The development of telecommunications networks sets greater appetites to ensure secure communication flows. One of the approaches to providing information-theoretical levels of security is the application of quantum cryptography based on the quantum laws of nature. However, quantum networks differ significantly from existing networks in terms of their organization and availability of resources. This technology’s convergence largely depends on how it is integrated into existing networks and on the economic return of investment. Towards analyzing the latter, we consider the business model for accessing QKD network resources through a mechanism of pricing a QKD link upon a user’s request, with continuous fairness monitoring of the network utilization.

Future connected cooperative automated mobility can benefit from high-data-rate wireless communication links between vehicles to exchange LIDAR and/or RADAR data. The millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency range offers large bandwidth for rapid sensor data exchange but suffers from higher signal attenuation compared to the centimeter wave (cmWave) band. In this paper we obtain cmWave and mmWave multipath component (MPC) parameters by combining a single omnidirectional antenna that is used as virtual array with the CLEAN algorithm. The cmWave MPC information enables low-overhead mmWave beamforming by means of an antenna array. Empirical multi-band measurement data ($3.2 \text{GHz}, 34.3 \text{GHz}$, and 62.35 GHz) shows that considering the 5 strongest MPCs, a signal-to-noise ratio of up to 25 dB for a V2I scenario can be achieved.

Future vehicular communication systems will integrate millimeter wave (mmWave) technology to enhance data transmission rates. To investigate the propagation effects and small-scale fading differences between mmWave and conventional centimeter wave (cmWave) bands, multi-band channel measurements have to be conducted. One key parameter to characterize small-scale fading is the Rician $K$-factor. In this paper, we analyze the time-varying $K$-factor of vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) channels across multiple frequency bands, measured in an urban street environment. Specifically, we investigate three frequency bands with center frequencies of 3.2 GHz, 34.3 GHz and 62.35 GHz using measurement data with 155.5 MHz band-width and a sounding repetition rate of 31.25 μs. Furthermore, we analyze the relationship between K-factor and root-mean-square (RMS) delay spread. We show that the Ricean $K$-factor is similar at different frequency bands and that is correlated with the RMS delay spread.

Background and Objectives: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has a profound impact on the central nervous system (CNS), contributing to cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms even in individuals receiving combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). This study aimed to investigate the associations between brain parenchymal volumes and neuropsychological outcomes, specifically focusing on cognitive function and depressive symptoms in HIV-positive males. Materials and Methods: A total of 48 male participants underwent cognitive assessment using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), while depressive symptoms were evaluated in 35 participants using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Volumetric brain analysis was conducted through automated imaging software, volBrain (Version 1.0, published on 23 November 2021), ensuring high consistency and accuracy. Statistical analyses included Pearson correlation to identify relationships between brain volumes and neuropsychological outcomes, emphasizing key regions like the basal forebrain and cingulate gyrus. Results: Significant trends were observed between basal forebrain volume and MMSE scores, emphasizing the role of this region in cognitive regulation. Additional correlations were found with the anterior and middle cingulate gyri, which are crucial for executive functioning and attentional control. Notably, smaller right basal forebrain volumes were associated with greater depressive symptom severity, suggesting the region’s specific involvement in mood regulation. These findings highlight the dual impact of HIV on cognitive and emotional health, with structural vulnerabilities in key brain regions playing a central role. Conclusions: This study underscores the selective vulnerability of certain brain regions, such as the basal forebrain and cingulate gyrus, to HIV-associated neurodegeneration. The results highlight the importance of integrating neuroimaging and neuropsychological assessments in routine clinical care for HIV-positive individuals. The study emphasizes the importance of early detection and targeted interventions to address neuropsychological challenges in this population, with a call for further research in larger and more diverse cohorts.

Background: Plants face a wide range of environmental stresses that disrupt growth and productivity. To survive and adapt, they undergo complex metabolic reprogramming by redirecting carbon and nitrogen fluxes toward the biosynthesis of protective secondary metabolites such as phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, and lignin. Recent research has revealed that these stress-induced metabolic processes are tightly regulated by epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNAs. Methods: This review synthesizes current findings from studies on both model and crop plants, examining the roles of key epigenetic regulators in controlling secondary metabolism under stress. Special focus is placed on dynamic changes in DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and the action of small RNAs such as siRNAs and miRNAs in transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. Results: Evidence indicates that stress triggers rapid and reversible epigenetic modifications that modulate gene expression linked to secondary metabolic pathways. These modifications not only facilitate immediate metabolic responses but can also contribute to stress memory. In some cases, this memory is retained and transmitted to the next generation, influencing progeny stress responses. However, critical knowledge gaps remain, particularly concerning the temporal dynamics, tissue specificity, and long-term stability of these epigenetic marks in crops. Conclusions: Understanding how epigenetic regulation governs secondary metabolite production offers promising avenues to enhance crop resilience and productivity in the context of climate change. Future research should prioritize dissecting the stability and heritability of these modifications to support the development of epigenetically informed breeding strategies.

This paper examines the implications of Saudi Arabia’s accession to the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) in August 2023. Saudi Arabia joined only Parts I and II, postponing a decision on Part III pending further analysis of its compatibility with Sharia law. Two months earlier, Saudi Arabia enacted the Civil Transactions Act (CTA), its first civil law codification, largely replacing Sharia in contractual and non-contractual obligations. However, the CTA lacks conflict rules, leaving Saudi Arabia without legislation on conflict-of-law rules for sale contracts. This paper explores Saudi Arabia’s options for joining Part III of the CISG, the possibility of choosing foreign law or the entire CISG before Saudi courts or in arbitration, and compares the CISG with the CTA. It assesses the legal and practical challenges of harmonizing Saudi Arabia’s new legal framework with international sales law.

