Rescue extracranial vertebral stenting in tandem occlusions: A preliminary Vietnamese study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The acute vertebrobasilar occlusion associated with the poor prognosis, particularly tandem occlusion. However, few data on the efficacy of the endovascular therapy was indicated in this occlusion. We investigated whether the additional rescue extracranial vertebral stenting improved clinical outcome by modified Rankin scale (mRS) score within 3 months after the procedure. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of patients with acute posterior tandem occlusion who were treated with rescue extracranial vertebral stenting between December 2020 and January 2024 at our hospital. Clinical, neuroimaging, procedural, and complication data were collected. Primary outcomes included the rate of good outcomes (mRS ≤ 2) at 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: Nine patients who underwent rescue extracranial vertebral stenting in posterior circulation tandem occlusions were enrolled in the study. All patients were achieved the successful recanalization (mTICI ≥ 2b). Of Dotter technique in the "distal-to-proximal" approach, Diagnostic-Dotter made up 66.7%. Five patients (55.6%) with good outcome (mRS ≤ 2) at 3 months, and 1 patient (11.1%) underwent suboccipital decompressive craniectomy due to the malignant cerebellar infarction. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that despite the small series with posterior tandem occlusions, the rescue extracranial vertebral stenting could be an important alternative treatment followed by mechanical thrombectomy.

Magnetic raspberry-like CuCo nanoalloy-embedded carbon as an enhanced activator of Oxone to degrade azo contaminant: Cu-induced hollowed structure and boosted activities.

Azo compounds, particularly azo dyes, are widely used but pose significant environmental risks due to their persistence and potential to form carcinogenic by-products. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are effective in degrading these stubborn compounds, with Oxone activation being a particularly promising method. In this study, a unique nanohybrid material, raspberry-like CuCo alloy embedded carbon (RCCC), is facilely fabricated using CuCo-glycerate (Gly) as a template. With the incorporation of Cu into Co, RCCC is essentially different from its analogue derived from Co-Gly in the absence of Cu, affording a popcorn-like Co embedded on carbon (PCoC). RCCC exhibits a unique morphology, featuring a hollow spherical layer covered by nanoscale beads composed of CuCo alloy distributed over carbon. Therefore, RCCC significantly outperforms PCoC and Co3O4 for activating Oxone to degrade the toxic azo contaminant, Azorubin S (AS), in terms of efficiency and kinetics. Furthermore, RCCC remains highly effective in environments with high NaCl concentrations and can be efficiently reused across multiple cycles. Besides, RCCC also leads to the considerably lower Ea of AS degradation than the reported Ea values by other catalysts. More importantly, the contribution of incorporating Cu with Co as CuCo alloy in RCCC is also elucidated using the Density-Function-Theory (DFT) calculation and synergetic effect of Cu and Co in CuCo contributes to enhance Oxone activation, and boosts generation of SO4•-and •OH. The decomposition pathway of AS by RCCC + Oxone is also comprehensively investigated by studying the Fukui indices of AS and a series of its degradation by-products using the DFT calculation. In accordance to the toxicity assessment, RCCC + Oxone also considerably reduces acute and chronic toxicities to lower potential environmental impact. These results ensure that RCCC would be an advantageous catalyst for Oxone activation to degrade AS in water.

Radiological Features of Herpetic Encephalitis in Children.

