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The increasing global population and growing demand for food and mineral fertilizers underscore the urgent need to enhance fertilizer efficiency. This imperative emphasizes the importance of sustainable fertilizer utilization while mitigating environmental impacts, particularly in addressing agricultural water pollution. Excessive fertilizer use contributes significantly to water contamination and food shortages worldwide. In 2018, food shortages were reported in many nations, including the United States (2.3%), Canada (4.6%), the United Kingdom (8.2%), Germany (2.6%), Japan (2.9%), Ethiopia (23.4%), Ivory Coast (22.4%), Bangladesh (12.7%), Pakistan (17.2%), Haiti (45.6%), and India (14.3%). Moreover, agricultural activities, particularly the use of mineral fertilizers, are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Inefficient fertilizer practices lead to economic losses, environmental degradation, and food insecurity. Studies reveal that in sub-Saharan Africa, farmers receive only about $0.50 in increased productivity for every dollar spent on fertilizer due to inefficiencies. The economic cost of nutrient pollution in the European Union is estimated to range between €7 billion and €10 billion annually. Effective strategies like precision nutrient management, best practices, and innovative technologies optimize fertilizer efficiency and support agricultural sustainability. Besides, promising methods include the combined use of organic and inorganic fertilizers, the application of remote sensing and geographical information system technologies, and the implementation of biological approaches to enhance nutrient management. Moreover, monitoring and evaluation are essential for assessing strategy effectiveness, guiding decision-making, and taking corrective actions. Hence, this review aims to address strategies for improving fertilizer efficiency, sustainable agriculture practices, and addressing food security and environmental concerns related to fertilizer use comprehensively.

Abstract Understanding the temporal and spatial patterns of flood in the Awash River basin, which is located in Ethiopia’s Afar region, is crucial. The Awash basin was picked because it is continuously in danger both spatially and temporally. The likelihood of flooding was assessed using eight independent variables: elevation, slope, rainfall, drainage density, land use, soil type, wetness index, and lineament density. Each constituent was assigned a weight based on its susceptibility to the danger, which was classified into four classifications. Exploratory regression analysis showed that the existing land use is the main factor influencing flood susceptibility. For the GIS domain, a total of 31 models were built using exploratory regression. Model number 31 was found to be the best fit model, having the highest Adjusted R2 value of 0.8 and the lowest Akaike’s Information criterion value of 1536.8. The spatial autocorrelation tool’s Z score and p-value for the standard residuals are, respectively, 0.7 and 0.4, indicating that they were neither clustered nor scattered. The geographic breadth of flood susceptibility and risk is thoroughly examined in this paper, as is the significance of spatial planning in the Awash basin.

Aim: The main aim of this work was to examine the plant growth promoting, biocontrol activities and stress competency of grass pea rhizobacterial strains from Ethiopia. Methods and Results: Serial dilutions were carried out to isolate rhizobacterial strains from the rhizosphere soil samples. The isolates were characterized for their plant growth promoting, biocontrolling and stress tolerance potential. The isolates that showed better performance in the tested parameters were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Among the isolates tested on Pikovskaya agar medium, 22 isolates that showed solubilization index of >2·41 cm were selected for further screening tests. Isolate AAUGPR‐53 identified as Enterococcus species, Enterococcus casseliflavus strain showed the highest phosphate solubilization index and indole‐3‐acetic acid production efficiency of 4·81 ± 0·02 (μg ml−1) and 56·55 ± 0·45 (μg ml−1), respectively. Sixteen (72·7%) of the isolates showed in vitro antifungal inhibition against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lentis with isolates AAUGPR‐92 and AAUGPR‐91 identified as Enterococcus species, E. casseliflavus strain and Enterococcus gallinarum strain exhibiting the highest inhibition of 83 and 78%, respectively. Likewise, 68·2%, 91·30%, 45·5%, 77·3% and 100% of the isolates produced chitinase, protease, cellulase, HCN and NH3, respectively. Most of the isolates showed good tolerance to the tested stress factors. The 16S rRNA partial sequencing of the rhizobacterial isolates proved their taxonomic position in the existing bacterial isolates. Conclusion: The results indicated that three strains, AAUGPR‐53, 91 and 92, that showed maximum sequence identity (99%) to Enterococcus species, E. casseliflavus and E. gallinarum were recommended as microbial inoculants for trials under greenhouse and field conditions. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study illustrates an effective alternative to conventional fertilizers that may contribute to crop disease reduction. Our results provide a foundation for future research that will lead to identifying potentially useful biocontrol strains found in the rhizosphere of grass pea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring security is one of the defining characteristics and central claims of a state. In federal countries there is a possibility for two or more actors at different levels to have some mandate over security. In the case of federal Ethiopia the security sector remains complicated. The constituent units have established special police in addition to the regular police, and its role and status remains contested. What is the constitutional basis of the special police? Do regional states have a mandate to establish such a police? Is it a force for stability or instability? How should it be regulated? These are the main questions that this article aims to investigate based on qualitative method, relevant comparative study, and empirical investigation into this rather complex sector. The findings show that the special police resemble more an army than a police force. It has also taken over the mandate of the army, which is a federal mandate. Lately, its size has increased significantly and retired army generals have begun to join it, hinting that the army is being drained. The fact that the impact of the army is depleting owing to the ongoing civil war in the country and the constituent unit special police is slowly taking over mandate implies the center is losing control and the country is slowly falling apart along ethno- national fault lines. The article further explains the race behind the special police and proposes options on how to regulate it.

