pharmaceutical products prepared in pharmacies have the potential of contamination with different microorganisms. this is in part due to the unhygienic environment and also lack of a suitable preservative system. in this study, microbial quality of eucerin-urea ointments prepared at different pharmacies in tehran, at the point of sale and also after two weeks storage at room temperature was exa...

background: hospitals are the central entity of each health care system and health promoting hospitals (hph) was launched by who in 1988. however, there has not been any accurate and detailed model for establishing a hph in iran up to now. therefore, this study aimed to determine factors affecting the establishment of a health promoting hospital in iran using factor analysis method. methods: th...

B et te r C ro ps /V ol . 9 9 (2 01 5, N o. 1 ) Abbreviations and notes: N = nitrogen; P = phosphorus; K = potassium; S = sulfur; Cu = copper; Fe = iron; Mn = manganese; Mo = molybdenum; Zn = zinc. Sustainable crop production is essential to a healthy and adequate food supply. At fi rst glance, a healthy crop reveals only the above ground plant; the roots that support the visible plant are seld...

BACKGROUND Earthworms are key organisms in organic matter decomposition because of the interactions they establish with soil microorganisms. They enhance decomposition rates through the joint action of direct effects (i.e. effects due to direct earthworm activity such as digestion, burrowing, etc) and indirect effects (i.e. effects derived from earthworm activities such as cast ageing). Here we...

Dental biofilms that form in the oral cavity play a critical role in the pathogenesis of several infectious oral diseases, including dental caries, periodontal disease, and oral candidiasis. Houttuynia cordata (HC, Saururaceae) is a widely used traditional medicine, for both internal and external application. A decoction of dried HC leaves (dHC) has long been consumed as a health-promoting herb...

BACKGROUND Zinc is an essential micronutrient used in the form of zinc sulfate in fertilizers in the agriculture production system. Nitrogen-fixing microorganisms are also of considerable value in promoting soil fertility. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the degree of sensitivity to varying concentrations of zinc, in the form of ZnSO4, in different strains of Azotobacter chroococcu...

Plants, animals and humans, are colonized by microorganisms (microbiota) and transiently exposed to countless others. The microbiota affects the development and function of essentially all organ systems, and contributes to adaptation and evolution, while protecting against pathogenic microorganisms and toxins. Genetics and lifestyle factors, including diet, antibiotics and other drugs, and expo...

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) and complicated vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) are frequently occurring vaginal infections in postmenopausal women, caused by an imbalance in vaginal microflora. Postmenopausal women suffer from decreased ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone. A normal, healthy vaginal microflora mainly comprises Lactobacillus species (spp.), which act beneficially as a bacterial b...

Seed inoculation with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is an ideal tool to supply the soil with a high density of beneficial microorganisms. However, maintaining viable microorganisms is a major problem during seed treatment and storage. In this work, an evaluation was made of the effect of bacterial immobilization in nanofibers on the stability (viability and maintenance of benefici...

We constructed genome probing microarrays (GPM) that are specific to 39 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in an effort to monitor microbial diversity and biological activity during the fermentation of kimchi, a traditional Korean vegetable product known to contain various health-promoting and immunity-boosting factors. Metagenomes and metatranscriptomes extracted from periodically sampled kimchi soup ...