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With the rise of new specialities after the World War, the number of OP rooms increases. They became gathered on the basement of buildings near the central sterilisation. To enter the OP room, everyone passes through the dressing "sas". "Slippers", uniforms, gloves and many supplies are now for single-use. Electrified operating tables with their own accessories became very useful. Air conditioning is appreciated too in our countries. The operating microscope for ORL, ophthalmology and neurosurgery is used by every one. In cardiology the coronary revascularisation being common stuff, cardiac transplantation (1967) and open-heart surgery received special attention. Vascular surgeons are dedicated to arteritiden, implants, and aortic aneurysms. Urology is focused on renal transplants (since 1959), and more recently on lithotrity and coelioscopic prostatectomy. The coeliosurgery conquered the abdominal pathology and the endoscopic techniques became current. In neurosurgery, stereotaxy to treat parkinson's disease is not used so often since Levodopa exists. But it is still useful to implant brain-stimulating electrodes for refractory parkinson's cases, some other dyskinesias, mental troubles or epilepsies. The neuronavigation brought new possibilities. At century's end, ambulatory surgery reduces surgical costs. Bigger and multidisciplinary theatres are now preferred. The open-heart surgery assisted by computer and robotics is evolving. Finally, we recall OP room accidents, which are not directly dealing with the operation.

To assess whether there is an increased prevalence of joint hypermobility in patients with vesico-ureteric reflux (VUR).We studied 50 patients with primary VUR and matched controls drawn from a reference population. Joint mobility was assessed using the Bulbena hypermobility score.We identified significantly more patients with VUR with generalized joint hypermobility than controls (24% vs 6.7%, P= 0.007).Our findings confirm our clinical observation of an increased rate of joint hypermobility in patients with VUR. We speculate that an altered composition of the connective tissue may contribute to the severity of the (pre-existing) VUR phenotype.

First published online: April 10, 2011

A new species of Theloderma is described from the Hoang Lien Mountains of northwestern Vietnam from between 1300–1400 m elevation. Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. was found at night inside a water-filled chamber of bamboo, which was within disturbed, submontane, semi-evergreen forest. The new species of Theloderma can be immediately differentiated from all other congeners by its solid, brick-red dorsal wash and minimal foot webbing (proximal to proximal subarticular tubercle on Toe I; to level of proximal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side of II; proximal to proximal subarticular tubercle on preaxial side of III; just beyond proximal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side of III; to level of proximal subarticular tubercle on preaxial side of IV; just beyond proximal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side of IV; and just beyond proximal subarticular tubercle on preaxial side of V). The female and tadpole remain unknown.

Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. Figs. 2, 3 Holotype: AMNH 168757 / IEBR A. 0860, adult male, Vietnam, Lao Cai Province, Van Ban District, Nam Tha Commune, above the Nam Tha river in disturbed, submontane semi-evergreen forest near 21 ° 54 ' 56 " N, 104 ° 21 ' 39 " E, between 1300–1400 m elevation, 10 September 2004, Raoul H. Bain, Nguyen Quang Truong, Lu A Cho & Trieu Tai Vuong. The holotype has an incision in the left leg from tissue samplings of muscle. Diagnosis: Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. is distinguishable from all other rhacophorid species from South China, Northeast India, and mainland Southeast Asia (north of the Isthmus of Kra) by a combination of: male SVL 23.5 mm; tympanum distinct, with distinct tympanic annulus; vomerine teeth absent; hand webbing absent; foot webbing reduced (Toe I, below proximal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side; Toe II, to level of proximal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side; Toe III below proximal subarticular tubercle on preaxial side, and just beyond proximal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side; Toe IV, to level of proximal subarticular tubercle on preaxial side, and just beyond proximal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side; and Toe V, just beyond proximal subarticular tubercle on preaxial side); outer metatarsal tubercle present; dorsal skin granular, bearing keratinized spicules, raised on small, isolated bumps; dermal fringes on the post axial portions of the limbs absent; dorsum, iris brick-red; mid-dorsal spot black; lip with small white spots; nuptial pad on Finger I; vocal sacs absent. Description of holotype: AMNH 168757 / IEBR A. 0860, adult male, habitus slender; head narrow, longer than wide; snout subacuminate in dorsal view, rounded in lateral aspect, projecting beyond lower jaw; nostril lateral, nearer to tip of snout than eye; canthus rostralis distinct, but not raised, distinct sulcus between nares; lores slightly concave, almost vertical, oblique; eye diameter 67 % of snout length; pupil horizontally oval; interorbital distance greater than width of upper eyelid; pineal body not visible; tympanum distinct, round, covered by layer of skin, 74 % of eye diameter, not depressed relative to skin of temporal region, tympanic annulus thin; vomerine teeth absent; choanae at extreme lateral edge; tongue elongated-cordiform, deeply notched posteriorly, free for approximately two-thirds its length; vocal sacs absent. Tips of all four fingers expanded into round discs; circummarginal and transverse grooves appear as one continuous circular groove; width of Finger I disc smallest, width of Finger III disc about 1.5 times width of phalanx, 67 % diameter of tympanum; relative Finger lengths I Tips of toes expanded into rounded discs, smaller than width of fingers; circummarginal and transverse grooves appear as one continuous circular groove; relative Toe lengths I Dorsal skin granular, bearing keratinized spicules on small, isolated bumps; keratinized spicules on small, isolated bumps also present on posterior portion of thigh around cloaca and preaxial surfaces of limb, but absent from lips, loreal region, and tympanum; supratympanic fold indistinct, curves from posterior edge of eye anterior to arm insertion, thickening considerably posterior to tympanum; rictal glands absent; postaxial line of tubercles on the limbs saw-tooth-like, not pronounced; tarsal fold absent; throat smooth, becoming coarsely tubercular towards belly. Measurements (mm) of holotype: SVL 23.5; HDL 9.5; HDW 7.9; SNT 3.8; IND: 2.3; EYE 2.6; IOD 2.8; TMP 1.9; TEY 0.5; HND 7.2; F 3 DSC: 1.3; F 4 DSC 1.0; TIB 12.7; FEM 10.6; FTL 9.6. Color in life: Dorsum, snout, loreal region, upper lip, upper eyelids, supratympanic fold, and all accompanying tubercles with deep brick-red wash overtop dark black-green; lips with small white spots; black mid-dorsal spot; dorsal wash fades to black-green patch on the sacral area; iris deep brick-red; tympanum black with bright white dots in the middle; upper portion of flanks deep brick-red with black blotches, including one large blotch in communication with tympanum and the largest in the sacro-inguinal region; lower half of flank with bright white spots interspersed among row-like black blotches; limbs barred black on red-brown to hands, feet; digit tips black with white spots; tubercles on limbs bright white to digit tips; venter uniform grey-brown with bright white spots, most dense on chest and belly. Color in preservative: Dorsum, snout, loreal region, upper lip, upper eyelids, supratympanic fold, with light grey sheen over light brown spot on mid portion of head and dark grey elsewhere; lips, tympanum redbrown with dull white spotting; black mid-dorsal spot clearly visible as in life; flank light brown with black blotches clearly visible as in life; sacral area dark grey, with two dark dorsolateral black lines; limbs barred black with red-brown; digit tips grey; anterior portion of thigh mottled light brown with light grey; posterior portion of thigh light grey with light brown dusting; all dorsal tubercles white; throat, ventral portions of limbs as in color in life; chest with white spots around dark brown curved lines; each ‘grain’ of granular belly uniquely colored white brown or grey to form a patchwork; ventral portion of hands light grey; ventromarginal grooves of toes light grey. Habitat and ecology: This specimen was collected from inside a bamboo hollow from a disturbed, submontane, evergreen forest. The locality is close to a cardamom farm within a bamboo forest that is inundated with small streams and seeps. The temperature had reached a daytime high of 31 o C, and a nighttime low of 19 o C. It was breezy. Also present inside bamboo of the same area were specimens of Theloderma asperum (adults and egg clutches), Kurixalus odontotarsus, and the snake Rhadinophis prasinus. Because of its locality in far northwestern Vietnam, this species may also occur in neighboring southeastern Yunnan Province, China, and northeastern Laos. Etymology: The Latin adjective lateriticum means ‘of bricks’, referring to the brick-red color of the dorsum Comparisons: The generic assignment of many small rhacophorid frog species from Asia is still uncertain (e.g. Bossuyt & Dubois 2001; Wilkinson et al. 2002; Frost et al. 2006; Grismer et al. 2007; Li et al. 2008; Fei et al., 2009). For this reason, we compare the new species with all species of Theloderma, and all rhacophorids from Northeast India, South China (including Hainan Island), and mainland Southeast Asia (north of the Isthmus of Kra) whose adult males have SVL less than 35 mm, lack hand webbing, lack dermal fringes on the post axial portions of the limbs, lack green coloration, and lack dorsal stripes: i.e., Theloderma asperum; T. bicolor; T. corticale; T. gordoni; T. horridum; T. kwangsiense; T. leporosum; T. licin; T. moloch; T. nagalandense; T. phrynoderma; T. rhododiscus; T. ryabovi; T. stellatum; Chiromantis laevis; Nyctixalus pictus; Philautus abditus; P. andersoni; P. aurifasciatus; P. cardamonus; P. cinerascens; P. garo; P. hainanus; P. jinxiuensis; P. k e m p i a e; P. k e m p i i; P. longchuanensis; P. maosonensis; P. m e n g l a e n s i s; P. ocellatus; P. parvulus; P. petilus; P. shillongensis; P. truongsonensis; P. tytthus. Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. can be immediately distinguished from all known species of Theloderma by its brick-red dorsal wash (T. asperum, T. rhododiscus, and T. ryabovi dominated by black and white; T. bicolor, T. corticale, and T. kwangsiense dominated by green and brown; T. gordoni, T. horridum, T. leporosum dominated by brown; T. licin solid white in the day, mottled with brown at night and in captivity; T. nagalandense dominated by large, orange-red patches; T. moloch, T. phrynoderma dominated by grey; and T. stellatum dominated by brown or lavender-grey), and minimal foot webbing: Toe I, below proximal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side (versus at least to subarticular tubercle); Toe II, to level of proximal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side (versus at least beyond subarticular tubercle); Toe III below proximal subarticular tubercle on preaxial side, and just beyond proximal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side (versus at least beyond subarticular tubercle on preaxial side, and at least to distal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side); Toe IV, to level of proximal subarticular tubercle on preaxial side, and just beyond proximal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side (versus at least to medial subarticular tubercle on preaxial side of IV, and at least to distal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side); and Toe V, just beyond proximal subarticular tubercle on preaxial side (versus at least to distal subarticular tubercle). Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. (SVL 23.5 mm) can further be distinguished from large congeners T. bicolor, T. corticale, T. gordoni, T. horridum, T. kwangsiense, T. leporosa, T. moloch, T. nagalandense, T. phrynoderma, and T. ryabovi (adult male SVL 40 mm or greater), by its distinct tympanic annulus (absent in all large congeners), and its granular dorsum (heavily rugose in all large congeners, except T. ryabovi). In addition, T. ryabovi and T. horridum males possess vocal sacs (absent in T. lateriticum). . There are four small species of Theloderma (adult male SVL 29–35 mm, T. asperum; 28, 30 mm, T. licin; 26, 27 mm, T. rhododiscus; and 27–35 mm, T. stellatum). Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. further differs from T. asperum with its line of tubercles on post axial portions of the limb (absent in T. asperum), and absence of vocal sacs in males (present in males of T. asperum). Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. further differs from T. rhododiscus by having a granular dorsum with small, isolated bumps (rough, with network of longitudinal pointy ridges in T. rhododiscus), one black mid-dorsal spot (several large dorsal spots in T. rhododiscus), and grey ventral digital surfaces (orange-red in T. rhododiscus). Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. further differs from T. stellatum with its free hands (fingers one-third webbed in T. stellatum), finger discs smaller than tympanum diameter (at least as large as tympanum in T. stellatum), snout spotted white (spotted black in T. stellatum). Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. most closely resembles the brown form of T. licin, but in addition to the above, further differs in the absence of finger webbing (present in T. licin), the presence of a nuptial pad on Finger I (present on Finger II in T. licin), the presence of tubercles on the supratympanic fold (absent in T. licin), and the absence of vocal sacs in males (present in males of T. licin). The brick-red dorsum also differentiates Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. from other regional rhacophorids that have male SVL less than 35 mm, lack hand webbing, lack dermal fringes on the post axial portions of the limbs, lack green coloration, and lack dorsal stripes: white with red vermiculations in C. laevis; dark and/or cinnamon brown in N. pictus; olive, grey, or brown in P. abditus, P. andersoni, P. cardamonus, P. cinerascens, P. g a ro, P. j i n x i u e n s i s, P. k e m p i a e, P. k e m p i i, P. longchuanensis, P. maosonensis, P. menglaensis, P. ocellatus, P. parvulus, P. shillongensis, P. tytthus; dorsolateral portions soft yellow-beige in P. petilus; yellow-gold with dark brown dorsolateral edges in P. truongsonensis; and variable but never red in P. aurifasciatus. Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. can be further differentiated from these rhacophorids by a combination of the following: snout length longer than eye diameter (opposite condition in N. pictus, P. abditus, P. cinerascens, P. garo, P. kempiae, P. parvulus); absence of vomerine teeth (present in N. pictus, P. petilus); absence of vocal sacs (present in Philautus abditus, P. aurifasciatus, P. cardamonus, P. hainanus, P. maosonensis, P. menglaensis; P. ocellatus, P. parvulus, P. petilus); distinct tympanum (completely hidden in P. abditus, P. kempiae, P. m a o s o n e n s i s; partially obscured in P. aurifasciatus, P. parvulus, P. tytthus), an outer metatarsal tubercle (absent in C. laevis, P. abditus, P. cardamonus, P. hainanus, P. k e m p i i, P. longchuanensis, and P. t y t t h u s); upper surfaces with keratinized spicules (absent in C. laevis, Philautus abditus, P. cardamonus, P. g a ro, P. jinxiuensis, P. longchuanensis, P. truongsonensis); postaxial limb tubercles (absent in P. petilus, N. pictus), and solid dorsal wash (with interorbital sash, dorsal butterfly, ‘)(’, or X marking in Philautus abditus, P. andersoni, P. cardamonus, P. c i n e r a s c e n s, P. garo, P. jinxiuensis, P. k e m p i a e, P. maosonensis, P. menglaensis, P. parvulus, P. shillongensis, P. tytthus; snout a different shade than rest of dorsum in P. kempii, P. shillongensis). Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. further differs from N. pictus by its supratympanic fold (absent in N. pictus); banded limbs (unbanded in N. pictus); and venter with spots (immaculate in N. pictus). Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. further differs from P. andersoni by its reduced foot webbing (for T. lateriticum sp. nov. web below proximal subarticular tubercle on Toe I, preaxial sides of II, III [at or beyond level of proximal subarticular tubercle in P. andersoni]; web to level of proximal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side of Toe II, preaxial side of IV, and just beyond proximal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side of Toe III, IV, preaxial side of V [well beyond level of proximal subarticular tubercle in P. andersoni]); its banded limbs (not banded in P. andersoni); and its grey-brown venter (yellow in P. andersoni). Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. further differs from P. aurifasciatus by its reduced foot webbing (for T. lateriticum sp. nov. web below proximal subarticular tubercle on Toe I, preaxial side of II [at level of proximal subarticular tubercle in P. aurifasciatus]; web to level of proximal subarticular tubercle on preaxial side of IV, and just beyond proximal subarticular tubercle on postaxial side of Toe III, IV, preaxial side of V [well beyond level of proximal subarticular tubercle in P. aurifasciatus]). Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. further differs from P. k e m p i i in having a disc on FI (absent in P. k e m p i i), and an inner metatarsal tubercle (absent in P. k e m p i i). Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. further differs from P. ocellatus by its brick-red iris (yellow in P. ocellatus) and spotted lip (banded in P. ocellatus). Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. further differs from P. petilus with its minimal foot webbing (to discs as a fringe on every toe in P. petilus), tubercular belly, and spinose cloacal tubercles on posterior portion of thigh (both areas smooth in P. petilus). Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. further differs from P. truongsonensis by its long head (HDW = HDL in P. truongsonensis), finger subarticular tubercle formula of 1,1,2,2 (1,2,2,1 in P. truongsonensis), Toe III being shorter than Toe V (III = V in P. truongsonensis), and lack of tarsal fold (present in P. truongsonensis). Theloderma lateriticum sp. nov. further differs from P. shillongensis by its long head (HDW> HDL in P. shillongensis), pedal web (only basal web between Toes IV, and V, otherwise free in P. shillongensis), and Toe III being shorter than Toe V (opposite condition in P. shillongensis). Remarks: McLeod & Ahmad (2007) noted that T. licin has the ability to change color. They further suggested that the color of a preserved specimen may be related to its color at the time of euthanasia. In our field experience, the Vietnam populations of the following species do not change color: T. asperum, T. bicolor, T. corticale, T. gordoni, T. rhododiscus, and T. stellatum.

