A collaborative hackathon to investigate climate change and extreme weather impacts in justice and insurance settings

By bringing together a large group of participants with diverse skillsets, hackathons aim to make good headway into a particular research topic over a short period of time. This collaborative approach supports relationship building, cross team working and the development of technical skills across different areas

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)

The Churches' Bans on Consanguineous Marriages, Kin-Networks and Democracy

This paper highlights the role of kin-networks for the functioning of modern societies: countries with strong extended families as characterized by a high level of cousin marriages exhibit a weak rule of law and are more likely autocratic. To assess causality, I exploit a quasi-natural experiment. In the early medieval ages the Church started to prohibit kin-marriages. Using the variation in the duration and extent of the Eastern and Western Churches' bans on consanguineous marriages as instrumental variables, reveals highly significant point estimates of the percentage of cousin marriage on an index of democracy. An additional novel instrument, cousin-terms, strengthens this point: the estimates are very similar and do not rest on the European experience alone. Exploiting within country variation of cousin marriages in Italy, as well as within variation of a 'societal marriage pressure' indicator for a larger set of countries support these results. These findings point to a causal effect of marriage patterns on the proper functioning of formal institutions and democracy. The study further suggests that the Churches' marriage rules - by destroying extended kin-groups - led Europe on its special path of institutional and democratic development

A systematic scoping review of environmental, food security and health impacts of food system plastics

Plastic pollution arising from food systems is driving policies for reduction, removal, reuse and recycling, but literature on plastic uses and outcomes across subsectors is fragmented. We use a systematic scoping review to describe the extent, range and nature of published evidence since 2000 on seven major plastic types used at any point within food systems and their quantifiable effects on the environment, food security and human health. Although the majority of publications focus on agricultural production, relatively fewer consider retail, household and food waste disposal plastics. Gaps in the research include evidence from low- and middle-income countries, health or food security and/or economic outcomes generated from human population studies—and the subsequent environmental and human health effects. A greater understanding of this disparate evidence landscape is essential to formulate coherent research strategies to inform potential policy actions and assess trade-offs across economic and environmental targets, human health and food security

Effects of plastics in the food system on human health, food security, and the environment: a systematic scoping review

Background: Due to their characteristics, plastics are ubiquitous across global food systems, which is contributing to environmental pollution. Circular economy policies should account for the myriad effects of plastics across interdependent environmental, human health, and food security and economic domains. However, the available evidence is disparate, and researchers and policymakers do not share a common strategy for addressing this planetary health problem. We aimed to synthesise data from this diverse research landscape to facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration. Methods: In this systematic scoping review, we searched nine databases and 15 grey literature sources, for studies published from the year 2000 onwards (up to January, 2019). We sought to identify quantifiable evidence on major plastic types used in all processes from agricultural production to waste management (so-called farm to flush); and studies presenting quantifiable outcomes (direct or intermediate, beneficial or harmful) in relation to human health, food security, household economics, and the environment. Findings were presented in an evidence gap map. A full study protocol was registered with the Campbell Collaboration. Findings: 3362 studies were included in our review and evidence gap map. Between 2000 and 2019, a 4-times increase in published studies occurred, with China, India, and the USA accounting for 1175 (34·9%) studies, and low-income settings just 54 (1·6%) studies. Plastics used in agricultural production and processing, and storage and transportation were well researched (1869 [55·6%] studies and 1117 [33·2%] studies, respectively), with considerably less research of plastic use in the retail, consumption, and food waste disposal subsectors. Food security outcomes were most frequently captured (2546 [75·7%] studies), with human health (1602 [47·7%] studies) and the environment (282 [8·4%] studies) accounting for substantially less research. Agricultural plastics used to drive productivity or efficiencies were commonly researched (1730 [51·5%] studies), as was plastic packaging and effects on nutritional quality, longevity, or safety of foodstuffs (1090 [32·4%] studies). Little evidence was available regarding on-farm plastic pollution or contamination (34 [1·0%] studies), or regarding the effects of food system plastics on human health (39 [2·4%] studies). Just eight meta-analyses (0·2% studies) were captured, all exploring plastic mulching and row covers. Interpretation: The evidence base regarding the effects of food system plastics on planetary health domains is imbalanced. This review highlights key evidence gaps to fill before circular economy policies can truly account for benefits and harms across different domains. Funding: Co-funded by UK Aid from the UK Government, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, via the Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions programme