Highly photoluminescent (PL) CuInZn_xS_1+x nanocrystals (NCs) and CuInZn_xS_1+x/ZnS core/shell NCs were successfully synthesized by a facile colloidal method. First, a facile and reliable non-injection method for the synthesis of photoluminescent CuInZn_xS_2+x NCs was developed with inexpensive reagents. The relative PL quantum yields (QYs) of CuInZn_xS_2+x NCs could reach up to 30%, with tunable emissions in the range 580–780 nm. Then, CuInZn_xS_2+x/ZnS core/shell NCs were synthesized and showed greatly improved optical properties, the PL QY of the CuInZn_xS_2+x/ZnS NCs can reach up to 60%. Even in the near-infrared region, the PL QY still can achieve up to 45% due to the successful controlled red shift of PL during the ZnS shell growth process. More importantly, such core/shell NCs can be transferred into water successfully using amphiphilic oligomer (polymaleic acid n-hexadecanol ester) as a surface coating agent by an organic-aqueous phase transfer method and the PL QYs can be well controlled over 40%. Furthermore, a biosensor system (lateral flow immunoassays system, LFIA) for the detection of C-reactive protein (CRP) was developed by using this water-soluble CuInZn_xS_2+x/ZnS core/shell NCs as fluorescent label and a nitrocellulose filter membrane for lateral flow. The results showed that such CuInZn_xS_2+x/ZnS core/shell NCs were excellent fluorescent labels to detect CRP. The detection sensitivity for CRP could reach 1 ng mL⁻¹.

In this study, water-soluble citrate-capped copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) were synthesized by a simple and rapid method. We found that these citrate-capped Cu NPs possessed an intrinsic peroxidase-like activity, which could catalyse the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to generate a light blue product in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). It was also found that mercury ions (Hg²⁺) could enhance the peroxidase-like activity of the citrate-capped Cu NPs, causing the colour to turn bright blue. The colour change was dependent on the concentration of Hg²⁺. Therefore, a colorimetric method for Hg²⁺ detection was established with a linear range from 0.050 μM to 10.000 μM and a detection limit of 0.185 Mm. More interestingly, citrate-capped Cu NPs have a characteristic absorption peak at 260 nm, we also found that Hg²⁺ could cause the absorption peak at 260 nm to change. Therefore, we developed another colorimetric method for Hg²⁺ detection based on the absorption peak of citrate-capped Cu NPs at 260 nm. This colorimetric method was shown to enable convenient and sensitive quantification of Hg²⁺ in the concentration range of 0.100 μM to 6.000 μM with a limit of detection of 0.052 μM. In this study, a dual-mode sensor for detection of Hg²⁺ was constructed, which exhibited good sensitivity and selectivity.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the correlations between the bone turnover markers (BTMs) and the bone mineral density (BMD) in patients treated for primary osteoporosis and to identify promising BTMs for the prediction of future BMD changes. The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant studies that investigated the relationship between the BTMs and the BMD changes in patients treated for osteoporosis. All significant correlation coefficients of the baseline BTMs or changes in BTMs from baseline with the BMD changes from baseline under different interventions from eligible studies were used for systematic review and the subgroup analyses. The correlations were analyzed in terms of bone sites, intervention, time duration of BTMs measurements, and time duration of BMD measurements. Twenty-two records reporting correlation coefficients and the corresponding p-values were included, 13 of which were enrolled in the further subgroup analyses. The combined results from the systematic review and meta-analyses indicated that the changes in osteocalcin (OC), procollagen type I N propeptide (PINP), and urine N-terminal crosslinking telopeptide of type I collagen (U-NTX), or the PINP at baseline tended to be useful in evaluating the long-term BMD changes after drug intervention.