We propose a novel geometric characterization method for flat-faceted crystals bounded by a single simple crystallographic form - the rhombic dodecahedron. The approach utilizes distances between six pairs of parallel facets and the lengths of three false edges (out of six possible) resulting from anisotropic crystal growth. Our study has established the existence of exactly 34 combinatorially distinct, full-faceted real rhombic dodecahedra. For each type, we determined the range of crystal shape variations using the semi-axial lengths of the minimal-volume circumscribed ellipsoid. The results demonstrate that all real rhombic dodecahedra, except for eight special forms, can exhibit the complete spectrum of possible shape variations. These eight exceptional forms cannot develop tabular morphologies with bidirectional isometry. The obtained results provide valuable tools for precise analysis of rhombic dodecahedral crystal morphology and for establishing morphogenetic correlations between the degree of crystal distortions and the dissymmetry of the crystal-forming environment. This information is relevant for assessing the typomorphic features of natural diamonds, garnets, sodalites and magnetite crystals, as well as their synthetic analogs and other chemical compounds.

Ferroptosis is a specialized form of regulated cell death that is dependent on intracellular iron and is characterized by excessive lipid peroxidation, accumulation of lipid peroxides, and increased intracellular iron levels. This process is regulated through complex and tightly coordinated molecular mechanisms involving multiple signaling pathways and regulatory proteins, including key antioxidant defense components such as glutathione peroxide 4 (GPX4) and ferroptosis suppressor protein-1 (FSP-1). Increasing experimental evidences suggested that modulation of ferroptosis pathway might offer a potent target for breast cancer management, as ferroptosis dysregulation has been strongly associated with tumor invasion, progression, and drug resistance. Current cancer treatment strategies including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy have detrimental effects on cancer patients. Therefore, it is highly needed to focus on safe and effective therapeutics like natural compounds for cancer therapy. These compounds have shown the significance of ferroptosis-mediated cell death, thereby providing drug candidate for developing ferroptosis-inducing agents. Current research studies suggested that numerous plant-based compounds have strong anticancer potential via ferroptosis induction in breast carcinoma. However, these results are dependent upon preclinical experimentation and lacking validation of long-term clinical research. Thus, this review is designed to provide a mechanistic overview of plant-derived natural compounds by targeting ferroptosis pathway specifically in breast cancer. This could help the researchers working in medicinal chemistry field and pharmacology to better understand the mechanism of action of these compounds against breast carcinoma and provide an alternative approach to treat breast cancer.

This treat-and-resect clinical study evaluated a specialized form of pulsed electric field (PEF) ablation's potential to modulate antitumor immunity in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are lymphoid aggregates that recruit immune cells into the tumor microenvironment (TME) and serve as immunity-generating neighborhoods. TLS with germinal centers (GC) have strong prognostic value in most cancers and promote tumor control and responsiveness to immune-based therapies, but no commercially available therapeutics induce their formation. The Aliya System is a proprietary electrosurgical technology that delivers microsecond electrical pulses to tissue, achieving tumor clearance while maintaining stromal architecture. Treatment group patients received ablation immediately after diagnostic biopsy versus a biopsy-only control group. Herein we report on exploratory endpoints examining immune modulation in blood and tumor samples collected from patients in both groups. Histopathological assessments revealed the presence of TLS with GC in resected tumors. Tissue cytokine assessments and single-cell RNA sequencing demonstrated upregulation of cytokines capable of recruiting and organizing TLS-associated lymphocytes, including CXCL13, and significant increases in GC-related immune populations, including class-switched memory B cells and plasma cells in ablated tumors versus pre-ablation biopsies. Ablation group patients had more tumors containing TLS with GC (47%) vs. control (24%). Ablation group patients exhibited enhanced systemic immunity, with increased serum HMGB1 and circulating cytotoxic T cells. This specialized PEF may orchestrate multiple simultaneous changes that promote a more immunologically active TME and represent a new approach for improving immunotherapeutic regimen responses in NSCLC patients.

