Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Advances In Conservation and Management of the Alligator Gar: A Synthesis of Current Knowledge and Introduction to a Special Section

Growing appreciation of biodiversity and the role of apex predators, along with increasing popularity of multispecies and trophy‐oriented angling, has elevated the status of gars – in particular, the Alligator Gar Atractosteus spatula – among anglers and biologists alike. As a result, considerable effort has been spent in recent years to gain a working knowledge of the biology and ecology of the species in order to advance science‐based management. In January 2019, the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society Alligator Gar Technical Committee hosted a symposium entitled, Advances in the conservation and management of North American gars to showcase the results of research and management efforts conducted throughout the species’ range. Fishery researchers and managers presented a diversity of works, furthering our understanding of population dynamics, stock assessment, genetics, hatchery practices and stocking, habitat use, and angler desires associated with Alligator Gar fisheries. In this introduction to our special section, we introduce these works and provide a synthesis of the current state of scientific knowledge regarding the Alligator Gar. We hope that this will provide context to the works presented in the symposium, and serve to guide the development of future research that addresses remaining knowledge gaps concerning the species and its growing fishery

Anales de Edafología y Agrobiología Tomo 47 Número 1-2

Prólogo. Por la Comisión Coordinadora.-- Presentación. Por C. Roquero.-- Introducción. Por M. Delgado.-- Introduction. Translated by J. K. Caunt & D. A. Jenkins.-- Relaciones suelo-vegetación en medios halomorfos de Lérida. Soil/vegetation relationship in saline marshlands, (Lerida). Por J. Bech, J. R. Torrento y J. Garrido.-- Aportaciones bioqufmicas a la caract erización del Humus Tangel de Kubiena sobre rocas de silicatos. Biochemical contribution to the characterization of the Kubiena Tangel Humus over silicate rocks. Por F. Velasco de Pedro.-- Estudio morfológico de un perfil de Rendsina de Tangel del Pinsapar de Grazalema (Cádiz ). Morphological study of Tangel - Rendzina profile of Spanish - fir forest area (A bies pin- sapo) in Grazalema, Province of Cadiz. Por L. E. Corral, C. Espino, J. Mérida y G. Paneque.-- Histosoles de las sierras planas de Asturias. Histosoles from the sierras planas, Asturias. Por F. Guerrero y A. Polo.-- Aporte de la fracción arena gruesa al conocimiento de la génesis del suelo. Contribution of the coarse sand fraction to soil genesis. Por C. Dorronsoro.-- lndices de alteración mineral en las fracciones arena gruesa de suelos. Mineral weathering indices of coarse sand fractions of soils. Por C. Dorronsoro, J. del Arco Ortiz de Zarate y P. Alonso Rojo.-- Xerochrepts de las Sierras de Orce y María (Granada y Almer!a). Xerochrepts from the Orce and Maria Sierras, (Granada and Almeria). Por L. J. Alías y J. Martínez Sánchez.-- Génesis y morfología de las acumulaciones calizas. Genesis and morphology of calcretes. Por V. Gómez-Miguel.-- Micromorfología de Jos horizontes cálcicos y petrocálcicos. Micromorphology of calcic and petrocalcic horizons. Por C. Baños y M. Ayerbe.-- Micromorfología de suelos con yeso. Micromorphology of gypsiferous soils. Por J. Porta y J. Herrero.-- Estudio de Jos gypsiorthids de Navarra. Study of gypsiorthids in Navarra. Por F. J. Arricibita Videgain, J. Iñiguez Herrero y R. Mª. Val Legaz.-- Micromorfología de algunos suelos con acumulaciones de yeso en la región central española (Toledo, Ciudad Real). Micromorphology of soils with gypsum enrichment in the central region of Spain (Toledo, Ciudad Reai).PorJ. Benayas, A. Guerra, J. Batllé y J. Gumuzzio. La hidromorfía y sus rasgos micromorfológicos. Hydromorphy and its micromorphological features. Por C. Dorronsoro, P. Alonso Rojo y T . Rodríguez Rebollo. Micromorfología de Cambisoles crómicos y vérticos. Micromorphology of chromic and vertic Cambisols. Por J. Aguilar y E. Ortega.-- Micromorfología de Cambisoles Eútricos y Dístricos. Micromorphology of Eutric and Dystric Cambisols.PorJ. Aguilar, E. Ortega y G. Delgado.-- El proceso de iluviación de arcilla. Clay iJluviation process. Por C. Dorronsoro y J. Aguilar.-- Micromorfología de una cronosecuencia de suelos en la región de Calvarrasa (Salamanca). Micromorphology of a soil chronosequence in the area of Calvarrasa (Salamanca). Por C. Dorronsoro, J. del Arco Ortiz de Zárate y P. Alonso Rojo.-- Variabilidad de Jos diferentes tipos de suelos rojos en España. Variability of the different types of red soils in Spain. Por L. Alcalá del Olmo B. y F. Monturiol Rodríguez.-- Evaluación de la distribución de manganeso en algunos suelos mediterráneos. Evaluation of manganese distribution in mediterranean soils. Por R. Jiménez Ballesta, A. Guerra, J. Gallardo y J. J. Ibáñez.-- Micromorfologfa de Jos suelos ferralíticos en las Islas Canarias. Micromorphology of ferrallitic soils in the Canary Islands. Por A. Rodríguez-Rodríguez, C. C. Jiménez Mendoza y M. L. Tejedor Salguero.-- Micromorfología y génesis de Podsoles y suelos podsolicos. Micromorphology and genesis of Podsols and podsolic soils. Por F. Macías Vázquez, C. García Paz, B. M. Silva Hermo, E. García-Rodeja Gayoso y M. T . Taboada Rodríguez.-- Micromorfometría de suelos. Principios y técnicas. Soil micromorphometry. Principies and tecniques.Por C. Dorronsoro.-- Micromorfometría de suelos. Aplicaciones. Soil micromorphometry. Applications. Por C. Dorronsoro.-- Micromorfometría de paleosuelos afectados por presión y temperatura de coladas basálticas "Almagres" en las Islas Canarias. Micromorphometry of paleosols affected by pressure and temperature of basaltic flows ("Almagres") in the Canary Islands. Por H. Carbajal, J. Benayas y Mª J. HerreraPeer reviewe