Stearns County, Minnesota is the number-one dairy-producing county in the number-one dairy-producing region--the Midwest--in the country. The area has been home to German-Catholic immigrants from the Rheinland region of Germany since the mid- to late-1850s, when they traveled across Canada and the northeastern United States before finally settling on homesteads in Central Minnesota. 150 years later, the descendants of these settlers still live and farm the same area. Through it all, these farmers have kept a similar schedule: six days of fieldwork, Sunday for rest. And, nearly since the day they arrived in the area, that day of rest has featured one sacred leisure activity: baseball. The state of Minnesota boasts over 250 amateur baseball teams, the most of any state in the country. In the summer of 2012, I moved to Spring Hill, Minnesota, a town of 85, to play for the Spring Hill Chargers and work on the farm. My thesis lies at the intersection of farming and baseball, showing the reader both how little and how much has changed for these men who still farm their land of their forebears and still play America's game. A Summer in the Land of Milk tells my story of living and working in a rural area where the past hangs like a shadow and the future is frighteningly uncertain.

The dog brings great joy and is of great benefit to humans, for example as a companion dog, hunting dog, service dog and assistance dog. In some cases, dogs cause problems and society must then intervene. The Act of Supervision of Dogs and Cats aims at preventing damage and significant inconvenience that can be caused by dogs and cats. If a dog causes damage or nuisance according to The Act of Supervision of Dogs and Cats, the law can support a decision to seize a dog by the County Administrative Board or the Police Authority. Often the dog is seized because it has bitten another dog, human or other animal. In case of seizure, an investigation must be carried out by the County Administrative Board to assess the dog's mental and physical status. The Police inspector performs a mental examination of the dog, and a Veterinarian examines the dog's physical status. The County Administrative Board then decides whether the dog should be returned to its owner, rehomed, or euthanized. This study has examined the county administrations' work in Norrbotten, Skåne, Stockholm, Västerbotten, Västmanland and Västra Götaland. A total of 89 dogs were seized in the six counties, between the years 2019–2021, 53 male dogs (approx. 60%) and 36 female dogs (approx. 40%). Euthanasia was the most frequently performed measure, 42 dogs were euthanized. Others were returned or rehomed. In general, all six county administrations carry out careful investigations, but a clear difference between them is how often the county administrations follow the police's proposed measures. The county administrative boards decide on euthanasia more often, 42 out of 89 times (47%), than the police give suggestions on euthanasia, 34 out of 89 times (38%). The new regulation, which entered into force on February 1, 2022, makes it possible for the county administrations to be even more thorough in their investigations of dogs in care. In addition to a mental examination and veterinary examination, the county administrations must also request a statement from the kennel about the dog's behaviour towards people and animals. / Hunden ger stor glädje och gör stor nytta för människan, exempelvis som sällskapshund, jakthund, tjänstehund och assistanshund. I enstaka fall orsakar hundar problem och samhället måste då ingripa. Lagen (2007:1150) om tillsyn över hundar och katter, härefter ”TL” eller ”tillsynslagen” finns för att förebygga skador och avsevärda olägenheter som kan orsakas av hund och katt. Om en hund orsakar skada eller olägenhet enligt TL kan hunden omhändertas av länsstyrelse eller Polismyndigheten. Ofta blir hunden omhändertagen för att den har bitit en annan hund, människa eller annat djur.  Vid ett omhändertagande ska en utredning genomföras av länsstyrelsen för att bedöma hundens psykiska- och fysiska status. Besiktningsman på polisen gör en mentalbesiktning av hunden och veterinär granskar hundens fysiska status. Därefter tar länsstyrelsen beslut om hunden ska återlämnas till sin ägare, omplaceras eller avlivas. I denna studie har länsstyrelserna arbete i Norrbotten, Skåne, Stockholm, Västerbotten, Västmanland och Västra Götaland granskats. Totalt omhändertogs 89 hundar i de sex länen, 2019–2021, 53 hanhundar (ca 60 %) och 36 tikar (ca 40 %). Avlivning var den åtgärd som utfördes oftast, 42 hundar avlivades. Övriga återlämnades eller omplacerades. Länsstyrelserna beslutar oftare om avlivning, 42 av 89 gånger (47 %), än vad polisen ger förslag om avlivning, 34 av 89 gånger (38 %). Generellt gör alla sex länsstyrelserna gedigna utredningar men det som framför allt skiljer dem åt är hur ofta respektive länsstyrelse följer polisens förslag på åtgärd. Den nya föreskriften som trädde i kraft 1 februari 2022 gör det möjligt för länsstyrelserna att bli ännu mer noggranna i sina utredningar av omhändertagna hundar. Utöver mentalbesiktning och veterinärundersökning ska länsstyrelserna även begära utlåtande från uppstallningsplatsen, om hundens beteende mot människor och djur.

