Decline Of Spain Research Articles

Community resilience in Spanish depopulated rural areas: A systematic review

Research on community resilience has been ongoing for decades. Several studies have been carried out on resilience in different groups and contexts. However, few address the relationship between community resilience and depopulated rural areas. This study aims to dig deeper into this, considering the concrete impact of population decline in Spain. We carried out a systematic review of the most relevant contributions. A search protocol was developed and used to consult ten databases. Different combinations of terms such as ‘community resilience’, ‘rural’, and ‘depopulation’, or related terms, were used. 22 scientific texts were analysed. We obtained a set of publications that demonstrate the heterogeneity of research methods, approaches and analytical processes applied to the study of this relationship. A mostly qualitative approach was observed, either as the main technique or complementary to documentary reviews. The results underscore the complex nature of rural depopulation and related constructs. It emphasizes the specific importance of community resilience in these territories in terms of social capital, endogenous resources, sustainability, economic dynamism, local responsibility and effective governance. The findings identify a scarce mention to social intervention professions, which should have a more important role due to their core values. In the studies reviewed, it appears as an emerging and scientifically relevant area to explore, both for investigation and intervention purposes. The strength of a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the phenomena appears in the discussion as a main potential line of research.

Baseline characteristics and study progress of the CITA GO‐ON Study. A FINGER‐like Multidomain Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Decline in Spain

AbstractBackgroundThe FINGER study demonstrated the efficacy of a non‐pharmacological multidomain intervention to prevent cognitive decline in at‐risk older adults. After a successful pilot feasibility study, in Q3 2021 we launched the CITA GO‐ON study, inspired by FINGER methodology to demonstrate the efficacy of a risk factor and lifestyles multimodal intervention to prevent cognitive decline in southern Europe. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants recruited in the study.MethodThe CITA GO‐ON study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04840030) is a two‐year randomized, controlled trial. The primary aim is to reduce the risk of decline in cognitive functioning in the Neuropsychology Test Battery after two years by a multi‐modal intervention on risk factors and protective life‐styles as compared to standard health care. Inclusion criteria are: 60‐85 years old; CAIDE dementia risk score ≥ 6; cognitive frailty; no dementia. The multidomain intervention includes optimized control of cardiovascular risk factors; correction of polypharmacy; cognitive training; physical exercise program; socioemotional intervention; and promotion of adherence to the Mediterranean diet.ResultsTo date, 1964 individuals completed pre‐screening using self‐administered online survey in REDCap (Research Electronic Capture) and 874 (44.5%) fulfilled criteria for an in‐person screening visit. Screening was successful in 477 of participants. Mean (SD) age is 66.24 (4.99), 13.26 (4.43) years of education, MMSE 28.27 (1.78), CAIDE score 7.48 (1.36), and 235 (49%) are men. Based on CAIDE components, at baseline, 287 (60%) showed high systolic blood pressure, 165 (35%) low physical activity, 122 (26%) high BMI, and 101 (21%) with high cholesterol. Regarding cognitive frailty, 144 (31%) presented low performance on brief cognitive testing (Memory Alteration Test ≤ 40 and/or Fototest ≤ 35), 186 (39%) presented memory complaints (Cognitive Change Index ≥ 20), and 147 (30%) showed both criteria. Currently, 191 have been randomly assigned to the control and 192 to the Intervention groups. So far, adherence to intervention activities is high, ranging from 73% to 97%, depending on the modality.ConclusionCITA GO‐ON Study recruitment strategy includes participants with high risk of dementia based on modifiable factors and in situation of cognitive fragility, with might increase the probability of obtaining positive efficacy results.

The changing geographies of fertility in Spain (1981-2018)

