This manuscript documents the Presidential Address of Jan Janoušek as the incoming President of the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC) 2025–2028.

The Levine–Tristram signature admits a µ-variable extension for µ-component links: it was first defined as an integer-valued function on $(S^1\setminus\{1\})^\mu$, and recently extended to the full torus $\mathbb{T}^\mu$. The aim of the present article is to study and use this extended signature. Firstly, we show that it is constant on the connected components of the complement of the zero locus of some renormalized Alexander polynomial. Then, we prove that the extended signature is a concordance invariant on an explicit dense subset of $\mathbb{T}^\mu$. Finally, as an application, we present an infinite family of three-component links with the following property: these links are not concordant to their mirror image, a fact that can be detected neither by the non-extended signatures, nor by the multivariable Alexander polynomial, nor by the Milnor triple linking number.

Spread of invasive species can be impacted by their mode of reproduction (asexual vs. sexual) as well as the mating system (outcrossing vs. selfing). This is especially the case in the evergreen wintercreeper vine [Euonymus fortunei (Turcz.) Hand.-Maz.], which was originally brought to the United States for horticultural purposes and is now considered invasive across the Midwest. Wild wintercreeper populations consist primarily of a single polyploid genotype, the ornamental ‘Coloratus’ cultivar, but it is still unknown how this species produces its fruit during the fall. We examined the reproductive mode and mating system of wintercreeper by collecting leaves and fruits from 12 wild plants in an urban location of Cincinnati, OH. In this genetic survey, we used microsatellite markers to identify the pollen donor of each embryo within the seeds. Polyembryony was relatively common, with 37.4% of seeds each containing two to four embryos. Many of the 382 embryos extracted were produced asexually through apomixis (50.0%) or were sexual products of outcross fertilization (34.3%) or self-fertilization (15.7%). In seeds with multiple embryos, larger embryos were most likely to be outcrossed, with winged burning bush [Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Siebold ‘Compactus’] as the most likely pollen donor, and apomixis increasing in successively smaller embryos. Single embryos within seeds were more often outcross fertilized (52%). The fact that all wild adult wintercreeper plants consist of a single genotype is consistent with the production of these apomictic offspring. However, lack of sexually produced wild plants, despite their appearance in the embryonic stage, warrants further study. This is the first report of polygamous apomixis in this species, and research is continuing into how this reproductive strategy may influence invasive spread of the species.

The petrographic and geochemical characterisation of the diagenetic calcite and dolomite associated with carbonate-hosted ore deposits can contribute to a better understanding of mineralisation mechanisms. The lower Carnian Breno Formation and Calcare Metallifero Bergamasco in the Dossena area (Gorno mining district, Lombardy Basin, Southern Alps) are two shallow marine carbonate lithostratigraphic units hosting Alpine-type Pb-Zn-F-Ba ores. Several interpretations have been proposed for the genesis of mineralisation in these Triassic carbonates: syngenetic from submarine exhalations linked to the Ladinian–Carnian volcanism; or Alpine-type syngenetic to epigenetic in burial settings by hydrothermal fluids, during Early–Middle Jurassic rifting. Recent studies propose that ores formed in shallow burial settings (tens to few hundreds of metres), precipitated from hydrothermal fluids related to Triassic magmatism, prior to the Early Jurassic rifting.

Petrographic analysis, δ18O data, REEYN normalised patterns, calculated element ratios and lanthanum, cerium and europium normalised anomalies suggest precipitation of the saddle dolomite and calcite cements, filling-fractures preceding and post-dating the mineralisation, from low temperature (<200°C) hydrothermal fluids. The geochemistry of these fluids was influenced by seawater and burial basinal brines. REEYN patterns and Y/Ho ratios suggest the interaction of these fluids with Permian and Ladinian–Carnian siliciclastic and volcaniclastic deposits and/or with the Variscan metamorphic basement, which are possible sources for metals.

The identified paragenesis supports a hydrothermal epigenetic origin for the mineralisation, at burial depths not shallower than 300 m. In fact, pre-mineralisation fractures filled by saddle dolomite and calcite cements cross-cut voids occluded by burial sparite cements and stylolites in an already lithified host rock, affected by burial compaction and pressure solution.

These conclusions may contribute to the understanding of other global occurrences of carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn mineralisation, providing new insights into complex dolomite and calcite paragenesis preceding and following the ore formation.

