2023
Gómez-Cambronero, Águeda
"Horizon: Resilience": A Smartphone-based Serious Game Intervention for Depressive Symptoms PhD Thesis
Universitat Jaume I. INIT, 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: mental health, Mobile apps, mobile computing, serious games, symptoms
@phdthesis{GomezCambronero2023b,
title = {"Horizon: Resilience": A Smartphone-based Serious Game Intervention for Depressive Symptoms},
author = {Águeda Gómez-Cambronero},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10803/689528},
doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.6035/14101.2023.544418},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-12-11},
school = {Universitat Jaume I. INIT},
abstract = {Depression is the most prevalent mental issue in our society, leading to disability and suicide deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the need for depression treatment and prevention. While effective, evidence-based psychological treatments for depression exists, only a small percentage of those in need actually receive them. Technology, particularly smartphone-based interventions, can help maximize the reach of these treatments while ensuring their effectiveness, although it comes with challenges, such as high dropout rates. Despite the potential
of this therapy, this is a field that requires considerably more research to fully explore the benefits that smartphones have to offer. Specifically, serious games, designed with a purpose beyond entertainment, have emerged as a promising treatment tool, leveraging advance smartphone capabilities, aligning with psychological treatment principles, and enhancing user engagement.
This dissertation introduces “Horizon: Resilience”, a smartphone-based Serious Game for depressive symptoms. It is a city builder game with a decision making narrative, in which the player (patient) manages a town. The objective is to make the town progress, ensuring the steady inflow of resources and fostering the psychological resilience of its inhabitants. The game is based on the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) framework and includes Positive Psychology (PP) techniques. These psychological techniques are woven into the game’s gameplay, feedback, economy system, quests, graphics, and story. Noteworthy is the integration of promoting Physical Activity, detected using the phone’s motion sensors, as part of gameplay. The game draws on the findings of a scoping review on smartphone-based serious games in mental health, and was informed by consultations with therapists as part of a user-centered design. Therapists and patients furthermore provided a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) of the game. Their positive impressions indicate high acceptance and positive expectation regarding the use of the game as an
intervention. Lastly, a pilot randomized controlled trial protocol is outlined to assess its preliminary effectiveness-},
keywords = {mental health, Mobile apps, mobile computing, serious games, symptoms},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
Depression is the most prevalent mental issue in our society, leading to disability and suicide deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the need for depression treatment and prevention. While effective, evidence-based psychological treatments for depression exists, only a small percentage of those in need actually receive them. Technology, particularly smartphone-based interventions, can help maximize the reach of these treatments while ensuring their effectiveness, although it comes with challenges, such as high dropout rates. Despite the potential
of this therapy, this is a field that requires considerably more research to fully explore the benefits that smartphones have to offer. Specifically, serious games, designed with a purpose beyond entertainment, have emerged as a promising treatment tool, leveraging advance smartphone capabilities, aligning with psychological treatment principles, and enhancing user engagement.
This dissertation introduces “Horizon: Resilience”, a smartphone-based Serious Game for depressive symptoms. It is a city builder game with a decision making narrative, in which the player (patient) manages a town. The objective is to make the town progress, ensuring the steady inflow of resources and fostering the psychological resilience of its inhabitants. The game is based on the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) framework and includes Positive Psychology (PP) techniques. These psychological techniques are woven into the game’s gameplay, feedback, economy system, quests, graphics, and story. Noteworthy is the integration of promoting Physical Activity, detected using the phone’s motion sensors, as part of gameplay. The game draws on the findings of a scoping review on smartphone-based serious games in mental health, and was informed by consultations with therapists as part of a user-centered design. Therapists and patients furthermore provided a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) of the game. Their positive impressions indicate high acceptance and positive expectation regarding the use of the game as an
intervention. Lastly, a pilot randomized controlled trial protocol is outlined to assess its preliminary effectiveness-
of this therapy, this is a field that requires considerably more research to fully explore the benefits that smartphones have to offer. Specifically, serious games, designed with a purpose beyond entertainment, have emerged as a promising treatment tool, leveraging advance smartphone capabilities, aligning with psychological treatment principles, and enhancing user engagement.
