Design of Plasma Generator Driven by High-frequency High-voltage Power Supply

In this research, a high-frequency high-voltage power supply designed for plasma generator is presented. The powersupply mainly consists of a series resonant converter with a high-frequency high-voltage boost transformer. Due to theindispensable high-voltage inheritance in the operation of plasma generator, the analysis of transformer needconsidering not only winding resistance, leakage inductance, magnetizing inductance, and core-loss resistance, butalso parasitic capacitance resulted from the insulation wrappings on the high-voltage side. This research exhibits asimple approach to measuring equivalent circuit parameters of the high-frequency, high-voltage transformer with straycapacitance being introduced into the conventional modeling. The proposed modeling scheme provides not only aprecise measurement procedure but also effective design information for series-load resonant converter. The plasmadischarging plate is designed as part of the electric circuit in the series load-resonant converter and the circuit modelof the plasma discharging plate is also conducted as well. Thus, the overall model of the high-voltage plasmagenerator is built and the designing procedures for appropriate selections of the corresponding resonant-circuitparameters can be established. Finally, a high-voltage plasma generator with 220V, 60Hz, and 1kW input, along witha 22 kHz and over 8kV output, is realized and implemented

How Is the Sustainable Consumption Intention Model in Food Industry under Preference Uncertainties? The Consumer Willingness to Pay on Recycled Packaging Material

Food packaging is costly to consumers and generates a huge volume of packaging waste, especially in Indonesia. Prior studies have neglected to construct a causal sustainable consumption intention model in food industry and link to the consumer willingness to pay under preference uncertainties. To address the gaps, this study explores consumer attributes to build a causal sustainable consumption intention model and takes the model to address the consumer willingness to pay under preference uncertainties. This study proposes a causal model that integrates five aspects of sustainable consumption intention model: (1) sustainable consumption knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors; (2) government policy and regulation on sustainable consumption; (3) recycled packaging eco-labeling certification; (4) supply chain innovation and infrastructure; and (5) sustainable product purchasing features. This study uses the fuzzy Delphi method to confirm the reliability and validate the criteria and applies cause and effect model to address the causal model. In addition, this study collects 428 valid responses to address the willingness to pay for causal sustainable consumption intention model and a cognitive best-worst choice experiment to confirm the model in the food industry. The result reveals that recycled packaging eco-labeling certification is the major aspect for enhancing the model, followed by government policy and regulation and supply chain innovation and infrastructure. In practice, consumers incur inconvenience in purchasing sustainable food products but prefer recycled packaging material at a standardized price

The Landscape of Connected Cancer Symptom Management in Rural America: A Narrative Review of Opportunities for Launching Connected Health Interventions

Background: The 2016 President’s Cancer Panel called for projects focusing on improving cancer symptom management using connected health technologies (broadband and telecommunications). However, rural communities, like those in Appalachia, may experience a “double burden” of high cancer rates and lower rates of broadband access and adoption necessary for connected health solutions. Purpose: To better understand the current landscape of connected health in the management of cancer symptoms in rural America. Methods: A literature search was conducted using four academic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO) to locate articles published from 2010 to 2019 relevant to connected cancer symptom management in rural America. Text screening was conducted to identify relevant publications. Results: Among 17 reviewed studies, four were conducted using a randomized controlled trial; the remainder were formative in design or small pilot projects. Five studies engaged stakeholders from rural communities in designing solutions. Most commonly studied symptoms were psychological/emotional symptoms, followed by physical symptoms, particularly pain. Technologies used were primarily telephone-based; few were Internet-enabled video conferencing or web-based. Advanced mobile and Internet-based approaches were generally in the development phase. Overall, both rural patients and healthcare providers reported high acceptance, usage, and satisfaction of connected health technologies. Ten of the 17 studies reported improved symptom management outcomes. Methodological challenges that limited the interpretation of the findings were summarized. Implications: The review identified a need to engage rural stakeholders to develop and test connected cancer symptom management solutions that are based on advanced mobile and broadband Internet technologies

Reducing Symptom Distress in Patients with Advanced Cancer Using an e-Alert System for Caregivers: Pooled Analysis of Two Randomized Clinical Trials