With an understudied amphibian fauna, the highest deforestation rate on the planet and high harvesting pressures, Southeast Asian amphibians are facing a conservation crisis. Owing to the overriding threat of habitat loss, the most critical conservation action required is the identification and strict protection of habitat assessed as having high amphibian species diversity and/or representing distinctive regional amphibian faunas. Long-term population monitoring, enhanced survey efforts, collection of basic biological and ecological information, continued taxonomic research and evaluation of the impact of commercial trade for food, medicine and pets are also needed. Strong involvement of regional stakeholders, students and professionals is essential to accomplish these actions.

The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and efficacy of an exercise training program to improve exercise capacity and fatigue level in pediatric patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Twenty children on dialysis intended to perform a 12-week graded community-based exercise program. Exercise capacity and fatigue level were studied; muscle force and health-related quality of life were secondary outcomes. All outcomes were measured at baseline (T = 0) and after intervention (T = 1). Fourteen of the 20 patients (70%) either did not start the program or did not complete the program. Of these patients, seven did not complete or even start the exercise program because of a combination of lack of time and motivational problems. Six patients were not able to continue the program or were unable to do the follow-up measurements because of medical problems. Exercise capacity and muscle strength was higher after the exercise program in the children who completed the training. In conclusion, exercise training is difficult to perform in children with ESRD and is not always feasible in real-life situations for many children with ESRD.

Summary. Although children with haemophilia areadvised to participate in physical activities, theirphysical fitness has not been studied in a largegroup. In addition, children with haemophilia maybe at increased risk for becoming overweight as aresult of inactivity because of joint bleedings orbecause of overprotection. This study aimed toassess physical fitness (aerobic capacity), joint sta-tus, muscle strength, quality of life (QoL), self-reported motor competence and also prevalence ofoverweight and its association with physical para-meters. Weight and height were measured. Skinfolds were measured unilaterally at biceps, triceps,subscapular and supra-iliac sites. Aerobic capacitywas determined on a cycle ergometer or with a6-min walk test (6MWT). Muscle strength andactive range of motion of elbows, knees and anklejoints were measured. Self-reported motor compe-tence was measured with the CompetentieBelevingsSchaal voor Kinderen. Joint pain wasscored on a Visual Analogue Scale. The Haemo-QoL Index was used to measure QoL. In 158 Dutchboys with haemophilia, with a mean age of12.7 years (SD 2.9), normal aerobic capacity andmuscle strength were found. Joint pain was reportedby 16% of the participants. The prevalence ofoverweight (16%) was slightly increased whencompared with healthy Dutch boys (13.5%). Beingoverweight had a negative association with the6MWT and QoL. Dutch children with haemophiliahave normal aerobic exercise capacity and musclestrength. The majority also has normal joint mobil-ity. Prevalence of overweight is slightly increased.Keywords: fitness, haemophilia, mobility, over-weight, pain, strength

The six-minute walking test (6MWT) may be a practical test for the evaluation functional exercise capacity in children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The aim of this study was to investigate the 6MWT performance in children with ESRD compared to reference values obtained in healthy children and, secondly, to study the relationship between 6MWT performance with anthropometric variables, clinical parameters, aerobic capacity and muscle strength. Twenty patients (13 boys and seven girls; mean age 14.1 ± 3.4 years) on dialysis participated in this study. Anthropometrics were taken in a standardized manner. The 6MWT was performed in a 20-m-long track in a straight hallway. Aerobic fitness was measured using a cycle ergometer test to determine peak oxygen uptake \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ \left( {\mathop {\text{V}}\limits^\cdot {{\text{O}}_{\text{2peak}}}} \right) $$\end{document}, peak rate (Wpeak) and ventilatory threshold (VT). Muscle strength was measured using hand-held myometry. Children with ESRD showed a reduced 6MWT performance (83% of predicted, p

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Wiens (2007, Q. Rev. Biol. 82, 55–56) recently published a severe critique of Frost et al.'s (2006, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 297, 1–370) monographic study of amphibian systematics, concluding that it is “a disaster” and recommending that readers “simply ignore this study”. Beyond the hyperbole, Wiens raised four general objections that he regarded as “fatal flaws”: (1) the sampling design was insufficient for the generic changes made and taxonomic changes were made without including all type species; (2) the nuclear gene most commonly used in amphibian phylogenetics, RAG‐1, was not included, nor were the morphological characters that had justified the older taxonomy; (3) the analytical method employed is questionable because equally weighted parsimony “assumes that all characters are evolving at equal rates”; and (4) the results were at times “clearly erroneous”, as evidenced by the inferred non‐monophyly of marsupial frogs. In this paper we respond to these criticisms. In brief: (1) the study of Frost et al. did not exist in a vacuum and we discussed our evidence and evidence previously obtained by others that documented the non‐monophyletic taxa that we corrected. Beyond that, we agree that all type species should ideally be included, but inclusion of all potentially relevant type species is not feasible in a study of the magnitude of Frost et al. and we contend that this should not prevent progress in the formulation of phylogenetic hypotheses or their application outside of systematics. (2) Rhodopsin, a gene included by Frost et al. is the nuclear gene that is most commonly used in amphibian systematics, not RAG‐1. Regardless, ignoring a study because of the absence of a single locus strikes us as unsound practice. With respect to previously hypothesized morphological synapomorphies, Frost et al. provided a lengthy review of the published evidence for all groups, and this was used to inform taxonomic decisions. We noted that confirming and reconciling all morphological transformation series published among previous studies needed to be done, and we included evidence from the only published data set at that time to explicitly code morphological characters (including a number of traditionally applied synapomorphies from adult morphology) across the bulk of the diversity of amphibians (Haas, 2003, Cladistics 19, 23–90). Moreover, the phylogenetic results of the Frost et al. study were largely consistent with previous morphological and molecular studies and where they differed, this was discussed with reference to the weight of evidence. (3) The claim that equally weighted parsimony assumes that all characters are evolving at equal rates has been shown to be false in both analytical and simulation studies. (4) The claimed “strong support” for marsupial frog monophyly is questionable. Several studies have also found marsupial frogs to be non‐monophyletic. Wiens et al. (2005, Syst. Biol. 54, 719–748) recovered marsupial frogs as monophyletic, but that result was strongly supported only by Bayesian clade confidence values (which are known to overestimate support) and bootstrap support in his parsimony analysis was

Background Exercise therapy is considered an important component of the treatment of arthritis. The efficacy of exercise therapy has been reviewed in adults with rheumatoid arthritis but not in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Objectives To assess the effects of exercise therapy on functional ability, quality of life and aerobic capacity in children with JIA. Search methods The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE (January 1966 to April 2007), CINAHL (January 1982 to April 2007), EMBASE (January 1966 to October 2007), PEDro (January 1966 to October 2007), SportDiscus (January 1966 to October 2007), Google Scholar (to October 2007), AMED (Allied and Alternative Medicine) (January 1985 to October 2007), Health Technologies Assessment database (January 1988 to October 2007), ISI Web Science Index to Scientific and Technical Proceedings (January 1966 to October 2007) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy website (http://www.cps.uk.org) were searched and references tracked. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of exercise treatment in JIA. Data collection and analysis Potentially relevant references were evaluated and all data were extracted by two review authors working independently. Main results Three out of 16 identified studies met the inclusion criteria, with a total of 212 participants. All the included studies fulfilled at least seven of 10 methodological criteria. The outcome data of the following measures were homogenous and were pooled in a meta-analysis: functional ability (n = 198; WMD -0.07, 95% CI -0.22 to 0.08), quality of life (CHQ-PhS: n = 115; WMD -3.96, 95% CI -8.91 to 1.00) and aerobic capacity (n = 124; WMD 0.04, 95% CI -0.11 to 0.19). The results suggest that the outcome measures all favoured the exercise therapy but none were statistically significant. None of the studies reported negative effects of the exercise therapy. Authors' conclusions Overall, based on 'silver-level' evidence (www.cochranemsk.org) there was no clinically important or statistically significant evidence that exercise therapy can improve functional ability, quality of life, aerobic capacity or pain. The low number of available RCTs limits the generalisability. The included and excluded studies were all consistent about the adverse effects of exercise therapy; no short-term detrimental effects of exercise therapy were found in any study. Both included and excluded studies showed that exercise does not exacerbate arthritis. The large heterogeneity in outcome measures, as seen in this review, emphasises the need for a standardised assessment or a core set of functional and physical outcome measurements suited for health research to generate evidence about the possible benefits of exercise therapy for patients with JIA. Although the short-term effects look promising, the long-term effect of exercise therapy remains unclear.

Objective Juvenile dermatomyositis (DM) is an inflammatory myopathy in which the immune system targets the microvasculature of the skeletal muscle and skin, leading to significant muscle weakness and exercise intolerance, although the precise etiology is unknown. The goal of this study was to investigate the changes in exercise capacity in children with myositis during active and inactive disease periods and to study the responsiveness of exercise parameters. Methods Thirteen children with juvenile DM (mean ± SD age 11.2 ± 2.6 years) participated in this study. Patients performed a maximal exercise test using an electronically braked cycle ergometer and respiratory gas analysis system. Exercise parameters were analyzed, including peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), peak work rate (Wpeak), and ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT). All children were tested during an active period of the disease and during a remission period. From these data, 4 different response statistics were calculated. Results The children performed significantly better during a remission period compared with a period of active disease. Most exercise parameters showed a very large response. The 5 most responsive parameters were Wpeak, Wpeak (percent predicted), oxygen pulse, VO2peak, and power at the VAT. Conclusion We found in our longitudinal study that children with active juvenile DM had significantly reduced exercise parameters compared with a remission period. Moreover, we found that several parameters had very good responsiveness. With previously established validity and reliability, exercise testing has been demonstrated to be an excellent noninvasive instrument for the longitudinal followup of children with myositis.

Objective To determine whether aerobic capacity is normal in boys with different types of hemophilia compared with healthy peers and whether the level of aerobic capacity correlates with the amount of physical activity, joint health status, muscle strength, and anthropometrics. Study design 47 patients (mean [SD] age, 12.9 [3.2] years; age range, 8.2-17.4 years) from the “Van Creveldkliniek” of the University Medical Center Utrecht, participated. Anthropometry, muscle strength, joint impairment, functional ability, and aerobic capacity were measured. The amount of energy expenditure during daily living was assessed. Results All boys were able to perform at maximal or near-maximal level on exercise tests, and none of them reported bleeds or other adverse events. Relative peak oxygen, peak heart rate, and peak working capaicty were significantly lower compared with healthy control subjects. 30% had Z-scores >2 for weight. Total muscle strength was normal, and almost no joint impairment and no decrease in functional ability were found. Conclusion The aerobic capacity of children with hemophilia is still lower than the normal population, whereas their overall muscle strength is comparable with healthy peers. The functional ability does not differ from healthy peers, and joint health status showed very minor impairments. A substantial proportion of Dutch children with hemophilia was overweight, without showing a reduction in the amount of self-reported physical activities.

Osteoporosis in adults has been defined on the basis of densitometric criteria, but at present the term osteoporosis does not have a widely recognized definition in pediatrics. Consequently, the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) 2007 Position Development Conference reviewed the literature describing the relationship between bone densitometric studies and fractures in apparently healthy children and adolescents, and prepared Official Positions regarding the definition of osteoporosis in children and adolescents. The ISCD Official Positions with respect to the above issues, as well as the rationale and evidence used to derive these positions, are presented here.