This dissertation introduces “Horizon: Resilience”, a smartphone-based Serious Game for depressive symptoms. It is a city builder game with a decision making narrative, in which the player (patient) manages a town. The objective is to make the town progress, ensuring the steady inflow of resources and fostering the psychological resilience of its inhabitants. The game is based on the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) framework and includes Positive Psychology (PP) techniques. These psychological techniques are woven into the game’s gameplay, feedback, economy system, quests, graphics, and story. Noteworthy is the integration of promoting Physical Activity, detected using the phone’s motion sensors, as part of gameplay. The game draws on the findings of a scoping review on smartphone-based serious games in mental health, and was informed by consultations with therapists as part of a user-centered design. Therapists and patients furthermore provided a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) of the game. Their positive impressions indicate high acceptance and positive expectation regarding the use of the game as an
intervention. Lastly, a pilot randomized controlled trial protocol is outlined to assess its preliminary effectiveness-
González-Pérez, Alberto
Applying Mobile and Geospatial Technologies to Ecological Momentary Interventions PhD Thesis
Universitat Jaume I. INIT, 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: cognitive-behavioural therapy, exposure therapy, Mobile apps, mobile computing, symptoms
@phdthesis{Gonzalez-Perez2023b,
title = {Applying Mobile and Geospatial Technologies to Ecological Momentary Interventions},
author = {Alberto González-Pérez},
doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.6035/14101.2023.533823},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-09-07},
school = {Universitat Jaume I. INIT},
abstract = {Today a large percentage of the population suffers from anxiety-related problems. This anxiety can appear in day-to-day situations. An effective therapy for these problems is exposure. In it, the person is gradually exposed to what he fears. However, these therapy sessions are long and force the patient and therapist to travel to a specific place. Here, the use of a mobile application that guides the patient during the exposure sessions can be beneficial. Until now, this application did not exist, due to the complexity of its implementation. In this doctoral thesis, the necessary tools have been implemented to facilitate the implementation of this type of solution. In addition, in collaboration with psychology professionals, a mobile application has been implemented to self-guide exposure, which has been positively assessed by an external committee of experts.},
keywords = {cognitive-behavioural therapy, exposure therapy, Mobile apps, mobile computing, symptoms},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
Today a large percentage of the population suffers from anxiety-related problems. This anxiety can appear in day-to-day situations. An effective therapy for these problems is exposure. In it, the person is gradually exposed to what he fears. However, these therapy sessions are long and force the patient and therapist to travel to a specific place. Here, the use of a mobile application that guides the patient during the exposure sessions can be beneficial. Until now, this application did not exist, due to the complexity of its implementation. In this doctoral thesis, the necessary tools have been implemented to facilitate the implementation of this type of solution. In addition, in collaboration with psychology professionals, a mobile application has been implemented to self-guide exposure, which has been positively assessed by an external committee of experts.
