---

---

Aim: This study investigates the intraspecific competition, for food and density amongst larvae of Anopheles stephensi (main malaria vector in south Iran). Material & Methods: The effects of 4 selected food quantities (1x,2x,4x,6x) and 5 larval densities (0.1 to 3 larva/cm2) were tested individually or in combination on 7 biological indexes of the vector and the results were statistically analyzed. The competition starts when the food quantity decreases from 6x to x and the larval density increases from 0.1 up to 3 larva/cm2. Results & Discussion: The biological indexes that showed significant alterations at competing conditions (reduced food quantity and increased larval density) were as follows. Increasing of the larval, pupal and total mortality, alteration of the sex ratio in favor of male production, and decrease of the speed of larval development and survival rate. However, body sizes did not show any significant difference among individuals of both sexes. Conclusion: So, reducing the food quantity and increasing the larval density make a decrease in abundance and activity of An. Stephensi and it may provide a useful method for control of this mosquito population.

---

Objective: An entomological survey was carried out for Leishmania vector incrimination of sand flies in northwestern Iran. Materials and Methods: Among other specimens, 358 sand flies belong to the Sergentomyia Genus were tested for leptomonad infection using semi-nested PCR method as well as sequence anlalysis of ITS-rDNA fragment. Results: Results of semi-nested PCR against kietoplast DNA showed reptile leptomonad infection in two specimens of S.dentata. The ITS2 sequence analysis of the specimens revealed 76% identity with those of Leishmania (sauroleishmania) adleri of Genbank. However, further studies need to clarify the species identity of the leptomonads. Interestingly, blood meal analysis of the sand flies determined an S.sintoni specimen with mammalian hemoglobin. Conclusion: This reptile related sauroleishmania parasites lacks the Lipophosphoglican (LPG) necessary for entrance to human phagocytes cells, and hence are not human pathogen. However, the GlycoInositoPhosphoLipid (GIPL) molecules of this parasite reacts with sera of kala-azar patients and may cause false positive scores in sero-epidemiological surveys for kala-azar. Sauroleishmania can be transmitted to human by infected bite of some Sergentomyia subgenera that show intermediate

---

Objective: Ajowan is an annual herbaceous essential oil of Carum copticom. The main components of the oil are Tymol, β-pinene, γ- terpinene and Sabinene.The fruit oil of Carum copticum has been reported to have several therapeutic effects including anti fungal, anti bacterial and anti viral,... Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungus and transforms into pathogenic form in favorable conditions, causing fungal diseases. Materials and Methods: In this study, essential oil and alcoholic extract of Carum copticum were gained and Microdilution Broth method were used for detection of minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicide concentration (MFC) of 11 clinical isolates of Candida albicans and Standard strain (PTCC50-27). Results: Results show that MIC for essential oil is 0.43 µg/ml, 0.87 µg/ml and for alcoholic extract is 3.51 µg/ml, 7.03 µg/ml, 1/75 µg/ml. Thus, it seems that Carum copticum could inhibit Candida albicans growth by a similar mechanism which occurs by Fluconazole (FLZ). In general, the results obtained in this study indicate that Carum copticum has potential values for growth inhibition of Candida albicans in vitro. Conclution: In recent years, systemic fungal infections due to Candida species have been received major consideration about inducing mortality in nosocomial patients because of increasing in immunocompromised disorders such as AIDS and hematological disorders as well as long term use of Phlebotomus perfiliewi transcaucasicus sandflies. Conclusion: This is the first report on natural infection of sand flies to L. donovani in the country and since the ecology and biology of L. donovani differs extensively from L. infantum, it is necessary to perform further studies to highlight the role of L. donovani in epidemiology of VL in the region and country.

---

The traditional procedure for seismic design of building structures has been generally termed the force-based design (FBD) method. In the FBD method, the elastic seismic force acting on the structure is calculated first with the aid of a design acceleration response spectrum. This elastic force is then divided by a reduction factor called behavior factor R, representing the ductility and overstrength capacities of the structures. The implementation of FBD in seismic codes, does not clearly define the performance level. Furthermore, this method assumes the constant behavior factor values for the structures with the similar types of the lateral load resisting systems and do not take into account structure numeral properties same as the influence of the number of stories. These are some disadvantages of the FBD method that have been referred in many researches. So recently, procedures have been developed to substitute for this method. The design procedure would be more rational if the performance of the structure was quantified through a target value of deformation treated as an input variable in the design procedure. This target value of deformation can be assigned to different performance objectives and is the starting point for the development of the rather new displacement-based seismic design (DBD) method and is described in the some guidelines and publications as a performance-based seismic design method. The third and newest seismic design method is called the hybrid force/displacement-based design (HBD) method that adopts the seismic design philosophy based on both the resistance performance-based seismic design method. The third and newest seismic design method is called the hybrid force/displacement-based design (HBD) method that adopts the seismic design philosophy based on both the resistance and the performance. The HFD method combines the best elements of the FBD and DBD methods and tries to avoid those ones, which are usually thought of as disadvantages. This research proposes a new hybrid force/displacement-based seismic design method that is named the modified behavior factor (MBF) method. The MBF method combines the FBD method of the Iranian Earthquake Resistance Design Code (Standard No. 2800) and the DBD method of the Iranian Instruction for Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings (Publication No. 360). Two 5 and 7 story frames with three bays have been seismically designed by the MBF and the FBD methods and the results of them have been compared. The seismic responses of the MBF method are more precise than the responses of the FBD method.