Eliminating Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities: Reconsidering Comparative Approaches

The focus on eliminating racial/ethnic health disparities has brought critical attention to the poor health status of minority populations. Assessing the health outcomes of racial minority groups by comparing them to a racial majority standard is valuable for identifying and monitoring health inequities, but may not be the most effective approach to identifying strategies that can be used to improve minority health outcomes. Health promotion planning models and public health history both suggest that minority health promotion is more likely to be derived from interventions rooted in culturally and historically grounded contextual factors. In this essay, we highlight limitations of comparative approaches to minority health research and argue that integrating emic (or within-group) approaches may facilitate research and interventions more consonant with national goals to promote health and reduce disparities than comparative approaches

Acceptability of chicken powder in home prepared complementary foods for children in Ghana

The persistent problem of childhood malnutrition and growth faltering in sub-Saharan African countries such as Ghana despite food aid intervention programs, suggests rethinking of the content and mode of delivery of such food programs. While several food programs and formulations exist for the treatment and management of childhood malnutrition, most are neither culturally appropriate nor easily accessible to families at the household level. There is, therefore, a need for a food product that can be tailored to a particular culture and local food produce which provides the necessary macronutrients and micronutrients in adequate amount and is easy to use at the household level to prevent malnutrition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acceptability of incorporating chicken powder into the  Ghanaian child’s everyday meal. Participants in the study included mothers and their pre-school age children. The chicken powder was incorporated into a breakfast meal (“Tom Brown”) and lunch/supper meal (rice and gravy) on weight basis according to predetermined proportions of the raw  ingredients. Each meal consisted of a control sample (not containing chicken powder) and 3 test samples containing different amounts of chicken powder (15%, 20% and 25% by weight). Overall, both mothers and children rated both control samples highest compared to their respective test sample for preference. Interestingly, mothers were able to tell the differences in the test samples, but the children could not tell the  difference between the test samples by the content of the chicken powder according to the results of the test for homogeneity. The results from the acceptability test as well as individual observation by the research team suggest that chicken powder can be used as animal source protein in the treatment and management of malnutrition by incorporating it into  common staple foods. According to findings of this study, parents are more likely to incorporate the chicken powder (an animal source quality protein) in their children’s diet, if not for the entire family. The incorporation of chicken powder into complementary foods will improve the nutritional value, especially the protein and micronutrient content.Key words: Chicken, Acceptability, Ghana, Malnutrition, Feedin

Decentralized Solid Waste Management in Rural Ghana: A Case Study of Assin Kushea Community in Assin North Municipality

Management of solid waste continues to be a major developmental challenge for developing countries like Ghana. The current focus and attention have been on the collection and dumping of waste in urban communities where generation rate is high to the detriment of rural communities. In this study, a pilot waste management scheme was undertaken in Assin Kushea, a rural community in the Assin North Municipality, to determine the willingness of the community to sort their waste at source, the quantity of waste generated by the community, and the characteristics of the waste to inform the treatment or disposal options suitable for the community. The results of the study showed that the community generates approximately 20 to 40 kg waste per day which comprises about 77% biological municipal waste (BMW) and 23% of residual waste. Laboratory analysis of the waste showed that the moisture content of the waste was about 68%. The percentage volatile solid was about 85.45%, leaving an ash content of approximately 14.55% all by weight of the waste materials. More than 50% of the sampled population achieved 100% source separation efficiency. Given the composition and characteristics of the waste, and the willingness of the community to sort their waste at source, composting or anaerobic fermentation of the organic waste fraction is recommended as the best waste treatment option for the organic component of the waste for the community

Local atomic stacking and symmetry in twisted graphene trilayers

Moir\'e superlattices formed from twisting trilayers of graphene are an ideal model for studying electronic correlation, and offer several advantages over bilayer analogues, including more robust and tunable superconductivity and a wide range of twist angles associated with flat band formation. Atomic reconstruction, which strongly impacts the electronic structure of twisted graphene structures, has been suggested to play a major role in the relative versatility of superconductivity in trilayers. Here, we exploit an inteferometric 4D-STEM approach to image a wide range of trilayer graphene structures. Our results unveil a considerably different model for moir\'e lattice relaxation in trilayers than that proposed from previous measurements, informing a thorough understanding of how reconstruction modulates the atomic stacking symmetries crucial for establishing superconductivity and other correlated phases in twisted graphene trilayers.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure

Atomic engineering of interfacial polarization switching in van der Waals multilayers

In conventional ferroelectric materials, polarization is an intrinsic property limited by bulk crystallographic structure and symmetry. Recently, it has been demonstrated that polar order can also be accessed using inherently non-polar van der Waals materials through layer-by-layer assembly into heterostructures, wherein interfacial interactions can generate spontaneous, switchable polarization. Here, we show that introducing interlayer rotations in multilayer vdW heterostructures modulates both the spatial ordering and switching dynamics of polar domains, engendering unique tunability that is unparalleled in conventional bulk ferroelectrics or polar bilayers. Using operando transmission electron microscopy we show how changing the relative rotations of three WSe2 layers produces structural polytypes with distinct arrangements of polar domains, leading to either a global or localized switching response. Introducing uniaxial strain generates structural anisotropy that yields a range of switching behaviors, coercivities, and even tunable biased responses. We also provide evidence of physical coupling between the two interfaces of the trilayer, a key consideration for controlling switching dynamics in polar multilayer structures more broadly.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figure

Encoding multistate charge order and chirality in endotaxial heterostructures

Intrinsic resistivity changes associated with charge density wave (CDW) phase transitions in 1T-TaS$_2$ hold promise for non-volatile memory and computing devices based on the principle of phase change memory (PCM). High-density PCM storage is proposed for materials with multiple intermediate resistance states, which have been observed in 1T-TaS$_2$. However, the metastability responsible for this behavior makes the presence of multistate switching unpredictable in 1T-TaS$_2$ devices. Here, we demonstrate the synthesis of nanothick verti-lateral 1H-TaS$_2$/1T-TaS$_2$ heterostructures in which the number of endotaxial metallic 1H-TaS$_2$ monolayers dictates the number of high-temperature resistance transitions in 1T-TaS$_2$ lamellae. Further, we also observe optically active heterochirality in the CDW superlattice structure, which is modulated in concert with the resistivity steps. This thermally-induced polytype conversion nucleates at folds and kinks where interlayer translations that relax local strain favorably align 1H and 1T layers. This work positions endotaxial TaS$_2$ heterostructures as prime candidates for non-volatile device schemes implementing coupled switching of structure, chirality, and resistance

Ways to increase equity, diversity and inclusion

The eLife Early-Career Advisory Group (ECAG), an international group of early-career researchers committed to improving research culture, calls for radical changes at eLife and other journals to address racism in the scientific community and to make science more diverse and inclusive.Fil: Mehta, Devang. University of Alberta; CanadáFil: Bediako, Yaw. University Of Ghana; GhanaFil: De Winde, Charlotte M.. Colegio Universitario de Londres; Reino UnidoFil: Ebrahimi, Hedyeh. No especifíca;Fil: Fernández, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires - Instituto Partner de la Sociedad Max Planck; ArgentinaFil: Ilangovan, Vinodh. University Aarhus; DinamarcaFil: Paz Quezada, Carolina. Universidad Bernardo O'higgins; ChileFil: Riley, Julia L.. Dalhousie University Halifax; CanadáFil: Saladi, Shyam M.. California Institute of Technology; Estados UnidosFil: Tay, Andy. No especifíca;Fil: Weissgerber, Tracey. No especifíca

Rotational and Dilational Reconstruction in Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Moir\'e Bilayers

Lattice reconstruction and corresponding strain accumulation play a key role in defining the electronic structure of two-dimensional moir\'e superlattices, including those of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). Imaging of TMD moir\'es has so far provided a qualitative understanding of this relaxation process in terms of interlayer stacking energy, while models of the underlying deformation mechanisms have relied on simulations. Here, we use interferometric four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy to quantitatively map the mechanical deformations through which reconstruction occurs in small-angle twisted bilayer MoS2 and WSe2/MoS2 heterobilayers. We provide direct evidence that local rotations govern relaxation for twisted homobilayers, while local dilations are prominent in heterobilayers possessing a sufficiently large lattice mismatch. Encapsulation of the moir\'e layers in hBN further localizes and enhances these in-plane reconstruction pathways, suppressing out-of-plane corrugation. We also find that extrinsic uniaxial heterostrain, which introduces a lattice constant difference in twisted homobilayers, leads to accumulation and redistribution of reconstruction strain, demonstrating another route to modify the moir\'e potential.Comment: 27 pages, 5 figure