Search Results (1,165)

Background: Costal cartilage is the preferred structural material for augmentation rhinoplasty when robust and durable tip support is required. However, conventional full-thickness harvest is associated with significant donor-site morbidity, and commonly employed rigid fixation strategies—such as the septal extension graft—substantially restrict postoperative nasal tip compliance. The present study introduces a novel two-component technique combining a half-harvest costal cartilage procurement method with a pyramidal-shaped columellar strut graft anchored on the floating-tip principle, with the objective of maintaining postoperative nasal tip flexibility while providing structural support following augmentation rhinoplasty. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of consecutive patients who underwent primary or revision augmentation rhinoplasty using the pyramidal costal cartilage columellar strut graft technique by a single surgeon between June 2018 and February 2026. The medial half of the conjoined costal cartilage at the seventh, eighth, or ninth rib was procured via a half-harvest approach, preserving the lateral cortex and perichondrium to minimize donor-site morbidity and potential cartilage regeneration was considered a theoretical benefit. The harvested cartilage was carved into a pyramidal columellar strut and secured to the anterior nasal spine using a floating fixation construct; the inferior base of the strut was rigidly fixed to the nasal septum and anterior nasal spine with a minimum of three PDS 5-0 sutures, while the superior portion remained free to preserve physiologic nasal tip mobility. Adjunctive cap and shield grafts, perichondrial wrapping, and dermal fat grafts were employed as indicated. Primary outcomes included nasal tip projection, postoperative tip mobility, donor-site morbidity, and surgical complication rates. Results: Favorable clinical observations of maintained tip projection were noted throughout follow-up. Manual postoperative examination suggested preservation of tip flexibility in most patients; however, no validated objective mobility assessment tool was available. The revision rate for clinically significant tip deviation was low. No major donor-site adverse events—including pneumothorax or rib fracture—were encountered. Postoperative chest wall pain was minimal and transient, with most patients resuming daily activities within one week of surgery. Conclusions: The pyramidal-shaped costal cartilage columellar strut graft with half-harvest technique is a novel, biomechanically informed, and technically reproducible approach to augmentation rhinoplasty that was developed to address donor-site morbidity and postoperative tip rigidity, two commonly recognized limitations of conventional costal cartilage rhinoplasty: donor-site morbidity and postoperative nasal tip rigidity. Preservation of the lateral cortex and perichondrium during procurement may contribute to reduced postoperative donor-site discomfort, accelerates functional recovery, and may promote endogenous cartilage regeneration over time. The anatomically derived pyramidal strut geometry, combined with floating fixation to the anterior nasal spine, was designed to approximate the native columellar architecture, enabling consistent preservation of physiologic nasal tip mobility. The present series demonstrated a favorable safety profile with a low overall complication rate and an absence of major donor-site adverse events. Prospective studies with validated objective outcome measures are required to confirm these findings, to delineate the optimal patient selection criteria, and to establish evidence-based long-term outcome benchmarks for this technique. Full article

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) remains the gold standard irrigant in endodontics due to its proteolytic and antimicrobial properties, whereas hydrogen peroxide (HP) is widely used for internal bleaching because of its oxidative capacity. Both agents have been associated with chemical and structural alterations in dentin; however, the impact of their sequential application on the organic–mineral balance has not been fully elucidated. Objective: To evaluate whether the isolated and sequential application of 5.25% NaOCl and 37.5% HP induces chemical alterations in dentin by analyzing changes in the organic matrix and mineral phase using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Methods: Twenty-four independent dentin sections (n = 6 per group) from six human third molars were distributed using a tooth-balanced allocation into four groups: Control, NaOCl (5.25%, 15 min), HP (37.5%, 30 min), and sequential NaOCl+HP. FTIR assessed organic (amide I, II, III, CH₂) and inorganic (phosphate, carbonate) components through baseline-corrected integrated areas, Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM), and molecular ratios. Surface elemental composition and the calculated Ca/P atomic ratio were determined by EDX. Multiple sub-measurements per specimen were averaged before statistical analysis. Data were analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests with Bonferroni correction (p < 0.05). Results: FTIR revealed treatment-dependent modifications. NaOCl reduced absorbance in organic-associated bands, indicating collagen degradation, whereas HP altered the mineral phase. The NaOCl+HP group exhibited increased numerical values for integrated band areas, with differences detected in carbonate, phosphate, and amide III bands (p < 0.05), reflecting structural disorganization and modified spectral signal rather than tissue preservation. No differences were detected across the calculated infrared ratios (p > 0.05). EDX showed decreased absolute atomic percentages of Ca, P, and O in the NaOCl+HP group (p < 0.05), indicating structural demineralization, while its stoichiometric Ca/P ratio remained at 1.56. Isolated HP shifted the mineral stoichiometry to the highest numerical Ca/P ratio (1.69; range 1.58–1.80). Fluorine decreased across all treated groups (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Sequential NaOCl and HP application triggers distinct chemical alterations compared to individual treatments, inducing severe structural disorganization of the organic network and absolute mineral depletion of Ca and P. This multi-agent sequence alters dentin stoichiometry, which may compromise the biomechanical integrity of the tissue. Full article

