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- Falster, Daniel, et al.
(author)
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AusTraits, a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora
- 2021
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In: Scientific Data. - : Nature Portfolio. - 2052-4463. ; 8:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We introduce the AusTraits database - a compilation of values of plant traits for taxa in the Australian flora (hereafter AusTraits). AusTraits synthesises data on 448 traits across 28,640 taxa from field campaigns, published literature, taxonomic monographs, and individual taxon descriptions. Traits vary in scope from physiological measures of performance (e.g. photosynthetic gas exchange, water-use efficiency) to morphological attributes (e.g. leaf area, seed mass, plant height) which link to aspects of ecological variation. AusTraits contains curated and harmonised individual- and species-level measurements coupled to, where available, contextual information on site properties and experimental conditions. This article provides information on version 3.0.2 of AusTraits which contains data for 997,808 trait-by-taxon combinations. We envision AusTraits as an ongoing collaborative initiative for easily archiving and sharing trait data, which also provides a template for other national or regional initiatives globally to fill persistent gaps in trait knowledge.
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2. |
- Hudson, Lawrence N., et al.
(author)
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The PREDICTS database : a global database of how local terrestrial biodiversity responds to human impacts
- 2014
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In: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 4:24, s. 4701-4735
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Biodiversity continues to decline in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures such as habitat destruction, exploitation, pollution and introduction of alien species. Existing global databases of species' threat status or population time series are dominated by charismatic species. The collation of datasets with broad taxonomic and biogeographic extents, and that support computation of a range of biodiversity indicators, is necessary to enable better understanding of historical declines and to project - and avert - future declines. We describe and assess a new database of more than 1.6 million samples from 78 countries representing over 28,000 species, collated from existing spatial comparisons of local-scale biodiversity exposed to different intensities and types of anthropogenic pressures, from terrestrial sites around the world. The database contains measurements taken in 208 (of 814) ecoregions, 13 (of 14) biomes, 25 (of 35) biodiversity hotspots and 16 (of 17) megadiverse countries. The database contains more than 1% of the total number of all species described, and more than 1% of the described species within many taxonomic groups - including flowering plants, gymnosperms, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, beetles, lepidopterans and hymenopterans. The dataset, which is still being added to, is therefore already considerably larger and more representative than those used by previous quantitative models of biodiversity trends and responses. The database is being assembled as part of the PREDICTS project (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems - ). We make site-level summary data available alongside this article. The full database will be publicly available in 2015.
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3. |
- Martinez-Dubarbie, Francisco, et al.
(author)
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Plasma Phosphorylated Tau 231 Increases at One-Year Intervals in Cognitively Unimpaired Subjects
- 2024
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In: JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE. - 1387-2877 .- 1875-8908. ; 98:3, s. 1029-1042
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Plasma biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) constitute a non-invasive tool for diagnosing and classifying subjects. They change even in preclinical stages, but it is necessary to understand their properties so they can be helpful in a clinical context. Objective: With this work we want to study the evolution of p-tau231 plasma levels in the preclinical stages of AD and its relationship with both cognitive and imaging parameters. Methods: We evaluated plasma phosphorylated (p)-tau231 levels in 146 cognitively unimpaired subjects in sequential visits. We performed a Linear Mixed-effects Model to analyze their rate of change. We also correlated their baseline levels with cognitive tests and structural and functional image values. ATN status was defined based on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. Results: Plasma p-tau231 showed a significant rate of change over time. It correlated negatively with memory tests only in amyloid-positive subjects. No significant correlations were found with any imaging measures. Conclusions: Increases in plasma p-tau231 can be detected at one-year intervals in cognitively healthy subjects. It could constitute a sensitive marker for detecting early signs of neuronal network impairment by amyloid.
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