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Gold nanoparticle (AuNP)/resin nanosphere composites have been prepared in a novel process where the resin functions as both the host and reducing agent. Electron tomography showed that the AuNPs are organized into a concentric shell fully embedded in the resin nanospheres. Pyrolysis of the composite spheres afforded microporous N-doped carbon nanospheres with a pseudoshell of embedded AuNPs. These new composites with uncapped plasmonic nanoparticles have excellent potential for biomedical, catalysis, energy storage, and sensing applications.

Purpose/objective(s) Painful osteolytic bone lesions are common in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Radiotherapy (RT) is effective in providing pain relief from MM bone lesions in over 80% of patients. There is no consensus as to the most effective dose or fractionation for palliation. Shorter courses of RT are not only more convenient for patients and their families, but they also have less impact on timing of systemic therapies. There is precedent for using 2 Gy x 2 for palliation of lymphomas, which have similar radiosensitivity to myeloma. The primary objective is to determine whether treatment with 2 Gy x 2 to painful myeloma bone lesions achieves patient-reported pain reduction comparable to historical controls at 4 weeks. Secondary objectives will assess QOL endpoints, use of analgesia and time to pain relief, and duration of pain relief. Materials/methods Patients who consent to participation will complete quality of life and pain questionnaires (Brief Pain Index, EORTC QLQ-BM22, and EORTC QLQ-C30) prior to treatment and at 2,4,8 weeks and 6 months following treatment. Pain response, as defined by the international consensus on palliative RT for bone metastases, will be measured based on BPI and daily oral morphine equivalent. Reirradiation at standard dose can be considered at ≥4 weeks following initial treatment for indeterminate pain response or pain progression. Cytogenetics and International Myeloma Working Group risk stratification and response criteria are recorded, when available, but are not required for patient participation. Results This trial, supported by ILROG, has opened at 7 institutions with one more in process of opening. Prior to COVID, accrual was 1.5 patients per month. Since COVID, enrollment has been at 0.7 patients per month. A total of 18 patients have been accrued. The median age of patients accrued is 65.5 years with 7/18 female patients. Fourteen patients are Caucasian. Twelve patients have an ECOG performance score of 1-2. Thirteen patients had pain response captured at 4 weeks following RT. Of the 5 patients that did not complete questionnaires at 4 weeks post-RT, 2 expired, 1 was lost to follow-up, 1 had a missed evaluation and 1 had pain progression). The most common site of treatment was the shoulder (4/18). Conclusion This ongoing prospective trial in palliation of multiple myeloma bone lesions is feasible and able to accrue at multiple institutions and will provide valuable information as to the role of low-dose RT in this population.

Purpose/Objective(s) Low-dose radiotherapy (LD-RT) is a well-established treatment for multiple human inflammatory conditions. Whole-lung LD-RT may be effective in COVID-19-related pneumonia. Materials/Methods Patients hospitalized with COVID-19-related pneumonia receiving supportive care, glucocorticosteroids, and/or remdesivir were administered LD-RT treatment of 0.5 or 1.5 Gy to the bilateral lungs on a prospective, combined phase I/II, multi-site, single-institution trial. Patients were followed for 28 days or until discharge and compared to controls blindly matched by age, comorbidity, duration of symptoms, and disease severity. Eligible patients were confirmed by SARS-CoV-2 positive PCR, unable to wean from oxygen at enrollment, and had radiographic consolidations. Patients were enrolled into 5 cohorts stratified by treatment variables and severity of illness: LD-RT alone vs. LD-RT with concurrent drug therapies, non-intubated vs. intubated status, and low (1.5 Gy) vs. lower (0.5 Gy) radiation dose. Qualitative aims were to establish safety and explore efficacy. Quantitative endpoints were continuous, categorical, and time-to-event, and included clinical recovery, intubation, radiographic changes, and biomarker responses. Intubation endpoints are reported for all cohorts using the log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier method. Results Outcomes of 80 patients were available for analysis at study closure. In total, 40 of 70 planned patients (57% trial enrollment) received whole-lung LD-RT between April 24 and December 7, 2020 and were compared to 40 matched controls. Cohorts 1&2: Ten non-intubated patients received 1.5 Gy without concurrent COVID-directed drug therapies (10 of 10 planned, 100% cohort enrollment) and were compared to matched controls. Intubation rates were 40% in controls compared to 10% following LD-RT (P = 0.11). Cohort 3: One intubated patient received 1.5 Gy (1 of 20 planned, 5% cohort enrollment). Cohort 4: Twenty separate non-intubated patients received 1.5 Gy with concurrent dexamethasone/remdesivir (20 of 20 planned, 100% cohort enrollment) and were compared to matched controls. Intubation rates were 32% in controls compared to 14% following LD-RT (P = 0.09). Cohort 5: Nine patients received 0.5 Gy with concurrent drug therapies (9 of 20 planned, 45% cohort enrollment) and were compared to matched controls. Zero controls required intubation compared to 11% following LD-RT (P = 0.32). Among all non-intubated patients and matched controls combined (n = 78), mechanical ventilation was required in 28% of controls compared to 12% following LD-RT (reduced 57%, P = 0.05). The trial was prematurely closed due to observed reproducibility of efficacy. A randomized trial is now ongoing. Conclusion In the first, prospective, phase I/II trial of radiotherapy for COVID-19-related pneumonia, a single treatment of whole-lung LD-RT reduced intubation rates by 57% compared to controls in patients receiving supportive care with or without drug therapies (P = 0.05).