BACKGROUND: Nonspecific clinical manifestations and unclear radiological features may delay treatment initiation in pediatric patients with Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE). The aim of this study is to analyze the clinical and radiological features of the disease. METHODS: Clinical, laboratory, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were obtained retrospectively from a group of 37 hospitalized pediatric patients older than two months and with a polymerase chain reaction-confirmed HSE diagnosis. Clinical severity (i.e., mechanical ventilatory support) and outcome at discharge (i.e., pediatric modified Rankin Scale [ped-mRS]) were also assessed. RESULTS: Median age was 14 months (interquartile range: 10-36). All patients survived, 15 (41%) had complete recovery (i.e., ped-mRS = 0), and 10 (27%) had significant residual disability at discharge (i.e., ped-mRS ≥3). Brain MRI was obtained in 31 patients. T2-hyperintense lesions were usually bilateral (28, 90%) and multifocal (30, 97%). Hemorrhage and mass effect were observed in 13 (42%) and 15 (48%) patients, respectively. Parenchymal lesions involved the temporal lobes (94%), insula (90%), parietal lobes (84%), and frontal lobes (61%). Occipital lesions were rare. In multivariable binary logistic regression models the presence of altered consciousness was associated with mechanical ventilation (odds ratio [OR] = 8.2, Nagelkerke R2 = 0.22), whereas the involvement of the occipital lobes (OR = 7.8) and the administration of vasopressors (OR = 12.1) were independent predictors of poor outcome (Nagelkerke R2 = 0.41). CONCLUSIONS: Brain MRI is useful for diagnosis and outcome assessment in pediatric HSE. Radiological patterns with common frontotemporal involvement overlap adults, but multifocal and parietal lobe abnormalities are observed as well.

The prevalence of Pfk13 polymorphism in malaria patients treated with artemisinin-based therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Artemisinin (ART) combination therapy is the main treatment for malaria. Pfk13 mutations (or K13 mutations, Kelch 13) are associated with ART resistance. This study aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of K13 mutations with ART resistance in malaria-endemic countries. An electronic search of studies in 2018 and a manual search in 2020 were performed to identify relevant studies. The risk of bias was assessed using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) quality assessment tool for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies. Data analysis was performed using R 4.1.0. Heterogeneity was estimated using the statistic I2 and Cochran Q test. A total of 170 studies were included in our review. Of these, 55 studies investigated the prevalence of K13 mutations in Southeast Asia. The meta-analysis showed that Southeast Asia had the highest prevalence of K13 mutations, whereas Africa, South America, Oceania, and other Asian countries outside Southeast Asia had a low prevalence of K13 mutations. The C580Y mutation was the most common in Southeast Asia with 35.5% (95%CI: 25.4-46.4%), whereas the dominant mutation in Africa was K189T (22.8%, 95%CI: 7.6-43.2%). This study revealed the emergence of ART resistance associated with K13 mutations in Southeast Asia. The diversity of each type of K13 mutation in other regions was also reported.

Enhancing catalytic activity of CuCoFe-layered double oxide towards peroxymonosulfate activation by coupling with biochar derived from durian peel for antibiotic degradation: The role of C=O in biochar and underlying mechanism of built-in electric field.

CuCoFe-LDO/BCD was successfully synthesized from CuCoFe-LDH and biochar derived from durian shell (BCD). Ciprofloxacin (CFX) degraded more than 95% mainly by O2•- and 1O2 in CuCoFe-LDO/BCD(2/1)/PMS system within 10 min with a rate constant of 0.255 min-1, which was 14.35 and 2.66 times higher than those in BCD/PMS and CuCoFe-LDO/PMS systems, respectively. The catalytic system exhibited good performance over a wide pH range (3-9) and high degradation efficiency of other antibiotics. Built-in electric field (BIEF) driven by large difference in the work function/Fermi level ratio between CuCoFe-LDO and BCD accelerated continuous electron transfer from CuCoFe-LDO to BCD to result in two different microenvironments with opposite charges at the interface, which enhanced PMS adsorption and activation via different directions. As a non-radical, 1O2 was mainly generated via PMS activation by C=O in BCD. The presence of C=O in BCD resulted in an increase in atomic charge of C in C=O and redistributed the charge density of other C atoms. As a result, strong adsorption of PMS at C atom in C=O and other C with a high positive charge was favorable for 1O2 generation, whereas an enhanced adsorption of PMS at negatively charged C accounted for the generation of •OH and SO4•-. After adsorption, electrons in C of BCD became deficient and were fulfilled with those transferred from CuCoFe-LDO driven by BIEF, which ensured the high catalytic activity of CuCoFe-LDO/BCD. O2•-, on the other hand, was generated via several pathways that involved in the transformation of •OH and SO4•- originated from PMS activation by the transition of metal species in CuCoFe-LDO and negatively charged C in BCD. This study proposed a new idea of fabricating a low-cost metal-LDH and biomass-derived catalyst with a strong synergistic effect induced by BIEF for enhancing PMS activation and antibiotic degradation.

