Mechanical characteristics of optical coatings prepared by various techniques: a comparative study.

Good performance of optical coatings depends on the appropriate combination of optical and mechanical properties. Therefore, successful applications require good understanding of the relationship between optical microstructural and mechanical characteristics and film stability. In addition, there is a lack of standard mechanical tests that allow one to compare film properties measured in different laboratories.

Characterization of thin-film losses with a synchronously pumped ringdown cavity.

We describe the use of a synchronously pumped ringdown cavity for measuring total optical losses, absorption and scattering, in thin optical films of arbitrary thickness on transparent substrates. This technique is compared with a single-pulse ringdown cavity regime and is shown to have a superior signal-to-noise ratio and resolution. We also provide an analysis of the factors affecting the resolution of the technique.

Isolation of a phospholipase-A2-like protein from human fetal intestine. Lysis of erythroid cells from bovine liver by this protein and porcine phospholipase A2.

Extracts of human fetal intestine contain factors that can stimulate or inhibit thymidine incorporation into fetal bovine erythroid cells. An inhibitory factor was purified to homogeneity by gel-permeation and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The inhibitory action was due to cell lysis.

The drug treatment of depression in general practice: a comparison of nocte administration of trazodone with mianserin, dothiepin and amitriptyline.

This 6-week, double-blind, randomised, multicentre study was performed to assess the efficacy and tolerability of evening administration of 150 mg trazodone as an initial and maintenance therapy and to compare this regimen with recommended dosages of mianserin, dothiepin and amitriptyline in the treatment of depressed, adult, general practice patients. A total of 227 eligible depressed patients were recruited into the study by a panel of general practitioners. One hundred and twelve patients were randomised to receive trazodone therapy, 36 received mianserin, 35 received dothiepin and 44 received amitriptyline.