Cookies Policy
The website need some cookies and similar means to function. If you permit us, we will use those means to collect data on your visits for aggregated statistics to improve our service. Find out More
Accept Reject
  • Menu
Publications

2025

Biomimicry for sustainability: Upframing service ecosystems

Authors
Gallan, S; Alkire, L; Teixeira, JG; Heinonen, K; Fisk, P;

Publication
AMS Review

Abstract
Amidst an urgent need for sustainability, novel approaches are required to address environmental challenges. In this context, biomimicry offers a promising logic for catalyzing nature’s wisdom to address this complexity. The purpose of this research is to (1) establish a biomimetic understanding and vocabulary for sustainability and (2) apply biomimicry to upframe service ecosystems as a foundation for sustainability. Our research question is: How can the principles of natural ecosystems inform and enhance the sustainability of service ecosystems? The findings highlight upframed service ecosystems as embodying a set of practices that (1) promote mutualistic interactions, (2) build on local biotic and abiotic components supporting emergence processes, (3) leverage (bio)diversity to build resilience, (4) foster resource sharing for regeneration, and (5) bridge individual roles to optimize the community rather than individual well-being. Our upframed definition of a service ecosystem is a system of resource-integrating biotic actors and abiotic resources functioning according to ecocentric principles for mutualistic and regenerative value creation. The discussion emphasizes the implications of this upframed definition for sustainability practices, advocating for a shift in understanding and interacting with service ecosystems. It emphasizes the potential for immediate mutualistic benefits and long-term regenerative impacts. © Academy of Marketing Science 2025.

2025

Unveiling Group-Specific Distributed Concept Drift: A Fairness Imperative in Federated Learning

Authors
Salazar, T; Gama, J; Araújo, H; Abreu, PH;

Publication
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NEURAL NETWORKS AND LEARNING SYSTEMS

Abstract
In the evolving field of machine learning, ensuring group fairness has become a critical concern, prompting the development of algorithms designed to mitigate bias in decision-making processes. Group fairness refers to the principle that a model's decisions should be equitable across different groups defined by sensitive attributes such as gender or race, ensuring that individuals from privileged groups and unprivileged groups are treated fairly and receive similar outcomes. However, achieving fairness in the presence of group-specific concept drift remains an unexplored frontier, and our research represents pioneering efforts in this regard. Group-specific concept drift refers to situations where one group experiences concept drift over time, while another does not, leading to a decrease in fairness even if accuracy (ACC) remains fairly stable. Within the framework of federated learning (FL), where clients collaboratively train models, its distributed nature further amplifies these challenges since each client can experience group-specific concept drift independently while still sharing the same underlying concept, creating a complex and dynamic environment for maintaining fairness. The most significant contribution of our research is the formalization and introduction of the problem of group-specific concept drift and its distributed counterpart, shedding light on its critical importance in the field of fairness. In addition, leveraging insights from prior research, we adapt an existing distributed concept drift adaptation algorithm to tackle group-specific distributed concept drift, which uses a multimodel approach, a local group-specific drift detection mechanism, and continuous clustering of models over time. The findings from our experiments highlight the importance of addressing group-specific concept drift and its distributed counterpart to advance fairness in machine learning.

2025

Predicting Endoscopic Grading of Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia using Small Patches

Authors
Martins M.L.; Delas R.; Almeida E.; Marques D.; Libanio D.; Dinis-Ribeiro M.; Renna F.; Coimbra M.T.;

Publication
Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Annual International Conference

Abstract
Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) characterization is challenging for humans and AI models. Deep learning solutions for this task are sensitive to training data, which is particularly concerning given the wide range of acquisition conditions, sampling biases, and overall scarcity of high-quality datasets.In this paper, we set forth the GIM self-similarity hypothesis where we assume that an underlying stationary self-similar process governs the structural changes observed in the mucosa. To validate this hypothesis we show that a deep learning model can map an adequately placed patch to the endoscopic grading of GIM (EGGIM) of the entire still frame.To evaluate our approach, we collected and annotated both retrospective and prospective datasets with EGGIM scores. Our results are promising: using leave-one-patient-out cross-validation, the predictions from a ResNet-50 model can be used to correctly stratify the risk for 57 out of 65 patients with perfect sensitivity on an extremely biased dataset.

2025

Machine Learning Models for Indoor Positioning Using Bluetooth RSSI and Video Data: A Case Study

Authors
Mamede, T; Silva, N; Marques, ERB; Lopes, LMB;

Publication
SENSORS

Abstract
Indoor Positioning Systems (IPSs) are essential for applications requiring accurate location awareness in indoor environments. However, achieving high precision remains challenging due to signal interference and environmental variability. This study proposes a multimodal IPS that integrates Bluetooth Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurements and video imagery using machine learning (ML) and ensemble learning techniques. The system was implemented and deployed in the Hall of Biodiversity at the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto. The venue presented significant deployment issues, namely restrictions on beacon placement and lighting conditions. We trained independent ML models on RSSI and video datasets, and combined them through ensemble learning methods. The experimental results from test scenarios, which included simulated visitor trajectories, showed that ensemble models consistently outperformed the RSSI-based and video-based models. These findings demonstrate that the use of multimodal data can significantly improve IPS accuracy despite constraints such as multipath interference, low lighting, and limited beacon infrastructure. Overall, they highlight the potential of multimodal data for deployments in complex indoor environments.

2025

Automatic Generation of Loop Invariants in Dafny with Large Language Models

Authors
Faria, JP; Trigo, E; Abreu, R;

Publication
FUNDAMENTALS OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERING, FSEN 2025

Abstract
Recent verification tools aim to make formal verification more accessible for software engineers by automating most of the verification process. However, the manual work and expertise required to write verification helper code, such as loop invariants and auxiliary lemmas and assertions, remains a barrier. This paper explores the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) to automate the generation of loop invariants for programs in Dafny. We tested the approach on a curated dataset of 100 programs in Dafny involving arrays, strings, and numeric types. Using a multimodel approach that combines GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet, correct loop invariants (passing the Dafny verifier) were generated at the first attempt for 92% of the programs, and in at most five attempts for 95% of the programs. Additionally, we developed an extension to the Dafny plugin for Visual Studio Code to incorporate automatic loop invariant generation into the IDE. Our work stands out from related approaches by handling a broader class of problems and offering IDE integration.

2025

Geo-Indistinguishability

Authors
Mendes, R; Vilela, P;

Publication
Encyclopedia of Cryptography, Security and Privacy, Third Edition

Abstract
[No abstract available]

  • 70
  • 4390