Equivocal Role Research Articles

Inflammation in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Dysregulation or Recalibration?

Despite ample experimental data indicating a role of inflammatory mediators in the behavioral and neurobiological manifestations elicited by exposure to physical and psychologic stressors, causative associations between systemic low-grade inflammation and central nervous system inflammatory processes in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients remain largely conceptual. As in other stress-related disorders, pro-inflammatory activity may play an equivocal role in PTSD pathophysiology, one that renders indiscriminate employment of anti-inflammatory agents of questionable relevance. In fact, as several pieces of preclinical and clinical research convergingly suggest, timely and targeted potentiation rather than inhibition of inflammatory responses may actually be beneficial in patients who are characterized by suppressed microglia function in the face of systemic low-grade inflammation. The deleterious impact of chronic stress-associated inflammation on the systemic level may, thus, need to be held in context with the - often not readily apparent - adaptive payoffs of low-grade inflammation at the tissue level.

Friends and foes: the ambivalence of the use of NICT during the migratory journey

ABSTRACT The article looks at how migrants and people on the move use ‘digital tactics’ to mitigate the use of technologies deployed against them. It uses the concept of ‘social navigation’ developed by Henrik Vigh in order to understand how individuals act and mobilize different kinds of resources in a precarious and unstable environment. Based on 32 semi-structured interviews carried out with political refugees from sub-Saharan Africa, this article shows that: (1) information accessible through NICT is seen as often imprecise and unreliable by migrants; (2) the use of NICT increases the risk for migrants of being victims of racketeering, blackmailing and even kidnapping, so migrants devote time and energy to implementing strategies to limit the risks involved; (3) the use of NICT entails significant constraints for migrants with regard to budgetary and logistical organization. Therefore, rather than perceiving NITC as mere a tool to facilitate the migration of people, it is more accurate to say that they play an equivocal role, which implies a need to develop skills for improvisation, coordination and adaptation on the part of migrants.

“Death by a Thousand Cuts”: Agriculture Producer Resiliency in the Western United States

ABSTRACT Objective Agricultural producers face a wide array of stress triggers, shocks, and long-term pressures such as drought, flooding, fire, government policies, financial insecurity, and physical injuries. Extant research has revealed that mental health stigma, lack of access to care in rural areas, and negative coping responses (alcohol abuse, suicide, prescription drugs use) exacerbate the challenge of producer responses to short and long-term adversity. Resilience, the traits, processes, and capacities of producers to adapt and transform their approach to farming or ranching, when necessary, in response to stress triggers or long-term pressures, has received less research attention, particularly in the Western United States. The purpose of the study was to apply an interactionist occupational resilience theoretical perspective to the investigation of contextual factors contributing to resilience in Western United States agricultural producers. Methods Qualitative interviews (45 to 90 minutes) were conducted with agricultural producers (n=51) from Western states and territories. Applied thematic analysis with a phenomenological lens was utilized to analyze interview transcriptions. First and second level coding were conducted to derive themes. Results The analysis revealed that resilience is based upon the interactions between traits of producers and the context of agriculture. Four themes were generated (Agricultural Life, External Stressors, Traits and Adaptations, and Supports and Resources), supported by subthemes. The themes and subthemes are depicted in an agricultural producer resiliency model. The findings shed light on the equivocal role of neighbors in providing support for each other and the double-edged sword of co-working with family. Conclusions The findings underscore that social capital is an important mechanism for supporting farmers and ranchers, as those with stronger social resources are more resilient. We recommend more funding to tailor stress and mental health programming to the specifics of agriculture, integration of behavioral health in primary care as a mechanism to increase access to care, and more intentional technical assistance for farmers and ranchers on strategic planning and problem solving.

