El PTS se ampliará en terrenos de Ogíjares

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– El PTS se ampliará en terrenos de Ogíjares

El Patronato abordará, en tres o cuatro meses, la expansión hacia otras localidades

Se había anunciado y se ha cumplido. El Patronato de la Fundación del Parque Tecnológico de Ciencias de la Salud (PTS) aprobó ayer, por mayoría de sus miembros, su ampliación en 289.000 metros cuadrados brutos -240.000 útiles- que prevé el Plan de Ordenación Territorial de la Aglomeración Urbana de Granada (POTAUG) en el término de Ogíjares, según informó el propio organismo a este periódico. La propuesta contó con el rechazo del Ayuntamiento de Granada, que condicionó su voto a favor a que al acuerdo acompañara el compromiso por escrito del Patronato de que la ampliación del PTS se completara en los municipios de Granada y Armilla. Esta petición, no obstante, fue rechazada por el resto de miembros del Patronato, según señaló el gerente del PTS, Jesús Quero.

Quero explicó que la ampliación del PTS por Armilla y Granada no figuraba en el orden del día de la reunión del Patronato, puesto que se trata de terrenos sin calificar, en el caso de Armilla, y calificados como de alta protección, en el caso de la capital, sobre los que se deberá hacer un estudio previo y de los que, de momento, «no podemos disponer».

Por su parte el rector de la Universidad de Granada y presidente de la Fundación, David Aguilar, avanzó que en el plazo de «tres o cuatro meses» se estudiará una nueva ampliación del PTS. Y agregó que lo que se ha hecho ahora es dar respuesta a las empresas que ya se habían puesto en contacto con el Parque de la Salud.

En esta línea, Quero reconoció que los 289.000 metros cuadrados de superficie bruta sobre los que se ampliará el Parque por Ogíjares «no son suficientes», pero ha mostrado su «satisfacción» por el acuerdo, ya que permitirá a las empresas que quieren instalarse en el Parque contar con un espacio para ello. Igualmente, anunció que dentro de «cuatro o cinco meses» se reunirá de nuevo el Patronato para abordar la ampliación completa del Parque, que según lo previsto en el POTAUG, dotará al PTS de un millón de metros cuadrados de superficie total.

Por su parte, el portavoz del Ayuntamiento de Granada, Juan Antonio Mérida, lamentó que el acuerdo del Patronato sólo contemple la ampliación del Parque «a corto plazo» y ha señalado que la propuesta del Consistorio granadino buscaba «ahorrar tiempo» para la futura ampliación del PTS.

El Patronato de la Fundación del PTS está compuesto por la Junta -a través de las consejerías de Salud, Obras Públicas e Innovación-, la Universidad, la Diputación Provincial, los ayuntamientos de Granada y Armilla, el Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Caja Granada, Caja Rural, Confederación Granadina de Empresarios y la Cámara de Comercio.
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Francisco Mora clausura esta edición de ‘Diálogos con la Ciencia’

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– Francisco Mora clausura esta edición de Diálogos con la Ciencia

A Hipócrates, el padre de la medicina moderna, se le atribuye la siguiente sentencia: Los hombres deberían saber que del cerebro y nada más que del cerebro vienen las alegrías, el placer, el dolor y las lamentaciones.

Algo así es lo que defendió ayer en el Salón Regio de Diputación el doctor en medicina por la Universidad de Granada y doctor en neurociencias por la Universidad de Oxford, Francisco Mora, que disertó acerca de el papel que juega la cultura en el desarrollo de nuestro cerebro.

En su opinión, el ser humano no nace determinado a sufrir ninguna enfermedad mental o demencia grave, a pesar de que sus genes presenten ciertas mutaciones. La forma de vida que llevemos , en combinación con esos genes, será la que dé lugar a la expresión de la enfermedad, explicó Mora. Por este motivo, el catedrático de fisiología humana de la Universidad Complutense defiende que el estudio del ambioma supondrá un reto similar al que el genoma representó en el siglo anterior.

