Stability of biocontrol products carrying Candida sake CPA-1 in starch derivatives as a function of water activity

[EN] The preservation and shelf-life of formulations of the biocontrol agent Candida sake CPA-1 and starch derivatives as a function of water activity (aW) were studied in terms of the physical stability of the products and cell viability. Formulations of biocontrol products (BCPs), based on combinations of potato starch and pregelatinised potato starch (F1 and F2) or maltodextrines (MD) (F3) containing cell protectants, were obtained by fluidised-bed drying. The carriers and the formulated products were stored at 20°C under different aW conditions. The water sorption and water plasticization behaviour of the different products were analysed through the water sorption isotherms and glass transition temperatures (Tg). Likewise, the viability of C. sake over time was determined as a function of the aW. The solubility of the products was also assessed. Although formulations stored at 20°C and low aW (≤ 0.33) exhibited a better shelf-life, a significant decrease in cell survival ratio after 180 storage days was observed. Cold storage (5°C) was required to better maintain the cell viability, thus prolonging the shelf-life of BCPs. Formulations containing MD were the most effective at preserving cell viability and also exhibited the highest water solubility. All the formulations were physically stable at ambient temperature; therefore, the cell stability is the critical point at which to establish both the aW levels and temperature during storage. Packaging the product using high water vapour barrier material and under cold storage would be necessary to ensure a high number of viable cells and an effective and competitive BCPThe authors are grateful to the Spanish Government for the financial support from the national project RTA2012-00067-C02 (Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria, Spain and FEDER funds) and to the Conselleria d'Educacio of the Generalitat Valenciana, (Spain) for A. Marin's PhD grant.Marín-Gozalbo, A.; Atarés Huerta, LM.; Cháfer Nácher, MT.; Chiralt, A. (2017). Stability of biocontrol products carrying Candida sake CPA-1 in starch derivatives as a function of water activity. Biocontrol Science and Technology. 27(2):268-287. https://doi.org/10.1080/09583157.2017.1279587S26828727

Gold Nanoparticle-Assisted Virus Formation by Means of the Delivery of an Oncolytic Adenovirus Genome

Oncolytic adenoviruses are a therapeutic alternative to treat cancer based on their ability to replicate selectively in tumor cells. However, their use is limited mainly by the neutralizing antibody (Nab) immune response that prevents repeated dosing. An alternative to facilitate the DNA access to the tumor even in the presence of anti-viral Nabs could be gold nanoparticles able to transfer DNA molecules. However, the ability of these nanoparticles to carry large DNA molecules, such as an oncolytic adenovirus genome, has not been studied. In this work, gold nanoparticles were functionalized with different amounts of polyethylenimine to transfer in a safe and efficient manner a large oncolytic virus genome. Their transfer efficacy and final effect of the oncolytic virus in cancer cells are studied. For each synthesized nanoparticle, (a) DNA loading capacity, (b) complex size, (c) DNA protection ability, (d) transfection efficacy and (e) cytotoxic effect were studied. We observed that small gold nanoparticles (70-80 nm in diameter) protected DNA against nucleases and were able to transfect the ICOVIR-15 oncolytic virus genome encoded in pLR1 plasmid. In the present work, efficient transgene RNA expression, luciferase activity and viral cytopathic effect on cancer cells are reported. These results suggest gold nanoparticles to be an efficient and safe vector for oncolytic adenovirus genome transfer

Gold Nanoparticle-Assisted Virus Formation by Means of the Delivery of an Oncolytic Adenovirus Genome

