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Publications

Publications by SYSTEM

2025

Dynamic dispatching rule selection for the job shop scheduling problem

Authors
Marques, N; Figueira, G; Guimaraes, L;

Publication
COMPUTERS & INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

Abstract
Uncertainty is pervasive in modern manufacturing settings. In order to cope with unexpected events, scheduling decisions are commonly taken resorting to dispatching rules, which are reactive in nature. However, rule performance varies according to shop utilisation and due date allowance, which often change in dynamic real-world job shops. Therefore, this paper explores systems that select dispatching rules as conditions change over time, namely periodic and real-time dispatching rule selection systems, which are based on supervised learning and reinforcement learning algorithms, respectively. These types of systems have been proposed in the past but have been further improved in this work by carefully selecting the most relevant state features and dispatching rules. Moreover, by testing both approaches on the same instances, it was possible to compare them and determine the most advantageous one. After the tests, which included a wide array of job shop instances, both periodic and real-time systems outperformed state-of-the-art dispatching rules by over 10% tardiness-wise. Nonetheless, the periodic rule selection approach was more robust across all tests than the real-time approach. These results demonstrate that there is a real incentive for managers to adopt dispatching rule selection systems.

2025

Exploring Perceptions of Comfort, Security and Safety in Different Modes of Transport: A Comparative Study

Authors
Ferreira, MC; Dias, TG;

Publication
TRANSPORT TRANSITIONS: ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE MOBILITY, TRA CONFERENCE, 2024

Abstract
This study seeks to comprehensively analyze the multidimensional determinants underlying perceptions of safety, security, and comfort in transport mode choice, specifically focusing on private transport, public transport and walking. The research begins with an extensive literature review to identify and delve into the factors influencing perceptions of safety, security, and comfort across various transport modes. This inquiry is further enhanced by organizing two focused group sessions. A total of 35 key factors were identified, forming the basis for subsequent investigation. The study then progressed to the development and administration of a survey aimed at capturing responses from a diverse audience, with the goal of exploring the factors influencing perceptions related to different transport modes. A total of 302 responses were collected and meticulously analyzed to discern the factors impacting various relationships and to identify consistent perceptions across diverse transport modes. Additionally, a factor analysis was conducted to validate the findings derived from the data. The outcomes of this research constitute a significant contribution to the existing literature, offering valuable insights that pave the way for a more holistic understanding of the factors guiding transport mode choices.

2025

Environmental and Nutritional Sustainability of Diets: Exploring Food Consumption Patterns Between Different Sustainability Groups

Authors
Bôto, JM; Miguéis, V; Rocha, A; Neto, B;

Publication
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract
Food sustainability is a vital global challenge, as dietary choices affect both human health and the environment. This study evaluates Portuguese dietary patterns' environmental and nutritional sustainability dimensions using data from the National Food, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Survey (IAN-AF) 2015-2016. Environmental indicators (carbon footprint, water footprint, and land use) and a nutritional quality index (NRD9.3) were analysed. Sustainability scores were calculated based on deviations from population medians, with the environmental score estimated from a weighted mean of the three indicators. A quadrant analysis classified individuals into four sustainability segments: better environmental and better nutritional scores (reference group); worse environmental and worse nutritional scores; worse environmental and better nutritional scores; and better environmental and worse nutritional scores. The reference group, with higher plant-based food consumption, had the lowest environmental impacts, 33% lower carbon footprint, 36% lower water footprint, and 50% lower land use, while exhibiting 87% better nutritional quality. In contrast, the worse environmental and worse nutritional scores group, with a diet rich in red and processed meats, sweets, and alcohol, showed higher environmental impacts and poorer nutritional quality. The group with worse environmental and better nutritional scores favored dairy and seafood, whereas the group with better environmental and worse nutritional scores had higher intakes of white meat, sweets, and alcohol. Sociodemographic factors, including sex, age, and education, show to influence the sustainability dimensions. These findings highlight the need for tailored dietary strategies that consider differing environmental and nutritional profiles, supporting more effective and practical public health interventions.