Subjective attitudes moderate the social connectedness in esports gaming during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Electronic sports (esports) has become a practical intervention for young people craving social connections since the COVID-19 pandemic. Past studies have shown an equivocal role of esports participation in boosting social ties or social connectedness. It is unclear if their relationship is affected by subjective attitudes of gamers. Moreover, the present COVID-19 pandemic may further modify this relationship to a greater extent. This study primarily aimed to investigate the moderating effect of participants' subjective attitudes toward esports gaming on the relationship between in-game interaction during esports participation and participants' anticipated social connectedness among Chinese young adults during the COVID-19 lockdown periods in China. We conducted a nationwide online questionnaire survey through the Credamo platform among 550 Chinese young adults in the present study. The Social Connectedness Scale-Revised was used to assess participants' social connectedness levels. Four hundred and fifty-three participants were included in the final analysis. The effective response rate was 82.4%. Our results showed that the esports participation measured by in-game communication frequency among participants, as an independent factor, was negatively associated with participants' social connectedness scores (β = -0.13, p < 0.05). However, when the moderating effect of subjective attitudes toward esports gaming was considered, the association between communication frequency and social connectedness scores was turned into the opposite direction with a larger effect size (β = 0.35, p < 0.001). Our primary finding revealed that a positive mindset in esports gaming is indispensable in boosting social connectedness. Overall, our study provided supporting evidence for the benefits of esports on individuals' social connectedness. In future circumstances similar to the COVID-19 era, playing esports games is strongly encouraged in an attempt to maintain social connections and relieve psychological stress. In the meantime, we believe that having a positive esports experience, often associated with a positive mindset during gaming, can better promote social connectedness. Nevertheless, the amount of time spent on gaming per day should be of great concern, as esports games can be addictive, especially for teenagers and college students.

Protein intake, chronic renal disease progression and cardiovascular morbidity.

It has been suggested that the lowering of dietary protein reduces the progression of CKD, despite it has been also reported that higher intake of total protein was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular morbidity.The role of protein intake is equivocal in clinical outcomes including the renal and cardiovascular disease worsening, metabolic acidosis and bone abnormalities.The modification of both amount and sources of protein intake could influence the renal and cardiovascular deterioration.

Introduction On the Histories and Futures of Black New England Studies

Introduction On the Histories and Futures of Black New England Studies

Osteoporosis Entwined with Cardiovascular Disease: The Implication of Osteoprotegerin and the Example of Statins

Beyond being epiphenomenon of shared epidemiological factors, the integration of Osteoporosis (OP) with Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) - termed "calcification paradox" - reflects a continuum of aberrant cardiometabolic status. The present review provides background knowledge on "calcification paradox", focusing on the endocrine aspect of vasculature orchestrated by the osteoblastic molecular fingerprint of vascular cells, acquired via imbalance among established modulators of mineralization. Osteoprotegerin (OPG), the well-established osteoprotective cytokine, has recently been shown to exert a vessel-modifying role. Prompted by this notion, the present review interrogates OPG as the potential missing link between OP and CVD. However, so far, the confirmation of this hypothesis is hindered by the equivocal role of OPG in CVD, being both proatherosclerotic and antiatherosclerotic. Further research is needed to illuminate whether OPG could be a biomarker of the "calcification paradox". Moreover, the present review brings into prominence the dual role of statins - cardioprotective and osteoprotective - as a potential illustration of the integration of CVD with OP. Considering that the statins-induced modulation of OPG is central to the statins-driven osteoprotective signalling, statins could be suggested as an illustration of the role of OPG in the bone/vessels crosstalk, if further studies consolidate the contribution of OPG to the cardioprotective role of statins. Another outstanding issue that merits further evaluation is the inconsistency of the osteoprotective role of statins. Further understanding of the varying bone-modifying role of statins, likely attributed to the unique profile of different classes of statins defined by distinct physicochemical characteristics, may yield tangible benefits for treating simultaneously OP and CVD.

