Spanish scientists use maths to cure terminal liver cancer

By using a mathematical formula formula designed to strengthen the immune system, a team of scientists in Spain have succeeded in curing a patient who was in the last stage of terminal liver cancer.

The team of researchers from the Complutense University in Madrid believe that this discovery could open new doors for the treatment of solid cancerous tumours.

The new treatment was developed in 1998 by a team led by Antonio Bru, a physicist who bases his theory on the idea that the evolution of solid tumors depends on a mathematical equation which defines their biological growth. An equation is then obtained in the laboratory and used to design a therapy to destroy the tumor.

The scientists, who have carried out successful tests on mice over the past few years, announced yesterday that the only human experiment they have carried out so far has been a complete success.

Apparantly the patient was suffering from liver cancer which had been diagnosed by his doctors as terminal and in its final stage. The scientists used a mathematical formula to create a treatment based on neutrofiles that strengthened the patient's immune system. The patient responded well to the treatment immediately and has since made a total recovery and has returned to work.

The treatment produces no side effects.The Spanish scientists believe that their theory could be applied to treat all kinds of solid tumors although they will need to carry out many more tests on human patients before they can be sure.

Update 1/06/2005:

Today, the Complutense University (whose switchboards have apparantly been innundated with phone calls from people wanting to find out more about this news item) has published a communication on its website with a brief communication from Prof. Antonio Bru. The full article is here. Below is a translation of Professor Bru's brief note which appears at the end of the article:

Given the expectation generated by the news of the publication of the article Regulation of neutrophilia by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor: a new cancer therapy that reversed a case of terminal hepatocarcinoma in the Journal of Clinical Research, I would like to make the following points:

1) The proposed treatment is still at an experimental stage and needs much wider experimentation before it can be validated.

2) For this reason, at this moment there is no treatment protocol which enables it to be applied as a general treatment.

3) Given that it is impossible for the Complutense University of Madrid to answer all the phone calls received, and bearing in mind how they can disrupt normal teaching and research activity, please send any enquiries to the following email address: bru@mat.ucm.es
Dr. Antonio Brú, Departamento de Matemática Aplicada
Facultad de Ciencias Matemáticas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Related:
The Universal Dynamics of Tumor Growth by Antonio Bru and his team of researchers.

Home loans in Spain

The latest figures released today show that mortgages in Spain are still rising. In February the number of mortgages was 21 percent higher with respect to the same month in 2004 according to statistics released by Spain's National Statistics Institute.

In February 144,738 properties were mortgaged, 9 percent more than in February 2004 but nearly one and half percent less than in January 2005. Nearly 98 percent of the properties were in urban areas and just over 2 percent were rural properties and land.

During the first two months this year the total amount of loans rose by nearly 22 percent.

According to the new statistics, Spanish savings banks are still more popular with Spaniards looking for a mortgage than Spanish banks, although the main Spanish banks are closing the gap.

Most Spanish banks continue to offer variable interest rate mortgages, and 80 percent of mortgages use the Euribor index as a reference for the rate of interest.

Related:
Buying a house in Spain
Buying land in Spain
Mortgages in Spain
Mortgages for non-residents in Spain
Spanish banks

ETA bomb in Madrid

Basque terrorist group Eta exploded a bomb in Madrid at 9.30 Spanish time this morning. Forty people were treated by medical staff, most of them with light injuries. Three people are still being treated in hospital. The bomb contained between 18 to 20 kilos of explosives according to the Spanish Interior Minister, Jose Antonio Alonso.

Since Spanish President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero sought the approval of the Spanish Congress to begin talks with ETA last week, three key Basque terrorist suspects have been arrested in France, and two members of the political wing of Eta have been summoned by Spanish courts.

Yesterday, referring to the latest operations against the terrorist group, the leader of Batasuna, the illegal political wing of ETA, said rather sinisterly that the Spanish government "was not going in the right direction" and seemed "not to understand the word 'tregua' " (Spanish for "truce").

The Basque newspaper Gara received a telephone call this morning informing of the existence, location and timing of the bomb which had been left in a rucksack inside a van.

