Working hours, work-life conflict and health in precarious and "permanent" employment

OBJECTIVE: The expansion of precarious employment in OECD countries has been widely associated with negative health and safety effects. Although many shiftworkers are precariously employed, shiftwork research has concentrated on full-time workers in continuing employment. This paper examines the impact of precarious employment on working hours, work-life conflict and health by comparing casual employees to full-time, "permanent" employees working in the same occupations and workplaces. METHODS: Thirty-nine convergent interviews were conducted in two five-star hotels. The participants included 26 full-time and 13 casual (temporary) employees. They ranged in age from 19 to 61 years and included 17 females and 22 males. Working hours ranged from zero to 73 hours per week. RESULTS: Marked differences emerged between the reports of casual and full-time employees about working hours, work-life conflict and health. Casuals were more likely to work highly irregular hours over which they had little control. Their daily and weekly working hours ranged from very long to very short according to organisational requirements. Long working hours, combined with low predictability and control, produced greater disruption to family and social lives and poorer work-life balance for casuals. Uncoordinated hours across multiple jobs exacerbated these problems in some cases. Health-related issues reported to arise from work-life conflict included sleep disturbance, fatigue and disrupted exercise and dietary regimes. CONCLUSIONS:This study identified significant disadvantages of casual employment. In the same hotels, and doing largely the same jobs, casual employees had less desirable and predictable work schedules, greater work-life conflict and more associated health complaints than "permanent" workers.

Shiftworking families: parents' working schedule and sleep patterns of adolescents attending school in two shifts

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether parents' engagement in shift work affects the sleep habits of their adolescent children who attend school in two shifts. METHODS: The data were drawn from an extensive survey of sleep and daytime functioning of adolescents attending school one week in the morning and the other in the afternoon. The participants were 1,386 elementary and high school students (11-18 years old) whose parents were both employed. The data were analyzed using MANOVA, with parents' work schedule, adolescents' gender and type of school as between-subject factors. RESULTS: Parents' working schedule significantly affected the sleep patterns of high school adolescents. When attending school in the morning, adolescents whose parents were both day workers woke up somewhat later than adolescents with one shiftworking parent. In addition, they slept longer than adolescents whose parents were both shift workers. On weekends, adolescents whose parents both worked during the day went to bed earlier than adolescents whose parents were both shiftworkers. They also had smaller bedtime delay on weekends with respect to both morning and afternoon shifts than adolescents for whom one or both parents worked shifts. A significant interaction between parents' working schedule, adolescents' gender and type of school was found for sleep extension on weekends after afternoon shift school. CONCLUSIONS: Parental involvement in shift work has negative effects on the sleep of high school adolescents. It contributes to earlier wake-up time and shorter sleep in a week when adolescents attend school in the morning, as well as to greater bedtime irregularity.

BASS 4: a software system for ergonomic design and evaluation of working hours

OBJECTIVE: To extend an existing computer programme for the evaluation and design of shift schedules (BASS 3) by integrating workload as well as economic aspects. METHODS: The redesigned prototype BASS 4 includes a new module with a suitable and easily applicable screening method (EBA) for the assessment of the intensity of physical, emotional and cognitive workload components and their temporal patterns. Specified criterion functions based on these ratings allow for an adjustment of shift and rest duration according to the intensity of physical and mental workload. Furthermore, with regard to interactive effects both workload and temporal conditions, e.g. time of day, are taken into account. In a second new module, important economic aspects and criteria have been implemented. Different ergonomic solutions for scheduling problems can now also be evaluated with regard to their economic costs. RESULTS: The new version of the computer programme (BASS 4) can now simultaneously take into account numerous ergonomic, legal, agreed and economic criteria for the design and evaluation of working hours. CONCLUSIONS: BASS 4 can now be used as an instrument for the design and the evaluation of working hours with regard to legal, ergonomic and economic aspects at the shop floor as well as in administrative (e.g. health and safety inspection) and research problems.

