Investments in the exploitation of the continent’s raw material reserves have resulted in little (positive) impact on the energy security situation within Africa. This paper attempts to explore factors influencing th...Investments in the exploitation of the continent’s raw material reserves have resulted in little (positive) impact on the energy security situation within Africa. This paper attempts to explore factors influencing the level of energy security of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, and from the dimension of availability, affordability, economic efficiency and environmental stewardship or sustainability of energy. The cross-sectional survey design was employed as the design for the collection and analysis of data. The study applied a quantitative research method in examining the indicators of energy security for SMEs in Accra Metropolis in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The population covered about 500 SMEs who have about 100 employees and total revenue of $1 million or the equivalence in Ghana Cedis. A sample of 246 was selected through a cluster and simple random sampling. The analysis adopted statistical techniques to conduct descriptive, exploratory and inferential analysis of the data collected. Factors that influence the level of energy security of SMEs are broadly categorized into the environment and economic change, political factors, physical disruptions and market conditions. Ge- nerally, the level of energy security under the availability dimension is medium among the SMEs. Issues of affordability, economic efficiency and environmental stewardship provide high medium interventions on energy security for SMEs. It is recommended that managers of Ghana’s energy sector should ensure prudent management of the country’s energy resources since the disruption of supply lines or sources form the key conditions that influence the energy security level of SMEs. SMEs should adopt energy efficiency measures to ensure that energy is conserved for future use.展开更多
Summary： With dwindling number of new antibiotics and inappropriate use of antibiotics, the emergence and spread of antibiotics resistance occurs commonly in healthcare institutions worldwide. In China, antibiotics a...Summary： With dwindling number of new antibiotics and inappropriate use of antibiotics, the emergence and spread of antibiotics resistance occurs commonly in healthcare institutions worldwide. In China, antibiotics are commonly overprescribed and misused. This study is to assess the effect of the nationwide special campaign on antibiotic stewardship program （ASP） at specialized hospitals in China by investigating prescription information from 2011 to 2012. Data on the hospital consumption and prescription of systemic antibiotics were obtained from four specialized hospitals, including maternity, children＇s, stomatological and cancer hospitals. Systematic random sampling was used to select outpatient prescriptions and inpatient cases. A total of 105 specialized hospitals in 2011 and 121 specialized hospitals in 2012 were analysed. The defined daily doses （DDDs） per 100 inpatient days, the percentage of antibiotic use in outpatient prescriptions, and the percentage of antibiotic use in inpatient eases were used as measurements of antibiotic use. The overall antibiotic use density in the selected hospitals decreased between 2011 and 2012 from 39.37 to 26.54 DDD/100 inpatient days （P〈0.001）. The percentage of antibiotic use in outpatient prescriptions （range： 24.12%-18.71%, P=0.109） and inpatient cases （64.85%-60.10%, P=-0.006） also decreased within the two years. Significant changes were observed among regions and different hospitals within the two years. And antibiotic consumption was correlated with the type and size of specialized hospital in 2012, but not with the regions. This analysis of antibiotic consumption of specialized hospitals allows relevant comparisons for benchmarking and shows that national ASP has improved antibiotic rational use in China. The data will assist policymakers in formulating effective strategies to decrease antibiotic overuse and identify areas that require further work.展开更多
文摘Investments in the exploitation of the continent’s raw material reserves have resulted in little (positive) impact on the energy security situation within Africa. This paper attempts to explore factors influencing the level of energy security of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, and from the dimension of availability, affordability, economic efficiency and environmental stewardship or sustainability of energy. The cross-sectional survey design was employed as the design for the collection and analysis of data. The study applied a quantitative research method in examining the indicators of energy security for SMEs in Accra Metropolis in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The population covered about 500 SMEs who have about 100 employees and total revenue of $1 million or the equivalence in Ghana Cedis. A sample of 246 was selected through a cluster and simple random sampling. The analysis adopted statistical techniques to conduct descriptive, exploratory and inferential analysis of the data collected. Factors that influence the level of energy security of SMEs are broadly categorized into the environment and economic change, political factors, physical disruptions and market conditions. Ge- nerally, the level of energy security under the availability dimension is medium among the SMEs. Issues of affordability, economic efficiency and environmental stewardship provide high medium interventions on energy security for SMEs. It is recommended that managers of Ghana’s energy sector should ensure prudent management of the country’s energy resources since the disruption of supply lines or sources form the key conditions that influence the energy security level of SMEs. SMEs should adopt energy efficiency measures to ensure that energy is conserved for future use.
基金supported by grants from the General Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.71073062)Major Project in Philosophy and Social Science of Ministry of Education in China(No.10JZD0027)
文摘Summary： With dwindling number of new antibiotics and inappropriate use of antibiotics, the emergence and spread of antibiotics resistance occurs commonly in healthcare institutions worldwide. In China, antibiotics are commonly overprescribed and misused. This study is to assess the effect of the nationwide special campaign on antibiotic stewardship program （ASP） at specialized hospitals in China by investigating prescription information from 2011 to 2012. Data on the hospital consumption and prescription of systemic antibiotics were obtained from four specialized hospitals, including maternity, children＇s, stomatological and cancer hospitals. Systematic random sampling was used to select outpatient prescriptions and inpatient cases. A total of 105 specialized hospitals in 2011 and 121 specialized hospitals in 2012 were analysed. The defined daily doses （DDDs） per 100 inpatient days, the percentage of antibiotic use in outpatient prescriptions, and the percentage of antibiotic use in inpatient eases were used as measurements of antibiotic use. The overall antibiotic use density in the selected hospitals decreased between 2011 and 2012 from 39.37 to 26.54 DDD/100 inpatient days （P〈0.001）. The percentage of antibiotic use in outpatient prescriptions （range： 24.12%-18.71%, P=0.109） and inpatient cases （64.85%-60.10%, P=-0.006） also decreased within the two years. Significant changes were observed among regions and different hospitals within the two years. And antibiotic consumption was correlated with the type and size of specialized hospital in 2012, but not with the regions. This analysis of antibiotic consumption of specialized hospitals allows relevant comparisons for benchmarking and shows that national ASP has improved antibiotic rational use in China. The data will assist policymakers in formulating effective strategies to decrease antibiotic overuse and identify areas that require further work.