2025

A systematic approach to classify and reduce recurrent deviations in the pharmaceutical industry: A detailed case study

Authors
Carneiro, F; Miguéis, V; Novoa, H; Carvalho, AM; Ferreira, D; Antony, J; Tortorella, G; Furterer, S;

Publication
QUALITY MANAGEMENT JOURNAL

Abstract
In the pharmaceutical industry, noncompliance with any good manufacturing practice (GMP) leads to deviation, resulting in potential retention of finished product batches, reprocessing, or rejection-consequently increasing lead time and cost. This study aimed to outline a strategy to define, classify, and mitigate recurrent deviations occurring more than once within 12 months. This research followed an action research methodology, carried out within a Portuguese pharmaceutical company. A transversal analysis of the deviation management process was conducted across three phases: recording, investigation, and conclusion. The intervention included defining objective recurrence criteria, developing investigation models based on structured problem-solving, and redesigning the deviation management information system. The implementation decreased recurrent deviations by 78 percent, and a new process was established, facilitated by the participation and involvement of everyone in the organization. This article introduces pioneering contributions to the pharmaceutical industry by presenting novel criteria for assigning recurrence to recorded deviations and integrating Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) with big data and analytics. Our approach enhances decision-making and manufacturing processes by structurally incorporating all types of causes beyond the human factor, emphasizing recurring deviations over extended periods. It defines conditions for correct deviation classification and constructs a decision matrix for investigation models. Additionally, it presents workshop management, providing analysis templates and a prototype information system, and outlines key steps to mitigate deviations, highlighting research limitations and future directions.

2025

Multimodal Learning Applications on Digital Marketing: A Review

Authors
César I.; Pereira I.; Rodrigues F.; Miguéis V.; Nicola S.; Madureira A.;

Publication
Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems

Abstract
The effectiveness of digital marketing relies on the seamless integration of intelligent technology, enabling encounters that closely resemble those experienced with physical vendors in the real world. Thus, the importance of scalable artificial intelligence (AI) systems guided by a multimodal approach cannot be overstated, as they can be used to gain a deeper understanding of user preferences and engagement behaviors. The investigation conducted concerning multimodal learning in this review uncovers a variety of benefits and limitations on the available data, presenting consistency in finding the relationship between modalities. The results suggest multimodality as a topic with a noticeable dearth of research, yet a promising path to reduce uncertainty and develop innovative perspectives on decision-making for Digital Marketing improvement tasks. The complexity inherent in data processes like analysis, processing, and granular modulation requires a lot of effort for researchers to build accurate multimodal representations while trying to suppress imprecision in these new elements. Therefore, our approach aims to explore how theoretical foundations are successfully applied to learning operational procedures, considering real-life case comprehension, the technical challenges of the learning process, and the importance given to each feature. Even so, comparing the restrictions found in the state-of-the-art made possible the reformulation of limitations to this particular type of technology and encouraged the search for more guidelines on the entire process.

2025

A literature review on the quantitative approaches to food waste: descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analyses

Authors
Rodrigues, M; Miguéis, L;

Publication
Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Abstract
Food waste generated throughout the food supply chain raises several environmental, social, and economic issues. Quantitative methods can aid in managing food waste by describing current contexts, predicting future scenarios, and improving related operations. However, a literature review on the use of quantitative methods, specifically the descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive dimensions, to assess and prevent food waste is lacking. This paper aims to explore and categorize quantitative studies that perform descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analysis concerning food waste, to identify gaps and inform future research. For this purpose, we developed a systematic literature review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement methodology, which resulted in the inclusion of 65 relevant studies. We identified the key features of each data analytics approach, with a particular focus on (i) food waste quantification methods, (ii) demand, food waste, and shelf-life forecasting algorithms, and (iii) optimization approaches. Additionally, the context in which each of these studies is focused is also explored. We found that predictive analysis is the most prominent among the data analytics approaches, followed by descriptive and prescriptive systems, respectively. Moreover, the most explored setting is the hospitality sector, and it is the only context in which all descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive approaches can be found. The algorithms and models adopted in the studies vary, and there is still room for adopting more recent or advanced methods. This paper establishes a foundation for advancing focused and systematic quantitative research in the field of food waste. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

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