Identification Of Regions Research Articles

Using Montecarlo Optimization for an Improved Solar Active Region Algorithm Detection Scheme

Abstract In the present work we propose a new methodology for the automatic identification of solar active regions in solar magnetograms, that uses Montecarlo method to find the optimized filter parameters. The results not only show that it is possible to reconstruct the counts of databases, but also to a robust characterization of its shapes, yielding to the profiling of the active regions area distribution and longevity.

The Texas Landscape: Accounting for Migrant Mortality and the Challenges of a Justice of the Peace Medicolegal System

Executive Summary This paper details the structural and resource challenges in Texas related to identifying migrant decedents, investigating their deaths, repatriating them, and adhering to legal and ethical requirements in addressing this humanitarian tragedy. While actors working on migrant decedent investigations in Arizona can map and provide accurate counts of migrant deaths, this is not yet possible for Texas cases. Texas’ mixed Medical Examiner/Justice of the Peace medicolegal system suffers from fragmentation across county jurisdictions, lack of resources, and minimal access to investigative tools for transnational families. These challenges produce a landscape where unidentified presumed migrants may structurally disappear (e.g., buried in temporarily marked graves as unidentified persons with no investigation or case tracking). The article highlights the work of Operation Identification (OpID), a humanitarian project formed to assist border counties with recovering, identifying, and repatriating migrant decedents. OpID’s extensive community outreach and collaboration with governmental and nongovernmental partners in the United States and Latin America have improved practices in some Texas counties. However, systemic change is still needed to address this humanitarian disaster. The article proposes that presumed migrant decedents be managed using a disaster victim identification (DVI) approach, which prioritizes identification, rather than how and why someone dies. It also proposes the establishment of regional Migrant Identification Centers (MICs) to streamline identification and repatriation efforts, while ensuring compliance with Texas law by Justices of the Peace (JPs). Centralization, the article argues, can lead to more accurate counts of migrant deaths and lay the groundwork for greater resources. The article also supports increased access to national databases including the National Combined DNA Indexing System (CODIS) and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). It argues that transnational families of missing persons be afforded expanded access to investigative tools (e.g., NamUs)

Navigating chaos: IGAD's efforts Amidst Somalia's Governance crisis

This study investigates how effectively Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has addressed the crisis in Somalia since 1991, using realism theory as its analytical framework. It employs a qualitative case study approach to delve into IGAD's interventions and their implications, conducting an in-depth analysis of IGAD's official documents, resolutions, and crisis-related reports concerning Somalia. By applying realism theory, the study scrutinizes IGAD's actions and motivations from a perspective centered on power politics, highlighting the significance of state interests and regional stability. It suggests that IGAD member states may resist to cooperate when they perceive IGAD's engagement in Somalia is regarded as a threat to their security interests. Despite IGAD's numerous peace initiatives, achieving sustainable peace in Somalia remains elusive. The paper asserts that while IGAD has made substantial efforts to resolve the Somalia conflict, its effectiveness has been constrained by the complexity of the conflict, external influences, and divergent interests among member states. To enhance IGAD's effectiveness, the study recommends various actions, including promoting regional economic integration, mobilizing external resources, improving transparency and accountability, fostering regional identity and solidarity, and maintaining a balanced power dynamic to prevent dominance by any single entity. Applying these measures could significantly improve IGAD's capacity to support peace and stability in Somalia and the entire East Africa region.

O poder do storytelling na recriação cultural: Uma análise da estratégia de marketing da marca Bioco Tradition

This chapter explores the use of storytelling as a strategic marketing tool, focusing on Portuguese culture and the recreation of Bioco, a traditional Algarve costume, reinterpreted from a new design and modern perspective. The aim is to demonstrate how storytelling and local culture can be combined to promote regional identity. The methodology adopted includes a literature review on the concepts of storytelling and culture, and an analysis of the marketing strategy of the Bioco revitalization project. Through this approach, the advantages of applying cultural narratives in marketing strategies are investigated. The results indicate that the integration of cultural elements and the use of marketing narratives can strengthen brands' emotional connection with the public, as well as providing significant differentiation. The Bioco Tradition project illustrates how the revitalization of traditional elements can be an effective tool in building a unique identity and strengthening cultural ties.

