Destruction of penicillin residues in waste milk

To destroy the antibiotic residuals in waste milk on dairy farms, the aim of this study was to develop an approach for the degradation of Penicillin G in waste milk on the farm, working efficiently and without posing a risk to the user or the environment. Bovine pasteurized and homogenized milk with 3.8 % of milk fat was spiked with Penicillin G sodium-salt to an initial concentration of Penicillin G in the milk of 4 µg/kg to 500 mg/kg. Degradation of Penicillin G was performed by physico-chemical treatments, namely 1) exposure to heat and 2) exposure to heat after prior acidification and by 3) enzymatic degradation by β-lactamases from Escherichia (E.) coli strains tested positive for extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) production. Heating to 95 °C for 120 minutes led to a degradation of 4 µg/kg Penicillin G below the detection limit of 2 µg/kg. A higher Penicillin G concentration of 8 µg/kg could not be sufficiently degraded anymore.  Heat treatment for 120 minutes at pH 5.0 resulted in a degradation of 500 µg/kg, whereas it was 64 µg/kg pH 5.5. In conclusion, it is technically possible to degrade Penicillin G in waste milk. A combination of acidification of the milk and heating lead to a degradation of very high antibiotic concentrations but assumes a high level of technical equipment, time, and energy supply. The enzymatic degradation process of the antibiotic by β-lactamases promises better results than heating and acidification and requires lower temperatures than the methods without enzymatic degradation. A possible transmission of plasmids from the enzyme solution must be considered and needs to be solved

In-vitro Antimicrobial Resistance of Pasteurella multocida and Mannheimia haemolytica from Bovine Mastitis on Bavarian Dairy Farms between 2015 and 2023

As the leading disease in dairy cows, mastitis and its major pathogens have been extensively researched. However, mastitis can also be caused by other, opportunistic pathogens, such as Pasteurella (P.) multocida and Mannheimia (M.) haemolytica, which are usually associated with bovine respiratory disease. To better understand the effects of these as mastitis pathogens, the objective of this study was to describe the in-vitro antimicrobial resistance of P. multocida and M. haemolytica in quarter milk samples from Bavarian dairy farms between 2015 and 2023. P. multocida was isolated almost as frequently from clinical (48.6%), as from subclinical cases (51.1%), while samples with M. haemolytica came predominantly from clinical mastitis (82%). And while P. multocida was isolated in roughly equal parts (49.6% vs. 50.4%) from samples of herd screenings as well as individual submissions, M. haemolytica was more frequently found in individually submitted samples (87.2%). P. multocida was in-vitro mostly resistant against erythromycin (81.4%) and pirlimycin (95%), and M. haemolytica against erythromycin (89.7%), pirlimycin (87.2%), and oxacillin (58.9%). Yet they showed only few resistances to the other tested antimicrobials. The high occurrence of resistances against those few antimicrobials were also reflected in a high percentage of multiple resistances (83.7%). As antimicrobial resistances of those pathogens vary throughout different regions, the numbers in this study were mostly consistent with those from other studies from Germany or Austria. In general, low resistances to penicillin were reported when P. multocida and M. haemolytica were isolated from cases of mastitis, as well as a high success rate in eliminating the pathogens from the udder. However, the possibility of self-cure remains unexplored for these pathogens. When treatment with antimicrobials was selected, penicillin seemed to be the antimicrobial of choice for mastitis caused by P. multocida and M. haemolytica

Heart Rate Variability Measurement and Emotional Profiling to Describe Milk Quality?

This preliminary study examined whether the measures of heart rate variability (HRV) and emotional profiling (EP) are suitable for differentiating milk samples. Three different milk samples with the same fat content were tested: one ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk (conventional), one extended shelf-life (ESL) milk (organic) and one pasteurized only milk (organic). Their standard chemical parameters were determined, and a sensory descriptive analysis was performed. Two panels (12 and 13 subjects) trained in self-observation underwent HRV measurements and responded to an EP questionnaire. The panels differed in food testing experience. The experienced panel distinguished the pasteurized milk from the ESL and the UHT milk samples through EP, while the panel with little experience found no differences. No statistically significant differences were found between the three milk samples with respect to HRV parameters. The sensory descriptive analysis revealed a difference only in a taste characteristic between the UHT and the pasteurized only milk. The fatty acid patterns of the UHT sample differed from the other two, probably due to different cow feeding regimes. The results indicate that the applied methods differentiate milk differently: conventional UHT milk is at least partially distinguished from the other samples by three methods, namely fatty acid analysis, sensory analysis, and EP. No significant differences between the samples were detected using HRV

Adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus to the liner in relation to subsequent machine milkings in a lab test