Abstract Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an economically important crop grown by nearly one million Ethiopian smallholder farmers. The crop is often considered as “stress‐loving,” but moisture stress at flowering and grain filling stages could be detrimental. Yield of chickpea is commonly affected by terminal drought stress in the rainfed production system in Ethiopia. The lack of proper field‐screening methods has hindered the development of drought‐tolerant varieties. This study demonstrates a simple and practical field‐level screening method for drought tolerance traits in the conventional breeding programs. A field experiment was conducted using 28 elite chickpea cultivars during the 2018–2019 main cropping season to study their response to moisture regimes of varying drought intensities. We used yield and its components as proxy parameters of screening to select tolerant cultivars. The study revealed significant variation among the cultivars in their response to different moisture regimes. The kabuli cultivars were found more sensitive compared with the desi types. Yield penalty exceeded 70% under severe drought. Conversely, cultivars tested under mild and severe stress drought showed average yield gain of 22 and 48%, respectively, relative to the irrigated treatment. Overall, over 50% yield gain can be obtained in drought‐affected rainfed production areas in Ethiopia using supplemental irrigation during pod setting to grain filling stages. For post‐rainy‐season crops relying on residual soil moisture, such as chickpea, breeding for shorter duration and resilient cultivars are reliable management approaches to minimize drought‐caused yield losses.

In this study, probiotic properties consisting of acid and bile tolerance, hydrophobicity, antibacterial activity, and antimicrobial susceptibility of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from two traditional fermented condiments (Datta and Awaze) were investigated. Of 100 isolates, 24 showed 54-97% survival rates at pH 2-3 and bile salt concentration of 0.3%-1%. Of the acid and bile tolerant isolates, only five showed marked hydrophobicity indicating tissue adherence potential . These five isolates inhibited test pathogenic bacteria to varying extents. These LAB isolates were susceptible to chloramphenicol, ampicillin, clindamycin, erythromycin, gentamycin, tetracycline and penicillin but resistant to vancomycin. All the five isolates were able to survive at levels of log 6 cfu/ml for >96 days in Datta stored at 4oC. These isolates belonged to LAB genera comprising Lactococcus (2) Leuconostoc (2) and Lactobacillus (1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to set-up a pilot plant and to evaluate its effectiveness for biological nitrogen and organic matter removal from tannery wastewater in Ethiopia. A pilot wastewater treatment plant consisting of a predenitrification-nitrification process was constructed and operated for 6 months. This was fed with a raw tannery wastewater obtained from the Modjo Tannery located 70 km south of the capital, Addis Ababa. Up to 98% total nitrogen and chemical oxygen demand, and 95% ammonium nitrogen removal efficiencies were achieved in the system. The average effluent ammonium nitrogen ranged from 8.4 mg l-1 to 86.0 mg l-1, whereas the average effluent for nitrate nitrogen ranged from 2.9 mg l-1 to 4.4 mg l-1. The average values of denitrification and nitrification rates determined by nitrate and ammonium uptake rates (NUR and AUR) were 8.0 mg NO3-N [g volatile suspended solids (VSS)]-1 h-1 and 5.4 mg NH4-N (g VSS)-1 h-1, respectively, demonstrating that the treatment processes of the pilot plant were effective. Further studies of the effect of chromium III on AUR showed 50% inhibition at a concentration of 85 mg l-1, indicating that this metal was not causing process inhibition during performance operations. Thus, the predenitrification-nitrification process was found to be efficient for simultaneous removal of nitrogen and organic substrates from tannery wastewaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After years of centralized rule emphasizing unity and territorial integrity, Ethiopia in 1991 adopted a federal system that aimed at accommodating its diversity. The system is designed to empower hitherto marginalized ethno-national groups by ensuring self-government in nine constituent units and redrawing boundaries to match with ethno-national boundaries. By designing constituent units, and, in some cases, local governments that ensure self-rule to major ethno-national groups, the constitution transforms these groups into majorities within the territories they control at constituent and local level. This article argues that while conferring territorial autonomy and self-rule to mobilized, territorially grouped ethno-national groups may be a step in the right direction to address the age-old ‘nationality question’, the design establishes a titular ethno-national group that claims exclusive control over territory, dominates public institutions, perpetuates majority rule and