NTT (Germany)

The chloroquine resistance transporter, PfCRT, is important for the survival of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. It increases the tolerance to many antimalarial drugs, and it is essential for the development of the parasite within red blood cells. While we understand the role of PfCRT in drug resistance in ever increasing detail, the non-drug resistance functions are still debated. Identifying the natural substrate of PfCRT has been hampered by a paucity of functional assays to test putative substrates in the parasite system and the absence of a parasite mutant deficient for the PfCRT encoding gene. By generating a conditional PfCRT knock-down mutant, together with comparative metabolomics and uptake studies using fluorescently labeled oligopeptides, we could show that PfCRT is an oligopeptide transporter. The oligopeptides were structurally diverse and were electrically neutral or carried a single charge. Our data support a function of PfCRT in oligopeptide transport.

Processing of sensory information is embedded into ongoing neural processes which contribute to brain states. Electroencephalographic microstates are semi-stable short-lived power distributions which have been associated with subsystem activity such as auditory, visual and attention networks. Here we explore changes in electrical brain states in response to an audiovisual perception and memorization task under conditions of auditory distraction. We discovered changes in brain microstates reflecting a weakening of states representing activity of the auditory system and strengthening of salience networks, supporting the idea that salience networks are active after audiovisual encoding and during memorization to protect memories and concentrate on upcoming behavioural response.

BACKGROUND: The morbidity in dengue fever is dependent on the dengue virus (DENV) serotypes, the patient age, predisposing immunogenic markers and the frequency of primary and secondary infections. This study aims to distinguish acute primary from secondary dengue infections of Vietnamese adults and to assess the association of viremia and anti-dengue immunoglobulin levels with clinical outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: Viral RNA, dengue serotypes and levels of anti-dengue IgM and IgG of hospitalized adult cases were determined in EDTA-plasma samples prospectively collected during three consecutive years of dengue infection in Hanoi. Patients admitted to hospital within 7 days of their 1st reported fever were included. Primary infections were anti-dengue IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) negative on both day of hospital entry (day 0) and day two or three of hospitalization (day 2 or 3) with a positive anti-dengue IgM on either day 0 or day 2 or 3 hospitalization. The secondary infections were anti-dengue IgG ELISA positive on both day 0 and day 2 or 3 with positive anti-dengue IgM ELISA on either day 0 or day 2 or 3. RESULTS: The hospitalized dengue fever cases between October 2016 and March 2019 were predominantly secondary infections (74%, 68% and 77%, respectively) with DENV-1 (60% and 65%) and DENV-2 (22% and 26%) serotypes determined in the latter two years. The viremia in primary infection was significantly higher than that in secondary infection (P < 0.01) and positively correlated with the days of hospital stay. In secondary infections, platelet counts were lower than in primary infections (P = 0.04) and IgG levels in secondary infection negatively correlated with platelet counts (Spearman's r = -0.22, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate high rates of secondary infection with DENV1 and DENV2 serotypes. Anti-dengue immunoglobulins negatively correlate with hospital stay and platelet counts with few warning signs or severe disease. Further investigations of specific antibodies in adults which predict auto-inflammatory activity after the recovery from dengue infection are warranted.

This paper spans a period from early pioneers in electrical telegraphy and telephony to the roots of the Geheimschreiber: the (electric) Siemens Schnelltelegraphy and the development of the first electrical teletypewriter “T25” by Wernerwerk 1, Berlin, in 1928. The paper expresses the opinion that the Geheimschreiber: T52d/e was not cracked by Bletchley Park's deciphering machines during WWII.

ブリルアン散乱光に基づく光ファイバひずみ計測技術は, 構造物の連続的なひずみを計測できる特長があり注目されている。しかし, 通信用に用いられる光ファイバをそのままコンクリート構造物へ適用するのは, センサが破断しやすい, コンクリートとの一体性が確保できない等の問題があった。今回, 通信用光ファイバを繊維強化プラスチックで被覆し, かつコンクリートとの付着を確保するために表面に凹凸を設けたコンクリート埋め込み型ひずみセンシング用光ファイバを開発した。各種の力学試験や施工試験の結果, この光ファイバセンサが, 構造物のひずみや変形を把握するためのセンサとして有効であることを検証することができた。

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has evolved over the past three decades from the initial pioneering stage to become a transformative force in electrocatalytic research yet is far from realizing its full potential. This review traces foundational applications of AI to electrocatalysis in the 1990s to highlight the integration of AI into the full catalyst development workflow in the last five years, from material design and synthesis to characterization and performance evaluation, and ultimately to knowledge extraction. Emphasis is placed on critical but often partially recognized or neglected bottlenecks: the scale gap between atomistic simulations and macroscopic performance, inverse electrocatalyst design, physical consistency and interpretability of machine learning models, automated experiments, and the scarcity of high-quality, well validated experimental data. Cutting edge solutions such as exascale computing, machine learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs), physics-informed machine learning (PIML), generative models (variational autoencoders, diffusion models, and large language models), and FAIR-compliant data are discussed. This review highlights that the progress of AI for electrocatalysis is inherently data-centric, driven by advances in data-quality, FAIR-compliant infrastructure, and data-driven workflows that connect experiment, simulations, and machine learning. Beyond technical perspectives, this review also emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, industrial relevance, and cautions in respect of hyping. By identifying challenges and highlighting emerging breakthroughs, this work offers a roadmap for advancing AI-driven electrocatalysis towards more predictive, interpretable, and scalable discovery. • Traces 30 years of AI development and integration in electrocatalysis. • Identify five bottlenecks limiting AI-enabled catalyst discovery. • Discusses MLIPs, PIML, and generative AI for design and mechanistic insights. • Highlights data-centric progress driven by accessible and consistent data. • Calls for interdisciplinary, industrial, and responsible AI integration.

3D printing is drawing great interest as an innovative manufacturing tool which can produce tailor-made parts or high functional parts. However, it seems that real status of 3D printing or additive manufacturing is not understood correctly. This article gives an overview of the positioning of each 3D printing technology in additive manufacturing and shows examples of additive manufacturing by using laser sintering technology. Especially, the latest case studies of metal parts will be shown.

Abstract Universal life policies are the most popular insurance contract design in the United States. They provide either a level death benefit paying a fixed face amount or an increasing death benefit paying a fixed benefit plus the available cash value, and both types include the option to switch from one type to the other. In this article, we investigate the fact that—unlike a switch from level to increasing—a switch from an increasing death benefit to a level death benefit requires neither fees nor evidence of insurability. To assess the impact of the death benefit switch option, we develop a model framework of an increasing universal life insurance policy embedding this option. Consideration of heterogeneity with respect to mortality via a stochastic differential mortality factor enables an investigation of adverse exercise behavior. In a comprehensive simulation analysis, we quantify the net present value of the option from the insurer's perspective using risk‐neutral valuation under stochastic interest rates assuming empirical exercise probabilities. Based on our results, we provide policy recommendations for life insurers.

This research explores the perception and motivation of saving from customers of the Branch Office (KC) Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) in Manado. This study uses a qualitative approach to understand how customers view Islamic banking services and the factors motivating them to use them. The research method includes in-depth interviews with BSI customers. Interviews are used to explore customers' views on Islamic banking services, the factors influencing their savings decisions, and their experiences and expectations regarding these services. The findings show that religiosity, income, and understanding of Sharia principles are essential in the motivation to save in Islamic banks. Customers choose Islamic banks not only because of their religious aspects but also because they believe in transparency and fairness in financial services based on Islamic teachings. The implications of this research are important for Islamic banks in designing more effective marketing strategies and products that suit the needs of customers with a solid religious background.

Thoracoscopic truncal vagotomy was performed in three patients with recurrent ulcer after previous Billroth-II gastrectomy. The technique involved double-lumen endotracheal-endobronchial intubation and single-lung ventilation. No morbidity or mortality existed and the mean hospitalization was 7 days. To date, no recurrent ulceration has been detected in these patients. Thoracoscopic truncal vagotomy is considered to be a rapid, simple and safe approach and thus could play a preferential role in the management of patients with recurrent peptic ulcer after previous gastrectomy.

