Publications by authors named "Shokouh Ghafari"

Background: Hemodialysis patients are at risk of acquiring healthcare-related infections due to using non-sterile water to prepare hemodialysis fluid. Therefore, microbiological control and monitoring of used water are of crucial importance.

Materials And Methods: In this work, we identified bacterial populations occupying a hemodialysis water distribution system for almost a 6-month period in Ahvaz city, southwest of Iran.

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  • The study investigates the role of ACE1 and ACE2 gene variations in affecting susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 in patients versus healthy controls.
  • It finds that individuals with the DD genotype of the ACE1 gene are more likely to contract COVID-19, while those with the ID genotype have lower susceptibility.
  • There was no significant difference in the gene variations for ACE2, suggesting ACE1 polymorphism may be a potential risk factor for COVID-19.
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Despite passing the pandemic phase of the COVID-19, researchers are still investigating various drugs. Previous evidence suggests that blocking the calcium channels may be a suitable treatment option. Ca is required to enhance the fusion process of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

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  • Global real-time monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 variants is essential for controlling COVID-19, leading to the development of a Sanger-based platform for variant tracking in low-resource labs.
  • The study utilized nested RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing on 1,028 samples, achieving high concordance with whole genome sequencing for mutation detection and lineage assignment.
  • The new method is effective for tracking variants of concern like Delta and Alpha, making it a viable option for countries with limited resources to monitor SARS-CoV-2 variants efficiently.
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  • The study analyzed the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 in Iran over one year, following two independent viral introductions during the early outbreak phase.
  • Researchers sequenced 319 whole genomes between March 2020 and May 2021 to monitor the circulating viral lineages.
  • Results showed that different SARS-CoV-2 clades dominated various waves of infection, with the Delta variant emerging as a crucial factor in the fifth wave, highlighting significant mutations in key lineages.
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Introduction: The enteric protozoa, Giardia duodenalis (G. duodenalis), consists of eight distinct assemblages (A-H) with identical morphological characteristics and a direct life cycle. Successful axenic cultivation of this parasite is an important preliminary step for biological, drug resistance and phylogenetic studies.

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A consortium isolated from the Persian Gulf is evaluated for its ability to bioremediate petroleum-contaminated soils. The soil sample was collected from oil fields of South Western Iran. The crude oil concentrations were set to 1000-10,000 mg/kg, and the sodium chloride concentration was set to 0.

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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19), the infectious respiratory disease caused by a newly discovered pathogen (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), is a pandemic that places a burden on the health care system. Recently, most research on COVID-19 has emphasized its profound impact on specific regions and ethnic groups. A possible explanation for these variations in disease presentation and severity might be differences in the gene pool of populations.

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  • HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, affecting around 80% of women under 50, and is primarily linked to cervical cancer, prompting a study in South-Khorasan, Iran to assess its prevalence and types.
  • The study analyzed 370 samples, finding that 93.2% tested positive for HPV-DNA, with low-risk types (LR-HPV) found in 80.9% of cases and high-risk types (HR-HPV) in 15.5%.
  • Researchers recommend HPV testing for individuals visiting gynecological clinics, especially those aged 25-35, due to the high prevalence of HR-HPV in that age group.
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The global COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world's population by causing changes in behavior, such as social distancing, masking, restricting people's movement, and evaluating existing medication as potential therapies. Many pre-existing medications such as tocilizumab, ivermectin, colchicine, interferon, and steroids have been evaluated for being repurposed to use for the treatment of COVID-19. None of these agents have been effective except for steroids and, to a lesser degree, tocilizumab.

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  • * The optimal conditions for biosurfactant production involved glucose as the carbon source, NHCl as the nitrogen source, and a salinity level of 1.4%.
  • * The resulting biosurfactant effectively reduced surface tension to 32.5 mN/m and achieved an 82% desorption rate of pyrene at an initial concentration of 200 mg/L.
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A halotolerant bacterial strain was isolated from oily-contaminated sites of Persian Gulf, which characterized as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (AHV-KH10) by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. This strain was used for bioremediation of diesel-contaminated sediments. Biosurfactant production was initially screened by using oil displacement test and drop-collapse method, followed by measurement of surface tension (ST) of growth medium.