Kochia [Bassia scoparia (L.) A.J. Scott] is an invasive species in the High Plains of the United States that poses formidable management challenges in agricultural systems, primarily due to its evolution of resistance to glyphosate. Resistance is due to a transposon-associated increase in 5-enolpyruvyl-3-shikimate phosphate synthase (EPSPS) gene copy number relative to the sensitive biotype. Factors behind the rapid spread of glyphosate-resistant biotypes are likely associated with certain aspects of B. scoparia biology, such as a protogynous flower morphology producing large amounts of pollen, that encourages outcrossing and favors high genetic diversity. Furthermore, its ability to tumble over long distances ensures a rapid spread of the resistance trait. Herein, we explore glyphosate resistance in B. scoparia in Colorado. There was no difference in EPSPS gene (Type I, Type II) and FAR1 copy numbers between parent and progeny B. scoparia populations across multiple years (2018, 2020, and 2022), suggesting stable inheritance of glyphosate resistance. Further, the inheritance of glyphosate resistance was investigated using three specific microsatellites or simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers viz. 2656, 2896, and 1792. SSR marker analysis revealed an outcrossing rate of 78% and a selfing rate of 22% in B. scoparia progeny. By investigating the complex interplay between B. scoparia’s biology and genetics, this study investigates the inheritance of glyphosate resistance in B. scoparia, estimates the outcrossing rate under field conditions, and underscores the importance of developing effective management strategies to mitigate its impact on agricultural ecosystems.

For Pierre Hadot, inventor of ‘Philosophy as a Way of Life’ (PWL), scholasticism, of which Aquinas is usually seen as the arch-representative, was not only the opposite of PWL but the agent of its destruction. I argue that Hadot’s view of Aquinas results from confusing ‘philosophy’ in the broad sense, which is how it needs to be understood in relation to PWL, with ‘philosophy’ in the narrower sense that it had for Aquinas himself. When Aquinas’s life and work is examined with this distinction in mind, he is seen to be as much an exponent of PWL as the medieval and modern thinkers (Boethius of Dacia, Dante, Montaigne, Kant, Nietzsche) usually cited by Hadot and his followers. This conclusion puts into doubt the historical narrative proposed by exponents of PWL. But some of Hadot’s own remarks leave room for a restricted version of PWL, stripped of its historical narrative and suggestions about the content of a philosophical life. This pure methodological Philosophy as a Way of Life, MPWL, does not make the unsustainable claims of PWL and helps to show how analytical, historical and more broadly philosophical approaches to Aquinas can be brought together.

Recent work by Michael O. Hardimon and Quayshawn Spencer defends a minimalist (or deflationary) biological realism about race. Their approach has two distinct features. First, unlike revisionist biological race, minimalist biological races are a conception of race that correspond to our ordinary race concepts. Second, unlike hereditarian or essentialist accounts, minimalist biological races are not claimed to be robustly explanatory. This article argues against their account of the biological genuineness of race. I argue that the minimalist biological conception of race lacks the explanatory constraints of genuine biological kinds. Rather, minimalist biological races are gerrymandered kinds.

Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) are immune-mediated peripheral nerve disorders. Treatment typically involves immunoglobulin therapy, with both intravenous (IVIG) and subcutaneous (SCIG) routes being used. Although multiple studies have determined that these therapies are effective and comparable, a comprehensive assessment of quality of life (QoL) has not been systematically reviewed. This review aims to evaluate QoL in patients with MMN and CIDP who are treated with SCIG, including those who have made the transition from IVIG to SCIG. We conducted a comprehensive search of electronic databases for studies that measured QoL outcomes in MMN and CIDP patients receiving SCIG. The primary outcome was the change in QoL scores as measured by validated tools compared with baseline values collected during IVIG treatment. Secondary outcomes included adverse effects, treatment satisfaction and functional status. Our review suggests that SCIG may offer comparable QoL outcomes to IVIG with potential benefits in self-administration and reduced systemic adverse effects. This review provides evidence-based insights into the comparative effectiveness of SCIG and IVIG in improving QoL for MMN and CIDP patients. Future research should aim to standardize QoL assessment tools and include larger, long-term studies to better capture the nuanced benefits of SCIG.

The suboptimal size of municipalities is often a challenge for service delivery due to scale limitations. Intermunicipal cooperation (IMC) has expanded as an alternative to top-down amalgamations, offering a more flexible and typically voluntary approach. Many studies have been devoted to understanding the driving factors of IMC, providing static empirical evidence on the characteristics of cooperating municipalities. This article contributes to the literature with a dynamic analysis of the drivers of cooperation, using a Cox proportional hazards model over a long period and a very large sample of municipalities in Catalonia. This dynamic analysis unravels the direction of the causal relationship in complex relationships such as fiscal restrictions or political legitimation with cooperation. Furthermore, as we have data from eight relevant local services, we improve both the theoretical and empirical analysis of cooperation dynamics based on the characteristics of the services.