Hands-free command interfaces are essential for users who cannot reliably operate joysticks or upper-limb myoelectric control. Neck–shoulder surface electromyography (sEMG) is a promising alternative; however, performance is often reported using window-level validation which can overestimate accuracy due to overlap and trial leakage, and false-trigger behavior is not always quantified when an idle REST state is included. This pilot study presents a motion-capture (MoCap)-referenced decoding framework that uses four bilateral upper trapezius (UT) and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) sEMG channels with integrated inertial measurement units (IMUs). Optical MoCap was used as an external kinematic reference to support baseline-posture assessment and movement-execution quality control. Seven commands were decoded (shrug L/R, double shrug, rotation L/R, rotation + shrug L/R). To enable an eight-class formulation, a REST class was defined using low-activity segments extracted from baseline recordings and included in the evaluation. Computationally efficient time-domain sEMG features, pattern/symmetry descriptors, and baseline-referenced IMU kinematics (including an SCM yaw-range indicator) were classified using linear discriminant analysis (LDA), k-nearest neighbors (kNN), and linear support vector machine (SVM), evaluated using within-subject testing, trial-wise grouped cross-validation, and leave-one-subject-out (LOSO) testing. Across six participants, within-subject mean best-per-subject accuracy was 96.02% (seven-class) and 96.35% (eight-class); and pooled trial-wise accuracy reached 92.1% and 90.5%, respectively. Under LOSO, best-configuration accuracy decreased to 60.4% and 63.8% for the seven-class and eight-class formulations, respectively. Across the top LOSO configurations, REST FAR ranged from approximately 9.8% to 25.6%. These findings demonstrate controlled offline pilot feasibility and quantify key generalization and REST false-activation trade-offs, providing a foundation for future validation in larger, more diverse, and clinically relevant populations. Full article

The digital documentation of existing buildings is particularly important when original construction drawings or reliable as-built records are unavailable. This study evaluates the feasibility and selected dimensional consistency of a locally registered Scan-to-BIM workflow integrating unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry for exterior documentation and smartphone LiDAR for interior data capture. A two-storey reinforced-concrete building with unavailable original project documentation was selected as a single case study. Exterior images were acquired using a DJI Mavic 3E (DJI, Shenzhen, China), while interior spaces were scanned using an iPhone 16 Pro Max (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, USA) and Polycam v5.1.5 in LiDAR mode. The UAV images were processed in Agisoft Metashape Professional 2.2.0 to generate the exterior photogrammetric point cloud, and the smartphone LiDAR data were organised with this dataset in Autodesk ReCap Pro 2025. Both point clouds were then used as geometric references for creating a geometry-oriented as-is BIM model in Autodesk Revit 2025. To evaluate selected dimensional consistency, 32 independent field measurements collected using a steel tape measure and a laser distance meter were compared with corresponding BIM-derived dimensions. The dimensional comparison yielded a mean absolute error (MAE) of 29.56 mm, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 31.21 mm, a maximum absolute error (MaxAE) of 46.00 mm, and a mean signed error (MSE) of +29.56 mm. These results indicate centimetre-level dimensional consistency for the selected validation dimensions, with a small systematic positive offset in the BIM-derived dimensions. The workflow can support preliminary geometric documentation and general as-is BIM for a small existing building, but it does not demonstrate survey-grade georeferencing, full registration accuracy, modelling reproducibility, or general applicability without further testing. Full article

