Ultralow-temperature device dedicated to soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism experiments.

A new ultralow-temperature setup dedicated to soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) experiments is described. Two experiments, performed on the DEIMOS beamline (SOLEIL synchrotron), demonstrate the outstanding performance of this new platform in terms of the lowest achievable temperature under X-ray irradiation (T = 220 mK), the precision in controlling the temperature during measurements as well as the speed of the cooling-down and warming-up procedures. Moreover, owing to the new design of the setup, the eddy-current power is strongly reduced, allowing fast scanning of the magnetic field in XMCD experiments; these performances lead to a powerful device for X-ray spectroscopies on synchrotron-radiation beamlines facilities.

Magnetism of TbPc2 SMMs on ferromagnetic electrodes used in organic spintronics.

Structural features and magnetic behaviour of TbPc2 thin films sublimated on LSMO and on cobalt surfaces have been investigated by synchrotron-based XNLD and XMCD techniques. Different orientation of the molecules is observed for the two substrates. No significant magnetic interaction with the ferromagnetic substrates is detected.

Third-degree lesions of the external compartment of the ankle: results of conservative treatment.

Ankle sprains are one of the most common lesions of the musculo-skeletal system. In some sports they are the most common reason that athletes seek medical care. For this reason many publications are dedicated to this subject, and specifically to the treatment of lesions of the external compartment, which account for about 85% of all ligamentous lesions of the ankle (O'Donoghue, 1958). The treatment of these lesions is very controversial. Some orthopedists propose early surgical treatment to restore normal healing with minimal functional lengthening. Others favor conservative treatment, while still others recommend functional treatment with the objective of accelerating the recovery of proprioceptive reflexes affected by the ligamentous lesion as well as stimulating healing by movement. The authors' diagnostic and therapeutic approach to lesions of the external compartment of the ankle is explained with special reference to lesions in athletes, who must be guaranteed perfect joint stability in order to tolerate the intense stress of sports activity without danger of relapse.

Arthroscopic synovectomy in the treatment of haemophilic arthropathy: preliminary results in eight patients.

Synovectomy is a procedure which is widely used in the surgical treatment of haemophilic arthropathy: the short and long-term results have in fact sufficiently shown its effectiveness in the reduction of the number of cases of haemarthrosis. This operation, however, has the disadvantage of a reduction in joint mobility which may vary from 25% to 77%, depending on the various case series reported (Post et al., 1986; Clark, 1978; McCollough et al., 1979; Montane et al., 1986). This complication moreover, is common to all synovectomy operations, even those which are performed for synovial affections of a different nature. As the advantages of arthroscopic synovectomy as compared to open surgery are commonly known, it was decided to extend the indication to haemophilic arthropathy (Wiedel, 1985; Klein et al., 1987). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of arthroscopic synovectomy in 8 patients with type A haemophilia affected with severe arthropathy consequent to repeated haemarthrosis and with marked hypertrophic synovial tissue.