2022
Matey-Sanz, Miguel; González-Pérez, Alberto; Casteleyn, Sven; Granell-Canut, Carlos
Instrumented Timed Up and Go Test Using Inertial Sensors from Consumer Wearable Devices Proceedings Article
In: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine. AIME 2022, pp. 144-154, Springer, Cham, 2022, ISBN: 978-3031093418.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: machine learning, Mobile apps, mobile computing, symptoms, wearables
@inproceedings{Matey2022a,
title = {Instrumented Timed Up and Go Test Using Inertial Sensors from Consumer Wearable Devices},
author = {Miguel Matey-Sanz and Alberto González-Pérez and Sven Casteleyn and Carlos Granell-Canut},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09342-5_14},
isbn = {978-3031093418},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-07-09},
booktitle = {Artificial Intelligence in Medicine. AIME 2022},
volume = {13263},
pages = {144-154},
publisher = {Springer, Cham},
series = {Lectures Notes in Artificial Intelligence},
abstract = {Precision medicine pursues the ambitious goal of providing personalized interventions targeted at individual patients. Within this vision, digital health and mental health, where fine-grained monitoring of patients form the basis for so-called ecological momentary assessments and interventions, play a central role as complementary technology-based and data-driven instruments to traditional psychological treatments. Mobile devices are hereby key enablers: consumer smartphones and wearables are ubiquitously present and used in daily life, while they come with the necessary embedded physiological, inertial and movement sensors to potentially recognise user’s activities and behaviors. In this article, we explore whether real-time detection of fine-grained activities - relevant in the context of wellbeing - is feasible, applying machine learning techniques and based on sensor data collected from a consumer smartwatch device. We present the system architecture, whereby data collection is performed in the wearable device, real-time data processing and inference is delegated to the paired smartphone, and model training is performed offline. Finally, we demonstrate its use by instrumenting the well-known Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, typically used to assess the risk of fall in elderly people. Experiments show that consumer smartwatches can be used to automate the assessment of TUG tests and obtain satisfactory results, comparable with the classical manually performed version of the test.},
keywords = {machine learning, Mobile apps, mobile computing, symptoms, wearables},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Precision medicine pursues the ambitious goal of providing personalized interventions targeted at individual patients. Within this vision, digital health and mental health, where fine-grained monitoring of patients form the basis for so-called ecological momentary assessments and interventions, play a central role as complementary technology-based and data-driven instruments to traditional psychological treatments. Mobile devices are hereby key enablers: consumer smartphones and wearables are ubiquitously present and used in daily life, while they come with the necessary embedded physiological, inertial and movement sensors to potentially recognise user’s activities and behaviors. In this article, we explore whether real-time detection of fine-grained activities - relevant in the context of wellbeing - is feasible, applying machine learning techniques and based on sensor data collected from a consumer smartwatch device. We present the system architecture, whereby data collection is performed in the wearable device, real-time data processing and inference is delegated to the paired smartphone, and model training is performed offline. Finally, we demonstrate its use by instrumenting the well-known Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, typically used to assess the risk of fall in elderly people. Experiments show that consumer smartwatches can be used to automate the assessment of TUG tests and obtain satisfactory results, comparable with the classical manually performed version of the test.
González-Pérez, Alberto; Matey-Sanz, Miguel; Granell-Canut, Carlos; Casteleyn, Sven
Using Mobile Devices as Scientific Measurements Instruments: Reliable Android Task Scheduling Journal Article
In: Pervasive and Mobile Computing, vol. 81, no. 101550, 2022, ISBN: 1574-1192.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Mobile apps, mobile computing, symptoms
@article{Gonzalez-Perez2022a,
title = {Using Mobile Devices as Scientific Measurements Instruments: Reliable Android Task Scheduling},
author = {Alberto González-Pérez and Miguel Matey-Sanz and Carlos Granell-Canut and Sven Casteleyn},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmcj.2022.101550},
isbn = {1574-1192},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-02-01},
journal = {Pervasive and Mobile Computing},
volume = {81},
number = {101550},
abstract = {In various usage scenarios, smartphones are used as measuring instruments to systematically and unobtrusively collect data measurements (e.g., sensor data, user activity, phone usage data). Unfortunately, in the race towards extending battery life and improving privacy, mobile phone manufacturers are gradually restricting developers in (frequently) scheduling background (sensing) tasks and impede the exact scheduling of their execution time (i.e., Android’s “best effort” approach). This evolution hampers successful deployment of smartphones in sensing applications in scientific contexts, with unreliable and incomplete sampling rates frequently reported in literature. In this article, we discuss the ins and outs of Android’s background tasks scheduling mechanism, and formulate guidelines for developers to successfully implement reliable task scheduling. Implementing these guidelines, we present a software library, agnostic from the underlying Android scheduling mechanisms and restrictions, that allows Android developers to reliably schedule tasks with a maximum sampling rate of one minute. Our evaluation demonstrates the use and versatility of our task scheduler, and experimentally confirms its reliability and acceptable energy usage.},
