Algorithms and Bounds for Drawing Directed Graphs

In this paper we present a new approach to visualize directed graphs and their hierarchies that completely departs from the classical four-phase framework of Sugiyama and computes readable hierarchical visualizations that contain the complete reachability information of a graph. Additionally, our approach has the advantage that only the necessary edges are drawn in the drawing, thus reducing the visual complexity of the resulting drawing. Furthermore, most problems involved in our framework require only polynomial time. Our framework offers a suite of solutions depending upon the requirements, and it consists of only two steps: (a) the cycle removal step (if the graph contains cycles) and (b) the channel decomposition and hierarchical drawing step. Our framework does not introduce any dummy vertices and it keeps the vertices of a channel vertically aligned. The time complexity of the main drawing algorithms of our framework is $O(kn)$, where $k$ is the number of channels, typically much smaller than $n$ (the number of vertices).Comment: Appears in the Proceedings of the 26th International Symposium on Graph Drawing and Network Visualization (GD 2018

Feasible mitigation actions in developing countries

Energy use is not only crucial for economic development, but is also the main driver of greenhouse-gas emissions. Developing countries can reduce emissions and thrive only if economic growth is disentangled from energy-related emissions. Although possible in theory, the required energy-system transformation would impose considerable costs on developing nations. Developed countries could bear those costs fully, but policy design should avoid a possible 'climate rent curse', that is, a negative impact of financial inflows on recipients' economies. Mitigation measures could meet further resistance because of adverse distributional impacts as well as political economy reasons. Hence, drastically re-orienting development paths towards low-carbon growth in developing countries is not very realistic. Efforts should rather focus on 'feasible mitigation actions' such as fossil-fuel subsidy reform, decentralized modern energy and fuel switching in the power sector

Concurrent evaluation of cytokines improves the accuracy of antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens in the diagnosis of active tuberculosis

Data availability statement: All the important data relevant to this study was reported in the manuscript. Any additional data will be made available upon request from the corresponding author.Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Background: Antibodies against mycobacterial proteins are highly specific, but lack sensitivity, whereas cytokines have been shown to be sensitive but not very specific in the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). We assessed combinations between antibodies and cytokines for diagnosing TB. Methods: Immuoglubulin (Ig) A and IgM antibody titres against selected mycobacterial antigens including Apa, NarL, Rv3019c, PstS1, LAM, “Kit 1” (MTP64 and Tpx)”, and “Kit 2” (MPT64, Tpx and 19 kDa) were evaluated by ELISA in plasma samples obtained from individuals under clinical suspicion for TB. Combinations between the antibody titres and previously published cytokine responses in the same participants were assessed for diagnosing active TB. Results: Antibody responses were more promising when used in combination (AUC of 0.80), when all seven antibodies were combined. When anti-“Kit 1”-IgA levels were combined with five host cytokine biomarkers, the AUC increased to 97% (92–100%) with a sensitivity of 95% (95% CI, 73–100%), and specificity of 88.5% (95% CI, 68.7–97%) achieved after leave-one-out cross validation. Conclusion: When used in combination, IgA titres measured with ELISA against multiple Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens may be useful in the diagnosis of TB. However, diagnostic accuracy may be improved if the antibodies are used in combination with cytokines.This work was part of the EDCTP1 programme supported by the European Union (grant number IP_2009_32040, AE-TBC; awarded to GW). The project was also supported by the South African Government through the National Research Foundation (NRF, awarded to NC) and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC, postgraduate scholarship to RJ)

Engineering of microfabricated ion traps and integration of advanced on-chip features

Atomic ions trapped in electromagnetic potentials have long been used for fundamental studies in quantum physics. Over the past two decades, trapped ions have been successfully used to implement technologies such as quantum computing, quantum simulation, atomic clocks, mass spectrometers and quantum sensors. Advanced fabrication techniques, taken from other established or emerging disciplines, are used to create new, reliable ion-trap devices aimed at large-scale integration and compatibility with commercial fabrication. This Technical Review covers the fundamentals of ion trapping before discussing the design of ion traps for the aforementioned applications. We overview the current microfabrication techniques and the various considerations behind the choice of materials and processes. Finally, we discuss current efforts to include advanced, on-chip features in next-generation ion traps

Assessing the fusion of the ischiopubic synchondrosis using predictive modeling

Flaring of the ischiopubic synchondrosis at the time of fusion is a common clinical observation in pediatrics and represents a normal physiological process in skeletal maturation. When presenting unilaterally, this flaring can mimic a range of serious pathological conditions such as osteomyelitis, osteal tumors, and traumatic injury. An improved understanding of ischiopubic synchondrosis fusion is therefore critical to avoid potential misdiagnosis. Retrospective multi-slice computed tomography pelvic scans of Australian individuals aged neonate to 24 years (n = 184) were assessed using a novel five stage morphological classification system of the maturation and fusion of the ischiopubic synchondrosis. Maturation scoring was conducted using both multiplanar formatting views and volume-rendered reconstructions in OsiriX™. Maturational stage was strongly related to age (P < 0.001) with fusion of the ischiopubic synchondrosis observed between the ages of 4 and 9 years in females and 7 and 13 years for males. The highest probability of fusion in our Queensland Australian population based on multinomial regression predictive modeling was between 7 and 10 years of age. We documented three variants of fusion: pubic and ischial outgrowths, appearance of a secondary ossification center, and a fusiform-shaped enlargement. This study provides the first predictive modeling of the timing of fusion of the ischiopubic synchondrosis using a reliable morphological classification system. The significant variation in timing and progression of fusion of the ischiopubic synchondrosis reported in this study, will aid in minimizing misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment in children presenting with asymmetrical or delayed ischiopubic synchondrosis anomalies. Clin. Anat. 32:851–859, 2019