An InSAR‐GNSS Velocity Field for Iran Watson, Andrew R.; Elliott, John R.; Lazecký, Milan ...
Geophysical research letters,
28 May 2024, Letnik:
51, Številka:
10
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We present average ground‐surface velocities and strain rates for the 1.7 million km2 area of Iran, from the joint inversion of InSAR‐derived displacements and GNSS data. We generate interferograms ...from 7 years of Sentinel‐1 radar acquisitions, correct for tropospheric noise using the GACOS system, estimate average velocities using LiCSBAS time‐series analysis, tie this into a Eurasia‐fixed reference frame, and perform a decomposition to estimate East and Vertical velocities at 500 m spacing. Our InSAR‐GNSS velocity fields reveal predominantly diffuse crustal deformation, with localized interseismic strain accumulation along the North Tabriz, Main Kopet Dagh, Main Recent, Sharoud, and Doruneh faults. We observe signals associated with recent groundwater subsidence, co‐ and postseismic deformation, active salt diaprism, and sediment motion. We derive high‐resolution strain rate estimates on a country‐ and fault‐scale, and discuss the difficulties of mapping diffuse strain rates in areas with abundant non‐tectonic and anthropogenic signals.
Plain Language Summary
Across the entire country of Iran, the ongoing convergence of the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates at about two cm every year is deforming the Earth's crust, producing earthquakes in this process of continental collision. Accurate measurements of how the ground is moving today are critical to understanding both the county‐scale deformation, and the local‐scale earthquake hazard, where the crust is deforming quickly and building up strain that is likely to be released in future major earthquakes. We combine multiple series of satellite radar images with GPS velocities to estimate East and vertical ground motion across all of Iran, at a higher level of detail than previous GPS‐only studies have been able to capture. Our velocity fields show a complex mix of ground motion signals, from crustal deformation on a country‐scale, to rapid land subsidence caused by the extraction of groundwater from aquifers. Some of the major faults are clearly building up strain for future earthquakes, but other regions are deforming much more diffusely, making it difficult to ascertain the locations of any future seismic hazard and ground shaking.
Key Points
We generate high‐resolution East and vertical velocity fields for Iran using Sentinel‐1 InSAR and GNSS observations
Regional deformation is diffuse, with interseismic strain localized onto the Doruneh, Main Kopet Dagh, North Tabriz, and Sharoud faults
Iran contains a wealth of time‐varying, short‐wavelength signals associated with groundwater extraction, salt diaprism, and sediment motion
•We provide a high-resolution geodetic strain rate model for the central-eastern ATF.•The strike-slip rate on the ATF decreases gradually between ∼90.5°E and ∼94°E.•The shear strain on the ATF ...terminates in a horsetail structure at ∼95°E.•Fault planes of the ATF are nearly vertical, with strike changes along the bends.•Uplift occurs around restraining bends, being higher at their inside corners.
Investigating the present-day pattern of strain accumulation along the Altyn Tagh fault (ATF) in northwestern Tibet is critical for our broader understanding of deformation around large active strike-slip faults and the associated seismic hazards. Previous geodetic and geological studies show an eastward decrease of slip rate along the central-eastern ATF, but the spatial variation of the slip rates and the mechanism causing such variation are uncertain. Additionally, interseismic deformation around the restraining bends along the ATF and its pattern of termination towards its eastern end are also unclear. Here we derive surface velocities and strain rates around the central-eastern ATF system using Sentinel-1 and GNSS velocities. We estimate fault parameters including slip rate and locking depth for the ATF and other related active faults indicated by our strain rate maps using a Bayesian inversion approach. Our results show shear strain is mainly concentrated on the ATF between 86°E and 95°E. The strike-slip rate of the ATF remains constant at ∼8 mm/yr between 86°E and 90.5°E, before decreasing gradually to ∼4.5 mm/yr between 90.5°E and 94°E due to the crustal shortening across the Qaidam basin. Shear strain on the ATF is terminated in a horsetail structure at 95°E, where the strain is split into the motion along the Danghe Nanshan fault, Yema River – Daxue Shan fault and north Altyn Tagh fault. Our strain rate fields show fault planes are nearly vertical beneath the ATF, and there are obvious changes in the strike of the deep shearing part of the fault beneath the Akato Tagh bend and Aksay bend. The Akato Tagh and Pingding Shan bends feature higher peak strain rates and narrower width of the interseismic straining zone at the surface, compared to straight sections like the Xorkoli segment. We observe long-wavelength uplift signals in the East Kunlun Shan range, Altun Shan range, Qaidam basin, restraining bends along the ATF and the Qilian Shan – Nan Shan thrust belt. We consider uplift of the latter is controlled by the thrust motion of the active faults within it, as almost all shortening within it occurs across the fault zones. Uplift around restraining bends along the ATF exhibits a larger rate at their inside corners, which is evidence of potential vertical-axis rotation within the bends. Our results provide a noteworthy example of how the strain is accumulated and terminated on a large-scale intra-plate strike-slip fault.
