Double-edged Sword Research Articles

Does bride price harm women? Using ethnography to think about causality

Abstract Many institutions claim that bride price – where the groom's family transfers wealth to the bride's family at marriage – harms women. Due to its long-term engagement with communities that practice bride price, ethnography is well-placed to identify causal mechanisms at play in this issue, and there is a substantial literature on its effects. Here, we condense this literature, drawing out key causal arguments made about brideprice in various Melanesian societies. This reveals a complex, multi-causal picture: rather than being singularly harmful, bride price may involve a mixture of drawbacks and benefits, making it a double-edged sword with contested implications. Bride price may constrain women's options before and during the marriage but also serve as a safety net that enhances their status. Its effects are likely influenced by many other variables, including age, kinship networks, and residence structures. These dynamics have been transformed by conversion to Christianity, the (post-)colonial state, market integration, urbanization, and formal education, often yielding ambiguous outcomes. Rather than reducing it to a collection of datapoints, we show that ethnography can serve as a source of verbal arguments that can be used to challenge reductive narratives about sensitive issues and to formulate hypotheses for testing with quantitative data.

The Paradox of Specialization: The Double-Edge Sword of Veterans Studies as a Distinct Academic Field

The Paradox of Specialization: The Double-Edge Sword of Veterans Studies as a Distinct Academic Field

Crystal Chemistry and Formation of Authigenic Chlorite: Influence on Tight Sandstone Reservoir in the Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin, China

Authigenic chlorite is a crucial diagenetic cement that significant impacts tight sandstone reservoirs. The occurrence, crystal chemistry, formation and influences on reservoirs of different authigenic chlorite types were studied in the Yanchang Formation tight sandstones from the Ordos Basin. This study identified two primary types of chlorites: alteration chlorite and autochthonous authigenic chlorite. The alteration chlorite, characterizing by high Fe, Mg, Ti and AlIV contents and low Si and AlVI contents, originated from biotite during diagenesis. The autochthonous authigenic chlorite can be further classified into grain-coating, pore-lining, and pore-filling chlorite. The grain-coating chlorite features thin layers and limited crystal form. During the syndiagenetic stage, Fe2+ and Mg2+ carried by water adsorbed onto the particle surfaces. Additionally, the grain-coating chlorite contains relatively high K content due to the hydrolysis of biotite during the eodiagenetic A stage. The pore-lining chlorite formed during the prolonged eodiagenetic B stage. The biotite and abundant intermediate-basic magmatic fragments released Fe2+ and Mg2+, contributing to the widespread development of euhedral pore-lining chlorite. Notably, the pore-lining chlorite displayed elemental composition variations from the grain edge to the pore center, with increased Fe, Mg and AlIV, and decreased K and AlVI. The pore-filling chlorite formed locally resulted from Fe2+ and Mg2+ crystallization due to the hydrolysis of intermediate-basic magmatic rocks and the dissolution early formed chlorite. The pore-filling chlorite contains the most Fe, Mg and Mn contents and the least K content. Overall, authigenic chlorite acts as a "double-edged sword" in tight sandstone reservoir. The grain-coating and grain-lining chlorite enhance the mechanical strength, resist compaction, and inhibit quartz overgrowth, while pore-filling chlorite trends to obstruct pore throats and break reservoir quality. This study provides valuable insights into the detailed control factors influencing reservoir quality and can serve as a reference for further research.

Multigame Contact: A Double-Edged Sword for Cooperation

We study experimentally the effect of multigame contact on cooperation, with each subject playing a pair of indefinitely repeated prisoner’s dilemmas. Multigame contact is present if a subject plays both games with a single partner, and it is absent if each of the two games is played with a different partner. In contrast to the theoretical prediction, multigame contact does not increase overall cooperation rates. Nonetheless, multigame contact systematically affects behavior and outcomes, acting like a double-edged sword, in the sense that subjects link decisions across games and, consequently, mutual cooperation and mutual defection in both games become more likely. (JEL C72, C73, C92, D91)

Natural resources as a double-edged sword towards ecological quality: Can environmental regulations and green human capital rectify the adverse impacts?

