[Acidophil stem cell pituitary neuroendocrine tumors/adenoma: a clinicopathological analysis of five cases].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of acidophil stem cell pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNET)/adenoma. Methods: Five cases of acidophil stem cell PitNET/adenoma were diagnosed between May 2022 and July 2023 at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China. The clinicopathological features of the tumor were analyzed by using histology, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy. The relevant literature was reviewed. Results: There were 1 male and 4 females, aged from 23 to 69 years. Patient 3 was 55 years old at the time of diagnosis and first surgery, and relapsed 5 years later. The patients' median age was 32 years. Patients 1 and 5 showed elevated blood prolactin, with various degrees of hormonal symptoms except Patient 3, who showed only tumor compression symptoms. Imaging studies showed that all cases involved the sellar floor. The tumors of Patients 1, 2 and 5 were closely related to the cavernous sinus segment of the internal carotid artery. The tumors exhibited a diffuse growth pattern with chromophobic to slightly acidophilic cytoplasm. A few of tumor cells showed chromophobic cytoplasm. The nucleoli were conspicuous. Intranuclear inclusion bodies and variably-sized clear vacuoles were observed occasionally. Under electron microscope, marked mitochondrial abnormalities were observed, including increased mitochondria number, expanded hypertrophy, and absence of mitochondrial ridge fracture. Some mitochondrial matrices were dense, while some were vacuolated. Conclusions: Acidophil stem cell PitNET/adenoma is a rare type of pituitary adenomas/PitNETs. It often has a more clinically aggressive manner with immature cells, diffuse expression of PIT1, prolactin, and varying degrees of growth hormone expression. Because of the obvious diversity of their clinical hormone status and hormone immune expression, the diagnosis of this type tumor is still a challenge.

[Pulmonary artery stenting in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: a report of 2 cases].

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a pulmonary vascular disease characterized by an insidious onset, progressive deterioration, and poor prognosis. It is distinguished by the thrombotic organization within the pulmonary arteries, leading to vascular stenosis or occlusion. This results in a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary arterial pressure, ultimately leading to right heart failure. In recent years, balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) has emerged as an effective treatment option for patients ineligible for pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA). However, the use of stents in patients with suboptimal balloon dilation remains controversial. This article describes two cases of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) in which balloon angioplasty yielded unsatisfactory results, subsequently leading to stent placement. Following stent implantation, there was improved blood flow, significant reduction in pulmonary arterial pressure, and notable alleviation of patient symptoms. One-year follow-up showed no recurrence of stenosis within the stent, suggesting potential guidance for the use of pulmonary artery stenting as a treatment modality for CTEPH. This report provided new insights into the therapeutic approach for CTEPH.

[A case of repairing the destructive high-voltage electric burn wounds in the head, face, and neck based on the economic theory of flaps].

In September 8th, 2021, a male patient (aged 18 years) with severe destructive injuries of high-voltage electric burns in the head, face, and neck was admitted to General Hospital of Taiyuan Iron Steel (Group) Co., Ltd. Based on the economic theory of flaps, the flap donor site and transplantation method were optimized and evaluated before surgery, and then debridement of head, face, and neck wounds+removal of necrotic skull+free transplantation of super large latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap+thin intermediate thickness skin graft transplantation from the left thigh was performed. The extra large flap donor site wound was sutured directly. This surgery reduced the adverse consequences of the flap donor site on the premise of ensure of repair effect. After operation, the patient's condition was stable, the flap and skin graft survived well, the repair effect of wound was well, the scar in the flap donor area was relatively mild, and the upper limb had no dysfunction.

[A case of metastatic breast cancer complicated by pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy].

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy is a malignancy-related complication with rapid progression and high mortality. To improve the understanding of the disease, early diagnosis and treatment are key to successful treatment. A 39-year-old patient with pulmonary hypertension transferred from another hospital was admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University on September 26, 2021. The patient developed shortness of breath and progressive exacerbation over the past month. No pulmonary artery embolism was seen on computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) at the outside hospital where the breast cancer was diagnosed. Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy was immediately considered on admission and oncological endocrine therapy was started. After treatment, the patient's dyspnoea improved, PET-CT showed significant tumor regression, and cardiac ultrasound showed a significant decrease in pulmonary artery pressure. The successful treatment experience of this case was summarized for reference.

