bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antifungal Nano-Therapy in Veterinary Medicine: Current Status and Future Prospects
Authors: Alghuthaymi Mousa A. , Hassan Atef A. , Kalia Anu , Sayed El Ahl Rasha M. H. , El Hamaky Ahmed A. M. , Oleksak Patrik , Kuca Kamil , Abd-Elsalam Kamel A.
Published: June 2021

The global recognition for the potential of nanoproducts and processes in human biomedicine has given impetus for the development of novel strategies for rapid, reliable, and proficient diagnosis, prevention, and control of animal diseases. Nanomaterials exhibit significant antifungal and antimycotoxin activities against mycosis and mycotoxicosis disorders in animals, as evidenced through reports published over the recent decade and more. These nanoantifungals can be potentially utilized for the development of a variety of products of pharmaceutical and biomedical significance including the nano-scale vaccines, adjuvants, anticancer and gene therapy systems, farm disinfectants, animal husbandry, and nutritional products. This review will provide details on the therapeutic and preventative aspects of nanoantifungals against diverse fungal and mycotoxin-related diseases in animals. The predominant mechanisms of action of these nanoantifungals and their potential as antifungal and cytotoxicity-causing agents will also be illustrated. Also, the other theragnostic applications of nanoantifungals in veterinary medicine will be identified.
Impacts of Sodium Arsenite on Wood Microbiota of Esca-Diseased Grapevines
Authors: Bruez Emilie , Larignon Philippe , Bertsch Christophe , Robert-Siegwald Guillaume , Lebrun Marc-Henri , Rey Patrice , Fontaine Florence
Published: June 2021

Although sodium arsenite was widely used in Europe until its ban in 2003, its effects on microorganisms is not clearly understood. To improve our understanding of sodium arsenite curative effect on GTDs, grapevines displaying esca-foliar symptoms from different French regions (Alsace, Champagne, Languedoc) were treated or not with sodium arsenite, and analyzed for their wood microbiota. Using metabarcoding, we identified the fungal and bacterial taxa composition of microbiota colonizing woody trunk tissues. Large differences in fungal microbiota composition between treated and untreated grapevines were observed while no major impacts were observed on bacteria microbiota. The main fungal species detected in untreated necrotic woody tissues was Fomitiporia mediterranea (63–94%), a fungal pathogen associated with esca. The relative abundance of this fungal species significantly decreased after sodium arsenite treatment in the three vineyards, in particular in white-rot necrotic tissues and their borders (−90%). F. mediterranea was the most sensitive to sodium arsenite among fungi from grapevine woody tissues. These results strongly suggest that the effect of sodium arsenite on GTDs is due to its ability to efficiently and almost specifically eliminate F. mediterranea from white-rot necrotic tissues, allowing saprobic fungi to colonize the tissues previously occupied by this pathogenic fungus.
Effect of Ascorbic Acid on Differentiation, Secretome and Stemness of Stem Cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Tooth (SHEDs)
Authors: Bhandi Shilpa , Alkahtani Ahmed , Mashyakhy Mohammed , Abumelha Abdulaziz S. , Albar Nassreen Hassan Mohammad , Renugalakshmi Apathsakayan , Alkahtany Mazen F. , Robaian Ali , Almeslet Asma Saleh , Patil Vikrant R. , Varadarajan Saranya , Balaji Thodur Madapusi , Reda Rodolfo , Testarelli Luca , Patil Shankargouda
Published: June 2021

Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) are considered a type of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) because of their unique origin from the neural crest. SHEDs can self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation with the ability to differentiate into odontoblasts, osteoblast, chondrocytes, neuronal cells, hepatocytes, adipocytes, etc. They are emerging as an ideal source of MSCs because of their easy availability and extraordinary cell number. Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, has many cell-based applications, such as bone regeneration, osteoblastic differentiation, or extracellular matrix production. It also impacts stem cell plasticity and the ability to sustain pluripotent activity. In this study, we evaluate the effects of ascorbic acid on stemness, paracrine secretion, and differentiation into osteoblast, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. SHEDs displayed enhanced multifaceted activity, which may have applications in regenerative therapy.
A Case of a Patient Who Successfully Achieved Early Wound Closure by Local Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) against Compromised Wound Healing after Arterio-Venous Graft Infection
Authors: Kusuta Risa , Shimazu Keiji , Mizoguchi Kazuhiro , Komura Kazumasa , Tanaka Atsuo
Published: June 2021

The primary treatment strategy for arterio-venous graft (AVG) infection includes appropriate antibiotic use and removal of the infected graft. It is well known that patients with hemodialysis are likely to experience compromised wound healing, which often leads to various postoperative complications. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a non-invasive procedure that promotes wound healing by sealing the wound under negative pressure. Although NPWT is practically accepted in general surgery, there are only a few reports of this strategy to the vascular access operation for patients with hemodialysis due to the possibility of severe bleeding. In the present report, we report a case of a patient who successfully achieved safe and early wound closure by NPWT against compromised wound healing after AVG infection.
Molecular Taxonomy and Diversification of Atlantic Skates (Chondrichthyes, Rajiformes): Adding More Pieces to the Puzzle of Their Evolutionary History
Authors: Crobe Valentina , Ferrari Alice , Hanner Robert , Leslie Robin W. , Steinke Dirk , Tinti Fausto , Cariani Alessia
Published: June 2021

