Emergence of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae among Extended-spectrum Beta-lactamase Producers in Accra, Ghana

Previous studies in Accra had established that extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers were increasingly becoming a public health nuisance. Since ESBL producers resulted in multi-drug resistance among most beta-lactams and non-beta-lactams, the antibiotic of choice for the treatment of these ESBL infections was carbapenems such as imipenem, meropenem and ertapenems. Hence the emergence and spread of carbapenem resistant bacteria may lead to therapeutically dead end for life-threatening infections. This study therefore focussed on the occurrence of carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae among ESBL producers from clinical specimens analysed at MDS-Lancet Laboratories, Accra, Ghana. One thousand (1000) clinical isolates were identified and analysed for ESBL producers using the combined disk synergy method. In order to determine the carbapenemase producing ESBL bacteria and the antibiotic of choice for treating carbapenem resistant infections, antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed to determine the minimum inhibition concentration of the antibiotics used against the ESBL producers. The antibiotics used included imipenem, meropenem ertapenem and other antibiotics. The results indicated that 600 (75%) of the clinical isolates were ESBL producers. Among the 600 ESBL producers, 43 (7.2) were carbapenem resistant bacteria including 7 different Gram negative bacterial species. Among the carbapenemase producers, Escherichia coli (34.9%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (25.6%) were the dominant bacterial species. The carbapenem resistant bacteria indicated multi-drug resistance to penicillins (100%), cephalosporins (100%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (100%), piperacillin-tazobactam (100%), ciprofloxacin (83.7%), gentamycin (79.7%), amikacin (27.9%), colistin (18.6%) and fosfomycin (11.6%).  Colistin seems to be is the drug of choice for treating carbapenem resistant strains. Although fosfomycin showed a higher activity, it is only recommended for urinary tract infections. Evidence based antibiotic usage and nosocomial infection control will help to control the emergence of carbapenem resistant strains in Accra, Ghana. Also, there is the need to intensify research in the use of natural products to treat resistant bacterial infections. Keywords: Carbapenem, ESBLs, Antibiotics, Colisti

‘To Beijing and Back’: Reflections on the Influence of the Beijing Conference on Popular Notions of Women's Empowerment in Ghana

The 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing was a pivotal moment for legitimating women's rights work in Ghana and served as a powerful framing for women's empowerment. This article explores the Beijing conference and examines its influence on popular notions of and efforts to promote women's empowerment. We argue that the discursive context provided by the conference shaped popular narratives about women directly and also through its influence on the ideas and practices of public institutions and civil society. There is greater acceptance that women have rights that should be promoted and protected, and that there should be institutions and systems to which they have recourse. However, significant work remains to be done in tackling the resistances and tokenism that continue to dominate public discourses and actions to advance gender equality. Further efforts to advance women's empowerment and gender equality in Ghana must therefore build on the legacy of the Beijing conference

4. Elite Succession Among The Matrilineal Akan of Ghana

Introduction: The Changing Basis of Legitimacy among the Akan This chapter seeks to show that, within the framework of hereditary matrilineal succession to stools among the Asante and other Akan peoples of central and south-western Ghana, there is a trend towards the selection of the highly educated, professionals, or successful businessmen as stool occupants in the traditional state or 'traditional area'; and that these successful competitors for stools belong to Ghana's educated or business..

Applying 5S Methodology to Uniform Cell

Plan BThis study examined the principles of lean improvement practices and 5S methodology to resolve the storage situation in the Uniform cell at Huebsch Laundry Services. The utilization of lean tools, an A3 data report sheet, Spaghetti Diagram, and 5S methodology caused an improvement in the storage area near the Wash Tech machines and high-powered natural gas dryers. The application of 5S methodology improved the existing conditions of the cell. A thorough literature review of related subjects were discussed to provide additional understanding to the data collected by experts in the industry. At the end of this study, the company realized the positive impact of lean process improvement tools and 5S methodology have on improving current conditions

Chiefs in Development in Ghana. Interviews with four Paramount Chiefs in Ghana

Il saggio parte da una analisi storico-politica delle trasformazioni subite dai sistemi di potere tradizionale in Ghana dall’epoca coloniale ad oggi. Analizza il progressivo coinvolgimento dei capi tradizionali nelle pratiche di sviluppo relative alle loro aree tradizionali. Gli autori infine pubblicano quattro lunghe interviste ad altrettanti capi di importanti aree tradizionali del Ghana analizzando con dovizia di informazioni i progetti da essi promossi e realizzati

