Resilience of Entrepreneurs in Crisis Context: A study applied in the Anglophone crisis in the North West Region of Cameroon

Entrepreneurs in Cameroon represent an enormous economic weight known as the backbone of the economy, but forced to adapt to the situation to remain in the market as they are faced with the armed conflicts commonly known as Anglophone crisis. This research aims at identifying the different ways in which entrepreneurs in crisis context can become resilient. We opted for a qualitative research approach with an inductive reasoning. The population of study is made up of entrepreneurs within this area of crisis and the sampled population is the entrepreneurs who have been resilient in the crisis context for the past five years. Our participants were five entrepreneurs due to saturation, addressed with an interview guide for data collection; face-to-face assisted by an audio recorder. Data was analyzed manually as we settled for the thematic analysis. The results revealed that; online sales (100%), rescaling of business (100%), capacity to anticipate (80%), educative seminar (80%) and adaptation capacity (80%) are the key strategies used by entrepreneurs in this crisis area to remain in business. This paper is limited only to the entrepreneurs who have succeeded to remain in business despite the constant unstable environment. To this effect, the entrepreneurs should rescale their businesses and marketing strategies in order not to attract those fighting them and special considerations should be given to the existing entrepreneurs in crisis context with free interest loans for them to remain in business.   Keywords: resilience, entrepreneur, crises. JEL Classification : (H12, L81)  Paper type: Empirical researchLes entrepreneurs au Cameroun représentent un poids économique énorme, considéré comme l'épine dorsale de l'économie, mais contraints de s'adapter à la situation pour rester sur le marché alors qu'ils sont confrontés aux conflits armés communément appelés crise anglophone. Cette recherche vise à identifier les différentes manières dont les entrepreneurs en contexte de crise peuvent devenir résilients. Nous avons opté pour une approche de recherche qualitative avec un raisonnement inductif. La population étudiée est composée d'entrepreneurs au sein de cette zone de crise et la population échantillonnée est constituée des entrepreneurs qui ont fait preuve de résilience dans le contexte de crise au cours des cinq dernières années. Nos participants étaient cinq entrepreneurs en raison de la saturation, abordés avec un guide d'entretien pour la collecte de données, en face à face assisté par un enregistreur audio. Les données ont été analysées manuellement au fur et à mesure que nous nous contentions de l'analyse thématique. Les résultats ont révélé que : la vente en ligne (100%), le redimensionnement de l'activité (100%), la capacité d'anticipation (80%), le séminaire éducatif (80%) et la capacité d'adaptation (80%) sont les stratégies clés utilisées par les entrepreneurs dans cette zone de crise afin de rester en activité. Cet article se limite uniquement aux entrepreneurs qui ont réussi à rester en affaires malgré un environnement constamment instable. À cet effet, les entrepreneurs devraient redimensionner leurs activités et leurs stratégies de marketing afin de ne pas attirer ceux qui les combattent et des considérations spéciales devraient être accordées aux entrepreneurs existants dans un contexte de crise avec des prêts à taux d'intérêt gratuits pour qu'ils puissent rester en activité.   Mots clés : résilience, entrepreneur, crises. Classification JEL : H12, L81 Type du papier : Recherche empiriqu

Dynamisme entrepreneurial des femmes camerounaises : études de cas de développement d'entreprise.

The focus on female entrepreneurship reflects the growing magnitude of this phenomenon worldwide. Indeed, the entrepreneurial potential of women is obvious and this doctorate thesis focuses on this potential in the Cameroonian context. The literature on female entrepreneurship offers works mainly focused on the emergence of firms while writings dealing with development are rare. Yet, despite difficulties linked to access to resources, women entrepreneurs in Cameroon have succeeded. It has appeared both useful and necessary to “exhibit” these cases with the caution ensured by the scientific protocol of the “case study” method. So, our work aims at understanding how and why Cameroonian women entrepreneurs succeed in moving from a “small business” to a more ambitious business. In this regard, in-depth and comparative studies of three enterprises selected by homogenization in the service sector were conducted. The methodological framework thus chosen is supported by the concept of Business Model for the presentation of cases under analysis and by the convention theory for their understanding.L’intérêt accordé à l’entrepreneuriat féminin reflète l’ampleur du phénomène sans cesse croissant partout dans le monde. En effet, le potentiel entrepreneurial des femmes est manifeste et ce travail doctoral s’intéresse à ce potentiel dans le contexte camerounais. La littérature en entrepreneuriat féminin propose des travaux essentiellement axés sur l’émergence des entreprises alors que les écrits se focalisant sur le développement sont rares. Pourtant, malgré les difficultés d’accès aux ressources, des femmes entrepreneurs camerounaises ont réussi. Il semble alors à la fois utile et nécessaire de faire « voir » ces cas, avec la prudence qu’apporte le protocole scientifique de la méthode des cas. Notre travail vise donc à comprendre comment et pourquoi les femmes entrepreneurs camerounaises passent d’un « petit business » à un business plus ambitieux. A ce propos, des études approfondies et comparatives de trois entreprises sélectionnées par homogénéisation dans le secteur des services ont été menées. Le guide méthodologique ainsi fourni est étayé par le concept de Business Model pour mettre au jour les cas à analyser et par la théorie des conventions pour les comprendre

