Effects of working from home on lifestyle behaviors and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A survey study.

The COVID-19 outbreak has led to relevant changes in everyday life worldwide. One of these changes has been a rapid transition to and an increasing implementation of working from home (WH) modality. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of mandatory WH during the COVID-19 pandemic on lifestyle behaviors, Mediterranean diet adherence, body weight, and depression.

Corrigendum: The medium-term perceived impact of work from home on life and work domains of knowledge workers during COVID-19 pandemic: a survey at the National Research Council of Italy.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.

MIR-29A-3P, MIR-29C-3P, MIR-146B-5P AND MIR-150-5P, Their Target Genes and lncrnas in HIV Infection: A Bioinformatic Study.

Introduction: Increasing evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as attractive targets in viral infections, including Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Objective: To deepen the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that lead to HIV and provide potential targets for the future development of molecular therapies for its treatment.

Methods: Four miRNAs were selected as candidates based on a previous systematic review.

The medium-term perceived impact of work from home on life and work domains of knowledge workers during COVID-19 pandemic: A survey at the National Research Council of Italy.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate perceptions and determinants of the overall impact on life and work domains among a community of knowledge workers after 18 months of forced work from home due to the pandemic.

Methods: A cross-sectional study with a retrospective assessment was conducted early in 2022 at the National Research Council of Italy. Five single-item questions explored the perceived impact on life domain while a 7-item scale the impact on the work domain.

A postural program to reduce dynamic knee valgus during single-limb squatting in young athletes: a preliminary study.

Background: Dynamic knee valgus (DKV) is an undesirable multi-joint movement pattern associated with anterior cruciate ligament injury and patellofemoral pain syndrome, especially in sport activities. We assessed DKV in young athletes who followed a postural program to reduce a posterior rigidity mostly attributable to the tightness of hamstring muscles.

Methods: We considered 12- to 18-year-old athletes that followed a six-week program simply based on hamstring stretching and abdominal muscle activation/strengthening.

MiRNA expression profiling in HIV pathogenesis, disease progression and response to treatment: a systematic review.

A systematic review was conducted to identify the association of miRNA expression with HIV pathogenesis, progression and treatment. A search of articles was conducted in MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Global Health. 35 articles were included.

Graphene Confers Ultralow Friction on Nanogear Cogs.

Friction-induced energy dissipation impedes the performance of nanomechanical devices. Nevertheless, the application of graphene is known to modulate frictional dissipation by inducing local strain. This work reports on the nanomechanics of graphene conformed on different textured silicon surfaces that mimic the cogs of a nanoscale gear.

Fibronectin/thermo-responsive polymer scaffold as a dynamic ex vivo niche for mesenchymal stem cells.

In this paper, we created a dynamic adhesive environment (DAE) for adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) cultured on smart thermo-responsive substrates, i.e., poly (N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM), via introducing periodic changes in the culture temperature.

Free-Standing Graphene Oxide and Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Papers with Enhanced Electrical and Mechanical Performance and Their Synergy in Polymer Laminates.

Hybrid nanomaterials fabricated by the heterogeneous integration of 1D (carbon nanotubes) and 2D (graphene oxide) nanomaterials showed synergy in electrical and mechanical properties. Here, we reported the infiltration of carboxylic functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (C-SWNT) into free-standing graphene oxide (GO) paper for better electrical and mechanical properties than native GO. The stacking arrangement of GO sheets and its alteration in the presence of C-SWNT were comprehensively explored through scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction.

The effect of a postural exercise program on muscle power in Italian high school students.

[Purpose] The present study aimed to investigate the effect of an innovative postural program (the Canali Postural Method, CPM) on muscle power in Italian high school students. It is note that deficits in posture control may, in long term, generate posture weakness as early as childhood and adolescence. Postural programs based on stretching and strengthening exercises can remove these deficits and can be framed in general physical or sport activities.

Mechanics of snake biting: Experiments and modelling.

Among all the vertebrates, snakes possess the most sophisticated venom delivering system using their fangs. Fangs of many animals are well adapted to the mechanical loads experienced during the functions such as breaking the diet and puncturing the skin of the prey. Thus, investigation and modelling of puncturing mechanics of snakes is of importance to understand the form-function relationship of the fangs and tissue-fang interactions in detail.

Establishing multiple osteogenic differentiation pathways of mesenchymal stem cells through different scaffold configurations.

