TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Biomass offsets little or none of permafrost carbon release from soils, streams, and wildfire: an expert assessment

As the permafrost region warms, its large organic carbon pool will be increasingly vulnerable to decomposition, combustion, and hydrologic export. Models predict that some portion of this release will be offset by increased production of Arctic and boreal biomass; however, the lack of robust estimates of net carbon balance increases the risk of further overshooting international emissions targets. Precise empirical or model-based assessments of the critical factors driving carbon balance are unlikely in the near future, so to address this gap, we present estimates from 98 permafrost-region experts of the response of biomass, wildfire, and hydrologic carbon flux to climate change. Results suggest that contrary to model projections, total permafrost-region biomass could decrease due to water stress and disturbance, factors that are not adequately incorporated in current models. Assessments indicate that end-of-the-century organic carbon release from Arctic rivers and collapsing coastlines could increase by 75% while carbon loss via burning could increase four-fold. Experts identified water balance, shifts in vegetation community, and permafrost degradation as the key sources of uncertainty in predicting future system response. In combination with previous findings, results suggest the permafrost region will become a carbon source to the atmosphere by 2100 regardless of warming scenario but that 65%–85% of permafrost carbon release can still be avoided if human emissions are actively reduced

Endostatin induces autophagic cell death in EAhy926 human endothelial cells

Endostatin, a proteolytic fragment of collagen XVIII, is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis and suppresses neovascularization and tumor growth. However, the inhibitory mechanism of endostatin in human endothelial cells has not been characterized yet. Electron microscopic analysis revealed that endostatin induced formation of numerous autophagic vacuoles in endothelial in 6 to 24 h after treatment. Moreover, there was only a 2- to 3-fold increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species after endostatin treatment. Endostatininduced cell death was not prevented by antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, or propyl gallate) or caspase inhibitors, suggesting that the increase of oxidative stress or the activation of caspases may not be the crucial factors in the anti-angiogenic mechanism of endostatin. However, the cytotoxicity of endostatin was significantly reduced by 3-methyladenine (a specific inhibitor of autophagy) and serine and cysteine lysosomal protease inhibitors (leupeptin and aprotinin). Taken together, these results suggest that in human endothelial cells: (1) endostatin predominantly causes autophagic, rather than apoptotic, cell death, (2) endostatin-induced autophagic cell death occurs in the absence of caspase activation and through an oxidative-independent pathway, and (3) endostatin-induced ‘autophagic cell death or ‘type 2 physiological cell death’ is regulated by serine and cysteine lysosomal proteases

CrAPO-catalyzed oxidations of alkylaromatics and alcohols with TBHP in the liquid phase (redox molecular sieves, part 8)

Chromium-substituted aluminophosphates were synthesized and characterized. Chromium-aluminophosphoates (CrAPO-5 and CrAPO-11) catalyze the oxidn. of ethylbenzene, p-ethyltoluene, n-propylbenzene, n-butylbenzene, diphenylmethane, p-ethylanisole, and primary, secondary benzylic alcs. to the corresponding ketones or acids with TBHP at 80-100 DegC. The main parameters affecting reaction rates are competitive adsorption and diffusion. The activity of used CrAPO-5 is completely recovered by recalcination at 500 DegC. Oxidn. of 4-methoxybenzyl alc. gave 4-methoxybenzoic acid (100% conversion of reactant; 87% selectivity toward product)

Non-culprit coronary lesions in young patients have higher rates of atherosclerotic progression

Cardiovascular Aspects of Radiolog

ST elevation acute myocardial infarction accelerates non-culprit coronary lesion atherosclerosis