Remitiéndose a la dualidad cuerpo y mente que propuso el filósofo, Mora declaró que Descartes ha muerto y mantuvo durante la conferencia que cada cosa nueva que aprendemos genera nuevas conexiones en nuestro cerebro que nos convierten en una persona diferente.
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Los textos cortos de Lorca, en un libro

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– Los textos cortos de Lorca, en un libro

Menoscuarto Ediciones reúne en un solo volumen todos los textos de narrativa breve de Federico García Lorca leídos y estudiados a la luz de las nuevas teorías sobre el microrrelato, según explicó ayer Fernando Valls, director de la colección Reloj de Arena de ediciones Menoscuarto. Pez, astro y gafas es el título de esta obra que ofrece una relectura de 19 textos lorquianos.

Encarna Alonso Valero, investigadora de la Universidad de Granada, encargada de la edición y autora de un estudio de introducción, asegura que los textos son fruto de una especie de laboratorio de pruebas en el que las fronteras con la prosa poética, el poema en prosa o el cuento no se dibujan con claridad y los textos se enriquecen en el proceso de búsqueda.

De hecho, al margen de evidenciar el afán renovador del escritor granadino, Pez, astro y gafas sirve además de herramienta para profundizar en otras vertientes de la obra lorquiana, con algunas de sus constantes temáticas y preocupaciones estéticas.

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A New Device Will Make Quality Control Of Radiotherapy Treatments Possible

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– A New Device Will Make Quality Control Of Radiotherapy Treatments Possible

The research team from the Department of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Granada (UGR), together with the Department of Radiology at the Hospital Virgen de las Nieves in Granada, have designed a portable and low-cost device which can measure the ionizing radiation someone is exposed to, for example, during radiotherapy.

Ionizing radiations play a vital role in the treatment and diagnosis of malignant neoplastic illnesses as well as in the diagnosis of other pathologies. However, according to Manuel Vilches Pacheco from the Medical Physics and Radiology Department at the Hospital Virgen de las Nieves in Granada, the potential harm ionizing radiations can cause means that, in order to obtain clinical benefits and reduce the onset of unwanted adverse effects as much as possible, they must be used under strict quality control.

According to experts, this is why it is important to develop instruments which can verify the final result by carrying out a direct follow-up of treatments administered to patients, such as image registration (portal imaging system) or the in vivo measurement of the exact dose administered to patients.

In vivo Control

Portal imaging systems have greatly improved in the last five years and are widely used today. This is not the case for systems used for in vivo dose measurement in vivo which, in a significant number of patients and treatment sessions, has been limited to a few centres. This is because a great amount of effort is required to place the device onto the patient and as it interferes noticeably with the treatment it can considerably modify the distribution of the administered dose.

On this matter, Alberto Palma López, from the Department of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Granada, explains that this new device does not require an electricity connection or a reading supply unit and, among other improvements, it minimizes treatment disorders and is made of low-cost and reusable electronic devices, something that was impossible until now.

Furthermore, the devices design has metrological characteristics which ensures that it performs correctly at high temperatures. This means the room does not need to be specially fit out. The detectors minuscule size can measure the radiation quickly in different areas of the body as well as keep a historical record of the patient.

Significant progress has been made in encouraging the widespread use in vivo dosimetry control, an important element among patients undergoing radiotherapy. However, its use can be extended to other radiological practices such as diagnosis by X-ray or for the protection of professionals exposed to a radioactive environment.

Today, the Oficina de Transferencia de Resultados de Investigación (OTRI), from the University of Granada, promotes this device which is protected by patent.

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Infection outbreaks on teeth can cause “alopecia areata” or localized hair loss

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– Infection outbreaks on teeth can cause “alopecia areata” or localized hair loss

There is a close relationship between infection outbreaks on teeth and the presence of alopecia areata or localized alopecia, a type of hair loss which has an unknown origin

Alopecia areata starts with bald patches on the scalp, and sometimes elsewhere on the body. The disease occurs in males and females of all ages, and experts believe that it affects 1 out 1000 people.

