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Pial arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are rare neurovascular malformations. They differ from arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in that they involve single or multiple feeding arteries, draining directly into a dilated cortical vein with no intervening nidus. Pial and dural AVFs differ in blood supply, as the first originate from pial or cortical arteries and the latter from outside the dural leaflets. Unlike dural AVFs, most of the pial AVFs are supratentorial. The vast majority are congenital, manifesting during infancy. Acquired pial AVFs are significantly rarer and occur after vasculopathy, head trauma, brain surgery, or cerebral vein thrombosis. We describe a unique case of an acquired pial AVF in a 50-year-old man secondary to a cortical vein thrombosis manifesting as a focal-onset seizure with secondary generalization. A cerebral digital subtraction angiography revealed a low-flow pial AVF fed by a postcentral branch of the left middle cerebral artery draining to the superior sagittal sinus via a cortical vein. It also showed a collateral venous circulation adjacent to the previously thrombosed left parietal vein. There was no evidence of an associated dural AVF or venous varix. Endovascular treatment was scheduled three months later, but the angiogram preceding the embolization showed spontaneous and complete closure of the malformation. To our knowledge, this is the first case illustrating acquired pure pial AVF unaccompanied by a dural component following cortical vein thrombosis, eventually resulting in an unprompted closure.

During the month of Ramadan, over one billion Muslims observe a water and food fast from sunrise to sunset. The practice of this religious duty causes marked changes in eating and sleeping habits. With the increasing incidence of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, the number of patients with CV pathologies who wish to fast is increasing worldwide, and in Tunisia, which is ranked as a high CV risk country. If fasting has been shown to be beneficial for the improvement of some metabolic parameters, its practice in patients with CV pathology remains debated. The Tunisian Society of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery (STCCCV) in consultation with the National Instance of Evaluation and Accreditation in Health (INEAS) has established this document in the form of a consensus after having analysed the literature with the aim of addressing these questions: -What is the impact of fasting in patients with CV pathologies? -How to stratify the risk of fasting according to CV pathology and comorbidities? -How to plan fasting in patients with CV diseases? -What are the hygienic and dietary measures to be recommended during fasting in patients with CV pathologies? -How to manage medication during the month of Ramadan in patients with CV diseases?

Dairy herds are raised under dry climate in Tunisia which make them subject to heat stress which is known to considerably decline their milk yield. This paper aimed to evaluate heat stress impact on the dairy performances of the Tunisian North West cows. We used 4789 test-day recorded between 2008 and 2011 on 585 Holstein cows in their first three parities, calved between 2007 and 2011 and belong to 10 herds from the Tunisian North-West area. Temperature and humidity data were associated to each test-day and Thermal Humidity Indexes (THI) were calculated. First, the effect of temperature and humidity factors were assessed separately, then the effect of their interaction and finally the effect of their THI using three statistical models. For model 2 and 3, all fixed factors were significant (P

In Tunisia, the recognition of the possibility of including longevity and disease resistance in dairy cattle selection objectives has been hypothesized as a useful strategy by both researchers and producers. However, in this paper, the state of the art, with a focus on health and longevity, is reviewed. Along the same lines, the heritability for the milk traits, fertility traits, and longevity of Tunisian Holstein dairy cows complies with the literature. Therefore, the influence of genetics on some diseases of the dairy cow was investigated. In addition, a decreasing efficiency in cow fertility has been observed over the last few years. The results showed that the risk of culling increased with common diseases. When analyzed with the Weibull model, functional lifespan was strongly influenced by milk yield; therefore, the risk increased with a reduced milk yield. In her first three lactations, the relative risk of selection increased gradually with lactation. Thus, the risk of thinning is highest at the beginning and end of the first feeding and the end of her second feeding. In conclusion, the risk of culling was reduced in parity. The factors that influence the life of the herd, such as health, husbandry, environmental conditions, and management, are often ignored when evaluating longevity.