Conservation and long-term management plans of marine species need to be based upon the universally recognized key-feature of species identity. This important assignment is particularly challenging in skates (Rajiformes) in which the phenotypic similarity between some taxa and the individual variability in others, hampers accurate species identification. Here, 432 individual skate samples collected from four major ocean areas of the Atlantic were barcoded and taxonomically analysed. A BOLD project ELASMO ATL was implemented with the aim of establishing a new fully available and well curated barcode library containing both biological and molecular information. The evolutionary histories of the 38 skate taxa were estimated with two concatenated mitochondrial markers (COI and NADH2) through Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference. New evolutionary lineages within the genus Raja were discovered off Angola, where paleogeographic history coupled with oceanographic discontinuities could have contributed to the establishment of isolated refugia, playing a fundamental role among skates’ speciation events. These data successfully resolved many taxonomic ambiguities, identified cryptic diversity within valid species and demonstrated a highly cohesive monophyletic clustering among the order, laying the background for further inference of evolutionary patterns suitable for addressing management and conservation issues.
Thieno[2,3-b]Pyridine Derivative Targets Epithelial, Mesenchymal and Hybrid CD15s+ Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Marijan Sandra , Mastelić Angela , Markotić Anita , Režić-Mužinić Nikolina , Vučenović Nikolina , Barker David , Pilkington Lisa I. , Reynisson Jóhannes , Čulić Vedrana Čikeš
Published: June 2021

The adhesion of cancer cells to vascular endothelium is a critical process in hematogenous metastasis and might be similar to the recruitment of leukocytes at the site of inflammation. It is mediated by E-selectin and its ligands, of which the most stereospecific is a glycoconjugate sialyl Lewis x (CD15s), which may be expressed as an oligosaccharide branch of the CD44 glycoprotein, as well as a self-contained glycosphingolipid. It is also known that increased sialylation of glycoconjugates is a feature of malignant cells. The aim of the study was to analyse the effect of a novel thieno[2,3-b]pyridine, compound 1, in MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells (TNBCs) upon CD15s and CD44 expression in different cell subpopulations using flow cytometry. CD15s expression was compared between mesenchymal-like cancer stem cells (CSC, CD44+CD24−), epithelial cells without CD44 (CD44−CD24+ and CD44−CD24−), and CD44+CD24+ cells that exhibit mesenchymal and epithelial features. In addition, expression of CD44 in CD15s+CSC and CD15s−CSC was determined. Compound 1 significantly decreased the percentage of CD15s+CSC, CD15s+CD44+CD24+, and CD15s+CD44− subpopulations, as well as the expression of CD15s in CD44+CD24+ and CD44− cells, and therefore shows potential as a treatment for TNBC.
Taking a Step Back? Expatriation Consequences on Women in Dual-Career Couples in the Gulf
Authors: Ridgway Maranda
Published: June 2021

This article develops our understanding of how host country contextual features affect the career coordination strategies of dual-career couples (DCCs) from the perspective of expatriate women. The lived experiences of nine women expatriates in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) were explored through in-depth interviews. The findings challenge our understanding of the coordinated career strategies of DCCs by suggesting that sociocultural features of the host country context can hamper egalitarian career strategies such that they become hierarchical and subsequently negatively impact women expatriates’ career capital. Not only are women’s careers hampered while in the GCC, but the contextual setting has a long-term adverse effect on women’s career capital. The main results from this study suggest that sociocultural features of the host country setting, such as the inability to access professional networks due to gendered segregation, prevent women’s careers from being prioritised and force a ‘tipping point’, creating a lag in women’s careers and negatively impacting their career capital.
Therapeutic Potential of Date Palm against Human Infertility: A Review
Authors: Shehzad Maham , Rasheed Hina , Naqvi Summar A. , Al-Khayri Jameel M. , Lorenzo Jose Manuel , Alaghbari Mohammed Abdulrazzaq , Manzoor Muhammad Faisal , Aadil Rana Muhammad
Published: June 2021

Male and female infertility is a global major health problem. Approximately 15% of couples of a reproductive age are unable to achieve the desired pregnancy within 12 months, despite daily unprotected sexual intercourse, and about 10% of infertilities have no specific reason worldwide. Currently, many researchers are interested to investigate the use of natural remedies for preventive and curative purposes of infertility. This review brings together some of the data on the nutritional characteristics of the date palm and its different parts on fertility outcomes and critically evaluates the past and recent literature relevant to the consumption of date fruit against infertility-related problems. Due to its antioxidant potential, dates are considered a functional treatment for reducing the risks of infertility. In males, the date palm has a potent effect on the reproductive parameters including hormonal levels and seminal vesicle parameters as well as sperm motility, count, and viability; whereas, in females, it shows a convincing effect on reproductive parameters including oogenesis process, strengthening of oocytes, regulation of hormones, strengthening of pregnancy, reduction of the need for labor augmentation, and postpartum hemorrhage prevention.
A Pathway to Precision Medicine for Aboriginal Australians: A Study Protocol
Authors: Cheng Yeu-Yao , Nunn Jack , Skinner John , Rambaldini Boe , Boughtwood Tiffany , Calma Tom , Brown Alex , Meldrum Cliff , Dinger Marcel E. , Byrne Jennifer A. , McCowen Debbie , Potter Jayden , Faires Kerry , Cooper Sandra , Gwynne Kylie
Published: June 2021