Research by professors José Antonio Gil Montoya and Antonio Cutando Soriano, at the Department of Stomatology of the University of Granada, advises going to the dentist when patients notice localized hair loss, in order to receive a careful examination of their oral health.

“Alopecia areata is a dermatitis which presents the following signs: The typical pattern is for one or more round bald patches to appear on the scalp, in the beard, or in the eyebrows, or to undergo a loss of eyelashes. Alopecia areata is thought to be an auto-immune disease”, stated the researchers. Hair re-grows in most patients after several months. However, in a quarter of all patients the condition recurs once or more. According to professors at the UGR, the affected hair follicles are not totally destroyed. Therefore, hair can grow back, although patients who have already suffered from alopecia areata may have recurrences.

Unpredictable development
Frequently, patients with alopecia areata have hairs with the shape of an exclamation mark on the border of the bald patch. Hairs become weak and fall out easily. Several studies suggest that alopecia areata has unpredictable development: sometimes hair grows back within a few weeks, but in some cases the disease progresses and can cause further hair loss on scalp and body.

Until the research at the UGR, which establishes for the first time a relationship between alopecia areata and dental disease, the origin of this kind of hair loss was not well known. Hair-follicle tissue inflames without cicatrisation. In alopecia areata, the affected hair follicles are mistakenly attacked by the immune system. Some of the factors that cause alopecia are: genetics, family history of alopecia, non-specific immune reactions, specific auto-immune reactions of certain organs and emotional stress.

“We have found that bald patches caused by tooth infection are not always in the same place. They normally appear on a line projected from the dental infection and can thus can be located on the face at the level of the maxillary teeth, above a line through the lip-angle to the scalp, beard, or even to the eyebrow. Nevertheless, they can also be located far from infection outbreak.” Explained Gil Montoya and Cutando Soriano.

Reference
Prof. José Antonio Gil Montoya y Antonio Cutando Soriano. Department of Stomatology of the University of Granada. Phone: +34 958 249 025 and +34958 243 796. Email:
jagil@ugr.es, acutando@ugr.es

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Can’t get milk?

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– Cant get milk?
There are alternative dairy products for people who cant drink cows milk.

When Tony Fronce of Springfield, Mo., heard goats milk was easier to digest than cows milk, he gave it a try because cows milk sometimes bothered his stomach.

That was eight years ago, and hes been drinking goats milk ever since.

At Mama Jeans Natural Food Market in Springfield, sales of alternative dairy products parallel sales of cow milk products, says employee Jim Nail.

A lot of people are lactose-intolerant. Goat is easier on the stomach than cow. Soy satisfies their craving for milk, thick and creamy, but they dont have the reaction, Nail says.

These days theres an alternative form of dairy for just about everyone. Lactose- intolerant? Try soy milk. Soy allergy? Give rice milk a try. Need milk packed with protein? Sheep milk has almost double the amount of protein as cow milk. So how do you know what is best for your lifestyle? Heres a breakdown of benefits and downsides of different forms of dairy, including a few taste tips.

Soy and rice
Soy and rice milk may appeal to vegetarians, vegans or people who are lactose- intolerant, says Terry Egan, nutrition and health education specialist with the University of Missouri extension.

Soy and rice dont have lactose because they are from plant sources, Egan says. Rice versus soy is more of a taste preference. If you dont like the taste of soy, you might try rice.

Soy is the closest nutritionally to cows milk, Egan says.

One advantage of soy is it contains isoflavins, which help lower bad cholesterol, says Lisa Frazier, a registered dietitian at Skaggs Community Health Center in Branson, Mo.

Thanks to the isoflavins, soy is good for your heart. (They are) in all soy products, Frazier says.

