Psychometric properties of the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development inventory for use with Iranian children aged 18-42 months.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to translate the original English language version of the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development (AHEMD) inventory and test its psychometric properties for use with Iranian children aged 18-42 months. METHODS: For this purpose, the tool was translated into Farsi (a Persian language) using the forward-backward translation method and some of its psychometric properties were examined. Multistage stratified-cluster sampling was used to study 1019 families having children aged 18-42 months from among the regional divisions of Tehran urban community health centers. The questionnaire evaluated five factors: outside space, inside space, variety of stimulation, fine motor toys and gross motor toys. Expert opinion was used for content-related validity evaluation and confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine construct validity. For test-retest reliability, parents completed identical questionnaires two weeks apart. Internal consistency was evaluated using inter-examiner reliability, Cronbach's alpha and construct reliability. Linear regression analysis was used to explain and predict the effects of toys on AHEMD total score. RESULTS: Results showed that content-related validity was 0.92. Data confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable fit to the original five factors. Reliability over time was 0.91 and internal consistency was 0.93. It was also found that fine- and gross-motor toys showed a significant 55% predictability of affordance provision in the home. CONCLUSION: The Farsi translation of the AHEMD is acceptable for use with Iranian children aged 18-42 month.

Effect of exercise intervention on the perceptual-motor skills in adolescents with autism.

BACKGROUND: Motor skill impairment has been reported in many studies of autistic adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of selected physical exercise on Perceptual-motor skills in adolescents with autism. METHODS: Twenty adolescents with autism that were under special education in Tehran based on their Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores and level of abilities were selected. Measurement tool was Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP). Selected group motor program in this study includes motor activities, games and sports for adolescents that were performed for 10 weeks. RESULTS: Results showed that selected physical exercise training has significant effects on all of the variables (P<0.001) except the speed of running and agility (P=0.61), bilateral coordination (P=0.12) and response speed (P=0.42). CONCLUSIONS: It seems that miscellaneous physical exercise programs which include ball games, delightful play and targeted play can improve perceptual-motor skills in adolescents with autism.

Antibacterial activity of the essential oils of myrtle leaves against Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

Objective: To evaluate the antibacterial activity of the essential oil of Myrtus communis (M.communis Methods: Wild populations of M. communis collected from Khuzestan and Lorestan provinces, Southwest Iran, were examined for antibacterial activity and chemical variability in leaves. Thein vitro antibacterial activity against E. rhusiopathiae was performed by agar disc diffusion and micro-dilution assays.Results:) L. against Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (E. rhusiopathiae) in vitro. in both assays. The results showed that the major components of the oil were α-pinene (22.3%-55.2%), 1,8-cineole (8.7%-43.8%) and linalool (6.4%-14.5%). The inhibition zones and MIC values for bacteria which were sensitive to the essential oils of M. communis were in the range of 14.7-27.0 mm and 0.031-0.25 mg/mL, respectively.Conclusions:This study demonstrates that products with valuable antibacterial activity can be The essential oils of M. communis have strong antibacterial against E. rhusiopathiae produced from leaves of M. communis against E. rhusiopathiae.

Phytochemical composition of the essential oil of different populations of Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl

Objective: To examine the chemical variability in inflorescences of wild populations of Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl (S. lavandulifolia) collected throughout two provinces (Isfahan and Chaharmahal va Bakhtiary), Southwest Iran. Methods: The essential oils of S. lavandulifolia Vahl from seven locations were obtained by hydro-distillation and analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: The results revealed that distinct differences in the content of compounds depending on region of sample collection. The main constituents of the essential oils were α-thujone (0.3%-32.3%), α-pinene (trace to 37.3%), myrcene (0.5%-15.9%),β-phellandrene (1.1%-37.9%), germacrene D (0.4%-11.3%),?-cadinene (trace to 11.6%) and 1, 4-methano-1 H-indene (trace to 10.1%). Conclusions:The results of the present study indicated that essential oil components of S. lavandulifolia Vahl can be varied with genetic (ecotype), environmental conditions and geographic origin. In general, the essential oils of various populations of S. lavandulifolia Vahl were rich in monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids.

Visual skills involved in decision making by expert referees.

Previous studies have compared visual skills of expert and novice athletes; referees' performance has not been addressed. Visual skills of two groups of expert referees, successful and unsuccessful in decision making, were compared. Using video clips of soccer matches to assess decision-making success of 41 national and international referees from 31 to 42 years of age, 10 top referees were selected as the Successful group and 10 as the Unsuccessful group. Visual tests included visual memory, visual reaction time, peripheral vision, recognition speed, saccadic eye movement, and facility of accommodation. The Successful group had better visual skills than the Unsuccessful group. Such visual skills enhance soccer referees' performance and may be recommended for young referees.