Minerals

The particular mineralogy formed in the acidic conditions of the Río Tinto has proven to be a first-order analogue for the acid-sulfate aqueous environments of Mars. Therefore, studies about the formation and preservation of biosignatures in the Río Tinto will provide insights into equivalent processes on Mars. We characterized the biomolecular patterns recorded in samples of modern and old fluvial sediments along a segment of the river by means of an antibody microarray containing more than 200 antibodies (LDCHIP200, for Life Detector Chip) against whole microorganisms, universal biomolecules, or environmental extracts. Samples containing 0.3-0.5 g of solid material were automatically analyzed in situ by the Signs Of LIfe Detector instrument (SOLID2), and the results were corroborated by extensive analysis in the laboratory. Positive antigen-antibody reactions indicated the presence of microbial strains or high-molecular-weight biopolymers that originated from them. The LDCHIP200 results were quantified and subjected to a multivariate analysis for immunoprofiling. We associated similar immunopatterns, and biomolecular markers, to samples with similar sedimentary age. Phyllosilicate-rich samples from modern fluvial sediments gave strong positive reactions with antibodies against bacteria of the genus Acidithiobacillus and against biochemical extracts from Río Tinto sediments and biofilms. These samples contained high amounts of sugars (mostly polysaccharides) with monosaccharides like glucose, rhamnose, fucose, and so on. By contrast, the older deposits, which are a mix of clastic sands and evaporites, showed only a few positives with LDCHIP200, consistent with lower protein and sugar content. We conclude that LDCHIP200 results can establish a correlation between microenvironments, diagenetic stages, and age with the biomarker profile associated with a sample. Our results would help in the search for putative martian biomarkers in acidic deposits with similar diagenetic maturity. Our LDCHIP200 and SOLID-like instruments may be excellent tools for the search for molecular biomarkers on Mars or other planets.

Rice, Oryza sativa (Asian rice) and Oryza glaberrima (African rice) is an important staple food crop in many Sub-Saharan African and Asian countries, so the consumer’s daily bowl of rice needs to be safe and of good quality. In the present study, five different rice varieties, one locally grown, three hybrids (NERICA) and imported rice were evaluated for proximate and mineral composition using AOAC standard method of analysis. The results of this study revealed that all selected rice varieties contained considerable amounts of proximate values and mineral elements (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Fe, Cu, Ni, Mn, and Zn). NERICA rice had the highest concentration of most proximate values and mineral elements that in most of the other rice varieties. The present analysis revealed that the hybrid NERICA rice variety contained a considerable amount of nutrients.

Thiocyanate (SCN(-)) is a toxic contaminant produced by industrial processes such as gold ore cyanidation and coal coking. The potential for remediation by adsorption of SCN(-) on ferrihydrite, the influence of sulfate (SO4(2-)) on SCN(-) adsorption, and the fate of adsorbed SCN(-) during ferrihydrite aging were studied using macroscopic techniques complemented with attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared analysis (ATR-FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results showed that adsorption of SCN(-) was strongly affected by the concentration of electrolyte (NaNO3) and pH, with decreases in concentration of NaNO3 and pH leading to increased SCN(-) adsorption. The adsorption isotherms can be described by the Langmuir model. While at lower concentrations (0.52-1.04 mM), the presence of SO4(2-) had little impact on SCN(-) adsorption, at a higher concentration (2.08 mM), SCN(-) adsorption was significantly inhibited. ATR-FTIR data confirmed that SCN(-) was bound as an outer-sphere complex on ferrihydrite, and this mechanism was not influenced by changes in pH or electrolyte concentration. XRD data showed that ferrihydrite transformed to a mixture of hematite and goethite at 75 °C and pH 5 in the presence and absence of SCN(-). Partitioning data revealed that during ferrihydrite transformation, all adsorbed SCN(-) was released into solution.

If life ever existed, or still exists, on Mars, its record is likely to be found in minerals formed by, or in association with, microorganisms. An important concept regarding interpretation of the mineralogical record for evidence of life is that, broadly defined, life perturbs disequilibria that arise due to kinetic barriers and can impart unexpected structure to an abiotic system. Many features of minerals and mineral assemblages may serve as biosignatures even if life does not have a familiar terrestrial chemical basis. Biological impacts on minerals and mineral assemblages may be direct or indirect. Crystalline or amorphous biominerals, an important category of mineralogical biosignatures, precipitate under direct cellular control as part of the life cycle of the organism (shells, tests, phytoliths) or indirectly when cell surface layers provide sites for heterogeneous nucleation. Biominerals also form indirectly as by-products of metabolism due to changing mineral solubility. Mineralogical biosignatures include distinctive mineral surface structures or chemistry that arise when dissolution and/or crystal growth kinetics are influenced by metabolic by-products. Mineral assemblages themselves may be diagnostic of the prior activity of organisms where barriers to precipitation or dissolution of specific phases have been overcome. Critical to resolving the question of whether life exists, or existed, on Mars is knowing how to distinguish biologically induced structure and organization patterns from inorganic phenomena and inorganic self-organization. This task assumes special significance when it is acknowledged that the majority of, and perhaps the only, material to be returned from Mars will be mineralogical.