Staphylococcus (S.) aureus is one of the main causes of bovine mastitis, and its transmission during milking is a significant challenge for herd management. This study investigates the persistence of S. aureus on teat liners after simulating the milking of a cow infected with S. au- reus, testing two common liner materials: nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) and silicone (SIL). A bucket milking system and a rubber udder were used to simulate the milking process, with an initial milking using S. aureus-contaminated milk, followed by six subsequent simulated milkings with uncontaminated ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk. The presence of S. aureus on the teat liners was quantified by using a modified wet-dry swab method. Results demonstrated that S. aureus was consistently detectable on both liner materials throughout all six subsequent milkings, with a significant decrease in bacterial counts of approximately 85% for NBR and 78% for SIL. Importantly, NBR liners showed a higher risk of pathogen adherence compared to SIL liners. The findings reaffirm the risk of transmission of S. aureus through teat liners and highlight the importance of intermediate cluster disinfection between each milking to decrease this risk

Different European Perspectives on the Treatment of Subclinical Mastitis in Dairy Cows

As part of the European Network for Optimization of Veterinary Antimicrobial Treatment (ENOVAT), a webinar on the topic "Different European Perspectives on the Treatment of Subclinical Mastitis in Lactation" was held on September 21, 2022, during which eight mastitis experts from different European countries (France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) presented their treatment approaches for subclinical mastitis during lactation. The information provided by the experts is based on experience, guidelines, surveys, and opinions of the university to which they belong. The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic approaches to identify commonalities and differences. It was not the aim of the webinar to identify the best approach for the treatment of subclinical mastitis, but to better understand the different approaches in the different countries in order to find starting points for long-term harmonization. The definition of subclinical mastitis varies from country to country. However, in all countries the definition is based on the presence of increased somatic cell count (SCC) in the quarter milk but without clinical signs or visual changes in the milk and is usually caused by an intramammary infection (IMI). Particularly regarding the cell count limit, the definitions differ between countries. In all participating countries, treatment of subclinical mastitis is not standard practice. This varies from a general rejection of treatment during lactation to treatment in special situations, involving the risk of penalties if a certain threshold of cells in the bulk tank milk is exceeded. Diagnostically, in its simplest form, subclinical mastitis in cows is determined by an individual cow SCC being greater than a threshold.            

Heifer Mastitis Risk Post-Parturition: Management factors associated with a low rate of Subclinical Heifer Mastitis in a Herd-Level Study

This study focused on assessing risk factors for heifer mastitis post-parturition, with a particular emphasis on understanding the associated management factors at herd level. Through examination of on-farm practices, milking routine observation and heat-stress consideration of 77 German dairy herds, the study set out to unravel the complexities contributing to a high / low rate of subclinical mastitis in heifers. For this purpose, the annual heifer mastitis rate (HMR) was provided by the dairy herd improvement (DHI) test and farms were categorized into two groups based on their HMR: herds with a low HMR (LHMR) and herds with a high HMR (HHMR). In the final multivariable model, two variables differed significantly among the herd categories. Herds with a higher proportion of heifers with a BCS < 3 were more likely to fall into the LHMR category. Herds with a higher proportion of heifers with a lameness score of 3 were more likely to be HHMR herds. These findings offer practical implications for dairy farmers in optimizing udder health and productivity in heifers at herd level. These associations from our cross-sectional study should be verified in a prospective study

(Sport)Stars: Wie sich erfolgreiche Human Brands im Sport auf Instagram inszenieren

In den letzten Jahren kristallisieren sich einzelne Sportler immer mehr als Human Brands heraus. Unabhängig von ihrer sportlichen Tätigkeit werden sie zu Stars, die primär durch ihr Privatleben in der Öffentlichkeit stehen. Diese Entwicklung wird forciert durch die Athleten selbst, die auf Social Media intensiv ihr Privatleben zur Schau stellen. Mit Blick auf die Unterscheidung zwischen sportbezogenen und nicht-sportbezogenen Branding-Attributen wird deutlich, dass letztere in der Forschung bislang kaum Berücksichtigung finden. Zudem zieht die Literatur bislang keinen Vergleich zwischen Männern und Frauen als Human Brands, wobei vor allem Frauen vor besonderen Herausforderungen im Branding stehen. In dieser Arbeit werden daher acht erfolgreiche Human Brands im Sport mithilfe einer zweistufigen qualitativen und quantitativen Inhaltsanalyse (n=978) hinsichtlich ihres Brandings auf Instagram untersucht. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen nicht nur die Relevanz von privaten Branding-Attributen: Sie heben außerdem geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede sowie stereotypisierendes Branding hervor

Personenbezogene Determinanten der Social Media Popularität von Leistungssportler*innen in geschlechtsspezifisch wahrgenommenen Sportarten