Soy has virtually no saturated fat and is cholesterol-free, says Kathryn Fleming, dietitian with CoxHealth.

However, soy milk has twice as much fat as rice milk: 4 grams per cup versus 2 grams per cup.

Soy has about a third as many carbohydrates as rice milk — 8 grams versus 24.8 grams — according to information from www.calorie-count.com, an online resource that tracks nutritional information and grades foods.

Soy milk also has 7 grams of protein versus 0.4 grams in rice milk, according to the Web site.

Sheep, cow and goat
Most people dont want or need to increase their fat intake, but those who do want a high-fat and high-protein drink — a bodybuilder, perhaps — will find it in sheeps milk.

Sheeps milk is very rich. Whereas cows milk has 8 grams of fat per cup, sheep has 17 grams, Frazier says. Sheeps milk also has more calories: 260 per cup, whereas cows milk has 150, she says.

Sheeps milk has more protein than cows milk — almost twice as much — and also has more calcium.

Sheeps milk is low in sodium, has no sugar and is high in phosphorus, riboflavin, calcium and vitamin B12 — but it is also high in saturated fat.

Cows milk has an advantage for some people because it comes in reduced-fat versions and is an excellent source of protein and calcium, says Frazier.

Lower-fat varieties are still high in calcium and vitamins, but lower in fat and calories, she says.

Most cows milk is vitamin-D fortified, which may not be the case for sheep and goat milk, so be sure to read the label, Fleming says.

On the downside, a lot of people cant drink cows milk because they have trouble digesting it.

Technically, someone who is lactose-intolerant shouldnt be able to (digest goat milk), but I can tell you from working with clients some people who cant tolerate cows milk can tolerate goats milk. Goats milk has a different fatty-acid profile, Fleming says.

If your allergy to cows milk is severe, it may not be worth trying goats milk because you may have a similar reaction. If your reaction is a simple stomachache, then give goats milk a try, Frazier suggests.

Goats milk and whole milk from a cow are similar when it comes to calories, although lower-fat varieties of cows milk are lower in calories, says Egan.

Goats milk is higher in fat than cows milk, with about 10 grams per cup.

Goats milk may have health benefits: A study from University of Granada in Spain implied goats milk could prevent anemia and demineralization (softening of the bones) better than cows milk. The study was conducted on rats; further study on humans would be needed to conclude if people would share the same benefits. If they do, goats milk could potentially benefit osteoporosis patients or people with anemia, Frazier says.

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Can’t drink milk? There’s an alternative dairy product for you

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– Can’t drink milk? There’s an alternative dairy product for you
When Tony Fronce of Springfield, Mo., heard goat’s milk was easier to digest than cow’s milk, he gave it a try because cow’s milk sometimes bothered his stomach.
That was eight years ago, and he’s been drinking goat milk ever since.

At Mama Jean’s Natural Food Market in Springfield, sales of alternative dairy products parallel sales of cow milk products, says employee Jim Nail.

“A lot of people are lactose-intolerant. Goat is easier on the stomach than cow. Soy satisfies their craving for milk, thick and creamy, but they don’t have the reaction,” Nail says.

These days there’s an alternative form of dairy for just about everyone. Lactose-intolerant? Try soy milk. Soy allergy? Give rice milk a try. Need milk packed with protein? Sheep milk has almost double the amount of protein as cow milk. So how do you know what is best for your lifestyle? Here’s a breakdown of benefits and downsides of different forms of dairy, including a few taste tips.

Soy and rice milk may appeal to vegetarians, vegans or people who are lactose-intolerant, says Terry Egan, nutrition and health education specialist with the University of Missouri extension.

“Soy and rice don’t have lactose because they are from plant sources,” Egan says. “Rice versus soy is more of a taste preference. If you don’t like the taste of soy, you might try rice.”

Soy is the closest nutritionally to cow’s milk, Egan says.

