European School of Materials

Based on a hollow fiber perfusion technology with internal oxygenation, a miniaturized bioreactor with a volume of 0.5 mL for in vitro studies was recently developed. Here, the suitability of this novel culture system for pharmacological studies was investigated, focusing on the model drug diclofenac. Primary human liver cells were cultivated in bioreactors and in conventional monolayer cultures in parallel over 10 days. From day 3 on, diclofenac was continuously applied at a therapeutic concentration (6.4 µM) for analysis of its metabolism. In addition, the activity and gene expression of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 were assessed. Diclofenac was metabolized in bioreactor cultures with an initial conversion rate of 230 ± 57 pmol/h/10(6) cells followed by a period of stable conversion of about 100 pmol/h/10(6) cells. All CYP activities tested were maintained until day 10 of bioreactor culture. The expression of corresponding mRNAs correlated well with the degree of preservation. Immunohistochemical characterization showed the formation of neo-tissue with expression of CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 and the drug transporters breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) and multidrug resistance protein 2 (MRP2) in the bioreactor. In contrast, monolayer cultures showed a rapid decline of diclofenac conversion and cells had largely lost activity and mRNA expression of the assessed CYP isoforms at the end of the culture period. In conclusion, diclofenac metabolism, CYP activities and gene expression levels were considerably more stable in bioreactor cultures, making the novel bioreactor a useful tool for pharmacological or toxicological investigations requiring a highly physiological in vitro representation of the liver.

OBJECTIVE: Skin ageing is a multifactorial process involving formation of reactive oxygen species, consecutive inflammation with reduced epidermal and dermal cell viability and resulting damage to the extracellular matrix. Effective dermocosmetic treatment modalities should ideally address these hallmarks in a holistic approach. Here, we determined the corresponding activity profile of bakuchiol, a plant-derived meroterpene, in an array of in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo studies and compared it to retinol, currently considered as gold standard in topical antiageing cosmetics. METHODS: The antioxidative capacity and power of bakuchiol and retinol were analysed by measuring 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) reduction via its absorption decay and electron spin resonance spectroscopy, respectively. Effects on prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7), collagen type I and VII (COL1A1, COL7A1), fibronectin (FN) levels as well as the metabolization of water-soluble tetrazolium 1 (WST-1) were determined in human dermal fibroblasts. Epidermal regeneration was assessed utilizing an in vitro wound healing model. FN protein levels were analysed ex vivo after treatment with a formulation containing bakuchiol, retinol or vehicle using suction blister fluid. Skin condition improvement was determined in vivo in a split-face comparison study after application of bakuchiol or vehicle. RESULTS: In contrast to retinol, bakuchiol demonstrated high antioxidative efficacy. Levels of PGE2 and MIF were significantly decreased by both bakuchiol and retinol. Bakuchiol but not retinol significantly increased FGF7 protein levels. WST-1 metabolization levels were significantly augmented by bakuchiol and retinol. Bakuchiol and retinol application led to a significant augmentation of COL1A1, COL7A1 and FN protein levels. Wounds supplemented with bakuchiol but not retinol displayed a significant increase in epidermis regeneration. Clinically, areas treated with a bakuchiol-containing formulation showed a statistically significant increase in FN protein values after a 4-week application compared to untreated areas and areas treated with vehicle. CONCLUSION: These data provide evidence for the multidirectional efficacy of bakuchiol against cellular hallmarks of skin ageing. Its activity profile shares some common features with retinol but demonstrates several hitherto unknown biopositive effects in our studies, namely stimulation of the critical extracellular matrix component FN, and accelerated epidermal regeneration and wound healing.

BACKGROUND: Skin damage arising from pollutants in gaseous and particulate matter forms is mainly mediated by oxidative stress. The pollutants directly or indirectly generate free radicals on and in the skin, leading, for example, to MMP up-regulation and damage of collagen fibers. Antioxidants and chelators are used in anti-pollution cosmetics to reduce the harmful effects of free radical generation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated the efficacy of two antioxidants and one chelator in an anti-pollution cigarette smoke model. Free radical generation was measured directly after UV and cigarette smoke exposure ex vivo on pig skin (slaughterhouse waste), by use of Electron Spin Resonance (ESR). Effects of cigarette smoke were compared to those of Urban Dust (NIST-standard). ESR was also used to measure the copper chelation activity of the test products. Following cigarette smoke application in vivo, two markers of lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde (MDA), and squalene monohydroperoxide (SQOOH), were measured from swab solutions taken from the smoke-exposed skin sites. RESULTS: EDTA generated no effect and the non-chelator antioxidant Tocopherol only small antioxidant effects after exposed to cigarette smoke ex vivo as well as in vivo. Only the hydrophilic phenylethanoid H1 showed significant effects. A clear reduction of free radicals ex vivo and further a significant reduction of in vivo lipid peroxide formation was measured. CONCLUSION: The cigarette smoke model is an ideal method for in vivo assessment of anti-pollution efficacy of topical products with close relation to the real situation of subjects exposed to urban pollution. Further research is required to better understand the role of chelators in anti-pollution cosmetics.