As international exploration of the Meso-Neoproterozoic continues, these layers have become a key target for deep oil and gas field exploration. The Ordos Basin exhibits considerable sedimentary thicknesses within the Meso-Neoproterozoic. However, significant hydrocarbon discoveries have not been forthcoming, primarily due to the complex tectonic evolution. This paper focuses on the southern Ordos Basin, utilizing logging-seismic calibration to interpret seismic data and elucidate Meso-Neoproterozoic tectonic features. By comparing ancient and modern tectonic patterns, based on palaeotectonic maps retrieved through the impression method and combining these with tectonic evolution profiles, the study clarifies the history of tectonic modification. Under the control of two fracture systems – basin-controlling fractures at the margin and trough-controlling fractures – the Changchengian exhibits two categories (single-fault and double-fault) and five sub-categories of fault depression combinations. The study highlights significant differences between ancient and modern tectonics in the Meso-Neoproterozoic, which are attributed to various tectonic stages, including the trough-uplift depositional differentiation stage during the early rift-late depression of the Changchengian, the basin-margin subsidence stage of the southwestern depression of the Jixianian, the uplift and denudation stage of the Sinian basin’s main body and the four-stage tectonic remodelling stage of differential uplift-subsidence in the Palaeoproterozoic. This study employs the ancient-present tectonic pattern as a point of departure, thereby enhancing the theoretical understanding of deep-seated tectonics in the Ordos Basin. It offers novel insights into the exploration of Meso-Neoproterozoic gas reservoirs from a tectonic remodelling perspective.

Statistical criteria of fairness, although controversial, bring attention to the multiobjective nature of many predictive modeling problems. In this article, I consider how epistemic and nonepistemic values help to justify the design of machine learning algorithms that optimize for more than one normative goal. I focus on a major design choice between biased search strategies that directly incorporate priorities for various objectives into an optimization procedure and unbiased search strategies that do not. I argue that both reliably generate Pareto optimal solutions such that various other values are relevant to making a rational choice between them.

Certain plant species have the potential to establish themselves in agricultural fields, especially when they are already present nearby. Their spread can be influenced by improper management or intentional and unintentional introduction. Recently, cut-leaved gipsywort (Lycopus exaltatus L.) has been increasingly present in some row crops, where it was previously found only along field edges and irrigation channels, with no data about their presence in crops. Currently, no effective control methods for this rhizomatous species have been reported. To address this, 11 herbicides commonly used for weed management in major crops were evaluated in greenhouse studies. These included bentazon, dicamba, foramsulfuron, glyphosate, halauxifen-methyl, imazamox, mesotrione, nicosulfuron, tembotrione, thifensulfuron-methyl, and tribenuron-methyl. A dose-response study was conducted to identify the most effective option for cut-leaved gipsywort control using existing crop protection products. The study evaluated percentage reductions in dry biomass and canopy cover. The results suggest that bentazon, as the only nonsystemic herbicide, was least effective in controlling cut-leaved gipsywort with an effective dose (ED90) estimated at 1.5 × of the recommended labeled rate, or 2,205 g ai ha−1. Plants exposed to dicamba exhibited no regrowth at the field-use rate. Cut-leaved gipsywort may regrow when foramsulfuron, mesotrione, nicosulfuron, and tembotrione are applied at the recommended field-use rates. Halauxifen-methyl and imazamox were most effective, with estimated ED90 values of 0.21 × (0.85 g ai ha−1) and 0.4 × (16.14 g ai ha−1), respectively, which are lower than the recommended labeled rates. Although reduced rates are not recommended because good herbicide stewardship practices should aim to prevent the development of herbicide resistance, with both halauxifen-methyl and imazamox, cut-leaved gipsywort exhibited no regrowth when one-half of the recommended labeled rates were applied.

The fifteenth annual Science of Team Science Conference, “Insights on the Science of Team Science: 15 Years and Counting,” was held virtually from July 30 to August 1, 2024. Two hundred participants from diverse backgrounds and sectors celebrated the evolution of team science and looked to the future. This paper presents a summary of the conference proceedings, highlighting keynotes, workshops, presentations, and posters that explored innovations in the science of team science. Notable topics included the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in teams and methods for evaluating team effectiveness. The conference fostered networking opportunities through an interactive virtual platform, enhancing community building among attendees.