The Southern Moroccan Dialects and the Hilāli Category

The aim of this paper is to review the classification of the southern Moroccan dialects, advancing on the general description of these varieties. Recent descriptive studies provided us with new sources on the linguistic reality of southern Morocco, shedding light on the status of dialects commonly classified as Bedouin or ‘Hilāli’ within the Maghrebi context. To do so, the paper highlights conservative and innovative features which characterize the dialects of the area, focusing mainly—but not exclusively—on the updated data for two distant localities in southern Morocco: Essaouira and its rural outskirts—the Chiadma territory (Aquermoud and Sīdi Īsḥāq)—and Tafilalt, in south-eastern Morocco. The southern dialects have been situated in an intermediary zone between pre-Hilāli and Hilāli categories for a long time. Discussing their situation may contribute to understanding what distinguishes them as a dialectal group and also the validity of the ‘Hilāli’ category in the Moroccan context.

Water Erosion in the Moulouya Watershed and its Impact on Dams' Siltation (Eastern Morocco)

The Moulouya watershed presents high risks of water erosion. The dams built on this river lose each year, by siltation, a volume of water of about 10 M m3 (Lahlou, 1994). This worrying rate shows that water erosion can hinder the socio-economic development of the basin if soil protection and siltation measures are not taken. This study defines the areas most threatened by water erosion to protect them as a priority. Using a GIS and the Universal Earth Loss Equation (USLE), we mapped soil losses. The adopted model determines soil loss from erosivity of rainfall, soil erodibility, inclination and slope length, soil cover, and erosion control practices. The possible origins of the deposits alluviating the dams are related to the products of alteration of the Secondary's carbonate formations and the Tertiary and Quaternary formations. The modalities of the transport of deposits of banks of the network of Moulouya are mainly by a suspension. The specific degradation in the Moulouya watershed is estimated at 214 t/km2/year. Precipitation intensity, steep slopes and deforestation are responsible for these losses.

Immunophenotypic challenges in diagnosis of CD79a negativity in a patient with B acute lymphoblastic leukemia harboring intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21: a case report

Background Being expressed in all stages of B-cell development and having a significant value on the European Group for the Immunological Characterization of Acute Leukemias scoring system, CD79a is considered as an excellent pan-marker for lineage assignment of B cells by flow cytometry. Therefore, any lack or decrease in CD79a expression makes the diagnosis of B acute lymphoblastic leukemia cases very challenging, especially in developing country laboratories where flow cytometry analyses are not always available and, when they are, they are limited in the number of markers used for lineage assignment. Since this case is potentially interesting, we report a B acute lymphoblastic leukemia case with a lack of expression CD79a associated with intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21 genetic abnormality. We further discuss the practical challenges in the diagnosis of this case. Case presentation We present the case of an 8-year-old Caucasian boy from eastern Morocco who was initially hospitalized for a hemorrhagic syndrome. Peripheral blood smear examination showed a significant number of blasts suggesting acute leukemia. Bone marrow was studied for morphology, cytochemistry, immunophenotyping, and cytogenetics. Flow cytometry analyses showed expression of CD19, CD22, CD10, CD34, and HLA-DR markers by leukemic blasts. The expression of CD79a, which was checked with two different monoclonal antibodies, confirms that this marker was severely decreased in this case. Cytogenetic study performed by fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed the presence of intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21, a cytogenetic abnormality that is specific for B acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Conclusion CD79a is one of the critical markers in the assignment of B acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In our case, we were lucky enough to be assisted by a few other markers of the B lineage that were positive in this case. Also, we mention the importance of proceeding to cytogenetic study, which in our case helped us to confirm the diagnosis made by flow cytometry by highlighting a cytogenetic abnormality that is specific to B acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Inventory of Medicinal Plants Used Traditionally to Manage Kidney Diseases in North-Eastern Morocco: Ethnobotanical Fieldwork and Pharmacological Evidence

Kidney disease is one of the most common health problems and kidney failure can be fatal. It is one of the health disorders associated with extreme pain and discomfort in patients. In developing countries, such as Morocco where socioeconomic and sanitary conditions are precarious, medicinal plants are considered the primary source of medication. In the present work an ethnobotanical survey was conducted in a remote area of North-Eastern Morocco and we focused on (1) establishing a record of medicinal plants used traditionally by local people to treat kidney diseases and (2) correlate the obtained ethnomedical use with well-studied pharmacological evidence. From February 2018 to January2020, information was gathered from 488 informants using semi-structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using three quantitative indices: The use value (UV), family use value (FUV), and informant consensus factor (ICF). A total of 121 plant species belonging to 57 botanical families were identified to treat kidney diseases. The families most represented were Asteraceae (14 species), followed by Lamiaceae (12 species) and Apiaceae (10 species). The most commonly used plant parts were leaves, followed by the whole plant and they were most commonly prepared by decoction and infusion. The highest value of the (UV) index was attributed to Herniaria hirsuta L. (UV = 0.16), and the highest family use value (FUV) was assigned to Caryophyllaceae with (FUV = 0.163). Regarding the informant consensus factor (ICF), this index’s highest values were recorded for kidney stones (ICF = 0.72). The use of 45% of the selected plants were validated based on literature review. This study helped document and preserve crucial traditional plant knowledge of 121 plant species used to treat kidney problems that can be used in the search for new biologically active compounds through more upcoming pharmacological studies.