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Background This study was conducted for several reasons, primarily because of the lack of an Arabic version of the HSCT that could be beneficial in our clinical practice. Another reason is the need to find potential relationships between various factors with executive functions, especially problematic mobile phone use as suggested by many previous studies, since smartphones have become, nowadays, a daily companion of people from all generations. Thus, it is important to conduct this study in Lebanon to be adapted to the ideas, customs and social behavior of the Lebanese citizens. Hence, the objectives of the current study are to use the Arabic version of the HSCT in healthy community-dwelling Arabic-speaking adults in Lebanon, to check its validity compared to other versions of the test, as well as to identify risk factors that might affect the executive functions in these adults. Methods Between August–December 2019, 350 participants were randomly selected. The Arabic version of the HSCT, divided into automatic and inhibition conditions, was used; in each condition, participants’ response-time and number of errors committed were recorded. Results None of the scale items was removed. For the automatic condition, response-time items converged over one factor (αCronbach = 0.905) and number of errors converged over seven factors (αCronbach = 0.334). For the inhibition condition, response-time converged over one factor (αCronbach = 0.943) and number of errors converged over four factors (αCronbach = 0.728). Using electricity as a heating method inside the house was significantly associated with a lower response-time, whereas higher problematic mobile phone use was associated with higher response-time. Using wood as a heating system inside the house and higher problematic mobile phone use were associated with higher number of errors, while using Arabian incense (bakhour) inside the house was associated with lower number of errors. Conclusion We were able to set normative data for the HSCT Arabic version for use in the Lebanese population. Problematic mobile phone use was associated with lower inhibitory control in terms of response-time and errors number.

The phytochemical profiles of extracts from closed, semi-opened and opened leaf buds and the summer leaves of Ginkgo biloba were studied. The extraction and purification of bilobalide and ginkgolides, using andrographolide as an internal standard, were optimised. The terpene trilactone concentrations increased with bud development, from 1.07 mg/g dry wt in closed buds to a maximum of 3.75 mg/g dry wt in summer leaves. The major terpene trilactone was bilobalide at all developmental stages. The concentration of flavonol aglycones in hydrolysed extracts was also analysed. The flavonol glycoside concentration increased from the closed bud stage (0.21 ± 0.01% dry wt) to the summer leaf stage (1.15 ± 0.01% dry wt). A linear correlation was observed between the terpene trilactone and flavonoid content during gingko leaf development.

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