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- Broström, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Pollen productivity estimates of key European plant taxa for quantitative reconstruction of past vegetation : a review
- 2008
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Ingår i: Vegetation History and Archaeobotany. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0939-6314 .- 1617-6278. ; 17:5, s. 461-478
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Information on the spatial distribution of past vegetation on local, regional and global scales is increasingly used within climate modelling, nature conservancy and archaeology. It is possible to obtain such information from fossil pollen records in lakes and bogs using the landscape reconstruction algorithm (LRA) and its two models, REVEALS and LOVE. These models assume that reliable pollen productivity estimates (PPEs) are available for the plant taxa involved in the quantitative reconstructions of past vegetation, and that PPEs are constant through time. This paper presents and discusses the PPEs for 15 tree and 18 herb taxa obtained in nine study areas of Europe. Observed differences in PPEs between regions may be explained by methodological issues and environmental variables, of which climate and related factors such as reproduction strategies and growth forms appear to be the most important. An evaluation of the PPEs at hand so far suggests that they can be used in modelling applications and quantitative reconstructions of past vegetation, provided that consideration of past environmental variability within the region is used to inform selection of PPEs, and bearing in mind that PPEs might have changed through time as a response to climate change. Application of a range of possible PPEs will allow a better evaluation of the results.
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| 2. |
- Gaillard, Marie-Jose, et al.
(författare)
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The use of modelling and simulation approach in reconstructing past landscapes from fossil pollen data: a review and results from the POLLANDCAL network
- 2008
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Ingår i: Vegetation History and Archaeobotany. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0939-6314 .- 1617-6278. ; 17:5, s. 419-443
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Information on past land cover in terms of absolute areas of different landscape units (forest, open land, pasture land, cultivated land, etc.) at local to regional scales is needed to test hypotheses and answer questions related to climate change (e.g. feedbacks effects of land-cover change), archaeological research, and nature conservancy (e.g. management strategy). The palaeoecological technique best suited to achieve quantitative reconstruction of past vegetation is pollen analysis. A simulation approach developed by Sugita (the computer model POLLSCAPE) which uses models based on the theory of pollen analysis is presented together with examples of application. POLLSCAPE has been adopted as the central tool for POLLANDCAL (POLlen/LANdscape CALibration), an international research network focusing on this topic. The theory behind models of the pollen-vegetation relationship and POLLSCAPE is reviewed. The two model outputs which receive greatest attention in this paper are the relevant source area of pollen (RSAP) and pollen loading in mires and lakes. Six examples of application of POLLSCAPE are presented, each of which explores a possible use of the POLLANDCAL tools and a means of validating or evaluating the models with empirical data. The landscape and vegetation factors influencing the size of the RSAP, the importance of pollen productivity estimates (PPEs) for the model outputs, the detection of small and rare patches of plant taxa in pollen records, and quantitative reconstructions of past vegetation and landscapes are discussed on the basis of these examples. The simulation approach is seen to be useful both for exploring different vegetation/landscape scenarios and for refuting hypotheses.
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| 4. |
- Nielsen, Kari
(författare)
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Malignant melanoma-Risk factors and the CDKN2A mutation in relation to phenotypes and other cancers.
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is an increasingly common cancer in fair-skinned people. The purpose of this thesis was to study high-risk patients with multiple tumours including a CMM, high-risk families with the unique Swedish germline mutation in CDKN2A(113insArg), as well as study risk factors for CMM in women. Methods: Tumours associated with CMM, in individuals/probands with four or more primary tumours including at least one CMM were genotyped. The probands were further sub-grouped according to subsequent cancers (Paper I). Possible similarities in tumour patterns were studied in their close relatives (Paper II*). Further, melanoma-prone families in southern Sweden with the 113insArg/CDKN2A mutation were phenotyped and genotyped (Paper III). Finally, a population-based cohort of originally 40.000 women was prospectively followed for 18 years regarding CMM after answering a questionnaire about CMM risk factors (Paper IV). Results: Papers I-II: The mutation was overrepresented in probands with multiple CMM. Non-mutation probands presented e.g. Neural System Tumours (NSTs), adenocarcinomas and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), which were also seen in their relatives. For the relatives an overall increased risk for cancer was seen. Paper III: Positive mutation status was associated with clinically atypical nevi (CAN), and CMM diagnosis with red hair colour and CAN. No CMM were diagnosed in non-mutation carriers. The overall total nevus count (median 12, IQR: 5-25) and rate of individuals affected by CAN (14%), were lower in these families than shown in previous, population-based, Swedish studies. No atypical mole syndrome (AMS) phenotype was seen. Paper IV: Family history and ≥1 nevus on the left arm were risk factors for CMM, irrespective of age of the participants. Younger women with a history of frequent sunbed use had an additionally increased risk for CMM. CMM on the trunk were associated with a family history of CMM, a high nevus number and the youngest age at diagnosis. Conclusions: The 113insArg/CDKN2A mutation in these melanom-prone families is difficult to diagnose dermatologically, but the presence of CMM seems to be completely associated with the mutation. Hence, mutation carriers must be followed-up by dermatologists irrespective of phenotype. The population-based risks for CMM in southern Swedish women seem to be associated with a family history of CMM, a higher nevus number and, for younger women, the use of sunbeds. *Supplement.
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