Evolución de las infecciones de transmisión sexual en la ciudad de Valencia. Periodo 2004-2009

Las infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS) han aumentado en los últimos años en toda la Unión Europea. La puesta en marcha de sistemas de notificación y registro de las enfermedades de declaración obligatoria (AVE) y sistemas de notificación automatizada de resultados de microbiología(RedMiVa) han permitido una mejora de la exhaustividad en la detección de casos y por tanto una mejor identificación y prevención de la transmisión de estas enfermedades.Un diseño clásico de vigilancia de salud pública para los registros de Sífilis del periodo 2005-2009 y de Infección gonocócica del periodo 2004-2009, nos permite analizar las características de los sujetos, su evolución temporal y hábitos sexuales en la ciudad de Valencia. Durante el periodo fueron notificados 321 casos de Sífilis y 596 de Infección Gonocócica. La evolución temporal de la incidencia pasó de 2,13 (2005) a 15,60 (2009) para la Sífilis; y de 2,13 (2004) a 26,36 (2009) para la Infección gonocócica. La introducción de la notificación microbiológica incrementó la detección de nuevos casos de ITS.La desproporción por género muestra una evolución creciente de la Razón de masculinidad. La Sífilis presenta cifras superiores entre los inmigrantes tanto en varones como en mujeres, mientras que para la Infección Gonocócica destaca una incidencia superior en mujeres autóctonas que entre las inmigrantes. El factor sexual de riesgomás frecuente para ambas enfermedades fue la existencia de parejas múltiples. El 42,68% de los pacientes con Sífilis y el 36,91% de los pacientes con Infección Gonocócica indicaron esta conducta.La tendencia creciente observada, con independencia de lo anterior, es concordante con informes de similar origen en nuestro país. No obstante, nuestras cifras de Incidencia Anual son sustancialmente mayores que las registradas en el conjunto de la nación.Esta evolución sugiere la necesidad de incrementar las  estrategias activas de prevención y uso de preservativos. De igual modo la detección temprana y el tratamiento correcto de las ITS requieren, en nuestra opinión, unamayor difusión de la información epidemiológica sobre ITS a los profesionales clínicos

Hepatitis A. Una enfermedad transmisible de nuevo en crecimiento en la ciudad de Valencia

La hepatitis A es una enfermedad infecciosa de transmisión fecal-oral producida por el virus de la Hepatitis A. En la mayoría de casos se trata de una infección asintomática pero en ocasiones puede dar lugar a un cuadro grave de hepatitis fulminante. En las últimas décadas la hepatitis A ha sufrido una importante disminución en Europa y en el mundo. Sin embargo, la disminución en la exposición al virus de la Hepatitis A (VHA) ha conllevado una disminución de la proporción de población con inmunidad adquirida.El objetivo del presente trabajo es conocer las características de los pacientes afectados de hepatitis A y la evolución de dicha enfermedad durante los años 2004-2009 en la ciudad de Valencia, así como contrastar si esta evolución se acompaña de un desplazamiento de la Hepatitis A hacia cohortes de edad superiores.Se recuperaron los casos de hepatitis A notificados y registrados en el sistema de Análisis de Vigilancia Epidemiológica (AVE) entre 2004 y 2009 en la ciudad de Valencia. Se realizó un análisis de la evolución de la edad en función del tiempo, el modo de presentación de los casos, la agregación temporal, y el ingreso hospitalario como criterio de gravedad, así como su relación con poblaciones infantiles. Los datos han sido tabulados y analizados  con el programa SPSS versión 14 para windows.Durante el periodo a estudio se registraron 397 casos de VHA. La incidencia anual ha pasado de 3,56 por cada 100.000 habitantes en 2004 a 11,67 en 2009. El 61% de los casos son hombres y el 39% son mujeres. La media de edad ha pasado de 17,97 en el año 2004 a 32,25 en el 2009. Respecto de su origen, el 87,1% de los casos era autóctono. El modo de presentación fue en el 27,7 % de los casos en el contexto de un brote y en el resto no se pudo establecer vínculo, por lo que se consideraron casos aislados. La evolución temporal, muestra agregaciones en las semanas epidemiológicas 41-42, correspondiendo con el final del periodo vacacional.Entre los motivos que pueden explicar el aumento de casos en la ciudad de Valencia podemos señalar la disminución de la población con inmunidad adquirida como efecto de la mejora en las condiciones del abastecimiento hídrico. Esta hipótesis sería concordante con nuestra observación del crecimiento de la afectación en personas cada vez de mayor edad, lo que refuerza la necesidad de actuaciones preventivas activas como la vacunación para recuperar la protección anti-HVA en nuestra población

