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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), has been identified in the human testis, but the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through sexual intercourse still needs to be defined. The goal of our study was to determine if SARS-CoV-2 is detectable in the semen of patients suffering or recovering from coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), still testing positive at nasopharyngeal swabs but showing mild or no symptoms at the time of sampling. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in semen was performed by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and nested PCR targeting open reading frame (ORF) 1ab. Medical history of the enrolled patients was taken, including COVID-19-correlated symptoms, both at the time of diagnosis and at the time of interview. Results of real-time RT-PCR and nested PCR in semen showed no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the 36 patients suffering or recovering from COVID-19 but still positive in a nasopharyngeal swab, from over 116 patients enrolled in the study. SARS-CoV-2 detection and persistence in semen would have an impact on both clinical practice and public health strategies, but our results would suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is not present in the semen of men recovering from COVID-19.

Background: Depression is a serious and debilitating condition with a rising prevalence. Anhedonia, a core symptom of depression, is notably significant and the second most weighted factor among the non-somatic concerns of depression, following depressed mood. The interaction between technology use, mood, emotions, depression, and anhedonia is a critical area of investigation. Aim: This study aims to develop a comprehensive Systematic Review Protocol to examine the emotional effects of Internet-related behavior in young people. Methods: A systematic review protocol was developed following PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews. The research question was formulated according to the PICOS framework. The search was conducted using PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, and PsycInfo, supplemented by gray literature sources via Google Scholar. The methodological quality and risk of bias was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) framework. This systematic review protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework with the registration DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/SHNJU. Conclusions: The findings of this systematic review are expected to provide new evidence on the correlations between depression, Internet addiction, and anhedonia, contributing to the development of targeted intervention strategies and improving the understanding of young peoples’ emotional well-being.

Vitamin D showed a protective effect on intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) although conflicting evidence is reported. An explanation could be due to the presence of the FokI functional variant in the vitamin D receptor (VDR), observed as associated with spine pathologies. The present study was aimed at investigating—through high-throughput gene and protein analysis—the response of human disc cells to vitamin D, depending on the VDR FokI variants. The presence of FokI VDR polymorphism was determined in disc cells from patients with discopathy. 1,25(OH)2D3 was administered to the cells with or without interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β). Microarray, protein arrays, and multiplex protein analysis were performed. In both FokI genotypes (FF and Ff), vitamin D upregulated metabolic genes of collagen. In FF cells, the hormone promoted the matrix proteins synthesis and a downregulation of enzymes involved in matrix catabolism, whereas Ff cells behaved oppositely. In FF cells, inflammation seems to hamper the synthetic activity mediated by vitamin D. Angiogenic markers were upregulated in FF cells, along with hypertrophic markers, some of them upregulated also in Ff cells after vitamin D treatment. Higher inflammatory protein modulation after vitamin D treatment was observed in inflammatory condition. These findings would help to clarify the clinical potential of vitamin D supplementation in patients affected by IDD.