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- Brun, Eva, et al.
(author)
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Early prediction of treatment outcome in head and neck cancer with 2-18FDG PET
- 1997
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In: Acta Oncologica. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1651-226X .- 0284-186X. ; 36:7, s. 741-747
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The development of alternative treatment regimens in clinical oncology has increased the need for early prediction of cancer therapy outcome. The aim of this study was, early in the treatment phase, to identify patients with advanced head and neck cancer, responding or not responding to initiated therapy. The tumour metabolic rate of glucose (MRgl) examined by 2-18FDG-PET was determined in 17 patients before and after the first weeks of either radiotherapy (16-35 Gy) or one course of combination chemotherapy. Metabolic values uptake values normalized to plasma activity integrals--were correlated to loco-regional outcome, as evaluated 5-6 weeks after completion of treatment. Initial low tumour MRgl (<20 micromol/min/100 g tissue), in primary lesions or regional metastases, predicted a local complete response. When a high initial tumour MRgl was found, the magnitude of the reduction of MRgl in the second PET examination might be an adjunct in predicting local tumour response.
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- Erlandsson, Johan, et al.
(author)
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Migratory differences between ecotypes of the snail Littorina saxatilis on Galician rocky shores
- 1998
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In: Evolutionary Ecology. - 0269-7653. ; 12:8, s. 913-924
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Local migration patterns may be crucial to gene flow in species of marine gastropods which do not broadcast pelagic larvae. In some species, dispersal over distances of a few metres may influence micro-scale population structures. We investigated the migration pattern in Galician populations of the snail Littorina saxatilis in which populations of contrasting morphologies occupy different tidal levels of the same rocky shore. Two distinct morphs, one at the upper and one at the lower shore, overlap in distribution in a small mid-shore region where hybrids are produced. We documented the distances and directions of migration of both parental morphs and hybrids 1 month after they had been marked and released at different shore levels. When placed at their native shore level, snails migrated less than about 2 m and usually in independent directions. This supports the suggestion of a low local gene flow. At an alien shore level, however, the morphs often moved further and more directionally compared with native morphs. These differences may help to keep the two morphs separated at different shore levels. As fitness of an individual is highest in its native habitat, this seems to be an adaptive strategy.
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4. |
- Johannesson, Kerstin, 1955, et al.
(author)
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Growth rate differences between upper and lower shore ecotypes of the marine snail Littorina saxatilis (Olivi) (Gastropoda)
- 1997
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In: Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. - 0024-4066. ; 61:2, s. 267-279
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Shell polymorphisms are widespread among those intertidal gastropods that lack a pelagic spreading stage. These polymorphisms may indicate diversifying selection in a heterogeneous habitat, but to do this the variation must be at least partly inherited. Galician populations of Littorina saxatilis (Olivi) living in exposed rocky shores are highly polymorphic in several shell traits, e.g. ornamentation, banding and size. Mature snails of the upper-shore ridged and banded (RB) morph is, for example, often twice as large as mature individuals of the lower-shore smooth and unbanded (SU) morph of the same shore. We investigated the hypothesis that lower-shore snails grow more slowly and that differences in growth rate were at least partly inherited and could be explained by diversifying selection. We released snails of different origin (upper, mid- and lower shore) and morph (RB, SU and hybrids) at different shore levels and compared their shell increment after one month of growth. We found that despite considerable variation among individuals and among replicate samples (together about 53% of the total variation), average rates of growth differed between morphs. RB snails both from the upper and mid-shores grew at a high rate at all shore levels, SU snails grew considerably less, and hybrids grew at intermediate rates, at all levels. Inherited difference among morphs explained about 34% of the total variation while effects of shore levels and the interaction morph x shore level explained only 5 and 7%, respectively. Thus a large part of the difference in growth rate leading to different adult sizes of the two morphs has probably evolved due to spatially varying selection favouring large sizes in upper-shore and small sizes in lower-shore environments. (C) 1997 The Linnean Society of London.
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- Kostylev, Vladimir E., et al.