BackgroundPhase I/II clinical trials have explored whole-lung low-dose radiotherapy (LD-RT) as a potential treatment for patients with COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Initial findings require reproduction. Concomitant LD-RT administration with existing therapies requires safety evaluation.MethodsPatients with COVID-19-related pneumonia receiving dexamethasone and/or remdesevir were treated with 1.5 Gy whole-lung LD-RT, followed for 28 days or until hospital discharge, and compared to controls blindly matched by age, comorbidity, and disease severity. Eligible patients were hospitalized, SARS-CoV-2 positive, had radiographic consolidations, and required supplemental oxygen. Endpoints included safety, clinical recovery, intubation, radiographic changes, and biomarker response.Findings20 patients received whole-lung LD-RT between Jun 11 and Dec 7, 2020 and were compared to controls. Freedom from intubation improved from 68% in controls to 86% following LD-RT (p=0.09) as did C-reactive protein (CRP) (p=0.02) and creatine kinase (CK) (pInterpretationA cohort of patients with COVID-19-related ARDS treated with LD-RT demonstrated superior freedom from intubation compared to matched controls, especially LD-RT responders (p=0.01). LD-RT appears safe to deliver with concurrent drugs. LD-RT lowered CRP and CK biomarkers. CRP response predicted favorable outcome. Optimal timing for LD-RT after oxygen dependence but before intubation may extinguish immunopathology prior to systemic spread. Confirmatory clinical trials are warranted. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT04366791.FundingNone

Purpose/objective(s) Low-Dose Radiation Therapy (LD-RT) is an emerging treatment option for patients with COVID-19 related pneumonia. Infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus complicates incorporation of LD-RT into existing radiation oncology clinics. Materials/methods The first phase I/II trial of LD-RT for COVID-19-related pneumonia implemented novel operational protocols to address risk of infection and respiratory events. Patients were transported from hospital rooms to linear accelerators and treated with 0.5 Gy or 1.5 Gy using pre-planned, two-dimensional treatments prepared using diagnostic x-rays and caliper measurements. Workflows were revised over time to balance infection risks with implementation burden. Results Between April 24 and December 7, 2020, fifty-two patients were enrolled and forty were treated. The end-to-end process comprised 16 distinct teams and > 120 cooperating staff members (> 50 core radiation oncology staff). The trial was operationalized at two hospitals at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, prior to vaccine availability. Teams included trial leadership/screening (n > 4), inpatient floor staff (n > 10), clinical trials staff and coordinators (n = 8), transport (n = 2), radiation therapists (n > 20), respiratory therapists (n = 5), radiation nursing (n > 7), ICU nursing (n = 4), rapid response teams (n = 4), medical physics (n > 4), dosimetry (n > 3), infection prevention (n > 3), environmental services (n > 6), security (n = 7), lab personnel (n = 1), and physicians from radiation oncology (n = 7), infectious diseases (n = 2), pulmonary/critical care medicine (n = 2), anesthesia (n = 2), and internal medicine (n > 20) [total > 120]. All non-intubated patients were transported by a multi-disciplinary team, consisting of a physician, nurse, transporter, infection prevention specialist, and (when needed) a respiratory therapist. Treatments occurred after normal clinic hours, were initiated by team huddles, check lists, and included personal protective equipment supervision at multiple time points. Transport routes were 880 to 1760 feet (0.33 miles) one-way, with 1 to 3 elevator banks and required 20-35 minutes for round-trip transport and treatment. Oxygen supplementation in non-intubated patients ranged from 2 to 15 L/min. One intubated patient was transported with a portable ventilator and accompanying ICU staff. There were no code-level events during transport. No patient-facing staff contracted COVID-19 from trial activities. Workflow burden was successfully reduced and protocols relaxed over time with increased staff experience. Conclusion Whole-lung low-dose radiation therapy (LD-RT) for COVID-19-related pneumonia was successfully incorporated into existing workflows at a major academic university. Forty patients were treated with no code-level events, and no staff contracted the virus during eight months of trial accrual. Instructional materials and implementation check lists are provided.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: Phase I clinical trials have established low-dose, whole-lung radiotherapy (LD-RT) as safe for patients with COVID-19-related pneumonia. By focally dampening cytokine hyperactivation, LD-RT may improve disease outcomes through immunomodulation. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients with COVID-19-related pneumonia were treated with 1.5 Gy whole-lung LD-RT, followed for 28 days or until hospital discharge, and compared to age- and comorbidity-matched controls meeting identical disease severity criteria. Eligible patients were hospitalized, SARS-CoV-2 positive, had radiographic consolidations, and required supplemental oxygen but had not rapidly declined on admission or prior to drug therapy or LD-RT. Efficacy endpoints were time to clinical recovery (TTCR), radiographic improvement, and biomarker response. RESULTS: Ten patients received whole-lung LD-RT between April 24 and May 24, 2020 and were compared to ten control patients blindly matched by age and comorbidity. Six controls received COVID-19 drug therapies. Median TTCR was 12 days in the control cohort compared to 3 days in the LD-RT cohort (HR 2.9, p=0.05). Median time to hospital discharge (20 versus 12 days, p=0.19) and intubation rates (40% versus 10%, p=0.12) in the control and LD-RT cohorts were compared. Median time from admission to recovery was 10 versus 13 days (p=0.13). Hospital duration average was 19 versus 22.6 days (p=0.53). Average hospital days on supplemental oxygen of any duration was 13.1 versus 14.7 days (p=0.69). Average days with a documented fever was 1 versus 4.3 days (p=0.12). 28-day overall survival was 90% for both cohorts. The LD-RT cohort trended towards superior rates of improved radiographs (p=0.12) and delirium (p

