Elastocapillarity-driven 2D nano-switches enable zeptoliter-scale liquid encapsulation.

Biological nanostructures change their shape and function in response to external stimuli, and significant efforts have been made to design artificial biomimicking devices operating on similar principles. In this work we demonstrate a programmable nanofluidic switch, driven by elastocapillarity, and based on nanochannels built from layered two-dimensional nanomaterials possessing atomically smooth surfaces and exceptional mechanical properties. We explore operational modes of the nanoswitch and develop a theoretical framework to explain the phenomenon.

Tuning ferromagnetism at room temperature by visible light.

Most digital information today is encoded in the magnetization of ferromagnetic domains. The demand for ever-increasing storage space fuels continuous research for energy-efficient manipulation of magnetism at smaller and smaller length scales. Writing a bit is usually achieved by rotating the magnetization of domains of the magnetic medium, which relies on effective magnetic fields.

HMGB1 as a new biomarker of celiac disease in children: A multicenter study.

Objective: Despite the availability of specific sierology and point-of-care tests, the phenotypic heterogeneity and the symptoms fluctuation as well as the "open-window" existing among the late and silent forms cause often a delayed celiac disease (CD) diagnosis. Recently, it has been reported that high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) mediates inflammation and gastrointestinal barrier failure. The aim of this study was to detect serum HMGB1 levels at CD diagnosis and to evaluate the relationship between serum HMGB1 levels and clinical and histologic phenotypes.

Photodiode Response in a CHNHPbI/CHNHSnI Heterojunction.

Here we report another surprising feature of the methylammonium metal halide material family, the phototunability of the diode response of a heterojunction made of CHNHPbI and its close relative, CHNHSnI. In the dark state the device behaves as a diode, with the Sn homologue acting as the "p" side. The junction is extremely sensitive to illumination.

CHNHPbI: precise structural consequences of water absorption at ambient conditions.

The crystal structure of the pristine (I) and aged (II) crystals of CHNHPbI (hereafter MAPbI) hybrid organic-inorganic lead iodide has been studied at 293 K with high-precision single-crystal X-ray diffraction using a synchrotron light source. We show that (I) and (II) are characterized by an identical tetragonal unit cell but different space groups: I422 for (I) and P422 for (II). Both space groups are subgroups of I4/mcm, which is widely used for MAPbI.

Immune response to hepatitis B virus vaccine in celiac subjects at diagnosis.

Aim: To evaluate hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine response and correlation with human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and/or gluten intake in celiac patients at diagnosis.

Methods: Fifty-one patients affected by celiac disease, diagnosed at the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Catania (Italy), were recruited. All patients were tested at admission for immunization against HBV, according to findings from analysis of quantitative HBV surface antibody (anti-HBs).

Controlled growth of CH3NH3PbI3 nanowires in arrays of open nanofluidic channels.

Spatial positioning of nanocrystal building blocks on a solid surface is a prerequisite for assembling individual nanoparticles into functional devices. Here, we report on the graphoepitaxial liquid-solid growth of nanowires of the photovoltaic compound CH3NH3PbI3 in open nanofluidic channels. The guided growth, visualized in real-time with a simple optical microscope, undergoes through a metastable solvatomorph formation in polar aprotic solvents.

Health hazards of methylammonium lead iodide based perovskites: cytotoxicity studies.

New technologies launch novel materials; besides their performances in products, their health hazards must be tested. This applies to the lead halide perovskite CHNHPbI as well, which offers fulgurate applications in photovoltaic devices. We report the effects of CHNHPbI photovoltaic perovskites in human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cells (A549), human dopaminergic neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) and murine primary hippocampal neurons by using multiple assays and electron microscopy studies.

Ultra-Low Thermal Conductivity in Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite CH3NH3PbI3.

We report on the temperature dependence of thermal conductivity of single crystalline and polycrystalline organometallic perovskite CH3NH3PbI3. The comparable absolute values and temperature dependence of the two samples' morphologies indicate the minor role of the grain boundaries on the heat transport. Theoretical modeling demonstrates the importance of the resonant scattering in both specimens.

Nanowires of methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) prepared by low temperature solution-mediated crystallization.