The objective of this article is to investigate the variation of fertility across Spain’s geographic areas between 1981 and 2018, to highlight spatial change over three decades of major fertility transformations. During the last decades, Spanish fertility decreased considerably to below replacement levels. Although total fertility remains below replacement level in Spain, there are important differences in subnational trends that seem to concentrate around certain areas. Starting from the assumption that there is fertility diversity across the country, which persists over time and such variation is not random but rather spatially driven, we aim to describe the divergence from national trends and analyse the dynamics of spatial patterns of fertility over time with spatial analysis tools. Using from Spanish municipality data, we use 910 territorial units that ensure spatial contiguity and construct yearly fertility indicators derived from census and register data, encompassing fertility by age, birth order, and age at childbirth. We investigate the spatial patterns of fertility and their changes over time, by means of spatial and correlogram analysis, exploring the effects of neighborhood definitions. Results confirm the presence of spatial autocorrelation for all variables throughout the considered timeframe, both at global and local scale. The considered time frame depicts substantial changes in the distribution of low and high fertility clusters, reshaping the geographical distribution of fertility in Spain, with big metropolitan areas as leaders in high fertility, as childbearing is deeply impacted by labor market covariates.
 The fertility decline in Spain has driven total fertility to below replacement levels in a short period of time, shifting the classical North-South divide of low-high fertility into an East-West clustering, with economic centres such as cities becoming the new focal points of higher fertility. The descriptive and econometric spatial approaches adopted in this article, together with the detailed data available for this study, make it possible to appreciate the scale of fertility changes across the country, its heterogeneity across regions, and the evolution of fertility determinants over time.

Экономика Испании в условиях COVID-19: анамнез и перспективы восстановления

In 2019, Spanish economy maintained the post-crisis growth rates of the 2010s’ second half, although they were slightly lower than the average for the last period due to both, political and economic factors. The political uncertainty fueled by the necessity in holding four general elections in 2018–2019 has slowed down the search for consensus on reforming the country’s financial system. The decline in domestic demand reflected the evolution of personal consumption and investment, while the contribution of external demand was attributable to a slowdown in imports and slightly stronger exports. Low inflation and almost zero interest rates in banks also provided a favorable situation. By the end of the first quarter of 2020, the generally positive economic outlook was largely undermined by the global economic crisis caused by the COVID 19 pandemic which affected humanity in all socio-economic aspects. In the short term, the decline in Spain’s GDP and overall business activity is unprecedented since the country’s democratic transition that started on 20 November 1975. Even the vibrant Spanish foreign economic sector was tied: both external and internal demand for almost any economy in the world was in an equal crisis state with the start of the pandemic. Many factors analyzed point to a more precarious position in Spain compared to other countries. The Bank of Spain expects the Spanish GDP to fall by double digits in 2020 and it looks like the most realistic scenario. The article analyzes the economic situation in Spain by the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic, examines the reaction of the national economy to the coronavirus, the individual measures of the Spanish government and the supranational institutions of the EU to combat the pandemic are analyzed, as well as a forecast regarding the post-crisis future of the country’s economy is given. Acknowledgements. The article was prepared within the project “Post-crisis world order: challenges and technologies, competition and cooperation” supported by the grant from Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation program for research projects in priority areas of scientific and technological development (Agreement № 075-15-2020-783).

Distribution of the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) at the edge of the South-Western Palaearctic: transboundary differences and conservation prospects

The European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. In this context, it is important to explore the factors affecting its abundance and the ways in which it can be effectively managed for conservation. This study compares the distribution of this dove in Spain and Morocco. These countries, which are separated by the Strait of Gibraltar, are each occupied by a different subspecies (i.e. Streptopelia turtur turtur in Spain and S. t. arenicola in Morocco) that may be adapted to different environmental conditions. Such differentiation could result in differences in the species’ abundance between the two countries. The occurrence of this dove was assessed by means of road counts, and the resulting records were used to explore the niche overlap between the two subspecies. The niches of both populations overlapped, suggesting the selection of similar environmental conditions in the two countries. However, the species occurred more frequently in Morocco than in Spain. To study the potential role of local effects on the observed differences in abundance, 494 sampling points were surveyed in four different sectors of Spain and Morocco. These additional counts indicated that, after controlling for the effect of local habitat structure and climate, the European turtle dove is more frequent in Morocco than in Spain. Differences between the two countries, in relation to hunting pressure, agricultural intensification and the abandonment of marginal cultures and woodlands, could account for the observed transboundary differences in the abundance of European turtle dove and help to explain its severe decline in Spain.