Objective We aimed to systematically identify and critically assess the clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the management of critically ill patients with COVID-19 with the AGREE II instrument. Study Design and Setting We searched Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, CNKI, CBM, WanFang, and grey literature from November 2019 to November 2020. We did not apply language restrictions. One reviewer independently screened the retrieved titles and abstracts, and a second reviewer confirmed the decisions. Full texts were assessed independently and in duplicate. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. We included any guideline that provided recommendations on the management of critically ill patients with COVID-19. Data extraction was performed independently and in duplicate by two reviewers. We descriptively summarized CPGs characteristics. We assessed the quality with the AGREE II instrument and we summarized relevant therapeutic interventions. Results we retrieved 3,907 records and 71 CPGs were included. Means (Standard Deviations) of the scores for the six domains of the AGREE II instrument were 65%(SD19.56%), 39%(SD19.64%), 27%(SD19.48%), 70%(SD15.74%), 26%(SD18.49%), 42%(SD34.91) for the scope and purpose, stakeholder involvement, rigor of development, clarity of presentation, applicability, editorial independence domains, respectively. Most of the CPGs showed a low overall quality (less than 40%). Conclusion Future CPGs for COVID-19 need to rely, for their development, on standard evidence-based methods and tools.

Arbi is one of the main local goat breeds in Tunisia, representing an important economic resource in arid and hot areas where cattle and sheep cannot thrive successfully. In the current work, we have characterized the mitochondrial diversity of 26 Arbi goats by partially sequencing the mitochondrial D-loop region. These sequences plus 10 retrieved from GenBank were analyzed with the DnaSP v.5.10.1, evidencing the existence of 12 different haplotypes. Nucleotide and haplotype diversities were 0.02 and 0.96. Moreover, median-joining network analysis showed that all D-loop sequences from Arbi goats correspond to haplogroup A and that in general they do not cluster with sequences from other goat breeds. The high diversity that has been observed in North African goats is compatible with the maritime diffusion of the Neolithic package 10,000–7000 YBP. Moreover, there are evidences that local Tunisian breeds have been extensively crossed with highly productive transboundary breeds in order to improve meat and milk yields. These uncontrolled crossing practices may lead to the loss of alleles that play key roles in the adaptation of Tunisian local breeds to a harsh environment., This research was funded by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Tunisia. We also acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, through the grant AGL2016-76108-R and the “Severo Ochoa Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D” 2016–2019 (SEV‐2015‐0533). This research was also supported by the CERCA Programme of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

Background: The fat-tailed Barbary sheep are the main breed of Tunisia and their morphometry has not been deeply investigated. This study aims to estimate the degree of relationship between eight quantitative measures across eight age classes, from one to eight years. Methods: Pearson’s product-moment was calculated to evaluate the correlation among eight morphological measures, collected from 249 purebred Tunisian Barbary ewes reared under arid climate. Result: The magnitude of pairwise phenotypic correlation among morphological traits showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.84, P less than 0.001) between the shoulder and rump height at 6-7 years. The body weight was highly correlated to the height at rump during the first five years of age, whereas, it becomes more correlated to the heart girth when the ewe reaches its heavyweight at 5-6 years and older. The results of this study indicated that the rump height is the most correlated parameter to BW during the early life of this fat-tailed breed and are encouraging to fit live body weight from morphometric traits with accuracy.

The activity of the Reproductive Medicine poses a dilemma in this pandemic Covid-19. In fact, this is a theoretically non-emergency activity except for fertility preservation with oncological reasons. The majority of fertility societies in the world such as the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) recommended stopping the inclusion of new patients and continuing only the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) cycles that have already been initiated by promoting Freeze-all as much as possible. Initilaly, the "Société Tunisienne de Gynécologie Obstétrique" (STGO) issued national recommendations that echo the international recommendations. These recommendations were followed by the majority of IVF center in Tunisia. However, a number of new data are prompting us to update these recommendations.

The effect of prolificacy on mother-young mutual recognition is still largely unknown in sheep. The aim of the present study was to investigate the ability of prolific ewes to develop an exclusive bond with their neonate and to recognize each other from alien subjects. Observations were performed on 11 D'man and 16 Romanov ewes with, respectively, 19 and 37 of their lambs. Maternal selectivity was tested at 24 h postpartum during two consecutive periods of 3 min. All mothers accepted their own lambs at suckling, while 21 out of 27 (78%) rejected the alien, thus displaying mostly selective nursing. To assess mother-young recognition, a two-choice test was performed at 36 h postpartum. Ewes clearly preferred their own lambs to an alien lamb and behavioral differences were not found between mothers of small (singletons and twins) and large litters (triplets and quadruplets). Romanov ewes reached their own lambsmore rapidly and spent more time near them than D'man ewes. Lambs from small litters, in particular light lambs, clearly preferred their mothers to an alien dam; however, both light and heavy lambs in large litters did not discriminate between the two stimulus ewes. D'man lambs clearly preferred their mothers to an alien dam; in contrast, such a preference was not as clearly demonstrated in Romanov lambs.