(1) Background: Genomic precision medicine (PM) utilises people’s genomic data to inform the delivery of preventive and therapeutic health care. PM has not been well-established for use with people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ancestry due to the paucity of genomic data from these communities. We report the development of a new protocol using co-design methods to enhance the potential use of PM for Aboriginal Australians. (2) Methods: This iterative qualitative study consists of five main phases. Phase-I will ensure appropriate governance of the project and establishment of a Project Advisory Committee. Following an initial consultation with the Aboriginal community, Phase-II will invite community members to participate in co-design workshops. In Phase-III, the Chief Investigators will participate in co-design workshops and document generated ideas. The notes shall be analysed thematically in Phase-IV with Aboriginal community representatives, and the summary will be disseminated to the communities. In Phase-V, we will evaluate the co-design process and adapt our protocol for the use in partnership with other communities. (3) Discussion: This study protocol represents a crucial first step to ensure that PM research is relevant and acceptable to Aboriginal Australians. Without fair access to PM, the gap in health outcome between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians will continue to widen.
Evaluation of Changes on World Stock Exchanges in Connection with the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic. Survival Analysis Methods
Authors: Bieszk-Stolorz Beata , Dmytrów Krzysztof
Published: June 2021

The aim of our research was to compare the intensity of decline and then increase in the value of basic stock indices during the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The survival analysis methods used to assess the risk of decline and chance of rise of the indices were: Kaplan–Meier estimator, logit model, and the Cox proportional hazards model. We observed the highest intensity of decline in the European stock exchanges, followed by the American and Asian plus Australian ones (after the fourth and eighth week since the peak). The highest risk of decline was in America, then in Europe, followed by Asia and Australia. The lowest risk was in Africa. The intensity of increase was the highest in the fourth and eleventh week since the minimal value had been reached. The highest odds of increase were in the American stock exchanges, followed by the European and Asian (including Australia and Oceania), and the lowest in the African ones. The odds and intensity of increase in the stock exchange indices varied from continent to continent. The increase was faster than the initial decline.
Recovery Processes of Acidic Soils Experiencing Decreased Acidic Deposition
Authors: Lawrence Gregory B. , Bailey Scott W.
Published: June 2021

Reductions in acidic deposition rates through legislative actions in North America and Europe have stemmed further environmental degradation and shifted the focus to potential recovery [...]
Prostatic Inflammation in Prostate Cancer: Protective Effect or Risk Factor?
Authors: Tafuri Alessandro , Ditonno Francesco , Panunzio Andrea , Gozzo Alessandra , Porcaro Antonio Benito , Verratti Vittore , Cerruto Maria Angela , Antonelli Alessandro
Published: June 2021

The relationship between prostatic chronic inflammation (PCI) and prostate cancer (PCa) is unclear and controversial. Some authors reported that a history of chronic prostatitis may be correlated with PCa induction, while others associate chronic inflammation with less aggressive disease or consider inflammation as a possible protective factor against PCa. Four different types of prostatitis are known: bacterial acute prostatic inflammation, bacterial chronic prostatic inflammation, abacterial prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, and asymptomatic prostatic chronic inflammation. Prostatic inflammation is underestimated during daily clinical practice, and its presence and degree often go unmentioned in the pathology report of prostate biopsies. The goal of this report is to further our understanding of how PCI influences the biology of PCa. We investigated the main pathogenetic mechanisms responsible for prostatic inflammation, including the cellular response and inflammatory mediators to describe how inflammation modifies the prostatic environment and can lead to benign or malignant prostatic diseases. We found that prostatic inflammation might have a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of prostatic diseases. Details about PCI in all prostate biopsy reports should be mandatory. This will help us better understand the prostatic microenvironment pathways involved in PCa biology, and it will allow the development of specific risk stratification and a patient-tailored therapeutic approach to prostatic diseases.
Application of expert analysis in the selection of assessment components (on the example of assessing the system of continuing medical education for mid-level medical specialists)
Authors: Burlova Natalia
Published: June 2021

The purpose of the study was to substantiate the use of expert analysis when selecting a set of components included in the assessment system of continuing medical education for mid-level specialists. Results. It has been found that structuring the problem when making a decision allows one to compare and quantify alternative solutions. The result of the expert assessment is based not only on an objective analysis of the problem under consideration, but also on knowledge, judgments, practical experience, the system of
values, opinions, desires, etc., of the participants in the expert analysis process.
Stages of implementing the concept of lean production in the healthcare of the Russian Federation
Authors: Karaseva Larisa , Stenyaeva Viktoria , Guseva Larisa
Published: June 2021

