Search Results (1,479)

Early-life nutrition is critical for the development and health of dairy calves, necessitating alternatives to in-feed antibiotics. This study investigated whether dietary glycerol monolaurate (GML) enhances growth performance, reduces diarrhea incidence, improves systemic antioxidant and immune status, and modulates hepatic immunometabolic function in calves. Twenty-four Holstein bull calves (7 ± 0.5 d of age) were randomly assigned by body weight and age to a control group or a GML-supplemented group, both fed milk replacer with starter feed provided throughout the 45-day trial. Calves in the GML group received GML at a dosage of 100 mg/kg of body weight, mixed into the milk replacer prior to feeding. Calves in the GML group had significantly greater final body weight, average daily gain, and starter intake during the latter period (d 23–45) compared with the control group. GML supplementation also significantly reduced the incidence of diarrhea and fever, alongside lower fecal scores and fewer antibiotic treatments. Plasma analysis revealed enhanced antioxidant capacity, as indicated by increased total antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxidase, along with an improved immune profile characterized by elevated immunoglobulin G and reduced interleukin-2. Transcriptomic analysis of the liver showed that GML upregulated genes and pathways related to innate antiviral immunity, such as radical S-adenosyl methionine domain containing 2, interferon-stimulated gene 15, and MX dynamin like GTPase 1. Lipidomics further indicated that GML induced a targeted remodeling of hepatic lipids, including increased diacylglycerols and triacylglycerols and decreased specific phospholipids and sphingolipids, suggesting a metabolic shift supportive of immune activation and inflammatory control. In conclusion, dietary GML enhances growth and health in suckling calves, which is mediated through a coordinated immunometabolic reprogramming in the liver. GML represents a promising functional fat additive for sustainable calf rearing. Full article

Arthropod natural enemies—encompassing predators and parasitoids—form the backbone of sustainable agriculture, delivering irreplaceable ecosystem services via biological pest suppression. Driven by global demand for eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic pesticides, research in this domain has grown sharply over the past decade. Here, we report a systematic bibliometric analysis of 6515 Web of Science Core Collection papers focused on arthropod natural enemies in biological control (2016–2025), with the goal of charting the field’s intellectual structure. Performance metrics confirmed an initial rapid increase from 2016 to 2019 followed by a plateau and a slight rise in 2025, with the US, China, and Brazil dominating output. Keyword co-occurrence networks pinpointed core themes, including conservation biological control, predatory mites, and integrated pest management (IPM). Temporal trends further revealed a pivot toward applied work on invasive pest systems. Co-citation analysis uncovered six foundational research clusters, while bibliographic coupling of 2021–2025 papers uncovered five active emerging subfields: landscape ecology and habitat manipulation, tri-trophic interaction mechanisms, high-impact invasive pest biocontrol, non-target risk assessment for introduced agents, and fall armyworm integrated management. We synthesize cross-cutting implications and outline future priorities—including AI-enabled rearing systems, functional biodiversity boosting, climate adaptation, and multifunctional landscape tuning. By consolidating historical progress and forward-looking directions, this framework empowers researchers, extension practitioners, and policymakers to scale sustainable pest management worldwide. Full article

Photovoltaic (PV) systems integrated with green roofs have attracted increasing research interest due to their potential influence on rooftop microclimatic conditions and photovoltaic operating performance. This study experimentally investigated the thermal and electrical behavior of two identical PV modules installed above green and asphalt roof surfaces under real operating conditions in a Central European climate. Rear-side module temperatures and meteorological parameters were monitored, while electrical performance was evaluated using on-site I–V curve measurements. The observed rear-side temperature differences ranged from 0.01 °C to 0.86 °C during the monitored short-term summer periods. A representative I–V measurement indicated approximately 13% higher instantaneous maximum power output for the PV module installed above the green roof configuration under comparable operating conditions. However, the electrical results should be interpreted cautiously due to short-term environmental variability and irradiance-related uncertainty during consecutive field measurements. The presented results correspond to a short-term summer field-monitoring study and should not be generalized to annual photovoltaic performance without extended long-term multi-season experimental validation. The scientific contribution of this study lies in the synchronized side-by-side evaluation of identical PV modules using combined rear-side thermal monitoring and in-situ electrical characterization under real operating conditions. Full article