The research has been conducted on natural grassland in Fatuteta Village, Amabi Oefeto Sub-District, Kupang Regency for 2 months with implementation time from December 2017 to January 2018. The aims of this research is to know the content of crude protein, crude fiber and mineral calcium (Ca) forage natural meadows in Fatuteta Village Amabi Oefeto Sub-District, Kupang Regency. The method used in this research is survey method and measurement and direct observation in the field. Measurement of forage production is done by using systematic random sampling method by using plot measuring 1m x 1m. The placement of plots on grasslands is done in a systematic random manner. While the variables in this study is the content of crude protein, crude fiber and mineral calcium (Ca). Based on results obtained crude protein content on natural grasslands in the village of Fatuteta is 8.76%. The content of crude fiber is 29.46%. Meanwhile, the calcium mineral content (Ca) is 0.80%. Based on the result of the research above, it can be concluded that the natural grass nutrient content of Fatuteta Village, Amabi Oefeto Sub-District of Kupang Regency was normal for tropical regions.

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) demonstrate attractive properties for potential biomedical applications, owing to their amorphous structure. The present work has investigated the biocompatibility of Zr-based BMGs by studying the cellular behavior of bone-forming mouse MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast cells. A Ti-6Al-4V alloy was used as a reference material. Pre-immersion treatment was performed on BMG samples in phosphate-buffered saline prior to cell experiments. The effects of 1at.% yttrium alloying and surface roughness on cellular behavior were examined. The general biosafety of Zr-based BMGs for MC3T3-E1 cells was revealed as normal cell responses. Pre-immersion treatment was found to effectively reduce the surface concentrations of alloying elements. Micro-alloying with 1 at.% yttrium did not significantly affect cell adhesion and proliferation, but slightly decreased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity on rough surfaces. Lower cell adhesion and proliferation were found on smooth surfaces of Zr-based BMGs compared to their rougher counterparts. Higher ALP activity was detected on rougher surfaces. To obtain a mechanistic understanding surface free energy was correlated with cell adhesion.

The effort to collect and record the knowledge of our mineral wealth lasted four years and was finally published by The Scientific Society of Lavrion. "The Minerals of Lavrion", a publication by The Scientific Society of Lavrion satisfies the need to have a new book that includes all the minerals of Lavreotiki area and delivers this publication as a debt owed to the Lavrion (birthplace) and to any interested person.

The soils at the Opportunity site are fine-grained basaltic sands mixed with dust and sulfate-rich outcrop debris. Hematite is concentrated in spherules eroded from the strata. Ongoing saltation exhumes the spherules and their fragments, concentrating them at the surface. Spherules emerge from soils coated, perhaps from subsurface cementation, by salts. Two types of vesicular clasts may represent basaltic sand sources. Eolian ripples, armored by well-sorted hematite-rich grains, pervade Meridiani Planum. The thickness of ...

In spite of the established nutritive value of seafood, fishes have a special ability to store some
toxic substances such as heavy metals because of its own respiration system. The goal of current
study was to explore the proximate chemical composition, minerals content and levels of heavy
metals in edible portions of some important commercial fish species available at Makkah Central
Fish Market, Saudi Arabia. The obtained results showed that Indian oil sardine fish had the highest
value of crude oil (dry weight) recorded 38.00%, while, rusty parrot fish sample had the least of
1.17%. In contrast, rusty parrot fish had the highest value of crude protein represented 90.75%
(dry weight), meanwhile, Indian oil sardine had the least of 54.19%. Consuming about 250 g of Indian
oil sardine will cover 100% of Fe RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowances), eating 500 g of
the same fish will cover about 30% of Ca RDA. While, 500 g of gilt head bream which has the highest
content of K, Na and Mg will cover about 11.7%, 1.5% and 4.1% of these minerals RDA, respectively.
As physical hazards, fourteen samples from the thirty three studied samples exceeded the
permissible limit of Pb and Cd representing about 42%. Therefore, it is strongly recommended not
to eat head, gills or viscera of all fishes.

Geological materials/minerals have been used in the Himalayan Sowa Rigpa and Bhutanese traditional medicine (BTM) for treating various disorders for thousands of years. Our study reports the chemical identification of various geological materials and their ethno-medicinal uses for the first time. A five stage process was conducted including: (1) a survey of specialized ancient ethnomedical literatures (Pharmacopoeias and formularies); (2) freely listing the mineral ingredients reported in the ancient Sowa Rigpa medical texts and translating their ethnomedical uses in equivalent terms in English; (3) cross-checking the chemical names and chemical composition of identified minerals with various mineral databases and mineral handbooks; (4) Authentication and standardization of Sowa Rigpa names through open forum discussion with BTM practitioners; (5) further confirmation of the chemical names of identified minerals by consulting experts and pharmacognosist. Our current study chemically...