Objective To describe the level of motor performance and functional skills in young children with JIA. Methods In a cross-sectional study in 56 preschool-aged (PSA) and early school- aged children (ESA) with JIA according to ILAR classification, motor performance was measured with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID2) and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC). Functional skills were measured with the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). Disease outcome was measured with a joint count on swelling/range of joint motion, functional ability and joint pain. Results Twenty two PSA children (mean age 2.1 years) with a mean Developmental Index of the BSID2 of 77.9 indicating a delayed motor performance; 45% of PSA children showed a severe delayed motor performance. Mean PEDI scores were normal, 38% of PSA scored below -2 SD in one or more domains of the PEDI. Thirty four ESA children (mean age 5.2 years) with a mean M-ABC 42.7, indicating a normal motor performance, 12% of ESA children had an abnormal score. Mean PEDI scores showed impaired mobility skills, 70% of ESA children scored below -2 SD in one or more domains of the PEDI. Disease outcome in both age groups demonstrated low to moderate scores. Significant correlations were found between age at disease onset, disease duration and BSID2 or M-ABC and between disease outcome and PEDI in both age cohorts. Conclusion More PSA children have more impaired motor performance than impaired functional skills, while ESA children have more impairment in functional skills. Disease onset and disease duration are correlated with motor performance in both groups. Impaired motor performance and delayed functional skills is primarily found in children with a polyarticular disease course. Clinical follow up and rehabilitation programs should also focus on motor performance and functional skills development in young children with JIA.

Amphiesma leucomystax spec. nov. (Figs. 1���11) Holotype. ��� ZFMK 71702, an adult female, from the southeastern border of the Ky Anh - Ke Go lowland forest protected area, surroundings 18 ��00��� N- 106 ��06���E, Cam Xuyen District, Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam, 125 m asl. Coll. by Thomas Ziegler, 12 July 1997. Paratypes (22 specimens). ��� VIETNAM. Nghe An Province. ZISP 23665 (female), Khe Kam River, Bu Cam (summit of mountain), 19 �� 37 ��� 99 ���N ��� 105 �� 14 ��� 93 ���E, Chau Nga Village, Ban Man Town, Quy Chau District, 1000 m. Coll. by Nikolai L. Orlov, Sergei A. Ryabov and Ho Thu Cuc, 29 March 2003.���Ha Tinh Province. ZFMK 71703 (female), lowland forest bordering Lake Ke-Go, surroundings 17 �� 59 ���N ��� 106 ��03���E, Cam Xuyen District, 170 m asl. Coll. by Thomas Ziegler, 26 September 1998. - ZFMK 71704 (female), southeastern border of Ky Anh - Ke Go Tropical forest protected area, Cam Xuyen District, 270 m asl. Coll. by Thomas Ziegler, 29 August 1997. - ZISP 23664 (female), Rao An river, 18 �� 20 ��� 62 ��� N- 105 �� 14 ��� 24 ���E, Son Kim Village, Huong Son District, 300 m. Coll by Nikolai L. Orlov, 24 April 2000.���Quang Binh Province. MNHN 2006.0447 (female), karst forest of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, Bo Trach and Minh Hoa Districts. Coll. by Thomas Ziegler & A. Heidrich, 20 June 2006. - VNUH 16.6.���05- 1 (female), karst forest of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, Bo Trach and Minh Hoa Districts. Coll. by Thomas Ziegler & Vu Ngoc Thanh, 16 June 2005. - ZFMK 80660 (female), karst forest of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, Bo Trach and Minh Hoa Districts. Coll. by Thomas Ziegler, 2 September 2003. - ZISP 23666 (female), Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, 350 m, Bo Trach and Minh Hoa Districts. Coll. by Nikolai L. Orlov, Sergei A. Ryabov and Ho Thu Cuc, 10 July 2003.���Quang Tri Province. ZISP 23669, ZISP 23671, ZISP 23674���23675 (males), ZISP 23668, ZISP 23670, ZISP 23672-23673 (females), Ban Cup, 16 �� 55 ���N ��� 106 �� 35 ���E, Huong Lap Village, Huong Hoa District, 350��� 480 m. Coll. by Nikolai L. Orlov, Nguyen Quang Truong and Ho Thu Cuc, 20 April��� 13 May 2005.���Thua Thien Hue Province. AMNH 154175 (female), from Khe Huong, a tributary to Khe Dau (Dau River), 16 �� 18 ' 24 "N ��� 107 �� 32 ' 38 "E, Binh Thanh Commune, Huong Thuy District, 109 m asl. Coll. by Nguyen Quang Truong, Raoul H. Bain, C. K. Dang, and T. D. Nguyen, 8 September 2005. - IEBR 2314 (female), from A Bong Stream, Huong Nguyen Commune, near 16 �� 14 ' 26 "N ��� 107 �� 27 ' 11 "E, A Luoi District, ca. 152 m. Coll. by Raoul H. Bain, Nguyen Quang Truong and V. M. Tran, 19 August 2005. - ZISP 23667 (male), Bach Ma Bang National Park, 500 m, Phu Loc District. Coll. by Nikolai L. Orlov and Ho Thu Cuc, 15 October 2003.���Gia Lai Province. FMNH 252118-252119 (females), from An Khe District (= Ke Bang). Coll. by Ilya S. Darevsky and Nikolai L Orlov, 25 March 1995 and 11 April 1995 respectively. - ZISP 23663 (male), Buon Luoi village, 14 �� 20 ���N ��� 108 �� 36 E���, Kannack Town, Ang Khe District, 750 m. Coll. by Nikolai L. Orlov, 4 April 1995. Additional material (2 specimens).��� VIETNAM. PNKB RH06213 (adult male), Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, Bo Trach and Minh Hoa Districts, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam. Coll. by Ralf Hendrix and Dang Ngoc Kien, 26 August 2006.��� THAILAND. PSUaa 0 0 54 (male), from ��� Thailand ���. This specimen was previously deposited in the former Thai National Collection, in which many specimens were only labeled as ��� Thailand ���. However, the origin of this specimen remains questionable. Etymology.���The specific nomen derives from the Greek adjective ευ��O, leucos, meaning white, and the Greek noun ������������, mystax, meaning either a moustache or an upper lip, a reference to the broad white stripe extending on the upper lips of this species. We suggest the following common names: White-lipped Keelback (English), Amphiesme �� l��vres blanches (French), Wei��lippen-Gebirgswassernatter (German) and Ran sai mep trang (Vietnamese). Diagnosis.���A species of the genus Amphiesma, characterized by a combination of the following characters: (1) a broad, continuous, white stripe extending under the eye from the tip of the snout across the upper half of supralabials and the nape to produce a V-like chevron; (2) vertically elongated or divided dorsolateral spots, salmon or rusty red (cream in preservative) on a dark grey background; (3) tips of ventrals black, with additional faint and ill defined dark blotches on inner side; (4) 19 - 19 - 17 DSR, distinctly keeled on rows 3���10 or 4���10, smooth on rows 1���2 or 1���3; scales of 1 st DSR enlarged; (5) 154���166 ventral plates; (6) internasals narrowed anteriorly; (7) 1 anterior temporal, 1 preocular and usually 3 postoculars; (8) a moderately sized eye (see below). Description of the holotype (Figs. 1���7).���Body moderately stout; head average (4.8 % of SVL), distinct from the neck, flat anterior to eye; snout long, 28.5 % of HL, 2.2 times as long as horizontal diameter of the eye, blunt from above, subrectangular in profile; nostril lateral, crescentic, piercing in middle of divided nasal in its lower half; eye moderately sized, diameter 1.3 times greater than distance between its inferior margin and edge of upper lip; pupil round; tail cylindrical and tapering. Size. - SVL: 406 mm; TaL: 189 mm; TL: 595 mm; HL: 19.4 mm; ratio TaL/TL: 0.318. Dentition. - Maxillary teeth: 26 gradually enlarged + 2 distinctly enlarged teeth posteriorly, without diastema. Body scalation. - DSR: 19 - 19 - 17. Scales not notched at their posterior extremities. Dorsal scale row reduction: Scales of rows 3���10 distinctly keeled with narrow, sharp keel, more keeled on posterior half of body; scales of rows 1���2 smooth. 158 VEN (+ 2 preventrals); 100 SC, all paired. Anal divided. Length of tail with 6 scale rows, in number of subcaudals spanned (see Malnate & Underwood, 1988): 32; length of tail with 4 scale rows: 33. Ratio Length 4 rows / Length 6 rows: 1.03. Head scalation. - Rostral hexagonal, wider than high; nasals subrectangular, longer than high, divided below the nostril, with crescentic, laterally opening nostril in its middle; internasals distinctly subtriangular and narrow anteriorly, 1.4 times as long as wide and about 0.5 times as wide anteriorly than posteriorly; prefrontals subrectangular, broader than long, reaching loreal; frontal hexagonal, small, 1.55 times as long as wide, with apex directed posteriorly, 2.3 times longer than suture between prefrontals; parietals long and wide, in contact for a length 1.0 times as great as the frontal length; loreal 1 / 1, small, rectangular, elongate horizontally, 0.7 time as high as long, in broad contact with nasal; preoculars 1 / 1; postoculars 3 / 3, much larger than the two lower ones; supralabials 10 / 10, SL 1���2 at left, 1���3 at right in contact with nasal, 3���4 at left, 2���4 at right in contact with loreal, 5���7 entering orbit on both sides, 8 th and 9 th largest; temporals: 1 + 1 on both sides; infralabials 10 / 10, first pair in contact behind the mental, four anteriors in contact with anterior chin shields; posterior chin shields shorter than anterior ones, followed by one pair of gulars. Coloration in alcohol.���Body dark ashy brownish-grey, darker above than on sides, resulting from dense, intricate speckling of dark grey minute dots on paler greyish-brown background; many scales edged with black, giving variegations or a loose network on upper surface of body and sides; sides with irregular faint black blotches, alternate in two rows, giving an indistinct quincuncially arranged pattern; dorsolateral stripe from side of neck to the vent, faint beige, more visible in the posterior half of the body, marked with a series of spots on DSR 6���7, conspicuous, light brown or beige, transversally elongated or divided into two parts, better defined anteriorly than posteriorly, about 70 in total, some edged with dark brown; tail as body, dorsolateral series of horizontally elongated beige spots, progressively vanishing on the tip of the tail. Head and parietal region dark brown, with irregular paler vermiculations and some scattered beige dots; a short cream sagittal line just behind parietal suture; rostral cream, dotted with minute grey spots; broad, continuous, pure white stripe extends from tip of snout, across supralabials to the corner of the mouth, curving dorsally on neck to vertebral scale, nearly connecting to stripe of other side, producing a very conspicuous Vlike chevron on nape; this stripe is continuous on whole of the upper half of SL 1 to 6, largely dotted with minute brown or grey spots and with an irregular lower edge in the region of SL 1���4, expands on the lowest parts of loreal and preocular, then directly borders the orbit; on SL 7���10, the stripe extends on a width equal to nearly one half of the scale, expands on lower part of the lower preocular at level of SL 7, leaving only a narrow upper margin of brown on SL 8, found on upper parts of SL 9 and in center of SL 10, becomes progressively more narrow as it curves dorsally. Venter cream, with tip of each ventral greyish-brown and another small, faint greyish-brown blotch on the inner side; infralabials heavily spotted with greyish-brown near edge of the lip. Coloration in life. - Rather similar to that in alcohol, with the exception of dorsolateral spots, which are rusty red, and the apex of the chevron on the neck, which is bright yellow (see Figs. 6���7). Description of paratypes (Figs. 8���9). ��� A summary of morphological and meristic data of the 22 paratypes is given in Table 1. Other important characters that vary with the holotype are discussed below in the description of the species (see ���Variation���). Variation.���The largest total length known is 772 mm for a male (SVL 527 mm, TaL 245 mm; ZISP 23671). The largest known female is 517 mm long (SVL 517 mm, TaL 228 mm; ZFMK 80660). The shortest specimen in our sample is only 238 mm long (SVL 163 mm, TaL 75 mm; ZISP 23667). Dentition (Fig. 10): 28���30 maxillary teeth in a continuous series, gradually enlarged, posterior two slightly more enlarged. Body relatively slim in males, more stout in females; head elongated, distinct from the neck, accounting (in adults above SVL 300 mm) for 4.0��� 5.2 % of SVL (x = 5.0 %); snout long, in adults 23.9���34.4 % (x = 29.7 %) of HL in both sexes, or 1.9���2.2 (x = 2.0) times as long as diameter of eye, without sexual size dimorphism; eye 1.4���1.6 (x = 1.5) times the distance eye���lip in both sexes. Tail tapering progressively. Ratio TaL/TL: 0.279���0.327, weakly sexually dimorphic (see below). DSR: 19 ��� 19 ��� 17, more or less strongly keeled on rows 3���10 in both sexes, always smooth on 1 st and 2 nd DSR. The reduction (DSR 4 + 5 ��� 4) appears at VEN 92���99 (x = 94.7, s = 2.1) at left, at VEN 96���102 (x = 99.2, s = 2.3) at right. VEN: 154���166 (plus 1���2 preventrals); SC: 94���109, all paired; anal shield divided. In females, length (in number of subcaudals spanned) of 6 caudal scale rows (see Malnate & Underwood, 1988): 34���44; length of 4 caudal scale rows: 27���36. Ratio length 4 caudal rows / length 6 caudal rows: 0.75��� 1.03 (x = 0.82; s = 0.11). The head scalation is as described for the holotype and paratypes, with the following variation: internasals 1.2���1.4 times as long as wide, 0.45���0.55 times as wide anteriorly than posteriorly; prefrontals subrectangular, broader than long; frontal hexagonal, 1.4���1.6 times as long as wide, with apex directed posteriorly, 1.1���1.2 times longer than the prefrontals; parietals in contact for a length 1.1���1.2 times as great as the frontal length; 1 subrectangular loreal, 0.65���0.75 times as high as long, in broad contact with the nasal; 1 / 1 preoculars; usually 3 postoculars (2 in 1 / 50 occurrences), the upper much larger than the two lowers; 9 (47 / 50 occurrences) or 10 (3 / 50 occurrences) supralabials, SL 1���2 (rarely 1������3) in contact with the nasal, SL 2���3 (9 / 46 occurrences), 2���4 (7 / 46) or 3���4 (5 / 20) in contact with loreal, SL 4���5 ��� 6 (33 / 48 occurrences), 4���5 (1 / 48), 5���6 ��� 7 (3 / 48) or 5���6 (1 / 48) entering orbit; SL 6���7 or 6���7 ��� 8 largest; 1 + 1 temporals in all specimens; 10 infralabials in all specimens, first pair in contact behind the mental, the four first are in contact with the anterior chin shields; posterior chin shields shorter than anterior shields. Coloration in alcohol largely as described for holotype; body usually more grey (as dark ashy grey) than brown, darker above than on sides; variegations or a loose network on upper surface of body and sides more or less visible; dorsolateral stripe usually faint or absent, more visible in posterior half of body, always marked with a series of 70���75 light brown or beige (in alcohol; orange or rusty red in life) spots on DSR 6���7, transversally elongated or divided into two parts, better defined anteriorly than posteriorly. The tail is patterned as the body, with dorsolateral series of horizontally elongated beige spots. Head dorsal surface and parietal region dark brown as in holotype, with irregular paler vermiculations and scattered beige dots; sagittal line behind parietals more or less visible; a broad, continuous, white stripe from snout tip to corner of the mouth, continuing to neck, present and conspicuous in all specimens; on nape, V-like chevron is present in all animals; stripe extends on whole of upper half of SL 1 to 6, bordering orbit and reaching lower part of lower preocular; in specimens with 9 SL, white stripe broadly crosses upper part of SL 7, leaving only a narrow upper margin of brown on this latter scale, then center of SL 8 and 9; on these latter scales, stripe occupies at least half of the scale. Venter cream or pale yellow; tip of each ventral greyish-brown; a medial small, more or less faint greyishbrown blotch, never well defined (as in Amphiesma boulengeri, for example). Infralabials heavily spotted with greyish-brown near the edge of the lip. In life, coloration and pattern are very similar to conditions in preservative; most notable differences are color of dorsolateral spots (salmon or rusty red in life), and posterior extremity of lateral streak of head (becoming yellow on the nape; see Figs. 6-9); dorsolateral spots are each connected by a narrow, weak reddish-brown band; upper dorsal surface dark grey, dark to bluish-grey or dark brownish-grey, with dark spots and irregular bars; dorsolateral spots extend to tail; upper head surface rather dark, reddish-brown in its middle with few small light spots; a weak light longitudinal line extends medially on hind part of head; in all specimens, lateral head streak white or cream and stretches from snout tip along the upper supralabials to neck, where both stripes nearly meet each other in a V-like chevron; tongue light behind, then darker, tips - including bifurcation point - light again; venter cream, pale yellowish-grey or very light grey, with a more or less conspicuous dark spot on tips of ventrals. Sexual dimorphism.���It is best defined in the numbers of ventrals of subcaudals: (1) Differences in the number of ventrals: 159���166 (x = 161.9, s = 2.9) in males vs. 154���159 (x = 156.9, s = 1.9) in females. (2) Differences in the number of subcaudals: 101���109 (x = 104.6, s = 3.6) in males vs. 95���103 (x = 97.9. 9, s = 2.8) in females. There is no clear difference in the ratio TaL/TL (males: 0.309���0.332 [x = 0.319, s = 0.010]; females: 0.279 ��� 0.0326 [x = 0.309, s = 0.012]. Hemipenes (Fig. 11).���From specimen PNKB RH06213 (both hemipenes are only partly everted, with only the base visible while the lobular region is still inverted): hemipenes short, massive. The everted part is uniformly covered with small to medium sized spines; a pair of larger spines visible close to the sulcus on the proximal half of the hemipenial body. Distribution (Fig. 12).��� Vietnam. Amphiesma leucomystax spec. nov. is currently known from several localities in the provinces (from North to South) of Nghe An (Quy Chau District), Ha Tinh (Cam Xuyen and Huong Son Districts), Quang Binh (Bo Trach and Minh Hoa Districts), Quang Tri (A Luoi, Phu Loc and Huong Hoa Districts), Thua Thien-Hue (Huong Thuy and A Luoi Districts), Quang Nam (Ba Na National Park, Hoa Vang District), Kon Tum (Ngoc Linh Mt., on the border between Quang Nam and Kon Tum Provinces), and Gia Lai (An Khe District).��� Thailand (?). The Thai specimen has no exact locality, based on a single specimen (see above) of unconfirmed origin. Based on the Vietnamese distribution, this species may be expected in eastern Laos, especially in the western slopes of the Annamite Range. Biology.��� This species inhabits lowland and montane monsoon evergreen tropical forests of the Annamite Range (or Truong Son) and Tay-Nguyen Plateau (Central Vietnam) between about 100 and 1300 m, although most specimens were obtained above 350 asl. Specimens for which data are available were collected in primary or disturbed forests; one was obtained in the clearing of a disturbed lowland forest. FIGURE 12. Distribution of Amphiesma leucomystax spec. nov. Most specimens were associated with forest streams on slopes of the hills or mountains, but specimens AMNH 154175 and IEBR 2314 were collected in lowlands. Most snakes were collected at night, either during the rainy or the dry season. All of them were in or next to water, either coiled on leaves or stones, or, for specimens ZFMK 71703 - 704, perched on branches above the stream. Specimen ZFMK 71703 was coiled and digesting at 2.5 meters above the ground. To the best our knowledge, this is the first record of arboreality in the genus Amphiesma. Specimen ZFMK 71703 had in its stomach a large female of Leptobrachium chapaense (Field number TZ ' 98 / 121, see Ziegler 2002: 45) swallowed hindlegs first, with partly digested hindlegs. Specimen ZFMK 71704 contained 4 large eggs, up to 25 x 7 mm. Other gravid females (ZISP 23670, 23671- 23672) were collected in April-May. They contained 3, 5 and 7 eggs respectively in the lower part of oviducts. Juvenile specimens were found on 15 th October (SVL 163 mm) and 20 th April (SVL 205 mm)., Published as part of David, Patrick, Bain, Raoul H., Truong, Nguyen Quang, Orlov, Nikolai L., Vogel, Gernot, Thanh, Vu Ngoc & Ziegler, Thomas, 2007, A new species of the natricine snake genus Amphiesma from the Indochinese Region (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae), pp. 41-60 in Zootaxa 1462 on pages 43-54, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.176453, {"references":["Malnate, E. V. & G. Underwood, 1988. Australasian natricine snakes of the genus Tropidonophis. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 140 (1): 59 - 201.","Ziegler, T. 2002. Die Amphibien und Reptilien eines Tieflandfeuchtwald-Schutzgebietes in Vietnam. Munster, Natur und Tier - Verlag GmbH: 1 - 342."]}

