General Guidelines Research Articles

Perils and opportunities in using large language models in psychological research.

The emergence of large language models (LLMs) has sparked considerable interest in their potential application in psychological research, mainly as a model of the human psyche or as a general text-analysis tool. However, the trend of using LLMs without sufficient attention to their limitations and risks, which we rhetorically refer to as "GPTology", can be detrimental given the easy access to models such as ChatGPT. Beyond existing general guidelines, we investigate the current limitations, ethical implications, and potential of LLMs specifically for psychological research, and show their concrete impact in various empirical studies. Our results highlight the importance of recognizing global psychological diversity, cautioning against treating LLMs (especially in zero-shot settings) as universal solutions for text analysis, and developing transparent, open methods to address LLMs' opaque nature for reliable, reproducible, and robust inference from AI-generated data. Acknowledging LLMs' utility for task automation, such as text annotation, or to expand our understanding of human psychology, we argue for diversifying human samples and expanding psychology's methodological toolbox to promote an inclusive, generalizable science, countering homogenization, and over-reliance on LLMs.

Lagrangian particle tracking in the atmospheric surface layer

Abstract Field measurements in the atmospheric surface layer (ASL) are key to understanding turbulent exchanges in the atmosphere, such as fluxes of mass, water vapor, and momentum. However, current field measurement techniques are limited to single-point time series or large-scale flow field scans. Extending image-based laboratory measurement techniques to field-relevant scales is a promising route to more detailed atmospheric flow measurements, but this requires significant increases in the attainable measurement volume while keeping the spatiotemporal resolution high. Here, we present an adaptable particle tracking system using helium-filled soap bubbles, mirrorless cameras, and high-power LEDs enabling volumetric ASL field measurements. We conduct analyses pertinent to image-based field measurement systems and develop general guidelines for their design. We validate the particle tracking system in a field experiment. Single-point Eulerian velocity statistics are presented and compared to data from concurrently operated sonic anemometers. Lagrangian displacement statistics are also presented with a comparison to Taylor’s theory of dispersion. The system improves the state-of-the-art in field measurements in the lower atmosphere and enables unprecedented insights into flow in the ASL.

Effectiveness of Mental Health Promotion Policies and Programs of State Universities

The Mental Health Law, also known as RA 11036, is the approved legal basis for promoting awareness about mental health. It mandates every local government unit and academic institution to create its programs following the general guidelines set by the Philippine Council for Mental Health created under this law. Moreover, because there is a growing number of adolescents suffering from mental health problems, there is an excellent need for universities to take care of students’ mental health. This study primarily seeks to assess the effectiveness of mental health promotion policies and programs in the state universities of Region 2 in the Philippines and to know if there are significant differences between the respondents’ assessed effectiveness when grouped according to their profile variables: students (age, sex, years of stay, course) and implementers (educational attainment, years of experience, number of seminar/training & employment status). The study utilized a quantitative method, specifically using a survey questionnaire. Sampling was done through stratified and convenience sampling. The study’s results show that both students and implementers rated the efforts of the state universities in implementing mental health promotion policies and programs as “effective.” Implementers consistently gave higher ratings than students. Moreover, significant differences were present among the respondents’ assessed effectiveness of the academic institutions when grouped according to university, sex, and course/program. Regarding years of stay, only the indicator “facility access and referral mechanisms for psychosocial support” received a significant difference rating.

Tests and Analysis of Storage Life Extension of Hybrid Microcircuits for Aerospace Applications: A Case Study

Hybrid Microcircuits (HMCs) which bring about miniaturization with better performance and reliability are ideally suited for specific application where low volume requirement needed for aerospace missions. A large number of HMCs for varied applications are used in aerospace industry. HMCs generally use passive components and interconnections in thick film form, and active devices (MOSFETs, Transistor and Diode dice) and monolithic ICs (as bare chips) bonded to a substrate and are employed to carry out multiple functions. The die and other chip components utilized in making HMCs necessitated usage of hermetic sealing. The resulting HMCs consisting of multiple components are used as standalone EEE component. A general guideline of using HMCs for 9 years and re-screening after 3 years result in lot of constraint on resources and not viable in present scenario. The study conducted to find out the criticality and testing methodology for the extension of usable storage period. Comprehensive test plan consisting of variety of HMCs having varied processes, materials, density and various tests conducted as per the plan. This article details the various plans, choice of HMCs, testing results and analysis for the basis of extending the usable storage period of the HMCs for aerospace industry.