[EN] Oncolytic adenoviruses are a therapeutic alternative to treat cancer based on their ability to replicate selectively in tumor cells. However, their use is limited mainly by the neutralizing antibody (Nab) immune response that prevents repeated dosing. An alternative to facilitate the DNA access to the tumor even in the presence of anti-viral Nabs could be gold nanoparticles able to transfer DNA molecules. However, the ability of these nanoparticles to carry large DNA molecules, such as an oncolytic adenovirus genome, has not been studied. In this work, gold nanoparticles were functionalized with different amounts of polyethylenimine to transfer in a safe and efficient manner a large oncolytic virus genome. Their transfer efficacy and final effect of the oncolytic virus in cancer cells are studied. For each synthesized nanoparticle, (a) DNA loading capacity, (b) complex size, (c) DNA protection ability, (d) transfection efficacy and (e) cytotoxic effect were studied. We observed that small gold nanoparticles (70-80 nm in diameter) protected DNA against nucleases and were able to transfect the ICOVIR-15 oncolytic virus genome encoded in pLR1 plasmid. In the present work, efficient transgene RNA expression, luciferase activity and viral cytopathic effect on cancer cells are reported. These results suggest gold nanoparticles to be an efficient and safe vector for oncolytic adenovirus genome transfer.This research was supported by University of Valencia 'Ayuda a la Investigacion', Asociacion Pablo Ugarte and European Regional Development Fund (VLC-CAMPUS).Sendra, L.; Miguel, A.; Navarro-Plaza, MC.; Herrero, MJ.; De La Higuera, J.; Cháfer-Pericás, C.; Aznar, E.... (2020). Gold Nanoparticle-Assisted Virus Formation by Means of the Delivery of an Oncolytic Adenovirus Genome. Nanomaterials. 10(6):1-16. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10061183S116106Cebrián, V., Martín-Saavedra, F., Yagüe, C., Arruebo, M., Santamaría, J., & Vilaboa, N. (2011). Size-dependent transfection efficiency of PEI-coated gold nanoparticles. Acta Biomaterialia, 7(10), 3645-3655. doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2011.06.018Shukla, R., Bansal, V., Chaudhary, M., Basu, A., Bhonde, R. R., & Sastry, M. (2005). Biocompatibility of Gold Nanoparticles and Their Endocytotic Fate Inside the Cellular Compartment: A Microscopic Overview. Langmuir, 21(23), 10644-10654. doi:10.1021/la0513712Niidome, T., Nakashima, K., Takahashi, H., & Niidome, Y. (2004). Preparation of primary amine-modified gold nanoparticles and their transfection ability into cultivated cellsElectronic Supplementary Information (ESI) available: A TEM image of the complex at a w/w ratio of 11. See http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/cc/b4/b406189f/. Chemical Communications, (17), 1978. doi:10.1039/b406189fSandhu, K. K., McIntosh, C. M., Simard, J. M., Smith, S. W., & Rotello, V. M. (2001). Gold Nanoparticle-Mediated Transfection of Mammalian Cells. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 13(1), 3-6. doi:10.1021/bc015545cThomas, M., & Klibanov, A. M. (2003). Conjugation to gold nanoparticles enhances polyethylenimine’s transfer of plasmid DNA into mammalian cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100(16), 9138-9143. doi:10.1073/pnas.1233634100Noh, S. M., Kim, W.-K., Kim, S. J., Kim, J. M., Baek, K.-H., & Oh, Y.-K. (2007). Enhanced cellular delivery and transfection efficiency of plasmid DNA using positively charged biocompatible colloidal gold nanoparticles. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects, 1770(5), 747-752. doi:10.1016/j.bbagen.2007.01.012Chan, T. G., Morse, S. V., Copping, M. J., Choi, J. J., & Vilar, R. (2018). Targeted Delivery of DNA-Au Nanoparticles across the Blood-Brain Barrier Using Focused Ultrasound. ChemMedChem, 13(13), 1311-1314. doi:10.1002/cmdc.201800262Mbatha, L. S., & Singh, M. (2019). Starburst Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimer Grafted Gold Nanoparticles as a Scaffold for Folic Acid-Targeted Plasmid DNA Delivery In Vitro. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 19(4), 1959-1970. doi:10.1166/jnn.2019.15798Cobley, C. M., Chen, J., Cho, E. C., Wang, L. V., & Xia, Y. (2011). Gold nanostructures: a class of multifunctional materials for biomedical applications. Chem. Soc. Rev., 40(1), 44-56. doi:10.1039/b821763gCho, E. C., Au, L., Zhang, Q., & Xia, Y. (2010). The Effects of Size, Shape, and Surface Functional Group of Gold Nanostructures on Their Adsorption and Internalization by Cells. Small, 6(4), 517-522. doi:10.1002/smll.200901622Pissuwan, D., Niidome, T., & Cortie, M. B. (2011). The forthcoming applications of gold nanoparticles in drug and gene delivery systems. Journal of Controlled Release, 149(1), 65-71. doi:10.1016/j.jconrel.2009.12.006Rosi, N. L., Giljohann, D. A., Thaxton, C. S., Lytton-Jean, A. K. R., Han, M. S., & Mirkin, C. A. (2006). 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Double-shell gold nanoparticle-based DNA-carriers with poly-l-lysine binding surface. Biomaterials, 32(12), 3312-3321. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2010.12.064Sharma, A., Tandon, A., Tovey, J. C. K., Gupta, R., Robertson, J. D., Fortune, J. A., … Mohan, R. R. (2011). Polyethylenimine-conjugated gold nanoparticles: Gene transfer potential and low toxicity in the cornea. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, 7(4), 505-513. doi:10.1016/j.nano.2011.01.006Yan, X., Blacklock, J., Li, J., & Möhwald, H. (2011). One-Pot Synthesis of Polypeptide–Gold Nanoconjugates for in Vitro Gene Transfection. ACS Nano, 6(1), 111-117. doi:10.1021/nn202939sShan, Y., Luo, T., Peng, C., Sheng, R., Cao, A., Cao, X., … Shi, X. (2012). Gene delivery using dendrimer-entrapped gold nanoparticles as nonviral vectors. Biomaterials, 33(10), 3025-3035. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.12.045Trigueros, Domènech, Toulis, & Marfany. (2019). 