Phylogenetic relationships among representative species of the family Rhacophoridae were investigated based on 2904 bp of sequences from both mitochondrial (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, the complete t-RNA for valine), and nuclear (tyrosinase, rhodopsin) genes. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analyses were employed to reconstruct the phylogenetic trees. This analysis, combined with previous phylogenetic studies, serves as a framework for future work in rhacophorid systematics. The monophyly of Rhacophonts is strongly confirmed except for the species R hainanus, which is the sister taxon to A. odontotarsus. The non-monophyly of the newly designated genus Aquixalus by Delorme et al. [Delorme, M., Dubois, A., Grosjean, S., Ohler, A., 2005. Une nouvelle classification generique et subgenerique de la tribu des Philautini (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae, Rhacophorinae). Bull. Mens. Soc. Linn. Lyon 74, 165-171] is further confirmed. Aquixalus (Aquixalus) forms a well-supported monophyletic group within Kurixalus, whereas, Aquixalus (Gracixalus) is more closely related to species of Rhacophorus, Polypedates, and Chiromantis. Philautus as currently understood, does not form a monophyletic group. Philautus (Kirtixalus) is the sister group to the clade comprising Kurixalus and Aquixalus (Aquixalus), and more remotely related to Philautus (Philautus). Chiromantis romeri does not cluster with species of Chiromantis, and forms a basal clade to all rhacophorids save Buergenia. We propose some taxonomic changes that reflect these findings, but further revision should await more detailed studies, which include combined morphological and molecular analyses, with greater species sampling. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Objective To study the effects of a physical training program on exercise capacity, muscle force, and subjective fatigue levels in patients with mild to moderate forms of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Study design Thirty-four children with OI type I or IV were randomly assigned to either a 12-week graded exercise program or care as usual for 3 months. Exercise capacity and muscle force were studied; subjective fatigue, perceived competence, and health-related quality of life were secondary outcomes. All outcomes were measured at baseline (T = 0), after intervention (T = 1), and after 6 and 9 months (T = 2 and T = 3, respectively). Results After intervention (T = 1), peak oxygen consumption (Vo2peak), relative Vo2peak (Vo2peak/kg), maximal working capacity (Wmax), and muscle force were significantly improved (17%, 18%, 10%, and 12%, respectively) compared with control values. Subjective fatigue decreased borderline statistically significantly. Follow-up at T = 2 showed a significant decrease of the improvements measured at T = 1 of Vo2peak, but Vo2peak/kg, Wmax, and subjective fatigue showed no significant difference. At T = 3, we found a further decrease of the gained improvements. Conclusion A supervised training program can improve aerobic capacity and muscle force and reduces levels of subjective fatigue in children with OI type I and IV in a safe and effective manner.

The objective of this study was to evaluate exer- cise capacity in children and adolescents diag- nosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). We examined 20 patients (12 girls and 8 boys; mean age 14.9±3.7 years) diagnosed with CFS. Exercise capacity was measured using a maximal exercise test on a bicycle ergometer and an expired gas analysis system. Fatigue was assessed using a questionnaire and a daily activity diary was used todescribe activitiesforthreedays.Z-scores were calculated using age- and sex-matched reference values. Z-scores in children and adolescents with CFS were -0.33±1.0 (p= 0.17) for peak oxygen uptake, -1.13± 1.41 (p =0.002) for relative peak oxygen uptake (ml/kg/min) and -0.93± 1.29 (p =0.07) for maximal work load. Both heart rate and blood pressure at peak performance were significantly reduced compared to reference val- ues. Fatigue levels were significantly positively associated with age and negatively with blood pressure at peak exercise (p

Objective: To evaluate the physical function and fitness in survivors of childhood leukaemia 5–6 years after cessation of chemotherapy. Materials and methods: Thirteen children (six boys and seven girls; mean age 15.5 years) who were treated for leukaemia were studied 5–6 years after cessation of therapy. Physical function and fitness were determined by anthropometry, motor performance, muscle strength, anaerobic and aerobic exercise capacity. Results: On motor performance, seven of the 13 patients showed significant problems in the hand-eye co-ordination domain. Muscle strength only showed a significantly lower value in the mean strength of the knee extensors. The aerobic and the anaerobic capacity were both significantly reduced compared to reference values. Conclusion: Even 5–6 years after cessation of childhood leukaemia treatment, there are still clear late effects on motor performance and physical fitness. Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy and muscle atrophies are probably the prominent cause for these reduced test results. Physical training might be indicated for patients surviving leukaemia to improve fitness levels and muscle strength.

In this double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial it was investigated during a two-year follow-up whether oral bisphosphonates (Olpadronate 10 mg/m2/day) influence quality of life in children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Thirty-four children with OI (classified according to Sillence criteria), aged 3 to 18 years of age, with a restricted level of ambulation were included. Randomisation was performed using a list of computer generated random numbers to allocate patients to receive Olpadronate or placebo. Quality of life was measured using self-perception profile for children (SPPC) and health-utility index (HUI). Differences between baseline measurements and measurements at two years follow-up were analysed within the Olpadronate and placebo group using a student’s t-test. Differences in HUI and SPPC regression coefficients were analysed by random-effects repeated measures analysis (SAS, Proc Mixed, version 8.2), adjusted for age, gender and type of OI. Within the Olpadronate group there was a significant decrease in pain utility; however, difference in six months’ regression coefficients between the placebo and Olpadronate group were not significant. Within the placebo group there was a significant increase in scholastic competence and behavioural conduct. The item behavioural conduct showed a steeper annual regression coefficient favourable for the placebo group. In the other SPPC items none of the annual regression coefficients showed a significant difference between the Olpadronate and the placebo group. Conclusion: We found only slight differences in quality of life in favour of the bisphosphonate group. A small but not significant decrease in pain was detected in the bisphosphonate group.

Aims: To assess the relation between fatigue and somatic symptoms in healthy adolescents and adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME). Methods: Seventy two adolescents with CFS were compared within a cross-sectional study design with 167 healthy controls. Fatigue and somatic complaints were measured using self-report questionnaires, respectively the subscale subjective fatigue of the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS-20) and the Children’s Somatization Inventory. Results: Healthy adolescents reported the same somatic symptoms as adolescents with CFS/ME, but with a lower score of severity. The top 10 somatic complaints were the same: low energy, headache, heaviness in arms/legs, dizziness, sore muscles, hot/cold spells, weakness in body parts, pain in joints, nausea/upset stomach, back pain. There was a clear positive relation between log somatic symptoms and fatigue (linear regression coefficient: 0.041 points log somatic complaints per score point fatigue, 95% CI 0.033 to 0.049) which did not depend on disease status. Conclusions: Results suggest a continuum with a gradual transition from fatigue with associated symptoms in healthy adolescents to the symptom complex of CFS/ME.

De prevalentie van gegeneraliseerde hypermobiliteit van gewrichten varieert tussen de 4 en 50% (Carter en Wilkinson, 1964; Grahame, 1990; Cheng en Chan, 1991). De prevalentie van hypermobiliteit bij kinderen varieert tussen de 7 en 12% (Carter en Wilkinson, 1964; Grahame, 1990). In de Nederlandse situatie blijkt gegeneraliseerde hypermobiliteit bij kinderen tussen vier en dertien jaar in 15,5% en tussen twaalf en zeventien jaar in 13,4% voor te komen (Rikken-Bultman et al., 1997). Bij het optreden van klachten van het bewegingsapparaat, veroorzaakt door gegeneraliseerde gewrichtshypermobiliteit zonder een aantoonbare (systemische) reumatologische of bindweefselaandoening, spreekt men van het idiopathisch hypermobiliteitssyndroom (Van Hilten en Dielwart 1986; Grahame, 1990).

