Derivation of Neural Progenitors and Retinal Pigment Epithelium from Common Marmoset and Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) derived from mammalian species are valuable tools for modeling human disease, including retinal degenerative eye diseases that result in visual loss. Restoration of vision has focused on transplantation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) to the retina. Here we used transgenic common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) and human pluripotent stem cells carrying the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) reporter as a model system for retinal differentiation. Using suspension and subsequent adherent differentiation cultures, we observed spontaneous in vitro differentiation that included NPCs and cells with pigment granules characteristic of differentiated RPE. Retinal cells derived from human and common marmoset pluripotent stem cells provide potentially unlimited cell sources for testing safety and immune compatibility following autologous or allogeneic transplantation using nonhuman primates in early translational applications

Prenatal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Facial Features at 5 Years of Age:A Study from the Danish National Birth Cohort

BACKGROUND: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widespread persistent pollutants. Evidence regarding neurodevelopmental effects of PFAS have been mixed. The relation between PFAS exposure and anatomical markers that have been suggested to correlate with fetal brain development have not been studied. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the association between prenatal PFAS exposures and three craniofacial features in children measured at 5 years of age. METHODS: Measures of palpebral fissure length (PFL), philtrum groove, and upper-lip thickness were generated from standardized digital facial photographs from 656 children in the Danish National Birth Cohort. PFL was classified into two groups (shorter; normal), and the philtrum (grooved; smooth; normal) and upper-lip (thick; thin; normal) measures into three groups each. Six PFAS were measured in maternal plasma ([Formula: see text] gestational wk). Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for each facial feature using the normal group as the reference according to [Formula: see text] concentration (in nanograms per milliliter) or PFAS tertiles, adjusting for potential confounders, including maternal alcohol intake and smoking. Stratified analyses by maternal alcohol intake or child’s sex were performed. RESULTS: Prenatal exposure to each PFAS was associated with elevated odds for a shorter PFL, with the strongest association observed for perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA; per doubling [Formula: see text]; 95% CI: 1.11, 3.70). Some nonlinear associations were found for philtrum measures: the second tertile of PFDA and perfluorononanoic acid were associated with grooved philtrum, whereas the second tertile of perfluoroheptane sulfonate with smooth philtrum. The associations between PFAS exposure and a shorter PFL were stronger among mothers who consumed alcohol in the first trimester, some sex-specific associations were noted for philtrum and upper-lip measures. DISCUSSION: Prenatal PFAS exposures might influence fetal craniofacial development. A larger study is needed to replicate the potential modifying effects observed for alcohol exposure and to clarify whether associations of craniofacial markers observed reflect specific neurologic deficits. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP947

Analysis of reclaimed asphalt pavement with rejuvenating materials

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is currently commonly used in road construction. Reclaimed asphalt pavement can enhance environmental sustainability while also reducing reclaimed pavement disposal issues. In this study, waste cooking oil (WCO) was utilized as rejuvenating material. There are different samples, where Sample A is the control mixture which is virgin mixture without rejuvenator contain 0% of RAP content. Sample B is the rejuvenated RAP mixtures including 25% and 50% of RAP content combined with WCO, while sample C is the non-rejuvenated RAP mixture containing 25% and 50% of RAP content. In addition, sample D is for 100% RAP content. Therefore, to evaluate the engineering properties, different experimental test, including Marshall stability and flow, dynamic creep modulus and indirect tensile strength are applied, and the optimum percentage was determined based on the result. The findings revealed that reclaimed asphalt pavement with rejuvenating materials enhanced the performance of stability and deformation resistance. Moreover, the indirect tensile strength increases with the increase of RAP content. Based on the findings, it can conclude that 100% of reclaimed asphalt pavement showed the optimum value and significantly enhanced the performance of reclaimed asphalt pavement with rejuvenating materials by reducing pollution

Seashell porous asphalt – Sustainable road construction

High consumption of aggregate will cause an environmental problem due to the decreasing of natural earth resources. In Malaysia, cockle shell aquaculture areas extend about 10,383.09 ha which has contribute to a production of 78,024.70 tons

Influence of aggregates shape on porous asphalt mixture

Porous asphalt (PA) is a porous pavement layer made of an open graded aggregate that has a lot of linked air voids. The technical qualities and performance of PA are heavily influenced by the aggregate shape and surface roughness. Granite aggregate was use in this research to study the effect of aggregate shape on volumetric and mechanical properties of porous asphalt mixture and to evaluate the quality of aggregate shape of porous asphalt mixture (PAM) in relation to aggregate shape. To classify the aggregate size, Sieve Analysis Test was carried out and followed by Flakiness and Elongation Index Test. Marshall Stability Test and Resilient Modulus Test were conducted to study the behavior of PAM by replacing different shape of aggregate. Based on the result cubical shaped aggregates are more recommended to be use in PAM, due to the strength is higher than the conventional PA