During actual vehicle operation, working conditions are highly complex, involving both body roll induced by steering centrifugal force and attitude fluctuations caused by random road irregularities or sudden lateral wind disturbances. By optimizing the control of the active stabilizer bar (ASB), its torque compensation capability can be more effectively utilized, thereby improving vehicle ride quality and handling stability under extreme conditions. This paper first establishes a vehicle roll model with a passive stabilizer bar. Then, an active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) controller, a linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC) controller, and a fuzzy proportional–integral and proportional–derivative (PI-PD) controller are designed and verified through simulation. The results show that all three active control methods improve roll stability compared with the passive system, and the ADRC controller achieves better control performance than the fuzzy PI-PD and LADRC controllers. Furthermore, a control strategy for the active stabilizer bar model is developed based on the deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithm. The simulation results show that, using deep reinforcement learning for feedforward optimization, the fuzzy PI-PD, LADRC, and ADRC control methods reduce the body roll angle by 3.8%, 27.1%, and 25.0%, respectively. The front-axle anti-roll moments are reduced by 13.4%, 14.0%, and 16.5%, respectively, while the rear-axle anti-roll moments are reduced by 14.8%, 13.4%, and 14.5%, respectively. Full article

Dairy production in Indonesia relies on two contrasting calf-rearing systems: concentrate-driven commercial dairy systems (CDS) and smallholder farms (SH). As these systems differ in feeding practices, they may influence gut development in calves. This study examined how farm management affects the fecal microbiota and metabolites in healthy and diarrhea post-weaning calves. Fecal samples were collected from 11 and 14 calves from CDS and SH facilities, respectively. Gut bacterial communities were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and metabolites were characterized using untargeted gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Microbial diversity, metabolite profiles, and correlation networks were compared between the farm types and diarrhea status. Our results showed that farm management strongly shaped microbial community structure and metabolic outputs, but did not alter microbial richness. Although diarrhea is typically associated with reduced microbial richness, it did not affect the microbial community structure, suggesting that it primarily impacted microbial function, particularly the metabolic environment. Correlation network analysis revealed stronger linkages between microbes and metabolites in SH calves, especially under healthy conditions. Overall, these findings indicate that dietary structure is a key determinant of fermentation stability, with CDS calves showing greater metabolic instability. In contrast, SH calves maintain a more resilient, fiber-driven functional state. Full article

Phase change materials (PCMs) are increasingly incorporated into façades and wall systems to enhance passive thermal regulation; however, their fire safety remains poorly understood. While PCMs effectively reduce cooling loads, limited data exist on their behaviour under real fire exposure. In this study, the thermal response of PCM-integrated concrete panels was investigated through two-dimensional finite element modelling using an apparent heat-capacity formulation that accounts for phase change, latent-heat absorption, and encapsulation softening. Simulations were performed under the ISO 834 standard fire curve and constant furnace exposures between 200 °C and 800 °C for 60 min to evaluate insulation performance and encapsulation stability. Results show that PCM melting at approximately 31 °C provides a 20–25 min delay in rear-face temperature rise under moderate fire exposure (≤400 °C), maintaining the rear-face temperature increase below 180 °C for one hour. Beyond 500 °C, the acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) encapsulation softens near 95 °C, suppressing latent-heat storage and leading to rear-face temperatures between 260 °C and 360 °C. Comparative analyses indicate that organic PCMs lose effectiveness rapidly unless protected by at least a 25 mm concrete cover, whereas inorganic PCMs exhibit superior stability owing to their non-combustibility and endothermic dehydration behaviour. The results identify performance trends, thermal limitations, and design considerations for the investigated PCM–ABS–concrete assembly under the studied fire exposure conditions. The validated experimental–numerical framework provides insight into the thermal response of PCM-integrated concrete assemblies and supports future development of fire-resilient building-envelope components. Full article

