Original Identity Research Articles

Mitos Manusia Super dalam Pieta dan The Death of Captain Marvel

The Pietà is a masterpiece in the world of sculpture by the renowned artist Michelangelo. Created more than five centuries ago (1497–1499), this work has often served as inspiration for artistic creations in later periods. In popular culture, the composition of the Pietà was once popularized and adapted for superhero comic book covers. Of the many comics, it is only in The Death of Captain Marvel (1982) by Jim Starlin that we find a strikingly similar likeness. This study examines the comparison between these two works and seeks to uncover the identity embedded within them. The Death of Captain Marvel exhibits intertextuality with the Pietà. In analyzing both, a shared identity emerges, encompassing name identity, origin identity, disguise identity, appearance identity (costume), strength identity, weakness identity, death identity, exposure identity, and resurrection identity.

Modern Insights into Breeding of Medicinal Plants for Health and Industry

An essential source of natural medicines, medicinal plants have a long history of usage in the treatment of a wide range of illnesses. Some of the secondary metabolites produced by plants as a defence mechanism against biotic and abiotic challenges are used to treat health affections. Considering the importance of medicinal plants primarily for their therapeutic qualities, this paper reviews the traditional and modern breeding methods of medicinal plants. Most plant cultivars today are products of traditional breeding techniques, such as selection, hybridization, mutagenesis, and polyploidy. Nevertheless nowadays, the use of molecular markers assisted selection or genetic editing techniques are promising tools in improving plant resistance to environmental stress factors and increasing concentrations of bioactive compounds. Integrating modern breeding technologies with ecological cultivation and conservation strategies is the key to the long-term sustainability of medicinal plants. Some examples of these include increasing genetic variety in crops grown for medicinal purposes, protecting natural habitats, and using sustainable forms of agriculture. To maintain the original identity and characteristics of local plants, research must focus on using local genetic resources as the initial material for use in breeding programs. Improved varieties of medicinal plants can hence be created that display increased disease resistance, higher productivity, and/or improved efficiencies in bioactive compound synthesis, which would greatly influence the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Comprehensive profiling of small RNAs and their changes and linkages to mRNAs in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

We investigated small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) from the prefrontal cortex of 93 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (SCZ) or bipolar disorder (BD) and 77 controls. We uncovered recurring complex sncRNA profiles, with 98% of all sncRNAs being accounted for by miRNA isoforms (60.6%), tRNA-derived fragments (17.8%), rRNA-derived fragments (11.4%), and Y RNA-derived fragments (8.3%). In SCZ, 15% of all sncRNAs exhibit statistically significant changes in their abundance. In BD, the fold changes (FCs) are highly correlated with those in SCZ but less acute. Non-templated nucleotide additions to the 3´-ends of many miRNA isoforms determine their FC independently of miRNA identity or genomic locus of origin. In both SCZ and BD, disease- and age-associated sncRNAs and mRNAs reveal accelerated aging. Co-expression modules between sncRNAs and mRNAs align with the polarities of SCZ changes and implicate sncRNAs in critical processes, including synaptic signaling, neurogenesis, memory, behavior, and cognition.

Magnífica 70: precariedade e opulência em uma série original brasileira HBO

This study aims to discuss the stylistic choices of the series Magnifica 70. Based on intermediality, we discuss how the characteristics of Boca do Lixo productions and HBO series lead to a semiotic conformation based on the opposition between precariousness and opulence. Moreover, the analysis shows aspects of a Brazilianness that are strategically represented in the narrative in such a way as to intradiegetically confer an identity of origin via the discourse on the Military Dictatorship (1964-1985) and extradiegetically to the HBO brand as a synonym for quality.

Mothers in Urban India: Exploring Identity

Motherhood is a life-changing event. The experience of motherhood in middle-class married Indian women is explored in this qualitative study. The aim of this study was to understand ‘how’ motherhood is incorporated into identity within the context of competing discourses of patriarchy vis-à-vis modernism and feminism. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 urban women, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. The following themes were identified: roles as contributing to identity, role conflict, social support and growth. From the Eriksonian perspective, motherhood is viewed as a period of psycho-social crises in which the original identity goes through a process of transformation to emerge anew. Implications of an integrated identity for the well-being of mothers are discussed.