One advantage of soy is it contains isoflavins, which help lower bad cholesterol, says Lisa Frazier, a registered dietitian at Skaggs Community Health Center in Branson, Mo.

Thanks to the isoflavins, soy is good for your heart. “(They are) in all soy products,” Frazier says.

Soy has virtually no saturated fat and is cholesterol-free, says Kathryn Fleming, dietitian with CoxHealth.

However, soy milk has twice as much fat as rice milk: 4 grams per cup versus 2 grams per cup.

Soy has about a third as many carbohydrates as rice milk — 8 grams versus 24.8 grams — according to information from www.calorie-count.com, an online resource that tracks nutritional information and grades foods.

Soy milk also has 7 grams of protein versus 0.4 grams in rice milk, according to the Web site.

Most people don’t want or need to increase their fat intake, but those who do want a high-fat and high-protein drink — a bodybuilder, perhaps — will find it in sheep’s milk.

“Sheep’s milk is very rich. Whereas cow’s milk has 8 grams of fat per cup, sheep has 17 grams,” Frazier says. Sheep’s milk also has more calories: 260 per cup, whereas cow’s milk has 150, she says.

Sheep’s milk has more protein than cow’s milk — almost twice as much — and also has more calcium.

Sheep’s milk is low in sodium, has no sugar and is high in phosphorus, riboflavin, calcium and vitamin B12 — but it is also high in saturated fat.

Cow’s milk has an advantage for some people because it comes in reduced-fat versions and is an excellent source of protein and calcium, says Frazier.

“Lower-fat varieties are still high in calcium and vitamins, but lower in fat and calories,” she says.

Most cow’s milk is vitamin-D fortified, which may not be the case for sheep and goat milk, so be sure to read the label, Fleming says.

On the downside, a lot of people can’t drink cow’s milk because they have trouble digesting it.

“Technically, someone who is lactose-intolerant shouldn’t be able to (digest goat milk), but I can tell you from working with clients some people who can’t tolerate cow’s milk can tolerate goat’s milk. Goat’s milk has a different fatty-acid profile,” Fleming says.

Goat’s milk and whole milk from a cow are similar when it comes to calories, although lower-fat varieties of cow’s milk are lower in calories, says Egan.

Goat’s milk is higher in fat than cow milk, with about 10 grams per cup.

Goat’s milk may have health benefits: A study from University of Granada in Spain implied goat’s milk could prevent anemia and demineralization (softening of the bones) better than cow’s milk. The study was conducted on rats; further study on humans would be needed to conclude if people would share the same benefits. If they do, goat’s milk could potentially benefit osteoporosis patients or people with anemia, Frazier says.

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La UGR celebra 200 Años del análisis de Fourier

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Mañana 28 de noviembre, a partir de las 10 de la mañana, tendrá lugar en el Salón de Grados de la Facultad de Ciencias una serie de conferencias en las que se conmemora el bicentenario del Análisis de Fourier.

En 1807, Jean Baptiste Fourier presentó ante la Academia de Ciencias de París su memoria sobre «Théorie Analytique de la Chaleur», publicada finalmente en 1822, y que llegaría a convertirse en uno de los documentos básicos de la Física Moderna. Este científico fue el primero que estudió tales series numéricas sistemáticamente, conocidas también como análisis armónico. Es una aplicación usada en muchas ramas de la ingeniería, además de ser una herramienta sumamente útil en la teoría matemática abstracta.

Las conferencias han sido organizadas por el Aula de Ciencia y Tecnología, Vicerrectorado de Extensión Universitaria y Cooperación al Desarrollo. El programa de la actividad es el siguiente:

10.00 h: Presentación

10.15 h: «ALGUNAS HISTORIAS RELACIONADAS CON FOURIER Y SUS COEFICIENTES». Prof. A. Cañada, Universidad de Granada

11.15 h: «LA MAGIA DE LAS ONDAS: ALGUNAS REFLEXIONES SOBRE LA HISTORIA Y APLICACIONES DEL ANÁLISIS DE FOURIER». Prof. José M. Almira, Universidad de Jaén

12.30 h: «LUZ, TRANSFORMADA DE FOURIER E IMÁGENES». Prof. Juan L. Nieves, Universidad de Granada.

