The Resistive Barrier Discharge: A Brief Review of the Device and Its Biomedical Applications

This paper reviews the principles behind the design and operation of the resistive barrier discharge, a low temperature plasma source that operates at atmospheric pressure. One of the advantages of this plasma source is that it can be operated using either DC or AC high voltages. Plasma generated by the resistive barrier discharge has been used to efficiently inactivate pathogenic microorganisms and to destroy cancer cells. These biomedical applications of low temperature plasma are of great interest because in recent times bacteria developed increased resistance to antibiotics and because present cancer therapies often are accompanied by serious side effects. Low temperature plasma, such the one generated by the resistive barrier discharge, is a technology that can help overcome these healthcare challenges

Special Focus Introduction: Migration Narratives in Europe

Special Focus Introduction: Migration Narratives in Europ

Perspective: The Physics, Diagnostics, and Applications of Atmospheric Pressure Low Temperature Plasma Sources Used in Plasma Medicine

Low temperature plasmas have been used in various plasma processing applications for several decades. But it is only in the last thirty years or so that sources generating such plasmas at atmospheric pressure in reliable and stable ways have become more prevalent. First, in the late 1980s, the dielectric barrier discharge was used to generate relatively large volume diffuse plasmas at atmospheric pressure. Then, in the early 2000s, plasma jets that can launch cold plasma plumes in ambient air were developed. Extensive experimental and modeling work was carried out on both methods and much of the physics governing such sources was elucidated. Starting in the mid-1990s, low temperature plasma discharges have been used as sources of chemically reactive species that can be transported to interact with biological media, cells, and tissues and induce impactful biological effects. However, many of the biochemical pathways whereby plasma affects cells remain not well understood. This situation is changing rather quickly because the field, known today as plasma medicine, has experienced exponential growth in the last few years thanks to a global research community that engaged in fundamental and applied research involving the use of cold plasma for the inactivation of bacteria, dental applications, wound healing, and the destruction of cancer cells/tumors. In this perspective, the authors first review the physics as well as the diagnostics of the principal plasma sources used in plasma medicine. Then, brief descriptions of their biomedical applications are presented. To conclude, the authors\u27 personal assessment of the present status and future outlook of the field is given. Published by AIP Publishing

Low Temperature Plasma Jets: Characterization and Biomedical Applications

For many decades non-equilibrium plasmas (NEPs) that can be generated at atmospheric pressure have played important roles in various material and surface processing applications [...

Plasma Medicine: A Brief Introduction

This mini review is to introduce the readers of Plasma to the field of plasma medicine. This is a multidisciplinary field of research at the intersection of physics, engineering, biology and medicine. Plasma medicine is only about two decades old, but the research community active in this emerging field has grown tremendously in the last few years. Today, research is being conducted on a number of applications including wound healing and cancer treatment. Although a lot of knowledge has been created and our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that play important roles in the interaction between low temperature plasma and biological cells and tissues has greatly expanded, much remains to be done to get a thorough and detailed picture of all the physical and biochemical processes that enter into pla

The Rise of Consumer Society in Morocco

At the turn of the twenty-first century, and against the backdrop of a rapid process of opening up to the world culturally, economically, technologically, and politically, Morocco started showing signs of intrusion into a consumer culture. From a historical point of view, this is quite recent, and it makes research in the consumption practices of Moroccans an interesting area of inquiry.This paper therefore serves to shed light on the culture and the sociology of consumption in Morocco. Since the discussion is about a society where complex acts of consumption are getting more prevalent, I would like to start by defining the term “consumer society” and identify its characteristics. This is going to be helpful to the discussion of the engines of consumerism and the manifestations of consumer culture in Morocco

Cold Plasma in Medicine and Healthcare: The New Frontier in Low Temperature Plasma Applications

Low temperature plasmas that can be generated at atmospheric pressure and at temperatures below 40°C have in the past couple of decades opened up a new frontier in plasma applications: biomedical applications. These plasma sources produce agents, such as reactive species (radicals and non-radicals), charged particles, photons, and electric fields, which have impactful biological effects. Investigators have been busy elucidating the physical and biochemical mechanisms whereby low temperature plasma affects biological cells on macroscopic and microscopic scales. A thorough understanding of these mechanisms is bound to lead to the development of novel plasma-based medical therapies. This mini review introduces the reader to this exciting multidisciplinary field of research

Craniofacial anatomy during childhood : pediatric anatomy and clinical applications