Risk management and loss prevention strategies for fertilizer industries

ABSTRACT Various toxic and flammable gases exist in the fertilizer industry whose release quantification is very important regarding emergency preparedness, planning and response, and well-being of the community. ALOHA threat zones and threat at a point coupled with MARPLOT are evaluated for ammonia, methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen release, and outdoor and indoor concentrations of these gases in nearby residences and highways calculated. These footprints are calculated using ALOHA which requires inputs such as site data, site location, building type, gas name, atmospheric inputs, release source information and dispersion model to display the threat zone, which can then be shown on MARPLOT. Potential impact of these releases on the community is mitigated through releasing equipment isolations, water sprays for dilutions, dilutions through steam or air and emergency sirens for information. This article covers hazards in the fertilizer industry, and provides general guidelines for operational staff of any industry to mitigate hazards.

Intermittend pneumatic venous thrombembolism (VTE) prophylaxis during neurosurgical procedures

BackgroundThe management of perioperative venous thrombembolism (VTE) prophylaxis is highly variable between neurosurgical departments and general guidelines are missing. The main issue in debate are the dose and initiation time of pharmacologic VTE prevention to balance the risk of VTE-based morbidity and potentially life-threatening bleeding. Mechanical VTE prophylaxis with intermittend pneumatic compression (IPC), however, is established in only a few neurosurgical hospitals, and its efficacy has not yet been demonstrated. The objective of the present study was to analyze the risk of VTE before and after the implementation of IPC devices during elective neurosurgical procedures.MethodsAll elective surgeries performed at our neurosurgical department between 01/2018–08/2022 were investigated regarding the occurrence of VTE. The VTE risk and associated mortality were compared between groups: (1) only chemoprophylaxis (CHEMO; surgeries 01/2018–04/2020) and (2) IPC and chemoprophylaxis (IPC; surgeries 04/2020–08/2022). Furthermore, general patient and disease characteristics as well as duration of hospitalization were evaluated and compared to the VTE risk.ResultsVTE occurred after 38 elective procedures among > 12.000 surgeries. The number of VTEs significantly differed between groups with an incidence of 31/6663 (0.47%) in the CHEMO group and 7/6688 (0.1%) events in the IPC group. In both groups, patients with malignant brain tumors represented the largest proportion of patients, while VTEs in benign tumors occurred only in the CHEMO group.ConclusionThe use of combined mechanical and pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis can significantly reduce the risk of postoperative thromboembolism after neurosurgical procedures and, therefore, reduce mortality and morbidity.

General Applicability of Existing College of American Pathologists Accreditation Requirements to Clinical Implementation of Machine Learning-Based Methods in Molecular Oncology Testing.

The College of American Pathologists (CAP) accreditation requirements for clinical laboratory testing help ensure laboratories implement and maintain systems and processes that are associated with quality. Machine learning (ML)-based models share some features of conventional laboratory testing methods. Accreditation requirements that specifically address clinical laboratories' use of ML remain in the early stages of development. To identify relevant CAP accreditation requirements that may be applied to the clinical adoption of ML-based molecular oncology assays, and to provide examples of current and emerging ML applications in molecular oncology testing. CAP accreditation checklists related to molecular pathology and general laboratory practices (Molecular Pathology, All Common and Laboratory General) were reviewed. Examples of checklist requirements that are generally applicable to validation, revalidation, quality management, infrastructure, and analytical procedures of ML-based molecular oncology assays were summarized. Instances of ML use in molecular oncology testing were assessed from literature review. Components of the general CAP accreditation framework that exist for traditional molecular oncology assay validation and maintenance are also relevant for implementing ML-based tests in a clinical laboratory. Current and emerging applications of ML in molecular oncology testing include DNA methylation profiling for central nervous system tumor classification, variant calling, microsatellite instability testing, mutational signature analysis, and variant prediction from histopathology images. Currently, much of the ML activity in molecular oncology is within early clinical implementation. Despite specific considerations that apply to the adoption of ML-based methods, existing CAP requirements can serve as general guidelines for the clinical implementation of ML-based assays in molecular oncology testing.

Tailored silver coated polymer pillar metasurfaces for near-infrared refractive index sensing applications

In this work, we report the design, numerical simulation, and fabrication of plasmonic metasurfaces consisting of two-dimensional array arranged polymer pillars on glass substrate coated by a thin silver layer. Silver coated polymer pillar metasurfaces with various silver thicknesses are designed and their optical characteristics analyzed with a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The designed structures for near-infrared refractive index (RI) sensing show the sensitivities and figure-of-merits (FOM) of ∼1438.3 nm/RIU and ∼71.5 RIU−1, for gaseous media, and ∼1444.0 nm/RIU and ∼59.2 RIU−1 for liquid media, respectively. By introducing and applying the fabrication processes of 3D laser direct writing combined with sputtering technique, we have demonstrated the facile implementation of the plasmonic metasurfaces working in the near-infrared region without using the precise fabrication techniques. This work will provide general guidelines and useful approaches for plasmonic metasurface device design.

Prospective of Management and Supervision in Latin American Education

Purpose: Reflect on the approach to topics such as educational supervision, educational management, the importance of these aspects and the guidelines that currently govern this type of processes, likewise the importance lies in demonstrating the importance of this process in current education ensuring that children and young people in all countries have quality education. Methodology: The methodology of the article is based on the reflective qualitative method. Sánchez Silva (2005) defines it as follows: “The reflective tradition privileges values, norms and creates patterns of behavior that favor an analytical and critical attitude aimed at reviewing and evaluating ideas, assumptions, theories and conventional methods” (p.116). Furthermore, according to Edmund Husserl (cited by Menéndez, 2012), reflection is fundamental in phenomenology, being one of its main tasks to analyze experiences in an organized way. Results and Conclusions: Raise awareness about the importance of assigning suitable people to these positions, ensuring that they fulfill the responsibilities they acquire and also training teachers and directors in everything that educational supervision brings with it so that they can take decisive and participatory roles. since all types of opinions must provide significant elements. Furthermore, within the general guidelines in current education, it must be taken into account that this is an instrument of public policy that is based on the general law of the system, generating in turn a motivation and a direct relationship of the topics discussed since the The main element is the teacher, thus generating the necessary changes to provide students with quality education. Implications: This research provides implications for educational and government policies to continue strengthening Educational Supervision and Management policies in Latin America. Originality/value: This research offers novelty by reflecting on how public policies impact educational supervision and management in Latin American institutions.

The effects of ProVaka and Papilio interventions on children’s behavior and educator feedback: A cluster-randomized controlled trial in early childhood education and care

Evidence-based interventions can develop social and emotional competencies and foster social relationships during early childhood. In this paper, we explored the efficacy, implementation fidelity, and social validity of two systemic, preventive social-emotional learning interventions in Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC)—ProVaka and Papilio—after their initial nine weeks of implementation. ProVaka is an application of Positive Behavior Intervention and Support that provides general guidelines for the development of social-emotional skills. Alongside general guidelines, the Papilio intervention also utilizes ready-made lesson plans and play-based measures. In this study, 80 ECEC classes from 39 ECEC centers participated in a cluster-randomized controlled trial. We measured educators’ feedback, children’s behavior, social validity, and implementation fidelity. The results indicate effects particularly on educator-reported child behavior and educators’ feedback on certain observed areas when the systemic interventions were implemented with sufficient fidelity. Further, both interventions seem well suitable for Finnish ECEC context.

State Responsibility and Legal Protection of Environmental Activists: Review of Decision Number 14/Pid.Sus/2024/Pn.Jpa

Decision Number 14/Pid.Sus/2024/PN Jpa, Panel of Judges at the Jepara District Court is one of the cases of many environmental activists who were deprived of the right to voice their opinions to protect the environment. This article examines the state's responsibility in protecting environmental activists in Indonesia based on the applicable legal framework, including Law Number 32 of 2009 concerning Environmental Protection and Management, as well as supporting regulations such as Attorney General's Guidelines No. 8 of 2022 and PERMA no. 1 of 2023. The main focus of the article is to understand the extent to which these regulations provide effective protection to environmental activists from unfair legal claims (Anti-SLAPP) and ensure they can carry out their rights and obligations in defending the environment without fear of intimidation or legal persecution. This research also explores the implications of the application of laws and regulations on law enforcement practices, especially in the context of protecting environmental activists.

Thermodynamic optimization of heat exchanger circuitry via genetic programming

In this study, an evolutionary thermodynamic technique was developed for the optimization of heat exchanger circuitry. The proposed technique is capable of handling the unrestrained implementation of genetic operators while ensuring circuitry feasibility and basic manufacturability. The optimization tool was used to clarify the optimal heat transfer features in relation to the characteristics of the refrigerant and to provide a thermodynamic interpretation of the optimization results to extract general design guidelines. Evaporator circuitry optimization was conducted under given cooling capacity, superheating degree, and boundary conditions representative of air-conditioning applications. The consistency between the minimum entropy generation and the maximum coefficient of performance (COP) was demonstrated under these settings. Accordingly, heat exchanger configurations that take maximum advantage of the thermodynamic benefits of each refrigerant are proposed by optimizing the distribution of friction and heat transfer irreversibility. Consequently, the evaporator outlet pressure increases, thus lowering the compression ratio and maximizing the COP. The developed optimization method maximizes the benefits of low-GWP alternative refrigerants and shows that zeotropic mixtures may exhibit performance analogous to that of R32 and higher than that of R410A by approaching a Lorenz cycle operation.

