Programa para mejorar el afrontamiento del estrés de los estudiantes, los docentes y los no docentes de la Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica de la Universidad de Buenos Aires / Stress management program for students, teachers and non-teachers of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry of the University of Buenos Aires

INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVOS: Los programas para mejorar el afrontamiento del estrés incluyen una serie de técnicas tales como entrenamiento en relajación, reestructuración cognitiva y manejo del tiempo, entre otras. Su aplicación ha mostrado su importancia en el campo de la Psicología de la Salud. El objetivo de este trabajo es verificar la efectividad y establecer la importancia de un programa teórico-práctico de entrenamiento para el manejo del estrés, destinado a profesionales, docentes, no docentes y estudiantes de las carreras de Farmacia y Bioquímica. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se implementó un programa de 5 sesiones destinado a mejorar el afrontamiento del estrés. Se utilizaron como indicadores de eficacia mediciones pre-post de cortisol en cabello y nivel de ansiedad. RESULTADOS: Al finalizar el programa disminuyeron significativamente los valores de cortisol en cabello, de ansiedad estado y de ansiedad rasgo en aquellos participantes que completaron el programa. En el grupo control se observó solamente un aumento significativo en los niveles de cortisol en cabello. CONCLUSIONES: Este programa resultó efectivo para disminuir el nivel de estrés y ansiedad en los participantes, ayudando a mejorar la calidad de vida de los estudiantes y los profesionales docentes y no docentes que participaron en él

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Programs to improve stress coping include a series of techniques such as relaxation training, cognitive restructuring, and time management, among others. Its application has shown its importance in the field of Health Psychology. In the present study we show the beneficial results of a theory-practice pilot training program of stress management for professionals, teachers, non teachers and students of Pharmacy and Biochemistry. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A program of 5 sessions was implemented with the objective of improving stress management. To assess efficacy, we used hair cortisol level and anxiety level tests before and after the program. RESULTS: After the program, both hair cortisol and anxiety levels significantly decreased among participants. Hair cortisol significantly increased in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This type of program was proved to be effective for all participants, helping to reduce stress and improving their quality of life

Innovative Immobilization Matrices.

We present a brief survey of some of the recent work of Professor Luis E. Díaz, performed together with his students and collaborators at the University of Buenos Aires. Dr Luis E. Díaz has been involved in research on biochemical and pharmaceutical sciences solving scientific and industry problems for over 40 years until he passed away. Prof. Díaz scientific interests included various topics from NMR spectroscopy to biomedicine but fundamentally he focused in various aspects of chemistry (analytical, organic, inorganic and environmental). This is not a complete survey but a sampling of prominent projects related to sol-gel chemistry with a focus on some of his recent publications.

Psychological and physiological response of students to different types of stress management programs.

PURPOSE: To design, implement, and examine the psychoneuroendocrine responses of three different types of stress management programs. DESIGN: Randomly assigned. A pre/post experimental design comparing variables between three different programs and a control group. The first program included training in deep breathing, relaxation response, meditation, and guided imagery techniques (RRGI). The second program included training in cognitive behavioral techniques (CB). The third program included both RRGI and CB (RRGICB). SETTING: The study was conducted at Buenos Aires University. SUBJECTS: Participants (N  = 52) were undergraduate students. MEASURES: Anxiety, anger, hopelessness, neuroticism, respiration rate, and salivary cortisol levels were assessed. ANALYSIS: Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to investigate differences in pre and post variables. RESULTS: Subjects in the RRGI group showed significantly lower levels of anxiety (p < .011), anger (p < .012), neuroticism (p < .01), respiratory rate (p < .002), hopelessness (p < .01), and salivary cortisol (p < .002) after the treatment. Subjects in the CB group showed significantly lower levels of anxiety (p < .018), anger (p < .037), and neuroticism (p < .03) after the treatment. Subjects in the RRGICB group showed significantly lower levels of anxiety (p < .001), anger (p < .001), neuroticism (p < .008), hopelessness (p < .01), respiratory rate (p < .001), and salivary cortisol (p < .002) after the treatment. Subjects in the control group showed only one variable modification, a significant increase in cortisol levels (p < .004). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of deep breathing, relaxation response, meditation, and guided imagery techniques with CB seems to be effective at helping people to deal with stress.

Determination of aristolochic acids by capillary electrophoresis.

A method for the separation and quantification of aristolochic acids by capillary electrophoresis is described. Buffer solutions composed of sodium dihydrogen phosphate, sodium borate, and sodium dodecyl sulfate at pH 6.5-7 were found to be suitable for the separation of aristolochic acids, which can be well resolved in a few minutes. The separation and identification of six aristolochic acids contained in a commercial tincture called charrua, a traditional herbal medicine consisting of a hydroalcoholic extract of Aristolochia argentina, corroborate the usefulness of the method. The eventual toxic properties of the aristolochic acid containing charrua tincture are discussed.