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In recent decades, electronic devices have become a crucial component of everyday life and an increasingly important aspect of national security. However, despite their convenience, the emission of electromagnetic (EM) radiation from these devices has created a pollution issue that demands urgent attention. In this study, the properties and performance of CuS/C composites as EM wave-absorbing materials were examined. The main technique employed involved modifying the surface structure and properties of a lignin biopolymer via a fiber laser to derive porous carbon as a microwave absorber in the X-band range. Flower-like CuS microspheres were integrated into the porous carbon to improve the electrical conductivity and promote internal reflections. In addition, multilayer microwave absorbers were developed using CuS/C/epoxy composites with varying weight percentages, which were fabricated through refluxing and annealing techniques. The return losses of the absorbers in single- and multi-layer modes were optimized by modified local particle swarm optimization (MLPSO). The minimum average return loss improved to −15 dB (96.8%) by optimization in the 4-layer mode with a thickness of 1.8 mm. The optimum absorption peak in the 3-layer structure was −54.52 dB at a frequency of 8.83 GHz. The shielding effectiveness assessments indicated that the CuS/C/epoxy composite significantly improved the shielding capabilities of porous C and CuS, resulting in an increase of the shielding effectiveness threshold (SET) from less than 2 dB in lignin to more than 10 dB in CuS/C/epoxy.

Interfacial solar steam generation is considered as economical and more effective implementation of Solar steam generation (SSG) where solar energy is concentrated at the liquid surface via the utilization of heat localization materials (HLM). Herein we report the fabrication of an HLM constituted of a nanocomposite absorber of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and covellite copper sulfide (CuS) supported on a mixed cellulose ester membrane, with a substrate of air laid paper-wrapped polystyrene foam. This structure allowed for strong broad-spectrum absorbance, increased hydrophilic character and minimal thermal losses. The HLM system absorbed 98% of the material and had an evaporation rate of 2.58 kgs per square meter per hour. This is twice the evaporation rate of water tested under the same conditions. Moreover, as fabricated HLM was also incorporated in a solar still in order to assess its practical performance in solar distillation. Initial studies proved that HLM modified solar still was more effective than conventional solar stills.

The transition from fossil fuels to carbon-neutral energy sources is necessary to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and combat climate change. Hydrogen (H2) provides a promising path to harness fossil fuels to reduce emissions in sectors such as transportation. However, regional economic analyses of various H2 production techniques are still lacking. We selected a well-known fossil fuel-exporting region, the USA's Intermountain-West (I-WEST), to analyze the carbon intensity of H2 production and demonstrate regional tradeoffs. Currently, 78 % of global H2 production comes from natural gas and coal. Therefore, we considered steam methane reforming (SMR), surface coal gasification (SCG) and underground coal gasification (UCG) as H2 production methods in this work. We developed the cost estimation frameworks of SMR, SCG and UCG with and without carbon capture, utilization and sequestration (CCUS). In addition, we identified optimal sites for H2 hubs by considering the proximity to energy sources, energy markets, storage sites and CO2 sequestration sites. We included new production tax credits (PTCs) in the cost estimation to quantify the economic benefit of CCUS. Our results suggest that the UCG has the lowest levelized cost of H2 production due to the elimination of coal production cost. H2 production using the SMR process with 99 % carbon capture is profitable when the PTCs are considered. We also analyzed carbon utilization opportunities where CO2 conversion to formic acid is a promising profitable option. This work quantifies the potential of H2 production from fossil fuels in the I-WEST region, a key parameter for designing energy transition pathways.

The development of high-performance electrode materials with a far-from-enough energy density has still been crucial for the real applications of supercapacitor technology. In this paper, the N-doped and derivatized-carbon-intercalated Ti3C2Tx, abbreviated as N–Ti3C2Tx/C, was firstly fabricated using ZIF-67 as an intermediate precursor. Then N–Ti3C2Tx/C/CuS was prepared by further intercalation with CuS nanoparticles through a room-temperature-in-situ-reaction route. The doped pyridine N and pyrrolic N, together with derivatized carbon, optimized the surface charge distribution of Ti3C2Tx with increased active sites. In addition, CuS nanoparticles were observed distributed on the surface and between layers of single/multi-layered two-dimensional N–Ti3C2Tx/C nanosheets, forming a heterogeneous three-dimensional structure. Therefore, the specific capacitance of the N–Ti3C2Tx/C/CuS composite at a current density of 1 A g−1 reached 1205.8 F g−1, about 5 times that of N–Ti3C2Tx/C and 2 times of CuS, also much higher than other composite reported in the literature. The energy density and power density of N–Ti3C2Tx/C/CuS, as a symmetric supercapacitor electrode, are 77.22 Wh·kg−1 and 649.54 W kg−1, respectively. More importantly, N–Ti3C2Tx/C/CuS has an excellent stability after 3000 cycles, surpassing that of similar electrode materials reported in literature. This study opens a new direction for enhancing the energy density of supercapacitors with modified electrode materials through a MOF-mediated strategy.