Dissertação para obtenção do grau de Mestre no Instituto Universitário Egas MonizThe growth and development of craniofacial structures have been extensively studied, as many clinical disciplines and research in the fields of pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, and craniofacial surgery rely on understanding these processes for diagnosis, timing, and treatment planning. Recent studies in craniofacial research have focused on face growth, facial asymmetry, and gender and age differences, examining changes in size and shape. These studies contribute to a better understanding of growth patterns. Many researchers agree that craniofacial systems tend to have an unusual number of developmental abnormalities, and therefore gaining a deeper understanding of the physiological and anatomical characteristics related to age will guide clinicians in diagnosis, treatment planning, and prediction of post-treatment outcomes. The advancement in imaging techniques, like as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have allowed the acquisition of three-dimensional images of craniofacial structures, providing a more accurate insight into the growth and development of these systems. The research will be conducted in the Pubmed, b-on, Google scholar, Sciencedirect, and Mendeley search databases. The terms to be used for the query are: Growth, Maturation, Craniofacial Bones, Therapy, and the data will be accessed from October 2023 to February 2024.O crescimento e desenvolvimento das estruturas craniofaciales têm sido extensivamente estudados, considerando que muitas disciplinas clínicas e pesquisas nas áreas de odontologia pediátrica, ortodontia e cirurgia craniofacial dependem da compreensão desses processos para diagnóstico, cronometragem e planejamento do tratamento. Recentemente, estudos craniofaciales abordam o crescimento facial, assimetria facial e diferenças de gênero e idade, examinando alterações no tamanho e na forma, contribuindo para uma melhor compreensão do crescimento. Muitos pesquisadores concordam que os sistemas craniofaciales apresentam uma tendência para um número incomum de anormalidades de desenvolvimento e portanto, obter um conhecimento mais profundo das particularidades fisiológicas e anatômicas relacionadas à idade irá guiar os clínicos através do diagnóstico, planejamento do tratamento e predição de resultados pós-tratamento. O avanço nas técnicas de imagem, como a tomografia computadorizada e a ressonância magnética, tem possibilitado a obtenção de imagens tridimensionais das estruturas craniofaciales, fornecendo uma visão mais precisa do crescimento e desenvolvimento desses sistemas. A pesquisa será efetuada nas bases de dados Pubmed, b-on, Google scholar, Sciencedirect e Mendeley shearch. Os termos a serem usados para a consulta serão: Crescimento,Maturação,Ossos craniofaciales ,terapia e os dados serao acessados de outubro de 2023 a fevereiro de 2024

An Examination of the Perceptions of Elementary School Principals, General Education Teachers, and Special Education Teachers about Supportive Inclusion Practices and Processes

Abstract This dissertation focuses on the perceptions of the school principals, general education teachers, and special education teachers about practices and processes that support the inclusion program. High stake holders in schools and parents of students with disabilities are advocating for the improvement of the quality of the inclusion as an academic service delivery model. This study is significant because the number of students with disabilities being placed in the general education classroom continues to increase, and the federal and the state mandates are holding school districts and schools accountable for all students’ academic performance, including students with disabilities. A collective case study approach was used in this study to explore the lived experiences of school principals, general education teachers, and special education teachers with the inclusion program. Through the lenses of Bolman and Deal’s Four Frames of Leadership theoretical framework, as well as the Differentiation of Instruction model, the researcher explored the practices and processes that support the inclusion program at public elementary schools. Through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis, data were collected and analyzed using a constant comparative analysis approach. The first research question investigated the beliefs and attitudes school principals, general education teachers, and special education teachers perceive to support the inclusion program. The second research question inquired about the relationships they perceive to support them in implementing the inclusion program. The third research question examined the structural practices they believe support the inclusion program. The fourth research question studied the leadership aspect they perceive support the inclusion program. The fifth research question looked into the inclusiveness of instructional practices. The common themes: (a) positive attitude and self-efficacy,(b) relationships,(c) collaboration, (d) distributive leadership and resources, and (e) differentiation of instruction and accommodations emerged from data. A uniformed district policy procedure vis-a`-vis the inclusion program, a positive culture about the inclusion program, a balanced leadership approach between the human needs and the schools’ goals, structures to foster collaboration, the application of the principles of the distributive leadership, and the implementation of inclusive instructional practices were evident in the schools

Optimization of Ultraviolet Emission and Chemical Species Generation from a Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge at Atmospheric Pressure

One of the attractive features of nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasmas is the ability to achieve enhanced gas phase chemistry without the need for elevated gas temperatures. This attractive characteristic recently led to their extensive use in applications that require low temperatures, such as material processing and biomedical applications. The agents responsible for the efficient plasma reactivity are the ultraviolet (UV) photons and the chemically reactive species. In this paper, in order to optimize the UV radiation and reactive species generation efficiency, the plasma was generated by a dielectric barrier discharge driven by unipolar submicrosecond square pulses. To keep the discharge diffuse and to maintain low operating temperatures, helium (He) was used as a carrier gas. Mixed with helium, varying amounts of nitrogen (N2) with the presence of trace amounts of air were used. The gas temperature was determined to be about 350 K at a 1-kHz pulse frequency for all cases and only slightly increased with frequency. The UV emission power density, PUV, reached its highest level when 5% to 10% of N2 is mixed to a balance of He. A maximum PUV of about 0.8 mW/cm2 at 10-kHz pulse frequency for a He (90%) + N2 (10%) mixture was measured. This was more than four times higher than that when He or N2 alone was used. Furthermore, the emission spectra showed that most of the UV was emitted by excited NO radicals, where the oxygen atoms came from residual trace amounts of air. In addition to NO, NO2, and excited N2, N2+, OH, and He were also present in the plasma