Practical considerations of outpatient infusion therapy in the HIV arena.

In conclusion, OPAT is a cost-effective, quality-controlled alternative setting for treating patients with HIV. The program provides a desirable situation for the patient, physician, and nurse. Continuity of care provided by the health care team in the physician's office is a unique situation that can meet the treatment modalities necessary to care for the HIV patient with dignity and pride. In short, OPAT offers an attractive alternative to long-term hospitalization for a variety of HIV-related infections. Such therapy is rapidly becoming a standard of treatment that provides both cost savings and efficacious medical care to patients with HIV-related complications.

FFA and insulin response dissociation to gradual short-term food restriction in exercising rats.

The present study examines the metabolic and hormonal responses of progressive short-term food restriction in rats at rest and during exercise. The night prior to the experiment, previously cannulated rats were assigned to one of three groups: (A) normal diet, (B) 50% food restriction, and (C) 75% food restriction. They were then run continuously for 50 min at 26 m.min-1, 0% grade. Resting liver glycogen levels were decreased in groups B and C (50% and 92%) while B-hydroxybutyrate values were increased in group C only. A similar group main effect (resting and exercise values) of a significant (P less than 0.05) increase in free fatty acid concentrations was found in groups B and C as compared to group A, while a decrease in insulin (P less than 0.01) and glucose (P less than 0.05) concentrations was observed in group C only. Norepinephrine and epinephrine concentrations were increased similarly in all three groups following exercise. Resting muscle glycogen levels were progressively reduced following food restrictions. These results indicate that (1) food deprivation at rest and during exercise first affects free fatty acid concentrations and thereafter the insulin response, (2) prolonged exercise following food restrictions increases the metabolic adaptative state of the resting organism. These findings are in disagreement with a sole action of pre-exercise insulin as a determinant of metabolic responses to exercise and provide evidence to the concept that a progressive reduction in liver glycogen might constitute a stimulus for the early free fatty acid response.

Design of a compact cw chemical HF/DF laser using a microwave discharge.

A compact cw chemical HF/DF laser is described. The laser system consists of a microwave discharge using a surfatron to dissociate SF6 molecules mixed with He, a reaction chamber engineered to provide a fast mixing of reacting atoms and molecules, and an optical resonator which includes a concave mirror and a blazed grating for line selection, both mounted on a rigid Invar frame. The laser oscillates on a single line single TEM00 mode over many P transitions of HF and DF with a typical intensity fluctuation of 5% and a frequency jitter of about 30 MHz.