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Publications

Publications by CEGI

2024

Effect of Weather Conditions and Transactions Records on Work Accidents in the Retail Sector - A Case Study

Authors
Borges, LD; Sena, I; Marcelino, V; Silva, FG; Fernandes, FP; Pacheco, MF; Vaz, CB; Lima, J; Pereira, AI;

Publication
OPTIMIZATION, LEARNING ALGORITHMS AND APPLICATIONS, PT I, OL2A 2023

Abstract
Weather change plays an important role in work-related accidents, it impairs people's cognitive abilities, increasing the risk of injuries and accidents. Furthermore, weather conditions can cause an increase or decrease in daily sales in the retail sector by influencing individual behaviors. The increase in transactions, in turn, leads employees to fatigue and overload, which can also increase the risk of injuries and accidents. This work aims to conduct a case study in a company in the retail sector to verify whether the transactions records in stores and the weather conditions of each district in mainland Portugal impact the occurrence of work accidents, as well as to perform predictive analysis of the occurrence or non-occurrence of work accidents in each district using these data and comparing different machine learning techniques. The correlation analysis of the occurrence or non-occurrence of work accidents with weather conditions and some transactions pointed out the nonexistence of correlation between the data. Evaluating the precision and the confusion matrix of the predictive models, the study indicates a predisposition of the models to predict the non-occurrence of work accidents to the detriment of the ability to predict the occurrence of work accidents.

2024

Predicting Retail Store Transaction Patterns: A Comparison of ARIMA and Machine Learning Models

Authors
Vaz, CB; Sena, I; Braga, AC; Novais, P; Fernandes, FP; Lima, J; Pereira, AI;

Publication
OPTIMIZATION, LEARNING ALGORITHMS AND APPLICATIONS, OL2A 2024, PT I

Abstract
Retail transactions represent sales of consumer goods, or final goods, by consumer companies. This sector faces security challenges due to the hustle and bustle of sales, affecting employees' workload. In this context, it is essential to estimate the number of customers who will appear in the store daily so that companies can dynamically adjust employee schedules, aligning workforce capacity with expected demand. This can be achieved by forecasting transactions using past observations and forecasting algorithms. This study aims to compare the ARIMA time series algorithm with several Machine Learning algorithms to predict the number of daily transactions in different store patterns, considering data variability. The study identifies four typical store patterns based on these criteria using daily transaction data between 2019 and 2023 from all retail stores of the leading company in Portugal. Due to data variability and the results obtained, the algorithm that presents the most minor errors in predicting daily transactions is selected for each store. This study's ultimate goal is to fill the gap in forecasting daily customer transactions and present a suitable forecasting model to mitigate risks associated with transactions in retail stores.

2024

Application of Benford's law to detect signs of under-invoicing in companies in the restaurant sector during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors
Martins, A; Alves, J; Vaz, C;

Publication
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TOURISM HOSPITALITY AND RECREATION

Abstract
The main objective of this study is to detect signs of under-invoicing by applying Benford's law to the Portuguese restaurant sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the context of government support policies. Between 2020 and 2021, the State adopted several measures to provide additional support to companies that have seen a significant decrease in their activity, namely, a reduction of at least 25% in turnover. A literature review was carried out focusing on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the companies under analysis, the support measures adopted by the State and, finally, a survey of the theoretical component relating to the application of Benford's law in accounting. The data were collected from the Iberian Balance Sheet Analysis System database for 2019, 2020, and 2021. After analysing the data, significant deviations are observed in several digits, practically for all the compliance tests, both in the analysis of the first digit test and in the analysis of the first two digits test. The results therefore show signs of under-invoicing in 2020 by the analysed companies, which suffered, on average, a 79% reduction in turnover.