Young dairy ruminants often have limited rumen fermentative capacity, which can impair adaptation to solid diet during weaning. This study evaluated the effects of ruminant colostrum supplementation to enhance in vitro rumen fermentation at weaning. A batch culture system using rumen inoculum from artificially reared lambs was incubated with ovine, bovine, or reconstituted bovine colostrum at 4 and 20 mL/L. Sequential colostrum fractionation was used to identify the main functional components. Whole colostrum supplementation at high doses reduced ruminal pH (p < 0.001) and increased gas production (+18%), ammonia-N (+41%) and butyrate proportion (+10%) across colostrum sources, indicating enhanced microbial fermentation. Responses were dose-dependent and consistent across colostrum sources. Lipid removal had minimal effects, whereas depletion of high-molecular-weight molecules, mostly IgG, markedly reduced gas production and protein degradation. Removal of medium-size proteins such as lactoferrin produced minor changes. Residual activity in low-molecular-weight fractions was retained likely associated with the presence of fermentable substrates and bioactive compounds. These findings indicate that colostrum may exhibit both nutritional and modulatory effects on in vitro rumen fermentation, with IgG identified as a key component. These findings support the preservation of IgG in colostrum-derived products to enhance rumen fermentation, although further in vivo validation is required to evaluate the effects in weaned ruminants. Full article

A 660 MW coal-fired unit was investigated to clarify the combustion behavior over a wide load range and the effects of static mixers on selective catalytic reduction (SCR) performance. A full-process CFD model covering the furnace, rear pass duct, and SCR system was established, and the combustion characteristics, NO_x formation, and SCR performance were analyzed over a boiler load range of 25–100%. The results showed that, as the boiler load decreased, the furnace heat release weakened, the high-temperature zone contracted, and the flame center shifted downward, with more pronounced flame maldistribution at 25% load. The average NO_x concentration at the SCR inlet first decreased and then increased with decreasing boiler load, reaching a minimum at 75% load. Without a static mixer, the NO_x concentration at the SCR inlet increased from 238 mg/Nm³ at 100% load to 312 mg/Nm³ at 25% load. After a static mixer was installed, the distance required for NH₃ homogenization downstream of the ammonia injection grid was markedly shortened, and the uniformity of the velocity, NH₃ concentration, and temperature fields at the SCR catalyst inlet was improved. In particular, the coefficient of variation in NH₃ concentration decreased from about 4–5% to about 2–3%, while the denitrification efficiency increased by about 1–5 percentage points compared with the case without a static mixer. The variation in denitrification efficiency among different boiler loads was also significantly reduced, indicating improved adaptability of the SCR system to wide-load operation. Among the tested configurations, the static mixer with small blades and a larger blade angle relative to the vertical plane showed the best overall performance. These results provide useful guidance for SCR system improvement in coal-fired units operating over a wide load range. Full article

As declared in the European Green Deal, the decarbonization of the EU energy system is essential for achieving Europe’s climate neutrality targets, demanding a substantial expansion of renewable energy sources and the rapid phase-out of coal and gas. It is therefore essential that newly installed PV products within the EU are designed to avoid creating additional environmental burdens due to environmental impacts during production and at the end of life (EOL) of photovoltaic (PV) modules. This study presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of sustainable/green PV module designs in terms of recyclability using advanced high-quality recycling technologies. It compares two product systems both based on mono c-Si PV technology and the glass–glass (G–G) module design: 1. Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact (PERC) and 2. Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) cell technologies, which are assessed under production scenarios in China and Germany, and two recycling scenarios (hypothetical high-recovery recycling and partial recycling) using inventory data from eco-invent and literature sources. The results across most impact categories show that the PERC and TOPCon module designs produced in Germany with high-recovery recycling as the end-of-life strategy exhibit lower impacts than those produced in China with partial recycling as the end-of-life strategy under the adopted assumptions such as electricity mix and end-of-life modelling choices for module-only impacts (excluding BOS components). The climate change results show that TOPCon cell design under high-recovery recycling yields 10.4% lower emissions than the PERC cell design under partial recycling in Germany and 9.7% lower in China. However, both module designs emit 26.6% and 27.2% less GHG emissions when produced in Germany compared to production in China, respectively, which is line with earlier studies. With the exception of human toxicity, both PERC and TOPCon cell technologies perform better in this study than previously reported in reviewed LCA studies, reflecting the use of more recent state-of-the-art industry data concerning manufacturing requirements. The sensitivity analysis carried out on the design changes and electricity grid mix available shows that any improvements in the design process and increases in renewable energy penetration into the grid corresponds to a proportional reduction in environmental impacts across all impact categories. Full article

