Trace-element geochemistry and S–O isotopes in the fluorite-barite mineralization of Merguechoum,Moroccan eastern Meseta:insights into ore genesis to the Pangea rifting

The Merguechoum fluorite-barite mineralization,located in the Eastern Meseta of Morocco,is hosted in the Late Hercynian granite.The ore consists of fine crystals of fluorite 1,massive barite 1,euhedral crystals of fluorite 2,and barite 2 with calcite and minor quartz and sulfides.The Merguechoum ore deposits have never been investigated.This study was the first contribution that studied the genesis of fluorite and barite.The ore occurs as dissemination within granite intrusion and also fills the NE-SWtrending meter-sized fractures and faults.The values of the total Rare Earth Elements and Yttrium(REY)and the ratios of LREY/HREY,Y/Ho,Tb/Ca,and Tb/La indicate that the Merguechoum fluorite precipitated from hydrothermal fluids,likely basinal brines,which interacted with the Hercynian granite.The REY data indicate that the ore-forming fluids of the early stage have intensely interacted with the Hercynian granite compared to those of the late ore stage.The gradual decrease in the europium(Eu/Eu^(*)),yttrium(Y/Y^(*)),and cerium(Ce/Ce^(*))anomalies and a low concentration ofΣREY observed in the second ore stage compared to the first ore stage suggest an increase in p H and fO_(2)and by inference a decrease in temperature during the evolution of the hydrothermal system.This evolution could be explained by fluid mixing between the ascending basinal hydrothermal fluids and the diluted sulfate-rich meteoric water barite separates from selected samples reveal that the dissolved sulfates(SO_(4)^(2-))were derived from Permian–Triassic sulfates and/or coeval poreseawater sulfates.The proposed fluid mixing triggered the precipitation of an early-stage F-Ba assemblage followed by the second-stage F-Ba mineralization.Geologic fieldwork,REY inventories,and isotope data point to the ore genesis during the Permian–Triassic extensional tectonic activity concerning the Pangea rifting.This extensional tectonic environment is likely the driving force that mobilized a large amount of the ore-forming basinal brines along the available faults and fractures to the loci of ore deposition.

Anticandidal Activity of Moroccan Medicinal Plants

The prevalence of oral candidiasis has increased over recent years in patients with the compromised general condition. There are a large number of plant species that have been traditionally used for oral diseases by the Moroccan population. These species could provide a source for discovering new active principles of natural origin against Candida albicans involved in the appearance of candidiasis infections. Information was acquired using the electronic databases Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed. In the first part, this review presents the medicinal plants used by the Moroccan population for the treatment of oral disorders (Toothaches, gingivitis, ulcers, stomatitis, abscesses, ...). The second part describes different studies regarding the antifungal activity of essential oils and organic extracts of some Moroccan species against Candida albicans. Inhibition zone diameter (IZD), Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values of essential oils and plant’s extracts were noted. The third part concerns Moroccan plants with the antifungal activity that can be used in medical and agricultural fields. Several species of Moroccan plant proved their effectiveness against Candida albicans and can be used for the treatment of oral candidiasis. Further research should be undertaken in the future to investigate the toxicity of essential oils and plant extracts with antifungal properties for clinical use. This review provided an update on Moroccan plants presenting antifungal activity and especially those active against Candida albicans.

A Seismic Facies Analysis to Determine the Relative Age and History of the Al Idrissi Mud Volcano from Offshore Larache Located in the NW Moroccan Atlantic Margin

Formed on top of the Gulf of Cadiz, the Al Idrissi mud volcano is the shallowest and largest mud volcano in the El Arraiche mud volcano field of the northwestern Moroccan margin. The development and morphology of mud volcanoes from the El Arraiche mud volcanoes group have been studied at a large scale. However, the time interval related to their formation period still needs to be better understood. In this regard, we interpreted and analyzed the seismic facies from the 2D reflection data of the GEOMARGEN-1 campaign, which took place in 2011. The aim was to identify the seismic sequences and draw the Al Idrissi mud volcano system to determine the formation period of the Al Idriss mud volcano. And as a result, the Al Idrissi mud volcano system is made of both buried and superficial bicone and was identified along with the Upper Tortonian to Messinian-Upper Pliocene facies. As the initial mud volcano extrusive edifice, the buried bicone was formed in the Late-Messinian to Early-Pliocene period. However, the superficial bicone, as the final extrusive edifice, was included in the Late Pliocene. In this case, the timing interval between the buried and superficial bicone is equivalent to the Late-Messinian to Upper-Pliocene period. Therefore, the latter corresponds to the Al Idrissi mud volcano formation period.