replicates the problems of the ‘nation-state’ at constituent-unit level. The combination of majority rule by titular ethno-national group and exclusive control over territory at constituent-unit level in a context of heterogeneous constituent units and increased inter-regional state mobility has therefore had grave consequences for intra-unit minorities. What the design provides is autonomy for a particular titular ethno-national group, not autonomy for all inhabitants in the constituent unit. Hence, the question arises: What institutional and policy options do we have to address the rights of intra-unit minorities in the states? It is argued that the process of empowering ethno-nationalist group at regional-state level was conducted without putting relevant institutional and policy mechanisms in place to minimize the marginalization of intra-unit minorities. The article therefore examines the institutional, political, legal and policy safeguards that exist for intra-unit minorities. It proposes four mechanisms that aim to address the concerns of intra-unit minorities: power-sharing as well as non-territorial autonomy; external checks by the federal government to monitor constituent units’ compliance with intra-unit minorities; and strict enforcement of human rights throughout the country. Enforcement of these packages of supplementary measures would mitigate the situation of intra-unit minorities and recast the conception of political power and territory in such a way that they are understood not as the exclusive property of a particular ethno-national group but a shared common good for all inhabitants of the constituent units.

Context: The World Food Programme estimated that 10 million people were at risk of starvation in Ethiopia in 2000 but later reported that a famine had been averted. However, no population-based data on mortality or nutrition existed for Gode district, at the epicenter of the famine in the Somali region of Ethiopia.Objectives: To estimate mortality rates, determine the major causes of death, and estimate the prevalence of malnutrition among children and adults for the population of Gode district.Design and Setting: Two-stage cluster survey conducted from July 27 through August 1, 2000, which included anthropometric measures and 8-month retrospective mortality data collection.Participants: A total of 595 households comprising 4032 people living in Gode district of Ethiopia.Main Outcome Measures: Crude mortality rates and mortality rates for children younger than 5 years, causes of death, weight for height of less than -2 z scores among children aged 6 months to 5 years, and body mass index of less than 18.5 kg/m(2) among adults and older persons.Results: Of the 595 households, 346 (58.2%) were displaced from their usual places of residence. From December 1999 through July 2000, a total of 293 deaths occurred in the sample population; 159 (54.3%) deaths were among children younger than 5 years and 72 (24.6%) were among children aged 5 to 14 years. The crude mortality rate was 3.2/10 000 per day (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4-3.8/10 000 per day), which is 3 times the cutoff used to define an emergency. The mortality rate for children younger than 5 years was 6.8/10 000 per day (95% CI, 5.4-8.2/10 000 per day). Approximately 77% of deaths occurred before major relief interventions began in April/May 2000. Wasting contributed to 72.3% of all deaths among children younger than 5 years. Measles alone or in combination with wasting accounted for 35 (22.0%) of 159 deaths among children younger than 5 years and for 12 (16.7%) of 72 deaths among children aged 5 to 14 years. The prevalence rate for wasting (weight for height of <-2 z score) among children aged 6 months to 5 years was 29.1% (95% CI, 24.7%-33.4%). Using a method to adjust body mass index for body shape, the prevalence of undernutrition (body mass index <18.5 kg/m(2)) among adults aged 18 to 59 years was 22.7% (95% CI, 17.9%-27.5%).Conclusions: To prevent unnecessary deaths, the humanitarian response to famine needs to be rapid, well coordinated, and based on sound epidemiological evidence. Public health interventions, such as mass measles vaccination campaigns with coverage extended to children aged 12 to 15 years should be implemented as the first priority. The prevalence of wasting and undernutrition among children and adults, respectively, should be assessed in all prolonged, severe famines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of rhizobacteria with plant growth promoting (PGP) traits in alleviating abiotic stresses, especially drought, is significant. However, their exploitation in the semi-arid regions of Ethiopian soils remains largely unexplored. This research aimed to isolate and evaluate the PGP potential of bacterial isolates collected from groundnut cultivation areas in Ethiopia. Multiple traits were assessed, including phosphate solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, ammonia production, salt and heavy metal tolerance, drought tolerance, enzyme activities, hydrogen cyanide