Transformation Events Research Articles

Evolutionary Perspectives on Human-Artificial Intelligence Convergence.

In this analytical review, we explore the potential impact of the rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools on the biosphere and noosphere, suggesting that the trend may lead to a transformative event that could be termed "Human-AI integration." We argue that this integration could give rise to novel lifeforms, associations, and hierarchies, resulting in competitive advantages and increased complexity of structural organizations within both the biosphere and noosphere. Our central premise emphasizes the importance of human-AI integration as a global adaptive response crucial for our civilization's survival amidst a rapidly changing environment. The convergence may initially manifest itself through symbiotic, endosymbiotic, or other mutualistic relationships, such as domestication, contingent on the rate at which AI systems achieve autonomy and develop survival instincts akin to those of biological organisms. We investigate potential drivers of these scenarios, addressing the ethical and existential challenges arising from the AI-driven transformation of the biosphere and noosphere, and considering potential trade-offs. Additionally, we discuss the application of complexity and the balance between competition and cooperation to better comprehend and navigate these transformative scenarios.

Cyclin-D1 rearrangement as a secondary event in the large cell transformation of splenic marginal zone lymphoma with a TP53 deletion.

IGH::CCND1 translocation has been implicated as a preliminary finding in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and plasma cell myeloma, with cyclin D1 over-expression by immunohistochemistry stain, without gene rearrangement, reported in other hematologic neoplasms. CCND1 rearrangement has been reported infrequently as a secondary event in high-grade B-cell lymphomas. We present the case of an elderly man who was found to have a splenic marginal zone lymphoma with a heterozygous TP53 deletion. Years later at the time of relapse, the patient acquired a CCND1 rearrangement, in addition to apersistent TP53 deletion. Sequencing of the two lymphomas demonstrated clonal relatedness of the two processes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a splenic marginal zone lymphoma witha TP53 deletion at diagnosis, evolving into a large B-cell lymphoma with a CCND1 rearrangement.

Paradox of Wars in Indian Writings: Traversing The Unintended Path to Peace

This paper is an exploration as to why wars become significant and important through historical journey to present times. Events that happened in the deepest of deep pasts continue to fascinate and attract humanity from around the globe. Continuous interpretations and re interpretations of the great Epics and other revered Indian texts have helped in preserving both the religious and cultural identity of not only the great Indian Sub Continent but the whole region that comes under South Asia. Wars under discussion are more than physical confrontations. Be it cosmic or human warfare, it serves to emphasize upon the inter connectedness that exists between the material realm and the spiritual one. Wars have cathartic effect on individuals. Examples of this can be seen in literary texts, historical texts and those penned down by great philosophers. These transformative events bring psychological release for individuals. There is emotional purification both at individual and collective level of societies. Aristotle says that, “Tragedy is an imitation of a serious and complete action, having magnitude, which through pity and fear bring about a catharsis of such emotions”. Catharsis comes with different explanations. The events arousing ‘cathartic’ effect mean that they are fully clarified for their role as being essential and with universal significance. The narrators of tragic events are probably meant to make readers move from particular to the general by making ‘reader spectator’ come face to face with what is known as the ‘universal law’.

Dialectic of the Event

This article aims to compare Gert Biesta’s, Hartmut Rosa’s and Thomas Kuhn’s perspectives on how transformative “events” emerge and become possible, and to relate their viewpoints to an educational context. The article shows how Biesta’s concept of subjectification, and Rosa’s idea of resonance, depend on viewing contemporary education as a state of status quo that is disrupted by a transformative event. Although their diagnoses of the contemporary and views on individual agency differ to some extent, Biesta and Rosa respectively place emphasis on the relationship between the subject and the world as the “space” where these events emerge. Subsequently, the article turns to Kuhn to propose another approach to understanding the dialectic of status quo and events. Through Kuhn, it is possible to introduce a more affirmative way of looking at how a state of status quo can underpin events, and how these events take place on a collective level, rather than in encounters between individual subjects and the world.

