Irish Studies Research Articles

Between Modernization Theory and Orientalism: The Question of Modernity in the Study of Iranian and Turkish Nationalisms

The ongoing gulf between generalist social science disciplines and specialist area studies—where the former is associated with theoretical knowledge and the latter with the secondary role of producing descriptive information—informs the study of Middle Eastern nationalisms. This article’s specific references are to Iranian and Turkish nationalisms. “Theoretical poverty” of their specialized literature partly follows from and arises in response to the subordinate role the area studies are allocated and, equally importantly, how the subfields of Iranian Studies and Turkish Studies have developed within this setting. To demonstrate this claim, the article reviews relevant scholarship regarding the modernity of nations. This comparative analysis reveals that the contrasting ways the question of modernity is answered are a symptom of the differing development trajectories of Iranian and Turkish Studies as branches of Middle East Studies.

The Advantages and Challenges of Electronic Exams: A Qualitative Research based on Shannon Entropy Technique.

The electronic exam is one of the foremost imperative instruments for evaluating students' execution. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify the advantages and challenges of electronic exams based on Iranian and international studies. The present qualitative study used meta-synthesis in the first phase. Thus, keywords such as electronic exams, online exams, electronic assessment, and online assessment in Iranian and international databases for 2005-2021 were searched. In the second phase, using the Shannon entropy technique, the advantages and challenges of electronic exams were weighted. Challenges of e-exams were classified into seven sub-categories (poor technical knowledge, security challenges, complexity and challenges in designing examination, complexity and challenges during examination, complexity and challenges after examination, lack of infrastructure, socio-cultural challenges). The advantages of e-exams were also classified into five sub-categories, including improvement of teaching and learning process, effectiveness of student performance assessment, advantages in designing exams, advantages during examinations, and advantages after examinations. In Shannon's entropy findings, challenges (complexity and challenges after examination and poor infrastructure) and advantages (advantage after exams implementation) had the largest weight. Considering the importance of electronic exams, especially with the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the inevitable movement of university systems, increasing concerns about student performance assessment, and improving educational performance in the current situation, decision-makers are expected to emphasize the advantages of this kind of exam and address its challenges to help improve the student assessment mechanisms.

Behind the facade of ceremonial diplomacy: the results of Khosrow Mirza’s “Redemption” mission of 1829

This study examines a pivotal moment in the history of Russian-Iranian relations in the early nineteenth century, when the experience of Russian state-building was adopted by the high-ranking Iranian bureaucracy. The initial phase of this turn was marked by the arrival in Russia in 1829 of the Iranian “Redemption” mission following the Tehran massacre of the Russian embassy, which included its leader, the Minister Plenipotentiary Alexander Griboyedov. The ceremonial aspects of this visit are fully reflected in the travel accounts of Mustafa Afshar, secretary of the Iranian mission, and the Russian escort reports related to the event. These have informed Iranian studies since 1970 and 2003, respectively. Nevertheless, a substantial portion of the original Persian text from Mustafa Afshar’s travelogue has yet to be examined by scholars, and is introduced here for the first time as a source for this study. This part of the diary comprises a collection of discrete narratives, collectively assembled by Iranian and Russian officials with the objective of fostering a positive image of Russia. The analysis of this text enables a reassessment of the historical significance, tangible outcomes, and political implications of the visit in the context of interstate relations between Russia and Iran.

Anchor selection based deep learning two stage fabric defect localization

<span lang="EN-US">Localizing and classifying fabric defects is a crucial step in the quality control process used in the production of textiles. Recently, fabric defect classification and detection have made use of deep learning approaches based on anchor selection. But due to in effectiveness in anchor selection, the computational overhead and localization error are higher in these solutions. As a solution to this problem, this work proposes a two-stage improvised anchor selection deep learning technique. In first stage, quaternion fourier transform frequency domain analysis along with super pixel segmentation is done over the fabric image to select probable defect regions. In the second stage deep learning based regression along with super pixel segment comparison is done over the probable defect regions localize and categorize the defect. Due to effectiveness in selection of probable defect regions and categorization of regions, the defect localization accuracy is increased at a comparative low computational overhead in the proposed two stage improvise anchor selection deep learning technique. Testing against the irish longitudinal study on ageing (TILDA) fabric defect detection dataset, the proposed solution is found to provide 1.2% higher fabric defect localization accuracy at a 3% lower computation overhead compared to most recent existing works.</span>

