duradoni Mirko , Gursesli Mustafa Can , Martucci Alessia , Gonzalez Ayarza Ingerbort Yanina , Colombini Giulia , Guazzini Andrea
Published: December 2023

Nowadays it is important for companies to keep their profits and productivity high. This can be achieved by creating a good environment in which employees can perform at their best. Unfortunately, counterproductive work behavior (CWB) is widespread in the workplace and poses a serious threat to both organizational performance and employee well-being. Among the many potential risk factors for CWB, the Dark Triad (DT) personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) have received increasing attention in recent years. To assess the robustness and magnitude of the association between DT and CWB, we conducted a systematic review of the available literature on DT and CWB using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines after a thorough search of several databases, 21 papers were included. The results showed that DT and CWB are positively associated. Psychopathy exhibited the strongest positive association with CWB, followed immediately by Machiavellianism and narcissism. Moreover, Machiavellianism and psychopathy showed positive correlations with both forms of CWB (organisational and interpersonal), whereas narcissism was positively correlated only with interpersonal CWB. Our findings highlight that even though organisations could benefit from people with DT at the performance level, there could be serious implications for well-being and an appropriate work environment due to CWB.
Schools as public things: Parents and the affective relations of schooling
Authors: Keynes Mati , Gerrard Jessica , Savage Glenn C. , Freeborn Amanda
Published: December 2023

This article takes up Bonnie Honig’s notion of ‘public things’ to conceptualise schools as sites of attachment and meaning that draw people into the relationships of care and concern that are crucial for democratic life. By linking this with Sara Ahmed’s theorisation of affective relations and use, we develop Honig’s idea that communities cultivate public things through their use of such things, at the same time as the things themselves shape the communities that care for them. Drawing on focus groups conducted with predominantly white Australian mothers, we examine how relational attachments and affective relations of care and concern circulate through the object of the school, shaping boundaries between self and Other, and experiences of community and public space. The article identifies two broad themes. First, it identifies white mothers’ desires for alignment between themselves and the school, articulated as seeing oneself reflected in the values of the school and community. Second, it argues that mothers’ affective relations with schooling were also expressed as racialised concerns about the potential risks of ‘Other’ communities attaching to the school, in ways that involved demarcating ‘self’ and ‘Other’. We argue that the analytic lens of public things draws attention to the ways that schooling imbricates parents in relational and mutually constitutive affective environments that speak to the collective power of public things.
‘Most Backward Castes’, State Neglect and Rage: Violence in Rural North India
Authors: Jassal Smita Tewari
Published: December 2023

Complaints filed in Indian police stations offer a unique lens on the marginality and violence experienced by a range of castes recognised as Other Backward Classes (OBC), beneficiaries of the state’s reservation policies. Focusing on reports registered by a caste group within the OBC category, this article illuminates two separate forms of violent conflict: inter-caste conflicts over scarce resources within the Nishad/Mallah caste and their competition and strife with other upwardly mobile disadvantaged groups. The failure of the state to offer vulnerable groups protection is a critical element in the marginality experienced by low-caste non-Dalit groups.
Dubai Letter Songs: Emotions and Migration in Kerala, India (1970s–1990s)
Authors: Kalarivayil Rajesh
Published: December 2023

In the wake of the oil boom of the 1970s, there was a large flow of migrant labour to countries in West Asia, particularly around the Persian Gulf. ‘Gulf migration’ from the 1970s to the 1990s has had a huge impact on social, economic, cultural and political life, particularly in Kerala, a state in southern India. This article investigates the shaping of emotions over migration and how the representation of migrant subjectivities is anchored in the region’s social and cultural history. By analysing the popular Malayalam musical composition Dubai Kathupattu (Dubai Letter Songs, or the Songs) and the composer’s writings and media interviews, this article locates the Songs in Kerala’s sociocultural history and its resonance in the author’s social self. Malayali aesthetics, values and norms are dictated by the hegemonic Nair caste knowledge and practices. I argue that the Songs mirror the anxieties of Malayali society over migration and expose the emotionalisation process at work in Kerala in the late 20th century.
A Tale of Many Battles: Arguing Legal Personhood for Animals in the United States and India
Authors: Berti Daniela
Published: December 2023

