Waste management developments in the last five decades: Asian perspective

Solid waste management was explored in Asia's last five decades, and the issues and challenges were identified. Waste generation has increased in all nations in the previous 50 years, although more recently, a declining trend has been observed in Japan and Korea. The composition has been predominantly organic, with 45-50% being kitchen waste. Material extraction and productivity to sustain the most populous part of the globe are explained. Waste management technologies have evolved, with more nations slowly transitioning from landfills to using waste-to-energy options. However, landfilling and open dumps are still the major disposal choice in most developing countries in Asia. Thus, the issues of concern include dumpsites management, the informal sector, waste collection, open burning and food waste. Changes (increasing trends) in the recycling technologies and quantum are evident, as seen in several country reports from India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. There are several issues and challenges for recycling, which are explored in the text. Lastly, the drivers that propel the whole scenario of waste management in Asia and the evolution of these drivers over time are discussed. Several recommendations are included to achieve sustainable waste management in Asia.

I Teach Nursing as a Male Nursing Educator: The East Asian Perspective, Context, and Social Cognitive Career Experiences

Social and cultural backgrounds, as well as understanding, play key roles in workforce development and human resource shortages, which are associated with the transition to nursing education and teaching from frontline nursing practices. A qualitative method, with the direction of the general inductive approach, was employed in this study. The researcher collected information from 18 male nursing educators who switched their senior roles (from the frontline and practicing fields to nursing education) at nursing schools in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, and Malaysia. Three interview sessions were used to collect information. Three themes were merged from the information: (i) gender-oriented knowledge, teaching and learning; (ii) respect; and (iii) health promotion. More importantly, participants advocated that their male roles and identities provided uniqueness to patients, students, parents, and the general public concerning Asian customs and practices. Based on the social cognitive career theory, personal goals and achievements of career satisfaction took important roles. Although the general public may not agree with these career decisions, due to gender and social biases, participants continued to contribute their energy and knowledge in the health and social caring professions.

Perspectives of adults with Klinefelter syndrome, unaffected adolescent males, and parents of affected children toward diagnosis disclosure: a Thai experience

Little is known about disclosure of diagnosis to males with Klinefelter syndrome (KS) diagnosed before birth or during childhood, especially in Asian context. Insufficient preparation for disclosure communication could lead to the child's depression, anxiety, or disrupted self-esteem. This is an interventional and qualitative interview study with a brief self-reported survey. The study consists of three phases. In phase I, adults with KS were asked about their experiences and viewpoints toward KS disclosure and diagnosis through individual interviews. In phase II, unaffected adolescent males were given information about KS and then asked to give hypothetical answers to a questionnaire followed by a group interview, as if they had KS. In phase III, parents of children with KS were asked to complete a questionnaire followed by a group interview which included a discussion about their disclosure plans and their concerns. The parents were provided information obtained from adults with KS and unaffected adolescent males, and were then interviewed again as a group. We found that the most hurtful issues were discovering their infertility from KS and late disclosure. From the perspective of unaffected adolescent males, early disclosure in early or mid-teens in a neutral, supportive, and relaxed manner, along with information on benefits of hormonal treatment, the assurance of biological sex as "male," and avoidance of some sensitive words are strongly recommended, as a way to promote self-confidence and positive coping with the diagnosis. After intervention, the parents reported more confidence and less anxiety about disclosing the diagnosis to their children, and indicated that they would disclose KS at an earlier age. For unaffected adolescent males, though it is a hypothetical scenario and their reaction may differ from affected adolescents, unaffected adolescent males' viewpoints on how they might react are more or less representative of cultural changes for the new generation, especially in the Asian context. In addition, their viewpoints influenced parents' decision and genetic counseling plans for the diagnosis disclosure of KS to their children. We propose a preliminary guideline for KS diagnosis disclosure.

Dyspnea management in palliative home care: a case series in malaysia

Managing dyspnea at home is a challenging task. Although a competent palliative home care team can assist a patient to live at home with better pain control, dyspnea is usually not as well managed. In the Asian context, there are few research studies in dyspnea management in palliative home care. This paper aims to illustrate the cultural context that has an impact on dyspnea management at home and the assessment and management of dyspnea in a community palliative care setting in Malaysia. This paper reports on a study of 5 dyspneic patients suffering from both cancer-related and non-cancer-related dyspnea. Its focus is on a unique Asian cultural belief system that affects communication about prognosis and the role of family in palliative home care. In addition, this paper also describes dyspnea assessment, the barriers to morphine use, benzodiazepine prescription, oxygen therapy, and nonpharmacologic intervention in this center.