Mental health among the Moroccan population during SARS-CoV-2 outbreak: MAROCOVID study.

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic's unpredictability and ambiguity, combined with the lockdown, social distancing, containment measures, and economic impact could increase the risk of mental health issues. OBJECTIVE: To assess the magnitude of mental health outcomes and risk factors among Moroccans, using an online survey, during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. METHODS: This cross-sectional, survey-based study collected demographic data and mental health measurements from 11,123 participants. The degree of depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms were assessed by the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, the 7-items Generalized Anxiety disorder, and the 7-items Insomnia Severity Index. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 11,123 individuals out of a total of 15,008 contacts. 7315 (65.8%) were women, and 7182 (64.6%) were aged 18 to 34. A significant proportion of respondents experienced depression (5894 [53%]), anxiety (5544 [49.8%]), and insomnia (4410 [39.6%]). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that being a woman, being married, and being a parent of children aged less than five years were associated with severe symptoms of depression and anxiety (e.g. severe depression among women vs. men (OR, 1.19; 95%CI, 1.06-1.33; P = .003), severe depression among married compared to unmarried respondents (OR, 1.92; 95%CI, 1.71-2.16; P < .000), e.g. severe anxiety among women vs. men (OR, 1.40; 95%CI, 1.24-1.58; <0.000), severe anxiety among married people compared to unmarried (OR, 1.14; 95%CI, 1.00-1.28; P < .003). CONCLUSION: Our findings reported a significant mental health burden on the general public during the COVID-19 lockdown. In addition to efforts deployed to prevent the spread of the disease, timely and culturally-specific mental health care needs to be developed urgently.

Production, formulation and antagonistic activity of the biocontrol like-yeast Aureobasidium pullulans against Penicillium expansum.

Aureobasidium pullulans (de Bary) Arnaud (Ach 1-1) was grown in a glucose fed-batch fermentor to 106 g dry wt l(-1) in 48 h. The cells were dried in a fluidized bed dryer with a final viability of 62%. After 7 months at 4 degrees C, the viability was 28% of the initial value (= 2.3 x 10(10 )c.f.u. g(-1) dry matter). A protection level of 89% was achieved with the biomass preparation at 1 x 10(8 )c.f.u. ml(-1) after 28 and 7 days for apples stored respectively at 5 and 25 degrees C against Penicillium expansum. Our process is suitable to produce large quantities of the strain Ach 1-1 as biological control agent for apple preservation.

Biocontrol of blue mold on apple fruits by Aureobasidium pullulans (strain Ach 1-1): in vitro and in situ evidence for the possible involvement of competition for nutrients.

Aureobasidium pullulans strain Ach1-1 was recently isolated for its biocontrol effectiveness against Penicillium expansum, the causal agent of blue mold on harvested apples. In the present study, strain Ach1-1 was found to be very effective in controlling P. expansum on apple wounds. For in vitro tests, strain Ach1-1 and P. expansum were cocultured in the presence of apple juice (0 - 5%) using a system preventing direct contact between both agents. The presence of the antagonist greatly reduced germination of conidia at low (0.1, 0.5 and 1%) but not at high (5%) juice concentrations. Germination of previously inhibited conidia at 0.5% apple juice was partially restored in the presence of the antagonist when fresh juice was added at a final concentration of 5%, and completely recovered at both 0.5 and 5% juice concentrations in the absence of the antagonist. These data show that P. expansum conidia are able to germinate when cocultered with strain Ach1-1 in conditions of sufficient rather than limited nutrient availability and that the antagonist does not affect the viability of these conidia, indicating that the inhibitory effect of strain Ach1-1 on conidia germination may be due to a competition for nutrients. Such observation was confirmed in situ since the application of high amounts of exogenous amino acids, vitamins or sugars on apple wounds significantly reduced the protective level of strain Ach1-1 against P. expansum, the most important effect was obtained with amino acids followed by vitamins and then by sugars. The present work provides both in vitro and in situ evidence that the biocontrol activity of strain Ach1-1 against P. expansum essentially relies on competition for apple fruit nutrients, especially amino acids.