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Deals with a study which examined the nature of the strain in epitaxial layers of gallium arsenide grown by laser-assisted metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on silicon substrate, using the electrolyte electroreflectance technique. Information on heteroepitaxy of gallium arsenide films; Methodology of the study; Results and discussion.

Examines the interband transition energies in aluminum[subx]gallium[sub1]_[subx]arsenic layers grown by molecular-beam epitaxy techniques. Experimental details; Results of the study; Discussion of findings.

Provides information on a study which investigated the lattice damage and the nature of the atomic intermixing of aluminum and gallium induced by As[sup++] implantation and thermal annealing in AlAs/GaAs multiple quantum-well structures. Basis for the photoluminescence spectra; Way that the depth profiles of intermixing were obtained; Techniques that introduce defects; Cause of the reduction of the radiation damage.

Focuses on a study which measured the dielectric function of YBa[sub2]Cu[sub3]O[sub7-δ] by spectroscopic polarization modulation ellipsometry. Properties of superconductor yttrium-barium-copper-oxygen; Effect of critical or plasma energy in crystal orientation; Magnitude of the dialectric functions.

Investigates undoped gallium arsenide (GaAs) epilayers grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on zinc-doped and silicon-doped GaAs substrates. Use of photoreflectance spectroscopy; Interference between the light beam reflected from the air/film interface; Changes in the period of the oscillations as a function of film thickness; Peak-to-peak amplitude of the observed oscillations.

Deals with a study which examined the strain distribution and lattice disorder of gallium arsenide on a silicon substrate by Raman scattering technique as a function of distance from the gallium arsenide/silicon interface. Information on the crystal structure and characteristics of gallium arsenide; Methodology of the study; Results and discussion.

Reports electrolyte electroreflectance studies of the ternary semimagnetic semiconductor Hg[sub1-x]Mn[subx]Te. Background on the ternary compound; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

Presents a study that examined the effects of a constant component of electric field or direct current (dc) bias across an electrolyte-semiconductor interface. Effect of the change of bias in spectral features; Experiments carried out on gallium arsenide and mercury-manganese-tellurium; Applications of the dc bias.

A modified cell design for studies of electrolyte electroreflectance of solids is reported. A new type of electrolyte cell design for ensuring easy and proper contacts with the surface of the sample wafer is described. The modified system is shown to be suitable for fast and convenient acquisition and display of spectra, or the variation of composition or carrier concentration as a function of position on the sample. Typical results for GaAs:Si and MBE-grown Ga1-xAlxAs/GaAs samples are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which investigated the optical properties of molecular-beam-epitaxy ternary indium gallium arsenide deposited on gallium arsenide with the use of electrolyte electroreflectance technique. Use of electroreflectance in semiconductor analysis; Methods; Results.

Grandmothers exist in all societies. Especially in the non-western Majority World, where Elders are both highly respected and responsible for transmitting their knowledge to younger generations, there is extensive anecdotal evidence of Grandmothers' role in health promotion and healing. However, due to Eurocentric and reductionist views of families and communities, in the extensive past research on maternal, child and adolescent health issues across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, and in Indigenous societies in North America, Australia and New Zealand, scant attention has been given to the role of Grandmothers. This paper addresses this oversight and supports the imperative to decolonize health promotion in the non-western world by building on non-western worldviews, roles and values. Based on an eclectic body of both published and gray literature, this review presents extensive evidence of Grandmothers' involvement across the life cycle of women and children and of the similar core roles that they play across cultures. While in some cases Grandmothers have a negative influence, in most cases their involvement and support to younger women and children is beneficial in terms of both their advisory and their caregiving roles. For future research and interventions addressing maternal, child and adolescent health, the conclusions of this review provide strong support for: adoption of a family systems framework to identify both gender-specific and generation-specific roles and influence; and the inclusion of Grandmothers in community health promotion programs dealing with different phases of the life cycle of women and children.

