Health comorbidities and cognitive abilities across the lifespan in Down syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Down syndrome (DS) is associated with variable intellectual disability and multiple health and psychiatric comorbidities. The impact of such comorbidities on cognitive outcomes is unknown. We aimed to describe patterns of physical health and psychiatric comorbidity prevalence, and receptive language ability, in DS across the lifespan, and determine relationships with cognitive outcomes. METHODS: Detailed medical histories were collected and cognitive abilities measured using standardised tests for 602 individuals with DS from England and Wales (age range 3 months to 73 years). Differences in prevalence rates between age groups and between males and females were determined using chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests. In adults, rates for psychiatric comorbidities were compared to expected population rates using standardised morbidity ratios (SMRs). Adapted ANCOVA functions were constructed to explore age and sex associations with receptive language ability across the lifespan, and regression analyses were performed to determine whether the presence of health comorbidities or physical phenotypes predicted cognitive abilities. RESULTS: Multiple comorbidities showed prevalence differences across the lifespan, though there were few sex differences. In adults, SMRs were increased in males and decreased in females with DS for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. Further, SMRs were increased in both males and females with DS for dementia, autism, ADHD, and depression, with differences more pronounced in females for dementia and autism, and in males for depression. Across the lifespan, receptive language abilities increasingly deviated from age-typical levels, and males scored poorer than females. Only autism and epilepsy were associated with poorer cognitive ability in those aged 16-35 years, with no relationships for physical health comorbidities, including congenital heart defects. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate the prevalence of multiple comorbidities varies across the lifespan in DS, and in adults, rates for psychiatric comorbidities show different patterns for males and females relative to expected population rates. Further, most health comorbidities are not associated with poorer cognitive outcomes in DS, apart from autism and epilepsy. It is essential for clinicians to consider such differences to provide appropriate care and treatment for those with DS and to provide prognostic information relating to cognitive outcomes in those with comorbidities.

A taxonomic review of the Selenophori group (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Harpalini) in the West Indies, with descriptions of new species and notes about classification and biogeography.

Primarily a taxonomic review of the West Indian elements of the selenophorine Harpalini, this paper includes a classification, a key, descriptions and illustrations of taxa, re-rankings, and new synonymies. In total, 45 species and subspecies are treated, six of which are described as new. A new genus and new species are as follows, with type localities in parentheses: Paraulacoryssusgen. n., (type species Selenophorus puertoricensis Mutchler, 1934); Neodiachipteryx davidsonisp. n., (Zamba, Dominican Republic); Selenophorus spinosussp. n., seriatoporus species group (Benjamin Constant, state of Amazonas, Brazil); Selenophorus obtusoidessp. n., parumpunctatus species group (near Soroa, Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba); Selenophorus ivieisp. n., nonseriatus species group (Big River, Montserrat, 16°45.719N', 62°11.335W'); Selenophorus irecsp. n., nonseriatus species group (Vernou, Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles); and Selenophorus fabriciisp. n., opalinus species group (Cabo Rojo, Pedernales Province, Dominican Republic). This last species was misidentified as Selenophorus integer (Fabricius). In turn, that species was misidentified as Selenophorus chalybeus Dejean. Selenophorus chalybeus Dejean is a junior synonym of Selenophorus integer Fabricius, syn. n.; and Isopleurus macleayi Kirby is a junior synonym of Selenophorus pyritosus Dejean, syn. n. Biogeographically, log of land area plotted against log of number of species shows that the equilibrium theory of biogeography applies to the West Indian selenophorine fauna. Taxonomically, the selenophorine taxa of the West Indies are arranged in eight genera. The 30 species/subspecies of Selenophorus (sensu stricto) are arranged in 10 species groups. Geographically, the major sources of the selenophorines are the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles. The West Indian islands probably have been invaded by 26 taxa. Of the currently extant taxa, 11 are classified as immigrant, meaning that they are represented both in the islands and on the mainland (South America or Middle America and southern Florida). Thirty three taxa are classified as precinctive, meaning that they originated where they are now living, the implication being that they have descended from immigrants, thus older in the islands than the current-day immigrants. It is postulated that the West Indian taxa represent three age groups: oldest, ancestors having reached the proto-Antilles by a landspan known as GAARlandia; a middle-age group (Neogene period), their ancestors having reached the islands by dispersal over water, between islands; and a young group of extant taxa, no older than the Pleistocene, also having reached the islands over water.

Western Hemisphere Zuphiini: descriptions of Coarazuphium whiteheadi, new species, and Zuphioides, new genus, and classification of the genera (Coleoptera, Carabidae).

