José Miguel Molina

Troponin I and risk stratification of patients with acute nonmassive pulmonary embolism

The assessment of risk and appropriate treatment of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a challenge. The prognostic performance of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in predicting 30-day all-cause mortality was prospectively assessed in consecutive haemodynamically stable patients with PE. The present study included 318 haemodynamically stable patients with PE. During the 30-day study period, 23 (7%) patients died. cTnI was elevated (≥0.1 ng·mL−1) in 102 (32%) patients. An age >65 yrs, systolic blood pressure <120 mmHg and severity of illness assessed using the PE severity index (PESI) were significantly associated with an increased risk for mortality, but no significant association was found between elevation of cTnI and 30-day mortality in a logistic regression analysis. When only fatal PE was considered, multivariate analysis showed that severity of illness using the PESI and an elevated cTnI (odds ratio 3.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–12.8) were associated with a significant increase in the risk for death. The negative predictive value (95% CI) of a negative cTnI for mortality was 93 (90–97)%. In conclusion, in haemodynamically stable patients with acute pulmonary embolism, cardiac troponin I was not an independent predictor of 30-day all-cause mortality, although it did predict fatal pulmonary embolism.

Calcareous tempestites in pelagic facies (Jurassic, Betic Cordilleras, Southern Spain)

Calcareous tempestite levels interbedded with Ammonitico Rosso and other related pelagic facies have been recognized. The previously described examples of calcareous tempestites in pelagic facies are scarce. The studied outcrops are Middle and Late Jurassic in age and correspond to ancient sediments in the Southern Iberian Continental Paleomargin. These outcrops are now included in a notably deformed geological unit (External Subbetic) in the External Zones of the Betic Cordillera. The calcareous tempestites are calcarenite and calcisiltite beds, grainstone and packstone with peloids and bioclasts (mainly ‘filaments’ and Saccocoma), showing an internal structure with hummocky cross-stratification. The deposits are thought to be formed by tropical storms and hurricanes and their recurrence intervals have been estimated (200 ka in average). The presence of these calcareous tempestite levels and the symmetrical wave-ripples on the top of the beds are two important arguments in favour of a palaeobathymetric interpretation of related pelagic sediments in the sense that the deposition occurred below, but near to the storm wave base, and that calcareous tempestites are episodic resedimentation, mainly coincident with relative sea-level falls (lowstand phases), in which major storm waves affect the sea bottom.

Paleokarst and Related Pelagic Sediments in the Jurassic of the Subbetic Zone, Southern Spain

Several paleokarst terranes occur in the Jurassic of the Subbetic Zone (Betic Cordillera, southern Spain). They are related to stratigraphic breaks which affected the Subbetic basin during the Carixian (Middle Liassic), earliest Middle Jurassic, and the latest Bathonian. These paleokarst surfaces have been buried by pelagic sediments. They are interpreted to be related to the temporal and local emergence of pelagic swells resulting from both listric faulting and eustatic sealevel movement.

A review of polyphase karstification in extensional tectonic regimes: Jurassic and Cretaceous examples, Betic Cordillera, southern Spain

Abstract Five karstification phases are recognized and analysed in the Mesozoic carbonate sequences of the External and Internal Subbetic (Betic Cordilleras, southern Spain). These phases are related to important stratigraphic discontinuities in the following ages: (1) Intra-Carixian, (2) Early–Middle Jurassic boundary, (3) late Bathonian–early Callovian, (4) Intra-Kimmeridgian, and (6) late Albian. The importance of each karstification phase is variable according to the region. Moreover, not all the karstic phases occur in every area, although in some places several phases may be superimposed, appearing as discrete palaeokarst features or overprinting earlier ones. In the case of polyphase karstification each successive karstic process modified earlier features and was also conditioned by them. This interdependence complicates any attempt to isolate the individual karst events. The interpretation of the genetic history of the palaeokarst as a whole, therefore, requires the integration of data from different outcrops, where they need to be particularly well exposed. This is the only way to arrive at an accurate hypothesis. The five described palaeokarst phases are closely related to the rifting evolution of the Southern Iberian palaeomargin. They coincide with episodes of sudden sea-level fall in the External and Internal Subbetic caused by local tectonic events, commonly involving block-tilting related to the movement of listric faults differing in magnitude in each palaeogeographic–palaeotectonic range, and eustatic sea-level changes.