Irish Studies, the West and the Rest: Thinking Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Academic Publications

Irish Studies, the West and the Rest: Thinking Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Academic Publications

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Irish Studies

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Irish Studies

Guest editorial. Revisiting the Slow Food Movement: Three Cases of Heritage, Innovation, and Sustainability in Alternative Food Networks

The special issue, ‘Revisiting the Slow Food Movement: Three Cases of Heritage Innovation and Sustainability in Alternative Food Networks', explores the integration of Slow Food principles within Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) to enhance sustainability and cultural heritage preservation. By analysing case studies from Afghanistan, Ireland, and Switzerland, the editorial illustrates how AFNs can address food security, local communities' social adherence, economic viability, and environmental sustainability. The Afghan case emphasises collaborative agribusiness for resilience and market access, the Irish study focuses on sustainable lobster fishing practices, and the Swiss example highlights the revival of traditional red berry cultivation. Utilising the Triple Bottom Line framework, this editorial explores the multifaceted benefits of AFNs in fostering sustainable food systems that align with local cultural practices and innovative agricultural techniques. This special issue provides valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars aiming to develop more resilient and equitable food systems globally.

Maternal thrombocytopenia is not predictive of neonatal thrombocytopenia: a single-center Irish study

BackgroundMaternal thrombocytopenia during pregnancy is common. However, the relationship between maternal and neonatal thrombocytopenia is poorly understood. ObjectivesWe aimed to determine whether an association exists between platelet counts of neonates born to mothers with moderate-to-severe thrombocytopenia (<100 × 109/L) and neonatal platelet counts. MethodsWe identified records from 557 patients with moderate-to-severe thrombocytopenia (maternal platelet count <100 × 109/L) and the 338 associated newborn charts from 2018 to 2022 in a single large maternity center. Pregnant people with a platelet count of <100 × 109/L prior to delivery during present gestation were included. Any thrombocytopenia that occurred outside of pregnancy or in the postpartum period was excluded. A logistic regression was then generated to examine the association between maternal thrombocytopenia and neonatal thrombocytopenia. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated to assess accuracy of (i) lowest maternal platelet count and (ii) trimester of thrombocytopenia onset in predicting neonatal thrombocytopenia. ResultsA total of 550 full blood count assessments were taken in neonates of pregnant people with thrombocytopenia. Sixteen neonates with clinically significant thrombocytopenia (platelet count <100 × 109/L) were identified. A binomial logistic regression was fitted that demonstrated limited association between lowest maternal platelet count and trimester of onset of maternal thrombocytopenia and the development of neonatal thrombocytopenia. An ROC curve was generated to determine the accuracy of maternal platelet count at identifying neonatal thrombocytopenia. The coordinates of the best platelet count threshold for this dataset were then derived from the ROC curve and determined that a threshold of 77.5 × 109/L maternal platelets offered the best accuracy. ConclusionNeonatal full blood count assessment based on maternal platelet counts of <100 × 109/L has a poor diagnostic yield with no statistically significant association in this cohort on logistic regression analysis. A lower threshold of 77.5 × 109/L may be of higher clinical utility and improve laboratory and clinical workflow.

The Poetics of the “Book of Travel” (“Safar-Nameh”) in Iranian Literature of the 19th — Early 20th Century

In this study the authors for the first time examine the evolution in the 19th – early 20th century of the safar-nameh genre – Iranian travel accounts. Widely in demand since the Middle Ages and having witnessed its heyday at the end of the century, by the middle of the 20th century this genre had been completely displaced from book circulation. The source base of the article is formed with the texts that have not been used yet as an object of philological analysis in either foreign or Russian Iranian studies. Meanwhile, being the most significant and voluminous works of this genre, they create wider opportunities for authors’ conclusions and generalizations. The analysis of these travel accounts made it possible to trace the process of gradual genre transformation and demonstrate specific mechanisms of change in the constitutive features of safar-nameh, quite clearly defined in the literary canon. Continuing to play the role of a “school” within which the mastery of storytelling and the basic structural principles of text organization were honed, the canon paved the way for the formation of narrative principles that are different from the classical model and are characteristic of modern plot-based narration. The fluidity of the genre specificity of safar-nameh serves as an example of the changes that traditional Iranian literature undergoes in this period.

