Comparison of dynamic (brush) and static (pressure) mechanical allodynia in migraine

Allodynia has been described in migraine but has not been fully investigated for the different sensory modalities. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of dynamic (brush) and static (pressure) mechanical allodynia in migraine patients and to suggest a practical method of testing them in a clinical setting. Patients with International Headache Society-defined episodic migraine (EM) or with transformed migraine (TM) as defined by Silberstein and Lipton were prospectively recruited from the Jefferson Headache Center out-patient clinic. A questionnaire of migraine features and symptoms of allodynia was administered. Brush allodynia (BA) was tested by cutaneous stimulation with a gauze pad and pressure allodynia (PA) was tested using von Frey hairs (VFH). The prevalence of BA and PA in all patients and in the different subgroups was calculated and correlated with migraine features. We recruited 55 migraine patients. Twenty-five had EM and 30 had TM. BA was present in 18 (32.7%) patients and PA in 18–24 (32.7–43.6%). Allodynia to both brush and pressure was found in 13–17 (23.6–30.9%) patients. If a patient had allodynia to one modality only, it was more likely to be PA than BA. Both BA and PA were more common in patients with TM compared with those with EM [BA 46.7% vs. 16.0%; PA (differences significant for the medium and thick VFHs) 50% vs. 20% and 50% vs. 12%, respectively]. Both types of allodynia were also more common in patients with migraine with aura compared with those with migraine without aura (BA 57.1% vs. 17.6%; PA 57.1–61.9% vs. 17.6–32.7%). There was a positive correlation between allodynia score (as obtained by examination) and allodynia index (as obtained by history) for both BA and PA. The incomplete, although considerable, overlap between BA and PA suggests that allodynia to different sensory modalities is associated with sensitization of different neuronal populations. Because PA was more common than BA, it may be a more sensitive indicator of allodynia in migraine. PA can be tested clinically in a practical and systematic manner

Two approaches to the concurrent implementation of the prime factor algorithm on a hypercube

On sequential computers, the prime factor algorithm (PFA) allows the Computation of the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) with a higher efficiency than the traditional Cooley‐Tukey FFT algorithm (CTA). However, the PFA requires substantial data movement, which poses a challenging problem for distributed‐memory multi‐processor systems. In this paper, two approaches for a concurrent implementation of the PFA on these structures are presented. In the first approach, the concurrent PFA runs on all nodes of the multi‐processor system, which is inefficient on large configurations due to the large communication overhead. A second approach developed to reduce this bottleneck is also presented. These solutions have been benchmarked on Caltech hypercubes, and the performances achieved are reported. In both approaches, the crystal_router algorithm was exploited as a concurrent technique for communicating data among nodes

SABRINA the Italian Mission for Endowing COSMO-SkyMed with Bistatic and Interferometric Capabilities

This paper focuses main characteristics and expected performance of SABRINA (System for Advanced Bistatic and Radar INterferometric Applications) Mission which has been selected by the Italian Space Agency for complementing COSMO-SkyMed, the Italian constellation for high spatial and temporal resolution SAR imaging of the Earth. After a brief presentation of COSMO-SkyMed development status, the key aspects of the mission and expected applications and products are dealt in detail

Two approaches to the concurrent implementation of the prime factor algorithm on a hypercube

On sequential computers, the prime factor algorithm (PFA) allows the Computation of the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) with a higher efficiency than the traditional Cooley‐Tukey FFT algorithm (CTA). However, the PFA requires substantial data movement, which poses a challenging problem for distributed‐memory multi‐processor systems. In this paper, two approaches for a concurrent implementation of the PFA on these structures are presented. In the first approach, the concurrent PFA runs on all nodes of the multi‐processor system, which is inefficient on large configurations due to the large communication overhead. A second approach developed to reduce this bottleneck is also presented. These solutions have been benchmarked on Caltech hypercubes, and the performances achieved are reported. In both approaches, the crystal_router algorithm was exploited as a concurrent technique for communicating data among nodes

Two approaches to the concurrent implementation of the prime factor algorithm on a hypercube

On sequential computers, the prime factor algorithm (PFA) allows the computation of the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) with a higher efficiency than the traditional Cooley-Tukey FFT algorithm (CTA). However, the PFA requires substantial data movement, which poses a challenging problem for distributed-memory multi-processor systems. In this paper, two approaches for a concurrent implementation of the PFA on these structures are presented. In the first approach, the concurrent PFA runs on all nodes or the multi-processor system, which is inefficient on large configurations due to the large communication overhead. A second approach developed to reduce this bottleneck is also presented. These solutions have been benchmarked on Caltech hypercubes, and the performances achieved are reported. In both approaches, the crystal-router algorithm was exploited as a concurrent technique for communicating data among nodes.112sciescopu

FDG PET-positive, MRI-negative Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Etiology and Outcomes Compared to Patients with Hippocampal Sclerosis

FDG PET hypometabolism is important for surgical planning in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), but its significance remains unclear in patients who do not have evidence of Hippocampal Sclerosis (HS) on MRI