This paper presents the development of a cost-effective automatic system for greenhouse environment control. The architectural and functional features were analyzed in the context of the realization of a controlled-environment agricultural system through all its stages: installation, deployment of the software, integration, maintenance, crop control strategy setup and daily operation of the grower. The proposed embedded platform provides remote monitoring and control of the greenhouse environment and is implemented as a distributed sensing and control network integrating wired and wireless nodes. All nodes were built with low-cost, low-power microcontrollers. The key issues that were addressed include the energy-efficient control, the robustness of the distributed control network to faults and a low-cost hardware implementation. The translation of the supervisory growth-planning information to the operational (control network) level is achieved through a specific architecture residing on a crop planning module (CPM) and an interfacing block (IB). A suite of software applications with flows and interfaces developed from a grower-centric perspective was designed and implemented on a multi-tier architecture. The operation of the platform was validated through implementation of sensing and control nodes, application of software for configuration and visualization, and deployment in typical greenhouses.

The yields in bioconversion of residues produced in the Cameroon food industry to liquid and gaseous biofuels were evaluated and the potential of these residues as feedstock for renewable energy production in Cameroon were assessed. Residues generated after processing avocado, cocoa, and peanut crops were converted at laboratory-scale to second-generation gaseous biofuels (biogas) and liquid biofuels (ethanol). Mechanical (milling), thermal-chemical (steam-NaOH), and microwave pretreatments were applied before hydrolysis of biomass using cellulolytic enzymes. Cellulosic sugars production potential was also assessed. The energy conversion rate was higher when anaerobic digestion technology was applied to convert the tested biomass to methane. The total Cameroon potential under anaerobic digestion technology is over 330,000 m3, which represents 28% from oil consumption or 5.39% from electricity consumption when lignocellulosic ethanol technology was applied. The national potential was assessed up to 200,000 kg, representing 17% from oil consumption in transport or 3.19% from electricity consumption. Overall, the share of energy potential of the tested residual biomass is important when compared to fossil fuel consumption in Cameroon and represents an important potential feedstock for electricity production.

Bee products have a millennia-old tradition in human apitherapy, thanks to their numerous curative properties. The aim of this study was to perform a physicochemical characterization, including the percentage of water content, dry matter, pH, acidity, impurity content, protein, ash, and macro and micro minerals, and to evaluate the antioxidant activity of apiculture products, including apilarnil, royal jelly, and propolis. Samples were collected from our apiary in the Banat region of Romania in 2022 as well as from the market. Apilarnil and royal jelly were analyzed in pure and freeze-dried form, and propolis in pure and tincture form. Our results show that there is a large variability in the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the three bee products studied, depending on the form of presentation and source of origin. In the case of commercial bee products, the best results were obtained in terms of chemical composition, including the content of macro and micro nutrients. All the samples analyzed showed acidity, pH, and impurity content values within the limits allowed by the quality standards. Apilarnil from our own apiary recorded the highest values for antioxidant activity, followed by propolis tincture and fresh propolis from own apiary.

Background and Objectives: Vitamin D deficiency is linked to adverse outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Limited data exist on how vitamin D levels vary by disease severity during acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPDs). This study aimed to determine whether the vitamin D status during AECOPDs—alongside inflammatory and hematological biomarkers—is associated with COPD severity. Materials and Methods: This observational study included 105 AECOPD hospitalized patients, stratified according to GOLD stages 1–2, 3, and 4. Blood samples were collected to measure serum vitamin D—as 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], acute phase reactants, serum calcium, and selected hematological parameters. Inter-group differences were evaluated using Kruskal–Wallis tests, with Spearman correlations applied for intra-strata associations. ROC analysis and logistic regression assessed the discriminatory power of significant biomarkers. Results: C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen concentrations were elevated across all COPD stages, whereas calcium and vitamin D remained consistently below normal. Interleukin (IL)-6 and 25(OH)D levels varied significantly with COPD stage (p = 0.033 and p = 0.047, respectively), with a marked drop from GOLD stage 3 to stage 4. High-IL-6 patients revealed significantly elevated CRP (p = 0.045), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (p = 0.032), fibrinogen (p = 0.011), and procalcitonin (p = 0.044). The strongest correlations were seen between CRP, ESR, and fibrinogen (r_s ≥ 0.58, p ≤ 0.05), indicating a coordinated acute-phase response that weakened with advancing disease. Serum 25(OH)D was a significant independent predictor of COPD severity (AUC = 0.631, p = 0.048), while IL-6 had a weaker predictive value, losing significance in the combined regression model. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is more pronounced in very severe COPD, serving as a potential clinical indicator of disease severity during exacerbation episodes.