We report the synthesis of Methylammonium Lead Iodide (CH(3)NH(3)PbI(3)) nanowires by a low temperature solution processed crystallization using a simple slip-coating method. The anisotropic particle shape exhibits advantages over nanoparticles in terms of charge transport under illumination. These results provide a basis for solvent-mediated tailoring of structural properties like the crystallite size and orientation in trihalide perovskite thin films, which, once implemented into a device, may ultimately result in an enhanced charge carrier extraction.

The importance of disease prevalence in assessing the diagnostic value of a test: endoscopic markers in celiac disease.

Background/aims: We evaluated the diagnostic variability and reproducibility of endoscopic signs in two populations with a different pretest likelihood of celiac disease (CD).

Methods: We recruited 289 CD patients (both adults and children) in a multicenter prospective study. Group 1 (high risk) included 111 patients referred for positive serology.

Intramuscular vs intradermal route for hepatitis B booster vaccine in celiac children.

Aim: To compare intradermal (ID) and intramuscular (IM) booster doses, which have been used in healthy and high risk subjects, such as healthcare workers, haemodialysis patients, human immunodeficiency virus patients, and renal transplant recipients unresponsive to initial hepatitis B vaccination, in celiac individuals.

Methods: We conducted our study on 58 celiac patients, vaccinated in the first year of life, whose blood analysis had showed the absence of protective hepatitis B virus (HBV) antibodies. All patients had received the last vaccine injection at least one year before study enrolment and they had been on a gluten free diet for at least 1 year.

Compliant gluten-free children with celiac disease: an evaluation of psychological distress.

Background: Children with chronic illnesses are known to have increased risks for emotional and behavioral problems. In the present study, children and adolescent suffering from celiac disease (CD) were compared with healthy controls to assess differences in the psychological profile.

Methods: A total of 100 well-treated and compliant CD patients (65 females/35 males; age mean ± SD: 10.

Lactobacillus reuteri in children with functional abdominal pain (FAP).

Aim: Functional abdominal pain (FAP) is a frequent condition affecting 10-20% of children and can be considered within the classification of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID). The objective of this study was to determine the effect of daily supplementation with the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 in children with FAP.

Methods: The children (aged 6-16 years) were screened for FAP as defined in the Rome III criteria and 60 patients were recruited in this double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Headache in pediatric patients with celiac disease and its prevalence as a diagnostic clue.

Objectives: To establish the prevalence of headache in children with celiac disease (CD), the response to a gluten-free diet, and the prevalence of CD in children affected by headache.

Methods: This hospital-based study included 2 steps. In the retrospective part, 354 children with CD answered a questionnaire investigating the presence of headache before and after the gluten-free diet.

Low prevalence of neurologic and psychiatric manifestations in children with gluten sensitivity.

Objective: To determine the frequency of neurologic manifestations in children with gluten sensitivity (GS) and the frequency of GS in children with neurologic disease.

Study Design: A total of 835 children with GS (based on positive titers for serum anti-gliadin antibody [AGA], anti-endomysial antibody [EMA], and anti-tissue transglutamine [tTG] antibody and a positive gut biopsy), representing the local childhood GS population in the town of Catania, Italy, were recruited, prospectively followed up, and screened for neurologic and psychiatric disturbances between 1991 and 2004. Serum AGA, EMA, and anti-tTG antibody titers were estimated in a prevalence sample of 630 consecutive children with neurologic disorders of unknown cause despite full investigation, 300 children with known neurologic syndromes, and 300 healthy children who served as controls.

Quantitative ultrasound of bone and clodronate effects in thalassemia-induced osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis in beta-thalassemia major has emerged as a topic of interest since optimized transfusion regimens have increased life expectancy and quality in these patients. Although the pathogenesis of thalassemic osteopathy is multifactorial, the evidence of an increased resorption phase suggests that the use of antiresorptive drugs such as bisphosphonates can be considered a valuable therapeutic strategy to reduce bone turnover and the risk of fragility fractures. We compared the effects of long-term cyclical clodronate therapy (300 mg intravenous infusion every 3 weeks for 2 years) and of an active placebo (calcium 1 vitamin D) on bone mass and bone turnover in 30 male patients with beta-thalassemia major.