Subduction tractions and vertical axis rotations in the Zagros-Makran transition zone, SE Iran: The 2013 May 11 M<inf>w</inf> 6.1 Minab earthquake

The source parameters and slip distribution of the 2013 May 11 Mw 6.1 Minab earthquake are studied using seismology, geodesy and field observations. We observe left-lateral strike-slip motion on a fault striking ENE–WSW; approximately perpendicular to previously studied faults in the Minab–Zendan–Palami fault zone. The fault that ruptured in 2013 is one of a series of ∼E–W striking left-lateral faults visible in the geology and geomorphology. These accommodate a velocity field equivalent to right-lateral shear on ∼N–S striking planes by clockwise rotations about vertical axes. The presence of these faults can reconcile differences in estimates of fault slip rates in the western Makran from GPS and Quaternary dating. The longitudinal range of shear in the western Makran is likely to be controlled by the distance over which the underthrusting Arabian lithosphere deepens in the transition from continent–continent collision in the Zagros to oceanic subduction in the Makran.This work forms part of the NERC- and ESRC-funded project ’EarthquakesWithout Frontiers‘. CP is funded by a NERC PhD studentship.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Oxford University Press via http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggv20

2014 Murmuri Earthquake

We present source models for the August 2014 Murmuri (Dehloran) earthquake sequence in the Zagros Mountains of Iran. An Mw6.2 mainshock was followed by an aftershock sequence containing 5 events of Mw ≥ 5.4. Models of P and SH waveforms show that all events had dominantly thrust-faulting mechanisms, and had centroid depths that place them within the thick sedimentary sequence, above the crystalline basement. The combination of our estimated focal mechanisms, relative relocations of the event hypocentres, and the surface displacement patterns observed using InSAR, imply that the mainshock and largest aftershock ruptured different fault planes and both contributed to the surface deformation. The fault planes both slipped in horizontally-elongated patches, possibly due to rheological layering limiting the up- and down-dip extent of rupture. The slip vector of the Murmuri mainshock implies that the decollement beneath the Lorestan Arc is weaker than any such feature beneath the Dezful Embayment, providing an explanation for the plan-view sinuosity of the range-front of the Zagros Mountains.This work form part of the NERC- and ESRC-funded project ‘Earthquakes Without Frontiers’. JRE is funded by the NERC projects ‘COMET’ and ‘LiCS’.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Oxford University Press via http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggv36

Effect of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists on proteinuria and progression of chronic kidney disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Hypertension and proteinuria are critically involved in the progression of chronic kidney disease. Despite treatment with renin angiotensin system inhibition, kidney function declines in many patients. Aldosterone excess is a risk factor for progression of kidney disease. Hyperkalaemia is a concern with the use of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. We aimed to determine whether the renal protective benefits of mineralocorticoid antagonists outweigh the risk of hyperkalaemia associated with this treatment in patients with chronic kidney disease. Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis investigating renoprotective effects and risk of hyperkalaemia in trials of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in chronic kidney disease. Trials were identified from MEDLINE (1966-2014), EMBASE (1947-2014) and the Cochrane Clinical Trials Database. Unpublished summary data were obtained from investigators. We included randomised controlled trials, and the first period of randomised cross over trials lasting ≥4 weeks in adults. Results: Nineteen trials (21 study groups, 1 646 patients) were included. In random effects meta-analysis, addition of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists to renin angiotensin system inhibition resulted in a reduction from baseline in systolic blood pressure (-5.7 [-9.0, -2.3] mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (-1.7 [-3.4, -0.1] mmHg) and glomerular filtration rate (-3.2 [-5.4, -1.0] mL/min/1.73 m2). Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism reduced weighted mean protein/albumin excretion by 38.7 % but with a threefold higher relative risk of withdrawing from the trial due to hyperkalaemia (3.21, [1.19, 8.71]). Death, cardiovascular events and hard renal end points were not reported in sufficient numbers to analyse. Conclusions: Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism reduces blood pressure and urinary protein/albumin excretion with a quantifiable risk of hyperkalaemia above predefined study upper limit

Total Antioxidant Activity, and Hesperidin, Diosmin, Eriocitrin and Quercetin Contents of Various Lemon Juices

Purpose: To investigate 38 natural and 62 branded lemon juices for their total antioxidant activities and flavonoid content.Methods: The ferric reducing antioxidant power was applied to evaluation of antioxidant. Additionally quercetin, eriocitrin, diosmin and hesperidin contents were evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Results: Total antioxidant activity of the juices ranged from 91.38 ± 0.01 to 526.93 ± 0.12 μg/ml. The maximum contents of quercetin, hesperidin and eriocitrin 14.83 ± 2.83, 104.84 ± 12.58 and 10.68 ± 2.41 μg/mL, respectively. The natural juices had diosmin levels as high as 236.18 mL. The limit of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.15 μg mg-1 for hesperidine to 0.53 μg ml-1 for diosmin while the limit of quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.27 μg mg-1 for hesperidine to 0.93 μg ml-1 for quercetin.Conclusion: The developed method can also be applied to the determination of related extracts of orange cultivars as well as various extracts of medicinal plants.Keywords: Antioxidant, Flavonoid, Hesperidin, Diosmin, Eriocitrin, Quercetin, Lemon juic

