https://hdl.handle.net/10807/1 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:04:17 GMT 2026-04-21T19:04:17Z https://hdl.handle.net/10807/334168 Titolo: Balancing the carbon budget in maize using hairy vetch and black oat cover crops Autori: Ben Hassine M.; Radicetti E.; Ardenti F.; Ferretti G.; Fiorini A.; Borgatti D. Abstract: A two-year field experiment (2022-2024) was conducted in Ferrara (Italy) to evaluate the carbon (C) budget and agronomic performance of silage maize (Zea mays L.) cultivated following CCs under conservation agriculture. Three CCs [hairy vetch (HV), black oat (BO), and their 1:1 mixture (HV + BO)] were compared with a conventional maize (Conv). All CCs were terminated with a roller-crimper and maize was sown under no-till and unfertilized, while in Conv maize was sown in conventional tillage and received N fertilization. HV + BO mixture achieved the highest CC biomass (7.0 t DM m(-)2) and C input (2.80 t C ha(-)1), combining high biomass production with intermediate C:N ratio. Maize biomass was highest under Conv, followed by HV, HV + BO, while BO showed the lowest biomass values (18.1, 15.7, 14.4 and 10.8 t DM ha(-)1, respectively), mainly due to reduced soil N availability. Soil CO2 emissions peaked between 30 and 60 days after sowing and were influenced by soil temperature and moisture. HV and HV+BO exhibited higher cumulative CO2 fluxes than BO and Conv. The CO2 emission-to-yield ratio was low under Conv (0.82) similar to HV (0.91). The HV+BO mixture improved the input/output C ratio (0.297), suggesting a favorable balance between carbon inputs and outputs. CCs enhanced soil water retention and reduced soil compaction, particularly in HV plots. Integration of HV, either alone or in mixture with BO, under conservation agriculture emerged as a viable strategy to optimize C dynamics and enhance soil health for sustainable intensification of agroecosystems. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10807/334168 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10807/334167 Titolo: First-person perspective gesture observation in virtual reality: A novel approach for anomia rehabilitation in post-stroke aphasia Autori: Cancer A.; Maietti A.; Caldana M.; Repetto C. Abstract: According to the embodied cognition framework, language is closely linked to the motor system and rehabilitation programs should stimulate language processing through the activation of motor and perceptual systems. In this study, we present an innovative training program based on the embodied cognition framework, using immersive technology to stimulate the perceptual-motor system through gesture observation from a first-person perspective. Post-stroke aphasic patients, in the post-acute phase and presenting with naming deficits, were assigned to one of two training conditions. The experimental group (EG) viewed videos of everyday gestures (i.e., pouring water, cutting carrots) from a first-person perspective, enhancing motor resonance, while the active control group (AC) viewed the same gestures from a third-person perspective. During video playback, the action was named by a female voice and the patient had to repeat it after video completion. The training was administered three times per week for four weeks. Naming abilities, along with other language and quality of life measures, were assessed pre-and post-intervention. Bayesian analysis of the primary outcome-percentage of rehabilitated items-yielded a Bayes factor BF+0 = 2.86, providing anecdotal-to-moderate evidence in favour of the first-person perspective group. The EG showed a higher mean percentage of rehabilitated items (M = 85.5%, SD = 22.5%) compared to the AC group (M = 50.5%, SD = 33.4%). No between-group differences were observed for broader language or quality-of-life measures. These preliminary, hypothesis-generating findings suggest greater efficacy of immersive, embodied gesture observation in promoting word retrieval recovery, and warrant replication in larger, adequately powered studies. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10807/334167 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10807/334166 Titolo: Extended Creativity: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Human-AI Creative Relations Autori: Andrea Gaggioli; Sabrina Bartolotta; Andrea Ubaldi; Katusha Gerardini; Eleonora Diletta Sarcinella; Alice Chirico Abstract: Artificial Intelligence holds significant potential to enhance human creativity. However, achieving this vision requires a clearer understanding of how such enhancement can be effectively realized. Drawing on a relational and distributed cognition perspective, we identify three fundamental modes by which AI can support and shape creative processes: Support, where AI acts as a tool; Synergy, where AI and humans collaborate in complementary ways; and Symbiosis, where human and AI cognition become so integrated that they form a unified creative system. These modes are defined along two key dimensions: the level of technical autonomy exhibited by the AI system (i.e., its ability to operate independently and make decisions without human intervention), and the degree of perceived agency attributed to it (i.e., the extent to which the AI is experienced as an intentional or creative partner). We examine how each configuration influences different levels of creativity—from everyday problem-solving to paradigm-shifting innovation—and discuss the implications for ethics, research, and the design of future human-AI creative systems. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10807/334166 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10807/334165 Titolo: Real-time Emotion Regulation in Virtual Reality: An Adaptive Experience using Breathing Biofeedback Autori: Lima, Rodrigo; Chirico, Alice; Gaggioli, Andrea; Gamboa, Hugo; Badia, Sergi Bermúdez i Abstract: Virtual reality has increasingly been integrated with biofeedback systems for treating affective states such as depression and anxiety. The implementation of stress exposure therapies that adapt in real- time to individuals’ physiological signals improves patients’ ability to deal with real life stressors. This work evaluates the effect of a real-time adaptive closed-loop system using breathing rate as a biofeed- back visual cue in an immersive, nature-based restorative virtual environment. Participants were divided into two groups and exposed to a baseline condition and different stressors: two Stroop Color- Word tests and a restorative virtual reality exploration task in the Virtual Levada. Their physiological signals (electrocardiography, electrodermal activity, and respiration) were recorded and subjective stress levels were annotated . The adaptive group received biofeedback based on their breathing rate, using the field of view as a representation of their stress levels, which was adapted using rule-based changes. Results revealed significant differences in physiological responses across experimental condi- tions. Specifically, the adaptive biofeedback group reported lower levels of stress during the immersive virtual reality task compared to the Stroop tests, highlighting the restorative effect of the Virtual Levada. These findings suggest that real-time adaptive biofeedback systems, when integrated with restorative elements, enhances users’ ability to regulate their stress responses Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10807/334165 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z