Knowledge and Practices of Cypriot Bovine Farmers towards Effective and Safe Manure Management

Manure from bovine farms is commonly used as an organic fertiliser. However, if not properly managed, it can spread significant biological and chemical hazards, threatening both human and animal health. The effectiveness of risk control hugely relies on farmers' knowledge regarding safe manure management and on the application of suitable management practices. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and practices of Cypriot bovine farmers towards safer manure management, from its generation to its final use, in line with the One Health approach. Factors affecting farmers' knowledge and applied practices are also investigated through a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was developed and sent to all eligible bovine farmers in Cyprus (n = 353), and 30% (n = 105) of them returned the completed questionnaire. Results revealed there are some gaps in farmers' knowledge. The use of manure for fertilising crops dominated. Only half of the farmers stored manure in appropriate facilities, with 28.5% of them using a dedicated area with cement floors and 21.5% utilising leakproof tanks. The majority (65.7%) stored manure for more than three months before its use as a fertiliser in a dried form. In multiple regression analysis, education level and farming purpose were significant determinants of farmer knowledge. In conclusion, Cypriot farmers' knowledge must be reinforced to ensure proper manure management. The results highlight the importance of providing relevant training to farmers. Although the current practices partially decrease manure pathogens, interventions to promote the use of more effective treatment methods, such as biogas transformation and composting, would be beneficial

ORPHEUS: A Virtual Learning Environment of Ancient Greek Music

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Antioksidacijski i antimikrobni učinak ekstrakata tršlje (Pistacia lentiscus L.) u kobasicama od svinjskog mesa

Pistacia lentiscus fruits are ingredients of traditional Cypriot sausages. The objective of this study is to evaluate P. lentiscus extracts as natural additives to the sausages. First, the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of fruit and leaf extracts were determined. Results revealed that leaves are richer source of polyphenolic antioxidants than fruits, with methanol being the better extraction solvent. In the next step, the antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of methanolic extracts (300 mg/kg) in the pork sausage formulation were investigated. Peroxide, acid and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance values demonstrated that both fruit and leaf extracts reduced the rate of lipid oxidation of sausages at 4 °C. Total viable count revealed significant differences on the fifth day of storage, with better microbial inhibition by leaf extract. No significant differences between the extracts were observed after the tenth day of storage. Overall, the extracts can be used to prevent lipid oxidation and reduce microbial spoilage during the first days of storage of fresh traditional pork sausages.Plod tršlje (Pistacia lentiscus) koristi se kao dodatak tradicionalno proizvedenim ciparskim kobasicama. Svrha je ovoga rada bila ispitati djelovanje ekstrakata tršlje kao prirodnih dodataka kobasicama. Prvo je određen udjel fenola u ekstraktima ploda i lista te je izmjerena njihova antioksidacijska aktivnost. Rezultati pokazuju da je lišće tršlje bogatije polifenolnim antioksidansima od plodova, a za njihovu je ekstrakciju najbolje upotrijebiti metanol. Zatim je ispitan antioksidacijski i antimikrobni učinak metanolnih ekstrakata (300 mg/kg) u kobasicama od svinjskog mesa. Peroksidni i kiselinski brojevi te koncentracija reaktivnih spojeva tiobarbiturne kiseline potvrđuju da se dodatkom oba ekstrakta smanjila oksidacija lipida u kobasicama na temperaturi skladištenja od 4 °C. Nakon pet dana skladištenja je u uzorcima kobasica s ekstraktima tršlje u usporedbi s kontrolnim uzorkom znatno smanjen ukupni broj živih stanica mikroorganizama, pri čemu je ekstrakt lišća imao bolji inhibicijski učinak. Nakon deset dana skladištenja nisu uočene bitne razlike u inhibicijskom učinku između ekstrakta ploda i lišća. Iz dobivenih rezultata moguće je zaključiti da se ekstrakti ploda i lišća tršlje mogu primijeniti za sprečavanje oksidacije lipida i produljenje trajnosti tradicionalnih kobasica od svježeg svinjskog mesa

Survival of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in retail pasteurised milk