Referencia
Prof. Alfonso Romero Sarabia, Departamento de Geometría y Topología, Facultad de Ciencias.
Correo e.: aromero@ugr.es
Tel.: 958 243366

Payá presenta la ‘univerciudad’ y apoya un plan de emergencias en infraestructuras

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– Payá presenta la univerciudad y apoya un plan de emergencias en infraestructuras

Las elecciones a rector de la Universidad de Granada han entrado en fase de campaña electoral. El candidato Rafael Payá presentó ayer en el Campus de Melilla su programa de actuaciones en el que destaca un novedoso concepto de univerciudad, con el que busca «aportar valor a todas las sedes universitarias: Granada, Ceuta y Melilla».

Payá repartió un boletín que muestra todas las iniciativas que pondrá en marcha si sale elegido, entre las que destaca un pacto institucional, la apuesta por las infraestructuras y las nuevas titulaciones, así como una dedicación especial a la investigación y la extensión cultural. Propuestas que están en la web www.rafaelpaya.es.

Payá defendió la realización inmediata de «un plan de choque que solvente los problemas de acústica del aulario» y las necesidades de equipamientos de consejerías y secretarias. Una vez termine, construirá un módulo de 6.000 metros cuadrados «donde tengan cabida aulas, bibliotecas y despachos para profesores y servicio».
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El Seminario de Tamazight amplía su inscripción hasta el día 14 en sus tres niveles de enseñanza

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– El Seminario de Tamazight amplía su inscripción hasta el día 14 en sus tres niveles de enseñanza.

Ya se conocen más detalles de la nueva organización del Seminario Permanente de Tamazight que impulsa la Consejería de Presidencia. El coordinador de esta actividad docente, Manuel Ruiz Morales, y el consejero del área, Abdelmalik El Barkani, explicaron ayer cómo se va a diseñar esta formación mediante la cuál se van a poder conseguir créditos de libre configuración de la Universidad de Granada y que este año se va a impartir «en tres niveles de enseñanza de forma simultánea», de forma que quien haya asistido a estos módulos en cursos anteriores podrá acceder a un grado superior.

Ruiz Morales señaló también que el procedimiento del seminario «será el mismo que se sigue ahora», de tal modo que lo único que varía es el plazo de matrícula, que seguirá abierto hasta el 14 de diciembre para permitir la inscripción «a quien no se hubiera enterado de esta novedad importante y quiera sumarse ahora».

Cada nivel educativo contará con 160 horas lectivas, el equivalente a un curso académico completo, y se desarrollará por las tardes en el Instituto de Enseñanza Secundaria Leopoldo Queipo. Las previsiones del Seminario Permanente de Tamazight son que participen «un total de 15 alumnos por nivel en esta modalidad de enseñanza».

La equivalencia de cada nivel superado en número de créditos universitarios de libre configuración dependerá, según Ruiz Morales, «de la decisión que adopte cada centro», e incluso habrá que estudiar «lo que recogen los estatutos de la Universidad de Granada para lo que afecta a cursos complementarios y de formación continua». No obstante, «lo normal» para el coordinador del seminario es que, «por cada diez horas, se obtenga un crédito de libre configuración».

Ruiz Morales, que también se reunió con la consejera de Cultura para tratar el contenido de los cursos de la Universidad de Verano del Mediterráneo para 2008 destacó «el carácter multicultural de Melilla», que forma parte del patrimonio de la ciudad.

