Towards reassessing the Neolithisation process in Western Iran

The multi-proxy evidence from Lake Zeribar indicates the possible impact of the Younger Dryas on Western Iran. By the end of this episode, the region was affected by rising temperatures and ensuing environmental enrichment, which could have resulted in changes in the settlement pattern from mobility to more sedentism c. 9500 BC. It is proposed that semi-sedentism led to population growth and ensuing food management in the region, which finally encouraged people to domesticate plants and animals around 8000 BC. This paper will briefly discuss the three ‘why’, ‘how’ and ‘when’ questions in investigating the Neolithisation process in western Iran.Paleookoljski podatki z jezera Zeribar kažejo na možen vpliv mlajšega driasa na dogajanja v zahodnem Iranu. Dvig temperature ob koncu tega obdobja je v regiji povzročil okoljske spremembe, ki so morda vodile v spremembo poselitvenega vzorca. Okoli 9500 BC so stalna naselja nadomestila mobilne tabore. V članku predlagamo, da so občasna stalna naselja omogočila populacijsko rast in upravljanje s prehrambnimi viri, ki je okoli 8000 BC vključevalo kultiviranje rastlin in domestikacijo živali. V članku se sprašujemo zakaj, kako in kje je potekal proces neolitizacije v zahodnem Iranu

A social perspective on the Neolithic in western Iran

While the Neolithic revolution caused gradual basic changes in different dimensions of human life, including social structure, western Iran has so far mostly received attention in terms of the emergence of domestication and sedentarisation. Generally speaking, some evidence, such as architectural elements, burial goods, clay tokens, and scarce artefacts such as obsidian pieces and marble objects not only determine an inter-regional interaction, but also suggest craft specialisation. It is believed that sedentary life and private food storage paved the way for property ownership and that a gradual change from egalitarian to non-egalitarian societies can be seen in the Neolithic of western Iran.Medtem ko je neolitska revolucija povzročila postopne osnovne spremembe v različnih dimenzijah človeškega življenja, tudi v družbeni strukturi, je območje zahodnega Irana deležno pozornosti predvsem zaradi pojava domestikacije in sedentarizacije. Posplošeno, nekateri podatki, npr. arhitekturni elementi, grobni pridatki, glineni žetoni in redki artefakti iz obsidiana in marmorja, ne določajo le med-regionalne interakcije ampak tudi specializirane obrti. Verjamemo, da sedentarni način življenja in privatno shranjevanje hrane predstavljata osnovo za privatno lastništvo, in da lahko v času neolitika na območju zahodnega Irana opazujemo postopen prehod med egalitarno in neegalitarno družbo

Proces neolitizacije v osrednjem delu Zagrosa:: ponovni pregled najdišč Asiab in Ganj Dareh

In the 1960–70s, fieldwork in the central Zagros Mountains produced evidence of early Holocene Neolithic settlements in this mountainous zone along the ‘Eastern wing’ of the Fertile Cre-scent. Following a long hiatus in fieldwork, new investigations have highlighted once more the po-tential of the transitional Neolithic (c. 9600–8000 BC) and early Neolithic (c. 8000–7000 BC) se-quence in this region. However, some of the pivotal sites that had originally been excavated in the 1960–70s were not published in adequate detail, leaving many questions unanswered. Recent field-work at Asiab and Ganj Dareh directed by the authors has sought to address the issues raised by these previously unpublished excavations. Here we summarise the results of our recent work at these two sites and discuss their implications for our understanding of neolithisation in the central Zagros.Izkopavanja v 60. in 70. letih 20. stoletja v osrednjem delu gorovja Zagros, tj. v goratem predelu na vzhodnem kraku rodovitnega polmeseca, so odkrila zgodnje holocenske neolitske naselbine. Po daljši prekinitvi so nove raziskave ponovno izpostavile potenciale za preučevanje obdobja prehodnega neolitika (ok. 9600–8000 pr. n. št.) in zgodnjega neolitika (ok. 8000–7000 pr. n. št.) v tej regiji. Nekatera ključna najdišča, ki so bila prvotno izkopana v 60. in 70. letih 20. stoletja, do danes še niso bila natančno objavljena, zato ostajajo številna vprašanja povezana s temi najdišči še odprta. Avtorji prispevka so želeli z novimi izkopavanji na najdiščih Asiab in Ganj Dareh pridobiti nove podatke in odgovore na nerešena vprašanja iz starejših neobjavljenih raziskav. V prispevku predstavljamo rezultate izkopavanj na obeh najdiščih in razpravljamo o njuni vlogi pri razumevanju procesa neolitizacije v osrednjem Zagrosu

