Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Scott D. Midgley, Dominik Fleitmann, Ricardo Grau-Crespo
Summary: The presence of bromine as a trace-element in calcium carbonate speleothems is a useful proxy for past volcanic activity. However, the chemical nature of bromine-containing impurities in speleothems is not well-understood, which hinders the interpretation of experimental measurements. A computer simulation study based on quantum mechanical calculations was conducted to investigate the incorporation of bromine in calcium carbonate polymorphs. The study discusses the distribution of bromate oxyanions and charge-compensating cations and predicts their stability and solubility limits.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yao-Wen Yeh, Sobhit Singh, Guangming Cheng, Nan Yao, Karin M. Rabe, David Vanderbilt, Philip E. Batson, Long Pan, Guofeng Xu, Shiyou Xu
Summary: In this study, the bonding state of calcium carbonate, a crucial building component in organisms, specifically the polymorphs calcite and aragonite, was characterized using valence (low-loss) electron energy loss spectroscopy. The difference in the Ca M23 edge, originating from 3p to 3d states, was found to align with the changes in Ca-O bonds in the two polymorphs. Surprisingly, the measured Ca M23 edge demonstrated qualitative agreement with the calculated partial density of states (PDOS) of Ca-d states, in contrast to the L edges (from 2p to 3d states) heavily influenced by atomic multiplet effect (spin-orbit coupling). These findings indicate that PDOS could potentially be utilized in interpreting the M23 edge of lighter 3d transition metals.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Diandian Zhao, Jonah M. Williams, Ah-Hyung Alissa Park, Shiho Kawashima
Summary: In this research, all three forms of calcium carbonate (calcite, aragonite, and vaterite) were synthesized and their effects on cement rheology were studied. It was found that aragonite increased the yield stress and storage modulus of cement pastes, while calcite and vaterite did not. The mechanisms underlying these changes were discussed, including geometric features, hydration kinetics, and surface charge.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Diandian Zhao, Jonah M. Williams, Zhanzhao Li, Ah-Hyung Alissa Park, Aleksandra Radli, Pengkun Hou, Shiho Kawashima
Summary: Three anhydrous calcium carbonate polymorphs (calcite, aragonite, and vaterite) were synthesized and characterized in this study. The effects of these polymorphs on cement pastes, including compressive strength, hydration kinetics, and phase compositions, were investigated. The results showed that aragonite and vaterite remained stable in the cement systems even after a prolonged age, which had implications for their use in cement systems depending on the intended applications.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Louiza Abidi, Frederic Amiard, Nicolas Delorme, Salim Ouhenia, Alain Gibaud
Summary: This paper aims to demonstrate the synthesis of superhydrophobic particles of calcium carbonate at a low cost using harmless and biocompatible natural products such as baking soda and olive oil. The particles were transformed into hydrophobic ones using soap made from olive oil, and various techniques were used to analyze their properties. The results showed that the particles exhibited superhydrophobicity and were functionalized by soap. The study also provided evidence of the efficiency of these particles in oil spill recovery.
ADVANCED POWDER TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Imran K. Shaik, Linqi Zhang, Sushobhan Pradhan, A. Kaan Kalkan, Clint P. Aichele, Prem K. Bikkina
Summary: This study focuses on the functionalization of microfluidic chips to mimic surface mineralogy and visualize multiphase flow and transport processes in porous media. By depositing calcium carbonate layers on glass surfaces, the formation and control of calcium carbonate polymorphs were analyzed. The influence of different process parameters on the coating procedure was evaluated, and strategies to transform vaterite to thermodynamically stable calcite were discussed. Various analytical techniques were used to examine coating uniformity, morphology, elemental composition, and CaCO3 polymorphs.
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
R. -h. Ma, X. -f. Wang, Q. Li, H. -y. Cai, X. -b. Luo
Summary: Limited studies provide direct evidence of Clonorchis sinensis adults in the early stage of gallbladder stone formation. Our research systematically studied gallbladder stones resembling adult worms and found a definite connection between C. sinensis infection and concomitant cholelithiasis. Analysis using various techniques revealed the presence of parasite eggs and tissues in the stones.
JOURNAL OF HELMINTHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Keishi Ideo, Hidetoshi Miyazaki
Summary: This study demonstrates that the crystalline phase of calcium carbonate varies depending on the substrate. The proportion of aragonite phase increases with deposition time on the soda-lime silicate glass substrate.