production, antibiotic resistance, and antagonistic activity against fungal pathogens. The identification of potent isolates was carried out using MALDI-TOF MS. Out of the 82 isolates, 63 were gram-negative and 19 were gram-positive. Among them, 19 isolates exhibited phosphate solubilization, with AAURB 34 demonstrating the highest efficiency, followed by AURB 12. Fifty-six isolates produce IAA in varying amounts and all isolates produce ammonia with AAURB12, AAURB19, and AAURB34 displaying strong production. Most isolates demonstrated tolerance to temperatures up to 40°C and salt concentrations up to 3%. Notably, AAURB12 and AAURB34 exhibited remarkable drought tolerance at an osmotic potential of -2.70 Mpa. When subjected to levels above 40%, the tested isolates moderately produced lytic enzymes and hydrogen cyanide. The isolates displayed resistance to antibiotics, except gentamicin, and all isolates demonstrated resistance to zinc, with 81-91% showing resistance to other heavy metals. AAURB34 and AAURB12 exhibited suppression against fungal pathogens, with percent inhibition of 38% and 46%, respectively. Using MALDI-TOF MS, the promising PGP isolates were identified as Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus pumilus, and Enterobacter asburiae. This study provides valuable insights into the potential of rhizobacteria as PGP agents for mitigating abiotic stresses and contribute to the understanding of sustainable agricultural practices in Ethiopia and similar regions facing comparable challenges.

In a field study, the impact of different levels of brewery sludge (BS) enrichment on Triticum aestivum L. (wheat plants) was examined in terms of growth, yield, heavy metal absorption, and potential health risks linked to plant consumption. Using a randomized complete block design with seven treatments and three blocks, the study showed that applying up to 12 t ha -1 brewery sludge significantly improved all agronomic parameters (except harvest index) compared to control and mineral-fertilized soil. Heavy metal translocation was generally low, except for Cu and Pb. The sequence of heavy metal translocation was Cu > Pb > Cd > Ni > Zn > Mn > Cr from soil to spikes and Cu > Zn > Mn > Pb > Ni > Cd > Cr from soil to grain. Heavy metal loads were mostly higher in roots than in the above-ground crop parts. The target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), and target cancer risk (TCR) within wheat grain remained within safe limits for all BS treatments. Consequently, consuming this wheat grain is considered safe regarding heavy metals. Thus, utilizing brewery sludge at 12 t ha -1 as a fertilizer for wheat production and as an alternative method for sludge disposal is plausible., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Maize is produced throughout the world and it is also a primary staple food crop in many developing countries. The field experiment was conducted during the main rainy season of 2018 in Burie district to study the effects of types and growth stages of seedlings on the growth and yield of transplanted maize (Zea mays L.). Factorial combinations of two types of seedlings (bare rooted and poly bagged); five levels of seedling's growth stages (seedlings of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 true leaf/ves) and one control (direct seeded) were laid down in randomized complete block design with three replications. Data on phenological, vegetative growth and yield-related parameters were collected following standard methods and procedures. All data were subjected to analysis of variance using SAS software, and mean separation for significant treatments was done by LSD. Both main effects affected the number of grains cob -1 , grain, and stover yield highly significantly and days to 50% silking very highly significantly. Types of seedlings affected days to 50% tasselling significantly; and days to 90% physiological maturity and plant height highly significantly. In addition, types of seedlings affected the number of cobs plant -1 , cob length, number of grains row -1 and biomass yield, very highly significantly. Seedlings' growth stages had a very highly significant effect on days to 50% tasseling and days to 90% physiological maturity. The number of cobs plant -1 , cob length, number of grains row -1 and biomass yield were also highly significantly affected by seedlings' growth stages. The interaction effect was highly significant on the number of cobs plant -1 , grain, and stover yield and very highly significant on the harvest index. The highest (10.7t ha -1 ) grain yield of maize was found from the transplantation of polybagged seedlings at four true leaf stages. Although it is difficult to conclude based on one season and one location research trial, transplanting of poly-bagged seedlings at four true leaf stages gave superior grain yield. This treatment combination also gave the highest net benefit with an acceptable range of marginal rate of return. Therefore, transplanting polybagged seedlings at four true leaf stages is economically feasible and can be recommended tentatively for Burie District. However; it's also advised to repeat the study in areas having terminal moisture stress for maize production., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

