An end to Nordic exceptionalism? Europeanisation and Nordic development policies

The Nordic countries have traditionally been praised for their generous and advanced development policies. Recently, however, it has been claimed that the Nordic model has faded: that the Nordic donors have become more similar to other European donors. One possible reason for such trends is influences from EU policies, that is, Europeanisation. This article critically evaluates such claims by presenting arguments for and against Europeanisation effects. We argue that changes have indeed taken place. The Nordic exceptionalism has been eroded. At the same time, a convergence of European aid policies has occurred. The question is if this is the consequence of Europeanisation – or is it rather a result of Nordicisation (the Nordic countries influencing the EU), or perhaps like-mindisation (a broader set of progressive member states having impact upon EU policies)? We suggest that Europeanisation has been extremely weak while there is strong evidence of Nordicisation but also, and increasingly, of like-mindisation. Today, a core group of mainly northern member states, including the Nordics, are the main driving forces behind European aid convergence

Incidence of Chlamydia spp., FIV, FeLV in Free-Roaming Cats in Slovakia

Boris Vojtek,1 Peter Čechvala,2 Silvia Zemanová,1 Ľuboš Korytár,1 Marián Prokeš,1 Monika Drážovská,1 Patrícia Petroušková,1 Jana Kožiarská Tomčová,1 Anna Ondrejková1 1Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Košice, Slovakia; 2Veterinary Ambulance, Nová Dubnica, SlovakiaCorrespondence: Anna Ondrejková, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, Slovakia, 041 81, Tel +421 915 984 647, Email [email protected]: Free-roaming cats represent a potential reservoir of infectious diseases. The most common co-infections of free-roaming cats include mixed viral, bacterial, fungal, yeast and parasitic infections. This study focuses on the occurrence of Chlamydia spp. feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) and their co-infections. The diseases accompanied by immune suppression, such as FIV, create favourable conditions for the onset of other diseases and co-infections. The result of co-infection may be a higher susceptibility for other pathogens, as well as the occurrence of more severe clinical symptoms.Patients and Methods: The study involved 168 (113♀ and 55♂) free-roaming adult cats during the years 2021– 2022. All cats belonged to Slovak citizens with permanent residence in the Slovak Republic. Blood samples and swabs (Invasive EUROTUBO® Collection sterile swab, Deltalab O8191 Rubí, Spain) from the conjunctival sac were taken from 168 cats to be later tested by PCR and ELISA methods. Statistical analysis was also performed.Results: The overall prevalence of Chlamydia spp. was 17.26%, of FIV 15.48%, and 5.95% of FeLV. The most significant finding in our study was 3.57% co-infection of FIV and Chlamydia spp. in tested cats.Conclusion: The observed prevalence of Chlamydia spp. FIV and FeLV indicates that the presence of these pathogens in populations of free-roaming cats is endemic.Keywords: cats, chlamydiosis, FIV, FeL

Changes of free fatty acids during ripening of Niva cheese

Changes in the concentrations of free fatty acids in Niva cheese were monitored over the ripening period. Fatty acids were analyzed as methyl esters using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Identification has been carried out by comparison of the retention times with those of standard substances. Methanol esterification method using potassium hydroxide catalysis was used for preparing the sample of the fatty acids. The method is simple in respect to instrumentation and chemicals. It can be applied directly to the cheese matrix, which significantly decreases the time for sample preparation. There were total of 30 fatty acids identified in the cheese. Capric, myristic, palmitic, stearic and oleic acids represented the largest proportion of acid content and the most significant changes during ripening.</jats:p

Presence or absence of microbiome modulates the response of mice organism to administered drug nabumetone

The gut microbiota provides a wide range of beneficial functions for the host, and has an immense effect on the host’s health status. The presence of microbiome in the gut may often influence the effect of an orally administered drug. Molecular mechanisms of this process are however mostly unclear. We investigated how the effect of a nonsteroidal drug nabumetone on expression of drug metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) in mice intestine and liver is changed by the presence of microbiota, here, using the germ free (GF) and specific pathogen free (SPF) BALB/c mice. First, we have found in a preliminary experiment that in the GF mice there is a tendency to increase bioavailability of the active form of nabumetone, which we have found now to be possibly influenced by differences in expression of DMEs in the GF and SPF mice. Indeed, we have observed that the expression of the most of selected cytochromes P450 (CYPs) was significantly changed in the small intestine of GF mice compared to the SPF ones. Moreover, orally administered nabumetone itself altered the expression of some CYPs and above all, in different ways in the GF and SPF mice. In the GF mice, the expression of the DMEs (CYP1A) responsible for the formation of active form of the drug are significantly increased in the small intestine and liver after nabumetone application. These results highlight the importance of gut microbiome in processes involved in drug metabolism in the both gastrointestinal tract and in the liver with possible clinical relevance.</jats:p