IRIS Università degli Studi dell'Aquila
Not a member yet
68355 research outputs found
Sort by
Cascading multi-agent anomaly detection in surveillance systems via vision-language models and embedding-based classification
No full textIntelligent anomaly detection in dynamic visual environments requires reconciling real-time performance with semantic interpretability. Conventional approaches address only fragments of this challenge. Reconstruction-based models capture low-level deviations without contextual reasoning, object detectors provide speed but limited semantics, and large vision-language systems deliver interpretability at prohibitive computational cost. This work introduces a cascading multi-agent framework that unifies these complementary paradigms into a coherent and interpretable architecture. Early modules perform reconstruction-gated filtering and object-level assessment, while higher-level reasoning agents are selectively invoked to interpret semantically ambiguous events. The system employs adaptive escalation thresholds and a publish-subscribe communication backbone, enabling asynchronous coordination and scalable deployment across heterogeneous hardware. Extensive evaluation on large-scale monitoring data demonstrates that the proposed cascade achieves a threefold reduction in latency compared to direct vision-language inference, while maintaining high perceptual fidelity (PSNR = 38.3 dB, SSIM = 0.965) and consistent semantic labeling. The framework advances beyond conventional detection pipelines by combining early-exit efficiency, adaptive multi-agent reasoning, and explainable anomaly attribution, establishing a reproducible and energy-efficient foundation for scalable intelligent visual monitoring
EFFECTS OF A 6-WEEK ONLINE ADAPTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM ON PHYSICAL FITNESS, SLEEP QUALITY AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS IN ADULTS WITH FIBROMYALGIA
No full textPurpose: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic syndrome characterized by
widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances and
reduced physical function. Adapted physical activity (APA) has
emerged as an effective non-pharmacological intervention to manage FM symptoms. Online, home-based delivery of APA could improve accessibility and adherence, yet limited evidence is available
regarding its medium-term effects.This study aimed to evaluate the
effects of a 6-week online APA program on cardiorespiratory fitness
(CRF), sleep quality and physical activity (PA) levels in adults diagnosed with FM.
Methods: Nine participants (age = 49.7 ± 7.6 years) voluntarily
enrolled in a 6-week APA intervention, consisting of two supervised
online circuit training sessions per week. Each 60-min session
included a 10-min warm-up, a functional circuit training comprising 8 stations, with a 1:1 work-rest ratio (30 s) repeated for 3 rounds, and a 10-min cool-down phase. Physical fitness assessments included the 2-Minute Step test (2MST) to evaluate cardiorespiratory fitness, the 30-s chair stand test and arm curl test to measure lower and upper body strength, chair sit-and-reach and back scratch test to assess lower and upper body mobility, and the 8-foot up-and-go test to evaluate agility and dynamic balance. Sleep quality was measured through the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), while physical activity levels were self-reported via the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Assessments were conducted at baseline (T0) and post-intervention (T1).
Results: Statistically significant improvements were observed in
CRF, as measured by the 2MST (p = 0.04), and in sleep quality, with
a reduction in PSQI scores (p = 0.03). A trend toward increased self
reported physical activity levels was noted in the IPAQ-SF scores
(p = 0.06).
Conclusions: A 6-week home-based APA program represents a
feasible and effective approach to enhance cardiorespiratory fitness
and sleep quality in adults with FM, with promising indications for
increasing PA levels. These preliminary results support the integra
tion of structured, remotely supervised APA into FM management
strategie
Adaptive spread of a sexually selected syndrome eliminates an ancient color polymorphism in wall lizards
No full textGenetically determined color morphs are found in many animals. Polymorphism can be maintained by social selection if competitive interactions allow each morph to increase in frequency when rare. This reliance on negative frequency-dependent selection should make color polymorphism vulnerable to the appearance of novel phenotypes that disrupt competitive interactions among morphs. We show that the origin and adaptive spread of a sexually selected syndrome in common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) selectively eliminates alleles coding for alternative color morphs that have been maintained for millions of years. The results demonstrate how the arrival of a novel phenotype can disrupt balancing selection, providing a link between rapid phenotypic evolution and the loss of color polymorphisms
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS, AND OPTIMISM IN EARLY VS LATE POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN
No full textPurpose: Numerous studies highlight the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and being physically active to improve quality of life and reduce the risk of developing chronic non-communicable dis
eases. These precautions are particularly crucial for menopausal
women, as the reduction in estrogen levels can lead to increased body fat, stress, and depression. These changes often result in feelings of inadequacy and a reduced desire to exercise and care for oneself. This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the differences in physical activity (PA), body composition, climacteric symptoms, and optimism between women in early and late postmenopause.
