The Production Process of Lithics in Late Bronze Age at Shahrake Firouzeh Site in Neyshabur, North East of Iran

Nowadays, the study of lithics has gained a special status in prehistoric archaeology and even archaeology of later periods. Shahrake Firouzeh is one of the most important prehistoric settlements ever detected in Neyshabur Plain in Khorasan Razavi Province. In general, based on the past excavation seasons, Shahrake Firouzeh site represents the Bronze Age and probably Iron Age cultures in the region and the bulk of cultural materials indicates a culture known as BMAC (Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex). This paper analyzes the typology of Shahrake Firouzeh lithics, which is a key typical site related to Late Bronze Age in Northeast of Iran. The collection of stone artifacts from Shahrake Firouzeh excavations includes 66 pieces. These tools have been recovered from nine trenches in different parts of the site during four excavation seasons, all of which belong to Late Bronze Age. The majority of lithics in this site are of debitage type. In addition to producing sickle blades bearing signs of sickle gloss, the main feature of this collection is production of arrowheads retouched in two sides. It should be noted that all the stone artifacts from Shahrake Firouzeh have been made from high quality chert stone in a color range of cream, honey, and transparent with semi-glossy surface. In general, the raw material used is of good quality, although it does not seem to have large dimensions. The raw material source is unknown, and thus no data can be presented on usage patterns of raw material

An Analysis of the Cultural Landscape and Settlement Pattern of the Kashafrud Basin (Mashhad Plain) in the Iron Age

The Khorasan region, especially the Kashafrud basin, has culturally retained a strategic position by virtue of its location between three major cultural spheres of southwestern Central Asia, the Central Plateau of Iran, and northeastern Iran. The Iron Age still remains a mainly unknown period in this region. In northeast Iran, particularly in the Greater Khorasan, the period is characterized by cultural attributes utterly different from those of the other parts of the Iranian Plateau. Coeval archaeological evidence from Khorasan shows affinities with the Yaz and Dahistan cultures of Central Asia. The major topics considered in this study are: the distribution pattern and major influential factors in the formation of the Iron Age settlements in the Kashafrud basin (Mashhad Plain), the nature of Iron Age cultural material in the region, and the characteristics shared between the contemporary settlements in Mashhad and the adjacent regions. Further major research objectives include proposing a comparative chronology, analyzing the regional cultural landscape, and specifying the Iron Age settlement patterns in the region. Thus, attempts have been made to answer the research questions through ArcGIS maps, analysis of surface ceramics, and the landscape archaeology approach. The results indicate the impressive role of environmental factors, especially the Kashafrud River as the leading regional resource, in the advent of Iron Age settlements. Moreover, the regional material culture exhibits strong affinities with the Iron Age culture of “Yaz” in Central Asia, and indicates relations and population movements between the different regions that were under the influence of this culture

Color Stability of Enamel following Different Acid Etching and Color Exposure Times

Background and aims. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different etching times on enamel color stability after immediate versus delayed exposure to colored artificial saliva (CAS). Materials and methods. Human first premolars were divided into five groups of twenty. A colorimeter was used according to the CIE system on the mid-buccal and mid-lingual surfaces to evaluate initial tooth color. Samples in group A remained unetched. In groups B to E, buccal and lingual surfaces were initially etched with phosphoric acid for 15 and 60 seconds, respectively. Then, the samples in groups A and C were immersed in colored artificial saliva (cola+saliva). In group B, the teeth were immersed in simple artificial saliva (AS). Samples in groups D and E were immersed in AS for 24 and 72 hours, respectively before being immersed in colored AS. The teeth were immersed for one month in each solution before color measurement. During the test period, the teeth were retrieved from the staining solution and stored in AS for five minutes. This was repeated 60 times. Color changes of buccal and lingual surfaces were calculated. Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon tests were used for statistical analysis (α ≤ 0.05). Results. There were no significant differences between the groups in term of ΔE of buccal (P = 0.148) and lingual surfaces (P = 0.73). Conclusion. Extended time of etching did not result in significant enamel color change. Immediate and delayed exposure of etched enamel to staining solutions did not result in clinically detectable tooth color changes

