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The aim of the study was to report our experiences in the treatment of chronic prostatitis using combination regimen including ciprofloxacin, doxazosin, allopurinol and biofeedback perineal massage. From May 2003 to April 2004, 7 patients with NIH Category II-chronic bacterial prostatitis and 7 patients with NIH Category IIIA-inflammatory chronic pelvic pain syndrome were treated. The NIH-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) was scored by the patient before and after the treatment, 6 months later. In Category II patients, the bacterial eradication rate was 71% after ciprofloxacin treatment during a follow-up of 6 months. The beneficial response rate to allopurinol, doxazosin and biofeedback perineal massage was 50%, 42% and 85%, respectively. In NIH Category IIIA patients, the individual beneficial response rate to ciprofloxacin, allopurinol, doxazosin and biofeedback perineal massage was 57%, 100%, 71% and 100%, respectively. Comparing pre-treatment and post-treatment results of the combination regimen, there was a statistically significant improvement in the 3 domains of pain score, urinary symptoms and quality of life impact of the NIH-CPSI. Combination regimen including ciprofloxacin, doxazosin allopurinol and biofeedback perineal massage in the treatment of chronic prostatitis is a safe and effective modality in our limited experience.

A new Kirkpatrick-Baez-type focusing mirror system for use in synchrotron radiation IR beamlines is designed and fabricated. This mirror system, which contains two fifth-order-polynomial-corrected cylindrical mirrors, can collect and focus the long arc shape IR source from the bending magnet into a nearly perfect point image. To fabricate these two uncommon mirrors, 17-4 PH type stainless steel substrates are chosen and mechanically bent from planar to the desired fifth-order-polynomial-corrected cylindrical shapes with central radii of 3.74 and 5.43 m. The root mean square (rms) roughness and the slope error of these two mirrors are measured to be 0.3 nm and less than 6.3 rad, respectively. The method for calculating the polynomial coefficients of both mirrors as well as the mirror fabrication process, mechanical design, and the method for adjusting the mirror shape using a long trace profiler are presented. © 2004 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Selective laser sintering (SLS) was used to process bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC) powder. The effects of the energy density of the laser beam (ranging from 0.036 to 0.12 J/mm²) on the morphology and physical and tensile properties of the sintered specimens were investigated. In general, high energy density of the laser beam resulted in better fusion of the PC particles and enabled a more compact structure to be built. When the energy density became excessively high, however, severe degradation of the polymer occurred, leading to the evolution of gases and a reduction in the molecular weight. Consequently, the physical density and tensile strength of the sintered specimens decreased, and the surface roughened. The tensile strength of the specimens was closely related to the physical density, and anisotropy was observed along different loading directions. Bonus Z increased rapidly during sintering of the first few layers and then gradually during sintering of the subsequent layers. Curling of the sintered specimens became severe at high energy density, and cracking was observed on the bases of multilayered specimens as a result of the excessive accumulation of residual tensile stresses. this work forms a basis for the production of selective laser sintered PC functional parts.