Common, low-frequency, rare, and ultra-rare coding variants contribute to COVID-19 severity

The combined impact of common and rare exonic variants in COVID-19 host genetics is currently insufficiently understood. Here, common and rare variants from whole-exome sequencing data of about 4000 SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals were used to define an interpretable machine-learning model for predicting COVID-19 severity. First, variants were converted into separate sets of Boolean features, depending on the absence or the presence of variants in each gene. An ensemble of LASSO logistic regression models was used to identify the most informative Boolean features with respect to the genetic bases of severity. The Boolean features selected by these logistic models were combined into an Integrated PolyGenic Score that offers a synthetic and interpretable index for describing the contribution of host genetics in COVID-19 severity, as demonstrated through testing in several independent cohorts. Selected features belong to ultra-rare, rare, low-frequency, and common variants, including those in linkage disequilibrium with known GWAS loci. Noteworthily, around one quarter of the selected genes are sex-specific. Pathway analysis of the selected genes associated with COVID-19 severity reflected the multi-organ nature of the disease. The proposed model might provide useful information for developing diagnostics and therapeutics, while also being able to guide bedside disease management. © 2021, The Author(s)

Effect of Annealing on Surface Morphology and Structure of Nickel Coatings Deposited from Deep Eutectic Solvents

Nanocrystalline nickel coatings deposited on a copper base material from DES made of choline chloride and ethylene glycol in 1:2 molar ratio containing 1 mol dm−3 NiCl2⋅6H2O were modified through post-deposition heat treatment at the temperatures from 100 to 400 °C. As-deposited coatings were composed of spheroidal agglomerates with the size of several hundred nanometers interspersed with lamellar crystals, but after annealing at 300 °C and 400 °C only single nano-sized plates embedded in a granular and porous layer remained. As the temperature of the heat treatment increased from 100 °C to 400 °C, the mean crystallite size increased from 13 to 35 nm. The change in crystallite size was accompanied by a change in microhardness, the maximum value of which was measured for the annealed coating at 200 °C. As a result of heat treatment, coatings were gradually covered by a layer of oxidized nickel species. XPS analyses showed that NiOOH and Ni(OH)2 dominated among them. Above 200 °C the share of these compounds began to decline in the face of the increasing share of NiO. This, in turn, clearly translated into a deterioration of the corrosion resistance of Ni coatings annealed at 300 °C, and especially at 400 °C, during exposure in 0.05 mol dm−3 NaCl solution

COVID-19, MERS and SARS with Concomitant Liver Injury—Systematic Review of the Existing Literature

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection has been predominantly linked to respiratory distress syndrome, but gastrointestinal symptoms and hepatic injury have also been reported. The mechanism of liver injury is poorly understood and may result as a consequence of viral hepatitis, systemic inflammatory response, gut barrier and microbiome alterations, intensive care treatment or drug toxicity. The incidence of hepatopathy among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unclear, but studies have reported liver injury in patients with SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). We aimed to systematically review data on the prevalence of hepatic impairments and their clinical course in SARS and MERS Coronaviridae infections. A systematic literature search (PubMed/Embase/Cinahl/Web of Science) according to preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA) was conducted from database inception until 17/03/2020 for studies that evaluated the incidence of hepatic abnormalities in SARS CoV-1, SARS CoV-2 and MERS infected patients with reported liver-related parameters. A total of forty-three studies were included. Liver anomalies were predominantly mild to moderately elevated transaminases, hypoalbuminemia and prolongation of prothrombin time. Histopathology varied between non-specific inflammation, mild steatosis, congestion and massive necrosis. More studies to elucidate the mechanism and importance of liver injury on the clinical course and prognosis in patients with novel SARS-CoV-2 infection are warranted