Digitalização de informação relativa ao acompanhamento da montagem e manutenção de equipamentos de grande porte na indústria corticeira

Atualmente, as empresas vivem com a necessidade constante de se manterem atualizadas, de forma a conservar a sua competitividade e/ou aumentá-la. Para que tudo isto seja possível, há que ter uma mentalidade organizacional extremamente orientada para a modernização dos processos produtivos no sentido de os tornar mais eficazes e eficientes. Uma mentalidade baseada na melhoria contínua e que se preocupe em combater as fontes de desperdício produtivo, seja este em material ou em tempo de produção, será sempre altamente prezada e recompensadora. Dada esta exigência de melhorar a produtividade, de simplificar e facilitar os processos, assim como a sua gestão, e de tornar mais dinâmico todo o ambiente produtivo, torna-se evidente a necessidade de criar sistemas de fluxo de informação que facilitem o acesso e a gestão de certa documentação. Este trabalho foi desenvolvido numa empresa líder mundial no setor da cortiça e que tem como propósito processar os desperdícios da mesma, assim como aquela que não é considerada útil, no sentido de lhe atribuir uma nova vida, produzindo os mais variados produtos. Esta empresa está dividida em cinco grandes unidades de trabalho, sendo que, o projeto foi desenvolvido na unidade responsável por processar cortiça de alta densidade. O objetivo do trabalho ramifica-se em dois grandes temas: criação de uma ferramenta de suporte documental para um novo equipamento de grande porte (sendo que todo este processo de estruturação da ferramenta tem também como objetivo padronizar as suas fases de construção para eventuais necessidades idênticas no futuro em relação a outros equipamentos) e o acompanhamento da montagem do mesmo (servindo esta fase para uma padronização de procedimentos recomendados no sentido de criar um reportório de boas práticas aquando de futuras tomadas de decisão em relação à compra e montagem de equipamentos idênticos). Os problemas que fundamentaram a necessidade de implementar este tipo de melhorias foram diagnosticados através de algumas análises, como por exemplo: análise de Pareto (identificação de equipamentos críticos), diagrama de Ishikawa, recolhas de dados nos diferentes departamentos, etc. O facto da montagem do equipamento não ter sido concluída durante o tempo útil do estágio revelou-se um entrave, pois não permitiu analisar durante um período de tempo considerável a viabilidade da ferramenta. Contudo, a mesma foi apresentada e introduzida aos colaboradores, que providenciaram um feedback muito positivo em relação à mesma. Para além disto, apesar da sua aplicação não ter sido concluída, foi possível padronizar os procedimentos corretos a ter numa situação idêntica, o que contribui consideravelmente para a empresa, dada a atual documentação de suporte existente. No que toca ao acompanhamento da montagem, o trabalho foi bem sucedido, pois foram sendo encontrados problemas, mas rápido se foi chegando a soluções. Esta necessidade de conviver de perto com os trabalhos de montagem permitiu identificar modos de falha e algumas deficiências a nível da gestão dos trabalhos, que potencializou a estruturação de padrões comportamentais a ter numa possível futura montagem, de forma a evitar potenciais riscos e prejuízos.Nowadays, companies live with the constant need to keep up to date to maintain their competitiveness and/or increase it. For all this to be possible, it is necessary to have an organizational mentality that is extremely oriented toward the modernization of production processes in order to make them more effective and efficient. A mindset based on continuous improvement and concerned with combating the sources of production waste, whether in material or production time, will always be highly valued and rewarding. Given this requirement to improve productivity, to simplify and facilitate processes, as well as their management, and to make the entire productive environment more dynamic, the need to create information flow systems that facilitate access, and the management of certain documentation becomes apparent. This work was developed in a world leader company in the cork sector, whose purpose is to process cork waste, as well as waste that is not considered useful, in order to give it a new life, producing a variety of products. This company is divided into 5 large work units, and the project was developed in the unit responsible for processing high density cork. The objective of this work is divided into two main themes: the creation of a documental support tool for a new large equipment (the whole process of structuring the tool also has the objective of standardizing its construction phases for any future identical needs regarding other equipment) and the follow-up of its assembly (this phase serves to standardize recommended procedures in order to create a repertory of good practices for future decision-making regarding the purchase and assembly of identical equipment). The problems that justified the need to implement this type of improvement were diagnosed through some analyses, such as: Pareto analysis (identification of critical equipment), Ishikawa diagram, data collection in the different departments, etc. The fact that the assembly of the equipment was not completed during the useful time of the internship proved to be a hindrance because it did not allow the viability of the tool to be analyzed for a considerable period of time. However, the tool was presented and introduced to the employees, who showed positive feedback about it. Furthermore, although its application was not completed, it was possible to standardize the correct procedures to be followed in an identical situation, which contributes considerably to the company given the existing support documentation. The work was successful in terms of monitoring the assembly because problems were encountered, and solutions were quickly found. This need to live closely with the assembly work allowed us to identify failure modes and some deficiencies in terms of work management, which enabled the structuring of behavioral patterns to be followed in a possible future assembly allowing to avoid potential risks and losses

