University of Naples Federico II

Jean Blondel’s academic impact in the field of comparative governments was enormous, but difficult to measure. Over the past 60 years, his publications have fuelled the work of several generations of colleagues around the world. In this short essay, we first introduce his most influential publications. Second, we introduce the empirical findings of major comparative studies which stand ‘on the shoulders’ of his research on governments and ministers in parliamentary democracies. Overall, we state that Jean Blondel’s comparative research was not designed to leave behind an enduring theory of his own. Instead, he was more interested in looking for more unexpected measurable facts and merge them into generalizations about the future of cabinet governments and political leaders.

7‐methyl‐2‐phenylimidazo[1,2‐b]pyridazin‐3‐carboxylic acid (DM1) and 6‐methoxy‐2‐phenylimidazo[1,2‐b]pyridazin‐3‐carboxylic acid (DM2) have been shown to act as human (h) Cav3.1 voltage‐gated calcium channel blockers with promising in vivo anti‐absence activity, positioning them as potential antiepileptic drugs. The primary aim of this work was to develop cost‐effective and environmentally friendly synthetic procedures for preparing 2‐phenylimidazo[1,2‐b]pyridazine derivatives. After optimizing the synthesis of this compound class using efficient and green techniques such as microwaves and ultrasound irradiation, we further evaluated the antiepileptic effects of DM1 and DM2 in two animal models: CD‐1 ICR mice after pentylenetetrazol administration and DBA/2 mice with seizures induced by audiogenic stimuli. Their neuroprotective effect against oxidative stress were assessed using C6 rat brain glioma cells. DM1 and DM2 exhibited potent anti‐seizure effects in both animal models and demonstrated significant in vitro neuroprotective activity by reducing reactive oxygen species release. To lay the groundwork for the future rational optimization of this promising class of compounds, the molecular bases of DM1 and DM2 activity were investigated by modelling their interaction with hCav3.1 channels. The calculated binding modes of DM1 and DM2 to hCav3.1 channels partially mirrored that of the selective Cav3.1 blocker Z944, paving the way for future lead optimization.

A wide variety of eco-friendly and at zero waste techniques are developed for biomass conversion and valorization of its residues and by-products such as water fraction and organic residues which could be further utilized. The wastewater reuse is one of the best strategies for water security, sustainability, and resilience. To date, the municipal wastewater was the most widely used, nowadays the innovative technologies for biomass conversion and energy production allow the recovery of wastewater with better and safer features than the municipal effluents. Depending on the moisture content of the starting feedstock, the hydrothermal liquefaction process (HTL) generates also up to 95% of wastewater (HTL–WW) generally rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfate as well as micronutrients and minerals. Although it is currently recycled through various biological systems such as microalgae cultivation and anaerobic digestion, the possibility of using the wastewater from HTL process as irrigation water for agricultural purpose is discussed representing a source of crop nutrients for the high amount of organic and inorganic compounds and a new approach in contributing to reduce the increasing pressure on freshwater resources. Graphical abstract

Perioperative complication rates and in-hospital mortality after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) in patients with a history of heart valve replacement are unknown. Within the National Inpatient Sample (2000–2019), we identified non-metastatic upper urinary tract carcinoma patients treated with RNU according to the presence or absence of a history of heart valve replacement. Propensity score matching (1:10 ratio) and multivariable logistic regression as well as Poisson regression models were used. Of 15,423 RNU patients, 151 (1.0%) harbored heart valve replacement. This proportion increased over the study span from 0.5% to 1.4% (p = 0.02). Heart valve replacement patients were older (median 78 vs. 72 years; p < 0.001), more frequently male (73 vs. 60%; p = 0.002), and more frequently harbored a Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) ≥3 (36 vs. 27%; p = 0.002). After 1:10 propensity score matching for age, sex, and CCI, the patients exhibited higher rates of perioperative bleeding (7.4 vs. 2.4%; odds ratio [OR] 3.2; p < 0.001), blood transfusions (24.0 vs. 17.0%; OR 1.6; p = 0.02), and cardiac complications (24.0 vs. 14.0%; OR 2.1; p < 0.001). Conversely, heart valve replacement patients did not exhibit higher rates of critical care therapy (OR 1.06; p = 0.8), higher rates of in-hospital mortality (OR 0.8; p = 0.8), and longer length of stay (OR 1.4; p = 0.052) than their RNU counterparts without a history of heart valve replacement. RNU patients with a history of heart valve replacement are at significantly increased risk of perioperative bleeding, blood transfusions, and cardiac complications; however, despite these increased risks, they neither exhibited higher critical care therapy rates or higher in-hospital mortality rates, nor did they require significantly longer hospital stay.

