Leiden behornte Milchkühe weniger unter leichtem bis moderatem Hitzestress als enthornte?

Es wird vermutetet, dass Hörner bei der Thermoregulation von Rindern eine Rolle spielen könnten. Deshalb wurde die Atemfrequenz, als Indikator für Hitzestress, von behornten und enthornten Europäischen Milchkühen, die gemeinsam in einer Herde im Stall gehalten wurden, erfasst. Die Gruppenzusammensetzung (N=7) war bezüglich Laktationsstand (35-354 d), Milchleistung (5,6-36,6 kg/d) und Fellfarbe balanciert. Die Atemfrequenz jedes Tieres wurde an fünf aufeinanderfolgenden Tagen durch eine Person erfasst. Der Temperature Humidity Index (THI) wurde alle 10 min. im Stall gemessen. Zur Datenanalyse wurde ein gemischtes Modell verwendet (zufälliger Faktor: Tier, fixe Faktoren: Hornstatus, THI). Der THI lag zwischen 71,9-81,5 (Mittel=75,9). Mit steigendem THI, stieg auch die Atemfrequenz an (Modellschätzwert=0,9, P=0,0341). Die Atemfrequenz lag zwischen 29,6-78,5 (Mittel=55,0). Der Hornstatus hatte keinen Einfluss auf die Atemfrequenz (P=0,5294). Im Stall hatte die Behornung keinen abschwächenden Effekt auf leichten bis moderaten Hitzestress

Die psychische Gesundheit von Kindern in frühpädagogischen Einrichtungen unterstützen. Zentrale Diskurse, empirische Erkenntnisse und Handlungskonsequenzen. Eine Expertise der Weiterbildungsinitiative Frühpädagogische Fachkräfte (WiFF)

Mit dem Ausbau der Frühen Bildung geriet auch die psychische Gesundheit der betreuten Kinder in den Blick und das Thema fand Eingang in die Bildungspläne der Länder. In der Expertise arbeiten die Autorinnen und Autoren anhand etablierter Qualitätskonzepte für die Kindertagesbetreuung heraus, wie in der Praxis die psychische Gesundheit systematisch und umfassend gefördert werden kann. Zudem benennen sie strategische Ansatzpunkte, die eine Veränderung im Umgang mit den Kindern bewirken oder strukturelle Rahmenbedingungen positiv beeinflussen können. Unterfüttert mit konkreten Beispielen und Praxisempfehlungen, leistet die Expertise einen Beitrag zur Qualitätsentwicklung von Kindertageseinrichtungen. (Verlag

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic as a catalyst? Development of emotional problems of preschool children of mothers with childhood maltreatment experiences in the course of the pandemic–a longitudinal analysis

BackgroundSARS-CoV-2 pandemic have posed great challenges for all families and children. Health risks and fears associated with SARS-CoV-2 negatively affect the parental mental health and perceived stress, which in turn influence parental coping and thereby impairs the mental health and well-being of their children. Additional risk factors within the parents, such as maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) experiences, may increase the risk of children to develop emotional problems during the pandemic.ObjectiveThe purpose of this longitudinal study is to determine whether preschool children of mothers with CM are at higher risk of developing emotional problems during the pandemic than preschool children of mothers without CM.Method74 mothers from a birth cohort examining pathways to resilience or vulnerability in the transgenerational transmission of CM, provided information on emotional problems of their children (aged 3–7 years) at two measurement time points (t1: May 2020, t2: March 2021) as part of an online “SARS-CoV-2 pandemic” survey. In addition, parents were asked for a retrospective assessment of their children's emotional problems before the pandemic at time t1. Children's emotional problems were assessed using the “emotional problems” scale of the German version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and linked to previously collected data on mothers' childhood maltreatment experiences, which were collected using the German short version of the Trauma in Childhood Questionnaire (CTQ).ResultsOur analyses showed that children's emotional problems increased significantly over the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic [F(1.86, 116.88) = 3.72, p = 0.030 η2 = 0.06] and were rated significantly higher in the group of children of mothers with CM, than in the group of mothers without CM [F(1, 63) = 126.06, p < 0.001 η2 = 0.67]. Furthermore children's emotional problems of mothers with CM increased significantly more and reached a clinically significant value during the pandemic than for children of mothers without CM [F(1.86, 116.88) = 8.89, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.12].ConclusionsChildren of mothers with CM appear to be at increased risk of developing emotional problems during the pandemic. CM therefore needs to be considered as an additional risk factor in the impact of the pandemic on children

