Browsing by Author "Rodrigues, Matilde"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 111
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- 3rd International Congress of Environmental Health: Proceedings BookPublication . Vieira Da Silva, Manuela; Oliveira, Rui S.; Rodrigues, Matilde; Nunes, Mafalda; Santos, Joana; Carvalhais, C.; Rebelo, Andreia; Freitas, Marisa; Xavier, AnaThis third edition addresses to ‘Emerging risks and challenges for the environment, health and safety’ and intended as a guide to the various symposiums and workshops, to provide all present the most recent scientific and technological advances in the areas: Occupational Health and Toxicology; Exposure to Nanoparticles; Assessment and Risk Management; Occupational Safety; Exposure to Bioaerosols; Environment and Sustainability; Food Safety and Public Health.
- Acidentes de trabalho no setor do comércio a retalho: um estudo de caso supermercados de conveniênciaPublication . Correia, Ana; Balazeiro, Márcia; Cavadas, Maria I.; Campos, Joana R.; Costa, Nelson; Rodrigues, João; Rodrigues, MatildeThis study aims to characterize the occupational accidents in convenience supermarkets, identifying the personal factors related to its frequency and severity. A total of 443 accidents that occurred between 2015 and September 2017, in a group of supermarkets from a Portuguese company, were analyzed. Different company databases were gathered and compiled for the purpose of this study. Frequency and severity rates were determined for the total accidents and for employees age and gender. Results showed that both accident rates increased during the analyzed period. Higher frequency and severity rates were found for female. Data also denote that accidents with higher severity occurred in workers with more than 46 years old and among the ones with basic education.
- Acidentes de trabalho que resultam em lesões musculoesqueléticas no setor do retalho alimentarPublication . Balazeiro, Márcia; Correia, Ana; Cavadas, Inês; Costa, Nelson; Rodrigues, João; Rodrigues, MatildeOs acidentes de trabalho que resultam em lesões musculoesqueléticas (LME) têm uma elevada expressão sobre o total de acidentes. No entanto, existe pouca evidência sobre os acidentes ocorridos no setor do retalho alimentar, apesar da sua relevância face às atividades desenvolvidas pelos trabalhadores. O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar os acidentes por sobre-esforço físico em duas tipologias de supermercados (hipermercados e supermercados de conveniência). Para tal foram analisados os dados presentes nas bases de dados da empresa relativos aos acidentes ocorridos entre 2015 e o primeiro semestre de 2017. Os resultados mostraram que as LME ainda são significativas relativamente ao total de acidentes notificados, tendo-se observado um aumento do Índice de Gravidade ao longo do período em estudo nas duas tipologias de supermercados. O Índice de Frequência baixou ligeiramente, mas mantendo uma considerável expressão face ao total de acidentes. As partes do corpo mais afetadas foram os membros superiores, as costas e os membros inferiores, tendo-se verificado uma relação entre a atividade física e a parte do corpo afetada. O mecanismo que esteve na origem de um maior número de acidentes foi a movimentação manual de cargas realizada de modo inadequado. Os resultados remetem para a necessidade de intervenção de forma a reduzir os índices de sinistralidade por LME.
- Adaptação cultural e confiabilidade da versão portuguesa do Computer Vision Syndrome Questionnaire (CVS-Q)Publication . Rodrigues, Matilde; Mateus, CatarinaA Síndrome Visual de Computador (SVC) é caracterizada por um conjunto de sintomas visuais associados à utilização prolongada do computador. Instrumentos que permitam avaliar a SVC de uma forma simples e rápida são de particular importância, contudo não se verificou a existência de uma escala em português. A Computer Vision Syndrome Questionnaire (CVS-Q) é uma escala desenvolvida por Seguí et al.,e que avalia a frequência e a intensidade de 16 sintomas relacionados com a SVC.
