Meta-analysis identifies novel risk loci and yields systematic insights into the biology of male-pattern baldness

Life & Brain GmbH; the BONFOR programme of the University of Bonn; and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). M.M.N. is a member of the DFG Excellence Cluster ImmunoSensation

Ambipolar thin-film transistors and an inverter based on pentacene/self-assembled monolayer modified ZnO hybrid structures for balanced hole and electron mobilities

We have fabricated high performance ambipolar thin-film transistors (TFTs) and an inverter based on organic-inorganic bilayer structures composed of an upper pentacene layer and a lower atomic-layer-deposited zinc oxide (ZnO) layer. The insertion of a dodecanoic acid (DA) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) into the interface between pentacene and ZnO results in an improvement in the morphology of the pentacene layer and in well-balanced ambipolarity with hole and electron mobilities of 0.34 and 0.38 cm(2)V (1)s (1), respectively. The ambipolar TFTs with DA-treated ZnO exhibit a hole to electron mobility ratio of approximately 0.90, which is higher by a factor of similar to 2.8 than that of ambipolar TFTs with untreated ZnO. We also tested the introduction of a perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PFOTES) SAM; the effects of the permanent dipole fields of the SAMs on the electrical and ambipolar characteristics of the hybrid TFTs were investigated. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.X111616sciescopu

Electrical and optical properties of Ti doped ZnO films grown on glass substrate by atomic layer deposition

Titanium doped zinc oxide (Ti doped ZnO) films were prepared by atomic layer deposition methods at a deposition temperature of 200 °C. The Ti content in Ti doped ZnO films was varied from 5.08 at.% to 15.02 at.%. X-ray diffraction results indicated that the crystallinity of the Ti doped ZnO films had degraded with increasing Ti content. Transmission electron microscopy was used to investigate the microstructural evolution of the Ti doped ZnO films, showing that both the grain size and crystallinity reduced with increasing Ti content. The electrical resistivity of the Ti doped ZnO films showed a minimum value of 1.6 × 10-3 Ω cm with the Ti content of 6.20 at.%. Furthermore, the Ti doped ZnO films exhibited excellent transmittance. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Erythropoietin promotes hair shaft growth in cultured human hair follicles and modulates hair growth in mice

Background: Recent studies have shown that erythropoietin (EPO)/erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) signaling exist in both human and mouse hair follicles (HFs). Objective: To investigate whether dermal papilla cells (DPCs) express functional EPOR and, if so, to investigate effects of EPO on hair shaft growth in cultured human scalp hair follicles and hair growth in mice. Methods: EPOR expression in DPCs and follicular keratinocytes was examined by RT-PCR and immunoblot. Phosphorylation of EPOR signaling pathway mediators by EPO treatment was examined by immunoblot. MTT assay was employed to check cell viability after EPO treatment. Hair shaft growth was measured in the absence or presence of EPO and matrix keratinocyte proliferation was examined by Ki-67 immunostaining in cultured hair follicles. Agarose beads containing EPO were implanted into dorsal skin of C57BL/6 mice to examine effects of EPO on hair growth in vivo. Results: EPOR mRNA and protein are expressed in cultured human DPCs. EPOR signaling pathway mediators such as EPOR and Akt are phosphorylated by EPO in DPCs. EPO significantly promoted the growth of DPCs and elongated hair shafts with increased proliferation of matrix keratinocytes in cultured human hair follicles. In addition, EPO not only promoted anagen induction from telogen but also prolonged anagen phase. Conclusions: EPO may modulate hair growth by stimulating DPCs that express functional EPOR. © 2010 Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology.