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Publications

2026

An Explosion of the Uses of Immersive Learning Environments: A Mapping of Reviews Update

Authors
Beck, D; Morgado, L; O'Shea, P;

Publication
IMMERSIVE LEARNING RESEARCH NETWORK, ILRN 2025

Abstract
Since the publication of the 2020 paper, Finding the Gaps About Uses of Immersive Learning Environments: A Survey of Surveys, the landscape of immersive learning environments (ILEs) has continued to evolve rapidly. This update aims to revisit the gaps identified in that previous research and explore emerging trends. We conducted an extensive review of new surveys published after that paper's cut date. Our findings reveal a significant amount of new published reviews (n = 64), more than doubling the original corpus (n = 47). The results highlighted novel themes of usage of immersive environments, helping bridge some 2020 research gaps. This paper discusses those developments and presents a consolidated perspective on the uses of immersive learning environments.

2026

A Power-Conditioned Pricing Electricity Tariff to Restore Consumption Incentives under Revenue Neutrality

Authors
Fidalgo, JNM; Saraiva, J;

Publication

Abstract
Current residential electricity tariffs often combine a flat energy price with a fixed charge linked to contracted power, resulting in electricity bills that are weakly responsive to changes in consumption. This lack of proportionality reduces incentives for energy savings and may undermine demand-side efficiency.This paper proposes a novel Power-Conditioned Pricing (PCP) tariff, in which unit energy prices depend on the power level at which electricity is consumed. By associating higher prices with higher consumption intensity, the proposed tariff introduces progressivity while preserving transparency and regulatory feasibility. The tariff is calibrated to ensure revenue neutrality with respect to the current tariff for each contracted power level.Two complementary calibration strategies are analysed: a profile-based approach using representative regulatory load profiles, and an empirical approach based on statistical distributions derived from real consumer data. To assess consumer responsiveness, electricity bills are evaluated under both vertical and horizontal consumption adjustment models.Results show that bill elasticity increases from values between 0.43–0.73 under the current tariff to values close to unity under PCP, while maintaining revenue neutrality across contracted power levels. These findings suggest that power-conditioned pricing constitutes a promising alternative to current residential tariff structures, better aligned with energy-efficiency and conservation objectives.

2026

Reconfiguring Staggered Quantum Walks with ZX

Authors
Jardim, B; Santos, J; Barbosa, LS;

Publication
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING AND FORMAL METHODS. SEFM 2024 COLLOCATED WORKSHOPS

Abstract
The staggered model is a recent, very general variant of discrete-time quantum walks which, avoiding the use of a coin to direct the walker evolution, explores the underlying graph structure to build an evolution operator based on local unitaries induced by adjacent vertices. Optimising their implementation to increase resilience to decoherence phenomena motivates their analysis with the ZX-calculus. The whole optimisation can be seen as a graph reconfiguration process along which the original circuit is rewrote, significantly reducing the number of (expensive) gates used. The exercise identified an underlying pattern leading to an alternative, potentially more efficient evolution operator.

2026

Paraconsistent Reactive Graphs

Authors
Cunha, J; Madeira, A; Barbosa, LS;

Publication
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING AND FORMAL METHODS. SEFM 2024 COLLOCATED WORKSHOPS

Abstract
This paper introduces Paraconsistent Reactive Graphs, as an extension of Reactive graphs that incorporates paraconsistency into the ground edges to address vagueness and inconsistency within dynamic systems. By assigning pairs of truth values to ground edges, this framework captures the uncertainty and contradictions stemming from incomplete or conflicting information. We explore the semantics of these graphs and provide a practical example to illustrate the proposed approach.

2026

Single-lead Thigh ECG Dataset (tOLIet) with Analysis of BMI Effects on Cardiac Signal Quality

Authors
Silva, AS; Correia, MV; Laranjo, SM; Fonseca, H; da Costa, ACG; da Silva, HP;

Publication
SCIENTIFIC DATA

Abstract
In previous work, we introduced an 'invisible' ECG system with electrodes integrated into a toilet seat, capturing signals from the thighs. Here, we present the tOLIet dataset with single-lead thigh ECGs to advance cardiovascular assessment using this novel approach. The dataset includes 149 records from 86 individuals (50 females, 36 males; mean age 31.73 +/- 13.11 years; weight 66.89 +/- 10.70 kg; height 166.82 +/- 6.07 cm). Participants were recruited via the Centro Hospitalar Universit & aacute;rio de Lisboa Central (CHULC). Each recording features four differential signals from toilet-seat electrodes alongside reference data from a hospital-grade 12-lead ECG. Beyond signal collection and quality evaluation, we conducted a gender-specific analysis comparing valid signal percentages relative to Body Mass Index (BMI). This analysis explores anatomical or physiological factors affecting thigh-based ECG acquisition, guiding system design and customization to enhance signal reliability across populations.

2026

Characterisation of thigh-based electrocardiography (ECG) across different pathologies

Authors
Silva, AD; Correia, MV; da Costa, AG; Cerqueira, RJ; da Silva, HP;

Publication
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS

Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Continuous electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring is essential for prevention and treatment, but conventional approaches based on the need for some voluntary action often limit comfort and adherence in long-term use. This study investigates the feasibility of acquiring ECG signals from a toilet seat interface embedding dry electrodes in the posterior thighs. A total of 30 hospitalised patients with diverse cardiovascular conditions-including arrhythmias, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, structural abnormalities, and aneurysms-were enrolled. Thigh-acquired ECGs were recorded simultaneously with conventional limb-lead signals and analysed for morphology, heart rate variability (HRV), and disease-related clustering. Thigh-based ECGs demonstrated clear P-QRS-T complexes with preserved morphology, allowing reliable extraction of mean templates and HRV metrics. The comparison between pathological and normal groups showed that post-surgical aortic repair patients had ECG profiles closest to the normal cluster; in contrast, aortic stenosis (AS) appeared most distant. HRV analysis revealed disease-specific autonomic patterns: patients with tricuspid or mitral involvement exhibited higher variability (SDNN up to 140 ms), whereas those with aortic valve disease presented markedly reduced parasympathetic indices (RMSSD and pNN50). Principal component analysis of multi-feature ECG data identified overlapping groups of Acute Coronary Syndrome, Unstable Angina and Ascending Aortic Aneurysm. At the same time, hierarchical clustering confirmed the distinct separation of conditions with severe hemodynamic disruption, such as PS and AS. These findings support the feasibility of unobtrusive thigh-based ECG monitoring via a toilet-seat interface, enabling reliable signal acquisition, HRV analysis, and preliminary patient stratification. This approach may lay the groundwork for future home-based cardiovascular screening and telemedicine applications.

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