Search

Temnothorax (Myrmicinae, Crematogastrini) is one of the most diverse Holarctic ant genera, and new taxonomic advancements are still frequent worldwide. The Mediterranean region, a global biodiversity hotspot characterized by a complex geographic history, is home to a substantial portion of its described diversity. Sicily is the region’s largest island and, as ongoing investigations are revealing, it is inhabited by a long-overlooked but highly diverse ant fauna that combines multiple biogeographic influences. We combined qualitative and quantitative morphology of multiple castes with phylogenomic analysis based on ultra-conserved elements (UCEs) to describe four species of Temnothorax endemic to Sicily and the neighboring Maltese Islands (Sicilian Channel). Three of these species, T. marae Alicata, Schifani & Prebus sp. nov., T. poldii Alicata, Schifani & Prebus sp. nov. and T. vivianoi Schifani, Alicata & Prebus sp. nov., are new to science, while a redescription clarifies the identity of T. lagrecai (Baroni Urbani, 1964). These descriptions highlight the current difficulties of delimiting monophyletic Temnothorax species groups based on morphological characters. The intra-insular endemicity patterns we revealed highlight the importance of Mediterranean paleogeography to contemporary ant diversity and distribution in the region.

The genus Thalpomena Saussure comprises nine species and four subspecies and is largely endemic to the Atlas Mountains (North Africa). Here, we used an evolutionary taxonomic approach to differentiate the species of the genus Thalpomena and to reconstruct their biogeographic history. Phylogenetic tree reconstruction based on five molecular markers revealed four distinct clades within the genus Thalpomena. These are not fully in line with the current taxonomy but rather seem to represent lineages defined by their distribution and hind wing banding patterns. All lineages are geographically separated and can be distinguished based on genetic, morphometric and ecological modelling data. Ancestral area reconstruction suggests an origin of the species in the southern regions of the Atlas Mountains (High Atlas to Aures Mountains). Molecular clock analysis promotes the glacial refugia theory, supporting the origin of Thalpomena in the Pliocene, followed by diversification events in the Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Maghrebi literature, the diary remains a marginal genre and writers have an ambivalent relationship with diaristic writing. This article begins by identifying and studying four major situations of Maghrebi diaristic writing based on its relationship with fiction, history, politics and autobiography. A more focused study of the diaries of Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine, Abdelkébir Khatibi and Abdellatif Laâbi then sheds light on the constraints of diaristic practice. The diary, whether interrupted or diverted towards other forms of writing, is construed by the three Moroccan writers as hybrid and unstable, favouring the duplication of the 'I' and forming connections with the diarist's œuvre. Driven by a complex and dynamic writing, the diary seems to tend toward the fragment that embodies both the uncertainty of the diarist and his quest for a literary work of which the diary could be the core, the margin or the horizon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we intend neither to make a comparative analysis of the translations of the same North African novel into different languages, nor to study the different types of ellipses which appear at the level of the translation. Based on some translations from Tahar Ben Jelloun's novels, we aim to claim that there are ellipses when translating from a North African author. Thus, our main intention is to answer the question Are there ellipses when translating a North African novel? In future studies, we want to analyze the functioning of the ellipsis when translating some novels written by Tahar Ben Jelloun from French into Romanian or English, so that later we can see the types of ellipses at the level of translation. We focus our attention on the pronoun on, on the spelling in translations, as well as on the existence of some translations or explanations inside the original novel, to demonstrate that both the original and the translated Maghreb novel contain what is linguistically called an ellipsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities of North Africa experienced a long occupation up to the late 7th c. CE. Despite numerous studies on Late Antique urbanism, no systematic investigation of urban hydraulics has been carried out so far. This paper examines the hydraulic topography of three cities in the Byzantine period (ca. 6th c. CE): Leptis Magna (Tripolitania), Sbeitla (Byzacena), and Timgad (Numidia). This analysis assesses to what extent Late Antique societies managed the cities' water supply by maintaining or transforming preexisting hydraulic networks. It considers the continuity of aqueducts and the reorganization of water networks, the state of hydraulic management and technology, and the perception of water resources. The hydraulic networks inherited from the Early Roman period were to some extent preserved, although greatly adapted to new concerns for security and new technical and environmental constraints, illustrating the resilience of Late Antique societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nüsha is the property of Oku Anonim Sirketi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The role given to food as a preserver of health and a remedy against disease explains the rise of dietary concepts in the medical science of Medieval Islam. The integration of the Maghreb and the Iberian Peninsula into the Islamic Empire boosted the circulation of people, goods and knowledge across the Mediterranean. The medico-dietary treatises written in the Islamic West between the 9th and 14th centuries reveal features common to Dār al-Islām as well as specificities leading us to question the place given to the Eastern model.

