Neurofeedback effect on perceptual-motor skills of children with ADHD

Objectives: This study investigates the impact of neurofeedback on perceptual-motor skills of 5 to 12 years old children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Methods: In this clinical study, 40 children between the ages of 5-12 years, who were patients of the Tavanesh Clinic and diagnosed with ADHD, were randomly chosen and divided into two groups of control and test. 20-neurofeedback intervention sessions were performed. The tools utilized in this study included Bruninks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and Child behavior checklist (CBCL) survey questionnaire. For evaluation after the intervention, Bruninks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency scale for children, along with CBCL questionnaire surveys were asked to fill up by the participants' mothers. Results: After the intervention, the analysis of the scores in all perceptual-motor skills showed significant differences in both groups, but no significant difference was observed in the subtest of strength. The CBCL survey questionnaire revealed that the average scores on attention disorder, aggression, lack of attention and hyperactivity, externalizing and general problems in the test group is significantly less than that of the control group. However, in the confrontational behavior (internalization), there was no statistically significant difference between the test and control groups. There was a correlation between the change of motor skills and change of behavioral patterns in ADHD children. Discussion: Neurofeedback intervention can have positive effects on improving the perceptualmotor skills of children with ADHD

Demographic and diagnostic features of 3147 inpatients with mood disorders in Iran

Objectives: To assess and compare demographic and diagnostic characteristics of inpatients with mood disorders in Iran. Materials and Methods: We collected the demographic, clinical, and treatment characteristics of patients, who were hospitalized during five years from April 2006 to March 2010, in Iran hospital of psychiatry, a residency training center to evaluate the general clinical picture of the disorder. Results: Overall, 95.3 of subjects had a diagnosis of bipolar I disorder (BID), 2.5 were diagnosed as bipolar II disorder (BIID) and 1.3 and 0.9 met the criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar not otherwise specified (NOS), respectively. Compared to patients withMDDand BIID, the onset of BID was at an earlier age (32.2 ± 1, 34.8 ± 1.5 and 29.9 ± 1.9 years old, respectively, P < 0.001). In addition, a number of admissions, mean duration of each admission and number of treatments with electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) were significantly higher in patients with BID. Conclusions: Bipolar I disorder was the most common diagnosis for inpatients with mood disorders and a more severe course in BID may indicate more severe impairments that would result in more severe disabilities. © 2016, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences

The Adsorption of Chlorofluoromethane on Pristine, Al‐, Ga‐, P‐, and As‐doped Boron Nitride Nanotubes: A PBC‐DFT, NBO, and QTAIM Study

The feasibility of detecting a Chlorofluoromethane (CFM) gas molecule on the outer surface of a pristine single‐walled boron nitride nanotube as well as Al‐, Ga‐, P‐, and As‐doped structures. A periodic boundary condition (PBC), within a density functional theory (DFT) method, using the Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof exchange‐correlation (PBE0) functional, together with a 6‐311G(d) basis set was used. Subsequently, the B3LYP, CAM−B3LYP, ωB97XD, and M06‐2X functionals were also employed to consider the single point energies. Natural bond orbital (NBO) and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) were implemented by using the PBE0/6‐311G(d). To explore the nature of the intermolecular interactions, density of state (DOS), Wiberg bond index (WBI), natural charge, natural electron configuration, donor–acceptor natural bond orbital interactions, the second‐order perturbation energies tests, and noncovalent interaction (NCI) analysis are performed. The sensitivity of the adsorption will be increased when the gas molecule interacts with decorated nanotubes; therefore, the change of electronic properties can be used to design suitable nanosensors

Solvent free one-pot multi-component synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones catalyzed by mesoporous NH4H2PO4/MCM-41 as an environmentally friendly, cheap, and effective catalyst

A green and efficient method is described for the solvent free synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones through one-pot three-component condensation of ethyl acetoacetate, an aryl aldehyde, and urea using mesoporous MCM-41 supported ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (NH4H2PO4/MCM-41) as catalyst. The present methodology offers several advantages such as high yields, relatively short reaction times, mild reaction condition, easy work up, and using a highly recyclable catalyst. Some mechanistic studies revealed that the reaction would be achieved via formation of an acyliminium ion, followed by an acid-catalyzed cyclodehydration step

Comparison of demographic and diagnostic characteristics of Iranian inpatients with bipolar I disorder to western counterparts

Background: Patients' characteristics influence the disorders outcome, so it is valuable to compare mood disorders and inpatients' attributes in different large samples. Objectives: This study was designed to assess demographic and diagnostic characteristics of 3000 Iranian inpatient with bipolar disorders. Patients and Methods: We collected the information of demographic, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of the patients who were hospitalized in Iran Hospital of Psychiatry, a university affiliated hospital in Tehran, during the 5 years from 2006 to 2011. Results: About 66.1 of the subjects were males and 33.9 were females. Iranian patients are characterized by a higher rate of unemployment, being more single, having health insurance and lower rate of divorce and education compared to the other clinical samples. In the majority of the patients, the disorder had begun with manic phase. Conclusions: Clinical and therapeutic features of Iranian patients are different from patients in western countries. © 2015, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences

Bioprospecting of Beneficial Bacteria Traits Associated With Tomato Root in Greenhouse Environment Reveals That Sampling Sites Impact More Than the Root Compartment

Tomato is subject to several diseases that affect both field- and greenhouse-grown crops. To select cost-effective potential biocontrol agents, we used laboratory throughput screening to identify bacterial strains with versatile characteristics suitable for multipurpose uses. The natural diversity of tomato root–associated bacterial communities was bioprospected under a real-world environment represented by an intensive tomato cultivation area characterized by extraseasonal productions in the greenhouse. Approximately 400 tomato root–associated bacterial isolates, in majority Gram-negative bacteria, were isolated from three compartments: the soil close to the root surface (rhizosphere, R), the root surface (rhizoplane, RP), and the root interior (endorhizosphere, E). A total of 33% of the isolates produced siderophores and were able to solubilize phosphates and grow on NA with 8% NaCl. A total of 30% of the root-associated bacteria showed antagonistic activity against all the tomato pathogens tested, i.e., Clavibacter michiganesis pv. michiganensis, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, Pseudomonas corrugata and Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pv. perforans, and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. We found that the sampling site rather than the root compartment of isolation influenced bacterial composition in terms of analyzed phenotype. This was demonstrated through a diversity analysis including general characteristics and PGPR traits, as well as biocontrol activity in vitro. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene (rDNA) sequencing of 77 culturable endophytic bacteria that shared multiple beneficial activity revealed a predominance of bacteria in Bacillales, Enterobacteriales, and Pseudomonadales. Their in vitro antagonistic activity showed that Bacillus species were significantly more active than the isolates in the other taxonomic group. In planta activity against phytopathogenic bacteria of a subset of Bacillus and Pseudomonas isolates was also assessed