Ophir de España: Memorias historiales y políticas del Perú. Vaticinios de su descubrimiento y conversión por los Reyes Católicos y singulares epítetos que por ello se les da en la Sagrada Escritura

The aims of this comprehensive labor by Jesús Paniagua Pérez, Lorenzo Martínez Ángel, Antonio Reguera Feo, and Ferran Grau Codina are to introduce and publish all three books of the 1644 University of Seville manuscript Ophir de España: Memorias historiales y políticas del Perú by Fernando de Montesinos collectively for the first time. An endeavor such as this is an inspiring and overdue fulfillment of Montesinos's enduring dream to have the first half of his chronicle published. Paniagua Pérez provides readers with a brilliant 175-page informational and uncritical preamble, offered as part of a proper edition of Ophir de España.What serves as the insightful introduction to this edition is divided into four primary sections—“El momento histórico de Montesinos,” “Vida y obras de Fernando Montesinos,” “Las fuentes utilizadas por Montesinos,” and “Características de la obra de Montesinos”—that cover a wide array of topics. With a historical optic, Paniagua Pérez eloquently begins by placing Montesinos into historical context, touching on themes such Amazonia financial exploration, indigenous populations, indigenous labor, local mines, mining practices, mining and metallurgic innovations, Montesinos's time line and interests, and, most importantly, the financial decline in Spain and Peru during the seventeenth century.Subsequently, Paniagua Pérez delivers a detailed biography of Montesinos and a thorough explanation of his authorial projects by utilizing a number of notable sources. While this edition, as well as the biography and time line for Montesinos, would have indubitably benefited greatly from supplementary colonial archival research in South America—such as a firsthand interpretation of “Autos Alonso de Alarcón, albacea de Melchor Ramírez, difunto, contra el licenciado Fernando de Montesinos sobre más de quatro mil pesos de mercaderías que el difunto remitió para que las vendiese” (1635–41), found in the Archivo Arzobispal de Lima and first mentioned by Sergio Barraza-Lescano in “La dinastía prehispánica de Fernando de Montesinos: Identificacíon de su fuente” (2005)—the depth of European archival sources is commendable. Primary sources found in the University of Seville Library, such as Anales del Perú (1642), Ophir de España, Beneficio común o directorio de beneficiadores de metales y arte de ellos, con reglas ciertas para los negrillos (1638), Auto de la fe, celebrado en Lima a 23 de enero de 1639 (1639), and Montesinos's complete memorials, typically titled Servicios del licenciado don Fernando de Montesinos, presbítero (1644), are advantageously exploited.In the last two sections of the front matter, Paniagua Pérez discusses and outlines the exhaustive colonial sources that Montesinos uses in Ophir de España, with some of the more notable chroniclers being José de Acosta, Juan de Ávila, Bartolomé de Las Casas, Pedro Cieza de León, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo, Francisco López de Gómara, Alonso de Ovalle, Blas Valera, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Francisco de Xerez, and Agustín de Zárate. Likewise, Paniagua Pérez produces a breakdown of the basic components of Ophir de España, the assorted manuscripts and editions that exist today, a summary of the chronicle, and a description of the obvious Euro-Christianization and estimated Peruvian history: “Una constante que vamos a encontrar en toda su obra, es que su visión del mundo peruano, incluso del prehispánico, la hace a través de su propio ámbito cultural y de manera muy especial a través de la Biblia y de la visión cristiana—o mejor contrarreforma—del mundo” (p. 114). It is also, finally, important to note that Paniagua Pérez highlights in the introduction Montesinos's healthy curiosity in writing about the natural world.The clear, modernized Spanish transcription of Ophir de España is certainly the cornerstone of this complete first edition, taking up 461 pages. Such an attainment reunifies each of the books from this colonial Latin American chronicle for the first time since Montesinos penned his manuscript copies. Colonial Latin American literature, unfortunately, suffered from limited accessibility to printing, routine obstruction by nobles via required printing approvals, poor archival maintenance, and the lapse of time, among other factors. Due to these issues, the colonial canon is narrow and can always benefit from the rediscovery and publication of unpublished primary texts like Ophir de España, a point of interest that is currently being emphasized in colonial studies. Colonial scholars, philologists, historians, art historians, anthropologists, and archaeologists alike should take advantage of this edition and incorporate Montesinos's irreplaceable and unique version of colonial Peru and Andean history into their classrooms and research. This is an excellent starting point for full editions of Ophir de España. Future editions could profit from translations, modernizations, additional Latin American archival research, and mass publication.

