Electrical transport measurements of thin film samples under high hydrostatic pressure

We present a method to perform electrical measurements of epitaxial films and heterostructures a few nanometers thick under high hydrostatic pressures in a diamond anvil cell (DAC). Hydrostatic pressure offers the possibility to tune the rich landscape of properties shown by epitaxial heterostructures, systems in which the combination of different materials, performed with atomic precision, can give rise to properties not present in their individual constituents. Measuring electrical conductivity under hydrostatic pressure in these systems requires a robust method that can address all the challenges: the preparation of the sample with side length and thickness that fits in the DAC setup, a contacting method compatible with liquid media, a gasket insulation that resists high forces, as well as an accurate procedure to place the sample in the pressure chamber. We prove the robustness of the method described by measuring the resistance of a two dimensional electron system buried at the interface between two insulating oxides under hydrostatic conditions up to ∼5 GPa. The setup remains intact until ∼10 GPa, where large pressure gradients affect the two dimensional conductivity.

Dose titration of an injectable formulation of lufenuron in cats experimentally infested with fleas

OBJECTIVES

To identify the lowest single dose of lufenuron injected s.c. that results in a 90% disruption of the flea (Ctenocephalides felis) life cycle for 6 months in cats.

ANIMALS

40 domestic shorthair cats (20 males, 20 females) between 5 and 7 months old.

PROCEDURE

Cats were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 eight-cat groups and experimentally infested with C. felis on days -8, -7, -6, and -4. On day 0, cats in the 4 treatment groups were treated with an injectable formulation of lufenuron at doses of 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg of body weight, respectively. Control cats received the injectable formulation without lufenuron. Experimental infestations were repeated and flea eggs collected at various intervals for 196 days after treatment. Eggs were placed in media and incubated in an insectary for 28 days to determine effects of injectable lufenuron on egg and larval development. Number of adults that emerged from eggs were compared among groups.

RESULTS

Lufenuron injected once at a dose of 10 or 20 mg/kg, but not at 2.5 or 5 mg/kg, resulted in a 90% decrease in number of adult fleas emerging from eggs for 196 days after treatment.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Results indicate that control of flea egg and larval development for at least 6 months can be achieved in cats with a single s.c. injection of lufenuron (10 mg/kg). The injectable formulation may provide veterinarians and cat owners an alternative to the tablet formulation of lufenuron.

Attitudes and opinions of dietetics professionals toward cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses

OBJECTIVE

To compare the attitudes and opinions of dietitians and dietary managers in regard to cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA).

DESIGN

A questionnaire was sent nationwide to a sample of 1,074 dietitians and 454 dietary managers.

SUBJECTS/SAMPLES

The dietitians were randomly selected from three dietetic practice groups of The American Dietetic Association that have practitioners with administrative responsibilities in health care: Clinical Nutrition Management, Consultant Dietitians in Health Care Facilities, and Management in Healthcare Systems. The random sample of dietary managers was drawn from the membership list of the Dietary Managers Association.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We hypothesized that there would be a difference between the dietitians and dietary managers in their attitudes about, and experiences in conducting CBA and CEA.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

Data analysis incorporated frequencies, means, and standard deviations to describe the respondents. Pearson's pairwise correlations and analysis of variance examined the significance of the relationships among the variables of the study. Scheffe's test was conducted to identify which variables related closely to each other.

RESULTS

Seven hundred twenty-two usable questionnaires were returned, which gave an overall response rate of 47%. Although both professional groups had experience with reducing costs at their jobs, they did not think it important to conduct CBA and CEA. Neither group could distinguish between CBA and CEA. Dietitians, who were more positive toward using CBA and CEA, saw them as important techniques that could justify the value of dietetics services. Dietitians were also more likely than the dietary managers to use the techniques in the future. Dietitians were beginning to explore the techniques, but they did not feel that good sources of information were available for conducting CBA and CEA studies.

APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest a strong need to educate dietitians and dietary managers in the techniques and proper use of CBA and CEA in practice settings. Dietitians need to be guided to appropriate teaching materials and educational programs, and dietary managers first have to be educated about the importance and the benefits of using the techniques.

Challenging the future: impact of information technology on dietetics practice, education, and research

As we look at our nation's drive for technological superiority, global interdependence, major demographic shifts, and changes in consumer values and expectations, it is obvious that these changes will have a profound effect on our profession. Our leaders must be direction setters, change agents, and mentors in helping our members understand the importance of becoming part of this information and technological revolution. Because people often cling to the security of the past, leaders will have to possess the ability to convince others that there is a need for change. We must assume the risks related to making today's critical decisions about the role of infotech to the future of our profession. As individual members and leaders, we must not deny the reality of the technology challenge.

A marketing model: applications for dietetic professionals

Traditionally, dietitians have communicated the availability of their services to the "public at large." The expectation was that the public would respond favorably to nutrition programs simply because there was a consumer need for them. Recently, however, both societal and consumer needs have changed dramatically, making old communication strategies ineffective and obsolete. The marketing discipline has provided a new model and new decision-making tools for many health professionals to use to more effectively make their services known to multiple consumer groups. This article provides one such model as applied to the dietetic profession. The model explores a definition of the business of dietetics, how to conduct an analysis of the environment, and, finally, the use of both in the choice of new target markets. Further, the model discusses the major components of developing a marketing strategy that will help the practitioner to be competitive in the marketplace. Presented are strategies for defining and re-evaluating the mission of the profession, for using future trends to identify new markets and roles for the profession, and for developing services that make the profession more competitive by better meeting the needs of the consumer.

Marketing: a survival tool for dietetic professionals in the 1990s

There is little question among members of the profession that practitioners are faced with crucial survival issues in this decade and the next. Approaching a maturing profession with static strategies will limit the profession's future growth. Consumers want to make decisions for themselves and to be provided with options. That phenomenon could change the very fabric of "professionalism" and, in turn, if dietetic professionals fail to change their strategies, could result in an advantage for nutrition competitors vs. those professionals. Dietitians as a whole must look to such disciplines as economics, the social sciences, and marketing for answers to their survival problems. Dietitians must encourage growth and innovation in order to sustain the demand for professional services. In that endeavor, the authors argue that marketing is clearly an essential tool needed to enhance the profession and to work within the dynamics of the marketplace.

The marketing concept applied to an education program

Dietetic education programs seeking to maintain their enrollment levels may find it necessary to adopt more sophisticated marketing strategies. This article describes the application of the marketing process to an extended degree dietetic program that serves a national audience. It also presents a strategy for initiating a marketing study and marketing orientation by analyzing its internal program data. The article discusses the specific market characteristics of the program's primary market segments, and it presents further implications for dietitians at work in health care facilities, in businesses, or in private practice.

Practitioners view dietetic roles for the 1980s

A study was conducted among practitioners in Pennsylvania to obtain their opinions concerning essential entry-level competencies and those that they considered necessary when hiring and entry-level dietitian, and to determine how they felt about role specialization at the entry level or practice. The competencies identified as most critical for the entry-level dietitian were: (a) an understanding of the managerial processes of planning, organizing leading, evaluating, and controlling and their relationship to the management of human, material, and financial resources; (b) an understanding of the process, functions, and interrelationships of various systems of the human body; and (c) an ability to integrate knowledge of biological, social, and professional sciences into a comprehensive concept of human nutrition. A strong knowledge base, essential for the entry-level generalist, was indicated in the following areas: nutrition and disease, normal nutrition, food selection and planning, and food production systems. There was a perceived need for academic institutions to train both specialists and generalists in the 1980s.