110 research outputs found
Ultrasound in the diagnosis of a median neuropathy in the forearm: case report
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Electrodiagnostic studies are traditionally used in the diagnosis of focal neuropathies, however they lack anatomical information regarding the nerve and its surrounding structures. The purpose of this case is to show that high-resolution ultrasound used as an adjunct to electrodiagnostic studies may complement this lack of information and give insight to the cause.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 60-year-old male patient sustained a forearm traction injury resulting in progressive weakness and functional loss in the first three digits of the right hand. High-resolution ultrasound showed the presence of an enlarged nerve and a homogenous soft-tissue structure appearing to engulf the nerve. The contralateral side was normal. Surgery revealed fibrotic bands emanating from the flexor digitorum profundus muscle compressing the median nerve thus confirming the ultrasound findings.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A diagnostically challenging case of median neuropathy in the forearm is presented in which high-resolution ultrasound was valuable in establishing an anatomic etiology and directing appropriate management.</p
Noise-induced switching between vortex states with different polarization in classical two-dimensional easy-plane magnets
In the 2-dimensional anisotropic Heisenberg model with XY-symmetry there are
non-planar vortices which exhibit a localized structure of the z-components of
the spins around the vortex center. We study how thermal noise induces a
transition of this structure from one polarization to the opposite one. We
describe the vortex core by a discrete Hamiltonian and consider a stationary
solution of the Fokker-Planck equation. We find a bimodal distribution function
and calculate the transition rate using Langer's instanton theory (1969). The
result is compared with Langevin dynamics simulations for the full many-spin
model.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, Phys. Rev. B., in pres
Topological solitons in highly anisotropic two dimensional ferromagnets
e study the solitons, stabilized by spin precession in a classical
two--dimensional lattice model of Heisenberg ferromagnets with non-small
easy--axis anisotropy. The properties of such solitons are treated both
analytically using the continuous model including higher then second powers of
magnetization gradients, and numerically for a discrete set of the spins on a
square lattice. The dependence of the soliton energy on the number of spin
deviations (bound magnons) is calculated. We have shown that the
topological solitons are stable if the number exceeds some critical value
. For and the intermediate values of anisotropy
constant ( is an exchange constant), the soliton
properties are similar to those for continuous model; for example, soliton
energy is increasing and the precession frequency is decreasing
monotonously with growth. For high enough anisotropy we found some fundamentally new soliton features absent for continuous
models incorporating even the higher powers of magnetization gradients. For
high anisotropy, the dependence of soliton energy E(N) on the number of bound
magnons become non-monotonic, with the minima at some "magic" numbers of bound
magnons. Soliton frequency have quite irregular behavior with
step-like jumps and negative values of for some regions of . Near
these regions, stable static soliton states, stabilized by the lattice effects,
exist.Comment: 17 page
"Active surfaces" as Possible Functional Systems in Detection and Chemical (Bio) Reactivity
This article presents design strategies to demonstrate approaches to generate functionalized surfaces which have the potential for application in molecular systems; sensing and chemical reactivity applications are exemplified. Some applications are proven, while others are still under active investigation. Adaptation and extension of our strategies will lead to interfacing of different type of surfaces, specific interactions at a molecular level, and possible exchange of signals/cargoes between them. Optimization of the present approaches from each of five research groups within the NCCR will be directed towards expanding the types of functional surfaces and the properties that they exhibit
Theoretical analysis of neutron scattering results for quasi-two dimensional ferromagnets
A theoretical study has been carried out to analyse the available results
from the inelastic neutron scattering experiment performed on a quasi-two
dimensional spin-1/2 ferromagnetic material . Our formalism is based
on a conventional semi-classical like treatment involving a model of an ideal
gas of vortices/anti-vortices corresponding to an anisotropic XY Heisenberg
ferromagnet on a square lattice. The results for dynamical structure functions
for our model corresponding to spin-1/2, show occurrence of negative values in
a large range of energy transfer even encompassing the experimental range, when
convoluted with a realistic spectral window function. This result indicates
failure of the conventional theoretical framework to be applicable to the
experimental situation corresponding to low spin systems. A full quantum
formalism seems essential for treating such systems.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, 1 Table Submitted for publicatio
Switching between different vortex states in 2-dimensional easy-plane magnets due to an ac magnetic field
Using a discrete model of 2-dimensional easy-plane classical ferromagnets, we
propose that a rotating magnetic field in the easy plane can switch a vortex
from one polarization to the opposite one if the amplitude exceeds a threshold
value, but the backward process does not occur. Such switches are indeed
observed in computer simulations.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Critical dynamics in the 2d classical XY-model: a spin dynamics study
Using spin-dynamics techniques we have performed large-scale computer
simulations of the dynamic behavior of the classical three component XY-model
(i.e. the anisotropic limit of an easy-plane Heisenberg ferromagnet), on square
lattices of size up to 192^2, for several temperatures below, at, and above
T_KT. The temporal evolution of spin configurations was determined numerically
from coupled equations of motion for individual spins by a fourth order
predictor-corrector method, with initial spin configurations generated by a
hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm. The neutron scattering function S(q,omega) was
calculated from the resultant space-time displaced spin-spin correlation
function. Pronounced spin-wave peaks were found both in the in-plane and the
out-of-plane scattering function over a wide range of temperatures. The
in-plane scattering function S^xx also has a large number of clear but weak
additional peaks, which we interpret to come from two-spin-wave scattering. In
addition, we observed a small central peak in S^xx, even at temperatures well
below the phase transition. We used dynamic finite size scaling theory to
extract the dynamic critical exponent z. We find z=1.00(4) for all T <= T_KT,
in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions, although the shape of
S(q,omega) is not well described by current theory.Comment: 31 pages, LaTex, 13 figures (38 subfigures) included as eps-files,
needs psfig, 260 K
Internal Modes and Magnon Scattering on Topological Solitons in 2d Easy-Axis Ferromagnets
We study the magnon modes in the presence of a topological soliton in a 2d
Heisenberg easy-axis ferromagnet. The problem of magnon scattering on the
soliton with arbitrary relation between the soliton radius R and the "magnetic
length" Delta_0 is investigated for partial modes with different values of the
azimuthal quantum numbers m. Truly local modes are shown to be present for all
values of m, when the soliton radius is enough large. The eigenfrequencies of
such internal modes are calculated analytically on limiting case of a large
soliton radius and numerically for arbitrary soliton radius. It is demonstrated
that the model of an isotropic magnet, which admits an exact analytical
investigation, is not adequate even for the limit of small radius solitons,
R<<Delta_0: there exists a local mode with nonzero frequency. We use the data
about local modes to derive the effective equation of soliton motion; this
equation has the usual Newtonian form in contrast to the case of the easy-plane
ferromagnet. The effective mass of the soliton is found.Comment: 33 pages (REVTeX), 12 figures (EPS
Recent Developments of World-Line Monte Carlo Methods
World-line quantum Monte Carlo methods are reviewed with an emphasis on
breakthroughs made in recent years. In particular, three algorithms -- the loop
algorithm, the worm algorithm, and the directed-loop algorithm -- for updating
world-line configurations are presented in a unified perspective. Detailed
descriptions of the algorithms in specific cases are also given.Comment: To appear in Journal of Physical Society of Japa
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