Bullockbefriending Bards: The Ambivalent Role of Cattle in the Odyssey and Ulysses

From Prometheus’s first tricking of Zeus in the Theogony, when he foregrounds that the gods only receive the bones and hide of the sacrifice, while the humans eat the meat, cattle have an amazingly equivocal role in Greek culture. Unlike horses, which were not used for work, for food, or for sacrifice, cattle spanned all these realms—a partner in the growing of grain (the quintessential human work, as Hesiod sees it) and also as both a bridge to the divine on the one side, and an element of our purely animal, carnivorous nature on the other. The scene in the Odyssey in which the meat of the slaughtered cattle of the Sun still bellows on the spit exemplifies the latter divide, while Odysseus’s (rather unkingly) challenge to the suitor, Eurymachus, wishing they might compete in plowing with “oxen to be driven, those of the best/large and ruddy, well fed with grass, and equal in age and power, and no ways contemptible in strength” (Odyssey18.371–73) returns him firmly to the non-magic world of Ithaca, dayto-day humanity, change, and dependence.

Orexin-A Exerts Equivocal Role in Atherosclerosis Process Depending on the Duration of Exposure: In Vitro Study.

Orexin-A is a peptide hormone that plays a crucial role in feeding regulation and energy homeostasis. Diurnal intermittent fasting (DIF) has been found to increase orexin-A plasma levels during fasting hours, while Ramadan fasting which resembles DIF, has led to beneficial effects on endothelial function. Herein, we aimed to investigate the effects of orexin-A on the expression of molecules involved in the atherogenesis process: Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 and 2 (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2), in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). HAECs were incubated with orexin-A at concentrations of 40 ng/mL, 200 ng/mL and 400 ng/mL for 6, 12 and 24 h. The mRNA levels of MCP-1, MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 and orexin-1 receptor were measured by real-time qPCR. We also evaluated the MMP-2, p38, phospho-p38, NF-κΒ/p65 as well as TIMP-1 protein levels by Western blot and ELISA, respectively. MMP-2 activity was measured by gelatin zymography. Short-term 6-h incubation of HAECs with orexin-A at a high concentration (400 ng/mL) decreased MCP-1, MMP-2 expression, MMP-2/TIMP-1 ratio (p < 0.05), and MMP-2 activity, while incubation for 24 h increased MCP-1, MMP-2 expression (p < 0.05), MMP-2/TIMP-1 and MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively) as well as MMP-2 activity. The dual effects of orexin-A are mediated, at least in part, via regulation of p38 and NF-κΒ pathway. Orexin-A may have an equivocal role in atherosclerosis process with its effects depending on the duration of exposure.

The Contribution of Lipids to the Interindividual Response of Vitamin K Biomarkers to Vitamin K Supplementation.

A better understanding of factors contributing to interindividual variability in biomarkers of vitamin K can enhance the understanding of the equivocal role of vitamin K in cardiovascular disease. Based on the known biology of phylloquinone, the major form of vitamin K, it is hypothesized that plasma lipids contribute to the variable response of biomarkers of vitamin K metabolism to phylloquinone supplementation. The association of plasma lipids and 27 lipid-related genetic variants with the response of biomarkers of vitamin K metabolism is examined in a secondary analysis of data from a 3-year phylloquinone supplementation trial in men (n= 66) and women (n= 85). Year 3 plasma triglycerides (TG), but not total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, or HDL-cholesterol, are associated with the plasma phylloquinone response (men: β= 1.01, p< 0.001, R2 = 0.34; women: β= 0.61, p= 0.008, R2 = 0.11; sex interaction p= 0.077). Four variants and the TG-weighted genetic risk score are associated with the plasma phylloquinone response in men only. Plasma lipids are not associated with changes in biomarkers of vitamin K function (undercarboxylated osteocalcin and matrix gla protein) in either sex. Plasma TG are an important determinant of the interindividual response of plasma phylloquinone to phylloquinone supplementation, but changes in biomarkers of vitamin K carboxylation are not influenced by lipids.

The ethnographer as accomplice—Edifying qualms of bureaucratic fieldwork in Kafka’s penal colony

This article explores the ethnographer’s equivocal role as an accomplice of bureaucratic power through a reading of Kafka’s short story “In the Penal Colony.” The researcher’s position when enrolled and affined in the bureaucratic field, which Kafka so uncannily animates, is illustrated via four ethically charged fieldwork experiences in Ugandan, Indian, and Myanmar prisons. I argue that these experiences were telling situations of “edifying qualms,” which were both morally ambiguous and analytically generative. The article concludes by suggesting that methodological attention to these edifying qualms enables ethnographers to use their deep-set complicity with bureaucratic violence as an antenna for picking up the impure pragmatics of doing “less harm,” and for imagining a better world altogether.