Investigation of Organic Matter Extraction from Moroccan Oil Shale

This study focuses on investigating the effect of various solvents on the supercritical extraction of organic matter from Moroccan oil shales, with the goal of determining the optimal operating conditions that result in a high yield of high-quality oil rich in aromatic compounds. The results of this study demonstrate that the extraction yield and quality of the extracted oil heavily depend on the chosen operating conditions for supercritical or subcritical extraction of organic matter from oil shale. Additionally, the study found that phenol can effectively degrade oil shale and enable extraction of nearly all the organic matter, even under mild conditions (T = 390˚C, P = 1.2 MPa, Time = 2.5 h. Furthermore, the oils obtained through this extraction process are of high quality, with a rich content of maltenes, and a higher concentration of aromatic compounds and lower levels of sulfur than those obtained using other solvents.

Investigation of Organic Matter Extraction from Moroccan Oil Shale

This study focuses on investigating the effect of various solvents on the supercritical extraction of organic matter from Moroccan oil shales, with the goal of determining the optimal operating conditions that result in a high yield of high-quality oil rich in aromatic compounds. The results of this study demonstrate that the extraction yield and quality of the extracted oil heavily depend on the chosen operating conditions for supercritical or subcritical extraction of organic matter from oil shale. Additionally, the study found that phenol can effectively degrade oil shale and enable extraction of nearly all the organic matter, even under mild conditions (T = 390˚C, P = 1.2 MPa, Time = 2.5 h. Furthermore, the oils obtained through this extraction process are of high quality, with a rich content of maltenes, and a higher concentration of aromatic compounds and lower levels of sulfur than those obtained using other solvents.

Moroccan Domestic Tourism: Prioritization as an Inevitable Outcome of Coronavirus

Over the past two decades,Morocco has clearly banked on international tourists due to many reasons.But the current circumstances caused by the appearance of the Corona pandemic pushed the tourism players to re-prioritize the tourism market.Analysts in the sector predict a re-launch of international tourism in 2021 and a slow recovery of the tourism sector starts with reliance on domestic tourism to save tourism businesses from total crackdown.Due to many risk factors as a second wave of the virus,lockdown phobia,international travel restrictions,and economic recession that his different sectors all these hinder the revive of international tourism and prioritize the dynamic of domestic tourism.Our research is focused on the study of the probabilities of boosting the tourism sector by encouraging the local demand as a quick solution to overcome the current crisis.

Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity Assessment of the Moroccan Coastal Zone to the Future Sea Level Rise

The coast of Morocco is,in many locations, physically and socio-economically vulnerable to accelerated sea-level rise,due to its low topography and its high ecological,economic and touristic values. Assessment of the potential land loss by inundation and erosion,based on a modeling approach and Geographical Information Systems(GIS),has enabled to identify both locations and the socioeconomic sectors that

Wave Energy Assessment Along the Moroccan Atlantic Coast

The aim of the present work is to assess the offshore wave energy potential along the Atlantic coast of Morocco.Research works of this paper focus on the identification of the most energetic sites for wave energy converters(WECs)deployment.For this purpose,11 sites have been explored;all of them are located at more than 40m depth on the Moroccan Atlantic coast.The wave power at each site is computed on the basis of wave data records in terms of significant wave height and energy period provided by theWaveWatch three(WW3)model.Results indicate that the coast sites located between latitudes 30°30′N and 33°N are the most energetic with an annual average wave power estimated at about 30 kW?m^-1,whereas,in the other sites,the wave power is significantly lower.Moreover,the study of the monthly and seasonal temporal variability is found to be uniform in the powerful sites with values four times greater in winter than in summer.The directional investigation on the significant wave height has shown that for almost all the powerful sites,the incoming waves have a dominant sector ranging between Northern(N)and Western-Northern-Western(WNW)directions.

Presence of G84E Allelic Heterogeneity of the European Prostate Cancer SNP Mutation of HOX13B-G84E Associated with the European R-Haplogroup of Y-Chromosome and Absence of Gene Flow into Moroccans Patients

SNP mutations in the HOXB13 gene associated with prostate cancer were determined in Moroccans prostate cancer patients (PCa). All PCa SNP mutations were new and belong to the SNP point-mutations located on the stop codon of HOXB13 exon 1 and 2 located in chromosome 17. The five mutations and their frequencies were as follows: rs1197613952 (12%), rs1597934612 (4%), rs1597933874 (4%), rs1597933837 (4%) and rs867793282 (4%). The European HOXB13-G84E (rs138213197) PCa mutation was not detected among Moroccan patients. The Y-chromosome genealogical haplotypes of the Western European (R1b1b2-M2G9) and the Eastern European (R191a-M-17) were not observed in Moroccans PCa patients. The patients have their own haplotypes E1b1 and J with a frequency of 55 and 35%, respectively. The results of the SNP mutations in the HOXB13, the absence of the HOXB13-G84E of the European in the Moroccans PCa patients, the absence of the European-lineage haplogroups (R1a1a-M17 and R1b1b2-M269) and the presence of E1b1b and J in Moroccans PCa patients would clearly indicate the absence of gene flow from European to Moroccans gene pool.

