Blending thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a proven method to achieve a much more mechanically robust material, whereas the addition of graphene oxide (GO) is increasingly applied in polymer nanocomposites to tailor further their properties. On the other hand, additive manufacturing has high flexibility of structure design which can significantly expand the application of materials in many fields. This study demonstrates the fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing of TPU/PLA/GO nanocomposites and its potential application as biocompatible materials. Nanocomposites are prepared by solvent-based mixing process and extruded into filaments for FDM printing. The addition of GO largely enhanced the mechanical property and thermal stability of the nanocomposites. Interestingly, we found that the mechanical response is highly dependent on printing orientation. Furthermore, the 3D printed nanocomposites exhibit good biocompatibility with NIH3T3 cells, indicating promise as biomaterials scaffold for tissue engineering applications.

We report an ultrasound contrast agent for which we engineered the shell structure to impart much better stability under intense stress and deformation.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound with microbubbles has shown promise in detection of prostate cancer (PCa), but sensitivity and specificity of detection remain challenging. Targeted nanoscale contrast agents with improved capability to accumulate in tumors may result in prolonged signal enhancement and improved detection of PCa with ultrasound. Here we report on a new nanobubble contrast agent that specifically targets prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) overexpressed in most prostate tumors. The PSMA-targeted bubbles (PSMA-NB) were utilized to simultaneously image dual flank PCa tumors (PSMA-positive PC3pip and PSMA-negative PC3flu) to examine whether the biomarker can be successfully detected and imaged using this probe in a mouse model. Results demonstrate that active targeting of NBs to PSMA rapidly and selectively enhances tumor accumulation and is critical for tumor retention of the contrast agent. Importantly, these processes could be visualized and quantified, in real time, with standard clinical ultrasound. Such demonstration of the immense yet underutilized potential of ultrasound in the area of molecular imaging can open the door to future opportunities for improving sensitivity and specificity of cancer detection using parametric NB-enhanced ultrasound imaging.Despite significant efforts, prostate cancer (PCa) is still the second most common leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with 180,000 new cases diagnosed in the USA in 2018 [1][2] . Accurate diagnosis of PCa is a crucial step necessary for informing the clinical management of the disease, yet conventional options leave much space for improvement. Currently, men with an abnormal digital rectal exam and/or increased levels of prostate serum antigen (PSA) are considered at high risk for cancer and are referred for a prostate biopsy to assess if PCa is present.The standard PCa biopsy procedure uses transrectal ultrasound (US) guidance to determine the prostate gland orientation, but the delineation of tumors within the prostate using US is unclear. Accordingly, biopsies are performed in a systematic manner by selecting 6-12 or more area from the peripheral zone of the prostate. These cores represent only 1% of prostate tissue and are a gross under sampling of prostate gland tissue, and biopsies performed using this conventional procedure result in significant false negatives of up to 50% [3][4][5] . Concern over the lack of pathological data in

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