PCMAT, an adaptive learning platform

This paper is about PCMAT, an adaptive learning platform for Mathematics in Basic Education schools. Based on a constructivist approach, PCMAT aims at verifying how techniques from adaptive hypermedia systems can improve e-learning based systems. To achieve this goal, PCMAT includes a Pedagogical Model that contains a set of adaptation rules that influence the student-platform interaction. PCMAT was subject to a preliminary testing with students aged between 12 and 14 years old on the subject of direct proportionality. The results from this preliminary test are quite promising as they seem to demonstrate the validity of our proposal.

Adaptation model for PCMAT – Mathematics collaborative learning platform

The aim of this paper is to present an adaptation model for an Adaptive Educational Hypermedia System, PCMAT. The adaptation of the application is based on progressive self-assessment (exercises, tasks, and so on) and applies the constructivist learning theory and the learning styles theory. Our objective is the creation of a better, more adequate adaptation model that takes into account the complexities of different users.

Efficient implementation of a dominance protocol for wireless medium access

Mestrado em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores

Working in and on groups: an illustration of the principles of exploratory practice in an esp classroom

Neste artigo, descrevo e analiso uma actividade de trabalho em grupo desenvolvida para uma aula da disciplina de Língua Inglesa VI das turmas do 3º ano do Curso de Línguas e Secretariado do Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto (ISCAP). No enquadramento teórico, abordam-se questões relacionadas com o trabalho em grupo numa aula de língua estrangeira, nomeadamente a dimensão social da sala de aula em geral e da interacção aluno-aluno em particular. Apresentam-se então os princípios da Exploratory Practice, com ênfase na possibilidade preconizada por esta abordagem de se poder transformar uma actividade de reflexão e discussão sobre o processo de ensino/aprendizagem numa unidade pedagógica. Segue-se a apresentação da proposta didáctica, respectivo plano de aula e alguns exemplos dos textos produzidos pelos alunos. O artigo termina com a apresentação de alguns comentários críticos, realçando-se a contribuição da Exploratory Practice para o desenvolvimento de uma maior consciencialização por parte dos alunos do seu processo de aprendizagem.

Suporte a testes automáticos em aplicações web geradas com a OutSystems Platform

Dissertação de natureza científica para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática e de Computadores

Multiprocessor platform using LEON3 processor

The recent advances in embedded systems world, lead us to more complex systems with application specific blocks (IP cores), the System on Chip (SoC) devices. A good example of these complex devices can be encountered in the cell phones that can have image processing cores, communication cores, memory card cores, and others. The need of augmenting systems’ processing performance with lowest power, leads to a concept of Multiprocessor System on Chip (MSoC) in which the execution of multiple tasks can be distributed along various processors. This thesis intends to address the creation of a synthesizable multiprocessing system to be placed in a FPGA device, providing a good flexibility to tailor the system to a specific application. To deliver a multiprocessing system, will be used the synthesisable 32-bit SPARC V8 compliant, LEON3 processor.

