The Impact of the Covid-19 Crisis on the Health Status of the Managers of Small and Medium Enterprises in Morocco

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed serious threats to the physical and mental health of the managers of  small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Morocco. The health capital of leaders is the first intangible capital of the SME, in addition, the physical and mental health of the entrepreneur is reflected in the health of the company. It has also triggered a wide range of psychological reactions such as panic, anxiety, and depression. The main objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the health status of SME managers in Morocco, which will hopefully contribute to informing the intervention policies to address this challenge efficiently and effectively. So, the main question this study addresses is: what is the impact of the current crisis (pandemic Covid-19) on the health status of our entrepreneurs? In terms of methodology, two questionnaires were used, the first one concerns the measurement of the burn-out of SME managers during the covid-19 pandemic, using a version of Maslach burn-out inventory, and the second questionnaire ''The COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) '', the questionnaire was adapted from the Shanghai Mental Health Centre. The data processing was carried out by SPSS, using the method: Analysis in Principal Components. The results of our study show that the risks of burnout have increased during the Covid-19 crisis, which might lead to the failure of SMEs. The Covid-19 has an impact on SME managers' health, according to our research's main findings. The burnout scale reached a mean of 26.55, with 30% representing very burned-out leaders. We found that the average depersonalization score was 11.6, which means that 45 percent of managers have mild burnout. The results of burnout are confirmed by the high personal achievement score.   Keywords:  SMEs, Managers, Executive health, Pandemic Covid-19. JEL Classification: M20, M21, I10 Paper type: Empirical researchLa pandémie de COVID-19 a fait peser de graves menaces sur la santé physique et mentale des dirigeants de petites et moyennes entreprises (PME) au Maroc. Le capital santé des dirigeants est le premier capital immatériel de la PME, de plus, la santé physique et mentale de l'entrepreneur se répercute sur la santé de l'entreprise. Elle a également déclenché un large éventail de réactions psychologiques telles que la panique, l'anxiété et la dépression. L'objectif principal de cette étude est d'étudier l'impact de la pandémie de Covid-19 sur l'état de santé des dirigeants de PME au Maroc, ce qui contribuera, nous l'espérons, à éclairer les politiques d'intervention pour relever ce défi de manière efficace et efficiente. La question principale de cette étude est donc la suivante : quel est l'impact de la crise actuelle (pandémie de Covid-19) sur l'état de santé de nos entrepreneurs ? En termes de méthodologie, deux questionnaires ont été utilisés, le premier concerne la mesure de l'épuisement des dirigeants de PME pendant la pandémie de covid-19, en utilisant une version de l'inventaire d'épuisement de Maslach, et le second questionnaire ''The COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI)'', le questionnaire a été adapté du Centre de Santé Mentale de Shanghai. Le traitement des données a été effectué par SPSS, en utilisant la méthode : Analyse en Composantes Principales. Les résultats de notre étude montrent que les risques d'épuisement professionnel ont augmenté pendant la crise du Covid-19, ce qui pourrait conduire à la faillite des PME. Le Covid-19 a un impact sur la santé des dirigeants de PME, selon les principaux résultats de notre recherche. L'échelle d'épuisement professionnel a atteint une moyenne de 26,55, avec 30 % représentant des dirigeants très épuisés. Nous avons constaté que le score moyen de dépersonnalisation était de 11,6, ce qui signifie que 45 % des dirigeants souffrent d'un léger épuisement professionnel. Les résultats de l'épuisement professionnel sont confirmés par le score élevé d'accomplissement personnel.   Mots clés:  PME, Dirigeants, Santé des dirigeants, Pandémie Covid-19. Classification JEL: M20, M21, I10 Type de l’article: Recherche appliquée &nbsp

Analytical and numerical analysis of a “springback-forming” process dedicated to stiffened panels

International audienceThe aim of this article is to present and to analyze the capabilities of a process named “springback-forming”, dedicated to stiffened panels such asairplane’s fuselage panels. The principle of this forming process is to apply a tension on the stiffener, before the assembly stage with the sheet in a flatconfiguration using fasteners, adhesives, or a welding process... the bending of the structure is then achieved by springback energy of the stiffener when its tension is released. Using an analytical and finite element models, we studied the capabilities of this process in terms of curvature limits in thecase of a single-curved stiffened panel. The results of both models are in good agreement. Through a parametric study, numerical simulations showthat when the structure is relatively slender the curvature radius obtained is uniform. Moreover, the value of this radius is independent of the structure’slength and is mainly limited by the stiffener’s height. The carried out experimental tests, using laser beam welding as a joining process, demonstrated the feasibility of the process. From the proposed modeling, it is possible to evaluate the range of achievable curvature radius and its uniformity for different values of both geometrical and mechanical parameters of the structure

Polypharmacy-related polypathology in the elderly: A case study at Ibn Sina Hospital, Morocco

