Manipulation Strategies Research Articles

Manipulative Strategies in Scam Messages Among Selected Nigerian University Undergraduates

This study is an exploration of the perceptions and experiences of Nigerian university undergraduates regarding the manipulative strategies used in scam messages and their effects on victims. Questionnaires were designed from a nominal 5-point rating scale and shared with 100 randomly selected respondents from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the University of Benin, Nigeria. All responses gathered through an online survey were categorized and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. This study benefits from Sherif and Hovland’s social judgment theory (SJT), which suggests that when people receive a persuasive message, they compare it to their existing attitudes and beliefs. The findings show that scammers employ various manipulative strategies to deceive individuals. These strategies include the use of deceptive language, incomplete sentences, false claims, and the creation of a sense of urgency or desire.

Fine-tuning plant valuable secondary metabolite biosynthesis via small RNA manipulation: strategies and potential.

Plants produce secondary metabolites that serve various functions, including defense against biotic and abiotic stimuli. Many of these secondary metabolites possess valuable applications in diverse fields, including medicine, cosmetic, agriculture, and food and beverage industries, exhibiting their importance in both plant biology and various human needs. Small RNAs (sRNA), such as microRNA (miRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA), have been shown to play significant roles in regulating the metabolic pathways post-transcriptionally by targeting specific key genes and transcription factors, thus offering a promising tool for enhancing plant secondary metabolite biosynthesis. In this review, we summarize current approaches for manipulating sRNAs to regulate secondary metabolite biosynthesis in plants. We provide an overview of the latest research strategies for sRNA manipulation across diverse plant species, including the identification of potential sRNAs involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis in non-model plants. We also highlight the potential future research directions, focusing on the manipulation of sRNAs to produce high-value compounds with applications in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, agriculture, cosmetics, and other industries. By exploring these advanced techniques, we aim to unlock new potentials for biotechnological applications, contributing to the production of high-value plant-derived products.

Toward Controllable Self‐Reduction of Mn4+ to Mn2+ by Lanthanide Ions for Luminescence Based Colorimetric Sensing of Temperature

AbstractLuminescence intensity ratio (LIR) based optical thermometers have attracted lots of attention. In case of color tunable luminescence with the variation of LIR, “RGB colorimetry” based on convenient temperature sensing using a smartphone or digital camera is available. However, narrow emission bands with primary colors are needed for avoiding color crosstalk and achieving high sensitivities. In this paper, Mn4+ and Mn2+ coactivated CaAl12O19 (CAO) phosphors are reported that show a narrow red emission of Mn4+ and green one of Mn2+ with the number of the two ions controlled by lanthanide ions through manipulation of self‐reduction of Mn4+ to Mn2+ in air. The self‐reduction in CAO via the addition of Ce4+ is mainly studied. First‐principles calculation shows that the self‐reduction is driven by Ca vacancies that are produced in aliovalent substitution of Ce4+ for Ca2+ and can reduce the formation energy of Mn2+. The comparative study of temperature sensing based on LIR and RG colorimetry is conducted. The relative sensitivity based on LIR is high as 4.5% K−1 at 373 K and that for RG colorimetry can reach 2% K−1 at 350 K. These findings provide a strategy for manipulation of manganese valance states and a phosphor for RG colorimetry temperature sensing.

Manipulation Strategies in Interpersonal Relationships and Their Psychological Impact

Manipulation is a purposeful, conscious, organized psychological influence with the aim of using the personality of another person as a means of achieving one's own goals. The purpose of the article is to characterize the main strategies of manipulation in interpersonal relationships. A set of theoretical research methods was used: the conceptual and terminological analysis was used to determine the essence of the main concepts of the study, comparative and contrastive, which made it possible to analyze the periodicals and scientific-methodical publications on psychology, classification. The results identify the major components of the process of manipulative interaction and the main signs of manipulation in interpersonal relationships. The results showed that manipulators control their victims through positive reinforcement (praise, excessive apologies, gifts, attention), negative reinforcement (getting rid of the problem), unstable or partial reinforcement (fear, doubt), punishment (reproaches, shouting). The conclusions indicate that the psychological mechanisms of manipulative action ensure the effectiveness of the manipulator's psychological influence on the object of manipulation. The conclusions also summarize that the main manipulative techniques are organizational and procedural, logical and psychological, and personal. The prospect of further scientific research is an empirical study of the features of manipulative tendencies in interpersonal relations.

