Active tracker laser (ATLAS)

A high brightness diode-pumped, Nd-YAG solid state laser has been designed, fabricated, and tested. This phase conjugated master oscillator/power amplifier (MOPA) device produces 20-ns Q-switched pulses at 2500 Hz at an average power of 690 W and a beam quality of 1.1×DL when the pump diodes are operated at 27.5% duty cycle. With an external KTP doubler, this device has produced 175 W of green average power at a beam quality of 1.5 × DL and a conversion efficiency of 45% over continuous operating times as long as one hour. This 1.06 μm result is believed to be the highest average power brightness achieved, and the 532-nm performance is both the highest average green power and the highest average brightness ever reported     

Fingerprint of volatile flavour constituents and antioxidant activities of teas from Thailand

The volatile flavour components of different teas growing in Thailand were extracted using the simultaneous distillation and extraction (SDE) technique. These volatiles were investigated by GC–MS. At least 54 components representing 76.51–83.32% of all samples were identified. Hotrienol, geraniol and linalool were found to be the major components in Green Oolong tea. Green Assam tea contained linalool, geraniol and α-terpineol as the key flavour constituents. Chin Shin Oolong tea was dominated by linalool, indole and cis-jasmone whilst the major flavour volatiles of Chin Hsuan Oolong tea were trans-nerolidol, cis-jasmone and geraniol. Indole, geraniol and cis-jasmone were detected as the main constituents in Four Season tea. Change of quality and quantity of volatile flavour components was related to fermentation methods that increased volatiles were illustrated by the semi-fermented tea processing method. Green Assam tea infusion extract was evaluated to have the strongest antioxidant activities with the highest amount of phenol content followed by Four Season tea, Chin Shin Oolong tea, Chin Hsuan Oolong tea and Green Oolong tea, respectively.     

Morphometric measurement of abdominal organs. Comparison of ultrasound and spiral CT

There is evidence that sex hormones and intrauterine factors are involved in the etiology of testicular cancer. We evaluated the importance of perinatal and adult life correlates of sex hormones as risk factors for testicular cancer in a case control study of 97 incident, histologically confirmed cases, residents of the Greater Athens area and environs, who were diagnosed in the 3 specialized cancer hospitals and the major General Hospital in Athens during the 2 year period 1993-94. Cases were age-matched to 2 healthy controls from the same study base. Both cases and controls as well as their mothers were interviewed by the same investigator and the data were analyzed through conditional logistic regression. The odds ratio for testicular cancer was elevated among persons born after a pregnancy characterized by severe nausea. Among the adult life factors, higher body mass was associated with reduced risk, as was evidence of baldness. To the extent that nausea during pregnancy reflects higher levels of pregnancy estrogens on the one hand, and baldness is linked to androgens on the other, our data suggest that estrogens in the intrauterine life and androgens at later stages may have sequential opposing effects for the development of testicular cancer.     

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy versus classical cholecystectomy

The authors evaluated the results after classical (CCHE) and laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LCHE) in the period from March 16 1994 to June 30 1995. In this period they operated on 408 patients, out of which 208 were operated by the laparoscopic technique. There were no differences in postoperative morbidity. The mortality after laparoscopic surgery was 0% and the classical cholecystectomy reached the morbidity of 1.4%. Complicated patients were usually operated in the classical way. The time of hospitalisation after LCHE was 5.2 days and after CCHE 8.3 days. The results of LCHE were as follows: morbidity 10.5%, conversions 2.4%, reoperations 1.4%, and no leakage of the bile duct. We saved 40% of costs using LCHE. All these facts show that LCHE is advantageous, secure and well tolerated by patients. The patients prefer comfort after the operation, good cosmetic effect and a short hospital isation. CCHE did not lose its position, especially in complicated cases. (Tab. 5, Ref. 21.)     