‘A Latin Can Be Worth Just as Much or More than a Saxon’: Boxing, Gender, and Transnational Latinity in Late Nineteenth-Century and Early Twentieth-Century Spain

This article examines Spanish press coverage of boxing upon its entry into Spain’s ‘media space’ during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Our analysis highlights how the mix of fascination, repugnance, and admiration displayed toward the sport were shaped by the broader context of imperial rivalry and anxieties about the purported decline of Spain and other Latin nations vis-à-vis the ascendant Anglo-Saxon nations. Criticizing boxing as brutish and barbaric provided defenders of Spanish identity and tradition with a means of challenging dominant racial and civilizational hierarchies. The bitterly ironic tone of most articles was reflective of the defensiveness engendered by the emasculating military defeats and economic struggles suffered by Spain and its Latin neighbors. Coverage of boxing, however, was not uniformly negative, as Spanish writers displayed admiration for successful French fighters, especially when they defeated Americans or Britons, as their achievements generated reassurance about the ongoing vitality of the Latin race. In this manner, media coverage of boxing served as a conduit for the articulation and transmission of understandings of identity and alterity that traversed national boundaries. Aside from having strong racial components, these understandings were deeply entwined with morally charged notions of masculine virility and cultural civility.

Natural Geography and Patterns of Local Population Growth and Decline in Spain: 1960–2011

This paper analyzes the role of natural geography for explaining local population change patterns. Using spatially detailed data for Spain from 1960 to 2011, the estimation results indicated that natural geography variables relate to about half of the population growth variation of rural areas and more than a third of the population growth variation of urban areas during this period. Local differences in climate, topography, and soil and rock formation as well as distance to aquifers and the coast contribute to variations in local population growth patterns. Although, over time, local population change became less related to differences in natural geography, natural geography is still significantly related to nearly a third of the variation in local population change in rural areas and the contribution of temperature range and precipitation seasonality has even increased. For urban areas, weather continues to matter too, with growth being higher in warmer places.

The Use of qPCR Reveals a High Frequency of Phytophthora quercina in Two Spanish Holm Oak Areas

The struggling Spanish holm oak woodland situation associated with Phytophthora root rot has been studied for a long time. Phytophthora cinnamomi is considered the main, but not the only species responsible for the decline scenario. This study verifies the presence and/or detection of Phytophthora species in two holm oak areas of Spain (southwestern “dehesas” and northeastern woodland) using different isolation and detection approaches. Direct isolation and baiting methods in declining and non-declining holm oak trees revealed Phytophthora cambivora, Phytophthora cinnamomi, Phytophthora gonapodyides, Phytophthora megasperma, and Phytophthora pseudocryptogea in the dehesas, while in the northeastern woodland, no Phytophthora spp. were recovered. Statistical analyses indicated that there was not a significant relationship between the Phytophthora spp. isolation frequency and the disease expression of the holm oak stands in the dehesas. Phytophthora quercina and P. cinnamomi TaqMan real-time PCR probes showed that both P. cinnamomi and P. quercina are involved in the holm oak decline in Spain, but P. quercina was detected in a higher frequency than P. cinnamomi in both studied areas. Thus, this study demonstrates that molecular approaches complement direct isolation techniques in natural and seminatural ecosystem surveys to determine the presence and distribution of Phytophthora spp. This is the first report of P. pseudocryptogea in Europe and its role in the holm oak decline should be further studied.

Menéndez Pelayo y la crisis intelectual de 1898

This paper examines the impact on Menéndez Pelayo of the events which ocurred in 1898. For this purpose his reactions to the Spanish Disaster are studied, as are his ideas about the decline of Spain, and his disappointment in politics as an instrument which would further the regenerative project that he had designed.

Demographic stagnation and decline in Spain: A cause for concern?

AbstractFor years, the Spanish population has been rapidly ageing, showing signs of atony and stagnation. Between 1996 and 2007, in a phase of economic growth, the entry of foreign immigrants drove a global increase in population. But after the economic recession migratory flows show negative net balances. Our objective is to explain and confirm the demographic regression suffered by Spain. We are also interested in showing how the recent and intense immigration process has failed to generate significant changes in natural demographic characteristics and trends. National censuses, published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), are our main source of demographic data. The analysis of the most recent relevant scientific literature has allowed us to compare opinions and discuss results. The data confirm an uncertain and worrying future for the Spanish population.

Testing Persistence of Cohort Effects in the Epidemiology of Suicide: an Age-Period-Cohort Hysteresis Model.