Introduction RNA polymerase III (Pol III)‐related leukodystrophies are a group of autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorders caused by mutations in POLR3A and POLR3B. Recently a recessive mutation in POLR1C causative of Pol III‐related leukodystrophies was identified. Methods We report the case of a Tunisian girl of 14 years of age who was referred to our department for evaluation of progressive ataxia that began at the age of 5. Genetic diagnosis was performed by NGS and Sanger analysis. In silico predictions were performed using SIFT, PolyPhen‐2, and Mutation Taster. Results Neurological examination showed cerebellar and tetrapyramidal syndrome, mixed movement disorders with generalized dystonia and severe myoclonus leading to death at 25 years. Brain MRI scans showed diffuse hypomyelination associated with cerebellar atrophy. It also showed bilateral T2 hypointensity of the ventrolateral thalamus, part of the posterior limb of the internal capsule, the substantia nigra and the subthalamic nucleus. Next generation sequencing leukodystrophy panel including POLR3A and POLR3B was negative. Sanger sequencing of the coding regions of POLR1C revealed a novel homozygous mutation. Conclusion The clinical and imaging findings of patients with POLR1C hypomyelinating leukodystrophy are reviewed. Interestingly, severe myoclonic dystonia and T2 hypointensity of the substantia nigra and the subthalamic nucleus are not reported yet and could be helpful for the diagnosis of POLR1C hypomyelinating leukodystrophy.

Joubert syndrome and Joubert syndrome related disorders are rare autosomal recessive disorders, clinically and genetically heterogeneous characterized by cerebellar vermis hypoplasia and a peculiar midbrain-hindbrain malformation the “molar tooth sign”. Clinical picture is characterized by hypotonia, ataxia, developmental delay, abnormal eye movements and occasionally by abnormal respiratory pattern in the neonatal period. Combination of additional features, such as polydactyly, ocular coloboma, retinal dystrophy, renal disease, hepatic fibrosis, encephalocele, and other brain malformations define various clinical subtypes. We report five cases (belonging to four families) with associated elastopathy in one family. We discuss clinical heterogeneity in particular the unusual association to elastopathy in one family and absence of abnormal neonatal respiratory pattern in all five cases.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of respiratory tract infection. Extra-pulmonary complications of M. pneumoniae infection include neurologic complications involving the central nervous system. Myelitis is one of the most severe complications of central nervous system. We report a unique case of acute transverse myelitis associated with M. pneumoniae infection in a 3-year-old boy with particular imaging and clinical course features. Intravenous corticosteroids were prescribed with an 8 wk tapering of oral corticosteroids resulting in full recovery. We postulate an immune-mediated mechanism.

Sheep is an important livestock species of Tunisia. They contribute greatly to the food safety of the country and in the livelihood of a large number of small and marginal farmers and landless labourers engaged in sheep rearing. In this study, random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) analysis was used to assess the genetic difference and gene flow among two Tunisian sheep breeds (the Barbarine and the Western thin tail). A total of 62 bands were detected with an average of 7.75 bands per primer. The unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic average (UPGMA) and principal component analysis (PCA) showed a clear differentiation between the two studied breeds. Genetic differentiation coefficient (Gst) over all loci was 0.1922, the fixation index [Fst by Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA)] was 0.308 (P