Based on small samples (exemplars) analyzed with morphological methods, including detailed descriptions and illustrations, this study treats primarily the Zuphium genus-group in the Western Hemisphere, which comprises two precinctive genera: Coarazuphium Gnaspini, Vanin & Godoy, 1998 (type species Parazuphium tessai Godoy & Vanin, 1990) and Zuphioides gen. n. (type species Zuphium mexicanum Chaudoir, 1863). The genus Coarazuphium includes six troglobitic species from Brazilian caves, and one probably hypogaeic (troglophilic) species from the mountains of Oaxaca, in Mexico (Coarazuphium whiteheadi, sp. n., type locality, ridge top, in western Oaxaca, Mexico, at 2164 m, 35 km north of San Pedro Juchatengo, 16.462N, 97.010W). The epigaeic genus Zuphioides includes 23 species, with its geographical range extended from Neotropical temperate Argentina in southern South America, northward through the tropics to north temperate southeastern Canada, in the Nearctic Region. Keys are provided to the species of Coarazuphium and to thegenera of Western Hemisphere Zuphiini.

'Bellography': Life and Contributions of Ross and Joyce Bell, two New England Naturalists.

The lives and contributions of Ross and Joyce Bell are described with particular attention to studies of invertebrate natural history in the state of Vermont and carabid beetles of several groups, including the world rhysodine fauna. Their work, all done at the University of Vermont, was mainly taxonomic in nature and included aspects of the biology of the species considered. During their careers they described more than 75% of the c. 340 rhysodine species known to science. Ross Bell also wrote a number of seminal papers about the basal relationships of the Adephaga and the comparative anatomy of carabid coxal cavities. Ross and Joyce inspired several generations of students at UVM to take up advanced work in entomology and natural history.

Mandibles and labrum-epipharynx of tiger beetles: basic structure and evolution (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Cicindelitae).

Using for comparison with, and as outgroups for, supertribe Cicindelitae, we describe and illustrate the mandibles and labrum-epipharynx of the basal geadephagans Trachypachus gibbsii LeConte, 1861 (family Trachypachidae), and family Carabidae: Pelophila rudis (LeConte, 1863) (supertribe Nebriitae, tribe Pelophilini) and Ceroglossus chilensis (Eschscholtz, 1829) (supertribe Carabitae, tribe Ceroglossini). The range and pattern of variation in structure of mandibles and labrum-epipharynx within the supertribe Cicindelitae was assessed using scanning-electron (SEM) images of these structures in nine exemplar taxa: Amblycheila baroni (Rivers, 1890), Omus californicus (Eschscholtz, 1829) and Picnochile fallaciosa (Chevrolat, 1854) (representing the Amblycheilini); Manticora tuberculata (DeGeer, 1778) (representing the Manticorini): Tetracha carolina (Linnaeus, 1767) (representing the Megacephalini); Pogonostoma chalybeum (Klug, 1835) (representing the Collyridini); and Therates basalis Dejean, 1826, Oxycheila species, and Cicindela longilabris Say, 1824 (representing the Cicindelini). An evolutionary transformation series was postulated for the mandibles and labrum-epipharynx, based on a reconstructed phylogenetic sequence, which, in turn, was based on morphological and DNAevidence.Principal features of the transformation series for the mandibles included development of a densely setose basal face; wide quadridentate retinaculum; a lengthened incisor tooth; a multidentate terebra (one to five teeth; two-three most frequent), followed by subsequent loss of one or more such teeth; development of a diastema in the occlusal surface; development and subsequent loss of scrobal setae, and reduction and loss of the scrobe. Principal features of the transformation series for the labrum included evolution of form from transverse, sub-rectangular to elongate almost square, to triangular; position and number of setae evolved from dorsal to insertion on the apical margin, the number increased from 8-10 to as many as 36, and decreased to as few as four. The epipharynx broadened evolutionarily, the pedium evolving in form from narrow, triangular and nearly flat, to broad, palatiform, and markedly convex; anterior parapedial setae both increased and decreased in number, and in orientation, from a row parallel to the parapedial ridge to a setal row extended forward at about a right angle to the latter.

Badister Clairville 1806: A new species and new continental record for the nominate subgenus in Amazonian Perú (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Licinini).

Badister (Badister) amazonussp. n. is described from Perú, Loreto, 1.0 km SW Boca del Rio Samiria, Vigilante Post 1, 130m, "04°40.5'S, 074°18.9'W" its type locality. It is known also from two other localities in Loreto Department, Perú, in both the Varzea and Igapó river systems. This new species is sufficiently different that a new informal higher taxon, the amazonus species complex, is recognized. An updated key to the Western Hemisphere species of subgenus Badister is provided.