Mechanistic and structure investigation of the KOH activation ZIF-8 derived porous carbon as metal-free for unprecedented peroxymonosulfate activation degradation of bisphenol A.

The high-performance and free secondary pollution of the catalysts are the most critical issues in the peroxymonosulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (PMS-AOPs). In this research, the KOH was used to activate ZIF-8 derived carbon materials to synthesize the NC-KOH-x (x = 700, 800, 900 °C), which was an effective metal-free PMS activator. As-prepared NC-KOH-x showed significant improvement not only pore structure and BET surface area but also CO groups, and graphite N content, which were beneficial for the adsorptive and oxidative reaction. The NC-KOH-900 as an excellent metal-free carbon-catalyst exhibited considerable reactivity for bisphenol A (BPA) removal in broad pH ranges. Almost 100% of BPA was eliminated using 9 mg NC-KOH-900, 0.5 mM PMS within 60 min. Interestingly, It was found that the BPA removal efficiency by adding PMS after saturated adsorption of NC-KOH-x was better than that by adding NC-KOH-x and PMS simultaneously. Electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and quenching experiments results demonstrated that the BPA degradation relied mainly on the nonradical (1O2) pathways and the defects (ID/IG), graphitic nitrogen, pyridinic nitrogen, and CO were verified as leading catalytic sites for BPA degradation via PMS activation. Finally, degradation pathways of BPA were proposed and the Toxicity Estimation Software Tool (T.E.S.T.) result implicated that the intermediates of BPA were environmentally friendly to the microorganism and recycled in the ecosystem. The outcomes of this study illustrated the NC-KOH-x owned many merits of state-of-the-art, eco-friendly, and high-performance for great potential practical application value.

Activation of peroxymonosulfate by ZIFs derived Fe/Cu encapsulated N-doped carbon for bisphenol A degradation: The role of N doping.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a typical kind of endocrine disruption chemical, which has a negative effect on human health, and thus it is necessary to remove BPA from water. Herein, activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) by Fe, Cu-Coordinated ZIF-Derived Carbon Framework bifunctional catalyst (Fe/Cu@NC-x) fabricated via hydrothermal-calcination method for BPA removal. The physicochemical properties of Fe/Cu@NC-x were studied by X-ray diffraction, Transmission electron microscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett Teller, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The effects of the Fe/Cu@NC-900 dosage and PMS concentration, initial pH, and co-existing anions on BPA degradation were evaluated. Under optimized factors (pH unadjusted, Fe/Cu@NC-900 = 0.2 g/L, and PMS = 0.75 g/L), the degradation efficiency of BPA can reach 98% after 30 min. In addition, the BPA degradation efficiency was different extents restrain by inorganic anions (SO42- > Cl- > HCO3- > NO3-). Furthermore, the free radicals (SO4-·, ·OH, and O2-·) and non-radical (1O2) contribute to rapid BPA degradation in Fe/Cu@NC-900/PMS system. This study presents a novel material with significant performance for the removal of organic pollutants.

Prevalence, expenditures, and associated factors of purchasing non-prescribed Chinese herbal medicine in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Purchasing Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) without a physician's prescription may have adverse effects on health. However, the recent status of purchasing non-prescribed CHM and the associated factors are not completely understood. We aimed to report the prevalence of purchasing CHM and associated factors. METHODS: Using data from the 2017 Taiwan Survey of Family Income and Expenditure, we identified 16,528 individuals (householders) aged 18 years and older. Sociodemographic factors, expenditures on medical services and health behaviours were compared between people with and without a history of purchasing non-prescribed CHM by calculating adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in a multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The one-year prevalence of purchasing non-prescribed CHM was 74.8% in Taiwan. In addition to sociodemographics, marital status (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.88-2.44), the use of traditional Chinese medicine (OR 3.62, 95% CI 3.30-3.97), the purchasing of non-prescribed biochemical medications (OR 3.09, 95% CI 2.75-3.48), the purchasing of health foods (OR 2.59, 95% CI 2.33-2.86), the use of folk therapy (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.95-2.64), and a high level of expenditure on alcohol (OR 3.79, 95% CI 3.29-4.36) were strongly correlated with purchasing non-prescribed CHM. CONCLUSION: The one-year prevalence of purchasing non-prescribed CHM is very high in Taiwan and is correlated with sociodemographics, health behaviours, and the utilization of medical care. The interaction of non-prescribed CHM with physician-prescribed herbal medicine and biomedical medications requires more attention.

Different clinical features in patients with ankylosing spondylitis from southern and northern China.

AIMS: To describe clinical features of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) from southern and northern China, and investigate the effects of onset age, gender and regional differences on disease phenotype. METHODS: Totally 113 AS patients from southern China and 121 AS patients from northern China were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: In southern and northern groups, low back pain was more frequent among initial symptoms (54.9% vs. 7.7%; 52.4% vs. 11.4%), while peripheral arthritis (15.7% vs. 35.9%; 22.2% vs. 68.6%) was less common in male adult AS (AAS) than in male juvenile AS (JAS) patients, respectively. Compared to those in the northern group, diagnostic delay was longer (7.3 vs. 3.5 years) and the prevalence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 was higher in the southern group (96.5% vs. 83.5%). Sacroiliitis grade 2 was more frequent (51.3% vs. 36.4%), while sacroiliitis grade 3 (32.7% vs. 53.7%), buttock pain (5.3% vs. 13.2%), knee (20.4% vs. 33.1%) and ankle (3.5% vs. 11.6%) arthritis were less frequent in the southern group. Diagnostic delay of southern JAS was longer than that of northern JAS regardless of gender. Both sacroiliitis grade 3 and peripheral arthritis were less frequent in southern male JAS than in northern male JAS. Diagnostic delay was longer, sacroiliitis grade 2 was more frequent, while sacroiliitis grade 3 was less frequent in southern male AAS than those in northern male AAS. CONCLUSION: Significant diagnostic delay and higher prevalence of HLA-B27 were found in southern AS patients. The prevalence of buttock pain and peripheral arthritis at disease onset in northern AS was more frequent than in southern AS patients.