Search Results (335)

Submarine power cables for offshore wind farms experience continuous cyclic loading from environmental forces and floating-platform motions, making fatigue performance a critical design factor. This study combined global and local analyses to investigate the fatigue behavior of a 66 kV dry-type submarine cable installed using a flexible pull-in installation system. A global dynamic analysis using site-specific meteorological and oceanographic data provided time-series displacement responses that were used to evaluate the fatigue damage to the metallic components of the cable. The results indicated that the minimum fatigue life of 8.71 × 10⁴ cycles occurred at the upper metallic sheath near the fixed end, with a corresponding cumulative damage of 1.147 × 10⁻⁵. Fatigue accumulation was predominantly governed by lateral (y-direction) displacement, while axial and vertical displacement components contributed minimally. Furthermore, the predicted fatigue life of the metallic sheath varied by a factor of up to 3.6 depending on the selected curve, comparing the cyclic stress amplitude and number of cycles to failure (S–N curve), highlighting the importance of accurate material fatigue data. These findings emphasize the need for careful evaluation of the environmental loading and sheath fatigue properties in flexible pull-in installation system-based submarine cable system designs. Full article

The bilberry is a low-growing plant native to northern Europe. It belongs to the genus Vaccinium. Bilberry is essential in the local diets of some countries and is used as an herbal medicine to manage several ailments. Still, it is not used for commercial farming in many countries. It has recently been known as a great source of naturally available bioactive compounds and colorants. Bilberry is a therapeutic fruit acknowledged for its rich flavonoids, anthocyanins, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, phenolic acid, tocopherols, and vitamin content. It is one of the richest sources of natural anthocyanins. The polyphenolic compounds in bilberry provide abundant antioxidant content, which are supposed to be the vital bioactive compounds accountable for various health benefits. Even though bilberry is mostly promoted for eye care or vision improvement. It is also stated to promote antioxidant defense and lower oxidative stress, having antiaging, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering, antimicrobial effects, lowering blood glucose and other age-related diseases, etc. Reports suggest that apart from the fruit, the leaves of bilberry are equally rich in numerous bioactive compounds of medicinal importance. This current review offers valuable insights on bilberry fruits, leaves, and extracts, providing an inclusive assessment of their bioactive compound configuration, related biological prospects, and the extraction methodology of their major compounds. This review offers a summary of the existing information on the antiaging potential of bilberry fruits and leaves, and analytically reviews the outcome of clinical trials, with special attention towards its medicinal properties. Full article

Communication in mammals constitutes a complex, multimodal system that integrates visual, acoustic, tactile, and chemical signals whose functions extend beyond simple information transfer to include the regulation of social relationships, coordination of behaviour, and expression of emotional states. This article examines the fundamental mechanisms of communication from biological, neuroethological, and behavioural perspectives, with particular emphasis on domesticated and farmed species. Analysis of sensory signals demonstrates that their perception and interpretation are closely linked to the physiology of sensory organs as well as to social experience and environmental context. In companion animals such as dogs and cats, domestication has significantly modified communicative repertoires ranging from the development of specialised facial musculature in dogs to adaptive diversification of vocalisations in cats. The neurobiological foundations of communication, including the activity of the amygdala, limbic structures, and mirror-neuron systems, provide evidence for homologous mechanisms of emotion recognition across species. The article also highlights the role of communication in shaping social structures and the influence of husbandry conditions on the behaviour of farm animals. In intensive production environments, acoustic, visual, and chemical signals are often shaped or distorted by crowding, noise, and chronic stress, with direct consequences for welfare. Furthermore, the growing importance of multimodal technologies such as Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) and Animal–Computer Interaction (ACI) is discussed, particularly their role in enabling objective monitoring of emotional states and behaviour and supporting individualised care. Overall, the analysis underscores that communication forms the foundation of social functioning in mammals, and that understanding this complexity is essential for ethology, animal welfare, training practices, and the design of modern technologies facilitating human–animal interaction. Full article

Amid escalating ecological degradation, social fragmentation, and rising mental health challenges—especially in rural and agricultural communities—there is an urgent need to reimagine systems that support both planetary and human flourishing. This viewpoint examines an emerging paradigm in agriculture that emphasizes the role of farmers’ inner development in fostering practices that enhance ecological health, community well-being, and a resilient food system. A key goal is to draw more academic attention to growing community calls for more holistic, relational, and spiritually grounded approaches to food systems as an important focus for ongoing research. Drawing on diverse case studies from Japan, India, and Europe, we examine how small-scale and natural farming initiatives are integrating inner development, universal human values, and ecological consciousness. These case studies were developed and/or refined through a program led by the Conscious Food Systems Alliance (CoFSA), an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that seeks to integrate inner transformation with sustainable food systems change. The initiatives are intended as illustrative examples of how agriculture can transcend its conventional, anthropocentric role as a food production system to become a site for cultivating deeper self-awareness, spiritual connection, and regenerative relationships with nature. Participants in these cases reported significant shifts in mindset—from materialistic and extractive worldviews to more relational and value-driven orientations rooted in care, cooperation, and sustainability. Core practices such as mindfulness, experiential learning, and spiritual ecology helped reframe farming as a holistic process that nurtures both land and life. These exploratory case studies suggest that when farmers are supported in aligning with inner values and natural systems, they become empowered as agents of systemic change. By linking personal growth with planetary stewardship, these models offer pathways toward more integrated, life-affirming approaches to agriculture and future academic research. Full article

