Are fraud victims nothing more than animals? Critiquing the propagation of “pig butchering” (Sha Zhu Pan, 杀猪盘)

This is a theoretical treatment of the term "Sha Zhu Pan" (杀猪盘) in Chinese, which translates to “Pig-Butchering” in English. The article critically examines the propagation and validation of "Pig Butchering," an animal metaphor, and its implications for the dehumanisation of victims of online fraud across various discourses. The study provides background information about this type of fraud before investigating its theoretical foundations and linking its emergence to the dehumanisation of fraud victims. The analysis highlights the disparity between academic literature, subjected to rigorous peer-review processes, and sensationalised narratives prevalent in the media. While academic works subject "pig butchering" to critical scrutiny and refrain from endorsing derogatory terms to depict fraud victims, numerous media outlets employ this term uncritically, further worsening the predicament of these victims. "Pig butchering" is firmly rooted in the concept of dehumanisation, and this article underscores how language moulds perceptions of fraud and behaviour, extending to the development of preventive strategies. The role of law enforcement agencies in generating and disseminating materials is also a central theme, emphasising their responsibility as trusted sources of information. We suggest that these agencies should adopt non-victim shaming language to encourage victims to report crimes and alleviate the stigma attached to victimisation. Additionally, the article offers valuable cross-cultural insights by comparing metaphors from Chinese and Nigerian contexts. This comparative analysis enriches our comprehension of the global dimensions of online fraud and its cultural diversities, highlighting the substantial impact of language on perceptions and behaviours. We advocate for a departure from victim-blaming tendencies perpetuated by select media outlets, urging a more compassionate and accurate portrayal of those affected by online fraud. We, therefore, call for a more empathetic and accurate portrayal of individuals affected by online fraud, aligning with the broader objective of promoting understanding and support for these victims

The Ursinus Weekly, October 3, 1949

First epistle to the freshmen • Fords to be rivals in home grid clash • Hockey drills start; Frick leads squad • Harriers condition for championships • Bruin eleven yields 21-0 as Drexel breaks streak • Greek prof begins seventeenth season as soccer mentor • Interdorm program set; includes tennis, football • Bears elect leader for grid campaign • Bakermen prepare for season opener • From the sidelines • Kunz, Nicholls go continental • Ursinus star shines in summer theater • Editorial: Senior to frosh • Six assume posts on Ursinus faculty • Forums to include verse and opinions on Arctic, Far East • Teachers j.g. begin trial flights soon • Y to present plans at rally Wednesday • Greenies view Ursinus under bands and bangs • School registers 974 as enrollment drops • WSGA begins duties as committees plan future coed events • Bruin brainmen hit dean\u27s squad 79-29 after 16-week fray • New prexy outlines semester schedule for musical groups • Campus store introduces new hours, coffee machine • President entertains at banquet • Juniors set freshman breakfasthttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1572/thumbnail.jp

PARalyzer: definition of RNA binding sites from PAR-CLIP short-read sequence data

Crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) protocols have made it possible to identify transcriptome-wide RNA-protein interaction sites. In particular, PAR-CLIP utilizes a photoactivatable nucleoside for more efficient crosslinking. We present an approach, centered on the novel PARalyzer tool, for mapping high-confidence sites from PAR-CLIP deep-sequencing data. We show that PARalyzer delineates sites with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Motif finding identifies the sequence preferences of RNA-binding proteins, as well as seed-matches for highly expressed microRNAs when profiling Argonaute proteins. Our study describes tailored analytical methods and provides guidelines for future efforts to utilize high-throughput sequencing in RNA biology. PARalyzer is available at http://www.genome.duke.edu/labs/ohler/research/PARalyzer/

The Grizzly, December 1, 2022

1000th Edition: A Brief Look at Past Eras of The Grizzly • How Important Are Our Archives? • Comments From Grizzly Alumni • Long-Running Professors • Grizzlies of Years Past • Opinions: Silly but Necessary - The Ranking of Stalls in the Myrin Women\u27s Bathroom • Check Out This Sports Column From the 90s Grizzly! • Congrats to the Football Team on Winning Their Game in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Conference Series! • The Mascot Evolutionhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/2002/thumbnail.jp

RARb agonist drug (C286) demonstrates efficacy in a pre-clinical neuropathic pain model restoring multiple pathways via DNA repair mechanisms

Neuropathic pain (NP) is associated with profound gene expression alterations within the nociceptive system. DNA mechanisms, such as epigenetic remodelling and repair pathways have been implicated in NP. Here we have used a rat model of peripheral nerve injury to study the effect of a recently developed RARb agonist, C286, currently under clinical research, in NP. A four week treatment initiated two days after the injury normalised pain sensation. Genome-wide and pathway enrichment analysis showed that multiple mechanisms persistently altered in the spinal cord were restored to preinjury levels by the agonist. Concomitant upregulation of DNA repair proteins, ATM and BRCA1, the latter being required for C286 mediated pain modulation, suggest that early DNA repair may be important to prevent phenotypic epigenetic imprints in NP. Thus, C286 is a promising drug candidate for neuropathic pain and DNA repair mechanisms may be useful therapeutic targets to explore

Childhood bullying, paranoid thinking, and the misappraisal of social threat: trouble at school

Background:Experiences of bullying predict the development of paranoia in school-age adolescents. While many instances of psychotic phenomena are transitory, maintained victimization can lead to increasingly distressing paranoid thinking. Furthermore, paranoid thinkers perceive threat in neutral social stimuli and are vigilant for environmental risk. Aims:The present paper investigated the association between different forms of bullying and paranoid thinking, and the extent to which school-age paranoid thinkers overestimate threat in interpersonal situations. Methods: Two hundred and thirty participants, aged between eleven and fourteen, were recruited from one secondary school in the UK. Participants completed a series of questionnaires hosted on the Bristol Online Survey tool. All data were collected in a classroom setting in quiet and standardized conditions. Results: A significant and positive relationship was found between experiences of bullying and paranoid thinking: greater severity of bullying predicted more distressing paranoid thinking. Further, paranoid thinking mediated the relationship between bullying and overestimation of threat in neutral social stimuli. Conclusion: Exposure to bullying is associated with distressing paranoid thinking and subsequent misappraisal of threat. As paranoid thinkers experience real and overestimated threat, the phenomena may persist

From phenomenology to a neurophysiological understanding of hallucinations in children and adolescents

Typically reported as vivid, multisensory experiences which may spontaneously resolve, hallucinations are present at high rates during childhood. The risk of associated psychopathology is a major cause of concern. On the one hand, the risk of developing further delusional ideation has been shown to be reduced by better theory of mind skills. On the other hand, ideas of reference, passivity phenomena, and misidentification syndrome have been shown to increase the risk of self-injury or heteroaggressive behaviors. Cognitive psychology and brain-imaging studies have advanced our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying these early-onset hallucinations. Notably, specific functional impairments have been associated with certain phenomenological characteristics of hallucinations in youths, including intrusiveness and the sense of reality. In this review, we provide an update of associated epidemiological and phenomenological factors (including sociocultural context, social adversity, and genetics, considered in relation to the psychosis continuum hypothesis), cognitive models, and neurophysiological findings concerning hallucinations in children and adolescents. Key issues that have interfered with progress are considered and recommendations for future studies are provided