El consejero de Presidencia, Abdelmalik El Barkani, resaltó que estos cursos serán una actividad más «y uno de los pilares básicos» del Instituto de las Culturas. Puso de manifiesto que la intención del Gobierno local para este organismo es que «entre finales de enero y principios de febrero funcione de forma autónoma». Para ello, se determinarán antes su función y configuración, sus estatutos y el presupuesto que tendrá asignado.
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UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News – November 26, 2007

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– UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News – November 26, 2007

The European Space Agency said its Mars Express spacecraft has completed 5,000 orbits of the Mars since arriving there Dec. 25, 2003.

The orbiter has revolutionized knowledge of Mars, probing every facet of the planet in unprecedented detail, the ESA said. Some of the most visually astonishing results have been returned by the crafts High-Resolution Stereo Camera, which has produced 3D color images of Mars surface, the ESA said.

Other instruments have been examining different aspects of the planets environment.

With the mission already extended until at least 2009 and the possibility of further extensions into the next decade, Mars Express controllers at the ESAs Space Operations Center in Darmstadt, Germany, are fine-tuning the spacecrafts orbit.

Stem cells grow new immune systems in mice
STANFORD, Calif., Nov. 26 U.S. scientists have found a way of transplanting blood-forming stem cells into the bone marrow of mice, effectively replacing their immune systems.

The Stanford University School of Medicine researchers said their achievement represents a small but significant step toward the goal of transplanting adult stem cells to create a new immune system for people with autoimmune or genetic blood diseases.

Many aspects of the new technique would need to be adapted before it can be tested in humans, said Dr. Irving Weissman, one of the investigators and director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.

The study appears in the journal Science.

Nanoparticles deliver drugs to tumors
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 26 U.S. scientists have created remotely controlled nanoparticles that, when pulsed with an electromagnetic field, release drugs to attack tumors.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers said their achievement could lead to the improved diagnosis and targeted treatment of cancer.

In earlier work the team — led by Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia, an associate Harvard-MIT professor — developed injectable multi-functional nanoparticles designed to flow through the bloodstream, home to tumors and clump together. Clumped particles help clinicians visualize tumors through magnetic resonance imaging.

With the ability to see the clumped particles, Bhatias co-author, Geoff von Maltzahn, discovered the nanoparticles are superparamagnetic — a property that causes them to emit heat when they are exposed to a magnetic field. Tethered to the particles are active molecules, such as therapeutic drugs.

Exposing the particles to a low-frequency electromagnetic field causes the particles to radiate heat that, in turn, melts the DNA tethers and releases the drugs.

The research was supported by grants from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the National Cancer Institute, and a fellowship from the University of California Biotechnology Research and Educational Program.

New device measures ionizing radiation
GRANADA, Spain, Nov. 26 Spanish scientists have created a portable device that can measure ionizing radiation, thereby making quality control of radiotherapy treatments possible.

The University of Granada scientists said the low-cost, tiny detectors not only can quickly measure radiation in different body areas, but also create a historical record of the information.

The scientists noted ionizing radiations play a vital role in the treatment and diagnosis of malignant neoplastic illnesses, as well as in the diagnosis of other pathologies.

But the potential harm ionizing radiations can cause means that, in order to obtain clinical benefits and reduce the onset of unwanted adverse effects as much as possible, they must be used under strict quality control, said Manuel Vilches Pancheco of the Hospital Virgen de las Nieves.

The new device doesnt require electricity or a reading supply unit and is constructed of low-cost and reusable electronic devices.

The University of Granada has patented the device.

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Almudena Grandes y ‘El corazón helado’

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– Almudena Grandes y El corazón helado

La Cátedra Federico García Lorca de la Universidad de Granada (UGR) presenta esta tarde el libro El corazón helado de la novelista madrileña Almudena Grandes. Publicado a primeros de febrero por la editorial Tusquets, El corazón helado es una de las novelas más ambiciosas de Almudena Grandes, en la que traza a través de dos familias un panorama emocionante de la historia reciente de nuestro país, así como también del conflicto de las nuevas generaciones con la memoria.

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