ObjectivesAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been identified as a prevalent psychiatric condition (5% worldwide). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neurotrophin that modulates different aspects of neuronal function, was earlier demonstrated to play a key role in the survival and differentiation of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, and hence it may play a role in the pathogenesis of ADHD. Patients and methodsThe study included 29 new ADHD cases (drug naive) and 30 healthy controls. All children were subjected to history taking, physical examination, mental status examination, and IQ testing using the Arabic version of the Revised Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. The severity of symptoms in cases of ADHD was assessed using Conners' Parent Rating Scale. Finally, blood sample was drawn for quantitative determination of plasma BDNF concentrations using human BDNF immunoassay kits. ResultsChildren with ADHD had lower IQ results and higher BDNF. The mean ± SD plasma BDNF level was significantly higher in ADHD cases than in controls (3138.5 ± 2640.7 and 5476.9 ± 5443, respectively). BDNF values showed numerical difference in subtypes of ADHD, being highest among cases having ADHD inattentive type, lower among those having ADHD combined type, and lowest among cases having ADHD hyperactive impulsive type. Correlation study revealed a moderate positive correlation with anxious/shy scores and a moderate negative correlation with hyperactive/ impulsive scores. Multiple linear regression showed that the ADHD type was a significant predictor of plasma BDNF level (b = 0.445, P = 0.021), whereas sex and weight for age percentile were nonsignificant predictors (P = 0.227 and 0.242, respectively). Conclusion Plasma BDNF is higher in ADHD patients than in normal controls. Its levels could be positively correlated to anxious/shy, psychosomatic, sociocognitive impairment, and inattentive scores, and negatively correlated with hyperactive/impulsive, perfectionism, emotional liability, and oppositional scores.

Bentonite sample enriched in organic matters (oil shale) was functionalized with −SO3H sulfonated carbonaceous bentonite (S-CB) by sulfonation process as a low-cost and effective acidic catalyst for the transesterification spent sunflower oil (SFO). The sulfonation effect was followed by several analytic techniques including X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, and scanning electron microscopy analysis. The catalytic performance of the sulfonated product was evaluated based on a statistical design which was built according to the response surface methodology and the central composite rotatable design. Using the S-CB acidic catalyst in the transesterification of spent SFO resulted in an actual biodiesel yield of 96% at studied conditions of 85 min at reaction interval, 50 °C as temperature,15:1 as methanol/oil ratio, and 3.5 wt % as S-CB loading. Moreover, the optimization function suggested enhancement to obtained yield up to 97.9% by selecting the values of temperature at 62 °C, the time at 98.5 min, the methanol/SFO ratio at 14.4:1, and S-CB loading at 3.4 wt %. The technical evaluation of the SFO biodiesel reflected the suitability of the product to be used as biofuels according to international standards. The kinetic behavior of the SFO transesterification reaction over S-CB is of pseudo-first order properties and of low activation energy. Finally, the synthetic S-CB as a solid acidic catalyst is of significant reusability and was reused five times with remarkable biodiesel yields.

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Three clay samples with different mineral compositions (kaolinite, smectite-kaoline, and smectite-rich) were used for zeolite synthesis using the method of hydrothermal reactions after fusion with NaOH. The conditions of hydrothermal crystallization (zeolitization) were found to be at temperature of 100˚C, and time span between 72 h and 96 h for kaoline and smectite-rich samples, while 48 h for the smectite-kaolinite sample. The results indicate that zeolites began to crystallize from clay samples after 48 h, and crystallization increased with increasing time. The synthetic materials have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric (DTA/TGA) analysis. The results indicate that low silica NaX-faujasite type with well-developed octahedral and cubic crystals was synthesized from the three samples. No big difference in the characterization between the three synthetic materials was detected, but smectite-kaolinite sample as raw material was relatively better in crystallization of synthetic zeolite. Applications of the synthetic materials in the removal of heavy metals proved that the synthetic faujasite has strong effect for removing of Cr 3+ , Co 2+ , Ni 2+ and Mn 2+ from aqueous solution.

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