Facilitators of implementing occupation based practice among Iranian occupational therapists: A qualitative study

Background: The Occupation-Based Practice (OBP) is a central core of occupational therapy (OT).It refers to using a meaningful occupation based on the client's interests, needs, health and participation in daily life. This study aimed to explore the facilitators of implementing OBP among Iranian occupational therapists. Methods: Fourteen occupational therapists participated in this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and the sampling method was purposeful. The interviews were continued until data saturation was reached, and data were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis using constant comparative analysis. Results: Our analysis explored two themes: Factors attributed to context, and factors attributed to therapists. The first theme consisted of three subthemes: Educational programs of OT department, public information about OBP and clinical setting compatible with OBP. The second theme also contained three subthemes including: Positive attitude regarding effectiveness of OBP, emphasis on client- centered and family- centered practice and convincing the clients to utilize OBP. Conclusion: The facilitators of implementing OBP are attributed to factors internal to the therapists as well as to issues in the external environment and context. Understanding these factors will help occupational therapists, OT educational staff, administrators and rehabilitation team members to facilitate the implementation of OBP

Can hand dexterity predict the disability status of patients with multiple sclerosis?

Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common disabling neurological disease. Hand dysfunction is one of the main complaints of patients with MS. The present study aimed to compare hand dexterity of MS patients with low Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores and healthy adults. It also sought to identify the predictors of disability status of patients with MS based on their manual dexterity and demographic characteristics. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 60 (16 male/44 female) patients with MS and 60 (19 male/41 female) healthy people, who matched in terms of age and sex, were recruited. Their hand dexterity was evaluated by the Purdue Pegboard Test. The disability status of the MS group was determined by the Expanded Disability Status Scale. The data were analyzed using SPSS15. Results: The hand dexterity in MS group even with low EDSS score (1.5 ± 1.07) was weaker than control group. Moreover, the dexterity of dominant hand and alternating two hands coordination subtests of the PPT was a good discriminator between two groups (p<0.001). The results of linear regression analysis suggested dominant hand dexterity and disease duration as predictors of disability status that predict 60.5 per cent of the variation in EDSS scores in patients with MS (p<0.001). Conclusion: Reduced dominant hand dexterity in patients with MS is a disabling factor. Further research is recommended to determine if early hand rehabilitation can reduce the severity of disability in Patients with MS

Analysis of the A-U rich hairpin from the intergenic region of tospovirus S RNA as target and inducer of RNA silencing

Earlier work indicated that Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) messenger transcripts, and not the (anti)genomic RNAs, are targeted by the RNA silencing machinery. Here, the predicted AU-rich hairpin (HP) structure encoded by the intergenic region (IGR) of the TSWV S RNA, and present at the 3' end of viral mRNAs, was analyzed as a target and inducer for RNA silencing. Virus-derived siRNAs (vsiRNAs) purified from virus infected plants were found to derive from all three genomic RNA segments but predominantly the ambisense M and S RNAs. Further profiling on the S RNA sequence revealed that vsiRNAs were found from almost the entire S RNA sequence, except the IGR from where hardly any vsiRNAs were found. Similar profiles were observed with the distantly related Tomato yellow ring tospovirus (TYRV). Dicer cleavage assays using Drosophila melanogaster (Dm) embryo extracts showed that synthetic transcripts of the IGR-HP region were recognized as substrate for Dicer. Transient agroinfiltration assays of a GFP-sensor construct containing the IGR-HP sequence at its 3' UTR (GFP-HP) did not show more rapid/strong silencing and profiling of the corresponding siRNAs, generated outside the context of a viral infection, still revealed relatively low levels of IGR-HP-derived siRNAs. These data support the idea that the IGR-HP is a weak inducer of RNA silencing and only plays a minor role in the amplification of a strong antiviral RNAi response

Molecular Diagnosis of Iris Yellow Spot Virus (IYSV) on Onion in Iran

Viral symptoms indicative of Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV) were observed on onion in several fields near Chenaran in Khorasan Razavi Province. Mechanical inoculation of herbaceous hosts with onion sap extracts from symptomatic plants showed similar symptoms to those described for IYSV. The mechanically transmitted virus reacted only with antisera specific to IYSV in DAS-ELISA but not with antisera specific to seven other tospoviruses. In RT-PCR, a DNA fragment approximately 822 bp in size was amplified from infected Nicotiana benthamiana by using primers specific to the nucleocapsid (N) gene of IYSV. After cloning and sequencing, the deduced N protein sequence of two isolates (GenBank accession no. HQ148173 and HQ148174) showed 98% amino acid identity with a Sri Lankan isolate, 96% with a Dutch isolate and 92% with a Brazilian isolate. To our knowledge, this is the first molecular characterization of IYSV in Ira