Thermo-optical tweezers based on photothermal waveguides

Field-controlled micromanipulation represents a pivotal technique for handling microparticles, yet conventional methods often risk physical damage to targets. Here, we discovered a completely new mechanism for true noncontact manipulation through photothermal effects, called thermal-optical tweezers. We employ a laser self-assembly photothermal waveguide (PTW) for dynamic microparticle manipulation. This waveguide demonstrates superior photothermal conversion and precision control, generating a nonisothermal temperature field. The interaction of thermal convection and thermophoresis within this field creates a microfluidic potential well, enabling noncontact and nondestructive particle manipulation. By varying the path of PTWs in lithography and manipulating laser loading modes, diverse manipulation strategies, such as Z-shaped migration, periodic oscillation, and directional transport, are achievable. Our innovative noninvasive micromanipulation technology minimizes not only physical damage to target objects but also enables precise and diverse manipulation of micro entities, opening up new avenues for the photothermal control of cells and biomolecules.

Phase Separation Manipulated Gradient Conductivity for A High‐Precision Flexible Pressure Sensor

AbstractPiezoresistive pressure sensors, analyzing and converting external pressure signals to readable electrical signals for monitoring human health, are always subjected to simultaneously possess high signal‐linearity and signal sensitivity. Analogous to the control of sophisticated microstructure for increasing active sensing area, the control of gradient conductivity should enable a linear response via regulating the formed saturation current. Here, inspired by phase separation showing the feasibility of controlling material microstructure and conductivity, a high‐performance flexible pressure sensor via the simultaneous control of microgroove structure and wide‐range gradient conductivity is demonstrated. First, a laser‐etching and dopamine (DA)‐doping synergistic approach is used to induce selective phase separation in poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS), achieving broad conductivity modulation (from 297 to 4525 S cm−1) and precise microgroove pattern (15.5 µm). Then, by designing conductivity‐gradient PEDOT: PSS‐based multi‐sublayers and microgroove interlocked structure, the sensor shows extraordinarily comprehensive performance of excellent stress‐sensing sensitivity (4 × 105 kPa−1), high linear responsiveness (99.85%) and wide‐range sensing ability (up to 100 kPa). Consequently, this sensor reveals excellent capability in detecting multi‐mode pressure changes and is expected to branch out into other electronic device designs as a general strategy for the precise manipulation of material physical‐chemical properties.

Manipulative Strategies of Aquatic Arthropods for Fish Parasitism: A Review

Manipulative Strategies of Aquatic Arthropods for Fish Parasitism: A Review

Presupposition as a Manipulation Strategy in President Biden's Reference to the War on Gaza

Political communication is a complex process of sharing concepts and beliefs to gain control over power and manipulate the mass population. In the face of heightening conflict and humanitarian issues, the US President Joe Biden’s communication occurred when the Gaza War was underway in the October of 2023. This study examines three hypotheses: Biden’s utilization of presuppositions for influencing perception and gaining approval on Israel’s behalf, for causing self-derogatory effect, and blaming Hamas alongside constructing an element of predestination regarding the United States foreign policy. In the present study, the researcher relied on a content analysis model and identified various presupposition types in Biden’s speeches in order to categorize them based on different manipulative strategies. The article concluded that Biden’s language often justified Israeli actions while attributing all harm to Hamas, thus aligning the audience with the U.S. and building a narrative of pure justice. Presuppositions were most detectable in Biden’s discourse about the IDF strike on al-Shifa Hospital, where he assumed that Hamas must have been operating out of the hospital. These findings therefore present presupposition as a major political resource in the construction of discourses, people, and policy reforms.

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase gene family in soybean and implications in drought stress tolerance.

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) is the key rate-limiting enzyme in starch biosynthesis pathway, and has been identified as a potential target for manipulation strategies aimed at improving crop yield and quality. To identify the AGPase gene family members in soybean, and explore the potential implications of GmAGPS2 in drought stress tolerance. Thegenome-wide identification and sequence analysis of soybean AGPase gene family was carried out by bioinformatics methods. The GmAGP gene expression was analyzed using transcriptome data and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Furthermore, transgenic yeast strains overexpressing GmAGPS2 were generated, and their growth was observed under drought stress. In this study, we searched for AGPase genes (GmAGP) in the soybean genome and identified a total of 14 GmAGP genes. The GmAGP proteins had a unique conserved NTP_transferase domain and were mainly located in the chloroplast and cytosol. Evolutionarily, theGmAGP proteins can be clustered into two distinct subgroups; within the same subgroup, they displayed a similar distribution pattern of conserved motifs. The GmAGP genes exhibited an uneven distribution on 10 chromosomes, and segmental duplication contributed to AGPase gene family expansion in soybean. The GmAGP genes presented different tissue expression pattern, in which GmAGPL6, GmAGPL9, and GmAGPL10 mainly exhibited tissue-specific expression pattern. The promoter of GmAGP genes had multiple cis-acting elements related to phytohormones and stress responses, and 8 GmAGP genes contained drought-responsive cis-acting elements. qRT‒PCR analysis demonstrated a significant upregulation expression of GmAGPL6, GmAGPL10, and GmAGPS2 in response to drought stress. Further functional analysis indicated that GmAGPS2 gene could improve yeast growth under drought stress conditions and enhance the drought tolerance of yeast. These results will contribute to further elucidation of the function of GmAGP genes, and offer important candidate genes for the genetic improvement of starch and yield-related traits and the breeding of high drought stress tolerance varieties in soybean.

Tracking Noncovalent Interactions of π, π-Hole, and Ion in Molecular Complexes at the Single-Molecule Level.

Noncovalent interactions involving aromatic rings, such as π-stacking and π-ion interactions, play an essential role in molecular recognition, assembly, catalysis, and electronics. However, the inherently weak and complex nature of these interactions has made it challenging to study them experimentally, especially with regard to elucidating their properties in solution. Herein, the noncovalent interactions between π and π-hole, π and cation, and π-hole and anion in molecular complexes in nonpolar solution are investigated in situ through single-molecule electrical measurements in combination with theoretical calculations. Specifically, phenyl and pentafluorobenzyl groups serve as π and π-hole sites, respectively, while Li+ and Cl- are employed as the cation and anion. Our findings reveal that, in comparison with homogeneous π···π interactions, heterogeneous π···π-hole and π···cation interactions exhibit greater binding energies, resulting in a longer binding lifetime of the molecular junctions. Meanwhile, π···Li+ and π-hole···Cl- interactions present significantly distinct binding characteristics, with the former being stronger but more flexible than the latter. Furthermore, by changing the molecular components, similar conductivity can be achieved in both molecular dimers or sandwich complexes. These results provide new insights into π- and π-hole-involved noncovalent interactions, offering novel strategies for precise manipulation of molecular assembly, recognition, and molecular device.

Enhanced structural stability of P2-Na0.75Ni0.25Mn0.75-xTixO2 cathodes with high-voltage non-phase transitions property by Mn-sites manipulation strategy

Ni/Mn-based cathode is regarded as a competitive candidate for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) owing to its high theoretical capacity and low cost. Nevertheless, the issue of its poor cycling stability continues to be a significant obstacle. In this work, P2-Na0.75Ni0.25Mn0.75-xTixO2 (NaNMT-x) cathode materials with high-voltage non-phase transitions property were successfully synthesized. Interestingly, Ti-doping strategy could induce a beneficial reinforcement in the occupancy of stabler Nae sites. Especially, the Nae/Naf ratio of NaNMT-0.15 reached the maximum, which was beneficial for stability. Besides, NaNMT-0.15 with the lowest thermodynamic formation energy and narrower band gap could clearly elaborate excellent structural stability and conductivity via the calculation. The results demonstrated the underlying mechanisms. From the capacity-diffusing factor numerical model and GITT, NaNMT-0.15 have best Na+ diffusion ability. Moreover, ex-situ XRD further demonstrated that NaNMT-0.15 cathode did not undergo obvious P2-O2 phase transition phenomenon in high voltage section. The “no phase transitions” effect enabled NaNMT-0.15 cathode to present distinguished initial capacity (126.0 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C) and stability (85.0 % over 100 cycles). These findings might offer a fresh perspective for designing novel Ni/Mn-based cathode materials with no P2-O2 phase transitions property.

Manipulating Hardness to Construct Favorable Electrode Microstructures for All‐Solid‐State Batteries

AbstractAll‐solid‐state batteries hold great promise for achieving high energy densities. Fabrication of solid‐state electrodes involves cold compaction of the active material—typically an oxide—with a sulfide electrolyte, during which the softer sulfide particles deform and enwrap the harder oxide particles to afford an “active material‐in‐electrolyte” microstructure where the electrolyte forms a continuous ion‐conducting network. This mechanism however does not apply to emerging active materials that promise even higher energy densities like organic and sulfur‐based compounds. These materials are softer than sulfides and form unfavorable “electrolyte‐in‐active material” microstructures where ionic conduction is interrupted. Improvement of these electrodes is challenging in the absence of strategies to overcome the intrinsic material hardnesses. Here, it is demonstrated how the relative hardness difference can be reversed by simultaneously “softening” a sulfide electrolyte Li6PS5Cl by solvent treatment and “hardening” an organic material pyrene‐4,5,9,10‐tetraone (PTO) through partial lithiation. The lithiated PTO ends up harder than the treated Li6PS5Cl, thus forming the favorable “active material‐in‐electrolyte” microstructure. Cell performance improved as a result, including a 91% increase in material utilization compared with electrodes with unfavorable microstructures, as well as enhanced discharge−charge rates and cycling stability. Such a hardness manipulation strategy has broad applications in solid‐state devices and energy storage.