The successful clinical treatment of acute ischemic stroke pivots on reestablishing blood flow. After attempting recanalization, the "no-reflow" phenomenon undermines the long-term benefits of clot-busting strategies, including thrombolytic and intravascular thrombectomy. A key pathological driver of this phenomenon is immunothrombosis, a specialized form of microthrombosis characterized by the aberrant aggregation of platelets with neutrophils and subsequent microvascular clot formation. The immunothrombotic process may be initiated or promoted by brain ischemia-induced endothelial inflammation. In this commentary, we elaborate on the mechanisms underlying the role of endothelial inflammation in the no-reflow cascade, and we recommend targeting immunothrombosis to mitigate no-reflow and optimize stroke management.

This study examines the phenomenon of pseudoconfident knowledge in the context of the everyday use of generative artificial intelligence. By pseudoconfident knowledge, we mean a response that is substantively plausible, rhetorically coherent, and outwardly persuasive but is treated and understood as knowledge before its actual reliability has been established. Of course, we do not use the term “pseudoconfident knowledge” to denote knowledge in the strict epistemological sense. Rather, it denotes a special form of AI-generated content that acquires the status of knowledge in the user’s perception before its reliability, source-based justification, or factual correctness have been established. The problem here is not that such an answer is already knowledge but that it is prematurely accepted as knowledge because of its coherence, completeness, and rhetorical confidence. The aim of the study is to identify the epistemic gap between the everyday operational integration of artificial intelligence and the user’s critical ability to distinguish between persuasiveness and justification. The theoretical framework combines approaches to AI literacy, epistemic vigilance, and contemporary forms of digital mediation in the circulation of knowledge. The empirical basis of the study is an online survey of AI users. The analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, contingency tables, and methods for testing associations between categorical variables. The results show that the key differentiating factor is not the frequency of AI use, but the strategy used in handling its responses. More epistemically robust positions are associated with practices of comparison, editing, and verification, whereas uncritical acceptance of the answer is associated with greater vulnerability to pseudoconfident knowledge. We conclude that the spread of generative artificial intelligence is producing a new socioepistemic problem that calls for a shift in emphasis from simple instrumental literacy toward a culture of verification, doubt, and epistemic responsibility.

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a widely studied cell state change, yet differences in model design and measurement approaches limit comparison across studies. Addressing this challenge requires experimental model systems and analysis frameworks that support standardization across contexts. Here, we show that human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells in defined cell culture geometries, two-dimensional colonies and three-dimensional lumenoids, enable multimodal measurements of EMT dynamics within a single experimental platform. Using fixed-cell and live-cell image-based assays, we quantify changes in cell migration, EMT-related molecular markers, cell-cell junction organization and interactions with the basement membrane, a specialized form of the extracellular matrix, during EMT induced in hiPS cells. We identify cell culture geometry-dependent differences in the timing of migration onset and show that basement membrane integrity can be quantitatively linked to these differences. Together, these results establish an imaging-based framework for analysis of cell state transitions and provide accessible datasets and tools.

Polyploidy is widespread within flowering plants, with 35% of extant species being recent polyploids. Whether and how polyploidy modulates the action of natural selection remains debated, and the particular case of balancing selection has been poorly explored. This study investigates the impact of autopolyploidy on sporophytic self-incompatibility in plants, a striking example of a genetic system evolving under a special form of balancing selection (strong negative frequency-dependent selection). Stochastic simulations reveal that under strict co-dominance, the number of S-alleles maintained in tetraploid populations is expected to double as compared with diploid populations. However, under a model with strict hierarchical dominance among alleles, the number of S-alleles increases only slightly, but gene diversity and observed heterozygosity are substantially reduced in tetraploids because of enhanced dominance masking effects. Empirical data on Arabidopsis arenosa and Arabidopsis lyrata confirm the latter predictions, showing similar levels of allelic diversity but dramatically lower observed and expected heterozygosity at the self-incompatibility locus in tetraploids compared with diploids. The study highlights the significant impact of autopolyploidy on patterns of diversity at the self-incompatibility locus, emphasizing the increased dominance effect in tetraploids. The results also allow us to reject a scenario of strong founder effects associated with the evolution of the polyploid lineages. This article is part of the theme issue 'Exploring negative frequency dependent selection across levels: from genetics to ecology and back again'.