Selective mitochondrial superoxide generation in vivo is cardioprotective through hormesis

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have an equivocal role in myocardial ischaemia reperfusion injury. Within the cardiomyocyte, mitochondria are both a major source and target of ROS. We evaluate the effects of a selective, dose-dependent increase in mitochondrial ROS levels on cardiac physiology using the mitochondria-targeted redox cycler MitoParaquat (MitoPQ). Low levels of ROS decrease the susceptibility of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) to anoxia/reoxygenation injury and also cause profound protection in an in vivo mouse model of ischaemia/reperfusion. However higher doses of MitoPQ resulted in a progressive alteration of intracellular [Ca2+] homeostasis and mitochondrial function in vitro, leading to dysfunction and death at high doses. Our data show that a primary increase in mitochondrial ROS can alter cellular function, and support a hormetic model in which low levels of ROS are cardioprotective while higher levels of ROS are cardiotoxic.

Is blood cortisol or vateritic otolith composition associated with natal dispersal or reproductive performance on the spawning grounds of straying and homing hatchery-produced chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) in Southeast Alaska?

ABSTRACTHoming with high fidelity to natal spawning grounds for reproduction is a hallmark of anadromous Pacific salmon biology, although low rates of dispersal (‘straying’) also occurs. Currently little is known about the proximate factors influencing straying, which limits our understanding of this fundamental biological phenomenon and impedes options for reducing straying-mediated interactions between wild and hatchery-produced individuals. We explored the potential role of stress experienced in captivity prior to intentional release to manifest in developmental irregularities and potentially influence rates of straying by adults. We compared two proxies for stress between groups of hatchery-produced individuals that had homed back to the hatchery or strayed to non-natal streams compared to wild individuals that were presumed to have homed to a wild spawning stream. Blood plasma cortisol was used to assess stress at the terminus of their migration, and percent frequency of vateritic otolith development within groups as a measure of stresses incurred during development. We found no evidence that either proxy for stress was associated with straying. No differences in cortisol concentrations were found between wild and hatchery-produced chum salmon that had homed or strayed, either in males (wild=95.9±175.7 ng/ml; stray=113.4±99.7 ng/ml; home=124.7±113.8 ng/ml) or females (wild=307.6±83.4 ng/ml; stray= 329.0±208.9 ng/ml; home=294.1±134.8 ng/ml); however, significant differences between males and females occurred in each group. The percent frequency of vaterite occurrence in otoliths of hatchery-produced chum salmon that either strayed (40% vaterite) or homed (45% vaterite) did not differ significantly, though rates of vaterite occurred less frequently in wild chum salmon (24%), which is consistent with other studies. Mass thermal marking of juvenile fish in hatcheries is unlikely to increase vateritic development as neither intensity (number of temperature changes) or complexity (number of temperature change sequences) of the mark was associated with frequency of vaterite occurrence. Though not associated with straying, cortisol concentrations were associated with shorter instream lifespan of both hatchery and wild individuals but did not appear to influence rates of egg retention in spawning females, suggesting an equivocal role in reproductive ecology. Our results are suggestive that stress induced during the early stages of rearing in a hatchery environment from marking or other causes may not increase straying later in life, though the higher rates of vaterite observed in hatchery-produced fish may come at a cost of increased marine mortality, due to the otoliths' role in navigation and hearing.