Peran Budaya Populer dalam Memperkuat Identitas Nasional Indonesia di Era Globalisasi

In the era of globalization, popular culture has been a tool in understanding the complexity of international relations due to its easy access and simple packaging through technological advances. Globalization and the influx of other foreign cultures have been posing some threats and challenges in shifting national culture and values. The phenomenon of the influx of foreign cultures such as hallyu and westernization in Indonesia is slowly threatening Indonesia's national identity. Using the lens of Pop Culture and World Politics (PCWP) and Cultural Resistance from Antonio Gramsci (1971), the author examines in depth how the role of popular culture produced by Indonesian filmmakers and musicians can answer the challenges to the shift in Indonesia's national identity through cultural expression to oppose the dominant forces in the era of globalization at the international level. This research uses qualitative and descriptive methods in examining film and music artefacts produced by Indonesian filmmakers and musicians which are gaining international attention. The findings of this study aim to reveal that in the era of globalization, films and music produced by Indonesian filmmakers and musicians as the non-state actors play an important role in answering the challenges to the domination of foreign cultures in the context of maintaining Indonesia's original culture and identity by producing films and music containing local elements that are recognized and consumed by international audiences.

Notch Inhibition Enhances Morphological Reprogramming of microRNA-Induced Human Neurons.

The role of Notch signaling in direct neuronal reprogramming remains unknown despite its importance to brain development in vivo. Here, we use microRNA-induced neurons that are directly reprogrammed from human fibroblasts to determine how Notch signaling contributes to neuronal identity. We found that Notch inhibition during the first week of reprogramming was both necessary and sufficient to enhance neurite outgrowth at a later timepoint, indicating an important role in erasure of the original cell identity. Accordingly, transcriptomic analysis showed that the effect of Notch inhibition was likely due to improvements in fibroblast fate erasure and silencing of non-neuronal genes. To this effect, we identify MYLIP, whose downregulation in response to Notch inhibition significantly promoted neurite outgrowth. Moreover, Notch inhibition resulted in cells with neuronal transcriptome signature defined by expressing long genes at a faster rate than the control, demonstrating the effect of accelerated fate erasure on neuronal fate acquisition. Our results demonstrate the antagonistic role of Notch signaling to the pro-neuronal microRNAs 9 and 124 and the benefits of its inhibition to the acquisition of neuronal morphology.

Synthesis of Self-Assembled Nanostructured Cisplatin Using the RESS Process.

Background/Objectives: The primary goal of our research is to develop a process to prepare an aqueous dispersion of Cisplatin, an important anticancer drug, with increased solubility and storage stability. Method: In this context, we report the use of a customized RESS process for the synthesis of a novel, amber-colored and viscous aqueous cisplatin solution, an important anticancer drug, which we have denoted as "liquid" cisplatin. Results: Using specialized liquid cell in situ transmission electron microscopy (Liquid in situ TEM) and Raman spectroscopy, we demonstrated that "liquid" cisplatin comprises a bi-modal distribution of a highly solvated network of stable cisplatin nanoclusters in water and exhibited 27 times greater water solubility than standard cisplatin. More importantly, "liquid" cisplatin was stable at ambient conditions for over two years. Extensive analytical characterization of "liquid" cisplatin confirmed that it retained the original chemical identity of cisplatin. Cell viability and apoptosis studies on human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells provided compelling evidence that "liquid" cisplatin demonstrated a more sustained anticancer effect compared to standard cisplatin. Conclusions: Aqueous cisplatin solubility was increased by 27X in the "liquid" cisplatin medium which retained its bio efficacy over a 2-year period. Our experimental results suggest the possibility of developing non-invasive and highly effective novel cisplatin drug-delivery platforms.

