An Evolutionary Approach for Learning Opponent's Deadline and Reserve Points in Multi-Issue Negotiation

The efficiency of automated multi-issue negotiation depends on the available information about the opponent. In a competitive negotiation environment, agents do not reveal their parameters to their opponents in order to avoid exploitation. Several researchers have argued that an agent's optimal strategy can be determined using the opponent's deadline and reserve points. In this paper, we propose a new learning agent, so-called Evolutionary Learning Agent (ELA), able to estimate its opponent's deadline and reserve points in bilateral multi-issue negotiation based on opponent's counter-offers (without any additional extra information). ELA reduces the learning problem to a system of non-linear equations and uses an evolutionary algorithm based on the elitism aspect to solve it. Experimental study shows that our learning agent outperforms others agents by improving its outcome in term of average and joint utility

Dietary habits of a Mediterranean population of women in an agricultural region of Morocco

Knowing food habits of populations is of importance to better define appropriate public health interventions. The objective of this study was to assess and describe the dietary intake and major food sources of energy and nutrients in a women sample selected from an agricultural region of Morocco. A total of 191 adult women 18–55 years old resident in urban areas in El Jadida, a costal province of Moroccowas selected. Dietary habits were assessed using a combination of a 24-h dietary recall during 3 non consecutive days and a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Food habits are characterized by large consumption of cereals, meat and poultry, fish and sea foods, eggs, fruits and vegetables, but low intake of olive oil. The total energy intake was high and not balanced by physical activity levels. The contribution of lipids to the energy was low but high in saturated fat (39 %) reflected in the higher PUFA/SFA ratio (0.76 ± 0.62). The total carbohydrate consumption was high (61 % of daily energy) and that of fiber was low 18.07 ± 11.44 g. Furthermore a significantly high intake of saturated and monounsaturated fat is observed in the youngest women and women with a higher education level. Except for the intakes of phosphorus and sodium, all minerals and vitamins assessed are below or close to the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) while all vitamins are consumed at rates below two-third of RDA by a large proportion of women. The nutrient intake of the studied population is not in line with that recommended for women despite a large consumption of the majority of food groups. Data indicate that dietary guidelines should not consider only quantitative intake but must address adequate numbers of servings and favorable food choices that may explain, in part, the nutritional and metabolic disorders reported in this population.Keywords: women, Diet - intake - habits, Mediterranean, Morocc

Kyste hydatique du masséter: a propos d’un cas

La localisation cervico faciale et particulièrement musculaire massétérine est exceptionnelle même en zone d’endémie. Le kyste hydatique au niveau de cette localisation pose un problème de diagnostic et des difficultés thérapeutiques du fait de la présence de filets nerveux du VII. Les auteurs rapportent un cas rare de localisation primaire d’un kyste hydatique au niveau du muscle masséter.Mots clès : Kyste hydatique, face, masséter, imagerie, chirurgie

Mucormycose rhinosinusienne a extension palatine

Les mucormycoses sont des infections fongiques, aigues, rares et souvent fatales. Elles touchent avec prédilection les sujets  immunodéprimés. La forme rhinocérébrale est la plus fréquente. Le diagnostic repose sur l’examen clinique, anatomopathologique et mycologique. L’approche thérapeutique doit être multidisciplinaire. Les auteurs rapportent l’histoire clinique d’un patient, ayant présenté une mucormycose rhinosinusienne avec atteinte du palais au décours d’une infection dentaire. A travers cette observation, ils discutent les différents aspects cliniques, les moyens du diagnostic et les modalités thérapeutiques de la mucormycose rhinocérébrale.Mots clés : Infection fongique, mucormycose rhinocérébrale, zygomycètes, pronostic, traitement

Salt effect on physiological, biochemical and anatomical structures of two Origanum majorana varieties (Tunisian and Canadian)

In this study, we evaluated the salt concentration effect on plant growth, mineral composition, antioxidant responses and anatomical structure of two varieties of Origanum majorana after exposure to NaCl treatment. Our results show an inclusive behaviour of the two varieties, since the majority of sodium was exported and accumulated in their aerial parts. The Canadian variety (CV) appeared relatively more tolerant to salt than the Tunisian one (TV). Transversal section of leaves showed a thickening of dorsal and ventral cuticle, more importantly in CV than in TV, in the presence and in absence of salt. This was accompanied by an increase in the length of palisade cells, and the width of spongy collenchyma lacuna. The stem had a subquadrangular shape in TV and quadrangular in the Canadian variety. At mature stage, the stem pit was reabsorbed in the TV and replaced by a large cavity, whereas it remained unchanged in CV. The relative salt tolerance of the CV was related to: (1) a good selectivity in favour of K+: (2) a strong peroxidase activity and (3) an increase in the lengthening of palisade cell accompanied with an increase of lacunae in spongy parenchyma in CV.Key words: Origanum majorana, salinity, growth, mineral nutrition, leaves, stems, anatomical, antioxidant