Serpulid-Frutexites assemblage from shadow-cryptic environments in Jurassic marine caves, Betic Cordillera, southern Spain

Abstract In the Middle–Upper Jurassic boundary of the External Subbetic, there are abundant discontinuities with neptunian dikes and sills composed of Callovian–lower Tithonian deposits. In cavities developed on a slope with escarpments, cryptobiontic communities were preserved in life position. These cavities were excavated beneath a hardground covering the upper surface of Bathonian oolitic limestones deposited in very shallow pelagic carbonate platforms. The biogenic crusts are composed mainly of serpulids and Frutexites—laminated dendrolitic microstructures—and, secondarily, by sessile foraminifera. The serpulids were pioneer organisms during colonization of the walls of small cavities in stressed shadow-cryptic environments. Serpulid aggregates then grew downward from the top walls of the cavities. The colonization of serpulid tubes was mainly after the death of organisms, first by microborers, secondly by Frutexites, and later by sessile foraminifera. The preferential colonization of these cryptic environments by serpulids can be interpreted as due to possible photophobic behavior and or the possibility of avoiding space competition or predation.

ANOMALOUS REVERSE ZONING OF SAPONITE AND CORRENSITE CAUSED BY CONTACT METAMORPHISM AND HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION OF MARLY ROCKS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBVOLCANIC BODIES

The effects of a subvolcanic intrusion on its host rocks in the Priego de Córdoba area (SE Spain) was studied by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. The intrusion of a laccolith of stratiform dolerite in partially consolidated marly sediments at quite shallow depths below the ocean floor took place during the intracontinental rifting phase of the Subbetic zone of the Betic Cordilleras. In the first stage, contact metamorphism caused the crystallization of calc-silicate consisting of grossular andradite garnet, diopside, vesuvianite and titanite for which the upper temperature limit was 500°C. Phyllosilicates are found in a network of veins cross-cutting the carbonate and calc-silicate matrix, indicating their formation during a process of hydrothermal alteration superimposed on the contact aureole. In the area closest to the subvolcanic rocks, saponite is the main phyllosilicate although some dispersed chlorite is found. In the zone furthest from the contact, corrensite together with saponite and beidellitic smectites were observed. The presence of low-temperature phases (saponite) in the area closest to the laccolith reveals the evolution of the hydrothermal system toward cooler conditions. In the early stage, the circulation of a hot hydrothermal fluid caused the crystallization of chlorite in the area surrounding the subvolcanic body and corrensite in the more distal area, which might have begun even during the contact metamorphism stage. A cooling phase followed, resulting in the crystallization of saponite in the host rocks, and the crystallization of dioctahedral and trioctahedral smectites inside the subvolcanic body.

Jurassic radiolarites in a Tethyan continental margin (Subbetic, southern Spain): palaeobathymetric and biostratigraphic considerations

Abstract A region of the pelagic Subbetic basin within the Southern Iberian Continental Margin is studied in lithostratigraphical and biostratigraphical detail. Jurassic radiolarites (Jarropa Radiolarite Formation, Bathonian–Oxfordian) interbedded with shallow-water marine limestones have been recognized. Underlying the radiolarites (Camarena Formation, Bajocian) are oolitic limestones showing shallowing-upward cycles with karstic surfaces on the top, corresponding to deposition on an isolated carbonate platform on volcanic edifices. The Milanos Formation (upper Kimmeridgian–Tithonian), overlying the radiolarites, contains calciclastic strata with hummocky cross-stratification, which indicate outer carbonate ramp deposition. In the Jarropa Radiolarite Formation some calcisiltite strata with hummocky cross-stratification have been found. The bathymetry of the Subbetic Jurassic pelagic sediments, including the radiolarites, is considered as moderate or shallow in depth. We suggest that the pelagic character of the Jurassic sediments in this margin and their equivalents in other Alpine domains is a consequence of distance from the continent (beyond the pericontinental platform) but not necessarily of depositional depth.