In-season internal and external training load quantification of an elite European soccer team

Elite soccer teams that participate in European competitions need to have players in the best physical and psychological status possible to play matches. As a consequence of congestive schedule, controlling the training load (TL) and thus the level of effort and fatigue of players to reach higher performances during the matches is therefore critical. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to provide the first report of seasonal internal and external training load that included Hooper Index (HI) scores in elite soccer players during an in-season period. Nineteen elite soccer players were sampled, using global position system to collect total distance, high-speed distance (HSD) and average speed (AvS). It was also collected session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) and HI scores during the daily training sessions throughout the 2015-2016 in-season period. Data were analysed across ten mesocycles (M: 1 to 10) and collected according to the number of days prior to a one-match week. Total daily distance covered was higher at the start (M1 and M3) compared to the final mesocycle (M10) of the season. M1 (5589m) reached a greater distance than M5 (4473m) (ES = 9.33 [12.70, 5.95]) and M10 (4545m) (ES = 9.84 [13.39, 6.29]). M3 (5691m) reached a greater distance than M5 (ES = 9.07 [12.36, 5.78]), M7 (ES = 6.13 [8.48, 3.79]) and M10 (ES = 9.37 [12.76, 5.98]). High-speed running distance was greater in M1 (227m), than M5 (92m) (ES = 27.95 [37.68, 18.22]) and M10 (138m) (ES = 8.46 [11.55, 5.37]). Interestingly, the s-RPE response was higher in M1 (331au) in comparison to the last mesocycle (M10, 239au). HI showed minor variations across mesocycles and in days prior to the match. Every day prior to a match, all internal and external TL variables expressed significant lower values to other days prior to a match (p<0.01). In general, there were no differences between player positions. Conclusions: Our results reveal that despite the existence of some significant differences between mesocycles, there were minor changes across the in-season period for the internal and external TL variables used. Furthermore, it was observed that MD-1 presented a reduction of external TL (regardless of mesocycle) while internal TL variables did not have the same record during in-season match-day-minus.: The authors state that there were no salaries’ fund from a tobacco company. Also, the authors are not aware of any competing interests. This project was supported by the National Funds through FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (UID/DTP/04045/2013)—and the European Fund for Regional Development (FEDER) allocated by European Union through the COMPETE 2020 Programme (POCI-01-0145- FEDER-006969)—competitiveness and internationalization (POCI). All funding received for this work from any of the following organizations: National Institutes of Health (NIH); Welcome Trust; Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Inspection of bottles crates in the beer industry through computer vision

This article presents a system developed for the industry of bottling beer. The system has to perform the inspection of various items in the final stage, meaning after the production phase where the bottles are already in the crate. The items to inspect are the following: whether the crate is correct (with the correct color), whether the crate is broken, whether the crate is fully populated, i.e., all bottles are present, to check for bottles without caps and whether the capsule is the correct one. The work uses techniques of computer vision for these verifications and also principal components analysis (PCAs) for the recognition of the capsules. This system is currently installed in the assembly line and the results indicate high efficiency and confidence in the obtained solution

In-season training load quantification of one-, two- and three-game week schedules in a top European professional soccer team

