Genetic diversity on the Comoros Islands shows early seafaring as major determinant of human biocultural evolution in the Western Indian Ocean.

The Comoros Islands are situated off the coast of East Africa, at the northern entrance of the channel of Mozambique. Contemporary Comoros society displays linguistic, cultural and religious features that are indicators of interactions between African, Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian (SEA) populations. Influences came from the north, brought by the Arab and Persian traders whose maritime routes extended to Madagascar by 700-900 AD.

Quantitative analysis of WC grain shape in sintered WC-Co cemented carbides.

The morphology of WC grains is examined by ab initio calculations, and by transmission electron microscopy in a WC-Co cemented carbide. Two compositions are studied to determine the effect of carbon chemical potential on the shape development. The WC grains are found to be truncated triangles, and the grain morphology is adequately reproduced by the ab initio calculations.

Phase identification and incipient melting in a cast Co--Cr surgical implant alloy.

Phase relationships in cast Co--Cr surgical implant alloys, heat treated at temperatures from 1180 to 1300 degrees C, are reported. Interdendritic material was identified by selected area diffraction as a quaternary near eutectic mixture between sigma phase, M23C6, M7C3, and fcc Co. Incipient melting and subsequent resolidification of this near-eutectic mixture accounts for observations of behavior at temperatures above 1235 degrees C.