Associations between time in the close-up group and milk yield, milk components, reproductive performance, and culling of Holstein dairy cows fed acidogenic diets: A multisite study

The objective of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate the association between the prepartum days in the close-up group (DINCU) and milk yield, milk components, reproductive performance, and culling risk in the subsequent lactation for Holstein dairy cows. Dry cow feeding management of 20 farms was evaluated during 2 farm visits. All farms were feeding an acidogenic diet in the close-up group. Data from 14,843 cows were collected for 365 d following the second farm visit. Data sets of 13,314 cows were available for final statistical analysis after exclusion of cows with missing information about gestation length, cows with a gestation length shorter than 262 d or longer than 292, cows with 0 DINCU, and cows with >42 DINCU. At enrollment, 3,871 and 9,443 of those animals were nulliparous and parous cows, respectively. Continuous data such as energy corrected milk (ECM), the ratio of fat and protein, and somatic cell score (SCS) at first test day were analyzed using linear mixed models. Binary data such as stillbirth, culling within 60 DIM, and pregnancy within 150 DIM were analyzed using logistic regression models. Based on their different physiology, separate models were built for nulliparous and parous cows. All results displayed are the predicted least squares means from the multivariable analyses. A significant association between DINCU and milk yield at first test day was observed for nulliparous and parous cows. Nulliparous cows with 7, 21, or 35 DINCU had a first test day ECM of 31.8, 33.3, and 35.5 kg, respectively. Parous cows with 7, 21, or 35 DINCU had a first test day ECM of 42.8, 45.6, and 44.6 kg of ECM, respectively. In nulliparous cows, there was a tendency for an association between DINCU and the ratio of fat and protein at first test day. In parous cows, however, a significant association was observed. Parous cows with 7, 21, or 35 DINCU had a ratio of fat and protein of 1.31, 1.35, and 1.37, respectively. There was a significant association between DINCU and SCS at first test day in nulliparous and parous cows. In nulliparous cows with 7, 21, or 35 DINCU, SCS was 2.39, 2.49, and 2.85, respectively. In parous cows with 7, 21, or 35 DINCU, SCS was 2.46, 2.53, and 2.78, respectively. No associations were observed between DINCU and occurrence of stillbirth and DINCU and the risk of pregnancy within 150 DIM. The multivariable model predicted a tendency for an association between DINCU and the risk of being culled within 60 DIM in parous cows. Particularly, 0 to 6 DINCU were associated with a substantially increased risk of being culled. In conclusion, a short stay in the close-up group should be avoided to improve milk yield at first test day and to minimize culling risk for parous cows. A long stay in the close-up group (>30 d) was associated with reduced milk production and an increased ratio of fat and protein in milk of parous cows and increased SCS of nulliparous and parous cows

Human Practice. Digital Ecologies. Our Future. : 14. Internationale Tagung Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI 2019) : Tagungsband

Erschienen bei: universi - Universitätsverlag Siegen. - ISBN: 978-3-96182-063-4Aus dem Inhalt: Track 1: Produktion & Cyber-Physische Systeme Requirements and a Meta Model for Exchanging Additive Manufacturing Capacities Service Systems, Smart Service Systems and Cyber- Physical Systems—What’s the difference? Towards a Unified Terminology Developing an Industrial IoT Platform – Trade-off between Horizontal and Vertical Approaches Machine Learning und Complex Event Processing: Effiziente Echtzeitauswertung am Beispiel Smart Factory Sensor retrofit for a coffee machine as condition monitoring and predictive maintenance use case Stakeholder-Analyse zum Einsatz IIoT-basierter Frischeinformationen