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Intratumoral recombinant GM-CSF-encoding virus as gene therapy in patients with cutaneous melanoma. Cancer Gene Therapy, 6(5), 409-422. doi:10.1038/sj.cgt.7700066Senzer, N. N., Kaufman, H. L., Amatruda, T., Nemunaitis, M., Reid, T., Daniels, G., … Nemunaitis, J. J. (2009). Phase II Clinical Trial of a Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor–Encoding, Second-Generation Oncolytic Herpesvirus in Patients With Unresectable Metastatic Melanoma. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 27(34), 5763-5771. doi:10.1200/jco.2009.24.3675Goins, W. F., Huang, S., Cohen, J. B., & Glorioso, J. C. (2014). Engineering HSV-1 Vectors for Gene Therapy. Herpes Simplex Virus, 63-79. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-0428-0_5Dummer, R., Rochlitz, C., Velu, T., Acres, B., Limacher, J.-M., Bleuzen, P., … Urosevic, M. (2008). Intralesional Adenovirus-mediated Interleukin-2 Gene Transfer for Advanced Solid Cancers and Melanoma. Molecular Therapy, 16(5), 985-994. doi:10.1038/mt.2008.32GUPTA, P., SU, Z., LEBEDEVA, I., SARKAR, D., SAUANE, M., EMDAD, L., … DENT, P. (2006). mda-7/IL-24: Multifunctional cancer-specific apoptosis-inducing cytokine. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 111(3), 596-628. doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2005.11.005Abbink, P., Lemckert, A. A. C., Ewald, B. A., Lynch, D. M., Denholtz, M., Smits, S., … Barouch, D. H. (2007). Comparative Seroprevalence and Immunogenicity of Six Rare Serotype Recombinant Adenovirus Vaccine Vectors from Subgroups B and D. Journal of Virology, 81(9), 4654-4663. doi:10.1128/jvi.02696-06Mast, T. C., Kierstead, L., Gupta, S. B., Nikas, A. A., Kallas, E. G., Novitsky, V., … Shiver, J. W. (2010). International epidemiology of human pre-existing adenovirus (Ad) type-5, type-6, type-26 and type-36 neutralizing antibodies: Correlates of high Ad5 titers and implications for potential HIV vaccine trials. Vaccine, 28(4), 950-957. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.10.145Barouch, D. H., Kik, S. V., Weverling, G. J., Dilan, R., King, S. L., Maxfield, L. F., … Goudsmit, J. (2011). International seroepidemiology of adenovirus serotypes 5, 26, 35, and 48 in pediatric and adult populations. Vaccine, 29(32), 5203-5209. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.05.025Na, Y., Nam, J.-P., Hong, J., Oh, E., Shin, H. C., Kim, H. S., … Yun, C.-O. (2019). Systemic administration of human mesenchymal stromal cells infected with polymer-coated oncolytic adenovirus induces efficient pancreatic tumor homing and infiltration. Journal of Controlled Release, 305, 75-88. doi:10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.04.040Kasala, D., Yoon, A.-R., Hong, J., Kim, S. W., & Yun, C.-O. (2016). Evolving lessons on nanomaterial-coated viral vectors for local and systemic gene therapy. Nanomedicine, 11(13), 1689-1713. doi:10.2217/nnm-2016-0060Kwon, O.-J., Kang, E., Kim, S., & Yun, C.-O. (2011). Viral genome DNA/lipoplexes elicit in situ oncolytic viral replication and potent antitumor efficacy via systemic delivery. Journal of Controlled Release, 155(2), 317-325. doi:10.1016/j.jconrel.2011.06.014YOSHIHARA, C., HAMADA, K., KURODA, M., & KOYAMA, Y. (2011). Oncolytic plasmid: A novel strategy for tumor immuno-gene therapy. Oncology Letters, 3(2), 387-390. doi:10.3892/ol.2011.467Rojas, J. J., Guedan, S., Searle, P. F., Martinez-Quintanilla, J., Gil-Hoyos, R., Alcayaga-Miranda, F., … Alemany, R. (2010). Minimal RB-responsive E1A Promoter Modification to Attain Potency, Selectivity, and Transgene-arming Capacity in Oncolytic Adenoviruses. Molecular Therapy, 18(11), 1960-1971. doi:10.1038/mt.2010.173Rincón, E., Cejalvo, T., Kanojia, D., Alfranca, A., Rodríguez-Milla, M. Á., Hoyos, R. A. G., … García-Castro, J. (2017). Mesenchymal stem cell carriers enhance antitumor efficacy of oncolytic adenoviruses in an immunocompetent mouse model. Oncotarget, 8(28), 45415-45431. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.17557Carette, J. E., Graat, H. C. A., Schagen, F. H. E., Abou El Hassan, M. A. I., Gerritsen, W. R., & van Beusechem, V. W. (2005). Replication-dependent transgene expression from a conditionally replicating adenovirus via alternative splicing to a heterologous splice-acceptor site. The Journal of Gene Medicine, 7(8), 1053-1062. doi:10.1002/jgm.754Stanton, R. J., McSharry, B. P., Armstrong, M., Tomasec, P., & Wilkinson, G. W. G. (2008). Re-engineering adenovirus vector systems to enable high-throughput analyses of gene function. BioTechniques, 45(6), 659-668. doi:10.2144/000112993Bayo-Puxan, N., Cascallo, M., Gros, A., Huch, M., Fillat, C., & Alemany, R. (2006). Role of the putative heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan-binding site of the adenovirus type 5 fiber shaft on liver detargeting and knob-mediated retargeting. Journal of General Virology, 87(9), 2487-2495. doi:10.1099/vir.0.81889-0Brust, M., Fink, J., Bethell, D., Schiffrin, D. J., & Kiely, C. (1995). Synthesis and reactions of functionalised gold nanoparticles. Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications, (16), 1655. doi:10.1039/c39950001655Guillem, V. M., Tormo, M., Revert, F., Benet, I., García-Conde, J., Crespo, A., & Aliño, S. F. (2002). Polyethyleneimine-based immunopolyplex for targeted gene transfer in human lymphoma celllines. The Journal of Gene Medicine, 4(2), 170-182. doi:10.1002/jgm.228Stuchbury, T., Shipton, M., Norris, R., Malthouse, J. P. G., Brocklehurst, K., Herbert, J. A. L., & Suschitzky, H. (1975). A reporter group delivery system with both absolute and selective specificity for thiol groups and an improved fluorescent probe containing the 7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole moiety. Biochemical Journal, 151(2), 417-432. doi:10.1042/bj1510417Moret, I., Esteban Peris, J., Guillem, V. M., Benet, M., Revert, F., Dası́, F., … Aliño, S. F. (2001). Stability of PEI–DNA and DOTAP–DNA complexes: effect of alkaline pH, heparin and serum. 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Properties of biopolymer dispersions and films used as carriers of the biocontrol agent Candida sake CPA-1