"Evolving Horizons: The Journey And Impact Of LIC's Landmark IPO"

The Initial Public Offering (IPO) of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) in May 2022 marked a pivotal transition for one of India’s largest financial institutions from a state-owned entity to a publicly listed company. This move was part of the government's broader strategy to divest its stakes in public sector enterprises, aiming to enhance operational efficiencies, improve transparency, and maximise shareholder value. Navigating through a series of legislative amendments and complex valuation challenges, the IPO drew substantial attention from both domestic and international investors, reflecting strong confidence in LIC's market fundamentals. This paper provides a detailed review of the IPO process, the subsequent market response, and its impact on LIC’s business operations and governance structure. It discusses the strategic motivations behind the IPO, the execution challenges, and the implications for future economic reforms in India. By analysing LIC’s performance post-IPO, the study highlights the critical role such transformative events play in modernising state-owned enterprises and integrating them with global financial markets, projecting significant implications for similarentities considering public offerings.

Refinement and Enhancement of Agrobacterium-Mediated Transient Transformation for Functional Gene Examination in Mulberry (Morus L.)

Background: Mulberry (Morus L.), a vital perennial woody plant with significant economic importance, is utilized for silkworm rearing, human consumption and medicinal use. The availability of mulberry’s whole-genome sequencing data has underscored the demand for an effective, user-friendly, and high-throughput protocol to facilitate the elucidation of gene functions. Methods and Results: In this investigation, we established a transient transformation approach using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated sonication followed by vacuum infiltration in mulberry tissue culture seedlings. Simultaneously, we optimized the transformation conditions, including mulberry genotypes, A. tumefaciens strain, acetosyringone concentration, bacterial density, sonication time, and days after agroinfiltration. These optimizations aimed to achieve heightened transformation efficiency, employing GFP as a reporter gene to monitor transformation events. The optimized method included the use of an infiltration medium (10 mM MgCl2, 10 mM MES (2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid sodium salt), 150 μM acetosyringone, and OD600 0.5 of A. tumefaciens LBA4404) supplemented with the surfactant 0.02% Silwet L-77, with 20 s sonication followed by 20 min vacuum infiltration (0.07 MPa). Among the four mulberry genotypes, ‘Taiguo’ was the most responsive genotype and produced the highest levels of GFP expression at 7 d after infiltration. Furthermore, the optimized transient transformation approach has been proven to be successfully applicable for transiently overexpressing MaANS and MaDFR in mulberry fruits of ‘Taiguo’, in vitro, which distinctly enhanced fruit coloring and significantly increased anthocyanin accumulation, respectively. Conclusions: In summary, we devised a dependable, stable and highly efficient transient transformation approach suitable for rapid gene function examination in mulberry leaves and fruits, in vitro.

Events, turns, and critical junctures: unpacking the temporality of supporter rights and democracy in English football

ABSTRACT The future of professional men’s football in England stands at a critical juncture. In the wake of a global pandemic, the national game has been beset by volatility and upheaval. In April 2021, six of the most storied clubs in England announced they would be joining a new breakaway European Super League (ESL). These proposals triggered vehement opposition from fan movements, catalysing the intervention of the UK government who established a fan-led review of football governance (FLR) to consult fans on future regulatory reform and the security and safety of supporters at major events. Emerging out of these exogenous shocks and endogenous change, the governance of English football is set to be radically transformed via the establishment of a new regulatory regime. In this article, we employ eventful sociology and historical institutionalism to operationalise the concept of critical juncture and apply this through an analysis of two temporal periods (1985-1990) and (2020-2024). In doing so, we show how the current ‘regulatory turn’ is interdependently linked to prior historical transformative events, namely the Heysel and Hillsborough stadium disasters and the subsequent neoliberal transformation of English football across the last four decades. Incorporating a more nuanced understanding of change and continuity in the governance of English football, we argue that new regulatory frameworks, despite their transformative potential, may continue to exhibit institutional legacies of the existing regime and prevailing political economy.

