Micropropagation of banana varieties (Musa spp.) using shoot-tip culture

A study was carried out at the Tissue Culture Laboratory of Melkassa Agricultural Research Centre, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) to investigate the effects of different types and concentrations of cytokinins and auxins on shoot initiation and multiplication, and in vitro shoot rooting of three banana varieties using shoot-tip explants. Shoot initiation was greater on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 3 mg/l N6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) for Dwarf and Giant Cavendish while 2 mg/l for Poyo varieties. Among the different concentrations of plant growth regulators (PGR) tested, MS medium supplemented with combinations of BAP and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at 3+0.4, 4+0.4 and 3+0.2 mg/l for Dwarf, Giant and Poyo respectively, were best combinations for high rates of shoot proliferation and elongation. Further multiplication of shoots required up to 5 times subculturing of 1 month each on the same media combination. In this study, about 3-fold multiplication rate was achieved during every subculture. Better rooting was obtained when the shoots were cultured on MS medium with 2.12 mg/l α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) for Dwarf and Giant while 1.74 mg/l indol-3-butyric acid (IBA) for Poyo. In vitro rooted plantlets were transferred to the lathouse for acclimatization and hardening. The best growth was recorded for plantlets transplanted on potting media containing a 3:1 ratio (v/v) of sugarcane filter cake and sand. The hardened plants were transferred and well established to the field.Keywords: Bananas, Musa spp., micropropagation, shoot-tip, plant growth regulator

Determinants of nutritional status among primary school students in Dilla Town; Application of an ordinal logistic regression model

Background: One of the most frequent reasons for children’s poor physical and mental development is malnutrition, becoming a more significant issue in most developing nations, including Ethiopia. Prior research used multiple anthropometric measurements separately to pinpoint undernutrition concerns in children. However, the impact of each explanatory variable on a single response category was not considered in these investigations. This study used a single composite index of anthropometric parameters to identify the factors affecting elementary school students' nutritional condition. Methods: In Dilla, Ethiopia, 494 primary school students took part in a cross-sectional institutional survey during the 2021 academic year. Principal component analysis was used to create a single composite measure of nutritional status using z-scores for the anthropometric indices of height-for-age and body mass index-for-age. The relative effectiveness of a partial proportional odds model was compared with several other ordinal regression models to identify the important variables for children’s nutritional status. Results: 27.94% of primary school students were undernourished (7.29% severely and 20.65% moderately). According to the fitted partial proportional odds model, the mother’s education level (secondary or higher) was positively correlated with the nutritional status of primary school students, given that in this case the students ate three or more times per day and had a high dietary diversity score (OR = 5.94; CI: 2.2–16.0). Nevertheless, there was a negative correlation between larger family size (OR = 0.56; CI: 0.32–0.97), unprotected groundwater (OR = 0.76; CI: 0.6–0.96), and severely food insecure households (OR = 0.3; CI: 0.14–0.68). Conclusion: In Dilla, Ethiopia, undernutrition among primary school students is a serious issue. It is essential to implement nutrition education and school feeding programs, improve drinking water sources, and boost the community’s economy to alleviate the problems

The Socio-economic effect of Corporate Social Responsibility on Local Community Development in Southern Ethiopia

AbstractLarge and medium-scale manufacturing industries undoubtedly bring an unprecedented human and environmental crisis. To overcome these negative effects, governments provide regulatory frameworks that entrench businesses actively involve in social responsibilities where they are operating. The goal of this study was to look at the scope and levels of corporate social responsibility for local community development from the perspective of social and economic responsibility. A total of 401 local communities living near industry were selected proportionally from four Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region zones, and Hawassa city in the Sidama Region. Quantitative data was collected from local communities and interviews with government officials and focus groups with members of the local community were also undertaken. Analyses were conducted qualitatively and quantitatively. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods and regression models. Thematic analysis and interpretation were used to examine and understand qualitative data. The study found that industries’ role and dedication in accomplishing corporate social responsibility objectives in the investigated area was low, owing to poor follow-up, corruption, and the government’s reluctance to adequately enforce rules and regulations. The study suggests that the state authorities should monitor and evaluate the enforcement of business regulatory frameworks at grassroot levels rather than rely on reports. There is evidence showing the networked interest of businesses and corrupt state authorities hurdle the local community development should be benefited from business social responsibilities in exchange for their resources. The untold history of business effect should be revealed and remedies should be provided

Corporate social responsibilities contribution for sustainable community development: evidence from industries in Southern Ethiopia

This study interrogates the contribution of corporate social responsibility to community development from socioeconomic, environmental, ethical, and philanthropic perspectives. A total of 401 households were selected randomly and proportionally from the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Regional State and Hawassa City from the Sidama Region. Survey data were collected from local communities using the paper-assisted personal interview (PAPI) technique. Interviews with government officials and focus group discussions with local community members. Data were analyzed using a mixed research approach, where quantitative data were analyzed using a structural equation model and descriptive statistics, and thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. The study found that CSR contributes to many aspects of local community development. Our empirical model confirms that proper implementation of CSR initiatives substantially contributes to social development β = 0.913, economic development β = 913, environmental sustainability β = 0.784, ethical aspect 0.767, Philanthropic activities β = 0.814, and overall local development β = 0.960 where p ≤ 0.001 statistically significant level. The study reasserts and reiterates the need to design appropriate policy instruments and law enforcement techniques, in addition to promulgating regulatory provisions and legal frameworks. The study sheds light on the imperativeness of CSR for smooth human-environment and business-resource relationships. The study contributes to literature, debate, and policy implications on emerging issues of CSR-business, and development discourses

Patterns and epidemiology of acute poisoning in Ethiopia: systematic review of observational studies

Abstract Background Acute poisoning is a common reason for emergency department visit and hospitalization worldwide with major morbidity and mortality. The burden of poisoning exposures in Africa is a significant public health concern, but only 10 of 58 countries have poisons information centers (PICs). Objective The primary intention of our current review is to explore and summarize the published evidence on the patterns and epidemiology of poisoning in Ethiopia. Method PubMed and Scopus were searched for primary, case series and human studies for publications from inception to July 2017. A manual search for additional relevant studies using references from retrieved articles was also performed. Only studies that reported acute poisoning in both pediatric and adult patients were included. From the screened articles, data were extracted for baseline characteristics and relevant end points such as case fatality rate, time for health institution presentation and length of hospital stay. Result Initial entry and search resulted in the retrieval of 332 articles. Finally, 9 studies comprised of 4763 participants were included in this current review. In 78% of the studies included in this review, acute poisoning is reported to be more prevalent in females. Acute poisoning was revealed to be prevalent in less than 30 years old. Organophosphates and household cleaning agents were the predominant agents of acute poisoning. Intentional poisoning was identified responsible for the majority of acute poisoning cases and factors such as psychiatric problems, and quarrel were identified as the underlying reasons for poisoning. Time of presentation to health institution after poisoning, length of hospital stay and case fatality rate were reported and lies in the ranges between 0.2 h–24 h, 0.5 days–17.7 days and 0–14.8%, respectively. Conclusion The occurrence of acute poisoning was higher in females and common in less than 30 years of age, making this a real public health burden in Ethiopia. Psychiatric problems, quarrel and substance abuse were identified as the most common reasons for acute poisoning. Awareness creation how to handle chemicals and prescribed drugs and psychiatric consultations should be in place for the community