An extremely promising complete nanofabrication process of metallic patterns, to achieve periodic structure resolution well below 100 nm, has been successfully demonstrated. The process includes the EUV patterning encoding on the photoresist and its transfer from the polymer onto a Si substrate using a 46.9 nm table top soft x-ray laser and an interference lithography scheme. After optimizing the PMMA-poly(methyl methacrylate)-preparation thickness and development, by controlling the metal deposition and subsequent liftoff process on the exposed PMMA/SiO 2 /Si(1 0 0) samples, we have fabricated large arrays of 200 nm spaced nickel strips on Si surfaces.

Submicrometric catalyst patterns have been fabricated by atomic force nanolithography and the subsequent selective growth of carbon nanotubes has been successfully verified. Rectangular stripes (∼350 nm wide) were engraved onto a polymethylmethacrylate film, deposited onto SiO2/Si, by polymer removal with atomic force microscopy nanoindentation. Metallic catalyst patterns were subsequently obtained after 3 nm Ni deposition and lift-off of the residual polymer. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes were then grown by thermal chemical vapor deposition onto the Ni stripes. The various steps of nanopatterning and of carbon nanotubes growth are also studied by scanning electron microscopy and Raman measurements.

Background. Although positron emission tomography/computed tomography, often integrated with 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18] fluorine-D-glucose (18F-FDG-PET/CT), is fundamental in the assessment of lung cancer, the relationship between metabolic avidity of different histotypes and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) has not yet been thoroughly investigated. The aim of the study is to establish a reliable correlation between Suvmax and histology in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), in order to facilitate patient management. Methods. We retrospectively assessed the data about lung cancer patients entered in the Italian Registry of VATS Group from January 2014 to October 2019, after establishing the eligibility criteria of the study. In total, 8139 patients undergoing VATS lobectomy were enrolled: 3260 females and 4879 males. The relationship between SUVmax and tumor size was also analyzed. Results. The mean values of SUVmax in the most frequent types of lung cancer were as follows: a) 4.88 ± 3.82 for preinvasive adenocarcinoma; b) 5.49 ± 4.10 for minimally invasive adenocarcinoma; c) 5.87 ± 4.18 for invasive adenocarcinoma; and d) 8.85 ± 6.70 for squamous cell carcinoma. Processing these data, we displayed a statistically difference (p < 0.000001) of FDG avidity between adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Moreover, by classifying patients into five groups based on tumor diameter and after evaluating the SUVmax value for each group, we noted a statistical correlation (p < 0.000001) between size and FDG uptake, also confirmed by the post hoc analysis. Conclusions. There is a correlation between SUVmax, histopathology outcomes and tumor size in NSCLC. Further clinical trials should be performed in order to confirm our data.