Methods: The sample included 20 women, divided into early post
menopause (EP; n = 10) and late postmenopause (LP; n = 10)1. All
women wore the accelerometers Actigraph GT3X ? 4 consecutive
days to monitor their levels of PA (sedentary, light PA, moderate
vigorous PA and steps/day). The cut-off points proposed by Kamada
et al. 2 were considered and physical activity was classified according to WHO 3 guidelines. Body mass index was calculated, and the
presence of obesity was considered for values C 35% 4. Climacteric
symptoms were evaluated using the Greene Climacteric Scale 5, and
the Revised Life Orientation Test 6 was used to assess optimism. Data
were summarized using descriptive statistics, and analysis was con
ducted using either the Student’s t-test or the Mann–Whitney test.
Significance was accepted as p B 0.05.
Results: The majority of the sample had a natural menopause (95%)
and didnt report using hormone therapy (85%). Differences in age
(p = 0.01) were identified between the two groups under analysis
(55.80 ± 4.84 years in EP and 62.32 ± 5.28 years in LP), and obe
sity was identified in 9 participants.
Most of the sample was physically active (90%), but 75% of them
took fewer than 10,000 steps per day. The average Greene Climac
teric Scale score was 0.96 points (± 0.57), with significant differences (p = 0.05) observed only between the two groups in relation to vasomotor symptoms. Women in LP presented less
sedentary behaviour (3833.30 min/week in LP and 4125.00 min/week
in EP; p = 0.05) and a higher number of daily steps (9769.30 and
7733.00, respectively).
Conclusions: The findings suggest that women who have been
menopausal for more than 6 years experience higher levels of vaso
motor symptoms compared to those in early perimenopause (EP).
Conversely, these women exhibit less sedentary behavior and take
more steps per day
Nonsmooth Techniques for Computing Projected Solutions of Quasiequilibria via Gap Functions
No full textProjected solutions to a quasiequilibrium problem allow overcoming the possible lack of solutions when the constraining set-valued map is not a self-map. This paper aims at providing a descent algorithm for computing projected solutions by relying on a reformulation of the problem as a nonsmooth optimization problem. The nonsmoothness of the gap function can be dealt with successfully through the nonexpansiveness of the projection and tools such as Clarke subdifferentials. Nonetheless, some additional difficulties arise since the projection brings in nonsmoothness also in constraints that are provided by differentiable bifunctions. Monotonicity assumptions on the constraints have to cope with this further issue both to devise the algorithm and prove its convergence. Preliminary numerical tests show a promising behaviour of the algorithm
Refined uniqueness results for 2D Euler and gSQG with rough Kraichnan noise
No full textWe prove strong well-posedness results for the stochastic 2D Euler equations in vorticity form and generalized SQG equations, with initial data and driven by a spatially rough, incompressible transport noise of Kraichnan type. Previous works addressed this problem with noise of spatial regularity , in a setting where a rougher noise yields a stronger regularization. We remove this limitation by allowing any , covering the same range of parameters for which anomalous regularization effects are known to occur in passive scalars. In particular, this covers the physically relevant case , associated with the Richardson-Kolmogorov scaling of energy cascade
THE EFFECT OF WHOLE-BODY VIBRATION ON STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS
No full textWhere is European Research on Inclusive Education Heading? An Analysis of European Conference of Educational Research Abstracts Over the Past Twenty Years
No full textAs a multifaceted and dynamic field, inclusive education is progressively evolving from its original emphasis on ensuring educational access and rights for students with disabilities and special educational needs towards fostering a comprehensive culture of inclusion, participation, and empowerment for all learners. This evolution has encompassed a significant broadening of conceptualisations of inclusion to address diverse identities, intersecting forms of marginalisation, and systemic inequalities, redefining inclusion as a matter of educational provision but also of social justice and structural transformation. Inclusive education today entails critical engagement around equity, participation, and recognition, reflecting shifting societal expectations and the need for more responsive and context-sensitive education systems. Furthermore, the field has increasingly emphasised the co-construction of knowledge with marginalised communities, the necessity of transformative policy engagement, and the recognition of intersectional oppressions that influence educational access and experience. In exploring these transformative shifts, this chapter adopts and juxtaposes two complementary empirical approaches: (1) a qualitative inquiry based on video interviews with key members of the European Conference of Educational Research’s Network 04, and (2) a large-scale quantitative analysis of ECER research trends using computational topic modelling. The first, rooted in narrative and interpretive methodologies, foregrounds the lived experiences, personal trajectories, and affective investments of scholars within the Network. The second, drawing on techniques from science studies and digital humanities, systematically maps the evolution of research themes through statistical analysis of conference abstracts spanning over two decades. This dual-method framework enables an in-depth, phenomenological understanding of academic life within the network and a broader, data-driven perspective on the structural evolution of inclusive education research. By aligning these approaches, the chapter seeks to illuminate both the continuities and tensions between subjective academic experience and the emergent patterns revealed by computational modelling. Moreover, situating the analysis within the wider context of science studies, the chapter recognises inclusive education as both a pedagogical project and a dynamic knowledge field shaped by diverse epistemic practices, disciplinary boundaries, and technological mediations. It draws on conceptual tools from the sociology of science to interrogate how inclusive education is produced, legitimised, and contested through the interplay of communities, infrastructures, and knowledge technologies, thereby foregrounding questions around the production of academic authority, the role of conferences as knowledge hubs, and the ways in which research topics and disciplinary boundaries are assembled and reconfigured over time.2 WHERE IS EUROPEAN RESEARCH ON INCLUSIVE ... 