This research paper explores the competencies necessary for a responsible and entrepreneurial engineering workforce. Although there have been various efforts to identify and measure engineering entrepreneurship competencies, limited research has focused on expanding the scope to encompass social entrepreneurship competencies. Therefore, in this paper, we address the following research question: What social entrepreneurship competencies complement traditional engineering entrepreneurship knowledge, skills, and attitudes? To answer this research question, we conducted a literature review on engineering entrepreneurship competency and social entrepreneurship competency. By synthesizing the literature on those two topics, we identified competencies that can complement traditional engineering entrepreneurship knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Through the integration of these competencies in engineering education, engineers can develop abilities to develop innovative and responsible solutions to various societal challenges, fostering a new generation of technically skilled and socially conscious professionals. Ultimately, the results of this study will guide educational initiatives aimed at nurturing socially responsible and entrepreneurial leaders within the engineering workforce.

Number line estimation (NLE) tasks are widely employed in research and pedagogical contexts. For both children and adults, leftmost digits disproportionately influence number line placements-a phenomenon known as a left digit effect or left digit bias. Here, we ask whether left digit bias is limited to literal leftmost digits. In Study 1, adults completed a standard 0 to 1000 number line task and a leading zero version in which target numerals began with leftmost zeros (e.g., 0398). Study 2 used the leading zero task (placing numbers like 0398 on a range up to 1000) and a leading one-zero task (placing numbers like 10398 on a 10000-11000 number line). A robust "left digit" bias was observed for the hundreds digits in all cases, showing that left digit effects are deeply context-dependent. Task conditions can lead to strong left-digit-like biases for digits that are not the literal leftmost digits in the target numerals.

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of microglia, the resident macrophages in the brain, in regulating cognitive functions such as learning and memory in both healthy and diseased states. However, there are conflicting results and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we examined the effect of depleting adult microglia on spatial learning and memory under both physiological conditions and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation. Our results revealed that microglial depletion by PLX5622 caused mild spatial memory impairment in mice under physiological conditions; however, it prevented memory deficits induced by systemic LPS insult. Inactivating microglia through minocycline administration replicated the protective effect of microglial depletion on LPS-induced memory impairment. Furthermore, our study showed that PLX5622 treatment suppressed LPS-induced neuroinflammation, microglial activation, and synaptic dysfunction. These results strengthen the evidence for the involvement of microglial immunoactivation in LPS-induced synaptic and cognitive malfunctions. They also suggest that targeting microglia may be a potential approach to treating neuroinflammation-associated cognitive dysfunction seen in neurodegenerative diseases.

In this research work-in-progress paper, we introduce an ongoing research project that aims to establish foundations for technology-based social entrepreneurship education for engineering students. To answer the research questions of this project, we first clearly define what technology social venture means in our research with example organizations that can be classified as technology social ventures. We explain how we identified such organizations for the project in detail. We conclude this paper with an introduction to our future work and implications for engineering education.