Abstract Die basische Kondensation disubstituierter Cyanessigester 1 mit Phenylhydrazin ( 2 ) verläuft nicht regio spezifisch sondern nur regioselektiv. Als Hauptprodukt entstehen die 5‐Iminopyrazolidinone 3 , in untergeordneter Menge die 3‐Iminoverbindungen 4 . Trotzdem können nach diesem Verfahren aus optisch aktiven Cyanessigestern optisch aktive Pyrazolidindione gewonnen werden, weil die Isomere 3 und 4 sich gut trennen lassen. Die Grenzen des Verfahrens werden aufgezeigt.

Abstract This article examines whether Austrians hold different attitudes towards Ukrainian refugees compared to Arab/Afghan refugees and explores key mechanisms driving these attitudinal differences. Using data from the third wave of the Austrian Values in Crisis Panel ( N = 1357), the study confirms that Austrians exhibit more favorable views towards Ukrainian refugees. Negative attitudes towards Arab/Afghan refugees are associated with feelings of realistic threat (particularly crime), while both Arabs/Afghans and Ukrainians are associated with symbolic threat. Basic value orientations further impact attitudes towards refugees. Self-Transcendence values correlate with favorable attitudes towards refugees overall, Self-Enhancement values only correlate with more favorable attitudes towards Ukrainians. Conservation values indirectly impact attitudes towards Arab/Afghan refugees by intensifying the influence of perceived threat. These results suggest that differences in attitudes stem from concerns about realistic threats and the differing impact of value orientations.

