How frequent are acute reactions to COVID-19 vaccination and who is at risk?

IntroductionOur objective was to describe and compare self-reported side effects of COVID-19 vaccines in the USA.MethodsA web-based registry enrolled volunteers who received a COVID-19 vaccine between March 19–July 15, 2021. We collected self-reported short-term side effects, medical consultation, hospitalization, and quality of life impact following completed vaccination regimens (Pfizer, Moderna, J&J).ResultsWe recruited 6,966 volunteers who completed their full course of vaccination (median age 48 years, IQR 35.0–62.0; 83.6% female): Pfizer 3,486; Moderna 2,857; J&J 623. Few (3.1%) sought medical care for post-vaccination side effects. Hospitalization (n = 17; 0.3%) and severe allergic reactions (n = 39; 0.6%) also were rare. Those with autoimmune disease or lung disease were approximately twice as likely to seek medical care (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.01, 95% CI:1.39; 2.92 and aOR 1.70, 95% CI: 1.12; .58 respectively). 92.4% of participants reported ≥ 1 side effect (median 3), with injection site reactions (78.9%), fatigue (70.3%), headache (49.0%) reported most frequently. More side effects were reported after the second dose of two-dose vaccines (medians: 1 vs. 2 for Pfizer and 1 vs. 3 for Moderna for first and second doses respectively) versus 3 for J&J's single-dose vaccine. For the employed, the median number of workdays missed was one. Diabetics and those vaccinated against influenza were substantially less likely to report 3 or more symptoms (aOR 0.68, 95% CI: 0.56;0.82] and aOR 0.82, 95% CI: 0.73;0.93, respectively).DiscussionThe total side effect burden was, not unexpectedly, greater with two-dose regimens but all three vaccines appear relatively safe. Very few subjects reported side effects serious enough to warrant medical care or reported post-vaccination hospitalization. While these findings do not address possible long-term effects, they do inform on their short-term safety and tolerability and will hopefully provide some reassurance and positively inform the benefit-risk and pharmacoeconomic assessment for all three vaccines.See Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04368065.     

Differences in clinical outcomes of COVID-19 among vaccinated and unvaccinated kidney transplant recipients

IntroductionThe remarkable efficacy and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines have been described in healthy individuals, but kidney transplant recipients have been excluded from these studies. Therefore, real-world evidence of these vaccines can guide clinicians in predicting complications in kidney transplant recipients and how many doses of vaccines are protective. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 vaccines on kidney transplant recipients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.Material and methodThis matched case-control study included vaccinated kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19 from two centers between 1 May and 1 October 2021. All patients in the vaccinated group received a minimum of two doses of the vaccine and were diagnosed with COVID-19 at least one month after the last dose. Each vaccinated patient was matched with an unvaccinated kidney transplant recipient diagnosed with COVID. The endpoints were all-cause mortality, hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, acute kidney injury, cytokine storm, and acute respiratory distress syndrome.ResultsThe median age of vaccinated seventy-two participants was 45 years, and 41 of the participants were men in the vaccinated group. Four patients in the vaccinated group and nine patients in the control group died during follow-up (p = 0.247). Seventeen patients in the vaccinated group, thirty-four participants in the control group were hospitalized (p = 0.004); five vaccinated patients and ten unvaccinated patients were followed-up in the ICU during follow-up (p = 0.168). Thirteen of the vaccinated and twelve unvaccinated patients developed acute kidney injury (p = 0.16). The occurrence of cytokine storm (n = 4 vs. n = 11; p = 0.061) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (n = 5 vs. n = 10; p = 0.168) was higher in the patient group compared to the control group.ConclusionCOVID-19 remains a fatal disease despite advancing treatment modalities and preventive strategies. COVID-19 vaccines can't prevent death in all kidney transplant recipients, but they decrease hospitalization rate and duration in most patients.     

