Search

A 3-year-old, male intact, pet inland bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) presented with a history of diarrhea, progressive inappetence and weight loss. A palpable cranial celomic mass was identified on physical examination and confirmed to be hepatic in origin by celomic ultrasonography. Hematologic and biochemical abnormalities were mild and consistent with inflammation, regenerative anemia, and hepatocellular injury. Fine needle aspiration of the liver masses was suggestive of amoebiasis and the patient was humanely euthanized. PCR and Sanger DNA sequencing of liver aspirates were supportive of Entamoeba infection, although definitive speciation was not possible. Pathogenic amoebiasis due to infection by E. invadens has been reported in a wide range of reptiles and is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in these species.

Measurement of enzymes that have leaked from damaged renal tubular epithelial cells into the urine of dogs is a valuable diagnostic tool. However, storage of the urine sample prior to analysis may affect enzyme activity. The objective of this study was to determine if urine NAG and GGT activity is decreased in samples that have been refrigerated or frozen. Canine urine samples submitted to the Clinical Pathology Laboratory at Kansas State University were analyzed by complete urinalysis. Samples were excluded if the pH was ≥ 8, there were > 10 white blood cells/hpf, > 50 red blood cells/hpf, or bacteriuria or gross pigmenturia was present. Urine NAG and GGT activities were measured from the fresh urine supernatant and then aliquots of urine supernatant (n = 41) were refrigerated at 4° C for 5 days and frozen at -20° C for 5 and 30 days, at which time urine enzyme activity was compared with day 0 values. Additionally, aliquots of urine supernatant (n = 22) were evaluated as above, but with the additional time/temperatures of 4° C for 30 days and -70° C for 30 days added to the evaluation. The analytical uncertainty in quantifying NAG was nontrivial when the urine NAG level was low. For samples whose NAG concentrations were above 1 U/L at day 0, their urine NAG/ creatinine ratios under all storage methods led to <0.01 false positive rate (FPR) based on a defined 50% decline over day 0. The GGT concentrations in >50% of samples frozen at -20° C for either 5 days or 30 days dropped below the limit of detection. The urine GGT/creatinine ratios in samples frozen under -70° C for 30 days carried >0.10 FPR, whereas those refrigerated at 4° C for 5 days or 30 days have <0.01 FPR. Time and temperature storage conditions affect urine GGT activity. Urine GGT activity is most severely affected by freezing at -20° C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers a comparative analysis of anti-EU politics in the newly democratising states of Eastern Europe by looking at a case where Euroscepticism is prominent and a case where it is not. The cases examined are the Czech Republic, in which anti-EU sentiments have been strongly voiced and appear to play some role in national elections, and Romania where such sentiments have been marginalised and seem to have played little role in recent elections. Several possible explanations for the appearance or absence of Euroscepticism are considered and differences emerge with regard to mass-to-elite cues, political culture and socio-economic expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]