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The genetic make-up of an individual contributes to the susceptibility and response to viral infection. Although environmental, clinical and social factors have a role in the chance of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and the severity of COVID-191,2, host genetics may also be important. Identifying host-specific genetic factors may reveal biological mechanisms of therapeutic relevance and clarify causal relationships of modifiable environmental risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and outcomes. We formed a global network of researchers to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity. Here we describe the results of three genome-wide association meta-analyses that consist of up to 49,562 patients with COVID-19 from 46 studies across 19 countries. We report 13 genome-wide significant loci that are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe manifestations of COVID-19. Several of these loci correspond to previously documented associations to lung or autoimmune and inflammatory diseases3,4,5,6,7. They also represent potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection. Mendelian randomization analyses support a causal role for smoking and body-mass index for severe COVID-19 although not for type II diabetes. The identification of novel host genetic factors associated with COVID-19 was made possible by the community of human genetics researchers coming together to prioritize the sharing of data, results, resources and analytical frameworks. This working model of international collaboration underscores what is possible for future genetic discoveries in emerging pandemics, or indeed for any complex human disease.
Non-standard errors
(2021)
In statistics, samples are drawn from a population in a data-generating process (DGP). Standard errors measure the uncertainty in sample estimates of population parameters. In science, evidence is generated to test hypotheses in an evidence-generating process (EGP). We claim that EGP variation across researchers adds uncertainty: non-standard errors. To study them, we let 164 teams test six hypotheses on the same sample. We find that non-standard errors are sizeable, on par with standard errors. Their size (i) co-varies only weakly with team merits, reproducibility, or peer rating, (ii) declines significantly after peer-feedback, and (iii) is underestimated by participants.
Knowledge about the biogeographic affinities of the world’s tropical forests helps to better understand regional differences in forest structure, diversity, composition, and dynamics. Such understanding will enable anticipation of region-specific responses to global environmental change. Modern phylogenies, in combination with broad coverage of species inventory data, now allow for global biogeographic analyses that take species evolutionary distance into account. Here we present a classification of the world’s tropical forests based on their phylogenetic similarity. We identify five principal floristic regions and their floristic relationships: (i) Indo-Pacific, (ii) Subtropical, (iii) African, (iv) American, and (v) Dry forests. Our results do not support the traditional neo- versus paleotropical forest division but instead separate the combined American and African forests from their Indo-Pacific counterparts. We also find indications for the existence of a global dry forest region, with representatives in America, Africa, Madagascar, and India. Additionally, a northern-hemisphere Subtropical forest region was identified with representatives in Asia and America, providing support for a link between Asian and American northern-hemisphere forests.
(Coumarin‐4‐yl)methyl (c4m) and p‐hydroxyphenacyl (pHP)‐based compounds are well known for their highly efficient photoreactions, but often show limited solubility in aqueous media. To circumvent this, we synthesized and characterized the two new c4m and pHP‐based photoacid generators (PAGs), 7‐[bis(carboxymethyl)amino]‐4‐(acetoxymethyl)coumarin (c4m‐ac) and p‐hydroxyphenacyl‐2,5,8,11‐tetraoxatridecan‐13‐oate (pHP‐t), and determined their solubilities, stabilities and photolysis in aqueous media. The two compounds showed high solubilities in water of 2.77 mmol L−1±0.07 mmol L−1 (c4m‐ac) and 124.66 mmol L−1±2.1 mmol L−1 (pHP‐t). In basic conditions at pH 9, solubility increased for c4m‐ac to 646.46 mmol L−1±0.63 mmol L−1, for pHP‐t it decreased to 34.68 mmol L−1±0.62 mmol L−1. Photochemical properties of the two PAGs, such as the absorption maxima, the maximum molar absorption coefficients and the quantum yields, were found to be strongly pH‐dependent. Both PAGs showed high stabilities s24h ≥95 % in water for 24 h, but decreasing stability with increasing pH value due to hydrolysis. The present study contributes to a clearer insight into the synthesis, solubilities, stabilities, and photolysis of c4m and pHP‐based PAGs for further photochemical applications when high PAG concentrations are required, such as in polymeric foaming.
The single crystal growth of 19 different intermetallic compounds within the LnT2X2 family (with Ln = lanthanides, T = Co, Ru, Rh, Ir, and X = Si, P) is presented, by employing a high-temperature metal-flux technique. The habitus of the obtained crystals is platelet-like with the crystallographic c direction perpendicular to the surface and with individual masses between 1 and 100 mg. The magnetic properties of these crystals are characterized by magnetization, heat-capacity, and resistivity measurements. These crystals form the materials basis for a thorough study of exciting surface properties by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy.
Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) represent a promising approach to prevent and treat HIV-1 infection. However, viral escape through mutation of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) limits clinical applications. Here we describe 1-18, a new VH1-46-encoded CD4 binding site (CD4bs) bNAb with outstanding breadth (97%) and potency (GeoMean IC50 = 0.048 μg/mL). Notably, 1-18 is not susceptible to typical CD4bs escape mutations and effectively overcomes HIV-1 resistance to other CD4bs bNAbs. Moreover, mutational antigenic profiling uncovered restricted pathways of HIV-1 escape. Of most promise for therapeutic use, even 1-18 alone fully suppressed viremia in HIV-1-infected humanized mice without selecting for resistant viral variants. A 2.5-Å cryo-EM structure of a 1-18-BG505SOSIP.664 Env complex revealed that these characteristics are likely facilitated by a heavy-chain insertion and increased inter-protomer contacts. The ability of 1-18 to effectively restrict HIV-1 escape pathways provides a new option to successfully prevent and treat HIV-1 infection.