AbstractBackground and aimsChronic low back pain is known to contribute to lost work days (LWDs) in nurses. However, there is a limited understanding of the factors that moderate the impact of low back pain (LBP) on LWDs – in particular factors that are modifiable and that could therefore be the treatment targets of interventions designed to help nurses more effectively manage LBP.This study aims to identify pain-related factors that are associated with LWDs in nurses with LBP, in order to inform the development of interventions that could reduce LBP-related work dysfunction and improve patient care.MethodsA cross sectional study was conducted on 111 female nurses who were asked to answer questions regarding demographic information, work history, presence or absence of LBP, number of LWDs due to illness, and a number of factors that could potentially be related to LWDs including: (1) average and worst pain intensity; (2) the temporal pattern of LBP (constant versus intermittent); (3) pain aggravating factors (lifting, bending, walking, and standing); and (4) pain alleviating factors (medications, rest, exercise).ResultsSixty-five percent (n = 72) of the sample reported LBP. Constancy of pain and having a LBP problem that was alleviated by rest were significantly associated with the number of LWDs, while maximum and average LBP intensity were only weakly associated.ConclusionThe findings provide important new information regarding whatis (and of equal importance) what is not associated with LWDs in nurses with LBP.ImplicationsTo effectively reduce LBP-related work disability, interventions may need to teach nurses how to better manage constant pain and remain active despite pain, rather than focus on pain reduction. Research to examine the potential efficacy of such treatment approaches for nurses with LBP is warranted.

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The Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is a "Critically Endangered" insectivorous mammal. There is a lack of information on the ecology, distribution and behavior of this species in Nepal, even though community forests in the Midhills Region of Nepal are considered to be prime habitats for the species. We conducted an ecological assessment of the habitat use of this species in nine community forests covering an area of 170.69 ha in Balthali village in Kavrepalanchok district, Nepal. We divided each forest into 50 × 50 m grids and searched for Chinese Pangolin burrows along 50 m transects in each grid. We categorized burrows into two types, new and old burrows, and recorded 10 environmental variables for each burrow. We found a total of 542 burrows, including 323 old burrows and 219 new burrows. The average width and height of a burrow opening was 21.66 ± 3.94 cm (n = 542) and 22.42 ± 5.02 cm (n = 542). The total density of burrows in the study area was 3.1 ha −1 , with new burrows density of 1.2 ha −1 and old burrows density of 1.8 ha −1 . We found most burrows in sites with an elevation range of 1400 -1500 m above sea level, gentle slopes, brown colored soil, high density of tree crown cover and undergrowth vegetation, southern exposure, within 150 m from a water source and less than 200 m from a human settlement. Our study has generated baseline data on the habitat use of Chinese Pangolin, which we hope will help in designing site-specific action plans for Chinese Pangolin conservation in Kavrepalanchok district, Nepal.

This study was performed in Nepal’s Langtang and Shey Phoksundo National Parks (NPs) to find out how vulnerable the nomads’ ways of making a living are to climate change. We interviewed 68 household heads between March and May 2022 to obtain information on 13 components and 46 indicators. The original data were backed up by an analysis of the published and unpublished literature that was available. A composite index was used to combine the data, and different vulnerabilities were compared. As nomads in both NPs rely mostly on natural resources for energy, water, and food, the findings revealed that land, energy, water, sanitation, and natural resources are the most important factors influencing nomads’ livelihood vulnerability in both NPs. Although herders in Shey Phoksundo NP suffered less loss as a result of climate change-related natural disasters, human–wildlife conflict was a major issue in both parks. Both the livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) and LVI–IPCC suggested that both national parks were moderately vulnerable to climate change indicators. The results are likely to serve as empirical evidence for future strategies, such as implementing policy measures aimed at reducing the sensitivity of habitat conditions, increasing societal resilience, introducing sustainable livelihood alternatives, and improving individual stability.