Background: Early adolescence is a critical period where social norms, attitudes, and behaviors around gender equality form. Social norms influence adolescent choices and behaviors and are reinforced by caregivers and community members, affecting girls' reproductive health and educational opportunities. Understanding how to shift these often-interconnected norms to delay child marriage, pregnancy and keep girls in school requires understanding of the structure and dynamics of family and community systems. The Senegalese and American non-governmental organization, the Grandmothers Project-Change through Culture, seeks to address these intertwined factors through innovative community change strategies that build on the specific structure and values of West African collectivist cultures., Methods: The Girls' Holistic Development approach in rural Vélingara, Senegal posits that by increasing recognition, knowledge and empowerment of elder community women and reinforcing intergenerational communication and decision-making, community members including girls will support and advocate on behalf of girls' interests and desires. We assessed the Girls Holistic Development approach using Realist Evaluation with a mixed-method, quasi-experimental design with a comparison population. We examined differences in intergenerational communication, decision-making and descriptive and injunctive norms related to early marriage, pregnancy and schooling., Results: After 18 months, intergenerational communication was more likely, grandmothers felt more valued in their communities, adolescent girls felt more supported with improved agency, and norms were shifting to support delayed marriage and pregnancy and keeping girls in school. Grandmothers in intervention villages were statistically significantly more likely to be perceived as influential decision-makers by both VYA girls and caregivers for marriage and schooling decisions compared to girls and caregivers in comparison villages., Conclusions: This realist evaluation demonstrated shift in social norms, particularly for VYA girls, in intervention villages favoring delaying girls' marriage, preventing early pregnancy and keeping girls in school along with increased support for and action by grandmothers to support girls and their well-being related to these same outcomes. These shifts represent greater community social cohesion on girl-child issues. This research helps explain the linkage between social norms and girls' reproductive health and education outcomes and demonstrates that normative shifts can lead to behavior change via collective community action mechanisms., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

In all cultures, women and children are embedded in family systems that determine roles, relationships, patterns of communication and authority between family members. Especially in non-western societies, maternal and child nutrition practices are determined not only by the biological parents but also by other influential family members. Most maternal and child nutrition research and interventions do not consider the constellation of family roles and influence on women and children and continue to focus on the mother-child dyad and individual knowledge, attitudes and practices. There is growing agreement on the need to adopt an ecological framework to address public health issues, including those dealing with maternal and child nutrition. This special issue presents examples of research from a variety of settings that employed an ecological, family systems approach either to investigate maternal, child or adolescent nutrition issues or to design interventions that engaged various actors within family settings. These 11 articles contribute to a growing body of evidence supporting the relevance of a wider family systems perspective for nutrition research and interventions. Key themes across studies include the limitations of using a nuclear family model for research and intervention design, the need for formative research that comprehensively explores family systems, increasing recognition of the extensive involvement and support provided by grandmothers, and the importance of engaging men in culturally appropriate ways based on community dialogue and women's perspectives. Future maternal and child nutrition research and interventions can be strengthened by systems thinking that acknowledges that individuals are situated within family and community systems., (© 2021 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background and Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of 1.0 mg risuteganib in subjects with nonexudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD)., Patients and Methods: This was a phase 2a, prospective, double-masked, sham-controlled study. Eyes with nonexudative (dry) AMD and Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) between 20/40 and 20/200 were included. Subjects were randomized to intravitreal 1.0 mg risuteganib or sham injection. At Week 16, subjects in the risuteganib group received a second 1.0-mg dose and the sham group crossed over to receive a dose of 1.0 mg risuteganib and were evaluated at Week 28. The primary endpoint was proportion of subjects with 8 letters ETDRS or more BCVA gain from baseline to Week 28 in the risuteganib group versus baseline to Week 12 for the sham group. BCVA was tested and subjects were observed for adverse events (AEs) every 4 weeks until completion of the study at 32 weeks., Results: Forty-five subjects (risuteganib, n = 29; sham, n = 16) were enrolled in the study, of whom 39 (risuteganib, n = 25; sham, n = 14) completed the study and were included in the per protocol efficacy analysis. At baseline, mean age was 78.8 and 75.9 years and mean BCVA was 67.1 and 64.4 letters in the sham and risuteganib groups, respectively. The primary endpoint was met by 48% of the risuteganib group at Week 28 and 7% of the sham group at Week 12 ( P = .013). Of the risuteganib subjects, 20% gained 15 letters or more at Week 28, whereas no patients in the sham group at Week 12 achieved this visual acuity gain. The only ocular treatment-related treatment-emergent AE was vitreous floaters, which spontaneously recovered without sequelae. No drug-related serious AE was reported., Conclusions: Risuteganib demonstrated significant BCVA improvement in patients with non-exudative AMD. No drug-related AEs were seen during a 32-week observation period. [ Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina . 2021;52:327-335.] .