Introduction Les encephalites limbiques autoimmunes (ELAI) sont sous diagnostiquees chez l’enfant. Les aspects neuroradiologiques de ces affections peuvent etre deroutantes. Objectifs Rapporter les aspects neuroradiologiques des ELAI dans une serie hospitaliere d’enfants tunisiens. Patients et methodes Il s’agit d’une etude retrospective (2004–2016) ayant inclus tous les enfants porteurs d’ELAI confirmee par le dosage d’anticorps correspondant, et suivis au service de neurologie de l’enfant et de l’adolescent (Tunis). Les donnees de l’IRM encephalique ont ete analysees et discutees. Resultats Dix enfants (4 garcons/6 filles) ont ete inclus. L’âge moyen etait de 8 ans. Les crises epileptiques et la deterioration cognitive etaient presentes chez tous les patients. L’IRM encephalique etait anormale dans 7/10 cas: des hypersignaux T2 et FLAIR hippocampiques, des pedoncules cerebelleux, du tronc cerebral et des noyaux gris dans 3/10 cas respectivement. Les anticorps en cause etaient des anti-NMDA (7/10 cas) et des anti-Ma2 (3/10 cas). Discussion Notre cohorte reflete l’heterogeneite neuroradiologique au cours des ELAI. Les hyper signaux T2 et FLAIR au niveau du lobe temporal, representent les anomalies les plus frequentes. L’atteinte de la fosse posterieure chez nos patients est exceptionnelle et assez deroutante. Ces anomalies a l’IRM encephalique sont inconstantes d’ou l’interet de la confrontation clinico-radiologique et la recherche d’anticorps antineuronaux. Conclusion L’elargissement du spectre des ELAI chez l’enfant et leur heterogeneite clinico-radiologique doivent etre pris en consideration afin de reduire l’errance diagnostique et d’optimiser la prise en charge therapeutique.

A total of 695 fat-tailed Barbarine lambs born in two flocks between 1995 and 1997 were recorded for growth and fat tail measurements according to “standard growth recording protocol”. Recorded traits are body weight (BW) and the following fat tail characteristics: upper circumference (UFTC), lower circumference (LFTC), upper width (UFTW), lower width (LFTW), upper depth (UFTD), lower depth (LFTD) and tail length (FTL). Lamb body growth performance and tail measurements are analyzed from two points of view. Firstly through the adjustment of a growth curve chosen among the following: Brody, Logistic, Gompertz and Bertalanffy functions. Secondly, age-adjusted weight and tail measurements (10, 30 and 70 days) were analyzed and average daily gains (ADG) were calculated. All functions (Brody, Logistic, Gompertz and Bertalanffy) fitted closely body weight and fat tail measurements of Barbarine lambs for the recording period (up to 120 days), while the Bertalanffy function provided more accurate estimation of the asymptotic value (adult size) for the weight and tail measurements. High significant correlations ( p

Records of functional longevity (FL), from first calving to last recording (or culling), of 36,888 Tunisian Holstein cows in 169 herds were studied using survival analysis. Using a Weibull proportional hazard model, the influences of age at first calving, herd–year–season, lactation number–stage of lactation, milk production within the herd and year, annual change in herd size and random genetic effect of sire on FL were studied. Besides a random time-dependent effect of herd–year–season, the model included fixed effects of parity and stage of lactation, within herd and parity production level (all time-dependent), and age at first calving (time-independent). All factors had a significant effect on FL at a level of P

SUMMARY Neurenteric cysts (NECs) are dysraphic lesions. They are usually extramedullary, the intramedullary forms are very rare. To our knowledge, only 10 cases of isolated intramedullary NECs have been reported. We report a case of intramedullary NEC without any associated dysraphic lesion. The clinical findings were: cervical pain and left hemicorporal weakness which predominated at the upper limb. Neuroradiological evaluation was performed by means of MRI which revealed a cystic lesion at C3-C4 level. A partial excision was performed and the diagnosis of NEC was established by histological study.

Introduction Les accidents vasculaires cerebraux (AVC) constituent un mode de revelation des vascularites du systeme nerveux central (VSNC). Leurs aspects clinico-radiologiques sont meconnus dans la population pediatrique tunisienne. Objectifs Rapporter les caracteristiques clinico-radiologiques et evolutives des AVC secondaires aux VSNC dans une serie hospitaliere d’enfants tunisiens. Patients et methodes Il s’agit d’une etude retrospective (2004–2016) ayant inclus tous les enfants presentant un AVC secondaire a une VSNC et suivis au service de Neurologie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent de l’Institut National Mongi Ben Hmida de Neurologie de Tunis. Une IRM encephalique a ete realisee chez tous les patients. Les donnees clinico-radiologiques, biologiques et evolutives ont ete analysees. Resultats Six enfants (3 garcons/3 filles) ont ete inclus. L’âge moyen etait de 8 ans. Le tableau clinique etait domine par un AVC ischemique dans le territoire sylvien (5/6 cas). L’IRM encephalique a montre des lesions d’âges differents avec un aspect grele de l’artere sylvienne (5/6 cas) et en chapelet de l’artere carotide interne (1/6 cas). Les etiologies etaient dominees par les vascularites systemiques (3/6 cas). L’evolution etait marquee par une epilepsie sequellaire dans 2/6 cas. Discussion Notre etude reflete la frequence de l’AVCI comme signe majeur des VSNC. L’imagerie encephalique (IRM, angiographie conventionnelle) constitue l’examen cle du diagnostic positif. Les etiologies sont reparties en vascularites monophasiques souvent dues aux infections et chroniques (primitives du SNC ou systemiques). Le traitement et l’evolution dependent de l’etiologie et de la precocite du traitement etiologique. Conclusion L’AVC ischemique constitue le signe le plus frequent aux cours des VSNC de l’enfant. Un bilan etiologique exhaustif permet d’instituer un traitement adapte et precoce afin d’ameliorer le pronostic.

Introduction Le syndrome de regression caudale est un syndrome malformatif rare, associant a des degres variables une agenesie des vertebres sacrees et coccygiennes avec un raccourcissement du femur et des anomalies genito-urinaires et cardiovasculaires. Son etiopathogenie demeure inconnue. Le diabete maternel et la predisposition genetique seraient des facteurs etiologiques probables. L’imagerie est la cle du diagnostic positif. Elle est representee par l’echographie en antenatal et par l’imagerie par resonance magnetique (IRM) apres la naissance. Materiel et methodes Etude retrospective incluant deux patientes ayant ete explorees par IRM cerebro-medullaire (3-Tesla). Resultats L’âge de nos patientes etait de 3 et 7 ans. Une patiente avait une derivation ventriculo-peritoneale pour une hydrocephalie. La symptomatologie clinique etait variable associant une encopresie et une enuresie primaire dans un cas et un retard psychomoteur dans un autre cas. L’imagerie par resonance magnetique a permis de poser le diagnostic d’une agenesie caudale chez les deux enfants. Elle a montre egalement une stenose associee de l’aqueduc de Sylvius chez l’une de nos patientes. Conclusion L’IRM est l’examen de choix a realiser en cas de suspicion d’un syndrome d’agenesie caudale. Elle permet d’effectuer un bilan lesionnel complet et precis des differentes malformations vertebrales, medullaires et cerebrales associees.

© 2012 M’hamdi et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Effects of Environmental Factors on Milk Yield, Lactation Length and Dry Period in Tunisian Holstein Cows

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to study genetic diversity and population structure in six sheep populations belonging to two native Tunisian breeds (the Barbarine and the Western thin tail). A total of 96 samples were typed using eight RAPD primers. 62 bands were scored, of which 44 bands (70.97%) were polymorphic. For all populations, Nei’s gene diversity, Shannon index and percentage of polymorphic loci are respectively in the range of 0.17-0.25, 0.25 to 0.35, 43.55 to 53.23. Between breeds, higher heterozygosity value (0.24) was found within the Western thin tail breed. Using unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic average (UPGMA) dendrogram, the six populations clustered into two groups, each one contained populations of the same breed. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that the variation between breeds is 30.80%, and that the variation between populations of Barbarine breed and populations of Western thin tail breed are 6.06 and 11.83%, respectively. Key words: Genetic diversity, RAPD, Tunisian sheep, Bioclimatic zones.

