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Although sunburn can produce severe uncontrollable itching, the underlying mechanisms of UV irradiation‒induced itch are poorly understood because of a lack of experimental animal models of sunburn itch. In this study, we established a sunburn-related mouse model and found that broad-band UVB irradiation elicited scratching but not wiping behavior in mice. Using a combination of live-cell calcium ion imaging and quantitative RT-PCR on dorsal root ganglion neurons, H&E staining, immunofluorescence staining of skin preparations, and behavioral testing, in combination with genetic and pharmacological approaches, we showed that TRPV1-positive dorsal root ganglion neurons but not mast cells are involved in broad-band UVB irradiation‒induced itch. Moreover, both genetic and pharmacological inhibition of TRPV1 function significantly alleviated the broad-band UVB irradiation‒induced itch response. Collectively, our results suggest that broad-band UVB irradiation evokes itch sensation in mice by promoting TRPV1 channel function in dorsal root ganglion neurons and provide potential therapeutic targets for sunburn-related itch.

Cardiac macrophages represent a heterogeneous cell population with distinct origins, dynamics, and functions. Recent studies have revealed that C-C Chemokine Receptor 2 positive (CCR2(+)) macrophages derived from infiltrating monocytes regulate myocardial inflammation and heart failure pathogenesis. Comparatively little is known about the functions of tissue resident (CCR2(−)) macrophages. Herein, we identified an essential role for CCR2(−) macrophages in the chronically failing heart. Depletion of CCR2(−) macrophages in mice with dilated cardiomyopathy accelerated mortality and impaired ventricular remodeling and coronary angiogenesis, adaptive changes necessary to maintain cardiac output in the setting of reduced cardiac contractility. Mechanistically, CCR2(−) macrophages interacted with neighboring cardiomyocytes via focal adhesion complexes and were activated in response to mechanical stretch through a transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) dependent pathway that controlled growth factor expression. These findings establish a role for tissue resident macrophages in adaptive cardiac remodeling and implicate mechanical sensing in cardiac macrophage activation.

Nine new compounds targeting on transient receptor potential vanilloid-4 (TRPV4) were synthesized and their biological activities toward TRPV4 were determined using freshly isolated mouse skin macrophages through live cell Ca(2+) imaging assay. Three compounds 4b, 4c, and 4i exhibit higher percentages of activating TRPV4 in vitro as 48.1%, 59.3% and 33.5%, comparable with 56.4 % activation response of a reported TRPV4 agonist GSK1016790A (3). The compound 4i was chosen for (11)C-radiosynthesis using its phenol precursor 4g to react with [(11)C]methyl iodide. The radiosynthesis was achieved with good radiochemical yield (16 ± 5%), high chemical and radiochemical purity (> 95%), and high molar activity (16-21 GBq/μmol, decay corrected to the end of bombardment, EOB n ≥ 4). Furthermore, the initial ex vivo biodistribution study showed that [(11)C]4i had relative higher uptakes the kidney, liver and small intestine compared to other tissues and quick washout from the animal body.

Bermudagrass is a warm-season turfgrass that is particularly sensitive to low temperatures. Improvement of cold tolerance may significantly enlarge the total cultivation area of this turfgrass worldwide. The gene expression profiles of four-year-old cold-acclimated bermudagrass versus non-acclimated ones were investigated using Illumina sequencing technology to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying cold response in bermudagrass and identify the genes that play important roles in cold response. Results showed that 85,874 and 86,158 unigenes assembled from the reads obtained from cold-acclimated and non-acclimated bermudagrass, respectively. A total of 5867 genes were differentially expressed in cold-acclimated versus non-acclimated bermudagrass, of which 2181 were downregulated (≤ twofold) and 710 were upregulated (≥ twofold) in cold-acclimated compared with non-acclimated bermudagrass. Of the 710 upregulated genes, 34 were highly expressed in cold-acclimated bermudagrass, which was more than nine times higher than in non-acclimated bermudagrass. The AP2, NAC, and WRKY family members of these upregulated genes are associated with cold stress. Transcriptomic sequencing may help determine the mechanism of cold-tolerant bermudagrass, provide a valuable resource for bermudagrass breeding, and offer candidate markers to guide future breeding studies of cold-tolerant bermudagrass.

Objective The goal of this study was to analyze the economic benefits of introducing the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) into the City Immunity Program in Shanghai. Methods A decision-analytic model designed for pneumococcal disease and outcomes of pneumococcal infection was populated with local, age-specific incidence and cost data to estimate the expected economic benefits from vaccinating a birth cohort of 172,183 infants in Shanghai over a 1-year period using a cross-sectional approach. The analysis was assumed to occur in a year at which time the direct and indirect effects of vaccination have reached a steady state. Costs were calculated from a payer perspective and included vaccination program costs and direct medical expenditures from pneumococcal-related disease. Results The model predicts that 112,629 cases of pneumococcal-related disease could be prevented during a given year following the introduction of the PCV7 vaccine into the City Immunity Program in Shanghai, leading to a reduction of ¥187,923,359 (US $29,067,790) in direct medical costs. Overall, the inclusion of the PCV7 vaccine is estimated to have a cost-per-life-year saved of ¥37,468 (US $5,796) and a cost-per-quality-adjusted-life-year gained of ¥41,603 (US $6,435) when both the direct and indirect effects of the vaccine resulting from herd protection are taken into account. Conclusions Results suggest that including PCV7 into the City Immunity Program in Shanghai could be considered cost-effective under generally accepted willingness-to-pay thresholds when both the direct and indirect effects of the vaccine are considered in the analysis.

Anatase TiO2 single crystals with a high percentage of the high surface energy {110} facets have been successfully synthesized in a simple and economical way using a modified hydrothermal technique in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and hydrofluoric acid. The morphology and structure of the TiO2 single crystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 crystals for the degradation of methylene blue dye was investigated by ultraviolet light irradiation. The effects of the amounts of HF and H2O2 on the morphology of TiO2 have been studied. The reaction time and temperature have also been investigated. In the TiO2 single crystals, the {001} and {110} facets are present at the same time. The results indicated that a high yield of single crystals with exposed {110} and {110} facets could be obtained by adjusting the reaction time, reaction temperature, and amounts of HF and H2O2. The anatase TiO2 single crystals with exposed {110} facets showed higher photocatalytic activities than those without.