North Moroccan Research Articles

Stabilization of Sewage Sludge from North Moroccan Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Convective Indirect Solar Drying

Stabilization of Sewage Sludge from North Moroccan Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Convective Indirect Solar Drying

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet among high-school pupils in the North Moroccan Rif region

BACKGROUND: The traditional Moroccan diet is typical of the Mediterranean diet (MD), but there have been few studies of the adherence of Moroccans adolescents to this diet and associated factors. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate MD adherence and its association with socioeconomic factors, nutritional status and dietary intake in a sample of secondary school pupils in the Rif region of Morocco. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study of a sample (n = 302) of Moroccan Riffian adolescents (13–18 years) from three secondary schools, we measured adherence to MD with the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and teenagers questionnaire (KIDMED). A score below 8 was qualified as poor to average adherence to MD, while an optimal adherence was defined as a score of 8 or higher. Bivariate analyses and a logistic regression model were used to examine associations between adherence to MD and socioeconomic factors, nutritional status and dietary intake. RESULTS: Only 14.9% of adolescents had an optimal adherence to the MD (score≥8 points), 72.8% had average adherence (score 4–7) and 12.3% had poor adherence to the MD (score≤3). The factors associated with optimal adherence to MD were female sex (OR 2.28; 95% CI 1.07 –4.85; p = 0.031), high monthly family income > 8000 MAD (OR 7.10; 95% CI 1.52 –33.1; p = 0.013) and living in an apartment (OR 3.85; 95% CI 1.43 –10.3; p = 0.007). For others factors such as nutritional status and dietary intake, no associations were observed. CONCLUSION: We found a low level of adherence to the MD among adolescents in the Rif region, supporting the hypothesis that the dietary pattern of these Moroccan adolescents is in a transitional state characterised by a shift away from the traditional MD. The findings of this study suggest that interventions to optimize MD adherence should target boys, shared residences and lower income families.

Knowledge of Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients about Their Disease in the North Moroccan Region

Patients' level of knowledge about their disease plays an essential role in therapeutic management, by facilitating patients' acceptance of the diagnosis, their active participation in treatment and improved compliance. Few studies have been conducted in Morocco to assess the level of knowledge of IBD patients. The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge of IBD patients in the northern region of Morocco. Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study over a period of 5 months in the hepato-gastroenterology department of the Mohammed VI University Hospital in Tangiers. Our study involved a series of 100 patients with confirmed IBD. A questionnaire was drawn up and given to the patients. Results: The main results of our study reveal a considerable lack of knowledge among our patients about their disease, covering all areas of the disease and more specifically the treatment and complications aspect. This lack of knowledge can be attributed in part to the high rate of illiteracy in our setting. Conclusion: These results underline the importance of raising patients' awareness of their disease by setting up educational workshops tailored to their level of understanding. These workshops aim to improve patients' knowledge, encourage adherence to treatment and, ultimately, improve their quality of life. Keywords: Inflammatory bowel diseases, patient knowledge

Morphometrical characters of Atlantic horse mackerel Trachurus trachurus (Linnaeus, 1758), in the North Atlantic zone of Morocco

The Atlantic Horse mackerel Trachurus trachurus (Linnaeus, 1758) is subject to considerable fishing pressure. under strong fishing pressure, the objective of the research is to establish the species morphological characterization: the growth model, sex-ratio and the body condition factor, using standard morphometric methods and truss network analysis. 1494 samples were collected from the North Moroccan Atlantic coast, sampling was carried out from July 2021 to July 2022 at the port of Tangier and Larache (35°47, 33°89), indeed individuals total length measured between10 and 41 cm and the body weight presented between 35 and 500 g, All morphometrical analyses showed similar results, The values for males, females and the total sample showed that the growth of T. trachurus was minor, which that mean the weight grows less quick than the length, The condition factor was calculated indicating the smallest values were observed in the range of Total length between 10 and 19 cm.

Focus on the ethnobotany of north Moroccan sage, false yellowhead, and carrot: insights into their pharmacological potential

Introduction: Medicinal plants, including spontaneous or cultured herbaceous and forest products, represent an inexhaustible source of traditional and effective remedies thanks to their active major compounds. The present work consists of an ethnobotanical study of three species namely, Daucus carota, Dittrichia viscosa, and Salvia officinalis, commonly used in Taounate region (Northern Morocco) to treat various diseases. Methods: An ethnopharmacological survey was conducted in Taounate region during a period of three months from January to March 2022, using semi-structured individual interviews. Then, the collected data were analyzed statistically using Microsoft Office software "Excel 2013" and System Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: Leaves, flowers, and stems were the most common parts used to prepare traditional remedies. Decoction, infusion, and cataplasm were the most used preparation methods, and the oral route was the most common method of administration for the studied plants. Moreover, the plants intervened in the treatment of digestive, genito-urinary, dermatological, neurological, and metabolic diseases. Conclusion: Information collected during this study shed light on the interesting know-how in traditional herbal medicine in the study area, and on the frequent use of medicinal plants as an alternative to synthetic drugs by the population of Taounate, to treat different diseases. Thereafter, the study’s results can constitute an important database for pharmacologists, phytochemists, toxicologists, and clinical researchers for the development of new drugs based on natural substances.

Contribution to the assessment of marine litter in the North Moroccan Atlantic

Waste pollution has become a concern around the world. Pollution that affects both the terrestrial and marine environments. Regardless of the nature, type and origin, accumulation and mismanagement of waste pose a danger to the environment and human health, in particular the marine system. In the face of this ever-increasing phenomenon of pollution, studies have been carried out to assess the quantity of waste in order to characterize condensation sites and sources of pollution. we present the results of the analysis and monitoring of the state of marine litter pollution, concerning the identification of quantities, the nature and the spatial distribution of macro-waste collected at all the fishing stations swept along the North Moroccan Atlantic space between Tangier (36°N) and Sidi Ifni (29°N). The data were collected by a bottom trawling campaign aboard the research vessel "Al Amir Moulay Abdallah" carried out from 21 to 31 May 2022 covering different stratums of depths (from 28 to 140 m) and following a sampling network of 60 stations distributed randomly in the study area. In all the stations swept by the trawl during the prospecting, the majority of the waste is distributed only at half of the stations which focus mainly on the axis between Mehdia and El Jadida. At the 33 other stations, which are the majority in the coastal axis between El Jadida and Sidi Ifni, no waste was recorded during navigation. During this prospection, a total of 13,5 Kg is collected, and all waste recovered is classified into 18 categories, the majority is represented by plastic items (81%) of the waste collected. Other items such as wood, iron, textiles and rubber were poorly identified. These wastes could be the source of different sources, but based on the waste categorization, the main source is related to fishing activities.

The Occupied Marginal Space and Rebuilding Memory in the North Moroccan Novels

This article aims to explore the patterns marking the occupied marginal space in Mohamed Ankar’s novel “Barrio Málaga” from an aesthetic and artistic perspective that tracks the role of memory in shaping the occupied marginal space and reveals its realistic connotations and its sociological and ideological dimensions without digging deep into the historical aspects of the Spanish colonial period in the North of Morocco. Furthermore, the article seeks to highlight the historical dimensions of the novel from an interpretive perspective that considers the novel as a mirror reflecting another untold history, which is the history of the margin and its people as shaped in the memory, which is a mechanism for storing and rereading perspectives and attitudes according to a perceptual process that goes beyond the obsession of laying emphasis on the colonizer and the forms of resistance to its occupation and aims at highlighting the roles of this space in exposing the aspects of authoritarianism, oppression and injustice of the colonizer. Accordingly, the research findings reaffirm that both identifying the aspects of the marginal space in this novel and highlighting its working mechanisms and role in providing an imaginary portrayal of this space are likely to contribute to rebuilding the memory and identifying the aspects of correlation between the realistic and the imaginary to identify the symbolic and cultural connotations behind taking the margin as a framework for building an indicative process based on the space, which is not separate from the other narrative elements marking the narrative discourse.

