Archivio della ricerca - Fondazione Bruno Kessler
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Pardini, Genovese, Salvadori, Dianti, Lamon, Calcagno, Mezzanotte, Anselmi, Mayora. Virtual Reality in Reminiscence Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease (RETURN-VR): A Co-Design Approach.
No full textBackground and Objectives:
The application of Virtual Reality (VR) in Reminiscence Therapy (RT) is gaining increasing attention, particularly through the development of individualized virtual environments tailored to users' life histories. A critical focus of current research is the exploration of the feasibility and efficacy of VR-based telerehabilitation interventions (e.g., Mao et al., 2024). The general aim of our research project is to assess the acceptability and feasibility of a VR-based RT intervention both immediately and at 3-6 months post-intervention. The first phase of the study focuses on developing a VR application specifically designed for individuals with Parkinson's disease. As an essential first step, we will engage stakeholders with expertise in mental health care—neuropsychologists and clinical psychologists—who specialize in managing the behavioral and cognitive symptoms of patients with Parkinson’s disease. The primary aim is to evaluate whether customized VR scenarios could be useful for improving the administration of RT. Structured feedback from these stakeholders, gathered through hands-on interaction with the VR application, will guide an iterative co-design process to refine the platform before patient trials.
Methodology:
This investigation adopts a participatory research methodology, structured into the following phases: i) Identification of at least 5 stakeholders; ii) Stakeholder Engagement – Initial Meetings: Conduct introductory meetings to present the research objectives. Establish trust and open communication with stakeholders to encourage active participation; iii) Exposure to the VR Equipment and Focus Group Discussions: Evaluate participants' experiences by identifying the feasibility, benefits, and challenges associated with integrating VR technologies into standard RT interventions; iv) Iterative Feedback Loop and Synthesis of Findings: Analyze insights gathered from focus group discussions. Share preliminary findings with stakeholders to solicit further feedback and refine the study’s approach. Conduct a final session to address emerging concerns, integrate additional insights, and validate findings; v) Participatory Data Analysis and Validation: Actively involve stakeholders in analyzing the collected data to ensure the interpretations reflect real-world experiences and perspectives. Validate findings by corroborating them with stakeholder input, ensuring alignment with their practical experiences.
Results:
Preliminary results will be shared at the congress.
Discussion:
By fostering collaboration, iterative feedback, and user-centered design, this study aims to facilitate the seamless and effective adoption of digital innovations in socio-healthcare contexts. The expected outcome is a tailored VR solution to be tested in the following phases of the research project. This phase will investigate the feasibility and preliminary clinical outcomes of administering the procedure in a remote rehabilitation setting with individuals with Parkinson’s disease, supported by clinical psychologists and their caregivers.
Funding:
The current study was funded by European Union- Next Generation EU - Mission 4 -Component 2, “A multiscale integrated approach to the study of the nervous system in health and disease” (MNESYS), CUP: D93C22000930002.
References:
- Mao Q, Zhao Z, Yu L, Zhao Y, Wang H. The Effects of Virtual Reality–Based Reminiscence Therapies for Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment: Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res 2024;26:e53348 doi: 10.2196/5334
Evaluating Attribute Confusion in Fashion Text-to-Image Generation
No full textDespite the rapid advances in Text-to-Image (T2I) generation models, their evaluation remains challenging in domains like fashion, involving complex compositional generation. Recent automated T2I evaluation methods leverage pre-trained vision-language models to measure cross-modal alignment. However, our preliminary study reveals that they are still limited in assessing rich entity-attribute semantics, facing challenges in attribute confusion, i.e., when attributes are correctly depicted but associated to the wrong entities. To address this, we build on a Visual Question Answering (VQA) localization strategy targeting one single entity at a time across both visual and textual modalities. We propose a localized human evaluation protocol and introduce a novel automatic metric, Localized VQAScore (L-VQAScore), that combines visual localization with VQA probing both correct (reflection) and miss-localized (leakage) attribute generation. On a newly curated dataset featuring challenging compositional alignment scenarios, L-VQAScore outperforms state-of-the-art T2I evaluation methods in terms of correlation with human judgments, demonstrating its strength in capturing fine-grained entity-attribute associations. We believe L-VQAScore can be a reliable and scalable alternative to subjective evaluations
Toward Secure and Trustworthy Identity Management Systems: A Knowledge-base Driven Approach