When condemning this latest attack before the Spanish press later this morning, Zapatero underlined the commitment of his government to "fight and end terrorism" and said that the only option open to Eta terrorists was to abandon their weapons and dissolve the group.

UV protection in Spain

Spanish people have been surprisingly slow to wake up to the dangers of skin cancer caused by excessive exposure to the sun, and until relatively recently it was not uncommon to see families spending long periods on the beach or by the pool without putting protective sun cream on. Many Spaniards continue to use sun cream to get a tan, rather than to protect the skin from burning, and one of the way to distinguish visiting tourists from local Spaniards on the beach (apart from obvious things like language and colouring) is by checking the sun protection factor on their suntan lotion. In general Spanish people use much much lower protection factors than foreign residents or visitors to Spain and many adults suffer skin damage and marks caused by excessive exposure to the sun.

So it is no surprise that the first company in Spain to offer online purchase of a wide range of UV protective clothing has been set up by foreign residents. Solkids, a new Granada based company set up by a family who have lived in Australia and the Far East for many years, offers UV protective clothing for babies and children aged up to 14. All fabrics are SPF 50+ made in New Zealand by "Ozone", a small company which has been designing and making UV protective clothing in New Zealand for 13 years.

Children have less of the skin's protective melanin pigment and so are at a higher risk of incurring skin damage from the sun. Just one sunburn in childhood is estimated to double the risk of getting melanoma later in life. More teenagers and young adults are being diagnosed with skin cancer than ever before, and the number of people with skin cancer in Europe has more than doubled since the early 80s. Skin cancer is now the most common form of cancer in the UK. Each year there are more than 65,000 new cases, and over 2000 deaths due to skin cancer.

According to owner of Solkids, Sarah Barguirdjian, “Having lived many years in Australia and the Far East, wearing sun protective clothing and hats had become a routine part of family life for us. When we came recently to live in Spain, we were surprised by the intensity of the sun, equal to any Australian summer. We also discovered that most parents in Spain are aware of the dangers of sun exposure and are anxious about protecting children’s skin, but found the low supply of UV clothing available poorly designed and over-priced”.

Solkids offers free postage and packaging to all customers in Spain. Anyone interested in consulting their catalogue of UV clothes and accessories should visit their website at http://www.solkids.com.

Basque parliament votes new leader

For the first time in Basque parliamentary history, a woman has been chosen by members of the regional parliament to preside over parliamentary sessions during the next four years. Her name is Izaskun Bilbao and she is a member of the PNV nationalist party.

According to constitutional law in Spain, the first step towards forming a new government after elections have been held is the election of the parliamentary chairperson, equivalent to Leader of the House. Once the leader has been chosen, then members can get round to voting for a president of government.

Last week the new Basque parliament met on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and voted no less than nine times, but on each occasion the candidates of the two main parties, PNV and the Basque Socialist Party, PSV, drew the same number of votes. This was because the Basque Communist Party, EHAK, (supported from the sidelines by ETA's illegalised political faction) refused to support the PNV unless the party changed its candidate, Jose Maria Atuxta, who led the house during the previous government.

At first the PNV refused to budge, but when the abstention strategy of the Basque communists looked likely to force yet another tie this morning, Atuxta stepped down in favour of Izaskun Bilbao, one of his closest collaborators, who was promptly voted in with a comfortable majority thanks to the votes of the 9 members of EHAK.

This latest event illustrates just how precarious the new Basque government may prove to be as it will have to resort to all kinds of pacts and agreements in order to push policies through. It is also a worrying indication of the extent to which the influence of ETA's political wing has increased, albeit indirectly, since the recent Basque regional elections.

Music festival in Benicassim

The organizers of one of Spain's most important music events have confirmed the news that veteran British band The Cure will be performing at this year's Benicassim International Music Festival.

Every year Benicassim, in Castellon on the Costa Azahar, holds a three-day music festival and in true Glastonbury-style (saving major differences like climate and visitor numbers), visitors camp in nearby fields and attend numerous open-air concerts. Because of the warm, dry weather which is guarenteed in this part of Spain during the Summer, many people don't bother with a tent, and just take a hammock or a sleeping bag.

