Free Expression Research Articles

An Analysis on the Right to Freedom of Speech: A Privilege or a Curse?

The right to freedom of speech is fundamental in society, granting individuals the liberty to express their thoughts without restraint. In a liberal democracy, this right is paramount, fostering the exchange of ideas across various mediums. However, contemporary challenges arise as media outlets increasingly assume quasi-judicial roles, influencing public perception and potentially undermining principles of equity. Despite the intrinsic nature of this right, its exercise is subject to reasonable restrictions to safeguard societal well-being. International frameworks and constitutional provisions underscore the importance of balancing free expression with other societal interests. The press, often dubbed the "fourth estate," plays a critical role in ensuring transparency and accountability in governance. Yet, sensationalism and biased reporting threaten its integrity and the principle of fair trial. Striking a balance between press freedom and responsible journalism remains imperative to uphold democratic values and ensure justice. Efforts to address the phenomenon of "media trials" are essential to preserve the rule of law and protect individual rights. Ultimately, the pursuit of an informed and impartial media landscape is essential for upholding the principles of democracy and ensuring the equitable administration of justice.

Effect of estrogen and progesterone on intracellular free zinc and zinc transporter expression in bovine oviduct epithelial cells

Zinc (Zn) plays essential roles in numerous cellular processes. However, there is limited understanding of Zn homeostasis within the bovine reproductive system. This study investigated the influence of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) on Zn transporter expression and intracellular free Zn levels in bovine oviduct epithelial cells (BOEC). For this purpose, cells were harvested from slaughtered cows and cultured in vitro. Intracellular Zn concentrations were measured using FluoZin-3AM staining, while real-time polymerase chain reaction assessed Zn transporter gene expression and quantification. Overall, our results confirmed the gene expression of all the evaluated Zn transporters (ZIP6, ZIP8, ZIP14, ZnT3, ZnT7 and ZnT9), denoted and the active role of E2 and P4 in intracellular Zn regulation. Our findings suggest an interaction between Zn, E2 and P4.

Nothing less than a creative triumph: a study of children admitted to hospital for serious somatic illness or injury and their experience of art therapy.

Hospitalization can be an extremely distressing experience for seriously ill and injured children. Art therapy has a well-established clinical history, and recent research has begun to demonstrate its effectiveness in somatic pediatric wards. Descriptive and statistical research indicates that art therapy can alleviate anxiety and fear, improve mood, and enhance communication among children, parents, and healthcare professionals. This study aims to enhance our understanding of the specific elements of art therapy that facilitate a connection with the healthier aspects of the self. A total of 12 hospitalized children, aged 4-12, participated in an art therapy session led by a certified art therapist. Verbalizations during the sessions were recorded, and subsequent observations were synchronized with verbatim transcriptions of audio recordings. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to identify relevant patterns of meaning. The study identified four significant dimensions of the children's experiences during art therapy: (1) The child feels safe, (2) The child becomes a competent artist, bursting with creativity, (3) The healthy child emerges, and (4) The child achieves something beyond its limits - a triumph. The active ingredients contributing to effective art therapy include the stimulation of creativity, guided art-making with scaffolding support, task variation, granting children control over the artistic process, encouragement of free expression, and the display of positive regard. This study also delves into the therapeutic alliance, emphasizing its role in facilitating children's learning, self-expression, concentration, and the creation of work they take pride in. Additionally, certain psychotherapy-like interactions, such as control-mastery dynamics, were observed. Nevertheless, more extensive research with larger sample sizes is required to draw broader conclusions.

Hate speech vis-a-vis Freedom of speech in Indian democracy

The paper gives a broad study on hate speech, its evolution, legal consequences as well as freedom of speech in a democratic state. One is the Evolution of Hate Speech discussed in chapter one which goes from looking at the different aspects of hate speech to its roots during colonial India. Legal cases such as Pravasi Bhalai Sangathan v Union of India, enable readers to comprehend what amounts to hate speech and how it affects marginalized groups. This chapter highlights the change and restrictions laid down by the constitution with regard to hate speech as an exception to free expression. Potential Harm and Impact on Individuals and Communities looks at some of the long term effects of hate crimes. From personal damages such as psychological traumas and costs; community-wide issues like economic setbacks, school dropout rates due to fear or tension; this section explores them all in details. It also recognizes that communities can be resilient while highlighting the importance of recognizing nuanced impact. Legal framework in India, as explained in Chapter three analyzes constitutional provisions particularly Article 19(1)(a) and ancillary legislations like Sections 153A, 153B & 295A of Indian Penal Code (IPC). Additionally, it examines Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 for its efficacy. It affects people psychologically and communities economically and socially, from individual trauma to community difficulties. The chapter acknowledges community strength while stressing the need to understand hate speech's harm to protect people's rights and safety.

