Delay discounting: trait variable?

Delay discounting refers to the tendency for outcomes that are remote in time to have less value than more immediate outcomes. Steep discounting of delayed outcomes is associated with a variety of social maladies. The degree of sensitivity to delayed outcomes may be a stable and pervasive individual characteristic. In analyses of archival data, the present study found positive correlations between the degree of delay discounting for one outcome (as measured by the Area Under the Curve), and the degree of discounting for other outcomes. Along with additional evidence reviewed, these data suggest that delay discounting may be considered a personality trait. Recent research in epigenetics, neuroscience, and behavior suggests delay discounting may prove to be a beneficial target for therapeutic attempts to produce global reductions in impulsivity related to delay discounting.     

Temporally variable macroinvertebrate–stone relationships in streams

Stones were used to sample macroinvertebrates and characterise microhabitats at monthly or bimonthly intervals in six Ecuadorian streams covering a gradient in four different stability measures and other stream characteristics. The physical variables current velocity, water depth, horizontal position, embeddedness and size were measured to characterise stone microhabitats and presumed to be affected by or related to physical impact during hydrological disturbances. My first objective was to analyse how density, the number of families and a richness measure (residuals from a power regression of families vs. individuals) were related to the physical characteristics of individual stone habitats. My second objective was to quantify temporal variability in fauna–stone relationships and to analyse if such variability was related to overall stability of stream reaches. Partial Least Squares (PLS) multiple regression analyses showed high temporal variability between sampling dates in factor loadings of specific stone micro habitat variables. In spite of this, there was a clear negative effect of depth and a positive effect of current on density and number of families. Stone size was consistently negatively related to density and positively related to number of families. Patterns were less clear for richness residuals. Simple linear regressions of fauna vs. stone parameters generally confirmed the results reached by the PLS analysis, although few of the regressions were significant. For all fauna–stone regressions the variability in slopes was much higher among sampling dates within streams (temporal variability) than among streams (spatial variability), and significant slopes were even inverted on different sampling dates. Although the coefficients of variation (CV) of slopes of a given combination of fauna parameter and stone variable from different sampling dates (n=9–11) were rarely correlated to any of the measures of stream stability, this study has demonstrated high temporal variability in fauna–stone relationships (CV’s of regression slopes). Consequently, temporally un-replicated studies of such relationships do not necessarily reveal general patterns.     

Why is the house mouse karyotype so variable?

rates of robertsonian chromosomal evolution in the Western European house mouse are about two orders of magnitude greater than for most other mammals. This has resulted in a remarkable diversity of karyotypic races in a very short period of time. Recent studies are beginning to shed light on the relative contributions of mutation, drift, selection and meiotic drive in producing this pattern.     

Human muscle protein turnover--why is it so variable?

We undertook a comprehensive review of the literature to unravel the nature of the variability in the reported rate of human muscle protein synthesis. We analyzed the results from studies that report the protein fractional synthesis rate (FSR) in the vastus lateralis in healthy, nonobese, untrained adults ≤50 yr of age in the postabsorptive state at rest by using the primed, constant tracer amino acid infusion method according to experimental design characteristics. We hypothesized that if the variability is methodological (rather than physiological) in nature, systematic clustering of FSR values would be evident, and outliers would become apparent. Overall, as expected, the mixed muscle protein FSR values were significantly (P < 0.001) greater when the muscle vs. the plasma free amino acid enrichment is used as the surrogate precursor pool enrichment, and the average mixed muscle protein FSR values were significantly greater (P = 0.05) than the myofibrillar/myosin heavy chain FSR values. The within-study variability (i.e., population variance) was somewhat smaller in studies that used plasma amino acid/ketoacid enrichments vs. muscle free amino acid enrichment (～24 vs. ～31%), but this was not apparent in all circumstances. Furthermore, the between-study consistency of measured FSR values (i.e., interquartile range) was inversely correlated with the average duration between biopsies. Aside from that, the variation in reported FSR values could not be explained by differences in the experimental design and analytical methods, and none of the most commonly used approaches stood out as clearly superior in terms of consistency of results and/or within-study variability. We conclude that the variability in reported values is in part due to 1) differences in experimental design (e.g., choice of precursor pool) and 2) considerable within-subject variability. The summary of the results from our analysis can be used as guidelines for "normal" average basal FSR values at rest in healthy adults.     

Glycerol: a neglected variable in metabolic processes?