Cephalopods are unique in the animal kingdom in that they can rapidly change body patterns for camouflage and communication. The uniqueness lies in the fact that their color change system is controlled by nerves emanating directly from the brain (without synapse) and is therefore very fast. Some fish, amphibians, and reptiles are also known to change color, but for these animals, with some exceptions, it generally takes much longer and the range of color and patterning is not as wide as that of cephalopods. The most apparent color-changing structures of cephalopods are pigmented chromatophore organs (note: they are not cells, like vertebrate chromatophores). Each chromatophore consists of a pigment-containing sac that has 15–25 radial muscles attached to its periphery (Figure 1). These muscles are innervated directly by the brain. By contracting and relaxing the chromatophore muscles, the pigment sac increases or decreases in area in milliseconds. Chromatophore size varies among cephalopod species. In squid, such as Loligo plei, an expanded chromatophore may be up to 1.5 mm in diameter, while a retracted chromatophore may be barely visible to the naked eye, measuring as little as 0.10 mm. Chromatophore pigment color also varies among different species. Some have three distinct colors (dark brown/black, red or orange, and yellow), and others may only have one or two types. By selectively expanding and retracting distinct groups of chromatophores, cephalopods can darken the entire body surface or produce an array of patterns, such as bands, stripes, and spots. If all chromatophores are retracted, many cephalopods have such transparent muscle tissues that they are translucent if not fully transparent. Chromatophores of the squid Loligo pealeii, which has yellow, red, and brown chromatophores (viewed in transmitted light). Muscle fibers attached to pigment sac can be seen clearly in the semi-retracted brown chromatophore that is located slightly above the center (image: L Mäthger). Transparency is an excellent camouflage tactic. A transparent animal is hard to detect from any angle of view, including when viewed from below against the brighter downwelling light, where opaque animals cast a shadow and are easy to detect. While transparency is mainly a characteristic of pelagic animals (in particular the upper mesopelagic), it is uncommon in other aquatic habitats (such as in benthic and deep-sea creatures) and it is highly unusual on land. Limited information is available on the physical basis of transparency in animals. Transparency can occur when an organism (or tissue) does not absorb or scatter light. Most organic molecules do not absorb light, so with the exception of tissues that need to be opaque to function (such as the retina and the intestines), the major limiting factor to transparency seems to be scattering, and the transparent tissues studied thus far have demonstrated a series of clever adaptations to reduce light scatter (Johnsen, 2001). In reality, transparent tissues are almost never completely transparent. They all induce some degree of scattering. Slight imperfections in the tissue cause internal light scattering, but in a diffuse light field, such as in the upper 200 m of the sea, it is minimal and not a problem. The problem arises when directional light strikes such a tissue, for example, the lights emitted from photophores of fish predators (e.g., the ‘searchlights’ of the fish Diaphus). Then, the illuminated tissue will appear brighter than the background against which it is viewed, and the transparent animal will stand out in the eyes of the predator. Life in the ocean’s mesopelagic (midwater) zone, which covers depths from about 200 to 1000 m, is faced with a number of challenges that are largely due to the lack of sunlight. Because of the light-absorbing properties of water, the intensity of daylight available for vision decreases rapidly with depth. At around 600–700 m, it reaches an intensity similar to a starlit night, and below 1000 m, almost no daylight penetrates, at least not enough for vision (Denton, 1990; Warrant, 2004). In the deeper pelagic zones, fewer transparent animals are found. Instead, many are covered in red or black pigments, which absorb strongly in the blue-green parts of the spectrum (Johnsen, 2005). The blue-green waveband is where the majority of the known bioluminescent emission peaks are, as well as the visual pigment absorbance of many deep-sea animals (including cephalopod predators). As these red and black pigments reflect very little blue-green light, they help the animal avoid being detected by predators that use bioluminescent searchlights. However, one major disadvantage is that when viewed from below against downwelling light, the use of pigments for camouflage means that the animal will cast a shadow beneath, making it at risk of being detected by predators looking up. There are a few predators that have evolved specifically for this task of looking up, for example, the hatchet fish that has upward-oriented eyes. So, optimal camouflage in the mesopelagic lies somewhere in between these two tactics or uses both if that is possible. Zylinski and Johnsen’s paper shows that there are at least two species of mesopelagic cephalopods, an octopus (Japetella heathi) and a squid (Onychoteuthis banksii), that can switch between transparency and pigmentation, suggesting that they can be camouflaged optimally under both natural downwelling light (where opaque animals cast a shadow) and direct bioluminescent illumination from predatory fish. The authors report that the use of a directed blue light (450 nm peak, Rosco’s filter #74, a wavelength that would fall into the category of emission spectra used by bioluminescent predators) causes these two cephalopods to expand their chromatophores, giving the animals a splotchy red-brown appearance. As soon as the blue light is switched off, the chromatophores retract again (the authors have posted two videos on the Current Biology website well worth watching). Spectral measurements show that when chromatophores are expanded, the animal reflects much less light in the blue-green waveband than when chromatophores are retracted (i.e., when the animal is transparent), which suggests that when faced with a predator using bioluminescent searchlights, the use of pigments makes the animal more camouflaged. Once the bioluminescent searchlight predator has disappeared, transparency would be the most effective camouflage tactic, and sure enough, the animal goes back to being transparent as soon as the blue light is turned off. In the benthic and pelagic cephalopods whose body patterning has been studied in detail, we know that body patterning by chromatophores is related to visual input. For example, in cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, we know a good deal about the background features in the environment that cause the animal to show a particular camouflage body pattern. We can assume that the control of chromatophores in the mesopelagic squid and octopus studied by Zylinski and Johnsen is also under visual control. However, it would be interesting to study the skin of these animals in more detail for the following reasons. Zylinski and Johnsen’s Figure 2B indicates a relatively slow response of chromatophore expansion (‘seconds’) compared with the typical response time of ca. 300–800 ms in shallow-water species; this suggests a response that may not be due to direct neural control. Recently, Mäthger et al. (2010) showed evidence that there are genes for ocular opsins in the skin of cuttlefish and it is speculated that these might be involved in camouflage behavior by sensing light on a more localized level. As a predator’s directional bioluminescence may not always reach the cephalopod’s eye before it illuminates its skin, it would be interesting to test whether this chromatophore darkening response persists when the ‘searchlight’ is aimed at the skin and not the eyes. Pelagic cephalopods are transparent to various degrees. Generally, the larger the animal, the less transparent it is (as tissue becomes thicker, it loses its transparency becoming more translucent). In addition to mesopelagic species, many shallow-water squid are translucent, such as Sepioteuthis and Loligo. It seems (but there are no quantitative accounts yet) that transparent cephalopod species keep their chromatophores retracted most of the time, presumably so they can make use of transparency for camouflage. Chromatophores are recruited for communication purposes, such as to attract mates or fend off rivals, or possibly to aid camouflage when the animal has been detected despite its transparency capability (for example, chromatophores can be arranged in a counter-shading pattern). About 700 species of cephalopods have been described to date, but what we know about the behavioral function of their chromatophores comes from a handful of mostly nearshore, benthic species that are comparatively easy to find, catch, and maintain in captivity (note that cephalopods as a whole are rather difficult to maintain in captivity). Zylinski and Johnsen’s paper is a valuable and exciting contribution to our knowledge of how cephalopods use their chromatophores. Not everyone has had the good fortune to see the two mesopelagic cephalopods they studied alive, let alone be lucky enough to see the fascinating chromatophore response to a bioluminescent ‘searchlight’ imitation.