Psychological Abuse in Jurisprudence Associated with Cults and Manipulative Groups: A Transcultural Study on Five Convictions

ABSTRACT Groups of Psychological Abuse (GPAs) are hierarchical groups made up of one or several leaders and members who persistently and systematically use manipulative and coercive strategies to subjugate other people. The general aims of this study were (1) to obtain evidence of psychological abuse through the analysis of five sectarian cases and (2) to provide support for the taxonomy proposed by Rodríguez-Carballeira et al. (2015). An abductive content analysis extracted indicators from five case studies using court transcripts as secondary data sources. Results revealed 26 psychological abuse strategies, with the most prevalent category being control of personal life (41.9%), followed by emotional abuse (14.9%), and control and manipulation of information (14.7%). The most frequently used strategies of abuse were control over sexual life and emotional relationships, control-weakening of the psychophysical state, and manipulation of information. These findings suggest implications for prevention and intervention in both the psychological and legal context.

Light-regulated soliton dynamics in liquid crystals

Electrically powered solitons are particle-like field configurations in out-of-equilibrium nematics that have garnered significant interest. However, their random generation and lack of controllable motion have limited their application. Here, we present a reconfigurable optoelectronic approach capable of regulating the entire lifecycle of solitons by utilizing multi-strategy digital light projection to construct delicate patterning of virtual electrode. We demonstrate that optically actuated domains with diverse geometry enable the generation of multiple solitons and further allow in-situ formation of individual soliton by matching the light pattern to its dimension. Exquisitely engineered light intensity of patterns facilitates modulation of soliton velocity and transformation of propagating direction. The utilization of a light-guided channel enables the on-demand control of soliton trajectories along customized paths. Furthermore, dynamic light patterns that vary in space and time allow for collective motion such as migration, mimicking phototaxis in biological systems. This reconfigurable manipulation strategy, grounded in the photoconductive effect, proves highly versatile and effective in directing soliton dynamics, heralding the potential for their programmable control and offering a significant advantage in multitasking scenarios.

Photothermal-Driven Droplet Manipulation: A Perspective.

Optofluidics, which utilizes the interactions between light and fluids to realize various functions, has garnered increasing attention owing to the advantages of operational simplicity, exceptional flexibility, rapid response, etc. As one of the typical light-fluid interactions, the localized photothermal effect serving as a stimulus has been widely used for fluid manipulation. Particularly, significant progress on photothermal-driven droplet manipulation has been made. In this perspective, recent advancements in localized photothermal effect driven droplet manipulation are summarized. First, the photothermal manipulation of droplets on open surfaces is outlined. An attractive droplet manipulation of light droplet levitation above the gas-liquid interface via localized photothermal effect is then discussed. Besides, the photothermal-driven manipulation of droplets in an immiscible liquid phase is also discussed. Although promising, further development of photothermal-driven droplet manipulation is still needed. The challenges and perspectives of this light droplet manipulation strategy for broad implementation are summarized, which will help future studies and applications.

Immigration Crisis in Palestine (1933–1936) as Reflected in Periodical Press of United States

The image of Palestine during the years 1933 to 1936 was shaped in the periodical press of the United States under the influence of the “colonial discourse”. In the first half of the 1930s, the issue of Jewish immigrants became one of the central themes in the “Palestinian question”. The materials from the periodical press allow for an exploration of how perceptions regarding the causes of the crisis in the Middle East evolved within the informational discourse of the United States; how the representations of Arabs, Jews, and Great Britain underwent transformation. Publications from American newspapers provide insights into evaluations of British measures aimed at resolving the immigration crisis in Palestine during the 1930s. An analysis of U.S. newspapers reveals distinctive features in the construction of the images of the Jewish and Arab populations of Palestine. It identifies who was categorized as “the other”. The first half of the 1930s proved decisive for American public opinion in prioritizing positions within the context of the Middle Eastern conflict. The material presented in this article vividly illustrates the stages of evolving assessments of the situation in Palestine from 1933 to 1936. The study examines the manipulative techniques and strategies employed by American periodicals in the 1930s concerning Palestine, thereby providing a clearer understanding of how the issue of Jewish immigration was integrated into the broader narrative of Palestine within U.S. periodical literature.