[EN] The use of biocontrol agents (BCA) for controlling plant diseases is an alternative to reduce the use of pesticides. Their performance can be improved when applied in combination with coatings. Films and coatings formulated from different biopolymers were characterized as to their barrier and optical properties to analyse their impact on fruit when applied as carriers of the BCA Candida sake CPA-1. The properties of the film-forming dispersions were more affected by the type of polymer than by the incorporation of surfactants. Sodium caseinate formed the thickest coatings, but these were very thin in every case, which led to there being no predicted relevant effect on the gas exchanges of the fruit. The cell viability in the films was good during film drying, especially in the case of protein films; however, it decreased after storage.The authors are grateful to the Spanish Government for the financial support through project RTA2012-00067-0O2 and to the Conselleria d'Educacio of the Generalitat Valenciana, (Spain) for A. Marin's PhD grant (VALi+d 2013). The authors are also thankful to IRTA group, headed by Dra. Neus Teixido, for their assistance in the microbiological study.Marín-Gozalbo, A.; Atarés Huerta, LM.; Cháfer Nácher, MT.; Chiralt, A. (2017). Properties of biopolymer dispersions and films used as carriers of the biocontrol agent Candida sake CPA-1. LWT - Food Science and Technology. 79:60-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2017.01.024S60697

Artificial Intelligence on FDG PET Images Identifies Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients with Neurodegenerative Disease