Natural resources are the backbone of any economy and the bedrock of ecological health. However, the relentless exploitation of these resources has given rise to ecological degradation. This threatens ecosystem stability, presenting the urgent need to balance natural resource utilization with ecological integrity. Environmental regulations and green human capital are pivotal in striking this balance and progressing towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, this study explores how natural resources impact ecological quality in Ghana from 1990 to 2019 within the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) framework, considering the role of environmental regulations and green human capital. The study employs the novel dynamic ARDL simulation method, presenting insights that diverge from patterns noted in previous studies. The study’s findings reveal that natural resources intensify ecological quality in the short term but degrade ecological quality over the long term. Environmental regulation reduces ecological harm, while green human capital negatively impacts ecological quality. Environmental regulation and green human capital undesirably and beneficially impact how natural resources relate to ecological quality, with the undesirable effects occurring in the short term and the beneficial effects emerging over the long term. Further, a U-shaped relationship is observed between economic growth and ecological pollution in the short term, which transforms into an inverted U-shaped relationship in the long term, thus validating the EKC hypothesis in Ghana. The study concludes by recommending the implementation and enforcement of environmental regulations as a pathway toward achieving ecological quality and SDGs, particularly SDG 13, SDG 12, and SDG 7.

Invited Commentary: The Double-edged Sword of Bias in Medical Imaging Artificial Intelligence.

Invited Commentary: The Double-edged Sword of Bias in Medical Imaging Artificial Intelligence.

Securing Smart Cities: A Cybersecurity Perspective on Integrating IoT, AI, and Machine Learning for Digital Twin Creation

The burgeoning evolution of smart cities, characterized by the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML), heralds a transformative era in urban management and citizen engagement. These technological advancements promise enhanced efficiency in city operations, improved public services, and a sustainable urban environment. However, the complexity and interconnectedness inherent in these systems introduce significant cybersecurity challenges, necessitating innovative approaches to safeguard the digital infrastructure of smart cities. This paper aims to explore the cybersecurity landscape of smart cities from the perspective of integrating IoT, AI, and ML for the creation of digital twins, offering a comprehensive analysis of the opportunities and threats within this domain. Smart cities leverage IoT to connect various components of the urban infrastructure, including transportation systems, utilities, and public services, creating an integrated network of devices that communicate and share data. The incorporation of AI and ML into this framework facilitates intelligent decision-making, enabling the automation of services and the optimization of resources. This synergy enhances the quality of life for residents, promotes economic development, and supports sustainable environmental practices. However, the dependence on digital technologies also exposes smart cities to a range of cybersecurity risks, from data breaches and privacy violations to the disruption of critical infrastructure. The integration of IoT, AI, and ML in smart cities, while offering unprecedented opportunities for urban innovation, also amplifies the complexity of the cybersecurity landscape. IoT devices, often designed with minimal security features, become potential entry points for cyber attacks. The vast amount of data generated and processed by these devices, if compromised, could lead to significant privacy and security breaches. AI and ML models, for their part, are susceptible to manipulation and bias, which can undermine the integrity of decision-making processes. The interconnectivity of systems means that a breach in one sector could have cascading effects throughout the city's infrastructure. Against this backdrop, the paper investigates the role of digital twins in mitigating cybersecurity risks in smart cities. Digital twins, digital replicas of physical entities or systems, offer a powerful tool for simulating and analyzing smart city operations, including cybersecurity scenarios. By mirroring the city's infrastructure in a virtual environment, digital twins allow for the identification of vulnerabilities, the simulation of cyber attacks, and the evaluation of potential impacts. This proactive approach to cybersecurity enables city administrators to anticipate threats and implement protective measures before real-world systems are compromised. The research questions guiding this inquiry include: How can the integration of IoT, AI, and ML enhance the resilience of smart cities against cyber threats? What are the specific cybersecurity challenges presented by these technologies, and how can they be addressed? And, most crucially, what role can digital twins play in fortifying the cybersecurity defenses of smart cities? To address these questions, the paper begins with a review of the current state of smart city technology, focusing on the integration of IoT, AI, and ML. It then delves into the cybersecurity challenges unique to this technological landscape, drawing on recent examples of cyber incidents in smart cities. The analysis highlights the vulnerabilities introduced by the widespread use of IoT devices and the complexities of securing AI and ML systems. Following this, the discussion turns to the potential of digital twins as a cybersecurity tool, examining how they can be employed to detect vulnerabilities, simulate attacks, and plan responses. The paper argues that while the integration of IoT, AI, and ML in smart cities presents significant cybersecurity challenges, it also offers opportunities for innovative solutions. Digital twins emerge as a promising approach to enhancing the cybersecurity posture of smart cities, enabling a dynamic and proactive defense mechanism. By facilitating the simulation of cyber threats in a controlled environment, digital twins allow city administrators to identify weaknesses, test the efficacy of protective measures, and develop more resilient urban infrastructures. In conclusion, the integration of IoT, AI, and ML in smart cities represents a double-edged sword, offering both remarkable opportunities for urban innovation and formidable cybersecurity challenges. This paper underscores the critical importance of adopting a cybersecurity perspective in the development and management of smart cities, highlighting the potential of digital twins as a strategic tool in mitigating these risks. As smart cities continue to evolve, embracing these technologies in a secure and responsible manner will be paramount in realizing their full potential while safeguarding the digital and physical well-being of urban populations.

