Impact of the COVID-19 vaccine booster strategy on vaccine protection: a pilot study of a military hospital in Taiwan

Purpose@#The global fight against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has led to widespread vaccination efforts, yet the optimal dosing schedule for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines remains a subject of ongoing research. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of administering two booster doses as the third and fourth doses at different intervals to enhance vaccine protection. @*Materials and Methods@#This study was conducted at a military regional hospital operated by the Ministry of National Defense in Taiwan. A cohort of vaccinated individuals was selected, and their vaccine potency was assessed at various time intervals following their initial vaccine administration. The study participants received booster doses as the third and fourth doses, with differing time intervals between them. The study monitored neutralizing antibody titers and other relevant parameters to assess vaccine efficacy. @*Results@#Our findings revealed that the potency of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine exhibited a significant decline 80 days after the initial vaccine administration. However, a longer interval of 175 days between booster injections resulted in significantly higher neutralizing antibody titers. The individuals who received the extended interval boosters exhibited a more robust immune response, suggesting that a vaccine schedule with a 175-day interval between injections may provide superior protection against SARS-CoV-2. @*Conclusion@#This study underscores the importance of optimizing vaccine booster dosing schedules to maximize protection against SARS-CoV-2. The results indicate that a longer interval of 175 days between the third and fourth doses of the vaccine can significantly enhance the neutralizing antibody response, potentially offering improved protection against the virus. These findings have important implications for vaccine distribution and administration strategies in the ongoing battle against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Further research and large-scale trials are needed to confirm and extend these findings for broader public health implications.

Regulation of autophagy by tea polyphenols in diabetic cardiomyopathy / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of tea polyphenols on cardiac function in rats with diabetic cardiomyopathy, and the mechanism by which tea polyphenols regulate autophagy in diabetic cardiomyopathy.@*METHODS@#Sixty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into six groups: a normal control group (NC), an obesity group (OB), a diabetic cardiomyopathy group (DCM), a tea polyphenol group (TP), an obesity tea polyphenol treatment group (OB-TP), and a diabetic cardiomyopathy tea polyphenol treatment group (DCM-TP). After successful modeling, serum glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were determined; cardiac structure and function were inspected by ultrasonic cardiography; myocardial pathology was examined by staining with hematoxylin-eosin; transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the morphology and quantity of autophagosomes; and expression levels of autophagy-related proteins LC3-II, SQSTM1/p62, and Beclin-1 were determined by Western blotting.@*RESULTS@#Compared to the NC group, the OB group had normal blood glucose and a high level of blood lipids; both blood glucose and lipids were increased in the DCM group; ultrasonic cardiograms showed that the fraction shortening was reduced in the DCM group. However, these were improved significantly in the DCM-TP group. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed disordered cardiomyocytes and hypertrophy in the DCM group; however, no differences were found among the remaining groups. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the numbers of autophagosomes in the DCM and OB-TP groups were obviously increased compared to the NC and OB groups; the number of autophagosomes in the DCM-TP group was reduced. Western blotting showed that the expression of LC3-II/I and Beclin-1 increased obviously, whereas the expression of SQSTM1/p62 was decreased in the DCM and OB-TP groups (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Tea polyphenols had an effect on diabetic cardiomyopathy in rat cardiac function and may alter the levels of autophagy to improve glucose and lipid metabolism in diabetes.

Perioperative fluid therapy of gastrointestinal surgery / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Fluid therapy has been the focus of attention and dispute. In this paper, there are three aspects including postoperative bowel function, surgical prognosis, and acute diffuse peritonitis. Colloidal supplement and appropriate crystal/colloid ratio should be noted in low perfusion conditions. The different types of fluid in recent studies did not show a significant difference in the long term. The new evidence will be noted in fluid therapy among 2012 SSC Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Guideline update (unpublished).