An Embedded Stress Sensor for Concrete SHM Based on Amorphous Ferromagnetic Microwires

A new smart concrete aggregate design as a candidate for applications in structural health monitoring (SHM) of critical elements in civil infrastructure is proposed. The cement-based stress/strain sensor was developed by utilizing the stress/strain sensing properties of a magnetic microwire embedded in cement-based composite (MMCC). This is a contact-less type sensor that measures variations of magnetic properties resulting from stress variations. Sensors made of these materials can be designed to satisfy the specific demand for an economic way to monitor concrete infrastructure health. For this purpose, we embedded a thin magnetic microwire in the core of a cement-based cylinder, which was inserted into the concrete specimen under study as an extra aggregate. The experimental results show that the embedded MMCC sensor is capable of measuring internal compressive stress around the range of 1-30 MPa. Two stress sensing properties of the embedded sensor under uniaxial compression were studied: the peak amplitude and peak position of magnetic switching field. The sensitivity values for the amplitude and position within the measured range were 5 mV/MPa and 2.5 mu s/MPa, respectively.

Mindfulness training for reducing anger, anxiety, and depression in fibromyalgia patients

Fibromyalgia is a disabling syndrome. Results obtained with different therapies are very limited to date.The goal of this study was to verify whether the application of a mindfulnessbased training program was effective in modifying anger, anxiety, and depression levels in a group of women diagnosed with fibromyalgia. This study is an experimental trial that employed a waiting list control group. Measures were taken at three different times: pretest, posttest, and follow-up. The statistical analyses revealed a significant reduction of anger (trait) levels, internal expression of anger, state anxiety, and depression in the experimental group as compared to the control group, as well as a significant increase in internal control of anger. It can be concluded that the mindfulness-based treatment was effective after 7 weeks. These results were maintained 3 months after the end of the intervention.

Eficacia de la aplicación de la terapia Mindfulness para resucir los síntomas de ansiedad en personas adultas de Atención Primaria

En la última década Mindfulness ha despertado gran interés como tratamiento terapéutico en la salud psicológica. Está inmerso en lo que ya se denominan Terapias de Tercera Generación, donde la aceptación es el concepto en cuál se centra. Existen varios programas en los que se aplica esta terapia y se han realizado estudios para numerosas aplicaciones clínicas, dando evidencia científica al respecto. El objetivo de esta revisión narrativa es la de conocer la eficacia de la aplicación de la terapia Mindfulness para reducir los síntomas de ansiedad en personas adultas de Atención Primaria. Para ello, se revisan los fundamentos teóricos y mecanismos de acción de Mindfulness, y de qué manera actúa en los trastornos de ansiedad. Dentro de este marco, se expone en la discusión la aplicación de la terapia en Atención primaria y la posibilidad de ser una herramienta para el profesional de Enfermería. Finalmente, se concluye que Mindfulness tiene un efecto moderado para reducir los niveles de ansiedad, aunque sin gran diferencia respecto a las Terapias Cognitivo Conductuales utilizadas hasta el momento. Se observa una necesidad de mayor evidencia científica que respalde la idoneidad de la aplicación de Mindfulness en personas adultas de Atención Primaria para reducir los niveles de ansiedad. Y siendo esta terapia una herramienta idónea para ofrecer por parte del personal de Enfermería, existen pocos estudios en los que Enfermer@s sean los que aplican Mindfulness

CGP37157, an inhibitor of the mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, protects neurons from excitotoxicity by blocking voltage-gated Ca2+ channels

Inhibition of the mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCLX) by CGP37157 is protective in models of neuronal injury that involve disruption of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. However, the Ca2+ signaling pathways and stores underlying neuroprotection by that inhibitor are not well defined. In the present study, we analyzed how intracellular Ca2+ levels are modulated by CGP37157 (10 mu M) during NMDA insults in primary cultures of rat cortical neurons. We initially assessed the presence of NCLX in mitochondria of cultured neurons by immunolabeling, and subsequently, we analyzed the effects of CGP37157 on neuronal Ca2+ homeostasis using cameleon-based mitochondrial Ca2+ and cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+](i)) live imaging. We observed that NCLX-driven mitochondrial Ca2+ exchange occurs in cortical neurons under basal conditions as CGP37157 induced a decrease in [Ca-2](i) concomitant with a Ca2+ accumulation inside the mitochondria. In turn, CGP37157 also inhibited mitochondrial Ca2+ efflux after the stimulation of acetylcholine receptors. In contrast, CGP37157 strongly prevented depolarization-induced [Ca2+](i) increase by blocking voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs), whereas it did not induce depletion of ER Ca2+ stores. Moreover, mitochondrial Ca2+ overload was reduced as a consequence of diminished Ca2+ entry through VGCCs. The decrease in cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ overload by CGP37157 resulted in a reduction of excitotoxic mitochondrial damage, characterized here by a reduction in mitochondrial membrane depolarization, oxidative stress and calpain activation. In summary, our results provide evidence that during excitotoxicity CGP37157 modulates cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ dynamics that leads to attenuation of NMDA-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal cell death by blocking VGCCs.

Mindfulness: guía práctica para educadores

[ES]Esta guía está dirigida a docentes del ámbito de la educación tanto formal como no formal que se apunten a un curso de mindfulness para liberar su estrés, ansiedad… y poder llevar así una vida más sana. No obstante, también se puede aplicar para educadores de educación informal, a saber, a todo tipo de personas que quieran vivir mejor a nivel físico-psíquico. Los objetivos de esta guía del mindfulness son los siguientes: -Aprender qué es y en qué consiste el mindfulness. -Aprender a meditar -Conocer los beneficios que aporta el mindfulness a nivel neurobiológico, físico y psíquico. Aprender a afrontar las emociones negativas. -Aprender a reconocer nuestras emociones -Aprender a relajarnos en momentos en los que nos sintamos tensos -Aprender a aplicar el mindfulness con nuestr@s hij@s (ejercicios prácticos)

Characterization of cobalt based TPP-bipy coordination polymer

Comunicación a congreso: Póster presentado en The 4th EuCheMS Chemistry Congress (4ECC), Prague, Czech Republic, August 26–30, 2012