Microneedle patches have emerged as a promising approach for diabetic wound healing by enabling targeted delivery of therapeutic agents such as stem cells and their derived exosomes, as well as...

Digital instruments, devices, and platforms are transforming socio-economic structures, giving rise to new ecosystem configurations that demand sustainable, smart, and inclusive growth strategies. This study adopts a meso-level perspective to analyze the critical role of technology readiness and the digital gap in shaping entrepreneurial and innovation-driven ecosystems that are foundational to Society 5.0. By exploring how digital transitions influence collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and value co-creation among groups within regional ecosystems, the paper provides a systems-thinking model that highlights the unique challenges and opportunities for sustainability. In contrast to previous research that examines Society 5.0 from either individual or macro perspectives, this meso-level framework addresses the multidimensional interactions that drive ecosystem resilience and inclusive participation. It emphasizes the need for alignment in information, interpretation, and cognition among stakeholders to foster long-term, cohesive growth. The proposed model identifies core pillars for developing integrated, adaptable ecosystems that balance economic and social value, guiding regions toward more inclusive and sustainable development pathways.

The differential influence of sex on premature mortality in schizophrenia is unclear. This study assessed the differences in all-cause and specific cause mortality risks in people with schizophrenia compared to several control groups stratified by sex. We conducted a PRISMA 2020-compliant systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of cohort studies assessing mortality relative risk (RR) for people with schizophrenia, comparing by sex. We measured publication bias and conducted a quality assessment through the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. We meta-analyzed 43 studies reporting on 2,700,825 people with schizophrenia. Both males and females with schizophrenia had increased all-cause mortality vs. comparison groups (males, RR=2.62, 95%CI 2.35–2.92; females, RR=2.56, 95%CI 2.27–2.87), suicide (males, RR=9.02, 95%CI 5.96–13.67; females, RR=12.09, 95%CI 9.00–16.25), and natural cause mortality (males, RR=2.11, 95%CI 1.88–2.38; females, RR=2.14, 95%CI 1.93–2.38). No statistically significant differences in sex-dependent mortality risk emerged. There was an age-group-dependent increased mortality risk in females < 40 years vs. >/=40 years old (RR=4.23/2.17), and significantly higher risk of death due to neurological disorders (dementia) in males vs. females (RR=5.19/2.40). Increased mortality risks were often associated with specific modifiable risk factors. The increased mortality risk did not improve over time, calling for more studies to identify modifiable factors, and for better physical healthcare for males and females with schizophrenia.

Background Clinical experience during trans-patch ventricular ablations shows difficult lesion formation when using standard RF ablation technology. The aim of this exploratory study is to test if ultralow temperature cryoblation (ULTC) technology could be suitable for trans-patch ventricular ablations. Materials and Methods Ex vivo ablations were performed on 16 porcine tenderloin specimens of 5 × 7 × 3 cm, eight with and eight without pericardial patch (Supple Peri-Guard Repair Patch, Baxter, USA). RF energy was applied for 1 min, with a power of 40W. ULTC was applied as a 2 × 2 min freeze. Temperature was measured using an array of thermocouples ranging between 0.5 and 13.1 mm below the tissue surface. Results For RF, the maximum temperatures without and with patch respectively reached 58.9 °C and 48.5 °C. The thermocouple closest to the tissue surface displayed a 41% temperature range drop when RF energy was applied trans-patch, whereas the same thermocouple showed a 16% and 13% drop for the first and second ULTC freeze cycle when ULTC was applied trans-patch. The 45 °C isotherm depth was reduced by 55% for RF ablations, whereas the − 25 °C isotherm depth was reduced by 23% and 19% for the first and second freeze cycles, respectively. Conclusion Both energy modalities show reduced efficacy for trans-patch ablations when considering absolute temperature differences and estimated lesion depths. However, when considering relative differences, ULTC is more effective than RF for trans-patch lesions. Additionally, ULTC did not show visible damage to either the patch or the ex vivo specimen, while RF resulted in visible damage to both the tissue and patch.

