The research on metal halide perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs) with green and infrared emission has demonstrated significant progress in achieving higher functional performance. However, the realization of stable pure‐blue (≈470 nm wavelength) PeLEDs with increased brightness and efficiency still constitutes a considerable challenge. Here, a novel acid etching‐driven ligand exchange strategy is devised for achieving pure‐blue emitting small‐sized (≈4 nm) CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots (QDs) with ultralow trap density and excellent stability. The acid, hydrogen bromide (HBr), is employed to etch imperfect [PbBr6]4− octahedrons, thereby removing surface defects and excessive carboxylate ligands. Subsequently, didodecylamine and phenethylamine are successively introduced to bond the residual uncoordinated sites of the QDs and attain in situ exchange with the original long‐chain organic ligands, resulting in near‐unity quantum yield (97%) and remarkable stability. The QD‐based PeLEDs exhibit pure‐blue electroluminescence at 470 nm (corresponding to the Commission Internationale del'Eclairage (CIE) (0.13, 0.11) coordinates), an external quantum efficiency of 4.7%, and a remarkable luminance of 3850 cd m−2, which is the highest brightness reported so far for pure‐blue PeLEDs. Furthermore, the PeLEDs exhibit robust durability, with a half‐lifetime exceeding 12 h under continuous operation, representing a record performance value for blue PeLEDs.

Activation of transient receptor potential ankyrin-1 (TRPA1) on meningeal nerve endings has been suggested to contribute to environmental irritant-induced headache but this channel may also contribute to other forms of headache such as migraine. The preclinical studies described here examined functional expression of TRPA1 on dural afferents and investigated whether activation of TRPA1 contributes to headache-like behaviors. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were performed in vitro using two TRPA1 agonists, mustard oil (MO) and the environmental irritant umbellulone (UMB), on dural-projecting trigeminal ganglion neurons. Application of MO and UMB to dural afferents produced TRPA1-like currents in approximately 42% and 38% of cells, respectively. Using an established in vivo behavioral model of migraine-related allodynia, dural application of MO and UMB produced robust time-related tactile facial and hindpaw allodynia that was attenuated by pretreatment with the TRPA1 antagonist HC-030031. Additionally, MO or UMB were applied to the dura and exploratory activity was monitored for 30 minutes using an automated open-field activity chamber. Dural MO and UMB decreased the number of vertical rearing episodes and the time spent rearing in comparison to vehicle treated animals. This change in activity was prevented in rats pretreated with HC-030031 as well as sumatriptan, a clinically effective anti-migraine agent. These data indicate that TRPA1 is expressed on a substantial fraction of dural afferents and activation of meningeal TRPA1 produces behaviors consistent with those seen in patients during migraine attacks. Further, they suggest that activation of meningeal TRPA1 via endogenous or exogenous mechanisms can lead to afferent signaling and headache.

Migraine headache is one of the most common neurological disorders. The pathological conditions that directly initiate afferent pain signaling are poorly understood. In trigeminal neurons retrogradely labeled from the cranial meninges, we have recorded pH-evoked currents using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology. Approximately 80% of dural afferent neurons responded to a pH 6.0 application with a rapidly activating and rapidly desensitizing ASIC-like current that often exceeded 20 nA in amplitude. Inward currents were observed in response to a wide range of pH values and 30% of the neurons exhibited inward currents at pH 7.1. These currents led to action potentials in 53%, 30% and 7% of the dural afferents at pH 6.8, 6.9 and 7.0, respectively. Small decreases in extracellular pH were also able to generate sustained window currents and sustained membrane depolarizations. Amiloride, a non specific blocker of ASIC channels, inhibited the peak currents evoked upon application of decreased pH while no inhibition was observed upon application of TRPV1 antagonists. The desensitization time constants of pH 6.0-evoked currents in the majority of dural afferents was less than 500 ms which is consistent with that reported for ASIC3 homomeric or heteromeric channels. Finally, application of pH 5.0 synthetic-interstitial fluid to the dura produced significant decreases in facial and hind-paw withdrawal threshold, an effect blocked by amiloride but not TRPV1 antagonists, suggesting that ASIC activation produces migraine-related behavior in vivo. These data provide a cellular mechanism by which decreased pH in the meninges following ischemic or inflammatory events directly excites afferent pain-sensing neurons potentially contributing to migraine headache.

Substitutional heterovalent doping represents an effective method to control the optical and electronic properties of nanocrystals (NCs). Highly monodisperse II-VI NCs with deep substitutional dopants are presented. The NCs exhibit stable, dominant, and strong dopant fluorescence, and control over n- and p-type electronic impurities is achieved. Large-scale, bottom-up superlattices of the NCs will speed up their application in electronic devices.

