We present a data-driven approach to unveil the pharmaceutical technologies of cyclodextrins (CDs) by analyzing a dataset of CD pharmaceutical patents. First, we implemented network science techniques to represent CD patents as a single structure and provide a framework for unsupervised detection of keywords in the patent dataset. Guided by those keywords, we further mined the dataset to examine the patenting trends according to CD-based dosage forms. CD patents formed complex networks, evidencing the supremacy of CDs for solubility enhancement and how this has triggered cutting-edge applications based on or beyond the solubility improvement. The networks exposed the significance of CDs to formulate aqueous solutions, tablets, and powders. Additionally, they highlighted the role of CDs in formulations of anti-inflammatory drugs, cancer therapies, and antiviral strategies. Text-mining showed that the trends in CDs for aqueous solutions, tablets, and powders are going upward. Gels seem to be promising, while patches and fibers are emerging. Cyclodextrins’ potential in suspensions and emulsions is yet to be recognized and can become an opportunity area. This is the first unsupervised/supervised data-mining approach aimed at depicting a landscape of CDs to identify trending and emerging technologies and uncover opportunity areas in CD pharmaceutical research.

This research WIP paper provides an innovative, clear, and practical methodology for instructors who wish to assess their teaching practice's impact on their students' competencies. It was carried out in a Mexican Higher Education Institution. It compares students' perceptions from two undergraduate engineering programs participating in a six-week Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) concentration. Studies on CBL in engineering programs analyze its effectiveness compared to traditional and other innovative methodologies and its impact on disciplinary, soft, and cross-disciplinary competencies, mainly in undergraduate programs. To answer the following questions, this study examines the effect of CBL educational experience on the Technical, Methodological, Participatory, and Personal competencies perceived by participant students: Q1) What is the impact of CBL on the perceived acquisition of cross-cutting competencies in students in two engineering programs? Q2) How do students in two interrelated engineering programs perceive the dimensions of crosscutting competencies, and how might these interrelationships influence academic performance? A descriptive, comparative, and correlational approach was used to examine two groups of students from two engineering programs in Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering who learned using a CBL approach. The data corresponded to the responses of 31 students to the Competencies Acquired through CBL (CA-CBLQ) questionnaire, adapted in the wording of the items for the present study. The results showed the positive effect of the CBL approach on the development of methodological competencies. It was also identified that an increase in methodological competencies reinforces the development of technical, personal, and moderately participative competencies. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that contextualized and authentic learning experiences enable students to develop competencies that allow them to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical situations in their personal and professional lives. Given that CBL is supported by other favorable methodologies, such as collaborative learning and situated cognition, future studies can explore contrasts between groups in quasi-experimental conditions by comparing CBL with other associated variables.

Chemical product design is a young subject incorporated into some Engineering disciplines' curricula, mainly Chemical Engineering. Its objective is to identify customer requirements, generate potential solutions to meet those needs, assess the proposed ideas, and manufacture the products. This implies that the exploration process extends beyond the laboratory, focusing on large-scale manufacturing. Moving from the conventional emphasis on unit operations and transport phenomena to product design requires a corresponding change in teaching approaches. In an academic environment, the realm of chemical product design is accompanied by challenges, notably the need to develop innovative educational strategies. In Mexico, a research-oriented methodology was introduced to teach the undergraduate course” Chemical and Biotechnological Product Design I” at Tecnologico de Monterrey, based on the design approach known as nature-inspired chemical engineering. It was also a strategy for introducing undergraduate students to research. Students were engaged in a challenge where they had to generate a technically feasible proposal for developing a new chemical product, inspired by nature, considering procedures that incorporate industrial regulations, intellectual property, and sustainability. A survey was employed to measure students' expectations at the beginning of the course. After six weeks of research, a concluding survey was conducted to gather students' perceptions of the teaching method's effectiveness and achievements. Academic performance was assessed through a dual evaluation method, comprising a test and the submission of an in-depth research report.