Abstract Having long been largely ignored in political science, emotions have become increasingly acknowledged as integral to human life, making them the subject of academic interest for political and social psychologists, political scientists and policy scholars alike. Challenging an understanding of reason and affect as one of opposition, empirical as well as theoretical work analysing the effects of emotions in political communication, voting behaviour, populism and public policymaking is continuously growing. There is therefore an increased need to take stock of these recent scientific advances on the role of emotions in the political sphere, and more importantly, with regards to public policymaking. This two-fold literature review provides such a state-of-the-art in a systematic and critical manner, showing that whereas knowledge on emotions in the broader realm of politics is already extensive, there is far less on public policies. In fact, from a policy studies perspective, it is policy preferences and policy-related communication which have enjoyed most of scholarly attention, thereby neglecting the concrete role of emotion in the process of public policymaking. Future studies should focus more on the effects of emotions on the actual making of policies.

Abstract Particle number densities are a crucial parameter in the microstructure engineering of microalloyed steels. We introduce a new method to determine nanoscale precipitate number densities of macroscopic samples that is based on the matrix dissolution technique (MDT) and combine it with atom probe tomography (APT). APT counts precipitates in microscopic samples of niobium and niobium-titanium microalloyed steels. The new method uses MDT combined with analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) of extracted precipitates, inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry, and APT. We compare the precipitate number density ranges from APT of 137.81 to 193.56 × 10 21 m −3 for the niobium steel and 104.90 to 129.62 × 10 21 m −3 for the niobium-titanium steel to the values from MDT of 2.08 × 10 21 m −3 and 2.48 × 10 21 m −3 . We find that systematic errors due to undesired particle loss during extraction and statistical uncertainties due to the small APT volumes explain the differences. The size ranges of precipitates that can be detected via APT and AUC are investigated by comparison of the obtained precipitate size distributions with transmission electron microscopy analyses of carbon extraction replicas. The methods provide overlapping resulting ranges. MDT probes very large numbers of small particles but is limited by errors due to particle etching, while APT can detect particles with diameters below 10 nm but is limited by small-number statistics. The combination of APT and MDT provides comprehensive data which allows for an improved understanding of the interrelation between thermo-mechanical controlled processing parameters, precipitate number densities, and resulting mechanical-technological material properties. Graphical abstract

Abstract With the increased use of algorithmic tools embedded in software by state actors, scholars from criminology, criminal justice as well as from data science have analyzed the recent wave of ‘smart-on-crime’-politics in the US and the political dynamics underpinning this movement. However, while reforms of the US bail system have been studied extensively, we know little about how these reforms, including the recent embrace of digital risk prediction tools, reflect shifting commitments to underlying principles of the CJ system. Therefore, this article interprets the waves of US bail reforms through the application of three legal-theoretical models: ‘retributive justice’ (RJ), ‘actuarial justice’ (AJ) and ‘preventive justice’ (PJ). This conceptual lens enables us to illuminate how the increased use of pre-trial risk assessment tools based on big data can be understood in legal-theoretical terms. Empirically, we find a shift away from censure and retribution towards crime prevention and the use of risk assessment tools, which both AJ and PJ models can accommodate. However, while our analysis demonstrates that these models help draw into sharper focus the principles and values which animated US bail reforms, it also reveals several limitations owing to the nature of these models as witnesses of the time when they were developed.