The “SEP Clock”: A Discussion of First Proton Arrival Times in Wide-Spread Solar Energetic Particle Events

This work analyzes the appearance of wide-spread deka-MeV solar energetic proton (SEP) events, in particular the arrival of the first protons within ≈ 4.5 – 45 MeV measured at Earth–Sun L1, and their relationship with their relative solar source longitude. The definition of “wide-spread SEP event” for this study refers to events that are observed as a 25 MeV proton intensity increase at near 1 AU locations that are separated by at least 130∘ in solar longitude. Many of these events are seen at all three of the spacecraft, STEREO (Solar-Terrestrial Relations Observatory) A, STEREO B, and SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory), and may therefore extend far beyond 130∘ in longitude around the Sun. A large subset of these events have already been part of a study by Richardson et al. (Solar Phys., 289, 3059, 2014). The event source region identifications draw from this study; more recent events have also been added. Our focus is on answering two specific questions: (1) What is the maximum longitude over which SEP protons show energy dispersion, i.e., a clear sign of arrival of higher-energy protons before those of lower energy? (2) What implications can be drawn from the ensemble of events observed regarding either direct magnetic connectivity to shocks and/or cross-field transport from the site of the eruption in the onset phase of the event?

Tracing Trajectories: Qualitative Visualizations of Migrant Death in South Texas, 1993–2020

Executive Summary This paper explores how qualitative information may be used to enhance understanding and inform recommendations for improved accounting of migrant deaths along the Texas-Mexico border. While border crossing related deaths affect jurisdictions throughout the US’s Southwestern border states and Northern Mexican states, Texas has unique challenges that merit specific examination. In short, the management and investigation of unidentified migrant decedents in Texas is severely fragmented and often noncompliant with Texas Criminal Code Procedure. I explore a way to improve accounting of migrant deaths leveraging qualitative information, local newspaper articles from South Texas and Northern Mexico, by using descriptive summaries coupled with Sankey Diagrams and a programmatic technique, qualitative spatial representation (QSR). QSR enabled me to identify under-recognized stakeholders (South Texas locals, Mexican consulates) and under-supported counties (i.e., those with migrant deaths that do not share a border directly with Mexico). I found that local English-language newspapers obscured the prevalence of migrant deaths and that their narrative tone of “business as usual” normalized the occurrence of such deaths. The Spanish-language articles better represented the diversity of agencies and individuals that were involved in the various aspects of migrant remains management and forensic investigation, most notably residents of South Texas themselves (or situational participants who first found the remains) and Mexican consulates. Finally, I noted that the collaborations among Texas counties and between Texan and Mexican jurisdictions, when they were described in the newspapers, highlighted that the phenomenon of migrant deaths penetrates beyond the dividing line of the Rio Grande/Río Bravo River. Migrant deaths must be accounted for in a way that reflects a regional experience in which people may perish as far as ~100 miles into Texas’ interior. Considering these observations, I have two policy recommendations. First, the Office of the Texas Governor should establish funds distinct from the Operation Lone Star program for the management of unidentified human remains. Currently, grants through the Operation Lone Star Program are the only funds available in Texas to support identification of migrant decedents. However, this program is explicitly designed to further border security operations in the state of Texas, which can contradict efforts around recovery and identification. The documentation and forensic investigation of the unidentified deceased can be eclipsed or neglected under the larger deterrence aims of Operation Lone Star. Second, to improve accounting and increase documentation of migrant deaths, a Regional Identification Center should be established in South Texas. Not every county in Texas has or has access to a Medical Examiner’s office, including the means to transport and pay for autopsy or other forensic services. The Center would provide training, store extra equipment such as mobile refrigerated morgues, and hire personnel to inventory cases, and report information to the state (e.g., vital statistics) and to foreign consulates. A Regional Identification Center would counteract the challenges highlighted in the local newspaper summaries and QSR by decreasing the isolation of counties experiencing migrant deaths and serve as a documentary and communication hub for stakeholders in Texas and Mexico.

