@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{LiangBehlLendlein2021,
  author    = {Liang, Xiao and Behl, Marc and Lendlein, Andreas},
  title     = {Dihydroxy terminated teroligomers from morpholine-2,5-diones},
  series = {European polymer journal : EPJ},
  volume    = {143},
  journal   = {European polymer journal : EPJ},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Oxford},
  issn      = {0014-3057},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2020.110189},
  pages     = {9},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Oligodepsipeptides (ODPs) attract increasing attention as degradable materials in controlled drug delivery or as building blocks for nano-carriers. Their strong intermolecular interactions provide high stability. Tailoring the side groups of the amino acid repeating units to achieve a strong affinity to particular drugs allows a high drug-loading capacity. Here we describe synthesis and characterization of dihydroxy terminated teroligodepsipeptides (ter-ODPs) by ring-opening copolymerization (ROP) of three different morpholine-2,5-diones (MDs) in bulk in order to provide a set of teroligomers with structural variation for drug release or transfection. Ter-ODPs with equivalent co-monomer feed ratios were prepared as well as ter-ODPs, in which the co-monomer feed ratio was varied between 9 mol\% and 78 mol\%. Ter-ODPs were synthesized by ROP using 1,1,10,10-tetra-n-butyl-1,10-distanna-2,9,11,18-tetraoxa-5,6,14,15-tetrasulfur-cyclodecane (tin(IV) alkoxide) that was obtained by the reaction of dibutyl tin(II) oxide with 2-hydroxyethyl disulfide. The number average molecular weight (M-n) of ter-ODPs, determined by H-1 NMR and gel permeation chromatography (GPC), ranged between 4000 g center dot mol(-1) and 8600 g center dot mol(-1). Co-monomer compositions in ter-ODPs could be controlled by changing the feed ratio of co-monomers as observed by H-1 NMR spectroscopy and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The amount of remaining monomers as determined by H-1 NMR could be kept below 1 wt\%. Macrocycles as main sources of byproducts as determined from MALDI-TOF-MS measurements were significantly lower as compared to polymerization by Sn(Oct)(2). Glass-transition temperature (T-g) of ter-ODPs ranged between 59 degrees C and 70 degrees C.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{LiangBehlLuetzowetal.2021,
  author    = {Liang, Xiao and Behl, Marc and L{\"u}tzow, Karola and Lendlein, Andreas},
  title     = {Cooligomers from morpholine-2,5-dione and para-dioxanone and catalyst complex SnOct(2)/2-hydroxyethyl sulfide},
  series = {MRS advances : a journal of the Materials Research Society (MRS)},
  volume    = {6},
  journal   = {MRS advances : a journal of the Materials Research Society (MRS)},
  number    = {32},
  publisher = {Springer},
  address   = {Heidelberg},
  issn      = {2059-8521},
  doi       = {10.1557/s43580-021-00082-5},
  pages     = {764 -- 768},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Complexes from catalysts and initiator can be used to insert a specific number of additional chemical functional groups in (co)polymers prepared by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactones. We report on the synthesis of cooligomers from sec-butyl-morpholine-2,5-dione (SBMD) and para-dioxanone (PDX) by ROP with varied feed ratios in the bulk using the catalyst complex SnOct(2)/2-hydroxyethyl sulfide. M-n of the cooligomers (determined by GPC) decreased with decreasing SBMD feed ratio from 4200 +/- 420 to 800 +/- 80 g mol(-1). When the feed ratio was reduced from 80 to 50 mol\% the molar ratio of SBMD of the cooligomers (determined by H-1-NMR) remained nearly unchanged between 81 and 86 mol\% and was attributed to a higher reactivity of SBMD. This assumption was confirmed by fractionation of GPC, in which an increase of SBMD with increasing molecular weight was observed. The catalyst/initiator system provides a high potential to create orthogonal building blocks by cleavage of the sulfide bond.},
  language  = {en}
}