The policy of rule differed with the different regimes that existed in the Maghreb. When the Muslim Arabs liberated Morocco, many leaders and governors came to take over its affairs, the way they took over. The workers and employees. As the people of Morocco appoint those in whom they find the competence to lead them until the caliphate sends them a ruler to manage their affairs, just as tribal fanaticism played its role by appointing some governors, employees, workers and army commanders in Morocco, and accordingly the factors considered for the policy of rule in the countries of the Maghreb varied according to the different circumstances that led to the selection of Whoever is entrusted with the task of guardianship and leadership, as there must be one or more factors that can distinguish who is chosen to be at the head of the state that he is charged with managing its affairs, and for the succession to be reassuring to the ruler. His role in managing its conditions and preserving the authority of the caliphate .

Les monuments funéraires sont connus de longue date au Sahara et au Maghreb. Leur aspect est très varié et laisse entrevoir des types distincts selon les régions et suivant l'époque de leur construction. Très peu d'entre eux, cependant, ont été étudiés et ne sont connus que par de brèves notes de prospection. Le logiciel de photographies satellitaires Google Earth permet aujourd'hui de procéder à un décompte et d'identifier les morphologies sans avoir à se rendre sur le terrain. Ce sont plus de 2000 monuments du Sud marocain qui sont ici inventoriés et classés par type. Ils sont étudiés dans le contexte saharien et maghrébin. The funeral monuments are well known for a long time in the Sahara and the Maghreb. Their shape is diversified and leads us to hint different types according to the regions and during the periods they were built. Nonetheless, very few were studied and they are only known through short notes of prospecting. The software Google Earth , furnishing satellite photography, allows to distinguish the very morphologies of these monuments, without any necessity to move on the ground. More than 2000 monuments from the South of Morocco are inventoried and classed by type in the present note. They are studied in the general context of the Sahara and the Maghreb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the College Of Basic Education is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article compares two literary enterprises preoccupied with the fate of bilingualism under budding national independence: Souffles-Anfas (Morocco, 1966–1971) and Eked Poetry Quarterly (Israel, 1960–1971). The second has received surprisingly little academic attention, whereas the first has gotten plenty of such attention, often referring to it as a fully bilingual project—an approach the author contests. The two journals were each part of a greater political and cultural endeavor that challenged the national-linguistic discourse in Morocco and Israel, either by rebelling against the Arabizing Moroccan monarchy or by refusing to adhere to the Zionist Hebrew exclusivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North African helicid Gyrostomella has been considered closely related to Levantina , suggesting a disjunct distribution with a distribution gap of almost 2000 km in North Africa. We studied this disjunction and the systematics of Helicinae using molecular markers. Our analyses indicate an affiliation of Gyrostomella with the radiation of Helicinae in the Maghreb, especially with Maurohelix. The occurrence of Gyrostomella in Libya does not represent a western outpost of Helicini in North Africa, but an eastern outpost of the Maghreb radiation of Helicinae. The disjunction of Gyrostomella in Libya and Maurohelix in Algeria may be the result of a long-distance dispersal or may represent relicts of a larger range of the lineage in the past as a consequence of aridification processes in North Africa. Taking into account biogeographic patterns, we suggest a subdivision of Helicinae into four tribes: Allognathini, Helicini, Maculariini trib. nov. and Thebini. The Eastern Mediterranean Helicini diverged from the Western Mediterranean clade in the Eocene. The Western Mediterranean clade then split into Allognathini in the Iberian Peninsula, Maculariini in the region of the future western Alps and Thebini on terranes probably including the Rif-Betic and Kabylies blocks that now form part of the Maghreb region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This HSR forum on central urban places in history discusses the spatial interactions between political and commercial centres. The narrative of western modernity we challenge here explains the increasing distance between prestigious political monuments and daily markets with the breakthroughs in hygiene of the last two centuries in western urbanism. On the one hand, the example of Venice shows that