A survey of retail purchased semi-skimmed pasteurised milk (n = 368) for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) was conducted between May 2014 and June 2015 across the midlands of England using the Phage-PCR assay. Overall, 10.3% of the total samples collected contained viable MAP cells, confirming that pasteurisation is not capable of fully eliminating human exposure to viable MAP through milk. Comparison of the results gained using the Phage-PCR assay with the results of surveys using either culture or direct PCR suggest that the phage-PCR assay is able to detect lower numbers of cells, resulting in an increase in the number of MAP-positive samples detected. Comparison of viable count and levels of MAP detected in bulk milk samples suggest that MAP is not primarily introduced into the milk by faecal contamination but rather are shed directly into the milk within the udder. In addition results detected an asymmetric distribution of MAP exists in the milk matrix prior to somatic cell lysis, indicating that the bacterial cells in naturally contaminated milk are clustered together and may primarily be located within somatic cells. These latter two results lead to the hypothesis that intracellular MAP within the somatic cells may be protected against heat inactivation during pasteurisation, accounting for the presence of low levels of MAP detected in retail milk

Application of the urban exposome framework using drinking water and quality of life indicators: a proof-of-concept study in Limassol, Cyprus

Background Cities face rapid changes leading to increasing inequalities and emerging public health issues that require cost-effective interventions. The urban exposome concept refers to the continuous monitoring of urban environmental and health indicators using the city and smaller intra-city areas as measurement units in an interdisciplinary approach that combines qualitative and quantitative methods from social sciences, to epidemiology and exposure assessment. Methods In this proof of concept study, drinking water and quality of life indicators were described as part of the development of the urban exposome of Limassol (Cyprus) and were combined with agnostic environment-wide association analysis. This study was conducted as a two-part project with a qualitative part assessing the perceptions of city stakeholders, and quantitative part using a cross-sectional study design (an urban population study). We mapped the water quality parameters and participants’ opinions on city life (i.e., neighborhood life, health care, and green space access) using quarters (small administrative areas) as the reference unit of the city. In an exploratory, agnostic, environment-wide association study analysis, we used all variables (questionnaire responses and water quality metrics) to describe correlations between them. Results Overall, urban drinking-water quality using conventional indicators of chemical (disinfection byproducts-trihalomethanes (THM)) and microbial (coliforms, E. coli, and Enterococci) quality did not raise particular concerns. The general health and chronic health status of the urban participants were significantly (false discovery rate corrected p-value < 0.1) associated with different health conditions such as hypertension and asthma, as well as having financial issues in access to dental care. Additionally, correlations between THM exposures and participant behavioral characteristics (e.g., household cleaning, drinking water habits) were documented. Conclusion This proof-of-concept study showed the potential of using integrative approaches to develop urban exposomic profiles and identifying within-city differences in environmental and health indicators. The characterization of the urban exposome of Limassol will be expanded via the inclusion of biomonitoring tools and untargeted metabolomics

Development and evaluation of a rapid phage-PCR assay to detect mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in dairy products

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Effect of High-Pressure Processing on the Microbial Quality throughout the Shelf Life of Vacuum-Packed Sliced Ham and Frankfurters

Microbial spoilage is one of the most important factors threatening the shelf life of meat products. High-pressure processing (HPP) is growing out of its infancy with an increasing number of commercial applications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of HPP on the microbial quality of commercial ham and frankfurters over their shelf life period. Commercially manufactured ham and frankfurters were processed with HPP at 600MPa for 3min and were then stored in parallel with nontreated samples (control) at 4C for a period of 7 weeks. All samples were weekly analyzed for the following parameters: total aerobic count (TAC), coliforms, Escherichia coli, staphylococci, yeasts and moulds, Salmonella spp., and Listeria spp. At the end of the tested shelf life period, a significant difference (P<0.005) was observed on the TAC between HPP-treated and nontreated samples for both products tested, demonstrating the efficiency of the HPP method. Practical Applications: This study shows that the HPP treatment at 600MPa for 3min is effective at increasing significantly the shelf life of the two products tested. Sliced ham and frankfurters are among the most popular meat products consumed and the majority of the producers apply vacuum packaging to these products. The meat industry is seeking ways to increase the shelf life of these products and it was shown here that this can be achieved by the application of modern commercial HPP systems

Beneficial Effects of Yoghurts and Probiotic Fermented Milks and Their Functional Food Potential

Probiotic fermented milks and yoghurts are acidified and fermented by viable bacteria, usually L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus, resulting in a thicker product with a longer shelf life. They are a nutrition-dense food, providing a good source of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B2, and vitamin B12. Additionally, they deliver high biological value proteins and essential fatty acids. There is accumulating evidence suggesting that yoghurt and fermented milk consumption is related to a number of health advantages, including the prevention of osteoporosis, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as the promotion of gut health and immune system modulation. This review aims at presenting and critically reviewing the beneficial effects from the consumption of probiotic fermented milks in human health, whilst revealing potential applications in the food industry