Probiotic bacteria are increasingly prevalent in food and nutritional products today. These remarkable microorganisms are capable of imparting exceptional health benefits on their host, including prevention of infection by pathogens and stimulation of immune system function. Their most common mode of delivery is through dairy products (e.g. yogurt), which are also one of their preferred habitats. The interactions between probiotic bacteria and dairy systems have been studied, but are still not well discerned. There is a need for better understanding of these associations, as well as those surrounding the mode of bacterial transfer from the food product to the human gastrointestinal tract. Discoveries into the optimal means of probiotic transport to the body may lead to great advancements in both the design of probiotic foods and their exploitation in the support of human health. Much of the previous research on probiotic bacteria has explored their possible means of adherence in the intestine, as well their strengths in the promotion of human health. Studies relating to their interaction with dairy products are lacking, however, thus this work aims to elucidate some of these aspects. The primary endeavor of this thesis was to develop a technique to quantify the binding affinity of probiotic lactic acid bacteria for milk phospholipids. An additional objective was to exploit these bacteria, as well as dairy ingredients rich in bioactive molecules, in the creation of a highly nutritious food product. In these experiments, a collection of methods were used in progression in order to arrive at a novel protocol to assess binding with excellent reproducibility and simplicity. These included various membrane blotting techniques, as well as thin-layer chromatography. Essentially, phospholipids from both animal-derived standards and milk extracts were applied to a surface (e.g. PVDF membrane), and bacteria were incubated with them to allow binding reactions. The lactic acid bacteria selected for the final assays consisted of four strains of Lactobacillus, including L. reuteri (SD2112 and T-1), L. acidophilus, and L. casei (LC-10). Their adhesion to phospholipids was detected by either colorimetric or fluorescent labeling systems. To illustrate this, the final method developed was a procedure in which bacteria fluorescently stained with acridine orange were allowed to bind to dots of PVDF membrane coated with phospholipids. The results of this study showed that lactic acid bacteria undeniably exhibit selective binding affinity for phospholipids as opposed to other lipids such as triglycerides. The bacteria demonstrated significantly greater binding for a phospholipid extract from milk as opposed to individual phospholipid standards from other sources (p<0.05). Nonetheless, adhesion to all phospholipids was substantially greater than that to triglycerides. These findings, as well as the development of this method, should prove valuable in future research regarding the associations of probiotics with dairy systems. An additional purpose of this thesis was to design a dairy-based food product containing ingredient sources rich in milk bioactives. A gel-type product was created using primarily colostrum, buttermilk powder, and whey protein isolate, as well as selected strains of Lactobacillus. With the inclusion of immunoglobulin-rich colostrum, the product was analyzed alongside fluid milk and colostrum in order to quantify and compare these bioactive molecules. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to complete this, and the results revealed concentrations that would be expected by the literature. Specifically, immunoglobulin G (IgG) was quantified by interpolation from a bovine IgG standard regression curve. The results showed that the concentration of IgG in the gel was nearly twice that of colostrum, and almost eight-fold higher than that of milk. This indicates that use of bioactive-rich substances, such as colostrum, in a food product may serve as a means of delivering more concentrated doses of bioactives than their respective ingredients. The research completed in this thesis is significant in that it contributes a valuable method to the elucidation of bacterial binding interactions with milk components, and also demonstrates the successful application of dairy ingredients to an innovative food product high in beneficial compounds. The insight provided by these studies could encourage further work in improving the understanding of probiotic delivery and advancing the development of bioactive-rich food products.

ABSTRACT Effects of Filtration Temperature and Heat Treatment on Composition and Rheological Properties of Whole Milk Ultrafiltration Retentates John William Montella For the first part of my thesis, the effects of filtration temperature and heat treatment on the compositional properties of whole milk Ultrafiltration retentate (UF) were studied. Ultrafiltration is primarily run at temperatures in the range of 50-55°C but more and more plants are starting to filter at refrigeration temperatures. In the ultrafiltration of milk, filtration temperature can affect the composition of the retentate by affecting the chemistry of milk components. The application of a pasteurization step can also affect the chemistry of milk components. There were two filtration temperatures used: 10°C and 50°C. The effect of stage in the filtration process in which the pasteurization step is applied (before UF vs. after UF) is also studied. The heat treatment used was a batch pasteurization treatment of 63°C for 30 minutes. The milk was concentrated to a Volume Concentration Ratio (VCR) of 3X through a 10,000 Molecular Weight Cut Off polysulfone membrane. Compositional analysis was performed on permeate and retentate. According to my results, there were significant treatment effects on the retention of true protein (both casein and whey protein nitrogen), total protein, non-casein nitrogen, minerals (including Ca) and pH of the retentate. The chemistry of the milk components were considered as possible reasons for these differences. The week of processing did not affect the results. For the second part, the effect of composition of the retentate on their viscosity and flow properties was observed. Rheological properties are very important in process design and for consumer acceptability. Flow and viscosity data was collected using a dynamic stress rheometer. Three analytical temperatures were used during the rheological measurements: 10°C, 40°C, and 70°C. A shear rate of 500 s-1 was used for viscosity analysis. Flow properties were also observed using the same three temperatures. According to the results, all the retentate displayed shear thinning behavior and this behavior became more pronounced as the testing temperature increased. As the shear rate increased, there was a shear thickening effect that became more pronounced as temperature increased. There was a significant effect of treatment on the viscosities of the retentate. Compositional differences in the retentate are possible contributors to observed results. The week of processing had no effect on the results. For the final part, the effect of filtration temperature and heat treatment on rennet coagulation time of retentate was observed. A 22μl aliquot of chymosin was added to 100 ml of retentate heated to 30°C prior to analysis. Rennet coagulation time was monitored using a dynamic stress rheometer. The rennet coagulation time was recorded as the time at which the G’ value reached 1 Pa. There was a significant effect of filtration temperature and heat treatment on the rennet coagulation time of the retentate. Compositional differences are all possible contributors to these differences. From the observations from all three studies, the following conclusions can be made: (1) There were significant differences observed with respect to filtration temperature and heat treatments on chemical composition of the retentate; (2) The retentate displayed a shear thinning behavior and the chemical composition of the retentate could be a contributing factor as well as the sample testing temperature. There was also a significant treatment effect on the viscosity of the retentate; and (3) Significant differences in rennet coagulation times were observed, possibly due to compositional differences of retentate. Processing week did not have a significant effect on my results.