Desenvolvimento de um pedómetro para telemóvel

Esta tese descreve o desenvolvimento do hardware e do software de um sistema com a capacidade de reconhecer o número de passos que uma pessoa efectua durante uma actividade física. O sistema consiste num acelerómetro controlado por um microcontrolador, que comunica com um dispositivo móvel através de Bluetooth. De modo a realizar o sistema foi necessário analisar uma vasta bibliografia, para conhecer o estado da arte desta tecnologia, entender o princípio de funcionamento do protocolo Bluetooth e os conceitos biomecânicos por detrás da marcha humana. A proposta deste trabalho apresentava como elemento diferenciador do estado da arte o uso de um acelerómetro em conjunto com sensores de pressão. Com a conjugação destes sensores pretendia-se aumentar a precisão de um equipamento que normalmente não é reconhecido por essa característica. Contudo, a indisponibilidade dos sensores de pressão levou a que o sistema só fosse constituído pelo acelerómetro. Embora, o sistema foi projectado considerando que os sensores de pressão serão incluídos num futuro desenvolvimento. Neste trabalho foram desenvolvidos dois algoritmos para detectar os passos que uma pessoa executa, com pé onde é colocado o sensor, quando caminha ou corre. Num dos testes realizados o algoritmo da “aceleração composta” detectou 84% dos passos, enquanto o algoritmo da “aceleração simples”detectou 99%. A plataforma para a interface gráfica pretendia-se que fosse um telemóvel, contudo não foi possível obter um telemóvel que suporta-se o perfil SPP (Serial Port Profile), necessário para a comunicação com o módulo Bluetooth usado. A solução passou por usar como plataforma um computador portátil com Bluetooth, para o qual foi desenvolvido a aplicação “Pedómetro ISEP” em Visual Basic. O “Pedómetro ISEP” apresenta várias funcionalidades, entre elas destaca-se o cálculo da distância percorrida, da velocidade, e das calorias consumidas, bem como, o registo desses valores em tabelas e da possibilidade de desenhar os gráficos representativos do progresso do utilizador.

Sistema pericial para o estudo de composição de betões

O betão é o material de construção feito pelo Homem mais utilizado no mundo. A sua composição é um processo complexo que exige um conhecimento teórico sólido e muita experiência prática, pelo que poucas pessoas estão habilitadas para o fazer e são muito requisitadas. No entanto não existe muita oferta actual de software que contemple alguns dos aspectos importantes da composição do betão, nomeadamente para o contexto europeu. Nesse sentido, foi desenvolvido um sistema de apoio à decisão chamado Betacomp, baseado num sistema pericial, para realizar estudos de composição de betão. Este contempla as normas legais portuguesas e europeias, e a partir da especificação do betão apresenta toda a informação necessária para se produzir um ensaio de betão. A aquisição do conhecimento necessário ao sistema contou com a colaboração de um especialista com longa e comprovada experiência na área da formulação e produção do betão, tendo sido construída uma base de conhecimento baseada em regras de produção no formato drl (Drools Rule Language). O desenvolvimento foi realizado na plataforma Drools.net, em C# e VB.net. O Betacomp suporta os tipos de betão mais comuns, assim como adições e adjuvantes, sendo aplicável numa grande parte dos cenários de obra. Tem a funcionalidade de fornecer explicações sobre as suas decisões ao utilizador, auxiliando a perceber as conclusões atingidas e simultaneamente pode funcionar como uma ferramenta pedagógica. A sua abordagem é bastante pragmática e de certo modo inovadora, tendo em conta parâmetros novos, que habitualmente não são considerados neste tipo de software. Um deles é o nível do controlo de qualidade do produtor de betão, sendo feito um ajuste de compensação à resistência do betão a cumprir, proporcional à qualidade do produtor. No caso dos produtores de betão, permite que indiquem os constituintes que já possuem para os poderem aproveitar (caso não haja impedimentos técnicos) , uma prática muito comum e que permitirá eventualmente uma aceitação maior da aplicação, dado que reflecte a forma habitual de agir nos produtores.

Planning and implementing a new assessment strategy using an e-learning platform

One of the most difficult issues of e-Learning is the students’ assessment. Being this an outstanding task regarding theoretical topics, it becomes even more challenging when the topics under evaluation are practical. ISCAP’s Information Systems Department is composed of about twenty teachers who have been for several years using an e-learning environment (at the moment Moodle 2.3) combined with traditional assessment. They are now planning and implementing a new e-learning assessment strategy. This effort was undertaken in order to evaluate a practical topic (the use of spreadsheets to solve management problems) common to shared courses of several undergraduate degree programs. The same team group is already experienced in the assessment of theoretical information systems topics using the b-learning platform. Therefore, this project works as an extension to previous experiences being the team aware of the additional difficulties due to the practical nature of the topics. This paper describes this project and presents two cycles of the action research methodology, used to conduct the research. The first cycle goal was to produce a database of questions. When it was implemented in order to be used with a pilot group of students, several problems were identified. Subsequently, the second cycle consisted in solving the identified problems preparing the database and all the players to a broader scope implementation. For each cycle, all the phases, its drawbacks and achievements are described. This paper suits all those who are or are planning to be in the process of shifting their assessment strategy from a traditional to one supported by an e-learning platform.