In this article, I focus on how the issue of considering animals as legal persons has been argued in court by the Nonhuman Rights Project led by Steven Wise in the United States and how this project was recently adopted and reinterpreted by an animal rights organisation in India in preparation for their own court battle. In turn, Indian cases raising the question of the legal personhood of animals and rivers have been used by Wise as examples to argue his case in court. The comparison will raise the question of how legal ideas and strategies regarding so-called ‘rights of nature’ travel around the world, giving rise to reciprocal appropriations and possible idealisations.
Book review: Sanjay Srivastava. 2022. Masculinity, Consumerism and the Post-national Indian City: Streets, Neighbourhoods, Homes
Authors: Thakore Meha
Published: December 2023

Sanjay Srivastava. 2022. Masculinity, Consumerism and the Post-national Indian City: Streets, Neighbourhoods, Homes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. xii + 186 pp. Notes, figures, bibliography, index. $99.99 (hardback—ISBN 9781009179867).
Book review: Rustom Bharucha. 2022. The Second Wave: Reflections on the Pandemic through Photography, Performance and Public Culture
Authors: Kalita Pooja
Published: December 2023

Rustom Bharucha. 2022. The Second Wave: Reflections on the Pandemic through Photography, Performance and Public Culture. Calcutta: Seagull Books. 250 pp. Notes, bibliography. ₹599 (paperback—ISBN: 9781803090757).
Book review: Jessica Hinchy. 2021. Governing Gender and Sexuality in Colonial India: The Hijra, c. 1850–1900
Authors: Reddy Gayatri
Published: December 2023

Jessica Hinchy. 2021. Governing Gender and Sexuality in Colonial India: The Hijra, c. 1850–1900. New Delhi: Cambridge University Press. xviii + 305 pp. Figures, bibliography, index. ₹895 (paperback—ISBN: 9781009010177).
Book review: Sanjay Barbora. 2022. Homeland Insecurities: Autonomy, Conflict, and Migration in Assam
Authors: Siddique Nazimuddin
Published: December 2023

Sanjay Barbora. 2022. Homeland Insecurities: Autonomy, Conflict, and Migration in Assam. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 251 pp. Figures, notes, bibliography, index. ₹1495 (hardback— ISBN: 9780192855329).
Practical approach to confirm femoral artery patency after percutaneous closure for veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation decannulation
Authors: Gregory Vasiliki , Goldberg Joshua B , Haidry Abbas , Ahmad Hasan , Isath Ameesh , Kai Masashi , Ohira Suguru
Published: December 2023

Background

We describe a technique to assess blood flow distal to the decannulation site after deployment of Perclose ProGlide (Abbott Vascular, Abbott Park, Ill) in patients on femoral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support.

Technique

An antegrade distal perfusion catheter was placed in all patients, and decannulation was primarily performed at bedside (N = 11/12). With the VA-ECMO circuit switched off, a needle was inserted into the arterial tubing, passed through the femoral arterial cannula into the artery. The arterial cannula was removed over a wire and the previously placed Proglide Perclose sutures were secured. Back bleeding from the antegrade distal perfusion catheter, confirmed using a three-way connector, indicated blood flow to the superficial femoral artery. This was followed by confirmation of blood flow to the lower leg using a Doppler ultrasound. Hemostasis of the antegrade perfusion catheter was achieved through manual compression.

Results

We implemented this technique in 12 patients with a technical success rate of 100%. There were no ipsilateral leg ischemia, bleeding, pseudoaneurysm, or infection after decannulation.