Unpredictable and uncontrollable stress impairs neuronal plasticity in the rat hippocampus

Almost by definition, learning and the effect of stress on learning represent modifications of existing neuronal circuitry. Under some circumstances, this modification can be measured electrophysiologically. One such measure of plasticity is long-term potentiation (LTP), a long-lasting increase in synaptic efficacy following brief exposure to tetanic stimulation. In 1987, Foy et al. reported that hippocampal LTP was impaired by exposure to inescapable shock. We have recent evidence that the impairment in LTP can be prevented by allowing the animal to learn to escape the shock (Shors et al., 1989), indicating that the stress effect is to some extent mediated by "psychological" variables. Regardless of LTP's putative role in learning and memory processes, such a stress-induced decrease in neuronal plasticity is likely to have profound effects on the behaving organism.     

The concept of distinct but voluminous groups of bipolar and unipolar diseases

Summary One hundred and six affective (76 unipolar and 30 bipolar) and 101 schizoaffective patients (45 unipolar and 56 bipolar) were investigated after a long-term course of illness, evaluating sociodemographic and general data, the long-term course of illness, disability and psychosocial alterations according to WHO/DAS, WHO/PIRS and GAS, as well as several social consequences of the illness (living situation at the end of the observation time, downward occupational drift, downward social drift, premature retirement, achievement of the expected social development). Comparing the 30 bipolar affective and 56 bipolar schizoaffective disorders, no differences were found regarding (a) sociodemographic and general data (i.e. sex distribution, age at onset, education and occupation at onset, stable heterosexual relationship, premorbid personality and social interactions, mental illness in the family, broken home, life events, season of birth and social classes) and (b) relevant patterns of the long-term course. Regarding long-term out-come the only difference found concerned the more favourable outcome of the bipolar affective disorders according to WHO/DAS, while using GAS the difference was not statistically significant. No difference was found either between the two bipolar groups in the social consequences of the illness. The combining of both bipolar groups as bipolar diseases is discussed, as well as the use of the terms bipolar disease, affective subtype and bipolar disease, schizoaffective subtype.     

标准通道经皮肾镜取石术治疗孤立肾肾结石的长期安全性和有效性

目的: 探讨超声引导下标准通道经皮肾镜取石术(percutaneous nephrolithotomy,PCNL)治疗孤立肾肾结石患者的长期有效性和安全性。方法: 回顾性分析2008年9月至2014年6月于北京大学人民医院行PCNL治疗的22例孤立肾肾结石患者临床资料以及5年以上随访资料,记录围手术期相关指标、术后无石率(stone free rate,SFR)及并发症发生率,采用超声检查评估远期结石复发率,通过血肌酐及估计肾小球滤过率(estimated glomerular filtration rate, eGFR)评估肾功能情况。结果: 本组22例患者中,平均年龄为(50.3±11.8)岁,10例解剖性孤立肾,12例功能性孤立肾,中位结石直径为1.65(1.1~3.9) cm,全部为多发结石,包括7例鹿角形结石。术前的中位血肌酐为104.5(60.0~460.0) μmol/L,平均eGFR为(60.3±29.4) mL/min。平均手术时间为(88.2±42.0) min,各有11例单通道和双通道PCNL。术后第一天的中位血肌酐为102.0(63.0~364.0) μmol/L,平均eGFR为(58.0±25.1) mL/min,与术前相比差异均无统计学意义。术后平均住院时间为(8.7±5.2) d。本组有5例(22.7%)患者出现短期并发症,其中4例患者同时出现术后感染和大量出血,保守治疗后好转,1例患者出现胸膜损伤,行胸腔闭式引流后好转; 2例(9.1%)患者出现长期并发症,术后3个月发生输尿管狭窄,行球囊扩张术后好转;其余15例(68.2%)患者均未见并发症。中位随访时间为6.2(4.7~11.1)年,最近一次随访的中位血肌酐为104.0 (72.4~377.0) μmol/L,平均eGFR为(60.1±23.7) mL/min,与术前相比差异均无统计学意义,6例(27.3%)患者出现肾功能减退。术后初始和最终SFR分别为72.7%和100%; 6.2年的随访时间内9例(40.9%)患者结石复发,复发后共进行13次取石手术,最近一次随访的SFR为63.6%。结论: 本研究目前是国内外已有报道中关于孤立肾肾结石患者PCNL术后随访时间最长的研究,超声引导下标准通道PCNL治疗孤立肾肾结石是安全有效的,可以达到理想的SFR。长期随访结果表明仍有较高的结石复发率,但术后患者远期肾功能稳定,部分患者出现轻度肾功能减退。     