Across the globe, the well-being of newborns is significantly influenced by the knowledge and practices of family members, yet global health policies and interventions primarily focus on strengthening health services to save newborn lives. Predominant approaches to promote newborn survival in non-western cultures across the Global South are based on a western, nuclear family model and ignore the roles of caregivers within wider family systems, whose attitudes and practices are determined by culturally prescribed strategies. In this paper, I review evidence of a neglected facet of newborn care, the role and influence of senior women or grandmothers.Based on a family systems frame, I reviewed research from numerous settings in Africa, Asia and Latin America that provides insight into family roles related to newborn care, specifically of grandmothers. I identified primarily published studies which provide evidence of grandmothers' role as culturally designated and influential newborn advisors to young mothers and direct caregivers. Research from all three continents reveals that grandmothers play similar core roles in newborn care while their culturally specific practices vary. This review supports two main conclusions. First, future newborn research should be conceptualised within a family systems framework that reflects the structure and dynamics of non-western collectivist cultures. Second, newborn interventions should aim not only to strengthen health services but also influential family caregivers, particularly grandmothers and the indigenous social support networks of which they are a part, in order to improve family-level newborn practices and save newborn lives., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Suboptimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices contribute to child undernutrition. Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey data show that IYCF practices remain poor despite modest improvements. Recent studies have identified the role of grandmothers as critical to child nutrition; however, in Sierra Leone to date, the potential for grandmothers to influence IYCF practices has not been investigated., Objectives: We examined how an innovative grandmother-inclusive approach (GMIA) can be used to address suboptimal IYCF practices., Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design, we compared IYCF beliefs and practices between GMIA intervention communities (receiving monthly dialogue sessions on nutrition, quarterly community praise sessions, and intergenerational forums) and comparison communities (receiving standard nutrition education) in Bum chiefdom from 2013 and 2016. The quantitative endline survey targeted 101 pregnant women, 291 women with children aged <2 y, and 219 grandmothers. Statistical analyses utilized t tests and χ 2 tests to examine differences between intervention and comparison communities at endline. Multivariate regression was used to determine the intervention's effect on IYCF outcomes of interest., Results: Awareness of and participation in the GMIA was high among mothers and grandmothers in intervention communities. The percentage of infants and young children aged 0-23 mo ( n  = 291) exclusively breastfed during the first week of life was significantly higher in the intervention group (90.2% compared with 79.4%, P  = 0.01). Among infants aged 6-23 mo ( n  = 219), the percentage achieving minimum dietary diversity and minimum acceptable diet was significantly higher in the intervention group (77.2% compared with 51.8%, P  < 0.001; and 53.8% compared with 22.6%, P  < 0.001, respectively). Differences in percentages achieving minimum meal frequency (MMF) were only significant for infants aged 9-23 mo, with the intervention group achieving a higher MMF (54.6% compared with 36.9%, P  = 0.02)., Conclusions: Results suggest that a GMIA that recognizes grandmothers' roles and strengthens their knowledge can contribute to improved IYCF practices., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.)

Background: Global recommendations on optimal maternal and child nutrition (MCN) practices are clear; however, there is limited literature 1 ) exploring how roles of family members influence those practices and on 2 ) designing programs accordingly. Researchers using a family-systems approach in the Global South find that grandmothers often play a vital role in MCN, yet most nutrition programs narrowly target mothers, thereby potentially limiting effectiveness., Objectives: This article reports on the results of qualitative research exploring the roles and influence of family members on MCN in southern Sierra Leone, the local MCN beliefs and practices, and how those findings informed the design of a culturally appropriate program., Methods: Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with mothers, fathers, and grandmothers in 9 communities in Bonthe District, Sierra Leone. We used participatory tools to explore family members' roles and local MCN beliefs and practices. Interviews were recorded by notetakers and coded and analyzed using a content analysis approach., Results: A total of 88 mothers, 125 grandmothers, and 79 fathers participated in the FGDs. All groups indicated that 1 ) grandmothers are the culturally designated advisors and supervisors of women on MCN issues and 2 ) mothers are not autonomous decision makers and are greatly influenced by grandmothers. The research identified both beneficial MCN practices and gaps between optimal and existing MCN practices-particularly related to maternal diet during pregnancy and exclusive breastfeeding for 6 mo. Research findings were used to design a grandmother-inclusive program., Conclusions: Our research showed that mothers are embedded in a family system of caring and supervision where grandmothers have primary influence on MCN practices, clearly supporting the need for grandmothers to have a central role in community MCN programs. It also points to the need for increased use of a family-systems approach in designing public health nutrition programs., (Copyright © The Author(s) 2019.)

Improving the nutritional status of infants and young children in developing countries depends to a significant extent on adoption of optimal nutrition-related practices within the context of the household. Most policies, research and programmes on child nutrition in non-Western societies focus narrowly on the mother-child dyad and fail to consider the wider household and community environments in which other actors, hierarchical patterns of authority and informal communication networks operate and influence such practices. In particular, the role and influence of senior women, or grandmothers, has received limited attention. Research dealing with child nutrition from numerous socio-cultural settings in Africa, Asia and Latin America reveals three common patterns related to the social dynamics and decision-making within households and communities. First, grandmothers play a central role as advisers to younger women and as caregivers of both women and children on nutrition and health issues. Second, grandmother social networks exercise collective influence on maternal and child nutrition-related practices, specifically regarding pregnancy, feeding and care of infants, young children and sick children. Third, men play a relatively limited role in day-to-day child nutrition within family systems. The research reviewed supports the need to re-conceptualize the parameters considered in nutritional policies and programmes by expanding the focus beyond the mother-child dyad to include grandmothers given their role as culturally designated advisers and caregivers., (© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

