@article{VogelKamitzHallahanetal.2018, author = {Vogel, Heike and Kamitz, Anne and Hallahan, Nicole and Lebek, Sandra and Schallschmidt, Tanja and Jonas, Wenke and J{\"a}hnert, Markus and Gottmann, Pascal and Zellner, Lisa and Kanzleiter, Timo and Damen, Mareike and Altenhofen, Delsi and Burkhardt, Ralph and Renner, Simone and Dahlhoff, Maik and Wolf, Eckhard and M{\"u}ller, Timo Dirk and Bl{\"u}her, Matthias and Joost, Hans-Georg and Chadt, Alexandra and Al-Hasani, Hadi and Sch{\"u}rmann, Annette}, title = {A collective diabetes cross in combination with a computational framework to dissect the genetics of human obesity and Type 2 diabetes}, series = {Human molecular genetics}, volume = {27}, journal = {Human molecular genetics}, number = {17}, publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0964-6906}, doi = {10.1093/hmg/ddy217}, pages = {3099 -- 3112}, year = {2018}, abstract = {To explore the genetic determinants of obesity and Type 2 diabetes (T2D), the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) conducted crossbreedings of the obese and diabetes-prone New Zealand Obese mouse strain with four different lean strains (B6, DBA, C3H, 129P2) that vary in their susceptibility to develop T2D. Genome-wide linkage analyses localized more than 290 quantitative trait loci (QTL) for obesity, 190 QTL for diabetes-related traits and 100 QTL for plasma metabolites in the out-cross populations. A computational framework was developed that allowed to refine critical regions and to nominate a small number of candidate genes by integrating reciprocal haplotype mapping and transcriptome data. The efficiency of the complex procedure was demonstrated for one obesity QTL. The genomic interval of 35 Mb with 502 annotated candidate genes was narrowed down to six candidates. Accordingly, congenic mice retained the obesity phenotype owing to an interval that contains three of the six candidate genes. Among these the phospholipase PLA2G4A exhibited an elevated expression in adipose tissue of obese human subjects and is therefore a critical regulator of the obesity locus. Together, our broad and complex approach demonstrates that combined- and comparative-cross analysis exhibits improved mapping resolution and represents a valid tool for the identification of disease genes.}, language = {en} } @article{RyllSchmitzdeBooretal.2018, author = {Ryll, Britta and Schmitz, Andreas and de Boor, Johannes and Franz, Alexandra and Whitfield, Pamela S. and Reehuis, Manfred and Hoser, Andreas and M{\"u}ller, Eckhard and Habicht, Klaus and Fritscht, Katharina}, title = {Structure, phase composition, and thermoelectric properties of YbxCo4Sb12 and their dependence on synthesis method}, series = {ACS applied energy materials}, volume = {1}, journal = {ACS applied energy materials}, number = {1}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, address = {Washington}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.7b00015}, pages = {113 -- 122}, year = {2018}, abstract = {We present a combined microscopic and macroscopic study of YbxCo4Sb12 skutterudites for a range of nominal filling fractions, 0.15 < x < 0.75. The samples were synthesized using two different methods — a melt-quench-annealing route in evacuated quartz ampoules and a non-equilibrium ball-mill route — for which we directly compare the crystal structure and phase composition as well as the thermoelectric properties. Rietveld refinements of high-quality neutron powder diffraction data reveal about a 30-40\% smaller Yb occupancy on the crystallographic 2a site than nominally expected for both synthesis routes. We observe a maximum filling fraction of at least 0.439(7) for a sample synthesized by the ball-mill routine, exceeding theoretical predictions of the filling fraction limit of 0.2-0.3. A single secondary phase of CoSb2 is observed in ball-mill-synthesized samples, while two secondary phases, CoSb2 and YbSb2, are detected for samples prepared by the ampoule route. A detrimental influence of the secondary phases on the thermoelectric properties is observed for secondary-phase fractions larger than 8 wt \% regardless of the kind of secondary phase. The largest figure of merit of all samples with a ZT ∼ 1.0 at 723 K is observed for the sample with a refined Yb content of x2a = 0.159(3), synthesized by the ampoule route.}, language = {en} } @article{BivigouKoumbaGoernitzLaschewskyetal.2010, author = {Bivigou Koumba, Achille Mayelle and Goernitz, Eckhard and Laschewsky, Andr{\´e} and M{\"u}ller-Buschbaum, Peter and Papadakis, Christine M.}, title = {Thermoresponsive amphiphilic symmetrical triblock copolymers with a hydrophilic middle block made of poly(N- isopropylacrylamide) : synthesis, self-organization, and hydrogel formation}, issn = {0303-402X}, doi = {10.1007/s00396-009-2179-9}, year = {2010}, abstract = {Several series of symmetrical triblock copolymers were synthesized by the reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer method. They consist of a long block of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) as hydrophilic, thermoresponsive middle block, which is end-capped by two small strongly hydrophobic blocks made from five different vinyl polymers. The association of the amphiphilic polymers was studied in dilute and concentrated aqueous solution. The polymer micelles found at low concentrations form hydrogels at high concentrations, typically above 30-35 wt.\%. Hydrogel formation and the thermosensitive rheological behavior were studied exemplarily for copolymers with hydrophobic blocks of polystyrene, poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate), and poly(n-octadecyl acrylate). All systems exhibited a cloud point around 30 A degrees C. Heating beyond the cloud point initially favors hydrogel formation but continued heating results in macroscopic phase separation. The rheological behavior suggests that the copolymers associate into flower-like micelles, with only a small share of polymers that bridge the micelles and act as physical cross-linkers, even at high concentrations.}, language = {en} }