2019
Autores
Barros, N; Carvalho, M; Silva, C; Fontes, T; Prata, JC; Sousa, A; Manso, MC;
Publicação
JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH-PART A-CURRENT ISSUES
Abstract
The volatile organic compounds benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) are emitted into the atmosphere at gas stations (GS) leading to chronic exposure of nearby residents, which raises public health concerns. This study aimes at determining the contribution of GS emissions to BTEX exposure in nearby residents. Three Control and Exposed areas to BTEX emissions from GS were defined in a medium-sized European city (Porto, Portugal). BTEX atmospheric levels were determined in Control and Exposed areas using passive samplers deployed outdoors (n = 48) and indoors (n = 36), and human exposure was estimated for 119 non-smoking residents using the first urine of the day. Results showed that median BTEX outdoor and indoor concentrations were significantly higher for Exposed than Control areas, with exception of ethylbenzene and xylene indoor concentrations, where no marked differences were found. Comparison of urinary concentrations between Exposed and Control residents demonstrated no significant differences for benzene and ethylbenzene, whereas levels of toluene and xylene were significantly higher in Exposed residents. No marked correlation was obtained between atmospheric BTEX concentrations and urinary concentrations. Data indicate the potential impact on air quality of BTEX emissions from GS, which confirms the importance of these findings in urban planning in order to minimize the impact on health and well-being of surrounding populations.
2019
Autores
Fontes, T; Manso, MC; Prata, JC; Carvalho, M; Silva, C; Barros, N;
Publicação
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
Abstract
Diesel-fueled buses have been replaced by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to minimize the high level of emissions in urban areas. However, differences in indoor exposure levels to Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX) in those vehicles have not been investigated so far. The primary aim of this study was to determine if passengers are exposed to different BTEX levels when using buses powered by CNG or by diesel, and further explore if indoor levels are influenced by external air quality. For this purpose, BTEX air concentrations were measured in bus cabins (CNG and diesel), parking stations and in a background urban area using passive air samplers. Results showed that BTEX concentrations inside vehicles were higher than outside, but no significant differences were found between buses powered by CNG or by diesel. In CNG vehicles, high and significant positive correlation was found between benzene and the number of journeys in the same route (r(s) = 0.786, p < 0.05), vehicle operating time (r(s) = 0.738, p < 0.05), exposure time (r(s) = 0.714, p < 0.05) and exposure index (r(s) = 0.738, p < 0.05), but this was not observed for diesel vehicles. Benzene in bus cabins was found to be significantly below reference value for human health protection. However, excepting p-xylene, all other aromatic pollutants have a mean concentration significantly above the lowest effect level (p <= 0.002 for all comparisons). Additionally, higher BTEX levels in cabin buses than in outdoor air suggest the presence of other emission sources in indoor cabins. These findings emphasize the need for further studies to fully characterize indoor emission sources in order to minimize the negative impact of BTEX exposure to human health.
2019
Autores
Pinheiro, P; Putnik, GD; Castro, A; Castro, H; Fontana, RD; Romero, F;
Publicação
FME TRANSACTIONS
Abstract
The evolution of society can be related to industrial revolutions. Revolutions are disruptive and transformative phenomena that change and interact with several systems. Industrial revolutions depend on changes in scientific, and mostly technological, paradigms and require people's participation. They are not only created with individual political intentions, because they are collective and complex systems. The expression Industry 4.0, created in Germany in 2011, denotes the so-called fourth industrial revolution. The question considered in this paper is whether Industry 4.0, as the fourth industrial revolution, is effectively underway or is it still only a vision of the future? This article analyses, from the point of view of the science of complexity, the transformations and the relations of industrial systems with other selected systems. It was made through fractal analysis using indicators of four countries, namely, United Kingdom, United States of America, Germany and China. Considering the evolution of population growth, Gross Domestic Product per capita, communication technologies and intellectual property, the results of the analysis show that the factor that stands out is the protection of intellectual property. The analysis of the previous indicators showed that it is not possible to claim that the fourth industrial revolution is underway, implying that Industrial 4.0 may stil be a vision of the future. The results obtained can not be considered conclusive and more research is needed.
2019
Autores
Loiro, C; Castro, H; Avila, P; Cruz Cunha, MM; Putnik, GD; Ferreira, L;
Publicação
CENTERIS2019--INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENTERPRISE INFORMATION SYSTEMS/PROJMAN2019--INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT/HCIST2019--INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES
Abstract
Embracing agility brings change to companies and everyone involved, so people have a fundamental role in project development. It is essential that teams have a good communication, motivation and concern about quality and client satisfaction, Agile Manufacturing is using Agile Project Management to provide the right team to performance difficult tasks and achieve goals. This paper proposes a team that deals with Agile Project Management, named as AGILE team, composed by a product owner, a team leader and team members, and a communication workflow proposal concerning the conjunction of 3 momentums (requirements analyze, planning and design) along the Agile Project Management. The proposed model is being implemented in a lightening manufacturing company in a very early stage. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the CENTERIS -International Conference on ENTERprise Information Systems / ProjMAN - International Conference on Project MANagement / HCist - International Conference on Health and Social Care Information Systems and Technologies.
2019
Autores
Castro, H; Putnik, G; Castro, A; Fontana, RD;
Publicação
29TH CIRP DESIGN CONFERENCE 2019
Abstract
Many of the developments started by social initiatives (bottom-up), others are induced by policies (top-down) or even by both (social and political). Open Design is mainly characterized as a movement generated by and for the community but could also be nourished by private/associative initiatives with the community support, and could be encourage by public entities that perceives Open Design as a flourish method for innovation and leading for a real democratization of the manufacturing. In this paper, three CAD software based on Open Design (rattleCAD, BRL CAD and FreeCAD) are evaluated, according to the number of downloads made in SourceFourge, in order to better understand the usage behavior of these CAD systems. The main findings suggest instability in the short range and stability in the medium and long range, indicating that the communities are active and providing attractive solutions. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
2019
Autores
Castro, H; Putnik, G; Castro, A; Fontana, RD;
Publicação
29TH CIRP DESIGN CONFERENCE 2019
Abstract
Open Design (OD) is characterized as fast-growing community-based generative process, that is supported in a digital repository or platform, in order to develop a specific topic area or field. Many examples of OD are available nowadays, from software (probably the most common) to hardware, and from science and technology to business. One of the most known platforms of OD is an open editable content encyclopedia, the Wikipedia. Trough the involvement of volunteers (community that do not receive any payment for the work) in writing articles in a collaborative way was possible to develop, most probably, the extensive multi-language encyclopedia in the World started from scratch within 18 years. Based on analysis made from available Wikipedia statistical data, it is possible to conclude that from a stochastic behaviour the variables reached a transition phase in which a presence of a hysteresis between all variables were reached in between 60 to 80 months, and the editors (agents of the community) are an important asset for the system "transformation". (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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