Search

The time spent in different types of sedentary behaviours has been associated with a poor intake in children, which contributes to childhood obesity. The aims of this study were: to examine the association between sedentary behaviours and the adherence to the total screen time (TST) recommendations, food and beverage consumption and the total diet quality index (DQI), in a sample of Spanish children. The study included a cohort of 420 children (53.6% boys) aged 7 years from Zaragoza (Spain), belonging the Growth and Feeding during Infancy and Early Childhood in Aragon (CALINA) longitudinal study. Data on dietary habits and TST (watching TV/DVD/videos and playing/using personal computers (PC)/video games) were parental-reported. TST was categorized based on the recommendations (≤2 h/day and >2 h/day). The DQI was computed from a validated semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Generalized linear mixed models, adjusted by maternal education, ethnicity and body mass index of the children, were analysed. Both in boys and girls, using a PC for ≤2 h per day was associated with a lower consumption of sugar and artificially sweetened beverages. In boys, using PC for ≤2 h per day was associated with a lower consumption of sweets, desserts and salty snacks and in girls, were associated with a lower consumption of juices and a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables. Only in boys, a low TST per day was assSociated with a lower consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, whereas in girls, it was associated with a lower consumption of artificially sweetened beverages. Regarding DQI, both, boys and girls, showed inverse associations between watching TV and total ST and the DQI; boys and girls meeting the TST recommendations (<2 h/day) had a better diet quality. Sedentary behaviours were associated with unhealthy food and beverage consumption and a low total diet quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental methodology to obtain the shear cracking pattern in concrete elements is presented. The method is based on the use of Distributed Optical Fibre Sensors (DOFS) connected to an Optical Backscattered Reflectometer (OBR). Using this OBR system and a 2D grid conformed by one or two DOFS, the crack patterns of three partially pre-stressed concrete (PPC) beams subjected experimentally to shear failure, were obtained for increasing level of load. The 2D distributed fibre optic sensoring mesh was formed by attaching the fibre to the shear span of each beam using an epoxy adhesive. The importance of a correct DOFS bonding procedure to the concrete surface to obtain accurate results is described, and the principal advantages of DOFS to complement the use of discrete sensors in concrete experimental shear tests are shown. The proposed technique is a powerful tool to be implemented in the structural health monitoring in shear of concrete structures, where the variable inclined cracks are difficult to monitor by other experimental techniques using discrete sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The versatility and ease of installation of Distributed Optical Fibre Sensors (DOFS) compared with traditional monitoring systems are important characteristics to consider when facing the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of real world structures. The DOFS used in this study provide continuous (in space) strain data along the optical fibre with high spatial resolution. The main issues and results of two different existing structures monitored with DOFS, are described in this paper. The main SHM results of the rehabilitation of an historical building used as hospital and the enlargement of a pre-stressed concrete bridge are presented. The results are obtained using a novel DOFS based on an Optical Backscattered Reflectometry (OBR) technique. The application of the optical fibre monitoring system to two different materials (masonry and concrete) provides also important insights on the great possibilities of this technique when monitoring existing structures. In fact, the influence of strain transfer between the DOFS and the bonding surface is one of the principal effects that should be considered in the application of the OBR technique to real structures. Moreover, and because structural surfaces generally present considerable roughness, the procedure to attach the optical fibre to the two monitored structures is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lifestyle plays an important role in the development of obesity during childhood and adolescence. We provide up-to-date information about the relationship between obesity and food intake and dietary patterns in adolescents. Scientific evidence is increasing about the dietary factors associated with this relationship, specifically a low meal frequency, skipping breakfast, and a high consumption of sugar sweetened beverages. Maybe some of the reviewed dietary factors could cluster in the same population of adolescents, increasing the individual risk. There is little information about dietary patterns and current time trends in adolescents; however, the available data seem to show that the tendency in the adolescent population worldwide is to increase those dietary factors related with obesity development. Public health efforts should be emphasized in order to decrease the current tendency. Regular family meals could serve as role models for healthy eating behaviors. Educational intervention programs for parents, aiming to modify the healthfulness of the diet, seems to be one of the most adequate tools to deal with the worldwide obesity epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the main characteristics of the dMath project are introduced. With the mathematical modules developed within this project a new tool is made available to the different users as a support of the teaching and learning of mathematics in the context of EHEA and of the Bologna declaration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]