keywords = {Mobile apps, mobile computing, symptoms},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In various usage scenarios, smartphones are used as measuring instruments to systematically and unobtrusively collect data measurements (e.g., sensor data, user activity, phone usage data). Unfortunately, in the race towards extending battery life and improving privacy, mobile phone manufacturers are gradually restricting developers in (frequently) scheduling background (sensing) tasks and impede the exact scheduling of their execution time (i.e., Android’s “best effort” approach). This evolution hampers successful deployment of smartphones in sensing applications in scientific contexts, with unreliable and incomplete sampling rates frequently reported in literature. In this article, we discuss the ins and outs of Android’s background tasks scheduling mechanism, and formulate guidelines for developers to successfully implement reliable task scheduling. Implementing these guidelines, we present a software library, agnostic from the underlying Android scheduling mechanisms and restrictions, that allows Android developers to reliably schedule tasks with a maximum sampling rate of one minute. Our evaluation demonstrates the use and versatility of our task scheduler, and experimentally confirms its reliability and acceptable energy usage.
2016
Van-Woensel, William; Casteleyn, Sven
A mobile query service for integrated access to large numbers of online semantic web data sources Journal Article
In: Journal of Web Semantics, vol. 36, pp. 58-76, 2016, ISSN: 1570-8268, (IF:).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Cache replacement, Data caching, Data indexing, Data integration, mobile computing
@article{VanWoensel2016,
title = {A mobile query service for integrated access to large numbers of online semantic web data sources},
author = { William Van-Woensel and Sven Casteleyn},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10234/159488},
doi = {10.1016/j.websem.2015.10.002},
issn = {1570-8268},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Web Semantics},
volume = {36},
pages = {58-76},
publisher = {Elsevier B.V.},
abstract = {From the Semantic Web's inception, a number of concurrent initiatives have given rise to multiple segments: large semantic datasets, exposed by query endpoints; online Semantic Web documents, in the form of RDF files; and semantically annotated web content (e.g., using RDFa), semantic sources in their own right. In various mobile application scenarios, online semantic data has proven to be useful. While query endpoints are most commonly exploited, they are mainly useful to expose large semantic datasets. Alternatively, mobile RDF stores are utilized to query local semantic data, but this requires the design-time identification and replication of relevant data. Instead, we present a mobile query service that supports on-the-fly and integrated querying of semantic data, originating from a largely unused portion of the Semantic Web, comprising online RDF files and semantics embedded in annotated webpages. To that end, our solution performs dynamic identification, retrieval and caching of query-relevant semantic data. We explore several data identification and caching alternatives, and investigate the utility of source metadata in optimizing these tasks. Further, we introduce a novel cache replacement strategy, fine-tuned to the described query dataset, and include explicit support for the Open World Assumption. An extensive experimental validation evaluates the query service and its alternative components.},
note = {IF:},
keywords = {Cache replacement, Data caching, Data indexing, Data integration, mobile computing},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
From the Semantic Web's inception, a number of concurrent initiatives have given rise to multiple segments: large semantic datasets, exposed by query endpoints; online Semantic Web documents, in the form of RDF files; and semantically annotated web content (e.g., using RDFa), semantic sources in their own right. In various mobile application scenarios, online semantic data has proven to be useful. While query endpoints are most commonly exploited, they are mainly useful to expose large semantic datasets. Alternatively, mobile RDF stores are utilized to query local semantic data, but this requires the design-time identification and replication of relevant data. Instead, we present a mobile query service that supports on-the-fly and integrated querying of semantic data, originating from a largely unused portion of the Semantic Web, comprising online RDF files and semantics embedded in annotated webpages. To that end, our solution performs dynamic identification, retrieval and caching of query-relevant semantic data. We explore several data identification and caching alternatives, and investigate the utility of source metadata in optimizing these tasks. Further, we introduce a novel cache replacement strategy, fine-tuned to the described query dataset, and include explicit support for the Open World Assumption. An extensive experimental validation evaluates the query service and its alternative components.