Analysis of Neolithic Pottery Technology along the Iranian Zagros Foothills

The article presents the results of a technological analysis of the ceramic samples from Neolithic settlements of Ali Kosh, Mahtaj and Guran (the 7th mill. BC). The use of sheep and goat dung in the paste prevailed. While two-layer slabs were applied as the main construction method across the region, a few samples from Guran show the appearance of coil construction around the middle of the 7th millennium BC. First an overall coating with the same clay and red colouring appeared, and later a new type of red slip emerged – a mixture of clay with red pigment

Palaeolithic occupation of the Mehran Plain in Southwestern Iran

In terms of Palaeolithic studies, the Mehran Plain is already known due to the discovery of the Amar Merdeg site in 1999. But in spite of the high potential for occupation in different periods, the prehistoric settlement patterns of the plain had not been identified until the present survey in 2010, which resulted in the discovery of 15 Palaeolithic sites. Of these, 9 sites contain both Lower and Middle Palaeolithic remains and 3 more sites are attributed to the Middle Palaeolithic as well 3 sites to Upper Palaeolithic period and beyond. The distribution pattern indicates that easy access to raw materials, which are now visible among the chert pebbles scattered over hillocks on the plains, was the main reason to establish settling.V paleolitskih študijah je ravnica Mehran znana po odkritju najdišča Amar Medreg leta 1999. Kljub velikemu potencialu poselitveni vzorci v ravnici niso bili prepoznani vse do najnovejših terenskih pregledov leta 2010, ko smo odkrili 15 paleolitskih najdišč. Od teh 9 najdišč vsebuje starejše in srednje paleolitske artefakte; 3 najdišča smo uvrstili v obdobje srednjega paleolitika in prav tako 3 najdišča v obdobje mlajšega paleolitika in kasnejših obdobij. Poselitveni vzorec kaže, da je bil glavni razlog za naselitev lažji dostop do kamnitih surovin, ki so danes vidne na površju kot roženi prodniki, razpršeni po vzpetinah v ravnici

The absolute chronology of East Chia Sabz: a Pre-Pottery Neolithic site in Western Iran

East Chia Sabz is a PPN site located in the Seimareh Valley, western Iran. 14C dating results indicated that the site was occupied from the early 9th millennium to the early 7th millennium BC. As we have very little information about early Neolithic sites in Iran in comparison with the other regions of the Near and Middle East, the site of East Chia Sabz will provide a new benchmark for investigating the Neolithisation process in Iran. It is important to note that further investigation of Chia Sabz will certainly provide more secure information about how and when the Epipaleolithic transition to the Neolithic started in the region. This paper will present the recent excavations at the site, and then, based on the 14C dates, will discuss the site’s importance in western Iran.Vzhodni Chia Sabz je najdišče, ki je locirano v dolini Seimareh v zahodnem Iranu in datira v obdobje predkeramičnega neolitika. Rezultati radiokarbonskih datacij so pokazali, da je bilo najdišče poseljeno od začetka 9. do začetka 7. tisočletja pr.n.št. Glede na to, da imamo le malo podatkov o zgodnjeneolitskih najdiščih v Iranu v primerjavi z drugimi regijami na Bližnjem in Srednjem vzhodu, bo najdišče Vzhodni Chia Sabz postavilo nova merila za preiskovanje procesa neolitizacije v Iranu. Opozarjamo, da bodo nadaljnje preiskave najdišča Chia Sabz ponudile bolj zanesljive podatke o tem, kako in kdaj se je začel prehod iz epipaleolitika v neolitik v tej regiji. V članku predstavljamo nedavna izkopavanja na najdišču in razpravljamo o pomenu najdišča v zahodnem Iranu na podlagi radiokarbonskih datumov

