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Publications

2024

Cyber Vulnerabilities of Energy Systems

Authors
Zhao, AP; Li, S; Gu, C; Yan, X; Hu, PJ; Wang, Z; Xie, D; Cao, Z; Chen, X; Wu, C; Luo, T; Wang, Z; Hernando-Gil, I;

Publication
IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Industrial Electronics

Abstract

2024

Deep Learning Models to Predict Brain Cancer Grade Through MRI Analysis

Authors
Vale, P; Boer, J; Oliveira, HP; Pereira, T;

Publication
2024 IEEE 37TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON COMPUTER-BASED MEDICAL SYSTEMS, CBMS 2024

Abstract
The early and accurate detection and the grading characterization of brain cancer will generate a positive impact on the treatment plan of those patients. AI-based models can help analyze the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to make an initial assessment of the tumor grading. The objective of this work was to develop an Al-based model to classify the grading of the tumor using the MRI. Two regions of interest were explored, with several levels of complexity for the neural network architecture, and Iwo strategies to deal with Unbalanced data. The best results were obtained for the most complex architecture (Resnet50) with a combination of weighted random sampler and data augmentation achieving a balanced accuracy of 62.26%. This work confirmed that complex problems required a more dense neural network and strategies to deal with the unbalanced data.

2024

The impact of the single supervisory mechanism on Eurozone banking: the assessment of trends in efficiency and frontier position

Authors
Moura, P; Barbosa, F; Alves, C; Camanho, AS;

Publication
APPLIED ECONOMICS

Abstract
The Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) was implemented as a first step towards a Banking Union in November 2014. This paper investigates the impact of the SSM on Eurozone banks' efficiency and position of best-practice frontier. It is based on a balanced panel analysis of 931 European bank-year observations from 2011 to 2017 (133 banks, seven years). The study uses Data Envelopment Analysis and a difference-in-differences approach to explore the evolution of banking performance. We found that the SSM had a negative impact on the efficiency levels of Eurozone banks, particularly in the year after the introduction of the mechanism. Additionally, we observed that the frontier formed by non-Eurozone European Union banks is more productive than the frontier of Eurozone banks in all the years analysed. Both efficiency and frontier position show evidence of a recovery trend in more recent years for both groups. We also found that while Equity-to-Asset Ratio, Return on Average Assets and Gross Domestic Product per capita positively impacted banks' efficiency, domestic credit provided by banks expressed as %GDP had a negative impact on efficiency.

2024

WASMICO: Micro-containers in microcontrollers with WebAssembly

Authors
Ribeiro, E; Restivo, A; Ferreira, HS; Dias, JP;

Publication
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMS AND SOFTWARE

Abstract
The Internet -of -Things (IoT) has created a complex environment where hardware and software interact in complex ways. Despite being a prime candidate for applying well -established software engineering practices, IoT has not seen the same level of adoption as other areas, such as cloud development. This discrepancy is even more evident in the case of edge devices, where programming and managing applications can be challenging due to their heterogeneous nature and dependence on specific toolchains and languages. However, the emergence of WebAssembly as a viable solution for running high-level languages on some devices presents an opportunity to streamline development practices, such as DevOps. In this paper, we present WASMICO - a firmware and command -line utility that allows for the execution and management of application lifecycles in microcontrollers. Our solution has been benchmarked against other state-of-the-art tools, demonstrating its feasibility, novel features, and empirical evidence that it outperforms some of the most widely used solutions for running high-level code on these devices. Overall, our work aims to promote the use of wellestablished software engineering practices in the IoT domain, helping to bridge the gap between cloud and edge development.

2024

Influencing wine tourists' decision-making with VR: The impact of immersive experiences on their behavioural intentions

Authors
Sousa, N; Alén, E; Losada, N; Melo, M;

Publication
TOURISM MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES

Abstract
Virtual Reality (VR) has proven to be an important contribution to tourists' decision-making regarding a destination. This fact can be determinant, especially when tourists face some social limitation or restriction that conditions their participation in tourism activities. Therefore, we aim to understand whether the possibility of experiencing immersive wine tourism activities can encourage future visits, as well as the recommendation of the VR experience and the destination itself. To achieve our goal, we offered 405 participants an experimental VR experience with digital content about a wine tourism activity. The results showed that participants feel that the VR experience influences their behavioural intention towards the wine tourism destination. The satisfaction felt from the experience leads to a significant effect on the intention to visit and to recommend the destination and the VR activity. These findings suggest to wine tourism destination managers that VR can play an essential role in tourism management.

2024

Review of energy management systems and optimization methods for hydrogen-based hybrid building microgrids

Authors
Sarwar, FA; Hernando-Gil, I; Vechiu, I;

Publication
Energy Conversion and Economics

Abstract
AbstractRenewable energy-based microgrids (MGs) strongly depend on the implementation of energy storage technologies to optimize their functionality. Traditionally, electrochemical batteries have been the predominant means of energy storage. However, technological advancements have led to the recognition of hydrogen as a promising solution to address the long-term energy requirements of microgrid systems. This study conducted a comprehensive literature review aimed at analysing and synthesizing the principal optimization and control methodologies employed in hydrogen-based microgrids within the context of building microgrid infrastructures. A comparative assessment was conducted to evaluate the merits and disadvantages of the different approaches. The optimization techniques for energy management are categorized based on their predictability, deployment feasibility, and computational complexity. In addition, the proposed ranking system facilitates an understanding of its suitability for diverse applications. This review encompasses deterministic, stochastic, and cutting-edge methodologies, such as machine learning-based approaches, and compares and discusses their respective merits. The key outcome of this research is the classification of various energy management strategy (EMS) methodologies for hydrogen-based MG, along with a mechanism to identify which methodologies will be suitable under what conditions. Finally, a detailed examination of the advantages and disadvantages of various strategies for controlling and optimizing hybrid microgrid systems with an emphasis on hydrogen utilization is provided.

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