Myanmar-MINING BY Natural Resource Governance Index (NRGI) -Measuring the quality of governance in the oil, gas and mining sectors of 81 countries.
s://resourcegovernance.org/blog/modernizing-permitting-will-drive-development-myanmar-mining-sector

Modernizing Permitting Will Drive Development of Myanmar’s Mining Sector
10 JANUARY 2019
https://resourcegovernance.org/our-work/country/myanmar

https://resourcegovernance.org/analysis-tools/publications/tip-toeing-toward-transparency-jade-and-gemstone-myanmar
Tip-Toeing Toward Transparency: Jade and Gemstone Sector Disclosures in Myanmar
BRIEFING13 DECEMBER 2018
https://resourcegovernance.org/sites/default/files/documents/myanmar-tiptoeing-toward-transparency.pdf
https://resourcegovernance.org/sites/default/files/documents/jade-info-booklet.pdf
https://resourcegovernance.org/sites/default/files/documents/jade-info-booklet-mm.pdf
https://resourcegovernance.org/analysis-tools/publications/country-strategy-note-myanmar
https://resourcegovernanceindex.org/country-profiles/MMR/mining
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_JxNGWTwaI
nrgi@resourcegovernance.org
Lee Bailey
Communications Director
+44 (0)20 7332 6114 (office)
+44 (0)7823 442 954 (mobile)
lbailey@resourcegovernance.org

To determine the effects of two diets and water supplies on intestinal pH and mineral concentrations in the colon of horses, and to identify whether differences in these parameters exist in horses with and without enterolithiasis, surgical fistulation of the right dorsal colon was performed in six adult horses, three with and three without enterolithiasis. Each horse underwent four feeding trials: grass hay and untreated water, alfalfa hay and untreated water, grass hay with filtered/softened water, and alfalfa hay with filtered/softened water. Samples of colonic contents were analyzed for pH, dry matter, and mineral concentrations. Horses with enterolithiasis had higher calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sulfur concentrations and higher pH in colonic contents than controls. Horses fed alfalfa had lower colonic sodium and potassium, higher calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sulfur concentrations, and a more alkaline pH than those fed grass. Grass hay consumption leads to reduced concentrations of select minerals and a more acidic colonic environment compared with alfalfa, probably beneficial in the prevention of enterolithiasis. Under controlled dietary and management conditions, horses with enterolithiasis have differences in colonic mineral and pH parameters that may be consistent with physiological differences between horses with and without the disease.

The urge to make wealth, reduce unemployment, and improve the
living conditions of its people pushes the Ethiopian Government to regulate the mining legislation to favour investment in the sector. The external perception is that some aspects of doing business in Ethiopia are too difficult, and they increase stakeholders’ investment’s risk and undermine potential benefits.
Changes allow for business incentives that include security of tenure, the right to sell minerals, equipment and machinery’s preferential duty and tax provisions, a 2%–8% production royalty, a 25% mining corporate tax, custom/duties exemptions, carry forward of losses up to ten years, and profits repatriation’s structuring. Ethiopia’s resource intensity trajectory is expected to take off in the coming years. However, without adequate mineral discoveries and a competitive extractive industry, it may land up in a ‘Catch-22’ situation.
This hinders the overall progress of the country’s development without realising the development of the natural resources. This paper highlights the Ethiopian, mining industry status, strategy, and challenges, including
‘wirehousing and hotelling’, in relation to withdrawal of international
companies without completing the mining projects at all stages of projects development (mine to mill), such as exiting during the initial stages of mining industry (i.e., exploration/finding the ore-body), without proceeding to the next stages (mining/extraction/ and transformation/concentration of minerals).
Classic contribution of Australia’s mining industry to regional development via innovation, advancement, new discovery, capacity, and economy is presented to formulate, scale up/replicate, and appreciate the gap with the defies facing at regional state level (Tigray) and federal level (Ethiopia) and draw a lesson to other developing nations in relation to what a robust sustainable mining sector can bring to nation’s economy through different themes. This article has heaps of takeaway messages and has brought up untold embedded issues, which can be an inordinate input to diverse background of miners, mining companies, financiers, stakeholders, and governments’ decision makers, and will be well received by global readers.

Schiff base ligand, (L), derived from condensation reaction of 1,7-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione, (curcumin), with pyridine-3-carboxamide, (nicotinamide), and its complexes of Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) ions, containing 1,10-phenanthroline as auxiliary ligand were synthesized and characterized by various physico-chemical techniques. From the micro analytical data, the stoichiometry of the complexes 1:1 (metal: ligand) was ascertained. The Co(II) and Cu(II) forms octahedral complexes, while the geometric structure around Ni(II) atom can be described as square planar. The catalytic potential of the metal complexes have been evaluated by recording the rate of decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The results reveal that the percent decomposition of H2O2increases with time and the highest value (50.50%) was recorded for Co(II) complex. The ligand and its complexes were also screened for their in vitro antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcu...