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This article presents the Higher Institute of Technological Studies of Jendouba (HITSJ) before the COVID-19 pandemic and after the action plan followed to ensure the online educational support of students during the period of confinement. The objectives are to (1) emphasize the use of Distance Learning (DL) before the pandemic in the HITS of Jendouba using the statistics produced by the E-learning correspondent (ELC) of the establishment; (2) the action plan of the Virtual University of Tunis (VUT) during the confinement period, including the role of the online education department in the action plan, the role of the ELC in the plan of action, teacher training and the pedagogical scenario adopted; (3) newly acquired pedagogical and technical skills, teaching staff pedagogical skills and technical skills; (4) educational support during the confinement period, the deployment of study plans on the Moodle platform iset.uvt.tn, the adaptation of group timetables and the synchronization of videoconference sessions; (5) an empirical study of pedagogical support, measurement of the Commitment of the teaching staff, measurement of the registration of students on the platform and in the courses, measurement of the success rate of distance education in the transmission of knowledge and learning, measurement of feasibility according to the departments, measurement of the impact of teacher training in remote education.

Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is the third most common neurological complication in immunocompromised patients and is usually associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. The most common complication of CM is intracranial hypertension (ICH), and it constitutes a poor prognosis factor. This case report describes a case of subacute onset hydrocephalus revealing a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated CM in a seven-year-old girl requiring cerebrospinal fluid diversion and fungal treatment with a favorable outcome.

Lipomas are benign masses of fatty tissue, and in the forehead, they may develop in the subcutaneous or deep fat tissue. While subcutaneous lipomas are common, deep forehead lipomas are unusual and rarely invade the underlying bone. Only a few cases have been reported in the literature, and even fewer cases are reported in children. We present a case of a slowly growing frontal mass corresponding to a deep lipoma responsible for frontal bone invasion, resulting in a bony defect reaching the dural space. Through this case, we aim to emphasize forehead lipomas' clinical and surgical characteristics.

Congenital factor V deficiency (FVD) is a rare bleeding disorder due to an inherited mutation. So far, there are no standard protocols for pre- and peri-operative management of patients with factor V deficiency. This poses a challenge for surgeons and requires a multidisciplinary approach. We present a case of a 60-year-old woman with factor V deficiency admitted to the neurosurgery department of Ibn Tofail Hospital for hydrocephalus requiring a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Pre-operative management of the patients as well as outcome and follow-up are described and compared with relevant literature.

Hydatidosis is a parasitic infection caused by the cestode usually occurring in the liver and lungs. Hydatid cyst of the neck is a rarely described location and more so on the back of the neck. We present a case of a six-year-old girl with a slowly evolving mass on the back of her neck. Medical investigations revealed a secondary asymptomatic liver cyst. MRI of the neck mass was consistent with a cystic lesion. Surgical removal of the neck cyst was performed. Pathological examination results confirmed the diagnosis of hydatid cyst. The patient was put on medical treatment with a complete recovery and uneventful follow-up.

Spinal angiolipomas (SALs) are uncommon benign tumors composed of mature adipocytes and abnormal blood vessels, with symptoms usually appearing gradually due to the progressive compression of the spinal cord. In this context, we report the case of a 34-year-old female patient with no significant medical history who presented with heaviness in both lower limbs and difficulty walking for the past six months. MRI showed an epidural posterior lesion extending from the first to the sixth thoracic vertebrae, strongly compressing the spinal cord, and surgical intervention for spinal cord decompression and total resection of the lesion was performed successfully. Histological examination revealed a lobulated lesion composed of two components: vascular and adipose, confirming the diagnosis. As SALs are rare benign tumors of the spinal cord characterized by a mixed proliferation of mature adipose tissue and abnormal vascular structures, their exact incidence remains unknown, although literature suggests a male predominance and a peak occurrence in adulthood. Clinical manifestations are typically progressive and depend on the level of spinal cord compression, making MRI the key diagnostic tool. Since treatment is primarily based on decompressive surgery, early diagnosis and intervention are essential. Although rare, SALs can be potentially debilitating due to their progressive compressive effects; therefore, MRI allows for a reliable diagnosis, and management relies on appropriate surgical excision. Long-term follow-up is crucial to prevent neurological complications.

Following the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, it became prominent that the genetic background of the patient influences the disease prognosis and treatment. [...]multiple genetic databases were established to study precision medicine for COVID-19 (2). [...]the study reported a positive correlation between ACE1 I and the risk of acquiring COVID-19 as well as between the ACE1-D allele and its negative impact following SARS-CoV-2 infection. [...]the authors suggested that genotyping for ACE1 I/D polymorphism could be useful for better management of the disease. [...]the delay in identifying the etiological agents and corresponding treatment in patients with CNS infections leads to worse management and outcomes.Chen et al.reported a case study on herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE). [...]personalized or precision medicine is a growing approach to improve patient care by applying the right intervention at the right time. According to the GWAS Catalog statistics (OCT 2020), out of 4,761 publications, only eighty-six were related to infectious diseases (ID) (1.8%).

Genetic factors have been hypothesized to contribute to the heterogeneity in the response to infectious diseases (IDs). The classical twin design provides a powerful tool to estimate the role of genetic contributions to variation in infection outcomes. With this design, the impact of heritability on the proneness as well as infection- and vaccine-induced immune responses have been documented for multiple infections, including tuberculosis, malaria, leprosy, otitis media, polio, mumps, measles, rubella, influenza, hepatitis B, and human papillomavirus infections, and recently, SARS-CoV-2. The current data show the heritable aspect in nearly all infections considered. In this contribution, we review and discuss human twin studies on the heritability of host characteristics in liability and response to IDs. This review emphasizes the importance of considering factors such as sex, disease stages, and disease presentation when assessing heritability and argues that the classical twin design provides a unique circumstance for exploring the genetic contribution as twins share levels of maternal antibodies, ancestral background, often the dates and number of vaccine doses, differences in vaccines’ manufacturing and storage, age, family environment, and other exposures. Additionally, we highlight the value of twin studies and the usefulness of combining the twin model with contemporary genomics technologies and advanced statistical tools to grasp a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of heritability in IDs.

The main exclusion criteria were an estimated life expectancy <12 months for extra-cardiac pathology, isolated right heart failure, pregnancy, end-stage or severe renal insufficiency with creatinine clearance <15ml/ min, hemodialysis patient, cardiac surgery scheduled within 3 months and congenital heart disease. All variables that were statistically significant at univariate analysis (Log-rank Kaplan-Meier), and those considered of relevant clinical interest with a risk of error of 20% were included in a multivariable model (Cox model) to identify the independent predictors with adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) of all-cause death, death and rehospitalization/ HF from the study entry to 1-year follow-up, separately for AHF and CHF. Age, systolic blood pressure and ejection fraction (EF) were considered as continuous variables while the remaining were considered as categorical variables. Among CHF patients, the older age, diabetes, anemia, reduced EF, ischemic etiology, residual congestion and the absence of ACEI/ ARBs treatment were independent predictors of 1-year composite events of rehospitalization and mortality (Table 5).