JOURNAL OF THE CERAMIC SOCIETY OF JAPAN
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Mohammed S. Hashim, Stephen E. Kaczmarek
Summary: The presence of magnesium in natural waters can strongly inhibit calcite precipitation and the transformation of aragonite to calcite. The rate at which aragonite stabilizes to calcite increases with lower fluid:solid ratios. Increases in fluid:solid ratio also lead to greater incorporation of magnesium into calcite products, suggesting that fluid:solid ratio is an important factor in carbonate diagenesis.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Jess F. Adkins, John D. Naviaux, Adam V. Subhas, Sijia Dong, William M. Berelson
Summary: The dissolution of CaCO3 minerals in the ocean is a fundamental aspect of marine alkalinity and carbon cycling, but there is still disagreement regarding the relationship between dissolution rate and mineral saturation state. While freshwater dissolution of calcite has been well studied, a unified understanding of carbonate dissolution in the ocean is lacking, with disagreements between laboratory and field studies. This review proposes a new framework that considers surface energetics and seawater speciation to explain recent data and historical features.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE, VOL 13, 2021
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mauro Mecozzi, Riccardo Delle Fratte, Marco Pietroletti, Fabrizio Novelli, Umberto Scacco
Summary: In this study, FTIR and FTNIR spectroscopy were used to investigate the structural characteristics of different mollusc shells sampled from various sites. The results showed that the structural differences in these shells were related to local environmental conditions. FTIR spectra were able to detect the role of amorphous calcium carbonate in the shell structure, and FTNIR spectroscopy could detect the presence of protein structures in the shells.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Olivier Morissette, Clive N. Trueman, Anna M. Sturrock, Audrey J. Geffen, Kotaro Shirai
Summary: Water temperature is vital for studying the ecology of aquatic ectotherms, but validating individual-based thermal experience measurements remains challenging. The stable isotope composition of oxygen in biominerals serves as a natural thermometer due to isotopic fractionation between water and minerals. However, coefficients of published temperature-dependent fractionation equations vary among taxa, suggesting the need for species-specific experimental validation before inferring temperature from biomineral oxygen isotope thermometry.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Review
Construction & Building Technology
Graciela Ma, Rodrigo Gay Ducati, Rafael Mascolo, Claucia Fernanda Volken de Souza
Summary: This review provides an overview of the use of microorganisms in concrete or mortar mixtures to enhance their properties and repair cracks. Various microorganisms have been applied to these materials in different ways, with positive results in terms of strength, porosity, resistance to aggressive environments, and crack healing.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Zsombor Molnar, Istvan Dodony, Mihaly Posfai
Summary: This study found that clay minerals have an important influence on the crystallization process of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), promoting the rapid growth and coalescence of ACC particles on their surface, resulting in larger particle sizes and the conversion into calcite. Furthermore, the presence of magnesium ions significantly increases the stability of ACC, leading to the formation of aragonite instead of calcite.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Anna L. Harrison, Alexander Heuser, Volker Liebetrau, Anton Eisenhauer, Jacques Schott, Vasileios Mavromatis
Summary: The equilibrium isotope fractionation between calcite and aragonite and Ca2+ aquo ion was estimated using the three-isotope method. The results showed that the equilibrium fractionation of aragonite-Ca2+(aq) was -0.80 +/- 0.10%o and calcite-Ca2+(aq) was -0.02 +/- 0.13%o. The experimental observations also revealed that the isotope exchange rates in aragonite were faster than in calcite.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Gabriela Martinez Moura Tavares, Hannar Angelica de Melo Alverga, Estela Moraes Felix, Giovana de Oliveira Dichman, Gabriel Monteiro Pinheiro, Yara Juliano, Priscila Paruci, Dennis Minoru Fujita, Lucas Melo Neves, Marina Tiemi Shio, Luiz Henrique da Silva Nali
Summary: This study investigated the frequency of N. gonorrhoeae infection in women in a poor area of São Paulo and found that most of the strains detected showed resistance to one or more antimicrobials.
Article
Parasitology
Qian Yao, Ying-Ying Fan, Shuang Huang, Gui-Rong Hu, Jun-Ke Song, Xin Yang, Guang-Hui Zhao
Summary: This study found that the expression of miR-4521 was upregulated during C. parvum infection, and this upregulation was related to the TLR/NF-kappa B signal pathway. Additionally, miR-4521 promoted the propagation of C. parvum in HCT-8 cells by regulating BCL2-mediated cell apoptosis through targeting foxm1.
Article
Parasitology
Cho Naing, Maxine A. Whittaker, Wong Siew Tung, Htar Aung, Joon Wah Mak
Summary: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of zoonotic brugian filariasis in animals and compare it with the prevalence in humans in the same area. The findings suggest that cats, dogs, and leaf-eating monkeys may serve as potential reservoirs for human brugian filariasis.
Review
Parasitology
Raissa Nogueira de Brito, Susan Tanner, Julie Velasquez Runk, Juliana Hoyos
Summary: This study conducted a scoping review to identify major research themes and knowledge gaps in the social science literature on leishmaniases or Chagas disease. The findings showed that research in this field mainly focuses on the sociocultural, economic, historical, and political dimensions of the diseases. Future research should pay more attention to how social institutions and economic factors shape disease education, control measures, healthcare access, and quality of life of affected individuals.
Article
Parasitology
Minghao Zheng, Mengyao Zhang, Hao Li, Shipo Wu, Yuee Zhao, Jinlong Zhang, Yunyue Zhou, Mohamed Boie Jalloh, Kun Zhang, Lina Chen, Zhiqiang Mi, Yong Cui, Lihua Hou
Summary: Rapid and convenient detection of Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite in Africa, is crucial for malaria eradication efforts in medical resource-limited settings. A CRISPR-based diagnostic method that can detect P. falciparum without nucleic acid extraction was developed and showed high sensitivity and consistency with qPCR test. It can also detect artemisinin-resistant strains and other laboratory-cultured strains. This method has great potential for clinical testing and large-scale community screening in Africa and other regions.