Categories as learning practice: navigating contested belonging along transatlantic mobile trajectories

ABSTRACT Although mobility-related categorization processes are central to migration studies, the ways that mobile populations understand, adapt, or contest them remain understudied. To trace such interpretations across both space and time, this paper explores a migrant trajectory that first crossed national borders within Africa before continuing to Brazil and later proceeding to Canada. The research combines ethnographic insights with the autobiographic reflections of one protagonist, whose perspectives and experiences move between different places, countries, institutions, people, and critical events. Following that individual’s learning processes, this article traces which categories were meaningful in the context of origin, how these changed in the interaction with different authorities, how transformative events played into valorizations, and which signs of categorical dissolution were recognizable during these trajectories. A biographical learning perspective sees not only the aspirations and the ideals but also the pragmatism and skepticism around the impact of mobility-related categories change along such journeys.

A new theorization of non-binary urban geographies: introducing the ‘urban grotesque’

ABSTRACT This article introduces the ‘urban grotesque’ as a novel theoretical lens to explore non-binary urban representations, using the Lokmacı/Ledra Street Buffer Zone in Nicosia, Cyprus, as a case study. Situated in a city divided by conflict, the Buffer Zone serves as a living laboratory for examining the complex interplay of memory, identity, and place beyond traditional binary frameworks. Through a rich tapestry of empirical observations and qualitative urban ethnography, the study traces the Buffer Zone’s transformation from a symbol of division to a vibrant place of non-binary urban representation. It highlights transformative events and movements that challenge binary norms and foster a sense of belonging and inclusivity, illustrating the fluid nature of urban places shaped by an array of social practices and experiences. The ‘urban grotesque’, inspired by Bakhtin’s conception of transformation and ambivalence, emerges as a pivotal framework for understanding the essence of non-binary urban geographies. This perspective not only bridges the theoretical and empirical but also enriches our perception of urban places as realms of endless becoming, inviting us to see beyond dichotomies. Ultimately, this study promotes an inclusive, dynamic comprehension of urban places in conflict zones, highlighting non-binary perspectives to enrich urban environments.

Manipulation of natural transformation by AbaR-type islands promotes fixation of antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii

The opportunistic pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii, carries variants of A. baumannii resistance islands (AbaR)-type genomic islands conferring multidrug resistance. Their pervasiveness in the species has remained enigmatic. The dissemination of AbaRs is intricately linked to their horizontal transfer via natural transformation, a process through which bacteria can import and recombine exogenous DNA, effecting allelic recombination, genetic acquisition, and deletion. In experimental populations of the closely related pathogenic Acinetobacter nosocomialis, we quantified the rates at which these natural transformation events occur between individuals. When integrated into a model of population dynamics, they lead to the swift removal of AbaRs from the population, contrasting with the high prevalence of AbaRs in genomes. Yet, genomic analyses show that nearly all AbaRs specifically disrupt comM, a gene encoding a helicase critical for natural transformation. We found that such disruption impedes gene acquisition, and deletion, while moderately impacting acquisition of single nucleotide polymorphism. A mathematical evolutionary model demonstrates that AbaRs inserted into comM gain a selective advantage over AbaRs inserted in sites that do not inhibit or completely inhibit transformation, in line with the genomic observations. The persistence of AbaRs can be ascribed to their integration into a specific gene, diminishing the likelihood of their removal from the bacterial genome. This integration preserves the acquisition and elimination of alleles, enabling the host bacterium-and thus its AbaR-to adapt to unpredictable environments and persist over the long term. This work underscores how manipulation of natural transformation by mobile genetic elements can drive the prevalence of multidrug resistance.