The vast majority of community nutrition/health programs in developing countries focus on women of reproductive age (WRA) and a few explicitly involve senior women, or grandmothers. In Senegal, as in many other places, older, experienced women play an influential role in household maternal and child health (MCH) matters. Formative research in Serer villages revealed their importance and this was taken into account in an action research nutrition education (NE) project in which grandmothers were encouraged to promote improved nutritional practices related to pregnancy (e.g. decreased work and improved diet) and infant feeding (e.g. breastfeeding and complementary feeding). A participatory communication/empowerment education approach was used involving songs, stories and group discussion. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to both document and evaluate the intervention. Triangulation of the evaluation data suggests that 12 months after the intervention was initiated there were significant improvements in grandmothers' nutritional knowledge, in their advice to WRA, and in the nutrition-related practices of these younger women associated both with pregnancy and infant feeding. For example, in the pre-test only 20% of grandmothers stated that they advise pregnant women to decrease their workload whereas in the post-test 87% reported giving this advice. At the same time, 91% of WRA in villages with the grandmother strategy reported having decreased their workload during their last pregnancy whereas in villages with NE activities for WRA but not with grandmothers, only 34% of younger women reported having done so. These findings provide evidence of grandmothers' ability to learn, to integrate new information into their practices and to positively influence the practices of WRA. These results support the need for future MCH programs, in different cultural contexts, to involve grandmothers and in so doing to build on their intrinsic commitment to family well-being.

The most common approach to health communication, characterized by a top-down, one way flow of information through which individuals and communities are provided with solutions to their problems, is increasingly in question. The belief that the main goal of health communication programmes is to disseminate carefully worded messages to community target groups in order to trigger individual behaviour change is increasingly questioned in terms of both effectiveness and appropriateness. An alternative belief is that the aim of these programmes should be to involve both community members and health workers in critical analysis of health problems and potential solutions in order to develop strategies for action. This article describes two contrasting models of communication, the "information-dissemination for individual change model" and the "participatory, problem solving for action model". The two models are discussed in terms of the communication process, levels of programme intervention, communication activities and communication materials and an argument is given for the participatory model with examples of successful programmes that have adopted this approach.

In the Gambia a community-based strategy was tested, in which a traditional snack food was promoted as a dietary supplement to improve women's nutrition during pregnancy. The results suggest how community nutrition programmes can be designed so as to favour sustainability. By and large, the lessons learned are also applicable to other types of community health programme.

In Sudan's South White Nile Province the development of a communication strategy for the diarrhoeal disease programme was preceded by the collection of data from community members and health personnel. A majority of health workers had only a limited knowledge of the community's methods of dealing with diarrhoea. Most of these workers had very negative attitudes towards mothers and home interventions. This information was vital for planning a comprehensive educational scheme for both health workers and communities.

Structured within the framework of the National Programme for the Fight Against Diarrhoea in Tunisia, (PNLAD) the goal of the LAD Project is to improve the understanding and in-home treatment of diarrhoea by mothers. The programme consists of three elements: education of the mothers through health centers and preschool institutions, training of health care and social workers, and a mass media campaign. This article discusses the education programme for mothers through preschool institutions. Before embarking on its education programme, the project team conducted a preliminary study in order to establish what level of knowledge of diarrhoea existed among the general population and what current treatment methods were used. The study consisted of small discussion groups composed of mothers, grandmothers, and fathers. In evaluating current notions regarding diarrhoea, the study noted the various vocabulary used and its meaning for both diarrhoea and dehydration. It also examined the general beliefs of what caused diarrhoea and what people believed would cure and/or prevent the disease. As far as treatment methods were concerned, it was important to understand the origins of the various remedies, the level of awareness of the formal and informal health channels that existed and the different kinds of treatment based on diet, mother's milk, liquids, saline/sugar solutions and medication. The second key aspect of the programme concerned the kind of educational materials and teaching methods used. Both had to be geared towards the teaching of adults while insuring a real exchange of knowledge and experience between the population and the development personnel.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In order to develop health education programs which are adapted to specific sociocultural contexts, in-depth, qualitative data are necessary for program planning. For this purpose, informal data collection techniques are often more appropriate than conventional, formal research methods. In addition to the type of data collection used as a basis for program planning, three other aspects of the program planning process contribute to the quality of programs developed: who is involved in preliminary data collection and program planning; the degree of contact between program planners and target communities; whether program planning is viewed as a top-down, mechanical process or as a collaborative, problem-solving process. This article describes the methodology used to develop a diarrhoeal disease health education program in the Zinder region of Niger in which particular attention was given to these four aspects of the planning process.