[EN] The purpose of this project is to develop and validate a Deep Learning (DL) FDG PET imaging algorithm able to identify patients with any neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) or Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB)) among patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). A 3D Convolutional neural network was trained using images from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. The ADNI dataset used for the model training and testing consisted of 822 subjects (472 AD and 350 MCI). The validation was performed on an independent dataset from La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital. This dataset contained 90 subjects with MCI, 71 of them developed a neurodegenerative disease (64 AD, 4 FTD and 3 DLB) while 19 did not associate any neurodegenerative disease. The model had 79% accuracy, 88% sensitivity and 71% specificity in the identification of patients with neurodegenerative diseases tested on the 10% ADNI dataset, achieving an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.90. On the external validation, the model preserved 80% balanced accuracy, 75% sensitivity, 84% specificity and 0.86 AUC. This binary classifier model based on FDG PET images allows the early prediction of neurodegenerative diseases in MCI patients in standard clinical settings with an overall 80% classification balanced accuracy.This work was financially supported by INBIO 2019 (DEEPBRAIN), INNVA1/2020/83(DEEPPET) funded by Generalitat Valenciana, and PID2019-107790RB-C22 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/. Data collection and sharing for this project was funded by the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) (National Institutes of Health Grant U01 AG024904) and DOD ADNI (Department of Defense award number W81XWH-12-2-0012). ADNI is funded by the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, and through generous contributions from the following: AbbVie, Alzheimer's Association; Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation; Araclon Biotech; BioClinica, Inc.; Biogen; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; CereSpir, Inc.; Cogstate; Eisai Inc.; Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company; EuroImmun; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd and its affiliated company Genentech, Inc.; Fujirebio; GE Healthcare; IXICO Ltd.; Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy Research & Development, LLC.; Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development LLC.; Lumosity; Lundbeck; Merck & Co., Inc.; Meso Scale Diagnostics, LLC.; NeuroRx Research; Neurotrack Technologies; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; Pfizer Inc.; Piramal Imaging; Servier; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company; and Transition Therapeutics. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is providing funds to support ADNI clinical sites in Canada. Private sector contributions are facilitated by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (www.fnih.org).The grantee organization is the Northern California Institute for Research and Education, and the study is coordinated by the Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute at the University of Southern California. ADNI data are disseminated by the Laboratory for Neuro Imaging at the University of Southern California.Prats-Climent, J.; Gandia-Ferrero, MT.; Torres-Espallardo, I.; Álvarez-Sanchez, L.; Martinez-Sanchis, B.; Cháfer-Pericás, C.; Gómez-Rico, I.... (2022). Artificial Intelligence on FDG PET Images Identifies Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients with Neurodegenerative Disease. Journal of Medical Systems. 46(8):1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-022-01836-w11346

