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SUMMARYThis paper presents a study of innovative vehicle design for fuel cell vehicles. Surveys on latest technologies of battery, fuel cells, regenerative brake, and photovoltaics suggested three types of fuel cell vehicle design: FCV (simple fuel cell vehicle), HFCV (hybrid fuel cell vehicle with regenerative brake), and HFCVP (hybrid fuel cell vehicle with rooftop photovoltaics). The driving powers of the vehicles are estimated by official 10-15 mode driving test data. Dynamic simulations of HFCVP, using 1-min solar radiation data of several cities in Japan, show the hydrogen consumption for three driving patterns a year and for the different capacities of battery and hydrogen sub-tank. The total cost of three types of fuel cell vehicles is estimated by combining cost of fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fuel. The results show that the hydrogen consumption and CO 2 emission of HFCV are nearly 20% less and that of HFCVP is nearly 40% less than the hydrogen consumption of simple FCV.

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Peripheral clocks function to regulate each organ and are synchronized though various molecular and behavioral signals. However, signals that entrain the bladder clock remain elusive. Here, we show that glucocorticoids are a key cue for the bladder clock in vitro and in vivo. A pBmal1-dLuc human urothelial cell-line showed significant shifts in gene expression after cortisol treatment. In vivo, rhythmic bladder clock gene expression was unchanged by bilateral adrenalectomy but shifted 4 hours forward by corticosterone administration at the inactive phase. Moreover, the bladder clock shifted 8–12 hours in mice that underwent both bilateral adrenalectomy and corticosterone administration at the inactive phase. These mice saw decreases in the diurnal rhythm of volume voided per micturition, while maintaining diurnal activity rhythms. These results indicate that the diurnal rhythm of glucocorticoid signaling is a zeitgeber that overcomes other bladder clock entrainment factors and coordinates the diurnal rhythm of volume voided per micturition.