3-bromopyruvate induces morphological alteration and may initiate programmed cell death in Cryptococcus neoformans cells.

3-Bromopyruvate (3BP), known for its potent anticancer properties, also exhibits remarkable efficacy against the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. So far it has been proven that the main fungicidal activity of 3BP is based on ATP depletion and a reduction of intracellular level of glutathione. The presented study includes a broad range of methods to further investigate the mechanistic effects of 3BP on C. neoformans cells. The use of flow cytometry allowed a thorough examination of their survival during 3BP treatment, while observations using electron microscopy made it possible to note the changes in cellular morphology. Utilizing ruthenium red, the study suggests a mitochondrial pathway may initiate programmed cell death in response to 3BP. Analysis of free radical generation and gene expression changes supports this hypothesis. These findings enhance comprehension of 3BP's mechanisms in fungal cells, paving the way for its potential application as a therapeutic agent against cryptococcosis.

The Role of Family Support for the Well-Being of Italian LGBTQ + Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Family acceptance or rejection has mediating effects on the mental health of LGBTQ + young adults. Restrictive measures imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic forced many of these individuals to exclusively interface with their family of origin, with significant consequences on their psychological well-being. This study aims to explore, from a qualitative perspective, the subjective experience of Italian LGBTQ + young adults during the COVID-19-related home isolation. An online semi-structured interview with 13 questions was administered to a sample of 25 participants. Inclusion criteria consisted of being aged 18 years or older and having spent at least one of the three pandemic waves with the family of origin in Italy. The interviews have been processed using the Thematic Analysis methodology. The findings of the present work showed that Italian LGBTQ + young adults perceived increased distress due to a lack of privacy and acceptance from their family members, which led to forced coming-out and repression of free expression. However, some participants perceived greater psychological well-being because they experienced the family environment as safe and supportive to explore their minority identities. The presence of coping strategies also emerged, such as resilience and avoidance.

Democracy, audiences and challenges for independent journalism in Colombia, Peru and Venezuela: A systemic proposal

Democracy is a complex political model. It is constituted through criteria such as the existence of solid institutions, the development of transparent electoral processes, dissemination of political culture, free citizen expression, among others. For this reason, the existence of a wide spectrum of countries with full, deficient, hybrid or authoritarian democratic qualities is plausible. Such is the case of Latin America, a region in which several countries have fallen in the last two groups. For this reason, this article will offer an overview of the situation in three Latin American countries (Colombia, Peru and Venezuela), considering the role of independent journalism, the situation they are going through and their strategies in deficit democracy, hybrid regime and dictatorial situation. For this purpose, system thinking will be used as a way of representing the role with audiences, the plurality of approaches and the credibility of the journalistic function.

Blocking Dangerous Content in Electronic Communications Networks: Evidence from Netherlands, United States and Singapore

In recent years, the blocking of internet sites with harmful content or those deemed to be (illegal content) has increased. The policy of blocking dangerous sites has pros and cons regarding freedom of expression. Blocking is considered to be carried out to control citizens' expression, which can impact all areas, especially freedom of opinion, which can be seen as a threat to certain parties. This research aims to compare criminalization policies for blocking dangerous content in electronic communications networks in the Netherlands, the United States, and Singapore and provide thoughts on law enforcement models for blocking dangerous content in more democratic electronic communication networks. This is normative legal research using a law and case approach and comparing several countries. The conceptual approach is directed at the concept of a democratic state and the protection of human rights to formulate relevant policy models. The results of blocking studies in the Netherlands, The USA, and Singapore already have regulations and policy directions for blocking dangerous content, or at least rules regarding law enforcement for cybercrime. The difference is in the level of sensitivity to the specifications of existing problems. The policy model for blocking dangerous content with special regulations outside the Criminal Code must be carried out in a non-repressive manner so that it does not violate the ultimum remedium principle and becomes over-criminalized. The formulation of policy model of all crime prevention plans using the criminal law system, which pays attention to the problem of formulating criminal acts (criminalization), criminal responsibility, and criminal regulations and punishment.