This year 30.000 people are expected to attend the Benicassim Music Festival which begins with the performance of The Cure on 4th August and ends with a beach party on 8th. Tickets are on sale now and the confirmed line-up can be accessed here. So far it includes Oasis, LCD Soundsystem, Basement Jaxxx, Yo la tengo, Keane, Dinosaur Jr, Fischerspooner, Kings of Convenience y Underworld, Peaches, Hot hot heat, Mando Diao and Jori Hulkkonen as well as over one hundred lesser known groups and disc jockeys.

For people considering attending festival, the organization includes this helpful advice on the FIB website:

Remember to bring everything needed to make your stay more comfortable with you. Do not forget a camping area is a open-air, natural space, and using containers and dustbins is always a good idea tidy and take care of the enviroment. There will be selective containers installed at the camping areas so to collaborate with recycling.
Do not forget tents around you are your "neighbourghs". Respect their resting times though they might be scarce and at unusual times.
Do not forget to take care of yourself as well. Do not sunbathe without the appropriate protection and rememeber to drink water often to avoid dehydration. If you are in good shape you will enjoy the concerts more.
Be extremely careful when crossing over the railway or the national road. We have taken measures to make drivers run slow, but you have to bear in mind that you are ultimately responsible of what happens to you.
If you drink, do whatever you want to, except driving. Sleep at the beach if necessary.

For further info on the Benicassim music festival, visit the official FIB website.

Tourism in Spain

Spain's tourist industry continues to thrive according to figures released today by the Industry, Tourism and Trade Ministry. In the first quarter of 2005 Spain received a record 13.6 million foreign tourists. This represents a five percent increase in international tourism compared to the same period in 2004 and, according to the Ministry, is the first time that more than 13 million tourists have visited Spain during the first four months of any year.

In April Spain received 4.2 million tourists from abroad, considered by the Ministry to be especially encouraging given the fact that this year Easter was in March, as opposed to last year when Holy Week was celebrated during April.

According to data put together by this latest survey carried out by the Ministry, the improved figures are largely thanks to the increase in the number of French tourists travelling to Spain. The UK and Germany are still ahead in terms of number of tourists who come to Spain, but France is closing the gap and comes a close third behind Germany.


Catalunya heads the ranking of most popular Spanish region and in the first quarter 27.4 percent of tourists chose Catalonian destinations on the Costa Brava and inland. The Canary Islands was the second most popular region, followed by Andalucia and the Balearic Islands (light blue 2004, dark blue 2005).



Related links:
Beautiful places in Spain
Spanish paradors

Government in Spain proposes talks with ETA

After what has possibly been the bitterest week so far in Spanish politics with the split between Spain's two major political parties becoming wider and wider everytime a member from either party opens his or her mouth, Spanish members of parliament are expected to vote today in favor of the Socialist government's proposal to start talks with ETA if the Basque terrorist group agrees to drop all violent activity.

Last week was Spain's yearly Debate of the Nation, during which the President of Spain explains his government's policies and answers questions put to him by all parties for two days. After a series of bitter exchanges on the first day of the debate, during which the leader of the opposition party, Mariano Rajoy, accused the Socialist party of betraying the victims of ETA, the Popular Party formally withdrew its support from the anti-terrorism pact which has existed between Spain's two major parties for the past few years. The style of Rajoy during the debate was so reminiscent of that of ex-President Aznar that at one moment during one of his answers, President Rodriguez Zapatero referred to the PP leader as "Señor Aznar" by mistake.

According to a poll published yesterday by Cadena Ser, and despite frequent blunders made by this inexperienced government, Spaniards continue to prefer the moderation and messages of respect for political opponents and consensus of Zapatero to the often ruthlessly agressive style of the leaders of the opposition, and the the Spanish President's popularity has risen higher as a result of last weeks debate.