While feverfew has been used for centuries to treat pain and headaches and is recommended for migraine treatment, the mechanism for its protective action remains unknown. Migraine is triggered by calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) release from trigeminal neurons. Peptidergic sensory neurons, express a series of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, including the ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel. Recent findings have identified agents either inhaled from the environment or produced endogenously, which are known to trigger migraine or cluster headache attacks, as TRPA1 simulants. A major constituent of feverfew, parthenolide, may interact with TRPA1 nucleophilic sites, suggesting that feverfew antimigraine effect derives from its ability to target TRPA1. We found that parthenolide stimulates recombinant (transfected cells) or natively expressed (rat/mouse trigeminal neurons) TRPA1, where it, however, behaves as a partial agonist. Furthermore, in rodents, after initial stimulation, parthenolide desensitizes the TRPA1 channel, and renders peptidergic, TRPA1-expressing nerve terminals unresponsive to any stimulus. This effect of parthenolide abrogates nociceptive responses evoked by stimulation of peripheral trigeminal endings. TRPA1 targeting and neuronal desensitization by parthenolide inhibits CGRP release from trigeminal neurons and CGRP-mediated meningeal vasodilatation, evoked by either TRPA1 agonists or other unspecific stimuli. TRPA1 partial agonism, together with desensitization and nociceptor defunctionalization, ultimately resulting in inhibition of CGRP release within the trigeminovascular system, may contribute to the antimigraine effect of parthenolide.

Background Prior studies have shown that decreased meningeal pH activates dural afferents via opening of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) suggesting one pathophysiological mechanism for the generation of headaches. The studies described here further examined the ASIC subtype mediating pH-induced dural-afferent activation and examined whether sensitization influences pH responses. Objective Given the potential importance of meningeal mast cells to headache, the goal of this study was to evaluate dural afferent responses to pH following sensitization with mast cell mediators. Methods Cutaneous allodynia was measured in rats following stimulation of the dura with decreased pH alone or in combination with mast cell mediators. Trigeminal ganglion neurons retrogradely-labeled from the dura were stained with an ASIC3 antibody using immunohistochemistry. Currents and action potentials evoked by changes in pH alone or in combination with mast cell mediators were measured in retrogradely-labeled dural afferents using patch-clamp electrophysiology. Results pH-sensitive dural afferents generated currents in response to the ASIC3 activator 2-guanidine-4-methylquinazoline (GMQ), approximately 80% of these neurons express ASIC3 protein, and pH-evoked behavioral responses were inhibited by the ASIC3 blocker APETx2. Following exposure to mast cell mediators, dural afferents exhibited increased pH-evoked excitability and cutaneous allodynia was observed at higher pH than with pH stimuli alone. Conclusion These data indicate that the predominant ASIC subtype responding to decreased meningeal pH is ASIC3. Additionally, they demonstrate that in the presence of inflammation, dural afferents respond to even smaller decreases in pH providing further support for the ability of small pH changes within the meninges to initiate afferent input leading to headache.

Background The mechanisms contributing to the pain of migraine are poorly understood although activation of afferent nociceptors in the trigeminovascular system has been proposed as a key event. Prior studies have shown that dural-afferent nociceptors are sensitive to both osmotic and mechanical stimuli. Based on the sensitivity to these stimuli we hypothesized that dural afferents express the osmo/mechano-sensitive channel transient receptor-potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4). Methods These studies used in vitro patch-clamp electrophysiology of trigeminal neurons retrogradely labeled from the dura to examine the functional expression of TRPV4. Additionally, we used a rat headache model in which facial/hind paw allodynia following dural stimulation is measured to determine whether activation of meningeal TRPV4 produces responses consistent with migraine. Results These studies found that 56% and 49% of identified dural afferents generate currents in response to hypotonic solutions and 4α-PDD, respectively. The response to these stimuli indicates that dural afferents express TRPV4. Activation of meningeal TPRV4 using hypotonic solution or 4α-PDD in vivo resulted in both facial and hind paw allodynia that was blocked by the TRPV4 antagonist RN1734. Conclusion These data indicate that activation of TRPV4 within the meninges produces afferent nociceptive signaling from the head that may contribute to migraine headache.

In article number 2006722, Jianjun Tian and co‐workers report pure‐blue perovskite light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) based on ultralow‐trap‐density and extremely stable small‐sized CsPbBr3 quantum dots, which is achieved by a novel acid‐etching‐driven ligand exchange. The LEDs exhibit electroluminescence at 470 nm wavelength with external quantum efficiency of 4.7%, remarkable high luminance (3850 cd m−2), and long‐term operational stability T50 of 12 h.