@article{ChengvandenBerghZengetal.2013, author = {Cheng, Shifeng and van den Bergh, Erik and Zeng, Peng and Zhong, Xiao and Xu, Jiajia and Liu, Xin and Hofberger, Johannes and de Bruijn, Suzanne and Bhide, Amey S. and Kuelahoglu, Canan and Bian, Chao and Chen, Jing and Fan, Guangyi and Kaufmann, Kerstin and Hall, Jocelyn C. and Becker, Annette and Br{\"a}utigam, Andrea and Weber, Andreas P. M. and Shi, Chengcheng and Zheng, Zhijun and Li, Wujiao and Lv, Mingju and Tao, Yimin and Wang, Junyi and Zou, Hongfeng and Quan, Zhiwu and Hibberd, Julian M. and Zhang, Gengyun and Zhu, Xin-Guang and Xu, Xun and Schranz, M. Eric}, title = {The Tarenaya hassleriana Genome Provides insight Into Reproductive Trait and Genome Evolution of Crucifers}, series = {The plant cell}, volume = {25}, journal = {The plant cell}, number = {8}, publisher = {American Society of Plant Physiologists}, address = {Rockville}, issn = {1040-4651}, doi = {10.1105/tpc.113.113480}, pages = {2813 -- 2830}, year = {2013}, abstract = {The Brassicaceae, including Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica crops, is unmatched among plants in its wealth of genomic and functional molecular data and has long served as a model for understanding gene, genome, and trait evolution. However, genome information from a phylogenetic outgroup that is essential for inferring directionality of evolutionary change has been lacking. We therefore sequenced the genome of the spider flower (Tarenaya hassleriana) from the Brassicaceae sister family, the Cleomaceae. By comparative analysis of the two lineages, we show that genome evolution following ancient polyploidy and gene duplication events affect reproductively important traits. We found an ancient genome triplication in Tarenaya (Th-alpha) that is independent of the Brassicaceae-specific duplication (At-alpha) and nested Brassica (Br-a) triplication. To showcase the potential of sister lineage genome analysis, we investigated the state of floral developmental genes and show Brassica retains twice as many floral MADS (for MINICHROMOSOME MAINTENANCE1, AGAMOUS, DEFICIENS and SERUM RESPONSE FACTOR) genes as Tarenaya that likely contribute to morphological diversity in Brassica. We also performed synteny analysis of gene families that confer self-incompatibility in Brassicaceae and found that the critical SERINE RECEPTOR KINASE receptor gene is derived from a lineage-specific tandem duplication. The T. hassleriana genome will facilitate future research toward elucidating the evolutionary history of Brassicaceae genomes.}, language = {en} } @article{ChenXiaoLietal.2012, author = {Chen, You-Peng and Xiao, Xiao-Min and Li, Jian and Reichetzeder, Christoph and Wang, Zi-Neng and Hocher, Berthold}, title = {Paternal body mass index (BMI) is associated with offspring intrauterine growth in a gender dependent manner}, series = {PLoS one}, volume = {7}, journal = {PLoS one}, number = {5}, publisher = {PLoS}, address = {San Fransisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0036329}, pages = {9}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Background: Environmental alternations leading to fetal programming of cardiovascular diseases in later life have been attributed to maternal factors. However, animal studies showed that paternal obesity may program cardio-metabolic diseases in the offspring. In the current study we tested the hypothesis that paternal BMI may be associated with fetal growth. Methods and Results: We analyzed the relationship between paternal body mass index (BMI) and birth weight, ultrasound parameters describing the newborn's body shape as well as parameters describing the newborns endocrine system such as cortisol, aldosterone, renin activity and fetal glycated serum protein in a birth cohort of 899 father/mother/child triplets. Since fetal programming is an offspring sex specific process, male and female offspring were analyzed separately. Multivariable regression analyses considering maternal BMI, paternal and maternal age, hypertension during pregnancy, maternal total glycated serum protein, parity and either gestational age (for birth weight) or time of ultrasound investigation (for ultrasound parameters) as confounding showed that paternal BMI is associated with growth of the male but not female offspring. Paternal BMI correlated with birth parameters of male offspring only: birth weight; biparietal diameter, head circumference; abdominal diameter, abdominal circumference; and pectoral diameter. Cortisol was likewise significantly correlated with paternal BMI in male newborns only. Conclusions: Paternal BMI affects growth of the male but not female offspring. Paternal BMI may thus represent a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases of male offspring in later life. It remains to be demonstrated whether this is linked to an offspring sex specific paternal programming of cortisol secretion.