This is going to be a very complicated year for the Spanish government which needs the support of the Popular Party in order to fulfill one of its most controversial electoral promises: modification of the Spanish Constitution. Rodriguez Zapatero has pledged to inform all parties of any meetings with Basque separatists and if, as expected, the Spanish congress approves the government's motion to offer dialogue to ETA if the terrorists drop their weapons, the rift between the parties will probably become even wider (members of the Popular Party are the only representatives expected to vote against the motion).

For the results of any future negotiations between the Spanish government and Basque separatists to have any real meaning, Spain's main political parties will need to show a united front. However, relations between the two parties are at an all-time low, and it is difficult to see just how (or if) they will get out of the present rut.

Euromeeting 2005 in Alicante

On 14th May Alicante, Spain, holds Euromeeting, an annual event organised so that European residents in this part of Spain can share their cultural experiences. Euromeeting's aim is to encourage a model based on the diversity of cultures and respect between different nationalities.

This is the third time the province of Alicante organizes Euromeeting. Alicante has more European residents (165,000) than any other region in Spain. According to the provincial goverment which sponsers Euromeeting, Alicante should aspire towards “full integration, forming part of a single society that we would like to see more open, more united, democratic and integration – a modern day reflection of our history where we all become citizens, neighbours and people from Alicante”.

Tomorrow’s Euromeeting 2005 gathering will be held in Villa Marco, El Campello, Alicante. The programme is as follows:

12.00: Official opening ceremony, chaired by the President of the Alicante Provincial Government, Jose Joaquin Ripoll

12.15: Alicante, Europe for Everone. A commemorative act celebrating how citizens ferom different European counrtires live together

12.30: Opening of Info-Point:
A multilingual cultural information area about the Province
Representation of traditional professions carried out in the province of Alicante
Authentic traditional music from Alicante districts
Traditional Alicante dances


14.00: Lunch, giant paella made from ingredients typical to the province of Alicante

17.00: Closure of the 3rd Euromeeting


And throughout the day the following attractions will be on offer:

• Musical performances
• Sampling of local products
• Refreshments
• Gifts for all participants.

Spain's third savings bank and General Electric sign deal

Spanish bank Caja de Ahorros del Mediterraneo (CAM) has signed a joint venture deal with US General Electric Consumer Finance worth 468 million Euros.

The joint-venture is called CAMGE Financiera and centers around consumer finance. It is expected to absorb the CAM's currenty consumer finance portfolio worth 1.3 billion euros, including the issue of 630,000 credit cards.

CAMGE Financiera aims to become the leader in Spain's consumer finance in the medium term, by achieving a yearly growth of 20 percent. The new company will initially focus on personal loans and the credit-card business and may later move on to offering car and mortgage loans.

The chairman of General Electric España, Mario Armero, said on Monday that the deal represented the consolidation of GE's "focus on the Spanish market as the center for financial business in the south of Europe," he said. The general manager of CAM, Roberto Lopez, said that Spain's thrid savings bank had found the right partner in terms of strength and experience "to achieve leadership of the consumer finance market in Spain."

GE hopes that the knowledge and international experience of GE Consumer Finance combined with the "sales clout" of the 940 branches will give the formula needed to become leader of the Spanish market. The department store chain El Corte Inglés currently leads the consumer finance market in Spain, followed by Banco Cetelem and then Santander Consumer Finance.

More about Caja de Ahorros del Mediterraneo and Spanish banks.
Mortgages in Spain

Royal pregnancy raises questions about reform of Spanish monarchy

After weeks of speculation in the Spanish press about a possible royal pregnancy, the Spanish Palace finally confirmed yesterday the news that the Spanish heirs to the throne were expecting their first baby which will be born in November.

Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia are in Mallorca this week on an official visit, and they could hardly help giggling infront of reporters today as the media presence reflected the excitement caused by the news.

When asked whether they preferred a girl or boy, Prince Felipe (rather predictably) said they didn't care at all and just wanted a healthy baby. He also took advantage of the question to say that it was much too early to start thinking about the constitutional reform planned by Spain's Socialist Government because, in his words, "a whole generation, represented by myself and Princess Letizia, stands between now and any future reforms, so there is no rush".

