Chemical composition and antifungal effects of three species of Satureja (S. hortensis, S. spicigera, and S. khuzistanica) essential oils on the main pathogens of strawberry fruit

Due to an increasing risk of chemical contamination upon the application of synthetic fungicides to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables, essential oils are gaining increasing attentions. In this research, besides chemical analysis of the essential oils of three Satureja species (S. hortensis, S. spicigera, and S. khuzistanica) by GC-MS, their fungicidal and/or fungistatic effects on postharvest pathogens of strawberry were investigated. Essential oils were extracted by means of hydro-distillation and afterwards GC/MS analysis was performed to identify their components. Carvacrol, γ-terpinene and p-cymene were detected as the repeating main constituents of the spices, while thymol and carvacrol methyl ether were found as major components only in S. spicigera oil. In vitro results showed that at the maximum concentration, the essential oils did not possess fungicidal effects on Aspergillus niger but they exhibited fungicidal activities against Penicillium digitatum, Botrytis cinerea and Rhizopus stolonifer. However, S. khuzistanica was the strongest oil in fungicidal activity. S. hortensis oil was more effective than S. spicigera against B. cinerea whereas S. spicigera oil showed stronger fungicidal activity against R. stolonifer. In conclusion, essential oils isolated from three savory species could be suitable for applications in the food industry to control molds and improve the safety of fruits and vegetables. © 2015 Elsevier B.V

Hepatobiliary scintigraphy with SPET in the diagnosis of bronchobiliary fistula due to a hydatid cyst

In this report, we present the application of hepatobiliary scintigraphy using Tc-99m mebrofenin in the diagnosis of bronchobiliary fistula caused by a liver hydatid cyst, which penetrated the diaphragm. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy noticeably depicted the leakage of the tracer from the biliary system of the liver to the bronchial tree. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy stands as a robust modality in the accurate diagnosis and treatment planning of bronchobiliary fistulas. © 2015, P.Ziti and Co. All rights reserved

Demand for Public Health Care in Pakistan

A health care demand model is estimated for each province in Pakistan to explain the outpatient visits to government hospitals over the period 1989–2006. The explanatory variables include the number of government hospitals per capita, doctors’ fee per visit at a private clinic, income per capita, the average price of medicine and the number of outpatient visits per capita in the previous period. All variables are significant determinants of the demand for health care in at least one province but their signs, magnitudes and the levels of significance vary. These variations may be attributed to cultural, social and religious factors that vary across provinces. Variations in health care quality offered at public hospitals may also be a factor. These factors and improved accessibility of health care facilities should be the focus of public policy aimed at increasing the usage of public sector health care facilities in Pakistan.Health Care, Hospitals, Human Resources, Policy, Public Health

Labour Market Dynamics in Pakistan: Evidence from the Longitudinal Data

The bulk of research on labour market conditions in Pakistan has concentrated on the economic activity rate, the number of employed persons, or the unemployment rate at a particular point in time. These stock measures of labour market situation are useful from a policy viewpoint as they give a broad indication of the dimension of the problem. For example, the recent labour force surveys show an increase in the level of open unemployment from 5.9 percent in 1997-98 to 7.8 percent in 1999-2000 [Pakistan (2001)]. There is also an emerging consensus that during the 1990s poverty has increased at the national as well as for rural and urban areas of the country [Qureshi and Arif (2001)]. Labour market is considered as the main route for establishing the link between macro policies, the resulting GDP growth and poverty alleviation [Rahman (2002)]. Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (IPRSP) and other development plans have suggested various targets of employment creation for poverty reduction. The stock measures of labour market conditions, such as unemployment rate, are considered to be inadequate from the viewpoint of developing appropriate policy responses. There is a need to gain further insights by examining the structure of labour market in terms of its dynamic components: these being the turnover of persons into and out of the labour force and turnover into and out of employment and unemployment pools