Effect of different coating-forming agents on the efficacy of the biocontrol agent Candida sake CPA-1 for control of Botrytis cinerea on grapes

[EN] Multiple formulations of known biocontrol agent (BCA) Candida sake, containing different coatingforming polymers and surfactants were tested at different polymer:BCA ratios, in order to improve control of Botrytis cinerea on grapes. The BCA cell viability on the grape surface was analyzed and reduction in disease incidence and severity was determined. Coating-forming solids improved the survival and effi- cacy of C. sake as a BCA against B. cinerea, depending on the polymer type and ratio. The incorporation of surfactants did not improve survival or disease control, although they promoted a better cell dispersion on the grape surface. Cell growth of the antagonist during incubation led to the formation of aggregates, even when surfactants were present. Sodium caseinate and starch were the most suitable polymers to formulate C. sake preparations to obtain coating-forming systems with this BCA and to increase its survival and efficacy at the minimum economic cost of the ingredients. 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reservedThe authors are grateful to the Spanish Government for the financial support from the national project RTA2012-00067-C02 (Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria, Spain and FEDER founds) and to the Conselleria d'Educacio of the Generalitat Valenciana, (Spain) for A. Marin's PhD grant.Marín-Gozalbo, A.; Cháfer Nácher, MT.; Atarés Huerta, LM.; Chiralt, A.; Torres, R.; Usall, J.; Teixidó, N. (2016). Effect of different coating-forming agents on the efficacy of the biocontrol agent Candida sake CPA-1 for control of Botrytis cinerea on grapes. Biological Control. 96:108-119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2016.02.012S1081199

Circular economy in the building and construction sector: A scientific evolution analysis

The building industry is responsible for considerable environmental impacts due to its consumption of resources and energy, and the production of wastes. Circular Economy (CE), a new paradigm can significantly improve the sustainability of this sector. This paper performs a quantitative scientific evolution analysis of the application of CE in the building sector to detect new trends and highlight the evolvement of this research topic. Around 7000 documents published 2005 to 2020 at Web of Science and Scopus were collected and analyzed. The bibliometric indicators, network citation, and multivariate statistical analysis were obtained using Bibliometrix R-package and VOSviewer. The co-occurrence analysis showed five keyword-clusters, in which the three main ones are: (i) energy and energy efficiency in buildings; (ii) recycling, waste management and alternative construction materials; (iii) sustainable development. The analysis showed that researchers pay close attention to "œsustainability" , "œenergy efficiency" , "œlife cycle assessment" , "œrenewable energy" , and "œrecycling" in the past five years. This paper highlights that (i) the development and use of alternative construction materials; (ii) the development of circular business models; (iii) smart cities, Industry 4.0 and their relations with CE, are the current research hotspots that may be considered as potential future research topics. © 2021 The Author(s

Life cycle assessment of the inclusion of phase change materials in lightweight buildings

This research evaluates environmental impact of including phase change materials in the envelope of lightweight buildings constructed off-site with dimensions 2.5 × 2.5 × 2.43 m3, located in the cities of Antofagasta and Calama, both in Chile. These cities are located in a cold desert climate zone, corresponding to a Köppen Climate Classification subtype “BWk”, with an average annual temperature difference of 4.8 °C. To evaluate the environmental impact quantitatively from “cradle to grave” life cycle assessment was used, it is a methodology based on International Organization for Standardization 14,040 and 14,044 standards. With this methodology, the manufacturing and operational phases and environmental payback period were evaluated. Results show that phase change materials addition in walls and roof of a building decreases electric energy (52.8 % in Antofagasta and 36.3 % in Calama) consumption and environmental impact while in operation, corresponding to 51.4 % and 84.4 % in the cities of Antofagasta and Calama, respectively. In addition, cubicles with phase change materials exhibit an environmental payback period below 15 %. Therefore, a decision of using phase change materials for lightweight buildings could be made in any subtype “BWk” area of Köppen climate classification. © 2022 Elsevier Lt