Can Translation Alter Political Persona? The Case of the Rhetorical Repertoire of Obama and Trump Translated From English to Indonesian

As rhetoric in political speeches represents a particular persona that political figures strive to cultivate, that rhetoric should project the same image as the original when translated. Therefore, this study aims to explore the shifts in rhetorical strategy categories as seen in the translation of the political speeches of former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump from English to Indonesian, how they affect message correctness, and how they may change the orator's political character. In multiple case studies covering the acceptance and inauguration speeches of both Obama and Trump, some rhetoric maintains their original identities. Moreover, there are five different shifts found in the rhetoric of their speeches: 1.) a shift from rhetoric to non-rhetoric; 2.) a shift from rhetoric to lost or deleted rhetoric; 3.) a shift from a particular type of rhetoric strategy to another; 4.) lessening rhetorical power or degree of the same strategy; and 5.) a shift of propositional message. Furthermore, the study reveals that retaining rhetorical categories in the translation results in higher accuracy, whereas any shift has the opposite effect, as it changes the original rhetorical message. As a result, this raises the possibility that a particularly rhetorical-style political identity may change if a large number of alterations occur.

Akulturasi Budaya Batak Angkola dan Batak Toba Dalam Upacara Adat Perkawinan di Desa Padang Parsadaan, Kecamatan Pangaribuan

Traditional marriage ceremonies in the Bataknese community, especially Batak Angkola and Batak Toba have very unique rules and traditions. Exogamus marriage in Batak Toba forbid marriages between the same and as well as Batak Angkola which applies a patrilineal system with the “jujur” custom involving the payment of sinamot from the man to the woman,the main reason of marriage for the society of Batak Angkola and Batak Toba are to reach prosperty (hamoraon) owning many descendants (hagabeon) and obtaining honor (hasangapon). Acculturation is the process where elements from two or more diff cultural grups interact and live together then integrate into their own culture without losing their original cultural identity. In the village Padang Parsadaan, cultural acculturation happens between the culture Batak Angkola and Batak Toba in the traditional marriage ceremonies, initially society has resistance to this acculturation, but after a long disscussion, cultural integration started to be accepted and applied. This acculturation process arms to create social harmony but still maintaining their own cultural identity. This observation uses descriptive qualitive method with analytical approach for understanding the process and impact of acculturation. The result of this observation shows that acculturation enrich the social life and societies culture and increasing the intercultural tolerance in the village Padang Parsadaan. Acculturation also helps younger generation undestand and adapt to changes, however acculturation needs effort and support together from society and traditional leaders to over obstacles and ensuring the continuation of cultural acculturation especially traditional marriage ceremonies.

Dual-functionalized architecture enables stable and tumor cell-specific SiO2NPs in complex biological fluids.

Most commercial anticancer nanomedicines are administered intravenously. This route is fast and precise as the drug enters directly into the systemic circulation, without undergoing absorption processes. When nanoparticles come into direct contact with the blood, however, they interact with physiological components that can induce colloidal destabilization and/or changes in their original biochemical identity, compromising their ability to selectively accumulate at target sites. In this way, these systems usually lack active targeting, offering limited therapeutic effectiveness. In the literature, there is a paucity of in-depth studies in complex environments to evaluate nanoparticle stability, protein corona formation, hemolytic activity, and targeting capabilities. To address this issue, fluorescent silica nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) are here functionalized with zwitterionic (kinetic stabilizer) and folate groups (targeting agent) to provide selective interaction with tumor cell lines in biological media. The stability of these dually functionalized SiO2NPs is preserved in unprocessed human plasma while yielding a decrease in the number of adsorbed proteins. Experiments in murine blood further proved that these nanoparticles are not hemolytic. Remarkably, the functionalized SiO2NPs are more internalized by tumor cells than their healthy counterparts. Investigations of this nature play a crucial role in garnering results with greater reliability, allowing the development of nanoparticle-based pharmaceutical drugs that exhibit heightened efficacy and reduced toxicity for medical purposes.

Against linkage: A novel generative face anonymization framework with style diversification

AbstractWith the advent of the digital era, millions of facial images are shared online daily, posing severe privacy threats. Generative face anonymization (GFA) methods generate virtual faces to conceal original identities, protecting sensitive information while preserving utility. However, deep learning based user identity linkage (UIL) methods can link similar faces to the same identity and leverage the linked profiles for malicious purposes, including localization and behaviour prediction. These UIL methods pose a significant challenge to the diversity of virtual faces, a challenge that existing GFA methods have not adequately addressed. To address this research gap, we propose Style Diversification‐based Generative Face Anonymization (SD‐GFA), a framework that generates virtual faces with diverse identities and high visual quality. SD‐GFA features an equalized control module to balance input faces and user‐specified keys, a face generation module with a re‐connection strategy for high‐quality synthesis, and a maximum probability simulation module to enhance diversity. Our experiments demonstrate that SD‐GFA effectively mitigates linkage risk by improving the diversity of virtual faces, while also enhancing their utility and visual quality. This study provides a robust solution to enhance the security of anonymized faces shared on the internet.

