Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is an important cereal crop grown in arid and semiarid regions where water and otherresources are limited. Changes in temperature and rainfall patterns have resulted in frequent droughts, which caused significantyield loss in sorghum. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in sorghum cultivation due to its resilience to climatechange and potential source of food and income. The symbiotic interaction of sorghum with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)has been found to induce several physiological and molecular changes that improve the ability of sorghum to withstand droughtstress. This symbiotic relationship enhances water and nutrient uptake, osmotic adjustment, activation of stress-responsive genes,stomatal regulation, and antioxidant defense, leading to improved drought tolerance in sorghum. Agricultural practices such asreduced tillage, cover cropping, intercropping, crop rotation, and the use of organic amendments promote the diversity andeffectiveness of AM fungal symbiosis. Such agricultural practices create more favorable conditions for AM fungal establishmentand growth while reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. In this review, we highlight AM fungal symbiosis on sorghumgrowth, physiology, and molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of AM fungal symbiosis under moisture deficitconditions. Overall, the present review elucidates sorghum production and breeding success in Ethiopia, the symbiotic mechanismsbetween plants and AM fungi, the prospects of biofertilizers in sustainable agriculture, the potential of AM fungal symbiosis as asustainable approach to improve sorghum production and its synergistic effect with other crop management practices.Keywords: Arbuscular Mycorrhizae; biofertilizer; drought tolerance; sorghum; sustainability; synergistic

Introduction: The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellites (DM), especially type 2 diabetes mellitus, presents significant challenges for healthcare systems. Effective blood glucose management is essential for preventing serious complications, and telehealth offers a promising approach to improve patient engagement and adherence. The effectiveness of telehealth on blood glucose management should be investigated. The evaluated metric for diabetes management plans in this study was the change in blood glucose levels, specifically HbA1c, as an indicator of glycemic control. The impact of telehealth interventions on these outcomes was analyzed across various patient groups. This review conducts a comprehensive analysis of the current literature to offer insights that can guide clinical practices and inform policymakers about the advantages of telehealth in managing diabetes.
Methods: In this study, several evidence-based databases and relevant clinical trial registries were searched to evaluate the effects of telehealth on blood glucose management among patients with diabetes. The included studies were randomized controlled trials that compared telehealth with traditional in-person management. Microsoft Excel was used to extract and sort the data before it was exported to STATA/MP 17.0 for analysis. A weighted inverse variance random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval was employed to pool the data. Egger's test and Cochrane I2 statistics were used to assess publication bias and heterogeneity, respectively.
Result: This review identified six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving a total of 3,995 patients, with 2,022 in the telehealth intervention group and 1,973 in the control group, conducted across the USA, Asia, and Europe. The analysis showed a significant improvement in blood glucose control for patients using telehealth, evidenced by a Standard Mean Difference (SMD) of 0.20 (95% CI: 0.10-0.29; p < 0.001), with USA studies reflecting the highest SMD of 0.24 and diabetic veterans showing an even greater SMD of 0.41.
Conclusion and recommendations: This study demonstrates that telehealth interventions significantly enhance blood glucose management among patients with diabetes. The findings highlight the need for healthcare systems to prioritize telehealth integration into diabetes management protocols while developing tailored interventions to meet the diverse needs of various patient populations.

Keywords: Blood glucose; Diabetes mellitus; HbA1c; Meta-analysis; Systematic review; Telehealth.

This research aimed at evaluation of a given land resource suitable for selected rain fed crops production (maltbarley, wheat and teff ) in Ambesh watershed. It also quantified suitable land and classified into the land mappingunits (LMUs), and presents a land suitability map. Land suitability assessment (LSA) made using climatic condition,topography, soil physical and chemical properties as a major factor integrated with a multi criteria decision making(MCDM) analysis in Ambesh watershed. Fourteen composite soil samples were taken by categorizing the water-shed into different land mapping units (LMUs) and analyzed in a soil laboratory. Climatic data, rainfall was obtainedfrom two meteorological stations nearby to the study area. Temperature data derived from Landsat 8 satellite ther-mal bands data. Data obtained from the soil laboratory and others were finally analyzed using ArcGIS environmentand priority estimation tool (PriEsT) software’s. Weighted Sum Overlay was implemented to investigate the final LSAmap of the watershed. Results revealed that LMUs, VRe–LPq and LPK.Pq–FLc LMUs has higher overall suitability for allthe selected rain fed crops. However, LMUs (VRe–NTu and NTu–VRe) has lower overall suitability values particularlyfor S1 suitability class (0.05% and 10.6%, respectively). The least suitable LMU is VRe–NTu with 0.05% S 1 suitability classand above 99% of the land laid under the suitability classes of moderately suitable, marginally suitable and not suit-able for the selected land utilization types. Moreover, about 219.06 ha (17.76%), 217.6 ha (17.64%), 168.9 ha (13.7%),of land are highly suitable for malt barley, teff and wheat crop production, respectively. In conclusion, during MCDM,classifying the land into closer homogeneities (LMU) an important application of LSA integrated with remote sens-ing and GIS for a better decision making. Meanwhile, majority (above two third’s) of the land in the watershedis under moderate and marginally suitable, it needs intensive land management activities to increase the land quali-ties and obtain high yields. LSA recommended before land utilization decision has to be made. It is also importantto classifying the land into LMUs to make it more homogeneous for sample taking and reducing the prestigious soillaboratory analysis costs.Keywords LMUs, Land suitability assessment, Malt Barley, RS, Teff, Weighted sum, Wheat