in der Lebensmittelindustrie Towards a Framework for Predictive Maintenance Strategies in Mechanical Engineering - A Method-Oriented Literature Analysis Development of a matching platform for the requirement-oriented selection of cyber physical systems for SMEs Track 2: Logistic Analytics An Empirical Study of Customers’ Behavioral Intention to Use Ridepooling Services – An Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model Modeling Delay Propagation and Transmission in Railway Networks What is the impact of company specific adjustments on the acceptance and diffusion of logistic standards? Robust Route Planning in Intermodal Urban Traffic Track 3: Unternehmensmodellierung & Informationssystemgestaltung (Enterprise Modelling & Information Systems Design) Work System Modeling Method with Different Levels of Specificity and Rigor for Different Stakeholder Purposes Resolving Inconsistencies in Declarative Process Models based on Culpability Measurement Strategic Analysis in the Realm of Enterprise Modeling – On the Example of Blockchain-Based Initiatives for the Electricity Sector Zwischenbetriebliche Integration in der Möbelbranche: Konfigurationen und Einflussfaktoren Novices’ Quality Perceptions and the Acceptance of Process Modeling Grammars Entwicklung einer Definition für Social Business Objects (SBO) zur Modellierung von Unternehmensinformationen Designing a Reference Model for Digital Product Configurators Terminology for Evolving Design Artifacts Business Role-Object Specification: A Language for Behavior-aware Structural Modeling of Business Objects Generating Smart Glasses-based Information Systems with BPMN4SGA: A BPMN Extension for Smart Glasses Applications Using Blockchain in Peer-to-Peer Carsharing to Build Trust in the Sharing Economy Testing in Big Data: An Architecture Pattern for a Development Environment for Innovative, Integrated and Robust Applications Track 4: Lern- und Wissensmanagement (e-Learning and Knowledge Management) eGovernment Competences revisited – A Literature Review on necessary Competences in a Digitalized Public Sector Say Hello to Your New Automated Tutor – A Structured Literature Review on Pedagogical Conversational Agents Teaching the Digital Transformation of Business Processes: Design of a Simulation Game for Information Systems Education Conceptualizing Immersion for Individual Learning in Virtual Reality Designing a Flipped Classroom Course – a Process Model The Influence of Risk-Taking on Knowledge Exchange and Combination Gamified Feedback durch Avatare im Mobile Learning Alexa, Can You Help Me Solve That Problem? - Understanding the Value of Smart Personal Assistants as Tutors for Complex Problem Tasks Track 5: Data Science & Business Analytics Matching with Bundle Preferences: Tradeoff between Fairness and Truthfulness Applied image recognition: guidelines for using deep learning models in practice Yield Prognosis for the Agrarian Management of Vineyards using Deep Learning for Object Counting Reading Between the Lines of Qualitative Data – How to Detect Hidden Structure Based on Codes Online Auctions with Dual-Threshold Algorithms: An Experimental Study and Practical Evaluation Design Features of Non-Financial Reward Programs for Online Reviews: Evaluation based on Google Maps Data Topic Embeddings – A New Approach to Classify Very Short Documents Based on Predefined Topics Leveraging Unstructured Image Data for Product Quality Improvement Decision Support for Real Estate Investors: Improving Real Estate Valuation with 3D City Models and Points of Interest Knowledge Discovery from CVs: A Topic Modeling Procedure Online Product Descriptions – Boost for your Sales? 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On the Effectiveness of IT Consumerization Policies Agile and Attached: The Impact of Agile Practices on Agile Team Members’ Affective Organisational Commitment The Complexity Trap – Limits of IT Flexibility for Supporting Organizational Agility in Decentralized Organizations Platform Openness: A Systematic Literature Review and Avenues for Future Research Competence, Fashion and the Case of Blockchain The Digital Platform Otto.de: A Case Study of Growth, Complexity, and Generativity Track 8: eHealth & alternde Gesellschaft Security and Privacy of Personal Health Records in Cloud Computing Environments – An Experimental Exploration of the Impact of Storage Solutions and Data Breaches Patientenintegration durch Pfadsysteme Digitalisierung in der Stressprävention – eine qualitative Interviewstudie zu Nutzenpotenzialen User Dynamics in Mental Health Forums – A Sentiment Analysis Perspective Intent and the Use of Wearables in the Workplace – A Model Development Understanding Patient Pathways in the Context of Integrated Health Care Services - Implications from a Scoping Review Understanding the Habitual Use of Wearable Activity Trackers On the Fit in Fitness Apps: Studying the Interaction of Motivational Affordances and Users’ Goal Orientations in Affecting the Benefits Gained Gamification in Health Behavior Change Support Systems - A Synthesis of Unintended Side Effects Investigating the Influence of Information Incongruity on Trust-Relations within Trilateral Healthcare Settings Track 9: Krisen- und Kontinuitätsmanagement Potentiale von IKT beim Ausfall kritischer Infrastrukturen: Erwartungen, Informationsgewinnung und Mediennutzung der Zivilbevölkerung in Deutschland Fake News Perception in Germany: A Representative Study of People’s Attitudes and Approaches to Counteract Disinformation Analyzing the Potential of Graphical Building Information for Fire Emergency Responses: Findings from a Controlled Experiment Track 10: Human-Computer Interaction Towards a Taxonomy of Platforms for Conversational Agent Design Measuring Service Encounter Satisfaction with Customer Service Chatbots using Sentiment Analysis Self-Tracking and Gamification: Analyzing the Interplay of Motivations, Usage and Motivation Fulfillment Erfolgsfaktoren von Augmented-Reality-Applikationen: Analyse von Nutzerrezensionen mit dem Review-Mining-Verfahren Designing Dynamic Decision Support for Electronic Requirements Negotiations Who is Stressed by Using ICTs? 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An Empirical Analysis of the Relationship between Emotions and Review Helpfulness for Experience and Credence Goods Track 11: Information Security and Information Privacy Unfolding Concerns about Augmented Reality Technologies: A Qualitative Analysis of User Perceptions To (Psychologically) Own Data is to Protect Data: How Psychological Ownership Determines Protective Behavior in a Work and Private Context Understanding Data Protection Regulations from a Data Management Perspective: A Capability-Based Approach to EU-GDPR On the Difficulties of Incentivizing Online Privacy through Transparency: A Qualitative Survey of the German Health Insurance Market What is Your Selfie Worth? A Field Study on Individuals’ Valuation of Personal Data Justification of Mass Surveillance: A Quantitative Study An Exploratory Study of Risk Perception for Data Disclosure to a Network of Firms Track 12: Umweltinformatik und nachhaltiges Wirtschaften Kommunikationsfäden im Nadelöhr – Fachliche Prozessmodellierung der Nachhaltigkeitskommunikation am Kapitalmarkt Potentiale und Herausforderungen der Materialflusskostenrechnung Computing Incentives for User-Based Relocation in Carsharing Sustainability’s Coming Home: Preliminary Design Principles for the Sustainable Smart District Substitution of hazardous chemical substances using Deep Learning and t-SNE A Hierarchy of DSMLs in Support of Product Life-Cycle Assessment A Survey of Smart Energy Services for Private Households Door-to-Door Mobility Integrators as Keystone Organizations of Smart Ecosystems: Resources and Value Co-Creation – A Literature Review Ein Entscheidungsunterstützungssystem zur ökonomischen Bewertung von Mieterstrom auf Basis der Clusteranalyse Discovering Blockchain for Sustainable Product-Service Systems to enhance the Circular Economy Digitale Rückverfolgbarkeit von Lebensmitteln: Eine verbraucherinformatische Studie Umweltbewusstsein durch audiovisuelles Content Marketing? 