Position of Persia on the problem of «Russian transit» in the XVI–XVII centuries: a plot about Shirvan cities

The article attempts to consider the position of the Persian Safavid state on the question of using the territory of the Muscovy empire for the development of the European-Asian relations in the period of the XVI–XVII centuries with the use of the method of diachronic analysis and historical periodization. The aforementioned problem is studied as a separate aspect of scientific topics related to the place of the then Russia in the process of the European expansion into the countries of the East. The object of the analysis is the practical activities of the Persian administrations, which had both a direct and indirect relationship to the conventional topic of «Russian transit». Nowadays the experience of the comprehensive and conceptual study of this issue is absent not only in the domestic, but also in the foreign historical science. The specific subject of the study is related to the repeated promises of official Iran to transfer control over the largest centers of the historical region of Shirvan to the Russian tsars. The source base for this work was an array of diplomatic documents on the history of Russian-Persian interstate relations of the XVI–XVII centuries. These materials, in particular, reflected Moscow’s reaction to the Safavid proposals for territorial concessions. The scientific works of Russian-speaking and foreign specialists, including the largest representatives of classical and modern historical Iranian studies, were also used. The analysis made it possible to fit the diplomatic issue about the fate of the Shirvan cities into the context of the general problem of «Russian transit». It is hypothesized that the Persian government deliberately initiated this discussion taking into account the economic potential of the Volga-Caspian trade route. It is concluded that if the appropriate agreements between the two states were reached, the Russian empire could in the future produce a certain revolution in the intercontinental trade, especially in the silk market.

‘The voice of the child? The child has no voice’: an Irish study exploring the voice of young children in decisions regarding contact

Since January 2016, Irish family law courts have been obliged to take into consideration the voices of children in proceedings where decisions regarding contact with parents are being made. This article examines the findings of an Irish study that shed light on how young children’s voices are heard in decisions regarding contact with parents who do not, or no longer, live together. The views of key stakeholders who have some involvement with contact arrangements for young children in the 0–6 years age category are highlighted. A thematic analysis of the data was conducted in order to understand various perspectives on how and under what circumstances young children are heard in contact cases. The findings demonstrate that the voices of young children are virtually absent in family law decisions regarding contact. Determining factors relate to the infrastructure of the courts, a significant lack of resources to support the Irish family law system and significant variation in practice approaches between social and legal professionals. As a result of these findings, suggestions are proposed for informing practice and improving service delivery in family law in a way that best meets the needs and rights of young children.

The Decolonial Turn in Kurdish Studies: An Introduction

This special-issue introduction highlights the burgeoning movement toward decolonizing Kurdish studies, outlining its challenges and opportunities within the academic landscape. Central to the authors’ discussion is the concept of the coloniality of power, which offers a framework for understanding the enduring oppression faced by Kurds within the context of ongoing colonial domination in the Middle East. The introduction delves into themes of historical erasure and academic marginalization, shedding light on the struggle for recognition within not only national and regional variants of area studies such as Turkish, Arab, Iranian, and Middle East studies but also the Euro-American academy more broadly. Furthermore, the introduction underlines the potential of decolonial methodologies in reshaping the study of Kurds and Kurdistan, emphasizing the significance of amplifying voices from the ground, including those of Kurdish intellectuals, activists, and politicians. Through critical reflexivity and engagement with diverse perspectives, the editors of this special issue call for a reimagining of Kurdish studies that prioritizes epistemic decolonization, centering the experiences and agency of Kurdish communities.

Mixed-method Irish study exploring the role of diet in IBD based on an online questionnaire and a patient panel opinion.

Diet is a risk factor in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) pathogenesis. This study aims to examine the dietary patterns and beliefs of Irish patients living with IBD through an online questionnaire and subsequent open discussions with an IBD patient collaborator panel (PCP). All data presented here are selected and presented following the PCP's suggestions and views. This mixed-method study included an online questionnaire using a short food frequency questionnaire examining dietary patterns, dietary opinions, beliefs and behaviours (phase I). Six in-person PCP sessions were conducted, where findings from the online questionnaire, diet and lifestyle in the context of IBD were discussed in depth (phase II). The questionnaire revealed that respondents with active IBD are associated with the consumption of high-sugar, processed and meat-based foods while reducing their consumption of high-fibre foods. Individuals with active Crohn's disease have a decrease in overall daily energy consumption and a significant reduction in intake of fibre, non-starch polysaccharides, micronutrients [B vitamins (B1, B2, and B9), vitamin C, calcium] and trace elements (iron, zinc, copper and manganese). The PCP reported that food tolerability is limited during relapse, leading patients to prefer simple carbohydrates for energy, consistent with the dietary intake data. The PCP reported that most dietary advice was received during hospitalisation (relapse), focused on food avoidance, with little follow-up during remission. The consensus among the PCP was that factors, such as disease type, psychological aspects, dietary understanding and support, can influence peoples' dietary choices. In summary, we show that dietary intake in people with IBD varies and may depend on several factors, not just the disease itself. This PCP desires more dietary information and professional support outside of hospitalisation to assist with disease management.

