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

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

Estimating completeness of national and subnational death reporting in Brazil: application of record linkage methods

BACKGROUND: In Brazil, both the Civil Registry (CR) and Ministry of Health (MoH) Mortality Information System (SIM) are sources of routine mortality data, but neither is 100% complete. Deaths from these two sources can be linked to facilitate estimation of completeness of mortality reporting and measurement of adjusted mortality indicators using generalized linear modeling (GLM). METHODS: The 2015 and 2016 CR and SIM data were linked using deterministic methods. GLM with covariates of the deceased's sex, age, state of residence, cause of death and place of death, and municipality-level education decile and population density decile, was used to estimate total deaths and completeness nationally, subnationally and by population sub-group, and to identify the characteristics of unreported deaths. The empirical completeness method and Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 estimates were comparators at the national and state level. RESULTS: Completeness was 98% for SIM and 95% for CR. The vast majority of deaths in Brazil were captured by either system and 94% were reported by both sources. For each source, completeness was lowest in the north. SIM completeness was consistently high across all sub-groups while CR completeness was lowest for deaths at younger ages, outside facilities, and in the lowest deciles of municipality education and population density. There was no clear municipality-level relationship in SIM and CR completeness, suggesting minimal dependence between sources. The empirical completeness method model 1 and GBD completeness estimates were each, on average, less than three percentage points different from GLM estimates at the state level. Life expectancy was lowest in the northeast and 7.5 years higher in females than males. CONCLUSIONS: GLM using socio-economic and demographic covariates is a valuable tool to accurately estimate completeness from linked data sources. Close scrutiny of the quality of variables used to link deaths, targeted identification of unreported deaths in poorer, northern states, and closer coordination of the two systems will help Brazil achieve 100% death reporting completeness. The results also confirm the validity of the empirical completeness method

Caracterização das equipes da Saúde da Família e de seu processo de trabalho Caracterización de los equipos de Salud de la Familia y su proceso de trabajo Characterization of Family Health teams and their work process

Este estudo tem por objetivo conhecer as características das equipes da Estratégia de Saúde da Família (ESF) de uma Coordenadoria Regional de Saúde do RS, identificando suas dificuldades no processo de trabalho. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa do tipo exploratório-descritiva, com aplicação de questionário. Os resultados revelaram uma faixa etária jovem, feminina e com formação profissional recente. Quanto ao processo de trabalho, foram observadas algumas dificuldades, dentre elas: a forma de contratação, a falta de infra-estrutura das unidades de saúde, a dificuldade de trabalhar em equipe, a falta de especialização dos trabalhadores, a não compreensão da população sobre a proposta da ESF e até mesmo o relato da ausência de dificuldades. Alguns dos resultados corroboram dados relatados pela literatura, no entanto os dois últimos ítens foram pouco explorados em outros estudos, constituindo aspectos relevantes a serem considerados no processo de trabalho e na implementação da ESF.<br>Este estudio tuvo como objetivo conocer las características de los equipos de la Estrategia de Salud de la Familia (ESF) de una Coordinadora Regional de Salud del RS, identificando las dificultades en el proceso de trabajo. Se trata de una investigación cualitativa del tipo exploratorio-descriptiva, con aplicación de cuestionario. Los resultados revelan una faja etaria joven, femenina y con graduación profesional reciente. Respecto del proceso de trabajo, se observó la presencia de algunas dificultades, entre ellas: el modo de contratación, la falta de infraestructura de las unidades de salud, la dificultad para trabajar en equipo, la falta de especialización de los trabajadores, la incomprensión de la población sobre la propuesta de la ESF y hasta incluso el relato de ausencia de dificultades. Algunos de los resultados corroboran datos reseñados en la literatura, mientras que los últimos dos han sido poco explorados por otros estudios, constituyendo aspectos relevantes a ser considerados en el proceso de trabajo e implementación de la ESF.<br>This study aims to learn the characteristics of Family Health Strategy (FHS) teams from a Regional Health Coordination of RS, identifying its difficulties in the work process. It is a qualitative exploratory-descriptive study, with a questionnaire application. Results revealed a group of young females with recent professional education. Regarding the work process, some difficulties observed were: the hiring model, the lack of infrastructure of the health units, the difficulty to work in teams, the lack of specialization of the employees, the non-comprehension of the population about the FHS proposal and even the reporting of the lack of difficulties. Some of the results corroborate the data reported by the literature, but the last two items were poorly explored in other studies, constituting relevant aspects to be considered in the work process and in the implementation of the FHS