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Results of a Large-Scale Interview Study Application of Media Synchronicity Theory to Creative Tasks in Virtual Teams Using the Example of Design Thinking TrustyTweet: An Indicator-based Browser-Plugin to Assist Users in Dealing with Fake News on Twitter Application of Process Mining Techniques to Support Maintenance-Related Objectives How Voice Can Change Customer Satisfaction: A Comparative Analysis between E-Commerce and Voice Commerce Business Process Compliance and Blockchain: How Does the Ethereum Blockchain Address Challenges of Business Process Compliance? Improving Business Model Configuration through a Question-based Approach The Influence of Situational Factors and Gamification on Intrinsic Motivation and Learning Evaluation von ITSM-Tools für Integration und Management von Cloud-Diensten am Beispiel von ServiceNow How Software Promotes the Integration of Sustainability in Business Process Management Criteria Catalog for Industrial IoT Platforms from the Perspective of the Machine Tool Industry Special Track 3: Demos & Prototyping Privacy-friendly User Location Tracking with Smart Devices: The BeaT Prototype Application-oriented robotics in nursing homes Augmented Reality for Set-up Processe Mixed Reality for supporting Remote-Meetings Gamification zur Motivationssteigerung von Werkern bei der Betriebsdatenerfassung Automatically Extracting and Analyzing Customer Needs from Twitter: A “Needmining” Prototype GaNEsHA: Opportunities for Sustainable Transportation in Smart Cities TUCANA: A platform for using local processing power of edge devices for building data-driven services Demonstrator zur Beschreibung und Visualisierung einer kritischen Infrastruktur Entwicklung einer alltagsnahen persuasiven App zur Bewegungsmotivation für ältere Nutzerinnen und Nutzer A browser-based modeling tool for studying the learning of conceptual modeling based on a multi-modal data collection approach Exergames & Dementia: An interactive System for People with Dementia and their Care-Network Workshops Workshop Ethics and Morality in Business Informatics (Workshop Ethik und Moral in der Wirtschaftsinformatik – EMoWI’19) Model-Based Compliance in Information Systems - Foundations, Case Description and Data Set of the MobIS-Challenge for Students and Doctoral Candidates Report of the Workshop on Concepts and Methods of Identifying Digital Potentials in Information Management Control of Systemic Risks in Global Networks - A Grand Challenge to Information Systems Research Die Mitarbeiter von morgen - Kompetenzen künftiger Mitarbeiter im Bereich Business Analytics Digitaler Konsum: Herausforderungen und Chancen der Verbraucherinformati

Evaluation of transition cow management in East German dairy farms and the association between exposure length to a prepartum negative DCAD diet and health and performance in the subsequent lactation of Holstein dairy cows

Mit dem ersten Abschnitt der Arbeit sollte ein Einblick in die Fütterung, Haltung und das Managements von Transitkühen in deutschen Milchviehbetrieben gegeben werden. Zu diesem Zweck wurde das Transitkuhmanagement beim Einsatz saurer Salze in 18 ostdeutschen Milchviehbetrieben untersucht. Jeder Betrieb wurde zweimal im Abstand von 14 Tagen besucht. Während der zwei Betriebsbesuche fand in den 18 Betrieben eine eingehende Charakterisierung statt. Im Rahmen dessen wurde neben den allgemeinen Betriebsdaten, (1) die Haltung, (2) die Stallform, (3) die Fütterung und (4) die Tiergesundheit von trockenstehenden Kühen, hochtragenden Färsen und Frischmelkern beurteilt. Dafür wurde in den Milchviehbetrieben unter anderem die Belegungsdichte in den Transitgruppen bestimmt. Weiterhin wurde in jedem Betrieb bei mindestens 