Les motivations du choix sectoriel à tendance masculine dans l’entrepreneuriat féminin

En entrepreneuriat, le choix du secteur d’activité est primordial. En effet, le créateur d’un commerce traditionnel de proximité ne se situe pas sur la même échelle de rentabilité/risque que le créateur d’une start-up de haute technologie. D’après la littérature, selon qu’il s’agisse d’un secteur d’activité, correspond un type particulier de motivations à y entreprendre. Quoique les motivations entrepreneuriales aient été un sujet de recherche abondamment exploité, les motivations entrepreneuriales des femmes et de leurs choix sectoriels restent encore des pistes à définir sur les plans théorique et empirique. Cette étude vise donc à comprendre les motivations des femmes entrepreneurs camerounaises cross-overs. Pour ce faire, les études approfondies et comparatives sont réalisées sur 10 femmes entrepreneures. Une sélection par échantillonnage théorique est opérée dans quelques secteurs dits « masculins » à savoir : agriculture, construction, information et communication, industrie manufacturière, transport...Les résultats de notre recherche indiquent que le choix d’entreprendre de ces femmes dans les secteurs dits « masculins » découle des motivations actives, passives et matérielles

A multiparameter panel method for outcome prediction following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Purpose: Accurate early anticipation of long-term irreversible brain damage during the acute phase of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) remains difficult. Using a combination of clinical scores together with brain injury-related biomarkers (H-FABP, NDKA, UFD1 and S100β), this study aimed at developing a multiparameter prognostic panel to facilitate early outcome prediction following aSAH. Methods: Blood samples of 141 aSAH patients from two separated cohorts (sets of 28 and 113 patients) were prospectively enrolled and analyzed with 14months of delay. Patients were admitted within 48h following aSAH onset. A venous blood sample was withdrawn within 12h after admission. H-FABP, NDKA, UFD1, S100β and troponin I levels were determined using classical immunoassays. The World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) at admission and the Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) at 6months were evaluated. Results: In the two cohorts, blood concentration of H-FABP, S100β and troponin I at admission significantly predicted unfavorable outcome (GOS 1-2-3). A multivariate analysis identified a six-parameter panel, including WFNS, H-FABP, S100β, troponin I, NDKA and UFD-1; when at least three of these parameters were simultaneously above cutoff values, prediction of unfavorable outcome reached around 70% sensitivity in both cohorts for 100% specificity. Conclusion: The use of this panel, including four brain injury-related proteins, one cardiac marker and a clinical score, could be a valuable tool to identify aSAH patients at risk of poor outcom

A Combined CXCL10, CXCL8 and H-FABP Panel for the Staging of Human African Trypanosomiasis Patients

The actual serological and parasitological tests used for the diagnosis of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, are not sensitive and specific enough. The card agglutination test for trypanosomiasis (CATT) assay, widely used for the diagnosis, is restricted to the gambiense form of the disease, and parasitological detection in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is often very difficult. Another very important problem is the difficulty of staging the disease, a crucial step in the decision of the treatment to be given. While eflornithine is difficult to administer, melarsoprol is highly toxic with incidences of reactive encephalopathy as high as 20%. Staging, which could be diagnosed as early (stage 1) or late (stage 2), relies on the examination of CSF for the presence of parasite and/or white blood cell (WBC) counting. However, the parasite is rarely found in CSF and WBC count is not standardised (cutoff set between 5 and 20 WBC per µL). In the present study, we hypothesized that an early detection of stage 2 patients with one or several proteins in association with clinical evaluation and WBC count would improve staging accuracy and allow more appropriate therapeutic interventions

