Alexandros Theodoridis

Background and Objectives: Experimental models of diaphragmatic reconstruction vary considerably in defect size, operative access, respiratory management, and repair technique, limiting reproducibility and comparison between studies. This study aimed to describe the technical standardization and procedural refinement of a rabbit model for creation and immediate repair of a limited full-thickness diaphragmatic defect, with particular emphasis on practical challenges identified during its implementation. Materials and Methods: Seventeen male New Zealand White rabbits, aged 3–4 months and weighing 3–4 kg underwent an upper midline transabdominal approach under injectable general anesthesia. A limited full-thickness defect was created in the muscular portion of the left hemidiaphragm and immediately reconstructed with a 2 × 2 cm absorbable polyglactin mesh. Technical aspects of diaphragmatic exposure, defect sizing, mesh fixation, respiratory management, abdominal closure, and postoperative wound protection were systematically documented during implementation and refinement of the model. Results: Four of the 17 rabbits died, corresponding to an observed mortality of 23.5%; two deaths were associated with surgical complications, one was attributed to postoperative ileus, and one remained unexplained. Physiological muscular recoil after diaphragmatic excision required conservative initial tissue resection and measurement of the final defect after contraction, resulting in an approximately 1 × 1 cm defect. Bilateral costal retraction improved operative exposure, while mesh fixation was refined from interrupted sutures to continuous circumferential 3-0 polyglactin fixation with selective reinforcement. Transient air leakage observed during reconstruction resolved after restoration of the abdominal viscera in the absence of persistent respiratory compromise. Postoperative wound manipulation prompted modifications in hair removal, fascial closure, and knot burial. The procedures were completed under injectable anesthesia without routine mechanical ventilation or pleural drainage; physiological stability and adequacy of analgesia were not objectively established. Conclusions: The reported refinements in diaphragmatic exposure, defect sizing, mesh fixation, respiratory assessment, and wound protection provide practical guidance for limited full-thickness diaphragmatic defect creation and repair in rabbits. This technical framework may support protocol development and serve as a practical basis for future experimental evaluation of reconstructive materials and biological adjuncts. However, the observed mortality and limited objective assessment preclude firm conclusions regarding safety and reproducibility, which require further evaluation.

Agricultural and livestock production systems are continuously confronted with new structural, operational, market, and environmental challenges, which pose threats to their future sustainability

In this study, an empirical analysis was applied to measure the efficiency level of dairy farms in Cyprus and estimate the capacity of sheep farmers to support the increasing demand for halloumi cheese. Data Envelopment Analysis was used on data from 50 dairy sheep farms in Cyprus, which operate under extensive, semi-intensive, and intensive systems. The main features of the most efficient farms are presented, and a comparative financial analysis is implemented between the efficient and less efficient farms. The results indicate room for improvement in extensive and semi-intensive dairy sheep farming and verify that the transition that takes place in sheep farming towards more intensive systems constitutes the optimal approach. The most efficient farms operate under semi-intensive and intensive dairy sheep farming and achieve higher milk yields than the farms operating under extensive systems. Feeding constitutes the main cost driver, exceeding 60% in both efficient and inefficient farms, while labor wages and fixed capital cost varies between 25% and 30% of the total production cost for both efficiency groups. The findings indicate that the farms should utilize economies of scale to reduce production costs and utilize fixed capital endowments at full capacity.

The spatial ecology of feral horses (Equus ferus f. caballus) in Greece has never been studied before, including home range size and habitat selection. We tracked two mares fitted with global positioning system collars between September 2020 and August 2021 in a portion of Mount Menoikio in Central Macedonia, Northern Greece. We used K-select analysis to assess habitat selection for the study period by combining location data with several environmental variables. The mean home ranges for horses varied from 26.72 km² (95% Minimum Convex Polygon; SE = 0.442) to 27.84 km² (95% Kernel Density; SE = 1.83). Both horses selected areas with flat and smooth topography near natural grasslands with high green productivity. Conversely, they avoided areas near broadleaved forests and pastures, as well as at north-facing aspects. Overall, suitable habitats corresponded to a small portion (15.1%) of the available habitat. Our findings could assist land managers in mapping primary horses’ habitat in the wider region and implement management regimes that will aid in preserving natural grasslands.

The global demand for improvement in the welfare conditions of broilers has generated the necessity to implement alternative rearing systems as well as less intensive growth hybrids. The majority of the data on alternative farming methods, notwithstanding their abundance, are the result of small-scale experiments. The present extended field study examined the effect of two different industrial farming systems on broilers’ antioxidant status, performance, and meat quality, including 13 replicates of each industrial breeding system (intensive conventional; free range) and two different chicken genotypes (fast growth; slow growth). The duration of the study was 51 months, and the total number of broilers was 260.000 for the conventional and 78.000 for the free-range system. The results showed that fast-growth chicks demonstrated a more satisfactory performance (in terms of body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) with p ≤ 0.001), reduced serum lipid oxidation (p ≤ 0.05), and more tender meat. Contrarily, slow-growth chickens presented significantly higher total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in serum and thigh muscle (p ≤ 0.001), significantly lower (p ≤ 0.05) thigh muscle oxidation (in terms of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS), increased protein and decreased fat content (p ≤ 0.05), and better smell, taste, color, and texture. In conclusion, the free-range farming system for slow-growth chickens may result in an overall higher nutritional value, sensory score, and serum and thigh muscle antioxidant profile than the conventional farming system for fast-growth broilers. However, fast-growth broilers exhibit better performance and might undergo less stress.