12 Tieren in der Vorbereitergruppe die pHWerte, Netto-Säuren-Basen-Ausscheidungen (NSBA) und die Calciumkonzentrationen im Harn sowie die NEFA- und BHB-Konzentrationen im Blut analysiert. Zur Überwachung des Fütterungsmanagements wurde die TMR bezüglich der Inhaltsstoffe, Misch- und Verteilungsgenauigkeit analysiert, die Futterselektion sowie die Trockenmasseaufnahme in den Transitgruppen bestimmt. Des Weiteren wurde zur Überprüfung des Futtertischmanagements in den Gruppen der Vorbereiter und Frischmelker eine Zeitrafferkamera installiert. Es konnten einige praxisrelevante Schwachstellen des Herdenmanagements aufgedeckt werden. Im Rahmen der betriebseigenen Kontrolle und Überwachung des Einsatzes saurer Salze besteht großer Handlungsbedarf. Es ist dringend notwendig, die Ansäuerung der Vorbereiterkühe mittels regelmäßiger Harn-pH-Kontrollen zu überprüfen. Dies erfolgte in nur 2 von 18 untersuchten Milchviehbetrieben. Die fehlende Überwachung der Ansäuerung spiegelte sich deutlich in den pH-Werten, der NSBA und den Calciumkonzentrationen im Harn wider. In nur 6 der 18 untersuchten Herden lag der durchschnittliche Harn-pH zu beiden Untersuchungszeitpunkten in dem Zielbereich von 5,8 bis 7,0. Des Weiteren konnte in den untersuchten Vorbereitergruppen eine große Variation der pH-Werte sowohl innerhalb einer wöchentlichen Stichprobe (n ≥ 12 Tiere) als auch zwischen den wöchentlichen Stichproben festgestellt werden. Außerdem waren mehr als 50 % der untersuchten Vorbereitergruppen überbelegt, wodurch den Tieren kein adäquates Angebot an Fressplatz, Tränkeplatz und Liegeplatz zur Verfügung stand. Durch die Auswertungen der Zeitrafferkameras konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Tiere in den Transitgruppen keinen permanenten Zugang zu Futter hatten und dass die Dauer des Futterentzuges sehr lang war. Nur in vereinzelten Vorbereiter- und Frischmelkergruppen (1/18 und 2/13) konnte den Tieren ein nahezu permanenter Futterzugang gewährleistet werden. Zudem war die Wasserversorgung in 75 % der untersuchten Transitgruppen (43/57) nicht ausreichend. Die daraus resultierende Konkurrenz um Futter, Wasser und Liegeplätze kann zu einem erhöhten Stresslevel führen und negative Auswirkungen vor allem für rangniedrige, kleinere und jüngere Färsen und Kühe auf ihre Gesundheit und Leistung haben. In 16 Betrieben stellten die Abkalbeställe Gruppenhaltung von 2 bis 15 Tieren dar. Zudem war in 6 Betrieben, abgesehen von der Umstallung zur Kalbung in einen dafür vorgesehenen Abkalbestall, eine Umstallung der Tiere während der Vorbereitungsdauer (≈1 bis 10 Tage) fest in das Transitkuhmanagement etabliert. Diese können aufgrund des damit verbundenen Stressniveaus zu einer verringerten Trockenmasseaufnahme, Liegezeit sowie Milchproduktion führen. Die Prävalenz der Hypocalcämie ( 41,7%). Die erhöhte Prävalenz der subklinischen Ketose in den untersuchten Betrieben (38,4 %) lag über den Angaben der internationalen Literatur. Die Ergebnisse der Arbeit zeigen, dass der Einsatz saurer Salze zur Optimierung der peripartalen Calciumhomöostase hohe Anforderungen an das Herdenmanagement, insbesondere im Rahmen der Haltung und Fütterung, stellt. Bei der Anwendung einer Anionenration ist die wöchentliche Bestimmung des Harn-pH zur Kontrolle des erreichten Ansäuerungsgrades in der Herdenüberwachung von großer Wichtigkeit. Dem Herdenmanagement wird auch bezüglich der Ketoseprävalenz eine große Wichtigkeit zugeschrieben. Deshalb sollte die Aufmerksamkeit vor allem, durch permanenten Futterzugang sowie Minimierung des sozialen und umweltbedingten Stressniveaus der Tiere, auf der Optimierung der Trockenmasseaufnahme und Energiezufuhr liegen. Mit dieser Arbeit konnte gezeigt werden, dass im Rahmen des Transitkuhmanagement beim Einsatz saurer Salze in ostdeutschen Milchviehbetrieben Optimierungsbedarf besteht. Das Ziel des zweiten Teils der Arbeit war es herauszufinden, inwieweit beim Einsatz saurer Salze die Verweildauer in der Vorbereitungsgruppe die