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Entrepreneurial Dynamism of Cameroonian Businesswomen : case studies of firm growth

L’intérêt accordé à l’entrepreneuriat féminin reflète l’ampleur du phénomène sans cesse croissant partout dans le monde. En effet, le potentiel entrepreneurial des femmes est manifeste et ce travail doctoral s’intéresse à ce potentiel dans le contexte camerounais. La littérature en entrepreneuriat féminin propose des travaux essentiellement axés sur l’émergence des entreprises alors que les écrits se focalisant sur le développement sont rares. Pourtant, malgré les difficultés d’accès aux ressources, des femmes entrepreneurs camerounaises ont réussi. Il semble alors à la fois utile et nécessaire de faire « voir » ces cas, avec la prudence qu’apporte le protocole scientifique de la méthode des cas. Notre travail vise donc à comprendre comment et pourquoi les femmes entrepreneurs camerounaises passent d’un « petit business » à un business plus ambitieux. A ce propos, des études approfondies et comparatives de trois entreprises sélectionnées par homogénéisation dans le secteur des services ont été menées. Le guide méthodologique ainsi fourni est étayé par le concept de Business Model pour mettre au jour les cas à analyser et par la théorie des conventions pour les comprendre.The focus on female entrepreneurship reflects the growing magnitude of this phenomenon worldwide. Indeed, the entrepreneurial potential of women is obvious and this doctorate thesis focuses on this potential in the Cameroonian context. The literature on female entrepreneurship offers works mainly focused on the emergence of firms while writings dealing with development are rare. Yet, despite difficulties linked to access to resources, women entrepreneurs in Cameroon have succeeded. It has appeared both useful and necessary to “exhibit” these cases with the caution ensured by the scientific protocol of the “case study” method. So, our work aims at understanding how and why Cameroonian women entrepreneurs succeed in moving from a “small business” to a more ambitious business. In this regard, in-depth and comparative studies of three enterprises selected by homogenization in the service sector were conducted. The methodological framework thus chosen is supported by the concept of Business Model for the presentation of cases under analysis and by the convention theory for their understanding

Menetrier's disease (protein-losing gastropathy) in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

A 3-year-old boy with high-risk precursor-B ALL presented with abdominal pain, vomiting, and hypoalbuminemia just before his second scheduled course of high-dose methotrexate in interim maintenance. Examination was significant for epigastric tenderness and periorbital edema. Abdominal imaging revealed a circumferential thickening of the stomach with an increased mucosal enhancement and a mild circumferential thickening of segments of small bowel loops. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) of the patient, determined by PCR, in blood was positive with a low titer and was subsequently negative. Upper endoscopy revealed hypertrophic rugae and folds in the stomach and duodenum, and biopsy showed giant gastric folds and foveolar hyperplasia but was negative for CMV. He received supportive care and a 2-week course of ganciclovir and Cytogam with clinical improvement. We report a case of Menetrier's disease (Protein-losing gastropathy), which was diagnosed in a child with acute leukemia. Menetrier's disease should be considered in any patient with symptoms referable to the gastrointestinal tract and thickened stomach and bowel loops detected by radiologic imaging. Keywords: Menetrier's disease, Protein-losing gastropathy, Acute lymphoblastic leukemi

Blood glutathione S-transferase-π as a time indicator of stroke onset

Ability to accurately determine time of stroke onset remains challenging. We hypothesized that an early biomarker characterized by a rapid increase in blood after stroke onset may help defining better the time window during which an acute stroke patient may be candidate for intravenous thrombolysis or other intravascular procedures

Clinical performances of the molecules for discriminating tPA treated (N = 12) vs. ineligible patients (N = 104).

*<p>The AUC of GST-π was significantly better than AUC of DJ-1 (p = 0.016). No significant difference was obtained between GST-π vs. NDKA (p = 0.11) and NDKA vs. DJ-1 (p = 0.14).</p><p>An AUC above 0.80 was estimated as significant (significance 0.05 and power 0.95, made with Power tests/Sample size item from pROC software).</p