Small-scale farms produce more than one-third of the world’s food supply, making them a crucial contributor to global food security. In this study, an artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) framework is introduced for smart small-scale farm management. For plant disease detection, the lightweight MobileViT model, which integrates vision transformer and convolutional modules, was utilized to efficiently capture both global and local image features. Data augmentation and transfer learning were employed to enhance the model’s overall performance. MobileViT resulted in a test accuracy of 99.5%, with per-class precision, recall, and f1-score ranging between 0.92 and 1.00 considering the benchmark Plant Village dataset (14 species–38 classes). MobileViT was shown to outperform several standard deep convolutional networks, including MobileNet, ResNet and Inception, by 2–12%. Additionally, an LLM-powered interactive chatbot was integrated to provide farmers with instant plant care suggestions. For plant environment management, the powerful, cost-effective ESP32 microcontroller was utilized as the core processing unit responsible for collecting sensor data (e.g., soil moisture), controlling actuators (e.g., water pump for irrigation), and maintaining connectivity with Google Firebase Cloud. Finally, a mobile application was developed to integrate the AI and IoT system capabilities, hence providing users with a reliable platform for smart plant disease detection and environment management. Each system component was each tested individually, before being incorporated into the mobile application and tested in real-world scenarios. The presented AIoT-based solution has the potential to enhance crop productivity within small-scale farms while promoting sustainable farming practices and efficient resource management. Full article

Therapy farms are increasingly recognized as social innovations that respond to exclusion, mental health challenges, and youth disconnection, particularly in rural areas. While often praised for their inclusive and rehabilitative potential, their broader impact on structural social transformation remains under-examined. This study explores the House of Educational Experiences, a therapeutic farm in rural Lithuania, to critically assess how such initiatives function as both agents of inclusion and stabilizers of existing socio-economic arrangements. Drawing on a qualitative case study approach, the research analyses in-depth interview data through the lens of the social innovation cycle, focusing on novelty, process, heterogeneity, impact, scalability, and transformative potential. Our findings reveal that the therapeutic farm generates significant individual and community benefits, particularly in psychosocial well-being, social skills, and pathways back into education and employment. However, the initiative also operates within institutional constraints, relying on project-based funding and reproducing aspects of conventional care systems. As such, its transformative capacity appears limited by structural dependencies and policy fragmentation. The study concludes that therapy farms represent an ambivalent form of social innovation: capable of creating inclusive, localized change, but often constrained in their ability to catalyze systemic transformation. Policy recommendations emphasize the need for long-term funding, institutional integration, and cross-sector collaboration. Full article

Farmers face financial challenges due to changing input costs and market prices, making risk assessment an important tool for decision-making. This study uses scenario analysis to examine how different economic conditions affect farm profitability. Economic data were collected from producers in Agia Paraskevi, Kozani and three scenarios were created to show how changes in costs and revenue impact profits. The results show that farm profits change significantly depending on market conditions. In the pessimistic scenario, net profit dropped by 35.36%, while in the optimistic scenario, it increased by 32.64%. These findings highlight the need for careful cost management, financial planning, and flexible decision-making to keep farms profitable. Although farms remained profitable in all cases, unexpected price changes and higher costs create challenges. This study shows that scenario analysis can help both farmers and policymakers make better decisions and manage financial risks in agriculture. Full article

Agricultural mechanization and advanced technology have developed significantly in the coffee industry. However, there are still requirements for human laborers to operate, monitor crop health care, and manage production. The integration of advanced technology can significantly enhance the production efficiency and management practices of agricultural enterprises. This paper aims to address these gaps by proposing and implementing a computer vision-based attendance tracking system on mobile platforms that are suitable for the requirements and limitations of agricultural enterprises. First, the face detection process involves interpreting and locating facial structure. Next, the model transforms a photographic image of a human face into digital data based on the unique features and facial structure. We utilize the InsightFace model with the buffalo_l variant, as well as ArcFace with a ResNet backbone, as a facial recognition algorithm. After capturing a facial image, the system conducts a matching process against the existing database to verify identity. Finally, we implement a mobile application prototype on both iOS and Android platforms, ensuring accessibility for farm workers. As a result, our system achieved 95.2% accuracy on the query set, with an average processing time of <200 ms per image (including face detection, embedding extraction, and database matching). The system performs real-time attendance monitoring, automatically recording the entry and exit times of farm workers using facial recognition technology, and enables quick registration of new workers. Our work is expected to enhance transparency and fairness in the human management process, focusing on the coffee farm use case. Full article