Glycerol is a small and simple molecule produced in the breakdown of glucose, proteins, pyruvate, triacylglycerols and other glycerolipid, as well as release from dietary fats. An increasing number of observations show that glycerol is probably involved in a surprising variety of physiopathologic mechanisms. Glycerol has long been known to play fundamental roles in several vital physiological processes, in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and is an important intermediate of energy metabolism. Despite some differences in the details of their operation, many of these mechanisms have been preserved throughout evolution, demonstrating their fundamental importance. In particular, glycerol can control osmotic activity and crystal formation and then act as a cryoprotective agent. Furthermore, its properties make it useful in numerous industrial, therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Few studies have focussed directly on glycerol, however, and while its metabolism is increasingly well documented, much of the details remain unknown. Considering the importance of glycerol in multiple vital physiological processes, its study could help unlock important physiopathological mechanisms.     

Unique TCR β-subunit variable gene haplotypes in Africans

This study investigated polymorphisms of genes in two regions of the T-cell antigen receptor beta-subunit (TCRB) locus, including BV9S2P, and BV6S7 in a 5' linkage group, and BV8S3, BV24S1, BV25S1, BV18S1, BV2S1, BV15S1 and BV3S1 in a 3' linkage group. These loci have been genotyped in individuals from five regions in Africa, including The Gambia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tanzania, and Zambia, and in individuals from northern Britain, northern India, and Papua New Guinea (PNG). In the 3' linkage group, 11 unique haplotypes were identified in the combined African populations; two equally frequent haplotypes represent the majority of African chromosomes. One haplotype was found in all four regions studied. This is the most frequent haplotype in the northern British, northern Indian and PNG populations. Although present, it is infrequent in the African populations. A North-South gradient in the frequency of a common African haplotype was observed. The distribution did not represent that of a known disease. Evidence suggests that malaria is not responsible for selection of these haplotypes. Overall, this study highlights large differences in the genetic constitution of the TCRB locus between Africans and other populations.     

Robust Bayesian variable selection for gene–environment interactions

Gene–environment (G× E) interactions have important implications to elucidate the etiology of complex diseases beyond the main genetic and environmental effects. Outliers and data contamination in disease phenotypes of G× E studies have been commonly encountered, leading to the development of a broad spectrum of robust regularization methods. Nevertheless, within the Bayesian framework, the issue has not been taken care of in existing studies. We develop a fully Bayesian robust variable selection method for G× E interaction studies. The proposed Bayesian method can effectively accommodate heavy-tailed errors and outliers in the response variable while conducting variable selection by accounting for structural sparsity. In particular, for the robust sparse group selection, the spike-and-slab priors have been imposed on both individual and group levels to identify important main and interaction effects robustly. An efficient Gibbs sampler has been developed to facilitate fast computation. Extensive simulation studies, analysis of diabetes data with single-nucleotide polymorphism measurements from the Nurses' Health Study, and The Cancer Genome Atlas melanoma data with gene expression measurements demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method over multiple competing alternatives.     

Heavy chain variable region contribution to the NPb family of antibodies: somatic mutation evident in a γ2a variable region

To examine germ line genes of the heavy chain variable region (V_H) that might contribute to formation of antibodies of the NP^b family, we have derived cDNA clones from two hybridomas making NP^b antibodies. One, B1–8, made an IgM protein and was derived during a primary response; the other, S43, made an IgG_2a protein and was derived during a hyperimmune response. Sequence comparison of the two clones showed that they differed by only 10 bp in the V_H region, had very different D segments and had identical J segments (J₂). A set of closely related germ line V_H genes was then cloned from a partial Eco RI library of C57BI/6 DNA. By comparing the germ line V_H regions to the cDNA V_H regions, we identified seven potential candidates for encoding the V_H regions of NP^b antibodies. The seven V_H regions were sequenced, and one V(186-2) contained exactly the DNA sequence found in the clone derived from B1–8. None of the DNA sequence differences that distinguished the S43-derived clone from the B1–8 clone was found in any of the other six germ line genes. Because the S43 sequence was more closely related to the V(186-2) germ line sequence than to any of the other V_H genes, we conclude that the differences between the genes resulted from somatic mutation and that the two hybridomas derived their V_H regions from the same germ line gene. Certain of the sequenced V_H genes contain crippling mutations; the repertoire of germ line V_H genes that can contribute to the diversity of antibodies may therefore be less than the total number of genes detectable by hybridization.     

A new mouse T-cell receptorα chain variable region family

Sequence analysis of the rearranged T-cell receptor a chain gene segments from an influenza reactive T-cell clone T2.5-5 and a hemin chloride reactive T-cell hybrid SJL-HE-1.1 have revealed a previously undescribedV gene family. We have designated this familyV 15. Southern hybridization analysis has indicated that this family most probably contains only two members, and that these are conserved in each of six mouse strains representing three previously describedV haplotypes:V ^a ,V ^b , andV ^c .     

Why is the genome variable? Insights from Drosophila.