The article presents the stages of implementation of the principles of lean production
in the healthcare of the Russian Federation, outlines the goals and prospects of projects to
optimize the quality and safety of medical care, emphasizes the role of nursing specialists in improving the ideology of a patient-oriented medical organization.
Educational and methodological office as a tool of promptly bringing innovative technologies to the personnel of a medical organization
Authors: Leontyeva Elena
Published: June 2021

The solution to the problem of training highly qualified middle medical personnel for practical healthcare provides for the need for educational and methodological units (offices) of medical organizations.
The creation and operation of such units is due to the necessity to promptly bring innovative knowledge to the personnel of a medical organization, to improve professional competence and professional adaptation of nursing staff.
The factor patent of invention when drafting the text of the pharmacopoeic article
Authors: Pechinskii Stanislav V. , Oganesyan Eduard T. , Kuregyan Anna G.
Published: June 2021

Molecular docking is a convenient and cost-effective tool for targeted screening of biologically active structures. This method makes it possible to reveal the relationship between structure and activity, as well as to search for new active compounds. Due to the fact that the antiviral activity of flavonoids and their derivatives has been shown experimentally and clinically, the study of their antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 is a promising study. In an in silico experiment, the possibility of binding 20 flavonoid ligands and the main protease SARS-CoV-2 was studied. The structural features of flavone and flavanone derivatives have been determined, which determine their ability to block the main protease of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Structures of eight new candidates that bind the main protease SARS-CoV-2, which have the prospect of synthesis and further pharmacological research, have been proposed.
Pharmacotechnological study of extractions on common wormwood basis
Authors: Abyzova Ekaterina O. , Molokhova Elena I. , Belonogova Valentina D.
Published: June 2021

Common wormwood herb and its extracted meal for obtaining substance enriched by flavonoids, polysaccharides and pectins were analysed. There was carried out consecutive extraction by using extragents with different polarity. The assay content of flavonoids in obtained fractions was carried out. The assay content of polysaccharides and pectins in extracted meal was conducted. Toxicological study of obtained substances was carried out.
The history of the background and modification of surgical methods for treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia
Authors: Volodin Mark Albertovich , Kuzmina Maya Andreevna , Vasina Daria Dmitrievna , Bolgov Evgeny Nikolaevich , Perchatkin Vladimir Aleksandrovich
Published: June 2021

The article presented an overview of literary sources, which include a description of various surgical techniques for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in different historical periods. The assessment of the disadvantages and advantages of various surgical methods for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia has been made. Modification and improvement of surgical interventions, changes in methods and approaches to surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia made the surgeon’s work more accessible and of high quality. The development of surgical methods of treatment has made it possible to increase the efficiency of surgical interventions, which, in turn, has a positive effect on the quality of life of urological patients.
Application of IAS 19 Employee Remuneration in Domestic Accounting Practice
Authors: Livanova R. V. , Markina Y. A.
Published: June 2021

The key definitions of IAS 19 “Employee Benefits” are given and the interpretation of the provisions of the standard in relation to domestic accounting practice is presented. Proposals have been put forward for reorganizing the wage system and introducing into the practice of domestic companies the principles of forming workers’ retirement benefits. Formation of a pension system that would provide social guarantees to employees at the onset of retirement age.
Az ösztönzés következményei a haknigazdaságban
Authors: Kerényi Péter
Published: June 2021

Folyamatosan terjed a világban a határozott idejű, szerződéses alapú foglalkoztatás. Ezt a munkaszervezési módot sok elnevezéssel illetik, mi a legátfogóbb értelemben a haknigazdaság (angolul gig economy) elnevezést használjuk a dolgozatban. Ismertetjük a haknigazdaság alapvető jellemzőit, különös tekintettel a munkás és a munkáltató viszonyát meghatározó, rövid távú és ösztönző szerződésekre. A haknigazdaságban a munkáltató teljesítménybérrel ösztönzi a munkást, hogy az a számára kedvező intenzitással dolgozzon. Az ösztönző teljesítménybérrel a munkáltató az üzleti kockázatát is kiszervezi a munkásnak, akinek ezáltal a bére és az egész munkája bizonytalan. A dolgozatban bemutatjuk, hogy a rövid távú ösztönző szerződésből eredeztethető bizonytalanság számtalan pszichológiai és társadalmi kihívás okozója.
Assessment of the Sectoral Structure of Women’s Entrepreneurship in Modern National Economies
Authors: Pinkovetskaya Yu. S.
Published: June 2021

The aim of the study is to assess the levels of specialization of aspiring women entrepreneurs in various types of economic activities in modern countries. The study was based on data from a survey of women entrepreneurs in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitoring Process for 59 countries in 2018. Economic and mathematical models describing the specialization of entrepreneurs in five main groups of activities have been developed. The distribution of their values of indicators by country is considered. The countries with the maximum and minimum values of indicators are defined. A comparative analysis of indicators for Russia and foreign countries is presented.
Medeni Hukukla Mukayeseli Olarak İslam Hukukunda Evlenmenin Geçici Engelleri
Authors: BİLGİNER Yahya , KAHVECİ Nuri
Published: June 2021