Content validity of the comprehensive ICF core set for children with cerebral palsy aged 0-6 years: Iranian occupational therapists perspective

Objectives Comprehensive ICF Core Set of cerebral palsy (CP) includes a set of functions of children with CP has been created recently. This study determined the content validity of this version based on Iranian Occupational Therapists� perspectives to explore whether the ICF Core Sets for CP include the areas of function of CP in Occupational Therapy practice. Materials & Methods This qualitative study conducted from Feb 2015 to Apr 2016 in Tehran, Iran. Experts were the academic staffs selected through convenience sampling. Content validity of comprehensive ICF-Core Set of CP with 135 ICF categories was done by them. Delphi survey was used for generating consensus on the final version. Participants were 50 clinical Occupational Therapists invited via email from across Iran. An agreement of 75 was considered as the cut-off for inclusion of each code-category. Results About 60 of the code�categories of comprehensive version of ICF Core Set of CP were approved by Occupational Therapists. In the final version, 82 code-categories were listed that included 21 code-categories for Body Functions, 40 for Activity/Participation, and 21 for Environmental Factors. Conclusion The validity of the Iranian ICF Core Set for children with CP aged 0�6 yr was supported by Iranian Occupational Therapists. It could be the basis for evaluation of this population in Occupational Therapy. © 2018, Iranian Child Neurology Society. All rights reserved

Prevalence of Psychiatric Symptoms and Mental Health Services in Students with Specific Learning Disabilities in Tehran, Iran

Children with specific learning disabilities are at a greater risk of mental health problems than their non-disabled peers. Further interventions and research will be required. This is a cross-sectional study. A sample of 107 students (7 to 11 years old) with specific learning disabilities were randomly selected from educational and rehabilitation settings in Tehran. The Child Symptom Inventory-4 (CSI-4) (parent checklist) was administered. Among children studied, 86 subjects (82.8 %) in some of the categories of psychiatric symptoms gained scores above the cut-off point. The most prevalent psychiatric symptoms were related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. There were not any statistically significant differences between the genders. In addition to direct education, 15 subjects (14 %) were receiving medication, 2 subjects (1.9 %) were receiving only occupational therapy, 2 subjects (1.9 %) were receiving only speech therapy, and 5 subjects (4.7 %) were receiving both occupational and speech therapy. The emphasis on considering co-morbid symptoms and usage of mental health services are important issues for students with specific learning difficulties