Top European soccer teams that play in UEFA competitions often participate in one, two- or three-games per week. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure optimal match-day performance and full recovery. The aim of this study was to quantify internal and external training load (TL) within five microcycles: M1 and M2 - one-game weeks; M3 and M4 - two-game weeks; M5 - three-game week). Thirteen elite soccer players participated in this study. A global positioning system (GPS) was used to measure the total distance covered and distances of different exercise training zones (1-5), the session ratings of perceived exertion (s-RPE) scores and the amount of creatine kinase (CK) created during daily training sessions for the 2015-2016 in-season period. The data were analysed with respect to the number of days prior to a given match. The main results indicate that there was a significant difference in training intensity for zone 1 between M2 and M4 (4010.2 ± 103.5 and 4507.6 ± 133.0 m, respectively); a significant difference in training intensity for zone 3 between M1 and M5 (686.1 ± 42.8 and 801.2 ± 61.2 m, respectively); a significant difference in the duration of the training sessions and matches between M2 and M5 (69.2 ± 2.1 and 79.6 ± 2.3) and M3 and M5 (69.7 ± 1.0 and 79.6 ± 2.3); and finally, there was a significant difference in CK between M3 and M2 (325.5 ± 155.0 and 194.4 ± 48.9). Moreover, there was a significant decrease in TL in the last day prior to a match, for all microcycles and all variables. There was no significant difference with respect to s-RPE. This study provides the first report of daily external and internal TLs and weekly accumulated load (training sessions and match demands) during one, two, and three-game week schedules in a group of elite soccer players. Expected significant differences are found in daily and accumulated loads for within- and between-game schedules. A similar pattern is exhibited for one- and two-game week microcycles regarding the day before the match, which exhibits a decrease in all variables. Despite the different number of games played per week, TL remain similar between microcycles for zone 2 and 5, plus s-RPE.This project was supported by the National Funds through FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (UID/DTP/04045/2013) and the European Fund for Regional Development (FEDER) allocated by European Union through the COMPETE 2020 Programme (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006969)—competitiveness and internationalization (POCI). The authors disclose funding received for this work from any of the following organizations: National Institutes of Health (NIH); Welcome Trust; Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI); and other(s).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Quality of Life in Dilated Cardiomyopathy with Refractory Chronic Heart Failure Undergoing Devices Implantation

Heart failure is the final stage of most of cardiac diseases. It is a complex syndrome in which the patients should have the following features: symptoms of heart failure, typically shortness of breath at rest or during exertion, and/or fatigue; signs of fluid retention such as pulmonary congestion or ankle swelling; and objective evidence of an abnormality of the structure or function of the heart at rest. This progressive syndrome as a high incidence and prevalence and poor prognosis: four-year mortality is around 50% with 40% of the patients admitted to hospital dying or readmitted within a year. With ageing, many patients will develop chronic heart failure, which, because of its symptoms, patient’s awareness of their risk of dying, and the effects of therapy, together with frequent hospitalizations, has considerable impact on patient’s health-related quality of life

Detection of defects in automotive metal components through computer vision

This article introduces the progresses made on the development of an automatic visual inspection for automotive metal components. These components may present three types of defects, which are: central hole closed or partially closed; absence of thread on the bolts; burr on the weld connections. For each type of defect different image processing and analysis algorithms were tested and a specific setup (type and pose of the cameras and illumination) was developed. The results suggest a good efficiency of the vision system and its potential full spreading industrialization

Happiness, hope, and affection as predictors of quality of life and functionality of individuals with heart failure at three-month follow-up

The scientific evidence supporting the management of the chronically ill in a positive psychological perspective in opposition to traditional pathological approach is scarce. This study examines issues associated with recovery of health status in heart failure, in particular hope, affection, and happiness. We use a longitudinal study of 128 symptomatic patients who after medical intervention reported improved quality of life and function at 3-month follow-up. We evaluated the contribution of happiness, hope and affection, individually and as a whole, in the quality of life and functionality of individuals with heart failure. Happiness (Subjective Happiness Scale), Hope (HOPE Scale), and affection (PANAS (positive and negative affect schedule)) were determined before medical intervention. Individually, we found that happiness is correlated with the quality of life and functionality, hope to self-efficacy dimension of the quality of life scale, positive affect to functionality and negative affect with symptoms dimension, quality of life dimension, and overall sum of the quality of life scale. Overall, we found that happiness has a unique contribution to the quality of life, except in self-efficacy dimension where hope takes this contribution and positive affect has a unique contribution to the functionality in this short-term follow-up. The results highlight the importance of positive variables to health outcomes for people with heart failure and should be considered in intervention programs for this syndrome

Psychosocial aspects associated with pain perception in individuals undergoing coronary surgery