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), which causes numerous metabolic changes, leading to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Our study explored the suggested role of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α (HIF-1α) in the pathophysiological mechanisms linking OSA with NAFLD. Methods: This case-control study was conducted at the Sleep Disorders Unit at Qena University Hospital from March 2022 to October 2023, including 64 subjects (48 OSA patients; in a secondary analysis, OSA patients were further stratified according to the presence or absence of NAFLD–16 controls) who were subjected to a polysomnography (PSG) for apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and transient elastography for controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) score and liver stiffness measurement (LSM). Serum levels of HIF 1-α, fasting blood glucose, and fasting insulin were measured. Results: HIF-1α level showed the highest significant value was in the severe group (p = 0.001). Additionally, the severe group had the highest LSM compared to the other groups (p = 0.032). OSA patients with NAFLD, compared to OSA patients without NAFLD, showed significantly higher BMI (42.74 vs. 29.11 kg/m², p < 0.001), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) mean score (3.92 vs. 1.21, p < 0.0001), HIF-1α level (6.01 vs. 2.14 ng/L, p = 0.045), and the LSM score (5.55 vs. 3.85 kPa, p < 0.001). HIF-1α showed significant positive correlations with AHI (r = 0.515, p < 0.001), waist circumference WC (r = 0.291, p = 0.045), HSI (r = 0.3, p = 0.038), and CAP score (r = 0.288, p = 0.047). Conclusions: Although serum HIF-1α levels were significantly higher in OSA patients with NAFLD and correlated with indices of hepatic steatosis, HIF-1α was not identified as an independent predictor of NAFLD after adjustment for metabolic confounders, suggesting a potential role of hypoxia-responsive pathways in pathophysiology of NAFLD in OSA. Full article

Machupo virus (MACV) is the causal agent of Bolivian Hemorrhagic fever. It is highly pathogenic, has a high mortality rate, and currently lacks specific treatments or vaccines. MACV belongs to the Arenaviridae family, which uses a cap-snatching mechanism during the transcription process. Its viral polymerase, the L protein, harbors the endonuclease activity required for cap snatching, making it a suitable target for the development of antiviral therapeutics. We combined experimental and computational methods to characterize MACV endonuclease activity and evaluate inhibitors. A fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay was used to measure the enzymatic activity of endonuclease and identify potent inhibitors via high-throughput screening. FRET assays identified BW-148, an inhibitor with a 48.4 µM (95% CI: 37.3–59.3 µM; R² = 0.98) IC₅₀, and a K_D of 13.7 µM (95% CI: 8.2–19.2 µM, n = 3). Docking studies reveal that BW-148 may bind near the MACV endonuclease catalytic site, inhibiting enzymatic activities by metal chelating. BW-148 is a useful lead compound for further optimization of Machupo endonuclease inhibitors. Full article

The European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) commits, in its Treaty foundation, to a fair standard of living for the agricultural community and, in its post-2014 architecture, to enhanced territorial cohesion. Yet repeated reform cycles have left the regional concentration of payments in many Member States visibly untouched. This paper asks why. We document the persistence of the territorial concentration of CAP transfers across the 13 Greek NUTS-2 regions over the 2010–2025 period (€47.65 bn cumulative), identify the CAP design mechanisms that mechanically reproduce it, and quantify how much of the observed aggregate stationarity is the artefact of compositional shifts versus genuinely offsetting forces. Using the universe of payment disbursements aggregated to 13 NUTS-2 regions and 51 NUTS-3 prefectures, we (i) test for σ- and β-convergence and Lorenz dominance, (ii) decompose Theil-T between and within regions and across Pillar I/Pillar II, and (iii) run four counterfactual simulations: Pillar II share held at its 2010 level, Article: 17-style capping at a 12–15% NUTS-2 ceiling, an Article: 29-style lower-tail floor, and a concentration-elasticity perturbation of the top region. The territorial distribution of support proves strikingly stable: standard inequality measures stay within a narrow band for sixteen consecutive years, and the ranking of regions barely changes, so formal convergence tests detect no narrowing over time. Three messages follow. First, this persistence is not accidental but built into the architecture of the CAP—through historical-reference entitlement values, the per-hectare logic of the Basic Payment Scheme, the geographic concentration of coupled support in cotton and livestock, and the cadastral fragmentation of the island prefectures. Second, the apparent stability conceals two large and opposing forces: the post-2014 expansion of Pillar II has reduced regional disparities, while a widening of the Pillar I distribution has increased them by almost the same amount, so aggregate stationarity reflects policy effort cancelling out, not the absence of it. Third, the instruments already in the CAP toolbox have real redistributive power: capping the largest region’s envelope and redistributing the surplus to lagging regions, or introducing a lower-tail floor, would roughly halve measured inequality. Therefore, the spatial concentration of CAP transfers in Greece is a designed equilibrium rather than an unsolved residual, and reducing it requires instruments that act asymmetrically on the top of the distribution. Full article