사운드스케이프 개념에서 본 지역문화자원의 관광콘텐츠 활용 방안 연구: 국립대관령치유의숲을 중심으로

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the concept of soundscape through its ecological, social, and cultural characteristics, exploring its value as a local cultural resource and strategizing its utilization as a region-specific resource. This study highlighted the significance of soundscapes as local resources, emphasizing their integration with regional cultural assets and proposing strategies for their expansion and future use to enhance regional interaction. Methods: The study was conducted through field research and focus group interviews (FGI) at the National Center for Forest Therapy, Daegwallyeong, targeting six local cultural activists in the arts sector from August 2, 2021, to December 20, 2021. This study explored the potential connections and utilization strategies between soundscapes and local cultural resources, based on theoretical considerations. Results: The findings revealed a connectivity between local cultural resources and soundscapes. Soundscapes interact with the history, traditions, and cultural activities of communities, suggesting that they can serve as unique tourism content that enhances a region's identity and competitiveness, offering various uses and value. Secondly, soundscapes serve as a bridge between a region's past and present, highlighting their potential for expansion as a local cultural resource. From this foundation, key discussions on scalability generated practical and applicable ideas for using soundscapes as tourism attractions. Conclusion: This research identified a positive correlation between utilizing soundscapes and enhancing regional identity and competitiveness, as well as stimulating the local economy through tourism.

Identification of a major QTL region and candidate genes responsible for harvest date combining QTL mapping and QTL-seq approaches in walnut (Juglans regia L.)

Walnut (Juglans regia L.) takes place within the Juglandaceae family and is one of the most popular nut species. In walnut breeding, several limiting factors need to be revealed regarding the genetic mechanism underlying important agronomical traits. In the current report, the monitoring of the ‘Chandler x Kaplan-86’ F1 walnut population was carried out four successive years (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) and the distribution of the plants for harvest date from four years was ranged from August 27th to October 22nd. Then, we dissected the genomic regions associated with harvest date using classical Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) mapping and a rapid and cost-effective QTL-seq approach in ‘Chandler x Kaplan-86’ F1 walnut population for the first time. In classical QTL mapping, a major QTL was recognized in LG4 corresponding to Chr1 in Chandler female map with 27.6 (%) phenotyping variance. In QTL-seq, we bulked the DNAs of the genotypes with extreme harvest date separately, the whole genome resequencing was performed for a parent Chandler and both bulks (early and late) to calculate Delta SNP indexes for each Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and Insertion/Deletion (InDels). Approximately 48.04 million paired reads for Chandler, 149.72, and 150.14 million paired reads were obtained from early and late harvest bulks, respectively. A total of 229,307 SNPs and 45,223 InDels were mined from the merged sequences data covered whole chromosomes. The responsible genomic fragments were identified in Chr2 and Chr11 in QTL-seq. The highest linked InDel locus detected in QTL-seq in Chr11 around 17 million base pairs distinguished the plants according to harvest date. InDel Sequence Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) marker is a candidate for marker-assisted selection for future walnut breeding studies.

Profiling of chromatin accessibility and regulatory elements toward understanding the mechanisms underlying growth regulation in the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Changes in phenotype are precisely controlled by transcriptional regulators, which depend on chromatin remodeling. Although artificial genetic breeding has significantly improved the growth performance of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas), the identification of gene regulatory elements and transcription factors related to growth is obscure. In this study, we performed a genome-wide characterization of chromatin accessibility using two strains of C. gigas that exhibit significant differences in growth. The results showed that accessible chromatin regions were mainly distributed in the noncoding regions of the genome, with a greater proportion of distal intergenic regions than that of promoters and introns. A total of 2044 differentially accessible regions and 2574 differentially expressed genes were identified through comparative analysis. Genes annotated from regions with differential chromatin accessibility were enriched in cell adhesion molecules, JAK-STAT, insulin resistance, HIF-1α, and platelet activation signaling pathways. Correlation analysis of ATAC-seq and RNA-seq data showed that differential gene expression was positively correlated with differential chromatin accessibility. Furthermore, motif screening and identification of accessible chromatin regions revealed a set of transcription factors, including LHX3, TCF7L2, and LEF1, that may play important roles in the growth of C. gigas. Integrated analysis with public Hi-C datasets allowed the identification of a differential peak located 47 kb upstream of angiopoietin-2, which may act as a potential enhancer that affects the growth of C. gigas. In summary, our work contributes to a better understanding of growth-related regulation in C. gigas and provides valuable information for deciphering the economic traits underlying growth, which is conducive to the development of the breeding industry of C. gigas in the future.