Swine Inflammation and Necrosis Syndrome (SINS) is a highly prevalent, predominantly endogenous condition that compromises tissue integrity and animal welfare across different life stages in pigs. Increasing evidence suggests that early-life SINS lesions may predispose pigs to tail damage later in life; however, longitudinal data remain scarce. This study investigated the association between SINS-related clinical signs in suckling piglets and weaners and subsequent tail integrity during fattening and at slaughter. In a longitudinal study, 352 piglets from two Italian farms producing Parma ham were followed from the suckling phase to slaughter. Although SINS signs were generally mild, pigs affected during the weaner phase showed a 3.5-fold increased risk of developing short tails during fattening. Furthermore, the probability of reduced tail length at slaughter increased from 33.5% to 65.8% in pigs with a history of SINS. Early-life SINS was significantly associated with impaired tail integrity both at the onset of fattening and at slaughter. These new findings highlight endogenous inflammation and necrosis in early life as important yet underrecognized welfare risk factors and suggest that SINS can be utilised as a point of care and early preventive strategies may substantially improve tail integrity and welfare outcomes at slaughter. Full article

Brachyspira hyodysenteriae is the primary cause of swine dysentery, characterized by bloody to mucoid diarrhea due to mucohaemorhagic colitis in pigs. The disease primarily affects pigs during the growth and finishing stage. The control and prevention of B. hyodysenteriae consists of the administration of antimicrobial drugs, in addition to management and adapted feeding strategies. A worldwide re-emergence of the disease has recently been reported with an increasing number of isolates demonstrating decreased susceptibility to several crucially important antimicrobials in the control of swine dysentery. This compromises the possibilities to eradicate B. hyodysenteriae from infected pig farms. A novel non-antibiotic zinc chelate has been reported to demonstrate positive effects on fecal quality and consistency, general clinical signs, average daily weight gain, and B. hyodysenteriae excretion during and after a 6-day oral treatment. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the zinc chelate (IntraDysovinol^® 499 mg/mL; IntraCare) within an eradication schedule with naturally occurring swine dysentery due to B. hyodysenteriae resistant to pleuromutilins under field conditions in Belgium. We evaluated a 14-day treatment schedule combined with alternative management measures (including partial depopulation of post-weaning facilities and improved external and internal biosecurity measures) and thorough cleaning and disinfection (including 2% NaOH) of the buildings and the sows from day 7 of treatment onwards. This alternative approach for B. hyodysenteriae eradication was evaluated on 18 pig farms over a 5-year period. All enrolled eradication programs were evaluated as successful at least 6–9 months after the finalization of the protocol. In conclusion, the zinc chelate product has an excellent potential for application within an eradication protocol of B. hyodysenteriae that are diagnosed as resistant to pleuromutilins. The combined approach of zinc chelate treatment and alternative management measures is demonstrated to be successful in the eradication of farrow-to-wean, farrow-to-finish, and finishing pig farms under field conditions in Belgium. Full article

Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum is a non-motile serovar and is the causative agent of fowl typhoid, and poses a major challenge to poultry production, particularly where rapid diagnostics are lacking. Existing methods are either time-consuming or fail to distinguish motile from non-motile serotypes. We developed a dual-target colorimetric LAMP that detects Salmonella spp. via invA and discriminates S. Gallinarum via TRX (a taxon-restricted sequence), using two separate singleplex reactions. Specificity testing confirmed 100% accuracy, with exclusive amplification of S. Gallinarum through TRX. Analytical sensitivity was comparable to real-time PCR, detecting down to 2.41 CFU/µL (invA) and 1.65 CFU/µL (TRX). Applied to cloacal swabs from experimentally infected chickens (n = 12), the assay consistently outperformed bacteriological culture, detecting up to 25% more positives during early infection when bacterial loads were low or cells were non-culturable. This dual-target LAMP provides a rapid, sensitive, and serovar-discriminating diagnostic tool with strong potential for point-of-care use and real-time surveillance in poultry farms, thereby improving sanitary control of fowl typhoid and reducing associated economic losses. Full article

