Archivio della ricerca della Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna
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The Wizard Apprentice: A Serious Games System in Immersive VR as a Feasible Rehabilitation Approach in Children With Cerebral Palsy
No full textVirtual reality offers the opportunity to engage the participant in challenging rehabilitation exercises, proposed in the shape of serious games. Modern VR technologies can further enhance usability, allowing the participant to seamlessly interact with VR environment with bare hands, without need of external tracking systems and complex setups. In children neurorheabilitation engagement can promote motivation and attention to the exercise, two key elements for effectiveness of the rehabilitation process. In this work we developed a rehabilitation system composed of three serious games in immersive VR, with motor exercises targeting the upper limb and trunk in children with Cerebral Palsy. The participant plays in the role of a wizard apprentice, called to cast spells, to prepare potions and to ride a magic eagle. These game scenarios involve coordinated motor functions related to trajectory tracking, pick-and-place with prono-supination, and trunk balance. The presented pilot study (12 CP children, 24 sessions), focuses on the feasibility assessment of the rehabilitation method, then, it allows a more in depth analysis on the adaptation and progress of the exercise parameters through data recorded during the whole treatment. The study shows that immersive VR games are a feasible approach in rehabilitation procedures, with positive results regarding acceptability, retention, adherence to the planned exercises and absence of adverse effects in the long-term use. They also show promising results in improvements of motor functions, although a direct comparison with a control group was not included in the study
A Silicon Photonic 32-Input Coherent Combiner for Turbulence Mitigation in Free Space Optics Links
No full textFree space optical links promise high data rates for future wireless communications systems, but performance is degraded by turbulence, limiting the potential use cases. A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) for turbulence mitigation is reported and characterized, which coherently combines 32 input optical signals into a single output fiber. The PIC was fabricated using a low-loss, and high integration density, thick silicon-on-insulator (SOI) process and packaged with 32 input fibers and 1 output fiber. The basic building block is a 2 x 2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) with an external (to the MZI branches) and an internal thermal phase shifter, and a bandwidth in excess of 80 kHz. The PIC monolithically integrates 31 MZIs and 31 germanium photodetectors and is suitable in principle for turbulence mitigation in LEO-ground and horizontal free space optics links. Improvements to the device for the coherent combination of 64 inputs and for the reduction of insertion losses are also discussed
Early detection of cardiac amyloidosis in patients with multiple myeloma by echocardiography: Is it suitable?
No full textG. Comandé - D. Amram, Natura e funzioni della responsabilità civile dell’esercente la professione sanitaria e della struttura sanitaria, in A. Oliva - M. Caputo (a cura di), Itinerari di medicina legale e delle responsabilità in campo sanitario, Giappichelli, Torino 2025, p. 585-605
No full textPiezoelectric Chitosan Microporous Scaffolds for Ultrasound-Driven Schwann Cell Migration and Enhanced Neurotrophins Production
No full text: Peripheral nerve injuries often result in nerve damage that significantly compromises functional recovery. Current treatments have substantial limitations. Engineered nerve guidance conduits emerge as a promising alternative, but their efficacy is limited when bridging large gap injuries. Schwann cells, which are essential for nerve regeneration, require a supportive microenvironment to maintain their regenerative function. Recent advances in tissue engineering focus on combining functional biomaterials and external stimuli, such as electrical stimulation, to achieve nerve guidance conduits that enhance regeneration. This study presents a piezoelectric chitosan scaffold loaded with barium titanate nanoparticles, designed for wireless electrical stimulation of Schwann cells through low-intensity pulsed ultrasound. The scaffold is engineered with an anisotropic pore microstructure to provide biomimicry. Morphological and mechanical characterization confirms that the scaffold exhibits structural properties similar to those of native neural tissue. Using a highly controlled in vitro ultrasound system, we optimize stimulation parameters to maximize cell migration and evaluate neurotrophic factor production. Gene expression analyses reveal the upregulation of cell motility and regeneration pathways. These findings demonstrate that ultrasound-activated chitosan scaffolds hold significant potential as a noninvasive tool for improving nerve regeneration, offering a comprehensive in vitro analysis to facilitate future preclinical and clinical translation
L’approccio strategico alla catena di fornitura: il caso ERG S.p.A.
No full textLa gestione della catena di fornitura è un tema centrale nel contesto attuale, che spinge le imprese a monitorare e valutare i propri fornitori. Oggi, l'integrazione di criteri di sostenibilità nella supply chain non è più un'opzione, ma una necessità.
Il caso analizza l’esperienza di ERG S.p.A., azienda che ha fatto della gestione sostenibile della catena di fornitura un elemento di governance, prima che ambientale e sociale. Il raggiungimento dei suoi obiettivi ESG al 2040 passa necessariamente dalla transizione verso un modello sostenibile di tutti i suoi fornitori, nonché dal loro coinvolgimento
Positive response to inoculation with indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as modulated by barley genotype
No full textClinical phenotype and prognosis of real-world patients with wild-type transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy treated with tafamidis
No full textEffects of Glyoxylic Acid on Metabolism and Ripening of ‘Rocha’ Pears Treated with 1-MCP
No full textThe application of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) is widely used to extend the storage life of climacteric fruits, such as ‘Rocha’ pears. However, the suppression of ethylene’s action by 1-MCP often results in excessive ripening delay, compromising fruit quality and consumer acceptance. In this study, we investigated the potential of glyoxylic acid (GLA) to counteract the effects of 1-MCP and promote ripening. To evaluate this, ‘Rocha’ pears treated with 1-MCP were exposed to 3% (m/v) GLA and stored at 20 ± 2 °C for 15 days. Typical ripening indicators, such as firmness, skin color, ethylene production, respiration rate, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sugars, and the activity of ethylene biosynthetic enzymes, were measured. Our results indicate that GLA did not induce significant effects on the ripening response, as ethylene production remained comparable to that of the control. Consequently, no significant changes in firmness, skin yellowing, or sugar content were observed in the GLA-treated pears. However, GLA significantly increased respiration rates (approximately 57%) and induced higher emissions of stress-associated VOCs, including hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, and ethanol. This suggests that GLA may influence metabolic pathways related to energy metabolism and redox homeostasis without necessarily triggering ethylene-induced ripening. This study provides new insights into the interactions between GLA, 1-MCP, and fruit development, contributing to the development of alternative strategies to manage the effects of 1-MCP in ‘Rocha’ pear storage
