This thesis introduces the basic concepts of the game theory. Necessary models and solution concepts are described. Follows the summary of the computational complexity of these concepts and corresponding algorithms. Poker is formalized as one of the game theory game models. State of the art algorithms for the ex- tensive form games are explained with the application to the Poker. The thesis also introduces the Annual Computer Poker Competition and participating pro- grams. Finally, new result about the extensive form games with many actions is presented. Keywords: Game theory, Poker, Nash equilibrium, Extensive form games

As quedas atualmente constituem um importante problema de saúde pública, por gerar intercorrências á saúde do indivíduo e até levar a internações hospitalares e ao óbito. Quedas apresentam fatores causadores múltiplos, incluindo elementos ambientais extrínsecos e fatores intrínsecos como aspectos fisiológicos, musculoesqueléticos e psicossociais. O estudo sobre quedas tem privilegiado os idosos e pessoas portadoras de dor musculoesquelética, sendo que muitos idosos também têm queixa de dor. A fibromialgia é uma síndrome dolorosa de etiopatogenia desconhecida que acomete preferencialmente mulheres, sendo caracterizada por dores musculoesqueléticas difusas, locais dolorosos específicos à palpação associados freqüentemente a distúrbio do sono, fadiga, cefaléia crônica e distúrbios psíquicos, como depressão. Assim sendo as pessoas portadoras dessa síndrome apresentam fatores intrínsecos (dor, depressão, fadiga) que podem estar associados às quedas e o objetivo desse estudo foi verificar o risco de quedas nesta população sua relação com intensidade da dor, flexibilidade e qualidade de vida. Participaram do estudo 48 mulheres entre 40-59 anos, sendo 22 com fibromialgia (GF) encaminhadas do Serviço de Reumatologia do Hospital das Clínicas e 26 assintomáticas que constituíram o grupo controle (GC). Para avaliar o equilíbrio foi utilizada a Berg Balance Scale (escala Berg), Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale (escala ABC) e teste de tempo de reação. A avaliação da flexibilidade foi utilizando o teste de 3o dedo ao solo. Para caracterizar os sujeitos fibromiálgicos foram realizados: Questionário do Impacto da Fibromialgia (QIF) e Escala Visual Analógica (EVA). Para a análise dos dados foi utilizada Análise Descritiva e Análise Inferencial (teste t student, teste de Mann-Whitney U e correlação simples e de Spearman com nível de significância a = 0,05). Os resultados dos testes de equilíbrio (escala Berg e ABC) mostraram diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos. A média de dor no GF foi 5,4cm(2,6) e o grupo controle não apresentava dor no dia da avaliação. Houve correlação negativa entre dor e escala de Berg e ABC e não houve correlação entre dor, flexibilidade e qualidade de vida. Correlação entre as escalas: Berg X ABC nos grupos só foi observada no GF. Concluímos que mulheres com fibromialgia apresentam alteração do equilíbrio e que isto pode estar correlacionado com a dor que essas mulheres apresentam constantemente. E o desempenho nos testes está correlacionado, ou seja, quanto mais confiança o indivíduo expressava mais alto foi seu escore na escala de Berg (sem risco de queda). / Abstract: Background Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic syndrome with unknown etiopathogeneis more prevalent in woman. This disorder is characterized by chronic widespread pain, painful tender points that frequently associated to fatigue, sleep problems, chronic headache and physic disturbs, such as depression and anxious. Some of these symptoms, such as depression, pain and fatigue, recognized, as intrinsic factors can be associated to fall experimented by the person. So studies about falls are focusing on elderly people and people with muscle pain. The objective of this study is doing the assessment of the balance in person with fibromyalgia and its relationship with the intensity of the pain, flexibility and life quality. The study interviewed 48 women, from 40th to 59th years old, which 22 women have fibromyalgia (GF) and 26 women asymptomatic that represent the control group (GC). To evaluate the balance, the flexibility and fibromyalgia subjects, the tools used were, respectively: the Berg scale, Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale (scale ABC); Analogical Visual Scale; and The Fibromyalgia Impact Survey (QIF). The data were analysed using Descriptive and Inferential Analysis (Student t test, Mann-Whitney U and Spearman correlation simple, with significance level a = 0.05). Results: balance test and fear of fall are shown significant difference between the groups (p<0,05). The intensity pain average in the GF group was 5,4 (2,6) and zero in the GC group; and the flexibility decreased in the GF group (p=0,01). There was a negative correlation between pain and Berg scale (rs = -0,48 e p=0,02) and ABC scale (rs = -0,56 and p=0,006) and there was no correlation between pain, flexibility and quality of life. The correlation between the scales: Berg X ABC in both groups was only observed in the GF (rs= 0,55 e p=0,007). This study showed that women with fibromyalgia have pain intensively, higher risk of falls, lower confidence for doing daily activities, lower quality of life and less flexibility.