the hygiene politics of the 19th century were not that new and that they could also be used for a kind of social segregation. On the other hand, the model of the occidental city as political community and municipal institution must be questioned. For instance, Ottoman towns had developed institutions that represented local groups and which were linked with the markets and their actors. Western influence and colonisation destroyed those institutions, which also had consequences for the city centre. We propose the concept of vertical and horizontal centrality for use in discussions of the multiple dimensions of centrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Politica Polonica is the property of Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecinskiego / University of Szczecin Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As interest in including local communities and their knowledge in biodiversity conservation increases, challenges to do so become clear. One of them is to harmonize local and academic assessments of conservation status. Here, we document the culturally valuable flora of two Amazigh communities in the Moroccan High Atlas Mountains and contrast local conservation observations with IUCN and other red-listing assessments. Our study reveals two levels of mismatch. Unsurprisingly, the species of interest of these two knowledge systems differ considerably. Moreover, species' availability and populations' trends of change and the conservation evaluations often diverge between local and academic assessments. Locally valuable species are rarely threatened, but a focus on locally prioritized species is essential to ensure the active participation of local communities in conservation initiatives. Given the salient role of IUCN Red Lists in guiding conservation action, a better understanding of the differences in plant value and conservation assessments between the two knowledge systems can help harmonize biodiversity conservation and community wellbeing goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Maghreb's Mediterranean coastal edge is home to many peatlands with boreal floristic affinities and high conservation value. This work aims at investigating the Holocene developmental history of these wetlands in Northern Morocco, based on pollen record, loss-on-ignition and radiocarbon dating. First, the comparison between modern pollen spectra and present-day hydrophytic vegetation makes it possible to identify the local pollen signal. Second, while peatlands have existed in the Rif for at least 13,000 years, their initiation mostly by paludification extends throughout the Holocene. Their plant composition remains relatively unchanged for millennia, but swamp undergrowth could locally experience changes in taxa dominance. Mid- to late-Holocene sedimentation changes appear to result from the human-induced regional decline of cedar. The major changes experienced by wetlands occurred recently, due to clearing, burning and overgrazing. Effective conservation policies should be urgently implemented in order to save the last relict peatlands of Northern Morocco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Film Review

Isothecium algarvicum W.E.Nicholson & Dixon was discovered in Tunisia, which constitutes the first report of this Macaronesian-oceanic species in Africa. Three distinct populations were observed in ravines in the humid Meso-Mediterranean vegetation belt of Kroumiria. The Tunisian material is fully described, with particular attention to alar and supra-alar cells, prorate cells and other morphological characteristics. The density and size of the prorate cells appear to be a robust diagnostic characteristic for the separation of Isothecium algarvicum, I. alopecuroides and I. myosuroides. Detailed analysis of the forest habitat reveals a uniquely rich environment. The origin of a possibly relict species with Macaronesian-oceanic affinities is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This cross-sectional study examines associations between cardiac vagal control and mainstream acculturation by systematically investigating the independent contributions of resting, reactivity, and recovery Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA)--physiological factors contributing to adaptive functioning, including social engagement capacity. This study also examines the moderating role of RSA reactivity in associations between perceived ethnic discrimination and mainstream acculturation. Method: The sample comprised 111 migrants from Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) to Montreal, QC, Canada. On average, participants (60 women) were 31 years old and had immigrated 7 years prior to the study. The study design was cross-sectional. We collected both psychophysiological (electrocardiogram) and selfreport questionnaire data. Results: All three facets of cardiac vagal control are independently associated with