Evaluation of the Divine Proportion in the facial profile of young females

Background: Beauty is the phenomenon of experiencing pleasure, through the perception of balance. According to some authors, attractive faces have ideal proportions that are related to the Divine Proportion (1.618:1). Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Divine Proportion in the human profile and investigate the effects of this ratio on the perception of the beauty of the profile. Study and Design: We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the mentioned aims. Materials and Methods : In this cross-sectional study, fifty females in the age range of 20-25 years, with acceptable profiles were selected. Standardized profile silhouettes were each given a score by 20 judges (consisting of 10 men and 10 women) using the visual analog scale. Five landmarks were determined and five ratios were measured on the silhouettes by using the adobe photoshop program. Statistical Analysis: The Student′s t test was used to compare profile proportions of the subjects. Results: Statistical analysis showed none of the proportions had the mean of 1.618, but in subjects having higher esthetic scores, trichion (Te)-soft tissue menton (Me):Tr-subnasale (Sn) and Tr-Me:soft tissue nasion (N)-Me, with the mean of 1.58 were closer to Divine Proportion. Conclusions : The results suggested the perception of beauty is influenced by the Divine Proportions and Tr-Me:Tr-Sn and Tr-Me:N-Me are the most influential ratios in the perception of the beauty of profile; however, if the Divine Proportion is to be used in treatment planning, it should be used along with other factors

Changes in the Position of Mandibular Third Molars Following Extraction and Non-Extraction Orthodontic Treatments

Introduction: Impaction of third molars can be associated with a number of sequelae, each requiring a different type of treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess the changes in the position of lower third molars following extraction and non-extraction orthodontic treatments. Methods: Pre- and post-treatment panoramic radiographs of 26 class I malocclusion patients (4 male and 22 female) who were treated on a non-extraction basis were compared with those of 30 class I malocclusion patients (5 male and 25 female) who received orthodontic treatment following the extraction of all first premolars. In each group, the lower third molar angulations and their distance from the lower border of the mandible were assessed. Results: Paired t-tests and independent t-tests detected significant changes in the position of the lower third molars in the extraction group. Both the left and right molars became more upright and their distance from the lower border of the mandible increased. Similar changes were only seen in the position of the right mandibular third molars in the non-extraction group. Conclusion: Tooth extractions can bring about favorable changes in the position of mandibular third molars and possibly reduce their incidence of impaction

Efficacy of a Newly Designed Cephalometric Analysis Software for McNamara Analysis in Comparison with Dolphin Software.

Cephalometric norms of McNamara analysis have been studied in various populations due to their optimal efficiency. Dolphin cephalometric software greatly enhances the conduction of this analysis for orthodontic measurements. However, Dolphin is very expensive and cannot be afforded by many clinicians in developing countries. A suitable alternative software program in Farsi/English will greatly help Farsi speaking clinicians. The present study aimed to develop an affordable Iranian cephalometric analysis software program and compare it with Dolphin, the standard software available on the market for cephalometric analysis.In this diagnostic, descriptive study, 150 lateral cephalograms of normal occlusion individuals were selected in Mashhad and Qazvin, two major cities of Iran mainly populated with Fars ethnicity, the main Iranian ethnic group. After tracing the cephalograms, the McNamara analysis standards were measured both with Dolphin and the new software. The cephalometric software was designed using Microsoft Visual C++ program in Windows XP. Measurements made with the new software were compared with those of Dolphin software on both series of cephalograms. The validity and reliability were tested using intra-class correlation coefficient.Calculations showed a very high correlation between the results of the Iranian cephalometric analysis software and Dolphin. This confirms the validity and optimal efficacy of the newly designed software (ICC 0.570-1.0).According to our results, the newly designed software has acceptable validity and reliability and can be used for orthodontic diagnosis, treatment planning and assessment of treatment outcome