Background. Asymmetry in infancy is a diagnosis with a large spectrum of features, expressing an abnormal shape of parts of the body or unequal postures and movements, which might be structural and/or functional, with localized or generalized expression. Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to highlight different therapeutic aspects of the most occurring asymmetries in infancy: congenital muscular torticollis, positional torticollis and plagiocephaly, based on best evidence in current literature. Results: A flow chart is presented showing different pathways in therapeutic strategies, such as physical therapy, orthotic devices (helmet treatment and Dynamic Orthotic Cranioplasty) and surgery. Conclusion: It is concluded that there are different views towards management on torticollis and plagiocephaly. A systematic therapeutic management to evaluate these asymmetries is indicated. The presented therapeutic flow chart might serve as a basis in order to achieve uniformity in therapeutic thinking and performance.

OBJECTIVES. Musculoskeletal pain is a common complaint in a pediatric health care practice, but exercise tolerance has never been described in detail in these children. Our objectives for this study were to evaluate the maximal exercise capacity, including peak heart rate and oxygen consumption, of children with pain-related musculoskeletal problems, particularly in children with (symptomatic) generalized joint hypermobility and hypomobility, during a bicycle ergometry test to exhaustion; to evaluate muscle strength, bone mineral density, and sports activities in these children and to associate these observations with exercise capacity; and to compare these results with reference values. METHODS. Thirty-two children (mean age: 12.1 years; SD: 3.4 years; range: 6.2–20.1 years; 62% male) with musculoskeletal pain–related syndromes (joint hypermobility syndrome [n = 13] and joint hypomobility syndrome [n = 19]) participated. The reference group consisted of 117 healthy primary school prepubertal children, 167 healthy secondary school adolescents, and 98 young adults (249 girls and 133 boys; mean age total reference group: 14.5 ± 4.0 years; range: 8–20.8 years). Anthropometry, range of joint motion, muscle strength, bone mineral density (speed of sound and broadband ultrasound attenuation), sports activities, and a maximal exercise test using an electronically braked cycle ergometer were performed, and the patient stopped because of volitional exhaustion. Expired gas analysis and heart rate and transcutaneous oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry measurements also were performed. RESULTS. Children with joint hypomobility syndrome as well as children with joint hypermobility syndrome had a higher mean z score (SD) of weight and BMI compared with the reference group. A significantly decreased absolute peak oxygen consumption and relative peak oxygen consumption in both patient groups was found compared with control subjects. In 14 of 32 children with a z score relative peak oxygen consumption of less than −2, maximal heart rate was significantly decreased compared with 18 children with a z score relative peak oxygen consumption of −2 or more (mean [SD] z score speed of sound: −1.3 [0.8] vs −0.5 [1.0] and mean [SD] heart rate: 175.9 [11.5] vs 187.5 [10.9], respectively). In the total group, a high significant correlation between the z score of relative peak oxygen consumption and the z score of the speed of sound was found as well as with z score of BMI. Sixteen (50%) of 32 participated in sports activities with (mean: 0.9 hours/week; SD: 1.4 hours/week), whereas in the control group, 12% of did not participate in sports activities (mean: 2.8 hours/week; SD: 2.2 hours/week). Children who participated in sports activities had a (borderline) significant increased mean (SD) z score of absolute peak oxygen consumption and mean (SD) z score of broadband ultrasound attenuation compared with children who did not participate in sports activities (−0.3 [1.1] vs −1.2 [1.3] and −0.45 [0.8] vs −0.9 [0.5], respectively). CONCLUSIONS. In children with musculoskeletal pain–related syndromes, particular in children with (symptomatic) generalized joint hypermobility and hypomobility, maximal exercise capacity is significantly decreased compared with age- and gender-matched control subjects. The most probable explanation for the reduced exercise tolerance in our patients is deconditioning.

Aims: To explore the locus of health control in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and their parents in comparison with healthy adolescents and their parents. Methods: In this cross-sectional study 32 adolescents with CFS were compared with 167 healthy controls and their respective parents. The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) questionnaire was applied to all participants. Results: There was significantly less internal health control in adolescents with CFS than in healthy controls. An increase of internal health control of one standard deviation was associated with a 61% reduced risk for CFS (OR = 0.39, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.61). Internal health control of the parents was also protective (OR fathers: 0.57 (95% CI 0.38 to 0.87); OR mothers: 0.74 (95% CI 0.50 to 1.09)). The external loci of health control were higher in adolescents with CFS and in their parents. Increased levels of fatigue (56%) were found in the mothers of the adolescents with CFS, in contrast with the fathers who reported a normal percentage of 13. Conclusions: In comparison with healthy adolescents, adolescents with CFS and their parents show less internal health control. They attribute their health more to external factors, such as chance and physicians. This outcome is of relevance for treatment strategies such as cognitive behaviour therapy, for which health behaviour is the main focus.

Objectives. To investigate whether constitutional laxity of the connective tissues is more frequently present in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) than in healthy controls. Increased joint hypermobility in patients with CFS has been previously described, as has lower blood pressure in fatigued individuals, which raises the question of whether constitutional laxity is a possible biological predisposing factor for CFS. Design. Cross-sectional study. Participants. Thirty-two adolescents with CFS (according to the criteria of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) referred to a tertiary hospital and 167 healthy controls. Methods. The 32 adolescents with CFS were examined extensively regarding collagen-related parameters: joint mobility, blood pressure, arterial stiffness and arterial wall thickness, skin extensibility, and degradation products of collagen metabolism. Possible confounding factors (age, gender, height, weight, physical activity, muscle strength, diet, alcohol consumption, and cigarette smoking) were also measured. The results were compared with findings in 167 healthy adolescents who underwent the same examinations. Results. Joint mobility, Beighton score, and collagen biochemistry, all indicators of connective tissue abnormality, were equal for both groups. Systolic blood pressure, however, was remarkably lower in patients with CFS (117.3 vs. 129.7 mm Hg; adjusted difference: −13.5 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −19.1, −7.0). Skin extensibility was higher in adolescents with CFS (mean z score: 0.5 vs. 0.1 SD; adjusted difference: 0.3 SD; 95% CI: 0.1, 0.5). Arterial stiffness, expressed as common carotid distension, was lower in adolescents with CFS, indicating stiffer arteries (670 vs 820 μm; adjusted difference: −110 μm; 95% CI: −220, −10). All analyses were adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, and physical activity. Additionally, arterial stiffness was adjusted for lumen diameter and pulse pressure. Conclusions. These findings do not consistently point in the same direction of an abnormality in connective tissue. Patients with CFS did have lower blood pressure and more extensible skin but lacked the most important parameter indicating constitutional laxity, ie, joint hypermobility. Moreover, the collagen metabolism measured by crosslinks and hydroxyproline in urine, mainly reflecting bone resorption, was not different. The unexpected finding of stiffer arteries in patients with CFS warrants additional investigation.

To study (1). changes in anthropometrics, joint range of motion (ROM), muscle strength, functional ability, caregiver assistance, and level of ambulation in children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and (2). the prediction of clinical characteristics at the level of ambulation at follow-up and the prediction of clinical characteristics on progression or regression at the level of ambulation over time.Prospective study with follow-up of 4 years.A children's hospital that serves a nationwide center for treatment and research in children with OI in the Netherlands.At follow-up, 49 children (24 boys, 25 girls; mean age +/- standard deviation, 11.3+/-3.8y; range, 5.2-19.4y) participated.Not applicable.Anthropometry, joint ROM, muscle strength, fracture frequency, intramedullary rodding, level of ambulation, functional ability, and caregiver assistance.In type I OI, total joint ROM decreased significantly over time, especially in the lower extremities, with a significant decrease in generalized joint hypermobility according to Bulbena (median start, 7.5; interquartile range [IQR], 4-9; median end, 6; IQR, 2-7; P.001). In types III and IV, a severe decrease in total joint ROM was present without significant changes over time. No significant changes in total muscle strength (upper or lower extremities) in the different types of OI were measured at follow-up. In OI type I, a significant increase in self-care (P=.003) and social function (P=.008) was measured; in type III, a significant increase in self-care (P=.003), mobility (P=.004), and social function (P=.005) was measured, with a significant decrease in parental assistance in self-care (P=.02) and mobility (P=.005). In type IV, a significant increase was observed in the self-care (P=.01) and social function domains (P=.02). Type of OI (regression coefficient=-1.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.64 to -0.47) and total muscle strength were the only significant predictors for level of ambulation (regression coefficient=.01; 95% CI,.17-.32). Body weight was significantly lower in the group that progressed in level of ambulation (P=.03), whereas children with a decline in level of ambulation had significantly higher body weight (P=.05).Ours is the first study with a long-term follow-up that provides information concerning the natural course of developmental outcome parameters of OI in childhood. Joint ROM and muscle strength did not change significantly over time, possibly because of the biomechanical skeletal properties of the different OI types. Functional ability improved significantly over time, but, especially in types III and IV, did not reach normative values, possibly because of a plateau phase in functional ability. Knowledge of the natural course of the disease is essential to interpret the results from intervention studies.

Asymmetry in infancy is a diagnosis with a large spectrum of features, expressing an abnormal shape of parts of the body or unequal postures and movements. Symptoms may be structural and/or functional, with localised or generalised expression. Within the last decade, many professionals have focused on the adverse consequences on motor performance of infants, associated with the recommendations on the prevention of sudden infant death. The purpose of the present study was to highlight different aspects of asymmetry in infancy based on best available evidence in the current literature and to present a flow chart illustrating different diagnostic pathways of asymmetry in infancy. Conclusion:we conclude that asymmetry in infancy is a diagnosis with a large spectrum of features and a multifactorial aetiology without consensus in definition, nomenclature and classification. Systematic diagnostic management of asymmetry in infancy is indicated. The presented diagnostic flow chart might serve as a basis.

We studied the effects of spondylodesis on spinal curvature, functional outcome, level of ambulation and perceived competence in 11 children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Mean age at surgical intervention was 13.1 years (SD 2.5 years) and follow-up amounted to 3.4 years (SD 2.3 years). Spinal curvature was measured according to Cobb. The level of ambulation was scored according to the modified criteria of Bleck. Functional abilities and the amount of parental assistance were scored using the Dutch version of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). Perceived competence was measured using the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Children. The amount of fatigue, spinal pain and presence of subjective dyspnea were scored with a visual analog scale. The median progression per year before spondylodesis was 6.1 degrees (interquartile range 2.9 degrees -12.9 degrees ) and after the spondylodesis it was 5.0 degrees (interquartile range 1.6 degrees -11.0 degrees ). No significant progression or regression in the level of ambulation was found. Perceived competence improved slightly. In the total score of the perceived competence, a borderline significant increase was found ( P-value 0.068). We concluded that spinal fusion in children with OI does not materially influence functional ability and level of ambulation. Self-perceived competence seemed to improve after surgery. The amount of pain, fatigue and subjective dyspnea seemed to diminish after spinal surgery. Progression of scoliosis proceeded, as did development of spinal curvature at the junction of the spondylodesis. Therefore, oral or intravenous bisphosphonates before and after spinal surgery should be considered.