A tight interplay between platelet activation and mitochondrial DNA release promotes platelet storage lesion in platelet concentrates.

Platelet storage lesion (PSL) adversely affects the quality of platelet concentrates (PCs). Platelets are prone to activation during storage. Moreover, elevated free mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) levels in PCs are associated with a higher risk of adverse transfusion reactions. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the correlation between platelet activation markers and mtDNA release during PC storage. Six PCs prepared by the platelet-rich plasma method were assessed for free mtDNA copy number using quantitative real-time PCR and CD62P (P-selectin) expression by flow cytometry on days 0 (PC collection day), 3, 5 and 7 of storage. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, pH, platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) were measured as well. The correlation between free mtDNA and other PSL parameters, and the correlation between all parameters, was determined. Significant increases in free mtDNA, MPV and PDW, and a significant decrease in platelet count and pH were observed. CD62P expression and LDH activity elevated significantly, particularly on storage days 5-7 and 0-3, respectively. Moreover, a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.61) was observed between free mtDNA and CD62P expression. The r values between free mtDNA and LDH, pH, platelet count, MPV and PDW were 0.81, -0.72, -0.49, 0.81 and 0.77, respectively. The interplay between platelet activation and mtDNA release in promoting PSL in PCs may serve as a promising target for future research on applying additive solutions and evaluating the quality of PCs to improve transfusion and clinical outcomes.

Democracy In The Dark: Internet Shutdowns In India As A Challenge to Freedom of Speech and Expression

The right to access the internet is intrinsically linked to fundamental rights such as the right to education and the right to privacy under Articles 21A and 21 of the Indian Constitution, respectively. The internet not only enhances the quality of education but also serves as a powerful tool for the free expression of knowledge and ideas. It has been recognized globally as a human right, and adherence to this right is imperative for countries signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Freedom of speech and expression, enshrined in Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution, extends to the internet, with reasonable restrictions outlined in Article 19(2). In recent years, internet shutdowns in India have become increasingly common, particularly during periods of civil unrest and protests. While the government has the authority to impose reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech and expression to maintain public order, the arbitrary use of internet shutdowns has become a concerning trend. This paper explores the reasons behind and the consequences of these shutdowns on the right to freedom of speech and expression. The internet is a crucial medium for citizens to communicate, express dissent, and seek support, especially during times of crisis and unrest. Its importance is evident in regions like Jammu and Kashmir and the North Eastern states of India, where prolonged internet shutdowns have isolated affected communities from the rest of the country. The imposition of internet shutdowns as a means to restore peace raises questions about its reasonableness and adherence to constitutional provisions. The paper cites landmark cases, such as Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India, where the Supreme Court emphasized the importance of necessity and proportionality in internet shutdown orders. The lack of accountability mechanisms, combined with normalized shutdowns, has allowed the government to stifle dissent without justifiable cause. To protect fundamental rights and uphold the principles of democracy, judicial activism and a critical evaluation of government actions are essential. The paper concludes that internet shutdowns, as a means of suppressing free speech and expression, often fail to meet the criteria of reasonable restrictions and are, therefore, a violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Indian Constitution.

THE IMPORTANCE OF WORK IN THE RESTORATION OF DIGNITY: A Right Guaranteed by the Constitution

Globalization meant that distances were shortened and, at all times, technology connected people around the worldand, thus, the work relationship changed due to this technology, it gained new concepts and new opportunities,such as the growth of the home office in times of pandemic. The Federal Constitution, in its preamble, ensures theexercise of social and individual rights, which include human dignity as one of its principles. Human rights arepre-existing rights and only exist in function of man, since it is on him that any and all rights established in orderto ensure the organization of society and restore the dignity of the citizen that were once lost due to offensescommitted. each country is responsible for guaranteeing human rights within its own territory. Each and everycitizen has the right to life; right to health; right to education; right to work; right to housing; freedom of movement(right to come and go); freedom of expression; freedom of opinion; religious freedom.