U–Pb age dating and geochemical fingerprints of Cambrian granites in the North Moroccan Meseta. Implication for the continental rift opening in the Northwest Gondwana margin

The Imouzzer Emsian conglomerate of the North Moroccan Meseta contains pebbles of granites. The granites are peraluminous and highly potassic, with a calc-alkaline trace element pattern (high lithophile element enrichment and Nb and Ta negative anomalies). They are dated to late Miaolingian (ca 500 Ma) by U–Pb zircon. The magmatic zircons have inherited cores of Ediacaran, Palaeoproterozoic, and Neoarchaean ages. Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd isotopic analyses display epsilon Nd values at 500 Ma ranging between −5.6 and −1.4. The TDM ages after DePaolo (1981) are calculated between 2701 and 1330 Ma. According to geochemical and isotopic data, the granitic magma may have originated from the melting of lower crustal Ediacaran to Palaeoproterozoic protoliths including Archaean remnants. This acidic magmatic occurrence is contemporaneous with neighbouring rhyolitic activities of bimodal volcanic complexes, which are related to the opening of the Cambrian intra-continental rift of Morocco.

Modeling the wind speed in North Morocco

The change of the wind speed is strictly related to several natural factors such as local topographical and the ground cover variations, then any adjustment has to take into account the statistical variation for each specific region under study. Unlike the Weibull distribution, which is most used in wind speed modeling, we investigate two alternative distribution functions for wind speed by using the extreme value theory. The generalized Champernowne distribution function and the mixture Log-normal-Pareto distribution function are considered. We demonstrate that the proper generalized extreme value distribution gives a good fit for wind speed in the North Moroccan. In order to validate the models, a comparison of the produced aggregate wind energy in the aeolian wind turbine was being established. The empirical study shows that the generalized extreme value distribution reflects better the intensity of the wind power energy.

The Sephardim of North Morocco, Zionism and Illegal Emigration to Israel Through the Spanish Cities of Ceuta and Melilla

This text looks at the fluid intersection in the emergence and development of Zionism and the later Zionist-promoted emigration of Moroccan Jews to Israel from what was the Spanish Protectorate zone in Morocco and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in the north of Sherifian state. This process has received less attention from scholars than similar events in the French zone. However, it has some particularities that merit specific attention. From the early years of contact between North Moroccan Jews and European Zionism, the strong cultural identity of the Sephardim in the region and the mobilization of a Spanish approach informed by philo-Sephardism marked an important difference with regard to the French zone in the reception of Zionism and the organization of emigration to Israel. Paradoxically, in the Spanish protectorate, such process resulted in the disappearance of important historic Sephardic centers like Tetouan, Larache, and Ksar-el-Kebir.

Characterization of Phenolic Compounds, Vitamin E and Fatty Acids from Monovarietal Virgin Olive Oils of "Picholine marocaine" Cultivar.

Olive oil is an important product in the Mediterranean diet, due to its health benefits and sensorial characteristics. Picholine marocaine is the most cultivated variety in Morocco. The present research aims to evaluate the phenolic compounds, vitamin E and fatty acids of commercial Picholine marocaine virgin olive oils (VOOs) from five different North Moroccan provinces (Chefchaouen, Taounate, Errachidia, Beni Mellal and Taza), using HPLC-photodiode array (PDA)/electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS, normal phase (NP)-HPLC/ fluorescence detector (FLD) and GC-flame ionization detector (FID)/MS, respectively. The obtained results showed an average content of 130.0 mg kg−1 of secoiridoids (oleuropein aglycone, 10-hydroxy-oleuropein aglycone and ligstroside aglycone, oleocanthal and oleacein), 108.1 mg kg−1 of phenolic alcohols (tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol), 34.7 mg kg−1 of phenolic acids (caffeic acid, ferulic acid and elenolic acid), and 8.24 mg kg−1 of flavonoids (luteolin, luteolin glucoside, apigenin). With regard to vitamin E, α-tocopherol was the most abundant vitamin E (57.9 mg kg−1), followed by α-tocotrienol (2.5 mg kg−1), γ-tocopherol (4.5 mg kg−1) and β-tocopherol (1.9 mg kg−1), while δ-tocopherol was not detected. Moreover, 14 fatty acids were found and, among them, oleic acid (76.1%), linoleic acid (8.1%) palmitic acid (8.7%) and stearic acid (2.5%) were the major fatty acids detected. Finally, heat map and principal component analysis allowed us to classify the studied provinces in terms of VOO chemical composition: Chefchaouen (tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol), Taounate (oleuropein aglycone), Errachidia (ferulic acid, w-3 and w-6), Beni Mellal (oleocanthal) and Taza (luteolin and oleic acid).