The dawn and twilight of Old Irish scholarship

ABSTRACT Even though the publication of Johann Kaspar Zeuss’s monumental Grammatica Celtica (Zeuss 1853) marks the beginning of the modern, scientific study of the Old Irish language, short excerpts of the most important textual witnesses of Old Irish, the so-called Old Irish glosses, preserved in 8th–9th-century manuscripts on the European Continent, had appeared in print since the early 18th century. This article gives an overview of these early publications from the 18th and early 19th century by Johann Georg von Eckhart, Domenico Vallarsi, Lodovico Antonio Muratori, and Vittorio Amedeo Peyron, and assesses their role as early trailblazers in the study of Old Irish.

The pasts, presents and futures of transnational and global Irish Studies: “Snapshots”

ABSTRACT As with any other discipline, we are periodically drawn towards reviewing the trajectory of Irish Studies, contemplating possible future directions: What is happening now? What should come next? Four scholars at varying stages of their academic careers and located in tertiary institutions in Ireland, USA, and Australia address these questions with specific reference to the transnational or global aspects of Irish Studies, a key focus of this special issue. Their brief “snapshots” take us on a journey starting with gendered migrant histories and the methodological challenges facing the often-disappointed researcher seeking the experiences of Irish-speaking diasporas, before engaging with new ways of confronting age-old questions about both Irish migrants’ implication in the dispossession of Indigenous populations and the historical racialisation of Irishness in Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand. We are then introduced to research into revolutionary Ireland’s collective global consciousness and the development of a Global Irish Studies which seeks to create a sustainable dialectic between Irish and non-Irish-based scholars, finishing with the assertion that Ireland has always been a porous and transnational space, and that while it may have been hiding in plain sight as it were, the international and relational aspect of national literatures are profound and unavoidable.

Food and ethnographies of folk life: applying a theory of food as intangible cultural heritage to Passing the Time in Ballymenone

ABSTRACT Henry Glassie’s Passing the Time in Ballymenone – Culture and History of an Ulster Community (1982) is a touchstone text in anthropological, folklore, material culture, and ethnographic scholarship in Irish Studies and beyond. In spite of its numerous references to agriculture, cooking, and eating, it remains underexplored with respect to its capture of aspects of twentieth century foodways on the island of Ireland. This essay argues that Glassie’s text (and ethnographies of folklife more broadly) provides rich material for understanding how vernacular food culture comprises intangible cultural heritage as defined by UNESCO (Mac Con Iomaire, 2018).

GHAZAL GENRE IN NIMA YUSHIJ’S POETICS

The article introduces the classical ghazals in the poetry of Nimá Yushíj (1897–1960) that were previously unexamined in Russian and Western Iranian Studies, and that provided an impetus for the development of this traditional genre in the contemporary Persian literature. Analysis of the canonic language signs of medieval lyrics by the “father of Iranian new poetry’s” sheds light upon the transformation of the author’s self-awareness in line with the original artistic manner. Conventional images and stable motifs of love lyrics, which have absorbed traditional mystical and allegorical connotations, are uniquely refracted in Nima Yushij’s ghazals. The semiotic and structural aspect of research along with the methods of historical poetics reveals the polysemanticism of classical motifs. The multi-stratified text structure turns out to be a tool for the poet to allegorically present his artistic view. In accordance with his intentions, Nima applies both the normative components of the formal plan (e. g., husn at-taxallus) and the execution methods that are not typical for the classical canon (frame text). To sum up, semantic and formal wholeness of Nima’s ghazals is observed.

A pan-tumor prospective translational, Irish study, investigating the association of gut microbiome (GM) diversity with pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant treatment in early stage breast, rectal, and esophageal cancers.