Canagliflozin attenuates cognitive deficits in the streptozotocin-induced mouse model of sporadic Alzheimer's disease via modulating PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway and miR-34a expression.

Meiosis, a specialised form of cell division, is essential for sexual reproduction, which requires the proper formation of synaptonemal complex (SC) and homologous recombination (HR). However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying these processes remain incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate that SOX30 is a key transcriptional regulator of male meiotic synapsis and recombination. In Sox30-knockout mice, zygotene spermatocytes accumulate with synapsis defects. SOX30 deficiency disrupts the SC central element components SYCE1, SYCE2, and TEX12 distribution. Furthermore, disrupted γ-H2AX distribution reveals impaired DNA double-strand break repair and the persistence of recombination proteins RAD51 and RPA2 in late spermatocytes confirms defective homologous recombination repair (HRR) which results in reduced crossover formation in Sox30-knockout mice spermatocytes. Mechanistically, SOX30 directly binds to SYCE1/SYCE2 promoters to modulate their transcription, thereby regulating SC assembly and HRR. Restoring SOX30 expression effectively rescues meiotic defects. Importantly, transcriptome co-expression analysis in non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) testes identifies SOX30 as a central regulator of NOA transcriptional networks. Collectively, these findings underscore SOX30's crucial role in meiotic synapsis and recombination, highlighting its therapeutic potential for NOA.

The rotational method of work, being a special form of employment, involves a long stay of employees away from their permanent place of residence. This mode of work has a significant impact on the axiosphere of personality, forming a special balance between tangible and intangible values. The research is aimed at analyzing the ratio of materialistic and non-materialistic aspects in the value orientations of shift workers, identifying the specifics of the value framework, as well as the factors influencing their transformation over the period spent working under such conditions. The theoretical basis of the work was the concepts of values and axiological systems, including the works of Russian and foreign scientists studying the phenomenon of professional mobility, social adaptation and the influence of working conditions on personal preferences. The empirical part of the study is based on data from the authors’ survey of shift workers (n=77) in various industries (oil and gas, construction, mining, etc.). Analysis and interpretation of the data obtained showed that tangible values play a key role in shift work. It has been established that over time, the significance of various values is being rethought and strategies for the shortage of intangible assets are being formed. The findings of the study can be useful not only for employers, psychologists, sociologists, and HR specialists, but may also be taken into account by interested parties to harmonize the value system of shift workers and to increase job satisfaction.

This article investigates the linguistic features of AI-related instructional discourse in English and Uzbek. The rapid development of artificial intelligence has produced new forms of human–machine communication in which users are guided through prompts, commands, recommendations, safety warnings, interface instructions, algorithmic explanations, and procedural texts. In this context, instructional discourse is no longer limited to traditional manuals or pedagogical explanations; it also includes digital commands, prompt-writing guidelines, chatbot interaction patterns, platform-based instructions, and AI system warnings. The study approaches AI-related instructional discourse as a specialized form of procedural and directive communication. It compares English and Uzbek examples in terms of lexical, morphological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic features. The findings show that both languages rely heavily on imperative structures, sequential organization, technical terminology, modal expressions, and directive speech acts. However, English AI instructions tend to be more compact, verb-initial, and analytically organized, while Uzbek instructions are more morphologically explicit, politeness-oriented, and frequently constructed through verbal suffixes, auxiliary forms, and explanatory components. The article also demonstrates that Uzbek AI discourse is characterized by active borrowing, transliteration, calquing, and semantic adaptation of English AI terms such as prompt, chatbot, algorithm, machine learning, and neural network. The paper concludes that AI-related instructional discourse represents an emerging area of comparative linguistics, terminology studies, pragmatics, and digital discourse analysis.

