Star PolyMOCs with Diverse Structures, Dynamics, and Functions by Three-Component Assembly.

We report star polymer metal-organic cage (polyMOC) materials whose structures, mechanical properties, functionalities, and dynamics can all be precisely tailored through a simple three-component assembly strategy. The star polyMOC network is composed of tetra-arm star polymers functionalized with ligands on the chain ends, small molecule ligands, and palladium ions; polyMOCs are formed via metal-ligand coordination and thermal annealing. The ratio of small molecule ligands to polymer-bound ligands determines the connectivity of the MOC junctions and the network structure. The use of large M12 L24 MOCs enables great flexibility in tuning this ratio, which provides access to a rich spectrum of material properties including tunable moduli and relaxation dynamics.

Tellurium-containing polymer micelles: competitive-ligand-regulated coordination responsive systems.

Nanomaterials capable of achieving tunable cargo release kinetics are of significance in a fundamental sense and various biological or medical applications. We report a competitive coordination system based on a novel tellurium-containing polymer and its ligand-regulated release manners. Tellurium was introduced to water-soluble polymers for the first time as drug delivery vehicles. The coordination chemistry between platinum and tellurium was designed to enable the load of platinum-based drugs. Through the competitive coordination of biomolecules, the drugs could be released in a controlled manner. Furthermore, the release kinetics could be modulated by the competitive ligands involved due to their different coordination ability. This tellurium-containing polymer may enrich the family of delivery systems and provide a new platform for future biomedical nanotechnologies.

A novel technique to quantify bone-to-implant contact of zygomatic implants: a radiographic analysis based on three-dimensional image registration and segmentation.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to establish a novel, reproducible technique to obtain the BIC area (BICA) between zygomatic implants and zygomatic bone based on post-operative cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. Three-dimensional (3D) image registration and segmentation were used to eliminate the effect of metal-induced artifacts of zygomatic implants. METHODS: An ex-vivo study was included to verify the feasibility of the new method. Then, the radiographic bone-to-implant contact (rBIC) of 143 implants was measured in a total of 50 patients. To obtain the BICA of zygomatic implants and the zygomatic bone, several steps were necessary, including image preprocessing of CBCT scans, identification of the position of zygomatic implants, registration, and segmentation of pre- and post-operative CBCT images, and 3D reconstruction of models. The conventional two-dimensional (2D) linear rBIC (rBICc) measurement method with post-operative CBCT images was chosen as a comparison. RESULTS: The mean values of rBIC and rBICc were 15.08 ± 5.92 mm and 14.77 ± 5.14 mm, respectively. A statistically significant correlation was observed between rBIC and rBICc values ([Formula: see text]=0.86, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This study proposed a standardized, repeatable, noninvasive technique to quantify the rBIC of post-operative zygomatic implants in 3D terms. This technique is comparable to conventional 2D linear measurements and seems to be more reliable than these conventional measurements; thus, this method could serve as a valuable tool in the performance of clinical research protocols.

Ultra-sensitive ROS-responsive tellurium-containing polymers.

A novel tellurium-containing polymer micelle system is reported to be responsive to 100 µM H2O2 and can undergo a series of morphological changes. The polymer micelles also respond to 2 Gy gamma radiation, which is the exact dosage a patient receives per day for clinical radiation therapy.