Crystalline silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si) biocompatibility was evaluated in vitro by directly culturing three skin and connective tissue cell lines, two immortalized neural cell lines, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on these semiconducting substrates. The in vivo biocompatibility was then evaluated via implantation of 3C-SiC and Si shanks into a C57/BL6 wild type mouse. The in vivo results, while preliminary, were outstanding with Si being almost completely enveloped with activated microglia and astrocytes, indicating a severe immune system response, while the 3C-SiC film was virtually untouched. The in vitro experiments were performed specifically for the three adopted SiC polytypes, namely 3C-, 4H- and 6H-SiC, and the results were compared to those obtained for Si crystals. Cell proliferation and adhesion quality were studied using MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assays and fluorescent microscopy. The neural cells were studied via atomic force microscopy (AFM) which was used to quantify filopodia and lamellipodia extensions on the surface of the tested materials. Fluorescent microscopy was used to assess platelet adhesion to the semiconductor surfaces where significantly lower values of platelet adhesion to 3C-SiC was observed compared to Si. The reported results show good indicators that SiC is indeed a more biocompatible substrate than Si. While there were some differences among the degree of biocompatibility of the various SiC polytypes tested, SiC appears to be a highly biocompatible material in vitro that is also somewhat hemocompatible. This extremely intriguing result appears to put SiC into a unique class of materials that is both bio- and hemo-compatible and is, to the best of our knowledge, the only semiconductor with this property.

Engineering professionals need to employ argumentative skills to support their decisions. This research presents the findings of an intervention that was designed and implemented at two universities in Colombia, South America, to help students enhance their written argumentative skills through essays on ethical dilemmas. Engineering professors included explanations based on modelled examples that showed adequate argumentation and provided feedback to students. This experience included a pre-test, post-test and a brief intervention based on problem-based learning (PBL). Results show that students improved in essay aspects such as the introduction, presenting and supporting a thesis, including evidence with proper references and the creation of a conclusion. Standardized national test results also support the benefits of this approach.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with only late-stage detection; thus, diagnosis is made when it is no longer possible to treat the disease, only its symptoms. Consequently, this often leads to caregivers who are the patient’s relatives, which adversely impacts the workforce along with severely diminishing the quality of life for all involved. It is, therefore, highly desirable to develop a fast, effective and reliable sensor to enable early-stage detection in an attempt to reverse disease progression. This research validates the detection of amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ₄₂) using a Silicon Carbide (SiC) electrode, a fact that is unprecedented in the literature. Aβ₄₂ is considered a reliable biomarker for AD detection, as reported in previous studies. To validate the detection with a SiC-based electrochemical sensor, a gold (Au) electrode-based electrochemical sensor was used as a control. The same cleaning, functionalization and Aβ_1–28 antibody immobilization steps were used on both electrodes. Sensor validation was carried out by means of Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) aiming to detect an 0.5 µg·mL⁻¹ Aβ₄₂ concentration in 0.1 M buffer solution as a proof of concept. A repeatable peak directly related to the presence of Aβ₄₂ was observed, indicating that a fast SiC-based electrochemical sensor was constructed and may prove to be a useful approach for the early detection of AD.