Executive Summary Concerns over chemical contaminants and toxins in local foods and beverages have been raised recently. These days, chronic illness is more common, and toxicants and other contaminants found in food and drink have been linked to many documented fatalities. The chemical toxicants that will be analyzed in this study include acrylamide (a processing toxicant arising from deep roasting of food samples), aflatoxin B1 (a poisonous chemical discharged by mold and fungi), pesticide residues (resulting from pesticide application to cereal, vegetable, and fruits), and methanol (a chemical toxicant produced by spontaneous fermentation of local alcoholic beverages). The acrylamide content of the food samples will be measured via LC/MS-MS. Aflatoxin analysis will be performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), whilst pesticide residues and methanol concentrations will be assessed using a gas chromatography (GC) method equipped with computer-integrated software. This research will be undertaken in three phases. The first phase is collecting food and beverage samples (at least 30 food samples suspected of being chemically contaminated) from selected districts and assessing the toxic substances. The second phase relies on the results of the first phase; for severely contaminated foods, the sources of contamination and factors leading to the presence of chemical toxicants will be investigated. Finally, optimal processing will be investigated to remove or decrease toxic chemicals. The assessment of chemical contaminants in local foods and beverages is important as consumers become more conscious of their health and well-being. Therefore, this research aims to provide insight into the existence, concentrations, and possible health hazards associated with chemical contaminants in foods and beverages that are produced locally. It also makes actionable suggestions for resolving this pressing problem.

Executive Summary Concerns over chemical contaminants and toxins in local foods and beverages have been raised recently. These days, chronic illness is more common, and toxicants and other contaminants found in food and drink have been linked to many documented fatalities. The chemical toxicants that will be analyzed in this study include acrylamide (a processing toxicant arising from deep roasting of food samples), aflatoxin B1 (a poisonous chemical discharged by mold and fungi), pesticide residues (resulting from pesticide application to cereal, vegetable, and fruits), and methanol (a chemical toxicant produced by spontaneous fermentation of local alcoholic beverages). The acrylamide content of the food samples will be measured via LC/MS-MS. Aflatoxin analysis will be performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), whilst pesticide residues and methanol concentrations will be assessed using a gas chromatography (GC) method equipped with computer-integrated software. This research will be undertaken in three phases. The first phase is collecting food and beverage samples (at least 30 food samples suspected of being chemically contaminated) from selected districts and assessing the toxic substances. The second phase relies on the results of the first phase; for severely contaminated foods, the sources of contamination and factors leading to the presence of chemical toxicants will be investigated. Finally, optimal processing will be investigated to remove or decrease toxic chemicals. The assessment of chemical contaminants in local foods and beverages is important as consumers become more conscious of their health and well-being. Therefore, this research aims to provide insight into the existence, concentrations, and possible health hazards associated with chemical contaminants in foods and beverages that are produced locally. It also makes actionable suggestions for resolving this pressing problem.

This study systematically assessed the concentrations of selected metals and the proximate composition of milk samples collected from six locations: Agerie Milk Cooperative, Andassa Livestock Research Center, Tekelehymanot Monastery, the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Bahir Dar Dairy Cooperative, and households in Keble-7, Bahir Dar city. Proximate composition, including moisture, ash, protein, and fat, was determined using the Kjeldahl digestion and Gerber methods, while metal analysis was performed using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy technique. The findings revealed significant variations (P

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of intestinal schistosomiasis in students atBochesa Elementary School in the wetlands of Lake Ziway.Methods: A cross-sectional study of 384 students was conducted in May 2016. Intestinal schistosomiasis wasexamined using the Kato-Katz technique. For the association between the prevalence of intestinal schistosomiasisand categorical variables, the chi-square (𝜒2 ) test was used. A binary logistic regression was applied.Results: The overall prevalence of intestinal schistosomiasis was 25.52%. Males were more infected (17.45%)than women (8.07%), and the difference was significant (𝜒2 = 17.756; P

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of malaria in individuals visiting health centers in the wetlands of Bahir Dar Zuria District, Northwest Ethiopia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used on 422 study participants from three selected health centers from February to March 2020. Plasmodium parasite detection was examined using thick and thin blood smears, with a rapid diagnostic test. The chi-square (χ2) test was used to analyze the association between the prevalence of malaria and categorical variables, whereas binary logistic regression was used to identify potential risk factors using SPSS Version 25. For all types of tests, P-values below 0.05 were considered significant.
Results: The overall prevalence of malaria observed at the selected health centers around the wetlands of Bahir Dar Zuria District was 23.90% (95% confidence interval: 20.30-27.70%). There was a higher prevalence of malaria in males (39.78%) than in females (11.44%). The younger age group (16-30 years) was the most affected (47.76%), compared with the remaining 0-2 (19.23%), 3-15 (8.64%), 36-45 (37.25%), and above 45 years age groups (13.01%). Individuals with bed net-using habit decreased the risk of malaria infection by 99.70% compared with their counterparts (adjusted odds ratio: 0.003, 95% confidence interval: 0.001-0.011).
Conclusions: In this study, the wetlands of Bahir Dar Zuria District were found conducive to the survival and reproduction of mosquitoes, and the occurrence of malaria prevalence was very high. Therefore, wetland management practices and community mobilizations that might decrease vector abundance and malaria transmission should be strengthened in the study area.

