Only the chairs can edit The integration of vehicular communications, 5G mobile networks, and edge computing represents a significant shift in intelligent transportation. Key components of Intelligent Transportation Systems, such as Vehicle-to-Vehicle and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure communications, are essential for this transformation. The introduction of 5G improves connectivity, while edge computing brings processing capabilities closer to data sources. This combination has the potential to dramatically enhance transportation efficiency and safety. We focus on developing a sustainable Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) framework based on experimentation in the Smart Highway testbed, located in Antwerp, focusing on protecting Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs). This study explores the interaction between vehicular communication and edge computing within a 5G network, focusing on the varying distances between On Board Units (OBUs) and Roadside Units (RSUs). The framework applications involve the development of a VRU Safety Mobile Application (SMA) and a Collision Prediction Edge Application (CPEA). Additionally, the research addresses sustainability by analyzing energy consumption in the context of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) load at the RSU using detailed real-world experiments and simulations. The findings indicate that energy consumption remains stable at shorter distances but shows increased variability at longer ranges.

TrialsNet is a project dedicated to enhancing European urban ecosystems through a variety of innovative use cases in domains including Security and Safety, Infrastructure, and Transportation. These use cases are being implemented across different clusters in Italy, Spain, Greece, and Romania, involving real users. This paper provides an overview of the diverse use cases, and of the corresponding network solutions, which leverage advanced functionalities like dynamic slicing management, NFV, MEC, AI/ML, and more. The project aims to identify network limitations, optimize infrastructure, and define new requirements for next-generation mobile networks. Ultimately, TrialsNet seeks to improve urban livability by driving advancements across multiple domains.

Automated vehicles communicating with each other or their surroundings are expected to exchange a large amount of data. With that, the trustworthiness of a shared data item concerning its integrity is raised, as well as the trustworthiness of a vehicle component not having been tampered with by an attacker. Traditional security mechanisms, such as misbehavior detection, can help identify some security violations but cannot assess the overall consequences of a range of vehicle attacks. For this purpose, previous work has already introduced the Trust Assessment Framework, which computes a target entity’s Actual Trustworthiness Level (ATL). This paper focuses on the concept of Required Trustworthiness Level (RTL), which represents the numerical thresholds an ATL needs to reach for an entity to be considered trustworthy. We present a risk-based method to calculate the belief component of an RTL based on the well-established and standardized Threat Analysis and Risk Assessment (TARA). We provide an in-vehicle use case to demonstrate our belief calculation method and discuss the impact of using risk ratings.

The research aims to determine the quantity and quality of Norway spruce and silver fir seed stands in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to recommend measures for their improvement to produce the highest quality reproduction material and achieve genetic gain in newly planted forests. For this research, four measured and 19 observed phenotypic traits were analyzed in 11 Norway spruce and 14 silver fir seed stands. The average age of the trees in Norway spruce seed stands was 70 years, and in silver fir stands 85 years. The average diameter of trees in Norway spruce seed stands was 49 cm, and 46 cm for silver fir. The average height of trees for both species was 26 m. In all seed stands of both species, there was a sufficient number of favorably shaped and straight trees. There was a small incidence of forkness and a high incidence of thin and medium-thick branches. The number of branches in the whorl was high in the seed stands of both species. There was a large number of trees growing poorly and trees with poor trunk clearance from dead branches. A small number of damaged trees in seed stands were also registered, and a low percentage of trees with moderate twisting. The appearance of mistletoe was registered in silver fir seed stands. Some of the analyzed seed stands have shown very good quality, and individual selection should be made in them. In some of the analyzed stands, activities of arrangement and removal of part of the trees are necessary. Considering the great ecological-vegetation diversity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with four ecological-vegetation regions, 14 areas and 20 districts, most of which are also represented in the Federation of BiH, a higher number of seed stands is needed. When selecting new seed stands for spruce and fir, the focus should be on small stands that grow in extreme conditions.