Toplumun en küçük ve en önemli birimi olan ailenin oluşması için hem dinler hem de hukuk sistemleri belirli düzenlemeler getirmiştir. Bu düzenlemelerden en önemlilerinden biri de evlenmenin geçici engelleridir. İslam evliliğin her safhasını titizlikle düzenlemiş ve sağlam temeller üzerine oturmasını amaç edinmiştir. İslam hukuku ve Medeni hukuka göre evlenmenin geçerli bir şekilde meydana gelebilmesi için enlenmeye mâni geçici engellerinin bulunmaması gerekir. Bireylerin taşıdığı birtakım niteliklerden kaynaklanan bu engellerin varlığı durumunda belirli bir süre evlenme yasağı meydana gelir ve bu engeller var olduğu sürece evlenme gerçekleştirilemez. Toplum hayatındaki yeri ve önemi hiçbir zaman tartışma kabul etmeyecek olan kurumlarından birisi olan evlilik kurumunun meydana gelebilmesi için çözülmesi gereken en önemli ön sorun evlenmenin geçici engelleridir. Çünkü bu ön sorunları bilmek dînî, hukûkî ve hayatî bir öneme sahiptir. Özellikle yabancılarla yapılan evliliklerin arttığı günümüzde, evlenmenin geçici engellerinden olan “din farkı”ndan kaynaklanan evlenme engeline dikkat edilmesi gereken bir ön sorundur. Yine evliliğin sona ermesi halinde, yeniden evlilik yapmak isteyen kişiler için meydana gelebilecek evlenme engeli de hem dinimiz hem de hukukumuz bakımından dikkat edilmesi gereken bir husustur.
Remote Lab Activities in a Digital Age
Authors: Gunasekara M. , Maddumapatabandi Thathsara , Gamage Kelum
Published: June 2021

Laboratories and practical workshops are a crucial element in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subject streams in higher education, where the COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented challenge in conducting such activities face-to-face. Many universities in the western world are now experimenting with various platforms to conduct laboratory activities remotely, in conjunction with online delivery of teaching. It demands significant adjustment to traditional face-to-face laboratory activities, where this paper investigates the practices universities currently adapted and potential future technologies available for remote delivery of laboratories. This paper also identifies the areas for enhancement of students’ remote laboratory experience, and a survey was also conducted to identify students’ perception of laboratory activities during online and hybrid delivery of teaching. The research study explored current practices of remote lab delivery and also provide an insight into the future potentials of remote lab activities in a digital age.
Aspectos relevantes de la infección por Streptococcus agalactiae
Authors: Chinchilla Ureña Ana Lucia , Orozco Barquero Antony , Calvo Arrieta Karol , Ibarra Ureña Rosa A.
Published: June 2021

Streptococcus agalactiae es una bacteria Gram positiva en forma de coco, beta hemolítica, clasificable mediante técnicas de serotipeo o MLTS en varios grupos, con múltiples factores de virulencia y colonizante de los tractos gastrointestinales y genitourinarios, la cual, en condiciones de inmunosupreción, diabetes o embarazo, puede causar enfermedad invasiva.
Cuando una mujer gestante se encuentra colonizada, frecuentemente puede darse transferencia vertical de este agente, causando múltiples enfermedades neonatales, como: meningitis, sepsis, entre otras. Dichas enfermedades tienen graves consecuencias que van desde neurológicas moderadas hasta la muerte, donde siempre existe una prognosis desfavorable para los niños sobrevivientes.
El tamizaje, diagnóstico oportuno, profilaxis intraparto y la vacunación son estrategias para combatir la enfermedad causada por estreptococos del grupo B.
Fisiopatología y presentación clínica del hiperaldosteronismo primario.
Authors: Monge Alexandre , Echeverri Lohrengel Ariana , Leiva Rojas Daniel Francisco , Soto Rivera Priscilla , Salas Fernandez María José
Published: June 2021

El hiperaldosteronismo es una causa poco frecuente y comúnmente subdiagnosticada de hipertensión arterial, especialmente en población joven. Nueva evidencia ha cambiado la manera en la que se diagnostica esta patología, cambiando la idea antigua de que el exceso de mineralocorticoides se presenta en su mayoría con hipertensión e hipokalemia, sin embargo, a la luz de nuevos estudios, se acepta que solo la minoría de los pacientes se presentan con hipokalemia, haciendo de este, un hallazgo inconsistente.
OCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH AND ASSESSMENT OF THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES OF TIKTOK
Authors: Алисултанова Э. Д. , Исаева М. З. , Алиев М-С. М.
Published: June 2021

В настоящее время хорошо зарекомендовавшие себя платформы социальных сетей используются ежедневно и удовлетворяют практически всем желаниям потребителей. Однако в постоянно меняющихся потребностях пользователей все еще есть возможность разработать новый, улучшенный продукт, который может создать новую успешную платформу социальных сетей. Основная цель статьи - выявить конкурентное преимущество TikTok как платформы, которая значительно больше привлекает внимание пользователей. В качестве основного метода исследования было использовано тематическое исследование. Автором разработана таблица с объективными и субъективными параметрами. У каждого параметра был свой конкретный вес. Веса были отражены в окончательной оценке анализа. Шесть самых популярных социальных сетей медиа-платформы были определены и вовлечены в исследование. Выводы статьи указывают на конкурентное преимущество новых платформ социальных сетей, которое заключается в адаптации к постоянно меняющемуся медиапотреблению потребителей.

