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.

Residual Effects of Phosphate Amendments on Rainfed Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Nutrition and Soil Properties in Three Agroecological Zones of Côte d’Ivoire

A study was conducted in Côte d’Ivoire to assess the after-effect of phosphate amendments on rice yields and soil properties. Eight types of amendments, composed of Moroccan phosphate rock (PRM) and triple superphosphate were tested in three agroecological zones over three consecutive years of cultivation. This study revealed that the application of Moroccan phosphate rock (PRM) and/or triple superphosphate (TSP) did not significantly affect soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) and organic carbon (Corg) content. However, there was a negative residual effect of PRM-rich treatments on soil pH and K and N content, but the impact varies depending on the characteristics of the soils studied. Furthermore, nutrient losses, notably nitrogen from −17.5 to −267.7 kg/ha and potassium (−0.1 to 0.7 kg/ha), were observed in all treatments. Only phosphorus showed a positive balance of +49.56 to +52 kg/ha in PRM-rich treatments. Treatment T3, composed of 80% RPM and 20% TSP, was the most effective in all zones, with a relative increase in grain yields of over 100% compared to the control. These results suggest that the input of natural phosphate rock can significantly improve rice yields and soil properties in the studied agroecological zones in Côte d’Ivoire.

Impacts of anisotropy coefficient and porosity on the thermal conductivity and P-wave velocity of calcarenites used as building materials of historical monuments in Morocco

It is essential to study the porosity,thermal conductivity,and P-wave velocity of calcarenites,as well as the anisotropy coefficients of the thermal conductivity and P-wave velocity,for civil engineering,and conservation and restoration of historical monuments.This study focuses on measuring the thermal conductivity using the thermal conductivity scanning(TCS)technique and measuring the P-wave ve-locity using portable equipment.This was applied for some dry and saturated calcarenite samples in the horizontal and vertical directions(parallel and perpendicular to the bedding plane,respectively).The calcarenites were selected from some historical monuments in Morocco.These physical properties were measured in the laboratory to find a reliable relationship between all of these properties.As a result of the statistical analysis of the obtained data,excellent linear relationships were observed between the porosity and both the thermal conductivity and porosity.These relationships are characterized by relatively high coefficients of determination for the horizontal and vertical samples.Based on the thermal conductivity and P-wave velocity values in these two directions,the anisotropy coefficients of these two properties were calculated.The internal structure and the pore fabric of the calcarenite samples were delineated using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),while their chemical and mineral compositions were studied using the energy dispersive X-ray analysis(EDXA)and X-ray diffraction(XRD)techniques.

Polymorphisms in oxidative pathway related genes and susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease

AIM To investigate whether common variants in the oxidative pathway genes influence inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) risk among Moroccan patients. METHODS The distribution of(TAAA)n_rs12720460 and(CCTTT)n_rs3833912 NOS2 A microsatellite repeats, HIF-1 A_rs11549467 and NFKB1-94 ins/delA TTG_rs28362491 was analyzed in 507 subjects grouped in 199 IBD and 308 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed withpolymerase chain reaction-fluorescent method and the TaqMan~? allelic discrimination technology.RESULTS The allele and genotype frequencies of HIF1 A_ rs11549467, NFKB1_rs28362491 and NOS2 A_(TAAA)n did not differ significantly between patients and controls. Analysis of NOS2 A_(CCTTT)n markers evidenced differences between patients and healthy controls. A preferential presence of the(CCTTT)8(P = 0.02; OR = 1.71, 95%CI: 1.07-2.74),(CCTTT)14(P = 0.02; OR = 1.71, 95%CI: 1.06-2.76) alleles in IBD,(CCTTT)8(P = 0.008; OR = 1.95, 95%CI: 1.17-3.23) in CD and(CCTTT)7(P = 0.009; OR = 7.61, 95%CI: 1.25-46.08),(CCTTT)11(P = 0.05; OR = 0.51, 95%CI: 0.25-1.01),(CCTTT)14(P = 0.02; OR = 2.05, 95%CI: 1.07-3.94),(CCTTT)15(P = 0.01; OR = 2.25, 95%CI: 1.16-4.35) repeats in UC patients indicated its possible association with higher disease risk which need to be confirmed in a larger sample size. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that the NOS2 A_(CCTTT)n gene variations may influence IBD susceptibility in the Moroccan population.

