The Fukui University of Technology (福井工業大学, Fukui Kōgyō Daigaku) is a private university founded in 1950 and located in Fukui, Fukui Prefecture, Japan. The university has undergraduate faculties in engineering, environmental and information sciences, and sports and health sciences, as well as a graduate department for applied science and engineering.
Corporate governance reforms in Japan have increasingly emphasized board diversity, particularly the appointment of female outside directors. However, existing studies provide mixed evidence regarding their impact on firm performance. A key limitation of prior research is the lack of attention to whether directors' skills are aligned with firms' strategic needs. This study addresses this gap by examining whether the strategic alignment between female outside directors' skills and corporate strategy affects firm performance. JEL Codes: Keywords: Board diversity; corporate governance; Female outside directors; Firm performance; Japan; Strategic alignment
Plastids originated through endosymbiosis and enabled the emergence of photosynthetic eukaryotes. However, in several eukaryotic lineages, plastids are not permanently integrated but are instead acquired transiently through predation, a phenomenon known as kleptoplasty. Although kleptoplasty has been documented across diverse eukaryotic groups, the extent to which prey identity constrains plastid acquisition and subsequent maintenance remains poorly defined. In particular, it is unclear whether kleptoplastic organisms exploit plastid donors broadly or depend on highly selective host-prey interactions. Here, we investigated prey responses and feeding behavior in the kleptoplastic euglenoid Rapaza viridis using a phylogenetically diverse set of Tetraselmis species. Through comparative analysis of ingestion behavior, behavioral interactions, and postingestion chloroplast fate among candidate chloroplast donors, we show that R. viridis exhibits strong prey specificity at the species level. Although R. viridis has been shown to depend on Tetraselmis as a source of kleptoplasts, our results demonstrate that ingestion, functional retention, and growth support are restricted to species belonging to the subgenus Tetraselmis. These findings indicate that chloroplast acquisition in R. viridis is constrained by fine-scale host-prey compatibility, rather than by prey availability alone, and highlight the importance of selective prey recognition and post-ingestion processing in regulating kleptoplasty.
BACKGROUND:Salinity, which hampers wheat growth and development, is one of the major abiotic stresses. Plant-derived smoke (PDS) solution alleviates salt stress and promotes wheat growth and development; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been completely clarified. METHODS:In this study, nuclear proteomics was employed to reveal the promotive effect of PDS solution on salt-stressed wheat. Nuclear fractions were isolated from wheat roots, and their purity was confirmed via enrichment of histone H3 and reduction of cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase. Using this nuclear purification technique, label-free nano LC-MS/MS-based nuclear proteomics was performed to identify differentially abundant nuclear proteins in salt-stressed wheat with or without PDS solution treatment. RESULTS:Salt stress decreased histone H2A and DNA polymerase levels, whereas PDS solution treatment of salt-stressed wheat increased levels of histone variants (H2A, H2B, H3, and H4), DNA polymerase, and DNA topoisomerase II. In addition, the PDS solution increased the levels of pre-mRNA cleavage factor Im 25 kDa subunit and RNA helicase in salt-stressed wheat. Immunoblot analysis further validated the increase in histone deacetylase levels triggered by the PDS solution treatment in the salt-stressed wheat. CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest that PDS solution alters nuclear proteins in a way that contributes to chromatin remodeling and transcription during salt stress.
