Single layered polysilicate kanemite (NaHSi2O5·3H2O) was allowed to react with alkyltrimethylammonium chloride solutions to form alkyltrimethylammonium–kanemite complexes. During the organic intercalation, the SiO2 layers in the complexes were condensed to form three-dimensional SiO2 networks. The calcined products of the complexes had micro pores 2–4 nm in diameter, and the surface areas were ca. 900 m2g−1. The pore size of the calcined products was altered with the variation in the alkyl-chain length of the alkyltrimethylammonium ions employed.

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Genome-wide sequence analysis in the invertebrate chordate, Ciona intestinalis, has provided a comprehensive picture of immune-related genes in an organism that occupies a key phylogenetic position in vertebrate evolution. The pivotal genes for adaptive immunity, such as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II genes, T-cell receptors, or dimeric immunoglobulin molecules, have not been identified in the Ciona genome. Many genes involved in innate immunity have been identified, including complement components, Toll-like receptors, and the genes involved in intracellular signal transduction of immune responses, and show both expansion and unexpected diversity in comparison with the vertebrates. In addition, a number of genes were identified which predicted integral membrane proteins with extracellular C-type lectin or immunoglobulin domains and intracellular immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs (ITIMs) and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs) (plus their associated signal transduction molecules), suggesting that activating and inhibitory receptors have an MHC-independent function and an early evolutionary origin. A crucial component of vertebrate adaptive immunity is somatic diversification, and the recombination activating genes (RAG) and activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) genes responsible for the Generation of diversity are not present in Ciona. However, there are key V regions, the essential feature of an immunoglobulin superfamily VC1-like core, and possible proto-MHC regions scattered throughout the genome waiting for Godot.

Abstract:Headwater catchments are sources of sediments, nutrients, and biota for larger streams, yet the hydrologic pathways that transport these materials remain unclear. Dynamics of storm¯ow generation related to landform attributes and antecedent rainfall were investigated in a steep forested headwater catchment at Hitachi Ohta Experimental Watershed, Japan. Such headwater catchments are deeply incised: the narrow riparian corridors have limited capacities to store and transmit water to streams. Storm runo was monitored at several nested scales within the catchment: (1) 2 . 48 ha ®rst-order drainage (FB); (2) incipient 0 . 84 ha ®rst-order drainage (FA) comprized of two zero-order basins; (3) 0 . 25 ha zero-order basin (ZB); and (4) 45 m 2 hillslope segment (HS), including subsurface matrix¯ow (MF) and preferential¯ow (PF). Results from applied tracer and staining tests as well as observations of piezometric, tensiometric, and subsurface temperature responses were also employed to elucidate hydrologic pathways during storms. During the driest conditions, water yield from FB was only 1%; runo occurred as saturated overland¯ow from the small riparian zone and direct channel interception. For slightly wetter conditions, subsurface¯ow from the soil matrix augmented storm¯ow. As wetness increased, two signi®cant non-linear hydrologic responses occurred: (1) threshold response in geomorphic hollows (zero-order basins) where runo initiated after an accumulation of shallow groundwater; and (2) selforganization and expansion of preferential¯ow pathways, which facilitate subsurface drainage. Storm¯ow increases observed during periods of increasing antecedent wetness depend upon temporal and spatial linkages and the unique hydrologic behavior of three components: (1) narrow riparian corridors; (2) linear hillslopes; and (3) geomorphic hollows. These linkages form the basis for an emerging hydrogeomorphic concept of storm¯ow generation for steep forested headwaters. Knowledge of storm¯ow response is critical to the assessment of management practices in these headwater areas as well as the routing of water and materials to larger stream systems.

Alkyltrimethylammonium–kanemite complexes, having three dimensional SiO2 networks, were allowed to react with a trimethylsilylating reagent to form the trimethylsilylated derivatives. The three dimensional SiO2 networks were retained after trimethylsilylation. The calcined products obtained from the trimethylsilylated products had about 840–880 m2 g−1 in specific surface areas and micro pores with 22–33 Å in average pore diameter. These values were slightly smaller than those of the calcined products obtained from alkyltrimethylammonium–kanemite complexes, which indicated the effect of the trimethylsilyl groups.

ConPred II (http://bioinfo.si.hirosaki-u.ac.jp/~ConPred2/) is a server for the prediction of transmembrane (TM) topology [i.e. the number of TM segments (TMSs), TMS positions and N-tail location] based on a consensus approach by combining the results of several proposed methods. The ConPred II system is constructed from ConPred_elite and ConPred_all (previously named ConPred), proposed earlier by our group. The prediction accuracy of ConPred_elite is almost 100%, which is achieved by sacrificing the prediction coverage (20-30%). ConPred_all predicts TM topologies for all the input sequences with accuracies improved by up to 11% over individual proposed methods. In the ConPred II system, the TM topology prediction of input TM protein sequences is executed following a two-step process: (i) input sequences are first run through the ConPred_elite program; (ii) sequences for which ConPred_elite does not give the TM topology are delivered to the ConPred_all program for TM topology prediction. Users can get access to the ConPred II system automatically by submitting sequences to the server. The ConPred II server will return the predicted TM topology models and graphical representations of their contents (hydropathy plots, helical wheel diagrams of predicted TMSs and snake-like diagrams).

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