Instituto Politécnico de Bragança

The concern to control Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) and the solutions to eliminate or minimize them arises from the search to improve workers’ health and quality of life. Occupational gymnastics and awareness of WMSDs are some of the preventive measures which, although they do not replace the necessary improvement in working conditions, from a Health and Safety perspective, convey a correct investment in workplaces with the aim of transforming them into healthier places designed for the people who work in them. Gymnastics at Work is an intervention that combines specific physical exercises for muscle strengthening, motor coordination and stretching. This practice is considered to be a program that increases quality of life and promotes leisure during working hours. HealthLibrium Project File

In order to minimize the effects of climate change and promote the sustainability of the urban environment, it is increasingly important to promote measures for the efficient use of water, such as: reducing consumption by installing efficient devices; reducing losses and waste; reusing and recycling water and using alternative sources for non-potable applications. This project arises from the need to improve the management of water consumption in a student residence and at the same time to promote technical and scientific knowledge, still little explored in Portugal, on the “in situ” monitoring of Rainwater Harvesting Systems in buildings (RWH) for non-potable uses. Thus, by installing a RWH for experimental purposes, the originality of this project is to investigate aspects related to the performance of this system that have not yet been thoroughly evaluated from a technical and scientific point of view. The aim is to extrapolate the data resulting from this project to other types of buildings and other non-potable uses. Another aspect is to disseminate the knowledge obtained to policy-makers and other stakeholders, as well as to the academic community. Since the activities involving RWH will last beyond the period of execution of this funding, it is hoped that this project will make an overall contribution to the promotion of sustainable water management in urban areas. HydroSAAP Project File

The “Cultura para Todos Bragança” project (Municipality of Bragança, ref. NORTE-07-4230-FSE-000058) was a rewarding challenge that allowed the scientific team to develop skills and knowledge of considerable scope. In order to achieve research and practical sustainability, the project needs to be given new life and replicated at the institution that originated it. Thus, we outline a set of ideas that will contribute to making UPB a more accessible and accommodating institution for human diversity. We want to contribute to quality education, reduce inequalities and make the UPB an inclusive space, helping the institution to look to the future, to present itself with inclusive and diverse leadership, but also to think of solutions for the people who actually occupy and live (in) the UPB. In the first phase, we will carry out a diagnosis of the 3 schools and the Central Services on campus in terms of accessibility conditions. This will be followed by the production of a report on this diagnosis and an accessibility plan for future improvements. Both should be the subject of a public presentation and discussion with the UPB community. We will then begin to intervene in the 4 buildings by producing tactile acrylic floor plans which will contain audio description of the tactile exploration of the floor plans, audios in easy language and videos in Portuguese Sign Language which will then be translated into English and uploaded to the Youtube channel AcessUPBilidade. UPB T@s Project File

Based on the results of the research carried out by the project coordinator as part of his doctoral training and by his supervisor, which allowed the specification of an architecture for managing comfort equipment that meets current sustainability, recyclable economy and energy efficiency requirements, without compromising comfort, the intention now is to make the most of this know-how through this application by creating a pilot project applied in the institution itself, thus giving visibility to the research that is being carried out and validating the relevance of the wider use of this type of solution throughout the institution, with the clear added value that results from this. The pilot project aims to install an autonomous, non-invasive solution that detects the users present in a given space and automatically adjusts the space according to their comfort preferences. Thus, in addition to a high level of comfort, a high efficiency value will be achieved because it will be possible to detect periods of absence, i.e. periods when there is no user, and thus adjust the comfort conditions to a reference value for savings, which will allow a significant reduction in energy consumption. The pilot project will be carried out using low-cost and OEM hardware, namely Raspberry’s, wireless sensors, gateways and actuators for radiators. UPB- Thermal Comfort Project File

Diabetes is a chronic non-communicable disease and one of the leading causes of death in the world. Portugal has one of the highest prevalence rates in Europe, with more than 830,000 diabetics registered with the National Health System, as well as a high prevalence of pre-diabetics, who represent an increased risk of developing diabetes and its comorbidities. One of the most effective interventions for preventing this glycaemic dysregulation is through the adoption of a healthy eating pattern and an active lifestyle. The role of the Mediterranean diet (MD) and olive oil in the context of healthy eating is indisputable. The adoption of a MD and olive oil act as a coadjuvant in the prevention of diabetes, due to their content in bioactive components, such as phenolic compounds like oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol and oleocanthal. Olive leaves, already traditionally used as infusions by people from Trás-os-Montes, are also highly rich in bioactive components that include secoiridoid, a class of polyphenols that has many biological activities, including action on incretins, insulin secretion and glucose uptake, thus helping to regulate glycaemia. These leaves are classified as natural flavourings by the European Council, yet they are generally discarded, with a negative impact on the environment. PREVENT Project file

Swopi is a low-cost solution developed entirely at UPB that aims to breathe new life into the many video projectors that exist in educational and other institutions, providing functionalities that are typical of more advanced models, but in an open paradigm (without manufacturer constraints), which with maximum simplicity ensures more effective and functional use, even giving rise to new paradigms for teaching, teamwork and organising events (conferences). It allows the video projector to be easily accessed via Wifi, avoiding the common and recurring problems associated with cables and physical connection configurations, which translate into hours of wasted teaching time and very undesirable situations (for example, when they occur at a doctoral defence or demonstration meeting). Even models equipped with Wifi are far from having the flexibility of Swopi, as they almost always lack proprietary software, dependent on the manufacturer, which limits the use of this equipment. What’s worse is that it requires replacing the current stock of video projectors, which are perfectly operational in their main function (projecting content) – an unintelligent, unsustainable option that is completely at odds with the principles of a recyclable economy. Even solutions such as Zoom, which allow one user to connect to the video projector and give access to the others, don’t solve the connectivity issues. SWOPI Project File