A demand-driven approach for a multi-agent system in Supply Chain Management

This paper presents the architecture of a multi-agent decision support system for Supply Chain Management (SCM) which has been designed to compete in the TAC SCM game. The behaviour of the system is demand-driven and the agents plan, predict, and react dynamically to changes in the market. The main strength of the system lies in the ability of the Demand agent to predict customer winning bid prices - the highest prices the agent can offer customers and still obtain their orders. This paper investigates the effect of the ability to predict customer order prices on the overall performance of the system. Four strategies are proposed and compared for predicting such prices. The experimental results reveal which strategies are better and show that there is a correlation between the accuracy of the models' predictions and the overall system performance: the more accurate the prediction of customer order prices, the higher the profit. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Caracterisation des conflits homme-elephant dans le departement de Sikensi (sud-est Cote d’Ivoire)

L’occupation clandestine des parcs nationaux par certains agriculteurs ne manque pas d’exposer dangereusement leur vie. Les éléphants qui sont dans ces aires protégées, ne sachant plus où aller, surgissent dans les plantations ainsi que les campements et font des victimes. Une étude a été menée en août et septembre 2014 avec pour objectif la caractérisation des conflits homme-éléphant dans la localité de Sikensi. A cet effet, l’utilisation d’un questionnaire a permis de collecter les avis des paysans. Les données des enquêtes ont été complétées par des observations directes sur le terrain. De nombreux dégâts sont causés aux cultures lors des incursions des éléphants dans les champs. Les superficies de cultures détruites sont importantes. Les cultures sont attaquées à des stades critiques tels que le stade: maturation, intermédiaire et jeune. Les cultures vivrières restent les cultures les plus touchées.Mots clés: Conflit homme-éléphant, Dégâts, PhénologieEnglish Title: Characterization of the human-elephant conflicts in the department of Sikensi (south-easten Cote d’Ivoire)English AbstractThe clandestine occupation of the national parks by some farmers does not fail to expose their life dangerously.The elephants which are in these protected surfaces, not knowing more where to go, emerge in the plantations as well as the campings and make victims. A study was undertaken in August and September 2014 with for objective the characterization of the conflicts man-elephant in the locality of Sikensi.To this end, the use of a questionnaire made it possible to collect the opinions of the peasants. The data of the investigations were supplemented by direct observations on the ground.A many damage is caused with the cultures at the time of the incursions of the elephants into the fields.The surfaces of destroyed cultures are significant.The cultures are attacked at critical stages such as the stage:maturation, intermediary and young person.The food crops remain the most touched cultures.Keywords: Human-elephant conflict, Damage, Phenolog

Transformation et conservation des principales especes de poissons a interet economique du departement de fresco (Cote d’Ivoire)

La présente étude vise à analyser les techniques de transformation et de conservation des principales espèces de poissons à intérêt économique du département de Fresco. Des enquêtes ont été réalisées sur 4 débarcadères et 4 sites de transformation durant 3 mois, de juillet à septembre 2018. Au total, 31 acteurs de la filière ont été intérrogés. En général, les fours de type traditionnel (demibarriques et terre battue) et de type amélioré (Chorkor) ont été utilisés par les transformatrices avec le bois de mangrove comme principal combustible. 18 espèces de poissons à forte valeur  économique, parmi lesquelles 7 sont régulièrement transformées sur tous les sites. Les valeurs de l’indice de Sörensen (> 50 %) montrent une similitude entre les différents sites de débarquements et les sites de transformations. Ces poissons sont acheminés à Abidjan et vers d’autres villes de la Côte d’Ivoire ainsi que dans les pays de la sous région. Deux méthodes de transformation sont couramment utilisées: le fumage (85 %) et la fermentation (15 %). Il existe deux modes de conservation : laréfrigération (29,03 %) et conservation après fumage et fermentation (70,97 %). Cette activité procure des emplois et est une source de revenu pour la population locale.Mots clés : transformation, conservation, poissons, Fresco, Côte d’Ivoire. English Title: Processing and preservation of economical fish species from the department of fresco (Côte d’Ivoire)The present study aims to analyze the processing and preservation  techniques of economical fish species from the department of Fresco. For this, surveys were carried out on 4 landing stages and 4 processing sites from July to September 2018. In total, 31 stakeholders were questioned. Traditional and improved types of ovens were used by women with  mangrove wood as main fuel. Smoking (85%) and fermentation (15%) were used as processing methods. For the preservation techniques the results showed that refrigeration (29.03%) and storage after smoking and fermentation (70.97%) were used. 18 fish species with high economic value, 7 of which are regularly processed at all the sites. Sörensen index values (> 50%) highlighted similarity between the different landing and production sites. After production, the processed economical fish species were transported to Abidjan, other cities of Côte d’Ivoire and countries of the sub-region for marketing. This activity is considered as source of income for the local population and also provides jobs.Keywords: Processing, preservation, fishes, Fresco, Côte d’Ivoire

