Maximising Synergy among Tropical Plant Systematists, Ecologists, and Evolutionary Biologists

Closer collaboration among ecologists, systematists, and evolutionary biologists working in tropical forests, centred on studies within long-term permanent plots, would be highly beneficial for their respective fields. With a key unifying theme of the importance of vouchered collection and precise identification of species, especially rare ones, we identify four priority areas where improving links between these communities could achieve significant progress in biodiversity and conservation science: (i) increasing the pace of species discovery; (ii) documenting species turnover across space and time; (iii) improving models of ecosystem change; and (iv) understanding the evolutionary assembly of communities and biomes

Effect of Hydrocortisone on Mortality and Organ Support in Patients With Severe COVID-19: The REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid Domain Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence regarding corticosteroid use for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. Objective: To determine whether hydrocortisone improves outcome for patients with severe COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants: An ongoing adaptive platform trial testing multiple interventions within multiple therapeutic domains, for example, antiviral agents, corticosteroids, or immunoglobulin. Between March 9 and June 17, 2020, 614 adult patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled and randomized within at least 1 domain following admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) for respiratory or cardiovascular organ support at 121 sites in 8 countries. Of these, 403 were randomized to open-label interventions within the corticosteroid domain. The domain was halted after results from another trial were released. Follow-up ended August 12, 2020. Interventions: The corticosteroid domain randomized participants to a fixed 7-day course of intravenous hydrocortisone (50 mg or 100 mg every 6 hours) (n = 143), a shock-dependent course (50 mg every 6 hours when shock was clinically evident) (n = 152), or no hydrocortisone (n = 108). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was organ support-free days (days alive and free of ICU-based respiratory or cardiovascular support) within 21 days, where patients who died were assigned -1 day. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model that included all patients enrolled with severe COVID-19, adjusting for age, sex, site, region, time, assignment to interventions within other domains, and domain and intervention eligibility. Superiority was defined as the posterior probability of an odds ratio greater than 1 (threshold for trial conclusion of superiority >99%). Results: After excluding 19 participants who withdrew consent, there were 384 patients (mean age, 60 years; 29% female) randomized to the fixed-dose (n = 137), shock-dependent (n = 146), and no (n = 101) hydrocortisone groups; 379 (99%) completed the study and were included in the analysis. The mean age for the 3 groups ranged between 59.5 and 60.4 years; most patients were male (range, 70.6%-71.5%); mean body mass index ranged between 29.7 and 30.9; and patients receiving mechanical ventilation ranged between 50.0% and 63.5%. For the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively, the median organ support-free days were 0 (IQR, -1 to 15), 0 (IQR, -1 to 13), and 0 (-1 to 11) days (composed of 30%, 26%, and 33% mortality rates and 11.5, 9.5, and 6 median organ support-free days among survivors). The median adjusted odds ratio and bayesian probability of superiority were 1.43 (95% credible interval, 0.91-2.27) and 93% for fixed-dose hydrocortisone, respectively, and were 1.22 (95% credible interval, 0.76-1.94) and 80% for shock-dependent hydrocortisone compared with no hydrocortisone. Serious adverse events were reported in 4 (3%), 5 (3%), and 1 (1%) patients in the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with severe COVID-19, treatment with a 7-day fixed-dose course of hydrocortisone or shock-dependent dosing of hydrocortisone, compared with no hydrocortisone, resulted in 93% and 80% probabilities of superiority with regard to the odds of improvement in organ support-free days within 21 days. However, the trial was stopped early and no treatment strategy met prespecified criteria for statistical superiority, precluding definitive conclusions. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02735707

A new species of Schizomeria (Cunoniaceae) from New Guinea

Schizomeria carrii H.C. Hopkins, a new species from the Owen Stanley Mountains of Papua New Guinea, is described and illustrated

A revision of Weinmannia (Cunoniaceae) in Malesia and the Pacific. 2. Sulawesi and the Philippines

Volume: 20Start Page: 43End Page: 6

A revision of Weinmannia (Cunoniaceae) in Malesia and the Pacific. 1. Introduction and an account of the species of Western Malesia, the Lesser Sunda Islands and the Moluccas

Volume: 20Start Page: 5End Page: 4

Nomenclature et typification au sein du genre <i>Codia</i> (Cunoniaceae), endémique de Nouvelle-Calédonie

L’histoire taxonomique de Codia est récapitulée. Tous les noms valablement publiés sous Codia, ou publiés dans d’autres genres mais devant être rapportés à Codia, sont discutés et au besoin lectotypifiés. Les noms non valablement publiés sont également pris en compte. Codia cinerascens (Pamp.) H.C.Hopkins, comb. et stat. nov., Codia fusca (Schltr.) H.C.Hopkins, comb. nov., et Codia incrassata Pamp. var. rufinervis (Guillaumin) H.C.Hopkins, comb. nov., sont ici établis.The taxonomic history of Codia is described briefly. All names validly published in Codia, or published under other generic names but referable to Codia, are discussed and lectotypified where necessary. Invalidly published names are also listed. Codia cinerascens (Pamp.) H.C.Hopkins, comb. et stat. nov., Codia fusca (Schltr.) H.C.Hopkins, comb. nov., and Codia incrassata Pamp. var. rufinervis (Guillaumin) H.C.Hopkins, comb. nov., are published.</p

Nomenclature et typification dans le genre &lt;i&gt;Geissois&lt;/i&gt; (Cunoniaceae) dans le Pacifique sud-ouest

L’histoire taxonomique de Geissois Labill. est récapitulée. Tous les noms valablement publiés sous Geissois en Nouvelle-Calédonie, Vanuatu et les Îles Salomon sont discutés et au besoin lectotypifiés, les noms de Fidji sont brièvement discutés ; les noms non valablement publiés sont classés séparément. Les noms G. lanceolata (Guillaumin) H.C.Hopkins, comb. et stat. nov. et G. velutina Guillaumin ex H.C.Hopkins, sp. nov. sont publiés pour la Nouvelle-Calédonie. Un index tient compte de tous les noms publiés effectivement dans, ou qui se réfèrent à, Geissois s.l. y compris ceux d’Australie.The taxonomic history of Geissois Labill. is described. All names validly published in Geissois in New Caledonia, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands are discussed and lectotypified where necessary, with names from Fiji mentioned briefly; invalid names are listed separately. The names G. lanceolata (Guillaumin) H.C.Hopkins, comb. et stat. nov. and G. velutina Guillaumin ex H.C.Hopkins, sp. nov. from New Caledonia are published. An index accounts for all names effectively published in, or referable to, Geissois s.l. including those from Australia.</p

A revision of Weinmannia (Cunoniaceae) in Malesia and the Pacific. 3. New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji, with notes on the species of Samoa, Rarotonga, New Caledonia and New Zealand

Volume: 20Start Page: 67End Page: 10

Le genre Cunonia (Cunoniaceae) en Nouvelle-Cal\ue9donie. Description de cinq esp\ue8ces nouvelles

Volume: 19Start Page: 7End Page: 2