公费医疗门诊项目实行“按人头付费”的效果评价

1998年,上海市普陀区医疗保险办公室改革公费医疗支付方式,对门诊项目实行按人头付费。本文就改革实施一年来公费医疗费用发生情况作一分析,对按人头付费方式实施效果进行评估,得出以下结论:该支付方式较为有效地降低了医疗费用的增长幅度,减少了浪费;对促进医院加强内部管理,转变经营策略,重视医疗成本控制,提高卫生资源的利用效率起到了积极的作用。同时提出,要注意纠正个别医疗机构控制费用方法简单化的偏差,要考虑人群年龄结构因素对医疗费用的影响,适当调整付费标准,以避免医疗机构在承担费用支出方面出现畸轻畸重的问题。     

陕西省眉县健康教育干预5岁以下儿童腹泻效果评价

为了探讨适合我国农村社区的健康教育方法,陕西省眉县被确定为西北地区的试点。本文运用格林模式,采取健康教育、改水、改厕三位一体方法,通过２年的健康教育综合性干预,实验乡５岁以下儿童腹泻发病率较对照乡及干预前均有明显下降,儿童母亲防治儿童腹泻的知、信、行水平也显著提高（Ｐ＜００１）,进一步证实综合干预在农村社区健康教育中运用的可行性。同时,初步探索出了一些适合我国农村社区的健康教育实施经验。     

A 'long-term-potentiation-like' facilitation of hippocampal synaptic transmission induced by the nootropic nefiracetam

Nefiracetam, a nootropic agent, enhanced the slope of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices to about 170% of basal levels, being evident still at 4-h washing-out of the drug. A similar sustained enhancement (>/=16 h after i.m. injection with nefiracetam) was observed in the population spikes recorded from the granular cell layer of the intact mouse hippocampus. Saturation of the enhancement in the synaptic strength occluded potentiation obtained with long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by high-frequency (tetanic) stimulation, and vice versa. Interestingly, the facilitatory action of nefiracetam was blocked by either the nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor antagonists, alpha-bungarotoxin and mecamylamine, or the selective protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, GF109203X, but in contrast, it was not affected by D-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV), a selective N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist. The results of the present study suggest that nefiracetam, whereas the action is independent of NMDA receptors, induces an 'LTP-like' facilitation of hippocampal synaptic transmission as a consequence of modulation of nicotinic ACh receptors and PKC. This may represent a likely mechanism underlying the cognition-enhancing actions of nefiracetam.     

Early postnatal treatment with peptide preparations influences spatial navigation of young and adult rats

The brain derived peptidergic drug Cerebrolysin has been found to support the survival of neurons in vitro and in vivo. Positive effects on learning and memory have been demonstrated in various animal models and also in clinical trials. In the present study the effects of early postnatal administration of Cerebrolysin (Cere, 10 mg/ml peptides) or an enriched peptide fraction of Cere (E021, 80.6 mg/ml peptides) were investigated in young, young adult, and old adult rats. Rat pups received the drugs or saline for control on postnatal days 1–7. The animals were tested in the Morris water maze (MWM) either in the 5th week, in the 3rd or the 16th month of life for 6 consecutive days (test days 1–6), eight trials per day. In order to prevent the chance finding of the hidden platform, the rigid underwater platform was replaced by a collapsible island, resting at the bottom of the pool. The platform was raised when the animal stayed in the target area for 2 s. In the young and young adult rats both Cere and E021 treated rats showed shorter escape latencies than saline treated controls on all 6 test days. No significant differences in the swimming speed were evaluated for the young rats, although in 3-month-old drug-tested animals a moderate increase of the swimming speed was investigated. For 16-month-old animals no significant differences in either escape latencies or swimming speed was found. Summarizing, early postnatal application of Cere or E021 improved the spatial learning and memory of young rats and led to long-lasting behavioural effects at least up to 3 months after treatment.