The day-ahead load forecast is essential for the efficient planning and operation of electric power systems, especially in the context of smart grids. This task is becoming increasingly important with the growing integration of variable renewable energy sources. Among the various machine learning-based load forecasting methods, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks have shown to be particularly effective. This paper analyses the impact of reactive load as an exogenous variable on active load forecasting and vice versa, employing LSTM networks with hyperparameters optimized through Gaussian Process Regression (GPR). The results, validated using dataset from Bangalore, India, demonstrate that including exogenous variables enhances forecasting accuracy. Additionally, the effect of different training/(validation+test) percentage ratios on prediction performance is evaluated finding that a 70%:30% ratio yields a satisfactory balance of accuracy and training efficiency. Finally, a combined forecasting model is used to analyse the forecasting accuracy of a model that is trained using data from one location (Bangalore) and tested using data from another location (Itanagar), proving there is no overfitting in the forecasting model.

The social potential of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) as a greener and faster transportation system in and around urban environments is indisputable. Nevertheless, the success of UAM introduction and its wide use will strongly depend on acceptance by the citizens and future UAM users. The impact on overall quality of life, as a multidimensional concept that encompasses physical health, mental and emotional well-being, economic status, education, and the environment, is becoming a significant issue. This paper aims to describe the performance framework for the assessment of the social and environmental impact of UAM. The specific objectives are to identify the full range of UAM’s impacts on citizens’ quality of life and to propose a set of indicators that enables the quantification and assessment of the identified impacts. Firstly, the main issues (focus areas) were identified, namely, noise, visual pollution, and privacy concerns, followed by access and equity, economic aspect, emissions, public safety, and impact on wildlife. In the next step, for each identified focus area, performance indicators were defined along with the several cross-cutting areas for a geographical, temporal, demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral resolution. The proposed performance framework could enable more efficient mitigation measures and possibly contribute to wider adoption of the UAM operations.

Ex vivo human skin models are valuable tools in skin research due to their physiological relevance. Traditionally, standard cultivation is performed in a cell culture incubator with a defined temperature of 37 °C and a specific atmosphere enriched with CO2 to ensure media stability. Maintaining the model under these specific conditions limits its flexibility in assessing exposures to which the skin is exposed to in daily life, for example changes in atmospheric compositions. In this study we demonstrated that the foreskin-derived skin model can be successfully cultured at room temperature outside a CO2 incubator using a CO2-independent, serum-free media. Over a cultivation period of three days, the integrity of the tissue and the preservation of immune cells is well maintained, indicating the model’s stability and resilience under the given conditions. Exposing our Medical University of Graz – human Organotypic Skin Explant Culture (MUG-hOSEC) model to cytotoxic and inflammatory stimuli results in responses analyzable within the supernatant. Besides the common analysis of released proteins upon treatment, such as cytokines and enzymes, we have included extracellular vesicle to obtain a more comprehensive picture of cell communication.

This research work presents a comprehensive overview of four traits related to the head, with the aim of assessing the statistical phenotypic association among them. The traits examined in this study encompass earlobe type, tongue rugosity, cleft chin and tongue rolling. The primary objective was to investigate the potential associations between these traits and understand their interrelationships. The study focused on examining specific traits in a diverse group of 7431 unrelated individuals, where the genders were almost evenly distributed. To facilitate a comprehensive analysis, three distinct groups were created for each characteristic, comprising the total population, as well as male and female subsets. The selection of subjects was carefully done to ensure a fair representation across different geographical regions within Bosnia and Herzegovina, thereby accurately reflecting the nation's national and ethnic diversity. The association among these traits was assessed for statistical significance using the Chi-squared test, with Fisher's exact test used as a supplementary method to examine the connection between each pair of observed traits. Additionally, the Chi-squared test was applied to examine gender-based differences in the frequencies of the phenotypic characteristics of the head. Following traits were shown to have a statistically significant association: tongue rugosity - tongue rolling, tongue rugosity – earlobe type, cleft chin – earlobe type, cleft chin – tongue rolling and earlobe type – tongue rolling. Investigation into the variations in the frequencies of observed phenotypic traits of the head, with respect to gender, revealed statistically significant results for every trait examined.