Immunogenic cell death (ICD), a special form of cell death, transforms "cold" tumors into "hot" tumors by fulfilling the following three key conditions: antigenicity; adjuvanticity; and a suitable tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor cells release damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) during ICD, thereby activating the dendritic-cytotoxic T cell axis to elicit systemic antitumor immune responses. However, drug resistance and immune-related adverse effects often limit traditional ICD inducers, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Notably, microbiota and microbial metabolites can trigger ICD in tumor cells, leading to the release of DAMPs, modulation of immune cell functions, and TME remodeling. This study comprehensively reviews the mechanisms underlying ICD regulation via microbiota and microbial metabolites. In addition, this review examines emerging strategies, including engineered microbiota, microbial-based combination therapies (such as incorporating immune checkpoint inhibitors or chemotherapy), and dietary interventions. Despite challenges associated with individual microbiota variability and mechanistic complexity, this study highlights the potential of microbiota-mediated ICD modulation as a novel paradigm for personalized cancer therapy, thereby providing insights for future directions of scientific research.

The foot and ankle have a special anatomical structure and bear crucial functions of body such as weight bearing, walking, running, and jumping. High-energy injuries to these areas are complex, posing challenges to clinical tissue reconstruction. Complex foot-ankle tissue defects mostly present as multicompartmental defects involving skin and soft tissue, tendons, bones, and joints, as well as large-area skin and soft tissue defects. We divided the foot and ankle into nine regions based on the anatomical characteristics and physiological functions of different sites. Ten clinical types were then classified according to the involved regions of tissue defects and the presence of combined deep tissue defects. For each clinical type, appropriate flap donor sites and suitable special form of perforator flap procedures can be selected based on the requirements of microsurgical reconstruction to achieve personalized and precise reconstruction, so as to achieve the optimal restoration of the appearance and function of the foot and ankle with minimal donor-site damage.

Protein arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) is a crucial regulator of human neutrophils, playing a central role in the innate immune response as well as the initiation and progression of several immune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and neurodegeneration. Current approaches for detecting PAD4 activity employ methods that cannot be used in living cells, such as immunodetection or chemical probes that need fixed material or harsh experimental conditions. As a result, they provide limited information on the real-time dynamics of PAD4 activation and localization during neutrophil activation. Here, we present a turn-on activity-based probe that fluoresces exclusively upon binding to active PAD4. This probe allows for the real-time imaging of intracellular PAD4 activity in live human neutrophils during NETosis, a specialized form of cell death, under wash-free conditions. Our results indicate that PAD4 is active in NETosis triggered by both NADPH oxidase-dependent and NADPH oxidase-independent mechanisms; however, the activation dynamics and localization vary depending on the NETosis stimulus. Our probes are valuable tools to further provide insight into the mechanistic differences in NETosis induction and progression, as well as the role of PAD4 in the innate immune system.

Pericytes (PCs) are perivascular cells that lie in close association with endothelial cells (ECs), with both cell types embedded within a shared basement membrane (BM), a specialised form of extracellular matrix (ECM). PCs regulate vascular integrity, angiogenesis and capillary blood flow and are capable of differentiating into other cell types including fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. In recent years, a central role for PCs in regulating the development and maturation of the vasculature, maintaining tissue homeostasis and directing the pleiotropic remodelling of tissues during regeneration has emerged. Here, we review how PCs contribute to the synthesis and remodelling of the ECM in different pathophysiological conditions. Moreover, we provide an atlas of the PC matrisome, the complex of ECM molecules expressed by PCs, based on recent transcriptomics (in particular single-cell RNA sequencing) and proteomics datasets, with the caveat that such an entity does not exist in isolation due to the physical and paracrine interactions between PCs, ECs and other cell types. Understanding the role of PCs in modulating their microenvironment through active synthesis and degradation of specific matrisome components is essential to understand the role these plastic cells play in angiogenesis and in different pathologic conditions, including stroke, Alzheimer's disease and cancer.