Coming Out Queer: Sexual and Romantic Exploration and Identity Development of LGBQ+ College Students

LGBQ+ youth from conservative Christian families and/or communities face challenges developing positive understandings of their sexualities. Many view college as a more welcoming space that will allow them to conceptualize and enact their sexual identities in new and beneficial ways. Yet college campuses may support some aspects of LGBQ+ identity development at the expense of others. Through interviews with 26 LGBQ+ students from conservative Christian backgrounds, we show that the transition to college served as an opportunity to access supportive spaces that encouraged exploration and self-development and affirmed LGBQ+ identities, increasing self-esteem and well-being. However, many students still struggled to access sexual and romantic relationships, limiting opportunities to learn about themselves and their emerging desires. Our findings demonstrate how the interplay between communities of origin and destination conditions shape identity development in emerging adulthood and make clear the importance of sexual and romantic exploration to this process.

Peran Pendidikan dalam Mengelola Keberagaman Masyarakat Multikutural di Indonesia

Maintaining the original cultural identity within a multicultural society amidst rapid globalization while remaining open to external changes and influences is a significant challenge. This tension is exacerbated by the impact of information technology, which can disseminate foreign values and ideologies, particularly affecting the youth. This study employs a descriptive qualitative method, involving research that generates descriptive data based on the community's statements that the author investigates. The research aims to describe the phenomena occurring and underscores the need for education to uphold values aligned with national identity and manage cultural diversity wisely to prevent social conflicts. Education plays a crucial role in the process of socialization and individual development, serving not only as a means of transferring knowledge but also in shaping attitudes, values, and positive behaviors within the community. Through education, individuals can become people who appreciate diversity and contribute positively to diverse communities. Multicultural education, which emphasizes the importance of respecting diversity, is key to addressing social and cultural conflicts in Indonesia's diverse society. Additionally, quality education helps individuals adapt to the challenges of globalization while preserving local cultural identity, thus supporting the balance between global openness and the preservation of local values.

On The Politics of Arabic Literary Translation

This paper examines the external factors influencing the selection and reception of literary texts in translation, with a focus on the representation of Arab culture in the West. Drawing on Andre Lefevere's (1992) concept of patronage, the author discusses how patrons, including institutions and individuals, shape the translation and publication of Arabic literary works and explores their impact on the representation of Arab culture in the West. The paper gives examples of several translated Arabic works, reading through the external factors that have influenced their selection, translation, and reception in their target culture. The study contends that the translation of Arabic literature is often driven by ideological and financial motivations, resulting in a restrictive representation of Arab culture that perpetuates stereotypes and exoticism. Furthermore, the paper argues that the “decontextualization” of translated texts leads to a loss of their original identity and purpose, as they are re-inserted within their new context and reinterpreted according to the socio-cultural background of the target audience. By shedding light on the complex dynamics governing literary translation from Arabic, this study highlights the need for understanding the external factors that shape the translation and representation of Arabic literature in the West.

미국 한글학교의 현황과 당면과제

This article aims to explore the current status and challenges of Hangeul schools in the United States. The researcher has first-hand experience as a HLS teacher for more than five years during his long residence in the United States and interviewed current HLS teachers and principals to learn more about the current status and changes in HLS. The study found that HLSs have recently diversified their student body with an influx of non-Korean adult learners and children from multicultural Korean families, which has led to greater differences in levels among learners. Teachers have become increasingly concerned about how to teach to these differences, and are grappling with how to move toward an education system that reflects students' diverse language levels, cultural backgrounds, and purposes for coming to Hangeul. As the times have changed, Hangeul schools have been faced with the challenge of establishing a new status as an institution that is responsible for educating foreign learners in Korean language and culture, in addition to its original identity as a national language and heritage language. In this regard, the Korean government should actively intervene and strive to build a more systematic system of Hangeul schools, and it is time for more active coordination and communication at the government level to resolve conflicts between Korean language schools that arise due to the overlap of learners.