Health-related quality of life and working conditions among nursing providers

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate working conditions associated with health-related quality of life (HRQL) among nursing providers. METHODS: Cross-sectional study conducted in a university hospital in the city of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, during 2004-2005. The study sample comprised 696 registered nurses, nurse technicians and nurse assistants, predominantly females (87.8%), who worked day and/or night shifts. Data on sociodemographic information, working and living conditions, lifestyles, and health symptoms were collected using self-administered questionnaires. The following questionnaires were also used: Job Stress Scale, Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Ordinal logistic regression analysis using proportional odds model was performed to evaluate each dimension of the SF-36. RESULTS: Around 22% of the sample was found to be have high strain and 8% showed an effort-reward imbalance at work. The dimensions with the lowest mean scores in the SF-36 were vitality, bodily pain and mental health. High-strain job, effort-reward imbalance (ERI>1.01), and being a registered nurse were independently associated with low scores on the role emotional dimension. Those dimensions associated to mental health were the ones most affected by psychosocial factors at work. CONCLUSIONS: Effort-reward imbalance was more associated with health than high-strain (high demand and low control). The study results suggest that the joint analysis of psychosocial factors at work such as effort-reward imbalance and demand-control can provide more insight to the discussion of professional roles, working conditions and HRQL of nursing providers.

Effects of early life permethrin exposure on spatial working memory and on monoamine levels in different brain areas of pre-senescent rats

Pesticide exposure during brain development could represent an important risk factor for the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. Previous studies investigated the effect of permethrin (PERM) administered at 34 mg/kg, a dose close to the no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) from post natal day (PND) 6 to PND 21 in rats. Despite the PERM dose did not elicited overt signs of toxicity (i.e. normal body weight gain curve), it was able to induce striatal neurodegeneration (dopamine and Nurr1 reduction, and lipid peroxidation increase). The present study was designed to characterize the cognitive deficits in the current animal model. When during late adulthood PERM treated rats were tested for spatial working memory performances in a T-maze-rewarded alternation task they took longer to choose for the correct arm in comparison to age matched controls. No differences between groups were found in anxiety-like state, locomotor activity, feeding behavior and spatial orientation task. Our findings showing a selective effect of PERM treatment on the T-maze task point to an involvement of frontal cortico-striatal circuitry rather than to a role for the hippocampus. The predominant disturbances concern the dopamine (DA) depletion in the striatum and, the serotonin (5-HT) and noradrenaline (NE) unbalance together with a hypometabolic state in the medial prefrontal cortex area. In the hippocampus, an increase of NE and a decrease of DA were observed in PERM treated rats as compared to controls. The concentration of the most representative marker for pyrethroid exposure (3-phenoxybenzoic acid) measured in the urine of rodents 12 h after the last treatment was 41.50 µ/L and it was completely eliminated after 96 h.

On the hardware and software architecture of the robuter mobile platform: a hands-on approach

The Robuter is a robotic mobile platform that is located in the “Hands-On” Laboratory of the IPP-Hurray! Research Group, at the School of Engineering of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto. Recently, the Robuter was subject of an upgrading process addressing two essential areas: the Hardware Architecture and the Software Architecture. This upgrade in process was triggered due to technical problems on-board of the robot and also to the fact that the hardware/software architecture has become obsolete. This Technical Report overviews the most important aspects of the new Hardware and Software Architectures of the Robuter. This document also presents a first approach on the first steps towards the use of the Robuter platform, and provides some hints on future work that may be carried out using this mobile platform.