Nowadays, well-established social media platforms are used on a daily basis and satisfy almost all consumer desires. However, with the ever-changing needs of users, there is still an opportunity to develop a new, improved product that can create a new successful social media platform. The main goal of the article is to reveal the competitive advantage of TikTok as a platform that attracts the attention of users significantly more. A case study was used as the main research method. The author has developed a table with objective and subjective parameters. Each parameter had its own specific weight. The weights were reflected in the final evaluation of the analysis. The six most popular social media platforms were identified and involved in the study. The article’s findings indicate that the competitive advantage of new social media platforms lies in adapting to the ever-changing media consumption of consumers.
IN THIS ISSUE
Authors: Melber Henning
Published: June 2021

Published for the past 35 years, this journal has witnessed major social and political changes in Southern Africa, the wider African continent and the rest of the world. The Strategic Review for Southern Africa has responded to these shifts by aligning its analyses to capture the challenges facing Southern Africa within an increasingly interlinked and dynamic world. The rationale and context of such adjustments to new realities were assessed in the introductory essay to the last issue (No 1 of 2013), which also presented the 'new face' of this periodical. We shall, of course, maintain continuity by engaging with analyses of socio-political, economic and geostrategic developments that impact on or provide lessons for Southern Africa.This understanding includes a wider concept of the region and the continual yet varying impact on Southern Africa from elsewhere. We thus welcomed the offer by two renowned scholars from the Nordic countries to act as guest editors of the thematic focus in this issue: the effects of the so-called Arab spring on French speaking Central and West Africa, in particular Mali and Mauritania of the Sahel region. Also, South Africa's military engagement in other parts of the continent has demonstrated that the inter-connectivity of societies and regions has reached new dimensions. As one of the most influential and powerful member states of the African Union, South Africa has resumed responsibility as a continental actor far beyond the Southern African sub-region. It is hence of direct relevance and importance what happens elsewhere on the continent in terms of transitions and conflicts.
INTRODUCTION: POST-GADDAFI REPERCUSSIONS IN THE SAHEL AND WEST AFRICA
Authors: Bøås Morten , Utas Mats
Published: June 2021

The areas south of Libya have experienced more than their fair share of conflict and rapid social change. In earlier times, the main routes of trade, commerce and pilgrimage between West African and the Arab Peninsula passed through this region, also once inhabited by mighty warrior empires (see for example Bawuro 1972). However, as the empires along these routes faded away, and international ocean shipping opened up this part of Africa to the forces of global trade and capitalism, the centres of authority that once controlled this region also vanished. What remained was an almost open territory: unwelcoming and hard, but also a place of possibilities and the freedom to roam for those who had mastered the art of survival under such difficult conditions. This was the land of the Tuareg and other semi-nomadic groups who controlled cities and important trading posts such as Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal in contemporary Mali. This is the world of the Sahel and the parts of Western Africa that straddles Libya, and a region that currently includes Southern Algeria, Northern Mali, Niger, Chad, Mauritania and parts of Northern Nigeria. These are therefore also the countries and areas that have come to experience the full effect of what we define as post-Gaddafi repercussions.
INSIGHTS INTO INDEPENDENT ZIMBABWE: SOME HISTORIOGRAPHICAL REFLECTIONS
Authors: Nyamunda Tinashe
Published: June 2021

This article offers some historiographical reflections on independent Zimbabwe. While much has been written on the post-colonial period, some works were strongly informed by scholarly paradigms of the 1960s and 1970s, especially regarding the colonial legacy and inherited political structures, the land issue and the contentious and enduring debate on neocolonialism, although there were some post-modern shifts in the 1990s. Using some of the topical scholarship on the country, I trace the paradigmatic developments and narratives of the trajectory of the country's political, economic and social record. While there is a deliberate focus on three broad aspects of 'nationalist' history and its counternarratives, the historiography of the land as well as accounts of the crisis, I suggest that these have arguably constituted topical issues in scholarship. Although there are important areas on Zimbabwe's academic landscape focusing on labour, gender, health, migration and environmental studies, among others warranting special attention, this article is restricted to insights on the areas identified. It is hoped that such bibliographical reflections can inform some interested students and scholars in sketching out some of the scholarship on Zimbabwe in the areas picked out.
DECRIMINALISATION OF MASS MURDERS, RAPE AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE — A CRITIQUE OF PRESIDENT MBEKI AND PROF MAMDANI
Authors: Obote-Odora Alex
Published: June 2021

In an opinion article titled "Courts can't end civil wars" by South African President Thabo Mbeki (1999-2008) and Prof Mahmood Mamdani of Makerere and Columbia Universities published in the New York Times (5 February 2014), the two argued that civil wars can only be ended by peace talks where former foes sit together at the negotiating table and hammer out political settlements. They suggested that threat of criminal prosecution can stifle peace efforts, presumably as leaders and warlords facing possible life sentences before International Criminal Court (ICC) calculate that they have nothing to lose by continuing to fight. Mbeki and Mamdani forcefully argued that the mass crimes committed in armed conflicts are political rather than criminal. They suggest it is preferable to suspend questions of criminal accountability until the underlying political problems are resolved. The argument fails to address the rights of victims and fair trial issues. It is a blueprint for impunity.
New South African Review 3: The second phase – tragedy or farce? (John Daniel, Prishani Naidoo, Devan Pillay and Roger Southall, eds)
Authors: Kotzé Dirk
Published: June 2021