Objectivo: Identificar os factores psicossociais que influenciam a percepção da dor pós-operatória em doentes submetidos a cirurgia de revascularização do miocárdio (CRM). Material e Métodos: Estudo exploratório correlacional de 91 doentes (71 homens e 20 mulheres) submetidos a CRM (pontagem aortocoronária) por esternotomia). A idade média era de 63,8 ± 9,6 anos (entre 39 e 84). Foram utilizados os seguintes instrumentos: Escala Analógica Visual às 24, 48 e 96 horas do pós-operatório; Questionário de Caracterização Demográfica; Mental Health Inventory de 5 itens; Percepção de Saúde Geral (SF-36); Escala de Expectativas de Dor; Escala de Percepção de Apoio; Escala de Expectativas de Auto-eficácia; Satisfação com o tratamento, médicos e enfermeiros (American Pain Society Questionnaire) aplicados às 96 horas após a cirurgia. Resultados: Os doentes que apresentaram expectativas elevadas de dor, percepcionaram maior apoio, apresentaram níveis elevados de auto-eficácia para lidar com a dor ou, se pertenciam ao sexo masculino, sentiram menos dor. De igual modo, os doentes que apresentaram melhor saúde mental, percepcionaram a sua saúde como boa e os doentes que expressaram maior satisfação com o tratamento sentiram menos dor. A dor não foi influenciada pela idade, grau de escolaridade ou pela satisfação com a conduta de médicos e enfermeiros. Conclusão: Após as primeiras 48 horas do pós-operatório, a experiência de dor é influenciada por factores psicossociais, em oarticular pela expectativa de dor, expectativa de auto-eficácia, apoio percebido, percepção da saúde geral, percepção de saúde mental e satisfação com o tratamento para a dor. Perante os resultados, evidencia-se a necessidade de conjugar conhecimentos no sentido de dar respostas mais alargadas e de carácter multidisciplinar no tratamento da dor pós-operatória em CRM devendo, a par de outros aspectos, focar-se na gestão das expectativas dos doentes. ABSTRACT - Objective: To identify the psychological factors that influence post-surgery pain perception in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Methods: This was an exploratory correlational study of 91 patients (71 men and 20 women) who underwent CABG (aortocoronary anastomosis) by sternotomy. Mean age was 63.8 ± 9.6 years (between 39 and 84). The following instruments were used: visual analogical scales at 24, 48 and 96 hours of post-surgery; demographic characteristics survey; pain expectations scale; perceived support scale; self-efficacy scale, Mental Inventory (5 items); health perception scale; and satisfaction with treatment, doctors and nurses (American Pain Society questionnaire) at 96 hours after surgery. Results: Patients who had presented high expectations of pain, perceived more support, presented high levels of self-efficacy to deal with pain or were male, felt less pain. Furthermore, patients who presented better mental health, perceived their general health as being good, or expressed greater satisfaction with treatment, felt less pain. Pain was not influenced by age, level of education or satisfaction with doctors and nurses. Conclusion: After the first 48 hours following surgery, the pain experience is influenced by psychosocial factors, in particular by expectation of pain and of self-efficacy, perceived support, perception of general and mental health, and satisfaction with pain treatment. The results confirm the need to bring together different kinds of knowledge for a broad, multidisciplinary approach to postoperative CABG pain treatment, focusing, along with other aspects, on management of patients’ expectations

Data fusion approach for eucalyptus trees identification

UIDB/00066/2020 DSAIPA/AI/0100/2018Remote sensing is based on the extraction of data, acquired by satellites or aircrafts, through multispectral images, that allow their remote analysis and classification. Analysing those images with data fusion techniques is a promising approach for identification and classification of forest types. Fusion techniques can aggregate various sources of heterogeneous information to generate value-added maps, facilitating forest-type classification. This work applies a data fusion algorithm, denoted FIF (Fuzzy Information Fusion), which combines computational intelligence techniques with multicriteria concepts and techniques, to automatically distinguish Eucalyptus trees from satellite images. The algorithm customization was performed with a Portuguese area planted with Eucalyptus. After customizing and validating the approach with several representative scenarios to assess its suitability for automatic classification of Eucalyptus, we tested on a large tile obtaining a sensitivity of 69.61%, with a specificity of 99.43%, and an overall accuracy of 98.19%. This work demonstrates the potential of our approach to automatically classify specific forest types from satellite images, since this is a novel approach dedicated to the identification of eucalyptus trees.publishersversionpublishe

Effectiveness of the use of non-hydrolysed type II collagen in the treatment of osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of treating osteoarthritis with the use of type II non-denatured collagen (UCII). Methods: This is a study of systematic review and meta-analysis based on searches for randomized controlled clinical trials carried out in the PUBMED, SciELO, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar databases. 2009 and 2020 studies that analyzed the effectiveness of UCII in the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis using clinical and / or radiographic criteria and based on WOMAC and VAS scores were included. Results: A total of 4.850 references were found in the literature. When applying the inclusion criteria, there were only 4 studies suitable for selection, and 3 of them were possible to be included in the meta-analysis. All studies were carried out in patients with knee osteoarthritis and the total sample was 202 patients. Meta-analysis of WOMAC and VAS scores was performed in the three independent studies according to the intervention adopted, and heterogeneity was not significant in both (τ² = 0.0; I² = 0%). In the WOMAC and VAS scores, the point estimate for the difference in standardized means was -0.44 (95% CI=-0.72 to -0.16; 0.002) and -0.37 (95% CI = - 0.65 to -0.09; 0.010) respectively, thus, the intervention group had positive effects and favorable results compared to the control group. There was no publication bias for the WOMAC and VAS outcomes; Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, the use of the UCII is effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis to improve parameters of pain and mobility on WOMAC and VAS parameters