XmnI Polymorphism in Sickle Cell Disease in North Morocco

Sickle cell disease is one of the most common severe monogenic disorders in the world. The –158 XmnI polymorphism (C>T) of the Gγ-globin gene promoter is known to be associated with increased expression of the Gγ-globin gene, thus, higher production of Hb F and lesser clinical severity. This study aims to determine the frequency of the XmnI polymorphism and its association with Hb F levels as a modulating factor of sickle cell disease severity in north Moroccan patients. Three hundred and eight subjects carrying the sickle cell mutation and 160 healthy individuals were recruited at the regional hospital of Larache, Morocco. The complete blood count and the Hb F levels were analyzed. The XmnI polymorphism was determined by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique and statistical analysis were done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software version 20. Our results estimated the allelic frequency of the XmnI polymorphism in our population at 15.8%. Out of 468 samples, 7.6% were homozygous [+/+] and 16.4% were heterozygous [+/−] for the XmnI polymorphism. This polymorphism was revealed at 20.6% in SS patients, 24.2% in AS carriers, 28.6% in Hb S (HBB: c.20A>T)/β-thalassemia (β-thal) patients and 22.5% in AA subjects. The north Moroccan sickle cell disease patients have shown a low frequency of the XmnI polymorphism. This was later found to be associated with high Hb F levels and mild clinical severity.

Sanctity, Orality and Questions about Cultural and Religious Identity in North Morocco

Abstract This study presents some results from my fieldwork dealing with the female saints of the north Moroccan city of Alcazarquivir, which has been carried out between 2012 and 2014 in that village. The connections between orality and writing are more frequent as the educational level of the interviewee is higher; some of these informants raised roader issues regarding the evolution of the customs or the cult of saints. At the same time, it has been possible to observe the dissemination of oral traditions existing in other Moroccan regions that were not gathered in the hagiographical literature. In this study, I will offer some reflections concerning the data collected about a concrete example, that of Lallā ʿĀʾisha al-Khaḍrāʾ, one of the most important saints of Alcazarquivir and main character of a large part of the information compiled about the female saints of this city. Both the oral and written sources used in this study will be provided. Narrations related to Lallā ʿĀʾisha will be analyzed together with additional stories from ethnographic and anthropological sources on Moroccan female saints. The studied narrations highlight the problematic and complex character of Lallā ʿĀʾisha’s historicity, among other things. Finally, the symbolism of color green will be studied since al-Khaḍrāʾ (the Green) is the denomination by which Lallā ʿĀʾisha is known.

Effect of season on sexual behavior, testicular measurements and seminal characteristics in "Beni arouss" North Moroccan bucks