Tiergesundheit und Milchleistung in der nachfolgenden Laktation beeinflusst. Während des Beobachtungszeitraumes, haben in den 18 untersuchten Betrieben 20.373 Tiere gekalbt. In die finale statistische Auswertung wurden insgesamt 13.314 Tieren (3.871 Jungkühe und 9.443 Altkühe), eingeschlossen. Es konnte eine große Variation der Vorbereitungsdauer zwischen den Betrieben beobachtet werden. Bei Erstlaktierenden bestand ein linearer Zusammenhang zwischen der Verweildauer in der Vorbereitergruppe und der Einsatzleistung (P < 0,001). Eine Vorbereitungsdauer von 35 bis 36 Tagen war mit der höchsten Einsatzleistung (35,45 kg/Tag; 35,43 kg/Tag) assoziiert. Erstlaktierende mit einer Vorbereitungsdauer von 35 Tagen hatten eine 3,47 kg höhere Einsatzleistung als Erstlaktierende mit einer Vorbereitungsdauer von 7 Tagen. Mehrkalbskühe mit einer Vorbereitungsdauer von 26 Tagen verzeichneten die höchste Einsatzleistung (41,64 kg ± 0,33 SEM). Mehrkalbskühe mit einer Vorbereitungsdauer von 26 Tagen hatten eine 2,9 kg höhere Einsatzleistung als Mehrkalbskühe mit einer Vorbereitungsdauer von 7 Tagen. Ein Plateau der Milchleistung konnte bei einer Vorbereitungsdauer von 22 bis 29 Tagen beobachtet werden. Bei einer Vorbereitungsdauer über 29 Tage hinaus nahm die Einsatzleistung der Mehrkalbskühe jedoch wieder leicht ab. Zwischen der Vorbereitungsdauer und dem Fett-Eiweiß-Quotienten der Mehrkalbskühe bestand ein linearer Zusammenhang (P< 0,001). Der Fett-Eiweiß-Quotient stieg bei einer langen Vorbereitungsdauer leicht an. Die Vorbereitungsdauer hatte bei Erstlaktierenden (P = 0,005) und Mehrkalbskühen (P = 0,011) einen signifikanten Einfluss auf den Gehalt an somatischen Zellen in der Milch. Je länger die Verweildauer der Kühe in der Vorbereitergruppe war, desto höher war der somatische Zellgehalt in der Milch am Tag der ersten MLP. In der vorliegenden Arbeit bestand weder bei den Erstlaktierenden noch bei den Mehrkalbskühen ein signifikanter Zusammenhang zwischen der Vorbereitungsdauer und dem Risiko für eine Totgeburt. Die Vorbereitungsdauer hatte einen signifikanten Einfluss auf die Merzungsrate innerhalb der ersten 60 Tage in Milch für Mehrkalbskühe (P = 0,025). Die Mehrkalbskühe verzeichneten bei einer Verweildauer von 1 bis 6 Tagen in der Vorbereitergruppe das größte Risiko für einen vorzeitigen Abgang. Es konnte weder bei Alt- noch bei Jungkühen ein signifikanter Zusammenhang zwischen der Vorbereitungsdauer und der Länge der Güstzeit innerhalb der ersten 150 Tage in Milch festgestellt werden. Eine kurze Vorbereitungsdauer sollte zur Steigerung der Einsatzleistung und Minimierung des Merzungsrisikos der Mehrkalbskühe vermieden werden. Wiederum hat eine lange Vorbereitungsdauer (> 30 Tage) negative Effekte auf die Einsatzleistung und Milchinhaltsstoffe der Mehrkalbskühe und auf den Zellgehalt in der Milch bei Erstlaktierenden und Mehrkalbskühen. Demnach könnte für Mehrkalbskühe eine Vorbereitungsdauer von 22 bis 29 Tagen unter Einsatz saurer Salze als optimal angesehen werden. Für die Färsen besteht ein linearer Zusammenhang zwischen der Vorbereitungsdauer und der Einsatzleistung. Bei den Kühen als auch bei den Färsen sollte eine Vorbereitungsdauer von < 7 Tagen vermieden werden.The objective of the first part of this study was to evaluate the housing and management practices in the transition period on East German dairy farms with particular focus on farms feeding a negative DCAD in the prepartum diet. Therefore, 18 farms were visited twice 2 weeks apart. We assessed (1) facility design, (2) housing system, (3) feeding management, and (4) animal health of dry cows, high pregnant heifers and fresh cows. Due to that, the stocking density were assessed in the transition groups on the 18 farms. In a subsample of cows (≥ 12) from each farm we evaluated urinary pH, net acid excretion, urinary calcium and blood NEFA, calcium and BHB. For monitoring the feeding management we analyzed the TMR regarding the ingredients, the consistency and mix quality, the