Fat Content and Fatty Acids Profile in Follow-on Formulas Commercialized in Côte d'Ivoire

This study evaluates the follow-on formula for infants. These products are available under several brands in the Ivorian market. In order to verify their conformity to the WHO standards a post-market control by gravimetric method and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry is executed to evaluate the quantity and quality of fat products contained in the milks of brands available in Côte d’Ivoire. Out of the nine brands of milks analyzed, only four of them were close to the values revealed by their manufacturers, whereas the other products had their values below their respective indications

Contact-induced spin polarization in carbon nanotubes

Motivated by the possibility of combining spintronics with molecular structures, we investigate the conditions for the appearance of spin-polarization in low-dimensional tubular systems by contacting them to a magnetic substrate. We derive a set of general expressions describing the charge transfer between the tube and the substrate and the relative energy costs. The mean-field solution of the general expressions provides an insightful formula for the induced spin-polarization. Using a tight-binding model for the electronic structure we are able to estimate the magnitude and the stability of the induced moment. This indicates that a significant magnetic moment in carbon nanotubes can be observed.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. B (2003

Effet du glyphosate sur les parametres physiologiques du latex et les proprietes technologiques du caoutchouc des heveas (gt 1, pb 217, pr 107) dans le cadre de la lutte contre les loranthaceae en Cote d’Ivoire

L’objectif de cette étude est d’évaluer l’effet du Glyphosate sur les paramètres physiologiques du latex et sur les propriétés  technologiques du caoutchouc dans le cadre de la lutte contre les Loranthaceae en hévéaculture. Pour ce faire, 10 ml d’une solution de Glyphosate 360 g/l ont été injectés à cinq plants d’hévéas des clones GT 1, PB 217 et PR 107 parasités par les Loranthaceae. Diverses méthodes appropriées ont été utilisées pour déterminer la proportion des paramètres physiologiques des latex et les propriétés technologues des caoutchoucs. L’effet du Glyphosate sur les paramètres physiologiques du latex des hévéas traités et sur les propriétés technologiques du caoutchouc a été évalué et comparé aux paramètres physiologiques et aux propriétés technologiques des caoutchoucs des hévéas témoins n’ayant pas reçus de matière active (Glyphosate). De plus, les valeurs obtenues ont été comparées aux valeurs de référence. Il ressort de cette étude que, dans la lutte contre les Loranthaceae en plantation hévéicole,  l’injection de 10 ml de Glyphosate (360 g/L) à l’hévéa n’affecte ni les paramètres physiologiques du latex, ni les propriétés technologiques du caoutchouc. Mots clés : Glyphosate, hévéa, Loranthaceae, paramètres physiologiques du latex, propriétés technologiques du caoutchouc   English Title: Effect of glyphosate on the physiological parameters of latex and the technological properties of rubber from rubber tree (GT 1, PB 217, PR 107) in the control of loranthaceae in Cote d’Ivoire The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of Glyphosate on the physiological properties of the latex and on the technological properties of the rubber in the control of Loranthaceae in rubber trees cultivation. To do this, 10 ml of a 360 g/l solution of Glyphosate were injected into five rubber plants of clones GT 1, PB 217 and PR 107 parasitized by Loranthaceae. Various appropriate methods have been used in order to determine physiological parameters of latex and the technological properties of rubber. The effect of Glyphosate on the physiological parameters of latex and on the technological properties of rubber was evaluated and compared to the  physiological parameters of latex and technological properties of rubbers those did not receive any active ingredient (Glyphosate). The obtained values were also compared to reference values. It appears from this study that, in the control of Loranthaceae in rubber plantation, the injection of 10 ml of Glyphosate (360 g/L) into rubber trees does not affect either the physiological parameters of latex or the technological properties of rubber. Keywords : Glyphosate, rubber tree, Loranthaceae, physiological parameters of latex, rubber technological propertie