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The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been rapidly spreading globally since December 2019, triggering a pandemic, soon after its emergence. While Iran was among the first countries confronted with rapid spread of virus in February 2020, no real-time SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome tracking in early phase of outbreak was performed in the country. To address this issue, we provided 50 whole-genome sequences of viral isolates ascertained from different geographical locations in Iran during March-July 2020.

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Biological treatment of oily sludge wastes was studied using an isolated halo-tolerant strain . An oily sludge sample was obtained from oil fields of south waste of Iran and was fully characterized. The initial TPH content was 44,500 mg kg.

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Bioremediation of a petroleum contaminated seawater from Persian Gulf was investigated and efficiency of natural attenuation by native halotolerant bacterial consortium, biostimulation by addition of macro nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and surfactant and bioaugmentation by application of halotolerant hydrocarbon degrading strains were evaluated. Biodegradation rates in defined conditions were studied for 30 days. Four pure isolates including Bacillus sp.

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  • The study focused on the co-infection rates of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) among individuals living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Ahvaz city, Iran, emphasizing the health risks associated with such co-infections.
  • Out of 78 HIV positive individuals tested, 32.05% were found to be positive for HCV antibodies, with 24.35% of those also testing positive for HCV RNA.
  • The dominant HCV genotype identified was 3a, primarily found in male injecting drug users, highlighting the need for regular monitoring of HCV in HIV-infected individuals.
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  • - The study aimed to assess the prevalence of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) among 300 drug-abusing prisoners in Birjand in 2016, using questionnaires and blood tests to gather data.
  • - Results showed that 20.7% were exposed to HBV, with a 3.3% infection rate, while 8% were exposed to HCV; injecting drug users had a significantly higher prevalence of HCV compared to non-injectors.
  • - Key risk factors for HCV exposure identified were injecting drug use and having tattoos, highlighting a greater prevalence of these infections in prisoners compared to the general population.
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This work aimed to investigate the performance of biosurfactant, produced by a halotolerant bacterial strain, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PF2, for desorption of PAHs from soil, followed by electrokinetic oxidation of the desorbed solution using Magnetite Nanoparticles Modified Graphite (MNMG). Pyrene (PYR), anthracene (ANT) and phenanthrene (PHE) were used as contamination model. Produced and extracted biosurfactant was characterized as rhamnolipid with Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) of 60 mg/L and emulsification index (E) value of 60.

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  • * A total of 90 HIV/HCV co-infected individuals were analyzed using Reverse transcription nested PCR to assess HCV genotypes.
  • * The predominant HCV subtypes identified were 1a (55.2%) and 3a (35.8%), indicating a high diversity of HCV subtypes in the co-infected population in Ahvaz, Iran.
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Background: Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infectious disease is one of the most common viral sexually transmitted diseases. As regards, vaginal lactobacilli play an important role in protecting host against the urogenital pathogens; here we assessed the potential antiviral activity of Lactobacillus crispatus against HSV-2 infection in vitro.

Methods: Both Vero and HeLa cell lines were treated by L.

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  • The study investigates the prevalence of transmitted drug-resistant (TDR) HIV-1 mutations in Khuzestan province, Iran, where little prior research existed on this issue.
  • Blood samples were taken from 52 newly diagnosed HIV-1 positive individuals aged 18 to 30 years to assess TDR mutations and classify circulating HIV-1 subtypes.
  • Results indicated moderate prevalence of TDR mutations for non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) and low levels for nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and protease inhibitors (PIs), with all participants infected with the HIV-1 subtype CRF35_AD.
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Treatment of a saline petrochemical wastewater with BOD/COD ratio of less than 0.1 was investigated using a consortium consisted of three isolated salt-tolerant bacteria namely, Kocuria turfanesis, Halomonas alkaliphila and Pseudomonas balearica. Selected bacteria were isolated from petrochemical wastewater containing mineral salt mediums of 3% salinity.

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Background: The lactobacilli are a part of the bacterial flora of the human vagina. Detection of normal Lactobacillus species in the vaginas of healthy women in different geographical locations, and evaluation of their specific properties, can aid in the selection of the best species for preventing sexually transmitted diseases in the future. This study was performed to isolate and identify the Lactobacillus species in the vaginas of healthy women and to evaluate the adherence of these lactobacilli to Vero and HeLa cell lines.

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