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Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have increasingly become vital in our everyday lives. Education is one of the most visible domains in which these technologies are being used. Conversational Agents (CAs) are among the most prominent AI systems for assisting teaching and learning processes. Their integration into an e-learning system can provide replies suited to each learner's specific needs, allowing them to study at their own pace. In this paper, based on recent advancements in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and deep learning techniques, we present an experimental implementation of an educational chatbot intended to instruct secondary school learners Logo, an educational programming language. The related chatbot was implemented and evaluated in Moroccan public schools with the support of teachers from the Regional Center for Education and Training Professions of Souss Massa. The experiments included 109 students grouped into three separate classes. One is a control class group that uses a traditional approach, while the other two are experimental groups that employ digital content and the chatbot-based method. Preliminary findings indicate that employing chatbots can greatly enhance student learning experiences by allowing them to study at their own speed with less stress, saving them time, and keeping them motivated. Furthermore, integrating these AI systems into a smart classroom will not only create a supportive environment by encouraging good interactions with students, it will also allow learners to be more engaged and achieve better academic objectives.

The present study explored a small-scale English medium instruction (EMI) initiative in Moroccan secondary schools, which is part of a top-down multilingual policy based on teaching science subjects through foreign languages, namely French, English, and Spanish. 18 secondary EMI teachers of math, physics and life and earth sciences were interviewed in order to understand the new policy. Following grounded theory (GT) methodology, the findings show positive attitudes towards the implementation of EMI in Moroccan education, but the teachers seemed unsatisfied with the way it has been implemented. They thought science teachers were not prepared for such a new tendency. The study also revealed that teachers' low English proficiency was considered the major challenge to the successful implementation of EMI in Moroccan secondary schools and the essential reason behind using the first language in the EMI classroom. To prepare future generations for extending EMI in the Moroccan education, the teachers called for a switch to English as the first foreign language, instead of French, in all levels of schooling, and suggested gradual introduction of EMI in primary and middle schools. The study ends with some implications for overcoming the challenges of the new policy.

The Moroccan Ministry of Education has recently implemented a multilingual programme, called 'language alternation' (LA). The programme aims at improving students' foreign language (FL) proficiency level and promoting plurilingualism by using French, English, and Spanish, for the teaching of math, physics and life and earth sciences at the secondary level, instead of the official language, Arabic. The study sought to understand this new tendency in Moroccan education by examining official educational documents and exploring teachers' perceptions using Grounded Theory (GT), which is a hypothesis-generating methodology. The findings showed a gap between the conceptualised language recommendations in the official documents and the implementation of these recommendations in Moroccan schools. In addition, it seems that the new enacted educational policy has brought about challenges for both students and teachers. The interviewed teachers were concerned about their students' initial FL proficiency, the negative effect of the new policy on students' content learning, the lack of trainings in the methodology of the new medium of instruction (MOI) policy and limited agency of teachers in the conceptualisation and implementation of the new policy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to contribute to the ongoing debate about the instructional languages in Moroccan education through exploring graduate students' attitudes towards the potential use of English-medium instruction (EMI) in Moroccan science universities. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, 17 master and doctoral students have been interviewed to explore attitudes towards EMI implementation in Moroccan higher education. The data were collected and analysed based on constant comparative method, which belongs to the grounded theory methodology. The method is based on organizing the raw data into categories according to shared attributes while constantly comparing the parts of the data as they occur. The objective is to formulate new hypotheses and theories about the phenomenon of interest. Findings: The findings of this study reveal that although graduate students hold positive attitudes towards the future implementation of EMI in higher education, they think students are not prepared for such a switch in the language of instruction given that they have been taught through either Arabic or French in lower levels. Hence, they suggest gradual implementation of EMI in lower levels and introduction of English as a foreign language instead of French at primary level. Originality/value: Most of the previous studies on bilingual education and EMI have investigated non-Anglo-Saxon contexts, where English is the major foreign or second language. The researchers could not have located any study which investigates the possibility to implement EMI in post-colonial contexts, where other foreign languages, bearing colonial conations, are more dominant than English. This study presents the case of Morocco, where French, rather than English, is the dominant foreign language not only in education but also in different other domains of life.

