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- Kattge, Jens, et al.
(author)
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TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
- 2020
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In: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 26:1, s. 119-188
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 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.
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| 5. |
- Dong, L., et al.
(author)
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Taxonomy of the Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina complex: an integrative approach using morphological, bioacoustic and multilocus DNA data
- 2015
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In: Ibis. - : Wiley. - 0019-1019 .- 1474-919X. ; 157:2, s. 312-325
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The taxonomy of the Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina-Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia complex from East Asia has long been debated. Most authors recognize two species: F.narcissina, with the subspecies narcissina (most of Japan and Sakhalin Island), owstoni (south Japanese islands) and elisae (northeast China) and F.zanthopygia (monotypic), although species status has been proposed for elisae and sometimes for owstoni. Here, we revise the taxonomy of this complex based on an integrative approach utilizing morphology, songs and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA for all taxa. All taxa were diagnosably different in plumage, and there were also structural differences among them, although the northernmost populations of owstoni (sometimes recognized as jakuschima and shonis) were somewhat intermediate in plumage, structure and male plumage maturation between southern populations of owstoni and narcissina. All taxa had different songs, and a discriminant function analysis of four song variables correctly classified 100% of all songs. A strongly supported phylogeny was recovered based on three mitochondrial genes and three nuclear introns (total of 3543bp), revealing a sister relationship between F.zanthopygia and the other taxa, between F.n.narcissina and F.n.owstoni, and between F.n.elisae and F.n.narcissina+F.n.owstoni. The corrected COI distances among the three F.narcissina subspecies ranged from 2.8% (narcissina-owstoni) to 8.2% (narcissina-elisae). We suggest that the congruent differences in multiple independent traits and the deep genetic divergences among the four taxa in the F.narcissina-F.zanthopygia complex support treatment of all of these taxa as separate species. However, we acknowledge the paucity of data for F.owstoni and recommend further studies of this taxon. We suggest listing both F.elisae and F.owstoni, which have small and fragmented populations, as globally threatened.
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| 6. |
- Jonhagen, ME, et al.
(author)
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Intracerebroventricular infusion of nerve growth factor in three patients with Alzheimer's disease
- 1998
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In: Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders. - : S. Karger AG. - 1420-8008 .- 1421-9824. ; 9:5, s. 246-257
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nerve growth factor (NGF) is important for the survival and maintenance of central cholinergic neurons, a signalling system impaired in Alzheimer’s disease. We have treated 3 patients with Alzheimer’s disease with a total of 6.6 mg NGF administered continuously into the lateral cerebral ventricle for 3 months in the first 2 patients and a total of 0.55 mg for 3 shorter periods in the third patient. The patients were extensively evaluated with clinical, neuropsychological, neurophysiological and neuroradiological techniques. Three months after the NGF treatment ended, a significant increase in nicotine binding was found in several brain areas in the first 2 patients and in the hippocampus in the third patient as studied by positron emission tomography. A clear cognitive amelioration could not be demonstrated, although a few neuropsychology tests showed slight improvements. The amount of slow-wave cortical activity as studied by electroencephalography was reduced in the first 2 patients. Two negative side effects occurred with NGF treatment: first, a dull, constant back pain was observed in all 3 patients, which in 1 patient was aggravated by axial loading resulting in sharp, shooting pain of short duration. When stopping the NGF infusion, the pain disappeared within a couple of days. Reducing the dose of NGF lessened the pain. Secondly, a marked weight reduction during the infusion with a clear weight gain after ending the infusion was seen in the first 2 patients. We conclude from this limited trial that, while long-term intracerebroventricular NGF administration may cause certain potentially beneficial effects, the intraventricular route of administration is also associated with negative side effects that appear to outweigh the positive effects of the present protocol. Alternative routes of administration, and/or lower doses of NGF, perhaps combined with low doses of other neurotrophic factors, may shift this balance in favor of positive effects.
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- Jelic, V, et al.
(author)
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Quantitative electroencephalography power and coherence in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment
- 1996
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In: Dementia (Basel, Switzerland). - : S. Karger AG. - 1013-7424. ; 7:6, s. 314-323
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study the best combination of quantitative electroencephalographic variables (qEEG) for the discrimination of groups with mild to moderate Alzheimer''s disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment and healthy subjects was defined and related to neuropsychological performance. The study population included 18 patients with mild to moderate probable AD, 19 subjects with objective memory disturbances, 17 subjects with subjective memory complaints who did not have clinical evidence of memory disturbance, and 16 healthy controls. AD patients had significantly increased theta and decreased alpha relative power, mean frequency, and temporoparietal coherence. There was no significant difference in the mean frequency in the left temporal region between AD patients and subjects with objective memory disturbances. Temporoparietal coherence appeared as a discriminant variable together with alpha and theta relative power only between AD patients and controls, giving 77.8% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Significant correlations between regional changes in qEEG variables and cognitive functions were found.
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- Wahlund, LO, et al.
(author)
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A follow-up study of the family with the Swedish APP 670/671 Alzheimer's disease mutation
- 1999
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In: Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders. - : S. Karger AG. - 1420-8008 .- 1421-9824. ; 10:6, s. 526-533
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- <i>Objective:</i> To study the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) at a very early stage and to evaluate clinical markers of presymptomatic AD. <i>Setting:</i> Longitudinal study at a university hospital. <i>Subjects:</i> A Swedish family harboring a double mutation at codons 670/671 of the APP gene on chromosome 21 was followed longitudinally for 3 years. Both mutation carriers and noncarriers participated. <i>Outcome Measurements:</i> Results from clinical investigations, electroencephalography, neuropsychological and neuroradiological examinations including magnetic resonance imaging, single-photon emission computed tomography and positron emission tomography were assessed and compared on two or more occasions. <i>Main Outcome:</i> During follow-up, 1 initially asymptomatic mutation carrier who was near the expected age of onset for this family, developed cognitive symptoms, and at the end of the follow-up fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for AD. One mutation carrier with cognitive symptoms at the first examination showed clinical deterioration and was diagnosed with AD. One demented mutation carrier died and was shown to have typical AD neuropathology at autopsy. The two remaining asymptomatic mutation carriers, as well as all the noncarriers were asymptomatic. These mutation carriers who were near the expected age of onset of AD but without clinical signs of the disease, did not show changes in either electrophysiological parameters or volumes of the temporal lobes. However, in these 2 individuals the blood flow in the temporal lobe showed intermediate values between the symptomatic mutation carriers and healthy noncarriers. Two neuropsychological tests showed a deterioration that paralleled clinical symptoms in 1 of the mutation carriers who was close to the expected age of onset and who at the end of the follow-up had clinical signs of AD. In the same subject, brain glucose metabolism was pathologically reduced in the temporal lobes before other clinical symptoms were obvious. <i>Conclusion:</i> In this familial form of AD a reduced temporal lobe glucose metabolism was indicative of AD before the expected clinical onset. Reduced glucose metabolism even preceded the development of subjective or objective cognitive dysfunction and might therefore serve as a clinical marker for AD before the onset of clinical symptoms. Reduced cerebral blood flow in the temporal lobes and cognitive deterioration paralleled the clinical decline in the early stage of the disease.
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