Algorithmic Control in Platform and Traditional Work Settings: An Updated Conceptual Framework

Algorithmic control (AC) is an emerging phenomenon shaping the future of work. While AC is already well established in the platform economy, it is also gaining traction in traditional organizations. Given that AC represents a new phenomenon, it still suffers from a relatively immature conceptual basis. Here, an up-and-coming conceptual AC framework is the so-called “6R” framework by Kellogg et al. (2020). This framework, however, has not been conceptually and empirically tested yet, which is the focus of the study at hand. To test the 6R framework, we use a combination of a literature review (top-down) and interviews (bottom-up). Our study sets forth to refine and extend the framework, resulting in an updated 5RSM framework of AC. The proposed framework represents an updated conceptualization of AC, applicable to both platform and traditional work settings, and lays the foundation for future research, including scale development

Measuring Workers’ Perceptions of Algorithmic Control: Item Development and Content Validity Assessment

Algorithmic control (AC) refers to organizations’ use of increasingly intelligent algorithms and related digital technology to steer worker behavior. While previous studies have identified and conceptualized various forms of AC in both platform and traditional work contexts, the presented conceptualizations lack measurability. This key shortcoming hampers further empirical research on the current use of AC and its manifold consequences. In this study, we report on the item development process for a scale for measuring perceived AC from a workers’ perspective. Following well-established approaches, an initial item pool was developed. The items were discussed and refined with the support of five academic experts and three AC workers. A subsequent rating study with 98 workers was conducted to ensure the content validity of all items. On this basis, the study at hand presents a comprehensive set of items for both AC in general and its seven sub-dimensions

Perceived Algorithmic Control: Conceptualization and Scale Development

Organizations today leverage big data analytics combined with modern information and communication technology (ICT) to control workers in a largely automated manner. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as algorithmic control (AC). Research has shown that worker perceptions of AC applications can impact critical outcomes such as worker resistance, continuance intention, and well-being. Despite recent efforts to better understand these worker-level effects of AC, no systematic measures of workers’ perceptions of AC exist to date. In this study, we develop and present a scale to empirically measure AC at the worker level. In particular, following established scale development guidelines, we conceptualize AC in terms of seven distinct subforms, and derive, evaluate, and validate a final set of 33 measurement items. In doing so, our study paves the way for a much-needed, more systematic investigation of AC and its worker-level implications

Miscarriage and stillbirth following maternal Zika virus infection in nonhuman primates.

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is associated with congenital defects and pregnancy loss. Here, we found that 26% of nonhuman primates infected with Asian/American ZIKV in early gestation experienced fetal demise later in pregnancy despite showing few clinical signs of infection. Pregnancy loss due to asymptomatic ZIKV infection may therefore be a common but under-recognized adverse outcome related to maternal ZIKV infection

Incidental Finding of an Infarcted Epiploic Appendage Attached to the Sigmoid Colon

Background: Epiploic appendagitis is a condition usually caused by infarction of the epiploic appendages, small outpouchings of adipose tissue found on the serosal surface of the colon. Epiploic appendagitis is a rare cause of acute lower abdominal pain, but the condition does not have any specific presenting clinical features and is often misdiagnosed as acute diverticulitis, appendicitis, or other gastrointestinal disorder. Case Report: A 53-year-old female presented with abnormal uterine bleeding and pelvic pain and was seeking definitive surgical management. During the patient’s total laparoscopic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, an infarcted epiploic appendage attached to the sigmoid colon was found. An intraoperative general surgery consultation was obtained, and the infarcted epiploic appendage was laparoscopically excised. Conclusion: This case provides information about epiploic appendagitis, a rare cause of abdominal pain that can clinically mimic other acute or subacute disorders. The goal is to increase awareness of this rare intra-abdominal condition

Immune Response to the West Nile Virus in Aged Non-Human Primates

Background: Risk of encephalitis from West Nile virus (WNV) infection increases dramatically with age. Understanding the basis of this susceptibility requires development of suitable animal models. Here, we investigated the immune response to WNV in old non-human primates. Methodology/Principal Findings: We investigated clinical, immunological and virological correlates of WNV infection in aging non-human primates. Aged (17-30yrs) and adult (6-9yrs) Rhesus macaques (RM) were challenged with WNV in the presence or the absence of the mosquito salivary gland extract (SGE) to approximate natural infection. None of the 26 animals exhibited clinical signs of the disease. Quantitative PCR suggested discrete and short-lived viremia, but infectious virus was never isolated. There was markedly increased, age-independent, proliferation of CD3- non-B cells, followed by Bcell proliferation, which correlated to the loss of detectable WNV genomes. Moreover, animals primed with mosquito salivary gland extract exhibited reduced circulating WNV RNA. While we found the expected age-associated reduction in T cell proliferation, adaptive immunity did not correlate with infection outcome. That was further confirmed in a cohort of thymectomized and/or CD8 T-cell depleted Cynomolgus macaques (CM; N = 15), who also failed to develop WNV disease. Conclusions/significance: Results are consistent with strong and age-independent innate resistance of macaques against WNV challenge. This animal model is therefore not suitable for vaccine and therapeutic testing against WNV. However, understanding the basis of their innate resistance against WNV in macaques could provide helpful clues to improve anti- WNV protection of older adults. © 2010 Wertheimer et al

A Novel Agonist of the TRIF Pathway Induces a Cellular State Refractory to Replication of Zika, Chikungunya, and Dengue Viruses.

