A new Oreolalax (Anura: Megophryidae) from the Hoang Lien Range, northwest Vietnam.

The megophryid genus Oreolalax is comprised of 19 species, most of which are endemic to China. A single species, Oreolalax sterlingae, is the only member of the genus known from Vietnam. During fieldwork on Mount Po Ma Lung in the Hoang Lien Range of northwest Vietnam, we encountered individuals of both Oreolalax sterlingae and another, morphologically divergent species of Oreolalax.

Risk Factors and Profiles of Falls Among Inpatients in Vietnam: A Multicenter Nested Case-Control Study.

Purpose: Falls among inpatients represent a significant global health concern and are among the leading causes of accidental death. However, hospital falls are context- and population dependent. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors contributing to falls and the fall profiles among Vietnamese inpatients.

A new species of the genus Rhabdophis Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata: Colubridae) from the Hoang Lien range, northwest Vietnam.

We describe a new species of the Natricinae genus Rhabdophis Fitzinger, 1843 from the Hoang Lien range, northwest Vietnam. The new species is distinct from all congeneric species on the grounds of morphometric and molecular data. The new species is most similar to Rhabdophis leonardi in terms of morphology but can be distinguished from it based on differences in maxillary tooth count, scalation, and genetic data.

Dysregulation of the WNK4-SPAK/OSR1 pathway has a minor effect on baseline NKCC2 phosphorylation.

The with-no-lysine kinase 4 (WNK4)-sterile 20/SPS-1-related proline/alanine-rich kinase (SPAK)/oxidative stress-responsive kinase 1 (OSR1) pathway mediates activating phosphorylation of the furosemide-sensitive Na-K-2Cl cotransporter (NKCC2) and the thiazide-sensitive NaCl cotransporter (NCC). The commonly used pT96/pT101-pNKCC2 antibody cross-reacts with pT53-NCC in mice on the C57BL/6 background due to a five amino acid deletion. We generated a new C57BL/6-specific pNKCC2 antibody (anti-pT96-NKCC2) and tested the hypothesis that the WNK4-SPAK/OSR1 pathway strongly regulates the phosphorylation of NCC but not NKCC2.

A new snake of the genus Dendrelaphis Boulenger, 1890 (Squamata: Colubridae) from the coastal area of southern Vietnam.

We describe a new species of Dendrelaphis from the coastal area in southern Vietnam based on morphological data and nucleotide sequences from one partial mitochondrial gene (Cytb). Dendrelaphis binhi sp. nov.

Cysteine-rich peptides: From bioactivity to bioinsecticide applications.

Greater levels of insect resistance and constraints on the use of current pesticides have recently led to increased crop losses in agricultural production. Further, the health and environmental impacts of pesticides now restrict their application. Biologics based on peptides are gaining popularity as efficient crop protection agents with low environmental toxicity.

Insights into the synthesis strategies of plant-derived cyclotides.

Cyclotides are plant peptides characterized with a head-to-tail cyclized backbone and three interlocking disulfide bonds, known as a cyclic cysteine knot. Despite the variations in cyclotides peptide sequences, this core structure is conserved, underlying their most useful feature: stability against thermal and chemical breakdown. Cyclotides are the only natural peptides known to date that are orally bioavailable and able to cross cell membranes.

Amplification of olfactory signals by Anoctamin 9 is important for mammalian olfaction.

Sensing smells of foods, prey, or predators determines animal survival. Olfactory sensory neurons in the olfactory epithelium (OE) detect odorants, where cAMP and Ca play a significant role in transducing odorant inputs to electrical activity. Here we show Anoctamin 9, a cation channel activated by cAMP/PKA pathway, is expressed in the OE and amplifies olfactory signals.

Cullin 3 mutant causing familial hyperkalemic hypertension lacks normal activity in the kidney.

Mutations in the ubiquitin ligase scaffold protein cullin 3 (CUL3) cause the disease familial hyperkalemic hypertension (FHHt). We recently reported that in the kidney, aberrant mutant CUL3 (CUL3-Δ9) activity lowers the abundance of CUL3-Δ9 and Kelch-like 3, the CUL3 substrate adaptor for with-no-lysine kinase 4 (WNK4) and that this is mechanistically important. However, whether CUL3-Δ9 exerts additional effects on other targets that may alter renal function is unclear.

Validation of Home Visual Acuity Tests for Telehealth in the COVID-19 Era.

Importance: Visual acuity (VA) is one of the most important clinical data points in ophthalmology. However, few options for validated at-home VA assessments are currently available.

Objective: To validate 3 at-home visual acuity tests in comparison with in-office visual acuity.