}, language = {en} } @article{ChenLiWangetal.2012, author = {Chen, You-Peng and Li, Jian and Wang, Zi-Neng and Reichetzeder, Christoph and Xu, Hao and Gong, Jian and Chen, Guang-Ji and Pfab, Thiemo and Xiao, Xiao-Min and Hocher, Berthold}, title = {Renin angiotensin aldosterone system and glycemia in pregnancy}, series = {Clinical laboratory : the peer reviewed journal for clinical laboratories and laboratories related to blood transfusion}, volume = {58}, journal = {Clinical laboratory : the peer reviewed journal for clinical laboratories and laboratories related to blood transfusion}, number = {5-6}, publisher = {Clin Lab Publ., Verl. Klinisches Labor}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {1433-6510}, pages = {527 -- 533}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Background: The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes in the general population. The RAAS is activated during pregnancy. However, it is unknown whether the RAAS contributes to glycemia in pregnant women. Methods: Plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma aldosterone levels were quantified at delivery in 689 Chinese mothers. An oral glucose tolerance test in fasted women was performed in the second trimester of pregnancy. The diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and impaired glucose tolerance during pregnancy were made according to the guidelines of the Chinese Society of Obstetrics. Results: Plasma aldosterone was significantly higher in pregnant women with GDM as compared to those without impairment of glycemic control (normal pregnancies: 0.27 +/- 0.21 ng/mL, GDM: 0.36 +/- 0.30 ng/mL; p<0.05). Regression analyses revealed that PRA was negatively correlated with fasting blood glucose (FBG) (R-2 = 0.03, p = 0.007), whereas plasma aldosterone and aldosterone/PRA ratio were positively correlated with FBG (R-2 = 0.05, p<0.001 and R-2 = 0.03, p = 0.007, respectively). Multivariable regression analysis models considering relevant confounding factors confirmed these findings. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that fasting blood glucose in pregnant women is inversely correlated with the PRA, whereas plasma aldosterone showed a highly significant positive correlation with fasting blood glucose during pregnancy. Moreover, plasma aldosterone is significantly higher in pregnant women with GDM as compared to those women with normal glucose tolerance during pregnancy. Although causality cannot be proven in association studies, these data may indicate that the RAAS during pregnancy contributes to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance/new onset of diabetes during pregnancy.}, language = {en} } @article{LiWangSchlemmetal.2011, author = {Li, Jian and Wang, Zi-Neng and Schlemm, Ludwig and Pfab, Thiemo and Xiao, Xiao-Min and Chen, You-Peng and Hocher, Berthold}, title = {Low birth weight and elevated head-to-abdominal circumference ratio are associated with elevated fetal glycated serum protein concentrations}, series = {Journal of hypertension}, volume = {29}, journal = {Journal of hypertension}, number = {9}, publisher = {Lippincott Williams \& Wilkins}, address = {Philadelphia}, issn = {0263-6352}, doi = {10.1097/HJH.0b013e328349a2e6}, pages = {1712 -- 1718}, year = {2011}, abstract = {Objective To analyze the association between low birth weight, head-to-abdominal circumference ratio, and insulin resistance in early life. Method and results Glycated serum proteins (GSPs) were quantified at delivery in 612 Chinese mother/child pairs serving as a surrogate of maternal and fetal glycemia. Differential ultrasound examination of the fetal's body (head circumference, biparietal diameter, pectoral diameter, abdominal circumference, and femur length) was done in average 1 week prior to delivery. Multivariable regression analysis considering gestational age at delivery, the child's sex, maternal BMI, maternal age at delivery, maternal body weight, and pregnancyinduced hypertension revealed that fetal GSP was inversely associated with birth weight (R(2) = 0.416; P < 0.001). Fetal GSP was furthermore positively associated with the head-to-abdominal circumference ratio, whereas the maternal GSP was negatively correlated with the offspring's head-to-abdominal circumference ratio (R(2) = 0.285; P = 0.010 and R(2) = 0.261; P = 0.020, respectively). The increased head-to-abdominal circumference ratio in newborns with higher fetal GSP is mainly due to a reduced abdominal circumference rather than reduced growth of the brain. Conclusion The disproportional intrauterine growth is in line with the concept of so-called brain sparing, a mechanism maintaining the intrauterine growth of the brain at the expense of trunk growth. Our data suggest that the low birth weight phenotype, linked to cardiovascular diseases like hypertension in later life, might be a phenotype of disproportional intrauterine growth retardation and early life insulin resistance.