I. Raman Spectroscopy.- Surface Brillouin Scattering.- Momentum Transfer in Surface Brillouin.- High-Resolution Studies of Phase Transitions in Solids.- A Statistical Analysis of Trends in Research on Laser Raman Spectroscopy.- Relaxation Mode in SrTiO3: A Mode to Test Melting Models?.- Raman Scattering in Superconductors.- Enhanced Raman Scattering of Molecules Adsorbed on Ag, Cu and Au Surfaces.- Inverse Raman Spectroscopy.- Surface Nonlinear Optics.- A Quasi-Nonlinear Scattering Process: Probing of Short-Lived (?s to ps) Optically Pumped Excited States.- Raman Scattering Study of the Phase Transitions in (NH4)2Cd2(SO4)3.- II. Laser Spectroscopy.- Magic Angle Line Narrowing in Optical Spectroscopy.- Superhigh-Resolution Spectroscopy.- Opto-Acoustic Spectroscopy of Condensed Matter.- IR Laser Absorption Spectroscopy of Local Modes of the H- Ion in Pure and Rare-Earth-Doped CaF2.- Nonlinear Optics of Cryogenic Liquids.- III. Laser Photochemistry.- Bond Selective Excitation of Molecules.- Generation of UV Radiation (250-260 nm) from Intracavity Doubling of a Single-Mode Ring Dye Laser.- Chemist's Dream About IR Laser Photochemistry.- Multiphoton Ionization Mass Spectrometry and Other Developments in UV Laser Chemistry.- Multiphoton Ionization of Atoms.- IV. New Laser Devices and Applications.- Applications of Tunable Laser Spectroscopy to Molecular Photophysics: From Diatomics to Model Membranes.- High-Power Picosecond Pulses from UV to IR.- Optically Pumped FIR Lasers.- A Direct Observation of Gain in the XUV Spectral Region.- Three Layer 1.3 ?m InGaAsP DH Laser with Quaternary Confining Layers.- Devices for Lightwave Communications.- Fiber Optics in Brazil.- V. Laser Biology and Medicine.- Laser-Degeneration Study of Nerve Fibers in the Optic Nerve.- The Argon Laser in the Treatment of Glaucoma.- Preliminary Evaluation of the Use of the CO2 Laser in Gynecology.- Application of Vertical Brackets in Orthodontic Treatments: A Laser Speckle Study.- Lasers in Biology: Fluorescence Studies and Selective Action.- Time-Resolved Resonance Raman Techniques for Intermediates of Photolabile Systems.- VI. Picosecond Bistability.- Optical Bistability in Semiconductors.- Critical Behavior in Optical Phase-Conjugation.- Transient Statistics in Optical Instabilities.- List of Contributors.

The International Conference on Lasers and Applications was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 29 June to 3 July 1980. This conference was held to commemorate the memory of Professor Sergio Porto who died suddenly about one year earlier while attending a laser conference in the Soviet Union. The sub­ ject matter covered the active areas of laser devices, photochemistry, non­ linear optics, high-resolution spectroscopy, photokinetics, photobiology, photomedicine, optical communication, optical bistability, and Raman spec­ troscopy. The conference was attended by over 150 people including scientists from Japan, France, England, West Germany, Norway, Italy, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, India, Canada, and the United States. Amemorial session attended by members of the Porto family and ranking Brazilian government dignitaries preceded the start of the conference. The location of the conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was chosen be­ cause it was in the homeland of Sergio Porto and provided an opportunity for his friends, colleagues, and countryrnen to pay hornage to hirn. The setting on Copacabana Beach afforded access to the lovely beaches, restaurants, and nightlife of one of the most beautiful and exciting cities of the world. There were tours of the city together with a banquet that featured a performance by one of the best Samba Schools in Rio. Financial support from many sponsors in Brazil and the United States is gratefully acknowledged in making this working conference a fitting tribute to the memory of Professor S.P.S. Porto.