Cytotoxic effects of aporphine alkaloids from the stems and leaves of Stephania dielsiana Y.C.Wu.

Phytochemical studies of the stems and leaves of Stephania dielsiana Y.C.Wu yielded two new aporphine alkaloids (1 and 5), along with six known alkaloids (2-4 and 6-8). Their structures were characterised based on analyses of spectroscopic data, including one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS). The cytotoxic activities of the isolated compounds against a small panel of tumour cell lines were assessed by MTS assay. Interestingly, compound 2 exhibited particularly strong cytotoxic activities against HepG2, MCF7 and OVCAR8 cancer cell lines, with IC50 values of 3.20 ± 0.18, 3.10 ± 0.06 and 3.40 ± 0.007 µM, respectively. Furthermore, molecular docking simulations were carried out to explore the interactions and binding mechanisms of the most active compound (compound 2) with proteins. Our results contribute to understanding the secondary metabolites produced by S. dielsiana and provide a scientific rationale for further investigations of cytotoxicity of this valuable medicinal plant.

Identification of novel phenylalanine derivatives bearing a hydroxamic acid moiety as potent quorum sensing inhibitors.

Phenylalanine derivatives are a well-known small moiety responsible for controlling the virulence factors of several bacteria. Herein, for the first time, we report novel structures of phenylalanine derivatives bearing a hydroxamic acid moiety which were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for use as quorum sensing inhibitors. Biological results reveal that six compounds showed good quorum sensing inhibitors properties with an IC50 ranging from 7.12 ± 2.11 µM-92.34 ± 2.09 µM (4NPO, a reference compound, IC50 = 29.13 ± 0.88 µM). In addition, three out of the six compounds (4a, 4c, 4h) showed strong anti-biofilm formation and CviR inhibitory activity when compared to that of 4NPO. These biological data were also confirmed by computational studies. In this series of compounds, 4h is the most promising compound for future drug development targeting quorum sensing. Our results concluded that the fragment-based drug design is a good approach for the discovery of novel quorum-sensing inhibitors in the future.

A large cheek lipoma misdiagnosed as a dental infection: a rare case report.

The most frequent benign tumor is lipoma. About 1-4% of people have intraoral lipomas. This uncommon case report shows a large cheek lipoma misinterpreted as dental infection. A 14-year-old girl with a right cheek tumor was diagnosed and treated for a dental infection. Multiple imaging examinations complete the diagnosis. A benign lipoma, common in subcutaneous tissues but unusual in the mouth, created the lesion. A histological investigation confirmed lipoma after extraoral excision under general anesthesia utilizing an external flap. The edema did not return after surgery, which restored face symmetry. This case study shows that diagnosing and treating oral and maxillofacial edema requires extensive clinical and radiographic testing. Lipomas should be evaluated in the differential diagnosis of mouth swelling even without usual risk markers to prevent excessive treatments and delays. Surgery is recommended for lipomas since it has a low recurrence and fewer risks.

Knowledge, attitude and preventive practice toward Covid-19 and associated factors among outpatients in a rural hospital in Vietnam.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the critical role of public knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) in disease containment. Understanding these aspects can guide health promotion initiatives and policy decisions. Design and methods: This cross-sectional study examined the KAP concerning COVID-19 prevention in Vietnam. Participants' sociodemographic data, along with KAP toward COVID-19, were collected in a survey utilizing a standardized questionnaire. Uni- and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with poor level of KAP. Results: Of 335 participants, 97 (28.9%) had poor knowledge, 52 (15.5%) poor attitude, and 48 (14.3%) poor practices. Older age (OR = 2.23; p = 0.024), minority non-Kinh ethnicity (OR = 3.05; p = 0.03), education below high school (OR = 8.80; p < 0.001), limited social media access (OR = 2.86; p = 0.002), and limited mobile phone usage (OR = 3.08; p = 0.001) increased poor knowledge risks. Non-Kinh ethnicity (OR = 5.00; p = 0.005) and lower education (OR = 14.79; p < 0.001) were linked to poor attitude. Older age (OR = 2.26; p = 0.035), lower education (OR = 5.74; p = 0.003), and poor knowledge (OR = 3.33; p = 0.005) were associated with poor practices. Conclusions: Elderly individuals, those with low education, and limited media access had elevated risks of poor KAP. Emphasizing public health media and targeted education, especially for underserved groups, is vital for effective epidemic management and future strategy planning.