Performance of glass powder as bitumen modifier in hot mix asphalt

The disposal of glass bottles in landfills has been an ongoing global environmental issue that is yet to be resolved. Using discarded glass in the asphalt mixture may assist in easing the strain on environmental authorities. In this experiment, the discarded glass bottle was repurposed to create glass powder, which was subsequently used as a potential modifier material in an asphalt binder. This study aims to evaluate the characteristics of modified asphalt binders that incorporate glass powder from waste glass bottles. The asphalt binder with a 60/70 penetration grade was used. Bitumen was mixed with varying percentages of glass powder (0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10%). The characteristics evaluation using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), softening point, penetration test, penetration index, and Marshall tests were performed. The main oxide group found in glass powder was contributed by silicon oxide (SiO2). The FESEM morphology analysis showed that the glass powder texture was dense, compact, and contained high contents of Silica (Si) and Oxygen (O) forming silicon dioxide (SiO2). Results showed that adding 2% and 4% of glass powder to bitumen lowered the bitumen's softening point and increased its heating loss compared to the unmodified sample. The Marshall stability of the asphalt mixture was significantly improved with the addition of glass powder

Image analysis and mechanical properties of asphalt mixture with waste plastic

Cracking is a typical problem that deteriorates the strength and longevity of a pavement structure. Waste plastic in pavement construction is cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The use of waste plastic has been growing in recent years. Adding waste plastics to the asphalt mixture would improve its physical and mechanical characteristics. As a result, it is a sustainable and long-term solution that helps to reduce plastic waste and preserve the environment. This research aims to develop the image analysis and assess the characteristic of modifying bitumen with different percentages of plastic wastes (0%, 4%, 6%, and 8%). Using blending processes, modified bitumen was prepared. The binder used in this study is penetration grade PEN 60/70. Marshall Test, Indirect Tensile Strength, Resilient Modulus and Dynamic Creep Modulus test were carried out to determine the optimum percentage of waste plastic in asphalt mixture. The modified binders can be used in high-performance asphalt mixtures, as well as to use a well-developed image analysis technique using ImageJ software to characterize asphalt pavement surfaces. The result shows that the modified asphalt mixture is more efficient than the conventional asphalt mixture. Addition of the waste plastic proved sufficient to increase the performance of the asphalt pavement as modified asphalt mixture performance is more stable than conventional mixture

Performance of permeable concrete pavement containing recycled aggregate

Permeable pavement is a form of concrete pavement with a high porosity that allows water from precipitation and other sources to pass through directly, decreasing runoff and permitting groundwater recharging. It is used for concrete flatwork applications. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of permeable concrete containing Recycled Coarse Aggregate (RCA), determine the optimum replacement of RCA and study its image characteristic. RCA is the coarse aggregate obtained from the Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) that the bitumen content inside it has been extracted. The method used to evaluate the aggregate was bitumen extraction, aggregate crushing value (ACV) and aggregate impact value test (AIV). For pavement concrete mixture was evaluate through compressive strength, flexural strength, porosity, and skid resistance test where image analysis used to characteristic the specimen. Generally, permeable concrete sample containing RCA had the similar compressive strength and exceed the flexural strength when compared to the conventional porous concrete. However, the strengths have a decreasing value with the increase of RCA percentage. On the other hand, for porosity, the percentage increases when the RCA percentage was also increasing. Finally, the skid resistance value is higher than 35 in the dry and wet conditions

Influence of sawdust ash as filler in asphalt mixture

Using saw dust as a filler in asphalt mixture would go a long way toward alleviating the boycott of certain building enterprises' use of mineral filler in asphalt mixture, as well as decreasing the impact on littering and emissions in the environment. In this study, the performance of Sawdust Ash (SDA) as filler in asphalt mixture was investigated and mainly focused on the addition of sawdust ash in following the order of 0% as control, 3%, 6%, and 9% by bitumen weight. The bitumen used in this study was 60/70 penetration grade. The purpose of this study was to study the effect of sawdust ash on the engineering characteristics of concrete asphalt. Different percentages of sawdust ash were mixed into bitumen using a high shear mixer. The Marshall Stability test was carried out to determine the optimum bitumen content of the mixture. The performance was evaluated through stability and volumetric properties, modulus of resilience and indirect tensile strength. It can be seen that the different percentage of sawdust ash as filler in Hot Mix Asphalt had noticeably different effects on the performance of modified mixture. The added of sawdust ash as a filler in HMA was not enough improvement to the performance of asphalt pavement as the performance of conventional mixture is more stable than modified mixture