The Socialist government plans to end the tradition which gives males preference to females over the right of succession to the throne.

The Socialist Party's spokesman was also asked about the possibility of speeding up monarchy reform because of the news of the pregnancy. Jose Blanco replied that while the Government does indeed intend to reform the Spanish constitution so that royal females have the same rights as heir to the throne as males, they intend to keep to their planned timetable and have no intention of accelerating reform just because of the Princess's pregnancy.

Amnesty period for immigrants in Spain ends

The three-month amnesty granted by the government to illegal residents in Spain ended last night at nine p.m. Spanish Labour Minister, Jesus Caldera, told the press that during the three months almost 700,000 immigrants have applied for legal residence and work permits.

Caldera said the process had been a great success. According to his calculations, once all the applications have been resolved, the government's amnesty will have legalized the employment of between 80 and 90 percent of illegal immigrant workers, meaning that employers would no longer be able to dodge tax and national insurance payments. He said the fact that the process had succeeded in revealing and regulating a large proportion of the hidden economy should be considered as a great achievement not just of the Spanish government but of the whole of Spanish society. So far 200,000 immigrants have received their permits.

Jesus Caldera also took advantage of the last day of the amnesty to remind Spaniards that from now on employment inspectors would be "inflexible" in their pursuit and prosecution of employers who have failed to take advantage of the three months to legalise the situation of their immigrant employees.

Tomorrow the Labour Ministry launches a new work inspection plan to fight the hidden economy during which over 200,000 visits will be made by work inspectors to places of work in different sectors. Traditionally the sectors most likely to employ immigrants without legal papers are agriculture (seasonal picking), construction, tourism and domestic labour.

Consumer debt in Spain

According to figures released yestoday by the Bank of Spain, the rate of borrowing by consumers in Spain reached an all-time high in 2004. Consumer debt rose last year by 17.5 percent up to 595.183 million euros, a huge 74.5 percent of the Spanish GDP. This means that borrowing in Spain has tripled in eight years. In 1996 it stood at 200.000 million euros.

Long-term loans continued to rise by 20 percent, rising to an overall sum of 502.145 million euros in absolute terms. Experts say that the continued rise in Spanish mortgage loans reflects the steady rise in house prices in Spain and the low rates of interest. Spanish banks do not seem to have heeded the warning given by the Bank of Spain last year to moderate the number of mortgage loans they give to their customers, and interest rates in Spain continue to be amongst the lowest in Europe.

Family financial assets in Spain also rose to historic heights in 2004 to 1.36 billion euros, which is 115,000 million more than the previous year. The net financial wealth of Spanish families also rose by 26,000 million euros with respect to 2003.

Spain's defence minister visits United States

Spanish Defence Minister, Jose Bono, begins a four-day visit to the United States today.

Bono's visit represents the latest of recent attempts made by the Spanish Government to mend some of the broken bridges in the relationship between Spain and the US.

The visit to the US has begun in Washington where Jose Bono will give a lecture today in the Woodrow Wilson Center on "International terrorism and defence". Tomorrow the Spanish Defence Minister is expected to meet with Donald Rumsfeld in the Pentagon to discuss issues related to the defence programmes of both countries.

The Spanish Defence Minister is generally a very popular and charismatic figure in his own country. President of Castilla la Mancha Regional Government for 21 years, he contested the leadership of the Socialist party in 2000, backed by former Spanish president Felipe Gonzalez, and it was a surprise to most when he lost the contest to Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

Bono is one of the few practising Catholics in the Socialist government and tends to get on well with members of the Church (despite the tense relationship between the Spanish government and the Roman Catholic Church), all sides of the media, and members of other policital parties. It will be interesting to see if he is capable of charming Donald Rumsfeld.

After his meeting with the US Defence Secretary, Bono will travel to New York to visit the Spanish military boat Juan Sebastian Elcano and on 4th May he will visit the naval base in Norfolk Virginia where another Spanish ship is participating in military training operations organised by the North American Navy. Finally, the Spanish Defence Minister will visit Orlando to visit another military base, Tampa, and the factory of Spanish company Indra. He returns to Spain on Friday.