Outcomes of balloon angioplasty and stent placement for iliac artery lesions classified as TASC II A, B: a single-center study.

Background: Iliac artery stenosis or occlusion is a critical condition that can severely impact a patient's quality of life. The effectiveness of balloon angioplasty and intraluminal stenting for the treatment of iliac artery lesions classified as TASC II A and B was evaluated in this single-center prospective study. Methods: Conducted between October 2016 and September 2020 at Cho Ray Hospital's Vascular Surgery Department, this prospective study involved PAD patients categorized by TASC II A and B classifications who underwent endovascular intervention. Intervention outcomes were assessed peri-procedure and during short-term and mid-term follow-ups. Results: Of the total of 133 patients, 34.6% underwent balloon angioplasty, while 65.4% received stenting. The immediate technical success rate was 97.7%, while the clinical success rate was 62.4%. Complications were minimal, with major limb amputation reported in 1.5% of the cases. There was a significant improvement in Rutherford classification and ABI at short-term follow-up, with a patency rate of 90.2%. The mid-term post-intervention follow-up yielded similar results with an 86.1% patency rate. The mortality rates associated with arterial occlusion were 2.3% during short-term follow-up and 1.7% during mid-term follow-up. Conclusion: Balloon angioplasty and stent placement are effective and safe interventions for TASC II A and B iliac artery occlusions with favorable short and mid-term outcomes. Further, multi-center studies with larger sample sizes are recommended for more comprehensive conclusions, including long-term follow-up assessment.

Effective activation of peroxymonosulfate by CoCr-LDH for removing organic contaminants in water: from lab-scale to practical applications.

In this study, CoCr layered double hydroxide material (CoCr-LDH) was prepared and used as an effective catalyst for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation to degrade organics in water. The prepared CoCr-LDH material had a crystalline structure and relatively porous structure, as determined by various surface analyses. In Rhodamine B (RhB) removal, the most outstanding PMS activation ability belongs to the material with a Co:Cr molar ratio of 2:1. The removal of RhB follows pseudo-first-order kinetics (R2 > 0.99) with an activation energy of 38.23 kJ/mol and efficiency of 98% after 7 min of treatment, and the total organic carbon of the solution reduced 47.2% after 10 min. The activation and oxidation mechanisms were proposed and the RhB degradation pathways were suggested with the key contribution of O2•- and 1O2. Notably, CoCr-LDH can activate PMS over a wide pH range of 4 - 9, and apply to a wide range of organic pollutants and aqueous environments. The material has high stability and good recovery, which can be reused for 5 cycles with a stable efficiency of above 88%, suggesting a high potential for practical recalcitrant water treatment via PMS activation by heterogeneous catalysts.

Anxiety and its risk factors among non-Japanese residents living in Japan undergoing COVID-19 situation: A cross-sectional survey.

INTRODUCTION: In the context of collective efforts taken in Japan to control the spread of COVID-19, the state of emergency and social distancing have caused a negative impact on the mental health of all residents, including foreign communities in Japan. This study aimed to evaluate the level of anxiety and its associated factors among non-Japanese residents residing in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A web-based survey in 13 languages was conducted among non-Japanese residents living in Japan during the COVID-19 situation. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory assessed the level of anxiety-State (STAI-S) scores prorated from its six-item version. The multivariable logistic regression using the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) method was performed to identify the associated factors of anxiety among participants. RESULTS: From January to March 2021, we collected 392 responses. A total of 357 valid responses were analyzed. 54.6% of participants suffered from clinically significant anxiety (CSA). In multivariable logistic model analysis, the CSA status or the high level of anxiety was associated with three factors, including having troubles/difficulties in learning or working, decreased sleep duration, and decreased overall physical health (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests several possible risk factors of anxiety among non-Japanese residents living in Japan undergoing the COVID-19 pandemic, including the troubles or difficulties in learning or working, the decrease in sleep duration, and the decrease in overall physical health.