Assessment of the Moroccan Mediterranean Coasts Contamination by Hydrocarbons (Non Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Linear Alkylbenzenes)

In order to evaluate the contamination of the Moroccan Mediterranean coasts by persistent organic pollutants we studied hydrocarbons and linear alkylbenzenes in bivalve tissues (cockles) collected seasonally from several points along the western Moroccan coasts in the Mediterranean Sea. Two fractions corresponding to non aromatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. Non aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations vary in the range of 24.1 - 2731 μg/g dry weight (dw) while total n-alkanes vary from 2.2 to 68.2 μg/g. Few exceptions were noted with values up to 243 μg/g (dw), which is high compared to other Mediterranean sites. The presence of an important unresolved complex mixture (UCM) indicated a significant petroleum contamination, confirmed by the identification of 17α(H), 21β(H) hopanes. Biogenic contributions were also detected within the n-alkane distribution (n-C17, n-C18, n-C27, n-C29, n-C17, /Pr, n-C18, /Ph) and by the presence of alkenes. C13, and C14, linear alkylbenzenes were found at concentrations of 478 - 1954 ng/g. and point to pollutant inputs from wastewaters. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were present in low concentrations below the GC detection limit. The observed seasonal and spatial variations were linked to the magnitude of inputs from marine and land-based pollutant discharges.

Environmental Implication of Subaqueous Lava Flows from A Continental Large Igneous Province: Examples from the Moroccan Central Atlantic Magmatic Province(CAMP)

The Early Jurassic volcanic sequence of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province(CAMP)of Morocco is classically subdivided into four stratigraphic units:the Lower,Middle,Upper and Recurrent Formations separated

Seismic Signature Analysis for Clarification of Mud Volcanoes from the New Mud Diapirs Discovered at the NE-SW Moroccan Atlantic Margin

Our aim is to clarify mud volcanoes from the new mud diapirs resulting from the seismic attributes analysis applied to the low resolution Burmah oil “1973-1974” seismic data. The latter was carried out on the Larache and Tanger-Larache offshores from the NE-SW Atlantic margin. The high resolution seismic data was essential for this evaluation. In this case, we applied seismic signature analysis to four seismic profiles from the map of the seismic data set, which includes all new mud diapirs. This helped us to classify different types of mud diapirs within the seismic profiles. And as a result, six deep mud diapirs from the Prerifaine Nappe of Morocco, a shallow mud diapir, and four seafloor-piercing mud diapirs have been observed. Furthermore, the seafloor-piercing mud diapirs show a mushroom-shaped and conical-shaped cone. As they break through the seafloor, these kinds of cones characterize mud volcanoes. In this case, we may conclude that the resultant seafloor-piercing mud diapirs are likely to be mud volcanoes. However, more geological sampling and seafloor observation are still required.

Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori Infection and Related Gastric Pathologies in Moroccan Population

Helicobacter pylori （H. pylori） colonize the gastric mucosa of 50% of the world＇s population. This infection is closely associated with the development of peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of H, pylori infection in Moroccan population and the risk to develop gastric precancerous lesions and gastric cancer. Totally, 298 patients were enrolled, 68 of asymptomatic subjects and 230 of patients with gastric diseases. Histological examination was effected to diagnostic gastric lesions and to detect H. pylori. ELISA was used to determine H. pylori status of patients. The prevalence of H. pylori within asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects was observed higher. A significant relationship was detected between H. pylori infection and the risk of gastric diseases （p-value 〈 0.0001）. A meaningful association between chronic gastritis increasing and age was observed （p-value = 0.03）. The risk to develop gastric cancer among infected patients was observed elevated with rate of 9%. Our results showed a high prevalence of H. pylori in both asymptomatic and gastric diseases patients. We noticed that chronic gastric infection increases with age. We remarked also that the risk to develop gastric cancer among infected patients was elevated in our population.

Genetic Diversity Management of Moroccan Captive-Bred Houbaras

With regards to an ex-situ conservation plan and program of Moroccan houbara bustards, the genetic diversity of a captive breeding stock of (Chamydotis undulata undulata) was studied and assessed using metapopulational approaches. The present study aims thus, the description and comparison of various strategies implemented in the species conservation that would conduct to: 1) a better quantification of the gain and loss of genetic diversity of the houbara herd made up of wild and captive populations, and consequently, to 2) a pertinent tracing of conservation and management priorities of the Moroccan avian subspecies.

