Reputation Agent: Prompting Fair Reviews in Gig Markets

Our study presents a new tool, Reputation Agent, to promote fairer reviews from requesters (employers or customers) on gig markets. Unfair reviews, created when requesters consider factors outside of a worker's control, are known to plague gig workers and can result in lost job opportunities and even termination from the marketplace. Our tool leverages machine learning to implement an intelligent interface that: (1) uses deep learning to automatically detect when an individual has included unfair factors into her review (factors outside the worker's control per the policies of the market); and (2) prompts the individual to reconsider her review if she has incorporated unfair factors. To study the effectiveness of Reputation Agent, we conducted a controlled experiment over different gig markets. Our experiment illustrates that across markets, Reputation Agent, in contrast with traditional approaches, motivates requesters to review gig workers' performance more fairly. We discuss how tools that bring more transparency to employers about the policies of a gig market can help build empathy thus resulting in reasoned discussions around potential injustices towards workers generated by these interfaces. Our vision is that with tools that promote truth and transparency we can bring fairer treatment to gig workers.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, The Web Conference 2020, ACM WWW 202

Nothing Lasts Forever: Environmental Discourses on the Collapse of Past Societies

The study of the collapse of past societies raises many questions for the theory and practice of archaeology. Interest in collapse extends as well into the natural sciences and environmental and sustainability policy. Despite a range of approaches to collapse, the predominant paradigm is environmental collapse, which I argue obscures recognition of the dynamic role of social processes that lie at the heart of human communities. These environmental discourses, together with confusion over terminology and the concepts of collapse, have created widespread aporia about collapse and resulted in the creation of mixed messages about complex historical and social processes

Physiological effects of KDM5C on neural crest migration and eye formation during vertebrate development

Background: Lysine-specific histone demethylase 5C (KDM5C) belongs to the jumonji family of demethylases and is specific for the di- and tri-demethylation of lysine 4 residues on histone 3 (H3K4 me2/3). KDM5C is expressed in the brain and skeletal muscles of humans and is associated with various biologically significant processes. KDM5C is known to be associated with X-linked mental retardation and is also involved in the development of cancer. However, the developmental significance of KDM5C has not been explored yet. In the present study, we investigated the physiological roles of KDM5C during Xenopus laevis embryonic development. Results: Loss-of-function analysis using kdm5c antisense morpholino oligonucleotides indicated that kdm5c knockdown led to small-sized heads, reduced cartilage size, and malformed eyes (i.e., small-sized and deformed eyes). Molecular analyses of KDM5C functional roles using whole-mount in situ hybridization, -galactosidase staining, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that loss of kdm5c resulted in reduced expression levels of neural crest specifiers and genes involved in eye development. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis indicated the significance of KDM5C in morphogenesis and organogenesis. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that KDM5C is associated with embryonic development and provided additional information regarding the complex and dynamic gene network that regulates neural crest formation and eye development. This study emphasizes the functional significance of KDM5C in Xenopus embryogenesis; however, further analysis is needed to explore the interactions of KDM5C with specific developmental genes

The TopClosure® 3S System, for skin stretching and a secure wound closure

The principle of stretching wound margins for primary wound closure is commonly practiced and used for various skin defects, leading at times to excessive tension and complications during wound closure. Different surgical techniques, skin stretching devices and tissue expanders have been utilized to address this issue. Previously designed skin stretching devices resulted in considerable morbidity. They were invasive by nature and associated with relatively high localized tissue pressure, frequently leading to necrosis, damage and tearing of skin at the wound margins. To assess the clinical effectiveness and performance and, to determine the safety of TopClosure® for gradual, controlled, temporary, noninvasive and invasive applications for skin stretching and secure wound closing, the TopClosure® device was applied to 20 patients for preoperative skin lesion removal and to secure closure of a variety of wound sizes. TopClosure® was reinforced with adhesives, staples and/or surgical sutures, depending on the circumstances of the wound and the surgeon’s judgment. TopClosure® was used prior to, during and/or after surgery to reduce tension across wound edges. No significant complications or adverse events were associated with its use. TopClosure® was effectively used for preoperative skin expansion in preparation for dermal resection (e.g., congenital nevi). It aided closure of large wounds involving significant loss of skin and soft tissue by mobilizing skin and subcutaneous tissue, thus avoiding the need for skin grafts or flaps. Following surgery, it was used to secure closure of wounds under tension, thus improving wound aesthetics. A sample case study will be presented. We designed TopClosure®, an innovative device, to modify the currently practiced concept of wound closure by applying minimal stress to the skin, away from damaged wound edges, with flexible force vectors and versatile methods of attachment to the skin, in a noninvasive or invasive manner

