Late Hercynian leucogranites modelling as deduced from new gravity data: The example of the Millevaches massif (Massif Central, France)

The Millevaches granitic complex, located in the northern part of the French Massif Central, is elongated in a N-S direction, perpendicular to the main E-W trend of the Hercynian belt. It is affected on its limits and in its core by several ductile shear zones that have necessarily played a great role in the emplacement and exhumation of the massif. Based on gravity modelling and recent field observations, this study intends to highlight the massif structure at depth and discuss its mode of emplacement and relations with the surrounding terrains. The new gravity and density measurements on the north-east part of the Millevaches massif improve the gravity coverage of the northern Limousin. Using these new data we model the deep structure of the Millevaches plateau. The density measurements made on the different types of granites of the massif, and on the surrounding terrains improve the interpretation of the Bouguer anomaly. Analysis and inversion of the residual Bouguer anomaly in the area show that the Millevaches massif is 2 to 4 km-thick, from north to south and from west to east, locally rooting down to about 6 km deep in its eastern and southern terminations. These two zones coincide with porphyritic plutons and, because of the complex composite structure of the massif, cannot be definitively interpreted as feeding zones. In the field, the N-S-oriented Pradines vertical fault affects the core of the massif on 4 to 5 km width. Microstructural observations evidence that the faulting is contemporaneous of the granites emplacement. We suggest that this tectonic lineament could have triggered the migration of the magma, although it is not related to a clear gravity anomaly. AMS measurements in the north-central part of the Millevaches massif suggest that the magnetic foliation and lineation display a general sub-horizontal pattern. Moreover, on the western border of the Millevaches massif, the Argentat deep seismic profile shows sub-horizontal layering of gneisses and micaschists and evidences normal faulting offset of this layering along Argentat fault. This agrees fairly well with the gravity results, suggesting that (i) the Millevaches massif would be at a high structural level in the crust, (ii) the exhumation of the massif would have been favoured along the Argentat normal fault. As a whole, the massif can be described as a laccolith, 2 to 4 km-thick, emplaced as a "magmatic lens" into the sub-horizontally foliated gneisses and micaschists

Hydrogeological conceptual model of andesitic watersheds revealed by high-resolution heliborne geophysics

We conducted a multidisciplinary study at the watershed scale of an andesitic-type volcanic island in order to better characterize the hydrogeological functioning of aquifers and to better evaluate groundwater resources. A heliborne Time Domain ElectroMagnetic (TDEM) survey was conducted over Martinique in order to investigate underground volcanic structures and lithology, characterized by high lateral and vertical geological variability and resulting in a very high heterogeneity of their hydrogeological characteristics. Correlations were made on three adjacent watersheds between resistivity data along flight lines and geological and hydrogeological data from 51 boreholes and 24 springs, showing that the younger the formations, the higher their resistivity. Correlation between resistivity, geology and transmissivity data of three aquifers is attested: within the interval 10–100&thinsp;ohm&thinsp;m and within a range of 1 to 5.5&thinsp;Ma, the older the formation, the lower its resistivity, and the older the formation, the higher its transmissivity. Moreover, we demonstrate that the main geological structures lead to preferential flow circulations and that hydrogeological watersheds can differ from topographical watersheds. The consequence is that, even if the topographical watershed is small, underground flows from an adjacent watershed can add significant amounts of water to such a catchment. This effect is amplified when lava domes and their roots are situated upstream, as they present very high hydraulic conductivity leading to deep preferential groundwater flow circulations. We also reveal, unlike basaltic-type volcanic islands, that hydraulic conductivity increases with age in this andesitic-type volcanic island. This trend is interpreted as the consequence of tectonic fracturing associated with earthquakes in this subduction zone, related to andesitic volcanic islands. Finally, our approach allows characterization in detail of the hydrogeological functioning and identification of the properties of the main aquifer and aquitard units, leading to the proposition of a hydrogeological conceptual model at the watershed scale. This working scale seems particularly suitable due to the complexity of edifices, with heterogeneous geological formations presenting high lateral and vertical variability. Moreover, our study offers new guidelines for accurate correlations between resistivity, geology and hydraulic conductivity for volcanic islands. Finally, our results will also help stakeholders toward a better management of water resources.</p

