Abstract
Precision agriculture (PA) has advanced agricultural practices, offering new opportunities for crop management and yield optimization. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in PA enables high-resolution data acquisition, which has been adopted across different agricultural sectors. However, its application for decision support in chestnut plantations remains under-represented. This study presents the initial development of a methodology for segmenting chestnut burrs from UAV-based imagery to estimate its productivity in point cloud data. Deep learning (DL) architectures, including U-Net, LinkNet, and PSPNet, were employed for chestnut burr segmentation in UAV images captured at a 30 m flight height, with YOLOv8m trained for comparison. Two datasets were used for training and to evaluate the models: one newly introduced in this study and an existing dataset. U-Net demonstrated the best performance, achieving an F1-score of 0.56 and a counting accuracy of 0.71 on the proposed dataset, using a combination of both datasets during training. The primary challenge encountered was that burrs often tend to grow in clusters, leading to unified regions in segmentation, making object detection potentially more suitable for counting. Nevertheless, the results show that DL architectures can generate masks for point cloud segmentation, supporting precise chestnut tree production estimation in future studies.

Abstract
The environmental impact on the energy sector has become a significant concern, necessitating the implementation of Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) to enhance the energy efficiency of buildings, reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions, and ensure user comfort. This paper presents a novel approach to provide optimal day-ahead energy management plans in smart homes with Photovoltaic/Thermal (PVT) systems, aiming to achieve a balance between energy cost and user comfort. This multi-objective problem employs the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm III as the optimization algorithm and the Nonlinear Auto-regressive with External Input to forecast the day-ahead meteorological variables, which serve as inputs to predict the PVT electrical and heat production in the thermal resistance model. The HEMS benefits from the time-of-use tariff due to the flexibility provided by the energy storage from a battery bank and a boiler. Furthermore, it performs a load scheduling for 10 controllable loads based on three feature parameters to characterize occupant behavior. A study case analysis revealed a cost reduction of approximately 66% in the solution close to the knee of the Pareto curve (S3 solution). The environmental impact on the energy sector has become a The PVT heat production was sufficient to meet the thermal demand of the showers. The proposed hybrid battery management model effectively eliminated the export of electricity to the grid, reducing consumption during peak periods and the maximum peak demand.

Abstract
This conceptual study explores the alignment between servitization-a shift from selling products to offering services-and circularity principles. The study introduces institutional confluence-a configuration of institutional pressures that enhance business model legitimacy to stakeholders and facilitate operational success- which can serve as a driver aligning servitization with circular principles. Institutional confluence has the capacity to trigger novel business models, shape resources and processes, enhance value capture, and inhibit unsustainable business models. The study develops the concept and underscores the role of institutional confluence in promoting this alignment and subsequent environmental sustainability. The article utilizes illustrative case examples from servitization and circular business models to develop the concept of institutional confluence serving sustainable servitization. The study offers strategic insights for managers and policymakers, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach that integrates servitization and circularity from the outset of business model design. It advocates for policies that leverage regulatory, normative, and mimetic pressures to foster sustainable business practices. The article contributes to the servitization literature by delineating the mechanisms through which institutional forces facilitate or hinder the integration of servitization and circularity, offering directions for future research to explore these dynamics across different contexts and industries.

Abstract
Wireless communications in the THz frequency band is an envisioned revolutionary technology for sixth Generation (6G) networks. However, such frequencies impose certain coverage and device design challenges that need to be efficiently overcome. To this end, the development of cost- and energy-efficient approaches for scaling these networks to realistic scenarios constitute a necessity. Among the recent research trends contributing to these objectives belongs the technology of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs). In fact, several high-level descriptions of THz systems based on RISs have been populating the literature. Nevertheless, hardware implementations of those systems are still very scarce, and not at the scale intended for most envisioned THz scenarios. In this paper, we overview some of the most significant hardware design and signal processing challenges with THz RISs, and present a preliminary analysis of their impact on the overall link budget and system performance, conducted in the framework of the ongoing TERRAMETA project.

Abstract
Core loss estimation in switched reluctance motor is a complex task, due to non-linear phenomena and non-sinusoidal flux density waveforms. Several methods have been developed for estimating it (e.g. empirical, and physical-mathematic models), each one with merits and limitations. This paper proposes a new method for core losses estimation based on Finite Element Method Magnetics software. The main idea is using the machine phase-current harmonics as input for estimating core losses. In addition, a comparative study is carried out, where the proposed approach is faced up to a different one, based on Fourier decomposition of the flux density waveforms in the machine sections. In order to systematically analyze and compare the applied estimation cores loss techniques, a case study of a three-phase 6/4 SRM for different simulation scenarios is introduced. The outcomes of both methods are discussed and compared, where core loss convergence is found for limited speed and load ranges.

Abstract
This study focuses on investigating different CNN architectures and assessing their effectiveness in classifying Diabetic Retinopathy, a diabetes-associated disease that ranks among the primary causes of adult blindness. However, early detection can significantly prevent its debilitating consequences. While regular screening is advised for diabetic patients, limited access to specialized medical professionals can hinder its implementation. To address this challenge, deep learning techniques provide promising solutions, primarily through their application in the analysis of fundus retina images for diagnosis. Several CNN architectures, including MobileNetV2, VGG16, VGG19, InceptionV3, InceptionResNetV2, Xception, DenseNet121, ResNet50, ResNet50V2, and EfficientNet (ranging from EfficientNetB0 to EfficientNetB6), were implemented to assess and analyze their performance in classifying Diabetic Retinopathy. The dataset comprised 3662 Fundus retina images. Prior to training, the networks underwent pre-training using the ImageNet database, with a Gaussian filter applied to the images as a preprocessing step. As a result, the Efficient-Net stands out for achieving the best performance results with a good balance between model size and computational efficiency. By utilizing the EfficientNetB2 network, a model was trained with an accuracy of 85% and a screening capability of 98% for Diabetic Retinopathy. This model holds the potential to be implemented during the screening stages of Diabetic Retinopathy, aiding in the early identification of individuals at risk.