High Population Areas Research Articles

Mixed liposarcoma: A study of socioeconomic and demographic factors.

e23527 Background: Mixed Liposarcoma (LS) is an extremely rare subtype of LS, with characteristics often spanning 2 or more of the other LS subtypes such as myxoid, round cell, or well-differentiated LS. To date, the cytologic features of this uncommon tumor has yet to be described. Analyzing trends in diagnoses may produce valuable information about its epidemiology. The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was analyzed to uncover the demographic factors in patients diagnosed with mixed LS. Methods: A retrospective cohort study from 2004 to 2020 was conducted using the NCDB. 199 patients were found with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of mixed LS (ICD-8855-3). Race, gender, Hispanic origin, type of treatment facility, insurance coverage, and distance from patient residence to treatment facility were analyzed via descriptive statistics, and trends in incidence were interpreted using regression analysis. Results: The majority of patients were white (89%) and non-Hispanic (83%) with a relatively equal split of males (56%) and females (44%). The most common primary site of mixed LS was the retroperitoneum (72%), and the frequency of diagnosis decreased from 2004 to 2020 (R2 = 0.4568). Patients were treated at academic/research programs (45%), comprehensive community cancer programs (25%) and integrated network cancer programs (18%) that were generally located in the Middle Atlantic (19%), South Atlantic (18%), and East North Central (16%). The two primary payers at diagnosis include private insurance/managed care (45%) and Medicare (43%). Most patients were from counties in metro areas with a population of at least 1 million (57%) followed by metro counties with a population of 250,000 to 1 million (18%). The largest median household income quartile was $74,063 or more (38%), followed by $46,227 - $57,856 (22%). Most patients had a Charlson-Deyo Score of 0 (83%) with a NCDB analytic stage of either I (28%), III (26%), or not applicable (21%). Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge this NCDB analysis on mixed LS is the first of its kind and therefore addresses a significant knowledge gap. Most patients tend to be white and non-Hispanic. Mixed LS most commonly is found in the retroperitoneum, which is similar to case reports. We found that mixed LS patients have a relatively high household income, most often live in high populated metro areas, and are most frequently treated at academic/research programs. These findings are significant because these socioeconomic factors have not been noted before in literature. Further examination of these demographic and socioeconomic factors is required to understand how they impact treatment, diagnosis of, and survival of patients with mixed LS.

Mobile measurement background quantification methods for determining local traffic emissions and background source contributions to ammonia

On-road ammonia (NH3) could be critical for public health in high-population areas due to its contribution to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) formation. Therefore, quantifying the impact of vehicular NH3 emissions on pollution levels is vital from both policy and exposure perspectives. In this study, we conducted night- and daytime mobile measurements during a pollution episode in March 2021, explored common data processing strategies for background concentration estimation and calculated the vehicle contribution in urban Beijing. Percentile and time–frequency methods were evaluated and applied to separate local vehicle and background concentrations. The spatial distributions differed between the night- and daytime periods. However, vehicular emissions were an important source of NH3 both at night and during the day. In the pollution accumulation process, the vehicle contribution increased to 27.4%. Even though local traffic emissions notably impacted NH3 levels, the background concentration, including regional transport, was the largest contributor to NH3 at the city scale. This study has implications for local and regional NH3 control strategies aimed at reducing pollution in densely populated urban areas.

Integrating Green Infrastructure Distribution and Green Corridor Mapping with Proposed Green Trail Area and Wildlife-Human Conflict Using Remote Sensing-GIS Approach

