BACKGROUND: High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a new, noninvasive technique with potential to ablate and inactivate tumors. Treatment of solid tumors with HIFU has been reported. In this study, the safety and effects of HIFU in the clinical therapy of malignant bone tumors were assessed. METHODS: Biochemical markers and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) were used to evaluate 25 patients with malignant bone tumors before and after HIFU treatment. RESULTS: HIFU resulted in significant improvement in biochemical markers, and no severe complications were observed. After HIFU treatment, 21 (87.5%) patients were completely relieved of pain, and 24 (100%) experienced significant relief. On the basis of MRI or PET-CT, HIFU was effective: For patients with primary bone tumors, 6 (46.2%) had a complete response, 5 (38.4%) had a partial response, 1 (7.8%) had a moderate response, and 1 suffered progressive disease; the response rate was 84.6%. For patients with metastatic bone tumors, 5 (41.7%) had complete response, 4 (33.3%) had partial response, 1 (8.3%) had a moderate response, 1 (8.3%) had stable disease, and 1 suffered progressive disease; the response rate was 75.0%. The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 100.0%, 84.6%, 69.2%, and 38.5%, respectively, for patients with primary bone tumors and 83.3%, 16.7%, 0%, and 0%, respectively, for patients with metastatic bone tumors. The survival rates for patients with primary bone tumors were significantly better than for those with metastatic tumors. CONCLUSIONS: HIFU safely and noninvasively ablated malignant bone tumors and relieved pain. HIFU ablation should be further investigated, as it appears to be successful in the treatment of primary malignant bone tumors. Cancer 2010;116:3934-42.

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The successful sunlight-photolyzed reversible addition− fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) photopolymerization can be reversibly activated and deactivated by irradiation with sunlight in the absence of photocatalyst and photoinitiator. In the present work, the thiocarbonylthio compounds (dithiobenzoate, trithiocarbonate, and xanthate) can all be employed to carry out the polymerization under sunlight irradiation acting as an initiator, chain transfer agent, and termination agent. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the recyclablecatalyst-aided, opened-to-air, and sunlight-photolyzed RAFT (ROS-RAFT) polymerizations can be successfully carried out to fabricate precise and predictable polymers in the presence of the recyclable magnetic semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs). The oxygen tolerance is likely attributed to a specific interaction between NPs and oxygen.

To search for synthetic agents with low cytotoxicity and good antibacterial activity is essential for antimicrobial applications. Here we report a high throughput technique that carried out in multiwell plates via recyclable-catalyst-aided, opened-to-air, and sunlight-photolyzed RAFT (ROS-RAFT) polymerization. By using this method, three key monomers (MAG the sugar unit, DMAPMA the positively charged monomer, and DEMAA the hydrophobic monomer) can be polymerized in a controlled manner to afford glycopolymers. This simple high throughput technology is used to synthesize glycopolymers with variable compositions. The bacterial adhesion/killing ability and cytotoxicity of synthesized polymers have been evaluated, and glycopolymers with certain composition can achieve a balance of low cytotoxic and good antibacterial activity.

Nanoimprinting has been well explored to create nanostructures and to induce molecular orientation in conjugated polymer thin films. We demonstrate here that large area poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) nanopillar arrays can be fabricated by a simple, cost-effective nanoimprinting method in a solvent-swollen plasticized state at room temperature. In addition, the solvent-assistant room-temperature nanoimprinting induces face-on chain alignment in the P3HT nanopillars; i.e., the π–π stacking of P3HT is aligned normal to the substrate, favorable for organic photovoltaic cell applications. The face-on chain alignment solely depends on the diameters of nanopores defined in the nanoimprinting mold, rather than on the initial chain orientation in unprocessed thin films. Furthermore, a critical dimension of ca. 85 nm in diameter is found to be essentially needed to induce the face-on chain alignment within the nanopillars.