Background: This study assessed the effects of two distinct RAMP (Raise, Activate, Mobilize, Potentiate) protocols, mobility-focused and reactiveness-focused, on change of direction speed in police students (i.e., tactical athletes). Methods: A longitudinal design with two experimental and one control group was employed. The study sample consisted of 39 police students (aged 19.2 ± 0.2 yrs) who were randomly allocated into three equal groups of 13 participants (7 females and 6 males). Experimental groups were labeled as the mobility group or reactiveness group based on the type of RAMP protocol they performed. During the tactical physical education classes, the mobility group performed four complex mobility exercises, while the reactiveness group performed four exercises for trunk reactiveness. After the specific warm-up, both groups continued with syllabus activities. The control group performed only regular activities based on the study syllabus. All participants performed the Illinois Agility test unloaded (IAT) and loaded (10 kg vest [IATL]) and Functional Movement Screening (FMS) before and after 8 weeks of the applied protocols. Results: In general, improvements were observed across all participants in the IAT (p < 0.001), IATL (p < 0.001), and FMS (p < 0.001). The mobility protocol had a more substantial impact compared to the reactiveness protocol on the IAT (d = 0.55 vs. d = 0.40), IATL (d = 0.44 vs. d = 0.38), and FMS (d = 0.88 vs. d = −0.42). Additionally, the control group, which did not follow either RAMP protocol, did not show significant improvements. Conclusions: These results underscore the importance of incorporating targeted mobility training in the limited time available for strength and conditioning programs, as it improves occupationally relevant movement qualities such as change of direction speed ability. Prioritizing mobility training in young tactical athletes may offer broader benefits compared to reactiveness training.

ABSTRACT Objectives To assess the costs and efforts of maintenance therapy following implant treatment with fixed restoration over an observation period of 10 years. Material and Methods This randomized controlled clinical trial included 64 patients who were randomly assigned to receive one of two implant systems (AST or STM) and fixed restoration. Patients were included in a regular maintenance program and were examined at loading, 1, 3, 5, 8, and 10 years. Outcome measures included technical and biological complications, time, efforts, and costs to resolve them. Results A total of 97 implants were placed in 64 patients (AST: 54, STM: 43). Patient recall rates at 5 and 10 years were 89% and 67%. In general, technical complications were resolved within one to two appointments (mean = 1.5), and biological complications required a mean of 1.3 appointments. The overall regular maintenance time for the period of 10 years amounted to 77 min per year. Technical complications occurred in 39.5% of the patients, with screw‐loosening being the most common one (43.4% of all complications). The most time‐consuming technical complication was abutment fracture (94 min ± 68), followed by screw fracture (84 min ± 38). The prevalence of peri‐implant mucositis on the patient level was 30.2%, and it was 9.3% for peri‐implantitis. The average annual maintenance costs amounted to 9% of the initial cost of the implant treatment over the period of 10 years. Conclusions Additional regular maintenance costs and costs due to the treatment of potential complications have to be taken into consideration when placing dental implants. The majority of technical complications could be resolved within one appointment, whereas the time needed to treat biological complications varied between one and three appointments for peri‐implantitis.

We examine five setups where an agent (or two agents) seeks to explore unknown environment without any prior information. Although seemingly very different, all of them can be formalized as Reinforcement Learning (RL) problems in hyperbolic spaces. More precisely, it is natural to endow the action spaces with the hyperbolic metric. We introduce statistical and dynamical models necessary for addressing problems of this kind and implement algorithms based on this framework. Throughout the paper we view RL through the lens of the black-box optimization.

Writing in a foreign language is widely recognized as a highly challenging skill to master. This perspective is grounded in the notion that writing reflects our ‘pattern of thought’ (Kaplan 1966, Connor 2011), and that there are multiple academic traditions of writing, each with its own rules and conventions. As a result, transitioning between different academic writing cultures can be a frustrating and confusing experience for both students and lecturers. This paper investigates the most prevalent challenges in teaching academic English to EFL students at the English Department of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo. The research findings indicate that EFL students lack critical thinking skills and tend to undervalue their own perspectives, leading to an overreliance on quoting and citing authors in their writing. This paper emphasizes the necessity for EAP lecturers to be well-versed in intercultural rhetoric and to effectively guide students in adapting their thinking and writing to a new academic culture./ Keywords: Academic English, intercultural rhetoric, critical thinking, writing