TPS3188 Background: The gut microbiome (GM) is thought to influence host immunity by modulating multiple immunologic pathways. Studies have suggested that dysbiosis of the GM confers a predisposition to certain malignancies and influences response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, little is known about how the GM diversity influences complete pathological response to neo-adjuvant therapy in gastrointestinal (GI) and breast tumors. We hypothesize that a more diverse GM constitution at baseline will lead to improved pathological response at the time of definitive surgery. Methods: This is a cross institutional multi-centre Irish translational study investigating the impact of the GM diversity on the efficacy of neo-adjuvant therapy in GI and breast cancers by assessing its association with pathological response. The study population includes pts with early-stage breast, rectal or esophageal cancers commencing neo-adjuvant therapy (including chemotherapy, immunotherapy and chemo-radiation) and planned for definitive surgery. Exclusion criteria include prior allogenic tissue/solid organ transplantation and prior receipt of anti-cancer therapy. The study assessments will include fecal sampling of the GM prior to neo-adjuvant therapy, upon completion and again six months post completion of therapy. Fecal samples will be analysed by 16S RNA sequencing. Pathological response will be examined at time of surgery and patients will be classified as responders (complete pathological response) or non-responders. The primary endpoint of the study is to examine the association between the GM diversity and pathological response. Exploratory analysis will include the assessment of the association between cf-DNA and the GM diversity as well as an assessment of the association between cf-DNA at baseline and pCR. 120 patients will be recruited over 18 months. Species richness (Alpha Diversity) will be analysed using the Shannon diversity index and Jaccard similarity index will be used to calculate beta diversity. Following planned study recruitment, classification and clustering analysis will be performed with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Random Forest analysis. To assess the primary endpoint the association between GM and complete pathological response will be examined using logistic regression analysis adjusting for potential confounding factors in the final statistical analysis. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals will be presented. This is expected to read out in early 2025. Recruitment is ongoing, with 14 pts recruited to date. We demonstrate that it is feasible to accrue to translational studies in Ireland and we have streamlined screening and recruitment pathways to improve our methodology and recruitment numbers.

Turmeric and curcumin as adjuncts in controlling Helicobacter pylori-associated diseases: a narrative review.

Non-antibiotic adjuncts may improve Helicobacter pylori infection control. Our aim was to emphasize curcumin benefits in controlling H. pylori infection. We discussed publications in English mostly published since 2020 using keyword search. Curcumin is the main bioactive substance in turmeric. Curcumin inhibited H. pylori growth, urease activity, three cag genes, and biofilms through dose- and strain-dependent activities. Curcumin also displayed numerous anticancer activities such as apoptosis induction, anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic effects, caspase-3 upregulation, Bax protein enhancement, p53 gene activation, and chemosensitization. Supplementing triple regimens, the agent increased H. pylori eradication success in three Iranian studies. Bioavailability was improved by liposomal preparations, lipid conjugates, electrospray-encapsulation, and nano-complexation with proteins. The agent was safe at doses of 0.5->4g daily, the most common (in 16% of the users) adverse effect being gastrointestinal upset. Notably, curcumin favorably influences the intestinal microbiota and inhibits Clostridioides difficile. Previous reports showed the inhibitory effect of curcumin on H pylori growth. Curcumin may become an additive in the therapy of H. pylori infection, an adjunct for gastric cancer control, and an agent beneficial to the intestinal microbiota. Further examination is necessary to determine its optimal dosage, synergy with antibiotics, supplementation to various eradication regimens, and prophylactic potential.

Vladimir Alekseevich Ivanov — a World-Class Expert on Iranian Studies. Part 1

The article is devoted to the outstanding 20th-century researcher of Iran — V.A. Ivanov (or Wladimir Ivanow, as he often styled himself), whose scholarly studies combined two spheres: Persian/Iranian dialectology and Ismailism, while he himself stood at the origins of research in both these spheres. The author tried to consider Ivanov’s studies in both these areas altogether for a full-scale assessment of his great personality as a scholar, as well as of his contribution to world Oriental studies. The article, published in two parts, includes V.A. Ivanov’s biography, sections concerning his works on linguistics/ethnography and Ismailism, as well as data on the significant replenishment by Ivanov of the IOM, RAS, collection of manuscripts and lithographs. Among the sources used for the article are V.A. Ivanov’s own memoirs and IOM, RAS, archival materials.