Value of echo-enhanced Doppler sonography in evaluation of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts

OBJECTIVE: The value of echo-enhanced color and power Doppler sonography in the evaluation of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) was assessed and compared with that of unenhanced Doppler sonography and portal angiography. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In a prospective randomized trial, 31 shunts in 30 patients underwent unenhanced conventional color and power Doppler sonography and portal venography including pressure measurements. The patients were allocated to either echo-enhanced conventional color Doppler sonography or echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography. For echo enhancement, a galactose-based suspension was administered IV. Shunt stenoses, if present, were quantified by percentage of stenosis and correlated with angiography, which was the gold standard. The diagnostic confidence of unenhanced and echo-enhanced Doppler sonography was assessed using a visual analog scale. RESULTS: In the diagnosis of shunt occlusion, echo-enhanced Doppler sonography yielded a sensitivity and a specificity of 100% and 100%, respectively, compared with 100% and 89%, respectively, for unenhanced Doppler sonography. Our evaluation of hemodynamically significant stenoses (portosystemic gradient > or = 15 mm Hg) found echo-enhanced Doppler sonography to be superior to unenhanced Doppler sonography (sensitivity and specificity of 82% and 83%, respectively, compared with 64% and 80%, respectively). In the detection of a shunt stenosis based on morphologic criteria only, echo-enhanced Doppler sonography yielded a sensitivity and a specificity of 78% and 100%, respectively, compared with 47% and 50%, respectively, for unenhanced Doppler sonography. Power Doppler imaging did not improve diagnostic accuracy but did increase diagnostic confidence for unenhanced Doppler sonography compared with conventional color Doppler sonography. The diagnostic confidence for sonographic evaluation of TIPS was significantly (p < .001) increased and the variability of hemodynamic measurements was markedly decreased with echo-enhanced sonography. CONCLUSION: Echo-enhanced Doppler sonography provides images of TIPS like those of angiography and allows morphologic assessment of the shunts, complementary to the essential pulsed Doppler waveform analysis that would be performed in a more guided manner. Also, echo-enhanced Doppler sonography significantly increases the sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of shunt dysfunction. The high diagnostic confidence and the diminished variability of spectral Doppler measurements may improve acceptance of sonographic evaluation of TIPS. Echo-enhanced Doppler sonography is safe and effective and may reduce the instances in which TIPS sonographic surveillance is nondiagnostic, in which case angiographic assessment is required.     

"STOP regain": Are there negative effects of daily weighing?

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 75(5) of Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (see record 2007-13640-017). Coauthor Joseph L. Fava's affiliation was incorrect and should list Brown University Medical School/The Miriam Hospital.] Several recent studies suggest that daily weighing is important for long-term weight control, but concerns have been raised about possible adverse psychological effects. The "STOP Regain" clinical trial provides a unique opportunity to examine this issue both cross-sectionally and prospectively. Successful weight losers (N = 314) were randomly assigned to a control or to a face-to-face or Internet intervention designed to help them maintain their weight loss and were then followed for 18 months. The intervention groups reported increases in daily self-weighing, which were associated with successful weight loss maintenance. We found no evidence that increases in frequency of weighing or daily weighing per se had any adverse effects in this study population. Rather, increases in self-weighing were associated with increases in dietary restraint (p     

"STOP Regain: Are There Negative Effects of Daily Weighing?": Correction to Wing et al (2007).

Reports an error in "STOP regain: Are there negative effects of daily weighing" by Rena R. Wing, Deborah F. Tate, Amy A. Gorin, Hollie A. Raynor, Joseph L. Fava and Jason Machan (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2007[Aug], Vol 75[4], 652-656). Coauthor Joseph L. Fava's affiliation was incorrect and should list Brown University Medical School/The Miriam Hospital. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2007-11558-014.) Several recent studies suggest that daily weighing is important for long-term weight control, but concerns have been raised about possible adverse psychological effects. The "STOP Regain" clinical trial provides a unique opportunity to examine this issue both cross-sectionally and prospectively. Successful weight losers (N = 314) were randomly assigned to a control or to a face-to-face or Internet intervention designed to help them maintain their weight loss and were then followed for 18 months. The intervention groups reported increases in daily self-weighing, which were associated with successful weight loss maintenance. We found no evidence that increases in frequency of weighing or daily weighing per se had any adverse effects in this study population. Rather, increases in self-weighing were associated with increases in dietary restraint (p