The analysis of variation in DNA restriction maps and DNA sequence in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster and related species has revealed a remarkable richness of diversity. This review describes some of the results of population genetic studies of this variation that are beginning to reveal how interactions between natural selection, genetic drift, mutation rate, recombination rate and population size have contributed to the observed patterns.     

Why are defensive toxins so variable? An evolutionary perspective

Defensive toxins are widely used by animals, plants and micro-organisms to deter natural enemies. An important characteristic of such defences is diversity both in the quantity of toxins and the profile of specific defensive chemicals present. Here we evaluate evolutionary and ecological explanations for the persistence of toxin diversity within prey populations, drawing together a range of explanations from the literature, and adding new hypotheses. We consider toxin diversity in three ways: (1) the absence of toxicity in a proportion of individuals in an otherwise toxic prey population (automimicry); (2) broad variation in quantities of toxin within individuals in the same population; (3) variation in the chemical constituents of chemical defence. For each of these phenomena we identify alternative evolutionary explanations for the persistence of variation. One important general explanation is diversifying (frequency- or density-dependent) selection in which either costs of toxicity increase or their benefits decrease with increases in the absolute or relative abundance of toxicity in a prey population. A second major class of explanation is that variation in toxicity profiles is itself nonadaptive. One application of this explanation requires that predator behaviour is not affected by variation in levels or profiles of chemical defence within a prey population, and that there are no cost differences between different quantities or forms of toxins found within a population. Finally, the ecology and life history of the animal may enable some general predictions about toxin variation. For example, in animals which only gain their toxins in their immature forms (e.g. caterpillars on host plants) we may expect a decline in toxicity during adult life (or at least no change). By contrast, when toxins are also acquired during the adult form, we may for example expect the converse, in which young adults have less time to acquire toxicity than older adults. One major conclusion that we draw is that there are good reasons to consider within-species variation in defensive toxins as more than mere ecological noise. Rather there are a number of compelling evolutionary hypotheses which can explain and predict variation in prey toxicity.     

Mutualism or parasitism? The variable outcome of cleaning symbioses

The exact nature of many interspecific interactions remains unclear, with some evidence suggesting mutualism and other evidence pointing to parasitism for the same pair of interacting species. Here, we show spatial variation in the outcome of the cleaning relationship between Caribbean cleaning gobies (Elacatinus evelynae) and longfin damselfish (Stegastes diencaeus) over the distribution range of these species, and link this variation to the availability of ectoparasites. Cleaning interactions at sites with more ectoparasites were characterized by greater reductions in ectoparasite loads on damselfish clients and lower rates of removal of scales and mucus (i.e. cheating) by cleaning gobies, whereas the opposite was observed at sites where ectoparasite abundance was lower. For damselfish clients, cleaning was therefore clearly mutualistic in some locations, but sometimes neutral or even parasitic in others. Seasonal variability in ectoparasite abundance may ensure that locally low parasite availability, which promotes cleanerfish cheating, may be a transient condition at any given site. Conflicting conclusions about the nature of cleaning symbioses may, therefore, be explained by variation in ectoparasite abundance.     

Two closely related κ variable region pseudogenes pose an evolutionary paradox

Two pseudogenes belonging to the Igk-V1 variable region group have been isolated from BALB/c mice. The genes share >96.5% identity of nucleotide sequence in a 1800 base pair (bp) region surrounding the coding region, but deletions of 221 bp and 84 bp have removed essential sequences from the two genes. As the deletions are different in the two pseudogenes, they must have occurred independently in each gene during or subsequent to the duplication event which gave rise to the genes from a common ancestral gene. Polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to identify the pseudogenes in inbred strains of mice. BALB/c (Igk ^c) and AKR (Igk ^a), prototype strains representative of the predominant haplotypes, possess both pseudogenes but no intact copy. Only one of the pseudogenes was present in SJL (Igk ^a). Strains C58, c.C58 (Igk ^d) and NZB (Igk ^b) possessed an intact version of the gene. This distribution of haplotypes is consistent with a close linkage of the pseudogenes with other Igk-V1 genes on chromosome 6. The translated amino acid sequence of the pseudogenes indicates that prior to their acquiring deletions they encoded typical Igk-V1 variable regions except for an unusual FR2 region, in which the conserved proline at position 44 is replaced by leucine and the normally hydrophobic position 36 was occupied by histidine. Possible mechanisms to explain the occurrence of deletions in both of the pseudogenes in the recent evolution of BALB/c are discussed. One explanation would be that the two genes were already nonfunctional at the time of the duplication so that the subsequent deletions represent neutral events which became fixed in the inbred strains by a process of genetic drift. Alternatively, if the genes were functional at the time of duplication, their rapid loss due to deletion events suggests that negative selection may have acted to eliminate the genes from the V-region repertoire. Address correspondence and offprint requests to: D. M. Gibson.     

