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This research introduces an innovative platform designed to manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in mixed farms. Emphasizing the urgent need to address GHG emissions, particularly methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), the platform targets mixed farming systems where the interplay of livestock and crop production significantly contributes to environmental impacts. Our methodology is grounded in comprehensive data collection, encompassing soil data, energy consumption, and detailed livestock information. Utilizing the Agricultural Internet of Things (AIoT), it facilitates real-time data acquisition and analysis, providing insights into various farm activities' GHG emissions. This approach allows for precise monitoring and management of emissions from different sources, including enteric fermentation in livestock and fertilizer use in crop production. Results from the application show its effectiveness in offering a clear and interactive visualization of GHG emissions, aiding farmers in making informed decisions for sustainable farm management. The platform's user management system, coupled with advanced data processing and visualization capabilities, underscores its potential as a vital tool for sustainable farming. Conclusively, Solution4Farming represents a significant advancement in digital agriculture, combining IoT technology with sustainable practices. Though initially designed for Romanian cattle farming, Solution4Farming's anticipated expansion to various farming environments suggests a broader impact and relevance in sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the main causes that can contribute to the decrease of fish stocks with economic value in the Danube River, based on an analysis of both the recorded fishing catches and the quantities of fish retained following the control actions carried out by the authorities with the right of inspection and control with the aim of combating fish poaching, as well as the normative regulatory acts in the field of fishing. A broader perspective involves analysing the environmental factors and their role in the decline of economically valuable fish species in the Danube. From the analysed data, it was found that following the specific actions organized and carried out by the competent authorities, significant quantities of fish with economic value, originating from illegal fishing, were confiscated, thus resulting in the fact that both the regulations that sanction acts of poaching and the capacity of the responsible authorities are insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth rate and productive performance of animals depends on various factors among which the feeding system is one of the most important factors. The nutritional needs of animals on organic farms can be covered through three sources: grazing, food produced within the own holding and the purchase of additional feed. The purpose of the work is to follow the effect of sheep and goat feeding technologies through the installation according to the requirements of ecological agriculture of cultivated pastures, which can be used both for animal grazing and for obtaining fodder, either dry or fermented. A maximum production of fodder obtained in one's own holding must be one of the main objectives of the breeder, so the selected crops must be determined according to the real needs of the holding. To achieve these goals, farmers who practice organic farming rely on recognized agricultural practices, such as maintaining the welfare and health of the animal herd through free-range systems and modern knowledge, such as monitoring nutrient levels to track the optimal growth of animals at different stages of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) is an annual legume tolerant to drought. Guar meal (GM) is a protein- and carbohydrate-rich co-product generated after the mechanical separation of the endosperm from the germ and hull of guar seed. GM has received considerable interest in animal feed as an alternative to soybean meal (SM). In this study, we aimed to assess the nitrogen (N) balance indicators, performance, carcass traits, and main greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from enteric fermentation (E-CH4) and manure (M-CH4 and N2O). Two tests were performed: (i) a biological trial on 45 pigs (15 animals/group) and (ii) a digestibility test in metabolism cages (N = 15, 5 replicates/group). Three different diets were given to the pigs: one diet was based on 0% GM (SM diet); in the second, GM-50%, GM replaced 50% of the SM; and the third was GM-100%, in which GM fully replaced the SM. The GM and SM diets were analyzed for their proximate composition. A model based on prediction equations was used to estimate the GHGs. GM up to 10% in the diets of finishing pigs did not significantly impact growth performance or carcass traits, although a slight increase in neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was observed. GM up to 10% improved N digestibility (p < 0.0001), net protein utilization (p < 0.0001), the biological value of protein, coefficients of metabolizability, and the coefficient of the total tract's apparent digestibility. Irrespective of its dietary proportion, GM decreased total nitrogen output (TNO, p = 0.11). A