Driving factors of nitrate leaching in arable organic cropping systems in Northern France

Stockless organic cropping systems are increasing in regions of intensive arable farming. A key component of their environmental performance is nitrogen leaching. Here, we aim to quantify nitrate leaching in organic systems and to understand its driving factors, related to crop rotation and management, in an on-farm context. Aided by an organic farmers-network, we monitored 35 organic fields representing 11 cropping systems (CS) during three years, to acquire data on crop production, N uptake, soil water and mineral nitrogen contents. Combined with the LIXIM model, these data allowed us to calculate water drainage and nitrate leaching below the rooting depth. Calculated nitrate-N leaching ranged from 3 to 46 kg N ha−1 yr−1, with a mean of 15 kg N ha−1 yr−1, similar to conventional CS in the same region. N-leaching varied highly between fields and was related to the preceding crop and to the autumn land use, but not to N surplus. Splitting up crop rotations into 9 types of crop sequence proved useful to characterize the variability of nitrate leaching at the field scale. The highest leaching (33–37 kg N ha−1 yr−1) was found in the sequence ‘grain legume–winter crop’ and ‘alfalfa destruction–winter crop’ and the lowest losses (2–8 kg N ha−1 yr−1) occurred under living alfalfa or clover cover crop. Thus, this study revealed the equivocal role of legumes as preceding crop, with results strongly depending on their date of destruction. Further, an ad hoc meta-model was calibrated to upscale the prediction of N-leaching to the CS-level, represented by three fields during three years. This model uses easily available inputs: mean amount and distribution of soil mineral nitrogen in the soil profile at mid-November (at the crop sequence level), and soil water turnover rate during autumn and winter (at the soil-year level). The upscaled meta-model predicted the N leaching of CS with a Root Mean Square Error of 4 kg N ha−1 and a model efficiency of 0.85 (Nash coefficient). This meta-model result revealed two main interactive driving factors of N-leaching at the CS scale: frequency of crop sequence and pedoclimate. In conclusion, to improve the N use efficiency at CS scale, it appears necessary to optimize the succession of crop sequences in a multicriteria approach including the soil sensitivity to leaching, under the rotation constraints defined at the farm scale.

The Equivocal Role of Th17 Cells and Neutrophils on Immunopathogenesis of Leishmaniasis.

Advances in the understanding of leishmaniasis progression indicate that cellular interactions more complex than the Th1/Th2 paradigm define the course of infection. Th17 cells are a crucial modulator of adaptive immunity against Leishmania parasites acting mainly on neutrophil recruitment and playing a dual role at the site of infection. This review describes the roles of both these cell types in linking innate defense responses to the establishment of specific immunity. We focus on the Th17–neutrophil interaction as a crucial component of anti-Leishmania immunity, and the clinical evolution of cutaneous or visceral leishmaniasis. To date, information obtained through experimental models and patient evaluations suggests that the influence of the presence of interleukin (IL)-17 (the main cytokine produced by Th17 cells) and neutrophils during Leishmania infections is strictly dependent on the tissue (skin or liver/spleen) and parasite species. Also, the time at which neutrophils are recruited, and the persistence of IL-17 in the infection microenvironment, may also be significant. A clearer understanding of these interactions will enable better measurement of the influence of IL-17 and its regulators, and contribute to the identification of disease/resistance biomarkers.

Paradox CA 15-3 increase in metastatic breast cancer patients treated with everolimus: a change of paradigm in a case series.

Everolimus and exemestane represent a standard treatment for metastatic hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer resistant to aromatase inhibitors. CA 15-3 serum levels detect soluble forms of MUC-1, a transmembrane oncoprotein aberrantly overexpressed in breast cancers. In clinical practice, CA 15-3 may be used to indicate treatment failure in the absence of readily measurable disease during cytotoxic therapy. In the targeted therapy era, it is important to note that the C-terminal subunit of MUC-1 interacts with PI3K/AKT pathway, inducting cell growth. Vice versa, the block of this pathway may influence MUC-1 expression and CA 15-3 serum levels. In this report, we emphasize the equivocal role of CA 15-3 serum levels in monitoring treatment with everolimus, suggesting a potential and intriguing role of a CA 15-3 increase as paradox predictive biomarker of response to everolimus.