Evolution of pelagic swells from hardground analysis (Bathonian–Oxfordian, Eastern External Subbetic, southern Spain)

The Middle Bathonian to Middle Oxfordian interval in the Eastern External Subbetic (Betic Cordillera, SE Spain) is characterized by Ammonitico Rosso facies including various stratigraphic breaks. Five hardground-bounded units are recognized in relation to hiatuses in the ammonite record at the following stratigraphic boundaries: Hg1 (Lower–Middle Bathonian), Hg2 (Middle–Upper Bathonian), Hg3 (Lower–Middle Callovian), Hg4 (Middle–Upper Callovian), and Hg5 (Callovian–Oxfordian). Interesting features of these hardgrounds include their microfacies, ferruginous crusts and macro-oncoids, taphonomy of macroinvertebrates, trace fossils, neptunian dykes, and the hiatuses associated with each of them. The main hardgrounds (Hg1, Hg2, and Hg5) contain trace fossils of the Cruziana and Trypanites ichnofacies as well as abundant fossil macroinvertebrates with taphonomic features evidencing corrasion, early diagenesis, and reworking, indicating substrate evolution from softground to hardground. Neptunian dykes affected the trace fossils and ammonoid moulds, and their walls and the hardground surfaces were colonized by ferruginous microbial crusts. These features are characteristic of the External Subbetic pelagic swells, where the absence of sedimentation, sediment bypassing and erosion, and early diagenesis during relative sea-level falls produced hardgrounds. The neptunian dykes are indicative of tectonic activity in the areas of pelagic swells. Ferruginous crusts and macro-oncoids developed only on hardground surfaces and neptunian dykes walls prior to deposition of condensed bioclastic beds, which are interpreted as the first deposits after hardground development and are related to the onset of transgression. The varying ranges of the gaps as well as lateral facies changes are related to different local paleobathymetry controlled by the activity of listric faults.

Palaeokarst and rauhwacke development, mountain uplift and subaerial sliding of tectonic sheets (northern Sierra de los Filabres, Betic Cordilleras, Spain)

The rauhwackes near Serón in the northern Sierra de los Filabres (S Spain), previously considered as true tectonic breccias, are reinterpreted on the basis of sedimentological, geomorphological and geometrical evidence as subaerial or nearly subaerial sedimentary deposits. Channel fills, parallel lamination, cross-lamination, graded bedding, sedimentary clastic dykes and other sedimentary structures and features occur in the rauhwacke body. These sedimentary rocks correspond to continental deposits of alluvial and karstic origin deposited over a karstified erosional surface of Nevado–Filabride marbles. Although no fossils have been found in the rauhwackes, a Tortonian age for these rocks is suggested on the basis of structural arguments and lithostratigraphic data from the nearby Almanzora basin. The rauhwackes were buried by slabs of Alpujarride rocks that gravitationally slid over them during the uplifting of the Sierra de los Filabres.

Median Subbetic Outcrops

The Iznalloz (IZ) section is located in the km 13 of the Granada-Moreda railway scarpment (N 37° 23′ 24.4″; E 03° 29′ 19.5″), 3 km east of the village of Iznalloz (Granada Province, Figs. 3.1 and 4.1). The study section pertains to the Toarcian of the Zegri Formation, and contains alternating marls and marly limestones in the lower part with nodular marly limestones (ammonitico rosso facies) in the upper part.