Replacing R-22 by HFC refrigerants in stationary air conditioners is forcing oil producers to develop a new lubricant which has good miscibility with HFC, lubricity and electric resistivity. Mitsui has selected a carbonate compound for a new lubricant candidate with HFC and developed it forcusing on its thermal stability, which is one of the most important factors to get good lubricity. By supp...

The long-term success of coral reefs depends on a positive balance of calcium carbonate production exceeding dissolution, erosion, and material export. As a result of ocean acidification, coral reefs could transition from net accretion to net erosion owing to decreasing rates of calcification and increasing rates of chemical dissolution and bioerosion. Here, I present a fundamental paradigm tha...

BACKGROUND Cancellous bone from patients with osteoarthritis (OA) has been reported to be undermineralised and that from patients with osteoporosis (OP) is more liable to fracture. Changes in the mineral component might be implicated in these processes. OBJECTIVES To investigate the thermal stability and the mineral structure of cancellous bone from femoral heads of patients with either OA or...

From chronic kidney disease (CKD) Stage 4 onwards, phosphate binders are needed in many patients to prevent the development of hyperphosphataemia, which can result in disturbed bone and mineral metabolism, cardiovascular disease and secondary hyperparathyroidism. In this review, we re-examine the use of magnesium-containing phosphate binders for patients with CKD, particularly as their use circ...

Mollusks shell formation is mediated by matrix proteins and many of these proteins have been identified and characterized. However, the mechanisms of protein control remain unknown. Here, we report the ubiquitylation of matrix proteins in the prismatic layer of the pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata. The presence of ubiquitylated proteins in the prismatic layer of the shell was detected with a combi...

Coordinated taphonomic, geochronologic, and geochemical studies of bivalve death assemblages and their sedimentary environments of San Blas, Caribbean Panama, permit us to identify the major factors controlling skeletal degradation in mixed carbonate-siliciclastic tropical shelf sediments. Ten sites were studied along environmental gradients including water nutrients, grain size, and sediment c...

The precipitation of calcium carbonate and calcium sulphate by isolated bacteria from seawater and real brine obtained in a desalination plant growth in culture media containing seawater and brine as mineral sources has been studied. However, only bioprecipitation was detected when the bacteria were grown in media with added organic matter. Biomineralization process started rapidly, crystal for...

ODTs are becoming increasingly important in the pharmaceutical market, both for prescription and over-thecounter medications, and can significantly enhance patient compliance. As they can be swallowed without the need for water, these dosage forms are particularly convenient for children and the elderly, and they’re the delivery format of choice for people who want to take their medicine ‘on th...

Water is a fundamental solvent sustaining life, key to the conformations and equilibria associated with solute species. Emerging studies on nucleation and crystallization phenomena reveal that the dynamics of hydration associated with mineral precursors are critical in determining material formation and growth. With certain small molecules affecting the hydration and conformational stability of...

Thyroparathyroidectomy in the rat results in decreased plasma calcium and magnesium and increased phosphorus. The associated bone changes are decreased calcium, hydroxyproline, carbonate, and wholebone density. Bone magnesium, sodium, mineral density, and percent crystallinity are increased. The delayed matrix formation and mineralization previously identified by histologic techniques are herei...