a b s t r a c t Growth and mortality rates of D'man lambs from an accelerated lambing management at the breeding Station of Chenchou of Gabes (Tunisia) are reported using records collected between 2004 and 2009. Lambs born in spring were consistently the heaviest at birth, at 30 and 70 days of age with the greatest average daily gains compared to those born in winter, autumn and summer. Birth weights were affected by litter size, ewe age and lambs from older ewes (2-10 years) grew faster than lambs born to young ewe (1 year). The overall mortality from birth to 70 days of age was 13.4%. Of all the total losses, 41% of the lambs died within 10 days of birth, 29% died between 10 and 30 days of age and 30% between 30 and 70 days. Mortality rate was significantly higher in winter (23.5%) than in spring (12.3%), autumn (10.2%) and summer (9.5%). Lambs in the low-weight category died more frequently (52.2%) than lambs from medium-weight (24.4%) to high-weight (1.8%) categories. Season, birth type and dam age are an important source of growth variation. The significant risk factors identified for mortality were season (winter), birth type (multiple) and weight class (≤1.5 kg). © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

UNKNO WLOGEMENT: Ganglion cysts have been reported in all joints, with varying frequency in location. A few cases have been described concerning ganglia of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) particularly intraligamentous cysts.The aim of the study is to report specific particularities of intraligamentous ganglion cyst of the ACL.We report a new case of intraligamentous ganglion cyst of the anterior cruciate ligament treated successfully with arthroscopic aspiration followed by partial excision of the cyst wall after MRI examination. The MR findings, clinical features and arthroscopic findings were evaluated comparatively. Diagnosis was confirmed by means of histological study after arthroscopic excision. The cyst was fluid-filled, with low T1-weighted signal intensity and high T2-weighted signal intensity. Pain was the most frequent clinical sign without any history of trauma. Postarthroscopy outcome was painless. Histologic diagnosis corresponded to ganglion cyst.An intraligamentous ganglion cyst of the ACL is extremely rare and suggests some diagnostic and therapeutic particularities.

Imaging is necessary in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal diseases and X rays is the first step of this morphological exploration. Ultrasonography is cost effectiveness, without radiation and have to constitute the second step of the exploration of the smooth tissue (tendon, muscle, sheath, synovium and superficial ligaments). Computed tomography with its new technological progress is very effective in the study of the cortical bone. Magnetic resonance imaging, a non irradiating but costly technique, becomes inevitable in several osteo-articular affections. It often makes the examination of last intention to compensate for the inadequacy of ultrasonography and computed tomography.

Neurofibrosarcoma is a rare malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour. It's the consequence of degeneration of neurofibroma in patients with neurofibromatosis. In the absence of clinical symptoms of malignancy, imaging is of prime importance. The observed new case of cubital neurofibrosarcoma stimulated the researchers to give more importance to MR imaging in distinguishing from the benign tumors.

Lumbar injections of corticosteroids are an established part of sciatica nonsurgical treatment; that's to their anti-inflammatory properties. Fluoroscopically monitored injections are more likely to place medication at the exact target site and with higher concentration; then they maximize therapeutic results. Lumbar steroid injections are efficient at short and middle term, and they precipitate relief.

Resume Une femme âgee de 56 ans, avec des antecedents de cirrhose hepatique post-hepatite B, souffrait de cephalees holocrâniennes evoluant depuis 1 an. L’examen physique etait normal avec en particulier absence de signes d’hypertension portale. Les examens biologiques mettaient en evidence une insuffisance hepatocellulaire (taux de prothrombine a 31 % et taux de facteur V a 43 %). L’IRM (Siemens 1.5 Tesla) objectivait un hypersignal T1 spontane bilateral et symetrique au niveau des pallidums. Un dosage du manganese serique a alors ete realise, montrant une hypermanganesemie a 51 mg/L.

Five groups of Maghrebi camels have been identified in southern Tunisia according to their tribal affiliation: the Ourdhaoui Medenine in Tawazins tribe, the Ourdhaoui Tataouine in Oudarna tribe, the Guiloufi in Beni Guilouf tribe from Kebili, the Gueoudi at Ouled Gharib tribe from Kebili and the Merzougui in the Marazigues tribe from Kebili. The identification of these groups was achieved by recording nine body measurements (length of the body, length of the neck, thoracic girth, abdominal circumference, height at the hump, height at the withers, width between shoulders, length of the anterior limb and the length of the tool) from a total of 304 female camels (age ≥ 6 years). Positive correlation was observed between the height at the hump and height at the withers, the thoracic girth and the abdominal circumference, the length of the body and the length of the neck. However, the length of the tail showed a negative correlation with the abdominal circumference and the height at the withers. Gueoudi, Guiloufi and Merzougui camel groups had the higher body length and the higher abdominal circumference compared to Ourdhaoui Medenine group of camels. Accordingly, Guiloufi, Merzougui and Ourdhaoui Tataouine camel groups had the higher thoracic girth and the higher height at the withers in comparison with Ourdhaoui Medenine. Ourdhaoui Medenine and Ourdhaoui Tataouine camel groups had the higher tail length compared to Gueoudi, Guiloufi and Merzougui camel groups. The clustering of the five groups allowed describing three main classes of Maghrebi camel including the big, medium and small size Maghrebi camels. According to the coat color, six vernacular names were identified included Chagra, Chaâla, Safra, Hajla, Hamra and Zarga. The quality of the hair was on majority rough and thick, that way the female camel was named Nagga Chalfi. One small proportion was attributed for the females that had sleek and heavy hair which were named Nagga Khawar.

