The antibacterial activity of Eucalyptus globulus leaf extract was determined for 56 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, 25 isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes, 12 isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and seven isolates of Haemophilus influenzae obtained from 200 clinical specimens of patients with respiratory tract disorders. MIC50s for these species were 64, 32, 16 and 16 mg/L, respectively; MIC90s were 128, 64, 32 and 32 mg/L, respectively; and MBCs were 512, 128, 64 and 64 mg/L, respectively. These results suggest that further studies to clarify the possible therapeutic role of E. globulus leaf extract in the treatment of respiratory tract infection are warranted.

In this article, the relation between meteorological parameters and dust activities in western Iran has been studied. Satellite-based data achieved from TOMS are used to investigate the dust activities within a time period of 30 years. In the rst part of this study, we examine the statistical trend of Aerosol Index (AI) and local meteorological parameters in 15 diierent stations. The same patterns of AI variations in all stations indicate that this region has always been subjected to dust storms which originate from similar sources in the neighboring countries that could be known as a sole dust transfer system. In the second part, we investigate the spatial correlation between the regional meteorological parameters in the Middle East and AI data to determine the contribution of meteorological parameters to dust levels. Broadly, results show that the precipitation in concurrent and antecedent months has a negative correlation with AI parameter of dusty months. Also, notably, we observed that the zonal wind speed in Iraq has a strong positive correlation with AI in our selected stations. This fact veriies that the zonal winds could be identiied as the major cause of dust transfer system that was noted in the rst part of this study.

No abstract

Background. Helicobacter pylori is one of the most prevalent gastric pathogens, causing gastric dysfunction, ulceration and, eventually, cancer. Antibiotic resistance, a rapidly growing problem, may interfere with the success of eradication therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-H. pylori effect of crude extracts derived from dill, fennel, caraway and cinnamon, all of which are common dietary additives in Iran. Design. In vitro bactericidal measures. Methods. The sensitivity of H. pylori isolates from gastric fluids to herbal extracts was evaluated using two standard ex vivo techniques. Results. The results showed that dill extract had the greatest antibacterial activity. Flow cytometric analysis of bacterial viability, however, demonstrated bacteriostatic properties of all test extracts. Conclusion. The possible synergistic effects of different dietary combinations of these extracts may be a factor in the possible protection afforded by the traditional Iranian diet against H. pylori infection. We concluded that these extracts might be useful as dietary supplements, at least, to complement and expedite current treatments.

Background: Detection of fastidious enteropathogenic bacteria in fecal samples of patients with gastroenteritis is a challenge in clinical microbiological laboratories. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the detection limits of the PCR and culture methods for the diagnosis of Campylobacter spp., Yersinia spp., Clostridium perfringens, and Clostridium difficile in human stool samples. Methods: Healthy human stool and sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) samples were separately spiked with 10-fold dilutions of C. jejuni, C. difficile, Y. enterocolitica, and C. perfringens reference strains to obtain final concentrations of 10 1 -10 8 colony forming