As the title indicates this publication is the third issue in a series of reviews. The first issue was subtitled 2010: Development or decline? (2010) and the second was New paths, old promises? (2011). These publications are edited in the Department of Sociology at Wits University as part of its Strategic Planning and Allocation of Resources Committee (SPARC) Programme. The series is intended to be a revival of the South African Review edited by the South African Research Service and published by Ravan Press in the 1980s and early 1990s. Arguably one of the best known of these series was issue seven edited by Steven Friedman and Doreen Atkinson, The Small Miracle: South Africa's negotiated settlement (1994). The latest publication should also be seen as direct competition for the Human Sciences Research Council's (HSRC) regular publication, State of the Nation. The New South African Review 3 is organised into four parts, namely Party, Power and Class; Ecology, Economy and Labour; Public Policy and Social Practice; and South Africa at Large. The four editors introduce each of the sections, consisting of 16 chapters in total. Thebook's format appears to be that of a yearbook but it is not linked to a specific year. It is therefore not in the same category as for example the South African Institute of Race Relations' annual South Africa Survey. The Review is organised around a theme, albeit very general in its formulation, and in the case of the third issue it is also not applicable to all its chapters. At the same time, though, it is not a yearbook as the choice of chapters and their foci are on the latest developments.
IN THIS ISSUE
Authors: Melber Henning , Schoeman Maxi
Published: June 2021

Twenty years of democratic South Africa inspires many scholars to look back, reflect on the achievements and failures and take stock of the current situation, maybe even to cast a view on possible future scenarios. This issue of the Strategic Review for Southern Africa is one of many efforts to engage with social realities in the context of a post-apartheid society; a society, where controlled change with the negotiated transition to regular democratic elections in a multi-party pluralist setting resulted to some extent in changed control. We are confronted with socio-economic, as well as political realities affected by and facing the challenges of structural legacies. The transitions and transformations documented re-alignments within a social and political framework, but often rather modified instead of transcended the previous systemic boundaries. The lack of fundamental shifts towards a genuinely people-centered development stands in strong contrast to the new elite policy and the relative privileges secured by its beneficiaries in the echelons of state and administration and the private sector. The emerging trends have been  dubbed by some scholars as the 'limits to liberation'. The aim of this special issue is to contextualise the efforts, hopes, aspirations, declared goals and the setbacks, measured against the expectations with regard to different sectors, and cross cutting issues pertinent to contemporary South African society.
REALITIES AND DISCOURSES ON SOUTH AFRICAN XENOPHOBIA
Authors: Adam Heribert , Moodley Kogila
Published: June 2021

The responses to the January 2015 looting of foreign-owned shops inSoweto and in April in Durban's central business district and elsewhere reveal more about the South African national consciousness than the events themselves. The ritual condemnations; the initial denial of xenophobia in preference to labelling it criminality; blaming victims and convoluted excuses of perpetrators are almost worse than the official silence and long-standing passivity about well-known xenophobic attitudes. When the President insists that "South Africans in general are not xenophobic", he ignores all surveys (Afrobarometer) showing a vast majority distrust (black) foreigners, wish to restrict their residence rights and prohibit the eventual acquisition of citizenship.On these scores South African attitudes are not unique. Antiimmigrant hostility inflicts most European societies. Perhaps suspicion of strangers is even universal: preferential kin selection as an evolutionaryadvantage, as sociobiologists assert. What is uniquely South African is the ferocious mob violence against fellow Africans. Why? The structural violence of apartheid laws has continued in the post-apartheid era for many reasons: the breakdown of family cohesion in poor areas which no longer shames brutalised youngsters; loss of moral legitimacy by government institutions, particularly a dysfunctional justice system; violence was glorified in the 'armed struggle', but, above all, marginalised slum dwellers learned that they only receive attention when they act destructively. Despite a rule bound constitution for conflict resolution, in a representative survey (Afrobarometer) 43 per cent in the Western Cape agreed with the suggestion that "it is sometimes necessary to use violence in support for a just cause".
COMBATTANTS AND ANTICOMBATTANTS (COLLABOS): CONGOLESE TRANSNATIONAL POLITICS IN PRETORIA
Authors: Inaka Saint José
Published: June 2021

This paper is concerned with the transnational political activities of Congolese nationals in Pretoria. The relationship between the migrants is marked by ethno-regional and political rivalry between two groups living in Pretoria, namely the 'combattants' and 'anti-combattants'. The paper argues that there is a dialectical interaction between Congolese transmigrant political activities, both in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in South Africa. These transnational political activities have an impact on both theCongolese and the South African political scenes. Most importantly, the intra-Congolese rivalry is not only intermittent, but some of its dynamics are influenced by local politics back in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Following ethnographic research conducted among Congolese migrants between 2011 and 2013, this study revealed that grassrootspolitical activists performed a key role in the Congolese transnational ethno-regional and political rivalry in Pretoria.
WHOSE ECONOMIC FREEDOM ANYWAY? REVELATIONS FROM THE SOUTH AFRICAN DISCOURSE
Authors: Steyn Kotze Joleen
Published: June 2021