Conventional and Unconventional Transformation of Cocoa Pod Husks into Value-Added Products

The drive for a sustainable society and a circular economy has motivated researchers around the globe to turn to the transformation of renewable raw materials like biomass into value-added products that are akin or superior to their fossil counterparts. Among these biomass raw materials, cocoa pod husks (CPH) which is the non-edible portion of cocoa (ca. 70–75% weight of the while cocoa fruit) remains a promising bio-resource raw material for the production high-value added chemicals but yet largely underexploited. Currently, the most popular applications of CPH involves its use as low-value application products such as animal feed, raw material for soap making, and activated carbon. However, the rich source of lignocellulosic content, pectin, and phenolic compounds of CPH means it could be used as raw materials for the production industrially relevant platform chemicals with high potential in the agrochemicals, pharmaceutical, and food industries, if efficient transformations routes are developed by scientists. In this chapter, we will shed light on some of the works related to the transformation of CPH into various value-added products. An economic evaluation of the transformation of cocoa pod husk into relevant chemicals and products is also discussed

Cysteinyl leukotriene-like metabolites are generated in retinal pigment epithelial cells through glutathionylation/reduction of an oxidatively truncated fragment of arachidonate

γ-Hydroxyalkenals, 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) and phospholipid esters of 4-hydroxy-8-oxooctenoic acid (HOOA-PL), are produced from the alkyl and carboxyl termini of arachidonyl phospholipids by radical-induced oxidative cleavage. Metabolism of HNE by Michael addition of glutathione (GSH) followed by reduction of the aldehyde carbonyl produces a GSH derivative of 1,4-dihydroxynonane (DHN)-GSH. Analogous biochemistry was anticipated to produce a GSH derivative of 5,8-dihydroxyoctanoic acid (DHOA-GSH) that has structural and functional similarity to the cysteinyl leukotriene (LT)C4. We now report that exposure of human retinal pigment epithelial cells to CoCl2, an in vitro model of hypoxia-induced oxidative stress, generates DHOA-GSH and two products of its peptidolysis, DHOA-CysGly and DHOA-Cys that resemble LTD4 and LTE4. Identification of these metabolites was confirmed by unambiguous chemical syntheses that also provided a heavy isotope labeled quantitative standard 13C215N-DHOA-GSH. The availability of pure samples of these arachidonate metabolites will enable assessment of their biological activities, and testing the hypothesis that øLTs promote pathological inflammation by serving as LT receptor agonists. Because LT biosynthetic enzymes, e.g., 5-lipoxygenase, are not involved in the generation of øLTs in vivo, inhibitors of LT biosynthesis, e.g., Zileuton, are not expected to prevent the generation of øLTs. On the other hand, if øLTs are leukotriene receptor agonists, then the therapeutic effects of leukotriene receptor antagonist drugs, e.g., Montelukast, may include inhibition not only of LT-induced but also øLT-induced LT receptor activation and signaling

Learning about a New Technology: Pineapple in Ghana

This paper investigates the role of social learning in the diffusion of a new agricultural technology in Ghana. We use unique data on farmers' communication patterns to define each individual's information neighborhood. Conditional on many potentially confounding variables, we find evidence that farmers adjust their inputs to align with those of their information neighbors who were surprisingly successful in previous periods. The relationship of these input adjustments to experience further indicates the presence of social learning. In addition, applying the same method to input choices for another crop, of known technology, correctly indicates an absence of social learning effects. (JEL D83, O13, O33, Q16)

Is a Friend in Need a Friend Indeed?1 Inclusion and Exclusion in Mutual Insurance Networks in

1 The puzzle of incomplete insurance in village communities Theory predicts that, when there is perfect information and perfect enforcement, risk-averse members of a community that face risks in their sources of income should engage in mutual insurance to completely insure idiosyncratic income shocks. If it holds true, changes in individual consumption across states of nature would be unaffected by changes in individual income and proportional to changes in average community consumption. Empirical tests of this hypothesis have rejected full insurance, but they have also shown that some degree of mutual insurance does indeed exist (Deaton 1992; Townsend 1994; and Gertler and Gruber 1997). This has opened the door to a series of analyses to find out (1) what limits complete insurance and (2) who gets to be included and excluded in mutual insurance schemes. Analyses of factors that limit the quality of insurance have focused on problems of monitoring and enforcement. If there are observability problems, households have private information that cannot be obtained by their insurance partners. Ligon (1998