Task-Dependent Comfort Zone, a Base Placement Strategy for Mobile Manipulators Based on Manipulability Measures

The present contribution introduces the task-dependent comfort zone as a base placement strategy for mobile manipulators using different manipulability measures. Four different manipulability measures depending on end-effector velocities, forces, stiffness, and accelerations are considered. By evaluating a discrete subspace of the manipulator workspace with these manipulability measures and using image-processing algorithms, a suitable goal position for the autonomous mobile manipulator was defined within the comfort zone. This always ensures a certain manipulator manipulablity value with a lower limit with respect to the maximum possible manipulability in the discrete subspace. Results are shown for three different mobile manipulators using the velocity-dependent manipulability measure in a simulation.

Femtosecond laser-produced heterogeneous wettability surfaces for turning Leidenfrost drop spinning

Liquid droplets on superheated surfaces produce the Leidenfrost effect. This phenomenon might lead to droplet manipulation and control strategies in microfluidics and thermal management. However, Leidenfrost droplets move randomly and irregularly on superheated surfaces and the manufacturing of special surfaces to control Leidenfrost droplet movement poses great challenges. Here, we propose a simple and environment-friendly method to create heterogeneously wetting surface structures to control the spin motion of droplets on superheated brass using femtosecond laser patterning. The water contact angle of the superhydrophobic area on the surface was ∼160°, and the superhydrophilic area showed ∼7°. A z-shaped pattern was fabricated, which segmented the vapor film and influenced gas flow, and it resulted in the spinning of oval-shaped droplets analogous to a spinning egg. We used simulation to explain this phenomenon and also expanded the application of this droplet control in accelerating dissolution of solids and mechanical driving. This study provides the basis for a creative control method using the Leidenfrost droplet phenomenon, which has broad implications in steam-driven droplet motion and future fluid manipulation.

Understanding Child Sexual Exploitation Dynamics: Development and Validation of a Taxonomy of Recruitment and Domination Strategies.

Child sexual exploitation is a form of interpersonal violence which involves the use of manipulation, control, and coercion strategies to recruit and dominate minors. This study aimed to develop and validate a taxonomy that identifies, defines, and classifies these abusive strategies. The taxonomy was developed from an extensive literature review and its contents were validated via expert evaluation through a two-round Delphi method with 31 participants. Experts also judged the frequency of each strategy's usage to recruit and dominate the victims in sex trade, sex trafficking, sex tourism, and online sexual exploitation. The taxonomy comprises 20 specific strategies, classified into five categories: isolation, control of personal life, emotional abuse, cognitive manipulation, and behavioral domination. According to the experts, the strategy most frequently used to recruit the minors is "affective enticement", and the strategy that contributes most to the maintenance of the exploitative situation is "instrumentalization of sexuality". Nevertheless, different patterns were found regarding the frequency with which each strategy is used when considering the four manifestations of sexual exploitation separately. Delimiting the abusive strategies commonly perpetrated in child sexual exploitation improves our understanding of this complex phenomenon and could contribute to the development of effective prevention and intervention approaches.

Metabolic Reprogramming in Gliocyte Post-cerebral Ischemia/ Reperfusion: From Pathophysiology to Therapeutic Potential.

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of disability and death worldwide. However, the clinical efficacy of recanalization therapy as a preferred option is significantly hindered by reperfusion injury. The transformation between different phenotypes of gliocytes is closely associated with cerebral ischemia/ reperfusion injury (CI/RI). Moreover, gliocyte polarization induces metabolic reprogramming, which refers to the shift in gliocyte phenotype and the overall transformation of the metabolic network to compensate for energy demand and building block requirements during CI/RI caused by hypoxia, energy deficiency, and oxidative stress. Within microglia, the pro-inflammatory phenotype exhibits upregulated glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, fatty acid synthesis, and glutamine synthesis, whereas the anti-inflammatory phenotype demonstrates enhanced mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid oxidation. Reactive astrocytes display increased glycolysis but impaired glycogenolysis and reduced glutamate uptake after CI/RI. There is mounting evidence suggesting that manipulation of energy metabolism homeostasis can induce microglial cells and astrocytes to switch from neurotoxic to neuroprotective phenotypes. A comprehensive understanding of underlying mechanisms and manipulation strategies targeting metabolic pathways could potentially enable gliocytes to be reprogrammed toward beneficial functions while opening new therapeutic avenues for CI/RI treatment. This review provides an overview of current insights into metabolic reprogramming mechanisms in microglia and astrocytes within the pathophysiological context of CI/RI, along with potential pharmacological targets. Herein, we emphasize the potential of metabolic reprogramming of gliocytes as a therapeutic target for CI/RI and aim to offer a novel perspective in the treatment of CI/RI.