highly significant impact was noted for N2O and E-CH4 (for DM, p < 0.0001), as well as a significant impact for E-CH4, expressed as g CO2 Eq (p = 0.007), and g CO2 Eq. LU (livestock unit, p = 0.005), also reported as ADG (p = 0.024). Manure, M-CH4, was not significantly influenced. In conclusion, GM can replace up to 100% SM and is thus a valuable byproduct that does not alter animal performance and can positively impact N2O and E-CH4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcumin (CU) is a polyphenolic compound extracted from turmeric, a well-known dietary spice. Since it has been shown that CU exerts beneficial effects on human health, interest has increased in its use but also in its analysis in different matrices. CU has an antioxidant character and is electroactive due to the presence of phenolic groups in its molecule. This paper reviews the data reported in the literature regarding the use of electrochemical techniques for the assessment of CU antioxidant activity and the investigation of the voltammetric behavior at different electrodes of free or loaded CU on various carriers. The performance characteristics and the analytical applications of the electrochemical methods developed for CU analysis are compared and critically discussed. Examples of voltammetric investigations of CU interaction with different metallic ions or of CU or CU complexes with DNA as well as the CU applications as electrode modifiers for the enhanced detection of various chemical species are also shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed to present the practice of mixed farming systems which is based on circularity and proposes stronger links between crops and livestock. It aims to emulate the nutrient circuits resulted from food production based on those in natural systems, shifting from linearity towards cyclicity to reduce anthropic impact. The paper analysed the selected articles in order to identify strategies implemented in mixed farming systems which improve circularity and have positive effects on the environment and presented the results and discussions section in the form of guidelines and based our logic structure on the principles of circularity in agricultural systems. It is recommendable that farmers and stakeholders try to preserve and, where possible, increase the biotic diversity of agricultural landscapes, both in terms of crops and livestock (for example, by using cover crops and intercropping), but also in terms of habitats that can provide beneficial ecosystem services (such as: shelter for natural enemies, nitrogen fixing plants, etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major challenges of animal husbandry, in addition to those related to the economic situation and the current energy crisis, is the major contribution of this sector to atmospheric pollution. Awareness of pollution sources and their permanent monitoring in order to ensure efficient management of the farm, with the aim of reducing emissions, is a mandatory issue, both at the macro level of the economic sector and at the micro level, specifically at the level of each individual farm. In this context, the acquisition of consistent environmental data from the level of each farm will constitute a beneficial action both for the decision-making system of the farm and for the elaboration or adjustment of strategies at the national level. The current paper proposes a case study of air pollutants in a cattle farm for different seasons (winter and summer) and the correlation between their variation and microclimate parameters. A further comparison is made between values estimated using the EMEP (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme, 2019) methodology for air pollutant emission and values measured by sensors in a hybrid decision support platform for farms. Results show that interactions between microclimate and pollutant emissions exist and they can provide a model for the farm's activities that the farmer can manage according to the results of the measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was twofold: i) to characterise the main applications of the life cycle assessment (LCA) for assessing and representing mixed farming systems (MFS), and then ii) to propose a general methodological framework for conducting a comparative LCA of a case study of an MFS versus a specialised system in Romania. For this purpose, the main applications of LCA to MFS have been analysed in all its phases. Overall, the reviewed LCA studies highlighted the potential of MFS to improve environmental sustainability, but scarcity of real data hindered the assessment process. In addition, some studies focused on a single product rather than taking into account all products (crops and livestock) when comparing MFS with specialised ones. This may exclude interactions between farm components in the MFS and therefore may not reflect the overall impact of these systems. Therefore, an LCA based on a farm-level approach is recommended to provide a fairer comparison of MFS versus specialised systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics are routinely used to treat and prevent infections in humans as well as in animals. Excessive use of antibiotics in animals, especially in poultry, accumulates residues in the meat and organs beyond legal limits. A large number of classes and types