FENOMENA MAHASISWA KORBAN PERCERAIAN ORANG TUA DI UNIVERSITAS SRIWIJAYA

This research is entitled "Student Phenomenon of Victims of Parents Divorce at Sriwijaya University". The research problem discusses the implications of parental divorce for social relations, organizational activities, and student learning outcomes at Sriwijaya University. this research aims to analyze and understand the phenomenon of students who are victims of parental divorce at Sriwijaya University. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with a descriptive research strategy. This study uses the Behaviorism theory of John B Watson. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews with 11 informants, documentation, and a literature study. various forms of implications of parental divorce for social relations, organizational activities, and student learning outcomes. The impact of divorce for social relations include (1) promiscuity, (2) Being rude, (3) Losing self-confidence, (4) Self-acceptance, (5) Enjoying life, (6) Embracing, (7) Looking for a good environment, ( 8) Independent, (9) What it is. The implications of divorce for organizational activities include (1) closing oneself, (2) channeling talent, (3) feeling safe, (4) building relationships, (5) seeking experience, and (6) free expression. Meanwhile, the implications of divorce for learning outcomes include (1) High GPA (2) Low GPA (3) Medium GPA.

Evolution after the COVID of the invisibility of precarities (ECOVIP): Overview of an action research project to decipher the urban factory of invisibility

Due to weak economies or ill-adapted public policies aggravated by the pandemic, official services dedicated to the unconditional reception and support of people in psychosocial distress in large urban areas are often put to the test. Here is the approach of the action research “Evolution after COVid-19 of the Invisibility of Precarities” (ECOVIP) dedicated to this phenomenon, as well as its first results concerning the precarity of unemployed “young” seniors (50-64 years old) in Lyon, France. This participative research is based on workshops that bring together professionals from both the front-line psychosocial field and other fields such as employment or work, and in which they are offered a free expression of their lived situations of reception of precarious people. The first results provided by the scientific and transparent analysis of these exchanges show both a fairly precise understanding of the institutional decision leading to increasing invisibility, and the emergence of innovative professional resources capable of curbing it.

Criticality Controlling Mechanisms in Nematic Liquid Crystals

We theoretically study the generic mechanisms that could establish critical behavior in nematic liquid crystals (NLCs). The corresponding free energy density terms should exhibit linear coupling with the nematic order parameter and, via this coupling, enhance the nematic order. We consider both temperature- and pressure-driven, order–disorder phase transitions. We derive a scaled effective free energy expression that describes how qualitatively different mechanisms enforce critical behavior. Our main focus is on the impact of nanoparticles (NPs) in homogeneous NP-NLC mixtures. We illustrate that in the case of pressure-driven phase changes, lower concentrations are needed to impose critical point conditions in comparison with pure temperature variations.

Novalis:The Blue Flover of Romanticism

The essay is devoted to the reconstruction of the philosophy of art of Novalis, one of the prominent German Romantics, who presents it in his writings in a fragmentary way. Research of this type appears in scholarly literature for the first time; it utilizes a complex philosophical-aesthetic method of analysis of texts of the German thinker. Novalis appreciates art as one of the highest achievements of humanity, which elevates the human being from ordinary life to spiritual heights. Art is a free expression of the artists' Ego. Art is simultaneously a “self-contemplating and a self-creating nature.” The creative principles of nature are transformed within the spiritual world of the artist and express themselves in art. The secrets of nature are revealed to the artist. The artists sees something great in the least significant things. The beautiful is the object of art and this creates kinship between all types of art. Artists (including painters) do not imitate the external world but they create by means of their internal world. All types of art gravitate towards mutual harmony and foreshadow a synthesis of the arts of sorts. Novalis positions poetry above all other arts. This is because according to him poetry establishes heavenly wisdom on earth, elevates the human being over everyday life, and serves as the foundation for all other arts. Philosophy is internally linked to poetry and serves as its theory. The philosopher must be a poet. The poet lives a special, contemplative life and is a wise and prophetic person. Novalis imagines the future Romantic age as fabulous, magical, poetic, ironic, alogical. “Intelligent chaos” will play a specific role in it. All earthly will be elevated to the heavenly. Novalis considers the novel as one of the principal forms of Romatic poetry and presents its chief characteristics.

