The State of Professional Publishing in Non-Industrialized Nations

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66905/2/10.1177_034003528200800308.pd

An outbreak of pneumococcal meningitis among older children (≥5 years) and adults after the implementation of an infant vaccination programme with the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: An outbreak of pneumococcal meningitis among non-infant children and adults occurred in the Brong-Ahafo region of Ghana between December 2015 and April 2016 despite the recent nationwide implementation of a vaccination programme for infants with the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). METHODS: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens were collected from patients with suspected meningitis in the Brong-Ahafo region. CSF specimens were subjected to Gram staining, culture and rapid antigen testing. Quantitative PCR was performed to identify pneumococcus, meningococcus and Haemophilus influenzae. Latex agglutination and molecular serotyping were performed on samples. Antibiogram and whole genome sequencing were performed on pneumococcal isolates. RESULTS: Eight hundred eighty six patients were reported with suspected meningitis in the Brong-Ahafo region during the period of the outbreak. In the epicenter district, the prevalence was as high as 363 suspected cases per 100,000 people. Over 95 % of suspected cases occurred in non-infant children and adults, with a median age of 20 years. Bacterial meningitis was confirmed in just under a quarter of CSF specimens tested. Pneumococcus, meningococcus and Group B Streptococcus accounted for 77 %, 22 % and 1 % of confirmed cases respectively. The vast majority of serotyped pneumococci (80 %) belonged to serotype 1. Most of the pneumococcal isolates tested were susceptible to a broad range of antibiotics, with the exception of two pneumococcal serotype 1 strains that were resistant to both penicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. All sequenced pneumococcal serotype 1 strains belong to Sequence Type (ST) 303 in the hypervirulent ST217 clonal complex. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of a pneumococcal serotype 1 meningitis outbreak three years after the introduction of PCV13 is alarming and calls for strengthening of meningitis surveillance and a re-evaluation of the current vaccination programme in high risk countries

Phylogeography and resistome of pneumococcal meningitis in West Africa before and after vaccine introduction.

Despite contributing to the large disease burden in West Africa, little is known about the genomic epidemiology of Streptococcus pneumoniae which cause meningitis among children under 5 years old in the region. We analysed whole-genome sequencing data from 185 S. pneumoniae isolates recovered from suspected paediatric meningitis cases as part of the World Health Organization (WHO) invasive bacterial diseases surveillance from 2010 to 2016. The phylogeny was reconstructed, accessory genome similarity was computed and antimicrobial-resistance patterns were inferred from the genome data and compared to phenotypic resistance from disc diffusion. We studied the changes in the distribution of serotypes pre- and post-pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) introduction in the Central and Western sub-regions separately. The overall distribution of non-vaccine, PCV7 (4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F and 23F) and additional PCV13 serotypes (1, 3, 5, 6A, 19A and 7F) did not change significantly before and after PCV introduction in the Central region (Fisher's test P value 0.27) despite an increase in the proportion of non-vaccine serotypes to 40 % (n=6) in the post-PCV introduction period compared to 21.9 % (n=14). In the Western sub-region, PCV13 serotypes were more dominant among isolates from The Gambia following the introduction of PCV7, 81 % (n=17), compared to the pre-PCV period in neighbouring Senegal, 51 % (n=27). The phylogeny illustrated the diversity of strains associated with paediatric meningitis in West Africa and highlighted the existence of phylogeographical clustering, with isolates from the same sub-region clustering and sharing similar accessory genome content. Antibiotic-resistance genotypes known to confer resistance to penicillin, chloramphenicol, co-trimoxazole and tetracycline were detected across all sub-regions. However, there was no discernible trend linking the presence of resistance genotypes with the vaccine introduction period or whether the strain was a vaccine or non-vaccine serotype. Resistance genotypes appeared to be conserved within selected sub-clades of the phylogenetic tree, suggesting clonal inheritance. Our data underscore the need for continued surveillance on the emergence of non-vaccine serotypes as well as chloramphenicol and penicillin resistance, as these antibiotics are likely still being used for empirical treatment in low-resource settings. This article contains data hosted by Microreact

Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage (WOMAN): an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Post-partum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Early administration of tranexamic acid reduces deaths due to bleeding in trauma patients. We aimed to assess the effects of early administration of tranexamic acid on death, hysterectomy, and other relevant outcomes in women with post-partum haemorrhage. Methods In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we recruited women aged 16 years and older with a clinical diagnosis of post-partum haemorrhage after a vaginal birth or caesarean section from 193 hospitals in 21 countries. We randomly assigned women to receive either 1 g intravenous tranexamic acid or matching placebo in addition to usual care. If bleeding continued after 30 min, or stopped and restarted within 24 h of the first dose, a second dose of 1 g of tranexamic acid or placebo could be given. Patients were assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight numbered packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Participants, care givers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. We originally planned to enrol 15 000 women with a composite primary endpoint of death from all-causes or hysterectomy within 42 days of giving birth. However, during the trial it became apparent that the decision to conduct a hysterectomy was often made at the same time as randomisation. Although tranexamic acid could influence the risk of death in these cases, it could not affect the risk of hysterectomy. We therefore increased the sample size from 15 000 to 20 000 women in order to estimate the effect of tranexamic acid on the risk of death from post-partum haemorrhage. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with ISRCTN76912190 (Dec 8, 2008); ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00872469; and PACTR201007000192283. Findings Between March, 2010, and April, 2016, 20 060 women were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive tranexamic acid (n=10 051) or placebo (n=10 009), of whom 10 036 and 9985, respectively, were included in the analysis. Death due to bleeding was significantly reduced in women given tranexamic acid (155 [1·5%] of 10 036 patients vs 191 [1·9%] of 9985 in the placebo group, risk ratio [RR] 0·81, 95% CI 0·65–1·00; p=0·045), especially in women given treatment within 3 h of giving birth (89 [1·2%] in the tranexamic acid group vs 127 [1·7%] in the placebo group, RR 0·69, 95% CI 0·52–0·91; p=0·008). All other causes of death did not differ significantly by group. Hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (358 [3·6%] patients in the tranexamic acid group vs 351 [3·5%] in the placebo group, RR 1·02, 95% CI 0·88–1·07; p=0·84). The composite primary endpoint of death from all causes or hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (534 [5·3%] deaths or hysterectomies in the tranexamic acid group vs 546 [5·5%] in the placebo group, RR 0·97, 95% CI 0·87-1·09; p=0·65). Adverse events (including thromboembolic events) did not differ significantly in the tranexamic acid versus placebo group. Interpretation Tranexamic acid reduces death due to bleeding in women with post-partum haemorrhage with no adverse effects. When used as a treatment for postpartum haemorrhage, tranexamic acid should be given as soon as possible after bleeding onset. Funding London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Pfizer, UK Department of Health, Wellcome Trust, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

ISO Standards and Other Considerations in Starting New Journals

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67762/2/10.1177_034003528000600104.pd

Corporate Governance and Performance of Firms: An Empirical Evidence from the Banking Sector of Ghana

Abstract. The study investigates the relationship between corporate governance and the performance of banks in Ghana in terms of their financial performance. Primary and Secondary data were collected through the administration of interview questionnaires and from the Ghana Association of Bankers respectively. In analyzing the data, panel data methodology was used. The findings show that large board size, long serving CEOs, size of audit committee, audit committee independence, foreign ownership, institutional ownership, annual general meeting and dividend policy are positively related and associated with the financial performance of banks in Ghana. The banks are encouraged to adopt good corporate governance practices to improve on their financial performance and also protect the shareholders. Most importantly, the regulatory authorities must ensure compliance with good corporate governance and apply the appropriate sanctions for non-compliance to help the growth and development of the banking sector. The main contribution of the study to knowledge lies in its effort in strengthening corporate governance beyond the rights and responsibilities of different stakeholders in the management of a firm into areas involving the relationship between finance providers and a firm, compliance with legal, ethical and environmental needs of the society among others. This contribution has in no small way helped in enhancing my understanding about the interpretations which have shaped the corporate governance in relation with performance of the firm both in theory and practice

Fragments and Stitches of Ghanaian Idioms: A Catalogue of the Life and Works of Kwaku Asaku-Gyapon, An African Modernist Sculptor

This study sought to explore the practice and philosophical foundation of Kwaku Asaku-Gyapon (1932 – 2018), an artist educationist of the African modernist stock, from the 1960s to the 1980s that shaped the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) artistic traditions and generally the Ghanaian sculptural representation. The study seeks to contribute to existing literature on African modernism, following up on karî’kachä Seid’ou’s “J. C. Okyere’s Bequest of Concrete Statuary in the KNUST Collection: Special Emphasis on “Lonely Woman” which sheds light on the artist’s ethos and practice in the midst of seeming erasure and wrong attributions. The study looked at the artist’s three-decade practice, in mainly concrete statuary, terra cotta, wood, and metal (rarely), as part of mid-20th century Ghanaian nationalist repositioning. This is part of the African art that evolved by blending foreign materials and techniques with native African concepts in which artists used revolutionary tools and methods, along with indigenous storytelling practices, to tell their stories in various forms. The study adopted archival research and interviews of the artist as well as descriptive-analytic research methods of the qualitative approach. The study revealed that the artist’s concepts and themes emerged from his personal experiences, sociocultural environment, and political events of his era. It also shows the artist’s practice as commission-dependent in which personal explorations of materials (cement, metal, terrazzo, wood, clay) and techniques in life modelling, casting, and carving were prioritized. The Authors conclude that Kwaku Asaku-Gyapon was a prolific but less exposed Ghanaian modernist artist educationist, in the light of how he adopted the indigenous Asante storytelling approaches through the application of traditional and non-traditional materials and techniques