Visitor circulation and nonhuman animal welfare: an overlooked variable?

This article investigates visitor circulation and behaviors within a gallery of primate exhibits in relation to their possible implications for nonhuman animal welfare. When entering a primate house, the majority of visitors (84%) turned right, a pattern upheld throughout all times of the day. These findings demonstrate the existence of the “right-turn ”principle, a concept previously identified and investigated in the museum setting. The existence of this circulation pattern in zoos has important implications for the practical management of animal welfare issues because unbalanced or large numbers of visitors at specific enclosures could present a stressful influence. The “direction bias ”could not be attributed to demographic or behavioral traits, therefore suggesting that the principle, like similar findings from museum research, generalizes across visitor populations and, therefore, zoos. A visitor sample at another exhibit (located outside the exhibit gallery) did not display a direction bias, suggesting that the marked circulation pattern may be specific to exhibit galleries. The article discusses the significance and consequences of visitor circulation with respect to visitor management and animal welfare.     

Are deception-pollinated species more variable than those offering a reward?

In most pollination systems, animals transfer pollen among plants of a given species. Pollinator visitations do not come without cost, so plants usually offer a reward. However, the flowers of some plant species, mostly orchids, lack rewards and deceive animals into visiting their flowers. Deceptive species are thought to have high levels of variation in traits associated with advertisement and pollinator attraction, which have been attributed to genetic drift, or disruptive selection due to pollinator behavior. Rewarding species are assumed to have less variation due to stabilizing selection. We compared variability in floral morphology and fragrance composition between deceptive and rewarding species. Because both suites of traits are often linked with floral advertisement and pollinator attraction, we expected variation to be greater in species with deceptive pollination systems than in those offering rewards. We obtained floral morphology metrics for 20 deceptive species and 41 rewarding species native or naturalized in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Ecuador. Floral fragrances were sampled from eight deceptive species and four rewarding species. We found that the amplitude of variation in floral morphology and fragrance composition covaries significantly. Comparison of coefficients of variation for morphology indicated that, overall, deceptive species show significantly higher variation than rewarding species, and this pattern was also found among just orchids or just nonorchids. There were no statistical differences in morphological variation between orchids and nonorchids within a functional pollination group. Fragrance variation, measured by Jaccard distance, tended to be greater for deceptive species than for rewarding species. Although overlap in measures of variation occurs between the two groups, the data support the hypothesis that populations of deception-pollinated species are more variable than rewarding species in traits associated with pollinator attraction.     

Social function of a variable lateral stripe in Xiphophorus hellerii?

In a single population of a livebearing fish, the green swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii), a trait considered a static badge of status in males of other populations, the color of a stripe covering the lateral line, has been found to be dynamic relative to their social environment, potentially rendering this signal meaningless. Males change the color expression of their lateral stripe dynamically based on social environment. We investigated if males (n = 26) respond to visual and chemical information about other males with a color change and aggressive behavior. We found that visual information is indeed causing color change, whereas chemical information is less effective. Aggressive responses and frequency of response did not change significantly with the mode of communication. We also studied female preferences for color, but found no significant preference (n = 32). Our results lead to questions as to how interpopulation variation can affect preferences and how dynamic signaling—in this case signal transmission presumably dependent on sex and/or status—influences the behavioral interactions we might expect between X. hellerii in the field.     

Could rapid diameter changes be facilitated by a variable hydraulic conductance?

Adequate radial water transport between elastic bark tissue and xylem is crucial in trees, because it smoothens abrupt changes in xylem water potential, greatly reducing the likelihood of suffering dangerous levels of embolism. The radial hydraulic conductance involved is generally thought to be constant. Evidence collected about variable root and leaf hydraulic conductance led us to speculate that radial hydraulic conductance in stem/branches might also be variable and possibly modulated by putative aquaporins. We therefore correlated diameter changes in walnut (Juglans regia L.) with changes in water potential, altered by perfusion of twig samples with D-mannitol solutions having different osmotic potentials. Temperature and cycloheximide (CHX; a protein synthesis inhibitor) treatments were performed. The temperature response and diameter change inhibition found in CHX-treated twigs underpinned our hypothesis that radial hydraulic conductance is variable and likely mediated by a putative aquaporin abundance and/or activity. Our data demonstrate that radial water transport in stem/branches can take two routes in parallel: an apoplastic and a cell-to-cell route. The contribution of either route depends on the hydraulic demand and is closely linked to a boost of putative aquaporins, causing radial conductance to be variable. This variability should be considered when interpreting and modelling diameter changes.