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Cattle are among the animals with diurnal activity, which is due to the specific animal–environment relationship and the natural role wild cattle play in the ecosystem. As humans began domesticating, breeding these animals, they became an integral part of this relationship. This review article addresses the most important current issues: 1) a characterisation of contemporary knowledge on the biological determinants of the vision abilities of dairy cattle, 2) a discussion of the relationship between these abilities and animal health and performance, and 3) a characterisation of the light–animal relationship under husbandry conditions. The intricate link between the anatomical and physiological aspects of visual function in cattle and their circadian rhythms was emphasised. This connection directly influences cattle growth and development, as well as the health and performance of dairy cows during the long/short day photoperiods. The article also considers the possibility of managing dairy cows' photoperiod and light quality to enhance their performance and overall well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The poultry meat industry is a significant agri-food sector worldwide. Preslaughter operations are crucial as they impact animal welfare, meat quality, and food safety. Despite their importance, few studies focus on broiler preslaughter processes in hot environments. Effective planning, handling, and monitoring are essential to improve conditions and reduce stress, ensuring better meat quality and animal welfare. Poultry production faces significant challenges, including high feed prices, diseases, and thermal stress, which impact broiler welfare and productivity. Despite advances in cooling technologies and ventilation, preslaughter operations still lead to considerable losses. This review highlights the need for the improved management of thermal environments and animal logistics. Preslaughter operations typically involve fasting broilers for 8–12 h to reduce gastrointestinal contents and contamination. Following fasting, broilers are caught, crated, and transported. Stress levels vary based on distance and conditions, with manual catching often causing stress and injuries. Catching should occur during cooler periods to minimise these issues, and transport conditions must be carefully managed. Lairage, the waiting period after transport, should be kept short (1–2 h) in climate-controlled environments to avoid stress and deterioration. Proper handling and efficient unloading are essential to prevent injuries and reduce economic losses. Stunning methods, such as electronarcosis and a controlled atmosphere, aim to minimise suffering before slaughter, though practices vary culturally and religiously. Logistics and real-time monitoring technology are crucial for enhancing animal welfare during transportation. Effective planning and the optimisation of transport processes is vital for reducing stress and losses, especially with regard to rising global temperatures and production demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve energy and environmental security in urban environments and in accordance with the requirements of the EU, the task of sustainable developing agriculture in urban agglomerations and monitoring it using satellite images becomes relevant. The aim of the work is the development of methods and means for determining stable islands of thermal energy to substantiate the optimal locations for plant growing practices in the metropolis. The research was conducted in Kyiv, the largest metropolis of Ukraine. Data from the Landsat 8 and 9 satellites were used because of the free data and they have better spatial resolution and an available archive of observation results. It was established that the temperature map of the city of Kyiv shows differences in temperature between different parts of the city, probably due to the presence of different sources of heat radiation. It is obvious that the standard deviation of the temperature in the plots depends on many factors, in particular, the season and the type of land use. It is necessary to find alternative solutions for the development of crop production in this area, taking into account the characteristics of thermal emissions. Based on software products from free satellite monitoring providers, EO Browser, a specialized software solution (web application) has been created for monitoring agricultural plantations in an urban environment. A collection of LANDSAT 8 satellite images was used. Areas with stable heat emissions were found, which are due to the operation of a modern shopping and entertainment center, and non-traditional crops for landscaping adapted to its design are proposed. As a result of research, strong heat emissions were recorded for some objects, for them the temperature exceeds the surrounding area by 4 °C, while the minimum standard deviation in January is 0.5 °C, the maximum in July is 2.8 °C, in April and October—1.7 °C and 1.2 °C, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented study determining the relationship between the Temperature Humidity Index (THI) value during the summer months (June–August) and daily behaviour of 40 Holstein–Friesian dairy cows, including the length of standing, laying bouts and locomotor activity. Behaviour observations were conducted on a preferences test concerning their choice to time and place of rest with respect to time duration of THI: neutral (maximum 3 h with THI = 68), warm (time of THI > 68 occurrence lasted less than 12 h) and hot (time of THI > 68 occurrence lasted longer than 12 h). Obtained results was processed using analysis of the Spearman’s correlation coefficient with significant atp < .05. The results showed a decrease in daily total lying time between the neutral and hot periods from 9.9 to 7.8 h/d. Along with the increase in THI by 1 unit between the warm and hot periods, there was observed a decrease in total lying