Genomic epidemiology of clinical ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in a German hospital suggests infections are primarily community- and regionally-acquired

Clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates that produce extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) have been increasingly reported at a global scale. However, comprehensive data on the molecular epidemiology of ESBL-producing strains are limited and few studies have been conducted in non-outbreak situations. We used whole-genome sequencing to describe the population structure of 294 ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates that were recovered from a German community hospital throughout a 1 year sampling period in a non-outbreak situation. We found a high proportion of E. coli isolates (61.5 %) belonged to the globally disseminated extraintestinal pathogenic ST131, whereas a wider diversity of STs was observed among K. pneumoniae isolates. The E. coli ST131 population in this study was shaped by multiple introductions of strains as demonstrated by contextual genomic analysis including ST131 strains from other geographical sources. While no recent common ancestor of the isolates of the current study and other international isolates was found, our clinical isolates clustered with those previously recovered in the region. Furthermore, we found that the isolation of ESBL-producing clinical strains in hospitalized patients could only rarely be associated with likely patient-to-patient transmission, indicating primarily a community and regional acquisition of strains. Further genomic analyses of clinical, carriage and environmental isolates is needed to uncover hidden transmissions and thus discover the most common sources of ESBL-producing pathogen infections in our hospitals

Atypical maternal interaction is associated with elevated levels of hair cortisol in children

The quality of maternal caregiving is an important factor in the healthy development of a child. One consequence of prolonged insensitive and atypical maternal interaction behavior (e.g., withdrawing from interactions with the child and role-reversal, i.e., the takeover of the parental role or parts of it by the child) in mother-child-dyads can cause alteration of the child's stress response system. Higher salivary cortisol concentrations were reported in infants and toddlers directly after negative interactions with their parents. However, no study to date has examined the association between atypical maternal interaction behavior and hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) in infants. Here, we studied the association of maternal interaction behavior with HCC of the child. Mother-child dyads (N = 112) participated in the longitudinal study My Childhood—Your Childhood. The AMBIANCE scale and its subscales were used to assess atypical maternal interaction behavior during the Strange Situation Procedure. Chronic stress levels in the child were assessed by HCC of 3 cm hair strands at the age of 12 months. Maternal educational level (operationalized in highest education level) served as a control variable. Robust multiple linear regression analyses revealed that role/boundary confusion was associated with HCC, i.e., the higher atypical interaction behavior of the mother the higher the HCC in the children. By measuring hair cortisol in this study, it is possible to determine the average long-term activity of the child's stress response system.Thus, atypical maternal interaction behavior could be a risk factor for persistent stress in children, contributing to a higher risk for negative health outcomes in later life. The results of this study highlight the importance of early intervention programs that focus on the relationship between mother and child

Prognostic factors in 264 adults with invasive Scedosporium spp. and Lomentospora prolificans infection reported in the literature and FungiScope

Invasive Scedosporium spp. and Lomentospora prolificans infections are an emerging threat in immunocompromised and occasionally in healthy hosts. Scedosporium spp. is intrinsically resistant to most, L. prolificans to all the antifungal drugs currently approved, raising concerns about appropriate treatment decisions. High mortality rates of up to 90% underline the need for comprehensive diagnostic workup and even more for new, effective antifungal drugs to improve patient outcome. For a comprehensive analysis, we identified cases of severe Scedosporium spp. and L. prolificans infections from the literature diagnosed in 2000 or later and the FungiScopeVR registry. For 208 Scedosporium spp. infections solid organ transplantation (n¼58, 27.9%) and for 56 L. prolificans infection underlying malignancy (n¼28, 50.0%) were the most prevalent risk factors. L. prolificans infections frequently presented as fungemia (n¼26, 46.4% versus n¼12, 5.8% for Scedosporium spp.). Malignancy, fungemia, CNS and lung involvement predicted worse outcome for scedosporiosis and lomentosporiosis. Patients treated with voriconazole had a better overall outcome in both groups compared to treatment with amphotericin B formulations. This review discusses the epidemiology, prognostic factors, pathogen susceptibility to approved and investigational antifungals, and treatment strategies of severe infections caused by Scedosporium spp. and L. prolificansWe thank Sabine Wrackmeyer for her private donation to support the projec

Effects of nanoparticles in Mytilus edulis gills and hepatopancreas - a New Threat to Marine Life?