Gravity anomalies, crustal structure and thermo-mechanical support of the Himalaya of Central Nepal

We use two gravity profiles that we measured across Central Nepal, in conjunction with existing data, to constrain the mechanical behaviour and the petrological structure of the lithosphere in the Himalayan collision zone. The data show (1) overcompensation of the foreland and undercompensation of the Higher Himalaya, as expected from the flexural support of the range; (2) a steep gravity gradient of the order of 1.3 mgal km^(−1) beneath the Higher Himalaya, suggesting a locally steeper Moho; and (3) a 10 km wide hinge in southern Tibet. We compare these data with a 2-D mechanical model in which the Indian lithosphere is flexed down by the advancing front of the range and sedimentation in the foreland. The model assumes brittle Coulomb failure and non-linear ductile flow that depends on local temperature, which is computed from a steady-state thermal model. The computed Moho fits seismological constraints and is consistent with the main trends in the observed Bouguer anomaly. It predicts an equivalent elastic thickness of 40–50 km in the foreland. The flexural rigidity decreases northwards due to thermal and flexural weakening, resulting in a steeper Moho dip beneath the high range. Residuals at short wavelengths (over distances of 20–30 km) are interpreted in terms of (1) sediment compaction in the foreland (Δρ = 150 kg m^(−3) between the Lower and Middle Siwaliks); (2) the contact between the Tertiary molasse and the meta-sediments of the Lesser Himalaya at the MBT (Δρ = 220 kg m^(−3)); and (3) the Palung granite intrusion in the Lesser Himalaya (Δρ = 80 kg m^(−3)). Finally, if petrological transformations expected from the local (P, T) are assumed, a gravity signature of the order of 250 mgal is predicted north of the Lesser Himalaya, essentially due to eclogitization of the lower crust, which is inconsistent with the gravity data. We conclude that eclogitization of the Indian crust does not take place as expected from a steady-state local equilibrium assumption. We show, however, that eclogitization might actually occur beneath southern Tibet, where it could explain the hinge observed in the gravity data. We suspect that these eclogites are subducted with the Indian lithosphere

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)

Improved risk stratification of patients with atrial fibrillation: an integrated GARFIELD-AF tool for the prediction of mortality, stroke and bleed in patients with and without anticoagulation.

OBJECTIVES: To provide an accurate, web-based tool for stratifying patients with atrial fibrillation to facilitate decisions on the potential benefits/risks of anticoagulation, based on mortality, stroke and bleeding risks. DESIGN: The new tool was developed, using stepwise regression, for all and then applied to lower risk patients. C-statistics were compared with CHA2DS2-VASc using 30-fold cross-validation to control for overfitting. External validation was undertaken in an independent dataset, Outcome Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (ORBIT-AF). PARTICIPANTS: Data from 39 898 patients enrolled in the prospective GARFIELD-AF registry provided the basis for deriving and validating an integrated risk tool to predict stroke risk, mortality and bleeding risk. RESULTS: The discriminatory value of the GARFIELD-AF risk model was superior to CHA2DS2-VASc for patients with or without anticoagulation. C-statistics (95% CI) for all-cause mortality, ischaemic stroke/systemic embolism and haemorrhagic stroke/major bleeding (treated patients) were: 0.77 (0.76 to 0.78), 0.69 (0.67 to 0.71) and 0.66 (0.62 to 0.69), respectively, for the GARFIELD-AF risk models, and 0.66 (0.64-0.67), 0.64 (0.61-0.66) and 0.64 (0.61-0.68), respectively, for CHA2DS2-VASc (or HAS-BLED for bleeding). In very low to low risk patients (CHA2DS2-VASc 0 or 1 (men) and 1 or 2 (women)), the CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED (for bleeding) scores offered weak discriminatory value for mortality, stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding. C-statistics for the GARFIELD-AF risk tool were 0.69 (0.64 to 0.75), 0.65 (0.56 to 0.73) and 0.60 (0.47 to 0.73) for each end point, respectively, versus 0.50 (0.45 to 0.55), 0.59 (0.50 to 0.67) and 0.55 (0.53 to 0.56) for CHA2DS2-VASc (or HAS-BLED for bleeding). Upon validation in the ORBIT-AF population, C-statistics showed that the GARFIELD-AF risk tool was effective for predicting 1-year all-cause mortality using the full and simplified model for all-cause mortality: C-statistics 0.75 (0.73 to 0.77) and 0.75 (0.73 to 0.77), respectively, and for predicting for any stroke or systemic embolism over 1 year, C-statistics 0.68 (0.62 to 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: Performance of the GARFIELD-AF risk tool was superior to CHA2DS2-VASc in predicting stroke and mortality and superior to HAS-BLED for bleeding, overall and in lower risk patients. The GARFIELD-AF tool has the potential for incorporation in routine electronic systems, and for the first time, permits simultaneous evaluation of ischaemic stroke, mortality and bleeding risks. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362) and for ORBIT-AF (NCT01165710)