This paper presents an experimental comparison of the instantaneous power generation of standard and bifacial photovoltaic modules under real operating conditions. The study focuses on short-term effects caused by spatially variable albedo and tracker-induced changes in module orientation. Both modules were installed on the same mobile single-axis tracking platform and had identical rated front-side power, which ensured nearly identical operating conditions and independent MPPT operation. The experimental campaign included five ground surfaces: grass, river sand, grey paver, light aggregate, and dark aggregate. For each surface, electrical parameters and albedo were recorded over the full investigated geometrical range, covering relative solar azimuth from −60° to +60° and module tilt from 0° to 90°. The measured increase in power generation of the bifacial module relative to the standard module depended strongly on the ground surface. Over the full investigated range, the gain was 6.4% for grass, 11.3% for river sand, 5.9% for grey paver, 13.6% for light aggregate, and 4.5% for dark aggregate. These results confirm that, in bifacial photovoltaic systems with tracking, the ground surface and its reflective properties significantly affect the rear-side contribution and instantaneous power output. Consequently, albedo should not be treated as a constant or spatially homogeneous parameter when assessing short-term bifacial PV performance. Full article

This study evaluated variations in phenotypic and physiological traits of Snowy White chickens reared under high-altitude conditions in Lhasa, China, at 3650 m and low-altitude conditions in Ya’an, China, at 600 m. Chickens reared at high altitude showed delayed sexual maturity and peak laying, as well as lower laying rate and hatchability. In contrast, egg weight at first laying was higher in chickens reared at high altitude. Organ index analysis showed that high-altitude chickens had a higher heart index but lower liver, stomach, and spleen indices than low-altitude chickens (p < 0.05). High-altitude chickens also had greater chest depth and chest circumference but shorter shank length and smaller shank circumference (p < 0.05). Multivariate analyses further indicated liver and spleen indices as major contributors to the separation between altitude groups. These results show that high-altitude rearing is associated with altered reproductive performance, organ development, and body conformation in Snowy White chickens. These findings may inform the evaluation, breeding, and management of layer chickens in plateau production systems. Full article

This study aimed to model the growth trajectories of Denizli chickens under different production systems and to identify the most appropriate nonlinear growth function within a Bayesian framework. A total of 156 birds were monitored weekly from hatch to 26 weeks of age under conventional cage, conventional floor, and enriched floor systems. Eight candidate nonlinear growth models were evaluated using Bayesian model comparison criteria, including leave-one-out cross-validation (LOO) and the widely applicable information criterion (WAIC). Among the evaluated models, the Gompertz function showed the best predictive performance, with the lowest LOOIC (225.16) and superior predictive accuracy across fit statistics. The selected model was subsequently extended to a Bayesian nonlinear mixed modelling framework to evaluate the effects of sex and production system on growth dynamics while accounting for between-animal variability. Males exhibited substantially higher asymptotic weights than females, whereas females showed faster early growth and earlier stabilization. Birds reared under the conventional floor system, particularly males, exhibited the highest asymptotic growth potential and later inflection ages, indicating a more prolonged growth phase. In contrast, enriched systems appeared to have promoted greater variability in growth responses, possibly due to increased behavioral activity and energy expenditure. The findings demonstrated that production system and sex jointly influenced both the scale and timing of growth in Denizli chickens. Beyond statistical model comparison, the Bayesian nonlinear mixed modelling approach provided biologically meaningful information that could support breeding, housing, and management decisions for indigenous and dual-purpose poultry production systems. Full article

