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Blocking trigger points may stop cluster headaches
12 February 2009
Cluster headaches cause sudden, severe pain, often centered in one eye. Though the headaches tend to be short, they run in cycles, which may cause several headaches in one day or every few days. Most people with cluster headaches experience pain-free periods of several weeks or more between each headache cycle. About 10 percent of sufferers, however, experience chronic cycles, which can last a year or more.
Dr. Elena P. Calandre (left) and colleagues from the University of Granada, conducted a study of 12 patients with cluster headache to see if trigger points could be identified, and if so, whether anesthetic injections at the trigger points were helpful. At least one trigger point was found in every patient. In five of six patients, the researchers were able to stop a cluster headache attack in progress with an anesthetic injection. In six of seven patients, the injections were successful in preventing attacks. When anesthetic injections were combined with preventative drug therapy, significant improvement was observed in seven of eight chronic headache patients.
Dr. Calandre's findings were published in Head & Face Medicine.

Breakthrough could lead to olive-powered cars
11 November 2008
Researchers from the Universities of Jaén and Granada have developed a method of converting olive stones (pits) into ethanol.
Their discovery could give Spain's olive processing industry an opportunity to turn 4 million tonne of olive stones that it generates every year into a valuable asset.
The researchers published their study in the latest edition of the Society of Chemical Industry's (SCI) Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology.
The olive stone, removed when processing raw olives for use as olive oil and table olives, makes up around 25% of the fruit. It is rich in polysaccharides (cellulose and hemicellulose) that can be broken down into sugar and then fermented to produce ethanol.
The researchers pre-treated olive stones using high-pressure hot water, then added enzymes that degrade plant matter and generate sugars. The hydrolysate obtained from this process was then fermented with yeasts to produce ethanol. Yields of 5.7 kg of ethanol per 100 kg of olive stones have been reached.

"Beer better than water" says Granada scientist Tuesday, 4 December 2007 A scientist at Granada University claims to have found proof that beer is better at rehydrating the human body after excercise than water. Manuel J Castillo Garzón, Professor of Human Physiology from Spain's prestigious University of Granada, conducted a series of experiments in which students were asked to perform strenuous exercise, including running, in temperatures of 40C. They were then divided into two groups. The students in one group were each given a half-pint of beer to drink, while those in the other group were given the same quantity of water. Prof Garzón, who announced the results of his experiments at a press conference in Granada beneath a banner declaring "Beer, Sport, Health", said the hydration effect in those who drank beer was "slightly better" than in those who were given water to drink. Prof Garzón's findings were endorsed by Juan Antonio Corbalán, a cardiologist who worked formerly with Real Madrid football players and Spain's national basketball team, who agreed that beer had the perfect profile for re-hydration after sport. He added that he had long recommended barley drinks to professional sportsmen after exercise. Griffon vulture rescued from Granada building site Friday 26 October 2007 Staff from the Threatened Species Recovery Centre in Granada (CREA) have rescued a young Griffon Vulture that workmen had discovered trapped in the patio of a building under construction in El Padul. It is at this time of year that the young leave the nest and fly off in search of a place in a new colony. CREA staff told reporters that the six-month-old bird was too weak to take off, and was also hampered by the width of the patio. Adult Griffon Vultures, known as buitre leonado in Spain, can reach a wing span of 2.5 metres. It appears the vulture was flying in search of food when it became disoriented in the rain and ended up on the building site. It will be kept at the rescue centre until it has recovered sufficiently to be released near the feeding station in Hernán Valle. Spanish invention improves sight for impaired Friday 19 October 2007 Scientists from the Universities of Granada and Murcia have invented a computerized device that improves the vision of sight-impaired people. The device - called a reconfigurable electric-optical system for low vision - is said to be particularly effective in pathologies that can lead to blindness, such as macular degeneration, cataracts and retinitis pigmentosa. The researchers said their invention is the first visual aid device that is useful regardless of the degree of impairment of the patient. The scientists said the main advantage of their device is that it is easy to reconfigure, and includes lightweight low-cost cameras, real-time image processing, and transparent portable viewfinders. The research was published in the journals Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Granada University is regarded as a world leader in research into bio-technology and artificial intelligence. Vodafone, Orange agree 3G network sharing in south of Spain Friday 12 October 2007 Vodafone and Orange have started sharing the radio networks of their 3G networks in 19 rural provinces of Spain. In a statement issued by Orange, the pair said the move allowed them to boost their broadband mobile coverage in those areas by 25 percent and to reduce the number of visits to those areas to roll out infrastructure by 40 percent. The mobile operators said their sharing of 1,000 3G base stations (B Nodes) will be increased to 1,500 by the year-end in small areas in the provinces of Alicante, Castellon, Valencia, Granada, Malaga, Seville and the Basque region, among others. The pair has agreed to share up to 5,000 base stations in the next four years and say the sharing reduced the visual impact on the environment of a lot of antennas.