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OBJECTIVE: The data on the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) provided in scientific publications are divergent and contradictory. Therefore, the aim of our systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy of SHPT treatment in (chronic kidney disease) CKD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Cochrane, PubMed, and Scopus databases were searched independently by two authors. The search strategy included controlled vocabulary and keywords. The effectiveness and side effects of calcifediol, ergocaliferol, calcitriol, paricalcitol, and cinacalcet were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: Extended-release (ER) calcifediol raised the total serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level over the threshold of 30 ng/mL in 80% of the patients analyzed in the study. It is the level required for intact PTH (iPTH) suppression. ER calcifediol reduced the iPTH level by 30% in about 30% of the patients, whereas only 2.1% of them had hypercalcemia. Calcitriol significantly decreased the iPTH values. It was the cause of hypercalcemia in 1.7% of the patients. The reduction of the iPTH level by more than 30% was observed in 85.7% of the patients in the paracalcitol group after 48-week supplementation. Paricalcitol was the cause of hypercalcemia in 1.9% of the patients. The cinacalcet therapy resulted in the highest percentage of patients with the iPTH level within the limits recommended by the KDOQI (70-110 ng/L for stage 4 CKD and 150-300 ng/L for stage 5 CKD). 92% of the patients met the KDOQI guidelines and the mean decrease in the serum iPTH level was 68%. CONCLUSIONS: Calcifediol ER, paricalcitol, and cinacalcet significantly decreased the iPTH level in the patients under study. Paricalcitol increased the serum calcium concentration the most of all the drugs under analysis. It is noteworthy that only cinacalcet does not carry the risk of hypercalcemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19, which is a consequence of infection with the novel viral agent SARS-CoV-2, first identified in China (Hubei Province), has been declared a pandemic by the WHO. As of September 10, 2020, over 70,000 cases and over 2000 deaths have been recorded in Poland. Of the many factors contributing to the level of transmission of the virus, the weather appears to be significant. In this work, we analyze the impact of weather factors such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and ground-level ozone concentration on the number of COVID-19 cases in Warsaw, Poland. The obtained results show an inverse correlation between ground-level ozone concentration and the daily number of COVID-19 cases., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2021.)

Campylobacter spp, especially the species Campylobacter jejuni, are important human enteropathogens responsible for millions of cases of gastro-intestinal disease worldwide every year. C. jejuni is a zoonotic pathogen, and poultry meat that has been contaminated by microorganisms is recognized as a key source of human infections. Although numerous strategies have been developed and experimentally checked to generate chicken vaccines, the results have so far had limited success. In this study, we explored the potential use of non-live carriers of Campylobacter antigen to combat Campylobacter in poultry. First, we assessed the effectiveness of immunization with orally or subcutaneously delivered Gram-positive Enhancer Matrix (GEM) particles carrying two Campylobacter antigens: CjaA and CjaD. These two immunization routes using GEMs as the vector did not protect against Campylobacter colonization. Thus, we next assessed the efficacy of in ovo immunization using various delivery systems: GEM particles and liposomes. The hybrid protein rCjaAD, which is CjaA presenting CjaD epitopes on its surface, was employed as a model antigen. We found that rCjaAD administered in ovo at embryonic development day 18 by both delivery systems resulted in significant levels of protection after challenge with a heterologous C. jejuni strain. In practice, in ovo chicken vaccination is used by the poultry industry to protect birds against several viral diseases. Our work showed that this means of delivery is also efficacious with respect to commensal bacteria such as Campylobacter. In this study, we evaluated the protection after one dose of vaccine given in ovo. We speculate that the level of protection may be increased by a post-hatch booster of orally delivered antigens.