Search

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.

Cellulose-based materials have been and continue to be exceptionally important for humankind. Considering the bioavailability and societal relevance of cellulose, turning this renewable resource into an active material is a vital step towards sustainability. Herein we report a new form of cellulose-derived material that combines tunable photonic properties with a unique mesoporous structure resulting from a new supramolecular cotemplating method. A composite of cellulose nanocrystals and a urea-formaldehyde resin organizes into a chiral nematic assembly, which yields a chiral nematic mesoporous continuum of desulfated cellulose nanocrystals after alkaline treatment. The mesoporous photonic cellulose (MPC) films undergo rapid and reversible changes in color upon swelling, and can be used for pressure sensing. These new active mesoporous cellulosic materials have potential applications in biosensing, optics, functional membranes, chiral separation, and tissue engineering.

Chiral nematic structures with different helical pitch from layer to layer are embedded into phenol-formaldehyde bilayer resin composite films using cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as templates. Selective removal of CNCs results in mesoporous resins with different pore size and helical pitch between the layers. Consequently, these materials exhibit photonic properties by selectively reflecting lights of two different wavelengths and concomitant actuation properties.

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.

We present the case of a nonchiral organogelator that forms hollow fibers and encapsulates silver nanoparticles (SNP) and a dye molecule. The biscarbamate molecule (a model compound for polyurethanes), which has two hydrogen-bonding motifs symmetrically attached to n-dodecyl side chains (C(12)), gels benzonitrile with hollow fibrillar morphology. The C(12) molecules form sheets that eventually wrap into hollow fibers to form the gel network. Herein, two-component gels were prepared with C(12) as one component and SNP, phthalocyanine (Pc), or perylene (Pe) as the other. Microscopic analysis and partial melting experiments confirmed the inclusion of the silver nanoparticles and phthalocyanine into the hollow fibers. On the other hand, Pe molecules tend to form crystals at the outer surface of the C(12) fibers, which results in a significant increase in the width of the gel fibers. This difference in the behavior of Pc and Pe molecules were accounted for by their crystal geometry and significantly different crystal growth rate compared with that of C(12) fiber formation in the gels. Pc crystallizes in a needle shape that facilitates occlusion in the gel fibers, whereas Pe forms large platelets. X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic analysis of the two-component gels along with their neat components confirmed that there was no change in the packing behavior of the Pc and Pe molecules in the gels. Therefore, these are examples of two-component physical gels in which the Pc crystals are occluded within the hollow fibers of C(12) by physical mixing of the components without the aid of any inter-molecular interactions between the different components. We have thus shown that lumen-loaded gel fibers with nanoparticles and dye molecules can be prepared by the two-component gel route, provided that the above growth rate, shape, and size conditions are satisfied.

We describe the gelation, upon self-assembly of a series of nonchiral molecules, resulting in tubular morphology of the fibers. These are biscarbamates, which are model compounds for polyurethanes with two hydrogen bonding groups separated by a (CH(2))(6) spacer and symmetrically substituted with alkyl chains on either side varying in length from C(6) to C(18). Upon gelation, these molecules form a sheet initially. The sheets then tend to wrap, leading to tubules. Those with partial wrapping resemble eaves troughs. With the predominant growth along the hydrogen bonding direction, the energy of interaction between the molecules along this direction would be more dominant than just the van der Waals interaction in the other two, leading to asymmetry of interaction in the sheet. We rationalize such tube formation in this case on the basis of the theories [Schnur, J. M.; Ratna, B. R.; Selinger, J. V.; Singh, A.; Jyothi, G.; Easwaran, K. R. K. Science, 1994, 264, 945. Schnur, J. M. Science, 1993, 262, 166. McKierman, R. L.; Heintz, A. M.; Hsu, S. L.; Gido, S. P.; Penelle, J. Polym. Mater. Sci. Eng. 2001, 84, 416.] which were developed for amphiphilic mono and bilayers, which state that these bilayers are not at their minimal energy when they are flat, and prefer a bent state. The gelation behavior of this series with double hydrogen bond is compared with the monocarbamates with a single hydrogen bonding motif [Moniruzzaman, M.; Sundararajan, P. R. Langmuir 2005, 21, 3802.]. We attribute the tendency toward both gelation and crystallization in some cases to the competing contributions of the hydrogen bond and van der Waals interactions between the long alkyl side chains. Oriented fibers for X-ray diffraction were obtained by simply using a magnetic stir bar during gelation. It is also found that the solvents that gel with diureas [van Esch, J.; Kellogg, R. M.; Feringa, B. L. Tetrahedron Lett. 1997, 38, 281] also form gels with biscarbamates. While the biscarbamates with even number of CH(2) groups in the side chain form short fibers, one with (CH(2))(9) side group formed long fibers characteristic of organo gels. In addition, when this odd side chain biscarbamate was mixed with one having a (CH(2))(8) side group, the gelation led to long fibers, following the sergeant and soldier principle.

