Population and conservation threats to the vulnerable Sarus crane in Nepal.

Globally, biodiversity is declining due to habitat loss and degradation, over-exploitation, climate change, invasive species, pollution, and infrastructure development. These threats affect the populations of large waterbird species, such as Sarus crane (), which inhabits agricultural-wetland ecosystems. Despite the burgeoning built-up areas and diminishing agricultural and wetland spaces, scant research investigates the impact of these changing land uses on the globally vulnerable Sarus crane in Nepal.

Occurrence and temporal overlap of sympatric jungle cats and leopard cats in Parsa‒Koshi Complex, Nepal.

Co-occurrence and spatial and temporal overlap of sympatric jungle and leopard cats are influenced by habitat preferences, and interspecific competition. Understanding these factors influence is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies. We conducted a camera survey in Parsa‒Koshi Complex (PKC), Nepal during December 2022-March 2023 to investigate factors influencing occupancy and spatial and temporal overlap between jungle cats (Felis chaus) and leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis).

Factors affecting the occupancy of sloth bear and its detection probability in Parsa-Koshi Complex, Nepal.

Understanding factors associated with coexistence of human and wildlife in human-dominated landscapes is crucial for effective species conservation. Among the wildlife species, the sloth bears are found both inside and outside the protected areas of Nepal, and with increasing cases of human and bear conflicts in both areas. This highlights the necessity for a comprehensive understanding of anthropogenic and ecological factors that affect the occurrence of sloth bear.

Effectiveness of 32 versus 20 weeks of prednisolone in leprosy patients with recent nerve function impairment: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: While prednisolone is commonly used to treat recent nerve function impairment (NFI) in leprosy patients, the optimal treatment duration has not yet been established. In this "Treatment of Early Neuropathy in Leprosy" (TENLEP) trial, we evaluated whether a 32-week prednisolone course is more effective than a 20-week course in restoring and improving nerve function.

Methods: In this multi-centre, triple-blind, randomized controlled trial, leprosy patients who had recently developed clinical NFI (<6 months) were allocated to a prednisolone treatment regimen of either 20 weeks or 32 weeks.

Risk factors for leprosy reactions in three endemic countries.

The objective of this study was to ascertain risk factors for complications (reactions or neuritis) in leprosy patients at the time of diagnosis in three leprosy-endemic countries. Newly diagnosed patients were enrolled in Brazil, the Philippines, and Nepal, and risk factors for reactions and neuritis were assessed using a case-control approach: "cases" were patients with these complications, and controls were patients without complications. Of 1,972 patients enrolled in this study, 22% had complications before treatment.

Diagnosis and treatment of leprosy reactions in integrated services--the patients' perspective in Nepal.

Unlabelled: Leprosy care has been integrated with peripheral health services, away from vertical programmes. This includes the diagnosis and management of leprosy reactions, which cause significant morbidity. We surveyed patients with leprosy reactions at two leprosy hospitals in Nepal to assess their experience of leprosy reaction management following integration to identify any gaps in service delivery.