The Therapeutic Effect of Human Stem Cell Therapy on the Expanded Disability Status Scale Improvement in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous system inflammatory disease in which the myelin sheaths of neurons are damaged. This impairs the ability of the neurons for signal conduction and communication and causes many neurological signs and symptoms. In this study, we evaluated stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis. We reviewed the scientific literature focusing on stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis available from 2003 to 2022. This narrative systematic review was performed to evaluate the effect of human stem cell therapy on expanded disability status scale (EDSS) improvement in multiple sclerosis. No time limits were set for the search and all relevant clinical trials were included. The results showed that the rate of recovery of patients with stem cell therapy depends on the rate of stem cell injection and the frequency, the volume of injected cells, and the rate of disease progression. Overall, the survival rate and quality of life increased following the treatment. The expanded disability status scale changed with stem cell injection, but this change was not significant. Most cases experienced an improvement in bladder control. Death or hospitalization after injection and severe allergies were not observed. Our results showed stem cells could increase the quality of life and survival and reduce the incidence of motor symptoms in MS patients

The Effect of Photobiomodulation Therapy on the Differentiation, Proliferation, and Migration of the Mesenchymal Stem Cell: A Review

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a low-power laser on the proliferation, migration, differentiation of different types of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in different studies.Methods: The relevant articles that were published from 2004 to 2019 were collected from the sources of PubMed, Scopus, and only the articles specifically examining the effect of a low-power laser on the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of the MSCs were investigated.Results: After reviewing the literature, only 42 articles were found relevant. Generally, most of the studies demonstrated that different laser parameters increased the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of the MSCs, except the results of two studies which were contradictory. In fact, changing the parameters of a low-power laser would affect the results. On the other hand, the source of the stem cells was reported as a key factor. In addition, the combination of lasers with other therapeutic approaches was found to be more effective.Conclusion: The different parameters of lasers has been found to be effective in the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of the MSCs and in general, a low-power laser has a positive effect on the MSCs, helping to improve different disease models

Cell Therapy and Tissue Engineering in Bone Defect Reconstruction; A Review

Background: Extensive research on bone tissue engineering as a novel therapeutic approach to design and fabricate suitable scaffolds is in progress to overcome the limitations of conventional bone repair techniques. In recent years, tissue engineering and remedial medicine have come up with the strategy of designing, fabricating, and optimizing synthetic and natural scaffolds containing cells and growth factors to facilitate the direct and indirect mechanisms of bone tissue repair in the body. Based on many studies, cellular source, cell medium condition, and biological scaffolds are critical factors in bone defect repair in the field of tissue engineering.Aim: In this review, we focus on the combination of mesenchymal cells derived from the human adipose tissue, stem cell-to-bone differentiation medium, and biocompatible polyvinyl alcohol-graphene oxide scaffolds in bone lesion repair to gain a better understanding of each factor. This would, in turn, help us design and develop optimal therapeutic approaches for bone repair and regeneration. Conclusion: The combination of mesenchymal cells and biocompatible scaffolds proved promising in the process of bone lesion repair

The Effect of Low-Level Laser therapy and Curcumin on the Expression of LC3, ATG10 and BAX/BCL2 Ratio in PC12 Cells Induced by 6-Hydroxide Dopamine

Introduction: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders. The neuroinflammation in the brain of PD patients is one of the critical processes in the immune pathogenesis of PD leading to the neural loss in the substantia nigra. Due to the anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin (CU) and low-level laser therapy (LLLT), we examined the protective effect of CU and LLLT on PC12 cells treated with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) as a Parkinson model.Methods: PC12 cells were pretreated using various concentrations of 6-OHDA for 24 hours to induce oxidative and cellular damages. PC12-6-OHDA cells were co-treated with CU and LLLT. The effects of CU and LLLT on Bax/Bcl2 and LC3/ATG10 expression were analyzed by real-time PCR and cell viability was assessed by MTT assay. Cell A Software was used to calculate the length of the Neurite and cell body areas.Results: The results of this study show that the combination of CU dose-dependently and LLLT has a significant neuroprotective effect on cells and cellular death significantly decreases by increasing CU concentration. CU+LLLT decreases Bax/Bcl2 ratio which is an indicator of apoptosis and it also rescued a decrease in LC3 and ATG10 expression in comparison with 6-OHDA group.Conclusion: This study shows that the combination of 5 μM CU and LLLT has the best neuroprotective effect on PC12 cells against 6-OHDA by decreasing the BAX/BCL2 ratio