Two-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation: results from GARFIELD-AF.

AIMS: The relationship between outcomes and time after diagnosis for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is poorly defined, especially beyond the first year. METHODS AND RESULTS: GARFIELD-AF is an ongoing, global observational study of adults with newly diagnosed NVAF. Two-year outcomes of 17 162 patients prospectively enrolled in GARFIELD-AF were analysed in light of baseline characteristics, risk profiles for stroke/systemic embolism (SE), and antithrombotic therapy. The mean (standard deviation) age was 69.8 (11.4) years, 43.8% were women, and the mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3.3 (1.6); 60.8% of patients were prescribed anticoagulant therapy with/without antiplatelet (AP) therapy, 27.4% AP monotherapy, and 11.8% no antithrombotic therapy. At 2-year follow-up, all-cause mortality, stroke/SE, and major bleeding had occurred at a rate (95% confidence interval) of 3.83 (3.62; 4.05), 1.25 (1.13; 1.38), and 0.70 (0.62; 0.81) per 100 person-years, respectively. Rates for all three major events were highest during the first 4 months. Congestive heart failure, acute coronary syndromes, sudden/unwitnessed death, malignancy, respiratory failure, and infection/sepsis accounted for 65% of all known causes of death and strokes for <10%. Anticoagulant treatment was associated with a 35% lower risk of death. CONCLUSION: The most frequent of the three major outcome measures was death, whose most common causes are not known to be significantly influenced by anticoagulation. This suggests that a more comprehensive approach to the management of NVAF may be needed to improve outcome. This could include, in addition to anticoagulation, interventions targeting modifiable, cause-specific risk factors for death. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Implications of serial measurements of natriuretic peptides in heart failure: insights from BIOSTAT‐CHF

No abstract available

Gravity inversion, AMS and geochronological investigations of syntectonic granitic plutons in the southern part of the Variscan French Massif Central

Magnetic fabric analyses, gravity inversion associated with chemical U-Th-Pb dating and structural observations are carried out to elucidate relationships between faulting and magmatic processes. This multidisciplinary study has been undertaken on Late Carboniferous plutons, situated in the southern part of the Variscan French Massif Central (FMC). The Glénat, Omps and Boisset plutons crop out on both sides of the crustal-scale Sillon Houiller Fault (SHF). The Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) measurements and structural observations show that (i) the plutons acquired their final structure during the magma crystallization and record a NW-SE maximum stretching trend; (ii) in the Boisset pluton, post-magmatic fabrics predominate with a NNW-SSE trending lineation. The structural pattern deduced from the AMS study is thus consistent with the NW-SE late orogenic extensional tectonic regime that has been documented in other parts of the FMC during Late Carboniferous. The 3D geological modelling refined by 3D gravity inversion does not show any evidence of rooting of the granites along the SHF. Therefore, despite the apparent cartographic relationship between the SHF and the three plutons, our study does not support a genetic link between fault and plutons. It also questions the existence of the SHF in this part of the Massif Central at the time of pluton emplacement, and emphasises the dominant role of the regional tectonic framework rather than local faulting as a factor controlling pluton emplacement. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Pull-apart emplacement of the Margeride granitic complex (French Massif Central). Implications for the late evolution of the Variscan orogen

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