2024

Ethical and legal aspects of cybersecurity in health

Authors
Galvão, A; Vaz, C; Pinheiro, M; Pais, C;

Publication
ARIS2 - Advanced Research on Information Systems Security

Abstract
Background: With the emergence of eHealth and mHealth, the use of mental health apps has increased significantly as an accessible and convenient approach as an adjunct to promoting well-being and mental health. There are several apps available that can assist with mental health monitoring and management, each with specific features to meet different needs. The intersection of mental health and cyber technology presents a number of critical legal and ethical issues. As mental health monitoring apps and devices become more integrated into clinical practice, cybersecurity takes on paramount importance. Objective: To address the ethical and legal aspects of health cybersecurity related to applications in mental health monitoring and management. Methods: We carried out a thematic synthesis of the best scientific evidence. Results: These tools have the potential to significantly improve access to and quality of care for users with mental health conditions, but they also raise substantial concerns about privacy and informed consent.  Cybersecurity in mental health is not only a matter of technology, but also of human rights. The protection of sensitive mental health information is critical, and legal and ethical measures to safeguard this information must be implemented in a robust and transparent manner. Conclusion: the use of information technologies and mobile devices is now part of the clinical reality and its future perspectives. It is important to mention that while these apps can be helpful for self-care and mental well-being management, they are not a substitute for the advice and support of a qualified mental health professional (psychologist or psychiatrist). As we move into the digital age, it is imperative that mental health monitoring and management apps are developed and used responsibly, ensuring the safety, dignity, and well-being of users.

2024

Road networks structure analysis: A preliminary network science-based approach

Authors
Reza, S; Ferreira, MC; Machado, JJM; Tavares, JMRS;

Publication
ANNALS OF MATHEMATICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Abstract
Road network studies attracted unprecedented and overwhelming interest in recent years due to the clear relationship between human existence and city evolution. Current studies cover many aspects of a road network, for example, road feature extraction from video/image data, road map generalisation, traffic simulation, optimisation of optimal route finding problems, and traffic state prediction. However, analysing road networks as a complex graph is a field to explore. This study presents comparative studies on the Porto, in Portugal, road network sections, mainly of Matosinhos, Paranhos, and Maia municipalities, regarding degree distributions, clustering coefficients, centrality measures, connected components, k-nearest neighbours, and shortest paths. Further insights into the networks took into account the community structures, page rank, and small-world analysis. The results show that the information exchange efficiency of Matosinhos is 0.8, which is 10 and 12.8% more significant than that of the Maia and Paranhos networks, respectively. Other findings stated are: (1) the studied road networks are very accessible and densely linked; (2) they are small-world in nature, with an average length of the shortest pathways between any two roads of 29.17 units, which as found in the scenario of the Maia road network; and (3) the most critical intersections of the studied network are 'Avenida da Boavista, 4100-119 Porto (latitude: 41.157944, longitude: - 8.629105)', and 'Autoestrada do Norte, Porto (latitude: 41.1687869, longitude: - 8.6400656)', based on the analysis of centrality measures.

2024

Digitisation of patient preferences in palliative care: mobile app prototype

Authors
Ferreira, J; Ferreira, M; Fernandes, CS; Castro, J; Campos, MJ;

Publication
BMJ SUPPORTIVE & PALLIATIVE CARE

Abstract
Background Engaging in advance care planning can be emotionally challenging, but gamification and technology are suggested as a potential solution.Objective Present the development stages of a mobile app prototype to improve quality of life for patients in palliative care.Design The study started with a comprehensive literature review to establish a foundation. Subsequently, interviews were conducted to validate the proposed features of the mobile application. Following the development phase, usability tests were conducted to evaluate the overall usability of the mobile application. Furthermore, an oral questionnaire was administered to understand user satisfaction about the implemented features.Results A three-phase testing approach was employed based on the chosen user-centred design methodology to obtain the results. Three iterations were conducted, with improvements being made based on feedback and tested in subsequent phases. Despite the added complexity arising from the health status of patients in palliative care, the usability tests and implemented features received positive feedback from both patients and healthcare providers.Conclusion The research findings have demonstrated the potential of digitisation in enhancing the quality of life for patients in palliative care. This was achieved through the implementation of patient-centred design, personalised care, the inclusion of social chatrooms and facilitating end-of-life discussions.

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