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Existing research has shown that people experience third-party evaluations as a form of control because they try to align their behavior with evaluations’ criteria to secure more favorable resources, recognition, and opportunities from external audiences. Much of this research has focused on evaluations with transparent criteria, but increasingly, algorithmic evaluation systems are not transparent. Drawing on over three years of interviews, archival data, and observations as a registered user on a labor platform, I studied how freelance workers contend with an opaque third-party evaluation algorithm—and with what consequences. My findings show the platform implemented an opaque evaluation algorithm to meaningfully differentiate between freelancers’ rating scores. Freelancers experienced this evaluation as a form of control but could not align their actions with its criteria because they could not clearly identify those criteria. I found freelancers had divergent responses to this situation: some experimented with ways to improve their rating scores, and others constrained their activity on the platform. Their reactivity differed based not only on their general success on the platform—whether they were high or low performers—but also on how much they depended on the platform for work and whether they experienced setbacks in the form of decreased evaluation scores. These workers experienced what I call an “invisible cage”: a form of control in which the criteria for success and changes to those criteria are unpredictable. For gig workers who rely on labor platforms, this form of control increasingly determines their access to clients and projects while undermining their ability to understand and respond to factors that determine their success.

Gastric adenocarcinoma carries a poor prognosis, in part due to the late stage of diagnosis. Risk factors include Helicobacter pylori infection, family history of gastric cancer—in particular, hereditary diffuse gastric cancer and pernicious anaemia. The stages in the progression to cancer include chronic gastritis, gastric atrophy (GA), gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) and dysplasia. The key to early detection of cancer and improved survival is to non-invasively identify those at risk before endoscopy. However, although biomarkers may help in the detection of patients with chronic atrophic gastritis, there is insufficient evidence to support their use for population screening. High-quality endoscopy with full mucosal visualisation is an important part of improving early detection. Image-enhanced endoscopy combined with biopsy sampling for histopathology is the best approach to detect and accurately risk-stratify GA and GIM. Biopsies following the Sydney protocol from the antrum, incisura, lesser and greater curvature allow both diagnostic confirmation and risk stratification for progression to cancer. Ideally biopsies should be directed to areas of GA or GIM visualised by high-quality endoscopy. There is insufficient evidence to support screening in a low-risk population (undergoing routine diagnostic oesophagogastroduodenoscopy) such as the UK, but endoscopic surveillance every 3 years should be offered to patients with extensive GA or GIM. Endoscopic mucosal resection or endoscopic submucosal dissection of visible gastric dysplasia and early cancer has been shown to be efficacious with a high success rate and low rate of recurrence, providing that specific quality criteria are met.

Many firms employ marketing tactics, such as surprise boxes, buy-and-reveal deals, random price promotions, and teaser advertisements, in which some information is intentionally undisclosed. Research has examined some of these initiatives, using a broad but often disconnected set of terms, theories, and methods, which we examine and integrate in this conceptual review paper. To lend coherence to the literature and offer a unifying framework for informing marketing practice, we (1) conceptualize these tactics as part of a broader phenomenon referred to as “uncertainty marketing” and define its boundaries, (2) propose and demonstrate that the range of uncertainty marketing tactics can be classified across three types (assortment, promotional, and innovation tactics) and along two core dimensions (stakes and opacity), and (3) examine how firms can obtain a favorable consumer response, thereby deriving testable propositions about consumers’ baseline interest in uncertainty marketing tactics and the factors that can affect this interest. We then discuss the implications of applying this framework in practice and close by offering a prioritized agenda for future research.

The fungal species Candida albicans is both a member of the human microbiome and a fungal pathogen. C. albicans undergoes several different morphological transitions, including one called white-opaque switching. Here, cells reversibly switch between two states, “white” and “opaque,” and each state is heritable through many cell generations. Each cell type has a distinct cellular and colony morphology and they differ in many other properties including mating, nutritional specialization, and interactions with the innate immune system. Previous genetic screens to gain insight into white-opaque switching have focused on certain classes of genes (for example transcriptional regulators or chromatin modifying enzymes). In this paper, we examined 172 deletion mutants covering a broad range of cell functions. We identified 28 deletion mutants with at least a fivefold effect on switching frequencies; these cover a wide variety of functions ranging from membrane sensors to kinases to proteins of unknown function. In agreement with previous reports, we found that components of the pheromone signaling cascade affect white-to-opaque switching; however, our results suggest that the major effect of Cek1 on white-opaque switching occurs through the cell wall damage response pathway. Most of the genes we identified have not been previously implicated in white-opaque switching and serve as entry points to understand new aspects of this morphological transition.

