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Background: This study investigates how firms can enhance the functionality of their circular supply chains (CSCs) by adopting a portfolio of sustainable practices as well as digital technologies to increase performance. It analyzes the benefits that firms can obtain when investing in specific technologies to boost the impact of technologies and sustainable practices on CSCs, and further increase performance. Methods: We test several hypotheses by using structural equation modeling as well as multi-group analysis to verify whether CSCs can be achieved through sustainable practices and technologies and improve the firms' performance. Results: The empirical results partially support the research hypotheses. While the main research hypotheses are fully supported, the analysis of single digital technologies reveals that only a few solutions can contribute to both the management and the improvement of the CSC. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that the identification of green suppliers and ad hoc environmental regulations, combined with attention to the origin and provenance of raw materials, can promote a CSC. Moreover, transportation management systems (TMS) and the internet of things (IoT) are efficient technologies for managing transportation and product flow in the CSC. Furthermore, machine learning (ML) is effective in making positive green decisions, and 3D printing can extend product life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Antibiotic resistance in the veterinary field, other than making the control of infectious diseases in farm animals progressively more difficult, can increase the risk that resistant microorganisms are transferred from animals to humans either directly—by contact or from food of animal origin—or indirectly due to environmental contamination. The poultry sector is now moving towards antibiotic-free production in order to meet the rising market demand, but this could affect the health and welfare of chickens. In this study, we compared the welfare of broiler chickens raised with and without the use antibiotics on a commercial scale. We found no correlation between the absence of antibiotics and poor animal health. There is no necessary correlation between the absence of antibiotics at farms and poor health of the animals, given that adequate animal-welfare-friendly management tools and methodologies are in place. These should be, however, adequately standardised in specific guidelines. In this way, it will be possible to reduce the dependence of the livestock sector on antimicrobials with regard to animal welfare and human health. The poultry sector is moving towards antibiotic-free production, both to challenge the increasing spread of the antibiotic resistance phenomenon and to meet market demands. This could negatively impact the health and welfare of the animals. In this study, the welfare of 14 batches of 41–47-day-old broilers raised by the same integrated company with and without antibiotics was assessed using the Welfare Quality® protocol. The total welfare score did not significantly differ between the two systems: the good-feeding principle was, on average, higher in the conventional batches, with statistical significance (t = −2.45; p = 0.024), while the other welfare principles (good housing, good health and appropriate behaviour) were slightly better in the antibiotic-free batches. Despite stocking densities averagely higher in the antibiotic-free batches, the absence of antibiotics did not seem to impact the good-health principle; in particular, hock burns, foot pad dermatitis and lameness were significantly less severe in the antibiotic-free batches (p < 0.0001, p = 0.018, p < 0.0001, respectively), which showed also a lower death rate (2.34% vs. 2.50%). Better management of antibiotic-free batches was reported, particularly concerning litter conditions. Further studies would be required to identify and standardise a set of managerial methodologies in order to improve the health of broilers raised without antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The present study was conducted in the Abruzzo Region, central Italy, to investigate the public perception towards "community-owned dogs" (CODs); i.e., whether their presence is perceived as a problem or a benefit by the local communities. The data were collected by both direct interviews and an online survey, based on a questionnaire developed by a multidisciplinary team. The questionnaire was distributed in 31 municipalities sampled on the basis of the urbanization rate, and 497 people were interviewed over 9 months. The majority (83%) believed that a greater commitment is needed to involve the local communities on issues regarding CODs. The findings of this study highlighted the general difficulty for people to distinguish stray dogs from CODs that are not fully known, as evidenced by the fact that 59% of the respondents are not aware of the Regional Law that defines and regulates the presence of the CODs. The Abruzzo Regional Law Nr. 47/2013, following a circular from the Italian Ministry of Health and OIE recommendations, allows the local municipalities to release free-roaming dogs (FRDs) caught on the territory once the local veterinary services (LVSs) have rated the dogs as unowned and not aggressive, have neutered them, as well as identified them through a microchip and a visible collar. The responsibility of these "community-owned dogs" (CODs) falls under the mayor of the local municipality that can entrust their custody to qualified people. The present study was conducted in the Abruzzo region, located in central Italy, to investigate public perception towards CODs, and in particular whether their presence is perceived as a problem or a benefit by the local communities. The data were collected by both direct interviews and an online survey, based on a questionnaire developed by a multidisciplinary team. The questionnaire was distributed in 31 municipalities sampled on the basis of the urbanization rate, and 497 people were interviewed over a 9-month period. More than half of the respondents (54%) stated that CODs can contribute to the control of stray dogs. The majority (83%) believed that a greater commitment is needed to involve the local communities on issues regarding CODs. The findings of this study highlighted the general difficulty for people to distinguish stray dogs from CODs that are not fully known, as evidenced by the fact that 59% of the respondents did not know the aforementioned Regional Law that defines and regulates the presence of the CODs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]