This work describes a successful approach to dope copper sulfide with different amounts of Co2+ ions and combine it with TiO2 through a simple one-step hydrothermal process. Compared with the bare CuS, the synthesized Co-CuS@TiO2 heterostructures promote charge transport and restrict the recombination of photoexcited electrons and holes. The intrinsic properties of Co-CuS@TiO2 samples are systematically examined through experimental characterizations and density functional theory (DFT) theoretical calculations. Photocatalytic degradation tests under simulated solar light irradiation were performed using sulfamethoxazole degradation as a model emerging persistent antibiotic. The photocatalytic performance was enhanced after cobalt doping, and the heterostructure doped with 3% of Co exhibited the best degradation with an apparent rate constant of 0.0216 min−1. This sample also showed a much faster settling than bare TiO2, which indicates a much easier separation of the reaction media after being used. The enhancement of degradation is attributed to the increased light absorption and the more efficient charge transfer and separation. The plausible photocatalytic degradation mechanism of sulfamethoxazole was also proposed. This study presents a novel strategy to prepare potential photocatalysts for the elimination of emerging pollutants.

Due to the outbreak of global public health emergency, antibacterial fabrics such as face masks are in great demand. However, common antibacterial fabrics cannot kill bacteria in minutes and they are easy to be contaminated and lost biological activity. In this work, omnipotent antibacterial cotton fabrics with superhydrophobic and photothermal properties are developed by the combination of dopamine with copper sulfide (CuS) and silver nanoparticles on cotton fabrics, and post-modification with PDMS. The prepared PDA/CuS/Ag/PDMS composite fabrics were characterized by FE-SEM, XRD, EDS, ATR-FTIR and water contact angle. The photothermal antimicrobial properties of the fabrics were evaluated with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coil) under near-infrared light (NIR) illumination or not. The results showed that the obtained superhydrophobic PDA/CuS/Ag/PDMS composite fabrics had excellent water repellence and self-cleaning effect. Regardless of NIR irradiation or not, PDA/CuS/Ag/PDMS composite fabrics possessed high antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coil, which proves their omnipotent antibacterial property., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Herein, copper sulfide (CuS) was introduced to the Fenton-like (Fe(III)/H 2 O 2 ) system for the efficient removal of phenylarsonic acid (PAA). Results of reactive oxygen and Fe/Cu species showed that CuS preferentially reacted with Fe(III) and H 2 O 2 to generate Cu(I) and superoxide anion (•O 2 ). These reductive species could efficiently promote the Fe(III)/Fe(II) and Cu(II)/Cu(I) cycles, and are beneficial to the sequential Fenton reaction to generate •OH. The organoic/inorganic arsenic species detected in the CuS/Fe(III)/H - ). These reductive species could efficiently promote the Fe(III)/Fe(II) and Cu(II)/Cu(I) cycles, and are beneficial to the sequential Fenton reaction to generate •OH. The organoic/inorganic arsenic species detected in the CuS/Fe(III)/H 2 system confirmed that PAA was oxidized by •OH to hydroxylated organoarsenic and phenolic intermediates, which were further mineralized to oxalate and formic acid. Meanwhile, the inorganic As(III)/As(V) released during PAA degradation were efficiently immobilized by CuS. The PAA removal efficiency remained as high as 92.9 % after 5 cycles of the CuS-mediated Fenton-like process. These results demonstrate an innovative method for the treatment of organoarsenic-contaminated water, and provide new insights into the enhanced Fenton-like process utilizing sulfide minerals.2 system confirmed that PAA was oxidized by •OH to hydroxylated organoarsenic and phenolic intermediates, which were further mineralized to oxalate and formic acid. Meanwhile, the inorganic As(III)/As(V) released during PAA degradation were efficiently immobilized by CuS. The PAA removal efficiency remained as high as 92.9 % after 5 cycles of the CuS-mediated Fenton-like process. These results demonstrate an innovative method for the treatment of organoarsenic-contaminated water, and provide new insights into the enhanced Fenton-like process utilizing sulfide minerals., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Utilizing inexhaustible solar energy for water purification represents a green