Risk factors that determine the severity of Covid-19 have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of coronary artery calcification (CAC) as a risk factor for death or mechanical ventilation (MV) of patients without known heart disease infected with Covid-19. We analyzed 283 consecutive in-patients with acute respiratory symptoms with chest computed tomography (chest-CT), without previous heart disease, and criteria for Covid-19 (RT-PCR positive and/or typical clinical and chest-CT findings). CAC was classified by the number of coronary segments affected as absent (0), mild (1-3), and severe calcification (more than 3). The association between CAC, CAC severity, and death or MV due to severe respiratory failure was assessed by logistic regression. The mean age was 58.7±15.7 years and 54.1% were men. Patients with CAC were older, more likely to have hypertension, and less likely to be obese. CAC was present in 75 patients (26.5%), of which 42 had a mild calcification and 33 had severe calcification, and was associated with death (OR=2.35, 95%CI: 1.01-5.48) or MV (OR=2.72, 95%CI: 1.20-6.20) adjusted for multiple confounders, with significant and increased odds ratio for the severe form of CAC (death: OR=3.70, 95%CI: 1.20-11.42; MV: OR=3.30, 95%CI: 1.09-9.95). We concluded that CAC was an independent risk factor for death or MV in Covid-19 patients without previous heart disease, particularly for those with severe calcification. CAC can be easily visualized on common chest-CT, widely used in evaluation of moderate to severe Covid-19.

No cultivo de plantas medicinais as condições de salinidade e de luz podem exercer influência no rendimento e na qualidade final da produção de biomassa. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes luminosidades e níveis de salinidade na água de irrigação sobre o crescimento e tolerância de três espécies de plantas do gênero Plectranthus. O ensaio foi conduzido em parcelas subsubdivididas com cinco repetições, sendo as parcelas referente ao fator ambiente (pleno sol e telado), as subparcelas aos níveis de salinidade na água de irrigação - CEa (0,7; 1,9; 3,1; 4,3 e 5,5 dS m-1), e as subsubparcelas às três espécies do gênero Plectranthus (P. amboinicus, P. barbatus e P. grandis). As variáveis de resposta foram: índice relativo de clorofila (IRC), área foliar (AF), razão de área foliar (RAF), área foliar específica (AFE), matéria seca da parte aérea (MSPA), matéria seca das raízes (MSR), matéria seca total (MST), relação MSR/MSPA, grau de tolerância à salinidade, e teor dos íons Na+ e K+. O estresse salino reduziu o crescimento das plantas, sendo as maiores reduções observadas nas plantas expostas a pleno sol. A salinidade influenciou a partição de matéria seca, sendo as raízes mais afetadas do que a parte aérea. Com o aumento da CEa houve aumento expressivo no teor foliar de Na+, enquanto o teor de K+ e o IRC foram reduzidos. Entretanto, o acúmulo de Na+ foi menor em P. grandis. Considerando-se a MST, verificou-se que as três espécies se mostraram moderadamente tolerantes à salinidade de até 3,1 dS m-1, exceto P. grandis cultivada em telado, classificada como tolerante. Em relação ao grau de redução na produção MSPA (parte de interesse comercial), poderia se recomendar o cultivo de P. grandis quando a água de irrigação contiver CEa de até 3,1 dS m-1.

In the cultivation of medicinal plants, salinity and light can affect the yield and quality of biomass. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of light and salinity levels of the irrigation water on the growth and salt tolerance of three medicinal plant species of the genus Plectranthus. A completely randomized split-plot design with five repetitions was used. The plots were formed by the environment of cultivation (full sunlight and greenhouse), the subplots by the salinity in the irrigation water - ECw (0.7, 1.9, 3.1, 4.3 and 5.5 dS m-1), and the subsubplots by the three plant species (P. amboinicus, P. barbatus and P. grandis). The following variables were evaluated: relative chlorophyll index (RCI), leaf area (LA), leaf area ratio (LAR), specific leaf area (SLA), shoot dry mass (SDM), root dry mass (RDM), total dry mass (TDM), RDM/SDM ratio, relative salt tolerance, and concentration of Na+ and K+ in leaves. Salinity reduced plant growth, with the greatest reductions observed in plants exposed to full sunlight. Salinity affected the dry matter partitioning, and the roots were more affected than the shoot. With increasing ECw, there was a significant increase in the concentration of Na+ in the leaves, while K+ and RCI decreased. However, the increase in Na+ accumulation was lower in P grandis. The three species were moderately tolerant to salinity up to 3.1 dS m-1, considering the total dry mass production, except the P. grandis grown in greenhouse, classified as tolerant. Regarding the relative reduction in shoot dry mass (part of commercial interest), we could recommend the cultivation of P. grandis when the available irrigation water presents values of ECw up to 3.1 dS m-1.