No full textIdentity Management systems (IdMs) provide digital identities to billions of internet users. They are the foundation of modern information systems and key enablers of access control, security, and privacy. However, IdMs are complex socio-technical systems that require the orchestration of technical, organizational, legal, and human factors to ensure their security, privacy, and resilience. Achieving this is easier said than done, since IdM designers need to navigate the multitude of possible system designs, analyzing their trade-offs and shortcomings. In this context, the lack of a comprehensive body of knowledge on IdMs constitutes a key challenge for IdM design and analysis. We address this issue with a systematic review of the literature to build a comprehensive knowledge base that encompasses technical, organizational, and legal aspects of IdMs. The knowledge base is built on an ontology representing information systems with a focus on entities relevant for threat modeling. We propose a prototype tool that enables the exploration of the knowledge base to help IdM designers analyze their solutions and visualize possible alternative design choices. By connecting design goals and requirements to mitigations and threats, the tool provides practitioners with actionable solutions to harden the system and achieve their security and privacy goals through a threat modeling workflow. This research paper provides academia and industry with a significant contribution through an IdM Knowledge Base to support policymakers, IdM designers, and researchers in creating secure, robust, and privacy-preserving IdMs
Development and characterization of large area LGADs for space applications
No full textLow Gain Avalanche Diodes (LGADs) are silicon detectors that use the impact ionization process to achieve gain values of about O(10) and timing resolution of O(30 ps) to detect Minimum Ionizing Particles. In High Energy Physics, the state-of-the-art LGADs foreseen for timing layers feature an active thickness of 50 μm and a channel size in the order of O(1 mm2). Space-based experiments could benefit from a Time-of-Flight system composed by these sensors to distinguish between primary and secondary charged particles hits in the tracker. Scaling up the technology to match the typical channel area of the micro-strip sensors used in spaceborne experiments deteriorates the timing capabilities of the LGADs due, in first approximation, to the increased capacitance. In this study, pad sensors with thickness 50, 100, and 150 μm are investigated, featuring different gain layer profiles, designed to address variation in capacitance. Various layouts are also compared to see their impact on the time resolution. Characterization of leakage current and capacitance as a function of the bias voltage, along with Transient Current Technique, and radioactive source measurements are used to evaluate the performances of these devices. By evaluating gain, noise, and jitter, this work demonstrates the feasibility of designing 1 cm2 LGADs with a jitter as low as 80 ps. Additionally, the study examines signal propagation and uniformity, as the channel size significantly influence there characteristics and their relevance to timing resolution
Role of oxygen plasma for improved preparation of Cu/CNT Nanohybrids by RF sputtering
No full textCarbon nanotubes (CNTs) decorated with nanoparticles (NPs) have unique properties as catalyst carriers in sustainable energy technologies. This study mainly focuses on the optimal dry-preparation of nanohybrids made of copper (Cu)-coated CNTs through a clean magnetron sputtering technique. A distinct approach of oxygen (O2) plasma surface functionalization is combined with the in-situ state of the deposition stage, either in static or in piezo-vibrating mode. The corresponding impact that controls the uniform deposition, chemical composition, and material loading was investigated. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to identify the best preparation conditions that impart the maximum surface modifications for improved hydrophilicity and material loading. The vibrating mode of the deposition stage continuously tumbles the CNTs during the sputtering and achieves all-around deposition. O2 plasma has played a crucial role in grafting the surface functional groups acting as nucleation centers and attracting the sputtered Cu species with stronger interaction. The findings emphasize the advantages of O2 plasma, particularly combined with vibrating mode for tailoring the surface properties and Cu loading at 1D nanoscale. These results demonstrated the versatility of the dry-synthesis technique, allowing the controlled preparation of high-purity nanohybrid powders with a scale-up potential
World Health Organization Evidence-Based Self-Help Plus Intervention for Stress Management via Chatbot: Protocol for Adaptation to a Tech-Enabled Model
No full textBackground: This paper describes the adaptation of an evidence-based intervention for mental health, Self-Help Plus (SH+), to a digital platform, aiming to expand mental health support through innovative technological solutions. The SH+ intervention, designed by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a low-intensity, self-guided program aimed at improving mental well-being. The intervention has been integrated into a chatbot-driven mobile app called "ALBA" (Automated Well-Being Assistant). Objective: This protocol describes the stages of transition (porting) from a traditional face-to-face, group-based approach to a tech-enabled model, tailored specifically for women with breast cancer and pregnant women. The adaptation of this approach is described, focusing on 2 key aspects: (1) the shift from in-person delivery to a tech-enabled intervention and (2) the customization of the intervention to address the unique needs of the selected target groups. Methods: The development of the