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Background and objectives: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is rising in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. A previous study in Abia State, Nigeria, showed a high prevalence of diabetes, with no significant difference in urban and rural communities. This study aimed at investigating the prevalence and risk factors for impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), which represent reversible and preventable early signs of DM. Subjects, materials, and methods: A cross-sectional comparative study of 2800 adult residents of Abia State, comprising equal number of urban and rural respondents. Interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaires were used for data collection. Fasting blood glucose was performed for all the respondents, while oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was done for 2424 respondents, comprising 1117 urban residents and 1307 rural residents. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Mean age of the respondents was 48.54 ± 13.24 years: rural = 54.23 ± 14.26 years and urban = 42.85 ± 13.24 years, p < 0.001. Male to female ratio was 1:2.5 (p < 0.001). Pre-diabetes (IFG and IGT) was observed in 6.3% of the respondents, comprising 3.9% in urban and 8.7% in rural residents, p < 0.001. The prevalence of IFG and IGT was 4.7% and 12%, respectively, p < 0.001. Independent predictors of pre-diabetes included abnormal waist circumference (WC), hypertension, and daily intake of fruits and vegetables in the urban area, while in the rural area, they included hypertension and abnormal WC. Conclusion: The prevalence of pre-diabetes is high in Abia State, with a higher burden among rural residents. Hypertension and abnormal WC are significant predictors of pre-diabetes in Abia State. Daily consumption of fruits/vegetables in processed forms may be associated with an increased risk of pre-diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the technical efficiency of the agribusiness poultry entrepreneurs in Abia state. Multi-stage sampling technique was adopted in selecting 180 poultry farmers. An estimated gamma value (γ) of 42.11% was highly significant at 1% level of probability implying that 42.11% of random variation in the output of the poultry entrepreneurs was due to the inefficiency in their respective farms and not as a result of random variability. Feed and drugs/vaccines were positively related to output of the poultry operators respectively while labour input and capital inputs were negatively related to output of the poultry. The average poultry operators were able to obtain 81% of potential output from a given mixture of production inputs. Age and credit access negatively influenced the technical efficiency of the poultry entrepreneurs while stock size, business experience and level of education positively affected efficiency of the entrepreneurs. Insufficient funds and theft were the major problems affecting poultry farming in the study area. Efforts to reducing the costs incurred on fixed items by these entrepreneurs should be encouraged such as provision of timely loans and credits by banks to reduce time lag in production cycles. Credits inform of stocks, feeds and drugs/vaccines from trusted sources will boost productivity, efficiency and income with little financial burdens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four lactococcal abortive infection mechanisms were introduced into strains which were sensitive hosts for P335 type phages and plaque assay experiments performed to assess their effect on five lactococcal bacteriophages from this family. Results indicate that AbiA inhibits all five P335 phages tested, while AbiG affects φP335 itself and φQ30 but not the other P335 species phages. AbiA was shown to retard phage Q30 DNA replication as previously reported for other phages. It was also demonstrated that AbiG, previously shown to act at a point after DNA replication in the cases of c2 type and 936 type phages, acts at the level of, or prior to phage Q30 DNA replication. AbiE and AbiF had no effect on the P335 type phages examined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]