Bta-miR-130a regulates the biosynthesis of bovine milk fat by targeting peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma.

Milk fat determines the quality of milk and is also a main targeted trait in dairy cow breeding. Recent studies have revealed important regulatory roles of microRNAs (miRNA) in milk fat synthesis in the mammary gland. However, the role of miRNA in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC) remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that the overexpression of miR-130a significantly decreased cellular triacylglycerol (TAG) levels and suppressed lipid droplet formation, whereas the inhibition of miR-130a resulted in greater lipid droplet formation and TAG accumulation in BMEC. MiR-130a also significantly affected mRNA expression related to milk fat metabolism. Specifically, the overexpression of miR-130a reduced the mRNA expression of , , , and , whereas the downregulation of miR-130a increased the mRNA expression of , , , , , and . Furthermore, western blot analysis revealed the protein level of PPARG in miR-130a mimic and inhibitor transfection groups to be consistent with the mRNA expression response. Finally, luciferase reporter assays verified that PPARG was the direct target of miR-130a. This study provides the first experimental evidence that miR-130a directly affects TAG synthesis in BMEC by targeting PPARG, suggesting that miR-130a potentially could be used to improve beneficial milk components in dairy cows.

[A retrospective study of the perioperative complications following whole lung lavage in the treatment of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis].

Objective: To evaluate the safety of the procedures of whole lung lavage(WLL) for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis(PAP) in perioperative period. Methods: In this retrospective study, we collected clinical data from 78 WLL procedures of PAP patients from January 2006 to June 2016 in Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease. The causes of perioperative complications were analyzed. Results: Eighteen (23.07%) of the 78 procedures developed complications, including pleural effusion(n=4), pneumonia(n=4), cardiac failure(n=2), cardiac arrhythmia (n=2), pneumothorax(n=2), atelectasis(n=1), lung edema(n=1), laryngeal edema(n=1), pleural effusion and pneumonia(n=1). All complications were mild and easy to treat. Seventy-four procedures had successful extubation, but 4 procedures developed a prolonged time of extubation. Age, DSS, PaCO(2,)FEV(1,)lavage volume, lavage times and underlying diseases were not predictors for any complications(each P>0.05). High fluid recovering rate had a protective effect against the occurring of complications (Wald=7.672, OR<0.01, P<0.05). Conclusions: Whole lung lavage was a safe procedure in the treatment of PAP. Complications could recovery after proper therapy. The perioperative complications showed a correlation with low fluid recover rate. Operation under guideline was the key to avoid complications.

[Ventilator-associated pneumonia among premature infants <34 weeks' gestational age in neonatal intensive care unit in China: a multicenter study].

Objective: To investigate the incidence and pathogen distribution of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) among preterm infants admitted to level Ⅲ neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in China. Method: A prospective study was conducted in 25 level Ⅲ NICU, enrolling all preterm infants <34 weeks gestational age admitted to the participating NICU within the first 7 days of life from May 2015 to April 2016. Chi-square test, t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis. Result: A total of 7 918 patients were enrolled, within whom 4 623(58.4%) were males. The birth weight was (1 639±415) g and the gestational age was (31.4±2.0) weeks; 4 654(58.8%) infants required non-invasive mechanical ventilation and 2 154(27.2%) required intubation. Of all the mechanically ventilated patients, VAP occurred in 95 patients. The overall VAP rate was 7.0 episodes per 1 000 ventilator days, varying from 0 to 34.4 episodes per 1 000 ventilator days in different centers. The incidence of VAP was 9.6 and 6.0 per 1 000 ventilator days in children's hospitals and maternity-infant hospitals respectively, without significant differences (t=1.002, P=0.327). Gram-negative bacilli (76 strains, 91.6%) were the primary VAP microorganisms, mainly Acinetobacter baumannii (24 strains, 28.9%), Klebsiella pneumonia (23 strains, 27.7%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10 strains, 12.0%). Conclusion: The incidence of VAP in China is similar to that in developed counties, with substantial variability in different NICU settings. More efforts are needed to monitor and evaluate the preventable factors associated with VAP and conduct interventions that could effectively reduce the occurrence of VAP.