The ongoing concurrent outbreaks of Zika, Chikungunya, and dengue viruses in Latin America and the Caribbean highlight the need for development of broad-spectrum antiviral treatments. The type I interferon (IFN) system has evolved in vertebrates to generate tissue responses that actively block replication of multiple known and potentially zoonotic viruses. As such, its control and activation through pharmacological agents may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for simultaneously impairing growth of multiple virus types and rendering host populations resistant to virus spread. In light of this strategy\u27s potential, we undertook a screen to identify novel interferon-activating small molecules. Here, we describe 1-(2-fluorophenyl)-2-(5-isopropyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)-1,2-dihydrochromeno[2,3

Key role of T cell defects in age-related vulnerability to West Nile virus

West Nile virus (WNV) infection causes a life-threatening meningoencephalitis that becomes increasingly more prevalent over the age of 50 and is 40–50× more prevalent in people over the age of 70, compared with adults under the age of 40. In a mouse model of age-related vulnerability to WNV, we demonstrate that death correlates with increased viral titers in the brain and that this loss of virus control with age was the result of defects in the CD4 and CD8 T cell response against WNV. Specific age-related defects in T cell responses against dominant WNV epitopes were detected at the level of cytokine and lytic granule production, each of which are essential for resistance against WNV, and in the ability to generate multifunctional anti-WNV effector T cells, which are believed to be critical for robust antiviral immunity. In contrast, at the peak of the response, old and adult T cells exhibited superimposable peptide sensitivity. Most importantly, although the adult CD4 or CD8 T cells readily protected immunodeficient mice upon adoptive transfer, old T cells of either subset were unable to provide WNV-specific protection. Consistent with a profound qualitative and quantitative defect in T cell immunity, old brains contained at least 12× fewer total effector CD8 T cells compared with adult mice at the peak of brain infection. These findings identify potential targets for immunomodulation and treatment to combat lethal WNV infection in the elderly

Raman spectroscopy and advanced mathematical modelling in the discrimination of human thyroid cell lines

Raman spectroscopy could offer non-invasive, rapid and an objective nature to cancer diagnostics. However, much work in this field has focused on resolving differences between cancerous and non-cancerous tissues, and lacks the reproducibility and interpretation to be put into clinical practice. Much work is needed on basic cellular differences between malignancy and normal. This would allow the establishment of a clinically relevant cellular based model to translate to tissue classification. Raman spectroscopy provides a very detailed biochemical analysis of the target material and to 'unlock' this potential requires sophisticated mathematical modelling such as neural networks as an adjunct to data interpretation. Commercially obtained cancerous and non-cancerous cells, cultured in the laboratory were used in Raman spectral measurements. Data trends were visualised through PCA and then subjected to neural network analysis based on self-organising maps; consisting of m maps, where m is the number of classes to be recognised. Each map approximates the statistical distribution of a given class. The neural network analysis provided a 95% accuracy for identification of the cancerous cell line and 92% accuracy for normal cell line. In this preliminay study we have demonstrated th ability to distinguish between "normal" and cancerous commercial cell lines. This encourages future work to establish the reasons underpinning these spectral differences and to move forward to more complex systems involving tissues. We have also shown that the use of sophisticated mathematical modelling allows a high degree of discrimination of 'raw' spectral data

Effects of West Nile virus on behavioral and cognitive performance, cortical Aβ pathology, viral loads, and immune measures of middle-aged NL-G-F/E3 and NL-G-F/E4 mice

IntroductionWest Nile Virus (WNV) can cause severe and long-lasting neurological disease and results in some neuropathology and neuroinflammation seen in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Exposure to WNV might impact AD-relevant behavioral and cognitive performance and neuropathology via AD-susceptibility genes (i.e., E4) and by inducing neuroinflammation (i.e., increases in TCR-α, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and CXCL- 10). There are three human apolipoprotein E (E) isoforms, which play a role in cholesterol metabolism: E2, E3, and E4. Compared to E3, E4 is an AD risk factor.MethodsWe crossed knock-in (KI) mice expressing human amyloid precursor protein (APP) containing the dominant NL-G-F mutations with human apoE targeted replacement (TR) mice and used middle-aged NL-G-F/E3 and NL-G-F/E4 mice to assess the role of prior WNV (subtype Kunjin virus) (KUNV) exposure on hAPP/Aβ-induced behavioral alterations, cognitive injury, circadian body temperatures, viral loads, neuropathology, and transcript levels of four immune measures important in the detrimental effects of KUNV on brain function.ResultsKUNV affected physiological, behavioral, cognitive, amyloid pathology, viral load, and immune measures in middle aged NL-G-F mice in an apoE isoform-dependent fashion. NL-G-F/E4 mice were more susceptible to KUNV induced cognitive injury and prolonged viral load in the cortex.DiscussionThese results support an important apoE isoform-dependent role in modulating phenotypes in the NL-G-F AD mouse model following WNV exposure