2025
Authors
D'Inverno, G; Santos, JV; Camanho, AS;
Publication
INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH
Abstract
Health system performance assessment (HSPA) is essential for health planning and to improve population health. One of the HSPA domains is related to effectiveness, which can be represented considering different dimensions. Composite indicators can be used to summarize complex constructs involving several indicators. One example of such efforts is the Healthcare Access and Quality Index from the Global Burden of Diseases Study, in which different causes of mortality amenable to health care are summarized in this index through principal component analysis and exploratory factor analysis. While these approaches use the variance of the indicators, marginal improvement is not considered, that is, the distance to the best practice frontier. In this study we propose an innovative benefit-of-the-doubt approach to combine frontier analysis and composite indicators, using amenable mortality estimates for 188 countries. In particular, we include flexible aggregating weighting schemes and a robust and conditional approach. The dual formulation gives information on the peers and the potential mortality rate reduction targets considering the background conditions. In absolute terms, Andorra and high-income countries are the most effective regarding healthcare access and quality, while sub-Saharan African and South Asian countries are the least effective. North African and Middle Eastern countries benefit the most when epidemiological patterns, geographical proximity, and country development status are considered.
2025
Authors
Mróz, P; Dong, SB; Mérand, A; Shangguan, JY; Woillez, J; Gould, A; Udalski, A; Eisenhauer, F; Ryu, YH; Wu, ZX; Liu, ZK; Yang, HJ; Bourdarot, G; Defrère, D; Drescher, A; Fabricius, M; Garcia, P; Genzel, R; Gillessen, S; Hönig, SF; Kreidberg, L; Le Bouquin, JB; Lutz, D; Millour, F; Ott, T; Paumard, T; Sauter, J; Shimizu, TT; Straubmeier, C; Subroweit, M; Widmann, F; GRAVITY Collaboration; Szymanski, MK; Soszynski, I; Pietrukowicz, P; Kozlowski, S; Poleski, R; Skowron, J; Ulaczyk, K; Gromadzki, M; Rybicki, K; Iwanek, P; Wrona, M; Mróz, MJ; OGLE Collaboration; Albrow, MD; Chung, SJ; Han, C; Hwang, KH; Jung, YK; Shin, IG; Shvartzvald, Y; Yee, JC; Zang, W; Cha, SM; Kim, DJ; Kim, SL; Lee, CU; Lee, DJ; Lee, Y; Park, BG; Pogge, RW; KMTNet Collaboration;
Publication
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
Abstract
Interferometric observations of gravitational microlensing events offer an opportunity for precise, efficient, and direct mass and distance measurements of lensing objects, especially those of isolated neutron stars and black holes. However, such observations have previously been possible for only a handful of extremely bright events. The recent development of a dual-field interferometer, GRAVITY Wide, has made it possible to reach out to significantly fainter objects and increase the pool of microlensing events amenable to interferometric observations by 2 orders of magnitude. Here, we present the first successful observation of a microlensing event with GRAVITY Wide and the resolution of microlensed images in the event OGLE-2023-BLG-0061/KMT-2023-BLG-0496. We measure the angular Einstein radius of the lens with subpercent precision, theta E = 1.280 +/- 0.009 mas. Combined with the microlensing parallax detected from the event light curve, the mass and distance to the lens are found to be 0.472 +/- 0.012 M circle dot and 1.81 +/- 0.05 kpc, respectively. We present the procedure for the selection of targets for interferometric observations and discuss possible systematic effects affecting GRAVITY Wide data. This detection demonstrates the capabilities of the new instrument, and it opens up completely new possibilities for the follow-up of microlensing events and future routine discoveries of isolated neutron stars and black holes.
