Anxiety and depressive disorders are serious, debilitating health problems that negatively impact the patient's overall well-being and life satisfaction. The prevalence of these mood disorders has increased recently. Several treatment approaches against anxiety and depressive disorders are now available. For instance, pharmacological treatments, including the use of benzodiazepines (BZDs), have been increasingly documented. The present paper gives an insight into the underlying mechanisms of BZD anxiolytic abilities and points out the paramount role of some brain regions and systems in mediating this anxiolytic effect, and these include the HPA axis, the amygdala, and the hippocampus. Additionally, it aims to list and understand the mechanisms of adverse effects associated with these medications, including dependence, memory impairment, and withdrawal-associated symptoms, opening new perspectives in the design and production of other safe and more options for efficient medications.
This updated Moroccan guideline provides 17 expert recommendations for managing postmenopausal osteoporosis. Developed through a national consensus process, it aligns with international standards and includes a practical algorithm to support clinical decisions. It aims to improve diagnosis, fracture risk assessment, and treatment outcomes for women in routine care. These new recommendations update those published in 2007, in accordance with the most recent international guidelines. The initial framework and key thematic areas were defined by a national steering committee. The recommendations were subsequently elaborated, discussed, and validated by a multidisciplinary panel of experts. An independent reading group was also consulted to review and approve the final document. A structured consensus process using the Delphi method (four iterative rounds) was conducted to formulate 17 recommendations; they incorporate recent advances in the diagnosis, fracture risk stratification, and therapeutic management of osteoporosis. Major updates include the integration of fracture risk assessment tools, the revision of intervention thresholds, clarification of the respective roles of antiresorptive and anabolic therapies, and the updating of prevention and follow-up strategies. A practical algorithm is proposed to guide the management of postmenopausal osteoporosis in routine clinical practice.
The transition zone between the Anti-Atlas Mountains and the Sub-Mesetian domain in Morocco is one of the most significant structural provinces at the northwestern side of the West African Craton, recording a long and complex geodynamic evolution that spans from the Pan-African orogeny to the Alpine deformations. In this framework, the present study aims to integrate high-resolution geophysical (Airborne Magnetic and Frequency Electromagnetic Methods) and field data to provide new insights into the tectonic evolution of this area. The results reveal new insights into the structural framework and tectonic evolution of the northern Saghro-Ougnat axis, underscoring its complex polyphase geodynamic history. The region’s evolution was governed by several major tectonic episodes associated with the Pan-African, Variscan, and Alpine orogenies. During the Precambrian, this area underwent a major NW-SE compressional phase that deformed the Lower Ediacaran Saghro Group, followed by successive extensional events, oriented NE-SW and later NW-SE, which controlled the emplacement and deposition of the Upper Ediacaran Ouarzazate Group. During the Cambrian, the tectonic regime shifted toward extension, producing a mosaic of north-tilted fault blocks linked to crustal thinning and differential subsidence. Subsequently, during the Variscan Orogeny, a renewed compressional regime reactivated and inverted pre-existing extensional structures. This deformation produced prominent E-W-oriented thrust zones south of the Tisdafine Basin, marking the trace of the South Meseta Fault, which is a major tectonic boundary separating the Anti-Atlas block from the Sub-Mesetian block. During the Meso-Cenozoic, the area experienced a renewed NNW-SSW extensional regime, which controlled the initiation and development of Atlasic rifting. This phase was later overprinted by compressional deformation associated with the Alpine Orogeny, resulting in crustal shortening, fault reactivation, and the structuring of the present-day Atlas system. The resulting structural map thus delineates the architecture and configuration of the northern Saghro-Ougnat axis, providing a clearer understanding of its role within the broader tectonic framework of the transition zone between the Anti-Atlas and Sub-Mesetian domains.
Water erosion processes primarily cause soil degradation and environmental issues in Morocco. The Middle Atlas Mountains have faced significant problems related to soil erosion. In addition to the actual increase of this phenomenon, this study aims to (i) evaluate soil erosion dynamics using the Intensity of Erosion and Outflow (IntErO) model, (ii) identify the main environmental factors controlling sediment generation within the Mkhdach Mediterranean headwater catchment, and (iii) validate the model outputs through field monitoring of representative gullies between January 2021 and December 2023. Some representative gullies were monitored to estimate the rate of soil loss in this headwater. To achieve this goal, the study applied the Intensity of Erosion and Outflow (IntErO) method in conjunction with the Geographic Information System (GIS) to assess the soil erosion dynamic in the study area. Field observations were used to analyze the interaction between soil properties and precipitation related to rainfall erosivity. Representative gullies were monitored between January 2021 and December 2023 to assess soil erosion dynamics under varying rainfall conditions. The studied catchment covers an area of approximately 2,537 hectares (> 25 km²) and is characterized by geological formations dominated by marls, red clay, limestone, and shale, which influence soil erodibility and sediment generation within the basin. Consequently, the obtained results indicate that rainfall is characterized by a significant variability at annual and seasonal scales. This variability is in line with the Mediterranean climate’s tendency for irregular rainfall distribution. The modeling results revealed a substantial intensity of soil erosion, with a total estimated sediment production of approximately 417,484.70 m³ yr⁻¹. Considering the catchment’s deposit retention coefficient (Ru = 0.34), only a portion of this material is expected to remain within the basin, while the remainder is effectively exported as sediment yield. Accordingly, the net or “actual” soil loss reaching the outlet was estimated at 143,368.44 m³ yr⁻¹, corresponding to approximately 51.2 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ when normalized by basin area. A Pearson correlation matrix of key IntErO parameters revealed strong interdependencies between erosion variables and highlighted the central role of precipitation in soil erosion and sediment generation. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the IntErO model assumes simplified relationships between variables and may have several limitations that can underestimate or generalize complex erosion processes. These findings indicate a high risk of excessive soil erosion compared with other small Mediterranean mountain catchments, mainly due to the basin’s erodible lithology and limited vegetation cover, which together amplify runoff and sediment yield intensity. Gully erosion is a complex process in the studied area, indicating the high intensity of soil loss. This study offers a valuable and unique contribution by combining field data on gully erosion with the IntErO model and GIS techniques to evaluate soil erosion in a Mediterranean mountain area that hasn’t been well researched. Consequently, this study’s results offer substantial understanding of the geographical patterns and factors that influence soil erosion in Mediterranean mountain ecosystems. They will aid decision-makers to mitigate erosion risks through climate-resilient land management policies specifically designed for vulnerable headwater catchments.
This study investigates the enhancement of mechanical properties in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) through the incorporation of Ti1-xZnxO2 nanoparticles (x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05), synthesized via the sol–gel method. The nanoparticles were added to the PMMA matrix at weight concentrations of 0.2