Abstract Chirale Pyrazolidindione können aus disubstituierten Cyanessigsäuren 1 und Phenylhydrazin ( 2 ) in einem 3‐Stufen‐Verfahren erhalten werden. Zunächst erfolgt Acylierung des Phenylhydrazins ( 2 ) in Gegenwart von Dicyclohexylcarbodiimid. Diese Reaktion verläuft unabhängig von den Substituenten von 1 bei + 4° in 80 ‐ 90proz. Ausbeuten. Anschließend erfolgt mit Alkoholat Ringschluß zu den 5‐Iminopyrazolidinonen 4 , die zu den Pyrazolidindionen 5 verseift werden.

As “learning places for sustainable development”, UNESCO biosphere reserves are specifically dedicated to sustainability. The Lima Action Plan of 2016 resolved to position the biosphere reserves more prominently as model regions in order to fulfill UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the question remains how and to what extent this resolution has been implemented and the ideal of sustainability filled with life at the local level. Based on surveys of municipal actors and fifteen in-depth interviews with political decision-makers, this article compares three adjacent Western European biosphere reserves, the Palatinate Forest, Northern Vosges, and Bliesgau, with regard to local initiatives aimed at fulfilling the overall task of sustainable development. The results show—besides generalized statements on the relevance of sustainability—that municipal politics is only, to a limited extent, guided by the requirements of concrete SDGs. Nevertheless, many of the measures implemented do ultimately reflect these goals. Along with specific ecological and climatic projects, these comprise future-oriented settlement policies and educational activities undertaken by the biosphere reserves and their municipalities. In this context, improved communication with local councils and residents might well lead to more effectively structured implementation of SDGs.

Abstract Bei der Methylierung von 4‐Äthyl‐4‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐pyrazolidindion ( 1 ) werden in Abhängigkeit von Methylierungsmittel und der Methodik unterschiedliche Gemische der am Stickstoff und am Sauerstoff methylierten Derivate 2 und 3 erhalten. Zur Trennung der Isomere wird deren unterschiedliche Alkalistabilität ausgenutzt.

Abstract Research on representation and responsiveness is based on the idea that voters have concerns about certain policy problems and that representatives respond to these concerns with concrete policy outputs, such as laws. In addition, once adopted, this policy output can feed back on voters’ concerns which are then satisfied. Consequently, citizens do not demand more of the respective policy (negative feedback, thermostatic model (Soroka & Wlezien 2010)) or are, in contrast, incited toward demanding even more of the policy (positive feedback, policy overreaction (Maor 2014, Jones et al 2014)). In this research note, I argue that by focussing mainly on such preference-policy linkages, existing research has underestimated the role emotions play in this “chain of responsiveness” (Powell 2004), especially when it comes to protective policies, that is policies that are presented as providing protection to citizens. I propose an amended concept of responsiveness which adds an emotional layer to the existing framework and present an empirical exploration on the emotion-policy link on the micro level using data from the European Social Survey which indicates the fruitfulness to bring in emotions more plainly into the literature on responsiveness.

ABSTRACT A core assumption of the Multiple Streams Framework proposes that agenda and policy change is more probable when a policy proposal worked out as a viable alternative in the policy stream is coupled with the political and/or problem stream in an open policy window. In this article, we argue that this perspective hinges on a too narrow understanding of the concept of ambiguity, which ignores situations of high epistemic uncertainty in which worked‐out solutions are not readily available in the policy streams, but policy action still occurs. For instance, when a policy window has been opened in the problem stream due to the presence of a focusing event. Building on the literature on how decisions under uncertainty are taken, we propose that policy‐makers will utilize “ad‐hoc solutions” as satisficing strategies, such as the precautionary principle, which will then guide political decisions. Which heuristics are available may depend on different factors, such as the basic normative values of a decision‐maker herself, national cultures of a country, or situation‐specific characteristics.

This contribution introduces a novel power management concept, which refers to curative measures such as compliance with the power limitations set by the existing regulations and customer contracts and using time-variable energy prices. The authors of this paper have developed an architecture to test the practical use of EEBus applications and demonstrate interoperability between different components. Subsequently, the transmission of time series for variable energy prices and network charges is also to be tested. The end-to-end process from a smart grid monitoring system to the local controllable resource was realised as a blueprint for sustainable network management. All relevant market participants are represented at the Living Lab (Cologne) [1]. The results of this investigation provide a blueprint for the practical integration of small controllable devices into network management and market processes, enabling full interoperability by combining international standards with locally shaped solutions. This paper will present the first practical results of the Living Lab under real conditions.