[Prevalence of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease in Fuzhou region of China].

Objective: To assess the prevalence of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) in the Fuzhou region. Methods: A total of 4100 subjects who aged from 10 to 70 years derived from a random cluster sampling in fourty districts of Fuzhou region and they were asked to complete questionnaires. According to the grade standard of reflux symptom index (RSI), subjects with total score more than 13 were defined as having LPRD. The factors associated with LPRD were evaluated with corrective analysis. Results: Effective questionnaires were obtained from 4 063 of 4 100 subjects. The prevalence of LPRD was 5.00%(203/4 063). The prevalence of LPRD in subjects of 30-39 years old was significantly higher than that in subjects of 10-19 years old (χ2=8.532, P=0.003). The prevalence of LPRD in men was higher than that in women (P<0.001). There were significant difference in the prevalence of LPRD between different occupations (P<0.001). The prevalence of LPRD in industrial workers was 7.89% (24/304), higher than that in students (4/196, 3.14%). RSI was correlated with clearing throat, with a correlation coefficient of 0.687. LPRD was also correlated with dysphagia and pharyngeal foreign body sensation. Conclusions: The prevalence of LPRD in Fuzhou region is 5.00% and LPRD is closely related to age, sex, occupation, clearing throat, dysphagia and pharyngeal foreign body sensation.

Genome-wide identification, classification, and expression analysis of sHSP genes in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp pekinensis).

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are essential for the plant's normal development and stress responses, especially the heat stress response. The information regarding sHSP genes in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp pekinensis) is sparse, hence we performed a genome-wide analysis to identify sHSP genes in this species. We identified 26 non-redundant sHSP genes distributed on all chromosomes, except chromosome A7, with one additional sHSP gene identified from an expressed sequence tag library. Chinese cabbage was found to contain more sHSP genes than Arabidopsis. The 27 sHSP genes were classified into 11 subfamilies. We identified 22 groups of sHSP syntenic orthologous genes between Chinese cabbage and Arabidopsis. In addition, eight groups of paralogous genes were uncovered in Chinese cabbage. Protein structures of the 27 Chinese cabbage sHSPs were modeled using Phyre2, which revealed that all of them contain several conserved ß strands across different subfamilies. In general, gene structure was conserved within each subfamily between Chinese cabbage and Arabidopsis, except for peroxisome sHSP. Analysis of promoter motifs showed that most sHSP genes contain heat shock elements or variants. We also found that biased gene loss has occurred during the evolution of the sHSP subfamily in Chinese cabbage. Expression analysis indicated that the greatest transcript abundance of most Chinese cabbage sHSP genes was found in siliques and early cotyledon embryos. Thus, genome-wide identification and characterization of sHSP genes is a first and important step in the investigation of sHSPs in Chinese cabbage.

Expression of Β-catenin and c-myc during human common bile duct development: a possible role in the morphogenesis of the common bile duct.

ß-catenin and c-myc play important roles in the development of tissues and organs. However, little is known about their expression patterns during the development of the human common bile duct. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect ß-catenin and c-myc expression in common bile duct samples from postmortem tissues of 14 premature infants and 6 spontaneously aborted fetuses. The expression of ß-catenin and c-myc was also analyzed by Western blot. The samples were divided into four groups based on the stage of human fetal development: 12, 13-27, 28-37, and >37 weeks. The Image-Pro Plus v. 6.0 image analysis software was used to calculate the mean qualifying score (MQS). At fetal stages 12, 13-27, 28-37, and >37 weeks, MQS of ß-catenin were 612.52 ± 262.13, 818.38 ± 311.73, 706.33 ± 157.19, and 350.69 ± 110.19, respectively. There was a significant difference in MQS among the four groups (ANOVA, P=0.0155) and between the scores at >37 and 13-27 weeks (Student-Newman-Keuls, P<0.05). At fetal stages 12, 13-27, 28-37, and >37 weeks, the MQS of c-myc were 1376.64 ± 330.04, 1224.18 ± 171.66, 1270.24 ± 320.75, and 741.04 ± 219.19, respectively. There was a significant difference in MQS among the four groups (ANOVA, P=0.0087) and between the scores at >37 and 12 weeks, >37 and 13-27 weeks, and >37 and 28-37 weeks (all P<0.05, Student-Newman-Keuls). Western blots showed that ß-catenin and c-myc expression were significantly higher in fetal than in postnatal control duct tissue (P<0.05). c-myc and ß-catenin are involved in the normal development of the human common bile duct.

