Understanding how tree growth responds to climate is important for predicting how plantation forests may react to ongoing climate change. In this study, we examined the climate–growth relationships of six Cryptomeria japonica cultivars across five common-garden sites in southwestern Japan using dendrochronological methods. We analyzed 48 years of ring width data to evaluate how monthly and annual temperature and precipitation affect radial growth at site and cultivar levels. Static and moving correlation analyses revealed that late winter to early spring temperatures (February–March) positively influenced radial growth at most sites, likely by facilitating cambial reactivation, while high summer precipitation tended to suppress growth at some sites, possibly through reduced solar irradiance. Precipitation effects were variable across sites, with autumn rainfall showing positive effects at lower-elevation sites. At the cultivar level, early-growth type cultivars tended to show positive temperature responses, while late-growth types showed more variable precipitation responses, though the majority of cultivar-level correlations did not reach statistical significance. Multivariate ordination (PCA) and permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) on correlation-based response profiles indicated that geographic location was a significant driver of climate-growth response patterns (R2 = 0.28, p = 0.014), while cultivar type explained a substantial but non-significant proportion of variance (R2 = 0.23, p = 0.085). These results suggest that local environmental conditions primarily shape climate sensitivity in C. japonica, while genetic provenance provides an additional, non-negligible layer of variation. Our findings underscore the importance of considering both site characteristics and cultivar characteristics in forest management and climate adaptation strategies for C. japonica plantations.
Semitransparent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) cocatalysts are essential for efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation with visible-light-absorbing semitransparent photoelectrodes; however, their surface loading must be optimized to minimize parasitic light absorption. In this study, we report a scalable wet-chemical route to ternary NiFeCoO x thin films that serve as highly transparent and active OER electrocatalysts for n-type semitransparent photoelectrodes. By systematically varying the surface loading and quantifying both visible-light transmittance and OER activity, we identify an optimal NiFeCoO x loading of 0.20 mu mol cm-2, where high optical transmittance in the visible region is retained while the OER rate is maximized. At this optimized loading, a NiFeCoO x -modified n-type alpha-Fe2O3 model semitransparent photoanode exhibits a photocurrent density of 0.19 mA cm-2 at 1.23 V vs a reversible hydrogen electrode under simulated sunlight illumination, which is similar to 1.5 times higher than that of alpha-Fe2O3 photoanodes modified with binary NiFeO x cocatalysts under otherwise identical conditions, demonstrating the beneficial effects of Co incorporation. This study quantitatively elucidates the trade-off between light transmittance and cocatalyst loading and establishes NiFeCoO x thin films prepared via a scalable wet-chemical process as promising semitransparent OER cocatalysts for visible-light-absorbing photoanodes in PEC water splitting.
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a glycoprotein involved in oogenesis and subsequent maturation. An inadequate level of this hormone critically disrupts pre-vitellogenic oocyte progression. This disruption is a major bottleneck in the captive maturation of Asian catfish, Clarias magur. The current study investigates the potential biological molecular interaction of recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (r-hFSH) and FSHR of Clarias magur through comprehensive in silico analysis. Subsequent in vivo research was conducted on the progression of pre-vitellogenic oocytes in Clarias magur by r-hFSH induction and shower simulation consisting of three treatments and one control, viz. C: Control, S: Shower, H: Hormone and SH: Shower and hormone. The in silico evaluation revealed that r-hFSH had a better interaction with the C. magur FSH receptor (FSHR) than native FSHβ. These predicted affinity values confirm the trend observed in our docking scores. They provide quantitative support for the conclusion that the recombinant human ligand forms a highly stable complex with the C. magur receptor. In a subsequent 60-day in vivo experiment, weekly r-hFSH administration significantly elevated serum biomarker. Hormone stimulation, with and without shower, effectively advanced oocytes from the pre-vitellogenic stage to spawning. It showed superior fecundity, fertilization, and hatching rates. This demonstrates its potential as a reliable strategy to induce oocyte development and improve captive breeding success in C. magur. The current finding emphasizes a novel opportunity for regulating oogenesis and the advancement of pre-vitellogenic oocyte development to maturation in captive farmed C. magur, utilizing solely r-hFSH.
Featured Application PV applications to heavy-duty vehicles (HDV), including trucks.Abstract The decarbonization of the transportation sector necessitates the adoption of practical measures that can be implemented within existing fleets. One such measure is the installation of solar panels on trucks, which has shown potential to reduce fuel consumption in heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs). This study presents lessons learned from a monitoring project involving 200 commercial trucks retrofitted with 300-500 W solar panels, aimed at supplementing battery charging and minimizing alternator operation. The system incorporated commercially available flexible photovoltaic (PV) modules, adhesive mounting techniques, a charge controller, and a data logger housed within a control box. Documentation covered installation procedures, wiring practices, and safety considerations across various truck models, with additional insights from electrical contractors regarding labor time and costs. Results indicate that adhesive-based mounting can be carried out safely and reliably without structural modifications, although wiring and control box placement constitute the most significant portions of the installation process. The project further identified variability in installation duration and economic viability, depending on vehicle configuration and technician expertise. Overall, the findings affirm that vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) retrofits are both technically feasible and operationally robust. They also underscore the practical requirements, constraints, and workforce considerations essential for scaling deployment within commercial fleets.
The prognosis of lung cancer patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is reported to be worse than that of those without IPF. Herein, we investigated the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with and without IPF who underwent resection, and established a new postoperative therapeutic strategy for NSCLC patients with IPF. Between 2011 and 2020, 437 consecutive patients with pathological stage I NSCLC who underwent complete resection with systematic lymph node dissection were retrospectively analyzed. Of 437 patients, post-propensity score matching analysis showed the five-year recurrence-free probability was significantly lower for patients with IPF than for those without IPF (32.3