Keywords: Bahir Dar Zuria; Malaria; Prevalence; Rapid diagnostic test; Wetlands.

Background: Healthcare-associated infections occur in patients under medical care, which is a major public health issue in hospitals worldwide. The prevalence is two to three folds higher in developing countries compared to developed countries. Inanimate objects used by healthcare professionals such as gowns, mobile phones, and stethoscopes are highly prone to bacterial contamination from the healthcare setting. In Ethiopia, there is a paucity of published data on the bacterial profile and susceptibility patterns of an isolates.
Objective: To determine the bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns from inanimate objects used by healthcare professionals and associated factors at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from inanimate objects from April 10, 2023 to June 30, 2023 using simple random sampling technique with lottery method. Socio-demographic data was collected using a structured questionnaire. A swab sample from healthcare professionals' gowns, mobile phones, and stethoscopes were collected and inoculated onto blood agar, chocolate and MacConkey agar. Isolates were identified and characterized by colony morphology, Gram staining and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed in all isolates by the disk diffusion technique on Muller Hinton agar according to CLSI, 2022 guidelines. Data was entered into EPI-Data and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Logistic regression model was used. Variables with p-value ≤ 0.25 in bivariable logistic regression was fitted to multivariate logistic regression analysis. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 with 95%CI was considered statistically significant.
Result: A total of 376 healthcare professionals' inanimate objects were included from 191 study participants. Overall, 60.1% (226/376) (95%CI: 55.1-65) inanimate objects were contaminated. The proportion of bacterial contamination was (65.1%; 82/126), (60.3%; 76/126) and (54.8%; 68/124) for mobile phones, gowns and stethoscopes, respectively. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent isolate accounting (22.1%; 83/376) followed by Staphylococcus epidermidis (17.0%; 64/376), Escherichia coli (8.8%; 33/376) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.9%; 18/376). Working in gynecology/ obstetrics wards (AOR: 8.69; 95%CI: 1.09-69.41, P = 0.041), did not disinfect mobile phones (AOR: 2.69; 95%CI: 1.15-6.25; P = 0.021) and stethoscopes regularly (AOR: 3.06, 95%CI: 1.23-7.59; P = 0.016), carry mobile phones with patient care materials (AOR: 2.72; 95%CI: 1.18-6.29, P = 0.019) and not taken infection prevention training (AOR:3.91; 95%CI:1.71-8.93; P = 0.001) were significantly associated with bacterial contamination.Most Gram-negative bacteria were resistant to ampicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and amoxacilline-clavunic acid, while Gram-positive isolates showed high level of resistant to penicillin. On the other hand, meropenem, for Gram-negative and clindamycin for Gram-positive bacteria showed lower level of resistance. Multidrug resistance among Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were (62.6%; 92/147) and (75.3%; 64/85), respectively with over all MDR (67.2%, 156/232).
Conclusion: Inanimate objects commonly used by healthcare professionals are important sources of bacterial contamination. S. aureus, S. epidermidis and E. coli were the predominant isolates. Most Gram-negative bacteria were resistant to ampicillin while Gram-positive isolates showed high level of resistant to penicillin. All healthcare professionals should regularly disinfect their inanimate objects to prevent bacterial colonization and potential spread of infection.

Journalists usually struggle to maintain private affairs with their professional responsibili-ties while practising journalism. This article scrutinizes the interplay between journal-ists’ professional and individual exposures and its impacts on the culture of journalismpractice in the Ethiopian state media perspective of Amhara Media Corporation (AMC).Qualitative research method, along with in-depth interviews and document analysis,was used to collect data. Semi-structured questions were forwarded to twelve purpo-sively selected journalists working in AMC. Individual-level analysis of the Hierarchy ofInfluences Model (HIM) and Individual Level of Branding were applied as theoreticaltemplates. Findings reveal that journalists’ journalistic contents are exposed to numer-ous occupational-level perspectives. Individual backgrounds and professional dilemmasjournalists face are the dominant challenges while practising professional journalism.Journalists’ academic qualifications and upbringing do have strong linkages with theirculture of journalism practice. The interface between sensitive reporting on politics, ethnic-ity, religion and professionalism is seen resulted in eroding journalistic integrity and creat-ing professional dilemmas among journalists in Ethiopia. It is recommended that mediaorganizations have comprehensible working guidelines and editorial policies to alleviate
he blurred lines between individual exposures and the professionalism of journalists inEthiopia.Keywords: hierarchy of influences model, ideological branding, individual-level analysis,journalist background, sensitive reporting, political stance, professional dilemma