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

Retinopathy of prematurity: Controversies in the usage of intraocular antiangiogenics [Retinopat�a del prematuro: Controversias en el uso de antiangiog�nicos intraoculares]

The increase in survival rates among preterm infants, characteristics of neonatal care for such infants and a lack of suitable programs for preventing, detecting and treating retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are factors that have made this disease the main cause of preventable blindness among children in Mexico. The advent of antiangiogenic agents in cancer treatment and their off-label use with favorable results in the treatment of proliferative vessel disease of the retina among adult patients, as well as anecdotal reports in the literature and a series of cases showing serious methodological flaws, have prompted their use in the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity. Unfortunately, these agents used indiscriminately in our country have a systemic absorption and secondary effects on the preterm patient's body. There are no long-term monitoring studies that guarantee their safe use in this segment of the population. This article describes the situation in our country and warns of the risks posed by the use of this type of drug on the preterm infant population

Retinopathy of prematurity: Controversies in the usage of intraocular antiangiogenics [Retinopatía del prematuro: Controversias en el uso de antiangiogénicos intraoculares]

The increase in survival rates among preterm infants, characteristics of neonatal care for such infants and a lack of suitable programs for preventing, detecting and treating retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are factors that have made this disease the main cause of preventable blindness among children in Mexico. The advent of antiangiogenic agents in cancer treatment and their off-label use with favorable results in the treatment of proliferative vessel disease of the retina among adult patients, as well as anecdotal reports in the literature and a series of cases showing serious methodological flaws, have prompted their use in the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity. Unfortunately, these agents used indiscriminately in our country have a systemic absorption and secondary effects on the preterm patient's body. There are no long-term monitoring studies that guarantee their safe use in this segment of the population. This article describes the situation in our country and warns of the risks posed by the use of this type of drug on the preterm infant population

TRY plant trait database, enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits-the morphological, ahawnatomical, 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