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BACKGROUND: The disturbance of students' biological and academic rhythms induced by the Coronavirus generated considerable challenges that had an influence on their psychological well-being. This study aims to highlight the daily rhythm desynchronization and examine the mental health of Moroccan students who were impacted, notably females, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS AND MATERIAL: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in May 2020 at ten Moroccan faculties including 312 students with an average age of 22 ± 1.70 years old, processed according to a random sampling. A Daily Activities Biorhythm Questionnaire was used to assess the students' daily activities time use and duration, while the PTSD Symptom Scale, Hamilton Scale, Worry Domains Questionnaire, and Visual Analog Mood State Scale were used to assess their mental health. A statistical analysis used both Chi-square and t test to evaluate the relationship between females and males as two independent groups to the studied variables. RESULTS: Based on individual gender differences, a significant disruption emerged in the daily time use and duration of activities during home confinement. Besides, females were more likely to experience psychological issues notably anxiety (2.04 ± 0.49), physical tiredness (2.11 ± 0.39), sadness (p <.05), and posttraumatic stress disorder (p <.01). In contrast, there is a strong correlation between males' concern of declining employment (p <.05) and their worry of declining family budgets (2.10 ± 1.39). CONCLUSIONS: As an emerging behavior for a new risk factor, the daily activities rhythm of Moroccan university students have been altered and mental health difficulties have appeared due to the quarantine isolation. This might influence their overall academic performance and psychological balance. In this instance, psychological assistance is highly recommended.
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Leishmaniasis diseases are endemic in Morocco. An entomological survey was conducted in Aichoun locality for 1 year from September 2013 to August 2014. The objective of this study was to investigate the sand fly fauna, mainly the species composition and the monthly species prevalence in accordance with bioclimate factors. Sand flies were collected twice a month, using sticky traps and CDC light traps. During a one-year study, 4472 specimens of sand fly were caught (72.56% male/22.44% female) that were composed of seven species divided into two genera: Phlebotomus (99.46%) and Sergentomyia (0.53%). Ph. sergenti was the most prevalent species (46.64%), followed by Ph. perniciosus (38.19%), Ph. longicuspis (9.32%), Ph. papatasi (5.23%), and Ph. ariasi (0.06%). The genus Sergentomyia was even less frequent. The population dynamics showed a bimodal trend with two peaks: the first one in October (12.03% of specimens) and the second in June (27.92% of specimens). The study of the effects of climatic factors in the study area showed a link between the dynamics of sand flies and the variation of these parameters (temperature and relative humidity). During the period between November and March, the sand flies were absent. The highest prevalence of sand flies was recorded in June when the temperature and relative humidity values reached, respectively, 25.8°C and 42%. The minimum number of specimens was collected in September with an average temperature of 23.19°C and relative humidity of 57.4%. Statistical analysis with principal component analysis has shown a strong positive correlation between temperature parameters and the seasonal distribution of sand flies. The climatic factor of relative humidity has been judged of being negatively correlated. The wind speed does not have any impact on the relative abundance of all species. Within this context, the results will be useful for the development of a monitoring program to better manage the operations and evaluate their effectiveness.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Heavy metals contamination threatens groundwater resources in many areas around the world. Various methods to evaluate groundwater quality have been used to characterize sources of contamination and associated parameters. For assessment of heavy metals contamination, calculation of pollution indices is an effective tool for assessing water quality. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to assess heavy metal concentrations and determine distributions in Saïs plain, Morocco using multivariate analysis. METHODS: A total of 144 groundwater samples were collected from twelve stations in Saïs from January 2018 to January 2019, and were analyzed for heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, total chromium, lead, copper, iron, manganese and zinc) using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. RESULTS: Chromium was found to be a major contaminant affecting water quality in Station 2 (0.057 mg/l) and Station 8 (0.065 mg/l), while elevated levels of iron were found in Station 7 (1.4 mg/l) and Station 11 (0.45 mg/l), and elevated levels of copper (2.9 mg/l) and zinc (3.39 mg/l) were found in Station 11, relative to other heavy metals. The high concentrations of these elements are related to anthropogenic pollutants. The factor analysis showed two components controlling groundwater chemistry. The results of the present study demonstrate that the concentrations of toxic metals, like Fe and Cr, are present in slight excess in one or two stations during one season. The calculated heavy metal pollution level for the groundwater of Saïs plain was below the index limit of 100. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that groundwater is not polluted with respect to heavy metals and is acceptable for drinking. However, precautionary measures, such as managing the use of agricultural inputs and avoiding the use of wastewater in agriculture, are recommended in this area. COMPETING INTERESTS: The authors declare no completing financial interests.