Source traceability of microplastics in road dust using organic/inorganic plastic additives as chemical indicators.

Microplastics (MPs) are environmental pollutants of great concern around the world. The source of MPs in road dust need to be identified to develop strategies to control and reduce MPs emissions by stormwater runoff, one of the main sources of MPs to the aquatic environment. However, little information on the sources of MPs in road dust is available due to lack of their suitable indicators.

A descriptive study of stroke types, risk factors, clinical features, and outcomes in a tertiary hospital in Myanmar.

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of death in the world, and the burden of stroke is higher in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding the risk factors, complications, and outcomes of stroke are useful for healthcare planning and resource allocation. Little information on stroke is available for many low- and middle-income Asian countries; including Myanmar, which is the focus of this study.

Microplastics Distribution in Sediments Collected from Myanmar.

Microplastics (MPs) distributions have been increasingly reported in the terrestrial areas worldwide, but little information is available for ASEAN regions. In this study, 68 sediment samples of drainage channels, lakes, rivers and beaches from Myanmar were collected between 2014 and 2018, and analyzed to investigate the status of MPs concentration and prevalence. The high concentrations of MPs in sediments were found in urban cities called Yangon (13,855 pieces/kg dry weight), Mandalay (11,946 pieces/kg), and Pathein (12,583 pieces/kg), which were two orders of magnitude greater than the MPs concentrations in sediments collected in rural towns called Wundwin.

Polymer types and additive concentrations in single-use plastic products collected from Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, and Thailand.

Marine debris comprising single-use plastic products (SUPs) is ubiquitous in Asian coastal waters, but there is little information on the types of polymers and the concentrations of plastic additives such waste products contain. In this study, 413 SUPs randomly collected from 4 Asian countries between 2020 and 2021 were analyzed to obtain specific polymer and organic additive profiles. Polyethylene (PE), coupled with external polymers, was prominent in the inside of the SUPs, whereas polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were prevalent in both the insides and outsides of the SUPs.

Frailty prevalence and its associations in a subacute geriatric ward in Singapore.

Introduction: Our aim was to study the prevalence of frailty and its associated factors in a subacute geriatric ward.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 167 participants between June 2018 and June 2019. Baseline demographics and participants' Mini Nutritional Assessment, Geriatric Depression Scale, Mini Mental State Examination, Charlson's Comorbidity Index and LACE index scores were obtained.

Microplastics in dumping site soils from six Asian countries as a source of plastic additives.

The ubiquitous distribution of microplastics (MP) is a serious environmental issue in Asian countries. In this study, 54 open-dumping site soils collected from Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, and Vietnam were analyzed for MP. Soil samples were also divided into light (floating) and heavy (sedimentation) fractions by density separation and analyzed for plastic additives.