공공미술을 둘러싼 공동체의 담론

The purpose of this paper is to show that the controversial discourse over the existence of Richard Serra's public art works, “Lifted Arc”, over the past seven years, had a profound influence on the changes in public art. Public art was divided into location and aesthetic aspects, and the cause of the failure of “Lifted Arc” was found in each of them. The cause of the locational aspect is related to the understanding of “public”, where the place of life and the physical place intersect, and the aesthetic aspect is due to the conflict between the artist's free expression and public taste. When pursuing a desirable form of public art through the above, first, publicity is not limited to physical places, but is made up of the participation and intervention of people living there, and second, the aesthetic achievement of public art can be obtained from the discourse of interaction rather than from the aesthetic experience itself. This public art as a “discussion venue” symbolizes cultural democracy that guarantees freedom and equality in that art creates a place for the pursuit of meaning.

RDCWorld: performing the Black nerd in new media

Abstract With their fingers on the pulse of popular culture, RDCWorld, a digital content creation group primarily composed of young Black men, enjoys a following largely gained from their anime-inspired videos that unite a community of like-minded Black nerds in the US and speaks to the power digital media has to construct spaces based on identities that have historically been marginalized, within both Black and White-dominated spaces. Using a content analysis of their videos and textual analysis of fan comments and social media engagement, I argue that RDCWorld’s performance as Black nerds subverts traditional notions of identity, play, and space by resisting notions of the stereotypical cool Black aesthetic, integrating transnational media with Blackness to create new modes of self-representation, challenging hegemonic constructions of public play, and by normalizing spaces of free Black expression through their anime and gaming convention, DreamCon.

FEATURES OF AESTHETIC EDUCATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF VISUAL LANGUAGE OF ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS

This work emphasizes some theoretical and practical provisions of aesthetic education, which have an important role in the development of visual language of architecture students. The principle of integrating scientific knowledge and creative skills ensures the success of the architecture student, valuing language as a tool used in free expression. One of the solutions refers to the analysis of the architectural context and project development based on visual language skills, and brainstorming, an idea-generating activity, can be taken as a method. Another solution would be to encourage students to take responsibility for the transmission of visual language from the perspective of aesthetic values. Taking on the role of a future architect by developing analytical skills and conveying aesthetic values, the student gains experience in modelling space and effectively conveying visual images of architectural edifices.

Kyrill Kunakhovich. Communism’s Public Sphere: Culture as Politics in Cold War Poland and East Germany. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2022

The enduring interest in exploring the regimes of public spheres within communist societies has not waned in recent years. Much of this can be attributed to communism’s constraints on free expression, rendering cultural domains as almost the sole platforms for public spheres. In his book, historian Kyrill Kunakhovich, who specializes in contemporary Central and Eastern Europe, sheds light on the political role played by cultural spaces under communist regimes. By focusing on Leipzig (former East Germany) and Kraków (Poland) as comparative units of analysis, Kunakhovich traces the evolution of state-society relationships within cultural realms under the communist rule, from the arrival of the Red Army in Eastern Europe in 1944 to the reunification of Germany in 1990. The author explores how these interactions reshaped the sociopolitical landscapes of both countries and brought about transformations in communist politics. Employing a comparative and transnational historical approach, Kunakhovich transcends the mere juxtaposition of national case studies examining them in tandem, a perspective that “inevitably highlights the contrasts between them” (p. 16). Given the limitation of comparative case studies that may not fully encompass the entirety of the panorama, the book seeks to illuminate the dynamics within both countries’ public spheres as they manifested in communist cultural spaces. Text in English

Drastic magnetic-field-induced chiral current order and emergent current-bond-field interplay in kagome metals.

In kagome metals, the chiral current order parameter [Formula: see text] with time-reversal-symmetry-breaking is the source of various exotic electronic states, while the method of controlling the current order and its interplay with the star-of-David bond order [Formula: see text] are still unsolved. Here, we reveal that tiny uniform orbital magnetization [Formula: see text] is induced by the chiral current order, and its magnitude is prominently enlarged under the presence of the bond order. Importantly, we derive the magnetic-field ([Formula: see text])-induced Ginzburg-Landau (GL) free energy expression [Formula: see text], which enables us to elucidate the field-induced current-bond phase transitions in kagome metals. The emergent current-bond-[Formula: see text] trilinear coupling term in the free energy, [Formula: see text], naturally explains the characteristic magnetic-field sensitive electronic states in kagome metals, such as the field-induced current order and the strong interplay between the bond and current orders. The GL coefficients of [Formula: see text] derived from the realistic multiorbital model are appropriate to explain various experiments. Furthermore, we discuss the field-induced loop current orders in the square lattice models that have been studied in cuprate superconductors.