Decomposition of matrices into product of idempotents and separativity of regular rings

Following O'Meara's result [Journal of Algebra and Its Applications, 13 (2014) 8], it follows that the block matrix A = B 0 0 0 M n+r (R), B M n (R), r 1, over a von Neumann regular separative ring R, is a product of idempotent matrices.Furthermore, this decomposition into idempotents of A also holds when B is an invertible matrix and R is a GE ring (defined by Cohn [New mathematical monographs: 3, Cambridge University Press, 2006]).As a consequence, it follows that if there exists an example of a von Neumann regular ring R over which the matrix A = B 0 0 0 M n+r (R), where B M n (R), r 1, cannot be expressed as a product of idempotents, then R is not separative, thus providing an answer to an open question whether there exists a von Neumann regular ring which is not separative.The paper concludes with a counter example related to an open question whether every totally nonnegative matrix is a product of nonnegative idempotent matrices.