Fetal health shocks and early inequalities in healthcapital accumulation

Several stu dies report socioeconomic inequalities in c hild health and consequence s of ea rly disease. However, not muchis known about inequalities in health capital accumulation in the womb in response to fetal health shocks, which isessential for finding the earliest sensitive periods for interventions to reduce inequalities. We identify inequalities in birthweight accumulation as a result of fetal health shocks from the occurrence of one of the most common birth defects, oral clefts,within the first 9 weeks of pregnancy, using quantile regression and two datasets from South America and the USA. Infants bornat lower birth weight quantiles are significantly more adversely affected by the health shock compared with those born at higherbirth weight quantiles, with overall comparable results between the South American and US samples. These results suggest thatfetal health shocks increase child health disparities by widening the spread of the birth weight distribution and that healthinequalities begin in the womb, requiring interventions before pregnancy.Fil: Wehby, George L.. University of Iowa; Estados UnidosFil: Nyarko, Kwame A.. University of Iowa; Estados UnidosFil: Lopez Camelo, Jorge Santiago. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas “Norberto Quirno”; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Gaining competitive advantage through integrated talent development and engagement practices in the telecommunication sector; the mediating role of corporate image

Abstract The aim of the study is to investigate the influence of training in multiple functions, communication of strategy, and feedback on performance on competitive advantage while assessing the mediating role of corporate image. A cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. Three hundred and one permanent employees working in different organizations in the Ghanaian telecommunication service sector were sampled for this study. The respondents' responses were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (structural equation modeling partial least squares) with the aid of IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 26.0) and Smart PLS (Version 4.0). The results revealed that training in multiple functions, communication of strategies, and feedback on performance does not significantly relate to competitive advantage. Further, the results established that corporate image mediated the relationship between both communication of strategy and training in multiple functions and competitive advantage. However, corporate image did not mediate the link between feedback on performance and competitive advantage. These results imply that human resource managers should devise strategies to rapidly respond to situations in this current, competitive and ever-changing business environment. To the best of our knowledge, studies that have explored the mediating role of corporate image in the relationship between training in multiple functions, communication of strategy, and feedback on performance and competitive advantage in the telecommunication service sector are rare

Explicación de las disparidades raciales en la salud neonatal en Brasil

OBJETIVOS: Buscamos cuantificar la manera en que los efectos socioeconómicos, demográficos, geográficos y de atención de salud explican las disparidades raciales en las tasas de bajo peso al nacer y prematuridad en Brasil. MÉTODOS: Utilizamos una muestra de 8 949 niños nacidos entre 1995 y el 2009 en 15 ciudades y 7 provincias de Brasil. Nos centramos en las disparidades en la prevalencia de bajo peso al nacer (< 2 500 g) y prematuridad (< 37 semanas de gestación) en recién nacidos de ascendencia solo africana o mezclada con otras ascendencias y de ascendencia solo europea. Usamos un modelo de descomposición para cuantificar la contribución de los factores conceptualmente pertinentes a esas disparidades. RESULTADOS: El modelo permitió explicar entre 45% y 94% de las disparidades en cuanto al bajo peso al nacer y entre 64% y 94% de las disparidades en cuanto a la prematuridad entre los grupos de ascendencia africana y de ascendencia europea. Las diferencias en el uso de atención prenatal y en la ubicación geográfica fueron los factores más importantes, seguidos por las diferencias socioeconómicas. El modelo permitió explicar la mayoría de las disparidades en los recién nacidos de ascendencia africana mezclada y parte de las disparidades en los de ascendencia solo africana. CONCLUSIONES: En las políticas públicas para mejorar la salud infantil se deben abordar las diferencias en cuanto a la atención prenatal y la ubicación geográfica a fin de reducir las disparidades en materia de salud entre los recién nacidos de ascendencia africana y los de ascendencia europea en Brasil