Wielding a double-edged sword: viruses exploit host DNA repair systems to facilitate replication while bypassing immune activation

Viruses are obligate intracellular pathogens that hijack a myriad of host cell processes to facilitate replication and suppress host antiviral defenses. In its essence, a virus is a segment of foreign nucleic acid that engages host cell machinery to drive viral genome replication, gene transcription, and protein synthesis to generate progeny virions. Because of this, host organisms have developed sophisticated detection systems that activate antiviral defenses following recognition of aberrant nucleic acids. For example, recognition of viral nucleic acids by host DNA repair proteins results in compromised viral genome integrity, induction of antiviral inflammatory programs, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. Unsurprisingly, diverse viral families have evolved multiple strategies that fine-tune host DNA repair responses to suppress activation of antiviral defenses while simultaneously hijacking DNA repair proteins to facilitate virus replication. This review summarizes common molecular strategies viruses deploy to exploit host DNA repair mechanisms.

Cellular senescence is a double-edged sword in regulating aged immune responses to influenza.

Clearance of senescent cells has demonstrated therapeutic potential in the context of chronic age-related diseases. Little is known, however, how clearing senescent cells affects the ability to respond to an acute infection and form quality immunological memory. We aimed to probe the effects of clearing senescent cells in aged mice on the immune response to influenza (flu) infection. We utilized a p16 trimodality reporter mouse model (p16-3MR) to allow for identification and selective clearance of p16-expressing cells upon administration of ganciclovir (GCV). While p16-expressing cells may exacerbate dysfunctional responses to a primary infection, our data suggest they may play a role in fostering memory cell generation. We demonstrate that although clearance of p16-expressing cells enhanced viral clearance, this also severely limited antibody production in the lungs of flu-infected aged mice. 30 days later, there were fewer flu-specific CD8 memory T cells and lower levels of flu-specific antibodies in the lungs of GCV-treated mice. Furthermore, GCV-treated mice were unable to mount an optimal memory response and demonstrated increased viral load following heterosubtypic challenge. These results suggest that targeting senescent cells may potentiate primary responses while limiting the ability to form durable and protective immune memory with age.

The Enactment of a Corporate Entrepreneurial Role: A Double-Edged Sword Forged by Heart and Context

Enacting a corporate entrepreneurial role requires cognitive, behavioral, and emotional qualities. While scholarly work has focused on the cognitive and behavioral aspects of this role, its emotional aspect—how corporate entrepreneurs feel when enacting their role—remains relatively unexplored. Our qualitative study reveals the corporate entrepreneurial role as a source of liabilities and assets for the role incumbents’ work-related identity, which are brought to light as these employees emotionally experience their role. In addition, we elucidate how contextual elements shape this experience, and how corporate entrepreneurs use emotions to work around the detrimental and beneficial effects of their role enactment.

A Double-edged Sword Analysis of the Impact of Outsourcing Business on Operational Performance of Beijing Property Management Company in 2022

This study deeply analyzes the double-edged sword effect of outsourcing business on the operational performance of Beijing property management companies. By collecting and analyzing the actual operation data of property management companies in the Beijing area, combined with relevant cases and theoretical models, we will comprehensively demonstrate the positive role of outsourcing business in reducing costs, improving efficiency and risk management. At the same time, we will also reveal the negative effects that outsourcing can bring about, such as quality control issues, communication and collaboration difficulties, and dependency risks. In order to illustrate the problem more specifically, we will cite authoritative data and expert opinions in the industry to enhance the credibility and persuasiveness of the research.