The aim of this study was to investigate how the crime of animal cruelty is constructed and what lies behind these crimes where animals have been suffering.The study's data consisted of 76 animal cruelty judgements, the verdict pronounced between January 2017 and December 2018. Animal cruelty occurred in all of Sweden's counties. Most of the crimes were committed by perpetrators in the age group 50-59 years and men committed more crimes than women. Most of the crimes (92%) also resulted in day fines, which were combined with a suspended sentence in 63% of the cases. In 90% of the cases the day fines were for an amount of SEK 200 or less, and 43% of the perpetrators were given a suspended sentence or day fines of a minimum amount (SEK 50).Neglect concerning the primary lack of care, was the most common crime category (77% of all cases). Dogs were the most frequently affected species within both cases of neglect (39%) as well as in cases of abuse (79%), which is in line with previous studies regarding animal cruelty crimes. Men accounted for 92% of the cases in the crime category of abuse and women accounted for 49% of the cases in the category of neglect. In 40% of the judgments where cats were involved, the animal keeper also kept several other types of animals or had a larger total number of animals (68 animals at most), which may indicate animal hoarding. In almost half of the investigated cases, animals had either died or had to be euthanized because of the crime. It also turned out that some of the perpetrators violated an existing animal ban and nearly 15% of the crimes resulted in new animal bans. Approximately 15% of the judgements indicate animal hoarding and the lack of cooperation between authorities. It also appears that animal bans are not always complied by those who are imposed with the ban and further measures are therefore required for the ban to be complied with. Animal cruelty needs to be studied further and whether the new law on grave animal cruelty turns out to have the intended effect in practice. / Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur brottet djurplågeri är konstruerat och vad som ligger bakom dessa brott där djur blivit lidande. Studiens dataunderlag bestod av 76 djurplågeridomar som meddelats mellan januari 2017 och december 2018. Djurplågeri förekom i Sveriges samtliga län. Flest brott begicks av personer i åldersgruppen 50–59 år och män begick fler brott än kvinnor. Merparten av brotten (92 %) ledde till dagsböter, som i 63 % av fallen förenades med en villkorlig dom. I 90 % av fallen låg dagsböterna på 200 kronor eller mindre och 43 % av gärningspersonerna fälldes för brottet med en villkorlig dom eller dagsböter av minimibelopp (50 kr). Vanvård i form av primära skötselbrister var den vanligaste brottstypen (77 % av fallen) och hundar var det djurslag som drabbades oftast i såväl vanvårdsfall (39 %) som misshandelsfall (79 %), vilket är i linje med tidigare studier avseende djurplågeri. Männen stod för 92 % av brottstypen misshandel och kvinnor 49 % inom brottstypen vanvård. I 40 % där djurslaget katt förekom, höll djurhållaren flera olika djurslag men i flera fall även ett stort antal djur (som mest 68 stycken djur), vilket kan tyda på ett tvångsmässigt djursamlande. I närmare hälften av de undersökta domarna hade djur antingen självdött eller behövt avlivas på grund av brottet. Det visade sig även att en del av gärningspersonerna överträtt befintligt djurförbud och närmare 15 % av brotten resulterade i nya djurförbud. Omkring 15% av domarna tyder på djursamlande och ett bristande samarbete mellan myndigheter. Det framkommer även att djurförbud inte alltid efterlevs och att ytterligare åtgärder krävs för att förbudet ska efterlevas. Djurplågeri behöver studeras vidare och om den nya lagen om grovt djurplågeri visar sig få avsedd effekt i praktiken.

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