- Advancing the understanding of pupil size variation in occupational safety and health: A systematic review and evaluation of open-source methodologiesPublication . Ferreira, Filipa; Ferreira, Simão; Mateus, Catarina; Rocha, Nuno; Coelho, Luís; Rodrigues, MatildePupil size can be used as an important biomarker for occupational risks. In recent years, there has been an increase in the development of open-source tools dedicated to obtaining and measuring pupil diameter. However, it remains undetermined determined whether these tools are suitable for use in occupational settings. This study explores the significance of pupil size variation as a biomarker for occupational risks and evaluates existing open-source methods for potential use in both research and occupational settings, with the goal of to prevent occupational accidents and improve the health and performance of workers. To this end, a two-phase systematic literature review was conducted in the Web of Science™, ScienceDirect®, and Scopus® databases. For the relevance of monitoring pupil size variation in occupational settings, 15 articles were included. The articles were divided into three groups: mental workload, occupational stress, and mental fatigue. In most cases, pupil dilation increased with workload enhancement and with higher levels of stress. Regarding fatigue, it was noted that an increase in this condition corresponded with a decrease in pupil size. With respect to the open-source methodologies, 16 articles were identified, which were categorized into two groups: algorithms and software. Convolutional neural networks (CNN)1 have exhibited superior performance among the various algorithmic approaches studied. Building on this insight, and considering the evaluations of software options, MEYE emerges as the premier open-source system for deployment in occupational settings due to its compatibility with a standard computer webcam. This feature positions MEYE as a particularly practical tool for workers in stable environments, like those of developers and administrators.
- An empirical study about the variables that influence the social acceptability on the biogasPublication . Dias, Telma; Rodrigues, Matilde; Pereira, Ilídio; Leão, Celina P.Due to the excessive use of conventional energy sources, renewable energy technologies have becoming a potential alternative to provide a sustainable development of society. Biogas has been considered as one of the most environmental beneficial source of energy that contributes for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and global warming (Jiang et al., 2011). Furthermore, the production of biogas can be highly important in rural areas, where there are many treatment stations of organic wastes, being a good way to solve problems related to release gases into the atmosphere, as well as related to the bad smells. However, the society opposition, disinterest and lack of knowledge about the advantages of biogas production and its use, can be a barrier to the availability of the implementation of these renewable technologies. In this context, more studies are necessary to clarify the public acceptability of these technologies (Zyadin et al ., 2012), in order to get further information to help into design an intervention strategy.
- An unobtrusive multimodal stress detection model & recommender systemPublication . Ferreira, Simão; Correia, Hugo; Rodrigues, Fátima; Rodrigues, Matilde; Rocha, NunoStudies estimate that about 50% of all lost workdays are related to occupational stress. In recent years, several solutions for mental health management, including biofeedback applications, have emerged as a way to enhance employee mental health. Solutions to mitigate risk factors related to the working settings present an enormous potential and a clear contribution. However, most of the work that has been developed is limited to laboratory environments and does not suit real-life needs. Our study proposes an unobtrusive multimodal approach for detecting work-related stress combining videoplethysmography and self-reported measures for stablishing the ground truth in real-life settings. The study involved 28 volunteers over a two-month period. Various physiological signals were collected through a videopletismography solution, while users were performing daily working, for approximately eight hours a day. In parallel, selfreported measures were collected via a pop-up application (developed by the research team) that periodically retrieved the user's perceived stress (amongst other variables) in order to label the physiological data. In order to develop the stress detection model, we pre-processed the data and performed Heart Rate Variability (HRV) feature extraction. Then, we experimented with several machine learning models, utilizing both individual and combined physiological signals to explore all available alternatives. After rigorous evaluation, the best-trained model achieved an accuracy of over 80% and an F1 Score of over 85%. With the stress detection model in place, we are developing a structured intervention model to help reduce stress. This intervention model integrates two interconnected dimensions through digital coaching, which prioritizes personalized recommendations based on user preferences. Our top priority is to ensure user engagement, and we believe that adherence to and adoption of recommended interventions are more likely when users receive recommendations that align with their preferences. Thus, we prioritize personalized recommendations that are tailored to each individual's unique model. After detecting immediate stress peaks and providing real-time feedback on stress levels, our alarm system goes a step further by offering customized recommendations for brief stress relief. The digital coach (intervention model) offers various recommendations and active lifestyle changes such as exercise, task management, weight management, better sleep habits, structured pauses, and other critical interventions. These critical interventions are also based on user preferences, allowing our system to prevent future stress-related incidents and, most importantly, mitigate long-term stress. This project and its methodology demonstrate that truly unobtrusive stress detection is possible and can be performed within the scope of ethical demands. In future work, we will evaluate the responses and beneficial outcomes of implementing a recommender system.