}, language = {en} } @article{ChenLuLietal.2014, author = {Chen, You-Peng and Lu, Yong-Ping and Li, Jian and Liu, Zhi-Wei and Chen, Wen-Jing and Liang, Xu-Jing and Chen, Xin and Wen, Wang-Rong and Xiao, Xiao-Min and Reichetzeder, Christoph and Hocher, Berthold}, title = {Fetal and maternal angiotensin (1-7) are associated with preterm birth}, series = {Journal of hypertension}, volume = {32}, journal = {Journal of hypertension}, number = {9}, publisher = {Lippincott Williams \& Wilkins}, address = {Philadelphia}, issn = {0263-6352}, doi = {10.1097/HJH.0000000000000251}, pages = {1833 -- 1841}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Background: Recent studies show that preterm birth is associated with hypertension in later life. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) during pregnancy influences fetal growth and development. In the current study, we investigated the impact of fetal as well as maternal angiotensin (1-7) [Ang (1-7)] and angiotensin II (Ang II) plasma concentrations on the risk of preterm birth. Methods: Three hundred and nine pregnant women were prospectively included into the study. The pregnant women were divided into two groups, for example, preterm birth of lower than 37 gestational weeks (n = 17) and full-term birth of 37 gestational weeks or more (n = 292). Maternal and neonatal plasma Ang (1-7) and Ang II concentrations were analyzed at birth from maternal venous blood and umbilical cord blood, respectively. Risk factors for premature birth were determined by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: Fetal and maternal plasma Ang (1-7) concentrations in the preterm group were lower than those of the term group fetal Ang (1-7) preterm birth: 486.15 +/- 337.34 ng/l and fetal Ang (1-7) term birth: 833.84 +/- 698.12 ng/l and maternal Ang (1-7) preterm birth: 399.86 +/- 218.93 ng/l; maternal Ang (1-7) term birth: 710.34 +/- 598.22 ng/l. Multiple logistic regression analysis considering confounding factors revealed that preeclampsia (P < 0.001), premature rupture of membranes (P = 0.001), lower concentration of maternal Ang (1-7) (P = 0.013) and fetal plasma Ang (1-7) (P = 0.032) were independently associated with preterm birth. We could furthermore demonstrate that the maternal Ang (1-7)/Ang II ratio is independently associated with gestational hypertension or preeclampsia, factors causing preterm birth. Conclusions: Lower concentrations of maternal and fetal Ang (1-7) are independently associated with preterm birth - a risk factor of hypertension in later life.}, language = {en} } @article{FangWangWirgesetal.2011, author = {Fang, Peng and Wang, Feipeng and Wirges, Werner and Gerhard, Reimund and Basso, Heitor Cury}, title = {Three-layer piezoelectrets from fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP) copolymer films}, series = {Applied physics : A, Materials science \& processing}, volume = {103}, journal = {Applied physics : A, Materials science \& processing}, number = {2}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {0947-8396}, doi = {10.1007/s00339-010-6008-2}, pages = {455 -- 461}, year = {2011}, abstract = {A process for preparing three-layer piezoelectrets from fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP) copolymer films is introduced. Samples are made from commercial FEP films by means of laser cutting, laser bonding, electrode evaporation, and high-field poling. The observed dielectric-resonance spectra demonstrate the piezoelectricity of the FEP sandwiches. Piezoelectric d (33) coefficients up to a few hundred pC/N are achieved. Charging at elevated temperatures can increase the thermal stability of the piezoelectrets. Isothermal experiments for approximately 15 min demonstrate that samples charged at 140A degrees C keep their piezoelectric activity up to at least 120A degrees C and retain 70\% of their initial d (33) even at 130A degrees C. Acoustical measurements show a relatively flat frequency response in the range between 300 Hz and 20 kHz.}, language = {en} }