Decipher 'Em All: A Profiling Study on the Effects of Acyl Groups in -Acyl-ω-hydroxy Fatty Acids.

The -acyl-ω-hydroxy fatty acids (OAHFAs) are an intriguing class of surface-active lipids which can be found in the human tear film lipid layer (TFLL). Recent studies have suggested that OAHFAs exist in the polar lipid layer and play a central role in TFLL function. Surprisingly, biophysical profiling studies have only shed light on the properties of OAHFAs bearing an oleate acyl group and insights on species with other acyl groups are scarce.

Another Brick in the Wall of Tear Film Insights Added Through the Total Synthesis and Biophysical Profiling of -Branched Wax and Cholesteryl Esters.

The tear film lipid layer (TFLL) plays a vital part in maintenance of ocular health and represents a unique biological barrier comprising unusual and specialized lipid classes and species. The wax and cholesteryl esters (WEs and CEs) constitute roughly 80-90% of the TFLL. The majority of species in these lipid classes are branched and it is therefore surprising that the synthesis and properties of the second largest category of species, i.

New Insights into the Molecular Structure of Tear Film Lipids Revealed by Surface X-ray Scattering.

The tear film lipid layer (TFLL) is a unique biological membrane that serves a pivotal role in the maintenance of ocular surface health. Reaching an overarching understanding of the functional principle of the TFLL has been hampered by a lack of insights into the structural and functional roles played by individual lipid classes. To bridge this knowledge gap, we herein focus on studying films formed by principal lipid classes by surface scattering methods.

Bimolecular recombination coefficient as a sensitive testing parameter for low-mobility solar-cell materials.

Bimolecular charge carrier recombination has been clarified in bulk-heterojunction solar cells based on a blend of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)propyl-1-phenyl-[6,6]-methanofullerene using the time-of-flight method. We show how bimolecular recombination influences the charge carrier transport, how it limits the efficiency of low-mobility solar cells, and how to estimate the bimolecular recombination coefficient. We found that bimolecular recombination in these efficient photovoltaic materials is orders of magnitude slower as compared to Langevin recombination expected for low-mobility materials.

Effect of Cu(2+)-ions on semiconductor properties of synthetic DOPA melanin polymer.

The purpose of the present study was to examine semiconductor properties of synthetic DOPA melanin, which are basic for future biological applications. DC conductivity, electron spin resonance (ESR), and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) measurements have been performed to investigate the effect of Cu(2+)-ions on the semiconductor properties of melanin polymer synthesized from DOPA (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine). DOPA melanin - Cu2+ complexes examined show the decrease of both thermal activation energy delta Ea and pre-exponential factor sigma o values upon doping.