Native surface oxidation phenomena of DC-Sputtered molybdenum thin film in tropical environment

Molybdenum (Mo) is a versatile refractory metal that has been widely used as back contact in thin film photovoltaic cells. However, Mo tends to react with oxygen in ambient environment which influences its original properties. In this study, Mo thin films were stored in different environments (in vacuum desiccator and open air) for 8760 h. Subsequently, these films were characterized and analyzed by Grazing Incidence X-Ray Diffractometer (GIXRD), Raman spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (FESEM-EDX), Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy (C-AFM), and Hall Effect measurement system. It was found that Mo thin film kept in open air at room temperature undergoes surface oxidation which results in random growth of nanostructured MoOx. Formation of these observed oxide compounds on the surface is correlated with decrement in the electrical conductivity mainly through lower carrier mobility. Preliminary results highlighted from this study can serve as general guideline for handling, storage and transportation requirements forMo thin film in tropical environment.

Enhancing predictive capabilities in fusion burning plasmas through surrogate-based optimization in core transport solvers

This work presents the PORTALS framework (Rodriguez-Fernandez et al 2022 Nucl. Fusion 62 076036), which leverages surrogate modeling and optimization techniques to enable the prediction of core plasma profiles and performance with nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations at significantly reduced cost, with no loss of accuracy. The efficiency of PORTALS is benchmarked against standard methods, and its full potential is demonstrated on a unique, simultaneous 5-channel (electron temperature, ion temperature, electron density, impurity density and angular rotation) prediction of steady-state profiles in a DIII-D ITER Similar Shape plasma with GPU-accelerated, nonlinear CGYRO (Candy et al 2016 J. Comput. Phys. 324 73–93). This paper also provides general guidelines for accurate performance predictions in burning plasmas and the impact of transport modeling in fusion pilot plants studies.

Opportunities of building tall and green – an overview from a European perspective

The purpose of the article is to answer the question of whether a tall building, throughout its entire life cycle, can be sustainable. A literature review and online searches were conducted in order to gather data on the impact of environmental trends on chosen aspects of tall European building design. The conducted analyses confirm the hypothesis that the European approach considers sustainable aspects and can be the basis for general guidelines for the construction of green tall buildings, ensuring that the tall building’s location, floor areas and heights are functionally justified. Despite the demanding climate conditions, high-rise buildings are designed using bioclimatic solutions and take the use of passive phenomena and a reduction in the operating time of mechanical systems into account. The necessary technical infrastructure uses highly efficient, energy-saving equipment and solutions. Obtaining energy from renewable sources is present in architectural solutions but not very popular – these technologies are still growing and gaining importance.

Lack of Clinical Evidence Regarding the Guidelines for Vitamin B12 Deficiency: An Analysis From Literature and Recommendations From Clinical Practice.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is a critical medical condition that, if left untreated, can lead to severe symptoms and potentially serious and life-threatening complications. Clinical guidelines are designed to provide a standardized approach to diagnosis and treatment, aiming for consistency and effectiveness. However, it is well-established that not all patients fit into general guidelines. To investigate the clinical relevance of the submitted research to support these protocols for diagnosing and treating a B12 deficiency. Conducting a literature review of the references focused and used on diagnosing and treating vitamin B12 deficiency in adults and children. No robust clinical trial nor RCT has been found to back up the current protocols. The research used is primarily based on assumptions rather than solid clinical evidence. Existing guidelines for vitamin B12 deficiency need to be significantly revised and improved through clinical research, clinical experience by experts in the field with input from patient groups worldwide.

Personalized Cardiology

Abstract Personalized/precision cardiology is a great hope of our times. In daily practice, we apply personalized, but not precise, cardiology: we take individual patient histories and perform individual clinical examinations, but we treat using general rule, general evidence-based guidelines… We do hope, in the near future, to take individual examination and treat using individual rules. Genuine, meaningful precision cardiology will rely heavily on genetics and artificial intelligence, but lifestyle, individual risk factors, patient and family compliance to treatment, and genetic makeup can influence diagnostic accuracy and treatment effects and should not be neglected. Extensive data exists regarding applications of artificial intelligence in the practice of precision cardiology, but we lack the systems that would translate its potential into clinical outcomes for real patients.