As quedas atualmente constituem um importante problema de saúde pública, por gerar intercorrências á saúde do indivíduo e até levar a internações hospitalares e ao óbito. Quedas apresentam fatores causadores múltiplos, incluindo elementos ambientais extrínsecos e fatores intrínsecos como aspectos fisiológicos, musculoesqueléticos e psicossociais. O estudo sobre quedas tem privilegiado os idosos e pessoas portadoras de dor musculoesquelética, sendo que muitos idosos também têm queixa de dor. A fibromialgia é uma síndrome dolorosa de etiopatogenia desconhecida que acomete preferencialmente mulheres, sendo caracterizada por dores musculoesqueléticas difusas, locais dolorosos específicos à palpação associados freqüentemente a distúrbio do sono, fadiga, cefaléia crônica e distúrbios psíquicos, como depressão. Assim sendo as pessoas portadoras dessa síndrome apresentam fatores intrínsecos (dor, depressão, fadiga) que podem estar associados às quedas e o objetivo desse estudo foi verificar o risco de quedas nesta população sua relação com intensidade da dor, flexibilidade e qualidade de vida. Participaram do estudo 48 mulheres entre 40-59 anos, sendo 22 com fibromialgia (GF) encaminhadas do Serviço de Reumatologia do Hospital das Clínicas e 26 assintomáticas que constituíram o grupo controle (GC). Para avaliar o equilíbrio foi utilizada a Berg Balance Scale (escala Berg), Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale (escala ABC) e teste de tempo de reação. A avaliação da flexibilidade foi utilizando o teste de 3o dedo ao solo. Para caracterizar os sujeitos fibromiálgicos foram realizados: Questionário do Impacto da Fibromialgia (QIF) e Escala Visual Analógica (EVA). Para a análise dos dados foi utilizada Análise Descritiva e Análise Inferencial (teste t student, teste de Mann-Whitney U e correlação simples e de Spearman com nível de significância a = 0,05). Os resultados dos testes de equilíbrio (escala Berg e ABC) mostraram diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos. A média de dor no GF foi 5,4cm(2,6) e o grupo controle não apresentava dor no dia da avaliação. Houve correlação negativa entre dor e escala de Berg e ABC e não houve correlação entre dor, flexibilidade e qualidade de vida. Correlação entre as escalas: Berg X ABC nos grupos só foi observada no GF. Concluímos que mulheres com fibromialgia apresentam alteração do equilíbrio e que isto pode estar correlacionado com a dor que essas mulheres apresentam constantemente. E o desempenho nos testes está correlacionado, ou seja, quanto mais confiança o indivíduo expressava mais alto foi seu escore na escala de Berg (sem risco de queda). / Abstract: Background Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic syndrome with unknown etiopathogeneis more prevalent in woman. This disorder is characterized by chronic widespread pain, painful tender points that frequently associated to fatigue, sleep problems, chronic headache and physic disturbs, such as depression and anxious. Some of these symptoms, such as depression, pain and fatigue, recognized, as intrinsic factors can be associated to fall experimented by the person. So studies about falls are focusing on elderly people and people with muscle pain. The objective of this study is doing the assessment of the balance in person with fibromyalgia and its relationship with the intensity of the pain, flexibility and life quality. The study interviewed 48 women, from 40th to 59th years old, which 22 women have fibromyalgia (GF) and 26 women asymptomatic that represent the control group (GC). To evaluate the balance, the flexibility and fibromyalgia subjects, the tools used were, respectively: the Berg scale, Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale (scale ABC); Analogical Visual Scale; and The Fibromyalgia Impact Survey (QIF). The data were analysed using Descriptive and Inferential Analysis (Student t test, Mann-Whitney U and Spearman correlation simple, with significance level a = 0.05). Results: balance test and fear of fall are shown significant difference between the groups (p<0,05). The intensity pain average in the GF group was 5,4 (2,6) and zero in the GC group; and the flexibility decreased in the GF group (p=0,01). There was a negative correlation between pain and Berg scale (rs = -0,48 e p=0,02) and ABC scale (rs = -0,56 and p=0,006) and there was no correlation between pain, flexibility and quality of life. The correlation between the scales: Berg X ABC in both groups was only observed in the GF (rs= 0,55 e p=0,007). This study showed that women with fibromyalgia have pain intensively, higher risk of falls, lower confidence for doing daily activities, lower quality of life and less flexibility.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Economics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (M.Com. (Economics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