Developments in Science and Technology Can Influence Youth's Style and Pancasila Ethics in Indonesian Society

The increasing decline in morals and ethics in society is due to the increasing development of technology in the world. Where the content contained in it greatly influences the formation of people's character, especially for young people and the next generation. Therefore, this research was carried out so that the younger generation can be wiser in using developments in science and technology and not view that science and technology are trivial and do not need to be considered in character formation and lifestyle. The purpose of this article is to find out to what extent the Pancasila ethics apply to millennials or the current younger generation. The results of this research prove that science and technology is very influential on the formation of the character of the younger generation which includes morals and ethics and this research also proves that science and technology media is very closely related to society, especially the younger generation and is very difficult to separate, but science and technology is also like a double-edged sword because if they cannot use it well then they will fall in the wrong direction which will cause their morals and ethics to decline further and if they can use it well then they will have a wide network in society. Study This use approach qualitative descriptive, that is something method study Which used For study condition, situation, ideology and incident social on era we. Source data Which usedin this research is a literature study, that is source data primary or secondary.

The belt & road initiative and U.S.-China competition over the global South

ABSTRACT The Belt and Road initiative aims to facilitate cooperation in the areas of infrastructure, trade and finance between China and relevant countries. It also seeks to boost soft connectivity in terms of rules, standards and people-to-people exchange. The majority of the BRI participating countries are developing ones in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, also known as the global South. China’s efforts to advance the BRI have raised suspicion of the United States. By strengthening its ties with the global South, the United States seeks to divide and conquer between China and other developing countries, and to promote the alienation of the global South from China to realize the goal of outcompeting China. The BRI is a double-edged sword that could complicate its relations with the developing countries. China needs to recognize many difficulties faced by the global South and its pragmatic orientation of non-Western but not anti-Western, and strive to improve effectiveness and efficiency of the BRI.

Chromatin dynamics and RNA metabolism are double-edged swords for the maintenance of plant genome integrity.

Maintenance of genome integrity is an essential process in all organisms. Mechanisms avoiding the formation of DNA lesions or mutations are well described in animals because of their relevance to human health and cancer. In plants, they are of growing interest because DNA damage accumulation is increasingly recognized as one of the consequences of stress. Although the cellular response to DNA damage is mostly studied in response to genotoxic treatments, the main source of DNA lesions is cellular activity itself. This can occur through the production of reactive oxygen species as well as DNA processing mechanisms such as DNA replication or transcription and chromatin dynamics. In addition, how lesions are formed and repaired is greatly influenced by chromatin features and dynamics and by DNA and RNA metabolism. Notably, actively transcribed regions or replicating DNA, because they are less condensed and are sites of DNA processing, are more exposed to DNA damage. However, at the same time, a wealth of cellular mechanisms cooperate to favour DNA repair at these genomic loci. These intricate relationships that shape the distribution of mutations along the genome have been studied extensively in animals but much less in plants. In this Review, we summarize how chromatin dynamics influence lesion formation and DNA repair in plants, providing a comprehensive view of current knowledge and highlighting open questions with regard to what is known in other organisms.

Measuring digitalization capabilities using machine learning

By applying a widely used machine learning technique called natural language processing (NLP) to unstructured text from annual reports, we create a new, multi-dimensional measure that captures the degree of digitalization capabilities of sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring. We construct a digitalization capabilities dictionary using one of the latest NLP techniques—the word embedding model—for 36,200 firm-year observations over the period 2010–2021. Moreover, we show the top- and bottom-ranked listed firms in China by digitalization capabilities. Finally, we illustrate how these new measures can generate novel insights into the relationship between the type of digitalization capabilities and firm performance through regression analysis, furthering our understanding of the digitalization–performance relationship. That is, digitalization capabilities function as a double-edged sword that may help or hurt firm performance.

Sodium intake: a double-edged sword wielded by the brain.

Sodium intake: a double-edged sword wielded by the brain.

Benefits and Challenges of Collaboration between Students and Conversational Generative Artificial Intelligence in Programming Learning: An Empirical Case Study

The utilization of conversational generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) in learning is often seen as a double-edged sword that may lead to superficial learning. We designed and implemented a programming course focusing on collaboration between students and Gen AI. This study explores the dynamics of such collaboration, focusing on students’ communication strategies with Gen AI, perceived benefits, and challenges encountered. Data were collected from class observations, surveys, final reports, dialogues between students and Gen AI, and semi-structured in-depth interviews. The results showed that effective collaboration between students and Gen AI could enhance students’ meta-cognitive and self-regulated learning skills and positively impact human-to-human communication. This study further revealed the difficulties and individual differences in collaborating with Gen AI on complex learning tasks. Overall, collaborating with Gen AI as a learning partner, rather than just a tool, enables sustainable and independent learning, beyond specific learning tasks at a given time.