Efficiency of Moroccan Seaports: Application of DEA Using Window Analysis

The efficiency of 8 seaports in the Kingdom of Morocco region was evaluated. Two associated studies were conducted based on data collected for 4 years (2014-2017), Standard Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method was used in the first analysis through CCR and BCC models, and thus a scale of efficiency analysis was used in a second analysis. By using both methods, enhanced insight into the efficiency situation is collected, proving subsequently that a majority of the container ports and terminals in the Kingdom of Morocco are found to be technically inefficient. The research concludes through returns to scale method how port resources should be utilized in the aim to impulse inefficient ports perform better.

Deriving Morphological Causatives in Moroccan Arabic

This paper explores the nature of the post-syntactic operations responsible for the representations of the linear order of terminal nodes.In particular,it argues in favor of a unified model of the morphosyntax and morphophonology,wherein the theory of Distributed Morphology and Optimality Theory operate in a single module.The testing ground is an investigation of the formation of morphological causatives in Moroccan Arabic.Herein,the process of realizing causatives is morphological gemination,whereby the second consonant of the root is doubled.Investigating the question of what triggers the infixal process,I argue against the linearization algorithm suggested in Embick&Noyer(2001),Embick&Marantz(2008),and Embick(2006,2010).Instead,the claim I defend here is that the onus of the linearization process falls on the prosody in Arabic,the central assumption being that the morphosyntactic structure,the output of the syntactic derivation,is the input to OT morphophonological constraints.These constraints are responsible for the linearization of the terminal nodes of the syntactic derivation.I show that adopting one theory over others misses important generalizations about the language.

The Morphophonology of Moroccan Arabic Derived Causatives

This paper aims at investigating the morphophonological make-up of derived causatives in Moroccan Arabic within the framework of Optimality Theory (Prince &Smolensky, 2004). Causative verbs in MA are characterized by the systematic gemination of their medial consonants. However, it is not easy to determine the morphological nature of the causative morpheme involved in this derivation. Also, it is not clearly known why the causative morpheme gets realized exactly on the second segment of the base form.Therefore, we seek to achieve the following goals. First, we intend to determine the nature of the causative morpheme. Second, we aim to explain why the causative morpheme is realized on the second segment of the base form. In this respect, we show that the causative morpheme is represented by a featureless consonantal mora that targets the second segment of the base root, turning it into a geminate. We also show that the causative morpheme gets infixed thanks to the privileged status of root-initial segments.

The Behavior and Representation of Geminate Consonants in Moroccan Arabic

The present paper explores the special behavior of geminate consonants in Moroccan Arabic vis-á-vis short consonants and consonant clusters.By way of comparison,it is shown that geminates exhibit properties that are reminiscent of both unit structures and cluster structures.In particular,we reveal that geminates in MA demonstrate an inconsistent behavior in relation to the process of schwa epenthesis.In this context,we ask whether geminates get split up in MA,and when and how that happens.In order to characterize the patterning of geminates in MA,different phonological representations of geminates are examined against the variable behavior of geminates.On this basis,it is eventually suggested that geminates should be depicted as two root nodes that are underlyingly associated with a mora at the prosodic level.

The Feminist Movement in the Moroccan Spring： Roles, Specificity, and Gains

The Moroccan Spring in 2011 has been a golden opportunity for Moroccan women to put their country on the democratization track. Their decision to take an integral part in all aspects of the uprisings stems from their belief that their participation and contribution are necessary for any potential democratic changes that would undoubtedly secure and bring them more rights. However, the appointment of only one female minister in the first Islamist-led government and the reluctance to implement the provisions of the new constitution, namely the issue of gender parity, are but two of the new alarming examples that have disappointed Moroccan women. Based on interviews with women＇s movement organizations＇ leaders and 20 February Movement （20-FMVT） female activists and through following the development of the Arab Spring in Morocco in particular and in the Middle Eastern ＆ Northern Africa region in general, this paper considers the different roles, specificity, and gains of Moroccan women during and after the so-called Moroccan Spring. The paper argues that despite their limited gains in the aftermath of this momentum, Moroccan women managed once again to prove their agency and ability to change laws and instigate reforms.

Status stock and Sustainable Management Measures for Moroccan Sardines

This article summarizes the state of stocks of sardine,sardina pilchardusin Moroccan waters at the end of 2016 and 2018.These stocks varies ac-cording to the region,They are now in a sustainable exploitation situation:Atlantic sardine,but also stocks that have reached or are still in over-ex-ploitation levels:Mediterranean sardine.The fishing pressure exerted onthe sardine stock exceeds the optimal level by 40%.Due to the degrada-tion of the fragile marine environment of the Mediterranean region,gen-eraled by pollution of various origins,the overexploitation of juveniles inthe coastal strip,non-responsible practices and the use of non-fishing gearselective,it is imperative to take the necessary measures to protect themarine environment and ensure rational and sustainable exploitation ofthe resource.(High commission plan 2006 report).