The United States COVID-19 Forecast Hub dataset

Academic researchers, government agencies, industry groups, and individuals have produced forecasts at an unprecedented scale during the COVID-19 pandemic. To leverage these forecasts, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnered with an academic research lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to create the US COVID-19 Forecast Hub. Launched in April 2020, the Forecast Hub is a dataset with point and probabilistic forecasts of incident cases, incident hospitalizations, incident deaths, and cumulative deaths due to COVID-19 at county, state, and national, levels in the United States. Included forecasts represent a variety of modeling approaches, data sources, and assumptions regarding the spread of COVID-19. The goal of this dataset is to establish a standardized and comparable set of short-term forecasts from modeling teams. These data can be used to develop ensemble models, communicate forecasts to the public, create visualizations, compare models, and inform policies regarding COVID-19 mitigation. These open-source data are available via download from GitHub, through an online API, and through R packages

Reservoir Characterization using a Geometric Approach

Quantifying the anthropogenic impacts such as reservoir characterization is a big challenge in the field of water management. In this work, a computer graphics based geometric approach is presented which can predict the underlying topology of large-scale reservoirs. The proposed algorithm uses freely available, satellite based landscape data of the surrounding regions to predict reservoir characteristics. The premise of the presented approach is that the slope of the surrounding landscape is an important determinant to understand the underlying landscape of the reservoirs. This method outperforms the existing state-of-the-art techniques used to estimate the storage capacities drastically, both in terms of estimated maximum volume stored and estimated volume area curves. Evaluation of the geometric model presented is done on 28 reservoirs using the HydroSHEDs data which was developed using the Shuttle RADAR Topography Mission conducted by NASA. This HydroSHEDs data was obtained in 2000 which acts as ground truth data for the reservoirs built after 2000. Further, model parameters are introduced to improve the modeling capabilities of the reconstructed reservoirs. This approach further intensifies the case of using computer graphics techniques for raster based analysis and provides a platform for further research in the field of water management.<br/

Midgut Non Rotation in a Middle-aged Male with Suspected Pancreatitis

Midgut development is a dynamic process that begins from the fifth week of development. During this process, the midgut undergoes physiological herniation in the umbilical cord. Subsequently, it returns to the abdominal cavity through a complex 270° counterclockwise rotation [1]. This normal rotation results in the formation of a duodenojejunal loop on the left-side of the midline, a peripheral large bowel, a centrally located small bowel with the caecum in the right iliac fossa, and the duodenojejunal flexure on the left-side near the pylorus [2]. Disruption of this sequential return can lead to anomalies in midgut rotation, such as non rotation, malrotation, or reverse rotation [1]

Gene Therapy and its Application in Dentistry

As evolution is a continous process with the advancement of the technology, the researches are in continuous to understand the cellular and molecular basic of every disease. As in most of the diseases conventional method is not giving satisfactory results, thus focus is on gene therapy located to treat not only inherited disease but also acquired ones. The gene therapy has broad spectrum application in the field of dentistry like in cancerous and precancerous condition, salivary gland disorders, autoimmune diseases, bone repair, DNA vaccination, etc. Thus, aim of this article is to focus in brief of the basic of gene therapy and about its applications in the field of dentistry

Thermography: A New Diagnostic Tool in Dentistry

The various biochemical processes in the human body generate heat, which must be dissipated. Skin is the major route for heat dissipation using blood as the heat exchange fluid. Skin temperature is an indicator of aberrations in metabolism, hemodynamis or in neuronal thermoregulatory processes. Since most of the heat dissipation of skin is by infrared black body emission skin temperature should be measured without contact, by monitoring the emitted infrared radiation. This has been the basis of telethermography Thermography is being used to detect various pathological conditions in the medical field. There are also various orofacial conditions in which thermography can be used. This paper deals with the history of thermography and its various uses in dentistry

Cone-beam computed tomography: Third eye for dental surgeons

Cone-beam computed tomography is a relatively new three-dimensional imaging technology, which has been specifically developed for imaging of the teeth and jaws. This article gives an overview of the subject and discusses some of the implications for dental practitioners. An understanding of the underlying principles will allow the users of this technology to tailor the imaging protocol to the patient′s individual needs to achieve appropriate imaging at the lowest radiation dose

Radiologist’s approach in diagnosing fronto-ethmoidal meningoencephalocele in an adult: a case report

Abstract Background Fronto-ethmoidal meningoencephalocele is an uncommon pathology. Most of the cases present a history of trauma or paranasal surgical intervention. Spontaneous development of such pathology is extremely rare. The aim of this case report was to demonstrate a rare appearance of spontaneous fronto-ethmoidal meningoencephalocele in an adult male with high-quality images in multiple modalities used in radiology. Case presentation This case report demonstrates an extremely rare pathology of spontaneous development of fronto-ethmoidal meningoencephalocele in a 50-year-old male. The patient complained of swelling involving the nasal bridge, the left side of the nose, and the left cheek for more than 20 years, which was spontaneous without any trauma or surgical intervention. The patient underwent radiological investigations of ultrasonography, computed tomography of the paranasal sinus, and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. The diagnosis of spontaneous development of left fronto-ethmoidal meningoencephalocele abutting the left orbit was made. No other complications of the brain tissue were noted. Conclusions Knowledge about etiopathogenesis and various types of meningoencephalocele helps manage this pathology

Plasma Therapy: An Overview

Definition: Plasma, the fourth state of matter, is a collection of charged particles (electrons, ions, neutral atoms). Recent demonstration of plasma technology in treatment of living cells, tissue and organs are creating a new field at the intersection of plasma science and technology with biology and medicine known as plasma medicine. Plasma medicine is one of the newest fields of modem applied plasma chemistry. It appeared several years ago and comprises studies concerning the direct action of low-temperature, one atmosphere air plasma (cold plasma/nonthermal plasmalnonequilibrium) on body tissues for various noninvasive therapeutic treatments or diagnostics purpose. The study of plasma holds promise for a myriad of applications ranging from lasers and electronics, hazardous decontamination, sterilization and disinfection of foods, soil, water, instruments, to medical uses in wound healing and treating certain types of tumors and cancers. Plasma represents a new state-of-the-art sterilization and disinfection treatment for certain oral and environmental pathogens, heat-sensitive materials, hard and soft surfaces, and may assist health care facilities in the management of various health concerns. The role that low temperature atmospheric pressure plasma (LTAPP) could play in the inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms might prove to be a new, faster, more economical alternative

Fusion Imaging: The Double Impact

The principal aim of diagnostic imaging is to evaluate the true extent of disease to best determine surgical and therapeutic options. Pretherapeutic radiological tumor staging includes evaluation of the size, location and extent of the primary tumor and infiltration into surrounding vascular, visceral and bony structures. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron-emission tomography, etc. are the diagnostic procedures used commonly have certain limitations. Linking functional and anatomic image data via fusion of PET and CT/MR, or use of combined PET/CT imaging provides additional clinically relevant information. It may be the modality of choice because it almost completely eliminates the false-positive and false-negative PET findings