Flotation of soluble salt minerals such as potash, trona and borax exhibits similarities because all are conducted in their brine solutions. The most commercially important boron minerals in the world are borax (Na2B4O7.10H2O), colemanite (Ca2B6O11.5H2O), ulexite (NaCaB5O9.8H2O), and kernite (Na2B4O7.4H2O). Most of them contain low grades when mined and must be upgraded by mineral processing te...

PURPOSE This study compared the effects of a mineral water rich in calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, and sulfate and a marketed mineral water with a composition similar to that of urban water on the lipid profile of dyslipidemic adults. METHODS In a randomized controlled trial, 32 adults received one liter of "rich mineral water" daily for one month, and 37 adults drank the same amount of norm...

The boron-rich cobaltabisdicarbollide (COSAN) and its 8,8'-I2 derivative (I2-COSAN), both of purely inorganic nature, are shown to cross through synthetic lipid membranes. These results reveal unexpected properties at the interface of biological and synthetic membranes.

We report conformal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of boron carbide (BxC) thin films on silicon substrates with 8:1 aspect-ratio morphologies, using triethylboron [B(C2H5)3] as a single source CVD precursor. Step coverage (SC) calculated from the cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy measurements shows that deposited at ≤450 °C were highly (SC = 1). attribute this to low reaction probab...

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is a magnesium-dependent, catecholamine-metabolizing enzyme, whose impaired activity has been positively associated with cardiovascular diseases, particularly hypertension. Consumption of some natural mineral-rich waters has been shown to exert protective effects on cardiovascular risk factors, eg. by decreasing arterial blood pressure and blood lipids. Howev...