Most people now prefer to live in cities, and the urban population has grown significantly. The decrement of urban green corridors causes an essential need for livability in highly populated areas. The needs of population health and sustainable city development are put under prolonged stress by the shortage of publicly accessible green infrastructure and its placement in inappropriate areas. The inventory of green corridor areas and the distribution of significant infrastructure are not fully understood, thus encouraging conflicts between residents and wildlife and increasing flood risk in their vicinity. Optical satellite images were required to (1) develop a green corridor (GC) map, (2) investigate the green infrastructure (GI) demand with the existing land use, and (3) propose new green trails (GT) in the Kuantan district using a geospatial approach. NDVI and site suitability analysis were carried out on Landsat OLI and Sentinel-2 MSI images, which were integrated with GIS tools to achieve all the objectives. A GC map has been developed, and five new proposed areas for GI development have been identified. Based on the results, 5 proposed green trails (3 long GTs, 2 short GTs) with a total length of 79.3 km are scattered in the Kuantan district at the most suitable site, identified using a geospatial approach. This study supports SDG 15: Life on Land, where green corridors reinforce biological connectivity, provide conducive space for high-populated areas, and minimize the negative impact of urbanization on the designed areas of GC, GI and GT in the developing city of Kuantan.

Seismic monitoring using the telecom fiber network

Laser interferometry enables to remotely measure microscopical length changes of deployed telecommunication cables originating from earthquakes. Long reach and compatibility with data transmission make it attractive for the exploration of both remote regions and highly-populated areas where optical networks are pervasive. However, interpretation of its response still suffers from a limited number of available datasets. We systematically analyze 1.5 years of acquisitions on a land-based telecommunication cable in comparison to co-located seismometers, with successful detection of events in a broad magnitude range, including very weak ones. We determine relations between a cable’s detection probability and the events magnitude and distance, introducing spectral analysis of fiber data as a tool to investigate earthquake dynamics. Our results reveal that quantitative analysis is possible, confirming applicability of this technique both for the global monitoring of our planet and the daily seismicity monitoring of populated areas, in perspective exploitable for civilian protection.

Application of Data Mining for Clustering Human Development Index Based on West Java Province 2017-2022

Human development is used as a parameter to see development from the human side. The Human Development Index (HDI) explains how people get sufficient income, adequate health and education. Geographically, Indonesia is an archipelagic country where each province is spread across various islands separated by sea. Making the disparity in human development between provinces relatively high. The gap that occurs is still a problem that must be resolved immediately, because the gap in the human development index can hamper the government's goal of equalizing human welfare in Indonesia. −One of the problems related to population that West Java Province still has to face is the problem of imbalance in population distribution. Incomplete population distribution causes problems with population density and population pressure in an area. This research uses data sources from the West Java Province Central Statistics Agency (BPS). The data used in this research is data from 2017-2022 which consists of 27 regencies and cities of West Java Province. Therefore, researchers utilized the K-Means algorithm in clustering 27 Regencies and Cities of West Java Province. The data will be processed by clustering into 3 clusters, namely the high population area level cluster, the medium population area level cluster and the low population area level cluster. This research classifies population density using Ms. software. Excel and RapidMiner. The iteration process took place 3 times so that the results obtained were 8 regencies and cities with high population area clusters (C0), 0 regencies and cities with medium population area clusters (C1) and 19 regencies and cities with low population area clusters (C1). C2).

Spatial Analysis of the Distribution of COVID-19 Vulnerable Groups to COVID-19 Cases in Brebes Regency

The number of COVID-19 cases in Brebes Regency within a year is still quite high. The elderly, Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus are the most important COVID-19 vulnerable groups and have the highest risk of death. The purpose of this study is to determine the distribution of COVID-19 vulnerable groups and their spatial relationship to COVID-19 cases in Brebes Regency. This study used a correlation or ecology study design. The data used is secondary data obtained from the Brebes Regency Health Office, namely the number of COVID-19 cases, the number of elderly, people with hypertension and diabetes mellitus in 2021. The data then analyzed using univariate, bivariate analysis and spatial analysis with the help of QuantumGIS software (QGIS). The results showed that the proportion of the elderly age group correlated with the number of COVID-19 cases (p value is 0.005), while the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus had no correlation with the number of COVID-19 cases (p value more than 0.05). The high-risk areas are Brebes, Wanasari, Banjarharjo and Bumiayu Districts. The existence of this study, the local government is expected to be able to optimize the Testing, Tracing and Treatment program (3T), posyandu for the elderly and achieve vaccination targets, especially in high elderly population areas, in order to detect and predict the spread of COVID-19 and the selection of appropriate treatment.