Land maxing in cultivated ecosystems can improve upon other agroecological approaches because in this approach social, economic and ecological benefits are maximized within the available land, in part through the careful selection of plant species with specific benefits, e.g., biodiversity conservation, provision of ecological services, diversifying and improving farmer incomes. In this approach, plant species selected for improving farmer incomes are those providing non-timber marketable products, and plant species selected for biodiversity conservation and provision of ecological services can be identified quantitatively via ecological network theory. Here, we demonstrate using ecological network theory to identify (a) farm management practices associated with ecological network indices, and (b) key plant species that farmers can plant to maximize the potential for their land to support bees and pollination services. In this study we quantified bee-plant interaction networks within 10 agroforests, and compared results between the entire bee community and the subsetted stingless bee community. Bee abundance increased with flowering plant richness, explaining 9% of the variance (R² = 0.09; β = 0.05, SE = 0.03). Diverse agroforests with higher numbers of tree species supported less connected (R² = 0.67; β = −0.08, SE = 0.02), less nested (R² = 0.53; β = −0.05, SE = 0.01), and more specialized (R² = 0.63; β = 0.07, SE = 0.02) and modular (R² = 0.37; β = 0.05, SE = 0.02) bee-plant networks. Some key plant species with the strongest impacts on network structure and stability were shared between the entire bee-plant and the stingless bee-plant networks. We recommend that farmers plant the species highlighted in this study to maximize the value of their diverse agroforests to support bee communities and pollination services. Full article

In the era of growing energy demand and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the development of renewable energy sources, including photovoltaic farms, is becoming a key element of a sustainable energy transition. In this context, the careful selection of cadastral plots on which farms can be built is crucial, as appropriate location influences the investment’s energy efficiency and minimizes environmental and planning risks. This article presents a proprietary methodology for identifying cadastral plots that are suitable for locating a photovoltaic farm. The presented methodology integrates the Fuzzy-AHP multi-criteria analysis method and the Fuzzy Membership fuzzy logic method, thereby reducing the subjectivity of expert assessments and improving the accuracy of estimating the values of factors considered in the research. A key element of the methodology is a detailed analysis of land and building register data, which results in the identification of specific plots with high investment potential. The multi-criteria analysis considered eight key factors related to climate, terrain, land cover, and cadastral data. Based on this, eight plots and 32 plot complexes were selected as the most suitable for the construction of PV farms. The most favorable locations were identified primarily in the eastern part of Częstochowa Poviat, as well as in the northern municipalities. The proposed methodology provides a ready-to-use, practical solution to the investment challenge of selecting specific cadastral plots for new solar investments. According to the reviewed literature, each of the 40 designated sites could support a photovoltaic farm of an estimated capacity of at least 1 MW. The obtained results provide significant input into the renewable energy investment planning process and emphasize that careful selection of plot locations is crucial for the investment’s success and the region’s sustainable energy transformation. Full article

The path to becoming a veterinarian often begins well before university education, so understanding students’ career choices is essential. This study aimed to identify motivational characteristics of Hungarian high school students interested in veterinary medicine. Between December 2022 and March 2023, a questionnaire was distributed during high school career days, university open days, and via online platforms to collect data on students’ backgrounds, motivations, childhood animal exposure, and alternative career options. Recursive conditional Classification and Regression Tree (CART) models were used to identify motivational characteristics predicting veterinary career intentions. Among 428 respondents (74.1% female; mean age 17.8 years), a fondness for animals emerged as the predominant motivational factor; 97.4% had childhood pets, most commonly dogs. Human medicine was the main alternative career, followed by agriculture and veterinary nursing. Most students were interested in small animal medicine, while horse-related experience strongly predicted interest in equine practice. Interest in agriculture predicted preference for farm animal care. Students inclined toward non-clinical roles showed stronger interest in natural sciences and decided on a veterinary career later in life. These findings suggest that many students commit to veterinary medicine before age 12, highlighting the need for early engagement through competitions, camps, and extracurricular activities. Full article

African swine fever is a highly contagious and deadly disease of both domestic and wild pigs. In developing countries such as Ghana, the diagnosis and control of ASF are very challenging. In this paper, we discussed factors that account for ASF endemicity in many developing nations, with special focus on Ghana. We identified possible ASF spread via pig value chain through the transportation of live pigs across regions in Ghana. Major factors contributing to ASF spread in Ghana include lack of farmer compensation during ASF outbreaks, free range system of pig farming, porous country borders, lack of rapid on-site diagnostic test kits, unsafe sample collection and transportation to diagnostic laboratories, long diagnostic test turnaround, and improper carcass disposal. We also discuss available diagnostic options for ASF and their limitations. We propose a more holistic approach to ASF control in Ghana. These measures include applying a muti-sectoral approach, rehabilitation of inactive regional laboratories and expansion of services to six newly established regions, promoting point of care testing and developing and implementing farmer compensation plan during outbreaks. These proposed ASF control measures will provide field veterinarians with effective means to make informed decisions while awaiting laboratory confirmation of outbreaks. Full article