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), known for more than 50 years, have attracted attention because of their unique properties such as high specific strength and modulus, high surface area, and fascinating optical properties. Just recently, however, their potential in supramolecular templating was identified by making use of their self-assembly behavior in aqueous dispersions in the presence of compatible precursors. The combination of the mesoporosity, photonic properties, and chiral nematic order of the materials, which are available as freestanding films, has led to a significant number of interesting and promising discoveries towards new functional materials. This Review summarizes the use of cellulose derivatives, especially CNCs, as novel templates and gives an overview of the recent developments toward new functional materials.

Cellulose-Nanokristalle (cellulose nanocrystals, CNCs) sind seit uber 50 Jahren bekannt, gewinnen aber erst heute grose Aufmerksamkeit aufgrund ihrer Eigenschaften wie hoher spezifischer Festigkeit, hohen Elastizitatsmoduls, groser Oberflache und faszinierender optischer Eigenschaften. Erst kurzlich wurde ihr Potenzial als supramolekulare Template erkannt, bei denen ihr Selbstorganisationsverhalten in wassrigen Dispersionen in Gegenwart geeigneter Vorstufen genutzt wird. Die Kombination von Mesoporositat, photonischen Eigenschaften und chiral-nematischer Ordnung der Funktionsmaterialien, die als freistehende Filme verfugbar sind, fuhrte zu zahlreichen vielversprechenden Entdeckungen. Unser Aufsatz fasst die Verwendung von Cellulosederivaten, besonders von CNCs, als neuen Templaten zusammen und gibt eine Ubersicht uber die aktuellen Entwicklungen im Kontext neuer Funktionsmaterialien.

Mesoporous resins with chiral nematic order were used as scaffolds to construct novel iridescent metal–polymer composites. Gold, silver and palladium nanoparticles were formed by an in situ reduction reaction. We have investigated the effects of concentration and time on the deposition. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate that this process can be extended to patterning photonic resins by inkjet printing.

Review: [materials templated by cellulose nanocrystals, and their use in various optical applications such as optical filters, sensors, and optoelectronics; 131 refs.

Advances in hematopoetic stem cell transplantation (HSCTC) for the management of pediatric genetic disorders and malignancies have resulted in a growing population of adult survivors. With increased survival, current attention has now focused on improving treatment-related morbidities and quality of life for pediatric patients undergoing HSCTC. Infertility is one of the most common late effects and causes significant psychosocial problems for many pediatric patients, as well as for their family members.

Chiral nematic mesoporous phenol-formaldehyde resins, which were prepared using cellulose nanocrystals as a template, can be used as a substrate to produce latent photonic images. These resins undergo swelling, which changes their reflected color. By writing on the films with chemical inks, the density of methylol groups in the resin changes, subsequently affecting their degree of swelling and, consequently, their color. Writing on the films gives latent images that are revealed only upon swelling of the films. Using inkjet printing, it is possible to make higher resolution photonic patterns both as text and images that can be visualized by swelling and erased by drying. This novel approach to printing photonic patterns in resin films may be applied to anti-counterfeit tags, signage, and decorative applications.