This thesis deals with the study of transport properties of integer and fractional QH edge states and it is based on the work I performed during my Ph.D. studies. The focus of this thesis is on Luttinger liquids far from equilibrium and their relaxation dynamics. Since Boltzmann, a fundamental aspect of statistical mechanics has been the understanding of the emergence of an equilibrium state. Interactions play a crucial role in the thermalization process that drives a system through states described by the Gibbs equilibrium ensemble. Therefore, it seems counterintuitive that a strongly interacting system, such as the Luttinger liquid, should not present any relaxation dynamics. This peculiar fact is due to the integrability of the Luttinger model, i.e. the existence of an infinite number of conserved quantities that precludes the equilibration process. However, in the past few years it has become clear that integrable systems can present some kind of relaxation, even though not towards the Gibbs equilibrium ensemble. Remarkably, the necessity of correctly taking into account some particular non-equilibrium configurations, also revealed the necessity of modifying bosonization, a technique widely used to study strongly interacting systems in one dimension. In this work we focus on three different cases: • Relaxation of high energy electrons injected in a ν = 1/3 chiral Luttinger liquid and in a standard Luttinger liquid. • Heating and the emergence of effective temperatures in a Quantum Hall system at fractional filling fraction ν = 2/3 partitioned by a Quantum Point Contact. • Effect of relaxation on shot-noise measurement of the quasi-particle charge in a ν = 2 QH state.

Seit Mitte 1950er Jahre hatten Bundesregierungen immer wieder betont, dass die Bundesrepublik „kein „Einwanderungsland“ sei. Das Bekenntnis der Rot-Grünen Koalition zum „Einwanderungsland“ und die Reformen im Bereich des Staatsbürgerschaftsrechts (1999), des Arbeitsrechts (2000) und der Zuwanderung (2004) markierte daher für viele Experten einen Paradigmawandel in der deutschen Immigrations- und Integrationspolitik. Dieser Wandel ist nie systematisch untersucht worden. Für den Zeitraum von 1981 bis 2005 geht die Arbeit auf der Basis einer stichwortbasierten Inhaltsanalyse und eines Gesetzgebungsindexes deshalb den Fragen nach, (1) inwieweit sich Veränderungen in der politischen Zuwanderungsdiskussion in Deutschland am Beispiel des Deutschen Bundestags nachweisen lassen (Diskursebene), (2) inwiefern die gesetzliche Steuerung und Regulierung von Immigration und Integration in dieser Periode von Liberalisierungstendenzen gekennzeichnet war (Policyebene), und (3) in welchem Verhältnis Diskurs und Policy zueinander stehen. Politische, ökonomische und gesellschaftliche Rahmenbedingungen werden dabei berücksichtigt. Theoretisch basiert die Arbeit auf den Annahmen der Punctuated Equilibrium Theory, die etwas ausführlicher dargestellt und mit den Konzepten Paradigma, Frame und Policywandel verbunden wird. / The paper deals with parliamentary discourse and public policy in the realm of immigration and integration in the Federal Republic of Germany between 1981 and 2005. All federal governments until the late 1990s had publically denied that Germany was a “country of immigration”. After the coalition under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder took office in 1998 this traditional “anti-immigrant” rhetoric seemed to change and reforms of long held policy strongholds in the areas of citizenship, work, immigration and integration were initiated. Some experts interpreted these changes as a fundamental policy “paradigm shift”. The paper sets out to examine this diagnosis as it has never been systematically tested. At the theoretical level, the author links the Punctuated Equilibrium Approach with related concepts of paradigms, frames and policy change. Methodologically, he combines a keyword-based content analysis for analyzing parliamentary debates on “foreigners” with an index approach that helps tracing liberalization tendencies in federal policies on immigration and integration over time.