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.

Beach Morphology and Sediment Budget Variability Based on High Quality Digital Elevation Models Derived from Field Data Sets

The morphological and volumetric changes of a sandy beach were investigated through a series of two- monthly filed surveys carried out aver a 2-year period from April 2005 to January 2007. This paper discuss the ability of 3-D digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from high accurate data to assess and quantify beach morphodynamics in relation with wave forcing. The methodology and data acquisition are described and consist mainly in the production of interpolated DEMs from which a variety of representations can be made, including as elevation change maps, two-dimensional cross-sections of the beach, calculation of net volume. The results of the analysis highlight seasonal changes in beach morphology due to variations in wave energy. This behavior is characterized by beach erosion and bar decay under high-energy waves and net accretion and bar formation during relatively fair weather conditions. The sand budgets adjustments show that the loss of volume in the winter months is compensated for by accumulation to the beach during summer. This trend suggests that there is a mechanism which controls the beach evolution. The correlation between beach changes and wave energy variations highlights a net relation between them. The results from this in- vestigation state the value of DEMs utilized and demonstrate the efficiency of the 3-D approach employed here to assess the erosion and accretion patterns which would not be visualized using 2-D profiles.

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.

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

A Systemic Approach Integrating Genetic, Mining and Management Visions: The Geologic and Mining Knowledge System

Following the example of other industrial activities, mining evaluation is now exposed to socio-economical and technological constraints which are unstable in quick evolution. The keys to its success are increasingly related to a methodology of work more scientific than ever. The Systemic Approach has broadly showed its effectiveness in numerous disciplinary fields, both scientific and engineering ones: Biology, Economy, Social and Management Sciences, Quality Management, Information Systems… Helped by technological progress, this approach has especially excelled in the management of spatial information (e.g. GIS). It constitutes therefore an excellent solution to the problems of mining evaluation by the integration of genetic, mining and managerial data within an Information System, thus optimizing scientific and economic valuation of mineral resources.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Using Design Thinking and Facebook to Accompany Women in Solving Water Problems in Morocco

Environmental issues are complex and malicious problems involving many characteristics, variables, increasing their level of uncertainty. How should victims of these problems be accompanied when trying to solve such complex environmental disasters？ A broad understanding of these problems and a feeling of self-efficacy must be present in problem solvers in order for them to persevere up to the formulation of effective solutions. Two new trends in problem solving inspired the development of an approach to accompany citizens dealing with environmental problems： design thinking and the use of ICT in problem solving. Design thinking, a creative solving approach created by IDEO, is a collaborative way to work during which intuition, abductive thinking, quick prototyping and the consumers＇ needs are put first. As for ICT, they can now be used to store, share, develop and criticize information and solutions （Facebook, Padlet... ）. Design thinking and Facebook were drawn on to accompany 10 poorly educated Moroccan women in solving a problem arising from flooding of the Ourika river. The women were taught to use electronic tablets and Facebook. During workshops and through Facebook, women were invited to share their experiences with floods and to find solutions to the poor quality of their drinking water, after floods. Design thinking allowed participants to explore many dimensions of the chosen problem and to prototype a certain number of solutions to purify their water. Facebook was profitable to better define the problem and as a communication and brainstorming tool （before and during the water filtration prototype trials）. Design thinking and Facebook turned out to be effective tools to pose the water problem more widely, to find solutions adapted to the participants＇ living conditions and to improve their self-efficacy in problem solving as well as their collaboration.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.