TRIZ directed evolution for automobile fuel

Recently, Global Warming effect and Green House Gases (GHG) emissions have become one of the main concern for environment that principally come from the exhaust of fossil fuel combustion process (i.e. coal, crude oil, and natural gas). Electric Vehicles (EVs) industry has started taking the lead and showing significant competition in the market via Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and fully Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) over the conventional fossil fuel powered vehicles which are going to ban (prohibit) within coming two decades as officially announced by many of global countries. Battery is the backbone of this evolution and it encourages many researchers and scientists to expedite their studies, experimental tests to discover the best reliable, sustainable, and safe resource of energy to meet the customers’ (vehicles users) values, satisfactions and expectations. This study aims to scientifically predict and analyze the future battery generation that last longer up to (500 km) with improved charging time (less than 30 min). A systematic evolution method called TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) was used in this paper to link the historical data with present timeline in order to improve the main characteristics of the battery (e.g. energy density, durability, charging time and safety). TRIZ has variety of inventive tools (9 – Windows, S – Curve and Function Analysis), these tools are efficiently assist to predict and achieve the next generation of the future battery. By using the tools of Directed Evolution (DE) and utilizing Level of Innovation Domains, battery development is going to be deeply illustrated. Finally, logical recommendations were proposed to those personnel in charge to move forward to approach the future battery system with targeted features and characteristics

Metabolic engineering of astaxanthin biosynthesis in maize endosperm and characterization of a prototype high oil hybrid

Maize was genetically engineered for the biosynthesis of the high value carotenoid astaxanthin in the kernel endosperm. Introduction of a β-carotene hydroxylase and a β-carotene ketolase into a white maize genetic background extended the carotenoid pathway to astaxanthin. Simultaneously, phytoene synthase, the controlling enzyme of carotenogenesis, was over-expressed for enhanced carotenoid production and lycopene ε-cyclase was knocked-down to direct more precursors into the β-branch of the extended ketocarotenoid pathway which ends with astaxanthin. This astaxanthin-accumulating transgenic line was crossed into a high oil- maize genotype in order to increase the storage capacity for lipophilic astaxanthin. The high oil astaxanthin hybrid was compared to its astaxanthin producing parent. We report an in depth metabolomic and proteomic analysis which revealed major up- or down- regulation of genes involved in primary metabolism. Specifically, amino acid biosynthesis and the citric acid cycle which compete with the synthesis or utilization of pyruvate and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, the precursors for carotenogenesis, were down-regulated. Nevertheless, principal component analysis demonstrated that this compositional change is within the range of the two wild type parents used to generate the high oil producing astaxanthin hybrid

Standardized Definitions for Bioprosthetic Valve Dysfunction Following Aortic or Mitral Valve Replacement: JACC State-of-the-Art Review.

peer reviewedBioprosthetic valve dysfunction (BVD) and bioprosthetic valve failure (BVF) may be caused by structural or nonstructural valve dysfunction. Both surgical and transcatheter bioprosthetic valves have limited durability because of structural valve deterioration. The main objective of this summary of experts participating in a virtual workshop was to propose standardized definitions for nonstructural and structural BVD and BVF following aortic or mitral biological valve replacement with the goal of facilitating research reporting and implementation of these terms in clinical practice. Definitions of structural BVF, based on valve reintervention or death, underestimate the true incidence of BVF. However, definitions solely based on the presence of high transprosthetic gradient at a given echocardiogram during follow-up overestimate the incidence of structural BVD and BVF. Definitions of aortic or mitral structural BVD must therefore include the confirmation by imaging of permanent structural changes to the leaflets alongside evidence of deterioration in valve hemodynamic function at echocardiography follow-up