Gold mining by artisinal (small-medium scale) miners causes an immense amount of damage to the environment (i.e. soil erosion, mobilization of heavy metals, etc.).1, 2 One of the most popular gold mining techniques employed by artisinal miners in Guyana is mercury amalgamation. During the amalgamation process approximately 300 metric tons/yr 11, 12 of mercury is used. Mercury once in the environment can be transported through the air, soil, and water column. It is estimated that 90-99% of total mercury (THg) is associated with the sediment. An understanding of the geochemical conditions that affect the fate of mercury in soils, which can act as potential sinks or sources for mercury, can provide solutions for reduced environmental impacts of mercury contamination. Local Guyanese agencies have become concerned with the quality of the water, soil, biota, and human impact in remote locations in the interior of Guyana. Therefore, soil samples were collected from two local mines in Guyana's Arakaka-Mathew's Ridge area. Two soil samples (Pakera Creek and Philip's Mine) and a commercially available iron-oxide sorbent, Kemiron, underwent CVAAS, BET surface area analysis, electron dispersion spectroscopy, and x-ray diffractometry. THg concentrations for recovered soil samples were approximately 300 ng/kg. In addition, samples were subjected to batch equilibrium sorption studies as a function of pH and mercury species/concentration added as Hg(NO3)2 and HgCl2. All samples showed significant amounts of sorption between pH 3-9 for 100-1,000 ppb Hg added as Hg(NO3)2. When HgCl2.was added to the batch reactor containing Kemiron, an iron-oxide surface, the adsorption behavior of Hg2+ decreased. Philip's Mine solids, characterized as silicon dioxide by BET, had the lowest surface area (4 m2/g) and sorption when added as Hg(NO3)2 and HgCl2. On the other hand, Kemiron and Pakera Creek displayed similar sorption behaviors with high sorption across all pH ranges. This may be due to similar chemistry and larger surface areas. Surface loadings were 200 mg/kg and 2,000 mg/kg for experiments with 100 ppb Hg and 1,000 ppb Hg, respectively. Further analysis is required to identify the binding mechanisms between mercury and samples as well as the role of organic matter content on samples.

