Optimizing radiation dosimetry: Impact of PMMA layers on electronic equilibrium for the calibration of radiation protection instruments.

In radiation dosimetry, achieving electronic equilibrium is vital for accurate dose measurements in radioprotection. This study investigates the effect of Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA) layers, known by its chemical formula CHO and a density of 1.19 g/cm³ (PNNL, 2011), on electronic equilibrium for the calibration of radiation protection instruments, focusing on photon beams of varying energies.

Multienvironmental tracers in coastal aquifer (Morocco): A window into groundwater mixing and risk to contamination.

In many coastal areas in Morocco, groundwater (GW) constitutes an important water supply for human activities. Intensive pumping makes GW highly susceptible to contamination, affecting its quality and then human health. This work aims to assess and improve the application of environmental isotopes in exploring the connections between GW recharge and discharge, as well as to identify the direction, age, and speed of GW flow, in the coastal aquifer system of the Akermoud plain.

New open-source software for gamma-ray spectra analysis.

Many commercially available software packages have been created to analyze gamma-ray spectra, but their source code has generally not been shared, although some users may wish to add or modify certain functionality, which is impossible without access to the source code. This study therefore presents a new open-source software package for the analysis of gamma-ray spectra. The name of the software is GSA (Gamma-ray Spectra Analysis), the source code of which is freely available through the GitHub website (https://github.

Air quality during three covid-19 lockdown phases: AQI, PM2.5 and NO2 assessment in cities with more than 1 million inhabitants.

Implemented quarantine due to the ongoing novel coronavirus (agent of COVID-19) has an immense impact on human mobility and economic activities as well as on air quality. Since then, and due to the drastic reduction in pollution levels in cities across the world, a large discussion has been magnetized regarding if the lockdown is an adequate alternative counter-measure for enhancing air quality. This paper aimed at studying the Air Quality Index (AQI), PM2.

Neutron guide optimization for the Moroccan PGAA system.

The Moroccan TRIGA Mark II research reactor is to be equipped with a PGAA (Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis) facility to assist the country's progression in socioeconomic areas such as the environment and geochemistry, agriculture, health, industry, cultural heritage, and human sciences. The requirements of the PGAA facility include a very high thermal to fast neutron flux ratio and a focused, thin beam. Supermirror neutron guides are generally used to meet such requirements due to their ability to reflect neutrons with a specific energy and scattering angle.

Lateral flow immunogold assay as a rapid detection tool for screening of congenital hypothyroidism.

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is one of the most common preventable causes of mental retardation. The majority of infants are diagnosed after detection through newborn screening programs using thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test. A rapid immunochromatographic lateral flow assay based on monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) colloidal gold nanoparticles was developed in a sandwich format for the detection of TSH.

Modeling and simulating the induced effect on the steel collimator plug used in the PGAA facility of the Moroccan TRIGA Mark-II reactor under different neutron irradiation levels.

The main objective of this study is to assess the behavior of the steel collimator plug (steel plug) dedicated to the Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGAA) facility in the neutron beam tube (NB1) of the 2 MW Moroccan TRIGA Mark-II research reactor. The main function of this steel plug is to reduce the neutron and gamma beam cross section from 15 cm to 5 cm in diameter. This steel plug plays a crucial role in reactor safety because it replaces the original neutron beam plug while also stopping the entire incoming neutron beam.

Not Only Toxic but Repellent: What Can Organisms' Responses Tell Us about Contamination and What Are the Ecological Consequences When They Flee from an Environment?

The ability of aquatic organisms to sense the surrounding environment chemically and interpret such signals correctly is crucial for their ecological niche and survival. Although it is an oversimplification of the ecological interactions, we could consider that a significant part of the decisions taken by organisms are, to some extent, chemically driven. Accordingly, chemical contamination might interfere in the way organisms behave and interact with the environment.

Impact of Covid-19 lockdown on PM, SO and NO concentrations in Salé City (Morocco).

Covid-19 was first reported in Morocco on March 2, 2020. Since then, to prevent its propagation, the Moroccan government declared a state of health emergency. A set of rapid and strict countermeasures have taken, including locking down cities, limiting population's mobility and prohibiting almost all avoidable activities.

Processing of JEFF-3.3 and ENDF/B-VIII.0 and testing with critical benchmark experiments and TRIGA Mark II research reactor using MCNPX.

A comparative study has been performed with the latest evaluated nuclear data libraries JEFF-3.3 and ENDF/B-VIII.0.

The impact of maternal socio-demographic characteristics on breastfeeding knowledge and practices: An experience from Casablanca, Morocco.

Background: Breastfeeding is universally recognized by the World Health Organization as the best way of feeding infants. Therefore, several countries have initiated health promotion interventions to support successful breastfeeding based on the factors influencing breastfeeding outcomes.

Objective: To examine the association between the knowledge of breastfeeding and maternal socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, and to determine any impact on child nutritional status.