Article history The urinary gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGTu) is a precocious indicator of renal lesion and the gold standard for the measurement of its activity is the automated method, although semi-automation is often utilized and studies relating this methodology to the occurrence and intensity of analytical errors are still scarce. Therefore, this work aimed to calculate the systematic and random errors in the determination of the GGTu activity in dogs with the use of the semi-automated method and evaluate if that methodology statistically differs from the automated method. 49 dog urine samples were collected through cystocentesis and centrifuged for separation of the supernatant, which was employed for the measurement of the GGTu activity by automated (reference) and semiautomated methods. Linear regression and Pearson correlation (r) tests were employed for the establishment of the systematic error. The random error was calculated according to Westgard; Hunt (1973). Lin's concordance correlation coefficient was employed to evaluate the presence of concordance between automated and semi-automated techniques. In the analysis of results, a constant error of + 9.51 UI/L (a = 9.5118), a proportional error of-9.37% (b=0.9063) and a random error of 9.91% was observed when the semi-automated methodology was employed. The determination (R2) and Lin coefficients were, respectively, 0.9859 with p<0.0001 and 0.9912, suggesting a great similarity and almost perfect concordance between the two methods. Therefore, the data verified that the semiautomation does not interfere significantly in the measurement of the GGTu activity within the minimum and maximum values observed in the study.
This article evaluated the vital parameters, blood gas measurements, cortisol values and radiological findings of goat kids born at term and prematurely during the first 48 hours of life. For this purpose, 24 kids from 24 goats were used and assigned to groups as follows: Group I, eight kids born through cesarean sections performed at 149 days of gestation; Group II, eight kids born through cesarean sections performed at 143 days of gestation; Group III, eight kids born through cesarean sections performed at 143 days of gestation, whose mothers received 20 mg of dexamethasone. Group I had lower heart rate values than the other groups at 60 minutes after birth. In terms of temperature, there was no difference between the groups. The pH values were reduced shortly after birth, rising at 24 and 48 hours in all animals studied. In terms of the cortisol levels, the values increased significantly at birth (M0), with the highest values obtained in animals in group II. These values decreased at 48 hours after birth in the evaluated goats. The animals belonging to group I showed better radiographic aspects, and throughout the 48 hours of evaluation, all newborns exhibited adequate respiratory adaptation. It can be concluded that antenatal dexamethasone administered at 143 days of gestation did not influence neonatal viability, metabolic or radiographic parameters. The metabolic changes found are consistent with the extrauterine adaptation period that animals in this stage of life.
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