Birth cohort effects in suicide rates are well established, but to date there is no methodological approach or framework to test the temporal stability of these effects. We use the APC-Detrended (APCD) model to robustly estimate intensity of cohort effects identifying non-linear trends (or ‘detrended’ fluctuations) in suicide rates. The new APC-Hysteresis (APCH) model tests temporal stability of cohort effects. Analysing suicide rates in 25 WHO countries (periods 1970–74 to 2005–09; ages 20–24 to 70–79) with the APCD method, we find that country-specific birth cohort membership plays an important role in suicide rates. Among 25 countries, we detect 12 nations that show deep contrasts among cohort-specific suicide rates including Italy, Australia and the United States. The APCH method shows that cohort fluctuations are not stable across the life course but decline in Spain, France and Australia, whereas they remain stable in Italy, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. We discuss the Spanish case with elevated suicide mortality of cohorts born 1965–1975 which declines with age, and the opposite case of the United States, where the identified cohort effects of those born around 1960 increase smoothly, but statistically significant across the life course.

Analysis of cerebrovascular mortality trends in Spain from 1980 to 2011

IntroductionIn recent decades, mortality rates for cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) have declined significantly in many countries. This study analyses changes in CVD mortality rates in Spain (1980-2011) to determine if previously observed trends remain. Patients and methodsData on CVD mortality rates and the population data needed for the analysis were provided by Spain's National Statistics Institute. We calculated age-specific mortality rate, age-standardised overall mortality, and age-truncated mortality (35-64 years) using the direct method and standard European population structure. Joinpoint analysis was used to estimate the percentage of annual change in rates and identify significant changes in trends. ResultsCVD mortality rate decreased considerably and continuously over the last 32 years in all age groups and in both sexes in Spain. For both sexes, joinpoint analysis identifies a final period with more marked decline: 2005-2011 in women (−6.3%) and 2007-2011 in men (−7.2%). ConclusionsCVD mortality rates displayed a marked and continuous decline in Spain between 1980 and 2011. Due to the ageing of the population, doctors expect an increase in CVD prevalence and therefore its magnitude in terms of disability and healthcare costs, which poses a challenge to our health system.

Characterization of Cylindrodendrum, Dactylonectria and Ilyonectria isolates associated with loquat decline in Spain, with description of Cylindrodendrum alicantinum sp. nov.

We acknowledge Dr. L. Lombard and Prof. Dr. P.W. Crous (CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, The Netherlands) for valuable discussions and data sharing. This work was funded by the Cooperativa Agricola de Callosa d'En Sarria (Alicante, Spain). We would like to thank E. Soler for their technical assistance.

Has prostate cancer mortality stopped its decline in Spain?

ObjectiveTo describe the evolution of prostate cancer mortality in Spain during the period 1980–2013. Subject and methodThe prostate cancer mortality data and population data needed to calculate the indicators were provided by the National Institute of Statistics. We calculated the specific rates by age group, crude and standardized globally using the direct method (European standard population). The rates are expressed for 100,000 person-years. For the analysis of trends, we used joinpoint regression models. ResultsThe overall rates adjusted for age in Spain decreased from 21.7 to 15.4 deaths per 100,000 men-years between the starting and ending date of the study period (annual percentage change: −.9%; p<.05). The joinpoint analysis reflects 2 periods: 1980–1998 (.7% annual increase; p<.05) and 1998–2013, during which the rates decreased significantly (−3%; p<.05). Except for the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla where the rates remained stable over the course of the study period, the communities showed 1 or 2 points of inflection in the trends, and all had a final period with a reduction in the rates (except for Galicia and Catalonia, where the rates stabilized in 2008–2013). ConclusionThe decline in prostate cancer mortality in Spain appears to have stopped in Galicia and Catalonia.

Transferability of species distribution models: The case of Phytophthora cinnamomi in Southwest Spain and Southwest Australia

Species distribution models (SDMs) predict the probability of species occurrence based on their statistical relationships with environmental variables. Many studies have compared SDM algorithms and accuracies, but few have compared transferability of SDMs across disjunctive geographic areas and the impact of the number of variables on their performance and transferability. We compared the predictive power and transferability of ten SDM algorithms using Phytophthora cinnamomi point locations. P. cinnamomi Rands is an oomycete associated with Oak Decline in Spain and Jarrah Dieback in Australia. The environmental similarity between the two areas was assessed using Mahalanobis distances. Model performance was evaluated by area under the curve (AUC). The spatial distribution of P. cinnamomi was predicted satisfactorily (AUC>0.7) in Spain by nine algorithms, but only marginally (AUC>0.55) by all except one in Australia. Further, three machine-learning methods showed relatively high predictive power in the calibration areas combined with low transferability to the other continent, while two of the five regression models achieved reasonable accuracies within the calibration areas combined with a better intercontinental transferability compared to machine-learning methods. The SDM algorithms generated diverse responses to using less than five environmental variables. The most desirable combinations of model performance and transferability were achieved by General Linear Models (GLM) and Generalized Additive Models (GAM). MaxEnt performed at par with GLM and GAM in-situ as well as in transferring for one of the two directions. Moreover, MaxEnt provided the most robust response across the number of environmental variables tested.