Article
Parasitology
Fabian Correa-Morales, Cassandra Gonzalez-Acosta, David Ibarra-Ojeda, Miguel Moreno-Garcia
Summary: Since 2002, West Nile Virus (WNV) has been reported in 18 states in Mexico. This paper discusses the proposed hypotheses for the absence of WNV outbreaks in Latin America and provides a context-specific explanation for Mexico.
Article
Parasitology
Umberto Molini, Lauren M. Coetzee, Vernon Christians, Maria Y. Hemberger, Bernard Chiwome, Maria Amukwaya, Siegfried Khaiseb, Giovanni Cattoli, William G. Dundon, Giovanni Franzo
Summary: Porcine circovirus 3 (PCV-3) has been reported globally since its first identification in 2015. Limited data on PCV-3 in Africa led to a study in Namibia, which found a high prevalence of PCV-3 in backyard piggeries, but not in commercial farms with higher biosecurity measures. The source of viral introduction and factors such as semen importation, feeding backyard pigs with human food waste, pig exchanges, and wildlife movements may be involved in the dispersal of PCV-3 within Namibia. Further studies are needed to understand the epidemiology and impact of PCV-3 on pig productivity and wildlife health.
Article
Parasitology
Chutchai Piewbang, Panida Poonsin, Pattiya Lohavicharn, Panitnan Punyathi, Sawang Kesdangsakonwut, Tanit Kasantikul, Somporn Techangamsuwan
Summary: This study provides insights into the pathology of natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs, revealing severe damage to the lungs and involvement of multiple organs. The findings suggest the potential utility of dogs as a model for studying SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans, highlighting the need for further investigation.
Article
Parasitology
Julian Avila-Jimenez, Juan David Gutierrez, Mariano Altamiranda-Saavedra
Summary: Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease transmitted to humans by sandfly vectors and vertebrate hosts. This study used ecological niche modeling to investigate the potential distribution of host and vector species associated with cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission, revealing different distribution patterns under varying climatic conditions.
Article
Parasitology
Luis A. Gomez-Puerta, Juan Olazabal, Santiago Paredes, Juan Lopez, Miguel Anampa, Angelica Mondragon, Ana Vargas-Calla, Hugo Castillo
Summary: This study reports the first detection of Candidatus M. haemolamae infection in vicunas from the Pampa Galeras National Reserve in Peru, using molecular diagnosis. Tick-infested vicunas had a higher likelihood of being infected with Candidatus M. haemolamae compared to tick-free vicunas. Gender and age were not associated with infection.
Article
Parasitology
Berlin Londono-Renteria, Zakaria Seidu, Helena Lamptey, Michael F. Ofori, Lars Hviid, Mary Lopez-Perez
Summary: Heterozygous carriers of HbAS and HbAC have a reduced risk of severe malaria, but not immunity against Plasmodium falciparum infection. Antibody levels against gSG6-P1 peptide in Anopheles mosquito saliva can serve as a serological biomarker for exposure to Plasmodium infection. This study highlights the importance of studying the role of hemoglobinopathies in malaria transmission for improving control interventions.
Article
Parasitology
Imane Belbacha, Meryem El Azzouzi, Rajae Bensghir, Kamal Filali Marhoum, Khadija Hajjout, El Mir Elharti, Khalid Sadki, Hicham Oumzil
Summary: This study investigates the association of three SNPs in the APOBEC3G gene with disease outcomes in Moroccan HIV-1 infected patients. The rs2294367 CG genotype is strongly associated with protection against HIV-1 infection, particularly in older individuals.
Article
Parasitology
Tan Luong, Do Kien Tran, Anh Hung Pham, Thi Thu-Ha Hoang, Van Khang Pham, Quang Thai Pham, Thi Mai Hung Tran, Minh Hoa Luong, Thanh Long Pham, Jason K. Blackburn
Summary: This study examined the epidemiology of anthrax in Lai Chau province, Vietnam, using historical data. Spatial clusters of human and livestock anthrax were identified, and the characteristics of the disease were described. The study found that there were distinct differences between the high-risk areas for human and livestock anthrax, and most human cases occurred during specific seasons. Additionally, the decrease in livestock anthrax vaccine coverage was associated with an increase in disease incidence.
Article
Parasitology
Jin-tao Chen, Jian-bo Zhan, Ming-chao Zhu, Kai-ji Li, Man-qing Liu, Bin Hu, Kun Cai, Hai-rong Xiong, Shu-liang Chen, Wei-long Tan, Liang-jun Chen, Wei Hou
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence and variation of orthohantavirus in rodents and humans in Hubei province, China. It identified the diversity of orthohantaviruses circulating in the region, with the HV004-like subtype being the main genotype in rodents and patients. This highlights the importance of continued attention and research on orthohantaviruses, especially newly identified strains.