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The distribution of entangled qubit pairs to end nodes is the key requirement of a quantum network to enable qubit state transmission through quantum teleportation. Existing protocols for entanglement distribution fix a specific swapping order on the involved quantum repeaters and delegate entanglement purification to upper-layer protocols. This limitation is problematic because entangled states tend to degrade due to quantum noise, and they cannot be purified if their fidelity (i.e., quality) falls below a certain threshold. It is therefore of the utmost importance to co-plan entanglement swapping and purification to achieve a target end-to-end fidelity. In this work, we present the Ranked Entanglement Distribution Protocol (REDiP), which overcomes the aforementioned limits by including the “ranks” mechanism to configure the ordering of both purification and entanglement swapping steps. We show how REDiP can easily be configured to implement custom entanglement swapping and purification strategies, including (but not restricted to) those adopted in two recent works. We also propose an algorithm to estimate the bandwidth to allocate on every link of the REDiP path, and we provide a set of guidelines on how REDiP ranks can be configured depending on user requirements and hardware configuration. Such guidelines are driven by original insights into purification performance. We conduct simulations to verify our results and assess the impact of different REDiP configurations on the performance of a repeater network, in terms of throughput and fidelity.

The Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) is a RESTful protocol standardized by the IETF and widely used for IoT applications. CoAP includes a default congestion control algorithm to ensure efficient operation under high traffic conditions. Other congestion control algorithms for CoAP have been proposed and evaluated in the literature, including the very popular CoCoA algorithm. All these algorithms assume that the underlying wireless communication is regulated through the 802.15.4 CSMA-CA protocol. Today, many IoT systems are based on the 6TiSCH architecture that, instead, leverages the TSCH (Time Slotted Channel Hopping) mode of IEEE 802.15.4, i.e., a synchronous and time-slotted access protocol. In this paper we investigate, by simulation, the suitability of existing CoAP congestion-control algorithms to the 6TiSCH architecture. Our results show that the performance of the considered algorithms are strongly influenced by the Scheduling Function used to allocate communication resources to nodes. In addition, our analysis emphasizes that CoCoA does not provide a significant advantage over the default algorithm in 6TiSCH networks. We investigate the motivations for such a behavior and propose an optimized version of CoCoA, namely 6CoCoA, specifically tailored for 6TiSCH networks. 6CoCoA is able to provide up to a 15% improvement of the Transaction Delivery Ratio and up to a 25% reduction of the end-to-end Transaction Delay, when the network is congested.

In an article published in 2009, Brun et al. proved that in the presence of a “Deutschian” closed timelike curve, one can map $K$ distinct nonorthogonal states (hereafter, input set) to the standard orthonormal basis of a $K$-dimensional state space. To implement this result, the authors proposed a quantum circuit that includes, among SWAP gates, a fixed set of controlled operators (boxes) and an algorithm for determining the unitary transformations carried out by such boxes. To our knowledge, what is still missing to complete the picture is an analysis evaluating the performance of the aforementioned circuit from an engineering perspective. The objective of this article is, therefore, to address this gap through an in-depth simulation analysis, which exploits the approach proposed by Brun et al. in 2017. This approach relies on multiple copies of an input state, multiple iterations of the circuit until a fixed point is (almost) reached. The performance analysis led us to a number of findings. First, the number of iterations is significantly high even if the number of states to be discriminated against is small, such as 2 or 3. Second, we envision that such a number may be shortened as there is plenty of room to improve the unitary transformation acting in the aforementioned controlled boxes. Third, we also revealed a relationship between the number of iterations required to get close to the fixed point and the Chernoff limit of the input set used: the higher the Chernoff bound, the smaller the number of iterations. A comparison, although partial, with another quantum circuit discriminating the nonorthogonal states, proposed by Nareddula et al. in 2018, is carried out and differences are highlighted.

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has recently defined the 6TiSCH architecture to enable the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), i.e., the adoption of the IoT paradigm for industrial applications with stringent requirements, in terms of reliability and timeliness. In 6TiSCH networks, the scheduling of communication resources is of paramount importance to meet the application requirements, and many different Scheduling Functions have been proposed to cope with the needs of various applications. Recently, autonomous scheduling has emerged as an efficient and robust approach, as it allows nodes to allocate communication resources autonomously, i.e., without any negotiation with their neighbors, thus avoiding the related overhead. Typically, this is obtained through static resource-allocation algorithms that are not able to adapt to variations in traffic conditions. In this paper, we consider adaptive autonomous scheduling, and compare the performance of three different algorithms in various IIoT scenarios. We investigate their ability to adapt to traffic changes, and evaluate them in terms of performance, resource consumption, and complexity. Based on the results obtained, we also provide a set of guidelines to select the most appropriate Scheduling Function, and its configuration parameters, depending on the specific use case.

The 6TiSCH architecture is expected to play a significant role to enable the Internet of Things paradigm also in industrial environments, where reliability and timeliness are of paramount importance to support critical applications. Many research activities have focused on the Scheduling Function (SF) used for managing the allocation of communication resources in order to guarantee the application requirements. Two different approaches have mainly attracted the interest of researchers, namely distributed and autonomous scheduling. Although many different (both distributed and autonomous) SFs have been proposed and analyzed, a direct comparison of these two approaches is still missing. In this work, we compare some different SFs, using different behaviors in allocating resources, and investigate the pros and cons of using distributed or autonomous scheduling in four different scenarios, by means of both simulations and measurements in a real testbed. Based on our results, we also provide a number of guidelines to select the most appropriate SF, and its configuration parameters, depending on the specific use case.

In the central nervous system (CNS), dopamine (DA) is involved in motor and cognitive functions. Although the cerebellum is not been considered an elective dopaminergic region, studies attributed to it a critical role in dopamine deficit-related neurological and psychiatric disorders [e.g., Parkinson's disease (PD) and schizophrenia (SCZ)]. Data on the cerebellar dopaminergic neuronal system are still lacking. Nevertheless, biochemical studies detected in the mammalians cerebellum high dopamine levels, while chemical neuroanatomy studies revealed the presence of midbrain dopaminergic afferents to the cerebellum as well as wide distribution of the dopaminergic receptor subtypes (DRD1-DRD5). The present review summarizes the data on the cerebellar dopaminergic system including its involvement in associative and projective circuits. Furthermore, this study also briefly discusses the role of the cerebellar dopaminergic system in some neurologic and psychiatric disorders and suggests its potential involvement as a target in pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments.

Discomalleolar ligament represents the vestiges of the primitive lateral pterygoid muscle which penetrates in the caudal end of Meckel's cartilage; during the development of newborn, the petrotympanic fissure close almost completely leaving inside the discomalleolar ligament. After entering in tympanic cavity, some fibers of the discomalleolar ligament insert to walls of cavity, other fibers continue with the lateral margin of the anterior ligament and insert in the neck of malleus; in contrast, other Authors demonstrated that discomalleolar ligament is an independent structure inserted in proximity of the neck of the malleus. Although the discomalleolar ligament can be considered as a structure of clinical importance, it is not described by anatomy textbooks. Moreover, it is likely that important correlations between temporomandibular diseases and otological symptoms exist. We have studied discomalleolar ligament submitting the specimens to the 3D volume rendering technique, light microscopy, reconstructing a wide light microscopic fields to analyze the real connection between retrodiscal connective tissue and middle ear, and immunofluorescence methods in order to analyze the consistence of ligament. We have shown two types of connections between TMJ and ear: first, with external acoustic meatus and, second, with middle ear through discomalleolar ligament. The different insertion represents a strong support in order to demonstrate that the TMJ disorders can determine variations of tension that are transmitted on the tympanic membrane provoking tinnitus in according to clinical features. Then, we propose that it is necessary to mention, also in anatomy textbook, the discomalleolar ligament as ligament distance of TMJ.