Exploring the role of heuristics in buyer–supplier relationship dynamics

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the role of heuristics in the reassessment of relationship events and how it influences perceptions of commitment, fairness and relationship value. It answers the question of how heuristics interrelate with decision-makers’ evolving interpretations of commitment, fairness and relationship value in a specific buyer-supplier relationship.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents data from a longitudinal study of an evolving buyer–supplier relationship involving a multinational supplier of fast-moving consumer goods and a medium-sized and highly specialized supplier. It analyzes qualitative data about the use of heuristics in buyer–supplier relationships, and it is based on evidence collected from interviews, presentations, meetings and secondary data.FindingsThis paper shows that a buyer’s unexpected behavior can lead to a reassessment of commitment, fairness and relationship value. Heuristics can delay relationship reassessments, however. The case shows that heuristics have a preserving quality and that the effect of transformative events only slowly changes the perception of the value of the relationship. In this change process, the link between commitment, perceived fairness and heuristics is crucial.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to research on the relationship between buyer–supplier relationships and heuristics. In particular, the paper contributes to the understanding of how relational events in a buyer-supplier relationship change the commitment and perception of fairness, and how heuristics change accordingly. On a more overarching level, the study contributes to our understanding of business relationship dynamics.

Mobilising youth for elections: electoral inclusion of youth in Turkey under competitive authoritarianism

Scholars have paid scant attention to how state–society relations are shaped in contexts where democratic and authoritarian institutions co-exist under new forms of authoritarianism. Furthermore, the realm of youth citizenship in such regimes is a nascent area warranting deeper exploration. This study draws on the case of Turkey to address these gaps by investigating why political parties, which previously marginalised young voters, have fervently mobilised youth during elections that paradoxically coincided with the process of autocratisation. We employ a content analysis of party programmes, election manifestos, and social media campaign content of major political parties, as well as secondary sources on Turkish and youth politics spanning from 1983 to 2023, to address this puzzle. Our analysis unveils three key findings. Firstly, transformative events such as the Gezi Park Protests and digital activism have invigorated youth political involvement, compelling both government and opposition parties to prioritise youth electoral engagement. Secondly, the shift from a parliamentary to a presidential system has heightened political parties’ focus on securing the youth vote to win elections. Lastly, political parties strive to align youth political values with their own ideologies, and the process of election campaigning provides ample opportunities for such a goal.

Heterologous Expression of Sunflower HaHPT and HaTMT Genes Enhances Rice-Grain Vitamin E Content.

Insufficient dietary vitamin intake can lead to severe health conditions in humans. Improving the vitamin E (VE) content of food crops such as rice through breeding is an economical and effective means to alleviate this problem. In this study, Homogentisate phytyltransferase (HPT) and γ-tocopherol methyltransferase (γ-TMT), two genes derived from sunflower (Helianthus annuus L., a high VE species), were introduced into an elite rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar "Ningjing 7" for biofortification. We verified the successful expression of the two genes in multiple transformation events. High-performance liquid chromatography revealed that transgenic plants expressing either HaHPT alone or HaHPT and HaTMT accumulate more VE compared with the wild type. We also revealed that the level of α-tocopherol, the form of VE with the highest biological activity, had increased to 2.33 times in transgenic HaTMT plants compared with the wild type. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression levels of some chlorophyll synthesis pathway genes related to VE precursor synthesis significantly increased during grain filling in transgenic rice grains. No difference in agronomic traits was observed between the transgenic plants and their wild type except for a slightly reduced plant height associated with the transgenic plants. These data demonstrate that the heterologous expression of HaHPT gene is effective in increasing the total VE content, while HaTMT plays an important role in the relative abundance of α-tocopherol in rice grains. This study demonstrates a promising strategy for breeding rice with elevated VE content via metabolic engineering.

Cornulin as a Key Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Cancers of the Squamous Epithelium.