and sustainable solution to water scarcity. However, the developments of efficient, inexpensive, convenient and reliable photothermal materials remain a major challenge. Herein, a facile and versatile preparation strategy of sodium alginate (SA)-CuS composite coating with superior adhesion and stability has been proposed toward high-efficiency solar-driven interfacial evaporation. The fabrication process can be quickly completed in aqueous solution with cheap reagents. The SA-CuS coating can be firmly adhered on different substrates, which can withstand rinsing treatment, iterative freeze-thaw cycles as well as high and low pH environments. The SA-CuS coating can convert various substrates into photothermal materials with broad light absorption for desirable solar evaporation because of high CuS loading and rough surface. As a proof of concept, a wood evaporator covered with the SA-CuS coating can achieve a water evaporation rate of ∼2.2 kg m -2  h - 1 under one sun illumination, which is superior to most reported wood-based solar evaporators., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Designing hydrogel dressing with intrinsic antibacterial property to promote skin injury recovery remains a significant challenge. In this research, poly(aspartic hydrazide) with grafted betaine (PAHB) was designed and reacted with oxidized dextran (OD) to fabricate biodegradable PAHB/OD hydrogel and its application as wound dressing was systematically investigated. The PAHB/OD hydrogels exhibited fast gelation, strong tissue adhesion, preferable mechanical properties and biocompatibility. The grafted betaine endowed the hydrogel with antibacterial property and antibacterial rate enhanced through photothermal performance of composited CuS nanoparticles under near infrared (NIR) radiation. The CuS composited PAHB/OD hydrogel (CuS/hydrogel) with microporous morphology was used as burn wound dressing with loaded anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac sodium (DS) in mouse model. The results showed the DS loaded CuS/hydrogel (CuS@DS/hydrogel) promoted the tissue regeneration and suppressed the inflammatory response. The histological analysis and immunohistochemical expression confirmed the CuS@DS/hydrogel promote angiogenesis of the burn wound by regulating the expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and CD68) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Overall, the CuS@DS/hydrogel hydrogel is a promising candidate as wound dressing due to its tissue adhesive, antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Copper sulfide (CuS) is a semiconductor widely used for quantum dot sensitized solar cell applications due to its photocatalytic activity. The hydrothermal technique was used to synthesize the copper sulfide quantum dots. The distilled water and ethylenediamine are served as solvents with different combinational ratios. According to TEM studies, the particles' size increased as the solvents' ratio decreased. XRD patterns revealed that the synthesized CuS QDs are polycrystalline with a hexagonal structure. UV–vis results showed that the absorption of CuS QDs is from 310 nm to 320 nm, and the band gap of synthesized quantum dots is found to be ∼3.7 eV. Photoluminescence spectra illustrate that the CuS quantum dot emission spectrum was observed at 475 nm (blue emission) and 570 nm (green emission). The highest power conversion efficiency (0.5390 %) was received for the 25:75 ratio of DI Water/EN using the CuS quantum dot. It is observed as better photon conversion efficiency among all the ratios with lesser charge recombination.

Li ion batteries (LIBs) have emerged as the promising energy storage device in the electronic industry. The performance of LIBs is mostly influenced by the type of electrode material. Thus, proper selection and development of the electrode material is of paramount interest. In this work, copper sulfide/graphene oxide (CuS/GO) composite electrode material is fabricated using a simple, cost-efficient, and rapid microwave irradiation technique. A unique architecture is obtained in which the CuS microspheres are encapsulated by the GO nanosheets. Combined with a binder-free buckypaper approach, the fabricated CuS/GO composite anode delivers excellent electrochemical performance in terms of high specific capacity, enhanced rate capability and high cyclic stability than its pristine form (CuS). The enhanced performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of CuS and GO. The obtained results certainly reflect the promising future of the CuS/GO composite anode in LIB applications.