Rana megatympanum, new species (Previously referred to as species 7, ‘‘Large’’) Figures 12O, P, 13G, 14G, H HOLOTYPE: (ROM field no. 12999) ROM 39684, a gravid adult female from Khe Moi River, approximately 24 km west of Con Cuong village (by road), Con Cuong District, Nghe An Province, Vietnam (18°56̍30̎N, 104°48̍35̎E) found between 24 and 29 October 1994 by I.S. Darevsky, L.A. Lowcock, R.W. Murphy, and N.L. Orlov. The holotype had leg and liver tissue removed shortly after it was euthanised. PARATYPES: Eight females (ROM 39263, 39685–39691) collected with holotype between 24 and 29 October 1994 by I.S. Darevsky, L.A. Lowcock, R.W. Murphy, and N.L. Orlov. Four males (ROM 39237 –39240) from Na Hang Nature Reserve, Tuyen Quang Province, Vietnam (22°21̍54̎N, 105°25̍40̎E) found along waterfalls between 26 and 27 May 1996 by A. Lathrop and R.W. Murphy between 193 and 0200 hours. ROM 26398 – 26400 Con Cuong District, Nghe An Province, Vietnam (18°56̍30̎N, 104°48̍35̎E), collected 5 June 1995 by B. Hubley, A. Lathrop, R.W. Murphy, and N.L. Orlov. DIAGNOSIS: Rana megatympanum, a member of the subgenus Odorrana (sensu Fei et al., 1990), is characterized by a combination of the following attributes: (1) body dorsoventrally compressed; (2) SVL means of males 52 mm (48–55 mm), females 100 mm (93–105 mm); (3) vomerine teeth in rows oblique to choanae; (4) yellow lip­stripe present in males, absent or indistinct in females; (5) head broad, bluntly rounded in profile; (6) tympanum round, distinct, TMP:EYE in males enormous (1.20), greater than in females (0.51); (7) supratympanic fold weak; (8) dorsal skin shagreened, dorsolateral folds present only in males; (9) dorsum olive to brown sometimes with black spots; flanks marbled yellow and brown­gray; forelimbs and hindlimbs barred; (10) ventromedial callous pad on fingers II, III, and IV to proximal tubercle, fringes on fingers II, III, and IV; (11) disks on fingers and toes greatly enlarged (>2× base of phalanges); (12) feet fully webbed to toe disk, lateral fringes on I and V to terminal phalanges, webbing brown; (13) subarticular tubercles and an internal metatarsal tubercle distinct, conical; (14) terminal phalanges T­ shaped; (15) xiphisternum large, deeply notched posteriorly; (16) males with nuptial pads, paired gular pouches, pectoral spines absent; (17) eggs white. COMPARISONS: Rana megatympanum superficially resembles other Asian cascade ranids, including Huia nasica, Rana andersonii, R. archotaphus, R. bacboensis, R. banaorum, R. chalconota, R. chloronota, R. daorum, R. grahami, R. graminea, R. hainanensis, R. hejiangensis, R. hmongorum, R. hosii, R. morafkai, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, R. leporipes, R. livida, R. margaretae, R. schmackeri, R. sinica, and R. tiannensis (table 12). It can be differentiated from all other Odorrana by the enormous sexual dimorphism in tympanum size (TMP:EYE 1.20 in males, 0.51 in females). Male R. megatympanum have a yellow lip­stripe and females have an indistinct or absent yellow lip­stripe, differentiating it from H. nasica, R. archotaphus, R. banaorum, R. chalconota, R. chloronota, R. daorum, R. graminea, R. hejiangensis, R. hosii, R. morafkai, R. leporipes, and R. livida (all with white lip­stripes); R. andersonii, R. bacboensis, R. hainanensis, R. jingdongensis, R. margaretae, and R. tiannensis have vertical lip­bars; R. junlianensis has a yellow lipstripe with brown lip­bars; R. schmackeri has no lip­stripe or vertical lip­bars. The broad, rounded snout differentiates R. megatympanum from H. nasica, R. andersonii, R. chalconota, and R. schmackeri (obtusely pointed) and from R. graminea and R. margaretae (depressed). Its gular pouches distinguish R. megatympanum from R. andersonii, R. chalconota, R. grahami, R. hainanensis, R. hmongorum, R. hosii, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, and R. margaretae. Dorsolateral folds immediately differentiate male R. megatympanum from R. andersonii, R. bacboensis, R. chloronota, R. hainanensis, R. hejiangensis, R. morafkai, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, R. livida, R. schmackeri, R. sinica, and R. tiannensis. The dorsolateral fold of male R. megatympanum differs from that of R. daorum, which is composed of minute white granules, R. hmongorum and R. grahami, whose dorsolateral pustules sometimes form a dorsolateral fold, and R. banaorum and R. chalconota, which have folds that are distinct and continuous, extending to the groin. The olive brown coloration with black spots of R. megatympanum differentiates it from H. nasica (olive­brown dorsum, lighter brown laterally) and from R. archotaphus, R. chalconota, R. chloronota, R. daorum, R. graminea, R. hejiangensis, R. hmongorum, R. hosii, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, R. leporipes, R. margaretae, R. schmackeri, R. sinica (all with green). Rana megatympanum lacks an external metatarsal tubercle present in R. archotaphus and R. chalconota. Absence of ventral spines in male R. megatympanum separates them from R. andersonii, R. grahami, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. margaretae, and R. schmackeri. The presence of white eggs differentiates R. megatympanum from H. nasica, R. andersonii, R. chalconota, R. grahami, R. junlianensis, R. margaretae, R. schmackeri (white eggs with melanic poles), and R. bacboensis (eggs completely melanic). Rana megatympanum differs from R. sinica by its distinct, uncovered tympanum (indistinct and covered with a layer of skin in R. sinica), its disk size (small in R. sinica), its relative finger lengths (I R. sinica, II R. megatympanum), and its T­ shaped distal phalanges (rounded in R. sinica). Rana megatympanum can be distinguished from R. leporipes by its webbing (only to the basal end of the distal phalanx in R. leporipes, to the disk in R. megatympanum), supratympanic fold (colored white in R. leporipes), and its T­ shaped distal phalanges (oblong, somewhat rounded in R. leopripes). Rana megatypmanum also differs from R. hejiangensis by its finger formula (II R. hejiangensis), and by its large disks (small for R. hejiangensis). Rana megatympanum closely resembles R. andersonii, R. hainanensis, R. jingdongensis, and R. tiannensis. In addition, R. megatympanum differs from R. andersonii in that its males are smaller (53–78 mm for males of R. andersonii), and its finger and toe­disks are relatively larger. Rana megatympanum differs from R. hainanensis in its smaller SVL (R. hainanensis males 49–62 mm, females 75–122 mm, R. megatympanum males 48–55 mm, females 93–105 mm) and its relative finger lengths (II R. hainanensis, II R. megatympanum). Rana megatympanum further differs from R. jingdongensis by its smaller males (R. jingdongensis SVL 62–81 mm) and skin (R. jingdongensis dorsum scattered with tubercles and large warts, lips and sides of heads with white spines, all absent in R. megatympanum). Rana megatympanum most closely resembles R. tiannensis, another large brown cascade ranid, but differs from it by having shagreened dorsal skin with small lateral granulations (dorsum of R. tiannensis is rough with large, prominent lateral granulations), and toe disks are smaller than those on fingers (the opposite condition of R. tiannensis). DESCRIPTION OF HOLOTYPE: ROM 39684, a gravid female, head width 77% of head length, length 50% of SVL; snout short, acutely rounded in dorsal view, bluntly rounded in profile, protruding beyond margin of lower jaw; eye very large, prominent, 73% of snout length; eyelid broader than interorbital distance. Top of head flat; canthus rostralis rounded; loreal region concave; lip flared just anterior to orbit; nostril about three­fourths distance from eye to tip of snout; supratympanic fold curving posteroventrally from posterior corner of eye to a level above the insertion of arm; tympanum round, distinctly visible, separated from eye by distance equal to TMP, 52% of EYE. Choanae ovoid; vomerine dentigerous processes prominent, oblique, posteromedial to choanae, each bearing numerous teeth. Tongue cordiform, distinctly notched posteriorly, free for approximately two­thirds its length. Forearms moderately robust; fingers moderately short, slender, hands 27% of SVL, relative lengths of fingers II 2× base of phalanges), relative pad size II IV k V, pad width (IV) 75% of pad length, each with ventral circummarginal grooves; subarticular tubercles prominent and conical; inner metatarsal tubercle ovoid, long; outer metatarsal tubercle absent. Xiphisternum large, deeply notched posteriorly. Skin on dorsum shagreened, becoming increasingly granular laterally; dorsolateral folds absent; small tubercles posteroventral to tympanum; prominent granules on flanks and around cloaca; cloacal opening unmodified, directed posteriorly, at upper level of thighs. COLOR IN LIFE (in preservative): Dorsum olive­brown, flanks yellow and brown­gray (gray to olive); lip­stripe absent (tympanum beige with dark brown center ring); loreal brown (black); iris gold; top one­third red, dorsal limbs brown with black banding (brown); posterior surface of thighs brown with black marbling (cloacal region black, thighs gray with white mottling); webbing marbled white on dark brown (brown on white); venter creamy white (creamy yellow with black mottling). SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS: The eggs of the holotype are creamy white and 2 mm in diameter. Adult females have SVL approximately twice that of males. Males have a yellow lip­stripe, and females either lack one or have an indistinctly yellow lip. Males also possess a weak dorsolateral fold, whereas females do not. Males have a larger tympanum than females, velvety nuptial pads extending across the thumb, paired gular pouches located at the angle of the jaw, and no pectoral spines. MEASUREMENTS OF HOLOTYPE (in mm): SVL 93.6; SNT 15.0; HDL 46.5; HDW 35.7; EYE 10.8; IOD 6.8; TMP 5.6; TEY 4.1; HND 25.7; FGR 19.6; FPL 3.0; FPW 2.6; TIB 65.0; FTL 49.7; TPL 3.2; TPW 2.4. VARIATION OF PARATYPES: Variation in all type material is given in table 15. MEASUREMENTS OF FEMALE PARATYPES (in mm, n = 10, ROM 26398 –26400, 39685– 39691): SVL 100.3 ± 4.2 (93.6–105.3); SNT 14.8 ± 0.8 (13.8–16.5); HDL 45.1 ± 3.3 (41.3–47.6); HDW 35.2 ± 0.7 (34.1–35.7); EYE 10.2 ± 0.7 (9.3–11.6); IOD 8.8 ± 1.0 (6.8–10.0); TMP 5.3 ± 0.4 (4.6–5.9); TEY 4.7 ± 0.3 (4.1–5.0); HND 25.2 ± 2.5 (20.6– 29.7); FGR 21.0 ± 1.0 (19.6–22.6); FPL 3.5 ± 0.6 (2.8–4.4); FPW 3.0 ± 0.5 (2.5–3.8); TIB 63.0 ± 3.3 (55.8–67.7); FTL 72.0 ± 12.1 (49.7–88.0) TPL 3.4 ± 1.0 (1.9–5.2); TPW 2.8 ± 0.4 (2.2–3.4). MEASUREMENTS OF MALE PARATYPES (in mm, n = 4, ROM 39237 –39240): SVL 52.3 ± 3.4 (48.6–55.2); SNT 8.7 ± 0.8 (8.3–9.6); HDL 28.0 ± 1.4 (24.6–27.1); HDW 18.5 ± 0.8 (18.0–19.1); EYE 4.1 ± 0.9 (3.17–4.6); IOD 5.0 ± 0.5 (4.7–5.6); TMP 4.7 ± 0.3 (4.3–5.1); TEY 1.7 ± 0.3 (1.5–2.0); HND 15.2 ± 0.4 (14.8–15.5); FGR 12.5 ± 0.4 (12.2–13.0); FPL 2.0 ± 0.5 (1.6–2.5); FPW 1.9 ± 0.4 (1.4–2.3); TIB 32.7 ± 0.4 (32.3– 33.1); FTL 38.3 ± 7.3 (29.9–42.8) TPL 1.8 ± 0.6 (1.3–2.5); TPW 1.6 ± 0.1 (1.5–1.6). ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is a noun in opposition, derived from the Latin prefix ‘‘mega’’ (meaning very large) and ‘‘tympanum’’, in reference to the relatively large tympanum of this species. DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY: Rana megatympanum is known from northern and north­central Vietnam. It occurs in montane rivers that vary from shallow and slow moving to torrential and deep. It may be found on boulders and logs, both in and around the water as well as in the adjacent forest. Radiographs revealed that large invertebrates (both insects and crustaceans) form part of the diet. Vocalizations and tadpoles are unknown. REMARKS: The dorsolateral fold and very large tympanum of male R. megatympanum potentially make it Bourret’s (1942) ‘‘northern form’’ of R. chloronota (= R. graminea). However, R. graminea is bright green above (Boulenger, 1899) in contrast to the olivebrown dorsum of R. megatympanum.

Rana sinica Ahl, 1925 Figure 10 HOLOTYPE: ZMB 9785 an adult female from China. DIAGNOSIS: Rana sinica is characterized by a combination of the following attributes: (1) body dorsoventrally compressed; (2) SVL of single mature female is 66.6 mm, males unknown; (3) vomerine teeth in rows oblique to choanae; (4) lip��stripe absent; (5) head not broad, snout rounded in dorsal view; (6) tympanum round, indistinct, covered by a layer of skin, TMP:EYE 0.52; (7) supratympanic fold weak; (8) dorsal skin smooth flanks weakly granular, dorsolateral folds absent, venter smooth; (9) dorsum bronze��green with irregular indistinct spots and blue��gray flanks, legs with black bands; cloacal region marbled black with white; (10) median callous pad on finger III almost to proximal tubercle; (11) disks on fingers and toes slightly enlarged (Rana sinica superficially resembles other Asian cascade ranids, including Huia nasica, Rana andersonii, R. archotaphus, R. chalconota, R. chloronota, R. grahami, R. graminea, R. hainanensis, R. hejiangensis, R. hosii, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, R. leporipes, R. livida, R. margaretae, R. schmackeri and R. tiannensis (table 12). Unlike the species listed above, R. sinica has a layer of skin overlying its tympanum and its terminal phalanges are slightly rounded (not T�� shaped; R. leporipes has oblong, somewhat rounded distal phalanges). The absence of a lip��stripe in R. sinica further differentiates it from H. nasica, R. archotaphus, R. chalconota, R. chloronota, R. grahami, R. graminea, R. hejiangensis, R. hosii, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, R. leporipes, and R. livida. Eggs of H. nasica, Rana andersonii, R. chalconota, R. grahami, R. junlianensis, R. margaretae, and R. schmackeri are white with melanic poles, whereas those of R. sinica are immaculate. The smooth green dorsum further distinguishes R. sinica from H. nasica, R. andersonii, R. jingdongensis, R. grahami, R. graminea, R. leporipes, R. schmackeri, and R. tiannensis. Huia nasica has an olive�� brown dorsum (R. sinica green). Rana hainanensis further differs from R. sinica in its size (mean female SVL R. hainanensis 103 mm) and relative lengths of fingers (II R. hainanensis, I R. sinica). Rana andersonii has a rough, olivebrown dorsum. Rana hejiangensis has smaller males (SVL 47 mm) and a different finger formula (II R. sinica. Rana julianensis and R. kwangwuensis differ from R. sinica in their relative finger formula (II Rana jingdongensis possesses vertical lip bands, large toe disks, and is fully webbed to all disks. Rana graminea differs from R. sinica in that its nares is closer to the tip of the snout than to the eye (halfway in R. sinica), and it has a different finger formula (II = I R. graminea). Rana margaretae further differs from R. sinica in having larger females (SVL 78���88 mm). Rana grahami has pustules on the dorsum and flanks and no digital disks (only slightly swollen tips). Rana schmackeri has a smooth, heavily spotted dorsum. Rana tiannensis has a rough, brown dorsum with large, prominent lateral granulations. Rana chalconota differs from R. sinica by having distinct dorsolateral folds, a pointed snout (vs. rounded), and an outer metatarsal tubercle. In R. archotaphus the outer metatarsal tubercle is present. Rana hosii differs from R. sinica by its dorsolateral folds and feeble tarsal folds (absent in R. sinica). Rana chloronota differs from R. sinica in being larger (SVL for adult females 80���100 mm for R. chloronota), having nostrils closer to the tip of the snout than the eye (halfway for R. sinica), and a different digital formula (II R. chloronota). Rana leporipes also differs from R. sinica by having a white supratympanic fold (not colored in R. sinica). Rana livida has a solid��colored dorsum with white spots on its sides (flanks a different color for R. sinica, lacking spots), and it lacks transverse bands on the arms and legs (present in R. sinica). DESCRIPTION OF HOLOTYPE: HDL greater than HDW (132%), HDW 26% of SVL, HDL 34% of SVL; snout short, rounded in dorsal view; protruding beyond margin of lower jaw, rounded in lateral view, EYE prominent, smaller than SNT, IOD broader than EYE and upper eyelid. Top of head flat; canthus rostralis rounded; loreal region steeply concave; nostril about one��half the distance from eye to tip of snout; supratympanic fold weak; tympanum round, indistinct, covered by layer of skin; TMP 52% of EYE in females. Choanae ovoid; vomerine dentigerous processes prominent, oblique, posteromedial to choanae, each bearing numerous teeth. Tongue cordiform, distinctly notched posteriorly, free for part of its posterior length. Forearm robust; relative lengths of fingers I R. sinica; all others are lost. This redescription is based on the original description by Ahl (1925) with amendments and additions based on our examination of the holotype. Ahl described the holotype as a male, but it is clearly a gravid female. As well, Ahl described a frog with large finger and toe pads. Although the condition of the specimen did not allow for accurate pad measurements to be made, the enlarged pads on the holotype are not as large as those on other species in the Rana chloronota complex. This species differs significantly from the other members of the Rana chloronota complex in preservative, but presumably has superficial resemblances in life. Ahl (1925) believed that R. sinica was closely related to Staurois natator., Published as part of BAIN, RAOUL H., LATHROP, AMY, MURPHY, ROBERT W., ORLOV, NIKOLAI L. & CUC, HO THU, 2003, Cryptic Species of a Cascade Frog from Southeast Asia: Taxonomic Revisions and Descriptions of Six New Species, pp. 1-60 in American Museum Novitates 3417 on pages 30-32, DOI: 10.1206/0003-0082(2003)4172.0.CO;2, http://zenodo.org/record/4734880, {"references":["Ahl, E. 1925 (1927). Ueber vernachlassigte Merkmale bei Froschen. Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin 1925 (1 - 10): 40 - 47."]}