Spontaneously arising (de novo) mutations have an important role in medical genetics. For diseases with extensive locus heterogeneity, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), the signal from de ...novo mutations is distributed across many genes, making it difficult to distinguish disease-relevant mutations from background variation. Here we provide a statistical framework for the analysis of excesses in de novo mutation per gene and gene set by calibrating a model of de novo mutation. We applied this framework to de novo mutations collected from 1,078 ASD family trios, and, whereas we affirmed a significant role for loss-of-function mutations, we found no excess of de novo loss-of-function mutations in cases with IQ above 100, suggesting that the role of de novo mutations in ASDs might reside in fundamental neurodevelopmental processes. We also used our model to identify ∼1,000 genes that are significantly lacking in functional coding variation in non-ASD samples and are enriched for de novo loss-of-function mutations identified in ASD cases.
A synergistic extraction solvent for the simultaneous removal of cesium and strontium from acidic solutions has been investigated. The extraction solvent consists of, ...4,4',(5')-di-(t-butyldicyclo-hexano)-18-crown-6 (DtBuCH18C6), calix4arene-bis-(tert-octylbenzo-crown-6) (BOBCalixC6), and 1-(2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropoxy)-3-(4-sec-butylphenoxy)-2-propanol (Cs-7SB modifier) in a branched aliphatic kerosene (Isopar® L). Extraction synergy for strontium was observed when DtBuCH18C6 was combined with the BOBCalixC6 cesium extractant solvent and Cs-7SB modifier or if the Cs-7SB modifier was substituted into the SREX (Strontium Extraction) solvent in place of TBP. The novel process extracted both cesium and strontium simultaneously from 1 M nitric acid solutions with distribution ratios of 8.8 and 7.7 for strontium and cesium, respectively, at ambient temperature. Distribution coefficients for cesium and strontium as a function of nitric acid concentration and temperature were also obtained with 0.5 M<HNO3<2.5 M giving favorable distribution ratios. This new process utilizing the combined solvent has been named the Fission Product Extraction Process (FPEX).
The burden oral anticoagulation is a limitation of mechanical valve prostheses.
The aim of this study was to test whether patients could be safely managed with dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) ...(aspirin 325 mg and clopidogrel 75 mg) or lower warfarin after On-X mechanical aortic valve replacement (mAVR).
PROACT (Prospective Randomized On-X Anticoagulation Trial) (n = 576) is a multicenter (41 sites) noninferiority trial. From June 2006 through February 2014, 201 patients ≥18 years of age without thromboembolic risk factors undergoing mAVR were randomized to receive DAPT (n = 99) or standard warfarin plus aspirin (n = 102) 3 months after mAVR (low-risk arm). From June 2006 through October 2009, 375 patients with 1 or more thromboembolic risk factors were also randomized to lower intensity warfarin plus aspirin (international normalized ratio 1.5 to 2.0; n = 185) or standard warfarin plus aspirin (international normalized ratio 2.0 to 3.0; n = 190) 3 months after mAVR (high-risk arm).
The low-risk arm was terminated for excess cerebral thromboembolic events (3.12% per patient-year vs. 0.29% per patient-year, p = 0.02) in the DAPT group at up to 8.8-year follow-up (631.6 patient-years), with no differences in bleeding or all-cause mortality. High-risk arm patients experienced significantly lower major (1.59% per patient-year vs. 3.94% per patient-year, p = 0.002) and minor (1.27% per patient-year vs. 3.49% per patient-year, p = 0.002) bleeding up to 8.7-year follow-up (2,035.2 patient-years), with no differences in thromboembolism (0.42% per patient-year vs. 0.09% per patient-year, p = 0.20) and all-cause mortality.
DAPT was associated with higher rates of thromboembolism and valve thrombosis compared with control in the low-risk arm. International normalized ratios were safely maintained at 1.5 to 2.0 in high-risk patients, without differences in mortality or thromboembolic complications. (Randomized On-X Anticoagulation Trial PROACT; NCT00291525)
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Background Adherence to inhaled anti-inflammatory therapy and self-management skills are essential parts of the asthma treatment plan to improve asthma control and prevent exacerbations. Whether ...self-management education improves long-term medication adherence is less clear. Objective A 24-week prospective, randomized controlled trial was performed to study the effect of self-management education on long-term adherence to inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy and markers of asthma control. Methods After stabilization on ICS medication during a run-in phase, 95 adults with moderate-to-severe asthma were recruited from a large metropolitan community, and 84 were randomized to individualized self-management education, including self-monitoring of symptoms and peak flow or usual care with self-monitoring alone. The key components of the 30-minute intervention were asthma information, assessment, and correction of inhaler technique; an individualized action plan based on self-monitoring data; and environmental control strategies for relevant allergen and irritant exposures. The intervention was personalized based on pulmonary function, allergen skin test reactivity, and inhaler technique and reinforced at 2-week intervals. Results Participants randomized to the self-management intervention maintained consistently higher ICS adherence levels and showed a 9-fold greater odds of more than 60% adherence to the prescribed dose compared with control subjects at the end of the intervention ( P = .02) and maintained a 3-fold greater odds of higher than 60% adherence at the end of the study. Perceived control of asthma improved ( P = .006), nighttime awakenings decreased ( P = .03), and inhaled β-agonist use decreased ( P = .01) in intervention participants compared with control subjects. Conclusion Our results show that individualized asthma self-management education attenuates the usual decrease in medication adherence and improves clinical markers of asthma control.