In this study, the opinions and perceptions of students at a school of veterinary medicine regarding the importance of entrepreneurship education in modern higher education are investigated. A Likert-scale questionnaire design was used to record veterinary students’ responses on issues related to entrepreneurship education and its impact on their entrepreneurial mindset, as well as on the students’ carrier aspirations and on the factors that influence their carrier choices. The survey was conducted in 2022, and in total, 105 graduates completed the questionnaire. The responses were analyzed through a descriptive statistical analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics 28. The present study confirms that there is a significant need for entrepreneurship education in order to start, develop, and successfully realize business ideas.

In this paper, the attitudes of veterinary students concerning the “factors driving their entrepreneurial intentions” and the “effects of family and wider environment on starting a business” were analyzed using Two-Step Cluster Analysis. A survey was conducted on 105 veterinary students who were asked to indicate their “agreement” on certain individual issues. The analysis of the data collected resulted in two students’ profiles with respect to the factors driving their entrepreneurial intentions (“The cautious students” and “The reluctant students”), and in three students’ profiles with respect to the influence of family and the wider environment on starting a business (“The conscious students”, “The cautious and conservative students” and “The well informed and decisive students”). The study’s findings could contribute to reinforcing the actions of educational institutions towards targeted training of students on entrepreneurship/market issues.

In this study, a farm-scale mathematical programming model for sheep and goat farms is proposed to simulate economic performance, including new resilience sheep traits that allow animals to counteract the presence of infectious and noninfectious diseases. The model was developed in the Small Ruminants Breeding for Efficiency and Resilience (SMARTER) Horizon 2020 project. The SMARTER model is a comprehensive and adaptable linear programming model that enables the assessment of hypothetical scenarios/challenges related to animal traits that prevent infectious and noninfectious diseases. The optimal performance and the structure of the farm are modeled under the presence of infectious and noninfectious diseases (disease plan) and under conditions where no diseases occur (future plan). A comparison of the model solutions, between presence and absence of diseases, provides suggested adjustments to the farming system and insights into the potential shape of new sustainable farm system profiles for the sheep and goat sector. Technical and economic data from five different sheep farms and one goat farm in Greece and France were used in this empirical application to assess different scenarios in the presence of mastitis, parasitism, and lameness in the flocks. The results showed that the profitability and sustainability of the farms are significantly improved when the resilience of animals reduces the impact of the diseases (the highest increase in gross margin was 23.5%). However, although there is substantial improvement in the economic performance of the farms that rear healthy animals, this does not affect the production and management plan of the farmer and does not alter the farm’s structure.

Managing a milk zone in the dairy industry is demanding. Data necessary for efficient management are difficult to acquire because they usually must be collected in organized and standardized ways. On the other hand, software practices constantly provide new tools that can go beyond simple record-keeping practices and add value to the data. In this work, FarmDain is a novel web-based application for sheep and goat management. It aims to improve milk production and processing by digitizing the value chain in data acquisition, processing and visualization between dairy production businesses and their milk suppliers. FarmDain uses state-of-the-art software technologies to model the data collection process and provides a straightforward user interface to facilitate data processing and visualization. Using the app in a case study carried out for 12 months in a dairy sheep farm resulted in lower feeding cost per milked ewe by 5.5% when ewes were allocated into high and low milk production groups compared to the scenario of remaining in one single group. Furthermore, based on reports provided by the app, culling and genetic selection decisions were made to improve the overall farm performance. Similar practices were applied in all farms optimizing their productivity, which led to increased profitability for farms and the Dairy Factory.

Dairy sheep farming is a significant agricultural sector in Mediterranean countries, providing income and employment opportunities in less-favoured areas (LFAs). The economic performance of dairy sheep farms is of significant interest to LFAs. However, relevant literature is scarce. The objectives here were to evaluate the economic performance of dairy sheep farms in LFAs of Greece and perform a comparative analysis based on flock size and farming system. In total, 19 and 26 dairy sheep farms for two production periods were used. Farm technical (flock size, production, grazing and nutritional management) and economic (income and variable costs) data were collected. The economic performance of farms was estimated using Happy Goats, a decision support tool for small ruminant farming. Estimated economic parameters were analysed by flock size (≤150 ewes vs. >150 ewes) and farming system (intensive/semi-intensive vs. semi-extensive). Results showed that 37% and 31% of farms were operating with losses in each production period, respectively. Based on nutritional management, ewes produced about 50 kg less milk per milking period. Smaller and semi-extensive farms had significantly (p < 0.05) lower incomes and variable costs. A significantly (p < 0.05) lower average gross margin was reported for smaller compared to larger farms. Results suggest a better economic perspective for larger flock sizes.