A review of therapeutic and non-therapeutic properties of sea buckthorn

Background and aims: Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is a deciduous plant and has highly variable type and size, from small shrubs to medium-sized trees, traditionally growing in Tibet and currently all over the world especially in Europe and Asia. This study aimed to overview some of therapeutic and non-therapeutic properties of SBT and its potential benefits and side effects in order to open up a clear understanding for further detailed study in this regard. Methods: This review article was carried out by searching studies in Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed and ScienceDirect. The search terms were “Sea buckthorn”, “Sea buckthorn” and “hippophae”, “therapeutic”, “non-therapeutic”. Results: Various studies have shown that sea buckthorn plays a role in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, liver fibrosis, skin diseases (eczema, acne,), arthritis, vaginal atrophy, dry eye. This herb has anti- inflammatory, anti-constipation, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-cancer, anti-stress, antidepressant and antiproliferative effects. Besides, it enjoys some non-therapeutic properties including nutritive values (a good source of vitamin C, E, omega 3, 6, 7), oral and dental health care value and cosmetic value (in the industry of cosmetics: cream, shampoo, jellies, and etc.). Conclusion: sea buckthorn is widely used for therapeutic and non-therapeutic purposes that trigger its significant value. Various combinations and numerous medicinal properties of its berries, fruits, extract, pulp, seed oil, leaves demand further and more studies about the other useful and unknown properties of this multifunctional plant

Therapeutic effects of Crocus sativus: An overview of systematic reviews

Background and aims: Crocus sativus is of medicinal plants possessing many beneficial effects in treatment of various disorders. This study aimed to overview the therapeutic effects of Crocus sativus on the basis of reviews and systematic reviews. Methods: Computerized search of review articles was performed using PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science, Medline database from 1996 to 2015. Results: Searches identified 8 reviews and systematic reviews of therapeutic effects of Crocus sativus. Despite remarkable difference in interventions, and type of studies carried out on this plant (in vivo and in vitro), it seemed to have many therapeutic effects on the treatment of various types of diseases. In all the reviews, the objectives were similar, e.g. inhibition of growth of cancer cell lines, analgesic activity, improvement of health condition and treatment of some disease but the type of study (in vivo and in vitro) (animal studies: rat, mouse, guinipig, rabbit) and content was quite different. The most common effects of Crocus sativus were anti-carcinogenesis, tumoricidal, anti-depressant, antihypertensive, anticonvulsant, antitussive, anti-genototoxic and cytotoxic effects, anti-Alzheimer’s, antitussive, anxiolytic, aphrodisiac, antioxidant, anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory, relaxant activity, and effects on the gastrointestinal tract, on ocular blood flow and on retinal function, effect on coronary artery diseases, and hypnotic, and anesthetic effects. Conclusion: The results of various studies on Crocus sativus showed that it has a lot of therapeutic effects on the treatment of various types of diseases. However, to be able to use these results in our daily life, additional clinical trials with larger sample size and longer duration may be required to evaluate its toxicity and safety in each and every case of its therapeutic effects

Education for Library and Information Science in Iran: Current Trends

The article presents an account of the Library and Information Science (LIS) education in Iran. It briefly reviews the growth and development of the LIS education in the periods: 1939-1978, as the Pre- Islamic Revolution period, and 1979- 2007, as the Post –Islamic Revolution period. The paper covers an up-to-date list of the 29 universities in Iran offering various LIS programs including Post-Diploma / Associate Diploma; Bachelor of Library and Information Science; Master of Library and Information Science and Ph.D., and the establishment of the LIS departments in a chronological order (84 depts.). It also emphasizes the re-designing of the curriculum based on the emerging needs to match the new technological age. It highlights the current trends in the last 10 years. The paper concludes that Post Islamic-Revolution LIS education witnessed more progress comparing to the Pre-Islamic Revolution period, particularly in the last decade (1997- 2007). At the end, some suggestions are given for improving the LIS education in Iran