A Deficiency Problem of the Least Squares Finite Element Method for Solving Radiative Transfer in Strongly Inhomogeneous Media

The accuracy and stability of the least squares finite element method (LSFEM) and the Galerkin finite element method (GFEM) for solving radiative transfer in homogeneous and inhomogeneous media are studied theoretically via a frequency domain technique. The theoretical result confirms the traditional understanding of the superior stability of the LSFEM as compared to the GFEM. However, it is demonstrated numerically and proved theoretically that the LSFEM will suffer a deficiency problem for solving radiative transfer in media with strong inhomogeneity. This deficiency problem of the LSFEM will cause a severe accuracy degradation, which compromises too much of the performance of the LSFEM and makes it not a good choice to solve radiative transfer in strongly inhomogeneous media. It is also theoretically proved that the LSFEM is equivalent to a second order form of radiative transfer equation discretized by the central difference scheme

Molecular Mechanism of the Constitutive Activation of the L250Q Human Melanocortin-4 Receptor Polymorphism †

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65471/1/j.1747-0285.2006.00362.x.pd

Associations of autozygosity with a broad range of human phenotypes

In many species, the offspring of related parents suffer reduced reproductive success, a phenomenon known as inbreeding depression. In humans, the importance of this effect has remained unclear, partly because reproduction between close relatives is both rare and frequently associated with confounding social factors. Here, using genomic inbreeding coefficients (F-ROH) for >1.4 million individuals, we show that F-ROH is significantly associated (p <0.0005) with apparently deleterious changes in 32 out of 100 traits analysed. These changes are associated with runs of homozygosity (ROH), but not with common variant homozygosity, suggesting that genetic variants associated with inbreeding depression are predominantly rare. The effect on fertility is striking: F-ROH equivalent to the offspring of first cousins is associated with a 55% decrease [95% CI 44-66%] in the odds of having children. Finally, the effects of F-ROH are confirmed within full-sibling pairs, where the variation in F-ROH is independent of all environmental confounding.Peer reviewe

Contribution of hydrogen peroxide to the cytotoxicity of green tea and red wines

10.1016/S0006-291X(03)00655-7Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications3044650-654BBRC

Effect of spark plasma sintering temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties of an ultrafine grained TiAl intermetallic alloy

The effect of spark plasma sintering (SPS) temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a bulk solid ultrafine grained gamma TiAl alloy produced by SPS of an ultrafine structured Ti/Al composite powder with a nominal composition of Ti–47 at.%Al has been investigated. The Ti/Al composite powder was produced using high energy mechanical milling. It was found that an SPS temperature of 800 °C led to the completion of the reactions needed for reaching the phase equilibrium and formation of a nanostructure with grain sizes in the range of 50–100 nm. However, this SPS temperature was not sufficient to achieve a nearly full density of the compact or a high level of interparticle bonding. Increasing the SPS temperature from 800 to 900 °C caused a significant increase of the density and the level of interparticle bonding while still maintaining grain sizes of <500 nm. The bulk TiAl alloy produced under this condition had a good compression yield strength, fracture strength, bending strength and plastic strain to fracture of 1722, 1963, 610 MPa and 4%, respectively. Increasing the SPS temperature from 900 to 1100 °C caused significant coarsening of the TiAl grains which led to a clear decrease in yield strength and hardness and a slight increase in ductility

The Pattern of Lymphoma in East Malaysian Patients as Experienced in the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur

Lymphoma is a highly heterogeneous group of malignant disease. This study aimed to elucidate the pattern of lymphoma in the East Malaysian patient population. 107 cases of confirmed lymphomas from East Malaysian biopsy material were retrieved from the files of the Department of Pathology, University of Malaya, in the 3-year period between 198 1 to 1983. With the use of a panel of lymphoid antibodies, the disease was sub-classified using the Rye classification for Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and the REAL classification for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). All of the cases were tested for the presence of the Epstein-Barr virus by EBER-ISH. There were 11 (10.3%) HL, 80 (74.7%) B-NHL and 16 (15%) T-NHL. The HL: NHL ratio was 1 :9. The most common tumour in children was Burkitt's lymphoma 711 3 (53.8%). In the adult group, there were 72/94 (76.6%) B-NHL {diffuse large cell type 51 (of which 2 were CD30+), Burkitt's lymphoma 8, follicular lymphoma 5, low grade MALT 2, mantle cell type 1 and not otherwise specified due to poor morphology 5 ), 13/94 (13.8%) T-NHL and 9/94 (9.6%) HL. Of the 9 adult HL, the most common subtype was nodular sclerosis (6,66.7%). The EBER positive rate in classical HL, T-NHL, BL and B-NHL were 33.3%, 56.3%, 60.0% and 3.1% respectively. In conclusion, the spectrum of lymphoma seen in East Malaysia was rather similar to West Malaysia except for the very low prevalence of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) in Sarawak (3.3%)

Dobutamine stress echocardiography in the elderly Asian patients

Annals of the Academy of Medicine Singapore262165-167AAMS