The present study explores Moroccan science teachers' perceptions of teaching science subjects through foreign languages, mainly French, in Moroccan secondary schools. Seventeen science and technology teachers have been interviewed and data were analysed following the grounded theory methodology. The researcher constructs hypotheses based on data collection and analysis following axial coding. The findings of the study reveal that although science teachers hold positive attitudes towards the change in the language of instruction, they do not agree with the way this new initiative is being implemented. According to them, neither teachers nor students have been prepared to cope with a foreign language as a medium of instruction. They think students' low French proficiency is the major challenge in this new initiative. Hence, they admit to resorting to the mother tongue to facilitate students' content learning. Also, they have expressed their dissatisfaction with the prioritization of French as a foreign language and as a language of instruction. Instead, they suggest preparing young generations to switch to English as a medium of instruction through introducing English as a first foreign language at the primary and middle schools instead of French. The study ends up with some implications to overcome the challenges of the new policy.

The sheer growth of information and communication technologies (ICT) has reshaped teaching and learning practices tremendously in the learning environments all over the globe. Research reveals that teachers are the key agents in the integration of ICT in particular in language teaching and learning. However, some of the many factors, this ICT integration are associated with teachers' personal characteristics such as gender. Therefore, the current study investigates the Moroccan male and female teachers' level of ICT integration in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in the public secondary school EFL classrooms. This study aims to explore whether gender influences the way EFL teachers' ICT use in the classroom. It is a survey which adopts a mixed-method approach of investigation, and two instruments are used to collect data: a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Eighty full-time teachers (45 male and 35 female teachers) belonging to different public secondary schools in the area of Agadir Idaoutanane and Inzegane Ait-Meloul participated in the study by answering a questionnaire, and eight teachers out of this sample (4 male and 4 female teachers) are interviewed. The results of data analysis reveal that although female teachers employed ICT in their teaching less than their male counterparts, there is no significant difference in using ICT in language teaching between the two groups. A number of propositions are presented as to how to incorporate ICT in language learning in the Moroccan secondary schools EFL contexts.

The Moroccan Ministry of Education has recently implemented a multilingual programme, called 'language alternation' (LA). The programme aims at improving students' foreign language (FL) proficiency level and promoting plurilingualism by using French, English, and Spanish, for the teaching of math, physics and life and earth sciences at the secondary level, instead of the official language, Arabic. The study sought to understand this new tendency in Moroccan education by examining official educational documents and exploring teachers' perceptions using Grounded Theory (GT), which is a hypothesis-generating methodology. The findings showed a gap between the conceptualised language recommendations in the official documents and the implementation of these recommendations in Moroccan schools. In addition, it seems that the new enacted educational policy has brought about challenges for both students and teachers. The interviewed teachers were concerned about their students' initial FL proficiency, the negative effect of the new policy on students' content learning, the lack of trainings in the methodology of the new medium of instruction (MOI) policy and limited agency of teachers in the conceptualisation and implementation of the new policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotional disorders are an ever-increasing problem in our society, accounting for a significant portion of the global burden of disease. A healthy and balanced diet is now one of the promising avenues for the prevention and care of psychiatric disorders. The principal objective of this cross-sectional study was to analyze the relationship between eating habits, frequency of consumption of certain foods, and mental well-being in a sample of students. A food frequency questionnaire was developed to describe participants' eating habits. The DAS21 self-questionnaire was used to assess the intensity of negative emotions associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. The age of the participants, who numbered 620, varied from 18 to 25 years (mean age: 22.32 years). The consumption of the different foods studied was varied, with a low consumption of fruits and vegetables. The prevalence of emotional disorders was high among the students. Skipping breakfast had a negative impact on mental wellbeing. High frequency of consumption of apples, seafood, kiwi, dried fruits, sardines, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, carrots and apricots was beneficial to the mental health of students. This suggests that healthy eating behaviours based on a balanced diet may be an interesting avenue for preventing and treating psychopathological disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The links between learning disabilities and food consumption modes are not yet sufficiently explained. The objectives of this study were to describe the dietary behavior of school children, to examine the association between certain dietary patterns and cognitive skills related to learning to read, and to identify, afterward, dietary profiles that are beneficial or harmful to reading acquisition and academic performance. 