Resonant tunneling and the multichannel Kondo problem: the quantum Brownian motion description

We study mesoscopic resonant tunneling as well as multichannel Kondo problems by mapping them to a first-quantized quantum mechanical model of a particle moving in a multi-dimensional periodic potential with Ohmic dissipation. From a renormalization group analysis, we obtain phase diagrams of the quantum Brownian motion model with various lattice symmetries. For a symmorphic lattice, there are two phases at T=0: a localized phase in which the particle is trapped in a potential minimum, and a free phase in which the particle is unaffected by the periodic potential. For a non-symmorphic lattice, however, there may be an additional intermediate phase in which the particle is neither localized nor completely free. The fixed point governing the intermediate phase is shown to be identical to the well-known multichannel Kondo fixed point in the Toulouse limit as well as the resonance fixed point of a quantum dot model and a double-barrier Luttinger liquid model. The mapping allows us to compute the fixed-poing mobility $\mu^*$ of the quantum Brownian motion model exactly, using known conformal-field-theory results of the Kondo problem. From the mobility, we find that the peak value of the conductance resonance of a spin-1/2 quantum dot problem is given by $e^2/2h$. The scaling form of the resonance line shape is predicted

The ATLAS discovery potential for MSSM neutral Higgs bosons decaying to a mu+mu- pair in the mass range up to 130 GeV

Results are presented on the discovery potential for MSSM neutral Higgs bosons in the Mh-{max}scenario. The region of large tan beta, between 15 and 50, and mass between ~ 95 and 130 GeV is considered in the framework of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), for a centre-of-mass energy = 14 TeV. This parameter region is not fully covered by the present data either from LEP or from Tevatron. The h/A bosons, supposed to be very close in mass in that region, are studied in the channel h/A -> mu+mu- accompanied by two b-jets. The study includes a method to control the most copious background, Zo -> mu+mu- accompanied by two b-jets. A possible contribution of the H boson to the signal is also considered

Transport of interacting electrons through a double barrier in quantum wires

We generalize the fermionic renormalization group method to describe analytically transport through a double barrier structure in a one-dimensional system. Focusing on the case of weakly interacting electrons, we investigate thoroughly the dependence of the conductance on the strength and the shape of the double barrier for arbitrary temperature T. Our approach allows us to systematically analyze the contributions to renormalized scattering amplitudes from different characteristic scales absent in the case of a single impurity, without restricting the consideration to the model of a single resonant level. Both a sequential resonant tunneling for high T and a resonant transmission for T smaller than the resonance width are studied within the unified treatment of transport through strong barriers. For weak barriers, we show that two different regimes are possible. Moderately weak impurities may get strong due to a renormalization by interacting electrons, so that transport is described in terms of theory for initially strong barriers. The renormalization of very weak impurities does not yield any peak in the transmission probability; however, remarkably, the interaction gives rise to a sharp peak in the conductance, provided asymmetry is not too high.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures; figures added, references updated, extended discussio