Culinary Trends at Hindu Weddings That Contribute to Perceptions of Middle-Class Identities among Indian South Africans

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A decade in focus: occupational health and safety research trends - a bibliometric approach

Introduction: Occupational health and safety (OHS) is a critical area of research due to its direct impact on worker well-being and productivity. Understanding the evolving trends and patterns within this domain provides valuable perspectives on the global focus and advancements made over the past decade. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of OHS literature to map its intellectual structure, identify influential contributors, and highlight emerging themes. Methods: A bibliometric study was conducted analyzing publications from 2014 to 2024 in Scopus on occupational health and safety. Descriptive statistics, co-word clustering, and citation network analysis were performed on 664 articles from 223 sources. Results: Results reveal significant increases in annual publications and citations over time, indicating a growing priority in the field. The US, Canada, Turkey, and Iran emerged as leading contributors. Core institutions, such as NIOSH and selected universities, demonstrated intense leadership. Key researchers publishing the most include Hasle, Gibb, Iavolici, and Mori. Key thematic areas included occupational health nursing, diseases, construction safety, risk assessment approaches, and management strategies, with risk assessment emerging as a particularly influential methodology. Conclusion: Occupational safety research is demonstrating dynamic global growth with sustained high-quality outputs from the leaders of core institutions. Methodological innovations and interdisciplinary priorities necessitate ongoing investigation

Analyzing Concurrency Bugs Using Dual Slicing

Recently, there has been much interest in developing analyzes to detect concurrency bugs that arise because of data races, atomicity violations, execution omission, etc. However, determining whether reported bugs are in fact real, and understanding how these bugs lead to incorrect behavior, remains a labor-intensive process. This paper proposes a novel dynamic analysis that automatically produces the causal path of a concurrent failure leading from the root cause to the failure. Given two schedules, one inducing the failure and the other not, our technique collects traces of the two executions, and compares them to identify salient differences. The causal relation between the differences is disclosed by leveraging a novel slicing algorithm called dual slicing that slices both executions alternatively and iteratively, producing a slice containing trace differences from both runs. Our experiments show that dual slices tend to be very small, often an order of magnitude or more smaller than the corresponding dynamic slices; more importantly, they enable precise analysis of real concurrency bugs for large programs, with reasonable overhead

Experiences and Perceptions of Economically Marginalised Women Food Vendors: An Exploratory Study of Informal Food Traders in Durban, South Africa.

Experiences and Perceptions of Economically Marginalized Women Food Vendors: An Exploratory Study of Informal Food Traders in Durban, South Africa.Introduction Informal economies within developing states have become a norm for many societies. It has been estimated that the majority of workers earn their livelihoods the informal way and statistics have indicated that informal employment comprises more than 50% of non-agricultural employment globally. In some regions in South Asia, informal employment is at a rate of 82% and within sub-Saharan African countries it is on a continual increase (Mkhize, Dube, & Skinner, 2013). In South Africa the mainstream economy has been unable to provide sufficient employment opportunities – for youth in particular, and people seeking work more generally. Corresponding author: Sheetal Bhoola ([email protected]). Abstract Informal food vending has grown as a form of employment in South Africa’s cities and rural districts, particularly post 1994. For many, participating in informal food vending is the only option to earn a livelihood. The aim of this study was to describe the conditions of women who live on the margins of society and struggle as informal food vendors. Through purposive sampling, 12 qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with black African women in the Durban central business district. Findings show the majority of participants lack support from their male spouses despite the labour intensive work that they are forced to do. Unorthodox cooking skills are required to prepare meals for customers and efficiency in production and marketing is required because the sales contribute to family livelihoods. Findings highlight the abuse and exploitation these vendors are exposed to by unscrupulous municipal officials and the lack of municipal and organized labour assistance to address their economic marginalization and social repression. This study highlights the challenges that these women face in the informal economy and their negative perceptions of civic organizations in Durban, South Africa