Every day new extraordinary properties of nanoparticles (a billionth of a meter) are discovered and worldwide millions are invested into nanotechnology and nanomaterials. As nanoparticles essentially differ from other environmental toxins, known mechanisms of toxicity do not apply. Man-made nanoparticles are introduced into the environment from multi-tons of carbon black and fumed silica for plastic fillers, car tyres and house insulation, kilograms in sunscreens, toothpaste, cosmetics, sanitary ware coatings, antifouling covers to micrograms as fluorescent quantum dots in biological imaging. According to the EU Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) toxicological risks assessment of nanoparticles should be based on particle size and shape (nanotubes and nanofibre such as glass wool and asbestos). Two areas are relevant here: (1) In free form nanoparticles can be released in the air or water during production (or production accidents) or as waste by product of production, and ultimately accumulate in the soil, water or plant life. (2) In fixed form, where they are part of a manufactured substance or product, they will ultimately have to be recycled or disposed of as waste. We used the filter feeding blue mussel as a model to analyse uptake and effects of nanoparticles from glass wool over a period of up to 60 days and measured lysosomal membrane stability and lipofuscin. By electron microscopic studies we analysed if and which size and shapes of particles were taken up by gills and into hepatopancreas. Lysosomal stability decreased significantly already after 24 h of exposure followed by lipofuscin accumulation indicating oxidative stress. Electronmicroscopy indicated inflammatory response, increased autophagy and silica fibre and dust accumulation in gills and hepatopancreas, mainly in the lysosomal system

Detection of Nucleotide Variability in rpoB in both Rifampin-Sensitive and Rifampin-Resistant Strains of Chlamydia trachomatis

A 656-bp PCR fragment from rpoB was sequenced from five rifampin-resistant Chlamydia trachomatis variants selected in vitro from a wild-type parent with a surprising level of genetic variability in this region. Three variants (MIC, 4 μg/ml) showed Ala522→Val in cluster I (codons 507 to 533), which harbors mutations in most rifampin-resistant bacteria. Two high-level resistance variants (MICs, 64 and 256 μg/ml) showed His526→Tyr in cluster I with additional genetic variation, some of which resulted in amino acid substitutions. None of the latter was situated in clusters related to rifampin resistance in other bacteria

Mothers’ daily perceived stress influences their children’s mental health during SARS-CoV-2-pandemic—an online survey

Abstract Background The current situation caused by the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic is associated with serious losses for everyone and has been affecting social life, politics, the economy and the media worldwide. Preventive isolation and social distancing strategies have confronted families with a large number of different challenges. The current epidemic and quarantine restrictions have a verifiable influence on the emotional and social development of children and adolescents. During this ongoing situation children of parents, who already were mentally stressed, seem particularly at risk. Objective We aimed to assess the role of maternal daily perceived stress on children’s mental health during the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic. Methods An online “SARS-CoV-2-pandemic survey” was developed to assess children’s mental health since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. To describe maternal perceived everyday stress, data from a longitudinal survey was utilized. Our survey includes elements and versions of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Perceived Stress Scale. We furthermore collected socio-demographic data. Due to our limited dependent variables we applied Tobit models for estimation. Results We found a positive and significant effect of the maternal perceived everyday stress on children’s emotional problems during the pandemic. Furthermore, results provide empirical evidence for an increase of the children's hyperactivity level dependent on the mother’s perceived stress before the SARS-COV-2 crisis. We could not find significant effects for the relationship between mother’s perceived everyday stress and the children's behavioral problems. Conclusions Analyses illustrate the effects on children's mental distress during everyday life in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Future research needs to identify influencing factors with regard to political, economic and social restrictions, in order to prevent children’s mental health problems