: Traffic represents a complex field containing many challenges, especially for decision-makers responsible for traffic management. One of its most significant areas is the management of signalised intersections with regard to pedestrian behaviour. Measuring the start-up time of pedestrians and its influence on the rest of the traffic participants is necessary. This paper proposes a new interval fuzzy rough MCDM (Multi-Criteria Decision-Making) framework in order to conduct a complex analysis of different intersections in five selected cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia with regard to pedestrian behaviour. The proposed model combines the IFRN SWARA (Interval Fuzzy Rough Number Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) and IFRN CRADIS (Compromise Ranking of Alternatives from Distance to Ideal Solution) methods, representing novelty from a scientific perspective. The main methodological contribution of this research consists in developing an extension of the CRADIS method based on IFRNs. The IFRN SWARA method is applied for calculating the weights of the employed criteria, while the selected cities are ranked by using the IFRN CRADIS method. The research involved many intersections with and without countdown displays and a sample of over 10,000 pedestrians, which is enough to draw solid conclusions. The verification tests carried out confirm the obtained results, proving that the proposed model is stable.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, people were recommended to implement new health behaviors into their daily routines to prevent the viral spread. The aim of this study was to investigate whether specific health behaviors, such as wearing face masks, taking immunity boosters and visiting risky places were associated with a higher level of stress due to COVID-19 in the general adult population. This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 1, 2020 to October 1, 2021 in eight randomly chosen cities of two Serbian speaking countries (Republic of Serbia and Republic of Srpska - Bosnia and Herzegovina). Participants filled a socio-epidemiologic questionnaire, COVID Stress Scales (CSS) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The study included 2,301 participants with an average age of 36.72 ± 13.82 years of whom 54.9% were female (p = 0.001). Most participants were healthy, highly educated, employed, married, non-smokers and consumed alcohol. The mean total CSS score was 32.7 ± 23.8 out of 144, suggesting a relatively low stress due to COVID-19. The mean PSS was 19.43 ± 5.05 out of 40 indicating slightly increased level of general stress. Participants who reported higher CSS scores were more likely to wear face masks, use immunity boosters, go to cafes and clubs, have chronic illnesses, have suspicious, but not proven contact with COVID-19 positive people, and use multiple sources of information about COVID-19. Few participants experienced high levels of stress due to COVID-19. People who used face masks, immunity boosters and visited risky places reported a higher level of stress during the pandemic.

Realistically modeling interactions between road users — like those between drivers or between drivers and pedestrians — within experimental settings come with pragmatic challenges. Due to practical constraints, research typically focuses on a limited subset of potential scenarios, raising questions about the scalability and generalizability of findings about interactions to untested scenarios. Here, we aim to tackle this by laying the methodological groundwork for defining representative scenarios for dyadic (two-actor) interactions that can be analyzed individually. This paper introduces a conceptual guide for operationalizing controlled dyadic traffic interaction studies, developed through extensive interdisciplinary brainstorming to bridge theoretical models and practical experimental design. It elucidates critical trade-offs in scenario selection, interaction approaches, measurement strategies, and timing coordination, thereby enhancing reproducibility and clarity for future traffic interaction research and streamlining the design process. The methodologies and insights we provide aim to enhance the accessibility and quality of traffic interaction research, offering a guide that aids researchers in setting up studies and ensures clarity and reproducibility in reporting, bridging the gap between theoretical traffic interaction models and practical applications in controlled experiments, thereby contributing to advancements in human factors research on traffic management and safety.

This paper presents the most common traditional dovetail joints used in furniture making in past centuries, which are among the almost forgotten skills, practiced today by only a relatively small number of restoration workshops. The paper deals with the basic joints used in the restoration of furniture and traditional woodworking (houses, churches, temples, etc.) for the purpose of protecting rich cultural heritage. The history of furniture making is also the history of the art of making joints. In restoration, knowledge of these joints facilitates and accelerates the dating of furniture pieces to be restored. For this reason, the aim of this paper is to present an overview of the use of dovetail joints. The decorative effect of these joints and their constructive ingenuity certainly deserve more attention and research. A historical review of the development of traditional dovetail corner joints demonstrates the importance of the skill of crafting joints that stand the test of time and survive to this day. With the development of art, the joints became more and more decorative, but also of higher quality to withstand the various stresses that occur when furniture is used. Practical examples of making traditional dovetail corner joints are used to show how important it is to preserve the craftsmanship of these traditional joints from being forgotten, which is necessary when restoring furniture and other historical structural components made of wood such as ceilings, floors and altars.

This study aimed to determine the levels of Cd, Cr and Pb in basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) cultivated on artificially contaminated substrates and to assess their potential harmful effects on human health via the calculation of the target hazard quotients (THQ). A pot experiment was performed in a completely randomized design for each tested heavy metal. It included four contamination treatments (0, 20, 50 and 100 mg kg-1 for Cd, and 0, 100, 250 and 500 mg kg-1 for Cr and Pb). Concentrations of Cd, Cr and Pb in plants samples were  determined by atomic absorbtion spectroscopy. The results of this study showed that the concentrations of Cd, Cr and Pb were several times higher in roots than in the aboveground parts  of basil plants regardless of contamination levels. These are desirable results because only aboveground parts of basil  are used for medicinal purposes or consumption. The THQ values for Cd, Cr and Pb observed in this study were lower than 1 regardless of contamination levels, indicating that the consumption of basil from the study site (up to 10 g per day) does not pose a risk to human health from the point of view of heavy metal investigated.