Treatment of Hip Cartilage Defects in Athletes.

Chondral defects in the athlete's hip are a relatively common occurrence, often presenting with debilitating pain and activity limitation. Preoperative identification of cartilage defects is challenging and there are many different modalities for treatment. Nonsurgical interventions, including activity modification, physical therapy, and injections, play a vital role, especially in less severe cases and as adjuncts to surgical intervention. Treating surgeons must be familiar with the cartilage restoration procedures available, including debridement, microfracture, and various implantation and transplantation options. Safe and effective management of cartilage defects is imperative to an athlete's return to sport. It is also imperative that surgeons are aware of all these various treatment options to determine what modality is best for their patients. This review serves to outline these options, cover the published literature, and provide general guidelines for surgeons when they encounter chondral defects in the office and the operating room.

Improving lung cancer health equity by applying deep learning to low dose CT screening of minority and disadvantaged patients.

1584 Background: In the US, disparities in lung cancer mortality exist for African American, Hispanic, and other minorities. Standard of care low dose CT screening (LDCT) detects early-stage disease and improves mortality, yet disparities are perpetuated in screening by eligibility criteria derived from cohorts underrepresenting these minorities. One such cohort is the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) cohort which is 92% White. Consequently, guidelines for lung cancer screening may be insufficient to address the unique needs of diverse populations. We hypothesize that Artificial Intelligence prediction of future lung cancer risk from an individual’s LDCT can partially mitigate racial and ethnic disparities and improve health system practice guidelines by individualizing screening risk as compared to current general guidelines. Here, we benchmark a Resnet18 3D neural network trained on NLST LDCT images, Sybil, on the diverse patient population of the University of Illinois Health system (UIH) which is 20% White and 60% African American. Methods: A real-world cohort from UIH consisting of 1,450 CT studies was evaluated alongside 60,378 CT studies from the NLST cohort. All CT studies evaluated by the model were not used in model training. Using Youden’s J index as a probability cutoff, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were evaluated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and precision-recall (PR) curves were generated to assess model performance between cohorts. NLST data were truncated to achieve equivalent incidence of lung cancer with UIH when generated PR curves. Results: Multi-year prediction performance (ROC-AUC and PR-AUC) between cohorts are summarized (Table). For prediction of lung cancer within 1-year of LDCT in the UIH cohort, the model respectively demonstrated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value among White (0.80, 0.77, 0.54, 0.92), African American (0.84, 0.78, 0.39, 0.97) races and Hispanic (0.75, 0.73, 0.60, 0.84) and non-Hispanic (0.87, 0.77, 0.42, 0.97) ethnicities. Conclusions: Model performance was similar between the NLST (92% White) and a diverse, real-world cohort at UIH (20% White) though decreases in ROC-AUC performance in year 1 predictions and may be due to insufficient representation of minority populations during model training. Prospective studies involving larger and more representative patient populations should be conducted to further optimize the model and evaluate its clinical utility to improve lung cancer health equity in minority populations.[Table: see text]

Relationship between deposition techniques and nanoparticle dispersions for flexible and printed electronics

Reverse micelles composed of polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyiridine) have been used to synthesize nanoparticles composed of a wide range of materials, including metals, metal oxides, dielectrics, semiconductors perovskites, and core–shell nanoparticles. In this contribution, we examine the effect of deposition parameters on two-dimensional nanoparticle arrangements from colloidal solutions created using spin coating, dip coating, slot-die coating, and electrospray deposition. Despite the importance of achieving uniform coatings of ordered arrays of colloidal particles, previous studies have not thoroughly addressed this challenge. We show that the adjustability of interparticle distance depends on the deposition technique used and only occurs within the stable defect-free operating window of the deposition parameters. Establishing the specific operating window for each technique for a model system, we propose general guidelines that can be used for ensuring uniform coatings regardless of precursor loading and provide a guide for adjusting the deposition conditions when coating defects occur. We introduces a novel application of ellipsometry to evaluate interparticle spacing in nanoparticle arrays, enhancing our ability to assess film uniformity, allowing for quick and easy tuning of nanoparticle dispersion. Comparisons between spin, dip, and slot-die coating techniques reveal insights into the correlation between interparticle spacing and ordering, highlighting the importance of fitting relationships for various coating samples. This comprehensive comparison and discussion provide a roadmap for future research, outlining current challenges and trends and offering insights into achievable spacings and ordering in coating processes. This allows the classification of various deposition techniques with respect to their suitability for tailored applications.