Abstract
This special section features extended versions of papers originally published in the 2022 IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference (VPPC22), hosted by the University of California, Merced, USA. This was the first time that the VPPC took place in California, USA. It was a timely visit. California recently announced that only zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) will be allowed to be sold in the state by 2035. Other states and countries will surely follow. The VPPC, as one of the pioneer forums dedicated to electric mobility, is in a privileged position to create and disseminate knowledge that will help our communities transition toward sustainable transportation, improving air quality and reducing greenhouse emissions.

Abstract
Reducing CO(2 )emissions is currently a key policy in most developed countries. In this article, we evaluate whether smart traffic lights can have a relevant role in reducing CO2 emissions in small cities, considering their specific traffic profiles. The research method is a quantitative modelling approach tested by computational simulation. We propose a novel microscopic traffic simulation framework, designed to simulate realistic vehicle kinematics and driver behaviour, and accurately estimate CO(2 )emissions. We also propose and evaluate a routing algorithm for smart traffic lights, specially designed to optimize CO(2 )emissions at intersections. The simulations reveal that deploying smart traffic lights at a single intersection can reduce CO2 emissions by 32% to 40% in the vicinity of the intersection, depending on the traffic density. The simulations show other advantages for drivers: an increase in average speed of 60% to 101% and a reduction in waiting time of 53% to 95%. These findings can be useful for city-level decision makers who wish to adopt smart technologies to improve traffic flows and reduce CO2 emissions. This work also demonstrates that the simulator can play an important role as a tool to study the impact of smart traffic lights and foster the improvement in smart routing algorithms to reduce CO2 emissions.

Abstract
New systems with innovative design to perform measurements combining electrochemistry and surface plasmon resonance (ESPR) are currently a need to overcome the limitations of existent market solutions and expand the research possibilities of this technology. The main goal of this work was to develop a new cell to increase ESPR practical applications in several fields. To do so, a homemade SPR cell, fabricated by 3D-printing technology, was adapted for this purpose by incorporating the conventional 3-electrodes to perform the electrochemical experiments. The developed cell was fully compatible with commercial SPR substrates. After optimization of the homemade ESPR setup to perform the combined electrochemical and SPR measurements, two main applications were explored in this work. The first was the use of ESPR technology as straightforward tool to simultaneously investigate the electrical and optical properties of conducing/nonconducting polymers electrosynthetized on the SPR platforms. The conducting polymer poly(thionine) was used in this work for proof-of- concept. The second application envisaged the use of ESPR approach for simple electrodeposition of materials with enhanced plasmonic properties for sensitivity enhancement of SPR biosensors. For validation of the concept, graphene oxide (GO) was electrochemically reduced on gold substrates aiming to evaluate the plasmonic properties of graphene-modified sensing surfaces.

Abstract
APAtizer is a tool designed to analyze alternative polyadenylation events on RNA-sequencing data. The tool handles different file formats, including BAM, htseq, and DaPars bedGraph files. It provides a user-friendly interface that allows users to generate informative visualizations, including Volcano plots, heatmaps, and gene lists. These outputs allow the user to retrieve useful biological insights such as the occurrence of polyadenylation events when comparing two biological conditions. In addition, it can perform differential gene expression, gene ontology analysis, visualization of Venn diagram intersections, and correlation analysis.

Abstract
Involving people in urban planning offers many benefits, but current methods are failing to get a large number of citizens to participate. People have a high participation barrier when it comes to public participation in urban planning - as it requires a lot of time and initiative, only a small non-diverse group of citizens take part in governmental initiatives. In this paper, a product is developed to make it as easy as possible for citizens to get involved in construction projects in their community at an early stage. As a solution, a public screen is proposed, which offers citizens the opportunity to receive information, view 3D models, vote and comment at the site of the construction project via smartphone - the solution was named Parcitypate. To explain the functions of the product, a prototype was created and tested. In addition, concepts for branding, marketing, ethics, and sustainability are presented.

Abstract
Our contemporary society necessitates professionals equipped with 21st-century skills. Disciplines within Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (known as STEAM) have been particularly effective in fostering these skills. However, when considering students with disabilities, especially those with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD), this assertion often falls short. In this context, the RoboSTEAMSEN project emerges as an initiative designed to enhance educational processes by providing teachers of IDD students with the necessary resources to promote STEAM engagement. The project proposes the use of active learning methodologies and robotics to achieve this goal. The primary objective of the project is realized through several strategies: understanding the needs of students with disabilities and adapting the use of robotics and active learning methodologies accordingly; training teachers in the use of these resources; and creating a platform to exchange experiences, resources, lessons learned, tools, case scenarios, etc., while reaching other potential stakeholders such as caregivers and policymakers. The main outcomes of the project are teacher training programs and the development of associated competencies, tools to identify and classify resources for the students, and technological platforms to ensure the sustainability of the project once it concludes.