Beyond Phu-Tai Matmii Handwoven Silk Fabric: Weaving Pattern Design, Ancestral Wisdom, and Originality

Handwoven silk patterns are vital to transferring ancestral assets, which plays a crucial role in preserving ethnic silk heritage in northeast Thailand. However, traditional weaving patterns are not preserved following the handwoven silk pattern, transferring ancestral wisdom, thus originality becomes a seriously endangered conservation practice. This research aims to explore how weaving pattern design, ancestral wisdom, and originality of Phu-Tai Matmii handwoven silk fabric is maintained in Kalasin province. An ethnonarrative research was conducted using a purposive sampling technique of 20 Phu-Tai Matmii handwoven silk groups in Somdet district, Kalasin province, northeast Thailand. Face-to-face in-depth interview transcripts of data were performed using an interpretive thematic analysis (themes, familiarization, coding, quotations, and writing up). The first theme is reweaving pattern designs, with subthemes of sketching pattern, color dyeing, yarn spinning, and combine pattern techniques. The second theme is ancestral wisdom, including the subthemes of pattern imitation, trials, practice, weaving, and finished silk products. The third theme is original identity along with subthemes of pattern perception, pattern communication, pattern values, pattern culture, and pattern identity.

The Asymmetries of Border Spaces

ABSTRACT Boris Pahor was born in 1913 in Trieste, where he died at the age of 108. In all his works, he tries to reconstruct the conditions of exclusion experienced by himself, his family, his people, and finally all those who resisted the ideological pressures at the height of the Nazi terror, as described in the novel Necropolis (1967). The extreme violence with which assimilation was imposed on the Slovenian minority did not allow him to preserve his original identity. Pahor’s Trieste confirms that spaces exposed to a constant pressure of assimilation are spaces of undeniable vitality. This perspective should allow us to create a corpus of knowledge that reflects the resilience of cultures exposed to domination. Instead of seeing the margins as a place of exclusion and endemic difficulties, we need to change the narrative that defines them. Margins are the spaces where translation constantly materializes, the spaces of exchanges and transfers, thus the periphery has the capacity for mediation between complex cultural systems.

What Makes an International Student in the U.S. Have Less Psychological Distress?

This study aims to identify which factors predict psychological distress among international college students attending American universities. International students experience unique stressors, as well as bring with them their own enculturation: culture of origin identity, language, and competence when acculturating. To get a comprehensive picture, we collected survey data on demographics, acculturation, stress, anxiety, depression, and symptomatology from N = 146 college students ( n = 51 international students; n = 95 U.S. citizens) from three universities in the southeastern United States. For international students, increased acculturation to the U.S. (English proficiency and culture competence) is related to decreased symptomatology and anxiety. Additionally, international students’ competencies in culture of origin are significantly associated with competencies in U.S. acculturation. Regression analyses indicated that among international students, higher U.S. acculturation and lower stress, significantly predicted less anxiety; lower stress significantly predicted less symptomatology. Implications for higher education and future research are discussed.

“El nombre de nuestro país está en nuestros corazones”: exploring the impact of school-based identity messaging in Central American immigrant youth

ABSTRACT For immigrant youth, the development of a bicultural identity is associated with well-being and academic achievement. The institutional and social contexts of the receiving society, including public schools, shape processes of bicultural identity development. This exploratory qualitative study, which employed a phenomenological design, explored the experiences and perspectives of 20 Central American immigrant youth, with specific attention paid to messaging received about their identities of origin in the educational milieu. Despite experiences of both positive and negative identity messaging, all participants described an enduring sense of pride from and a strong desire to retain a meaningful connection to their identities of origin. Building on these participant perspectives, this study offers a preliminary exploration of identity resilience in this population of immigrant youth. These perspectives challenge previous theoretical models and empirical work related to the effects of acculturative stress, negative identity messaging, and collective identity trauma on connection to identity of origin.