The construction of a performance measurement system for self-evaluation of a graduate biotechnology program

The Literature on Performance Measurement Systems (PMS) is vast, however, little is found on the design stage of these for Higher Education. The purpose of this article is to present an SMD built for a Biotechnology Graduate Program (GP) to evaluate its performance. The Value Focused Thinking (VFT) approach was used to identify performance criteria. Mathematical modeling technique was used to identify the weights of these criteria through the Decision Support Method with Multiple Criteria: Analytic Network Process (ANP). Stakeholder decision compatibility was tested. Thirty-five performance indicators were built and grouped into eight fundamental objectives. The evaluation of the program identified that its strengths were Percentage of deadline fulfillment (by students) and Percentage of joint orientations between teachers and that managers should prioritize Percentage of patents or products students / teachers and Percentage teachers / students who participated as advisor / consultant. &nbsp

Robotic arm inertial control for recreational child physiotherapy application

According to reports from physical therapists, physiotherapy presents a painful and uninteresting process because it distances itself from the ludic, which is a natural essence of the human being, and easily attracts children when applied. In 2021, the “Robotic System for Children's Physiotherapy with Recreational Activities” project was developed, which consisted of a robotic arm to assist in the physiotherapy process of children with Cerebral Palsy. According to the conclusions of the initial project, the developed control was effective in what was proposed but not sufficient for project application in rehabilitation environments In this way, this work present a new control that is safer and that allows its application helping in the rehabilitation of these children. This new control allows the robotic arm to reproduce the movements of the human arm, so that the movement of the forearm, arm and hand are reproduced independently, simultaneously and in real time. Therefore, the prototype control operates reliably and robustly, achieving what was aimed at, a safer and more efficient physiotherapeutic process for users

Study of the interaction of ionizing radiation in polyurethane polymer films as biomaterial

New materials are being studied and widely applied in the health area, highlighting biocompatible polymers as the most versatile. Among these polymers, we developed the methodology for the manufacture of Thermoplastic Polyurethane films for application as Biomaterials. The proposed sterilization by ionizing radiation requires the study and characterization of the material to evaluate possible losses or modifications, due to the influence that the radiation can cause in the polymer chains, losing the characteristics for the purpose used. Therefore, the present work evaluates, through chemical and physical-chemical characterization, the possible extension of the changes caused by the radiation in the polyurethane film. The material is produced in an environment with controlled temperature and humidity and subjected to increasing doses of gamma (15, 25 and 50 kGy), ethylene oxide and plasma as comparative techniques. The techniques DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry), TGA (Thermogravimetry), FTIR-ATR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry), SEM (Scanning electron microscopy) and OCT (Optical coherence tomography), have proved that the material, after applied the sterilization techniques, maintains its physical-chemical characteristics and does not suffer any modifications after the treatment

Ibuprofen nanocrystals: Production, lyophilization and release profile

Ibuprofen (IBU) is a poorly water-soluble non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with proven effectiveness for treating inflammatory, musculoskeletal, and rheumatic disorders. Nanocrystals (NCs) have been proposed as drug delivery systems to improve the solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble compounds. Ibuprofen NCs (IBU-NCs) have been produced by the melt-emulsification method using a combination of Tween®80(1.0%, w/v)/Span®80(0.5%, w/v) as surfactant as these molecules are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as non-toxic, non-irritating and are of low cost. The obtained main particle size (z-Ave) and polydispersity index (PdI) were 159.4 ± 3.265 nm and 0.24 ± 0.007, respectively. Lyophilization slightly increased the mean particle size and PdI compared to the non-freeze-dried IBU-NCs. The obtained IBU-NCs powders were of white and fine texture. The type and concentration of cryoprotector (trehalose, glucose, sucrose) influenced both the size and the in vitro release profile tested in Franz diffusion cells. Due to the smaller z-Ave, NCs:Trehalose (2:1) of 170.6 ± 3.880 nm (0.417 ± 0.050), NCs:Glucose (3:1) of 275.3 ± 8.351 nm (0.144 ± 0.021) and NCs:Sucrose (4:1) of 223.3 ± 10.35 nm (0.402 ± 0.016) were selected for the in vitro drug release tests. Within the first 6 hours, resuspended lyophilized nanocrystals released between 50-70% of the drug

Productionof poly(L-CO-D,L LacticAcid) porous fibers by electrospinning

The production of porous scaffolds has been widely investigated by the scientific community due to its suitability for tissue engineering. Among techniques that allow the fabrication of porous materials, electrospinning is appealing for being robust and versatile. This research investigated the pore formation in poly (L-co-D,L lactic acid) fibers obtained by conventional electrospinning and the influence of chloroform as a single solvent on fiber morphology. Random and highly porous fibers with a mean diameter of 2.373 ± 0.564 µm were collected. Chloroform affects the fiber morphology, mainly for its fast evaporation and low density of charges. The solvent on the surface evaporates quickly, and the low stretch of the jet does not help the polymer to reorganize over the length of the fiber, forming pores. In conclusion, the low dielectric constant and boiling point of chloroform induce pores formation along the PLDLA fibers.