In the absence of a recommended optimal seed rate and nitrogen-phosphorous (NP) fertilizers application for a specific area, achieving maximum bread wheat productivity becomes challenging. To address this issue, this field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of seed and NP fertilizer rates on growth, yield, and yield components of bread wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). Factorial combinations of four levels of seed rates of bread wheat (100, 120, 150, and 200 kg ha -1 ) and four levels of NP fertilizers rates (64-46, 87-46, 96-69, and 119-69 kg ha -1 of N and P 2 O 5 ) were laid down in randomized complete block design with three replications. The remaining necessary agronomic practices and crop management activities were undertaken uniformly. The data presented in this dataset article includes phenological, growth, yield, and yield component parameters that were collected timely following their standard methods and procedures. All the collected data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) which was carried out using the SAS version 9.0 software computer program's General Linear Model (GLM) procedure [1]. the residuals were evaluated, as described in Montgomery [2], to confirm the normal distribution and homogeneous variance model assumptions on the error terms for each response variable. The independence assumption is upheld due to the randomization of the sixteen (16) treatment combinations within each block. In cases where a treatment effect was found to be significant, a multiple means comparison was conducted at a 5% significance level using Fisher's LSD method to create letter groupings. Additionally, correlation analysis was carried out using the Pearson correlation procedure in SAS. This dataset article provides insights into how seed rate and NP fertilizer rates impact bread wheat productivity, as well as the economic viability of optimal seed rate and NP fertilizer rates on bread wheat productivity. The information presented can serve as a valuable resource for researchers looking to examine the supplementary data and methods in detail, potentially leading to new research avenues. Furthermore, it has the potential to foster collaborations and enhance the credibility of the current research data within the scientific community, making it accessible for wider use., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Maize is one of the most important cereal crops in Ethiopia. However, its yield is lower than its potential mainly due to low soil fertility problems. Therefore, this field experiment was conducted during 2021 main rainy season with the objective of improving maize production through application of brewery sludge and blended NPS fertilizers in North Mecha district, Northwestern Ethiopia. Factorial combination of three levels of brewery sludge (0, 10 and 20 t ha -1 ) and four levels of blended NPS fertilizer rates (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha -1 ) were laid out in RCBD with three replications. The remaining necessary agronomic practices and crop management activities were undertaken uniformly. The data presented under this dataset article includes phenological Parameters (i.e. Days to 50 % emergence, Days to 50 % tasseling, Days to 50 % silking and Days to 90 % physiological maturity), growth parameters (i.e. Plant height, leaf area and leaf area index) and yield and yield component parameters (i.e. Number of ears plant -1 , Above ground dry biomass yield, Ear length, Number of rows ear -1 , Number of kernels row -1 , Number of kernels ear -1 , Grain yield, Thousand kernels weight, Stover yield and Harvest index). All the collected data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the analysis was carried out using the SAS version 9.0 software computer program's General Linear Model (GLM) procedure [1]. As described in Montgomery [2], the residuals were examined to verify the normal distribution and homogeneous variance model assumptions on the error terms for each response variable. Because the twelve treatment combinations were randomized within each block, the independence assumption is valid. When a treatment effect was significant, multiple means comparison was performed at a 5 % level of significance using the least significant difference (Fisher's LSD) method to generate letter groupings and correlation analysis was performed using the Pearson correlation procedure found in SAS. This dataset article, therefore gives information about the effects of brewery sludge and blended NPS fertilizer rates on maize productivity. Additionally, it provides the economic feasibility of brewery sludge integrated application with blended NPS fertilizer than sole application of blended chemical fertilizers. Hence, this information can allow other researchers to review the supplement data, methods, and make detailed analysis, which