Decomposition analysis of Spanish life expectancy at birth

Using data from the Human Mortality Database (HMD), the paper analyzes the increase in the life expectancy of the Spanish population during the three decades, 1970-2001, in order to ascertain which age and sex groups have made the most progress in terms of increasing life expectancy. Within the theoretical context of Health Transition, the authors provide a brief description of the Spanish mortality during the XXth century across several indexes. The study uses a decomposition technique to separate changes in Spanish life expectancy at birth (e0) into age, sex, and time components. The most important components of change are found in the elderly, in young people, and in the evolution to sex differences in human mortality.decomposition, health, health transition, Human Mortality Database, life expectancy, mortality, mortality trends, Spain

CD44-high neural crest stem-like cells are associated with tumour aggressiveness and poor survival in neuroblastoma tumours

BACKGROUND: Neuroblastoma is a paediatric tumour originated from sympathoadrenal precursors and characterized by its heterogeneity and poor outcome in advanced stages. Intra-tumoral cellular heterogeneity has emerged as an important feature in neuroblastoma, with a potential major impact on tumour aggressiveness and response to therapy. CD44 is an adhesion protein involved in tumour progression, metastasis and stemness in different cancers; however, there has been controversies about the significance of CD44 expression in neuroblastoma and its relationship with tumour progression. METHODS: We have performed transcriptomic analysis on patient tumour samples studying the outcome of patients with high CD44 expression. Adhesion, invasion and proliferation assays were performed in sorted CD44high neuroblastoma cells. Tumoursphere cultures have been used to enrich in undifferentiated stem-like cells and to asses self-renewal and differentiation potential. We have finally performed in vivo tumorigenic assays on cell line-derived or Patient-derived xenografts. FINDINGS: We show that high CD44 expression is associated with low survival in high-grade human neuroblastoma, independently of MYCN amplification. CD44 is expressed in a cell population with neural crest stem-like features, and with the capacity to generate multipotent, undifferentiated tumourspheres in culture. These cells are more invasive and proliferative in vitro. CD44 positive cells obtained from tumours are more tumorigenic and metastatic, giving rise to aggressive neuroblastic tumours at high frequency upon transplantation. INTERPRETATION: We describe an unexpected intra-tumoural heterogeneity within cellular entities expressing CD44 in neuroblastoma, and propose that CD44 has a role in neural crest stem-like undifferentiated cells, which can contribute to tumorigenesis and malignancy in this type of cancer. FUNDING: Research supported by grants from the "Asociación Española contra el Cáncer" (AECC), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation SAF program (SAF2016-80412-P), and the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant to RP).Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation SAF program (SAF2016-80412-P

Rasgos morfométricos y morfodinámicos de los glaciares rocosos relictos de la Sierra de Gistredo (Montaña Cantábrica, León)

566 p.La constatación de glaciares rocosos relictos en el Noroeste de las Montañas Cantábricas se inicia al final de la década de los ochenta del siglo pasado con el trabajo de Alonso(1989) en la zona de Degaña-Leitariegos, existiendo nuevas aportaciones a lo largo de los noventa y principios de sigl

Distribución y caracterización de bloques aradores en el noroeste de la península ibérica: el Alto Sil y el macizo de Vizcodillo

Los bloques aradores son una de las formas periglaciares más características de las montañas ibéricas, pero los estudios específicos sobre los mismos son muy escasos. En este trabajo se presentan datos de medio centenar de bloques de dos enclaves del noroeste ibérico: el Alto Sil (Cordillera Cantábrica) y el macizo de Vizcodillo (Sierra de la Cabrera). En ambos lugares se han tomado medidas de las características de los bloques (dimensiones, orientación, litología), así como de los surcos (longitud) y los montones (altura) generados, y de las pendientes (orientación, pendiente) en las que se ubican. Se encuentran en zonas elevadas (1855-2116 m) con orientación entre norte y este, con pen-dientes más suaves (4 a 28º) en Vizcodillo que en el Alto Sil (16 y 40º), ya que en el primero de los lugares se encuentran en una superficie elevada por encima de los circos, mientras que en el Alto Sil están dentro de las laderas de los mismos. Su tamaño oscila entre 54 y los 440 cm de eje mayor, orientados preferentemente en el sentido de la ladera. Los surcos son relativamente cortos (menos de 1 m en varios casos), aunque algunos superan los 3 a 5 m, mientras que los montones presentan una altura modesta, entre 20 y 50 cm en la mayoría de los casos. Aunque la mayor parte parecen inactivos, hemos observado desplazamientos al menos en 2006 y 2015 en algunos de ellos, con movimientos de entre 10 y 35 cm, pudiendo ser movimientos relativamente rápidos. El movimiento ocasional de los bloques parece estar ligado a la existencia de unas condiciones térmicas adecuadas durante un año concreto, si bien aún se tienen pocos datos sobre esa relación. En todo caso, en uno de los bloques se observó que la congelación estacional del suelo superaba los 50 c

Evidencias de “permafrost” en el extremo sur de Los Andes (Tierra del Fuego) según el régimen térmico de los glaciares rocosos del Cerro Krund

Se presentan, por primera vez en Tierra del Fuego, los datos de temperatura del suelo y del aire de dos glaciares rocosos en el circo del Cerro Krund, en extremo sur de los Andes, a altitudes comprendidas entre 750 y 885 m durante los años 2009 y 2010. Los datos obtenidos, junto a las observaciones realizadas en la zona y la dinámica observada entre 2004 y 2010 evidencian que el más elevado es un glaciar rocoso activo, lo cual confirma la presencia de permafrost, para este sector de la Sierra de Alvear por encima de los 850 metros. Por debajo de esa cota, en la que se localiza el otro glaciar rocoso, no hay evidencias de permafrost, por lo cual lo consideramos relicto.We present air and ground thermal temperature data of some places located between 750 and 885 m.a.s.l. around two rock glaciers in the Cerro Krund cirque (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina) at altitudes between 750 and 885 m during the years 2009 and 2010. The data obtained, together with geomorphological observations and the dynamics observed between 2004 and 2010 show that the highest is an active rock glacier, which confirms the presence of permafrost for this sector of the Sierra de Alvear above 850 meters. Bellow this altitude, in the lower rock glacier, we could not found any permafrost evidences.peerReviewe

Glaciokarst landforms in the Sierra de los Grajos, Babia and Luna natural park (Cantabrian Mountains, NW Spain)

Producción CientíficaLandforms resulting from the interaction between paleo-glaciers and karst are studied by using the Sierra de los Grajos (Cantabrian Mountains) as a model. This area contains glacial landforms that have not interested geomorphologists due to their low altitude (Peña Castillo is about 1857 m a.s.l.), the absence of glacial cirques and the scarcity of large moraines. However, the prevalence of groundwater flow and chemical dissolution has favoured the preservation of glacial landforms. Lateral and frontal moraines show three main glacial stages and other minor glacier stabilization phases, with the paleo-ELA oscillating between 1650 and 1760 m. Moraines are combined with depressions and sinks resulting from subglacial karstic drainage. This convergence of forms and processes is an exception in the Cantabrian Mountains, where postglacial erosion has usually eroded the frontal moraines and the proglacial sediments. In the case of the Sierra de los Grajos, despite the underground drainage and preservation of many glacial deposits on karstic landforms, an outwash-plain was formed. These proglacial sediments and others from non-karstified areas filled the depressions of the preglacial terrain located at their edges. The main glaciokarstic landforms have been mapped and a sedimentological analysis of the outwash plain was made in order to reconstruct the glacial dynamics of this area.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (projects CGL2016-76215-R and CGL2015-65569-R