(author)
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Microdistribution of the polymorphic snail Littorina saxatilis (Olivi) in a patchy rocky shore habitat
- 1997
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In: Ophelia. - 0078-5326. ; 47:1, s. 1-12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Galician populations of the marine snail Littorina saxatilis have two main morphs on exposed rocky shores. The ridged and banded morph inhabits the barnacle (Chthamalus stellatus) dominated upper shore, while the smooth and unbanded morph is mainly found in the lower-shore zone of blue mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis). The distribution of the two morphs overlaps in the mid shore where hybrids are also present. The mid-shore habitat is a mixture of barnacle and mussel patches. We hypothesised that the different architectural complexity of barnacles and mussels would affect the distribution of the two morphs. Fractal dimensions were used to describe the substratum complexity of 96 small patches from three sites with different proportions of barnacles and mussels. Increased proportions of mussels in a patch increased the fractal dimension, and thus surface complexity. Snail abundance decreased with increased substratum complexity in the smooth and unbanded morph and in the hybrids but not in the ridged and banded morph. Furthermore, snail size increased with surface complexity Barnacles seemed a more suitable habitat than mussels as the interstitial volumes between barnacles available as refuges fbr snails were of a similar size range to that of the snails, while the mussel refuges were considerably larger.
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7. |
- Rolan-Alvarez, E., et al.
(author)
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Mechanisms of incomplete prezygotic reproductive isolation in an intertidal snail: testing behavioural models in wild populations
- 1999
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In: J. Evol. Biol.. ; 12, s. 879-890
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Two morphs (ecotypes) of the marine snail Littorina saxatilis coexist along Galician exposed rocky shores. They hybridize, but gene flow is impeded by a partial prezygotic reproductive barrier, and we have earlier suggested that this is a case of incipient sympatric speciation. To assess the mechanisms of prezygotic reproductive isolation, we estimated deviations from random mating (sexual selection and sexual isolation) of sympatric snails in 13 localities on the shore, and performed mate choice experiments in the laboratory. We also investigated the microdistribution of both morphs over patches of barnacles and blue mussels in the hybridization zone. We used computer simulations to separate the mechanisms contributing to reproductive isolation. On the shores sampled, male-female pairs were strongly assortative both with respect to morphs (mean Yule's V = 0.77) and size (mean Pearson's r = 0.47). In the laboratory, males of both morphs mounted other snails and mated other males and juveniles at random. However, mature females of equal sizes mated assortatively with respect to morph. The two morphs were non-randomly distributed over barnacle and mussel patches in the hybridization zone. Monte Carlo simulations showed that this microdistribution could explain about half the morph and size relationships in male-female pairs, while a simple rejection mechanism, rejecting the first 1-3 mates if they were of contrasting morphs, accounted for the remaining part of the reproductive isolation, and for parts of the size relationships found between mates. A size discriminant mate choice mechanism may also, to a lesser extent, contribute to the sexual isolation. Sexual selection was observed for female size (larger ones being favoured) and among certain morphs, but distinct biological mechanisms may cause these processes.
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8. |
- Rolan-Alvarez, E., et al.
(author)
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The maintenance of a cline in the marine snail Littorina saxatilis: The role of home site advantage and hybrid fitness
- 1997
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In: Evolution. - 0014-3820. ; 51:6, s. 1838-1847
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Steep clinal transitions in one or several inherited characters between genetically distinct populations are usually referred to as hybrid zones. Essentially two different mechanisms may maintain strap genetic dines. Either selection acts against hybrids that are unfit over the entire zone due to their mixed genetic origin (endogenous selection), or hybrids and parental types attain different fitness values in different parts of the dine (exogenous selection). Survival rate estimates of hybrids and parental forms in different regions of the dine may be used to distinguish between these models to assess how the dine is maintained. We used reciprocal transplants to test the relative survival rates of two parental ecotypes and their hybrids over microscale hybrid zones in the direct-developing marine snail Littorina saxatilis (Olivi) on the rocky shores of Galicia, Spain. One of the parental forms occupies upper and the other lower shores, and the hybrids are found at various proportions (1-38%) along with both parental forms in a midshore zone a few meters wide. The survival rate over one month was 39-52% of the native ecotype on upper shores, but only 2-8% for the lower-shore ecotype. In contrast, only 4-8% of the upper-shore ecotype but 53% of large (> 6 mm) and 8% of small (3-6 mm) native lower-shore ecotype survived in the lower shores. In the midshores, both the two parental ecotypes and the hybrids survived about equally well. Thus there is a considerable advantage for the native ecotypes in the upper and lower shores, while in the hybrid zone none of the morphs. hybrids included, are favored. This indicates that the dimorphism of L. saxatilis is maintained by steep cross-shore selection gradients, thus supporting the selection-gradient model of hybrid zones. We performed field and laboratory experiments that suggest physical factors and predation as important selective agents. Earlier studies indicate assortative mating between the two ecotypes in the midshore. This is unexpected in a hybrid zone maintained by selection gradients, and it seems as if the reproductive barrier compresses the hybrid zone considerably.
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