Understanding patterns and processes in biological diversity is a critical task given current and rapid environmental change. Such knowledge is even more essential when the taxa under consideration are important ecological and evolutionary models. One of these cases is the monogonont rotifer cryptic species complex Brachionus plicatilis, which is by far the most extensively studied group of rotifers, is widely used in aquaculture, and is known to host a large amount of unresolved diversity. Here we collate a dataset of previously available and newly generated sequences of COI and ITS1 for 1273 isolates of the B. plicatilis complex and apply three approaches in DNA taxonomy (i.e. ABGD, PTP, and GMYC) to identify and provide support for the existence of 15 species within the complex. We used these results to explore phylogenetic signal in morphometric and ecological traits, and to understand correlation among the traits using phylogenetic comparative models. Our results support niche conservatism for some traits (e.g. body length) and phylogenetic plasticity for others (e.g. genome size).

Client expectations have been studied infrequently in career counseling. This study provides preliminary data about precounseling expectations, which were conceptualized as preferences and anticipations. Ninety-two university students ( 22men and 70 women) who sought career counseling completed an open-ended questionnaire. The results suggested the following conclusions: (a) Clients have fairly clear ideas about what they want (preferences) from career counseling and about what the experience should be like; (b) clients are somewhat less certain about what the career counseling experience will actually be like (anticipations) and less optimistic about it; (c) a number of mismatches exist between clients' preferences and anticipations; (d) clients do not have well-developed expectations about their dislikes in career counseling; and (e) few differences are evident between clients who have had previous counseling and those who have not.

Ecological research is moving from a species-based to a functional-based approach to better understand the underlying principles that govern community dynamics. Studies of functional-based ecology, however, have been limited for zooplankton and particularly for rotifers. While rotifers show a variety of trophi types and coronal shapes, suggesting the importance of niche differentiation in their feeding strategy, relatively little is known of how this relates to rotifer dynamics. We used the guild ratio (GR 0 , a ratio of raptorial to microphagous species), an index based on a functional trait (i.e. feeding strategy), as a novel approach to rotifer dynamics. We extracted the seasonal GR 0 by using seasonal trend decomposition and investigated similarities between study sites (Lake Washington, USA and Lake Caldonazzo, Italy) and its relation to cladocerans by cross-correlation analysis. Our study indicated that (i) raptorial and microphagous rotifers showed alternating dominance, and that raptorial rotifers and cladocerans had a synchronous pattern, (ii) the seasonal pattern of the GR 0 was consistent across different sampling frequencies, and (iii) the GR 0 was similar in both lakes. We interpreted these patterns as the general strength of the GR 0 : discernment of species-environment relationships and robustness across sampling regimes. The limitations of the GR 0 (i.e. species identity is neglected, simplification of food preferences) can also be seen as its strong point: synthesis of multi-species patterns. In addition, the independence of GR 0 from species-level identification and its potential to make use of datasets with infrequent sampling intervals and low taxon resolution could further support its innovative aspect.

BackgroundThe relationship between light intensity physical activity (PA), which is common in older adults, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors is unclear. This study examined associations of accelerometer‐measured PA intensity with CVD risk factors in older women of different race‐ethnicities.Methods and ResultsCross‐sectional analyses were conducted in 4832 women (mean age 78.9 years; 52.5% white, 30.5% black, 17.1% Hispanic) who were without known CVD and wore triaxial accelerometers a minimum of 4 of 7 days with ≥10 hours/d awake wear‐time. Vector magnitude counts per 15‐s epoch were used to define time spent in low light (19–225 counts/15 s), high light (226–518), and moderate‐to‐vigorous; ≥519) intensity PA. Fasting CVD biomarkers, resting blood pressure, waist girth, body mass index, and 10‐year predicted CVD risk (Reynolds Risk Score) were measured. After adjusting for age, wear time, race‐ethnicity, and potential confounders, each PA measure was favorably associated with mean high‐density lipoprotein, triglyceride, glucose, C‐reactive protein, body mass index, waist girth, and Reynolds Risk Score (P<0.05, all). Associations with mean blood pressure, insulin, and total and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol were variable. A 30‐minute/d increment in PA was associated, on average, with odds ratios for high predicted CVD risk (Reynolds Risk Score ≥20) of 0.96 (95% confidence interval, 0.92, 1.00), 0.88 (0.83, 0.94), and 0.85 (0.79, 0.91) for low light, high light, and moderate‐to‐vigorous, respectively, and remained significant with further mutual control for PA intensity.Conclusions PA measured by accelerometry, including light intensity PA, was associated with lower CVD risk factor levels in race‐ethnically diverse older women.

Rotifers comprise a modestly sized phylum (≈1,850 species) of tiny (ca. 50-2,000 μm), bilaterally symmetrical, eutelic metazoans, traditionally grouped within the pseudocoelomates or Aschelminthes. These saccate to cylindrically shaped protostomes possess three prominent regions (corona, trunk, foot). They are distinguished by a ciliated, anterior corona (used in locomotion and food gathering) and a pharynx equipped with a complex set of jaws. Unfortunately, these generalizations grossly oversimplify a rich and fascinating diversity. Chief among the charms of the study of rotifers are their ecological importance, ease of culture (including chemostat technology), and the fact that much remains unknown about this exquisite phylum.