mainstream acculturation: Higher mainstream acculturation was associated with higher resting RSA (β = .24), lower RSA reactivity (β = -.27), and higher recovery RSA (β = .26), controlling for several theoretically relevant covariates. Furthermore, lower RSA reactivity to a discrimination-recall task dampened the relation between perceived discrimination and mainstream acculturation (interaction β = -.20). Conclusions: This study replicates and extends prior work linking RSA and mainstream acculturation using a sample of racialized and marginalized migrants. It provides evidence that RSA is related to migrants' adoption of the mainstream culture and may modulate how they handle perceived ethnic discrimination. Thus, this study also provides evidence that RSA is tied to how individuals successfully navigate novel social environments, including novel cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Maghrebi tradition of cave worship dates back to pre-Islamic times. The arrival of Islam in North Africa involves the incorporation and transfer of some of these rites to the Muslim tradition. This type of ceremonies in caves and caverns found in the Berber tradition (Bacax and Ifru) can also be found in the Jewish religion (Sefrou). Contemporary historiography (Doutté, Westermarck or Basset) has produced an overview of the situation about the rituals found in North Africa around the 20th century. Related to these works it is important to emphasize on the lack of attention to the ceremonies and rituals celebrated in caves. On the other hand, they highlight certain characteristics of these rituals and classify the caves and caverns according to the use that the population gave it. This contextualization, made from the most modern works, allows us to analyze through the stories of the medieval Arab geographers, some legends and rituals related to the cult in caves. In this first approach to the question, several aspects can be highlighted. These range from the lexicon used to name these caves, in addition to the type of animals and creatures that inhabit them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes two novels from the ongoing trilogy by professor and essayist Cristina Robalo Cordeiro - Fuga Marroquina (2016) and A Lição de Pintura (2021) - which explore Portugal's literary relations with the Francophonie and the interiority of the Maghreb. The novels fill a void in Portuguese literature by addressing the Maghreb and the world of women, bringing a unique and culturally relevant perspective to the narrative. The author explores the relationship between the hybrid identity of an intimate foreigner and otherness, using literary and cultural references as a form of ethical and political commitment. The novels also depict sisterhood among women, but also show submission and power struggles in the domestic space. The narrative is complex, intertwining different voices and stories, and incorporates other forms of art, such as paintings and photographs. The article also discusses the literary engagement of contemporary Moroccan writers in writing the history of the colonial period, expressing anti-colonialism in their works. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Recherches Feministes is the property of Groupe de Recherche et d'Echange Multidisciplinaires Feministes and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revue du Monde Musulman et de la Méditerrannée is the property of Edisud and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Studia Historica. Historia Medieval is the property of Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Universitatis Lodziensis: Folia Litteraria Romanica is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Lodzkiego and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The shoulder may be affected in a large portion of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) worldwide. However, this joint does not receive the attention required during follow-up. Indeed, although numerous clinical tests for diagnosis of a painful shoulder are available, differentiating articular from peri-articular lesions may be difficult in daily practice. Fortunately, the precise diagnosis of shoulder pain in RA has benefited from a reliable imaging modality used to detect its exact origin-ultrasonography (US). This study was aimed at assessing the intra- and inter-observer reliability of ultrasonographic findings for patients with established RA with shoulder pain in a patient-based exercise as a clinical challenge among Maghrebian rheumatologist experts in US. A total of 7 operators examined 10 patients in two rounds independently and blindly of each other. Before beginning the session, all of the rheumatologists reached a consensus on sites and US settings by performing a brief exercise on a normal shoulder. Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials (OMERACT) definitions of US-detected pathologies were used. Each patient underwent US scanning of the painful shoulder in predefined sites based on US technical guidelines of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology: long head of biceps (LHB), subscapularis recess, posterior recess and axillary recess. The presence of subdeltoid or subcoracoid bursitis or full rupture of the suprasupinatus was identified if present. Intra- and inter-observer reliability measures were calculated using the κ coefficient. Intra-observer reliability was good for gray-scale (GS) synovitis in subscapularis and posterior recesses (κ = 0.77 and 0.73, respectively). It was moderate in the presence of GS synovitis and effusion in LHB (κ =0.53 and 0.40, respectively), posterior and subscapularis recess effusion (κ = 0.56 and 0.60, respectively) and GS and power Doppler (PD) synovitis in axillary recesses (κ = 0.58 and 0.49, respectively). Inter-observer reliability was good for PD for LHB signals (κ = 0.78). It was moderate for GS for LHB synovitis (κ = 0.54). Inter-observer agreement was poor for effusion and GS synovitis for subscapularis, posterior and axillary recesses, and very poor for PD signals in these recesses. US was a reliable imaging tool for detecting tenosynovitis in the LHB. However, reliability was moderate to poor in detecting synovitis in subscapularis, posterior and axillary recesses. These findings could be optimized by standardization of sites to assess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced in February 2019 that he would seek a fifth term, the people took to the streets in protest. This sparked the Hirak, an ongoing popular movement that ultimately resulted in the withdrawal of Bouteflika's candidacy. In March 2019, during the early stages of the protest and before Bouteflika's withdrawal, a video of a young man reacting candidly to the situation in the country went viral on social media. A phrase he used to express his frustration with the political elite, ytnahaw ga' (meaning remove them altogether), became a salient slogan in subsequent protests. The language dynamics in the video show the continued relevance of unresolved language issues in the country, and suggest that part of the movement's aspirations are not only political, but cultural as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Estudios Internacionales Mediterraneos is the property of Taller de Estudios Internacionales Mediterraneos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Estudios Internacionales Mediterraneos is the property of Taller de Estudios Internacionales Mediterraneos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The contribution of North Africa to the assembly of biodiversity within the Western Palaearctic is still poorly documented. Since the Miocene, multiple biotic exchanges occurred across the Strait of Gibraltar, underlying the high biogeographic affinity between the western European and African sides of the Mediterranean basin. We investigated the biogeographic and demographic dynamics of two large Mediterranean-adapted snakes across the Strait and assess their relevance to the origin and diversity patterns of current European and North African populations. Results: We inferred phylogeographic patterns and demographic history of M. monspessulanus and H. hippocrepis, based on range-wide multilocus data, combined with fossil data and species distribution modelling, under present and past bioclimatic envelopes. For both species we identified endemic lineages in the High Atlas Mountains (Morocco) and in eastern Iberia, suggesting their persistence in Europe during the Pleistocene. One lineage is shared between North Africa and southern Iberia and likely spread from the former to the latter during the sea-level low stand of the last glacial stage. During this period M. monspessulanus shows a sudden demographic expansion, associated with increased habitat suitability in North Africa. Lower habitat suitability is predicted for both species during interglacial stages, with suitable areas restricted to coastal and mountain ranges of Iberia and Morocco. Compiled fossil data for M. monspessulanus show a continuous fossil record in Iberia at least since the Pliocene and throughout the Pleistocene. Conclusions: The previously proposed hypothesis of Pleistocene glacial extinction of both species in Europe is not supported based on genetic data, bioclimatic envelopes models, and the available fossil record. A model of range retraction to mountain refugia during arid periods and of glacial expansion (demographic and spatial) associated to an increase of Mediterranean habitats during glacial epochs emerges as a general pattern for mesic vertebrates in North Africa. Moreover, the phylogeographic pattern of H. hippocrepis conforms to a well-established biogeographic partition between western and eastern Maghreb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From mid-March 2020 onwards, the Algerian and Moroccan