EFFECT OF COVID-19 mRNA VACCINES ON SPERM QUALITY

OBJECTIVE: Fertility related safety data was neither reported in the clinical trials nor evaluated in animal models prior to emergency use authorization (EUA) for two novel mRNA vaccines, BNT162b2 and mRNA-127.1,2 Despite excellent safety profiles for both vaccines, 44% of Americans are hesitant in receiving the vaccine. Although the specific reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy are unknown, concerns over fertility has previously decreased other vaccine uptake. As COVID-19 vaccination in the United States opens to children and adolescents, evaluating any potential impact of the vaccine on male reproduction is imperative for public reassurance. We hypothesized that since both vaccines only contain mRNA encoding the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein without biologic ability to replicate live virus, the vaccines would not decrease semen parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a single-center prospective cohort study after IRB approval from the University of Miami (#20201451). Healthy men aged 18-50 scheduled for mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in Miami, Florida were recruited.Participants provided a semen sample after 2-7 days of abstinence, prior to receiving the first dose of either vaccine and about 72 days after the second dose. Specimens were self-collected into a wide-mouth sterile container and semen analysis (SA) performed by HCLD trained andrology clinicians examined semen volume, concentration, motility, and total motile sperm count (TMSC). RESULTS: 45 men provided a semen sample. Neither median sperm concentration nor total motile sperm count (TMSC) declined post vaccination (Figure 1). There was no clinically significant change in TMSC. Only 12 (26.6%) men had a marginal decrease in TMSC. In fact, the remaining 33 (73.3%) men demonstrated normal sperm parameters. Importantly, 8 (17%) men with oligospermia prior to vaccination did not experience a decrease in spermatogenesis. Only one subject had an abnormal TMSC (TMSC ≤ 9) after vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: After receiving the two doses of the vaccines, we did not observe a clinically significant sperm parameter decline within the cohort, suggesting the vaccines do not negatively impact male fertility potential. IMPACT STATEMENT: This is the first male fertility evaluation of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, in which we found that the vaccines do not negatively impact semen parameters. (Table Presented).

Use of IT in Higher Education and Training - Social learning through outdoor quiz game app

Learning in higher education is no longer by listening to a professor and handing in assignments. At the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, the Knowledge Management (KM) study programme has been developed over several years. From introducing Flipped Classroom, the development has been to make the students develop their own assignments based on the issues of KM they are able to unveil at their own workplaces. The practice on this is done by working to develop short cases to solve in the classroom rather than giving lectures. The lectures over the textbook and curriculum are provided by streaming video and podcasts and the students are encouraged to download and watch/listen prior to the seminars. A short introduction is provided at the start of the seminars, but not as elaborated as in the videos and podcasts. The students tend to stay indoors and work. To investigate how breaking up the indoor stay and to continue the learning process during a 'break' outside, we have developed quizzes from the curriculum. They have to download an app and in groups solve the quizzes that pop up when they close in on the designated area on the map in the app. In the app, the areas are marked by icons in the shape of berries (blueberry, raspberry, cloudberry, etc.) on a map. They have to go to the area in order for the quiz to appear. The quizzes are up to now developed by the lecturers. The students have during the Covid-19 pandemic been working in solitude and thus lost the important factor of social learning. Attempts to make the students work in group have only to a certain extent been successful. As well as 'black screens', the number of students 'fading out' when trying to divide the students into 'breakoutrooms', to support the social learning processes, are too high. Encouraging the students to go outside and work in groups to solve the quizzes allow the student to also discuss other issues than just the curriculum, and to get to know each other outside the classroom. The data are collected our data through in-depth interviews and group interviews with the students. The collected data will show how the students perceive a) to work on the quiz, b) to solve the quiz, c) to work in groups outside the classroom and how this support a) their learning outcome and b) their social learning situation. © 2021 IEEE.

Cytokine profile using plasma mRNA to mark onset of ARDS in a pediatric swine model

INTRODUCTION/HYPOTHESIS: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a proinflammatory acute lung injury (ALI) that leads to noncardiac pulmonary edema. In humans, ARDS can be caused directly through damage of the epithelial tissue or indirectly through damage of the endothelial tissue. Different animal models to induce ALI have been developed to mimic the complex pathophysiology of ARDS, including the use of oleic acid injections. Oleic acid induces clinical ARDS by inducing an extensive immune response, including having direct effects on innate immune cells in the lungs triggering direct inflammatory mediator production, damaging the alveoli-capillary unit with increase of alveolar leakage and impairment of gas exchange. There is a paucity of data available to characterize the use of cytokine markers in pediatric ARDS swine models. We hypothesize that in a pediatric swine model of oleic acid ARDS, pro and anti-inflammatory cytokine mRNA in plasma will display at differing concentrations than the baseline at ARDS. METHODS: Seven juvenile swine were sedated, intubated, and mechanically ventilated. ARDS was established using continuous oleic acid infusion at 0.05-0.6 mL/kg. Blood samples were taken from the femoral artery before oleic acid infusion was initiated, an hour after and at the start of ARDS. Plasma was collected and mRNA was extracted from blood mononuclear cells (MNC). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed on samples testing for the presence of mRNA for IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-17, IL-10, and IL-6. RESULTS: 4-5 10 mL blood samples were collected from each animal and analyzed. When compared to baseline, IFN-γ collected at ARDS onset significantly decreased by a foldchange of 0.53±0.4 at ARDS (p=0.028). IL-6 trended down at ARDS onset, although this was not significant (p=0.087). Changes of TNF-α, IL-17 and IL-10 levels at ARDS onset were not significant (p=0.740, p=0.262, and p=0.342) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In an oleic acid swine model, ARDS is characterized by decreasing IFN-γ levels. This data does correlate with severe ARDS caused by COVID in human patients. Future studies are warranted to better characterize the role of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokine in developing ARDS and confirm our model.