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Tile Marquesado area of the Betic Cordillera, southeastern Spain, contains two iron deposits (Alquife and Las Piletas) located within a metamorphosed Permian to Triassic carbonate sequence. The main mineralization at Las Piletas forms stratiform lenses of specular hematite, whereas the mineralization at Alquife consists of irregular bodies of sideritic marble, transformed to goethite and hematite by weathering processes. REE patterns of the host rocks show trends either typical of marine carbonates or similar to those of the specular hematite and siderite, the latter two characterized by upward-convex REE trends and a positive Eu anomaly. Specular hematite and siderite have 87Sr/86Sr values from 0.7095 to 0.7104 and from 0.7103 to 0.7117, respectively, whereas the host carbonates are less radiogenic (87Sr/86Sr vahms from 0.7077-0.7085). Siderite has δ 13C and δ 18O values of -7.6 to -7.9 per mil (PDB) and 18.68 to 20.00 per mil (SMOW), respectively, whereas the host carbonates have δ 13C and δ 18O values of-l.40 to +2.02 per mil (PDB) and +19.32 to +25.11 per mil (SMOW). Both the mineralization and host rocks show a broad negative correlation between δ 13C and 87Sr/86Sr and between δ 18O and 87Sr/86Sr. Field and petrographic data, together with geochemical and isotopic data, indicate that formation of the deposits resulted from both exhalative sedimentary and replacement processes at temperatures between 150° and 200°C from originally hot (> 200°-250°C) crustal hydrothermal fluids enriched in radiogenic Sr and isotopically light C and O. The hydrothervmd system acquired abundant Fe by leaching graphite-bearing metapelites under acid conditions within the underlying Paleozoie basement. A stratiform iron oxide facies (precursor of the specular hematite mineralization) formed by precipitation in a Triassic depositional basin under oxidizing conditions at Las Piletas. In contrast, irregular siderite bodies formed by metasomatic replacement of the Triassic carbonates under reducing conditions in the Alquife area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium mineralization is common in the Central Iberian Zone and, to a lesser extent, in the Galizia-Trás-Os- Montes Zone of Spain and Portugal, occurring along a ~500 km-long NNW-SSE striking belt. There are different styles of Li mineralization along this belt; they are mainly associated with aplite-pegmatite bodies and, to a much lesser extent, with veins of quartz and phosphate. Lithium mineralization in the Central Iberian Zone may be classified into four types: aplite-pegmatite dykes occurring in pegmatitic fields, Li mineralization associated with leucogranitic cupolas, beryl-phosphate pegmatites and quartz-montebrasite veins. The main Li minerals of these bodies include Li-mica, spodumene and/or petalite in the pegmatitic fields and leucogranitic cupolas; triphylite-lithiophilite in the beryl-phosphate pegmatites, and amblygonite-montebrasite in the quartz-montebrasite veins. The origin of these different styles of mineralization is considered to be related to differentiation of peraluminous melts, which were generated by partial melting of metasedimentary rocks during the Variscan orogeny. On the basis of paragenesis and chemical composition, the pegmatitic fields and Li mineralization associated with granitic cupolas record the highest fractionation levels, whereas the beryl-phosphate pegmatites and quartz-montebrasite veins show lower degrees of fractionation. There are a number of textural and mineralogical indicators for Li exploration in the Central Iberian Zone and in the Galizia-Trás-Os-Montes Zone, with the highest economic potential for Li being in the pegmatite fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Pinilla de Fermoselle pegmatite is a cap-like body with an asymmetrical vertical zoning, from a granitic facies at the bottom to the upper contact with the metamorphic country-rocks. The granite grades imperceptibly into the pegmatite, which includes three main zones with different degrees of enrichment in Li+F+B (±P, Rb, Cs, Be, Sn). The essential minerals are quartz, feldspar, Al-micas from the muscovite–lepidolite series, Fe-micas (biotite and zinnwaldite), tourmaline (schorl–elbaite–rossmanite) and Fe–Mn phosphates. Apatite, beryl, cassiterite and cookeite are the most significant accessory minerals. The trace elements Li, Be and Sr show similar trends in feldspar, micas and tourmaline, with an increase in the Li and Be contents and a decrease in Sr from the granite to the most evolved pegmatitic zone. Similar trends are shown by Rb, Cs and Ba for micas and K-feldspar, Rb and Cs increasing gradually from the granite to most evolved pegmatitic zones, simultaneously to the decrease of Ba. In tourmaline Nb and Ta contents increase upwards whereas Zn contents decrease in the same way. The Mn contents increase until intermediate degrees of evolution, and decrease again in the pinkish elbaite. Combined field, petrographic and geochemical data are consistent with a fractional crystallization model from a granitic melt, with a clear petrogenetic relationship between the underlying peraluminous granite and the pegmatite body. K-feldspar and, particularly, micas and tourmaline appear as good geochemical monitors using trace elements such as Li, Rb, Be, Sr and Ba, which offer intriguing insights into the petrogenesis of pegmatites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To perform an analysis of the quality of life of survivors after ICU discharge., Design: Prospective study., Setting: Medical-surgical ICU of a Spanish reference hospital., Patients: Patients (n = 606) admitted in a 6-month period., Method: A questionnaire regarding quality of life issues was completed at the time of admission by patients or surrogates (n = 606). The questionnaire was given again 12 months after ICU discharge to 444 surviving patients. Both questionnaires evaluated the patient's ability to function and communicate for the previous 3 months. A Quality of Life score of 0 corresponded to no limitations. An increasing score indicated a reduction in function. A score of greater than 10 points implied a severe physical handicap. Information was also collected on the severity of illness and the diagnosis that prompted ICU admission., Results: The mean Quality of Life score of all survivors worsened from a mean of 4.62 at the time of ICU admission to a mean of 6.11 at 12 months after ICU discharge (p less than .01) and was most evident for patients greater than 75 yrs of age (from a mean of 6.33 to a mean of 9.54). However, patients with the highest initial Quality of Life scores had a significant improvement at 12 months (14.61 +/- 0.50 to 12.48 +/- 0.78 points [p less than .05]). A higher severity of illness score corresponded to a higher Quality of Life score, but a multivariate analysis indicated that the factors with the greatest influence on the post-discharge Quality of Life score were the initial Quality of Life score and age., Conclusions: Twelve months after discharge from the ICU, a patient's functional status, as measured by the Quality of Life score, is influenced most by age and their Quality of Life score at the time of ICU admission. While there is an overall decrease in the Quality of Life score for survivors, admission and treatment in an ICU do not always result in deterioration of the Quality of Life score. This study indicates that Quality of Life scores could become a routine part of patient evaluation.