The functional properties of (1-x)CuCo2O4/(x)CuS nanocomposite as an improved supercapacitor electrode have been investigated. X-ray diffraction with Rietveld analysis, HRTEM, FESEM, and FTIR techniques were employed for the full structural characterization of the nanocomposites. The particle size and morphology, the phase composition and percentage, the lattice parameters, the cation distribution and the crystallite size were accurately determined for the prepared samples. The variation of the bandgap of the phases developed with the alloying parameter (x) was studied utilizing the UV diffuse spectrum. All samples exhibited a blue shift except the sample with x = 0.25, it revealed a redshift. The photoluminescence intensity and the color emitted were affected by CuCo2O4 and CuS alloying. The preliminary test of cyclic voltammetry (CV) proved that alloying of CuS nanoparticles with CuCo2O4 enhanced the electrochemical activities, and optimum performance achieved with allying ratio x = 0.25.

Chronic stress caused by prolonged emotional pressure can lead to various physiological issues, including reproductive dysfunction. Although reproductive problems can also induce chronic stress, the impact of chronic stress-induced reproductive dysfunction remains contentious. This study investigates the effects of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) on reproductive neuropeptides, sperm quality, and testicular morphology. Sixteen twelve-week-old Sprague Dawley rats were divided into two groups: a non-stress control group and a CUS-induced group. The CUS regimen involved various stressors over 28 days, with both groups undergoing behavioural assessments through sucrose-preference and forced-swim tests. Hypothalamic gene expression levels of CRH, PNX, GPR173, kisspeptin, GnRH, GnIH, and spexin neuropeptides were measured via qPCR, while plasma cortisol, luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone concentrations were quantified using ELISA. Seminal fluid and testis samples were collected for sperm analysis and histopathological evaluation, respectively. Results showed altered behaviours in CUS-induced rats, reflecting stress impacts. Hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) expression and plasma cortisol levels were significantly higher in CUS-induced rats compared to controls (p < 0.05). Conversely, phoenixin (PNX) expression decreased in the CUS group (p < 0.05), while kisspeptin, spexin, and gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) levels showed no significant differences between groups. Despite a significant increase in GnRH expression (p < 0.05), plasma LH and testosterone concentrations were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in CUS-induced rats. Histopathological analysis revealed abnormal testis morphology in CUS-induced rats, including disrupted architecture, visible interstitial spaces between seminiferous tubules, and absence of spermatogenesis. In conclusion, CUS affects reproductive function by modulating PNX and GnRH expression, influencing cortisol levels, and subsequently reducing plasma LH and testosterone concentrations. This study highlights the complex interplay between chronic stress and reproductive health, emphasizing the significant impact of stress on reproductive functions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This work presents a novel CuS/percarbonate/tetraacetylethylenediamine (CuS/SPC/TAED) process for the degradation of sulfamethazine (SMT). Results indicated that the CuS/SPC/TAED process enabled the efficient generation of peracetic acid (PAA), which can be efficiently activated by CuS in alkaline reaction media, and 93.6% of SMT was degraded in 30 min. Mechanism study revealed that the available reactive oxygen species (ROS) including hydroxyl radical ( • OH), carbonate radical (CO 3 •- ), superoxide radical (O 2 •- ), singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ), and organic radicals (R-O • ). Among them, R-O • (acetyloxyl radical (CH 3 CO 2 • and sulfur species rendered the efficient redox of Cu species. Besides, the effects of key influencing factors including SPC/TAED mole ratio, CuS dosage, initial pH, temperature, and nontarget matrix constituents on SMT degradation were examined. Finally, the degradation intermediates of SMT was identified, and the toxicity of these products was estimated by quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis. Overall, this work offers a new and simple strategy for antibiotic-polluted water remediation.3 CO 3 • )) were confirmed to be the primary species that contributed to SMT degradation. Simultaneously, the role of sulfur species and carbonate ions were explored. It was found that the reductive O 2 •- and sulfur species rendered the efficient redox of Cu species. Besides, the effects of key influencing factors including SPC/TAED mole ratio, CuS dosage, initial pH, temperature, and nontarget matrix constituents on SMT degradation were examined. Finally, the degradation intermediates of SMT was identified, and the toxicity of these products was estimated by quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis. Overall, this work offers a new and simple strategy for antibiotic-polluted water remediation., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The poor drug delivery and unsatisfying therapeutic effects remain to be the primary challenges for cancer therapy. Nanosystem that combines multiple functions into a single platform is an ideal strategy. Here, a smart drug delivery nanoplatform (Z@C-D/P) based