611 children, aged 10 years, who participated in this study, were assessed for cognitive functions that predominate in learning to read. The children were selected from schools belonging to areas with the same socio economic level. Absenteeism and neuro developmental disorders were two exclusion criteria. The study was conducted from December 2019 to the end of February 2020. A food frequency questionnaire was used to collect dietary information from the respondents. Descriptive and explanatory analyses were applied to the collected data. The study population's diet was varied, with a low consumption of fruits and vegetables. The number of meals/snacks eaten per day and the regularity of main meals was significantly and positively associated with the underlying reading skills. High consumption of fruits, vegetables, bread/starches, olive oil, vegetables, poultry, and water with low consumption of meats are behaviors consistently associated with better reading performance and academic achievement. Educating children to practice healthy eating habits can help them minimize academic difficulties and improve their learning abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trachoma is a blinding disease caused by repeated conjunctival infection with different Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) genovars. Ct B genovars have been associated with more severe trachoma symptoms. Here, we investigated associations between Ct genovars and bacterial loads in ocular samples from two distinct geographical locations in Africa, which are currently unclear. We tested ocular swabs from 77 Moroccan children (28 with trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) and 49 healthy controls), and 96 Sudanese children (54 with TF and 42 healthy controls) with a Ct-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. To estimate bacterial loads, Ct-positive samples were further processed by multiplex real-time qPCR to amplify the chromosomal outer membrane complex B and plasmid open reading frame 2 of Ct. Genotyping was performed by PCR-based amplification of the outer membrane protein A gene (~1120 base pairs) of Ct and Sanger sequencing. Ct-positivities among the Moroccan and Sudanese patient groups were 60·7% and 31·5%, respectively. Significantly more Sudanese patients than Moroccan patients were genovar A-positive. In contrast, B genovars were significantly more prevalent in Moroccan patients than in Sudanese patients. Significantly higher Ct loads were found in samples positive for B genovars (598·596) than A genovar (51·005). Geographical differences contributed to the distributions of different ocular Ct genovars. B genovars may induce a higher bacterial load than A genovars in trachoma patients. Our findings emphasize the importance of conducting broader studies to elucidate if the noted difference in multiplication abilities are genovar and/or endemicity level dependent. Author summary: We investigated the association between different Ct genovars, the approximate load of infection, and the distribution of Chlamydia genovars by comparing samples from one trachoma-endemic area (i.e., the city of El-Gadaref in Al Qadarif, Sudan) and one previously endemic area (i.e., the Zagora Province in Morocco), currently considered as non-endemic. This study is the first to reveal a significant difference between the genome copy numbers of Ct genovar A and B/Ba in children with TF. Evidence that Ct is still circulating in rural foci of countries like Morocco that are no longer considered endemic implies that the continuation of the trachoma surveillance must be warranted in future to avoid further spreading of Ct. The clinical significance of different infectious loads in the development of sequelae has to be determined as well as whether these differences are genovar specific or related to the given endemicity level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out through regular biological sampling operations of the mako shark during a period of 24 months (October 2017 - August 2019). Specimens were collected from the commercial catches of artisanal boats operating in the Moroccan Central Atlantic Coast and landing at Sidi Ifni Port. A total of 1088 individuals were examined, including 567 females and 521 males. The total length (TL) of both sexes combined ranged from 60 to 317cm, with an average of 150.83 ± 41.51cm (mean±sd). Dominant sizes varied between 105 and 195 cm (TL). The linear regression equations showed a good positive correlation between the different body lengths (0. 983 -05 * L2.6092, showed significantly lower allometry for the two sexes combined. The parameters of the Von Bertalanffy linear growth equation for both sexes combined were estimated as L∞ = 313.24 cm, K=0.15 year-1 and t0 = -0.68. For the same age, the sizes of males were recorded larger than those of females. Moreover, results showed that the determined longevity (tmax) was 24.75 years for males and 26.65 years for females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disaster situations either natural or made-man caused a large number of deaths and injured people. Morocco has experienced several disasters recently, the last one was the railway accident on 16 October 2018, which caused 127 serious injuries and 7 deaths. This large number was a big problem for the hospital to manage the received victims in right direction, which caused lives lost and disability. In this article, in collaboration with Mohammed (V) hospital in Casablanca city in Morocco, we suggested a solution that saves lives and eliminates number of disability by using a hybrid algorithm to size the hospital resources in the case of a massive influx of victims. We also suggested a support decision tool that is called Emergency Support Decision Tool. This helpful tool gives an idea about the needed resources that support these emergencies according to the victim's number. The proposed solution consisted in making a hybrid algorithm that mixed the theoretical simulation process and the experience feedback by developing hybrid genetic and hybrid heuristic algorithms. These algorithms using as an input the matrix solutions that generated under ARENA software and the solution generated by neural networks that based on experiences feedback. The objective was to provide a solution based on available resources. In fact, the results showed that the hybrid heuristic algorithm is more performant than the hybrid genetic algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morocco is endowed with an intangible cultural heritage of great interest at the global level, to which Moroccan craftsmanship, for which it is