Background: Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is an effective treatment for house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic rhinitis (AR); however, the significance of qualitative changes in specific IgE (sIgE) remains unclear. This study evaluated post-treatment changes in sIgE reactivity and compared the performance of three immunoassays. Methods: In this prospective study, monosensitized patients with HDM-induced AR were identified using skin prick testing and followed for 12 months after SLIT. Serum sIgE levels were assessed at baseline and after treatment using immunoblot, chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA), and ImmunoCAP as the reference method. Qualitative changes in sIgE reactivity were analyzed. Clinical response was assessed using the total nasal symptom score (TNSS), and total IgE (tIgE) levels were measured. Results: At baseline, HDM-sIgE reactivity was detected in 85.7%, 82.1%, and 92.9% of patients by immunoblot, CLIA, and ImmunoCAP, respectively. Following SLIT, a significant qualitative conversion to non-reactive status was observed across all assays (p < 0.001). Conversion rates were 94.0% for immunoblot, 83.3% for CLIA, and 100.0% for ImmunoCAP. Significant improvements in TNSS and reductions in tIgE were also observed. Conclusions: SLIT induces a marked qualitative reduction in HDM-sIgE reactivity, with complete serological conversion detected by ImmunoCAP. Although the immunoassays showed comparable rates of HDM-sIgE detection, their agreement in classifying individual patients differed, indicating variability in assay performance. Qualitative assessment of sIgE may provide a clinically meaningful approach for monitoring immunotherapy response. Full article

In summary, near-surface icing risk in complex alpine terrain is jointly controlled by freezing conditions, moisture supply, freeze–thaw transitions, and topographic energy processes. Traditional approaches relying on sparse station data or single temperature thresholds fail to capture spatial heterogeneity, and frequent cloud cover together with topographic errors severely limit the application of thermal infrared remote sensing. Taking the area along the Duku Highway in the Tianshan Mountains as the study region, a daily icing risk assessment framework at 250 m resolution was constructed using multi-source remote sensing, ERA5-Land reanalysis data, topographic correction, and an energy–moisture dual-constrained model. A diurnal temperature cycle model, the CAP index, and physics-constrained machine learning were integrated to reconstruct the daily minimum land surface temperature ($T_{s,\mathrm{m}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{n}}$) at 250 m resolution under all weather conditions. A probabilistic two-tier risk assessment model was then established by incorporating moisture, topography, and freeze–thaw transitions. The results show that high-risk zones occur primarily in valleys and topographically constrained corridors rather than the coldest elevations. Validation against Landsat LST (r = 0.886) and the Bayanbulak station (bias −0.76 °C, RMSE 5.62 °C, r = 0.91) confirms spatial and seasonal accuracy. Sensitivity and Monte Carlo analyses indicate the RiskScore is mainly controlled by the low-temperature weight, while upstream parameters are less influential. The framework is best applied as a screening and early-warning product to identify sub-kilometer potential icing corridors, complementing point measurements and short-range forecasts. Full article

E-commerce has reshaped short-term financial management by altering transaction speed, payment structures, and supply chain coordination. This study examines how large publicly listed e-commerce firms, viewed as complex digital business systems, adjusted their working capital policies during and after the COVID-19 shock. The sample is based on the 100 largest e-commerce companies worldwide by market capitalization, as reported by CompaniesMarketCap (February 2026), and is reduced to 76 firms from 23 countries due to data availability, yielding 802 firm-year observations. Firm-level data are obtained from LSEG Datastream, while macroeconomic variables are sourced from the World Bank. The analysis distinguishes between two dimensions of working capital: flow-based operational adjustment, measured by the cash conversion cycle (CCC), and stock-based balance-sheet adjustment, captured by net working capital relative to total assets (WC/TA). Fixed-effects models with firm-clustered standard errors are employed. The results indicate a substantial contraction of the CCC during the pandemic, followed by partial persistence of that contraction rather than a return to pre-pandemic norms. In contrast, WC/TA remains broadly stable during the crisis but declines in the post-pandemic period, suggesting a delayed balance-sheet adjustment. Business-model heterogeneity is not statistically significant, which may reflect a common system-level response across e-commerce firm types. Leverage and supply-chain pressures are associated with working capital intensity (WC/TA), while inflation shapes operate cycle duration (CCC). The findings are consistent with a two-stage adaptive response to systemic disruption. Full article

