Open Journals at Memorial University
Not a member yet
1472 research outputs found
Sort by
Kurdish Bards Sing A Homeland: Dengbêjî and Conflicting Nationalisms in the Turkish State
No full textI recall meeting a group of Kurds on two occasions, both in 2011: once in a Turkish border town with Syria and another time in Lefkoşa,the north end of Cyprus’s capital. On the first occasion, I spent all day bantering with four young Kurdish men, interspersed with theirimpassioned outcries against alienation from mainstream Turkish society. The second time, a group of young activists shared their love and sorrow for their denigrated language and culture, taught me some Kurdish expressions, and beseeched me to spread the word about their plight. Since then, a fascination with the Rojava region of northern Syria, particularly its achievement of de facto autonomy in 2012 founded on ideals of feminism, anarchism, universal human rights, and ecological sustainability, has directed me toward its flourishing revolutionary art scene focused heavily on the celebration of Kurdish folklore, music, and language, all having been silenced by repressive regimes (Hamid 2016)
Intersectional Anti-Racist Practice with the Disability Community
No full textMany intersections exist between communities of colour, the disability community, and other social identity groups. For example, one in four Black or African American members in the United States are disabled. Disability is also more prevalent in queer communities. Yet, social workers in the helping professions rarely make these connections. The application of an intersectional, anti-oppressive, “critically culturally competence” theoretical practice framework for empowerment-oriented work with the disability community is presented. Specific guidance is provided for addressing how social service providers can develop their “disability lenses” in pursuit of anti-racist and anti-ableist practices
Muslim Women's Representation, Religious Identity, and Politics in Leila Aboulela's Novel, River Spirit
No full text
Sirtuin 3 expression in the context of Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
No full textMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating disease that attacks the myelin sheath surrounding neurons in the central nervous system resulting in focal demyelinated lesions. This process is immune-mediated in nature and is thought to arise following inflammatory and metabolic alterations leading to loss of the myelin sheath. Following this, axons in the afflicted areas may recover and remyelinate or undergo axonal loss leading to eventual neurodegeneration. Current knowledge of the mechanisms involved in lesion formation and neuronal outcomes is limited. A relatively recently identified family of proteins, the sirtuins, have been found to be strongly implicated in inflammation and aging throughout the body. While some work has identified alterations in sirtuins 1 and 2 within animal models and MS samples, no such investigations have examined the related sirtuin 3 (Sirt3) protein. In our current study, we examined Sirt3 expression in MS lesions from post-mortem tissue as well as mRNA levels within CD14+ cells isolated from MS patients and controls. We found reduced Sirt3 expression within MS lesions and trends towards reduced Sirt3 mRNA levels in females as well as MS patients. Overall, our work supports the hypothesis that Sirt3 plays a role in MS, however, further studies are needed to identify the CNS distribution of Sirt3 in MS patients, how Sirt3 alterations impact CD14+ cells in MS, and whether Sirt3 may play a role in the sex differences observed in MS
The Ghost in the Machine: Loab, the Uncanny, and AI-Generated Art
No full textThe concept of cursed images and objects is a type of folk narrative that is common in legend cycles. However, since the Internetbecame widely accessible to the public in the early 1990s a new frontier was created for these types of legends to find fertile ground togrow and thrive. Examples of this have included cursed YouTube videos, video games, Creepypasta legends, and now art generated byartificial intelligence (also referred to as AI). This paper will examine Loab, the emergent Internet legend purportedly created by AIgenerated art. Loab and other AI generated art is unsettling as it enters the realm of the uncanny and speaks to modern anxieties that are attached to emerging technologies. Further, AI generated art is a new medium of expression that questions the definition of humanity, authorship, and reality itself. This emerging technology is creating a space where new narratives are crafted and further cements the Internet as a legendary destination for those who seek the strange and uncanny