Traffic safety versus accessibility: Investigating resistance against speed limit reductions

For traffic safety reasons, Sweden has lowered speed limits on major roads that lack directional separation of traffic. For some of these roads, regional authorities, municipalities, and other local stakeholders have sent appeals to the government opposing the implemented speed limit reductions. The appeals have mainly referred to negative effects on regional development and have suggested that the speed limit reductions be abandoned. This paper identifies the characteristics of roads where appeals against speed limit reductions have been filed and where local stakeholders claim that speed limit reductions are a threat to accessibility and regional development. The results of logistic regression modelling show that appeals are more likely for speed limit reductions on long road sections, on European roads, and in areas with a state university, and less likely in areas with high population density and areas defined as vulnerable by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth. We investigated these policy conflicts using frame theory. In this paper, we identify two policy frames: speed limits for traffic safety and speed limits for regional development. These two policy frames are related to different views on how to best strive towards regional accessibility and safety goals in remote areas. The different views are likely not easily aligned by more information or facts since they concern deeper questions, such as what constitutes basic accessibility of good quality and how large risks are acceptable on the road network. This study thus uncovers not only a policy disagreement but a policy controversy in the Swedish context.

Environmentally Friendly Livestock Waste Management in High-Population Areas in Karang Ploso Malang Regency East Java

Purpose: This abstract explores the need for integrated development in the agricultural and livestock sectors of Ngenep Village, Karangploso, Malang Regency, focusing on utilizing livestock waste effectively.
 Method: The study details the steps to develop a system for producing organic fertilizer and animal feed from agricultural and livestock waste. It highlights the successful implementation within the "Langgeng Mulya" dairy cattle farming community, emphasizing the utilization of waste for organic fertilizer in chili and tomato cultivation.
 Practical Applications: The research findings showcase the positive response of local farmers to the utilization of livestock waste, addressing the scarcity of organic fertilizer, particularly for tomato and chili growers. This sustainable approach fosters self-sufficiency and offers insights into waste-to-resource strategies.
 Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of integrating the agricultural and livestock sectors for sustainable waste management and resource utilization. It provides valuable lessons for enhancing the efficiency of rural development programs.

Age and socio-economic status affect dengue and COVID-19 incidence: spatio-temporal analysis of the 2020 syndemic in Buenos Aires City.

In early 2020, Argentina experienced the worst dengue outbreak in its history, concomitant with first-to-date increasing COVID-19 cases. Dengue epidemics in temperate Argentina have already been described as spatially heterogeneous; in the previous 2016 outbreak, transmission occurred 7.3 times more frequently in slums compared to the rest of Buenos Aires City (CABA). These informal settlements have deficient sanitary conditions, precarious housing and high incidence of social vulnerabilities. The purpose of this work was to study the spatio-temporal patterns of the 2020 dengue epidemic in CABA in relation to socio-economic living conditions of its inhabitants and its interaction with the onset of COVID-19. The study considered the period between Jan 1st and May 30th 2020. Dengue and COVID-19 databases were obtained from the National Health Surveillance System; each record was anonymized and geo-localized. The city was divided according to census tracts and grouped in four socio-economic strata: slums, high, mid and low residential. An aligned-rank transform ANOVA was performed to test for differences in the incidence of dengue and COVID-19, and age at death due to COVID-19, among socio-economic strata, four age categories and their interaction. The incidence by cluster was calculated with a distance matrix up to 600 m from the centroid. Spatial joint dengue and COVID-19 risk was estimated by multiplying the nominal risk for each disease, defined from 1 (low) to 5 (high) according to their quantiles. During the study period, 7,175 dengue cases were registered in CABA (incidence rate 23.3 cases per 10,000 inh), 29.2% of which occurred in slums. During the same period, 8,809 cases of COVID-19 were registered (28.6 cases per 10,000 inh); over half (51.4%) occurred in slums, where the median age of cases (29 years old) was lower than in residential areas (42 years old). The mean age of the deceased was 58 years old in slums compared to 79 years old outside. The percentage of deaths in patients under 60 years old was 56% in slums compared to 8% in the rest of the city. The incidence of both diseases was higher in slums than in residential areas for most age categories. Spatial patterns were heterogeneous: dengue presented higher incidence values in the southern sector of the city and the west, and low values in highly urbanized quarters, whereas COVID-19 presented higher values in the east, south, high populated areas and slums. The lowest joint risk clusters were located mainly in high residential areas, whereas high joint risk was observed mainly in the south, some western clusters, the historical part of the city and center north. The social epidemiological perspective of dengue and COVID-19 differed, given that socio environmental heterogeneity influenced the burden of both viruses in a different manner. Despite the overwhelming effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, health care towards other diseases, especially in territories with pre-existing vulnerabilities, should not be unattended.