Virtual reality inspection of chromatin 3D and 2D data

Understanding the packing of long DNA strands into chromatin is one of the ultimate challenges in genomic research. An intrinsic part of this complex problem is studying the chromatin’s spatial structure. Biologists reconstruct 3D models of chromatin from experimental data, yet the exploration and analysis of such 3D structures is limited in existing genomic data visualization tools. To improve this situation, we investigated the current options of immersive methods and designed a prototypical VR visualization tool for 3D chromatin models that leverages virtual reality to deal with the spatial data. We showcase the tool in three primary use cases. First, we provide an overall 3D shape overview of the chromatin to facilitate the identification of regions of interest and the selection for further investigation. Second, we include the option to export the selected regions and elements in the BED format, which can be loaded into common analytical tools. Third, we integrate epigenetic modification data along the sequence that influence gene expression, either as in-world 2D charts or overlaid on the 3D structure itself. We developed our application in collaboration with two domain experts and gathered insights from two informal studies with five other experts.

Assessing GPT-4 multimodal performance in radiological image analysis.

This study aims to assess the performance of a multimodal artificial intelligence (AI) model capable of analyzing both images and textual data (GPT-4V), in interpreting radiological images. It focuses on a range of modalities, anatomical regions, and pathologies to explore the potential of zero-shot generative AI in enhancing diagnostic processes in radiology. We analyzed 230 anonymized emergency room diagnostic images, consecutively collected over 1 week, using GPT-4V. Modalities included ultrasound (US), computerized tomography (CT), and X-ray images. The interpretations provided by GPT-4V were then compared with those of senior radiologists. This comparison aimed to evaluate the accuracy of GPT-4V in recognizing the imaging modality, anatomical region, and pathology present in the images. GPT-4V identified the imaging modality correctly in 100% of cases (221/221), the anatomical region in 87.1% (189/217), and the pathology in 35.2% (76/216). However, the model's performance varied significantly across different modalities, with anatomical region identification accuracy ranging from 60.9% (39/64) in US images to 97% (98/101) and 100% (52/52) in CT and X-ray images (p < 0.001). Similarly, pathology identification ranged from 9.1% (6/66) in US images to 36.4% (36/99) in CT and 66.7% (34/51) in X-ray images (p < 0.001). These variations indicate inconsistencies in GPT-4V's ability to interpret radiological images accurately. While the integration of AI in radiology, exemplified by multimodal GPT-4, offers promising avenues for diagnostic enhancement, the current capabilities of GPT-4V are not yet reliable for interpreting radiological images. This study underscores the necessity for ongoing development to achieve dependable performance in radiology diagnostics. Although GPT-4V shows promise in radiological image interpretation, its high diagnostic hallucination rate (> 40%) indicates it cannot be trusted for clinical use as a standalone tool. Improvements are necessary to enhance its reliability and ensure patient safety. GPT-4V's capability in analyzing images offers new clinical possibilities in radiology. GPT-4V excels in identifying imaging modalities but demonstrates inconsistent anatomy and pathology detection. Ongoing AI advancements are necessary to enhance diagnostic reliability in radiological applications.

Language Variation, Regional Identities, and Social Perceptions of Karak and Amman Dialects in Jordan: A Comparative Study

Language Variation, Regional Identities, and Social Perceptions of Karak and Amman Dialects in Jordan: A Comparative Study

Spectrally distinct pixel extraction and kernel filtering for brain tumour diagnosis

Before surgery, medical segmentation is carried out to ascertain the limits of regions of interest (ROI). Critical information may be gathered during the planning phase of the operation if it is permitted that the growth, structure, and behaviour of the ROI be studied. This will increase the probability that the operation will be successful. Most of the time, segmentations are carried out either manually or via machine learning algorithms based on hand annotations. The difference between pure background information and an approximation of such information would affect the performance of brain tumour detection algorithms. This paper offers a technique for the identification of tumour regions that is based on kernel background filtration. The proposed approach presented has a more precise estimation of background information as its primary objective. It is composed of four stages. The first stage includes a probabilistic method based on image denoising. The second stage includes extracting the pure background pixels using a kernel-based technique. The third stage estimates the background covariance matrix using the pixels taken from the pure background pixels. In the fourth phase, we perform segmentation using DCNN. The segmentation procedure begins with training a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) to recreate damaged brain regions. Window-based methods identify pixels with the largest reconstruction loss. This study isolates tumorous regions using pixel-wise segmentation. The proposed method segments tumours of various sizes with an average Dice score of 0.82.