Characteristics of Ultrafine Particles and Their Relationships with Meteorological Factors and Trace Gases in Wuhan, Central China

Ultrafine particles with a diameter below 1 μm are strongly linked to traffic and industrial emissions, causing a growing global health concern. In order to reveal the characteristics of ultrafine particles in central China, which makes up the sparse research in industrial cities of a developing country, particle number concentrations (PNC) together with meteorological parameters and concentrations of trace gases were measured over one year in Wuhan. The number concentration of ultrafine particles peaked in winter and was the lowest in summer across the entire size range monitored. Further, particles with a diameter smaller than 30 nm increased dramatically in concentration with decreasing diameter. The monthly averaged number concentrations of particles discriminated in three size ranges formed a near- inverse parabolic distribution peaking in January. This trend is supported by a negative correlation between PNC and precipitation, temperature, and mixing layer height, which emphasizes the effect of these meteorological parameters on scouring, convection, and diffusion of particles. However, since wind not only disperses particulate matter but also brings in exogenous particles, wind speed plays an equivocal role in particle number concentrations. The diurnal analysis indicates that hourly measurements of trace gases concentrations could be used as a proxy for dense industrial activities and to reveal some complex chemical reactions. The results of this study offer reasonable estimations of particle impacts and provide references for policymaking of emission control in the industrial cities of developing countries.

Expression of PD-L1 Identifies a Subgroup of More Aggressive Non-Small Cell Carcinomas of the Lung

Objectives: In light of various trials showing impressive response rates when treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with anti PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies, the currently equivocal role of PD-L1 expression in NSCLC is in need of further clarification. Methods: We therefore analyzed the expression of PD-L1 on 293 well-documented NSCLC cases and correlated the results with clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics. Results: The expression of PD-L1 on NSCLC was a poor prognostic factor for patients with nodal-negative adenocarcinoma (ACA) and, independent of other covariates, in tumors with increased CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Expression of PD-L1 was more commonly seen in ACA and in male patients with a past and current smoking history. Finally, PD-L1+ TILs were more often found in squamous and large cell carcinomas. Conclusions: Should the expression of PD-L1 be on the verge of becoming an additional biomarker for routine diagnostics in NSCLC, our findings will provide important further insight and could contribute towards more effectively stratifying patients. These results may single out certain patient groups with a potential for increased benefit from anti PD-1/PD-L1 treatment strategies and should be considered in future trials.

Translating worlds

Translation has played an important but equivocal role in the history of anthropology and linguistics. At least since Saussure and Boas, languages have been seen as systems whose differences make precise translation exceedingly difficult, if not impossible. More recently, Quine has argued that, in purely abstract terms, reference is ultimately inscrutable and translation between languages is in principle indeterminate. From a Kuhn-inspired point of view, we argue, on the contrary, that the challenge posed by the constant confrontation of incommensurable (yet translated) paradigms may become a field for ethnographical inquiry. This approach can provide a new anthropological way to define translation, not only as a key technique for understanding ethnography, but also as a general epistemological principle. Social anthropology would be thus defined not only as the study of cultural differences, but also and simultaneously as a science of translation: the study of the empirical processes and theoretical principles of cultural translation.

Alcohol affects video lottery terminal (VLT) gambling behaviors and cognitions differently.

People frequently combine alcohol use and gambling. However, our understanding of the effects of alcohol on gambling behavior is limited, both in terms of what the effects are and how they occur. The effects of a moderately intoxicating dose of alcohol (i.e., a blood alcohol concentration of .06 g%) on the video lottery terminal (VLT) gambling behaviors and cognitions of community-recruited nonpathological (n = 30) and probable pathological gamblers (n = 30) were compared. Alcohol increased the rate of double up betting (i.e., choosing to play a bonus game, after a winning video poker hand, which involves trying to pick a higher ranked card than the dealer's card from among 5 face down cards) of probable pathological gamblers, but did not influence their irrational beliefs about VLT play. Alcohol maintained the irrational beliefs about VLT play of nonpathological gamblers, but did not influence their gambling behaviors. Results are consistent with a growing body of research finding that gambling cognitions have an equivocal role in explaining actual gambling behaviors. Potential mechanisms for the observed effects are discussed. Applied implications discussed include: educating regular VLT players about the effects of alcohol on irrational gambling cognitions; reconsidering policies and practices that make alcohol available where machine gambling takes place; and targeting even moderate alcohol use in the treatment of gambling problems.