Virus-host interactions of tomato yellow ring virus, a new tospovirus from Iran

During the past decades, an increasing number of new tospovirus species occurring in various agricultural and horticultural crops have been reported. The emergence of new tospoviruses may be attributed to intensified international trading, to increasing problems to control their thrips vectors, but certainly also by better recognition based on new diagnostic tools. The works presented in the thesis first focused on comprehensive characterisation and identification of a tospovirus species occurring in different crops in Iran, and next on transgenic approaches to control this virus. In Chapter 2, five presumed Iranian tospovirus isolates from tomato, chrysanthemum, gazania, soybean and potato, collected in 2002, were analysed. All isolates induced necrotic local lesions on Petunia hybrida, indicative for tospoviruses. None of the available antisera against known tospoviruses reacted with the isolates, suggesting that if these were tospoviruses, they should belong to a novel species. As a next step the viral nucleoprotein (N) gene of the tomato isolate was cloned and sequenced and this information demonstrated that it represented a new tospovirus species for which the name Tomato yellow ring virus (TYRV) was proposed. Subsequently the N gene sequences of the chrysanthemum and gazania isolates were also obtained and showed these isolates to represent TYRV as well. Back-inoculation of the tomato isolate induced resembling chlorotic and necrotic spots on leaves and yellow rings on the tomato fruits. The complete S RNA sequence of this isolate revealed the generic topology of a tospoviral S RNA, containing both NSS (suppressor of silencing) and N (nucleocapsid) genes separated by a long non-coding intergenic region including a predicted hairpin structure. Multiple sequence alignment of the N protein of TYRV with those of established tospovirus species revealed the closest relationship (74% identity) to Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV). In chapter 3, the isolates from soybean and potato were analysed. Although in ELISA assays these isolates scored positive with antiserum raised against the TYRV-tomato isolate, they failed to amplify in RT-PCR when using primers derived from the latter. The N gene sequences of these isolates indeed revealed a sequence divergence of 8% compared to that of TYRV-tomato, indicating these two belonged to different strains of TYRV (denoted TYRV-s, while the strain occurring in tomato was named TYRV-t). Additional differences between the two strains were found in their respective S RNA non-coding intergenic regions. Differences in their host range and symptom expression underscored the decision to treat them as separate strains. A preliminary cross-protection study indicated that TYRV-t and TYRV-s mutually exclude each other, indicating that the strains represent stable, isolated lineages which do not easily converge despite their geographical overlap. In chapter 4, extended inverted repeat transgenic cassettes for broad tospoviral resistance were constructed and tested. These transgene cassettes contained partial N gene sequences from 5 different tomato-infecting tospoviruses, including TYRV-t from Iran, in such arrangement that transgenic expression would deliver a ds hairpin RNA. Using Nicotiana benthamiana as a model plant, transgenic lines harboring an inverted repeat construct interspaced with a sense-oriented intron were obtained with high frequencies of resistance up to 100% for all 5 tospoviruses in F2. By analysing the siRNA content of the transgenic plants it could be verified that the transgenic resistance was based on RNA silencing (or shortly RNAi). Whilst these transgenics were fully resistant to TYRV-t (whose N gene sequence was used in the transgene cassette), they were fully susceptible to TYRV-s, demonstrating again how narrow transgenic resistance based on RNAi is. Surprisingly upon co-inoculation with TYRV-s, TYRV-t also could overcome the transgenic resistance. Mass spectrometric analysis of viral ribonucleocapsid protein (RNP) purified from a mixed-infected transgenic line revealed that the N protein of both strains were present and hence hetero-encapsidation as possible mechanism to rescue TYRV-t from these plants could be excluded. Experiments involving the expression of the viral suppressor protein (NSs) from TYRV-s using a PVX vector, indicated that rescue of TYRV-t by TYRV-s was based on the expression of the TYRV-s RNAi suppressor. Since most of the operational transgenic tospovirus resistance approaches are based on RNAi, involving the production of transgenic viral siRNAs, in chapter 5 the production and involvement of viral siRNA molecules during a natural tospovirus infection process was investigated. Special attention was given to the intergenic hairpin region of the S RNA segment. Total small RNA was isolated from TYRV-t infected N. benthamiana and mapped to the S RNA segment. These studies demonstrated the occurrence of a hot spot for siRNA induction within the S RNA, but surprisingly this hotspot was not mapped in the IGR hairpin but at the start of NSS ORF where a much shorter hairpin structure was predicted. Surprisingly, fewest siRNAs mapped to the intergenic region which is predicted to fold into a long hairpin, despite additional experiments involving DICER cleavage by Drosophila melanogaster embryo extract and YFP (yellow fluorescent protein)-hairpin constructs indicating this region to be a potential inducer and target for RNAi. In chapter 6, the observations done in the experimental chapters are discussed in a broader context and a model for tospovirus-induced RNA silencing presented. <br/

Alstroemeria yellow spot virus (AYSV): a new orthotospovirus specieswithin a growing Eurasian clade

AbstractAn orthotospovirus distinct from all other orthotospoviruses was isolated from naturally infected alstroemeria plants. Diseasesymptoms caused by this virus mainly consisted of yellow spots on the leaves based on which the name alstroemeria yellowspot virus (AYSV) was coined. A host range analysis was performed and a polyclonal antiserum was produced againstpurified AYSV ribonucleoproteins which only reacted with the homologous antigen and not with any other (established ortentative) orthotospovirus from a selection of American and Asian species. Upon thrips transmission assays the virus wassuccessfully transmitted by a population of Thrips tabaci. The entire nucleotide sequence of the M and S RNA segmentswas elucidated by a conventional cloning and sequencing strategy, and contained 4797 respectively 2734 nucleotides (nt).Simultaneously, a next generation sequencing (NGS) approach (RNAseq) was employed and generated contigs coveringthe entire viral tripartite RNA genome. In addition to the M and S RNA nucleotide sequences, the L RNA (8865 nt) wasobtained. The nucleocapsid (N) gene encoded by the S RNA of this virus consisted of 819 nucleotides with a deduced Nprotein of 272 amino acids and by comparative sequence alignments to other established orthotospovirus species showedhighest homology (69.5% identity) to the N protein of polygonum ringspot virus. The data altogether support the proposalof AYSV as a new orthotospovirus species within a growing clade of orthotospoviruses that seem to share the Middle Eastbasin as a region of origin