15 The European Conference of Educational Research (ECER) interlinks different national and cultural research traditions with widely varied disciplinary understandings and theoretical and methodological approaches (Keiner, 2010). European Educational Research Association (EERA) networks aim to provide a forum for this diversity and create a European research space with a culturally specific intellectual and social practice among educational researchers (Figueiredo et al., 2014; Lawn , 2002). This chapter explores transformative shifts within the European context; specifically, the role of EERA’s Network 04 Inclusive Education which. Over the past three decades, has reflected broader developments in the field and functioned as an engine for innovation, advocacy, and intellectual exchange. Network 04 has contributed to shaping the research agenda around inclusive education in Europe and beyond, providing a consistent forum for critical engagement with national and international policy, curricular practices, inclusive teacher education, and epistemological reflections on the nature and purpose of inclusion. The chapter is thus constructed through the articulation of these two empirical strategies. The first draws on interviews with a wide array of network participants—founding members, long-standing contributors, current convenors, and emerging scholars, whose voices collectively provide a textured, polyphonic account of Network 04’s evolution. These testimonies are both personal narratives and social artifacts that are indicative of the affective economies underpinning knowledge production around in/exclusion. The second approach utilizes the analysis app EduTopics: ECER, which leverages advances in computational social science to extract, cluster, and visualise research topics from a vast database of ECER conference abstracts. By applying topic modelling algorithms to this dataset, the analysis reveals latent thematic shifts, patterns of collaboration, and emerging research frontiers within the network and the wider field of inclusive education. Throughout the chapter, the structure and presentation of findings from both approaches are carefully aligned: each empirical section addresses comparable analytical questions such as the evolution of thematic priorities and negotiation of epistemic boundaries, enabling a dialogic interplay between qualitative depth and quantitative breadth. Recent research undertaken by the network’s convenors (Rix Inclusive Research, 2025a–d) informs the chapter. Drawing on video interviews with founding members, long-standing contributors, current convenors, and emerging scholars, the initiative assembled a polyphonic account16 F. DOVIGO ET AL. of Network 04’s evolution, illuminating how the network has both responded to and helped reconfigure the field of inclusive education. These testimonies shed light on the tangible transformations brought about by the network in terms of capacity building, research priorities, and institutional critique. Simultaneously, the EduTopics: ECER analysis app represents a paradigmatic instance of how contemporary science studies rely increasingly on digital infrastructures and algorithmic tools to render academic fields visible, traceable, and analyzable at scale. The use of machine learning-based topic modelling expands the empirical reach of the chapter but also invites critical reflection on the affordances and limitations of computational methods in education research. Accordingly, the chapter adopts a reflexive stance on the epistemological consequences of combining human and machine reading, qualitative and quantitative inference, and the co-construction of meaning across methodological divides
RobEthiChor: Automated Context-aware Ethics-based Negotiation for Autonomous Robots
No full textThe presence of autonomous systems is growing at a fast pace and it is impacting many aspects of our lives. Designed to learn and act independently, these systems operate and perform decision-making without human intervention. However, they lack the ability to incorporate users’ ethical preferences, which are unique for each individual in society and are required to personalize the decision-making processes. This reduces user trust and prevents autonomous systems from behaving according to the moral beliefs of their end-users. When multiple systems interact with differing ethical preferences, they must negotiate to reach an agreement that satisfies the ethical beliefs of all the parties involved and adjust their behavior consequently. To address this challenge, this paper proposes RobEthiChor, an approach that enables autonomous systems to incorporate user ethical preferences and contextual factors into their decision-making through ethics-based negotiation. RobEthiChor features a domain-agnostic reference architecture for designing autonomous systems capable of ethic-based negotiating. The paper also presents RobEthiChor-Ros, an implementation of RobEthiChor within the Robot Operating System (ROS), which can be deployed on robots to provide them with ethics-based negotiation capabilities. To evaluate our approach, we deployed RobEthiChor-Ros on real robots and ran scenarios where a pair of robots negotiate upon resource contention. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the system in realizing ethics-based negotiation. RobEthiChor allowed robots to reach an agreement in more than 73% of the scenarios with an acceptable negotiation time (0.67s on average). Experiments also demonstrate that the negotiation approach implemented in RobEthiChor is scalable