time by 38 min/d in the cubicles. With an increase in the THI was also observed an increase by 15 min/d in the lying cows in the manure alleys during the night-time. During the warm and hot periods, the cows’ activity showed a negative correlation with the increasing THI. Cows changed their behaviour during the summer depending on the prevailing environmental conditions. The behavioural studies on cows, without taking into account the variability of microclimate conditions, can lead to their inaccuracy and the misrepresentation of their results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Presented are results of a study on the influence of air temperature and humidity on milk production by 174 Holstein-Friesian cows kept in a free stall barn. Occurrence of heat stress in three technological groups of cows with help of temperature-humidity index (THI) was specified. The result of heat stress was a decrease in milk yield. There was a strong correlation found (P=0.05) between minimum THI, temperature and milk yield. Delay of decrease in milk production as related to maximum temperature (TMAX) in most cases was 2 days (P=0.05). Significant differences were shown between THI average hourly values (from 1 to 6 units) in particular areas of the barn when the average daily THI >68. Duration of total air temperature exceed 21°C in each technological group was investigated. It was concluded that the number of hours above the critical temperature for the cows in group 1 was 90 and 42-44 for the remaining groups, which resulted in the largest decrease in milk yield in group 1. The obtained results indicate the need to evaluate the microclimate parameters in several specific places related to the existence in the barn technological groups. Predicting the risk of heat stress should take into account the zoning in the barns related to variations of temperature and humidity conditions. This will enable the selection of appropriate functional, utility and technical solutions to maintain optimum welfare of cows in free stall barn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents results of research on ammonia concentrations and emissions from a free stall barn to the atmosphere in the course of one year, with particular attention to the summer and winter periods. The rate of ammonia emissions was influenced by the amounts of ventilated air, which were the highest in summer period and lowest in winter. The obtained results were lower than the values provided by other authors, which points out the need for conducting further detailed studies on ammonia emissions from various types of free stall barns and cattle breeding systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluated were changes of temperature and relative air humidity inside a free-stall barn affecting the welfare of cows of three technological groups during a hot summer. The effects of selected microclimate parameters of the barn have been assessed based on the THI (temperature-humidity index) in relation to milk production. The research revealed that the animals suffered from thermal stress which resulted in decreased milk production in particular groups. The paper presents information about percentage values of this decrease and time needed to regain the original state. It also points out the need to determine THI not only for the entire barn but also for its various zones occupied by particular technological groups of cows with different levels of milk production. The authors highlight that the THI index is quite a useful tool for predicting thermal stress in particular sections of the barn. Yet, it is necessary to improve the methodology of THI calculation in order to include more microclimate elements, mainly air movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) amplification chip made of DP951 (from DuPont) ceramics consists of a microchamber, internal and external metallization. The external metallization is used for attachment of SMD (surface mount device) electronics elements. The internal metal layer improves thermal conditions inside the chamber. The temperature distribution in the chamber is verified by numerical simulation. Heating is realized by an external SMD resistor. The temperature measurements are made by attached Pt100 component. The temperature control is realized by a microcontroller based electronic system. Settings and visualization of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process parameters are actualized by dedicated PC (personal computer) software. The system is successfully tested. The DNA amplification inside the low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) chip is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the conducted research was to assess the effectiveness of the nitrification process, at different concentrations of ammonium nitrogen, in biologically treated wastewater in one of the largest municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants in Poland. The studies also attempted to acclimate nitrifying bacteria to the limited concentration of ammonium nitrogen and determined the efficiency of nitrification under the influence of acclimated activated sludge in the biological wastewater treatment system. The obtained results indicate that the concentration of ammonium nitrogen above 60.00 mg·dm−3 inhibits nitrification, even after increasing the biomass of nitrifiers. The increase in the efficiency of the nitrification process in the tested system can be obtained by using the activated sludge inoculated with nitrifiers. For this purpose, nitrifiers should be preacclimated, at least for a period of time, allowing them to colonize the activated sludge. The acclimated activated sludge allows reducing the amount of ammonium nitrogen in treated sewage by approx. 35.0%. The process of stable nitrification in the biological treatment system was observed nine days after introducing the acclimated activated sludge into the aeration chamber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]