Expression of ?-catenin and c-myc during human common bile duct development: a possible role in the morphogenesis of the common bile duct

β-catenin and c-myc play important roles in the development of tissues and organs. However, little is known about their expression patterns during the development of the human common bile duct. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect β-catenin and c-myc expression in common bile duct samples from postmortem tissues of 14 premature infants and 6 spontaneously aborted fetuses. The expression of β-catenin and c-myc was also analyzed by Western blot. The samples were divided into four groups based on the stage of human fetal development: 12, 13-27, 28-37, and >37 weeks. The Image-Pro Plus v. 6.0 image analysis software was used to calculate the mean qualifying score (MQS). At fetal stages 12, 13-27, 28-37, and >37 weeks, MQS of β-catenin were 612.52±262.13, 818.38±311.73, 706.33±157.19, and 350.69±110.19, respectively. There was a significant difference in MQS among the four groups (ANOVA, P=0.0155) and between the scores at >37 and 13-27 weeks (Student-Newman-Keuls, P<0.05). At fetal stages 12, 13-27, 28-37, and >37 weeks, the MQS of c-myc were 1376.64±330.04, 1224.18±171.66, 1270.24±320.75, and 741.04±219.19, respectively. There was a significant difference in MQS among the four groups (ANOVA, P=0.0087) and between the scores at >37 and 12 weeks, >37 and 13-27 weeks, and >37 and 28-37 weeks (all P<0.05, Student-Newman-Keuls). Western blots showed that β-catenin and c-myc expression were significantly higher in fetal than in postnatal control duct tissue (P<0.05). c-myc and β-catenin are involved in the normal development of the human common bile duct.

Association between IL-1RN gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis: a large Human Genome Epidemiology review and meta-analysis.

We made a Human Genome Epidemiology review and meta-analysis to examine a possible association between interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) polymorphisms and susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Studies of IL-1RN polymorphisms and susceptibility to AS were found by searching the Pubmed, Cochrane library, Embase, Web of Science, Springerlink, CNKI, and CBM databases. Data were extracted by 2 independent reviewers. The meta-analysis was performed with the Review Manager Version 5.1.6 and STATA Version 12.0 software. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated based on the extracted data. Thirteen studies with 5391 AS cases and 5239 healthy controls were retrieved. Seven IL-1RN polymorphisms were addressed, including rs30735, rs31017, rs419598, rs315951, rs315952, rs27810, and VNTR. Meta-analysis showed that the rs30735*C allele/carrier, the rs31017*G carrier and the rs315952*T carrier were positively and significantly associated with susceptibility to AS (OR = 1.45, 95%CI = 1.19-1.76; OR = 1.73, 95%CI = 1.34-2.24; OR = 1.30, 95%CI = 1.01-1.69; OR = 1.54, 95%CI = 1.16-2.04). A subgroup analysis based on ethnicity revealed significant positive associations between the rs30735*C allele/carrier and the rs31017*G allele and susceptibility to AS in both Caucasian and Asian populations, while the positive association between the rs315952*T carrier and AS susceptibility was significant only in Asian populations (OR = 1.54, 95%CI = 1.16-2.04). This meta-analysis suggests that IL-1RN polymorphisms are involved in the pathogenesis of AS. The rs30735*C allele/carrier, and the rs31017*G allele may be risk factors for ankylosing spondylitis in Caucasians and Asians, while the rs315952*T carrier is associated with susceptibility to this disease only in Asians.

Distribution of PDIA3 transcript and protein in rat testis and sperm cells.