We fabricated porous organogels of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) using nonsolvents as porogens. In contrast to the use of inorganic materials, surfactants, etc., as porogens, we used the nonsolvents for PMMA such as water, methanol, propanol, and cyclohexane. This offers the advantage of not having to extract the porogen after gel formation. The nonsolvent simply evaporates. We find that the pore size can be controlled by matching the solubility parameters of the solvent/nonsolvent mixtures and that of PMMA. Incorporation of CNT itself does not lead to porous morphology in this case, unless a nonsolvent is added. Introducing carbon nanotubes during the addition of nonsolvent for gelation enhances the elongation ratio of the PMMA gel. We show that the CNT forms a network around the pores. Infrared and Raman spectra show no specific interaction between the CNT and PMMA. Hence, the former simply acts as a reinforcing filler.

Utilizing self-assembly to create supramolecular structures is an active area at this time. Hybrid materials created by blending or doping, e.g., organic/inorganic or donor/acceptor complexes are of great interest in the design of novel materials systems. The effect of mixing of any two self-assembling molecules to modify the properties and to understand if the process of blending changes the nature of the self-assembly would be of interest. We discuss here the effect of blending of two (hydrogen bond mediated) self-assembling homologous molecules on the structure and morphology. Materials that are candidate vehicles for phase-change inkjet technology, biscarbamates with alkyl side chains, are chosen for this study. Thermal analysis and IR spectra indicate that, when two biscarbamates differing only in the length of the alkyl chain are blended, the two components are immiscible, although they are chemically similar. There is no intercalation of the alkyl chains and cocrystallization. They are thus an example of a self-sorting system. The extent of hydrogen bonding and the packing of the alkyl chains are not affected. However, each serve as a nucleating agent and reduce the size of the spherulites and crystallinity. The spherulitic growth rate decreases upon blending. Partial melting experiments show that the spherulites of each component do not form independently, but are intermixed, implying that one acts as the nucleating sites for the other. Thus, although these are self-sorting, the components in the mixture affect the morphology of each other upon crystallization. The behavior of this small molecule mixture is compared with those of hydrogen-bonded polymer blends. Studies of this nature on blends of self-assembling molecules are expected to be important in materials design for optimizing properties.

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.

The effects of alkyl side chain and spacer lengths and the type of terminal group on the morphology and crystallization of a homologous series of biscarbamates (model compounds for polyurethanes) were investigated. Biscarbamates were synthesized with alkyl side chains of various lengths ranging from C4 to C18 and an alkyl spacer group with 12 CH2 units (C12 spacer) between the two hydrogen bonding motifs. The crystallization and morphological features are compared with the previously studied biscarbamates with a C6 spacer. As a token example, we also studied a biscarbamate molecule in which the terminal methyl group was replaced by a phenyl group. We stress four important conclusions of the study: (1) A number of studies in the literature found that the longer alkyl spacers reduced the thermal transition temperatures of the molecules, and such behavior was attributed to an increase in the flexibility of the alkyl spacer. However, the results of the present study are to the contrary. With the biscarbamates studied here, the hydrogen-bonding groups on both sides of the C12 spacer act as "anchors", and the longer spacer does not reduce the melting temperatures compared with those with the C6 spacer. (2) The melt viscosity measurements show shear-thinning behavior, which has been mostly observed with polysaccharides and hydrogen-bonded polymers. (3) Avrami analysis shows a two-stage crystallization, which is not commonly observed in organic small molecule systems. (4) The phenyl end group does not add another self-assembly code in terms of π-stacking but acts as a defect. While formation of crystals was observed for biscarbamates with short alkyl side chains with a C6 spacer, an increase in spacer length to C12 induces spherulitic morphology. Although the overall sizes of the spherulites are the same for both spacers, the rate of spherulite growth was higher and the crystallization rate was lower with the C12 spacer compared with the C6 spacer. In contrast with the biscarbamates containing C6 spacer previously studied, we find that among the biscarbamates with 12 CH2 units in the spacer the C12-C12 molecule shows the minimum spherulite size, spherulite growth rate, and rate of crystallization. The infrared frequency shifts of the N-H group due to hydrogen bonding were used to calculate the N···O hydrogen-bonding distance and found to be close to the value observed in the crystal structure of the biscarbamate with a C6 spacer and C10 alkyl side chain.

A family of new amino resin-cellulose nanocrystal composites is reported. Owing to the chiral nematic order of the cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) embedded in the amino resin polymer, the materials appear highly iridescent and their color can be controlled by the addition of salt. The freshly prepared samples are highly flexible and their color can be manipulated by applying pressure to the films. Colored chiral nematic patterns can be permanently recorded in the composite films, suggesting their application for security features, pressure sensors, and decoration.