Green synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles for biomedical application: a brief review

Hydroxyapatite [Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2] (HAp) is a calcium phosphate mineral of great interest in biomaterials development because it is the main component of the mineral phase of bones and teeth’s of animals and humans. HAp plays a key role in the biomedical field due to its non-toxicity, anti-inflammatory property, osteointegrity, biocompatibility, and other properties. Some of its applications in tissue engineering involve bone repair, bone augmentation, coating of implants, and fillers for bones and teeth. Besides, HAp can function as a drug delivery system due to its porous nature, which gives the nanoparticles a larger surface area. However, the use of organic templates in order to obtain HAp nanoparticles with a specific shape, morphology, size, and textural properties makes it impractical from an ecological and cost-effective standpoint. Throughout the last decade, several attempts to improve synthetic procedures have been under development. Recently, special attention has been given to the application of plant extracts as substitutes for organic templates, though they are not extensively reported in literature. Therefore, this brief review aims to examine the existing routes for synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles. Then the focus shifts to an overview of greener procedures and an outlook of their benefits in biomedical applications. &nbsp

Structural analysis of a Nb-based alloy for biomedical application

The purpose of research in the biomaterials field is to produce new materials with physical and chemical properties close to the tissue to be replaced with minimal toxic response to the foreign body. Among the various metallic materials, titanium and its alloys have this great combination of properties. The most promising alloys are those with niobium, molybdenum, tantalum, and zirconium as alloying elements added to titanium. Thus, this kind of alloys integrate a new class of alloys without aluminum and vanadium (which cause cytotoxicity) and have a low modulus of elasticity (below 100 GPa). The objective of this work is to analyze the structure and microstructure of a niobium-based alloy, Ti-50wt%Nb. This alloy was produced in an arc-melting furnace with an inert atmosphere of argon gas. After melting, the samples were characterized by density, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and hardness. The X-ray diffraction data shows the peaks corresponding to the beta phase (with body-centered cubic crystalline structure), corroborated by scanning electron microscopy images. The value of the lattice parameter of the body-centered cubic crystalline structure was 3.2868 Å.

Study of ph effect on AZ31 magnesium alloy corrosion for using in temporary implants

Currently, magnesium alloys are gaining great interest for medical applications due to their degrading properties in the human body ensuring a great biocompatibility. These alloys also provide profitable mechanical properties due similarities with human bone.  However, a difficulty in applying these materials in the biomaterials industries is the corrosion prior to cell healing. The effect of the chemical composition of Mg alloys on their corrosion behavior is well known. In this study, samples of AZ31 magnesium alloy were cut into chips for elemental chemical analysis by neutron activation analysis (NAA). Concentrations of the elements As, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Sb and Zn were determined in the AZ31 alloy. Visualization tests of agar corrosion development in various media, of 0.90% sodium chloride solution (mass), phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and simulated body fluid (SBF) were performed. Visualizations of the effect of agar gel corrosion revealed pH variation during the corrosion process due to the released into the cathode. The highest released of hydroxyl ions occurred in NaCl solution compared to PBS and SBF solutions indicating that NaCl solution was much more aggressive to the alloy compared to the others

Simultaneous alterations in ovaries and bone as a result of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most widely recognized endocrine disorders affecting reproductive-age women. The etiopathogenesis and mechanisms of this syndrome remain unclear. Diagnosis requires two of the following: polycystic ovaries, oligo- or anovulation, and hyperandrogenism. Most women with PCOS display conditions such as metabolic abnormalities, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and/or bone dysfunction. Considering the ethical limitations of human studies, animal and cell culture models that reflect some features of PCOS are important for investigation of this syndrome. The aim of the present work was to study some of the endocrine relationships between ovaries and bone tissue in a polycystic ovary syndrome animal model. The study was performed using an estradiol valerate PCOS-induced rat model (n = 30) and bone mesenchymal stem cell cultured from bone marrow of those animals. It was hypothesized that changes of the endocrine relationship between ovaries and bones could be observed in from in vivo animal model and in vitro cell culture assays. The ovarian morphological and endocrine changes seem to be correlated with endocrine, biophysical, and biomechanical changes in bone properties. Mesenchymal stem cells obtained from PCOS-induced rats, cultured for up to 21 days and differentiated into osteoblasts, presented lower viability and reduced mineralization of the extracellular matrix. Taken together, these results indicate important endocrine and structural effects of PCOS in ovaries and bones, contributing to part of the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of PCOS