Synthesis, characterization, spectral and catalytic activity of tetradentate (NNNO) azo-imine Schiff base copper(II) complexes

The hexadentate ligand, 2,2′-bis(salicylideneamino)azobenzene, 1 has been synthesized from 2,2′-diaminoazobenzene and salicylaldehyde in refluxing diethyl ether. Reaction of ligand 1 with Cu(II) acetate and Cu(II) perchlorate separately in methanol afforded tetradentate (N,N,N,O) Cu(II) complexes, Cu(L) & [Cu(HL)]ClO4 respectively [where H2L represent the one imine moiety cleavage product of ligand 1 (H represents the dissociable amino and phenolic protons)]. These were characterized by microanalytical data and spectroscopic studies. In addition, the crystal structures of the ligand 1 and complexes Cu(L) & [Cu(HL)]ClO4 were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The diffraction analysis revealed that the ligand (H2L) binds Cu(II) centers in (N,N,N,O) tetra dentate fashion in distorted square planer geometry. In complex [Cu(HL)]ClO4 the apical position of copper center is weakly coordinated with one perchlorate ion. The dimeric structure of the molecule [Cu(HL)]ClO4 is stabilized through NH2···O hydrogen bonds. The fluorescence and redox property of ligand 1 and complexes Cu(L) & [Cu(HL)]ClO4 were studied. Preliminary DFT calculations were carried out using crystallographic coordinates to understand the electronic spectra and redox properties of the ligand and complexes. The complex Cu(L) shows very good catalytic activities towards oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldeyhde (under solvent-free condition) and organic thioethers to sulfoxide and sulfones using H2O2 as the oxidant.publishe

Preferred Learning Techniques among Bachelor’s Level Students

Learning styles describe how individuals acquire, interpret, and assimilate knowledge differently. The effective use of learning styles is essential for effective classroom education. The three most popular learning styles are kinaesthetic, auditory, and visual. This study pursued to learn more about the preferred learning modes of college students. There were 152 respondents from Baneshwor Multiple Campus, Kathmandu Nepal. The data were collected from first year students of BBS, B.Ed. and BA. The researchers used a scale of learning styles (VAK) with 28 items to accomplish the study's goal, and after confirming its validity and reliability, it was applied to the sample. The results show that there are no statistically significant differences in the types of learning patterns preferred by students. Based on these findings, the study recommends that teachers are encouraged to diversify college teaching strategies and methods to suit the preferred learning styles of their students, particularly new students, in order to motivate them to learn in the college environment and to provide the training needs and requirements necessary to enable them to take individual differences among their students into account when identifying educational goals

Operative outcome of high energy pilon fractures: a retrospective comparison between internal fixation and Ilizarov external fixation

Background: Pilon fractures are serious injuries with many devastating soft-tissue complications associated with them. Deciding a definite treatment plan has always proved a challenge. Comparative studies between the various surgical techniques used for pilon fractures are uncommon and consensus is yet to be reached regarding the best surgical option. Purpose of this study is to retrospectively compare the operative results (complications, functional and radiographic outcomes) of pilon fractures treated either with internal fixation or Ilizarov ring fixators.Methods: Forty-six patients with pilon fractures were retrospectively studied; twenty-one of them had minimal invasive fixation by ankle spanning Ilizarov fixators and 25 patients had internal fixations by either minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) or by open reduction.  The patients were followed-up for a mean of 34 months (range, 24-51 months).Results: The internal fixation group had a higher incidence of soft-tissue complications and deep infections. In comparison the Ilizarov group had only superficial pin-tract infections but no other soft-tissue complications. Although the Ilizarov group had a higher incidence of malreduction and malunion in their series compared to the internal fixation group, there was no significant difference in the AOFAS ankle function score (p-value 0.2922) between the two groups after a follow-up of 2-4 years.Conclusions: The moderately long term functional outcome appears to be similar in both internal fixation and Ilizarov groups. But the Ilizarov technique is less likely to cause any serious peri-operative soft-tissue complications or deep infection. Familiarity of the surgeon with a particular technique should also be considered during surgical decision making.