Conclusions

This technique allows prompt assessment of blood flow to the distal leg immediately following arterial decannulation.
Social Media Marketing: A Commentary on Teaching and Learning in a Dynamic Field
Authors: Parker Janna M. , James Kevin W.
Published: December 2023

Social media marketing constantly evolves, and teaching in this dynamic discipline can be challenging. This commentary provides a brief overview of the emergence and evolution of social media marketing in the curriculum. We address emerging best practices in teaching, such as educators cultivating industry relationships and using certifications in the curriculum. We discuss the emerging trend of using stackable certificates. We conclude with a brief review of the emphasis the marketing education journals have placed on integrating technology. We posit that with the newest technology, students need to be taught how to use due to the benefits but understand the potential risks associated with these new technologies, such as artificial intelligence.
CT and 18FDG-PET/CT findings in progressive mediastinal idiopathic fibrosis as a benign mimicker of esophageal carcinoma: a case report
Authors: Mitrovic-Jovanovic Milica , Skrobic Ognjan , Odalovic Strahinja , Djikic Rom Aleksandra , Plavsic Aleksandra , Jankovic Aleksandra , Kostadinovic Milena , Ivanovic Nenad , Simic Aleksandar , Djuric-Stefanovic Aleksandra , Kovac Jelena Djokic
Published: December 2023

Idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis, also called sclerosing or fibrosing mediastinitis, is a very rare and aggressive fibroinflammatory process characterized by fibrous tissue proliferation in the mediastinal region. Herein, we present a rare case of idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis presenting with esophageal obstruction, most likely associated with immunoglobulin G (IgG4)-related disease, affecting the posterior mediastinum with intrapulmonary infiltration. Computed tomography revealed a narrowed lumen and thickened wall of the distal esophagus surrounded by a necrotic mass with infiltration into the nearby structures, suggesting a locally advanced malignant process. Positron emission tomography revealed intense accumulation of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose, indicating an active inflammatory component, which complicates further differential diagnosis of mediastinal masses. Thoracoscopic biopsy and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed a fibroinflammatory process with perivascular lymphoid cell infiltration that was cluster of differentiation (CD)3 (++) and CD20 (++), with massive numbers of IgG4-immunoreactive plasma cells. Although a benign condition, sclerosing mediastinitis is a close mimicker of esophageal carcinoma, which cannot be differentiated by computed tomography or positron emission tomography and must be considered in a differential diagnosis.
Dental aspiration in a pediatric patient: a case report
Authors: Xu Zhufei , Wu Lei , Chen Zhimin
Published: December 2023

Foreign body aspiration is relatively common in children, especially in children younger than 3 years, and it is associated with a high incidence and mortality rate. Because of impairments in swallowing, speech, and vision, more caution regarding foreign body aspiration is required in children with abnormal nervous system development. This report describes a clinically rare case involving a 6-year-old patient with delayed brain development and epilepsy who was found to have a tooth in the bronchus of the left lung through fiberoptic bronchoscopy. The tooth was successfully removed by an extraction procedure. A follow-up examination showed that the patient had a sequela of left lower lobe atelectasis. This case indicates that greater caution is necessary regarding foreign body aspiration, including dental aspiration, in patients with abnormal development of the nervous system.
Successful termination of persistent hiccups via combined ultrasound and nerve stimulator-guided singular phrenic nerve block: a case report and literature review
Authors: Ke Xijian , Wu Yinzhu , Zheng Hua
Published: December 2023

Persistent hiccups that occur after abdominal surgery seriously affect postoperative rehabilitation. Phrenic nerve block therapy has been recommended after failure of medication or physical maneuvers. However, the phrenic nerve is often difficult to accurately identify because of its small diameter and anatomic variations. We combined ultrasound with the use of a nerve stimulator to quickly and accurately identify and block the phrenic nerve in a patient with postoperative persistent hiccups. The ongoing hiccups were immediately terminated with no adverse effects. The patient reported no recurrence during the 2-week follow-up period. We conclude that the combined use of real-time ultrasound guidance and a nerve stimulator for singular phrenic nerve block might be an effective intervention for terminating postoperative persistent hiccups, although further studies are needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this technique. The findings in this case suggest a potential clinical application for this technique in managing persistent hiccups, thereby contributing to improved patient care and outcomes.
The “UFO Taboo” Is What IR Theorists Make of It: “Sovereignty and the UFO” in Citational Perspective
Authors: Murphy Michael P. A.
Published: December 2023