Introduction: The Cananéia–Iguape Lagoon Complex, part of the Lagamar Mosaic of Conservation Units, comprises interconnected ecosystems that facilitate the dispersal and exchange of larvae, juveniles, and adults across habitats. This connectivity is a vital ecological process, driving the demographic linkage of local populations. Due to its commercial importance and abundance, the fat snook (Centropomus parallelus) serves as an ideal model for connectivity studies in this region. This study evaluated the otolith fingerprints of fat snook nursery areas within an estuarine complex using elemental chemical signatures. Methodology: Otoliths from 24 juveniles (n = 6 per site) were sampled across four nurseries: Ariri (AR), Itapanhapima (IT), Subauma (SU), and Iguape (IG). Multi-elemental signatures (Na, Mg, P, K, Ca, Mn, Sr, Ba, and Pb) at the otolith edge were measured via Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Results: Multivariate analysis (PERMANOVA, p < 0.05) revealed significant chemical differences between nurseries, corroborated by pairwise tests. Canonical Analysis of Principal Coordinates (CAP) with leave-one-out cross-validation successfully assigned individuals to their collection sites with accuracies of 55% (AR), 72% (IT), 94% (SU), and 88% (IG), achieving a 78% global reclassification rate. CAP results distinguished two primary groups: the southern nurseries (AR/IT) and northern nurseries (SU/IG). This spatial separation was primarily driven by Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca ratios, reflecting the higher marine influence in the south versus freshwater input from the Ribeira de Iguape River in the north. Conclusions: These findings provide critical data to support public policies for the conservation of coastal ecosystems and the management of associated fish stocks. Full article

Background/Objectives: Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and hospitalization-requiring community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) may present with overlapping clinical, laboratory, and radiological features. Soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) is a platelet-derived thrombo-inflammatory mediator that may be influenced by both thrombotic and inflammatory processes. This study retrospectively compared on-admission serum sCD40L concentrations between selected hospitalized patients with established acute PE and selected patients with hospitalization-requiring CAP. Methods: This single-center retrospective exploratory comparative biomarker study included 82 hospitalized adults: 48 with computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA)-confirmed acute PE and 34 with hospitalization-requiring CAP defined using CURB-65-supported admission criteria. Stored admission serum samples were used for sCD40L measurement. Between-group comparison was the primary analysis; receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed as a secondary exploratory description of the apparent within-sample discriminatory signal. Results: sCD40L was higher in acute PE than in hospitalization-requiring CAP (median 821.3 vs. 629.0 pg/mL; p < 0.001). ROC analysis demonstrated a strong exploratory within-sample discriminatory signal (AUC 0.951, 95% CI 0.905–0.997). After excluding five patients with recorded antiplatelet or rivaroxaban exposure, the apparent signal remained similar (AUC 0.945; bootstrap 95% CI 0.891–0.984), and sCD40L remained associated with PE in a Firth-penalized model adjusted for platelet count and COPD (OR 3.39 per 50 pg/mL, 95% CI 2.00–7.71; p < 0.001). Conclusions: In this retrospective selected two-group comparison, on-admission serum sCD40L concentrations were higher in established acute PE than in hospitalization-requiring CAP. ROC-derived estimates should be interpreted only as apparent within-sample discrimination and not as a replacement for D-dimer, clinical probability assessment, or imaging-based PE diagnosis. Prospective validation in unselected suspected-PE cohorts is required before any diagnostic or clinical use can be considered. Full article