The growing bacterial resistance against antibiotics creates a limitation for using traditional antibiotics and requests development of new approaches for treatment of bacterial infections. Among the bacterial infections that are most difficult to treat, biofilm-associated infections are one of the most hazardous. Consequently, the prevention of biofilm formation is a very important issue. One of the techniques that are widely investigated nowadays for this purpose is surface modification by polymer brushes that allows generating antifouling antibacterial surfaces. Previously, it was reported that salicylidene acylhydrazides (hydrazones) are good candidates as antivirulence drugs targeting the type three secretion system (T3SS). This secretion system is used by several Gramnegative pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to deliver toxins into a host cell. Furthermore, the chemical structure of these substances allows formation of complexes with metal ions, such as Fe3+ and Ga3+. The antibacterial activity of Ga3+ is well known and attributed to its similarity to the Fe3+ ion. It has also been shown that Ga3+ ions are able to suppress biofilm formation and growth in bacteria. In this thesis the chemistry of antibacterial and antivirulence Ga3+-Hydrazone complexes in solution was studied. First, to get insights in the solution chemistry, the protonation and the stability constants as well as the speciation of the Ga3+-Hydrazone complexes were determined. Additionally, a procedure for anchoring one of the hydrazone substances to antifouling polymer brushes was optimized, and the resulting surfaces were characterized. Results showed that the complexation with Ga3+ ions stabilizes the ligand and increases its solubility. Ga3+ ion binds to the hydrazone molecule forming a strong chelate that should be stable at physiological conditions. The different biological assays, such as Ga3+ uptake, antivirulence and antibiofilm effects, indicated very complex interaction of these complexes with the bacterial cell. Negatively charged and zwitterionic surfaces strongly reduced protein adsorption as well as biofilm formation. Therefore, the antifouling zwitterionic poly-[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-3- sulfopropyl)-ammonium hydroxide (pMEDSAH) brushes were post-modified and successfully functionalized with bioactive substances via a block-copolymerization strategy. However, in order to maintain the availability of the bioactive substance after functionalization, the hydrophobic polyglycidylmethacrylate (pGMA) top block is probably better to functionalize with a lipophilic molecules to reduce diblock copolymer brush rearrangement.

South Africa's North West Province is dependent on gold and platinum exports for its economic growth and employment. Whether this specialisation is optimal from an economic growth, employment creation and welfare point of view, or whether greater export diversification should be encouraged, can most appropriately be evaluated using a general equilibrium framework. Moreover, the answer of whether such specialisation or rather diversification is appropriate may differ depending on the spatial level of analysis that is taken. For instance, export diversification or specialisation on a national level might differ from export diversification or specialisation on sub-national (e.g. provincial) level. A general equilibrium framework is most appropriate for investigating the potential differences between these levels as it takes into consideration a region's economic structure, and the economy-wide linkages between demand, supply, production structure and income distribution. In this light this thesis proposes a regional applied general equilibrium (RAGE) model for the North West Province to address these issues. The question asked is, how can a RAGE model be formulated and implemented for the North West Province of South Africa in order to study the differential impacts of greater export specialisation versus greater export diversification? In answering this question this thesis provides policy makers at regional/provincial level with access to a potentially useful modelling tool, to analyse regional economic issues; it contributes to better understanding the spatial concentration and spatial dynamics of economic activity in the North West Province; and contributes toward the practical policy debate in South Africa. This thesis reviews the literature on export diversification and specialisation, by investigating the extent of export diversification and specialisation in the North West Province over the period 1995-2006 and its relationship to GDP per capita, and using a RAGE model to investigate the economy-wide impacts of greater export diversification versus greater export speciaRsation. These results are contrasted by investigating the economy-wide impacts of greater export diversification versus greater export specialisation on the national level, using a country-wide applied general equilibrium (AGE) model for South Africa. It is found that greater export diversification results in a more substantial increase in exports (of between 0.95 and 1.73 per cent) than in the case of greater export specialisation. In fact it was found that if the North West Province were to specialise in mining exports, such exports would need to grow or increase from the base year by approximately 78 per cent (with no increase in the export demand for other sectors) to result in the same level of growth of total export volumes as is found under export diversification. Avenues for further research are identified. These are a need for more research on elasticities and parameters at regional level, an expansion of the transport services sector in the model, incorporating Tourism Satellite Accounts, BEE and SMME aspects into the model, etc. In conclusion, the thesis implemented the first provincial regional applied general equilibrium model for South Africa, and illustrated that it can make an important contribution to the policy debate on a provincial level in South Africa. The construction of Social Accounting Matrices (SAMs) for all of South Africa's provinces, and the maintenance of these provincial databases could therefore make further contributions to the quantitative assessment of policy options facing government on both the national and provincial level. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Economics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.