The metamorphism and exhumation of the Himalayan metamorphic core, eastern Garhwal region, India

[1] Geothermobarometric together with micro- and macro-structural data indicate ductile flow in the metamorphic core of the Himalaya in the Garhwal region of India. Peak metamorphic pressure and temperature increase dramatically across the Main Central Thrust (MCT) from ~5 kbar and ~550°C in the Lesser Himalayan Crystalline Sequence (LHCS) to ~14 kbar and ~850°C at ~3 km above the MCT in the Greater Himalayan Sequence (GHS). Pressures within the GHS then decrease upsection to ~8 kbar while temperatures remain nearly constant at ~850°C up to the structurally overlying South Tibetan Detachment (STD). The GHS exhibits sheath fold geometries are indicative of high degrees of ductile flow. Overprinting ductile structures are two populations of extensional conjugate fractures and normal faults oriented both parallel and perpendicular to the orogen. These fractures crosscut major tectonic boundaries in the region such as the MCT and STD, and are found throughout the LHCS, GHS, and Tethyan Sedimentary Sequence (TSS). The thermobarometric and metamorphic observations are consistent with a form of channel flow. However, channel flow does not account for exhumational structures that formed above the brittle-ductile transition. To explain all of the features seen in the metamorphic core of the Garhwal region of the Himalaya, both the theories of channel flow and critical taper must be taken into account. Channel flow can explain the exhumation of the GHS from the middle crust to the brittle-ductile transition. The most recent extensional deformation is consistent with a supercritical wedge

Clinical significance of prostatic-urethral angulation on the treatment outcome of patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia treated with tamsulosin hydrochloride

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the prostatic-urethral angulation (PUA) on the treatment efficacy of selective alpha-1A receptor blocker in male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH). Materials and methods: A total of 80 patients with LUTS/BPH and with mean age 53.3 ± 6.3 (range 47-70) were included in our prospective comparative study. The patients were classified into 2 groups as a consecutive cases 40 in each one depending on the PUA either ≤ 35° (group A) or > 35° (group B). PUA and different prostatic parameters were measured using transrectal ultrasound. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA), the International Prostate Symptom Score and quality of life score (IPSS/QoL score), maximum flow rate (Qmax), and postvoid residual (PVR) volume were compared between the groups. The clinical significance of PUA was evaluated after 8 weeks of medical treatment with tamsulosin hydrochloride 0.4 mg daily. Results: Baseline evaluation (pre-treatment) for both groups were comparable to each other with no clinically significant difference regarding age, PSA, IPSS/QoL score, Qmax and PVR volume (P-value > 0.05). Comparison of parameters after 8 weeks showed that tamsulosin hydrochloride improved the total IPSS and all subscores (P < 0.001), QoL (P = 0.001), Qmax (P = 0.002), and PVR (P = 0.04) in group A (Table 1). Conclusion: Tamsulosin hydrochloride appears to be less effective in improving IPSS/Qol score, Qmax and PVR in patients with lager PUA. The PUA might be a predictor for the treatment efficacy of α-blockers and more studies are warranted in the future before the final conclusion