The prevalence of squamous cell carcinoma is increasing, and efforts that aid in an early and accurate diagnosis are crucial to improve clinical outcomes for patients. Cornulin, a squamous epithelium-specific protein, has recently garnered attention due to its implications in the progression of squamous cell carcinoma developed in several tissues. As an epidermal differentiation marker, it is involved in skin anchoring, regulating cellular proliferation, and is a putative tumor suppressor. The physiologically healthy squamous epithelium displays a considerable level of Cornulin, whereas squamous cell carcinomas have marked downregulation, suggesting that Cornulin expression levels can be utilized for the early detection and follow-up on the progression of these types of cancer. Cornulin's expression patterns in cervical cancer have been examined, and findings support the stepwise downregulation of Cornulin levels that accompanies the progression to neoplasia in the cervix. Additional studies documented a similar trend in expression in other types of cancer, such as cutaneous, esophageal, and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas. The consistent and predictable pattern of Cornulin expression across several squamous cell carcinomas and its correlation with key clinicopathological parameters make it a reliable biomarker for assessing the transformation and progression events in the squamous epithelium, thus potentially contributing to the early detection, definitive diagnosis, and more favorable prognosis for these cancer patients.

Crossing Borders Between Languages: The Great Transition of Hindi Literary Translation with Special Reference to Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand

The surging number of Hindi speakers in recent decades raises an intriguing question: does the expanding influence of Hindi across India lead to the commensurate pan-Indianization or globalization of its literature? Despite its widespread use within the country, Hindi literature often remains overshadowed by Indian English literature (IEL), particularly on the global stage. It appears to be somewhat confined within regional boundaries. However, a transformative event occurred in 2022 when Geetanjali Shree, a Delhi-based Hindi novelist, clinched the prestigious International Booker Prize for her work, Tomb of Sand, originally titled Ret Samadhi in Hindi. The prize was equally shared between Geetanjali Shree, the writer, and Daisy Rockwell, the translator. With this award, Tomb of Sand has emerged as a symbol of Hindi literary translation, heralding a significant transition in the Hindi literary translation scene. This paper aims to explore the challenges and prospects of Hindi literary translation in the era of the great transition, focusing specifically on the translation methods and strategies employed in Tomb of Sand. Through this analysis, I intend to contribute to the ongoing scholarly discourse concerning the promotion and appreciation of Hindi literature in international literary circles.

The Reflection of Social Atomism in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

The tumultuous history of the twentieth century is known to have witnessed transformative events ranging from World War I to World War II. These events with drastic social and political influences have led to a revival of interest in studying the recesses of human mind in the field of literature. Modernism as a literary movement, especially in the wake of World War I, has had its leading role in exploring human psyche, but has simultaneously become the focal point of numerous discussions with its elusive nature. This contentious aspect of modernism can be said to have become manifest in its tackling the issues of social fragmentation, solipsism and capitalism within literary realm. The entirety of the referred points also falls into the scope of Social Atomism Theory which is believed to have gained prominence in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. At this point, it must be noted that, one of the most well-known poems of modern period, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, provides an apt site for delving into the concept of social atomism. Relevantly, this article aims to elucidate the ways in which the experiences of Prufrock align with those of an alienated or socially atomised individual.

Metabolic reprogramming and heterogeneity during the decidualization process of endometrial stromal cells

The human endometrial decidualization is a transformative event in the pregnant uterus that involves the differentiation of stromal cells into decidual cells. While crucial to the establishment of a successful pregnancy, the metabolic characteristics of decidual cells in vivo remain largely unexplored. Here, we integrated the single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets on the endometrium of the menstrual cycle and the maternal-fetal interface in the first trimester to comprehensively decrypt the metabolic characteristics of stromal fibroblast cells. Our results revealed that the differentiation of stromal cells into decidual cells is accompanied by increased amino acid and sphingolipid metabolism. Furthermore, metabolic heterogeneity exists in decidual cells with differentiation maturity disparities. Decidual cells with high metabolism exhibit higher cellular activity and show a strong propensity for signaling. In addition, significant metabolic reprogramming in amino acids and lipids also occurs during the transition from non-pregnancy to pregnancy in the uteri of pigs, cattle, and mice. Our analysis provides comprehensive insights into the dynamic landscape of stromal fibroblast cell metabolism, contributing to our understanding of the metabolism at the molecular dynamics underlying the decidualization process in the human endometrium.