Since the summer of 1922, quantitative measurements have been carried out on the signal strengths of the American high power stations WQK and WSO, using an objective measuring method. The object of these measurements is to study the propagation of electromagnetic waves. It has been shown that these phenomena can be studied only by continued measurements. Curves are presented showing the field strengths on three successive days and nights once each month for the year February, 1923-January, 1924. In view of the agreement of the calculated values of field strength and the values actually found at night, it is concluded that the night value is to be regarded as the normal one and the day value as the abnormal or disturbed one. An explanation of the diminution of field intensity is given by assuming that the atmosphere is "electrically turbid" by day in consequence of the heating of the earth and the resulting vertical motion of masses of heated air. The waves are refracted, absorbed or reflected (and hence weakened) at the boundary surfaces of air masses of different densities. Diurnal and annual variations of field intensity can be readily explained by this theory. It was not possible to establish any difference between field intensity in a large city and in nearby open country. The derivation of a universally applicable formula giving the field strength, while taking account of all absorption losses, is regarded as impossible at present.

We present an efficient coding method for multiview video plus a multiview depth map. This representation has been discussed as a potential standard for advanced visual media such as free-viewpoint TV and 3D video. The method is used to predict three kinds of information, disparity vectors, coding modes, and image signals, by utilizing pixel correspondences among views that can be calculated from coded multiview depth maps. Experiments show that using the proposed method reduces the bitrate by up to 22.5% relative to simulcast multiview video coding of multiview video and depth maps. The results also show the coding are not significantly affected by encoding noises on depth maps. Furthermore, the bitrate is reduced by up to 11.8% for multiview video coding where the bitrate for the depth maps is treated as only an overhead.

The propagation of electromagnetic waves over the earth's surface is studied, particularly for very long distance transmission, for which it is deduced that short waves are inherently unsuitable. Methods of quantitatively determining the strength of received signals are shown to be necessary; and some of the results obtained by their use in cennection with diurnal and seasonal variations of transmission are given. The simultaneous appearance of disturbances of reception at widely separated points is investigated and found to exist, and it is concluded that the source of such widespread disturbances may be in iron-containing portions of the earth's crust subject to varying magnetic fields and with a stepwise altered magnetization according to the Barkhausen effect.

In practice, developers usually seek different ways to save time and effort. Thus, they use different tools (such as search engines, issue tracking, or Q&A sites) to collaborate and find code examples that meet their specific needs. However, such tools only support the traditional find-alter-embed approach of code examples while ignoring the origin and location of these sources. Such information can be very useful to assist software development tasks such as bug-fixing, teamwork, and knowledge transfer, through direct notification of critical changes made to the code example, or access to the original source including its discussions, issues, and bug reports. In this paper, we propose a new approach that consists of collecting meta information about a code example to automatically track critical changes to it and its origin and provide feedback to both developers and the online community. We report on our vision, approach and challenges, and draft a software architecture to implement our research idea.

Dieses Buch stellt bewusstes Wirtschaften als einen expandierenden und kraftvollen Ansatz vor, um Organisationen neu zu erfinden

低収縮性付与剤を含んだ不飽和ポリエステル樹脂 (UP樹脂) を結合材とするレジンモルタルの水中における加速劣化試験を行った. 低収縮性付与剤としてはUP樹脂と相溶性であるポリ酢酸ビニルと非相溶性であるポリスチレンを用いた.水中における強度低下はレジンモルタル硬化時の残留応力と水の拡散が影響している事が分かった. 非相溶系及び低収縮性付与剤を含まないUP樹脂レジンモルタルでは残留応力が大きく, 水の試料中への拡散が強度低下の原因である. これらのUP樹脂レジンモルタルについては, 劣化特性推定式を作成し寿命を推定した. 相溶系の場合, 硬化時に低収縮性付与剤が小さな連続気泡を作るため試料中への水の浸透は速く, 強度試験期間の初期に一定の強度低下が見られる. しかし, 残留応力が小さいため, 二, 三万時間以上では非相溶及び低収縮性付与剤を含まないUP樹脂レジンモルタルよりも高い強度を保持できる.