sorting of TMR by dairy cows as well as the dry matter intake in the transition groups. Furthermore, a time lapse camera was installed for one week in the close-up pen and the fresh pen to evaluate the feed bunk management. The present study revealed that transition cow management might be improved on the 18 farms enrolled. Particular, monitoring of urinary pH on a weekly basis to control acidification in prepartum cows was adopted only on 2 of 18 dairy farms. The lack of regular monitoring of urinary pH led to a strong variation in urinary pH, net acid excretion and calcium levels. In only 6 of 18 herds, the average urinary pH was within the target range of 5.8 to 7.0 at both sampling times. Urinary pH was varying within the 12 cows sampled at one day, but also across the two farm visits. In addition, more than 50% of the investigated close-up groups were overcrowded, which meant that the animals did not have an adequate supply of feeding space, water locations and resting space. The evaluations of the time lapse cameras showed that the animals in the transition groups did not have permanent access to feed and that the duration of feed deprivation was quite long. Only in few close-up and fresh groups could (1/18 and 2/13) ensure that the cows did have permanent access to feed. Moreover, the supply with water troughs was insufficient in 75 % of the transition groups (43/57). The resulting competition for feed, water, and resting space may lead to increased stress levels and have negative effects especially for submissive, smaller and younger heifers and cows on their health and performance. In 16 farms, the calving pens represented groups of 2 to 15 cows. In addition, in 6 farms, apart from the move to the calving pen, regroupings during the close-up period (≈1 to 10 days a.p.) was firmly established in the transition cow management. These can result in reduced dry matter intake, lying time, as well as milk production due to the associated stress. The prevalence of hypocalcemia ( 1.2 mmol/L) was 32.8 % (63/192) and 38.4% (89/232) in 18 dairy herds. In 4 of 18 herds, the prevalence of hypocalcemic cows was classified as problematic (> 41.7 %). The increased prevalence of subclinical ketosis in the studied herds (38.4 %) is higher than reported in the international literature. These results show that feeding of anionic diets in the close-up group in order to improve peripartum calcium homeostasis requires appropriate management, especially in the context of facility design and feeding management. Feeding of a negative DCAD diet can be conducted successfully, if urinary pH is assessed routinely, based on a weekly subsample of cows. Herd management is also considered to be of great importance in order to decrease susceptibility to ketosis (e.g., permanent access to feed; minimizing the social and environmental stress). Moreover, dry matter intake must be evaluated regularly to control for sufficient energy intake. The present study shows that there is a need for optimization regarding of transition cow management in Eastern German dairy farms feeding a negative DCAD diet in the close-up group. The objective of the second part of this study was to evaluate the association between the exposure length to a prepartum negative DCAD diet and milk yield, milk components, reproductive performance and culling risk in the subsequent lactation. During the observation period 20,373 cows were calving on the participating 18 farms. A total of 13,314 animals (3,871 heifers and 9,443 cows) were included in the final statistical analysis. We observed considerable variation of exposure length to negative DCAD diet among farms. For primiparous cows, there was a linear association between days in the close-up group (DINCU) and milk yield at first test day (P < 0.001). An exposure length of 35 to 36 days to a negative DCAD diet was associated with the highest milk yield at first test day (35.45 kg/day; 35.43 kg/day). Primiparous cows with 35 