Unravelling the associations between climate, soil properties and forest management in Pinus pinaster decline in the Iberian Peninsula

Forest decline may be a complex disease caused by the interaction of a number of interchangeable factors (both abiotic and biotic), leading to gradual deterioration of the forest. These factors have been classified as predisposing, inciting or contributing factors. Pinus pinaster Ait. is one of the most important forest species in Spain because of its protective value and the high timber yields obtained. Maritime pine decline has been observed in several forests in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, manifested as transparency at the crown, small needles, foliage discolouration and premature tree death. The aim of this study was to unravel the role of predisposing, inciting and contributing factors in Mediterranean maritime pine decline in Spain. Various parameters were measured in 27 circular plots of radius 15m in natural stands of P. pinaster ssp. mesogeensis. The data obtained indicated better forest health status in pure stands, in which thinning has been carried out, than in unthinned mixed stands. High values of total height and spring precipitation showed better forest health, whereas high tree density was associated with the poorest forest health status. The results suggest that predisposing factors such as competition and water deficit have triggered the decline of P. pinaster.

Pathogenicity testing of lesser-known fungal trunk pathogens associated with wood decay of almond trees

Cross infection of multiple hosts by fungal trunk pathogens has been reported to occur worldwide. It supports the hypothesis that infected hosts adjacent to vineyards may serve as sources of inoculum for these pathogens. Among the alternative hosts, different studies have shown that almond represents a rich catch-crop for many fungal trunk pathogens. The hyphomycetes Collophora hispanica, Phaeoacremonium (Pm.) amygdalinum, Pm. iranianum and Pleurostomophora richardsiae have recently been isolated from wood samples with internal necroses and brown to black vascular streaking of almond trees showing symptoms of decline in Spain, although their status as pathogens was so far unknown. We inoculated almond trees cv. Ferragnes with these fungal species in greenhouse experiments to determine their pathogenic potential. All of them infected, colonised and produced lesions statistically different from the control, Pl. richardsiae being the most aggressive. Therefore, Co. hispanica, Pm. amygdalinum, Pm. iranianum and Pl. richardsiae should be considered as trunk pathogens of almond trees.

Análisis de las tendencias en la mortalidad por enfermedades cerebrovasculares en España 1980-2011

IntroductionIn recent decades, mortality rates for cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) have declined significantly in many countries. This study analyses changes in CVD mortality rates in Spain (1980-2011) to determine if previously observed trends remain. Patients and methodsData on CVD mortality rates and the population data needed for the analysis were provided by Spain's National Statistics Institute. We calculated age-specific mortality rate, age-standardised overall mortality, and age-truncated mortality (35-64 years) using the direct method and standard European population structure. Joinpoint analysis was used to estimate the percentage of annual change in rates and identify significant changes in trends. ResultsCVD mortality rate decreased considerably and continuously over the last 32 years in all age groups and in both sexes in Spain. For both sexes, joinpoint analysis identifies a final period with more marked decline: 2005-2011 in women (−6.3%) and 2007-2011 in men (−7.2%). ConclusionsCVD mortality rates displayed a marked and continuous decline in Spain between 1980 and 2011. Due to the ageing of the population, doctors expect an increase in CVD prevalence and therefore its magnitude in terms of disability and healthcare costs, which poses a challenge to our health system.

Applicability ofAFLPFingerprinting Markers to Molecular Discrimination of the Three Main Fungal Species Associated with Grapevine Decline in Spain

AbstractDiplodia seriata,Phaeomoniella chlamydosporaandPhaeoacremonium aleophilumare the three main species associated with grapevine decline in Spain.AFLPmarkers were developed to discriminate Spanish populations of these species. The markers were used to genotype isolates ofD. seriata,P. chlamydosporaandP. aleophilum.AFLPmarkers were valuable in performing population genetic studies as genetic variability (Kx) ranged from 0.07 in theP. chlamydosporapopulation to 0.28 in theD. seriatapopulation. Species‐specific markers obtained using only twoAFLPcombinations clearly discriminateD. seriata,P. chlamydosporaandP. aleophilumand are a useful tool in simultaneous identification tests.