Cardiovascular Aspects of Radiolog

In vivo assessment of optimal viewing angles from X-ray coronary angiography

Aims: To propose and validate a novel approach to determine the optimal angiographic viewing angles for a selected coronary (target) segment from X-ray coronary angiography, without the need to reconstruct the entire coronary tree in three-dimensions (3D), such that subsequent interventions are carried out from the best view. Methods and results: The approach starts with standard quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) of the target vessel in two angiographic views. Next, the target vessel is reconstructed in 3D, and in a very simple and intuitive manlier, the possible overlap of the target vessel and other vessel segments can be assessed, resulting in the best view with minimum foreshortening and overlap. A retrospective study including 67 patients was set up for the validation. The overlap prediction result was compared with the true overlap on the available angiographic views (TEST views). The foreshortening for the views proposed by the new approach software viewing angle (SVA) and the views used during the stent deployment software viewing angle (EVA) were compared. Two experienced interventional cardiologists visually evaluated the success of SVA with respect to EVA. The evaluation results were graded into five values ranging from -2 to 2. The overlap prediction algorithm successfully predicted the overlap condition for all 235 TEST views. EVA was associated with more foreshortening than SVA (8.9%+/- 8.2% vs. 1.6%+/- 1.5%, p<0.001). The average evaluated point for the success of SVA was 0.94 +/- 0.80 (p<0.001), indicating that the evaluators were in favor of the optimal views determined by the proposed approach versus the views used during the actual intervention. Conclusions: The proposed approach is able to accurately and quickly determine the optimal viewing angles for the online support of coronary interventions.Cardiovascular Aspects of Radiolog

CrAPO-catalyzed oxidations of alkylaromatics and alcohols with TBHP in the liquid phase (redox molecular sieves, part 8)

Chromium-substituted aluminophosphates were synthesized and characterized. Chromium-aluminophosphoates (CrAPO-5 and CrAPO-11) catalyze the oxidn. of ethylbenzene, p-ethyltoluene, n-propylbenzene, n-butylbenzene, diphenylmethane, p-ethylanisole, and primary, secondary benzylic alcs. to the corresponding ketones or acids with TBHP at 80-100 DegC. The main parameters affecting reaction rates are competitive adsorption and diffusion. The activity of used CrAPO-5 is completely recovered by recalcination at 500 DegC. Oxidn. of 4-methoxybenzyl alc. gave 4-methoxybenzoic acid (100% conversion of reactant; 87% selectivity toward product)

Disentangling ecological, allometric and evolutionary determinants of the relationship between seed mass and elevation: insights from multiple analyses of 1355 angiosperm species on the eastern Tibetan Plateau

Variation in abiotic conditions along altitudinal gradients may sort plant species from regional species pools according to their seed mass. With increasing elevation, seed mass is expected to be either larger for its advantage during seedling establishment in stressful high-elevation environments ('stress-tolerance' mechanism), or smaller owing to energy constraints. Using a large trait database involving 1355 species from the northeastern verge of the Tibetan Plateau, we found that, overall, these two opposing mechanisms balanced out one another, resulting in non-significant seed mass-elevation relationship across all species after controlling for phylogeny. At the same time, we found that the influence of energy constraints on seed mass was indirect and mediated by the variation in plant height. Moreover, our results revealed a mass-dependent seed mass variation along elevation gradients: with increasing elevation small seeds tended to increase (supporting stress-tolerance mechanism) but large seeds tended to decrease (supporting energy-constraints mechanism). Finally, the seed mass-elevation relationships were significantly different among species with different life forms or different dispersal modes, but statistically similar for anemophilous and entomophilous species. This implies that life-history cycle, resource allocation pattern and availability of dispersals agents, rather than pollination efficiency, can affect the responses of seed mass to elevation. Together our results suggest that a comprehensive perspective is necessary when interpreting geographic distribution of even a single trait. Synthesis With increasing elevation, seed mass may be either larger for its advantage during seedling establishment ('stress-tolerance' force), or smaller owing to energy constraints. Our paper shows some novel and importance results in the seed mass-elevation relationship in a northeastern Tibetan flora. Firstly, these two opposing forces operate simultaneously but overall balance out one another. Secondly, the balance tends to shift toward increased energy-constraints (stress-tolerance) with the increase (decreased) in average seed mass. Thirdly, energy constraints on seed mass is indirect and mediated by the variation in plant height. Finally, plant resource allocation pattern, life-history cycle, and availability of dispersal agents can affect the responses of seed mass to elevation. © 2013 The Authors