on ZnO@CuS nanoparticles, loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) and pirfenidone (PFD) was constructed. Importantly, the β-CD-DMA and PEG-DMA could be activated in the mild acidic tumor microenvironment, then the nanosystem underwent charge reversal and PFD release. PFD could inhibit cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) activation and enhance tumor penetration. And the residual nanostructure ZnO@CuS could trigger cascade amplified ROS generation to induce tumor cell death. The photothermal effect further strengthened the anti-tumor efficacy. Finally, the nanosystem showed remarkable inhibition of tumor growth (89.7%) and lung metastasis. The innovatively designed nanosystem integrating chemotherapy and photothermal effect would provide a promising strategy in breast cancer therapy., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this project, bimetallic Au-Agnanoparticles/CuS nanoparticles were prepared via simple hydrothermal methods, which were used as highly efficient material for Cr (III) detection, photocatalytic, and biological process. The Au-Ag/CuS nanoparticles was studied via UV-visible spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Dynamic light scattering, and X-ray diffraction. The zeta potential and effective size of Au-Ag/CuS nanoparticles was -32.1 mV and 25 nm respectively. The response time of Cr (III) ions interaction was 2 min. The lowest detection of Cr (III) by Au-Ag/CuS nanoparticles was 0.5 nM. The Au-Ag/CuS nano catalyst was applied to decomposition of drug under visible lamp irradiation. The photo degradation response of drug was 100.0% in 30 min irradiation. The particles exhibited excellent antibacterial activities., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Copper-containing minerals have been extensively used in Fenton-like processes for degradation of pollutants and have exhibited great potential for environmental remediation. This work reports the first use of copper sulfide (CuS), a typical Cu-mineral, for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for pollutant degradation; the study also elucidates the underlying mechanism of these processes. Copper sulfide effectively activated PMS to degrade diethyl phthalate (DEP). Electron paramagnetic resonance, free radical quenching, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analyses and DFT calculations confirmed that ≡Cu (I)/≡Cu (II) cycling on the surface of CuS provided the main pathway to activate PMS to produce highly oxidative species. Unlike conventional sulfate radical-based PMS activation processes, hydroxyl radical ( • OH) were found to be the dominant radical in the tested CuS/PMS system, which performed more efficiently than an alternative • OH-based oxidation system (CuS/H 2 O 2 ) for DEP degradation. In addition, the presence of anions such Cl - and NO 3 - has limited inhibition effects on DEP degradation. Overall, this study provides an efficient pathway for PMS-based environmental remediation as well as a new insight into the mechanism of PMS activation by Cu-containing minerals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The material of CuS/polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan (CuS/PVACS) was prepared with a novel synthesis analysis. The crystallinity, morphological characteristics, and photocatalytic performance of the nano-materials were investigated by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy X-ray photoelectron, and UV-vis spectrophotometry. The band gap values (Eg) was found as 2.50, and 2.04 eV for CuS, and CuS/PVACS nano-catalyst, respectively. The photo-degradation amount of the malachite green solutions which were degraded by CuS/PVACS in the UV-irradiation in 60 min was above 96.51%. The antibacterial properties of the CuS/PVACS has been evaluated versus (G+/G-) bacteria. The results of antibacterial performance indicated that CuS/PVACS nanocomposites have bacteriostatic behavior versus Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas syringae, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

As the environment deterioration is becoming more serious, bacterial pollution is threatening the health of human beings. Hence, it is vital to develop rapid and safe sterilization strategy. Herein, CuS/protonated g-C 3 N 4 (CuS/PCN) composites were synthesized by simple hydrothermal method and electrostatic adsorption. This heterostructured system exhibited enhanced photocatalytic properties under visible light compared with CuS or g-C 3 N 4 alone, ascribing to the rapid separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Meanwhile, the obvious photothermal effects of CuS/PCN were achieved and the temperature increased with the increased amount of CuS in the composites due to the more light absorption. However, when the CuS content is more than 10 %, photocurrent density is decreased with increasing the amount of CuS, indicating the increased recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. When the CuS content is 20 %, the composite can perform the optimized synergistic effects of both photothermal action and photocatalysis under light irradiation for 20 min. The corresponding bacteria-killing efficiency against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli is 98.23 % and 99.16 %, respectively. The underlying mechanism is that the bacterial membrane can be weakened by reactive oxygen species and bacterial activities are inhibited by hyperthermia. This CuS/PCN heterojunction is promising for environmental disinfection including