From Cleanroom to Desktop: Emerging Micro-Nanofabrication Technology for Biomedical Applications

This review is motivated by the growing demand for low-cost, easy-to-use, compact-size yet powerful micro-nanofabrication technology to address emerging challenges of fundamental biology and translational medicine in regular laboratory settings. Recent advancements in the field benefit considerably from rapidly expanding material selections, ranging from inorganics to organics and from nanoparticles to self-assembled molecules. Meanwhile a great number of novel methodologies, employing off-the-shelf consumer electronics, intriguing interfacial phenomena, bottom-up self-assembly principles, etc., have been implemented to transit micro-nanofabrication from a cleanroom environment to a desktop setup. Furthermore, the latest application of micro-nanofabrication to emerging biomedical research will be presented in detail, which includes point-of-care diagnostics, on-chip cell culture as well as bio-manipulation. While significant progresses have been made in the rapidly growing field, both apparent and unrevealed roadblocks will need to be addressed in the future. We conclude this review by offering our perspectives on the current technical challenges and future research opportunities

Colorectal Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

IMPORTANCE Delays in screening programs and the reluctance of patients to seek medical attention because of the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 could be associated with the risk of more advanced colorectal cancers at diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was associated with more advanced oncologic stage and change in clinical presentation for patients with colorectal cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective, multicenter cohort study included all 17 938 adult patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer from March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 (pandemic period), and from January 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic period), in 81 participating centers in Italy, including tertiary centers and community hospitals. Follow-up was 30 days from surgery. EXPOSURES Any type of surgical procedure for colorectal cancer, including explorative surgery, palliative procedures, and atypical or segmental resections. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was advanced stage of colorectal cancer at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were distant metastasis, T4 stage, aggressive biology (defined as cancer with at least 1 of the following characteristics: signet ring cells, mucinous tumor, budding, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and lymphangitis), stenotic lesion, emergency surgery, and palliative surgery. The independent association between the pandemic period and the outcomes was assessed using multivariate random-effects logistic regression, with hospital as the cluster variable. RESULTS A total of 17 938 patients (10 007 men [55.8%]; mean [SD] age, 70.6 [12.2] years) underwent surgery for colorectal cancer: 7796 (43.5%) during the pandemic period and 10 142 (56.5%) during the prepandemic period. Logistic regression indicated that the pandemic period was significantly associated with an increased rate of advanced-stage colorectal cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95%CI, 1.01-1.13; P = .03), aggressive biology (OR, 1.32; 95%CI, 1.15-1.53; P < .001), and stenotic lesions (OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.01-1.31; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study suggests a significant association between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the risk of a more advanced oncologic stage at diagnosis among patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer and might indicate a potential reduction of survival for these patients

Percutaneous vertebroplasty in 1,253 levels: results and long-term effectiveness in a single centre

Several authors claim that vertebroplasty (PVT) is a successful technique, but long-term effectiveness is still debated. Our goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of PVT in patients with symptomatic vertebral fractures that had not responded to conservative treatment. In our centre, 624 patients with 1,253 compression fractures were treated by PVT. Imaging studies, clinical visits and short- and long-term follow-up were assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) testing of pain. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate pain response after PVT (paired two-tailed t-test) and to assess any differences in pain due to different lesions (ANOVA test). We found a statistically significant improvement in the patients' quality of life, particularly in pain (P < 0.001). The average VAS value pre-PVT was 8.0 +/- 2.5, which significantly dropped to 1.5 +/- 0.4 by 12 months. There were no significant differences in pain response between the groups of patients with different underlying disease. There was a low complication rate in our study. PVT should be considered the treatment of choice in vertebral fractures with refractory pain. With strict evaluation of the clinical indications and sub-specialised operators, long-term effectiveness is probable

Vacuum assisted liquified metal (VALM) TSV filling method with superconductive material

A novel, simple, low-cost method for the void-free filling of high aspect ratio (HAR) through-silicon-vias (TSVs) is presented. For the first-time pure indium, a type-I superconductor metal, is used to fill HAR vias, 300 to 500 μm in depth and 50 to 100 μm in diameter. The low electrical resistivity achieved without sintering, its reproducibility and straightforward processing steps, and the short time required to fill large arrays of vias at wafer scale - all make this method one of the simplest and quickest options for filling HAR TSVs for MEMS 3D integration. Moreover, the low melting point (∼ 150 °C), malleability and superconductivity at 3.41 K make indium an interesting option in 3D interconnects for connecting quantum devices operating below 4 K.</p