Management of infected non-unions of long bones using limb reconstruction system (LRS) fixator

Background: Due to increasing number of high-energy traumatic events, the incidence of complex and compound fractures are also in the rise. Such fractures are often exposed to various environmental contaminants, inadequate debridement and sometimes erroneous decision making leading to cases of infected nonunions. Eradication of infection in such cases and achieving union may sometimes pose serious challenge to orthopaedic surgeons. Presence of comminution, bone gap or deformity can seriously complicate the situation. No definite surgical technique has been found to be full proof in dealing with these infected nonunion cases. In this scenario the limb reconstruction system (LRS) fixator is emerging as a useful option for infected nonunions with deformity or gap nonunion.Methods: Twenty seven cases of infected nonunions involving tibia (n=19), femur (n=7) and humerus (n=1) were treated by LRS fixators after debridement of the infected nonunion site. Flap cover procedure was done as per necessity. Bone gaps and limb length discrepancies were dealt with bone transport or limb lengthening by the LRS instrument. Weight-bearing and removal of fixator was decided according to the radiological evidence of healing.Results: All the nonunions and the regeneration sites healed uneventfully, although the union time was varied (range, 21-52 weeks). Commonest complication was pin-tract infection and pain. The mean lower extremity functional score (LEFS) was 60.3 out of 80. Conclusions: LRS fixator is an excellent tool for management of infected nonunions which is easy to apply, comfortable for the patient with minimum complications and predictable as well as reproducible outcomes

A Comparative Overview of Elements of Political Economy of Urban Governance in the Global South: The cases of eThekwini Municipality (South Africa) and Cochin Municipality (India)

With rapid urbanization and migration to cities, particularly in developing nations, the focus and emphasis on city governance, politics, institutional capacity, and sustainability issues have become paramount in critical analyses and policy discussions. This paper examines the functional complexities of two large Municipalities in two port cities located in South Africa and India, specifically eThekwini (the city of Durban in the province of KwaZulu-Natal) and Cochin (in the state of Kerala). Following a brief overview of the characteristics of the two Municipalities, the paper delves into the system of governance, level of autonomy, participatory structures in place, the extent to which they can respond to the service delivery demands of the public in an inclusive manner, and approaches to addressing climate change concerns. The paper is contextualised with reference to the theoretical concept of the Right to the City

How 'dynasty' became a modern global concept : intellectual histories of sovereignty and property

The modern concept of ‘dynasty’ is a politically-motivated modern intellectual invention. For many advocates of a strong sovereign nation-state across the nineteenth and early twentieth century, in France, Germany, and Japan, the concept helped in visualizing the nation-state as a primordial entity sealed by the continuity of birth and blood, indeed by the perpetuity of sovereignty. Hegel’s references to ‘dynasty’, read with Marx’s critique, further show how ‘dynasty’ encoded the intersection of sovereignty and big property, indeed the coming into self-consciousness of their mutual identification-in-difference in the age of capitalism. Imaginaries about ‘dynasty’ also connected national sovereignty with patriarchal authority. European colonialism helped globalize the concept in the non-European world; British India offers an exemplar of ensuing debates. The globalization of the abstraction of ‘dynasty’ was ultimately bound to the globalization of capitalist-colonial infrastructures of production, circulation, violence, and exploitation. Simultaneously, colonized actors, like Indian peasant/‘tribal’ populations, brought to play alternate precolonial Indian-origin concepts of collective regality, expressed through terms like ‘rajavamshi’ and ‘Kshatriya’. These concepts nourished new forms of democracy in modern India. Global intellectual histories can thus expand political thought today by provincializing and deconstructing Eurocentric political vocabularies and by recuperating subaltern models of collective and polyarchic power.PostprintPeer reviewe