Regional cross-border strategies represent a recent and under-researched approach to shaping cross-border integration from below. Drawing on Sohn’s framework of cross-border integration as a <i>geo-economic model</i> or a <i>territorial project</i>, this paper examines the content and development of cross-border strategies in two German states: Saarland and Brandenburg. Based on the attempt to sharpen the profile of the Franco-Saarland region, and as a strategy focusing on language, culture and identity, the Saarland strategy strives for cross-border integration in the sense of a territorial project. In contrast, in the Brandenburg strategy, we identify more elements of a geo-economic model, since it focuses on cross-border infrastructure and services to improve the quality of life. Meanwhile, both strategies contain hybrid elements, showing the complex and multifaceted nature of border regions. Using actor-centred institutionalism and insights from the border studies literature, the study highlights how economic, sociocultural and political contexts shaped the policy processes leading up to the strategies and their particular profiles.

Abstract It is commonly assumed—and feared—that European institution building proceeds faster than European identity development can follow. This would leave political institutions devoid of a demos that feels attached to the European Union (EU), making democratic governance impossible. Yet some posit that identification with the EU might emerge over time. Using Eurobarometer data from 2006 to 2023, we document a strong increase of EU attachment since 2013. This increasing EU attachment is primarily attributable to the EU being seen as more democratically responsive, suggesting an improved perception of the EU’s input legitimacy. Secondary factors are an improved macroeconomic situation and an increasing association of the EU with positive outcomes, suggesting an improved output legitimacy of the EU as well.

Abstract The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, signed in 2019 by the French President Macron and the German Chancellor Merkel, is widely seen as a major step for border regions on their way towards being fully acknowledged as political entities. However, while much ink has been spilled on the relevance of the treaty for future cross-border cooperation, we know surprisingly little about how that particular aspect actually became the Chapter 4 of the treaty. Given the centralized architecture of the French 5th republic, the new stipulations are actually a giant’s leap, which is difficult to explain. In this paper, we draw on evidence from policy documents and expert interviews to trace how cross-border cooperation was set on the government’s agendas as an issue to be integrated in the Aix-la-Chapelle Treaty. Building on the Multiple Streams Framework as theoretical lens, our analysis shows that actors from the French and German border regions were instrumental for the inclusion of cross-border cooperation in the Treaty. They used different channels in the multi-level system to push both central governments towards the integration of cross-border cooperation. Hence, the story how border regions made it into the Aix-la-Chapelle Treaty is a prime example of the dynamics of multi-level governance.

peer reviewed

\n Esta pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa teve por objetivo investigar como os Centros para Crianças e Adolescentes (CCAs) vêm tratando a questão da inclusão do público com deficiência em seus espaços. Nas suas ações, a educação não formal figura como perspectiva educativa subjacente às ações de proteção social, visando à promoção do desenvolvimento de competências sociais, cognitivas e afetivas, marcadas por valores de inclusão e protagonismo social, complementando, assim, o processo educacional escolar num conceito ampliado de educação. Nessa lógica, os CCAs podem ser considerados potencialmente qualificados como instituições aptas a desenvolver ações socioeducativas com crianças e adolescentes com deficiência, inclusive em complementaridade à educação escolar, indicando oportunidades para que a abordagem da deficiência seja refletida e reedificada em ambos os espaços. Os procedimentos metodológicos para a coleta de dados foram: entrevistas semiestruturadas com doze profissionais de três CCAs eleitos como campo de pesquisa, análise de documentos e observação participante; ainda, a análise dos dados das entrevistas referenciou-se na análise de conteúdo. A presente pesquisa revelou que a concepção dos profissionais acerca do trabalho que desenvolvem vem acompanhando o deslocamento do eixo assistencialista para o eixo socioeducativo das ações, em consonância com o novo modelo de atuação proposto pela vigente política de assistência social. No entanto, algumas inconsistências práticas foram identificadas no que concerne à tarefa educativa desses serviços e a ideia de complementaridade entre CCAs e escolas, educação formal e não formal e ações intersetoriais, seja para o público com ou sem deficiência. Foi identificado um incipiente avanço gradual, no âmbito da Secretaria Municipal de Assistência Social, ao indicar a inclusão de público com deficiência nos CCAs, porém sem a correspondência de adoção de medidas de acompanhamento técnico junto aos serviços para que esse atendimento seja implementado sob bases inclusivas. Em contrapartida, os CCAs reconhecem a importância e exibem predisposição para empreender tal ação, mas apresentam fragilidade discursiva e prática, a partir de concepções muito difusas e parciais que detêm sobre os temas inclusão e deficiência, evidenciando a necessidade de suporte técnico e formativo aos seus profissionais.\n