Disordered semantic representation in schizophrenic temporal cortex revealed by neuromagnetic response patterns

BACKGROUND: Loosening of associations and thought disruption are key features of schizophrenic psychopathology. Alterations in neural networks underlying this basic abnormality have not yet been sufficiently identified. Previously, we demonstrated that spatio-temporal clustering of magnetic brain responses to pictorial stimuli map categorical representations in temporal cortex. This result has opened the possibility to quantify associative strength within and across semantic categories in schizophrenic patients. We hypothesized that in contrast to controls, schizophrenic patients exhibit disordered representations of semantic categories. METHODS: The spatio-temporal clusters of brain magnetic activities elicited by object pictures related to super-ordinate (flowers, animals, furniture, clothes) and base-level (e.g. tulip, rose, orchid, sunflower) categories were analysed in the source space for the time epochs 170–210 and 210–450 ms following stimulus onset and were compared between 10 schizophrenic patients and 10 control subjects. RESULTS: Spatio-temporal correlations of responses elicited by base-level concepts and the difference of within vs. across super-ordinate categories were distinctly lower in patients than in controls. Additionally, in contrast to the well-defined categorical representation in control subjects, unsupervised clustering indicated poorly defined representation of semantic categories in patients. Within the patient group, distinctiveness of categorical representation in the temporal cortex was positively related to negative symptoms and tended to be inversely related to positive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Schizophrenic patients show a less organized representation of semantic categories in clusters of magnetic brain responses than healthy adults. This atypical neural network architecture may be a correlate of loosening of associations, promoting positive symptoms

Bax Function in the Absence of Mitochondria in the Primitive Protozoan Giardia lamblia

Bax-induced permeabilization of the mitochondrial outer membrane and release of cytochrome c are key events in apoptosis. Although Bax can compromise mitochondria in primitive unicellular organisms that lack a classical apoptotic machinery, it is still unclear if Bax alone is sufficient for this, or whether additional mitochondrial components are required. The protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia is one of the earliest branching eukaryotes and harbors highly degenerated mitochondrial remnant organelles (mitosomes) that lack a genome. Here we tested whether human Bax expressed in Giardia can be used to ablate mitosomes. We demonstrate that these organelles are neither targeted, nor compromised, by Bax. However, specialized compartments of the regulated secretory pathway are completely ablated by Bax. As a consequence, maturing cyst wall proteins that are sorted into these organelles are released into the cytoplasm, causing a developmental arrest and cell death. Interestingly, this ectopic cargo release is dependent on the carboxy-terminal 22 amino acids of Bax, and can be prevented by the Bax-inhibiting peptide Ku70. A C-terminally truncated Bax variant still localizes to secretory organelles, but is unable to permeabilize these membranes, uncoupling membrane targeting and cargo release. Even though mitosomes are too diverged to be recognized by Bax, off-target membrane permeabilization appears to be conserved and leads to cell death completely independently of mitochondria

Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Parabasalia with Improved Taxon Sampling and New Protein Markers of Actin and Elongation Factor-1α

BACKGROUND: Inferring the evolutionary history of phylogenetically isolated, deep-branching groups of taxa-in particular determining the root-is often extraordinarily difficult because their close relatives are unavailable as suitable outgroups. One of these taxonomic groups is the phylum Parabasalia, which comprises morphologically diverse species of flagellated protists of ecological, medical, and evolutionary significance. Indeed, previous molecular phylogenetic analyses of members of this phylum have yielded conflicting and possibly erroneous inferences. Furthermore, many species of Parabasalia are symbionts in the gut of termites and cockroaches or parasites and therefore formidably difficult to cultivate, rendering available data insufficient. Increasing the numbers of examined taxa and informative characters (e.g., genes) is likely to produce more reliable inferences. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Actin and elongation factor-1α genes were identified newly from 22 species of termite-gut symbionts through careful manipulations and seven cultured species, which covered major lineages of Parabasalia. Their protein sequences were concatenated and analyzed with sequences of previously and newly identified glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and the small-subunit rRNA gene. This concatenated dataset provided more robust phylogenetic relationships among major groups of Parabasalia and a more plausible new root position than those previously reported. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that increasing the number of sampled taxa as well as the addition of new sequences greatly improves the accuracy and robustness of the phylogenetic inference. A morphologically simple cell is likely the ancient form in Parabasalia as opposed to a cell with elaborate flagellar and cytoskeletal structures, which was defined as most basal in previous inferences. Nevertheless, the evolution of Parabasalia is complex owing to several independent multiplication and simplification events in these structures. Therefore, systematics based solely on morphology does not reflect the evolutionary history of parabasalids