Afin de mesurer les performances reproductives et de productivité (poids total de la portée) de la brebis Noire de Thibar, et de déterminer l’influence de facteurs non génétiques sur ces paramètres, une base de données initiale, constituée par 101 000 agneaux contrôlés pour leur croissance dans le cadre du programme national d’amélioration des ovins à viande, a été utilisée. Une base de données indexée par brebis a ensuite été générée avec un total de 64 137 agnelages représentant 12 années (1991-2002), 25 fermes et 48 troupeaux. Le taux de mise bas moyen dans les troupeaux de la race Noire de Thibar a été de 80,1 ± 12,9 p. 100 avec des effets importants (p < 0,001) de la ferme et de l’année de mise bas. A la naissance, la taille de portée moyenne par brebis mettant bas a atteint 1,32 ± 0,47 ; elle a baissé à 1,23 ± 0,55 à 70 jours après l’agnelage. Toutes les principales sources de variation retenues dans le modèle (ferme, année de mise bas, mois de mise bas et âge de la brebis), ainsi que leurs interactions ont significativement affecté la taille de la portée aux différents stades après la mise bas. La survie des agneaux par portée entre la naissance et 70 jours a été observée pour 89,9 p. 100 des brebis ; seulement 5,8 p. 100 des brebis ont perdu la totalité des agneaux de leur portée. Une analyse de la variance a révélé que les facteurs année de mise bas, mois de mise bas, âge de la brebis, sexe de la portée et taille de la portée ont eu un effet très significatif sur les proportions de brebis présentant des niveaux différents de survie des agneaux au sein de la portée. En moyenne, la productivité des brebis Noires de Thibar à 10, 30 et 70 jours après l’agnelage a été respectivement de 6,6 ± 2,2, 10,3 ± 3,5 et 18,6 ± 6,6 kg. Les principales sources de variations (ferme, année de mise bas, mois de mise bas, âge de la brebis et taille de la portée), ainsi que certaines interactions de deuxième niveau ont eu des effets significatifs (p < 0,001) sur les caractères de productivité étudiés. La catégorie des brebis âgées de quatre ans ayant eu des portées de triplets tous mâles a été associée aux niveaux de productivité les plus élevés à 70 jours. Ce travail préliminaire sur les caractères reproductifs et de productivité des brebis Noires de Thibar est essentiel à l’élaboration d’un index de sélection femelle qui pourra être incorporé dans un éventuel schéma d’amélioration génétique de cette race.