First report of Moroccan pepper virus on Lisianthus in Iran and Worldwide

During the last decade, lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) has been introduced in Iran in the horticultural cut-flower industry. This crop is currently produced in more than 800 small greenhouses on a surface of an estimated 0.8 km2 in the Pakdasht region (southeast of Teheran Province). Plants exhibiting virus-like symptoms were observed in several greenhouses in 2010. The infected plants produced yellow and necrotic spots on the leaves and became severely deformed because of a strong leaf curling and the production of shorter internodes. Flower breaking has not been observed in the blue flowering plants. Approximately 85% of the plants were apparently infected in the inspected greenhouses. Extracts of infected material inoculated onto some indicator plant species induced mosaic and leaf malformation on Nicotiana benthamiana, mottling on Capsicum annuum, necrotic lesions on Datura stramonium, chlorotic local spots on Vigna unguiculata, systemic necrotic spots on Emilia sonchifolia, chlorotic local spots on Cucumis sativus, and necrotic local lesions on Petunia hybrida. Back-inoculation of infected material on lisianthus seedlings resulted in several chlorotic spots on the inoculated leaves and a severe downward curling of the systemic infected leaves. No symptoms were observed after inoculation of Pisum sativum, Phaseolus vulgaris, Vicia faba, and Chrysanthemum spp. The virus could also be transferred from infected to healthy N. benthamiana plants by pricking leaves with a Pasteur pipette. Spherical tombusvirus-like particles of approximately 29 nm were found by transmission electron microscopy in leaf-dip and partially-purified preparations of infected N. benthamiana. Since Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV; genus Tombusvirus, family Tombusviridae) and Moroccan pepper virus (MPV) have been found in Iran, we studied by using ELISA whether our samples matched with TBSV. Since a negative response was obtained, two primers were designed on the basis of the available sequences of the coat protein in the GenBank (Accession No. EU27780) of an MPV isolate from soil in Fars Province, Iran. A reverse transcription (RT)-PCR of total RNA extract from infected lisianthus and N. benthamiana with the primers MPV-R (5'-TTACAACAATGTGGCATCATTG-3') and MPV-F (5'-ATGGCAATGGTAGTAAG AAAC-3') resulted in a DNA fragment of 1,176 bp. This fragment from N. benthamiana was cloned, sequenced (Accession No. HQ663881), and showed a 96% nucleotide and 99% amino acid identity with the coat protein of the soil isolate. MPV was originally found in pepper (1), tomato and pelargonium (4), pear tree (3), and surface water (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of MPV on lisianthus in Iran and worldwide. This virus, which persists in soil, water, and plant debris, can be considered as a substantial threat for the lisianthus industry in Iran because farmers do not apply strict crop rotation or other sanitation measure

Molecular Identification of an Isolate of Peanut Mottle Virus (PeMoV) in Iran

Peanut plants showing mottling, yellow and necrotic spots on leaves were collected from peanut fields in Golestan province. Electron microscopic studies revealed the presence of flexuous filamentous particles ca. 700 nm in length, which was suggestive of a potyvirus infection. Healthy Nicotiana benthamiana plants mechanically inoculated with sap from infected peanut plants showed mottling, downward leaf curling, and wrinkling of the leaves. The virus was transmitted by Myzus persicae in a non-persistent manner to healthy N. benthamiana, on which symptoms were observed two weeks later. RT-PCR using an Oligo-dT and a NIb primer set resulted in a fragment of about 1093 bp, which comprised the complete coat protein (CP) gene and 3´-non-coding region. Analysis of its CP nucleotide and amino acid sequence revealed 98-99% similarity and 95-99% identity to those of Peanut mottle virus (PeMoV) isolated from other countries, respectively. The molecular data confirmed serological, vector transmission, and electron microscopic findings on the incidence of PeMoV in Iran. Additionally, sequence and phylogenetic analyses of the CP revealed clustering of Iranian PeMoV isolate with Asian/Australian isolates