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Background: Internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO) is a disorder of eye movements caused by a lesion involving the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF) within the brainstem, and it is characterized by adduction impairment combined with contralateral dissociated abduction nystagmus. The frequency of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) presenting with INO as a predominant symptom is very low, and many patients suffering from this brainstem AIS are precluded from intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). Objective: To provide for the first time a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of response to the IVT in brainstem wake-up stroke presenting with INO as an isolated symptom. Methods: Here, we described a rare case of pons AIS presenting with INO as a unique symptom of awakening. In order to differentiate an ischemic stroke from other stroke mimics, and to determine whether the patient was within the therapeutic window for IVT (wake-up stroke), brain MRI including DWI and FLAIR sequences was acquired. Results: A left paramedian pontine DWI/FLAIR mismatch was detected and the patient was considered eligible for IVT. After IVT, the patient made a full recovery with complete resolution of INO. Follow-up MRI at 1 month demonstrates the absence of ischemic lesions. Conclusion: Our case provides neuroradiological evidence of IVT efficacy in brainstem stroke, and it should prompt clinicians to rapidly perform MRI in wake-up onset INO and to just as quickly administer IVT, since INO is a functionally disabling deficit. Finally, this case demonstrates the value of MRI in diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic workup of posterior circulation wake-up stroke.

The growing interest in quantum technologies, from fundamental physics experiments to quantum computing, demands for extremely performing electronics only adding the minimum amount of noise admitted by quantum mechanics to the input signal (i.e. quantum-limited electronics). Superconducting microwave amplifiers, due to their dissipationless nature, exhibit outstanding performances in terms of noise (quantum limited), and gain. However, bandwidth and saturation power still show space for substantial improvement. Within the DARTWARS* collaboration, we are developing state-of-the-art microwave superconducting amplifiers based on Josephson junction arrays and on distributed kinetic inductance transmission lines. Here we report the realization of a setup for the characterization of the performances of Josephson Traveling-Wave Parametric Amplifiers (JTWPA) at a temperature of 300 mK. Although in the final experimental setup these amplifiers will operate at a base temperature of about 20 mK, their characterization at 300 mK allows to evidence the main aspects of their performances, but the ultimate noise level. This represents a quick and relatively inexpensive way to test these superconductive devices that can be of help to improve their design and fabrication. IEEE

The recent developments in quantum technologies, as well as advanced detection experiments, have raised the need to detect extremely weak signals in the microwave frequency spectrum. To this aim, the Josephson travelling wave parametric amplifier, a device capable of reaching the quantum noise limit while providing a wide bandwidth, has been proposed as a suitable cryogenic front-end amplifier. This work deals with the numerical study of a Josephson travelling wave parametric amplifier, without approximations regarding the nonlinearity of the key elements. In particular, we focus on the investigation of the system of coupled nonlinear differential equations representing all the cells of the Josephson travelling wave parametric amplifier, with proper input and output signals at the boundaries. The investigation of the output signals generated by the parametric amplification process explores the phase-space and the Fourier spectral analysis of the output voltage, as a function of the parameters describing the pump and signal tones that excite the device. Beside the expected behavior, i.e., the signal amplification, we show that, depending on the system operation, unwanted effects (such as pump tone harmonics, incommensurate frequency generation, and noise rise), which are not accounted for in simple linearized approaches, can be generated in the whole nonlinear system. IEEE

BACKGROUND To document the evolution of cranial asymmetries in infants with signs of nonsynostotic occipital plagiocephaly (NSOP) who were undergo to many functional manual therapy treatments (in addition to the standard positioning recommendations) as well as to determine the feasibility of this methodology to conduct an outcome research investigating the impact of this intervention for infants with NSOP. METHODS Pilot clinical standardization project using pre-post design in which 10 infants participated. Nine infants presented an initial Oblique Diameter Difference Index (ODDI) over 104%, three an initial Ear Deviation Index (EDI) over 4%, and three a Cranial Proportional Index (CPI) over 90%. INTERVENTIONS Infants received three functional manual therapy treatments for week during the first month of intervention and two ones for week during the second month. RESULTS Plagiocephalometric measurememts were administered at the first assessment pre-intervention (T0), after 30 days (+/-5) (T1) and at a third time after 60 days (+/5) of treatment (T2). RESULTS 9/10 participants showed a significant decrease in ODDI under 104% between T0 and T2 assessments. 5/10 infants showed an EDI under 4%, and 3/10 showed a value about 0%. 3/10 maintained their CPI over 90% with a considerable decrease. CONCLUSIONS These clinical findings support the hypothesis that functional manual therapy treatments contribute to the improvement of cranial asymmetries in infants younger than 6.5 months old presenting with NSOP.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are widely studied as therapeutic agents due to their broad-spectrum efficacy against infections. However, their clinical use is hampered by the low in vivo bioavailability and systemic toxicity. Such limitations might be overcome by using appropriate drug delivery systems. Here, the preparation of a drug delivery system (DDS) by physical conjugation of an arginine-rich peptide and hydrothermal carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) has been explored, and its antimicrobial efficacy against