Mimicking the complex organization of the extracellular matrix (ECM), especially its structure and dimensionality, is necessary to produce living tissues from stem cells. In compliance with a previously established role of nanofiber organization for the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells, here we used hybrid fibrinogen/poly(l-lactide-ε-caprolactone) (FBG/PLCL) nanofibers arranged in aligned and honeycomb configurations, to recapitulate the highly oriented ECM of the cortical bone and the sponge-like (i.e.

The expression of microRNAs and exposure to environmental contaminants related to human health: a review.

Environmental contaminants exposure may lead to detrimental changes to the microRNAs (miRNAs) expression resulting in several health effects. miRNAs, small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression, have multiple transcript targets and thereby regulate several signalling molecules. Even a minor alteration in the abundance of one miRNA can have deep effects on global gene expression.

Stag Beetle Elytra: Localized Shape Retention and Puncture/Wear Resistance.

Beetles are by far one of the most successful groups of insects, with large diversity in terms of number of species. A part of this success is attributed to their elytra, which provide various functions such as protection to their bodies from mechanical forces. In this study, stag beetle () elytra were first examined for their overall flexural properties and were observed to have a localized shape-retaining snap-through mechanism, which may play a possible role in partly absorbing impact energy, e.

Obstructive sleep apnoea: Improving healthcare services by combining process modelling and population analysis.

Context: Disease management broke through in the early 1990s to counterbalance hyper-specialization with a more comprehensive approach. Its role became immediately relevant in chronic conditions and, consequently, in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). This is a common chronic condition for which is important to organise services at the local level, taking into account organisational factors and the characteristics of the assisted population.

Mechanical properties of Chamelea gallina shells at different latitudes.

In this work we evaluate the mechanical properties of Chamelea gallina shells, collected at various locations in the Adriatic Sea, through compression tests. We present an analytical model for the extraction of the material Young's modulus and ultimate strength, based on the approximation of the valves with a simpler geometry. The effect of porosity and the computation of the energy dissipated at fracture are also discussed.

Evidence of friction reduction in laterally graded materials.

In many biological structures, optimized mechanical properties are obtained through complex structural organization involving multiple constituents, functional grading and hierarchical organization. In the case of biological surfaces, the possibility to modify the frictional and adhesive behaviour can also be achieved by exploiting a grading of the material properties. In this paper, we investigate this possibility by considering the frictional sliding of elastic surfaces in the presence of a spatial variation of the Young's modulus and the local friction coefficients.

A study on plant root apex morphology as a model for soft robots moving in soil.

Plants use many strategies to move efficiently in soil, such as growth from the tip, tropic movements, and morphological changes. In this paper, we propose a method to translate morphological features of Zea mays roots into a new design of soft robots that will be able to move in soil. The method relies on image processing and curve fitting techniques to extract the profile of Z.

Standardized languages and notations for graphical modelling of patient care processes: a systematic review.

Purpose: The importance of working toward quality improvement in healthcare implies an increasing interest in analysing, understanding and optimizing process logic and sequences of activities embedded in healthcare processes. Their graphical representation promotes faster learning, higher retention and better compliance. The study identifies standardized graphical languages and notations applied to patient care processes and investigates their usefulness in the healthcare setting.

Analysis of miRNAs Targeting 3'UTR of H2AFX Gene: a General in Silico Approach.

MiRNAs are gene (post-transcriptional) regulators that bind the 3'UTR of target genes. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located within a miRNA binding site can impact miRNAdependent gene regulation by weakening or reinforcing the microRNA:mRNA bond. We present a general in silico approach enabling researchers to "predict" which of the several SNPs of 3'UTR of H2AFX gene can mainly affect its regulation.

Congenital anomalies among live births in a polluted area. A ten-year retrospective study.

Background: Congenital anomalies and their primary prevention are a crucial public health issue. This work aimed to estimate the prevalence of congenital anomalies in Brindisi, a city in southeastern Italy at high risk of environmental crisis.

Methods: This research concerned newborns up to 28 days of age, born between 2001 and 2010 to mothers resident in Brindisi and discharged with a diagnosis of congenital anomaly.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Do we need to oversew the staple line?

Aim: The aim of this study is to compare the material effectiveness of oversewing the staple line following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

Material Of Study: A prospective randomized trial has been performed on 100 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Just before the intervention patients were randomized to receive (Group A) or not receive (Group B) a polypropylene 3-0 running oversewing suture of the staple line.