widely known internationally, makes a significant contribution. In today's, the notion of heritage is continuously expanding, experiencing an almost unlimited extension. The intangible heritage increasingly occupies a prominent place in the planning of several bodies, whose aim is to raise awareness among nations of the need to protect their cultural diversity and to help them to develop projects for the safeguarding and preservation of this category of heritage. The majority of marketing research has not addressed the issue of the relationship between social media communication and the promotion of intangible cultural heritage in the sense that there is an information deficit in addressing this issue. The concept of social media communication represents for professionals a lever of great importance since it has become indispensable to a good marketing strategy. It constitutes, in the context of research, a real tool for the promotion of intangible cultural heritage and the enhancement of territories. The main objective of this article is to explore the concept of intangible cultural heritage given the great importance it represents and its relationship with social media communication in the Moroccan context, especially in the promotion, transmission and even the safeguarding of this wealth. The study used a multidisciplinary exploratory in the fields of media communication and territorial marketing. Thus, the study focused on the two concepts: intangible cultural heritage and communication through social media, while analysing the nature of their interrelation in general and more specifically the relationship between communication through social media and the promotion of Marrakech handicrafts as part of Morocco's intangible cultural heritage. The results of this empirical study of an exploratory nature, conducted among 14 experts operating in the Moroccan handicrafts sector, demonstrated the existence of a strong relationship between the use of social media communication and the promotion of Moroccan intangible cultural heritage and more specifically the intangible cultural heritage of the city of Marrakech through the development and enhancement of its handicraft products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reading acquisition disorders constitute the main problem in children's learning. in Morocco, epidemiological data are very rare. Research, mainly in the English language, concerns either the sociological or the cognitive field. Few studies, among them not one in Arabic, have explored the link relating to social and cognitive factors. The purpose of our work is to study and analyze the cognitive and social variables related to different reading skills among Moroccan pupils in primary and secondary public schools. Material/Methods: From a sample of 754 learners (388 boys and 366 girls) ranging in age from 9 to 15 years with an average of 11.59 years, the diagnostic tests identified 145 students with deficient skills „Bad readers (BR)," 128 suspected of being in difficulty classified as « intermediate level (IL) » and a group of 481 children as good readers (GR). Statistical analyses have shown that the first two groups (BR and IL) represent 24% in the favoured areas compared to 43% in the disadvantaged. Results: The analysis of scores and the nature of the errors made on various reading tests show that 41 students, or 5.43% of our sample, present a dyslexia profile. 13 (1.72%) of whom have very severe difficulties. The phonological aptitudes (Rapid automatized naming, phonological short-time memory and especially phonological awareness) mainly reflect the level of reading. These phonological abilities are highly influenced by early attendance of preschool and by the degree of exposure to written language at home. These data, which are unique in Morocco, are consistent to that of the published subject literature. They make it possible to plan preventive actions by generalizing pre-school teaching, particularly in precarious environments. These actions should be based on playful exercises aimed at improving phonological abilities at an early age, Conclusions: while exploiting the brain sensitivity to reading at that age. Phonological awareness and rapid naming are the most implicated factors in the disparity of reading skills. These abilities are highly influenced by the integration of preschool at a very early age and by the degree of exposure to written language activities. Therefore, there is a need to plan preventive actions, based on playful exercises, aiming to improve phonological skills from the pre-school period [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In arid and semi-arid environments, soil salinization has a negative impact on agricultural systems and natural vegetation. For the reforestation of low-to medium-salinity soils in Morocco, which borders one of the world's largest deserts, the argan tree (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) is essential. Therefore, early and late kernels were used in this study to investigate the effect of various salt levels on germination, antioxidant enzyme activities, and metabolite alterations. In terms of results, the kernels of late fruits had better germination performances under 102.6 mmol/L NaCl salinity. The final germination percentage (FGP) at the last count was at its maximum (54.4%), and the germination speed index (GSI) was significantly high, reaching 12.8 ± 0.8. Proline and sugar metabolites, as well as catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POX) activities, have increased as salinity increased up to 102.6 mmol/L, followed by a dramatic decrease beyond 136.8 mmol/L, mainly for the early kernels. However, the late kernels have performed better in triggering adjustment pathways before entering their irreversible state. These findings represent another contribution toward comprehending the processes underlying the argan tree's resilience, which is critical to reversing desertification and soil degradation inside and potentially beyond its current biosphere. [Display omitted] • Germination of Argania spinosa could be improved by using late kernels. • Moderate salinity results in increased proline and total carbohydrate metabolites. • Significant catalase and peroxidase antioxidant enzyme activities were depicted. • Possible origins of interesting