Abstract Introduction Sexual desire, arousal, and orgasm are mediated by complex, yet still not fully understood, interactions of the somatic and autonomic nervous systems operating at the central and peripheral levels. Disruption of endocrine, neural, or vascular response, caused by aging, medical illness, neurological diseases, surgery, or drugs, can lead to sexual dysfunctions, thus significantly affecting patients' quality of life. Purpose This narrative review aims at characterizing the involvement of the central nervous system in human sexual behavior. Methods A literature search was conducted using PubMed in its entirety up to June 2018, analyzing the studies dealing with the neurobiological and neurophysiological basis of human sexuality. Results Sexual behavior is regulated by both subcortical structures, such as the hypothalamus, brainstem, and spinal cord, and several cortical brain areas acting as an orchestra to finely adjust this primitive, complex, and versatile behavior. At the central level, dopaminergic and serotonergic systems appear to play a significant role in various factors of sexual response, although adrenergic, cholinergic, and other neuropeptide transmitter systems may contribute as well. Conclusions Providing healthcare professionals with information concerning sexual behavior may overcome useless and sometimes dangerous barriers and improve patient management, since sexual well‐being is considered one of the most important aspects of one's quality of life.

Unilateral posterior crossbite is a type of malocclusion that involves morpho-functional characteristics of masticatory muscle, such as the masseter: electrophysiological data have shown that the affected side works less than the contralateral muscle, which shows a normal or increased activity, probably in order to compensate for the affected side. The aim of present work was to measure the diameter and the cross-sectional area of ipsilateral and contralateral muscle fibers to verify if hypertrophy and/or hypotrophy take place in this malocclusion. We used immunofluorescence pictures to measure, using ImageJ software, the diameter and the cross-sectional area of fibers from control and crossbite groups; after that, the data were processed to perform statistical analyses. Results show that the fiber diameters of contralateral muscle are larger than the diameters of ipsilateral and control fibers, and that this difference is statistically significant. No statistically significant difference was found between the fiber diameters of the ipsilateral and control muscles. All these data suggest that, during unilateral posterior crossbite, morphological changes take place in the contralateral masseter muscle, which undergoes hypertrophy, probably to compensate for the low activity of the affected muscle.

Much of our present understanding of the function and operation of the basal ganglia rests on models of anatomical connectivity derived from tract-tracing approaches in rodents and primates. However, the last years have been characterized by promising step forwards in the in vivo investigation and comprehension of brain connectivity in humans. The aim of this review is to revise the current knowledge on basal ganglia circuits, highlighting similarities and differences across species, in order to widen the current perspective on the intricate model of the basal ganglia system. This will allow us to explore the implications of additional direct pathways running from cortex to basal ganglia and between basal ganglia and cerebellum recently described in animals and humans.

Worldwide increasing awareness of energy sustainability issues has been the main driver in developing the concepts of (Nearly) Zero Energy Buildings, where the reduced energy consumptions are (nearly) fully covered by power locally generated by renewable sources. At the same time, recent advances in Internet of Things technologies are among the main enablers of Smart Homes and Buildings. The transition of conventional buildings into active environments that process, elaborate and react to online measured environmental quantities is being accelerated by the aspects related to COVID-19, most notably in terms of air exchange and the monitoring of the density of occupants. In this paper, we address the problem of maximizing the energy efficiency and comfort perceived by occupants, defined in terms of thermal comfort, visual comfort and air quality. The case study of the University of Pisa is considered as a practical example to show preliminary results of the aggregation of environmental data.

