Neuronal loss is the ultimate pathophysiologic event in central nervous system (CNS) diseases and replacing these neurons is one of the most significant challenges in regenerative medicine. Providing a suitable microenvironment for new neuron engraftment, proliferation, and synapse formation is a primary goal for 3D bioprinting. Among the various biomaterials, gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) stands out due to its Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) domains, which assure its biocompatibility and degradation under physiological conditions. This work aimed to produce different GelMA-based bioink compositions, verify their mechanical and biological properties, and evaluate their ability to support neurogenesis. We evaluated four different GelMA-based bioink compositions; however, when it came to their biological properties, incorporating extracellular matrix components, such as GeltrexTM, was essential to ensure human neuroprogenitor cell viability. Finally, GeltrexTM: 8% GelMA (1:1) bioink efficiently maintained human neuroprogenitor cell stemness and supported neuronal differentiation. Interestingly, this bioink composition provides a suitable environment for murine astrocytes to de-differentiate into neural stem cells and give rise to MAP2-positive cells.

RESUMO Os efluentes e resíduos industriais galvânicos são uma preocupação mundial, por terem em sua composição metais-traço altamente tóxicos, prejudiciais ao meio ambiente e à saúde humana. Neste artigo, é apresentado um panorama da indústria de semijoias folheadas de Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará, considerando-se os processos de produção e a concentração de metais-traço nos efluentes, bem como o resíduo sólido galvânico, gerados pelo setor. Dados primários de produção foram obtidos em 11 empresas por meio de questionário técnico. As concentrações de metais-traço foram obtidas por espectrofotometria de absorção atômica de chama. Os resultados demonstraram ineficiência no tratamento dos efluentes para cobre, níquel, cromo, chumbo e zinco. As concentrações médias de metais no resíduo sólido galvânico foram de 239 g Cu kg-1, 99 g Zn kg-1, 23,8 g Ni kg-1, 6,6 g Pb kg-1, 0,2 g Cr kg-1, 1,7 g Cd kg-1, 1,0 g Mn kg-1 e 8,2 g Fe kg-1. Os resultados evidenciaram a necessidade da adoção de medidas para o controle de qualidade dos processos de tratamento dos efluentes, com vistas à sustentabilidade do setor.

Red ceramics are part of one of the sectors of ceramic materials that make up the formation of the civil construction complex. In Cariri region and in the rest of Brazil, this segment uses clay as the main source of raw material, which favors the appearance of micro, small and medium enterprises that produce most of the products manufactured by the red ceramic sector. The objective of this work was the mineralogical and technological characterization of a clay sample from one of the potteries in Cariri region, intended for the manufacture of products to be used in civil construction such as tiles and bricks. For that, the techniques of X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction were used, in addition to determining the physical-mechanical properties of the specimens by 4 ton-force uniaxial pressing followed by firing at 800, 900 and 1000ºC. The results showed that the sample is composed of quartz, kaolinite, smectite and muscovite and that it has granulometry mostly in fine fractions; after firing the clay shows reddish color and the Atterberg limits are within the range indicated for use on red ceramics. The clay under study has technological properties suitable for manufacture and the specimens burned at 800°C do not meet the values indicated by the literature. The studied clay proved to be suitable for application in tiles and perforated bricks.

RESUMO A eletrodeposição de cobre em substratos ferrosos e não-ferrosos a partir de soluções contendo cianeto é uma das formas mais utilizadas industrialmente. Os depósitos obtidos por esse processo apresentam alta qualidade com baixo custo operacional, equipamentos pouco sofisticados e pré-tratamento simples no substrato. No entanto, novos eletrólitos isentos de íons cianetos têm surgido para substituir as soluções cianídricas que são tóxicas e com grande potencial de causar danos ambientais e a saúde. O objetivo deste trabalho foi a obtenção do cobre eletrodepositado (Cu eletrolítico) por corrente contínua a partir de um banho de sulfato de amônio e citrato de sódio; e, avaliar as características deste com as do cobre eletrolítico comercial (Cu comercial), bem como analisar duas metodologias de preparação da superfície metálica para análise por microscopia. As técnicas de caracterização utilizadas foram Difração de Raios-X (DRX), Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV), Microscopia Óptica (MO) e nanodureza, as superfícies das amostras foram preparadas por polimento convencional e eletrolítico. Observou-se que as amostras polidas eletroliticamente mostraram-se bastante brilhantes e apresentaram os contornos dos grãos com maior nitidez, os mesmos resultados não foram evidenciados pelo polimento convencional. O cobre obtido pelo banho isento de cianeto apresentou menores tamanhos de grãos e uma maior dureza dentro destes, quando comparado ao Cu comercial. O difratograma apresentou para o Cu eletrolítico picos de alta intensidade nos planos (200) e (111) mostrando uma maior orientação cristalográfica preferencial nas direções desses planos. Por fim, o MEV mostrou uma segregação de uma fase no Cu eletrolítico, causada pela eletrodeposição e também as formas dos grãos poligonais com microcavidades globulares do Cu comercial.

Materials Engineering presents an important process in the development of new technologies, in the creation and improvement of materials, aimed at improving aspects of society, such as: health, safety, quality and well-being of human life. Being ethics is an intrinsic factor to life in which it is possible to affirm that the exercise exerts the capacity to think in actions and conducts that can be used as exercises of any type of activity. technical and human resources. Aligned in this context, the present work aims to trigger on the ethics in the training and the performance of materials engineers based on a bibliographical review. During the review process, the ethics-related study topics were highlighted, which are of great relevance for postgraduate studies in life sciences; since the experience is a part of the professional is increasingly progressing its presentation devices that are beyond technical training. Based on the article of literature over time, this is a work that can be applied to a professional in the area of communication, such as the applications of technical norms required in the exercise of the profession in a way associated with moral, legal, environmental and humanitarian concepts. Finally, it was possible to verify that it was indispensable for the professional tasks of the engineering of materials or for the formation of other activities similar to the plan and the use of concepts and concepts specific to the social sciences, as is the case of ethical issues, with focus in explaining the code of professional ethics in order to meet a challenge as the demands demanded by the increasingly pluralized and multicultural world does not qualify at the present time.