metabolites' accumulation include dry settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the summer of 1994 and the spring of 1995, a snail survey aimed at determining relationships between the distribution of molluscan fauna, various environmental factors and trematode infection was carried out in the Tessaout Amont irrigation system, Morocco. The molluscan fauna consisted of nine species belonging to seven families (including one bivalve). Cercariae belonging to nine families were collected. Ancylus fluviatilis and Mercuria confusa showed the highest prevalence of infection (1% and 2%, respectively) but were not listed among infected snails reported from other regions of the country. Melanopsis praemorsa and Bulinus truncatus were shedding cercariae belonging to four and three families, respectively. Amphistome and echinostome cercariae were found for the first time in Morocco. No case of mixed-species infections was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Akka oasis, in the province of Tata, southern Morocco, is one of the oldest foci of urinary schistosomiasis in Morocco where transmission is still taking place. We report the results of two studies: a cross-sectional snail survey investigated the distribution of Bulinus truncatus in relation to habitat factors in the Akka traditional irrigation system. The presence of aquatic vegetation, especially Potamogeton sp. was identified as a key factor determining snail occurrence and abundance in canals, impoundments and isolated small puddles and streamlets in the Akka riverbed. In a participatory rapid appraisal, the community identified snail control as a way to reduce transmission of schistosomiasis. Without any further outside incentives, the local irrigation committee implemented repeated cleaning and vegetation removal in canals. A longitudinal study evaluated the effect of these measures on populations of B. truncatus. Snail and egg mass densities showed significant reductions after repeated vegetation clearing in the study sites. The participatory approach led to low-cost, environment-friendly schistosomiasis control measures that were effective and sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studying the ecology of biocontrol-agents is a prerequisite to effectively control medfly (Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae)) with entomopathogenic fungi. In this context, factors affecting the occurrence and distribution of medfly-associated entomopathogenic-fungi were studied. Soil samples (22) were collected from natural and cultivated areas of Souss-region Morocco. Results: A total of 260 fungal isolates belonging to 22 species and 10 genera were obtained by using medfly pupae as bait. Medfly-associated fungi were detected in all studied soils and pupae infection percentages ranged from 3.33% to 48%. Two genera, Fusarium and Beauveria were the most frequent with 83 isolates (32%) and 50 isolates (19.23%) respectively. Pathogenicity test of isolated species against medfly pupae showed high mortality rates up to 91% for some strains. Principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated a strong influence of origin, physical, and chemical properties of soil on the abundance of these fungi. In general, medfly-associated fungi were more abundant in soils with moderate pH (7.5 to 8) having high sand and organic content. High relative humidity negatively influenced the abundance of these fungi. Both factors directly affected the fungal infection percentages in pupae. The response of fungi to these parameters varied among species. According to principal component analysis (PCA), the soils of argan fields and forests were more suitable for the development of medfly-associated fungi than citrus orchards. Conclusions: These results guide identifying suitable soils for the effective application of entomopathogenic fungi as biological control agents. In summary, isolated indigenous strains seem to be a promising option to control C. capitata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A CNN-LSTM hybrid architecture is suggested for predicting the power outcome of a photovoltaic plant over different look back and look forward time windows. • A multivariate dataset is derived from a photovoltaic plant located in Morocco. It comprise power production records, meteorological variables, in addition to the plant's consumed power. • The correlation between the look-back value and the forecasts precision of the model is discussed, and the well-suited value for each predicting model is given. This allow us to properly choose the appropriate parameters for each forecasting model. • The experimental findings reveal that the proposed architecture has an overall good effect on the accuracy of the forecasts, which ensures that the model robustness and resilience are high. Each of the models' training times is given in this work to deliver more insights for researchers. • The accuracy of the CNN-LSTM model is compared to other machine learning models (LR, KNN, DTR), as well as deep learning models (CNN, LSTM, MLP). Three error indexes (RMSE, MAE, and MAPE) were used to evaluate models' performance. Climate change is pushing an increasing number of nations to use green energy resources, particularly solar power as an applicable substitute to traditional power sources. However, photovoltaic power generation is highly weather-dependent, relying mostly on solar irradiation that is highly unstable, and unpredictable which makes power generation challenging. Accurate photovoltaic power predictions can substantially improve the operation of solar power systems. This is vital for supplying prime electricity to customers and ensuring the resilience of power plants' operation. This research is motivated by the recent adoption and advances in DL models and their successful use in the sector of energy. The suggested model merges two deep learning architectures, the long short-term memory (LSTM) and convolutional neural network (CNN). Using a real-world dataset from Rabat, Morocco, as a case study to illustrate the effectiveness of the suggested topology. According to error metrics, MAE, MAPE, and RMSE, the suggested architecture CNN-LSTM performance exceeds that of standard machine learning and single DL models in terms of prediction, precision, and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]