Background: Symptom distress in patients toward the end of life can change rapidly. Family caregivers have the potential to help patients manage those symptoms, as well as their own stress, if they are equipped with the proper resources. Electronic health (eHealth) systems may be able to provide those resources. Very sick patients may not be able to use such systems themselves to report their symptoms but family caregivers could. Objective: The aim of this paper was to assess the effects on cancer patient symptom distress of an eHealth system that alerts clinicians to significant changes in the patient’s symptoms, as reported by a family caregiver. Methods: A pooled analysis from two randomized clinical trials (NCT00214162 and NCT00365963) compared outcomes at 12 months for two unblinded groups: a control group (Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System [CHESS]-Only) that gave caregivers access to CHESS, an online support system, and an experimental group (CHESS+CR [Clinician Report]), which also had CHESS but with a CR that automatically alerted clinicians if symptoms exceeded a predetermined threshold of severity. Participants were dyads (n=235) of patients with advanced lung, breast, or prostate cancer and their respective family caregivers from 5 oncology clinics in the United States of America. The proportion of improved patient threshold symptoms was compared between groups using area-under-the-curve analysis and binomial proportion tests. The proportion of threshold symptoms out of all reported symptoms was also examined. Results: When severe caregiver-reported symptoms were shared with clinicians, the symptoms were more likely to be subsequently reported as improved than when the symptoms were not shared with clinicians (P \u3c .001). Fewer symptom reports were completed in the group of caregivers whose reports went to clinicians than in the CHESS-Only group (P \u3c .001), perhaps because caregivers, knowing their reports might be sent to a doctor, feared they might be bothering the clinician. Conclusions: This study suggests that an eHealth system designed for caregivers that alerts clinicians to worrisome changes in patient health status may lead to reduced patient distress. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00214162; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00214162 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6nmgdGfuD) and Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00365963; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00365963 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6nmh0U8VP

CHESS Improves Cancer Caregivers\u27 Burden and Mood: Results of an eHealth RCT

OBJECTIVE: Informal caregivers (family and friends) of people with cancer are often unprepared for their caregiving role, leading to increased burden or distress. Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System (CHESS) is a Web-based lung cancer information, communication, and coaching system for caregivers. This randomized trial reports the impact on caregiver burden, disruptiveness, and mood of providing caregivers access to CHESS versus the Internet with a list of recommended lung cancer websites. METHODS: A total of 285 informal caregivers of patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer were randomly assigned to a comparison group that received Internet or a treatment group that received Internet and CHESS. Caregivers were provided a computer and Internet service if needed. Written surveys were completed at pretest and during the intervention period bimonthly for up to 24 months. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) compared the intervention\u27s effect on caregivers\u27 disruptiveness and burden (CQOLI-C), and negative mood (combined Anxiety, Depression, and Anger scales of the POMS) at 6 months, controlling for blocking variables (site, caregiver\u27s race, and relationship to patient) and the given outcome at pretest. RESULTS: Caregivers randomized to CHESS reported lower burden, t(84) = 2.36, p = .021, d = .39, and negative mood, t(86) = 2.82, p = .006, d = .44, than those in the Internet group. The effect on disruptiveness was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Although caring for someone with a terminal illness will always exact a toll on caregivers, eHealth interventions like CHESS may improve caregivers\u27 understanding and coping skills and, as a result, ease their burden and mood

Road Detection for Supporting Autonomous Guided Electric Vehicle Robot

Road detection is a vital part in autonomous guided vehicle or robot. In this paper, we describe a road detection method for urban area. The challenge of road detection in urban area is some part of the roads are covered by vehicles. To solve that problem, we propose a method that consists of 3 main steps. First is an image capturing to takes digital image. Second is pre-processing that consists of prediction and cutting road area in an image, and the last is line detection and road labeling. The method has good performance and its has evaluated by using precision, recall and accuracy. That result have been presented in this paper

An eHealth System Supporting Palliative Care for Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Randomized Trial

BACKGROUND: In this study, the authors examined the effectiveness of an online support system (Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System [CHESS]) versus the Internet in relieving physical symptom distress in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: In total, 285 informal caregiver-patient dyads were assigned randomly to receive, for up to 25 months, standard care plus training on and access to either use of the Internet and a list of Internet sites about lung cancer (the Internet arm) or CHESS (the CHESS arm). Caregivers agreed to use CHESS or the Internet and to complete bimonthly surveys; for patients, these tasks were optional. The primary endpoint-patient symptom distress-was measured by caregiver reports using a modified Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. RESULTS: Caregivers in the CHESS arm consistently reported lower patient physical symptom distress than caregivers in the Internet arm. Significant differences were observed at 4 months (P = .031; Cohen d = .42) and at 6 months (P = .004; d = .61). Similar but marginally significant effects were observed at 2 months (P = .051; d = .39) and at 8 months (P = .061; d = .43). Exploratory analyses indicated that survival curves did not differ significantly between the arms (log-rank P = .172), although a survival difference in an exploratory subgroup analysis suggested an avenue for further study. CONCLUSIONS: The current results indicated that an online support system may reduce patient symptom distress. The effect on survival bears further investigation