The distribution and characterisation of microplastics in air, surface water and sediment within a major river system

Rivers are key pathways for the transfer of microplastics (MP) to marine environments. However, there are considerable uncertainties about the amount of microplastics transported by rivers to the ocean; this results in inaccuracies in our understanding of microplastic quantity and transport by freshwater systems. Additionally, it has been suggested that rivers may represent long-term sinks, with microplastics accumulating in sediment due to their high density or other biological, chemical, and physical factors. The atmosphere is also an important pathway by which airborne microplastics may enter aquatic habitats. Here, we compare for first time microplastics type and concentration in these key environmental mediums (air, water and sediment) along a major river (Ganges), from sea to source to understand 1) the abundance, 2) the spatial distribution, and 3) characteristics. Mean microplastic abundance settling from the atmosphere was 41.12 MP m2 day−1; while concentrations in sediment were 57.00 MP kg−1 and in water were 0.05 MP L−1. Across all sites and environmental mediums, rayon (synthetically altered cellulose) was the dominant polymer (54–82 %), followed by acrylic (6–23 %) and polyester (9–17 %). Fibres were the dominant shape (95–99 %) and blue was the most common colour (48–79 %). Across water and sediment environmental mediums, the number of microplastics per sample increased from the source of the Ganges to the sea. Additionally, higher population densities correlated with increased microplastic abundance for air and water samples. We suggest that clothing is likely to be the prominent source of microplastics to the river system, influenced by atmospheric deposition, wastewater and direct input (e.g. handwashing of clothes in the Ganges), especially in high density population areas. However, we suggest that subsequent microplastic release to the marine environment is strongly influenced by polymer type and shape, with a large proportion of denser microplastics settling in sediment prior to the river discharging to the ocean.

Analysis of SAR-derived products to support emergency management during volcanic crisis: La Palma case study

This paper analyses the performance of SAR-based results to support emergency management operations during the volcanic crisis of La Palma island. Tajogaite eruption began on September 19th 2021 affecting a high populated area and the surrounding farmland, used for different agricultural purposes. SAR datasets obtained from Sentinel-1, COSMO-SkyMED, PAZ-TerraSAR-X and Capella satellites, were processed to calculate amplitude, coherence and differential interferograms. These results have permitted to map the morphology of the volcanic cone, the evolution of lava flows and the regional displacements. The comparison of the results obtained with the different satellites has been useful to understand their performance during an emergency scenario triggered by a volcanic eruption. COSMO-SkyMED has provided the most useful information for the analysis of the cone morphology and the lava flows. Sentinel-1 showed the best performance for regional displacements monitoring, whereas PAZ results was the second best option for all the retrieved products.

POTENTIAL OF BLACK SOLDIER FLY (BSF) IN REDUCING MUNICIPAL FOOD LOSS AND WASTE (FLW) AT TAMAN SARI DISTRICT, WEST JAKARTA

Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae are known to have the ability to process food loss and waste and reduce the weight of food loss and waste, by producing decomposition products that have beneficial values. Food loss and waste needs to be reduced to reduce the burden of waste entering the Final Disposal (TPA). Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of BSF larvae and to determine the quality of the decomposition results in processing food loss and waste in the Taman Sari District on a laboratory scale. Methodology and Results: Taman Sari Distrisct is a high dense populated area Total days of bioconversion activity is 12 days, giving back 1,000 grams of municipal waste organic, containing food loss and food waste, according to variation is given repeatedly on the 1st, 5th, and 8th days for each 12 sample code. The amount of 5 days old (5-DOL) maggot used for each sample code is 30 grams. Conclusion, significance, and impact study: The percentage reduction in processing from 3 kg of food loss and waste can reach 86% with the average residue produced in the form of 415.67 grams of solid compost and 221.7 grams of prepupa. Bred prepupa will evolve into several stages: pupa, fly, egg, baby larvae, and 5-DOL for 57 days on its life cycle.

