Systematic review and meta-analysis of neonatal outcomes of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: The safety of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines during pregnancy is a particular concern. Here, we addressed the neonatal outcomes after maternal vaccination of COVID-19 during pregnancy. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the WHO COVID-19 Database for studies on neonatal outcomes after maternal COVID-19 vaccination from inception to 3 July 2022. Main neonatal outcomes were related to preterm, small for gestation (SGA), NICU admission, low Apgar score at 5 min (<7), and additional neonatal outcomes such as gestation <34 weeks, low birth weight and some neonatal morbidity were all also analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 15 studies were included. We found that maternal vaccination during pregnancy was related to the reduction rates of Preterm, SGA, Low Apgar score at 5 min (<7). In addition, there was no evidence of a higher risk of adverse neonatal outcomes after maternal vaccination of COVID-19 during pregnancy, including NICU admission, preterm birth with gestation <34 weeks, low birth weight, very low birth weight, congenital anomalies, and so on. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant women does not raise significant adverse effects on neonatal outcomes and is related to a protective effect on some neonatal outcomes. IMPACT: Present study has addressed the neonatal outcomes after maternal vaccination of COVID-19 during pregnancy. COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant women does not raise significant adverse effects on neonatal outcomes and is related to a protective effect on some neonatal outcomes. The present study could encourage pregnant women to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Group polarization calls for group-level brain communication.

Group of people shows the shift towards extreme of decision-making as opposed to individuals. Previous studies have revealed two directions of group polarization, i.e., risky shift and cautious shift, but how group of brains drive these shifts remains unknown. In the current study, we arranged risk advantage and disadvantage situations to elicit group polarization of risky shift and cautious shift respectively, and examined the averaged inter-brain synchronization (ABS) among participant triads during group decision making versus individual decision making. The elicited group polarizations were accompanied by the enhanced ABS at bilateral prefrontal areas and left temporoparietal junction (TPJ). Specifically, the TPJ ABS was equivalent in risky shift and cautious shift, and based on machine learning analyses, could predict the extent of group polarization; for two shifts, it negatively correlated with negative emotion. However, the right prefrontal ABS was stronger in risky shift than in cautious shift, and the same area showed the larger brain deactivation in former shift, indicating weaker executive control. For the left prefrontal ABS, only the equivalent ABS was found for two shifts. In sum, group polarization of risky shift and cautious shift calls for inter-brain communication at the group level, and the former shift is with deactivation and more brain synchronization. Our study suggests emotional and cognitive adjustment in decision making of the group compared with individuals.

Hyperoxia reduces STX17 expression and inhibits the autophagic flux in alveolar type II epithelial cells in newborn rats.

Supplemental oxygen therapy can be life­saving for premature infants. Our previous study revealed a defect in the autophagic flux in the lung tissues of neonatal rats with hyperoxia­induced bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Moreover, there are few innovative treatments that can completely alter the course of BPD. The present study examined the expression of Syntaxin 17 (STX17), a protein necessary for autophagosome­lysosome binding, in alveolar type II (AT­II) epithelial cells of neonatal rats with BPD. Neonatal Sprague­Dawley rats were randomly exposed to elevated O2 levels [fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2), 0.8; model group] or normal room air (FiO2, 0.21; control group), and the expression levels of STX17, autophagy­related [Microtubule­associated protein 1A/1B­light chain 3B (LC3B)­II, p62, lysosomal­associated membrane protein 1)] and apoptosis­related (cleaved caspase3) mRNA and proteins were examined in lung tissues. Moreover, the expression levels of the aforementioned proteins were measured in isolated primary AT­II cells cultured in vitro under hyperoxic conditions in the presence or absence of pharmacological modulators of autophagy. Transmission electron microscopy identified that AT­II cell apoptosis and autophagosome aggregation were elevated in the lungs of BPD rats compared with control rats on postnatal day 7. STX17 mRNA and protein expression levels were decreased in lung tissue and isolated AT­II cells as early as postnatal day 3 in BPD rats, while the expression levels of LC3B­II, p62 and cleaved caspase3 were increased, reaching a peak on postnatal day 7. This early reduction in STX17 expression, followed by increased expression in autophagy­ and apoptosis­related proteins, was also observed in isolated AT­II cells exposed to hyperoxia in vitro. However, treatment with the autophagy inducers rapamycin or LiCl eliminated the hyperoxia­induced reduction in STX17, partially restored the autophagy flux and increased the survival of AT­II cells exposed to hyperoxia. Collectively, these results indicated that STX17 expression in AT­II cells was reduced in the early stages of BPD in neonatal rats and may be related to the subsequent hyperoxia­induced block in autophagic flux.