of antibiotics often used in the poultry sector raises problems in quantitative detection methodologies. These techniques must be economical, comply with the requirements of the international standard for maximum residue limits detection, and be sensitive, reproducible, and reliable. Given the complexity of the requirements that such a methodology must meet, the study presents the technological advances of modern technology such as High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS), Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) in the simultaneous detection of several antibiotic residues belonging to different classes. The paper aims to facilitate the simultaneous detection of as many antibiotic residues in chicken meat in the spirit of the One Health concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloramphenicol (CAP) is a widely used, broad spectrum antibiotic that contains a nitrobenzene moiety with a possible poisonous feature. Thus, the development of low cost, simple, and rapid analytical methods for the reliable CAP quantification is necessary. Starting from the nitro group electroactivity, the cyclic voltammetric properties of CAP were investigated at the common commercially available, disposable pencil graphite electrode (PGE). The effect of the electrode material, the electrolyte pH and the potential scan rate were investigated. At 2H type PGE, the CAP cyclic voltammograms presented an anodic and two cathodic diffusion controlled, pH-dependent peaks, each involving the exchange of two electrons and two protons. Based on CAP main reduction peak at PGE in pH 5.00 Britton Robinson buffer, a square wave voltammetric (SWV) method was developed for its quantification from 2.50 × 10−6 to 7.50 × 10−4 mol L−1 with a limit of detection (LoD) of 1.39 × 10−6 mol L−1. Moreover, the anodic peak was also employed for the first time for a CAP linear sweep voltammetric (LSV) assay (2.50 × 10−6 to 1.00 × 10−3 mol L−1; LoD 6.09 × 10−7 mol L−1 CAP). Both voltammetric methods using the cost-effective PGE were applied for the determination of CAP in pharmaceuticals, obtaining recoveries of 100.9 ± 1.4% (relative standard deviation of 3.54%) for SWV and 100.7 ± 1.4% (relative standard deviation of 3.55%) for LSV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the research undertaken was to highlight that emission reductions can be made available to producers in the steer farming sector and the adoption of current best practices and technologies for the rearing and health of animals, feed rations can be a tool that would help the dragline sector reduce greenhouse gases, and was realized on the Moara Domneasca farm on a flock of 29 dairy cows at different stages of Montbeliarde's lactation between January 2021 and September 2021. Daily milk production was established per lactation cycle, within the lactation cycle of 3 distinct stages and the establishment of two seasons, summer and winter. The influence of feed strategies applied on milk production, manure chemical composition and CH4 and CO2 emissions were analyzed. The milk production of cows was not influenced by the addition of vegetable oils, ranging between 22.04 l / head in the ascending phase of lactation, 19.86-20.96 l / head in the plateau phase and 19.45 l / head in the descending phase of lactation. The methane emission from enteric fermentation shows the highest values for variants 4 and 3, when 0.2 l/head/day of rapeseed oil were administered in each variant, and in version 4, 0.1 l/head/day of sunflower oil was also administered (methane emissions are 1.41 kg CH4/year and 1.39 kg CH4/year, respectively). The lowest emissions are recorded for nutrition variant 5 (in which equal doses, sunflower oil and rapeseed oil were administered: 0.1 l l/head/day). Also, the trend of CO2 equivalent emissions closely follows the line of CH4 emissions from enteric fermentation, being directly dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the main findings of a study which aimed to examine the electrochemical oxidation of homovanillic acid (HVA), the final metabolite of dopamine. A pencil graphite electrode (PGE) was used as working electrode and the measurements were performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The type and the composition of the graphite leads used as PGE, the pH of the supporting electrolyte, as well as the scan rates were optimized by CV. The analyte was irreversibly oxidized in Britton–Robinson buffer (BRB) solutions. The interpretation of the voltammetric signals and the correlation of the acquired information were the key to addressing the electrode process undergone by HVA at the PGE. The outcomes of the pH and scan rate studies led to the conclusion that two electrons and two protons were involved in the diffusion-controlled process. Using the PGE, a linear relationship between peak current and HVA concentration was obtained between 1.0 × 10−6 M and 5.0 × 10−5 M by DPV in BRB with pH 2.0. The detection limit of 3.84 × 10−7 M was calculated. The accuracy, the precision, and the selectivity of the quantitative method have successfully undergone evaluation. The practical application of the developed voltammetric method was checked by determining the HVA concentration in spiked plasma samples, yielding good recovery values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]