water and public facilities sterilization., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There are no conflicts to declare., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Some new kinds of antibiotics-free antibacterial agents are required to deal with bacterial infections due to the occurrence of drug-resistance. In this work, Cu-based metal-organic framework (HKUST-1) embedded with CuS NPs were fabricated via a simple in-situ sulfuration process. The synthesized MOFs exhibited an highly effective disinfection efficacy of 99.70 % and 99.80 % against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli within 20 min irradiation of near-infrared (NIR) light, respectively, which was ascribed to the cooperative effects of photodynamic and photothermal effects of the composites. A certain amount of Cu 2+ ions of the MOFs were reacted to form CuS NPs, which endowed this composite with outstanding photocatalytic and photothermal performance during NIR light irradiation. Moreover, HKUST-1 that composed of low toxic organic ligand 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (H 3 BTC) coordinating copper ions could be a controllable carrier that imposed certain constraint on the NPs. Hence, these CuS@HKUST-1 would be a promising bioplatform for rapid bacteria-killing., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they do not have any financial relation with the commercial identities or associative interests that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nanomaterials with enzyme-like activity have attracted much attention recently. Herein, we report the synthesis of a new type of 2D MXene-Ti 3 C 2 /CuS nanocomposites with peroxidase-like activity using a simple hydrothermal approach. Significantly, compared with the individual MXene-Ti 3 C 2 nanosheets or CuS nanoparticles, the MXene-Ti 3 C 2 /CuS nanocomposites show a synergistically enhanced peroxidase-like activity and can be used as an efficient mimetic peroxidase to catalyze the reaction of 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), causing a blue color change. Kinetic studies reveal that the MXene-Ti 3 C 2 /CuS nanocomposites have a higher catalytic activity to TMB than their single components, and the catalytic reaction follows the ping-pong mechanism. The MXene-Ti 3 C 2 /CuS nanocomposites are used for the colorimetric determination of cholesterol with a linear range of 10-100 μM and a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.9 μM. Our results show that the MXene-Ti 3 C 2 /CuS nanocomposites based colorimetric cholesterol biosensor is cost-effective, sensitive, and selective, which has potential application in H 2 O 2 and cholesterol detection and clinic medicine diagnostics., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Quetiapine (QUE) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) have been considered to be possible monotherapies for depression or adjunctive therapies for the treatment of the resistant depression, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The present study aimed to assess the effects of combined QUE and rTMS treatment on depressive-like behaviors, hippocampal proliferation, and the in vivo and in vitro expressions of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (pERK1/2) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The administration of QUE and rTMS was determined not only to reverse the depressive-like behaviors of rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) but also to restore the protein expressions of pERK1/2 and BDNF and cell proliferation in the hippocampus. Additionally, QUE and rTMS promoted the proliferation and increased the expression of pERK1/2 and BDNF in hippocampal-derived neural stem cells (NSCs), and these effects were abolished by U0126. Taken together, these results suggest that the antidepressive-like effects of QUE and rTMS might be related to the activation of the BDNF/ERK signaling pathway and the up-regulation of cell proliferation in the hippocampus., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Acidophilic microorganisms inhabit low pH environments such as acid mine drainage that is generated when sulfide minerals are exposed to air. The genome sequence of the psychrotolerant Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans SS3 was compared to a metagenome from a low temperature acidic stream dominated by an A. ferrivorans-like strain. Stretches of genomic DNA characterized by few matches to the metagenome, termed 'metagenomic islands', encoded genes associated with metal efflux and pH homeostasis. The metagenomic islands were enriched in mobile elements such as phage proteins, transposases, integrases and in one case, predicted to be flanked by truncated tRNAs. Cus gene clusters predicted to be involved in copper efflux and further Cus-like RND systems were predicted to be located in metagenomic islands and therefore, constitute part of the flexible gene complement of the species. Phylogenetic analysis of Cus clusters showed both lineage specificity within the Acidithiobacillus genus as well as niche specificity associated with an acidic environment. The metagenomic islands also contained a predicted copper efflux P-type ATPase system and a polyphosphate kinase potentially involved in polyphosphate mediated copper resistance. This study identifies genetic variability of low temperature acidophiles that likely reflects metal resistance selective pressures in the copper rich environment., (Copyright © 2014 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)