After the January 2011 revolution, Tunisian society has seen an excessive return of extremist Islamists to the political and social scene. Thus, political parties, associations and civil society have returned to issues concerning public freedoms, the Personal Status Code and women's rights. Any debate concerning the status of women in Tunisia has become a topical issue. As a result, Tunisian women found themselves facing the same problems as their ancestors. Despite its education, its social achievements and its strong presence in public administrations and in the various cultural and economic sectors, it must fight for new ones for its freedom, its achievements, its social condition, but also for its threatened identity and its territorial culture. The subject of reflection of my research was raised following these socio-political events, which shook the daily life of Tunisian society. It is thus structured around possible articulations, between Arab-Muslim cultural affiliation and today's globalized society, and based particularly on the clothing appearance of Tunisian women. My research project therefore combines clothing design with a study on the place of women in Tunisian society today, in a questioning on the heritage of tradition and its interpretations. I am trying to highlight a Tunisian women's clothing, which could appear authentic, in the complex and conflictual context of the post-revolution period.; Après la révolution de Janvier 2011, la société tunisienne a connu un retour excessif des islamistes extrémistes sur la scène politique et sociale. Ainsi, les partis politiques, les associations et la société civile ont retourné autour des questions qui concernent les libertés publiques, le Code du Statut Personnel et les droits des femmes. Tout débat concernant le statut du féminin en Tunisie est revenu un sujet d’actualité. La femme tunisienne s’est retrouvée, par conséquent, face aux mêmes problèmes que ses ancêtres. En dépit de son éducation, ses acquis sociaux et sa forte présence dans les administrations publiques et les différents secteurs culturels et économiques, elle doit lutter de nouveaux pour sa liberté, ses acquis, sa condition sociale, mais aussi pour son identité menacée et sa culture territoriale. Le sujet de réflexion de ma recherche a été soulevé suite à ces événements sociopolitiques, qui ont secoué le quotidien de la société tunisienne. Il est ainsi structuré autour des articulations possibles, entre l’appartenance culturelle arabo-musulmane et la société mondialisée d’aujourd’hui, et basé particulièrement sur l’apparence vestimentaire de la femme tunisienne. Mon projet de recherche articule donc la création vestimentaire avec une étude sur la place des femmes dans la société tunisienne aujourd'hui, dans un questionnement sur l’héritage de la tradition et ses interprétations. J’essaie en effet de mettre en évidence un vêtement féminin tunisien, qui pourrait apparaître comme authentique, dans le contexte complexe et conflictuel de l’après-révolution.

As an architectural and heritage space peculiar to Berber (Amazigh) culture, the ksar (plural ksour) was used in the past as a granary and storage space by its owners, the local semi-nomadic tribes of Southern Tunisia. With time and the change to modernity, a shift in the socio-cultural values and worldview of the local population led to the neglect or mere abandonment of the ksour. The thesis hypothesizes that the concept of heterotopia coined by Michel Foucault could help provide an interpretation of these sites leading to the opening of an innovative project space that would restore value to the ruins of the ksour, behind which, as highlighted by our field inquiry, there lie institutional, social, and intergenerational conflicts. It is in such prospect, through a project-grounded research approach grounded on an event design project that took place during four days in April 2018, that we ventured to capitalize upon the available collective intelligence resulting from the dynamics of the system of stakeholders connected with this archeological and architectural heritage, otherwise promised to a mere touristic-economic exploitation. We believe that such an approach, consonant with social innovation by design methodologies (or social design), will make it possible to secure a sustainable and culturally fruitful future to the ksour without compromising their historical, anthropological, and patrimonial richness and meaningfulness., Le ksar (pluriel 'ksour'), cet espace architectural et patrimonial propre à la culture berbère (amazigh), était destiné autrefois à emmagasiner les biens et les réserves de provisions des tribus semi-nomades du Sud-tunisien qui en étaient propriétaires. Avec le temps et le passage à la modernité, il s’est produit un glissement de valeurs et de significations dans l’environnement social et culturel des populations établies dans ces lieux, provoquant ainsi une menace pour les ksour qui s'en sont trouvés délaissés ou abandonnés. La thèse fait l’hypothèse que le concept d’hétérotopie proposé par Michel Foucault pourrait permettre une lecture de ces sites susceptible d’ouvrir un espace de projet innovant afin de mettre en valeur les ruines des ksour derrière lesquelles, ainsi que le montre l’enquête de terrain que nous y avons conduite, se cachent des conflits institutionnels, sociaux et intergénérationnels. C’est dans une telle perspective, par la mise en œuvre d’une démarche de recherche-projet appuyée sur un projet de design d’événement qui s’est déroulé pendant quatre jours en avril 2018, que nous nous sommes employée à exploiter le gisement d’intelligence collective propre à la dynamique du système des acteurs liés à ce patrimoine archéologique et architectural délaissé et promis sinon à une simple exploitation touristico-économique. Nous croyons que par une telle approche inspirée de l’innovation sociale par le design (ou design social), il sera possible d’assurer aux ksour un avenir durable et culturellement fécond sans dénaturer leur signification et leur richesse historique, anthropologique et patrimoniale.