Changes in anatomical, behavioural and seminal characteristics were measured throughout the year in seven Beni Arouss bucks maintained at a latitude of 35 °N. Testicular size varied significantly. There were the greatest values during the summer and autumn for scrotal circumference and least in the winter for testicular length. Values for most variables related to sexual behavior were not affected by season except the number of mounts before first ejaculation which was least in the summer. No differences were detected between seasons in terms of semen volume. The sperm concentration, viability and percentage of normal sperm, however, were less during the winter period. The size of sperm heads was larger in the autumn and motility of spermatozoa was greater in the summer and autumn. Results from the correlation analysis indicated that the majority of conventional seminal characteristics were correlated with testis measurements (P < 0.05; r < 0.5). Values for conventional and CASA motility variables indicated there were positive correlations between viability and progressive motility (r = 0.4; P < 0.05) and between the percentage of normal sperm and straight line and average path velocity (r = 0.4; P < 0.05). A global reproduction performance score was established for each buck, which allowed for assessment of magnitude of seasonal changes for each individual. These global score values indicated there was a greater reproductive performance for all bucks during summer and autumn. This study described for the first time seasonal variations of reproductive characteristics of Beni Arouss bucks and results indicate that even though there is a maximal capacity for reproductive performance during the summer and autumn, breeding should be possible throughout the year.

A Simulation based-optimization method for energy efficiency of a multi-zone house integrated PCM

This work aims to optimize the design of an air-conditioned multi-zone house integrated phase change materials (PCMs) considering the north Moroccan climate conditions. The objective of this optimization is to minimize the heating and cooling loads. The methodology of this optimization is based on the coupling between Energyplus® as a dynamic simulation tool and GenOpt® as an optimization tool. The results show that the obtained optimal design allows minimizing the energy consumption regarding reference house without PCM.

A first approach towards the development of geographical origin tracing models for North Moroccan olive oils based on triacylglycerols profiles

The triacylglycerols composition of monovarietal Picholine Marocaine olive oils, produced in seven of the most productive areas in northern Morocco, has been established for the first time, starting a register of typicality and geographical identity of Moroccan olive oils. Two hundred seventy‐nine olive samples were collected over two consecutive crop seasons (2011/2012 (n = 140) and 2012/2013 (n = 139)), the analysis of the triacylglycerol profiles of the obtained oils was performed using high performance liquid chromatography, the influence of the region of provenance was investigated, and chemometric data analysis (including principal components analysis, linear discriminant analysis, partial least squares–discriminant analysis, and soft independent modeling of class analogies) was used to differentiate the studied samples according to their geographical origin. Twenty‐one triacylglycerols were characterized and the variability observed among the studied samples could be related to the production area. The combination of triacylglycerols composition with chemometrics provided a powerful tool to verify the geographical origin of north Moroccan olive oils.Practical applications: Moroccan legislations established Geographic Indication labels for adding value to typical products. However, the general procedure to control the geographical authenticity of these protected products remains based on the traceability of their production and there is a lack of appropriate and reliable tools for their geographical unambiguous authentication and control. In this work, geographical authentication models for classifying olive oil samples (based on triacylglycerols composition) have been developed and evaluated, achieving adequate classification and prediction rates for oils coming from the main north Moroccan olive growing areas. The results obtained herein, could represent a significant contribution to the control of the geographical authenticity of Moroccan olive oils.The triacylglycerols composition of monovarietal Picholine Marocaine olive oils, from seven of the most productive areas in northern Morocco, is established in this study, analyzing 279 olive samples (over two consecutive crop seasons) by high performance liquid chromatography and Chemometrics.

First comprehensive characterization of volatile profile of north Moroccan olive oils: A geographic discriminant approach

Herewith we have evaluated the variability of the composition in terms of volatile compounds of monovarietal “Picholine marocaine” olive oils and checked the possible influence of their geographical origin. For this purpose, 92 olive samples were collected during the harvesting period 2012/2013 from 7 north Moroccan regions, and the analysis of the volatile profiles of the obtained oils was performed by using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography with flame ionization and mass spectrometry detectors (HS-SPME/GC-FID–MS). A total of 40 volatile compounds belonging to different chemical classes were identified and quantified. Significant differences in the concentration levels of volatile constituents from oils of different geographical origins were found. Furthermore, for testing the ability of the identified volatile compounds for the geographical origin discrimination of the investigated oils, a stepwise linear discriminant analysis (s-LDA) was applied. Results revealed a very satisfactory classification of the studied oils according their geographic origin.

