Genetic liability between COVID-19 and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia: a Mendelian randomization study

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible causal relationship between COVID-19 and the risk of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia using a Mendelian randomized (MR) design. We estimated their genetic correlations and then performed two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses using pooled statistics from the COVID-19 susceptibility/hospitalization genome-wide association study and the pre-eclampsia/eclampsia datasets. The main analyses were performed using the inverse variance weighting method, supplemented by the weighted median method and the MR-Egger method. We identified a significant and positive genetic correlation between COVID-19 susceptibility and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia [OR = 1.23 (1.01–1.51), p = 0.043]. Meanwhile, hospitalization of COVID-19 was significantly associated with a higher risk of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia [OR = 1.15 (1.02–1.30), p = 0.024]. Consistently, hospitalization of COVID-19 were nominally associated with higher risk of pre-eclampsia [OR = 1.14, (1.01–1.30), p = 0.040]. The results were robust under all sensitivity analyses. These results suggest that COVID-19 may increase the risk of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia. Future development of preventive or therapeutic interventions should emphasize this to mitigate the complications of COVID-19. </p

Preparation and Reactivity of Core–Shell Al@CL-20 Composites Embedded with Graphene-Based Complexes as Catalysts

Incomplete combustion of Al in solid propellants can be effectively resolved by coating of an oxidizer at the microscale. In this paper, Al@CL-20 composites with polydopamine as the interfacial layer were prepared using this strategy. The structure, heat of reaction, thermal decomposition properties, and combustion performances of these composites under the effects of graphene oxide (GO) and graphene-based carbohydrazide complexes (GO–CHZ-M, M = Co2+, Ni2+) have been comprehensively investigated. The experimental results show that the heat of reaction of Al@CL-20 is 6482 J g–1, which is 561 J g–1 higher than that of the corresponding mechanical mixture. The presence of GO–CHZ-Co can further increase the heat of reaction of Al@CL-20 to 6729 J g–1 with a decreased activation energy by about 54.8%. Under the synergistic effect of interfacial control and GO–CHZ-M, the ignition delay time of Al@CL-20-Co decreases from 5.1 to 4.2 ms. Besides, the D50 of the combustion condensed products (CCPs) decreased from 5.62 to 4.33 μm, indicating the combustion efficiency of Al is greatly improved

Additional file 6 of Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 worldwide transmission based on evolutionary dynamics and specific viral mutations in the spike protein

Additional file 6: Figure S5. Network graphic of SARS-CoV-2 isolates worldwide during 1 July and 31 August 2020. Isolates were aligned by the Force Atlas model in Gephi. In the network, each node represented an isolate of SARS-CoV-2. Each color represented a country. Lines inherit colors from their origin clades. Distances between clades represented evolutionary distance

Additional file 2 of Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 worldwide transmission based on evolutionary dynamics and specific viral mutations in the spike protein

Additional file 2: Figure S1. DNA sequencing to verify V367F and N354D mutations in the pseudovirus genome

Additional file 3 of Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 worldwide transmission based on evolutionary dynamics and specific viral mutations in the spike protein

Additional file 3: Figure S2. Network graphic of SARS-CoV-2 isolates worldwide during 9 and 31 March 2020. Isolates were aligned by the Force Atlas model in Gephi. In the network, each node represented an isolate of SARS-CoV-2. Each color represented a country. Lines inherit colors from their origin clades. Distances between clades represented evolutionary distance

Uncovering Topological Edge States in Twisted Bilayer Graphene

Twisted bilayer graphene (t-BLG) has recently been introduced as a rich physical platform displaying flat electronic bands, strongly correlated states, and unconventional superconductivity. Studies have hinted at an unusual Z2 topology of the moiré Dirac bands of t-BLG. However, direct experimental evidence of this moiré band topology and associated edge states is still lacking. Herein, using superconducting quantum interferometry, we reconstructed the spatial supercurrent distribution in t-BLG Josephson junctions and revealed the presence of edge states located in the superlattice band gaps. The absence of edge conduction in high resistance regions just outside the superlattice band gap confirms that the edge transport originates from the filling of electronic states located inside the band gap and further allows us to exclude several other edge conduction mechanisms. These results confirm the unusual moiré band topology of twisted bilayer graphene and will stimulate further research to explore its consequences

Additional file 1 of Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 worldwide transmission based on evolutionary dynamics and specific viral mutations in the spike protein

Additional file 1: Table S1. Sequences included for detecting genetic recombination relevant to SARS-CoV-2

Additional file 5 of Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 worldwide transmission based on evolutionary dynamics and specific viral mutations in the spike protein

Additional file 5: Figure S4. Network graphic of SARS-CoV-2 isolates worldwide during 1 May and 30 June 2020. Isolates were aligned by the Force Atlas model in Gephi. In the network, each node represented an isolate of SARS-CoV-2. Each color represented a country. Lines inherit colors from their origin clades. Distances between clades represented evolutionary distance

Suppression of Cation Intermixing Highly Boosts the Performance of Core–Shell Lanthanide Upconversion Nanoparticles

Lanthanide upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have been extensively explored as biomarkers, energy transducers, and information carriers in wide-ranging applications in areas from healthcare and energy to information technology. In promoting the brightness and enriching the functionalities of UCNPs, core–shell structural engineering has been well-established as an important approach. Despite its importance, a strong limiting issue has been identified, namely, cation intermixing in the interfacial region of the synthesized core–shell nanoparticles. Currently, there still exists confusion regarding this destructive phenomenon and there is a lack of facile means to reach a delicate control of it. By means of a new set of experiments, we identify and provide in this work a comprehensive picture for the major physical mechanism of cation intermixing occurring in synthesis of core–shell UCNPs, i.e., partial or substantial core nanoparticle dissolution followed by epitaxial growth of the outer layer and ripening of the entire particle. Based on this picture, we provide an easy but effective approach to tackle this issue that enables us to produce UCNPs with highly boosted optical properties

Additional file 4 of Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 worldwide transmission based on evolutionary dynamics and specific viral mutations in the spike protein

Additional file 4: Figure S3. Network graphic of SARS-CoV-2 isolates worldwide during 1 and 30 April 2020. Isolates were aligned by the Force Atlas model in Gephi. In the network, each node represented an isolate of SARS-CoV-2. Each color represented a country. Lines inherit colors from their origin clades. Distances between clades represented evolutionary distance