Effects of lithology and acid mine drainage on Cd concentration and isotope distribution in a large riverine system, Guangxi Province, South China

Cadmium is highly toxic to plants, animals, and humans. When assessing its risk, it is critical to distinguish anthropogenic activities from natural weathering processes. Specific Cd isotopes have been used to track the source and fate of Cd in the environment. However, Cd isotopic signatures in soils and sediments and its fractionation in large river systems, especially in high-population areas and within complex Cd source regions, remain poorly understood. Using chemical and isotope analyses, this study identifies Cd sources in the Xijiang riverine system, China, as being the result of natural weathering and acid mine drainage. Cadmium isotopic fractionation between stream sediment and topsoil was uniform, with Δ114/110Cdstream sediment–topsoil values averaging 0.50‰ ± 0.04‰ through natural weathering processes and fractionation being controlled mainly by the Cd isotopic composition of acid mine drainage. During the natural weathering of carbonate sediments, Ca2+ and HCO3− in soils tend to drain into the Xun River with leachate, resulting in a weakly alkaline water column with increasing Cd contents in stream sediments. In mining regions, H+, Cd2+, Zn2+, and other metal ions are prone to release from sphalerite into solution under supergene conditions, ultimately resulting in high Cd contents in sediments of the Meng River. This study highlights the use of Δ114/110Cdstream sediment–topsoil values as a tool for distinguishing the effects of anthropogenic activities from those of natural weathering processes in river systems at risk of Cd pollution.

Clear cell chondrosarcoma: A national analysis exploring the demographic features.

e23503 Background: Clear cell chondrosarcoma (CCCS) is an uncommon cancer and variant of chondrosarcoma affecting the proximal portion of long bones, commonly the femur or humerus. This low-grade and slowly progressing malignant tumor is often mistaken for benign tumors (i.e. chondroblastoma), but its histological features of benign giant cells and cells with clear cytoplasm alongside pathologic, roentgenographic, and clinical characteristics aid in its distinction. Accurate identification will guide the establishment of standard treatment algorithms and further improve treatment outcomes. CCCS has an overall 10-year survival rate of 89% with a median time to death from disease of 15.3 years. The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was analyzed to determine how patient demographic characteristics affect the diagnosis of CCCS. Methods: A retrospective cohort study from 2004 to 2020 was conducted using the NCDB. 188 patients were found with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of CCCS (ICD-9242-3). Gender, race, Hispanic origin, insurance coverage, type of treatment facility, and distance from patient residence to treatment facility were analyzed via descriptive statistics and trends in incidence were interpreted using regression analysis. Results: The frequency of patients diagnosed with CCCS has remained consistent since 2004 (R2 = 0.1) with over 11 diagnoses per year. Of the 188 patients found, the average age of diagnosis was 47.8 years (SD = 16.7, range = 14 – 90 years). Approximately two-thirds of patients were male (68.1%) and the remainder were female (31.9%). Most of the patients were White (84.6%). Patient Hispanic status could not be accurately determined due to limited data. More patients were in the top income quartile (31.9%) than those in the second (26.1%), third (19.7%), or fourth (12.2%) quartiles. The other 10.1% were of unknown income status. Most patients were privately insured (61.7%), followed by coverage under Medicare/Medicaid (27.1%). More patients lived in metropolitan counties with a population of 250,000 or more (85%) compared to less-populated urban or rural areas (15%). A large percentage of patients were treated at an academic/research program (61.6%) compared to non-academic programs (38.4%). Patients traveled an average of 65.8 miles (SD = 101.4, range = 0.8 – 793.0) to get to the treatment facility. Conclusions: CCCS remains a rare diagnosis. This study explores a significant gap in existing knowledge on patient characteristics that might present with CCCS. Most patients were White, insured by private insurance, in the top quartile of income earners, and lived in metropolitan areas. This novel study of socioeconomic factors in CCCS patients suggests that patients with higher socioeconomic status in highly-populated areas might have better access to this uncommon diagnosis. As such, additional research to comprehend the role that socioeconomic status might have on CCCS would be beneficial.