In 2008, Alexander Wendt and Raymond Duvall published an article titled “Sovereignty and the UFO,” which demonstrated how a UFO taboo in international relations theory upheld an anthropocentric model of sovereignty. At a distance of a decade and a half, this review evaluates the validity of the claim that a UFO taboo exists in international relations, and explores the citational practices that influence the prestige economy of the field. The article employs a methodology of interpretive scientometrics informed by methodological debates in political science and international, as well as theoretical debates in actor-network theory. After testing the claim of the UFO taboo in a comparative perspective, the article investigates the strategies of association (weak and strong) present in the citations of “Sovereignty and the UFO.” In addition to a revaluation of core claims in an often-read but less-often-cited article in international relations theory, this article provides important insights into how citation works in the discipline of international relations.
Human activities significantly impact China’s net primary production variation from 2001 to 2020
Authors: Cai Yiling , Liu Xiaoping , Liu Kangyao , Zeng Li , Pei Fengsong , Zhuang Haoming , Wen Youyue , Wu Changjiang , Li Bingjie
Published: December 2023

Formulating ecological restoration strategies requires accurately quantifying how climate and anthropogenic factors influence net primary production (NPP). A Carnegie-Ames-Stanford approach (CASA) model was applied to estimate China’s terrestrial NPP from 2001 to 2020. We adopted a random forest (RF) method to identify the main driving forces for NPP change in China. Total NPP in China increased noticeably with a 24.91 Tg C/yr rate, as shown in our results. The significantly increased NPP was mainly attributed to human activities (64.29 ± 0.17%), chiefly due to human management and ecological projects (afforestation or other) fostered vegetation growth. The primary drivers of NPP variation varied in different geographic regions. Climate dominated the NPP dynamic in north China (52.38 ± 0.91%), where the main factor that restricted the increase of NPP was precipitation. Human activities strongly impacted the NPP variation in the remaining regions. Human management measures increased NPP in northwest and southwest China. In the northeast, east, and south-central China, the NPP change resulted from land use change, primarily grassland, cropland, and forest change. Collectively, our study expands the understanding of the driving forces of NPP change, informing different strategies for achieving ecological restoration and carbon neutrality.
Retinal artery occlusion after ophthalmic surgery under regional anaesthesia: A narrative review
Authors: Chua Alfred WY , Chua Matthew J , Harrisberg Brian P , Kumar Chandra M
Published: December 2023

Two recent cases of central retinal artery occlusion under otherwise uncomplicated sub-Tenon’s block that resulted in significant visual loss after cataract surgery prompted us to undertake a literature review of such cases. We identified 97 cases of retinal artery occlusion after ophthalmic surgery under regional anaesthesia that had no immediate signs of block-related complications. These occurred after various intraocular (87%) and extraocular (13%) operations, across a wide range of ages (19–89 years) on patients with (59%) or without (39%) known risk factors. The anaesthetic techniques included 40 retrobulbar blocks, 36 peribulbar blocks, 19 sub-Tenon’s blocks, one topical anaesthetic and one unspecified local anaesthetic. Different strengths of lidocaine, bupivacaine, mepivacaine and ropivacaine, either alone or in various combinations, were used. The details of the anaesthetic techniques were often incomplete in the reports, which made comparison and analysis difficult. Only nine cases had their cause (optic nerve sheath injury) identified, while the mechanism of injury was unclear in the remaining patients. Various mechanisms were postulated; however, the cause was likely to be multifactorial due to patient, surgical and anaesthetic risk factors, especially in those with compromised retinal circulation. As there were no definite risk factors identified, no specific recommendations could be made to avoid this devastating outcome. We have provided rationales for some general considerations, which may reduce this risk, and propose anaesthetic options for ophthalmic surgery on the fellow eye if required, based both on our literature review and our personal experience.