- An unobtrusive stress detection software: Protocol design to assess the reliability of video plethysmographyPublication . Ferreira, Simão; Rodrigues, Matilde; Campos, Carlos; Rocha, NunoSoftware solutions for stress detection have been emerging. Existing solutions still largely rely on supervised learning methods, requiring extremely large sets of labeled data for each situation. Stress assessment using video plethysmography is a recent method that needs further investigation. The room lighting conditions and the person’s movement have been identified as the main barriers to the software progression. Thus, it is necessary to build a laboratory pilot that will take into account these difficulties. We present an in-depth protocol on how to assess the reliability of a video facial recognition software on collecting physiological data (heart rate and blinking).
- Análise da percepção ergonómica de postos de trabalho dotados de microscópioPublication . Silva, Cátia; Rodrigues, Matilde; Mendes, Marta; Silva, Manuela V.; Moreira, Camilo C.; Monteiro, PedroA adequabilidade do dimensionamento dos postos e equipamentos de trabalho aos trabalhadores e às tarefas desenvolvidas é fundamental para a promoção de condições de conforto e prevenção do desenvolvimento de LMERT. A percepção dos trabalhadores é importante para a análise e intervenção ergonómica. Este estudo teve como objectivo analisar a percepção dos trabalhadores sobre a adequabilidade dos postos de trabalho que envolvam tarefas ao microscópio. Foi analisada a adequabilidade das dimensões dos elementos do mobiliário e do microscópio, e desenvolvido e aplicado o Questionário de Análise Ergonómica de Tarefas ao Microscópio (QAETM). O questionário contemplou questões associadas a características pessoais, actividades desenvolvidas, percepções de risco e sensações de dor e/ou desconforto. A análise das dimensões dos postos de trabalho mostrou que estas se apresentam em geral inadequadas às tarefas realizadas. Verificou-se ainda que alguns postos de trabalho tinham sofrido intervenções por parte dos profissionais. A maioria dos inquiridos considera as dimensões das cadeiras adequadas, contrariamente à das bancadas. No que respeita ao microscópio, foram sugeridas alterações ao nível dos parafusos de focagem, movimentação de platina e altura e inclinação das oculares. Este estudo permitiu verificar que alguns dos profissionais apresentam uma baixa percepção ergonómica, não sendo na sua maioria capazes de identificar a falta de adequabilidade das dimensões dos seus postos de trabalho. Apesar do referido, alguns revelaram preocupações ergonómicas, sugerindo e identificando, nomeadamente ao nível do microscópio, situações a alterar, tendo mesmo a iniciativa de intervir no seu posto de trabalho de modo a promover uma melhor postura.
- Analysis of the combined exposure to noise and ototoxic substances—pilot studyPublication . Lopes, Marta; Tomé, David; Carmo, Paulo Cardoso do; Rodrigues, Matilde; Neves, PaulaOtotoxic substances have been associated to damage of the auditory system, and its effects are potentiated by noise exposure. The present study aims at analyzing auditory changes from combined exposure to noise and organic solvents, through a pilot study in the furniture industry sector. Audiological tests were performed on 44 workers, their levels of exposure to toluene, xylene and ethylbenzene were determined and the levels of noise exposure were evaluated. The results showed that workers are generally exposed to high noise levels and cabin priming filler and varnish sector workers have high levels of exposure to toluene. However, no hearing loss was registered among the workers. Workers exposed simultaneously to noise and ototoxic substances do not have a higher degree of hearing loss than those workers exposed only to noise. Thus, the results of this study did not show that the combined exposure to noise and the organic solvent is associated with hearing disorders.