Profiling of major fatty acids in different raw and roasted sesame seeds cultivars

The aim of this study was to investigate the fatty acids profile of five sesame cultivars including Branching Naz, Darab, Karaj, Dezful and Black sesame and the effect of time and temperature roasting procedure. The seeds oil content varied from 43±0.28 to 47±0.41% with the average content of 44.4±1.87%. Darab and Black sesame cultivar had the highest and lowest oil content respectively. Oleic and linoleic acids were the two-dominant fatty acids in the sesame seed oil about 80 to 85% of the total amount, whereas palmitic and stearic acids were present at 12 to 15%. Moreover, Dazful and Black sesame had the maximum and minimum content of oxidizability value respectively. The results of the present study showed that the fatty acid contents in studied cultivars were steady during different roasting conditions and fatty acid behavior of samples was good fitted with the high temperatures.Key words: Gas chromatography (GC), fatty acid, roasting procedure, sesame seed, stability

The 2013 Mw 6.2 Khaki-Shonbe (Iran) Earthquake: insights into seismic and aseismic shortening of the Zagros sedimentary cover

Determining the relationship between folding and faulting in fold and thrust belts is important for understanding the growth of geological structures, the depth extent of seismic slip, and consequently, the potential earthquake hazard. The 2013 Mw 6.2 Khaki-Shonbe earthquake occurred in the Simply Folded Belt of the Zagros Mountains, Iran. We combine seismological solutions, aftershock relocations, satellite interferometry, and field observations to determine fault geometry and its relationship with the structure, stratigraphy, and tectonics of the central Zagros. We find reverse slip on two along-strike, southwest dipping fault segments. The main shock rupture initiated at the lower northern end of the larger northwest segment. Based upon the hypocenter and rupture duration, slip on the smaller southern segment is likely aseismic. Both faults verge away from the foreland, toward the high-range interior, contrary to the fault geometries depicted in many structural cross sections of the Zagros. The modeled slip occurred over two mutually exclusive depth ranges above 10 km, resulting in long (∼16 km), narrow rupture segments (∼7 km). Aftershocks cluster in the depth range 3–14 km. This indicates reverse slip and coseismic shortening occurred mostly or exclusively in the sedimentary cover, with slip distributions likely to be lithologically controlled in depth by the Hormuz salt at the base of the sedimentary cover (∼10–12 km), and the Kazhdumi Formation mudrocks at upper levels (∼4–5 km). Our findings suggest lithology plays a significant role in the depth extent of slip found in reverse faults in folded belts, providing an important control on the potential size of earthquakes

Mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways cooperate in zearalenone-induced apoptosis of human leukemic cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Zearalenone (ZEA) is a phytoestrogen from <it>Fusarium </it>species. The aims of the study was to identify mode of human leukemic cell death induced by ZEA and the mechanisms involved.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cell cytotoxicity of ZEA on human leukemic HL-60, U937 and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was performed by using 3-(4,5-dimethyl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Reactive oxygen species production, cell cycle analysis and mitochondrial transmembrane potential reduction was determined by employing 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate, propidium iodide and 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide and flow cytometry, respectively. Caspase-3 and -8 activities were detected by using fluorogenic Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (DEVD-AMC) and Ile-Glu-Thr-Asp-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (IETD-AMC) substrates, respectively. Protein expression of cytochrome c, Bax, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL was performed by Western blot. The expression of proteins was assessed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis (PAGE) coupled with LC-MS2 analysis and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) approach.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ZEA was cytotoxic to U937 > HL-60 > PBMCs and caused subdiploid peaks and G1 arrest in both cell lines. Apoptosis of human leukemic HL-60 and U937 cell apoptosis induced by ZEA was via an activation of mitochondrial release of cytochrome c through mitochondrial transmembrane potential reduction, activation of caspase-3 and -8, production of reactive oxygen species and induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Bax was up regulated in a time-dependent manner and there was down regulation of Bcl-xL expression. Two-dimensional PAGE coupled with LC-MS2 analysis showed that ZEA treatment of HL-60 cells produced differences in the levels of 22 membrane proteins such as apoptosis inducing factor and the ER stress proteins including endoplasmic reticulum protein 29 (ERp29), 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein, heat shock protein 90 and calreticulin, whereas only <it>ERp29 </it>mRNA transcript increased.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ZEA induced human leukemic cell apoptosis via endoplasmic stress and mitochondrial pathway.</p

ILSF, A THIRD GENERATION LIGHT SOURCE LABORATORY IN IRAN

Abstract The Iranian Light Source Facility (ILSF) project is a first large scale accelerator facility which is currently under planning in Iran. On the basis of the present design, circumference of the 3 GeV storage ring is 297.6 m. Beam current and natural beam emittance are 400 mA and 3.278 nm.rad respectively. The facility will be built on a land of 50 hectares area in the city of Qazvin, located 150 km West of Tehran. The city is surrounded by many universities, research centers and industrial companies. The design and construction of prototype items such as radio frequency solid state amplifier, dipole magnets, highly stable magnet power supplies and girders have already begun. Site selection studies, including geotechnical and seismological measurements are being performed. Conceptual Design Report, CDR, as the first milestone of the project was published in October 2012