The double-edged sword of negative workplace gossip: when and how negative workplace gossip promotes versus inhibits knowledge hiding

The double-edged sword of negative workplace gossip: when and how negative workplace gossip promotes versus inhibits knowledge hiding

The Justifiability of Billionaires on Socio-Economic Grounds

This essay explores the complex socio-economic and political implications of the presence of billionaires, guided by the paradoxical views on their impact on society. It critically analyzes the potential benefits and drawbacks of banning billionaires, using diverse examples and evidence to illustrate points. The essay begins by discussing the significant role of billionaire philanthropy in healthcare and education, highlighting how their wealth enables substantial contributions that fill gaps left by government welfare programs. It also covers the positive effects of billionaire investments in economic growth, job creation, and reducing educational disparities, arguing that these contributions can help alleviate class conflicts and complement inadequate government welfare programs. Conversely, the essay examines the negative aspects of billionaire influence, including tax evasion, widening wealth gaps, and the potential for fostering crony capitalism. It argues that while the presence of billionaires can lead to improved tax compliance and economic stability, their ability to evade taxes and accumulate wealth exacerbates income inequality and undermines democratic principles. Furthermore, the essay touches on the role of billionaires in bridging international relations, using the example of Elon Musk's visit to China as a case where billionaire involvement has eased geopolitical tensions. Overall, the essay posits that while banning billionaires might mitigate certain societal and economic inequalities, their contributions in terms of philanthropy, investment, and political influence generally outweigh the negatives. It suggests that the presence of billionaires is a double-edged sword, presenting both challenges and opportunities for society.

Lung cancer cell-intrinsic IL-15 promotes cell migration and sensitizes murine lung tumors to anti-PD-L1 therapy

BackgroundIL-15 plays a vital role in enhancing NK cell- and T-cell-mediated antitumor immune responses; however, the direct effect of IL-15 on tumor cells has not been fully elucidated. Herein, we investigated the effect of IL-15 on lung adenocarcinoma cells.MethodsSilencing and overexpression techniques were used to modify endogenous IL-15 expression in tumor cells. Transwell assays were used to assess tumor cell migration and invasion; a live-cell analysis system was used to evaluate cell motility; cellular morphological changes were quantified by confocal fluorescence microscopy; the molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of IL-15 on tumor cells were analyzed by western blotting; and RhoA and Cdc42 activities were evaluated by a pulldown assay. NCG and C57BL/6 mouse models were used to evaluate the functions of IL-15 in vivo.ResultsCancer cell-intrinsic IL-15 promoted cell motility and migration in vitro and metastasis in vivo via activation of the AKT-mTORC1 pathway; however, exogenous IL-15 inhibited cell motility and migration via suppression of the RhoA-MLC2 axis. Mechanistic analysis revealed that both the intracellular and extracellular IL-15-mediated effects required the expression of IL-15Rα by tumor cells. Detailed analyses revealed that the IL-2/IL-15Rβ and IL-2Rγ chains were undetected in the complex formed by intracellular IL-15 and IL-15Rα. However, when exogenous IL-15 engaged tumor cells, a complex containing the IL-15Rα, IL-2/IL-15Rβ, and IL-2Rγ chains was formed, indicating that the differential actions of intracellular and extracellular IL-15 on tumor cells might be caused by their distinctive modes of IL-15 receptor engagement. Using a Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) metastasis model, we showed that although IL-15 overexpression facilitated the lung metastasis of LLC cells, IL-15-overexpressing LLC tumors were more sensitive to anti-PD-L1 therapy than were IL-15-wild-type LLC tumors via an enhanced antitumor immune response, as evidenced by their increased CD8+ T-cell infiltration compared to that of their counterparts.ConclusionsCancer cell-intrinsic IL-15 and exogenous IL-15 differentially regulate cell motility and migration. Thus, cancer cell-intrinsic IL-15 acts as a double-edged sword in tumor progression. Additionally, high levels of IL-15 expressed by tumor cells might improve the responsiveness of tumors to immunotherapies.