possibly giving rise to new lines of inquiry. This can also give rise to new collaborations and boost the reputation of the present research data within the scientific community and to make it available to everyone around the subject matter to use as they wish., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Multiple factors regulate the regeneration of craniofacial bone defects. The nervous system is recognized as one of the critical regulators of bone mass, thereby suggesting a role for neuronal pathways in bone regeneration. However, in the context of craniofacial bone regeneration, little is known about the interplay between the nervous system and craniofacial bone. Sensory and sympathetic nerves interact with the bone through their neuropeptides, neurotransmitters, proteins, peptides, and amino acid derivates. The neuron-derived factors, such as semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A), substance P (SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), possess a remarkable role in craniofacial regeneration. This review summarizes the roles of these factors and recently published factors such as secretoneurin (SN) and spexin (SPX) in the osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation, bone metabolism, growth, remodeling and discusses the novel application of nerve-based craniofacial bone regeneration. Moreover, the review will facilitate understanding the mechanism of action and provide potential treatment direction for the craniofacial bone defect., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The author has no conflict of financial conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Kerosene is widely used in Ethiopia as a household fuel (for lighting and heating), as a solvent in paint and grease, and as a lubricant in glass cutting. It causes environmental pollution and escorts to loss of ecological functioning and health problems. Therefore, this research was designed to isolate, identify, and characterize indigenous kerosene-degrading bacteria that are effective in cleaning ecological units that have been contaminated by kerosene. Soil samples were collected from hydrocarbon-contaminated sites (flower farms, garages, and old-aged asphalt roads) and spread-plated on mineral salt medium (Bushnell Hass Mineral Salts Agar Medium: BHMS), which consists of kerosene as the only carbon source. Seven kerosene-degrading bacterial species were isolated, 2 from flower farms, 3 from garage areas, and 2 from asphalt areas. Three genera from hydrocarbon-contaminated sites were identified, including Pseudomonas , Bacillus , and Acinetobacter using biochemical characterization and the Biolog database. Growth studies in the presence of various concentrations of kerosene (1% and 3% v/v) showed that the bacterial isolates could metabolize kerosene as energy and biomass. Thereby, a gravimetric study was performed on bacterial strains that proliferated well on a BHMS medium with kerosene. Remarkably, bacterial isolates were able to degrade 5% kerosene from 57.2% to 91% in 15 days. Moreover, 2 of the most potent isolates, AUG2 and AUG1, resulted in 85% and 91% kerosene degradation, respectively, when allowed to grow on a medium containing kerosene. In addition, 16S rRNA gene analysis indicated that strain AAUG1 belonged to Bacillus tequilensis , whereas isolate AAUG showed the highest similarity to Bacillus subtilis . Therefore, these indigenous bacterial isolates have the potential to be applied for kerosene removal from hydrocarbon-contaminated sites and the development of remediation approaches., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Background: In soils, phosphorous (P) mostly exists in fixed/insoluble form and unavailable for plants use in soil solution, hence it is in scarcity. P is fixed in the form of aluminium, iron and manganese phosphates in acidic soils and calcium phosphate in alkaline soils. Phosphate solubilizing bacteria, the ecological engineers play a pivotal role in the mobilization of fixed forms of P by using different mechanisms. The objectives of this study were to evaluate inorganic phosphate solubilizing efficiency and other multiple plant growth promoting traits of Erythrina brucei root nodule endophytic bacteria and to investigate effects of the selected endophytic bacteria on the growth of wheat plant under phosphorous deficient sand culture at greenhouse conditions., Results: Among a total of 304 passenger endophytic bacteria, 119 (39%) exhibited tricalcium phosphate (TCP) solubilization; however, none of them were formed clear halos on solid medium supplemented with aluminum phosphate (Al-P) or iron phosphate (Fe-P). Among 119 isolates, 40% exhibited IAA production. The selected nine potential isolates also exhibited potentials of IAA, HCN, NH 3 and/or hydrolytic enzymes production. All the selected isolates were potential solubilizers of the three inorganic phosphates (Al-P, Fe-P and TCP) included in liquid medium. The highest values of solubilized TCP were recorded by isolates AU4 and RG6 (A. soli), 108.96 mg L -1 and 107.48 mg L -1 , respectively at sampling day3 and 120.36 mg L -1 and 112.82 mg L -1 , respectively at day 6. The highest values of solubilized Al-P and Fe-P were recorded by isolate RG6, 102.14 mg L -1 and 96.07 mg L -1 , respectively at sampling days 3 and 6, respectively. The highest IAA, 313.61 µg mL -1 was recorded by isolate DM17 (Bacillus thuringiensis). Inoculation of wheat with AU4, RG6 and RG5 (Acinetobacter soli) increased shoot length by 11, 17.4 and 14.6%, respectively compared to the negative control. Similarly, 76.9, 69.2 and 53.8% increment in shoot dry weight is recorded by inoculation with RG6, AU4 and RG5, respectively. These nine potential endophytic isolates are identified to Gluconobacter cerinus (4), Acinetobacter soli (3), Achromobacter xylosoxidans (1) and Bacillus thuringiensis (1)., Conclusion: AU4, RG6 and RG5 can be potential bio-inoculants candidates as low cost agricultural inputs in acidic and/or alkaline soils for sustainable crop production., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Inoculation of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) improves the growth, yield, and plant nutrient uptake, as well as rhizosphere fertility, without harming the environment and human health. This study aimed to examine the effect of either individual or consortium of PGP bacterial inoculation on the growth, yield, and grain nutrient uptake of teff varieties. Three potential PGPR strains (i.e., Pseudomonas fluorescens biotype G , Enterobacter cloacae ss disolvens , and Serratia marcescens ss marcescens ) were used for this study. Field evaluation was carried out in RCBD with 5 treatments. Highly significant ( P < 0.001) differences were observed among treatments for plant height (PH), panicle length (PL), number of the total spike (NTS), shoot dry weight (SDW), grain yield (GY), and straw yield (SY). There was also teff variety that significantly ( P < 0.01) affects PL, SDW, and SY. However, the interaction effect of the two factors (treatment*variety) did not significantly influence teff agronomic traits and grain nutrient uptake. The highest PH (133.5 cm), PL (53.2), NTS (30.9), SDW (18.1 t/ha), SY (10.7 t/ha), and GY (2.7 t/ha) were observed on Dukem variety (Dz-01-974) inoculated with PGPR consortium. Wherein 2.2 fold increase was observed in grain yield per hectare over the control. Inoculation of PGPR consortium showed better performance in promoting plant growth, yield, and grain nutrient uptake of teff varieties compared with the individual PGP bacterial application, and PGPR consortium could be used as inoculants to enhance teff production and productivity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Tsegaye, Alemu, Desta and Assefa.)

Background: Pediatric surgical situations are often disregarded around the world, particularly in developing countries. The number of children hospitalized for surgical reasons has climbed dramatically. There is extensive research on the management outcome of pediatric surgical admissions in industrialized countries, but developing countries have paid little attention to it. Furthermore, to the best of the authors' knowledge, there has been no research in the study area on the management outcome of pediatric surgical patient admission., Objective: To assess management outcome and factors associated with pediatric surgical patients admitted to Arbaminch General Hospital, Southern Ethiopia, 2021., Method: An institution-based retrospective cross-sectional study design was employed among 265 children with surgical problems. Data were collected from patients' medical records using pretested data collection checklist. Epi Data 4.2 was used to enter data, and data were exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Those variables with P -value ≤0.25 in bivariable analysis were entered into multivariable logistic regression analysis, and statistical significance was declared at P < 0.05., Result: A total of 265 surgically admitted children were included in this study. About 26% of study subjects were discharged with unfavorable management outcome. Children admitted due to trauma cause (AOR: 5.753, 95% CI: 2.366-13.987), children with a preexisting medical condition (AOR: 3.240, 95% CI: 1.436-7.310), children with an early complication (AOR: 2.515, 95% CI: 1.130-5.599), presenting to hospital ≥24 hr after the onset (AOR:8.351, 95% CI: 2.089-33.381), hospital stay >7 days (AOR: 10.671, 95% CI: 1.363-83.546), and children treated with surgery (AOR: 2.742, 95% CI: 1.137-6.611) were associated with unfavorable management outcome. Conclusion and recommendations : Twenty-six percent of patients were discharged with unfavorable outcome. Reasons for admission, preexisting medical condition, early complications, duration of hospital presentation, length of hospitalization, and type of management were all linked to the outcome of pediatric surgical admission. To have a good outcome, early identification and treatment of the cause are required, as well as well-equipped surgical care centers., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Fikre Moga et al.)