Kamberov, Rustam; Santos, Vitor; Granell-Canut, Carlos
Toward social paradigms for mobile context-aware computing in smart cities Proceedings Article
In: Rocha, Alvaro; Reis, Paulo Luis; Pérez Cota, Manuel; Santana Suárez, Octavio; Gonçalvez, Ramiro (Ed.): Sistemas y Tecnologías de la Información. Volume I. CISTI 2016: Actas de la 11textordfeminine Conferencia Ibérica de Sistemas y Tecnologías de Información. Gran Canaria, Spain, 15-18 Junio 2016., pp. 793–798, AISTI, Gran Canaria, 2016.
Abstract | BibTeX | Tags: context-aware computing, GEO-C, knowledge representation, mobile computing, RyC-Granell
@inproceedings{Kamberov2016,
title = {Toward social paradigms for mobile context-aware computing in smart cities},
author = { Rustam Kamberov and Vitor Santos and Carlos Granell-Canut},
editor = {Rocha, Alvaro and Reis, Paulo Luis and Pérez Cota, Manuel and Santana Suárez, Octavio and Gonçalvez, Ramiro},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-01-01},
booktitle = {Sistemas y Tecnologías de la Información. Volume I. CISTI 2016: Actas de la 11textordfeminine Conferencia Ibérica de Sistemas y Tecnologías de Información. Gran Canaria, Spain, 15-18 Junio 2016.},
pages = {793--798},
publisher = {AISTI},
address = {Gran Canaria},
abstract = {Mobile context-aware computing is an essential component of the smart cities infrastructure. Attempts were made to develop a model that can effectively represent a system in device to support context-aware behavior. The purpose of this paper is to identify deficiencies of the previously developed model and propose solutions to improve it.},
keywords = {context-aware computing, GEO-C, knowledge representation, mobile computing, RyC-Granell},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Mobile context-aware computing is an essential component of the smart cities infrastructure. Attempts were made to develop a model that can effectively represent a system in device to support context-aware behavior. The purpose of this paper is to identify deficiencies of the previously developed model and propose solutions to improve it.
2014
Romero, Francisco Ramos; Mateu, Óscar Ripollés; Sellés, Miguel Chover
Efficient visualization of 3D models on hardware-limited portable devices Journal Article
In: Multimedia tools and applications, vol. 73, no. 2, pp. 961-976 , 2014, ISSN: 1380-7501.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: 3D, data visualization, mobile computing
@article{Romero2014,
title = {Efficient visualization of 3D models on hardware-limited portable devices},
author = {Francisco Ramos Romero and Óscar Ripollés Mateu and Miguel Chover Sellés},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10234/69161},
doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11042-012-1200-3},
issn = {1380-7501},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-03-20},
journal = {Multimedia tools and applications},
volume = {73},
number = {2},
pages = {961-976 },
abstract = {Managing the geometry of a 3D scene efficiently is a key aspect of an interactive 3D application. This aspect is more important if we target at portable devices, which have limited hardware capabilities. Developing new means for improving the interaction with 3D content in mobile devices is key. The aim of this work is to present a technique which can manage the level-of-detail of 3D meshes in portable devices. This solution has been devised considering the restrictions that this kind of devices poses. The results section shows how the integration has been successful while obtaining good performance.},
keywords = {3D, data visualization, mobile computing},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Managing the geometry of a 3D scene efficiently is a key aspect of an interactive 3D application. This aspect is more important if we target at portable devices, which have limited hardware capabilities. Developing new means for improving the interaction with 3D content in mobile devices is key. The aim of this work is to present a technique which can manage the level-of-detail of 3D meshes in portable devices. This solution has been devised considering the restrictions that this kind of devices poses. The results section shows how the integration has been successful while obtaining good performance.