The exploration of cell response to nanotopography has attracted considerable attentions for years. This article focuses on the influence of nanotopography on the intracellular Ca 2+ dynamics, the most ubiquitous but ignored second messenger. The classic titanium nanotubes (NT) were fabricated by anodization to formulate nanoporous surfaces. Firstly, the store operative calcium entry (SOCE) in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and functional Ca 2+ release-activated Ca 2+ (CRAC) channels were significantly enhanced on NT surfaces that revealed by live-cell Ca 2+ imaging and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) identification of orai1-stim1 connection. To investigate the potential implication of Ca 2+ elevation, the dynamic cell migration trajectory was monitored by a self-made holder, which could not only be suitable for the opaque implant surface but also guarantee the focus fields identical during samples shifting. The cell migration on NT surface was more vigorous and rapid, which was correlated with higher focal adhesion proteins expression, Ca 2+ -dependent calpain activity and stim1 level. In conclusion, this study has confirmed the novel ER Ca 2+ hemostasis pathway on nanosurfaces and its crucial role in cell migration regulation, which may help for more biofavorable implant surface design. Graphical Abstract

Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is a practical and reliable imaging method to evaluate the cervical canal, uterine isthmus, uterine cavity, and fallopian tubes. Using HSG, opaque pathologies outside of contrast media can be detected as well as pathologies of uterus and fallopian tubes. We aim to present and categorize some uncommon and interesting abnormal findings that are located outside of the contrast areas in HSG. This is a pictorial review that depicts various types of HSG images that include opaque pathologies outside of the contrast areas. Images have been extracted from valuable archives collected over 50 yr by professor Shahrzad. A plain pelvic film contains soft tissues of the pelvis, bony structures, artifacts, or foreign bodies. Categorization might easily help the radiologist to interpret the HSG cliché. Opaque pathologies outside of contrast area in HSG can be categorized into 2 groups: “Pelvic Tissue Related” and “Foreign Bodies”. Pelvic tissue abnormalities might have a gynecologic or nongynecologic source. Foreign bodies can be located in the pelvis or outside of the body. HSG is a reliable and inexpensive procedure. Familiarity with the pathologies of pelvic tissues and the accurate interpretation of HSG images are important. Key words: Hysterosalpingography, Opaque, Abnormalities, Uterine, Fallopian tubes.

Summary Riboflavin is the precursor of essential cofactors for diverse metabolic processes. Unlike animals, plants can de novo produce riboflavin through an ancestrally conserved pathway, like bacteria and fungi. However, the mechanism by which riboflavin regulates seed development is poorly understood. Here, we report a novel maize (Zea mays L.) opaque mutant o18, which displays an increase in lysine accumulation, but impaired endosperm filling and embryo development. O18 encodes a rate‐limiting bifunctional enzyme ZmRIBA1, targeted to plastid where to initiate riboflavin biosynthesis. Loss of function of O18 specifically disrupts respiratory complexes I and II, but also decreases SDH1 flavinylation, and in turn shifts the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle to glycolysis. The deprivation of cellular energy leads to cell‐cycle arrest at G1 and S phases in both mitosis and endoreduplication during endosperm development. The unexpected up‐regulation of cell‐cycle genes in o18 correlates with the increase of H3K4me3 levels, revealing a possible H3K4me‐mediated epigenetic back‐up mechanism for cell‐cycle progression under unfavourable circumstances. Overexpression of O18 increases riboflavin production and confers osmotic tolerance. Altogether, our results substantiate a key role of riboflavin in coordinating cellular energy and cell cycle to modulate maize endosperm development.

The 1,4-dihydropyridine (DHP) drugs are nowadays the most used drugs in the treatment of hypertension. However, all the structures in this series present a significant sensitivity to light, leading to the complete loss of pharmacological activity. This degradation is particularly evident in aqueous solution, so much so that almost all DHP drugs on the market are formulated in solid preparations, especially tablets. The first and main process of photodegradation consists in the aromatization of the dihydropyridine ring, after which secondary processes can take place on the various substituents. A potential danger can result from the formation of single oxygen and superoxide species that can in turn trigger phototoxic reactions. Several strategies for the photostabilisation of DHP drugs have been proposed in recent years, in particular with the aim to formulate these drugs in liquid preparations, as well as to limit any toxicity problems related to light degradation. This review summarizes and describes the main aspects of the studies conducted in recent years to obtain photostable formulations of DHP drugs.

Theoretical U-values, which measure thermal transmittance, can be calculated based on the thermal parameters of an opaque element’s layers. However, practical measurements are essential to validate these theoretical values. The heat flux meter (HFM) method, is a widely accepted standard for such measurements. Despite its prevalence, the HFM method faces challenges, including wall surface roughness, ensuring proper contact between measurement devices and surfaces, and weather-related fluctuations. This study introduces a prototype system that employs a modified temperature-based method (TBM) to address these challenges. The paper provides a detailed comparison of thermal transmittance measurements obtained using both the modified TBM and the HFM method. The results showed U-value differences between the two methods. Additionally, these experimental findings were compared with theoretical calculations, highlighting the efficacy and potential of the modified TBM as an alternative approach for accurate U-value determination.

White-opaque switching in Candida albicans was first discovered in 1987. Fifteen years later, and three years after the discovery of the mating system, it was demonstrated that the switch from white to opaque was an essential step in the mating process. But this latter discovery did not reveal why C. albicans had this requirement, when Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other hemiascomycetes did not. The discovery that mating-competent opaque cells signaled mating-incompetent white cells, through the release of pheromones, to become adhesive and form biofilms provided a clue to this fundamental question. Opaque cells appeared to signal white cells to form biofilms that facilitated mating by protecting the fragile gradients of the pheromone that directed chemotropism, a process necessary for fusion. Here, we explore the discoveries and observations that have led to this hypothesis, and the ancillary questions that have risen that are related to the regulation of the unique pheromone response, the evolution of this response and the relationship between pheromone-enhanced white cell biofilms and 'asexual' biofilms formed by a/α cells. This discussion, therefore, focuses on a unique and complex component of the basic biology of C. albicans that relates switching, mating and pathogenesis.