Public exposure to broadband electromagnetic fields and its association with population density and building density: The case study of Beijing

The gradual increase in electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure levels poses a potential threat to human health and the normal operation of electronic systems. In order to know the environmental EMF conditions, measurements were carried out on roads of about 400 km in the urban area of Beijing, China. The measurement results show that the electric field strength of about 89% of the sampling points is within 3 V/m, and the electric field strength of other sampling points is relatively high. Combined with further spectrum analysis, it was found that the electric field strength of one road section exceeded the national standard limits. In addition, to help quickly identify the general condition of the environmental EMF, a set of procedures for mining the association rules between the electric field strength and population density and building density is proposed in this paper. The final association rules show that the electric field strength is usually lower than 1.5 V/m in areas with medium or lower population density and areas with low building density; the electric field strength in areas with extremely high population density and areas with high building density is usually 1.5-4 V/m; while the electric field strength higher than 4 V/m mainly occurs in areas with extremely high population density. It is recommended to focus on strengthening the monitoring of EMF in areas with extremely high population density, and at the same time continuously pay attention to the trend of the urban EMF levels, so as to achieve early warning and treatment of relevant risks.

Are the epidemic prevention facilities effective? How cities should choose epidemic prevention facilities: Taking Wuhan as an example.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the limitations of urban public health emergency response capabilities. Taking Wuhan as an example, this study used breakpoint regression, kernel density analysis, overlay analysis, and accessibility analysis from Stata and ArcGIS, and divided epidemic prevention facilities into the basic epidemic prevention facilities (hospitals), and the emergency epidemic prevention facilities (mobile cabin hospitals) for further analysis. The results showed that over 70% of the basic epidemic prevention facilities in Wuhan were located in high density population areas. On the contrary, most of the emergency epidemic prevention facilities were located in low density population areas. The local treatment effect of the implementation of the emergency epidemic prevention facility policy is about 1, indicating that there was a significant impact of emergency epidemic prevention facilities on outbreak control, which passed the bandwidth test. What's more, the analysis of the accessibility of residential points revealed that more than 67.3% of people from the residential points could arrive at the epidemic prevention facilities within 15 min, and only 0.1% of them took more than 20 min to arrive. Therefore, the epidemic prevention facilities can effectively curb the spread of the epidemic, and people from residential areas can quickly get there. This study summarized the spatial characteristics of epidemic prevention facilities in Wuhan and analyzed the importance of them, thus providing a new perspective for future research on upgrading the city's comprehensive disaster prevention system.

Citizen Science and Phytosanitary Surveillance Systems Are Complementary Tools to Follow the Invasion of Harmonia axyridis.

Citizen science is a valuable tool for early detection, distribution, and spread of invasive alien species (IAS). Nevertheless, citizen science initiatives have several potential biases and may be complemented with long-term structured monitoring schemes. We analyzed the spatial-temporal dynamics of the invasion of Harmonia axyridis (Pallas)(Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Chile, based upon two citizen sciences databases (WEB and INAT) and one structured monitoring (SAG). We collected 8638 H. axyridis occurrences between 2009 and 2020. WEB had a higher number of records than SAG and INAT, and in all databases, the number of records has increased over time. The three databases showed that the invasion started in central Chile and then spread toward the north and south. The WEB and SAG recorded occurrences in the extreme north and south, whereas INAT concentrated all the occurrences in a more limited area, included in WEB and SAG. Both citizen science initiatives concentrated their records in areas of high human populations whereas SAG records had a more even distribution across regions. At 2020, WEB accounted for 55%, SAG 54%, and INAT 8% of the total area accumulated with H. axyridis, with only 16% of area shared among databases. WEB and INAT obtained most of their records in urban and industrial land cover types, while SAG records were more evenly represented in different land cover types. Our results confirm that combined methods, including citizen science initiatives, national surveillance system, and localized samplings, complement each other in providing knowledge to understand the patterns, processes, and consequences of this invasion.