Quality and chemical profiles of monovarietal north Moroccan olive oils from “Picholine Marocaine” cultivar: Registration database development and geographical discrimination

Current knowledge of the quality and composition of Moroccan olive oil is still incomplete and no consistent database compiling its properties is available. This study was carried out to achieve a comprehensive characterisation of north Moroccan olive oils. Thus, 279 olive samples of “Picholine Marocaine” cultivar grown in 7 Moroccan regions were collected, and oils extracted over two consecutive crop seasons (2011 and 2012) and analysed (considering physicochemical quality parameters and purity criteria). Results indicated that all the studied samples showed values fulfilling the established limits set by the International Olive Council (IOC) standards, with the exception of 32 samples that had a linolenic acid content higher than 1%, which is the maximum value fixed by the IOC regulation. Furthermore, the usefulness of the evaluated parameters for tracing the geographical origin of the studied samples was tested by using canonical discriminant analysis. A good rate of correct classification and prediction was achieved.

Potential of LC–MS phenolic profiling combined with multivariate analysis as an approach for the determination of the geographical origin of north Moroccan virgin olive oils

The applicability of two different platforms (LC-ESI-TOF MS and LC-ESI-IT MS) as powerful tools for the characterisation and subsequent quantification of the phenolic compounds present in north Moroccan virgin olive oils was assessed in this study. 156 olives samples of “Picholine Marocaine” cultivar grown in 7 Moroccan regions were collected and olive oils extracted. The phenolic profiles of these olive oils were studied using a resolutive chromatographic method coupled to ESI-TOF MS (for initial characterisation purposes) and coupled to ESI-IT MS (for further identification and quantification). 25 phenolic compounds belonging to different chemical families were identified and quantified. Secoiridoids were the most abundant phenols in all the samples, followed by phenolic alcohols, lignans and flavonoids, respectively. For testing the ability of phenolic profiles for tracing the geographical origin of the investigated oils, multivariate analysis tools were used, getting a good rate of correct classification and prediction by using a cross validation procedure.

Late Miocene origin of an Ibero‐Maghrebian clade of ground beetles with multiple colonizations of the subterranean environment

AbstractAimTo test different biogeographical scenarios for the evolution of the ground beetles of the Trechus fulvus group, a lineage with many narrowly distributed flightless subterranean species, highly suitable for tracing their biogeographical history.LocationThe Western Palaearctic, focusing on the Betic–Rifean area between south‐east Iberia and north Morocco.MethodsWe sequenced 3.3 kb of four mitochondrial and two nuclear genes of 30 individuals of 15 species of the T. fulvus group, plus 29 outgroups. We reconstructed their phylogeny and estimated divergence times using Bayesian probabilities and a priori evolutionary rates, and their ancestral distribution using maximum likelihood.ResultsThe phylogenetic reconstruction uncovered multiple independent colonizations of the subterranean environment within the T. fulvus group, a scenario also supported by variation in troglomorphic characters. Most of the Moroccan and south‐east Iberian species form a clade with strong geographical structure, including the former genus Antoinella. The biogeographical model best fitting the current distribution and phylogeny of the group was a late Miocene palaeogeographical scenario with isolated populations on the Betic and Rifean areas and a south‐eastern Iberian origin of the north Moroccan species. The widespread T. fulvus was sister to a central Moroccan species, suggesting a second Iberian–North African vicariance event within the group. One of the species, T. lallemantii, expanded its range to the east (Algeria and Tunisia) and the north (extreme south of the Iberian Peninsula) during the Pleistocene.Main conclusionsThe T. fulvus group originated in the early Miocene, and the south‐eastern Iberian lineage in the Tortonian. The lineage dispersed to Morocco during the Messinian, diversifying in rapid succession in the Atlas and the Rif and colonizing the subterranean environment multiple times. The geography of the Betic–Rifean region at the end of the Miocene can still be traced from the distribution of the extant species of the group.