Purpose: To determine the polypathological and therapeutic profiles of a population of elderly subjects at the Ibn Sina Hospital, Rabat, Morocco. Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional observational study on a population made up of 356 patients aged ≥ 65 years. Data were collected from different departments during the study period, regarding age, sex, educational level, socio-cultural and economic status, self-care ability, polypathologies, polymedication, effectiveness of treatments, adverse effects, and knowledge of the concept of generic medication. The results, which are presented in percentages and simple averages, were processed with Excel 2016 software. Results: Patients aged 66 - 75 years comprised 60.4 % of the studied population. The most common pathologies were diabetes, asthma, and cardiovascular disease. A total of 237 patients (66.6 %) took < 6 drugs, while 119 patients (33.4 %) were on polypharmacy, i.e., > 6 drugs. The elderly were more vulnerable to polypathology and polypharmacy due to age-related reduction in physiological functions and their impact on pharmacological parameters. Polypathology led to polypharmacy which increased the risk of side effects and problems with adherence to medications. Conclusion: This study provides information on the pathological profiles of a population of elderly subjects in a Moroccan hospital, and details of the therapeutic strategies used in managing these patients

Letters to the Editor: Adherence to iron supplementation in pregnancy

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Ultrafast nonadiabatic electron dynamics in photoexcited C60: A comparative study among DFT exchange-correlation functionals

The non-radiative electron-relaxation dynamics in C$_{60}$ molecule is studied after selective initial photoexcitations. The methodology includes nonadibabtic molecular simulation combined with time-dependent density functional theory (DFT) and semi-classical surface hopping approach. Results of treating the DFT exchange-correlation (xc) interaction by the non-empirical Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE), hybrid PBE0, and hybrid Becke 3-parameter Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP) functional are compared. Even though some differences in the details are found, all three functionals produce qualitatively similar unoccupied band structures in the ground state. The model-dependent differences in the ultrafast population dynamics, including the occurrences of transient entrapment of population, are studied systematically. The trend of the results demonstrates a universal dependence on the structure of unoccupied band offering a spectroscopic route to probe this structure. Results can be verified, as well as the best xc model for quantitative accuracy can be determined, by comparing with ultrafast transient absorption or time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. From the computational standpoint, the study facilitates method optimization to simulate nonadiabatic relaxation dynamics in technologically important fullerene derivatives.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, Submitted to the journal and currently in the peer-review proces

Tuberculosis arthritis of the metatarsal phalangeal: A rare location

Tuberculosis TB is common in countries constituting endemic areas like Morocco, spinal sites represents half of osteo-articular locations, while peripheral locations in the limbs are rare. The authors relate in this  observation the case of a particular location of tuberculosis arthritis. It is osteoarthritis of the   metatarsophalangeal joint of the 2nd ray of the foot. Clinical signs were characterized by a moderately painful swelling of the dorsum of the foot with slow evolution. The definitive diagnosis was histologically obtained. Clinical cure was achieved after 09 months of medical treatment. Key words: Tuberculosis, osteoarthritis, metatarsophalangeal joint, anti tuberculous chemotherapy, sequela

Difficulty in managing polypharmacy in the elderly: Case report and review of the literature

AbstractElderly patients with multiple comorbidities are at risk of experiencing adverse drug events. We report a case of skin lesion related to drugs and discuss consequences of polypharmacy in the elderly. An 85-year-old female took the following drugs for a long time: amlodipine, valsartan, hydrochlorothiazide, lysine acetylsalicylate, sinvastatine, and trimetazidine. In June 2013, she presented thoracic pain and received propranolol, tramadol, and paracetamol. One week later, she developed a diffuse skin lesion. In our patient, drugs considered unnecessary were discontinued and corticosteroid was administered orally. Careful monitoring helped improve the outcome. Corticoids were dangerous but necessary to correct the consequence of iatrogeny

Supercoherent States, Super K\"ahler Geometry and Geometric Quantization

Generalized coherent states provide a means of connecting square integrable representations of a semi-simple Lie group with the symplectic geometry of some of its homogeneous spaces. In the first part of the present work this point of view is extended to the supersymmetric context, through the study of the OSp(2/2) coherent states. These are explicitly constructed starting from the known abstract typical and atypical representations of osp(2/2). Their underlying geometries turn out to be those of supersymplectic OSp(2/2) homogeneous spaces. Moment maps identifying the latter with coadjoint orbits of OSp(2/2) are exhibited via Berezin's symbols. When considered within Rothstein's general paradigm, these results lead to a natural general definition of a super K\"ahler supermanifold, the supergeometry of which is determined in terms of the usual geometry of holomorphic Hermitian vector bundles over K\"ahler manifolds. In particular, the supergeometry of the above orbits is interpreted in terms of the geometry of Einstein-Hermitian vector bundles. In the second part, an extension of the full geometric quantization procedure is applied to the same coadjoint orbits. Thanks to the super K\"ahler character of the latter, this procedure leads to explicit super unitary irreducible representations of OSp(2/2) in super Hilbert spaces of $L^2$ superholomorphic sections of prequantum bundles of the Kostant type. This work lays the foundations of a program aimed at classifying Lie supergroups' coadjoint orbits and their associated irreducible representations, ultimately leading to harmonic superanalysis. For this purpose a set of consistent conventions is exhibited.Comment: 53 pages, AMS-LaTeX (or LaTeX+AMSfonts