Identification of a genetic region linked to tolerance to MRSA infection using Collaborative Cross mice.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) colonizes humans asymptomatically but can also cause opportunistic infections, ranging from mild skin infections to severe life-threatening conditions. Resistance and tolerance are two ways a host can survive an infection. Resistance is limiting the pathogen burden, while tolerance is limiting the health impact of a given pathogen burden. In previous work, we established that collaborative cross (CC) mouse line CC061 is highly susceptible to Methicillin-resistant S. aureus infection (MRSA, USA300), while CC024 is tolerant. To identify host genes involved in tolerance after S. aureus infection, we crossed CC061 mice and CC024 mice to generate F1 and F2 populations. Survival after MRSA infection in the F1 and F2 generations was 65% and 55% and followed a complex dominant inheritance pattern for the CC024 increased survival phenotype. Colonization in F2 animals was more extreme than in their parents, suggesting successful segregation of genetic factors. We identified a Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) peak on chromosome 7 for survival and weight change after infection. In this QTL, the WSB/EiJ (WSB) allele was present in CC024 mice and contributed to their MRSA tolerant phenotype. Two genes, C5ar1 and C5ar2, have high-impact variants in this region. C5ar1 and C5ar2 are receptors for the complement factor C5a, an anaphylatoxin that can trigger a massive immune response by binding to these receptors. We hypothesize that C5a may have altered binding to variant receptors in CC024 mice, reducing damage caused by the cytokine storm and resulting in the ability to tolerate a higher pathogen burden and longer survival.

Automatic lockbolt detection method for riveting quality evaluation based on specific geometric feature descriptors of 3D point cloud

Abstract Lockbolt is increasingly utilized in different fields due to its good performance in riveting and locking. However, the digital measurement and evaluation methods for the riveting quality of lockbolts still need to be explored. In this paper, we proposed a point cloud-based automatic lockbolt detecti on method, estimating the riveting quality via the protruding height of the lockbolt pin. The method involves three main stages: density computation for 3D point cloud, identification of real lockbolt regions, and segmentation for the top surface of the lockbolt. Firstly, a noise-weakened density computation model is proposed to suppress the density value of noise points. Secondly, the idea of PCA (principal component analysis) is adopted, and a set of SGFDs (specific geometric feature descriptors) is built to identify the real lockbolts from the candidate regions. Lockbolts can be robustly represented even if noise and missing in the point cloud. Thirdly, an efficient section-by-section segmenting algorithm is proposed to segment the top surface of the pin protrusion of the riveted lockbolt. Finally, the riveting quality of each lockbolt is evaluated based on the height from the top surface of the pin protrusion to the bottom plane of the lockbolt. Experiments on real data verified the accuracy, robustness, and efficiency of the proposed method.&amp;#xD;

GWAS as a tool for detecting SNPs in cattle to study their relationship to reproduction, productivity, growth, behavior, diseases

The fundamental goal of animal husbandry is the cost-effective production of human food from healthy animals, which includes production, reproduction. The method of whole-genome association study (GWAS) is actively used in various fields, including agriculture. Genome-wide association analyzes were generated as an identifier for genomic variations associated with economically significant traits in different livestock species. This method of genomic selection provides new priorities for improving the productive and reproductive qualities of livestock.The purpose of this review article is a comprehensive analysis of the current state of GWAS in cattle, focusing on the identification of SNPs associated with reproduction, productivity, growth, behavior and genetically determined diseases. The scope of the article covers the study of GWAS results worldwide, both in dairy and beef cattle, with special emphasis on the identification of candidate genes, QTL and genome regions related to the direction of productivity. Additionally, the organization of this review will include a classification of GWAS results based on the specific traits studied, providing a comprehensive overview of the genetic determinants of reproduction, growth, behavior, and disease traits in cattle.

Identification of feasible regions for managed aquifer recharge in the Republic of Cyprus using a co-participative multi-criteria decision analysis

This study proposes an integrated approach that aims at finding locations which are eligible for Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) installation in Cyprus via the active involvement of key stakeholders of MAR-related sectors during all stages of the decision process to ensure the validity of the outcomes. The MAR problem is jointly formulated with the key stakeholders according to the site needs by introducing the so-called "MAR typology" concept, consisting of the recharge objective, the recharge method, and the available water sources. Tertiary-treated wastewater is adapted as the water source, which is recharged in aquifers via recharge ponds for irrigation. Various sources of information have been considered for assessing the degree of feasibility, aggregated in three thematic clusters (feasibility components), namely intrinsic site-suitability, the availability of water resources for MAR purposes, and water demand. Twelve criteria have been selected jointly with key stakeholders to evaluate the feasibility components via a GIS-MCDA process. Seven of these criteria are associated with the intrinsic suitability of a region (aquifer, land-use, and topographical properties), and five criteria are associated with the amount of water available for MAR (characteristics of the water source and evapotranspiration) and the crop irrigation needs. Stakeholder meetings were conducted to determine weights for each criterion and thematic cluster, leading to thematic and feasibility maps. The results demonstrate large discrepancies among the feasibility components in terms of their spatial variation and the location where the most favourable regions are present. Smoother profiles are observed for intrinsic suitability compared to the other thematic layers, partly attributed to the use of a larger number of criteria. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the MAR-favourable regions are weakly influenced by the variation of the relevant importance among the thematic layers, being mostly present in the vicinity of the southern and south-eastern coastlines.