Protein disulphide isomerase family A3 (PDIA3) has an activity of thioredoxin, widely expressed in multiple tissues and involved in multiple cellular processes. It was recently found in human and mouse sperm cells and could affect sperm-egg fusion. Therefore, the present investigation aims to identify PDIA3 mRNA and protein in rat testis and sperm cells. Rat PDIA3 cDNA was cloned by RT-PCR. The cRNA riboprobe was transcribed from PDIA3 cDNA and was used to display PDIA3 mRNA location in rat testes by in situ hybridization. PDIA3 protein distribution was also observed in testis and sperm cells by immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry, respectively. The rat PDIA3 transcript and protein were localized in the cells from spermatocytes to the spermatozoa phases of rat testes, mostly in the pachytene spermatocytes. PDIA3 protein was also observed on the intact sperm membrane including the tail. The rat PDIA3 gene is transcribed and translated through the whole spermatogenesis process, and the PDIA3 protein is spread all over the sperm cell membrane. The results provide some primary information about PDIA3 in testis and sperm for further study on PDIA3 function in rat spermatogenesis and sperm-egg fusion.

Exogenous abscisic acid increases antioxidant enzymes and related gene expression in pepper (Capsicum annuum) leaves subjected to chilling stress.

To elucidate how physiological and biochemical mechanisms of chilling stress are regulated by abscisic acid (ABA) pretreatment, pepper variety (cv. 'P70') seedlings were pretreated with 0.57 mM ABA for 72 h and then subjected to chilling stress at 10°/6°C (day/night). Chilling stress caused severe necrotic lesions on the leaves and increased malondialdehyde and H(2)O(2) levels. Activities of monodehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase, guaiacol peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, ascorbate, and glutathione increased due to chilling stress during the 72 h, while superoxide dismutase and catalase activities decreased during 24 h, suggesting that chilling stress activates the AsA-GSH cycle under catalase deactivation in pepper leaves. ABA pretreatment induced significant increases in the above-mentioned enzyme activities and progressive decreases in ascorbate and glutathione levels. On the other hand, ABA-pretreated seedlings under chilling stress increased superoxide dismutase and guaiacol peroxidase activities and lowered concentrations of other antioxidants compared with untreated chilling-stressed plants. These seedlings showed concomitant decreases in foliage damage symptoms, and levels of malondialdehyde and H(2)O(2). Induction of Mn-SOD and POD was observed in chilling-stressed plants treated with ABA. The expression of DHAR1 and DHAR2 was altered by chilling stress, but it was higher in the presence than in the absence of ABA at 24 h. Overall, the results indicate that exogenous application of ABA increases tolerance of plants to chilling-induced oxidative damage, mainly by enhancing superoxide dismutase and guaiacol peroxidase activities and related gene expression.

Comparative analyses of genetic/epigenetic diversities and structures in a wild barley species (Hordeum brevisubulatum) using MSAP, SSAP and AFLP.

We analyzed genetic diversity and population genetic structure of four artificial populations of wild barley (Hordeum brevisubulatum); 96 plants collected from the Songnen Prairie in northeastern China were analyzed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), specific-sequence amplified polymorphism (SSAP) and methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) markers. Indices of (epi-)genetic diversity, (epi-)genetic distance, gene flow, genotype frequency, cluster analysis, PCA analysis and AMOVA analysis generated from MSAP, AFLP and SSAP markers had the same trend. We found a high level of correlation in the artificial populations between MSAP, SSAP and AFLP markers by the Mantel test (r > 0.8). This is incongruent with previous findings showing that there is virtually no correlation between DNA methylation polymorphism and classical genetic variation; the high level of genetic polymorphism could be a result of epigenetic regulation. We compared our results with data from natural populations. The population diversity of the artificial populations was lower. However, different from what was found using AFLP and SSAP, based on MSAP results the methylation polymorphism of the artificial populations was not significantly reduced. This leads us to suggest that the DNA methylation pattern change in H. brevisubulatum populations is not only related to DNA sequence variation, but is also regulated by other controlling systems.

APP/PS1 transgenic mice treated with aluminum: an update of Alzheimer's disease model.