ALBA app involved a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach combining expertise in psychology, eHealth IT, interaction design, and specific domain knowledge related to pregnancy and oncology. The development process followed 2 primary methodologies: user-centered design and service design. These approaches emphasize understanding user needs, promoting iterative improvements, and continuously incorporating user feedback. The development followed the Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trials (ORBIT) model, which involves a cycle of literature review, stakeholder consultation, content development, software development, and evaluation. At the same time, specific attention was dedicated to (1) adapting the SH+ protocol to suit the chatbot-driven ALBA platform, (2) tailoring content to the target population, and (3) incorporating interactive features to improve engagement and potential efficacy. Results: The manuscript outlines the key steps and processes involved in adapting the SH+ intervention into the ALBA digital platform. This includes an overview of the challenges and opportunities of translating a face-to-face, group-based intervention into a tech-enabled model and provides insight into how customization for specific populations, such as women with breast cancer and pregnant women, was integrated into the design of the platform. This is in view of informing future studies on the development and adaptation of already validated protocols into mobile health (mHealth) interventions in the field of mental health and mental well-being. Conclusions: The digital adaptation of the SH+ intervention into the ALBA platform could represent a significant step forward in expanding the accessibility and personalization of mental health interventions in potentially different settings and target groups. The use of virtual coaching applications can play a central role in improving the availability and ease of access of psychological support, even in different and mHealth formats. Future developments could include further testing in real-world settings to expand (1) adaptations for various target groups and (2) the purpose of use to range from primary prevention to more clinically focused interventions. International registered report identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/69644
L’anima umanistica dell’intelligenza artificiale. Tra immaginazione creativa e soggettività simulata
No full textLa millenaria storia dell’immaginazione e la graduale scoperta dell’interiorità, anche attraverso il rapporto con il sacro, hanno svolto un ruolo fondamentale nell’ideazione dell'intelligenza artificiale intesa come forma di soggettività simulata. D’altra parte, il suo assemblamento concreto affonda le proprie radici nell’antica sinergia tra intelletto, sensorialità e manualità che caratterizza l’ingegno artistico-tecnologico umano. Programmare l’AI valorizzando la creatività nascosta del linguaggio matematico può inoltre aiutarci a conferire maggiore trasparenza al nostro vissuto umano e ad articolare riflessioni profonde sull’unicità della nostra natura rafforzandone la consapevolezza.
Infine, la realizzazione di un avatar digitale del poeta latino Virgilio offre un valido spunto per una comparazione tra l’ideale di immortalità attraverso la poesia e la controversa aspirazione all’eternità con l’aiuto della tecnologia
Photoactivation of Color Centers Induced by CW Laser Irradiation in Ion-Implanted Diamond
No full textSplit-vacancy color centers in diamonds are promising solid-state platforms for the implementation of photonic quantum technologies. These luminescent defects are commonly fabricated upon low-energy ion implantation and subsequent thermal annealing. Their technological uptake will require the availability of reliable methods for the controlled, large-scale production of localized individual photon emitters. This task is partially achieved by controlled ion implantation to introduce selected impurities in the host material and requires the development of challenging beam focusing or collimation procedures coupled with single-ion detection techniques. We report on the protocol for the direct optical activation of split-vacancy color centers in diamond via localized processing with a continuous-wave laser at mW optical powers. We demonstrate the activation of photoluminescent Mg- and Sn-related centers at both the ensemble and single-photon emitter levels in ion-implanted, high-purity diamond crystals without further thermal processing. The proposed lithographic method enables the activation of individual color centers at specific positions of a large-area sample by means of a relatively inexpensive equipment offering real-time, in situ monitoring of the process
Findings of the IWSLT 2025 Evaluation Campaign
No full textThis paper presents the outcomes of the shared tasks conducted at the 22nd International Workshop on Spoken Language Translation (IWSLT). The workshop addressed seven critical challenges in spoken language translation: simultaneous and offline translation, automatic subtitling and dubbing, model compression, speech-to-speech translation, dialect and low-resource speech translation, and Indic languages. The shared tasks garnered significant participation, with 32 teams submitting their runs. The field’s growing importance is reflected in the increasing diversity of shared task organizers and contributors to this overview paper, representing a balanced mix of industrial and academic institutions. This broad participation demonstrates the rising prominence of spoken language translation in both research and practical applications