Unveiling Extra-Institutional Agency in Nationalist Contention: Transformative Events and Grassroots Mobilizations in Scotland and Catalonia (1980s-2000s)

The literature on nationalist movements in Western democracies has almost exclusively focused on ethno-nationalist parties by attributing to them the key-role of “ethnic entrepreneurs”. Yet, non-institutional actors such as social movement organizations and grassroots groups can significantly impact the history of territorial contention and reshape movements. Their role is thus explored in the Scottish and Catalan struggles for selfdetermination between the 1980s and the 2000s. Firstly, the historical analysis of transformative events shows how the latter were set in motion by non-institutional actors. While Scottish organizations and groups operated to foster cross-party cooperation, the Catalan counterparts operated to mobilize society and popular support. Secondly, a thematic analysis of primary sources shows that the mobilizations fuelled by these events produced organizational and cultural changes in both nationalist movements. These changes left their legacy suggesting that former grassroots mobilizations made an important difference to resources mobilized in the current secessionist movements.

Generative AI Adoption in Postsecondary Education, AI Hype, and ChatGPT’s Launch

The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) into postsecondary education and many other sectors resulted in a global reckoning with this new technology. This paper contributes to the study of the multifaceted influence of generative AI, with a particular focus on OpenAI's ChatGPT within academic settings during the first six months after the release in three specific ways. First, it scrutinizes the rise of ChatGPT as a transformative event construed through a study of mainstream discourses exhibiting AI hype. Second, it discusses the perceived implications of generative AI for writing, teaching, and learning through the lens of critical discourse analysis and critical AI studies. Third, it encourages the necessity for best practices in the adoption of generative AI technologies in education.

The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Surgery.

Until recently, innovations in surgery were largely represented by extensions or augmentations of the surgeon's perception. This includes advancements such as the operating microscope, tumor fluorescence, intraoperative ultrasound, and minimally invasive surgical instrumentation. However, introducing artificial intelligence (AI) into the surgical disciplines represents a transformational event. Not only does AI contribute substantively to enhancing a surgeon's perception with such methodologies as three-dimensional anatomic overlays with augmented reality, AI-improved visualization for tumor resection, and AI-formatted endoscopic and robotic surgery guidance. What truly makes AI so different is that it also provides ways to augment the surgeon's cognition. By analyzing enormous databases, AI can offer new insights that can transform the operative environment in several ways. It can enable preoperative risk assessment and allow a better selection of candidates for procedures such as organ transplantation. AI can also increase the efficiency and throughput of operating rooms and staff and coordinate the utilization of critical resources such as intensive care unit beds and ventilators. Furthermore, AI is revolutionizing intraoperative guidance, improving the detection of cancers, permitting endovascular navigation, and ensuring the reduction in collateral damage to adjacent tissues during surgery (e.g., identification of parathyroid glands during thyroidectomy). AI is also transforming how we evaluate and assess surgical proficiency and trainees in postgraduate programs. It offers the potential for multiple, serial evaluations, using various scoring systems while remaining free from the biases that can plague human supervisors. The future of AI-driven surgery holds promising trends, including the globalization of surgical education, the miniaturization of instrumentation, and the increasing success of autonomous surgical robots. These advancements raise the prospect of deploying fully autonomous surgical robots in the near future into challenging environments such as the battlefield, disaster areas, and even extraplanetary exploration. In light of these transformative developments, it is clear that the future of surgery will belong to those who can most readily embrace and harness the power of AI.