This preprint extends the SnapOS audit framework by introducing the concept of Audit Equilibrium—an energetically balanced state of self-auditing semantic systems. Building on versions 4.1 and 4.2, SnapOS v4.8 integrates the dual validity–resonance model (TrueClaim²), the normative integrity layer (SnapDignity), and the energetic drift controller (Drift Energetics E_F). It unifies empirical verification and ethical coherence into one continuously auditable architecture (SnapCoreOS 2.0). The release formalizes quantitative audit metrics for clarity, drift, and resonance, enabling persistent traceability through the SnapAuditMemory (SAM) subsystem. Applications include interpretable AI, ethical governance frameworks, GDPR-compliant traceability, and cognitive-stability testing for large language models. This publication bridges the theoretical foundations of v4.1 – v4.2 with the upcoming System 2.0 Architecture (v5.0) and forms part of the SnapOS Canon (DOI lineage v1.0 → v4.1 → v4.2 → v4.8 → v5.0). Trademark applications for “SnapOS” and “SnapScore” are pending under EUIPO Class 42 (semantic-infrastructure software). Related canonical works Part of the SnapOS Research Series documenting the evolution of semantic audit frameworks: DOI 10.5281/zenodo.15872999 (SnapLens) DOI 10.5281/zenodo.16931771 (Schrankenbuch – Vol 1) DOI 10.5281/zenodo.16941971 (Volume 2: Audit) Keywords: SnapOS, TrueClaim², AuditCore, Semantic Audit, Ethical AI, AI Governance, Drift Stability, SAM Memory, Audit Equilibrium

The SnapOS Claim Document v1.0 formalizes the foundational scientific claim behind Semantic Stability Engineering (SSE), a new discipline that addresses the evolution and stability of meaning in adaptive computational systems. While machine learning optimizes statistical or behavioural performance, current architectures lack a model-independent layer for monitoring, governing, and restoring semantic coherence as systems evolve. This document establishes three core claims: Semantic drift is a distinct system-level phenomenon occurring when internal meaning representations change independently of output behaviour. SnapOS introduces the first semantic stability layer, providing signal-based semantic observability, the Reflexive Behavioral Specification (RBS), and the Reflexive Interpretation Cycle (RIC) for drift detection, correction, and re-entry. Semantic Stability Engineering (SSE) is defined as the scientific field focused on measuring, analysing and stabilising meaning behaviour across interpretive cycles in adaptive systems. To ensure conceptual clarity and prevent misclassification, the document includes: a Non-Subsumption Clause, an Independent Origin Declaration, and a Temporal Priority Shield,establishing SnapOS as the originating architecture of SSE and declaring the conceptual space in which the framework operates. This Claim Document is designed to serve as a priority-establishing, citation-ready reference for subsequent research in semantic drift, AI system stability, governance, multi-agent coherence, and meaning-level auditability. It complements the broader SnapOS and Reflexive Systems Architecture literature by providing a precise and unambiguous definition of the field and its core innovations.

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This preprint extends SnapOS v4.1 — Auditability Beyond Computation by introducing a dual validity–resonance audit model (TrueClaim²), the BenchmarkAudit calibration system, and the audit-native memory architecture (SAM – SnapAuditMemory). SnapOS v4.2 formalizes how semantic coherence and ethical integrity can be continuously verified under structural drift. It defines the operators Audit, Reentry, SnapCut, and TrueClaim², as well as new modules such as SnapAtlas 2.0 (time-layered audit snapshots) and SAM (persistent audit memory). This release bridges the theoretical framework of v4.1 with the federated infrastructure of v5.0 (τpublic and Illusion-Audit). It introduces the first measurable dual-axis truth model based on Validity (v) and Resonance (r), providing quantitative audit trails for AI systems and governance processes. Applications include interpretable AI, normative audit frameworks, GDPR-compliant traceability, and cognitive stability testing for LLMs. Trademark application for “SnapOS” and “SnapScore” is pending under EUIPO Class 42 (semantic infrastructure software).This preprint is part of the SnapOS Canon (DOI lineage: v1.0 → v4.1 → v4.2 → v5.0) and includes the AuditCore License v1.2 (Self-Grant Edition) and Forensic Appendix Z.**Related Canonical Works** Part of the SnapOS Research Series documenting the evolution of the semantic audit framework: - DOI 10.5281/zenodo.15872999 (SnapLens) - DOI 10.5281/zenodo.16931771 (Schrankenbuch – Vol 1) - DOI 10.5281/zenodo.16941971 (Volume 2: Audit) SnapOS, TrueClaim², AuditCore, Semantic Audit, AI Governance, Ethical AI, Drift Stability, SAM Memory, Auditability Beyond Computation