governments instituted a lockdown to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in the closure of local markets and mobility restrictions. Even though these measures were implemented halfway through the agricultural year, the media and scientific coverage of the impact of the pandemic focused mainly on urban areas, leaving aside the experiences of rural people. This article aims to partially fill this gap by analysing how smallholder farmers, women and men, young producers, and workers in two oasis regions in the Maghreb, experienced these new challenges. To do so, we rely on 150 phone interviews conducted with rural actors in the Drâa Valley (Morocco) and the M'zab Valley (Algeria). By putting their experiences at the heart of our analysis, we show how the health crisis has put constraints on the ability of the majority of smallholder farmers to sell their products and how it has put a strain on the various activities of oasis families, making them more vulnerable. Then, we illustrate how these actors developed different individual and collective resilience practices, through the establishment of a virtual labor market to replace the traditional moquefs (places of recruitment of workers), the adoption of agroecological practices, and the reinvention of solidarity and collective action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous molecular studies emphasized how past climatic oscillations in the Sahara‐Sahel have left strong imprints on current biodiversity patterns and identified the Atlantic coast and the Northwest African Mountains as refugia and speciation hotspots. Yet, the biodiversity inventory in the region is still far from complete. We use an integrative taxonomy framework to revise the systematics of the Mesalina olivieri species complex; integrating molecular, morphological, and environmental data, we evaluated levels of genetic and phenotypic differentiation among species/lineages and revised the species distribution limits of the M. olivieri complex, refining the distribution of Mesalina simoni, and Mesalina pasteuri. Our study confirmed one previously unidentified speciation event, leading to the description of Mesalina adrarensis sp. nov. Together with this new species, we also describe the south‐western Moroccan populations of M. olivieri as Mesalina simoni saharae ssp. nov. Mesalina adrarensis sp. nov. is sympatric with M. pasteuri and parapatric with M. simoni saharae ssp. nov. in Mauritania and southern Morocco. Based on our revised taxonomy, M. simoni now includes most populations of the M. olivieri complex in Morocco, M. olivieri being restricted in Morocco to the east and southeast of the country. We also build on these results to provide further insight on the biogeography of North Africa. Our results point to a diversification of the complex during the late Miocene, that led to the formation of the four species M. simoni, M. olivieri, M. pasteuri, and M. adrarensis sp. nov. After these four speciation events, high intraspecific diversification processes occurred since the beginning of the Plio‐Pleistocene transition, in parallel with the beginning of the humid and arid cycles. Through our phylogenetic analysis, we highlight the existence of high levels of undescribed intraspecific diversity in M. olivieri and M. pasteuri that will need to be addressed in future studies. Moreover, we uncover instances of cytonuclear discordances, stressing the need of considering both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA for integrative taxonomic studies to explore biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North African nations, especially Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco, have been heavily affected by COVID-19 if compared to other African countries. Governments in North Africa took proactive legal measures to manage the virus threat, safeguarding population health, but also triggering repressive and invasive mechanisms that in some cases jeopardized basic freedoms and rights. This work will analyze comparatively the anti-COVID-19 legislations, pointing out how the legislative measures mirrored the level of transition of democracy, the opacity of some regimes, exploitation of the pandemic to foster repressive control, and highlighting the weakness of new democratic institutions unprepared to balance health security and democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bu yazıda, “Muhammed b. Yûsuf es-Senûsî ve Akaidine Dair Bir İnceleme” adlı eserin tanıtımı yapılmaktadır. Senûsî, Mağrib coğrafyasında Eş’arî ve Sûfî kimliğini kökleştiren önemli bir şahsiyettir. O, sağlam ve tutarlı duruşuyla içinde bulunduğu toplumu iyi okumuş ve bu bağlamda inanç sorunlarını çözümleyici bir söylem geliştirmiştir. Ele alacağımız eser, Türkiye’de hakkında pek az çalışmanın olduğu bu değerli âlimi tanıtmayı ve risâlelerinde inançla ilgili vurguladığı hususları genel hatlarıyla zikretmeyi amaçlamaktadır.