Impact of COVID-19 vaccination status on hospitalization and disease severity: A descriptive study in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was extraordinarily harmful, with high rates of infection and hospitalization. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 vaccination status and other factors on hospitalization and disease severity, using data from Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. Confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection with vaccination status were included and the differences in characteristics between different vaccination statuses, hospitalization or not, and patients with varying levels of disease severity were analyzed. Furthermore, logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to evaluate the association of various factors with hospitalization and disease severity. From March 14, 2020 to August 31, 2022, 23,139 patients were unvaccinated 13,668 vaccinated the primary program with one or two doses, and 4,575 completed the booster. Vaccination reduced the risk of hospitalization with an odd ratio of 0.759 (95% CI: 0.654-0.881) and the protective effect of completed booster vaccination was more pronounced (OR: 0.261, 95% CI: 0.207-0.328). Similarly, vaccination significantly reduced the risk of disease severity (vaccinated primary program: OR: 0.191, 95% CI: 0.160-0.228; completed booster vaccination: OR: 0.129, 95% CI: 0.099-0.169). Overall, unvaccinated, male, elderly, immunocompromised, obese, and patients with other severe illness factors were all risk factors for COVID-19-related hospitalization and disease severity. Vaccination was associated with a decreased risk of hospitalization and disease severity, and highlighted the benefits of completing booster.

Spirituality, Quality of Life, and Health: A Japanese Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Current reports suggest a positive association between spirituality and quality of life (QoL) in elders. While most studies are qualitative studies and there has been little validation in quantitative studies using scales to measure spirituality. Hence, we aimed to study the effect of spirituality on mental health and QoL in older people residing in Kumejima Town in Japan. METHODS: An interview-based survey was conducted between September 2010 and 2011 on residents of Kumejima Town aged 65 years or older. This survey-based study employed the Spirituality Health Scale for the Elderly (SP Health Scale) alongside assessments of basic attributes (e.g., age, sex); physical, mental, social health, spirituality, and QoL. We conducted a causal structure model to explore causal relationships between these factors. RESULTS: Our study included 338 participants, including 72.5% female with an average age and standard deviation of 77.2 ± 6.4 years. Our analysis revealed a significant association between spiritual health and QoL even after accounting for the impact of physical and mental health, which challenged the conventional belief that QoL inevitably diminishes with age and declining health. These results suggest that enhancing spirituality may offer a means to prevent declines in QoL, fostering a positive outlook on life as individuals age. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that improving spiritual health can enhance QoL, even in the presence of health challenges and aging. This novel perspective opens doors to redefining health as a state that coexists with illness, with spirituality serving as an integral component. A shift in our understanding of health that prioritizes spirituality, could benefit people of all ages, offering a more holistic approach to well-being that aligns with new medical technologies and evolving perceptions of health.

Disaster after disaster: the outbreak of infectious diseases in Pakistan in the wake of 2022 floods.

In June 2022, Pakistan witnessed catastrophic floods, affecting millions of people. The ensuing epidemics of cholera, cryptosporidiosis, rotavirus infections, generalized diarrhoea, typhoid and paratyphoid fevers, as well as the frequency of vector-borne diseases including malaria and dengue fever, are studied in this investigation. It also explores the latest outbreak of poliomyelitis and the frequency of respiratory diseases such COVID-19, diphtheria, and tuberculosis, as well as how floods have contributed to skin and eye problems. The report also describes the obstacles governments must overcome in order to manage these health emergencies and offers possible solutions for reducing the effects of ongoing and anticipated epidemics. This flood emphasizes the pressing need for international action and acts as an alarming indicator of the significant impact of climate change. It emphasizes how crucial it is to have effective flood response and preparation strategies in developing nations that are vulnerable to natural disasters.

Molecular Epidemiology of Escherichia coli Resistant to Carbapenems, Fluoroquinolones, and Aminoglycosides Isolated from One of the Largest Hospitals in Vietnam in 2014-2019.

