The effects of wrench-dominated basement-involved faults on folding of overlying strata in the Bahregansar anticline, western Persian Gulf, Iran

Basement-involved fault geometry and kinematics has a systematic effect on the structural style of the tectonic setting. In this study, 2D and 3D seismic datasets, well data as well as thickness and depth maps were utilized to consider and reconstruct the characteristics and effects of the wrench-dominated basement-involved fault underlying the Bahregansar anticline, which is a gentle, elongated and NW–SE-trending structure in the NW Persian Gulf, on the nature of its folded strata. Moreover, using the 2D sequential restoration, the deformation of the basement structural features was modelled and analysed for its influence on the reactivation of faulting. The results show that the major basement-involved fault, called the Hendijan–Bahregansar–Nowrooz Fault (HBNF), extends along the NE–SW-trending orientation and consist of several key anticlines. The structural evolution of the Bahregansar anticline has been deeply affected by Turonian folding phase and Pliocene Zagros orogeny associated with the HBNF. In the Upper Cretaceous, the HBNF propagated upward through the overlying sedimentary sequences when the inherited normal fault contractionally reactivated in the sinistral-reverse sense as the transpression zone in response to the Neo-Tethys oceanic plate subduction under the Eurasian plate. In this regard, the NNE–SSW-trending Bahregansar anticline (i.e., Arabian trend) formed as a forced fold. Continuing oblique convergence and associated deformation was accommodated by a change in the HBNF displacement sense from sinistral to dextral movement and buckling of the Bahregansar anticline as a result of the Pliocene Zagros orogeny

The effects of wrench-dominated basement-involved faults on folding of overlying strata in the Bahregansar anticline, western Persian Gulf, Iran

Basement-involved fault geometry and kinematics has a systematic effect on the structural style of the tectonic setting. In this study, 2D and 3D seismic datasets, well data as well as thickness and depth maps were utilized to consider and reconstruct the characteristics and effects of the wrench-dominated basement-involved fault underlying the Bahregansar anticline, which is a gentle, elongated and NW–SE-trending structure in the NW Persian Gulf, on the nature of its folded strata. Moreover, using the 2D sequential restoration, the deformation of the basement structural features was modelled and analysed for its influence on the reactivation of faulting. The results show that the major basement-involved fault, called the Hendijan–Bahregansar–Nowrooz Fault (HBNF), extends along the NE–SW-trending orientation and consist of several key anticlines. The structural evolution of the Bahregansar anticline has been deeply affected by Turonian folding phase and Pliocene Zagros orogeny associated with the HBNF. In the Upper Cretaceous, the HBNF propagated upward through the overlying sedimentary sequences when the inherited normal fault contractionally reactivated in the sinistral-reverse sense as the transpression zone in response to the Neo-Tethys oceanic plate subduction under the Eurasian plate. In this regard, the NNE–SSW-trending Bahregansar anticline (i.e., Arabian trend) formed as a forced fold. Continuing oblique convergence and associated deformation was accommodated by a change in the HBNF displacement sense from sinistral to dextral movement and buckling of the Bahregansar anticline as a result of the Pliocene Zagros orogeny

Age-Related Adaptation of Bone-PDL-Tooth Complex: Rattus-Norvegicus as a Model System

Functional loads on an organ induce tissue adaptations by converting mechanical energy into chemical energy at a cell-level. The transducing capacity of cells alters physico-chemical properties of tissues, developing a positive feedback commonly recognized as the form-function relationship. In this study, organ and tissue adaptations were mapped in the bone-tooth complex by identifying and correlating biomolecular expressions to physico-chemical properties in rats from 1.5 to 15 months. However, future research using hard and soft chow over relevant age groups would decouple the function related effects from aging affects. Progressive curvature in the distal root with increased root resorption was observed using micro X-ray computed tomography. Resorption was correlated to the increased activity of multinucleated osteoclasts on the distal side of the molars until 6 months using tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP). Interestingly, mononucleated TRAP positive cells within PDL vasculature were observed in older rats. Higher levels of glycosaminoglycans were identified at PDL-bone and PDL-cementum entheses using alcian blue stain. Decreasing biochemical gradients from coronal to apical zones, specifically biomolecules that can induce osteogenic (biglycan) and fibrogenic (fibromodulin, decorin) phenotypes, and PDL-specific negative regulator of mineralization (asporin) were observed using immunohistochemistry. Heterogeneous distribution of Ca and P in alveolar bone, and relatively lower contents at the entheses, were observed using energy dispersive X-ray analysis. No correlation between age and microhardness of alveolar bone (0.7±0.1 to 0.9±0.2 GPa) and cementum (0.6±0.1 to 0.8±0.3 GPa) was observed using a microindenter. However, hardness of cementum and alveolar bone at any given age were significantly different (P<0.05). These observations should be taken into account as baseline parameters, during development (1.5 to 4 months), growth (4 to 10 months), followed by a senescent phase (10 to 15 months), from which deviations due to experimentally induced perturbations can be effectively investigated

High testosterone levels in prostate tissue obtained by needle biopsy correlate with poor-prognosis factors in prostate cancer patients

Background: There is currently no consensus on the correlations between androgen concentrations in prostate tissue and blood and stage and pathological grade of prostate cancer. In this study, we used a newly-developed ultra-sensitive liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method to measure testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations in blood and needle biopsy prostate specimens from patients with prostate cancer.Methods: We analyzed androgen levels in 196 men diagnosed with prostate cancer. All patients had undergone systematic needle biopsy, and an additional needle biopsy from the peripheral zone was conducted for the simultaneous determination of T and DHT. We analyzed the relationships between T and DHT levels in tissue and blood and Gleason score, clinical stage, and percentage of positive biopsy cores, using multivariate analysis. Results: The median T and DHT levels in blood were 3551.0 pg/mL and 330.5 pg/mL, respectively. There was a strong correlation between serum T and DHT. The median T and DHT levels in prostate tissue were 0.5667 pg/mg and 7.0625 pg/mg, respectively. In multivariate analysis, serum prostate-specific antigen and tissue T levels were significantly associated with poor prognosis; high T levels in prostate tissue were significantly related to high Gleason score (p = 0.041), advanced clinical stage (p = 0.002), and a high percentage of positive biopsy cores (p = 0.001). Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that high T levels in prostate tissue are related to high Gleason score, advanced clinical stage, and a high percentage of positive biopsy cores in patients with prostate cancer. T level in needle biopsy specimens may therefore be a useful prognostic factor in prostate cancer patients