eNOS Tag SNP Haplotypes in Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy

Haplotypes formed by polymorphisms (T-786C, rs2070744; a variable number of tandem repeats in intron 4, and Glu298Asp, rs1799983) of the eNOS gene were associated previously with gestational hypertension (GH) and preeclampsia (PE). However, no study has explored the Tag SNPs rs743506 and rs7830 in these disorders. The aim of the current study was to compare the distribution of the genotypes and haplotypes formed by the five eNOS polymorphisms mentioned among healthy pregnant (HP, n = 122), GH (n = 138), and PE (n = 157). The haplotype formed by "C b G G C" was more frequent in HP compared to GH and PE (p = 0.0071), which is supported by previous findings that demonstrated the association of the combination "C b G" with a higher level of nitrite (NO marker). Our results suggest a protective effect of the haplotype "C b G G C" against the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Lack of evidence to support the association of a single IL28B genotype SNP rs12979860 with the HTLV-1 clinical outcomes and proviral load

Background: The Interleukin 28B (IL28B) rs12979860 polymorphisms was recently reported to be associated with the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) proviral load (PvL) and the development of the HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Methods: In an attempt to examine this hypothesis, we assessed the association of the rs12979860 genotypes with HTLV-1 PvL levels and clinical status in 112 unrelated Brazilian subjects (81 HTLV-1 asymptomatic carriers, 24 individuals with HAM/TSP and 7 with Adult T cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATLL)). Results: All 112 samples were successfully genotyped and their PvLs compared. Neither the homozygote TT nor the heterozygote CT mutations nor the combination genotypes (TT/CT) were associated with a greater PvL. We also observed no significant difference in allele distribution between asymptomatic carriers and patients with HTLV-1 associated HAM/TSP. Conclusions: Our study failed to support the previously reported positive association between the IL28B rs12979860 polymorphisms and an increased risk of developing HAM/TSP in the Brazilian population.

Assessment of SNPs for linkage mapping in Eucalyptus: construction of a consensus SNP/microsatellite map from two unrelated pedigrees

Financial support. Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology (CNPq Grant 577047-2008-6), FAP-DF NEXTREE Grant 193.000.570/2009 and EMBRAPA Macroprogram 2 project grant 02.07.01.004.

Thermal analysis of the chip formation in austenitic stainless steel

The most important property of austenitic stainless steels is corrosion resistance. In these steels, the transition between paramagnetic and ferromagnetic conditions occurs at low temperatures. Therefore, the use of austenitic stainless steels in conditions in which ferromagnetism absence is important can be considered. On the other hand, the formation of strain-induced martensite is detected when austenitic stainless steels are deformed as well as machined. The strain-induced martensite formed especially in the machining process is not uniform through the chip and its formation can also be related to the Md temperature. Therefore, both the temperature distribution and the gradient during the cutting and chip formation are important to identify regions in which martensite formation is propitiated. The main objective here is evaluate the strain-induced martensite formation throughout machining by observing microstructural features and comparing these to thermal results obtained through finite element method analysis. Results show that thermal analysis can give support to the martensite identified in the microstructural analysis.