The goal of this Special Issue was to collect the latest research results on the topics of (1) the physiological response of fish to various stressful situations and nutritional changes, (2) the replacement of fish meal and fish oil with sustainable, alternative protein and lipid sources in fish feeds, and (3) supplementing fish feeds with various additives in order to enhance the immune response and increase the stress and disease resistance of fish reared in intensive systems. These topics are very important for the development of a more effective and sustainable intensive aquaculture, as fish farming systems are becoming more intensive and industrialized, which results in a more stressful environment for farmed fish. Another important challenge is providing enough high-quality fish feed to fulfill the increasing demand of intensive aquaculture. There are 14 original research articles published in this Special Issue. The authors come from a wide array of countries, and they worked with a wide variety of freshwater and marine fish species, which are important for intensive aquaculture. These articles represent only a modest contribution to the overall literature of stress and nutritional physiology of farmed fish. However, each of these papers contain interesting new information regarding the solution of the two major problems of intensifying aquaculture: environmental stresses and nutrition management. Full article

The highly nonlinear aerodynamic interference in tandem-airfoil configurations significantly hinders the precise exploitation of their aerodynamic potential. To address this issue, this study establishes a high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics benchmark. A high-quality sample set is constructed using Latin hypercube sampling combined with an intra-layer replacement strategy. Subsequently, a Gaussian process surrogate model and Bayesian optimization are employed to maximize the total system lift coefficient across a four-dimensional design space comprising longitudinal and vertical separations, fore airfoil angle of attack, and angle of attack difference. Global sensitivity analysis indicates that longitudinal separation dominates the interference modes. Optimization reveals a distinct mode switching phenomenon using a longitudinal separation of twice the chord length as the critical threshold. In the close-coupled configuration, a negative optimal angle of attack difference enhances the slot effect and upwash induction, thereby delaying rear airfoil stall and achieving synergistic lift enhancement. Conversely, in the distant-coupled configuration, the system transitions to a decoupled compensation mode, where a positive angle of attack difference compensates for the effective angle of attack loss induced by wake downwash. This research elucidates the competitive mechanisms between inter-airfoil slot flow and wake interference, providing a theoretical reference for the aerodynamic layout optimization of tandem-airfoil aircraft. Full article

This study evaluated the carcass characteristics and nutritional composition of duck meat from farmed (organic and conventional) and wild sources. Duck carcasses were analyzed to determine carcass traits (weight and yield of individual carcass portions) and meat quality parameters, including chemical composition and fatty acid profile. Results showed that farmed ducks (conventional and organic) had significantly higher live weight, carcass weight, and dressing percentage compared with wild ducks (p < 0.05). Conventional and organic groups exhibited comparable carcass yields; however, organic ducks demonstrated greater deposition of skin and subcutaneous fat, which may be partly attributed to their longer production period (~7 months) compared with conventional ducks (~45 days). Wild ducks had markedly lower carcass yield but a higher proportion of muscle protein in breast and thigh meat. Fatty acid analysis revealed that conventionally farmed ducks had significantly higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), particularly PUFA n-3, compared with organic and wild ducks (p < 0.05), which could be attributed to dietary basis (rapeseed-rich compound feed). Organic and wild ducks had higher levels of monounsaturated fatty acids than conventionally famed ducks. The study demonstrates that the rearing system significantly influences duck carcass traits and meat quality. Farmed ducks showed higher carcass yields, whereas wild ducks provided leaner meat with a higher protein content. These findings enhance understanding of the nutritional and technological properties of duck meat from different production systems. Full article