The extensive development of high-speed railway (HSR) networks often necessitates construction activities adjacent to operational lines. However, existing studies have mostly focused on the substructure construction phase, lacking systematic consideration of cumulative effects throughout the construction process. This study proposes an integrated framework for risk-informed monitoring throughout the full construction process. The framework integrates the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), triangular fuzzy numbers, and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation to construct a quantitative risk assessment model, decomposing the construction process into hierarchical risk factors and quantifying the weights of each factor. Furthermore, a non-contact real-time monitoring system based on Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is designed and deployed, enabling high-frequency, high-precision three-dimensional pier deformation measurement. Applied to a new bridge crossing the Beijing–Shanghai HSR, the risk model identified pile cap and pier construction as the highest-risk stage (weight: 0.311). The DIC system, validated against total station measurements (relative error < 5%), recorded cumulative pier deformations across 31 construction stages, all remaining within the ±1.2 mm early warning threshold, thereby validating the proposed risk assessment model. The integrated AHP-Fuzzy and DIC framework provides a robust paradigm for proactive risk management, confirming that risk-informed monitoring ensures construction impacts on existing HSR infrastructure remain within safe limits. Full article

Accurate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) position estimation is the cornerstone of urban low-altitude safety management systems. Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) and Remote Identification (Remote ID) are widely used surveillance technologies with complementary characteristics. TDOA provides high-rate updates but suffers from geometry-induced horizontal–vertical anisotropy and multipath effects, while Remote ID supplies absolute state information yet struggles with intermittent sampling and packet loss. Existing fusion schemes typically address these issues in isolation: sequential filtering manages asynchrony but assumes Gaussian noise, robust estimators suppress outliers at the cost of discarding valid data, and coupled-filter architectures allow vertical anomalies to contaminate horizontal estimates through the Kalman gain cross-coupling. No prior framework jointly handles structural TDOA altitude jumps, stochastic Remote ID timing jitter, and the geometric anisotropy between estimation subspaces within a single coherent pipeline. To bridge this gap, we propose a Hybrid Conditional Kalman Filter (HCKF) framework comprising three integrated modules. First, a kinematics-based temporal alignment module maps asynchronous measurements onto a uniform timeline and predicts missing samples, resolving cross-modal time mismatches. Second, a measurement quality evaluation mechanism detects TDOA altitude steps via robust two-layer stratification and scores Remote ID timing irregularity through a confidence mapping, converting these anomalies into dynamic covariance adjustments and weight caps without discarding observations. Third, a Subspace-Decoupled Fusion strategy exploits the physical insight that TDOA horizontal precision derives from hyperbolic intersection geometry, whereas its vertical estimates suffer from weak observability due to near-coplanar ground-station deployment. By applying entropy-guided weighting in the horizontal plane and a conditional Remote ID-dominant rule in the vertical axis, this design prevents cross-dimensional error propagation. The framework was validated using three real-world flight missions at distinct altitudes (255 m, 345 m, and 440 m) totaling 13.51 km of flight distance, with RTK serving as ground truth. HCKF reduces the Root Mean Square Error by over 40% relative to single-source baselines (95% bootstrap confidence interval: [35.2%, 48.7%]), and paired Wilcoxon signed-rank tests confirm statistically significant improvement ($p<0.01$) over standard EKF, Covariance Intersection, and Iterative CI across all three tracks. Full article

Intermediate crops, such as Brassica carinata and Camelina sativa, offer a promising pathway for expanding sustainable feedstock supply for advanced biofuels in Europe without competing with food and feed production. This study applies a competitive priority framework to assess the performance of intermediate crops in Italy and Spain, integrating agronomic, environmental, and regulatory dimensions. Using Member State-specific agroecological conditions, cost structures, and land-use profiles, the analysis identifies key challenges across land use and biomass-production stages and links them to measurable indicators and targeted optimisation strategies. Evidence from both experimental studies and modelling indicates that camelina can be seamlessly integrated into existing cropping systems without compromising crop yields or triggering soil carbon losses. These findings highlight the potential of intermediate crops to enhance soil health, to reduce erosion, and to stabilise yields under climate variability. This study also examines the policy conditions required to enable deployment, emphasising the need for region-specific crop calendars, digital traceability systems, and coherent implementation of RED III, CAP, ESCA, and CRCF frameworks. The distinction between volumetric and GHG-based targets is shown to be critical: intermediate crops perform strongly under GHG-based intensity reduction frameworks that reward soil carbon gains and sustainable cultivation. National instruments in Italy and Spain—including the Piano Strategico della PAC, Decreto Biocarburanti, Plan Estratégico de la PAC, and Real Decreto 376/2022—provide mechanisms for operationalising these strategies. Overall, the results demonstrate that intermediate crops can contribute meaningfully to both national and EU renewable energy, soil restoration, and climate mitigation objectives when supported by coherent agronomic and policy frameworks. Full article