Rana banaorum, new species (Previously referred to as species 6, ������Southern Big Eye������) Figures 12M, N, 13F, 14E, F HOLOTYPE: (ROM field no. 7145) ROM 39944, an adult female from Tram Lap, An Khe District, Gia Lai Province, Vietnam (14��26��39��N, 108��32��97��E), elevation ca. 900 m, collected on 15 June 1996 by R.H. Bain, A. Lathrop, R.W. Murphy, and N.L. Orlov. The holotype had leg and liver tissue removed shortly after it was euthanised. PARATYPES: Four males (ROM 39912 ��� 39913, 39915���39916) and eight females (ROM 39899 ���39901, 39928, 39929, 39931, 39936, and 39941) collected with holotype between 15 and 29 June 1996 by R.H. Bain, A. Lathrop, R.W. Murphy, and N.L. Orlov. ROM 39716 ���39720, 39920 ���39922, and 39924���39926 (males); 39942 (subadult) from the Cha River, Buon Loi, An Khe District, Gia Lai Province, Vietnam (elevation ca. 900 m), collected on 27 June 1996 by R.H. Bain and N.L. Orlov. ROM 39700, and 39702���39705 males from Krong Pa, An Khe District, Gia Lai Province, Vietnam (14��20��29�� N, 108��28��46��E, elevation 850 m), collected on 13���25 August 1997 by C.T. Ho, A. Lathrop, L.A. Lowcock, R.W. Murphy, and N.L. Orlov. ROM 25084 ���25086, 25100, 25102, and 25103 (males) collected from Buon Loi, An Khe District, Gia Lai Province, Vietnam (elevation ca. 700���750 m), 5 November 1993 by I.S. Darevsky and N.L. Orlov. DIAGNOSIS: Rana banaorum, a member of the subgenus Odorrana (sensu Fei et al., 1990), is characterized by a combination of the following attributes: (1) body dorsoventrally compressed; (2) SVL means of males 50 mm (42���55 mm), females 93 mm (83���99 mm); (3) vomerine teeth in rows oblique to choanae; (4) white lip��stripe extending across upper lip, terminating in glandule above insertion of arm; (5) head broad, bluntly rounded in profile; (6) tympanum round, distinct, very large, TMP:EYE in males (0.89) greater than females (0.75); (7) supratympanic fold weak; (8) dorsal skin shagreened, becoming granular laterally, with slight dorsolateral folds; (9) dorsum usually brown with yellow and black spots, sometimes green with black spots; legs brown, lightly banded; (10) median callous pad on fingers II, and III to proximal tubercle; (11) disks on fingers and toes greatly enlarged (>2�� base of phalanges); (12) feet fully webbed to disks, except medial side of IV, where it reaches disk as a fringe, lateral fringes on I and V to terminal phalanges, webbing brown; (13) subarticular tubercles and inner metatarsal tubercle distinct, conical; (14) terminal phalanges T�� shaped; (15) xiphisternum large, deeply notched posteriorly; (16) males with nuptial pads, paired gular pouches, pectoral spines absent; (17) eggs white. COMPARISONS: Among Asian cascade ranids, R. banaorum is most similar to sympatric R. morafkai and particularly R. chloronota but it can be anatomically distinguished from both by its dorsolateral folds (table 12). Rana banaorum can further be distinguished from R. morafkai by its larger males (SVL 42���55 mm, versus 39���45 mm). Some Rana banaorum males have indistinct, microscopic spinules on the dorsal surface of the leg extending to the feet, forming a ������saw��tooth������ formation along the lateral edge of toe V, which is present only to a slight degree or absent in R. chloronota. Its broad, rounded snout differs from the obtusely pointed snouts of H. nasica, R. andersonii, R. chalconota, and R. schmackeri and from the depressed snouts of R. graminea and R. margaretae. A white lip��stripe differentiates R. banaorum from R. andersonii, R. bacboensis, R. grahami, R. hainanensis, R. hmongorum, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. margaretae, R. sinica, R. schmackeri, and R. tiannensis. The gular pouches of R. banaorum distinguish it from R. andersonii, R. chalconota, R. grahami, R. hainanensis, R. hmongorum, R. hosii, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, and R. margaretae. The dorsolateral folds of R. banaorum distinguish it from H. nasica, R. andersonii, R. bacboensis, R. chloronota, R. hainanensis, R. hejiangensis, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, R. morafkai, R. livida, R. schmackeri, R. sinica, and R. tiannensis; the dorsolateral folds of R. daorum are composed of distinct white granules, and dorsolateral pustules sometimes form folds on R. grahami and R. hmongorum. The absence of an outer metatarsal tubercle immediately differentiates R. banaorum from R. archotaphus and R. chalconota. The presence of white eggs differentiates R. banaorum from R. bacboensis (black eggs), Huia nasica, R. andersonii, R. chalconota, R. grahami, R. junlianensis, R. margaretae and R. schmackeri (white eggs with a dark melanic pole). The absence of spinules on the venter distinguishes R. banaorum from R. andersonii, R. grahami, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. margaretae, and R. schmackeri. Rana banaorum further differs from Huia nasica by its larger females (83���99 mm vs. 67 mm in H. nasica). It is further differentiated from R. sinica by its uncovered, distinct tympanum (indistinct, covered by skin in R. sinica), large disks (small in R. sinica) and its relative finger lengths (I R. sinica, II R. banaorum) and T�� shaped distal phalanges (rounded in R. sinica). Rana leporipes further differs from R. banaorum with its white supratympanic fold (not colored in R. banaorum), webbing to distal phalanges (webbing to disks in R. banaorum), and T�� shaped distal phalanges (oblong, somewhat rounded in R. leporipes). DESCRIPTION OF HOLOTYPE: ROM 39944, an adult female, head width 78% head length, length 46% SVL; snout short, acutely rounded in dorsal view, bluntly rounded in profile, protruding beyond margin of lower jaw; eye large, prominent, 50% snout length; eyelid broader than interorbital distance. Top of head flat; canthus rostralis rounded; loreal region concave; lip flared just anterior to orbit; nostril about three��fourths distance from eye to tip of snout; supratympanic fold curving posteroventrally from posterior corner of eye to a level above the insertion of arm; tympanum very large, round, distinctly visible, separated from eye by distance equal to TMP, 80% of eye length. Choanae ovoid; vomerine dentigerous processes prominent, oblique, posteromedial to choanae, each bearing numerous teeth. Tongue cordiform, distinctly notched posteriorly, free for approximately two��thirds its length. Forearms moderately robust; fingers moderately short, slender, hands 23% SVL, relative finger lengths II 2�� base of phalanges), relative pad size II IV> V, pad length (IV) equals pad width; each pad with ventral circummarginal grooves; subarticular tubercles prominent and conical; inner metatarsal tubercle ovoid, long; outer metatarsal tubercle absent. Xiphisternum large, deeply notched posteriorly. Skin on dorsum shagreened, with small pustules on flanks; dorsolateral folds weak; small tubercles posteroventral to tympanum; prominent granules on flanks and around cloaca; cloacal opening unmodified, directed posteriorly, at upper level of thighs. COLOR IN LIFE (in preservative): Dark brown (olive��brown, beige), flanks gray with yellow spots (white spots); lip��stripe brown anteriorly and creamy white from level of the eye posteriorly (white); loreal dark brown (black); tympanum beige with dark brown central ring; iris golden brown; dorsal limbs grayish brown with black banding; cloacal region dark brown (black); webbing marbled white on dark brown (uniformly brown); venter creamy white, ventral surfaces of limbs creamy yellow with black mottling. SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS: The holotype is a gravid female with immaculate white eggs (2 mm in diameter). Gravid females have an SVL nearly twice that of males (mean SVL female, 93 mm; male 50 mm). Male TMP:EYE (0.89) is larger than females (0.75). Males have velvety nuptial pads on the thumb and paired gular pouches located at the angle of jaw. Pectoral spines are absent. MEASUREMENTS OF HOLOTYPE (in mm): SVL 98.0; SNT 13.5; HDL 45.4; HDW 35.6; EYE 6.8; IOD 7.4; TMP 5.4; TEY 4.7; HND 22.7; FGR 19.4; FPL 3.1; FPW 3.3; TIB 63.7; FTL 80.0; TPL 3.4; TPW 3.4. VARIATION OF PARATYPES: The skin on the dorsum varies from smooth to shagreened with small pustules on flanks. The lip��stripe varies from creamy yellow (white in alcohol) throughout its length to brown anteriorly and creamy white from the level of the eye posteriorly. The dorsal skin is variable from light green to dark brown (olive, brown, beige, or livid blue in alcohol) with or without large black spots. Variation in all type material is given in table 15. MEASUREMENTS OF FEMALE PARATYPES (in mm, n = 8, ROM 39899 ���39901, 39928, 39929, 39931, 39936, and 39941): SVL 92.7 �� 5.6 (83.4���98.7); SNT 13.8 �� 1.6 (12.4��� 16.8); HDL 43.8 �� 3.2 (37.5���48.8); HDW 30.6 �� 1.5 (26.7���33.4); EYE 6.1 �� 0.7 (4.7��� 6.9); IOD 8.2 �� 0.9 (6.8���10.1); TMP 4.5 �� 0.6 (3.5���5.6); TEY 4.5 �� 0.6 (3.5���5.2); HND 22.3 �� 2.8 (17.5���25.0); FGR 18.2 �� 2.8 (12.9���20.8); FPL 3.4 �� 0.4 (2.8���4.3); FPW 3.1 �� 0.2 (2.8���3.5); TIB 58.1 �� 3.2 (52.7���63.7); FTL 68.0 �� 7.0 (58.3���78.0) TPL 3.4 �� 0.6 (2.3���4.3); TPW 2.8 �� 0.4 (2.4���3.4). MEASUREMENTS OF MALE PARATYPES (in mm, n = 14, ROM 25084 ���25086, 25100, 25102, 25103, 39912, 39913, 39915, 39916, 39920���39922, 39924): SVL 50.5 �� 3.7 (42.5���54.6); SNT 7.4 �� 1.5 (3.1���8.7); HDL 26.1 �� 1.4 (24.6���28.1); HDW 17.4 �� 0.6 (17.8���18.3); EYE 4.0 �� 0.5 (3.1���5.1); IOD 3.8 �� 0.4 (3.4���4.7); TMP 3.5 �� 0.6 (2.0��� 4.7); TEY 1.7 �� 0.6 (0.9���3.6); HND 14.0 �� 1.2 (11.8���16.0); FGR 11.1 �� 1.1 (9.2���12.7); FPL 1.9 �� 0.3 (1.4���2.6); FPW 1.6 �� 0.2 (1.4���2.0); TIB 30.6 �� 4.6 (24.1���43.6); FTL 32.6 �� 6.8 (23.3���42.7); TPL 1.9 �� 0.4 (1.3��� 2.4); TPW 1.5 �� 0.3 (1.1���2.1). ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is a patronym for the Ba Na people, an ethnic group living on the Tay Nguyen Plateau (Central Highlands) of south��central Vietnam where this species occurs. DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY: Rana banaorum is known only from the Tay Nguyen Plateau of the Central Highlands, Gia Lai Province, Vietnam. It inhabits forested montane river systems on or near rapids or waterfalls of primary and disturbed second growth. In May and June males have tight, leathery gular pouches, suggesting that they are not calling and that the breeding season occurs during some other time. REMARKS: Inger and Chanard (1997) and Inger et al. (1999) noted that specimens of Rana chloronota (as R. livida) from An Khe have more pronounced dorsolateral folds than elsewhere in Vietnam. These frogs do not fit Bourret���s (1942) interpretation of R. graminea as a ������northern variety������ of R. chloronota. These differences likely reflect the occurrence of three sympatric species of the R. chloronota complex from this region. Some male R. banaorum have indistinct, microscopic spinules on the dorsal surface of the leg extending to the feet, forming a ������saw��tooth������ formation along the lateral edge of toe (seen in FMNH specimens that are not part of the type series)., Published as part of BAIN, RAOUL H., LATHROP, AMY, MURPHY, ROBERT W., ORLOV, NIKOLAI L. & CUC, HO THU, 2003, Cryptic Species of a Cascade Frog from Southeast Asia: Taxonomic Revisions and Descriptions of Six New Species, pp. 1-60 in American Museum Novitates 3417 on pages 46-50, DOI: 10.1206/0003-0082(2003)4172.0.CO;2, http://zenodo.org/record/4734880, {"references":["Fei, L., C. - y. Ye, and Y. - z. Huang. 1990. Keys to Chinese Amphibians. Chongqing: Chongqing Branch, Science and Technology Materials Press, 364 pp. [in Chinese]","Inger, R. F., N. L. Orlov, and I. S. Darevsky. 1999. Frogs of Vietnam: a report on new collections. Fieldiana: Zoology (new series) 92: 1 - 46.","Bourret, R. 1942. Les batrachians de l'Indochine. Hanoi, Vietnam: Gouvernment General de L'Indochine, Hanoi, Vietnam, 547 pp."]}

