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

Stroke risk management in carotid atherosclerotic disease: A Clinical Consensus Statement of the ESC Council on Stroke and the ESC Working Group on Aorta and Peripheral Vascular Diseases.

Carotid atherosclerotic disease continues to be an important cause of stroke, often disabling or fatal. Such strokes could be largely prevented through optimal medical therapy and carotid revascularization. Advancements in discovery research and imaging along with evidence from recent pharmacology and interventional clinical trials and registries and the progress in acute stroke management have markedly expanded knowledge base for clinical decisions in carotid stenosis. Nevertheless, there is variability in carotid-related stroke prevention and management strategies across medical specialities. Optimal patient care can be achieved by (1) establishing a unified knowledge foundation and (2) fostering multi-specialty collaborative guidelines. The emergent Neuro-Vascular Team concept, mirroring the multi-disciplinary Heart Team, embraces diverse specializations, tailores personalized, stratified medicine approaches to individual patient needs, and integrates innovative imaging and risk-assessment biomarkers. Proposed approach integrates collaboration of multiple specialists central to carotid artery stenosis management such as neurology, stroke medicine, cardiology, angiology, ophthalmology, vascular surgery, endovascular interventions, neuroradiology and neurosurgery. Moreover, patient education regarding current treatment options, their risks and advantages, is pivotal, promting patient's active role in clinical care decisions. This enables optimization of interventions ranging from lifestyle modification, carotid revascularization by stenting or endarterectomy, as well as pharmacological management encompassing statins, novel lipid-lowering and antithrombotic strategies and targeting inflammation and vascular dysfunction. This consensus document provides a harmonized multi-specialty approach to multimorbidity prevention in carotid stenosis patients, based on comprehensive knowledge review, pinpointing research gaps in an evidence-based medicine approach. It aims to be a foundational tool for interdisciplinary collaboration and prioritized patient-centric decision-making

Evaluación económica y toma de decisiones en salud ambiental Avaliação econômica e tomada de decisão em saúde ambiental Economic evaluation and decision-making in environmental health

Ante el creciente deterioro ambiental y sus posibles consecuencias en la salud de la población resulta una prioridad indiscutible el diseño e instrumentación de políticas que controlen las actividades económicas bajo el criterio de protección a la salud humana y al ambiente mismo. Es preciso que dichas políticas consideren la factibilidad económica de las alternativas de protección existentes. Sin embargo, por la cantidad de intereses dentro del área ambiental, otros factores como el social y el político deben también ser considerados. La evaluación económica ha sido vista como un promisorio fundamento para la toma de decisiones en esta materia. Los autores analizan la capacidad de esta herramienta para organizar en forma sistemática y comparable los costos y los beneficios de alternativas para la solución de problemas ambientales. Se resumen las principales características de los estudios de costo-beneficio y costo-efectividad, las formas de evaluación económica del ambiente, y las particularidades de esta área para la aplicación de dichas técnicas de análisis. Se señalan los límites encontrados en estas herramientas para cuantificar los costos no monetarios de los riesgos ambientales y de los consecuentes daños a la salud, tales como el dolor, el sufrimiento ó la incapacidad de personas económicamente inactivas, constituyendo estos aspectos el reto metodológico de la evaluación económica en el área. Se reflexiona sobre la importancia de ampliar los insumos informativos para la toma de decisiones en materia de salud ambiental en aspectos como la distribución de los costos y los beneficios entre los distintos grupos sociales. Por último se señala tanto la creciente politización del tema ambiental, como la posibilidad técnica de manipulación de estas herramientas de análisis. Partiendo de estos elementos se señala la necesidad, por parte de los evaluadores, de ser conscientes sobre las implicaciones políticas de sus estudios, así como de la importancia de su vinculación con los tomadores de decisión con el objetivo de lograr pertinencia en el ejercicio académico.<br>Devido à crescente deterioração ambiental e as suas possíveis conseqüências para a saúde da polulação,torna-se necessário priorizar o desenho e instrumentação de políticas que controlem as atividades econômicas, considerando a proteção à saúde humana e ao próprio ambiente. É preciso que essas políticas considerem a factibilidade econômica das alternativas de proteção existentes. Não obstante, pela quantidade de interesses na área ambiental, outros fatores como o social e o político também devem ser considerados. A avaliação econômica tem sido vista como fundamental para a tomada de decisões nessa matéria. Foi analisada a capacidade desta ferramenta para organizar de forma sistemática e comparável os custos e os benefícios de alternativas para a solução dos problemas ambientais.Foram sintetizadas as principais características dos estudos de custo-benefício e custo-efetividade,as formas de avaliação econômica do ambiente e as particularidades desta área para a aplicação dessas técnicas de análise. Foram analisados os limites encontrados nessas ferramentas para calcular os custos não monetários dos riscos ambientais e dos danos conseqüentes à saúde, como a dor, o sofrimento ou a incapacidade de pessoas economicamente inativas, sendo que estes aspectos constituem o desafio metodológico da avaliação econômica na área. Analisa-se a importância de ampliar a informação para a tomada de decisões a respeito da saúde ambiental em aspectos como a distribuição dos custos e os benefícios entre os diferentes grupos sociais.Por último,assinala-se tanto a crescente politização do tema ambiental,como a possibilidade técnica de manipulação dessas ferramentas de analise.Partindo desses elementos, destaca-se a necessidade, por parte dos avaliadores, de tomar a consciência das implicações políticas dos seus estudos,assim como da importância da sua relação com as pessoas que tomam decisões para alcançar pertinência no exercício acadêmico.<br>Due to the increasing deterioration of the enviroment and its possible consequences for the health of the population the design and implementation of policies for the control of economic activities according to criteria for the protection of human health and the environment itself have become an unquestionable need. Such policies would incluede the economic feasibility of existing alternatives for protection. Due to the huge interests involved, however, other factors, both social and political should also be taken into consideration. Economic evaluation has been seen as a promising foundation for the decision making process in this subject. This tool's capacity systematically to organize and compare the costs and the benefits of the alternatives for the solution of enviromental problems is analysed.The main characteristics of cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness studies are summarized, as well as the possible forms of economic evalution, of the enviroment and the detailsof this field for the application of such techiniques of analysis. The limits of these tools for the quantifycation of the non-monetary costs of environmental risks and the consequent damage to health, whethea as pain,suffering or the disability of non-economic ally active persons are set out as these constitute the methodological challenge of the economic evaluation in the area. The importance of the enhancement of information input for the decision-making process relating to environmental health issues such as the distributions of costs and benefits among the different social groups is scrutinized. Lastly, the growuing political concern with environment issues is stated, as well as the techinical possibility of the manipulation of these analytical tools. On the basis of these elements,the need for evaluators to be conscious on the political implications of their studies, as well as the importance of their relationship with the decision-makers in view of the need for effective relevance to current environmental issue