Background and objectives: Functional deregulation of dopaminergic midbrain regions is a core feature of schizophrenia pathophysiology. Anatomical research on primates suggests that these regions may be subdivided into distinct, topographically organized functional territories according to their connectivity to the striatum. The aim of the present work was the reconstruction of dopaminergic midbrain subregions in healthy subjects and schizophrenic patients and the evaluation of their structural connectivity profiles. Materials and Methods: A hypothesis-driven connectivity-based parcellation derived from diffusion tractography was applied on 24 healthy subjects and 30 schizophrenic patients to identify distinct territories within the human dopaminergic midbrain in vivo and non-invasively. Results: We identified a tripartite subdivision of dopaminergic midbrain, including limbic, prefrontal and sensorimotor territories. No significant differences in structural features or connectivity were found between subjects and patients. Conclusions: The parcellation scheme proposed herein may help to achieve detailed characterization of structural and functional anomalies of the dopaminergic midbrain in schizophrenic patients.

Background and objectives: The internal (GPi) and external segments (GPe) of the globus pallidus represent key nodes in the basal ganglia system. Connections to and from pallidal segments are topographically organized, delineating limbic, associative and sensorimotor territories. The topography of pallidal afferent and efferent connections with brainstem structures has been poorly investigated. In this study we sought to characterize in-vivo connections between the globus pallidus and the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) via diffusion tractography. Materials and Methods: We employed structural and diffusion data of 100 subjects from the Human Connectome Project repository in order to reconstruct the connections between the PPN and the globus pallidus, employing higher order tractography techniques. We assessed streamline count of the reconstructed bundles and investigated spatial relations between pallidal voxels connected to the PPN and pallidal limbic, associative and sensorimotor functional territories. Results: We successfully reconstructed pallidotegmental tracts for the GPi and GPe in all subjects. The number of streamlines connecting the PPN with the GPi was greater than the number of those joining it with the GPe. PPN maps within pallidal segments exhibited a distinctive spatial organization, being localized in the ventromedial portion of the GPi and in the ventral-anterior portion in the GPe. Regarding their spatial relations with tractography-derived maps of pallidal functional territories, the highest value of percentage overlap was noticed between PPN maps and the associative territory. Conclusions: We successfully reconstructed the anatomical course of the pallidotegmental pathways and comprehensively characterized their topographical arrangement within both pallidal segments. PPM maps were localized in the ventromedial aspect of the GPi, while they occupied the anterior pole and the most ventral portion of the GPe. A better understanding of the spatial and topographical arrangement of the pallidotegmental pathways may have pathophysiological and therapeutic implications in movement disorders.

Air quality in urban areas is a very important topic as it closely affects the health of citizens. Recent studies highlight that the exposure to polluted air can increase the incidence of diseases and deteriorate the quality of life. Hence, it is necessary to develop tools for real-time air quality monitoring, so as to allow appropriate and timely decisions. In this paper, we present uSense, a low-cost cooperative monitoring tool that allows knowing, in real-time, the concentrations of polluting gases in various areas of the city. Specifically, users monitor the areas of their interest by deploying low-cost and low-power sensor nodes. In addition, they can share the collected data following a social networking approach. uSense has been tested through an in-field experimentation performed in different areas of a city. The obtained results are in line with those provided by the local environmental control authority and show that uSense can be profitably used for air quality monitoring.

The current model of basal ganglia circuits has been introduced almost two decades ago and has settled the basis for our understanding of basal ganglia physiology and movement disorders. Although many questions are yet to be answered, several efforts have been recently made to shed new light on basal ganglia function. The traditional concept of “direct” and “indirect” pathways, obtained from axonal tracing studies in non-human primates and post-mortem fiber dissection in the human brain, still retains a remarkable appeal but is somehow obsolete. Therefore, a better comprehension of human structural basal ganglia connectivity in vivo, in humans, is of uttermost importance given the involvement of these deep brain structures in many motor and non-motor functions as well as in the pathophysiology of several movement disorders. By using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and tractography, we have recently challenged the traditional model of basal ganglia network by showing the possible existence, in the human brain, of cortico-pallidal, cortico-nigral projections, which could be mono- or polysynaptic, and an extensive subcortical network connecting the cerebellum and basal ganglia. Herein, we aimed at reconstructing the basal ganglia connectome providing a quantitative connectivity analysis of the reconstructed pathways. The present findings reinforce the idea of an intricate, not yet unraveled, network involving the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum. Our findings may pave the way for a more comprehensive and holistic pathophysiological model of basal ganglia circuits.

