Browsing by Author "Monteiro, Pedro R."
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- Physical demand assessment of volunteer firefighters during wildland firefightingPublication . Teixeira, Tatiana; Pratas, Pedro; Santos, Joana; Monteiro, Pedro R.; Baptista, João Santos; Vaz, Mário A. P.; Guedes, Joana C.Wildland firefighting is physically and mentally demanding. The aerobic capacity of firefighters is important due to the demands of the activity and the associated occupational risks. The main objectives of this study were to identify and characterise the physically demanding tasks undertaken by volunteer firefighters during wildland fires (real work conditions). A total of 125 firefighters replied to a survey about sociodemographic, biometric data, and work fitness assessment. A group of 23 was evaluated in a physical stress test using a VO2peak protocol to determine maximum oxygen consumption and ventilatory thresholds. The physical demands and physiological responses were collected during the operations at the firefront (n = 21). The results revealed that wildland firefighting entails physical demands that exceed established reference values, with maximum oxygen uptake exceeding 40%. The cardiovascular strain is particularly notable in tasks performed near the firefront, reflecting fatigue. The physical and cardiac demands associated with forest fire fighting have been demonstrated to contribute to occupational illnesses with prolonged exposure. This study underscores the imperative for interventions to enhance the identification and real-time monitoring of physiological parameters to enhance firefighters' overall health and well-being.
- The multiplicities of an ethics committee in higher educationPublication . Tavares, Diana; Cruz, Agostinho; Cabral, Ana Paula; Machado, Alberto; Sousa, Helena; Curado, Henrique; Faria, Isabel; Amorim, Manuela; Gonçalves, Maria João; Lopes, Paula Maria da Costa; Monteiro, Pedro R.In the academic context, the main activity of ethics committees is evidently to regulate and monitor any investigation carried out within the institution, if the object of study is a person or biological material. However, it is important to note that ethics committee activity does not end, and cannot end, in this sphere of action. These entities are fundamental in raising awareness of the academic community for the assumption and incorporation of certain principles and values in their practices and in those of their members. Those principles and values include professional secrecy, respect for integrity and privacy, principles that become even more relevant when they refer to vulnerable people, such as health users. In a constantly changing world, ethics committees must identify new challenges and anticipate, as far as possible, action strategies. Having an ethics committee in a higher educational institution provides opportunities to, in a timely manner, be aware of the state of the art in bioethics or have access to recent research in healthcare.