Introduction: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacilli including carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) threaten global health. Little is known, however, about the distribution of antimicrobial resistance genes in MDR isolated from patients in Vietnamese hospitals. In this study, we collected MDR Escherichia coli, defined as E. coli resistance against all fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, and carbapenems. Aim: This study was designed to clarify the molecular epidemiology of Escherichia coli isolates resistant to carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides isolated from patients admitted to one of the largest hospitals in Vietnam in 2014-2019 based on both whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and phenotypic data. Methodology. Sixty-seven Vietnamese isolates screened by drug resistance by the disk test were subjected to WGS, and their sequences were analyzed to determine their multilocus sequence type (MLST), O-types, H-types, distribution of drug resistance genes, plasmid types, pathogenicity islands (PIs), virulence factor distribution, and phylogenetic evolution using the WGS data. Results: Among the STs detected, ST410 was relatively dominant. Dominant O-types and H-types were O102 and H9 and showed some links, such as those between O102 and H8. The most dominant plasmid type and carbapenemase type were 4 and NDM-5, respectively. MLST, O-types, H-types, plasmid types, and types of carbapenemases were very heterogeneous among the isolates, with no clear correlation between them. Dominant plasmid type carrying drug resistance gene was IncQ1_1. The percentage of isolates positive for drug resistance genes, such as anti-beta-lactams and aminoglycosides, was relatively high because the isolates screened were resistant to carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides. Conclusions: MDR E. coli isolates isolated at a high-volume Vietnamese hospital were very heterogeneous, suggesting that they were acquired from different sources, including nosocomial infection, animals, and water. Eradication of MDR E. coli from hospitals and other clinical environments is very challenging because a single measure may be ineffective.

A comprehensive review of Langya virus and framework for future zoonotic disease control.

First reported in August 2022, the Langya virus (LayV) has emerged as a potential global health threat in the post-COVID-19 era. Preliminary reports show that 35 patients near Shandong and Henan, China experienced a febrile acute LayV infection. We conducted this review following the PRISMA protocol to synthesise current knowledge on LayV's characteristics in terms of molecular, clinical, and public health perspectives. This virus belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family and carries a non-segmented, single-stranded negative-sense RNA genome. Shrews may be the natural reservoir of the virus. Clinical symptoms range from mild flu-like symptoms to severe manifestations involving pneumonia, haematological disorders, and organ dysfunction. Diagnostic methods include PCR and ELISA assays. Despite the absence of established treatments, antiviral drugs such as ribavirin and chloroquine may be useful in some cases. In light of prevention, a comprehensive approach that emphasises multidisciplinary collaboration is crucial for early surveillance and response. Urgent global efforts are needed for vaccine development and preparedness against this potential pandemic threat. As the viral dynamics remain uncertain, a proactive approach is vital to mitigate the impact of not only LayV but also future threats on a large scale in long term.

Enhancing plastic biodegradation process: strategies and opportunities.

Plastic biodegradation has emerged as a sustainable approach and green alternative in handling the ever-increasing accumulation of plastic wastes in the environment. The complete biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate is one of the most recent breakthroughs in the field of plastic biodegradation. Despite the success, the effective and complete biodegradation of a wide variety of plastics is still far from the practical implementation, and an on-going effort has been mainly devoted to the exploration of novel microorganisms and enzymes for plastic biodegradation. However, alternative strategies which enhance the existing biodegradation process should not be neglected in the continuous advancement of this field. Thus, this review highlights various strategies which have shown to improve the biodegradation of plastics, which include the pretreatment of plastics using UV irradiation, thermal, or chemical treatments to increase the susceptibility of plastics toward microbial action. Alternative pretreatment strategies are also suggested and compared with the existing techniques. Besides, the effects of additives such as pro-oxidants, natural polymers, and surfactants on plastic biodegradation are discussed. In addition, considerations governing the biodegradation performance, such as the formulation of biodegradation medium, cell-free biocatalysis, and physico-chemical properties of plastics, are addressed. Lastly, the challenges and future prospects for the advancement of plastic biodegradation are also highlighted.