Convalescent plasma for COVID-19 in hospitalised patients : an open-label, randomised clinical trial

Background: The effects of convalescent plasma (CP) therapy in hospitalised patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remain uncertain. This study investigates the effect of CP on clinical improvement in these patients. Methods: This is an investigator-initiated, randomised, parallel arm, open-label, superiority clinical trial. Patients were randomly (1:1) assigned to two infusions of CP plus standard of care (SOC) or SOC alone. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with clinical improvement 28 days after enrolment. Results: A total of 160 (80 in each arm) patients (66.3% critically ill, 33.7% severely ill) completed the trial. The median (interquartile range (IQR)) age was 60.5 (48–68) years; 58.1% were male and the median (IQR) time from symptom onset to randomisation was 10 (8–12) days. Neutralising antibody titres >1:80 were present in 133 (83.1%) patients at baseline. The proportion of patients with clinical improvement on day 28 was 61.3% in the CP+SOC group and 65.0% in the SOC group (difference −3.7%, 95% CI −18.8–11.3%). The results were similar in the severe and critically ill subgroups. There was no significant difference between CP+SOC and SOC groups in pre-specified secondary outcomes, including 28-day mortality, days alive and free of respiratory support and duration of invasive ventilatory support. Inflammatory and other laboratory marker values on days 3, 7 and 14 were similar between groups. Conclusions: CP+SOC did not result in a higher proportion of clinical improvement on day 28 in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 compared to SOC alone

Biomass and nutrients in Eucalyptus urograndis stands in southeastern Mountain Range-RS<br>Biomassa e nutrientes em povoamento de Eucalyptus urograndis na Serra do Sudeste-RS

This study had as objective to quantify biomass and nutrients, in an 18 months Eucalyptus urograndis stand in southeastern mountain range, Piratini-RS. Twenty-four (24) plots (15.0 m x 22.5 m) were allocated; after that, one tree (with diameter at breast height) was felled in each plot. The tree was fractionated in the following fractions of above ground biomass: wood, bark, branches and leaves. Total biomass was 18.5 Mg ha-1, being the wood the fraction with highest biomass (37%), followed by branches (34.2%), leaves (21.3%) and bark (7.6%). Leaves showed highest nutrients concentrations, being statistically superior to other fractions (p N > K > Mg > P > S, and for micronutrients was Mn > Fe > B > Zn > Cu. Highest amount of nutrients is contained on leaves component, due to the highest nutrients concentration, excepted for Ca, Mg and Cu that are located in large quantities in the branches.Objetivou-se quantificar a biomassa e os nutrientes, em povoamentos de Eucalyptus urograndis, aos 18 meses de idade na serra do sudeste, Piratini-RS. Alocaram-se 24 parcelas de 15,0 m x 22,5 m, após abateu-se uma árvore em cada, sendo esta, a que possuía o diâmetro médio a altura do peito. A árvore foi fracionada nos seguintes componentes da biomassa acima do solo: madeira, casca, galhos e folhas. A biomassa total foi 18,5 Mg ha-1, sendo a madeira a fração que apresentou maior percentual (37,0 %), seguida pelos galhos (34,2 %), folhas (21,3%) e casca (7,6 %). As folhas apresentaram as maiores concentrações de nutrientes, sendo estatisticamente superior as demais frações (p N > K > Mg > P > S e Mn > Fe > B > Zn > Cu, para os micronutrientes. A maior quantidade de nutrientes estava contida no componente folhas, devido a sua maior concentração de nutrientes, com exceção ao Ca, Mg e Cu que estão alocados em maiores quantidades nos galhos