Uso del láser en urgencias por periodontitis apical post tratamiento endodóntico

Introduction: Laser therapy and stimulation of the acupuncture points are anti-inflammatory and analgesic alternative treatments in dentistry.Objective: to describe the use of low power laser therapy in the emergency treatment of apical periodontitis after endodontic treatment during 2018.Methods: observational, descriptive, longitudinal, and prospective study of patients who attended emergency department at Guama Dentistry Clinic during 2018, Pinar del Río, presenting apical periodontitis after endodontic treatment; 86 patients participated in the study. Descriptive statistics was applied, respecting the bioethical principles.Results: female gender predominated (53,49 %), apical periodontitis after endodontic treatment was more prevalent in the age group 20-24 (30,23 %); 65,5 % of the patients presented remission and relief after the third treatment session. Only 2,33 % needed more than six treatment sessions.Conclusions: apical periodontitis after endodontic treatment is more common in women during the first half of the second decade of life. The treatment showed effectiveness from the first treatment sessions.Introducción: la terapia y estimulación con láser en puntos acupunturales constituyen alternativas de tratamiento antiinflamatorio y analgésico en estomatología.Objetivo: describir el uso de la terapia láser de baja potencia en el tratamiento de urgencias por periodontitis apical post tratamiento endodóntico durante el 2018.Método: estudio observacional, descriptivo, longitudinal y prospectivo en pacientes que acudieron a la consulta de urgencias de la Clínica Estomatológica “Guamá’’, municipio Pinar del Río, en el período durante el año 2018, por presentar periodontitis apical post tratamiento endodóntico. El universo estuvo constituido por 86 pacientes trabajándose con la totalidad. Se empleó estadística descriptiva y se siguieron los principios bioéticos.Resultados: predominó el sexo femenino (53,49 %), donde la periodontitis apical post tratamiento endodóntico se presentó en mayor cuantía en el grupo etario de 20 a 24 años de edad (30,23 %). El 65,5 % de los pacientes presentaron remisión y alivio tras la tercera sesión de tratamiento. Solo el 2,33 % necesitó más de seis sesiones de tratamiento.Conclusiones: la periodontitis apical post tratamiento endodóntico se presentan en mayor cuantía en las féminas, durante la primera mitad de la segunda década de vida. El tratamiento con terapia laser de baja frecuencia mostró efectividad desde las primeras sesiones de tratamiento

From critical design to critical infrastructure: Lessons from turkopticon

Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) demonstrates how infrastructure projects can be designed and undertaken smoothly. AMT is a Web-based labor market that draws workers from all over the world to perform small bits of digital labor for pay. AMT organizes workers for the pleasure of programmers and the productivity of companies and researchers. Turkopticon is one such concept that has been initiated by AMT from 2008 after engagements with Turkers. AMT brings stopgap, short-term jobs to those with limited employment options, due to geography, mobility limitations, or economic conditions. Turkopticon is a application and browser add-on that augments the AMT interface with reviews written by Turkers. Turkopticon, along with crucial worker communities such as Turker Nation, mTurk Forum, CloudMeBaby, mTurk Grind, and the mturk and HITsWorthTurkingFor 'subreddits' on reddit.com, helps in bridging the worlds of workers and employers

From critical design to critical infrastructure: Lessons from turkopticon

Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) demonstrates how infrastructure projects can be designed and undertaken smoothly. AMT is a Web-based labor market that draws workers from all over the world to perform small bits of digital labor for pay. AMT organizes workers for the pleasure of programmers and the productivity of companies and researchers. Turkopticon is one such concept that has been initiated by AMT from 2008 after engagements with Turkers. AMT brings stopgap, short-term jobs to those with limited employment options, due to geography, mobility limitations, or economic conditions. Turkopticon is a application and browser add-on that augments the AMT interface with reviews written by Turkers. Turkopticon, along with crucial worker communities such as Turker Nation, mTurk Forum, CloudMeBaby, mTurk Grind, and the mturk and HITsWorthTurkingFor 'subreddits' on reddit.com, helps in bridging the worlds of workers and employers