There is still no animal model available that can mimic all the cognitive, behavioral, biochemical, and histopathological abnormalities observed in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). We undertook to consider the interaction between genetic factors, including amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin-1 (PS1), and environmental factors, such as Aluminum (Al) in determining susceptibility outcomes when studying the pathogenesis of AD. In this article, we provide an AD model in APP/PS1 transgenic mice triggered by Al. The animal model was established via intracerebral ventricular microinjection of aluminum chloride once a day for 5 days in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Twenty wild type (WT) mice and 20 APP/PS1 transgenic (TG) mice were separately divided into 2 groups (control and Al group), and a stainless steel injector with stopper was used for microinjection into the left-lateral cerebral ventricle of each mouse. The Morris water maze task was used to evaluate behavioral function of learning and memory ability on the 20th day after the last injection. This AD model's brain was analyzed by: (1) amyloid beta immunohistochemical staining; (2) Tunnel staining; (3) apoptotic rates; (4) caspase-3 gene expression. Here, decrease of cognitive ability and neural cells loss were shown in APP/PS1 transgenic mice exposed to Al, which were more extensive than those in APP/PS1 TG alone and WT mice exposed to Al alone. These findings indicate that there is a close relationship between over-expression of APP and PS1 genes and Al overload. It is also suggested that APP/PS1 TG mice exposed to Al have potential value for improving AD models.

Activity and expression of polygalacturonase vary at different fruit ripening stages of sweet pepper cultivars.

Activity and expression of polygalacturonase (PG), a hydrolytic enzyme involved in ultrastructural changes in the pericarp of sweet pepper (Capsicum annaum), were investigated at different ripening stages of the pepper cultivars Mandi and Talanduo. Molecular cloning of CaPG was carried out by constructing a cDNA library from three stages of fruit ripening. Morphological determination, PG assay, RT-PCR, and ultrastructural studies were used to quantify changes in CaPG gene expression in the pericarp from green, color change and fully ripened stages. We found that CaPG gene expression, PG activity and striking changes in the structure of the cell wall occurred with the transition of ripening stages. CaPG gene expression was high (obvious PCR products) in mature and ripened stages of both cultivars; however, the CaPG gene was not expressed in preclimacteric fruits or vegetative tissues. We conclude that developmental regulation of CaPG gene expression is instrumental for sweet pepper fruit ripening; its expression during development leads to dissolution of middle lamella and eventually disruption of the fully ripened cell wall.

Unintended consequence of plant transformation: biolistic transformation caused transpositional activation of an endogenous retrotransposon Tos17 in rice ssp. japonica cv. Matsumae.

Genetic instability could be provoked as an unintended consequence of genetic engineering in plants. Here, we report that the rice endogenous long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon Tos17 was transpositionally activated only in transgenic calli and their regenerated plants produced by biolistic transformation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) ssp. japonica cv. Matsumae. Moreover, the transpositional activity of Tos17 was sustained after plant regeneration in the T0 generation, and produced new germinal insertions. In contrast, the element remained totally quiescent in calli and regenerated plants from tissue culture of this genotype. Nonetheless, transcriptional induction and cytosine demethylation of Tos17 were found to have occurred with no significant difference in both kinds of calli, tissue culture alone and transgenic. This suggests that callus culture is likely to have played an important role in destabilizing Tos17 in the direction towards transpositional activation, but that biolistic transformation is the direct causal factor.

Robustness of the residue conservation score reflecting both frequencies and physicochemistries.

Measuring residue conservation at aligned positions has many applications in biology. Recently, a new conservation score has been defined. Unlike the previous methods, the new approach considers both residue frequencies and physicochemistries. Specifically, it measures physicochemistries based on BLOSUM matrices disregarding the meaning of the entries in such matrices, which may involve the problem of log-log probability. In this paper we present a conservation measure that also reflects both frequencies and physicochemistries while considering the fact that the entries of BLOSUM matrices are already interpreted as log probability. When the supposed score is applied to 14 protein examples, the results show that these two conservation scores are equivalent aside from the different score ranges. The method is also used to score the functional sites of three protein families. Compared with the widely used entropy-based methods, the resulting scores are more robust and consistent in the sense that the functional sites are much more conserved because of functional constraints.