DINCU had 3,47 kg higher milk yield at first test day than primiparous cows with 7 DINCU. Multiparous cows with 26 DINCU had the highest milk yield at firs test day (41.64 kg ± 0.33 SEM). Multiparous cows with 26 DINCU had 2,9 kg higher milk yield at first test day than multiparous cows with 7 DINCU. A plateau in milk yield was observed between 22 and 29 DINCU. Beyond 29 DINCU, however, was associated with a mild decrease in milk yield at first test day of multiparous cows. In the present study a linear association (P < 0.001) between DINCU and the ratio of fat and protein at first test day in multiparous cows was observed. The ratio of fat and protein increased slightly with extended DINCU. In 3 previous studies, did not detect a significant effect of DINCU on fat and protein content in milk (Weich et al., 2013, Wu et al., 2014, Lopera et al., 2018). There was a significant association between DINCU and somatic cell count at first test day in primiparous (P = 0.005) and multiparous cows (P = 0.011). The longer cows stayed in the close-up group, the higher was the linear score at first test. In the present study, there was no significant association between DINCU and the risk of stillbirth for either primiparous or multiparous cows. DINCU had a significant effect on culling within the first 60 days in milk for multiparous cows (P = 0.025). Multiparous cows with 1 to 6 DINCU had the greatest hazard of being culled within the first 60 days in milk. There was no significant association between DINCU and days open within the first 150 days in milk for either primiparous or multiparous cows. A short stay in the close-up group should be avoided to improve milk yield at first test day and to minimize culling risk for multiparous cows. In addition, a long exposure length to negative DCAD diet (>30 d) was associated with detrimental effects on milk production and milk components in multiparous cows and linear score of primiparous and multiparous cows. Accordingly, for multiparous cows, an exposure length of 22 to 29 days to a negative DCAD diet in the close-up group can be considered as optimal. For heifers, there is a linear association between the DINCU and milk yield in first test day. For both, cows and heifers, DINCU of < 7 days should be avoided

Topical Timolol for Infantile Hemangiomas: Evidence for Efficacy and Degree of Systemic Absorption

BACKGROUND Topical use of timolol for infantile hemangiomas has recently emerged with promising results. It is unknown whether topical β-blockers act locally or if their effect is partly due to systemic absorption. This study investigates whether topically applied timolol is absorbed and reports on the efficacy of this treatment. METHODS We treated 40 infants with small proliferating hemangiomas with topical timolol gel 0.5% twice daily and assessed urinary excretion and serum levels in a proportion of patients. Clinical response was evaluated on a visual analog scale of standardized photographs after 1, 2, 3, and 5 months. RESULTS Forty infants with a median age of 18 weeks (range 2-35 wks) were included; 23 (58%) had superficial and 17 (42%) mixed-type hemangiomas. The median size was 3 cm(2) (range 0.1-15 cm(2) ) and nine hemangiomas were ulcerated. The hemangiomas improved significantly during treatment, with a median increase in visual analog scale of 7 points after 5 months (p < 0.001). Urinalysis for timolol was performed in 24 patients and was positive in 20 patients (83%). In three infants, serum levels of timolol were also measured and were all positive (median 0.16 ng/mL [range 0.1-0.18 ng/mL]). No significant side effects were recorded. CONCLUSION Topical therapy with timolol is effective for infantile hemangiomas, but systemic absorption occurs. Serum levels in our patients were low, suggesting that using timolol for small hemangiomas is safe, but caution is advised when treating ulcerated or large hemangiomas, very young infants, or concomitantly using systemic propranolol