Amolops caelumnoctis Rao amp; Wilkinson, 2007, a Junior Synonym of A. splendissimus Orlov amp; Ho, 2007 (Amphibia: Anura: Ranidae).

Amolops splendissimus Orlov and Ho, 2007 and A. caelumnoctis Rao and Wilkinson, 2007 were described almost simultaneously from either side of the China-Vietnam border. The two species share a strong morphological resemblance, and their taxonomic distinctiveness has been questioned, yet no one has confirmed the taxonomic relationship and status between the two taxa.

A new species of Leptobrachella (Anura, Megophryidae) from Mount Pu Ta Leng, northwest Vietnam.

The Hoang Lien Range in northwest Vietnam is known to harbour five species of Leptobrachella, a specious genus of terrestrial frogs. We collected specimens of Leptobrachella from Mount Pu Ta Leng on the second highest peak in the Hoang Lien Range and use morphological and molecular data to show that this population represents a previously undescribed species which we name Leptobrachella graminicola sp. nov.

Gekko phuyenensis sp. nov. (Squamata: Gekkonidae), a new species from southern Vietnam.

A new species of the genus Gekko Laurenti, 1768 is described from Phu Yen Province, southern Vietnam based on morphological and molecular evidence. Gekko phuyenensis sp. nov.

A new species of Ahaetulla Link, 1807 (Squamata: Colubridae) from the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

A new vine snake, genus Ahaetulla, from Soc Trang Province, southern Vietnam is described based on morphological data and nucleotide sequences from COI and Cytb. Ahaetulla rufusoculara sp. nov.

A new skink of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata: Scincidae) from southern Vietnam.

A new skink of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950, from Binh Phuoc Province, southern Vietnam is described based on morphological data, including hemipenial characters, and nucleotide sequences from COI. The following morphological characters diagnose Scincella baraensis sp. nov.

A new species of Limnonectes (Amphibia: Anura: Dicroglossidae) from Vietnam.

A new species of Limnonectes from Phu Yen Province, South-central Vietnam is described based on morphological and molecular differences. Morphologically, the new species is distinguishable from its congeners on the basis of a combination of the following diagnostic characters: SVL 49.8-77.

The tadpoles of five Megophrys Horned frogs (Amphibia: Megophryidae) from the Hoang Lien Range, Vietnam.

Frogs in the genus Megophrys are an Asian radiation of stream-breeding frogs. The tadpoles of many Megophrys species are undescribed; those that are described are often dubiously allocated to species by association with post metamorphic specimens at collection sites and without supportive molecular data. We provide detailed descriptions of the larvae of five species of Megophrys from the Hoang Lien Range in northwest Vietnam: Megophrys fansipanensis, M.

A description of the tadpole of Megophrys "Brachytarsophrys" intermedia (Smith, 1921).

Megophrys Kuhl and Van Hasselt are an Asian radiation of terrestrial frogs which are usually associated with montane forest (Mahony et al. 2017). The Annam horned frog (Megophrys intermedia) is reported from montane evergreen forest in Vietnam and Lao People's Democratic Republic (Stuart 2005; Hendrix et al.

A description of the tadpole of the Critically Endangered Botsford's leaf-litter frog (Leptobrachella botsfordi) with comments on the distribution and conservation status of the species.

We describe the tadpole of the Botsford's leaf-litter frog Leptobrachella botsfordi, a species endemic to Mount Fansipan in northwest Vietnam, for the first time. Tadpoles of this species were found in steep, fast-flowing streams at elevations between 2500-2600 m asl. We also report a previously unknown locality for this species on Mount Fansipan, which increases the species' known Extent of Occurrence from 8 km2 to 36 km2.

A little frog leaps a long way: compounded colonizations of the Indian Subcontinent discovered in the tiny Oriental frog genus (Amphibia: Microhylidae).

Frogs of the genus include some of the world's smallest amphibians and represent the largest radiation of Asian microhylids, currently encompassing 50 species, distributed across the Oriental biogeographic region. The genus remains one of the taxonomically most challenging groups of Asian frogs and was found to be paraphyletic with respect to large-sized fossorial . In this study we present a time-calibrated phylogeny for frogs in the genus , and discuss taxonomy, historical biogeography, and morphological evolution of these frogs.

Asymmetric dimerization of adenosine deaminase acting on RNA facilitates substrate recognition.

Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs) are enzymes that convert adenosine to inosine in duplex RNA, a modification that exhibits a multitude of effects on RNA structure and function. Recent studies have identified ADAR1 as a potential cancer therapeutic target. ADARs are also important in the development of directed RNA editing therapeutics.