Warm-season turfgrass species prevail in tropical and subtropical areas, but can also be grown in the transition zone. In this case, cold tolerance is a key aspect for germination and successful turfgrass establishment. The germination response to sub-optimal temperatures was investigated for Cynodon dactylon (cvs Jackpot, La Paloma, Transcontinental, Yukon, Riviera), Buchloe dactyloides (cv SWI 2000) and Paspalum vaginatum (cv Pure Dynasty). Four temperature regimes were applied, i.e., 20/30 °C, 15/25 °C, 10/20 °C and 5/15 °C, with a 12:12 h (light:dark) photoperiod. Germination assays were performed twice, with six replicates (Petri dishes) per treatment in each experiment, fifty seeds per dish. The final germinated percentages at last inspection time (FGP) were obtained for each Petri dish and processed by using a generalized linear mixed model (binomial error and logit link). Germination curves were fitted to each Petri dish by using time-to-event methods and germination rates (GR) for the 10th, 20th and 30th percentiles were derived and used to fit a linear thermal-time model. For all cultivars, FGP decreased with decreasing mean daily temperatures. Base temperatures (Tb) ranged between 11.4 °C and 17.0 °C, while the thermal time to obtain 30% germination ranged from 51.3 °C day for SWI 2000 to 144.0 °C day for Pure Dynasty. The estimated parameters were used to predict germination time in the field, considering the observed soil temperatures in Legnaro. The estimated date for the beginning of germination in the field would range from early April for SWI 2000 and Transcontinental to mid-May for Riviera. These results might be used as a practical support for planning spring sowing, which is crucial for successful turfgrass establishment, especially without irrigation.

Most notably, recent comparative genomic analyses strongly indicate that the marked differences between modern human and chimpanzees are likely due more to changes in gene regulation than to modifications of the genes. The most peculiar aspect of hominoid karyotypes is that human have 46 chromosomes whereas gorillas and chimpanzees have 48. Interestingly, human and chimpanzees do share identical inversions on chromosome 7 and 9 that are not evident in the gorilla karyotype. Thus, the general phylogeny suggests that humans and chimpanzees are sister taxa; based on this, it seems that human-chimpanzee sequence similarity is an astonishing 99%. At this purpose, of particular interest is the inactivation of the myosin heavy chain 16 (MYH16) gene, most prominently expressed in the masticatory muscle of mammals. It has been showed that the loss of this gene in humans may have resulted in smaller masticatory muscle and consequential changes to cranio-facial morphology and expansion of the human brain case. Powerful masticatory muscles are found in most primates; contrarily, in both modern and fossil member Homo, these muscles are considerably smaller. The evolving hominid masticatory apparatus shifted towards a pattern of gracilization nearly simultaneously with accelerated encephalization in early Homo. To better comprehend the real role of the MYH16 gene, we studied the primary proteins present in the muscle fibers of humans and non-humans, in order to understand if they really can be influenced by MYH16 gene. At this aim we examined the muscle-specific integrins, alpha 7B and beta 1D-integrins, and their relative fetal isoforms, alpha 7A and beta 1A-integrins, analyzing, by immunohistochemistry, muscle biopsies of two components of a chimpanzee's group in captivity, an alpha male and a non-alpha male subjects; all these integrins participate in vital biological processes such as maintenance of tissue integrity, embryonic development, cell differentiation, and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. Our results demonstrated a different quantitative composition of integrins, in alpha male in respect to human and non-alpha male, hypothesizing that the MYH16 gene could modify the expression of integrins, influencing, in turn, the phenotype of muscle. In this way, alpha 7A-and beta 1A-integrin could determine the presence of type II fibers and then they could play a key role in the determination of contraction force. Then, MYH16 gene could be a common interactor of signalling between sarcoglycans and integrins in chimpanzee muscles.