Prevalence and Factors Associated with Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorders among the Nurses of a Tertiary Care Center of Nepal

Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are injuries or pain in the human musculoskeletal system which could lead to temporary or permanent impairments. The nature of nursing jobs makes nurses vulnerable to MSDs. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and potential risk factors associated with MSDs among nurses. Methods: In between March to June 2021, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 165 nurses using self-administered questionnaires. A standardized Nordic Questionnaire was used to measure MSDs. Pearson’s chi-square test and binary logistic regression at a 5% level of significance were performed to identify factors associated with upper extremities and spinal musculoskeletal disorders (UMSD) and lower extremities musculoskeletal disorders (LMSD). Variables associated with UMSD and LMSD in bivariate analysis were subjected to multiple logistic regression.  Results: The prevalence of UMSD and LMSD experienced by nurses was 86.1% (95% CI: 79.4%-90.9%) and 66.1% (95% CI: 58.9%-74.3%), respectively. Among several factors, working in same position for long periods (AOR: 4.16, 95% CI: 1.2-13.4), not receiving training in injury prevention programs (AOR: 3.15, 95% CI: 1.0-9.2), not enough rest breaks during the day (AOR: 4.65, 95% CI: 1.3-15.9) and moderate to higher job stress (AOR: 3.62, 95% CI: 1.2-10.8) were found to be significantly associated with UMSD. Not having enough rest breaks during the day (AOR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.0-4.7) was significantly associated with LMSD. Conclusion: Higher prevalence of MSDs among nurses is a serious concern that threatens individual health as well as the overall healthcare system. Sensitization and capacity enhancement programs on the issue could prevent MSDs among nurses

A systematic study on material properties of water retted Sterculia and Bauhinia fiber

Lignocellulose biomass forms an important component of traditional and next generation composite materials. To obtain desired properties, the biomass needs to be chemo‒mechanically processed at different levels. The raw lignocellulose fiber obtained from Sterculia villosa (Roxb.) and Bauhinia vahlii is traditionally believed to have high water stability; and therefore used in rural areas of South Asian regions to secure objects submerged under water. In this research, we systematically studied several material properties of raw Sterculia and Bauhinia fiber samples retted for 0, 20, 30 and 55 days (n=8). Water retting resulted in significant decrease in lignin and extractives content (p0.05). Interestingly, water retting resulted in increased thermal stability in both fiber types. These findings suggested that the fiber studied have excellent water stability. The observed trend in mechanical and thermal properties could have resulted from crystallinity change and/or nominal fiber damage as supported by XRD and SEM imaging data; respectively. These findings suggested that Sterculia and Bauhinia fiber biomass could be an important component of biodegradable composite materials which are intended for high wetting and/or humid conditions

Scientific Temper among Junior High School Students of Balasore District, Odisha

Scientific temper is an essential skill of 21st century youth. The  New Education Policy (NEP 2020) in its recommendation clearly mentioned Specific skills and abilities, such as scientific temper, creativity, communication, fitness and wellness, teamwork, problem-solving, digital literacy, ethics, and so on, will be emphasized in school. In this context each and every individual should process scientific temper for holistic development. Recently it was conducted to find out the scientific temper of high school students in relation to their gender and locality.  The current study used a descriptive survey method. The sample for the present study consisted of 112 students of 10th standard studying in government schools of Sadar block and Remuna block of Balasore District of Odisha were got as the example through stratified random sampling method.  Data was collected by using scientific temper test constructed by Elizabeth Joshua of Mahatma Gandhi University Kottayam. Statistical techniques like Mean, Median, S.D. and t-test to examine the data. The results of the study stated that Girls have high level of Scientific Temper compared to that of Boys, and students studying in school urban area are having high level of Scientific Temper compared to the students studying in rural area

Levonorgestrel Implant Continuation among Postpartum Women Admitted to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of a Tertiary Care Centre

Introduction: Jadelle (Levonorgestrel) implant is a long-acting reversible contraceptives which is recommended for post-partum contraceptive device due to their high efficacy, convenience, and cost-effectiveness. The continuation of Jadelle implant prevents unintended pregnancies and maintain healthy spacing between the pregnancies, thus improving maternal and child health outcomes. However, Government has endorsed the long-acting reversible contraceptives as immediate post-partum contraception, the status of Jadelle implant continuity is unknown. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of levonorgestrel implant continuation among postpartum women admitted to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among women who had Jadelle implant inserted within 48 hours of delivery admitted to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at a tertiary care centre. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee. Data from 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2020 were collected between 1 July 2022 to 31 December 2022 from the hospital records. Patients were interviewed after 2 years through phone calls. Convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval. Results: Out of 157 post-partum women, 145 (92.36%) (88.20-96.52, 95% Confidence Interval) had levonorgestrel implant in-situ. Conclusions: The prevalence of levonorgestrel implant continuation among postpartum women admitted to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology was similar to other studies done in similar settings

Fate, Transformation, and Toxicological Impacts of Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products in Surface Waters

With the growth of the human population, a greater quantity of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) have been released into the environment. Although research has addressed the levels and the impact of PPCPs in the environment, the fate of these compounds in surface waters is neither well known nor characterized. In the environment, PPCPs can undergo various transformations that are critically dependent on environmental factors such as solar radiation and the presence of soil particles. Given that the degradation products of PPCPs are poorly characterized, these “secondary residues” can be a significant environmental health hazard due to their drastically different toxicologic effects when compared with the parent compounds. To better understand the fate of PPCPs, we studied the degradation of selected PPCPs, including ibuprofen and clofibric acid, in aqueous solutions that contained kaolinite clay and were irradiated with a solar simulator. The most abundant degradation products were identified and assessed for their toxicologic impact on selected microorganisms. The degraded mixtures showed lower toxicity than the starting compounds; however, as these degradation products are capable of further transformation and interaction with other PPCPs in natural waters, our work highlights the importance of additionally characterizing the PPCP degradation products

A review on analytical performance of micro- and nanoplastics analysis methods

Micro- and nanoplastics have been detected in diverse matrices. Recent studies have suggested their health impact on humans, animals, plants, and environment which depends on the size, concentration, chemical nature, and the mode of interaction of the plastic particles. Detection and quantification of these particles are often challenging due to their small size and complexity of the matrix in which they exist. The concentration and size of the particles combined with the nature of the matrix determines an analytical method to be followed. In recent years, many review articles focusing on origin, fate, and health effects of micro- and nanoplastics are already published. A systemic review focusing on analytical performance of currently available micro- and nanoplastics analysis methods would be useful for the scientific community. In this article, we reviewed papers and reports published in recent decades focusing on the sampling, concentration, detection, and chemical identification methods. We also reviewed the emerging new methods for microplastic analysis. Finally, we provide advantages and limitations of the methods and future perspectives on microplastic analysis