Solid state morphology and crystallization behavior of a homologous series of biscarbamate molecules having varying alkyl side chain lengths with different carbon atom parity were investigated. These are model compounds for polyurethanes. We synthesized a set of biscarbamates with double hydrogen bonding motifs separated by a (CH(2))(6) spacer and with alkyl side chains of various lengths ranging from C(3) to C(18) at the ends. Thermal analysis showed an odd-even alternation in their melting temperatures and heats of fusion, with the odd number of carbon atoms in the side chain having higher melting temperatures and heats of fusion than the even numbered ones, in contrast to the case of n-alkanes. The effect of carbon atom parity in the alkyl side chains on the spherulite size, spherulite growth rate, and isothermal crystallization kinetics was studied. Although the spherulite size increases with the alkyl side chain length, the maximum is seen at an intermediate length and not with a short or long alkyl chain for both the odd and even series. Along this series of molecules, a maximum in spherulite size, spherulite growth rate, and rate of crystallization is seen for C(7)C(6) (odd series) and C(8)C(6) (even series) biscarbamates. There is a significant difference in spherulite size with respect to carbon atom parity in the alkyl side chains as well as sample preparation protocol. Hence the length of the alkyl side chain, carbon atom parity in the alkyl side chains, and the sample preparation protocol (i.e., quenching versus slow cooling) play an important role in the morphology of these molecules. We rationalize this behavior with the relative contributions of hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces as discerned from IR spectroscopy. While the van der Waals interaction increases with the alkyl side chain length in this series, the hydrogen bond contribution remains invariant. The rate of crystallization follows the trend seen with the spherulitic growth. The Avrami exponent is significantly smaller than 3, varying from 1.6 to 2.5 depending on the side chain length, which indicates that the crystallization is not truly three-dimensional. This study on the influence of alkyl side chains shows that while hydrogen bonding enables self-assembly the van der Waals interactions play a significant role in the crystallization and morphology of such self-assembled structures.

median 3 fractions (1-3) using CBCT image guidance on 6DOF hexapod couch. Maximum tolerated misalignment prior to treatment initiation was sub-mm & sub-degree. Following initial set-up, four CBCT’s were acquired 1 -localization scan; 2-post-residual errors correction pretreatment verification scan; 3 Intrafraction scan & 4End of treatment scan. Patient positioning data was recorded to calculate means, standard deviations (SD) for residual translational & rotational errors (TE, RE). For intrafraction motion dosimetric analysis, CBCT data of patients with more than 0.5 & 0.5mm mm vector shifts between verification scan & postRx scan was considered. Intensity based cubic B-spline algorithm deform algorithm registered original plan, structures & dose with setup uncorrected Verification, midtreatment & post treatment CBCT Scan. Intermodality and intramodality deformation errors were quality assured using registration refine tools prior to data collection. Clinical relevance was measured as the percentage underdosage of target & max dose increase of dose to adjacent OAR. Results:Mean residual TE & RE recorded in localization scans were 4mm (SD:0.6) & 1.8 (SD:0.9) respectively. Mean residual TE & RE on verification scans were 0.3mm(SD:0.1mm) & 0.2 (SD:0.3 ) respectively. Mean intra-fraction motion averaged over all patients and directions was 0.3 ( 0.2) mm for the translations and 0.4 ( 0.9 ) degrees for the rotations, in the interval between mid Rx & post Rx scan 17 patients with lesions in lower dorsal/lumbar spine had RE >0.5 but 1 shift. For dosimetric analysis, the same errors were replicated for CBCT-DIR using the shift editor & doses were thus deformed. For nonspinous process target, a one degree shift in the roll, pitch and yaw directions revealed approximately 1.8% drop in tumor coverage and OAR dose increase of up to 100 cGy.For lesions where spinous process is included there was 2.8% drop in tumor coverage. Conclusions: Majority of errors were rotational occurring at target locations where evacuated cushions were used, ie lower dorsal & LS spine. Every half degree error translates into approx. 1% drop in tumor coverage or 50 cGy increase in OAR. While effective pretreatment pain management is important to minimize these errors, DIR is simple fast tool to understand the clinical relevance of intrafraction motion errors. Author Disclosure: R. Rajan: None. V. Shankar: None. P. Mathew: None. J. Prajapathi: None. P.K. Shinde: None. L. Chaudhari: None. C. Haritha: None. J. Joseph: None. A. Kumar: None. P. Tinimol: None. R. Kumar: None.

uncertain. A total of 56 patients have died, 32 within the first year after BMT. Pulmonary/pulmonary toxicity was the reported cause of death for six patients, five (5.7%) within the first year. It is estimated that radiationinduced lung injury has attributed to three deaths within the first year; and the three patients received 12 Gy. Eight patients had symptoms of grade 23 radiation pneumonitis; three are still alive more than one year after BMT and five died of causes other than pulmonary toxicity. Conclusions: TBI is an important component of the conditioning regimen for ALL patients undergoing BMT, and the incidence of pulmonary toxicity, using our technique and lung dose, is comparable to the documented literature about TBI based conditioning regimens. Author Disclosure: R.K. Ujaimi: None. N. Isfahanian: None. D.J. La Russa: None. R. Samant: None. C. Bredeson: None. P. Genest: None.