2025
Authors
Vieira, RS; Figueira, A;
Publication
FUTURE INTERNET
Abstract
The proliferation of disinformation on social media platforms poses a significant challenge to the reliability of online information ecosystems and the protection of public discourse. This study investigates the role of emotional sequences in detecting intentionally misleading messages disseminated on social networks. To this end, we apply a methodological pipeline that combines semantic segmentation, automatic emotion recognition, and sequential pattern mining. Emotional sequences are extracted at the subsentence level, preserving each message's temporal order of emotional cues. Comparative analyses reveal that disinformation messages exhibit a higher prevalence of negative emotions, particularly fear, anger, and sadness, interspersed with neutral segments. Moreover, false messages frequently employ complex emotional progressions-alternating between high-intensity negative emotions and emotionally neutral passages-designed to capture attention and maximize engagement. In contrast, messages from reliable sources tend to follow simpler, more linear emotional trajectories, with a greater prevalence of positive emotions such as joy. Our dataset encompasses multiple categories of disinformation, enabling a fine-grained analysis of how emotional sequencing varies across different types of misleading content. Furthermore, we validate our approach by comparing it against a publicly available disinformation dataset, demonstrating the generalizability of our findings. The results highlight the importance of analyzing temporal emotional patterns to distinguish disinformation from verified content, reinforcing the value of integrating emotional sequences into machine learning pipelines to enhance disinformation detection. This work contributes to the growing body of research emphasizing the relationship between emotional manipulation and the virality of misleading content online.
2025
Authors
Amorim, P; Eng-Larsson, F; Rooderkerk, RP;
Publication
JOURNAL OF RETAILING
Abstract
In online grocery retail, out-of-stocks can cause order fulfillment failures. Store-based fulfillment models have heightened this challenge. Here, online customers often receive orders not fulfilled as expected, with products being substituted, partially fulfilled, or reimbursed. When order fulfillment fails, the customer may change future ordering behavior by delaying the next order or by spending less in the online channel. Using data from the online operation of a leading omnichannel grocery retailer, we evaluate the magnitude of impact on the next order when the prior one is not fulfilled as expected. We also explore the role of retailer efforts in mitigating this impact. We find that failures significantly delay the time to the next order by 7.22% on average, with delays becoming more pronounced for non-perishable products. Spending reductions are especially evident when promoted items fail to ship. Mitigation efforts, substitutions in particular, often exacerbate delays and compound the dissatisfaction. Although substitutions help recover lost sales, they negatively impact future customer behavior. This suggests that selective stockout prevention, coupled with improved substitution practices, should be prioritized to optimize economic and customer outcomes.
2025
Authors
Huber, M; Neto, PC; Sequeira, AF; Damer, N;
Publication
2025 IEEE/CVF WINTER CONFERENCE ON APPLICATIONS OF COMPUTER VISION WORKSHOPS, WACVW
Abstract
Face recognition (FR) systems are vulnerable to morphing attacks, which refer to face images created by morphing the facial features of two different identities into one face image to create an image that can match both identities, allowing serious security breaches. In this work, we apply a frequency-based explanation method from the area of explainable face recognition to shine a light on how FR models behave when processing a bona fide or attack pair from a frequency perspective. In extensive experiments, we used two different state-of-the-art FR models and six different morphing attacks to investigate possible differences in behavior. Our results show that FR models rely differently on different frequency bands when making decisions for bona fide pairs and morphing attacks. In the following step, we show that this behavioral difference can be used to detect morphing attacks in an unsupervised setup solely based on the observed frequency-importance differences in a generalizable manner.
2025
Authors
Russo, N; Mamede, HS; Reis, L;
Publication
TECHNOLOGIES
Abstract
Business Continuity Management (BCM) is critical for organizations to mitigate disruptions and maintain operations, yet many struggle with fragmented and non-standardized self-assessment tools. Existing frameworks often lack holistic integration, focusing narrowly on isolated components like cyber resilience or risk management, which limits their ability to evaluate BCM maturity comprehensively. This research addresses this gap by proposing a structured Self-Assessment System designed to unify BCM components into an adaptable, standards-aligned methodology. Grounded in Design Science Research, the system integrates a BCM Model comprising eight components and 118 activities, each evaluated through weighted questions to quantify organizational preparedness. The methodology enables organizations to conduct rapid as-is assessments using a 0-100 scoring mechanism with visual indicators (red/yellow/green), benchmark progress over time and against peers, and align with international standards (e.g., ISO 22301, ITIL) while accommodating unique organizational constraints. Demonstrated via focus groups and semi-structured interviews with 10 organizations, the system proved effective in enhancing top management commitment, prioritizing resource allocation, and streamlining BCM implementation-particularly for SMEs with limited resources. Key contributions include a reusable self-assessment tool adaptable to any BCM framework, empirical validation of its utility in identifying weaknesses and guiding continuous improvement, and a pathway from initial assessment to advanced measurement via the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. By bridging the gap between theoretical standards and practical application, this research offers a scalable solution for organizations to systematically evaluate and improve BCM resilience.
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