BACKGROUND There is an epidemic of chronic kidney disease (CKD) of unknown etiology in Central American workers. OBJECTIVES To investigate changes and job-specific differences in kidney function over a 6-month sugarcane harvest season, explore the potential role of hydration, and measure proteinuria. METHODS We recruited 284 Nicaraguan sugarcane workers performing seven distinct tasks. We m...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS The supraclavicular artery island flap (SCAIF) is a pedicled fasciocutaneous flap used for head and neck reconstruction. In recent years, its use has significantly increased as a result of several advantageous characteristics, including pliability, an excellent color and texture match, ability to reconstruct a variety of skin and aerodigestive tract defects, and short harv...

Recruitment in cooperative breeders can be negatively affected by changes in group size and composition. The majority of cooperative breeding studies have not evaluated human harvest; therefore, the effects of recurring annual harvest and group characteristics on survival of young are poorly understood. We evaluated how harvest and groups affect pup survival using genetic sampling and pedigrees...

This article reports experiments that explore the critical factors for gene flow in oilseed rape (Brassica napus) via the soil seedbank under Chinese farming systems. Research was carried out on 16 farmer s fields to estimate harvest seed losses after different planting methods and harvest timings, during the four components of the harvest operations. An additional field experiment was set up t...

Nasal mucociliary system is the first line of defense of the upper airways and may be affected acutely by exposure to particulate matter (PM) from biomass burning. Several epidemiologic studies have demonstrated a consistent association between levels of air pollution from biomass burning with increases in hospitalization for respiratory diseases and mortality. To determine the acute effects of...

Change in the size of populations over space and time is, arguably, the motivation for much of pure and applied ecological research. The fundamental model for the dynamics of any population is straightforward: the net change in the abundance is the simple difference between the number of individuals entering the population and the number leaving the population, either or both of which may chang...

Post-harvest losses represent a significant threat to food security and farmer incomes worldwide. It is an inefficiency in the global food production system that is avoidable. In deducing principles of designing and implementing agricultural extension programs to reduce post-harvest losses, valuable lessons can be gleaned from the handful of previous extension projects and programs addressing p...

A main challenge in harvest management is to set policies that maximize the probability that management goals are met. While the management cycle includes multiple sources of uncertainty, only some of these has received considerable attention. Currently, there is a large gap in our knowledge about implemention of harvest regulations, and to which extent indirect control methods such as harvest ...

OBJECTIVE To compare intercostal nerve block before and after rib harvest in terms of mean postoperative pain score and mean postoperative tramadol usage. STUDY DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Department of Plastic Surgery, Mayo Hospital, KEMU, Lahore, from January 2011 to July 2012. METHODOLOGY Patients (n = 120) of either gender with ASA class-I and II re...