ANALISIS KELIMPAHAN MIKROPLASTIK PADA BIVALVIA DI PERAIRAN TUMINTING DAN MALALAYANG KOTA MANADO

Microplastic as a marine debris is currently become a global problem. Tuminting and Malalayang coasts as the study case in this research because these places were located in the high population and anthropogenic activity areas, that allowing the microplastic pollution. The goal of this research are to identify the types of microplastic, to analyze the abundance of microplastic and to evaluate the differences accumulation of microplastic in bivalve from Tuminting and Malalayang, Manado. This research is used a purposive sampling method. The analysis of microplastic in bivalves following C. M. Boerger et al. (2010) methods. The average of microplastic for the three species of bivalve in Tuminting for Cardidae sp. Was 5.75 particles/g, Venridae sp. 17.05 particles/g and Mytilidae sp. 130.06 particles/g, while in the three species of bivalve in Malalayang for Cardidae sp. 50.87 particles/g, Venridae sp. 9.56 particles/g and Mytilidae sp. 6.93 particles/g. Based on Kruskal Wallis analysis for bivalve of Tuminting is 0.087; Malalayang 0.616. The bivalve morphometric correlation test using Spearman Rank analysis showed a result 0.05 for Tuminting and 0.187 for Malalayang. The microplastics types that found in bivalve are fragments, films, fibers, foam, pellets, granules and the highest one is fiber. In this study, abundance of microplastic in bivalve from Tuminting also Malalayang waters, were found so it was necessary to disseminate this information to the public about the dangers of plastic. There must be a government regulations regarding the coastal area management related to garbage waste and have to make another research about the identification of the chemical that containing in microplastic in bivalves.
 Keywords: marine debris; microplastics; bivalve; manado

How do the stay-at-home (SAH) orders affect air quality? Evidence from the northeastern USA.

This paper examines whether the SAH orders, implemented in the USA from mid-March to late May 2020, improved air quality in the northeastern states. The estimates are based on panel data from the Environmental Protection Agency and an identification strategy that exploits the exogenous variation in the timing of the SAH orders. We find that the SAH orders reduced the concentrations of the air pollutants nitrogen dioxide ({textrm{NO}}_2) and carbon monoxide (CO), whose dominant source is motor vehicle emissions, by approximately 24% and 13%, respectively. The effects were larger for areas of high population density and areas near major roads. We also find that the reductions got smaller, and air pollution gradually approached normal levels, after the orders were lifted. This suggests that the air quality improvements were temporary.

Application of Material Flow Analysis to Municipal Solid Waste in Urban Areas in Developing Countries and Possible Solutions Under Circular Economic Framework

"The understanding waste flow of a country is important to identify the main problems associated with waste management and identify opportunities in material flow management. A tool such as material flow analysis (MFA) is a widely used method in waste management studies, to provide a comprehensive analysis of material movements, support for material characterization analysis to identify the severity of a problem, identify the real root cause, and propose suitable management methods. This paper presents an application of MFA for municipal solid waste (MSW) management in Western provinces in Sri Lanka. The outcome includes the identification, and quantification of the main input and output flows of the system in the present context, from waste generation, collection, unaccounted and unidentified flows, material recovery, and final disposal of MSW. Results are evaluated under treatment mechanisms of Recycling, Reusing, and repurposing the materials. Overall results show per capita per day of waste generation in Sri Lanka stood at 0.43 kg, whereas, the Western province represents that 0.56 kg due to the high population area with the highest rate of urbanization. However, the global average per capita per day of waste generation stood at 2.22 kg. The material and energy recovery represent 31% and 33% respectively in the study area from total collected waste. 36% of the material finally ended up in open dumpsites even after collection. Further research needs to be done on material and energy recovery potential identification in dumping waste, as this can convert to valuable results with proper management practices with available resources."