Irregular green netting of eggplant fruit peel: a domestication trait controlled by SmGLK2 with potential for fruit colour diversification.

The distribution of chlorophylls in eggplant (Solanum melongena) peel exhibits either a uniform pattern or an irregular green netting. The latter, manifested as a gradient of dark green netting intensified in the proximal part of the fruit on a pale green background, is common in wild relatives and some eggplant landraces. Despite the selection of uniform chlorophylls during domestication, the netting pattern contributes to a greater diversity of fruit colours. Here, we have used over 2,300 individuals from different populations, including a multi-parental MAGIC population for candidate genomic region identification, an F2 population for BSA-Seq, and advanced backcrosses for edges-to-core fine-mapping, to identify SmGLK2 gene as responsible for the irregular netting in eggplant fruits. We have also analysed the gene sequence of 178 S. melongena accessions and 22 wild relative species for tracing the evolutionary changes that the gene has undergone during domestication. Three different mutations were identified leading to the absence of netting. The main causative indel induces a premature stop codon disrupting the protein conformation and function, which was confirmed by western blotting analysis and confocal microscopy observations. SmGLK2 has a major role in regulating chlorophyll biosynthesis in eggplant fruit peel.

Genome-Wide Characterization of Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Genes and Their Expression Profile under Drought Stress in Quercus rubra.

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is crucial in plant metabolism and responses to various abiotic stresses. In the glycolysis pathway, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P) is oxidized to 1,3-bisphosphate glycerate (1,3-BPG) through the catalytic action of GAPDH. However, the GAPDH gene family in Quercus rubra has been minimally researched. In this study, we identified 13 GAPDH-encoding genes in Q. rubra through a bioinformatics analysis of genomic data. Evolutionary studies suggest that these QrGAPDH genes are closely related to those in Glycine max and Triticum aestivum. We conducted a comprehensive whole-genome study, which included predictions of subcellular localization, gene structure analysis, protein motif identification, chromosomal placement, and analysis of cis-acting regions. We also examined the expression of GAPDH proteins and genes in various tissues of Q. rubra and under drought stress. The results indicated diverse expression patterns across different tissues and differential expression under drought conditions. Notably, the expression of Qurub.02G290300.1, Qurub.10G209800.1, and Qrub.M241600.1 significantly increased in the leaf, stem, and root tissues under drought stress. This study provides a systematic analysis of QrGAPDH genes, suggesting their pivotal roles in the drought stress response of trees.

Clinical Applications of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Parametric Mapping.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is widely regarded as the gold-standard technique for myocardial tissue characterization, allowing for the detection of structural abnormalities such as myocardial fatty replacement, myocardial edema, myocardial necrosis, and/or fibrosis. Historically, the identification of abnormal myocardial regions relied on variations in tissue signal intensity, often necessitating the use of exogenous contrast agents. However, over the past two decades, innovative parametric mapping techniques have emerged, enabling the direct quantitative assessment of tissue magnetic resonance (MR) properties on a voxel-by-voxel basis. These mapping techniques offer significant advantages by providing comprehensive and precise information that can be translated into color-coded maps, facilitating the identification of subtle or diffuse myocardial abnormalities. As unlikely conventional methods, these techniques do not require a substantial amount of structurally altered tissue to be visually identifiable as an area of abnormal signal intensity, eliminating the reliance on contrast agents. Moreover, these parametric mapping techniques, such as T1, T2, and T2* mapping, have transitioned from being primarily research tools to becoming valuable assets in the clinical diagnosis and risk stratification of various cardiac disorders. In this review, we aim to elucidate the underlying physical principles of CMR parametric mapping, explore its current clinical applications, address potential pitfalls, and outline future directions for research and development in this field.