The objective scope of the article covers issues related to Spanish development aid, implemented both by national authorities and within the European Union. It focuses primarily on the Maghreb region, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Spain is involved in the work of the World Bank and the African Development Fund (FAD – Fondo Africano de Desarrollo) and the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA – Spanish: Agencia de Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados de Palestina en Oriente Próximo). The dramatic change in the health situation in the world has provoked contradictory actions. On the one hand, there have been challenges that can only be tackled globally, there has been a strengthening of cooperation networks at the regional level - for example in Africa, even nationalist.

Objective: 1) To evaluate the contribution of the GeneXpert ® MTB/RIF (GX) test in the diagnosis of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis compared to culture. 2) To compare the rifampicin results resistance obtained by GX with the phenotypic sensitivity test., Materials and Methods: Retrospective study carried out over a period of five years, from May 2017 to June 2022 at the microbiology laboratory of the Central army Hospital Mohamed Seghir Nekkache, Algiers (Algeria). The pulmonary and extrapulmonary clinical specimens were collected, cultivated, tested by GX PCR and direct examination by Ziehl-Neelsen staining. The study of sensitivity to antituberculosis drugs was performed according to the proportion method on liquid medium Bactec MGIT 960 (or on solid medium Lowenstein-Jensen at the Algerian Pasteur Institute)., Results: 310 samples were included in the final analysis of the study, of which 156 were of pulmonary origin and 154 of extrapulmonary origin. Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) was detected in 95 samples from 88 tuberculosis patients (sex ratio 2,03 and middle age 37 years) with 49 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and 39 cases of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. For 2 cases, the GX was positive while the culture was negative and for 11 cases, the GX was negative while the culture was positive. Thus, in our study and compared to culture, GX showed an overall sensitivity of 88.2%, a specificity of 98.6%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 96.4% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 95.2%. The analysis of the data according to the type of samples, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of GX for the pulmonary and extrapulmonary samples were 96.3% vs. 77.0%, 98.0% vs. 99.1%, 96.2% vs. 96.5% and 98.0% vs. 92.7% respectively. The sensitivity of GX for disco-vertebral, lymph node, meningeal and pleural tuberculosis were 100%, 90.0%, 71.4% and 57.1% respectively. The sensitivity of GX for pulmonary tuberculosis compared to microscopy was 96% vs. 68%. The comparison of the results of detection of resistance to rifampicin by GX and by phenotypic methods showed perfect agreement., Discussion and Conclusion: A good sensitivity of GX compared to microscopy was revealed. The GX is a useful tool for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, especially in smear-negative cases. The sensitivity of GX in extrapulmonary tuberculosis varied depending on the location of the infection. A negative result by GX does not exclude tuberculosis and cases of resistance to RIF detected by GX must be confirmed by phenotypic method., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont aucun conflit d’intérêts à déclarer., (Copyright © 2024 SFMTSI.)

Recent fieldwork in Tunisia resulted in the discovery of one liverwort (Saccogyna viticulosa (L.) Dumort.) and three mosses (Orthotrichum bistratosum (Schiffn.) J.Guerra, Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans (Brid.) Z.Iwats., Tortula protobryoides R.H.Zander) new for mainland Africa. The localities are briefly described with a focus on habitats, accompanying species, and comments on taxonomy and variability. Conservation actions are urgently needed in Tunisia in light of rising anthropogenic pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Al Malweah for Archaeological & Historical Studies is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)