The full complement of DNA mutations that are responsible for the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is not yet known.
We used massively parallel DNA sequencing to obtain a very high level ...of coverage (approximately 98%) of a primary, cytogenetically normal, de novo genome for AML with minimal maturation (AML-M1) and a matched normal skin genome.
We identified 12 acquired (somatic) mutations within the coding sequences of genes and 52 somatic point mutations in conserved or regulatory portions of the genome. All mutations appeared to be heterozygous and present in nearly all cells in the tumor sample. Four of the 64 mutations occurred in at least 1 additional AML sample in 188 samples that were tested. Mutations in NRAS and NPM1 had been identified previously in patients with AML, but two other mutations had not been identified. One of these mutations, in the IDH1 gene, was present in 15 of 187 additional AML genomes tested and was strongly associated with normal cytogenetic status; it was present in 13 of 80 cytogenetically normal samples (16%). The other was a nongenic mutation in a genomic region with regulatory potential and conservation in higher mammals; we detected it in one additional AML tumor. The AML genome that we sequenced contains approximately 750 point mutations, of which only a small fraction are likely to be relevant to pathogenesis.
By comparing the sequences of tumor and skin genomes of a patient with AML-M1, we have identified recurring mutations that may be relevant for pathogenesis.
We introduce the operational genomic unit (OGU) method, a metagenome analysis strategy that directly exploits sequence alignment hits to individual reference genomes as the minimum unit for assessing ...the diversity of microbial communities and their relevance to environmental factors. This approach is independent of taxonomic classification, granting the possibility of maximal resolution of community composition, and organizes features into an accurate hierarchy using a phylogenomic tree. The outputs are suitable for contemporary analytical protocols for community ecology, differential abundance, and supervised learning while supporting phylogenetic methods, such as UniFrac and phylofactorization, that are seldom applied to shotgun metagenomics despite being prevalent in 16S rRNA gene amplicon studies. As demonstrated in two real-world case studies, the OGU method produces biologically meaningful patterns from microbiome data sets. Such patterns further remain detectable at very low metagenomic sequencing depths. Compared with taxonomic unit-based analyses implemented in currently adopted metagenomics tools, and the analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence variants, this method shows superiority in informing biologically relevant insights, including stronger correlation with body environment and host sex on the Human Microbiome Project data set and more accurate prediction of human age by the gut microbiomes of Finnish individuals included in the FINRISK 2002 cohort. We provide Woltka, a bioinformatics tool to implement this method, with full integration with the QIIME 2 package and the Qiita web platform, to facilitate adoption of the OGU method in future metagenomics studies.
Shotgun metagenomics is a powerful, yet computationally challenging, technique compared to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing for decoding the composition and structure of microbial communities. Current analyses of metagenomic data are primarily based on taxonomic classification, which is limited in feature resolution. To solve these challenges, we introduce operational genomic units (OGUs), which are the individual reference genomes derived from sequence alignment results, without further assigning them taxonomy. The OGU method advances current read-based metagenomics in two dimensions: (i) providing maximal resolution of community composition and (ii) permitting use of phylogeny-aware tools. Our analysis of real-world data sets shows that it is advantageous over currently adopted metagenomic analysis methods and the finest-grained 16S rRNA analysis methods in predicting biological traits. We thus propose the adoption of OGUs as an effective practice in metagenomic studies.
Keratin 9 (K9) is a type I intermediate filament protein whose expression is confined to the suprabasal layers of the palmoplantar epidermis. Although mutations in the K9 gene are known to cause ...epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma, a rare dominant-negative skin disorder, its functional significance is poorly understood. To gain insight into the physical requirement and importance of K9, we generated K9-deficient (Krt9−/−) mice. Here, we report that adult Krt9−/−mice develop calluses marked by hyperpigmentation that are exclusively localized to the stress-bearing footpads. Histological, immunohistochemical, and immunoblot analyses of these regions revealed hyperproliferation, impaired terminal differentiation, and abnormal expression of keratins K5, K14, and K2. Furthermore, the absence of K9 induces the stress-activated keratins K6 and K16. Importantly, mice heterozygous for the K9-null allele (Krt9+/−) show neither an overt nor histological phenotype, demonstrating that one Krt9 allele is sufficient for the developing normal palmoplantar epidermis. Together, our data demonstrate that complete ablation of K9 is not tolerable in vivo and that K9 is required for terminal differentiation and maintaining the mechanical integrity of palmoplantar epidermis.
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