This work considers Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) of a Toeplitz structured covariance matrix. In this regard, an equivalent reformulation of the MLE problem is introduced, and two iterative algorithms are proposed for the optimization of the equivalent statistical learning framework. Both strategies are based on the Majorization Minimization (MM) paradigm and hence enjoy nice properties such as monotonicity and ensured convergence to a stationary point of the equivalent MLE problem. The proposed framework is also extended to deal with MLE of other practically relevant covariance structures, namely, the banded Toeplitz, block Toeplitz, and Toeplitz-block-Toeplitz. Through numerical simulations, it is shown that the new methods provide excellent performance levels in terms of both mean square estimation error (which is very close to the benchmark Cramér-Rao Bound (CRB)) and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, especially in comparison with state-of-the art strategies. Moreover, the estimation task is accomplished with a remarkable reduction in computational complexity compared with a standard approach relying on a Semidefinite Programming (SDP) solver.

The specialized language and complex concepts in physics pose significant challenges for information extraction through Natural Language Processing (NLP). Central to effective NLP applications is the text embedding model, which converts text into dense vector representations for efficient information retrieval and semantic analysis. In this work, we introduce PhysBERT, the first physics-specific text embedding model. Pre-trained on a curated corpus of 1.2 × 10⁶ arXiv physics papers and fine-tuned with supervised data, PhysBERT outperforms leading general-purpose models on physics-specific tasks, including the effectiveness in fine-tuning for specific physics subdomains.

The need for large-scale production of highly accurate simulated event samples for the extensive physics programme of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider motivates the development of new simulation techniques. Building on the recent success of deep learning algorithms, variational autoencoders and generative adversarial networks are investigated for modelling the response of the central region of the ATLAS electromagnetic calorimeter to photons of various energies. The properties of synthesised showers are compared with showers from a full detector simulation using geant4. Both variational autoencoders and generative adversarial networks are capable of quickly simulating electromagnetic showers with correct total energies and stochasticity, though the modelling of some shower shape distributions requires more refinement. This feasibility study demonstrates the potential of using such algorithms for ATLAS fast calorimeter simulation in the future and shows a possible way to complement current simulation techniques.

A significant unmet need remains for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) who fail to respond to first‐line treatment or experience an early relapse. Tinostamustine, a novel alkylating deacetylase inhibitor, inhibits tumor cell growth and slows disease progression in models of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. This was a Phase I, multicenter, open‐label, two‐stage trial investigating the safety and efficacy of tinostamustine in patients ≥ 18 years with relapsed/refractory (R/R) hematological malignancies, including HL. Stage 1 involved dose‐escalation to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of tinostamustine, optimal infusion time and recommended Phase II dose (RP2D). Stage 2 confirmed the safety and efficacy of the RP2D in expansion cohorts of selected R/R hematological malignancies. Ten patients with heavily pre‐treated HL entered dose‐escalation, with nine patients experiencing treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) considered to be related to study treatment—primarily hematological toxicities. MTD was 100 mg/m ² tinostamustine over 60 min and signals of efficacy were observed for patients with HL. In Stage 2, all 20 patients with HL experienced ≥ 1 TEAE, which were principally hematological or gastrointestinal. There were no tinostamustine‐related deaths in either stage of the study. Overall response rate in Stage 2 was 37% (2 complete responses, 5 partial responses; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 16%, 62%) and median progression‐free survival 3.8 months (95% CI: 2.2–9.4 months). Tinostamustine is a promising new therapeutic approach for the treatment of patients with R/R classical HL with limited options. This study demonstrates a predictable and manageable safety profile with signals of efficacy. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02576496

Background: Monacolin-K, the active component of red yeast rice (RYR), reduces cholesterol by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase. Following safety concerns, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommended limiting Monacolin-K intake to less than 3 mg/day due to adverse effects at higher doses. Case presentation: A study comparing Armolipid Plus® and LopiGLIK® found LopiGLIK® more effective in lowering LDL cholesterol, possibly due to slightly higher dosages of Berberine and Monacolin-K. Despite reducing Monacolin-K content to 2.99 mg following EFSA guidelines, LopiGLIK® maintained its cholesterol-lowering efficacy. Conclusions: Taken together, our results indicate that other ingredients, such as Morus alba, may contribute to LopiGLIK®'s enhanced effectiveness, challenging the notion that minor differences in Monacolin-K dosage account for the observed efficacy.