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

GrassPlot - a database of multi-scale plant diversity in Palaearctic grasslands

GrassPlot is a collaborative vegetation-plot database organised by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) and listed in the Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases (GIVD ID EU-00-003). GrassPlot collects plot records (releves) from grasslands and other open habitats of the Palaearctic biogeographic realm. It focuses on precisely delimited plots of eight standard grain sizes (0.0001; 0.001;... 1,000 m(2)) and on nested-plot series with at least four different grain sizes. The usage of GrassPlot is regulated through Bylaws that intend to balance the interests of data contributors and data users. The current version (v. 1.00) contains data for approximately 170,000 plots of different sizes and 2,800 nested-plot series. The key components are richness data and metadata. However, most included datasets also encompass compositional data. About 14,000 plots have near-complete records of terricolous bryophytes and lichens in addition to vascular plants. At present, GrassPlot contains data from 36 countries throughout the Palaearctic, spread across elevational gradients and major grassland types. GrassPlot with its multi-scale and multi-taxon focus complements the larger international vegetationplot databases, such as the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and the global database " sPlot". Its main aim is to facilitate studies on the scale-and taxon-dependency of biodiversity patterns and drivers along macroecological gradients. GrassPlot is a dynamic database and will expand through new data collection coordinated by the elected Governing Board. We invite researchers with suitable data to join GrassPlot. Researchers with project ideas addressable with GrassPlot data are welcome to submit proposals to the Governing Board

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

A roadmap for island biology: 50 fundamental questions after 50 years of The Theory of Island Biogeography.

Aims The 50th anniversary of the publication of the seminal book, The Theory of Island Biogeography, by Robert H. MacArthur and Edward O. Wilson is a timely moment to review and identify key research foci that could advance island biology. Here we take a collaborative horizon-scanning approach to identify 50 fundamental questions for the continued development of the field. Location Worldwide. Methods We adapted a well-established methodology of horizon scanning to identify priority research questions in island biology, and initiated it during the Island Biology 2016 conference held in the Azores. A multidisciplinary working group prepared an initial pool of 187 questions. A series of online surveys was then used to refine a list of the 50 top priority questions. The final shortlist was restricted to questions with a broad conceptual scope, and which should be answerable through achievable research approaches. Results Questions were structured around four broad and partially overlapping island topics, including: (Macro)Ecology and Biogeography, (Macro)Evolution, Community Ecology, and Conservation and Management. These topics were then subdivided according to the following subject areas: global diversity patterns (5 questions in total); island ontogeny and past climate change (4); island rules and syndromes (3); island biogeography theory (4); immigration–speciation–extinction dynamics (5); speciation and diversification (4); dispersal and colonization (3); community assembly (6); biotic interactions (2); global change (5); conservation and management policies (5); and invasive alien species (4). Main conclusions Collectively, this cross-disciplinary set of topics covering the 50 fundamental questions has the potential to stimulate and guide future research in island biology. By covering fields ranging from biogeography, community ecology, and evolution to global change, this horizon scan has the potential to foster the formation of interdisciplinary research networks, enhancing joint efforts to better understand past, present and future of island biotas

A roadmap for island biology: 50 fundamental questions after 50 years of The Theory of Island Biogeography

Aims: The 50th anniversary of the publication of the seminal book, The Theory of Island Biogeography, by Robert H. MacArthur and Edward O. Wilson, is a timely moment to review and identify key research foci that could advance island biology. Here, we take a collaborative horizon-scanning approach to identify 50 fundamental questions for the continued development of the field. Location: Worldwide. Methods: We adapted a well-established methodology of horizon scanning to identify priority research questions in island biology, and initiated it during the Island Biology 2016 conference held in the Azores. A multidisciplinary working group prepared an initial pool of 187 questions. A series of online surveys was then used to refine a list of the 50 top priority questions. The final shortlist was restricted to questions with a broad conceptual scope, and which should be answerable through achievable research approaches. Results: Questions were structured around four broad and partially overlapping island topics, including: (Macro)Ecology and Biogeography, (Macro)Evolution, Community Ecology, and Conservation and Management. These topics were then subdivided according to the following subject areas: global diversity patterns (five questions in total); island ontogeny and past climate change (4); island rules and syndromes (3); island biogeography theory (4); immigration–speciation–extinction dynamics (5); speciation and diversification (4); dispersal and colonization (3); community assembly (6); biotic interactions (2); global change (5); conservation and management policies (5); and invasive alien species (4). Main conclusions: Collectively, this cross-disciplinary set of topics covering the 50 fundamental questions has the potential to stimulate and guide future research in island biology. By covering fields ranging from biogeography, community ecology and evolution to global change, this horizon scan may help to foster the formation of interdisciplinary research networks, enhancing joint efforts to better understand the past, present and future of island biotas. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Lt