The Economic Freedom Index published by the Heritage Foundation ranks South Africa at 72nd out of 178 countries in terms of economic freedom in 2015. This index classifies South Africa as moderately free in terms of its level of economic freedom. While the country may be in the middle of the pack on the Economic Freedom Index, it is also often classified as one of the most unequal societies in the world. South Africa is often seen in the top five unequal countries globally with a high Gini-coefficient, and when using the Palma index (measuring the ratio of income share between the top 10 per cent and bottom 40 per cent), South Africa can also be classified as highly unequal. Therefore a contradiction seems to exist. While South Africa ranks as economicallymoderately free on one hand, the country is also regarded as one of the most unequal societies in the world, on the other hand. It is this contradiction that brings to the fore a contested ideological construction of economic freedom within its political narrative premised on a view that the promise of democracy had not delivered. This article presents a critical discourse analysis of the contested interpretations of economic freedom through the lens of securing liberation and the promise of democracy in South Africa: a promise built on the Freedom Charter's construction of a democratic South Africa.
Ndlovu-Gatsheni, Sabelo J. (ed), Mugabeism? History, Politics, and Power in Zimbabwe. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015, 319pp.
Authors: Matsimbe Zefanias
Published: June 2021

This is an 'all in one' kind of book about the history, politics, and economy of Zimbabwe from the liberation struggle on. The book is about Robert Mugabe and his Mugabeism, or what Mugabe 'says' he is and what he Strategic Review for Southern Africa, Vol 38, No 2 Book Reviews 174 'exactly is'. It responds to the lack of biographies on Mugabe who is the oldest and the longest serving post-independence African statesman, the man whose life has been dominated by secrecy, rumours and gossip. The book consists of several essays written by scholars from different disciplines, trying to make sense of Mugabe by exploring the various, contested meanings of the Mugabe phenomenon, his thinking, his feeling and his modus operandi. With convincing arguments, the book shows how the life of Mugabe is intrinsically linked to the history of Zimbabwe and ZANU-PF. The book reveals the great secret of how Mugabe has survived internal and external challenges and pressures.
Manganyi, Calvin/Liebenberg, Ian/Potgieter, Thean (eds), South Africa and Romania: transition to democracy and changing security paradigms. Durban: Just Done Productions 2013, 376 pp.
Authors: Eckardt Michael
Published: June 2021

This volume is based on NRF-funded research cooperation between the Institute for Political Studies of Defence and Military History in Bucharest and the Faculty of Military Science at Stellenbosch University, dealing with the transition from authoritarian rule to democracy. It discusses the transition to multi-party democracy, the consequent changes in the security environment and the current role and defensive posture of these countries in their respective regions. All contributions are abstracted separately in the introductory chapter (pp 1-11). The specific chapters discuss the joint experiences and challenges in facing the transition from authoritarian rule to democracy (1. Liebenberg, I: "Transition from Authoritarian Rule to Democracy": 13-36; 2. Sasz, P V: "Transition to Democracy in Romania": 37-57; 4. Mangayani, C: "The Role of Youth in South Africa's Transition": 87-121), the reform of the armies (3. Ionesco, M: "Transition, Alliances and Military Reform in Romania in the post-Cold War Period": 59-86; 5. Ferreira, R: "South Africa: From Apartheid Army to a Post-Apartheid Defence Force": 123-135; 7. Mangayani, C: "Structures for Political Oversight of the Military": 171-204; 8. Otu, P: "Military Reform in Romania": 205-231) as well as the repositioning of Romania's security strategy (6. Cioculescu, S: "Romania's National Security Strategy in the Post-Cold War Period": 137-170). South Africa's change in strategy concerning its interests in the Indian Ocean is the main focus of T Potgieter in chapter 10 (pp 267-305)and Romania's status within the Euro-Atlantic security architecture after the end of the Cold War and its entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the European Union (EU) has been dealt with by Carmen Rijnoveanu in chapter 11 (pp307-340). Worthy of special attention is chapter 9 (Liebenberg, I: "The Arms Industry, Reform and Civil-Military Relations in South Africa": 233-266), bridging the purchase of arms and ammunition during the inter-war years (1919-1939) to the period of World War II (1939-1945) and even further to the establishment of South Africa's own defence industry under apartheid rule (1948-1989), emphasising the  enormous cost of maintaining a military superiority in southern Africa paving the way for South Africa's economic decline by the end of the 1980s and leading to the political demise of apartheid in the 1994 elections. In chapter 12 ("Waves of Change, Military-Political Reorientation, Economic Alliances and Uncertain Futures": 341-357), the editors make a comparison Strategic Review for Southern Africa, Vol 38, No 2 Book Reviews 181 of the different starting positions of both countries and the national security strategies that emerged from it.