Zusammenfassung Soziale Netzwerke sind zu wichtigen Plattformen für Spitzensportler*innen geworden, die sie nutzen, um Beziehungen zu ihren Fans aufzubauen, als Influencer zu arbeiten und ihren Marktwert zu steigern. Betrachtet man die Kennzahlen auf Instagram, so fällt auf, dass weibliche Athletinnen in Bezug auf ihre Social-Media-Reichweite deutlich weniger erfolgreich sind als ihre männlichen Konkurrenten. Weibliche Athletinnen finden in den Massenmedien weniger Beachtung als ihre männlichen Kollegen und die Berichterstattung, ist oft klischeehaft. In dieser Studie wird untersucht, inwieweit das Geschlecht von Sportler*innen ihren Erfolg auf Instagram beeinflusst und inwieweit diese Beziehung durch Faktoren wie sportlichen Erfolg, körperliche Attraktivität und Sportart moderiert wird. Durch eine Inhaltsanalyse der Instagram-Profile von 360 internationalen Spitzensportler*innen aus Sportarten, die als typisch weiblich und männlich wahrgenommen werden, lässt sich schließen, dass männliche Athleten, insbesondere die erfolgreichsten, tatsächlich einen höheren Grad an Popularität auf Instagram erreichen. Weibliche Athletinnen hingegen sind nicht in der Lage, ihre Popularität durch sportliche Leistung oder Attraktivität zu steigern. Wir stellen außerdem fest, dass die Popularität auf Instagram besonders hoch ist, wenn Sportlerinnen eine typische Frauensportart und mSportler eine typische Männersportart ausüben. Unsere Forschung zeigt, dass auch die Entwicklung der Rolle von männlichen und weiblichen Sportlern in modernen Medienumgebungen zu untersuchen und zu erfassen. Abstract Social networking sites have become important platforms for top athletes, who use them to build bonds with their fans, to work as influencers, and even to increase their market value. If we look at the key figures on Instagram, it is notable that female athletes are significantly less successful in terms of their social media reach than their male competitors. It is already known that female athletes receive much less coverage than male athletes in the mass media, and what coverage there is, is often stereotyped. This study investigates the extent to which the gender of athletes influences their success on Instagram, and to what extent this relationship is moderated by factors such as athletic success, physical attractiveness, and type of sport. Through a content analysis of the Instagram profiles of 360 international top athletes from sports perceived as typically female and male, we find that male athletes, especially the most successful, indeed achieve higher levels of Instagram popularity. Female athletes, in contrast, are unable to increase their popularity through either athletic performance or attractiveness. We also find that Instagram popularity is particularly high when female athletes play a typical female sport and male athletes play a typical male sport. Our research shows that it is important to examine and record developments in the role of male and female athletes in modern media environments as well

Blinder Fleck und die Schuld der anderen! : Online-Umfrage zur Selbstwahrnehmung und Fremdeinschätzung zur Mitverantwortung von Sportjournalist*innen für Doping

Bei Doping handelt es sich nicht nur um einen eklatanten Normverstoß einzelner Spitzensportler*innen, sondern um einen Konstellationseffekt, der durch eine Vielzahl von Akteuren generiert wird. In diesem Bei- trag wird untersucht, welche Akteursgruppen aus Sicht von Sportjournalist*innen und Trainer*innen am Konstellationseffekt Doping mitbeteiligt sind. Zudem wird gefragt, inwiefern Sportjournalist*innen ihre Mitverantwortung für Doping erkennen (Selbstwahrnehmung) und wie Trainer*innen die Mitverantwortung von Sportjournalist*innen für Doping sehen (Fremdeinschätzung). Es wurden zwei Online-Befragungen durchgeführt, an denen sich 906 Sportjournalist*innen (Rücklaufquote 26,5 %) und 822 Trainer*innen (Rücklaufquote 33,6 %) beteiligten. Von beiden Befragtengruppen werden die Athlet*innen als Hauptverantwortliche, aber nicht als Alleinschuldige für Doping identifiziert. Die Mitverantwortung anderer Akteure wird in abgestufter Intensität wahrgenommen. Dabei konzedieren die Trainer*innen die Mitverantwortung ihrer Berufsgruppe eindeutiger als die Sportjournalist*innen, von denen die überwiegende Mehrheit einen blinden Fleck bezüglich der eigenen Verstrickung aufweist

Das Stadion in der Hosentasche : Einflussfaktoren und Herausforderungen der Liveticker-Berichterstattung im Sportjournalismus

In der deutschsprachigen Journalismusforschung hat die Gattung des Livetickers bislang nur wenig Beachtung gefunden. Unsere Studie verfolgt das Ziel, qualitative Erkenntnisse zu den Arbeitsweisen deutscher Liveticker-Sportjournalist*innen zu sammeln. Wir fragen, mit welchen Herausforderungen Liveticker-Spor journalist*innen bei ihrer Arbeit konfrontiert sind und welche Einflussfaktoren auf Individual-, Medienorganisations-, Mediensystem-, und Gesellschaftsebene bei der Liveticker-Berichterstattung von Bedeutung sind. Eine Analyse von acht qualitativen leitfadengestützten Interviews mit Liveticker-Sportjournalist*innen zeigt für den deutschen Sportjournalismus andere Trends als in vergleichbaren englischsprachigen Untersuchungen. Insbesondere der Unterhaltungsfunktion des Livetickers schreiben die Journalist*innen einen geringeren Stellenwert zu. Prägend im Arbeitsalltag von Liveticker-Autor*innen ist die Herausforderung, trotz hoher Publikationsgeschwindigkeit sprachliche und inhaltliche Korrektheit zu wahren