The paper examines the criteria of originality and creative character of outputs generated by neural networks as necessary and sufficient conditions for their recognition as copyrightable objects. The study substantiates the conclusion that a prompt possesses legal significance as a special form of expression of the author’s intent and as evidence of the author’s creative contribution. The methods of recording and preserving prompts are analyzed in detail. By way of illustration, the paper reviews selected judicial decisions from Russia, China, the United States, and Italy where the possibility of copyright protection for AI-generated outputs was at issue. Two models of contractual regulation governing the use of generative platforms are identified: the «neural network as tool» model, under which exclusive rights initially vest in and subsequently belong to the user; and the «neural network as service» model, which предусматривает the transfer of proprietary rights to the holder of exclusive rights in the software complex (the generative platform), followed by the grant to the user of a limited license. The author concludes that, where a generative model is installed locally, the relationship should be characterized as a license agreement, whereas in the case of a cloud-based architecture it should be classified as a mixed contract incorporating elements of both a license agreement and a contract for compensated services.

Zygomorphy (bilateral symmetry) is a form of floral specialization that is thought to restrict pollination to fewer visitors, enhancing the effectiveness and precision of pollen transfer between conspecific flowers. In this way, zygomorphy may help the persistence (i.e., decrease extinction) of small and scattered populations, ensuring cross-pollination even when individuals have few conspecifics nearby. In this study, we use phylogenetic regression models to relate the abundance of 478 Andean species to the zygomorphy of their petals, zygomorphy of their reproductive organs, and shape of their corollas. Our results show that tree abundance correlates with the first trait, but not the last two. Species with zygomorphic petals occur at approximately half the average abundance of non-zygomorphic species. This pattern is particularly pronounced in species-rich mid-altitude forests. Overall, these findings support the idea that the increases in diversification rates found in zygomorphic clades may be due to decreased extinction rates, because these species can persist at lower abundances, rather than (or in addition to) increased speciation rates. More studies that explore zygomorphy in rare species using experimental and phylogenetic methods can help us understand whether and how species loss is avoided.

Insulin Therapy.

The article examines the dual role of Maritime English instructors, highlighting the challenges they encounter when teaching this specialized form of English used in the global maritime industry. English serves as the primary lingua franca in international shipping, making effective communication crucial for safety, operational efficiency, and collaboration among multinational crews. Given the high-risk nature of maritime operations and the cultural diversity of personnel, clear and precise communication plays a vital role in preventing accidents and safeguarding human lives. Maritime English is regarded as a specialized branch of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), concentrating on the linguistic and communicative needs of maritime professionals. International organisations like the International Maritime Organization have set regulations and training standards that highlight the critical role of language competence in maritime operations. These standards mandate that seafarers possess sufficient communication skills for navigation, safety protocols, and emergency response procedures. Within this framework, Maritime English instructors assume a multifaceted professional role. They are responsible not only for teaching language skills but also for integrating technical maritime knowledge, operational terminology, and intercultural communication practices. Often, instructors must balance linguistic pedagogy with domain-specific content, even when lacking extensive maritime experience themselves. This gap creates challenges in bridging theoretical language instruction with the practical demands of maritime work environments. Another significant challenge is the diverse backgrounds of learners. Maritime students typically come from varied linguistic, cultural, and educational contexts, affecting their learning styles and language proficiency. Consequently, instructors must employ flexible teaching strategies that combine communicative approaches, task-based learning, and authentic maritime scenarios. Tools such as simulation exercises, real-life communication tasks, and technical documentation are commonly used to help students develop practical language skills relevant to their professional roles. The paper, also, underscores the importance of continuous professional development for Maritime English instructors. Effective teaching in this field demands collaboration between language educators and maritime experts, along with ongoing training to stay updated on industry developments, technological advances, and innovative pedagogical methods. Overall, the study highlights that Maritime English instructors play a crucial role in bridging the gap between language education and maritime practice. Their efforts significantly contribute to safer communication, enhanced professional competence, and the overall efficiency of the global maritime industry.

We consider the problem of determining a term in the right-hand side of an elliptic equation in a cylinder from boundary observations with constant and variable coefficients. Based on the special form of the considered equation in a cylinder, the solution of the direct and inverse problems can be represented by the Fourier series. As the problem is ill-posed, we regularize it by truncating the Fourier series. We prove error estimates of the method and present some numerical examples for showing its efficiency.