Rana daorum, new species (Previously referred to as species 4, ‘‘Small’’) Figures 11E, F, 12G, H, 13C HOLOTYPE: (ROM field no. 19047) ROM 26381 an adult female from approximately 5 km NW of Sa Pa village, near O Qui Ho Pass, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam (22°22̍09̎N, 103°50̍14̎ E, elevation 1400 m) collected on 7 May 1995 along a waterfall beside the road by A. Lathrop and B. Hubley at approximately 1930 hours. PARATYPES: ROM 26382 –26397, all males, collected with the holotype, 7 May 1995 by A. Lathrop and B. Hubley at 1030 hours; ROM 38500 –38530, 38532–38540, 38542– 43, 38546–38561 collected between 30 April and 15 May 1999 in the vicinity of the type locality approximately 12 km northwest of Sa Pa Village near the O Qui Ho Pass (22°20̍58̎N, 103°46̍14̎E, elevation 1900 m) by R.O. de Sa´, C.T. Ho, A. Lathrop, T. Mason, R.W. Murphy, and N.L. Orlov. ROM 38547 is a subadult; ROM 38503, 38507, 38512, 38516, and 38530 are gravid females; ROM 38500, 38517, 38526, and 38538 are nongravid females; and the remaining specimens are males with distended gular pouches. DIAGNOSIS: Rana daorum, a member of the subgenus Odorrana (sensu Fei et al., 1990), is characterized by a combination of the following attributes: (1) body dorsoventrally compressed; (2) SVL means of males 36 mm (32–38 mm), females 55 mm (53–58 mm); (3) vomerine teeth absent; (4) lip­stripe white, extending across upper lip, terminating in a glandule above insertion of arm; (5) head not broad, snout rounded in dorsal view, rounded in profile; (6) tympanum round, distinct, TMP:EYE of females (0.45) greater than males (0.29); (7) supratympanic fold weak or absent; (8) dorsal skin smooth, granular near cloaca and tympanum, dorsolateral fold covered with small white granules, ventral skin smooth; (9) dorsum green occasionally with black spots, flanks brown with at least one large white glandular spot; fore­ and hindlimbs goldish brown, with mottling or indistinct transverse bands; (10) median callous pad on proximal two­thirds of fingers II and III; (11) disks on fingers and toes greatly enlarged (>2× base of phalanx), finger pads larger than toe pads; (12) feet fully webbed to disks, but as a fringe from distal subarticular tubercle of IV, lateral fringes on I and V to terminal phalanges, webbing mottled brown; (13) subarticular tubercles and inner metatarsal tubercle distinct, conical; (14) terminal phalanges T­ shaped; (15) xiphisternum narrow, forked posteriorly; (16) males with nuptial pads on thumb, paired gular pouches, pectoral spines absent; (17) eggs large, white. COMPARISONS: Though bearing a superficial resemblance to other cascade ranids of Southeast Asia, R. daorum is distinct (table 12) by the absence of vomerine teeth, females with larger TMP:EYE than males, and the presence of at least one large white spot on each flank. Its noticeably smaller SVL, dorsolateral folds formed by white granules, and solid, bright green dorsum immediately distinguishes it from H. nasica, R. andersonii, R. archotaphus, R. bacboensis, R. chloronota, R. grahami (whose dorsal pustules sometimes form a fold), R. graminea, R. hainanensis, R. hejiangensis, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, R. livida, R. margaretae, R. schmackeri, R. sinica, and R. tiannensis. The entirely white eggs of R. daorum distinguish it from Huia nasica, Rana andersonii, R. chalconota, R. grahami, R. junlianensis, R. margaretae, R. schmackeri (all with white eggs with a melanic pole), and R. bacboensis (fully pigmented eggs). The presence of gular pouches in males differentiates R. daorum from R. andersonii, R. chalconota, R. grahami, R. hainanensis, R. hosii, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, and R. margaretae. A distinct and uncovered tympanum also distinguishes R. daorum from R. sinica. Rana daorum can be further distinguished from R. livida, R. chloronota, R. maragaretae, and R. schmackeri by its finger formula (II R. daorum, I R. daorum closely resembles A. chunganenesis in size, the presence of white granular dorsolateral folds, and diurnal behavior, A. chunganensis is red­ brown, has vomerine teeth, and males have a TMP:EYE ratio twice that of R. daorum. DESCRIPTION OF THE HOLOTYPE: An adult female (ROM 26381), head width 74% of length, length 46% of SVL; snout short, rounded in dorsal view, rounded in profile, protruding beyond margin of lower jaw; eye very large, prominent, 72% of snout; eyelid broader than interorbital distance. Top of head flat; canthus rostralis rounded; loreal region vertical, concave; lip flared just anterior to orbit; nostril about three­fourths distance from eye to tip of snout; supratympanic fold indistinct, slight swelling above tympanum; tympanum round, distinctly visible, separated from eye by distance equal to that of TMP, 41% of EYE. Choanae ovoid; vomerine dentigerous processes absent. Tongue cordiform, distinctly notched posteriorly, free for approximately two­thirds its length. Forearms robust; fingers moderately short, slender, hand 28% of SVL, relative lengths of fingers I 2× base of phalanges), relative pad size II IV k V, pad width (IV) 83% of length, each pad with ventral circummarginal grooves; subarticular tubercles prominent and conical; inner metatarsal tubercle ovoid, long; outer metatarsal tubercle absent. Xiphisternum narrow, notched posteriorly. Skin on dorsum smooth, dorsolateral folds prominent in form of granules; small tubercles posteroventrally to tympanum, distinct granules on flanks and dorsum to cloaca; cloacal opening unmodified, directed posteriorly at upper level of thighs. COLOR IN LIFE (in preservative): Dorsum green (livid blue), flanks brown (brown) and green (gray), each a prominent white spot; granules of dorsolateral fold golden (white); lip­stripe white (silvery white) from nostril to above insertion of arm; tympanum dark brown; loreal region dark brown (black); dorsal surfaces of limbs mottled brown and yellow with indistinct dark brown (black) transverse bands; posterior surface of thighs yellow with brown (black) mottling; webbing marbled white (translucent) and dark brown; venter creamy white; iris golden, pupil outlined in a striking yellow and red border. SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS: Gravid females have immaculate white eggs. They are approximately 1.5 times larger than males. Males have a proportionally smaller tympanum than females (TMP:EYE for males 0.29, for females 0.45). The EYE:SNT is also greater in females (0.72) than it is in males (0.51). Males have velvety nuptial pads extending across thumb, and paired gular pouches located at the angles of the jaw. Pectoral spines are absent. MEASUREMENTS OF HOLOTYPE (in mm): SVL 55.7; SNT 7.8; HDL 25.4; HDW 18.8; EYE 5.6; IOD 5.6; TMP 2.3; TEY 2.4; HND 15.5; FGR 13.9; FPL 2.8; FPW 2.8; TIB 33.6; FTL 47.0; TPL 2.3; TPW 1.9. VARIATION OF PARATYPES: The loreal region on some specimens varies from dark brown to green. The large white spot on the flanks is sometimes accompanied by smaller ones. Flanks also have varying degrees of white mottling. The venter of some specimens has light mottling on the chest and chin. Variation in all type material is given in table 15. MEASUREMENTS OF FEMALE PARATYPES (in mm, n = 8, ROM 38500, 38503, 38507, 38512, 38516, 38517, 38526, 38530): SVL 55.0 ± 1.2 (53.3–57.6); SNT 7.3 ± 0.5 (6.8– 8.3); HDL 17.8 ± 1.6 (16.7–19.4); HDW 17.2 ± 0.6 (15.6–17.6); EYE 5.8 ± 0.4 (5.3– 6.4); IOD 10.0 ± 1.7 (10.0–11.3); TMP 2.5 ± 0.2 (2.3–3.0); FPW 2.3 ± 0.3 (1.8–2.8); TIB 34.3 ± 1.3 (32.7–36.4); TPW 2.3 ± 0.3 (1.8–2.8). MEASUREMENTS OF MALE PARATYPES (in mm, n = 7, ROM 26383, 26386, 26387, 26389, 26390, 26392, 26394): SVL 36.2 ± 1.2 (34.8–38.1); SNT 4.5 ± 0.4 (4.0–4.9); HDL 18.4 ± 1.7 (16.5–21.0); HDW 12.3 ± 0.6 (11.1–13.0); EYE 4.2 ± 0.6 (3.2–5.2); IOD 3 ± 0.4 (2.3–3.6); TMP 1.1 ± 0.2 (1.0– 1.9); TEY 0.6 ± 0.2 (0.2–1.0); HND 10.1 ± 0.6 (9.0–11.1); FGR 9.0 ± 0.3 (8.5–9.6); FPL 1.7 ± 0.3 (1.2–2.0); FPW 2.0 ± 0.2 (1.7–2.2); TIB 22.1 ± 1.3 (19.1–23.5); FTL 29.7 ± 4.4 (27.1–40.4); TPL 1.6 ± 0.2 (1.2– 1.7); TPW 1.4 ± 0.1 (1.2–1.6). ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is a patronym for the –Dao people (pronounced ‘‘zao’’) of northern Vietnam. DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY: This species is known from the vicinity of Sa Pa village, Lao Cai Province in northern Vietnam. The photograph of a froglet of R. livida (in Karsen et al., 1998) also documents the occurrence of R. daorum in Hong Kong. The distinctive granular dorsolateral fold of R. daorum is clearly visible in the misidentified frog. In early May, male Vietnamese R. daorum are actively calling by 1000 hours on partially submerged rocks in cascades as well as in vegetation adjacent to the streams. Females, although not as common, can be found slightly farther away from streams in more dense vegetation. One male (ROM 26394) was found in amplexus with the holotype (fig. 6E). REMARKS: Rana daorum differs substantially from R. graminea (Boulenger, 1899; Bourret, 1942) despite having a dorsolateral fold. Its small, forked xiphisternum differs from the large, deeply notched element of other members in the Rana chloronota complex and the subgenus Odorrana (sensu Fei et al., 1990) and more closely resembles that of male Huia nasica (Yang, 1991b). Huia nasica shares range, habitat and morphological similarities with the Rana chloronota complex: greatly expanded finger and toe disks, tremendous sexual dimorphism in size, white eggs, paired gular pouches, and a high chirplike call (Boulenger, 1920; Pope, 1931; Bourret, 1942).

Rana hmongorum, new species (Previously referred to as species 3, ������Speckled������) Figures 14A, 12I, J, 13D HOLOTYPE: (ROM field no. 19055) ROM 26376 an adult female approximately 5 km NW of Sa Pa village, near O Qui Ho Pass, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam (22��20��09��N, 103��50��14��E, elevation 1400 m) collected 30 April 1995 by A. Lathrop and B. Hubley between 1900 and 2100 hours. The holotype had leg and liver tissue removed shortly after it was euthanised. PARATYPES: ROM 26370 ���26375, 26377��� 26380, 39235, and 39236 collected in the vicinity of the holotype between 9 and 12 May 1995 by A. Lathrop and B. Hubley. ROM 26380, 39235, and 39236 are males and the remainder females. Additional specimens from the vicinity of the type locality include AMNH A��161480 collected on 27 August 1997 by D.R. Frost and C.J. Raxworthy, and ROM 39867 ���39896 (22��20��58��N, 103��46��14��E, elevation 1900 m) collected between 30 April and 2 May 1999 by R.O. de Sa��, C.T. Ho, A. Lathrop, T. Mason, R.W. Murphy, and N.L. Orlov. Male specimens are ROM 39874 ���39879, 39888, and 39890���39894; juveniles and subadults ROM 39867, 39868, 39880, 39895, and 39896; all others are females. DIAGNOSIS: Rana hmongorum, a member of the subgenus Odorrana (sensu Fei et al., 1990), is characterized by a combination of the following attributes: (1) body dorsoventrally compressed; (2) SVL means of males 59 mm (54���65 mm), females 80 mm (74��� 87 mm); (3) vomerine teeth in rows posteromedial to choanae; (4) lip��stripe yellow, indistinct, extending across upper lip, terminating in a row of glandules; (5) head broad, bluntly rounded in profile; (6) tympanum round, distinct, TMP:EYE in males (0.43) greater than females (0.31); (7) supratympanic fold weak; (8) dorsal skin smooth with pustules becoming more pronounced laterally, pustules may form two dorsolateral lines resembling a fold, ventrum smooth; (9) dorsum and forearms green with black spots, flanks reddish brown with yellowish pustules, transverse bars on fore��� and hindlimbs; (10) median callous pad on fingers II and III to proximal tubercle; (11) disks on fingers and toes moderately expanded (Rana hmongorum superficially resembles other Asian cascade ranids, including Huia nasica, Rana andersonii, R. archotaphus, R. bacboensis, R. chalconota, R. chloronota, R. daorum, R. grahami, R. graminea, R. hainanensis, R. hejiangensis, R. hosii, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, R. leporipes, R. livida, R. margaretae, R. schmackeri, R. sinica, and R. tiannensis (table 12). The white eggs of R. hmongorum distinguish it from H. nasica, Rana andersonii, R. chalconota, R. grahami, R. junlianensis, R. margaretae, R. schmackeri (all with white eggs with a melanic animal pole), and R. bacboensis (fully pigmented eggs). The dorsum and flanks with distinct pustules distinguishes R. hmongorum from all of the above species, except R. jingdongensis, and R. grahami; R. daorum has two distinct rows of granular dorsolateral folds. Absence of gular pouches further differentiates it from H. nasica, R. archotaphus, R. bacboensis, R. chloronota, R. daorum, R. graminea, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, R. schmackeri, and R. tiannensis. Rana hmongorum has an indistinct yellow lipstripe distinguishing it from all other cascade ranids above, except R. chalconota, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, and R. grahami. The presence of webbing to the base of the toe pad distinguishes R. hmongorum from R. leporipes (webbing to distal phalanx) and R. archotaphus. Larger females and the absence of an outer metatarsal tubercle further distinguish R. hmongorum from R. archotaphus (female SVL 59���62 mm) and R. chalconota (SVL 46���59 mm). Absence of ventral spines in males differentiates R. hmongorum from R. andersonii, R. grahami, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. margaretae, and R. schmackeri. Rana sinica is further differentiated from R. hmongorum by its indistinct, skin��covered tympanum, the relative length of its digits (I R. sinica, II R. hmongorum), and its rounded distal phalanges (T�� shaped in R. hmongorum). Huia nasica is different in that it has a smooth, olive��brown dorsum, a longer head and smaller size (67 mm vs.> 75 mm for females, 44���49 mm vs. 54���59 for males). The small male of R. hmongorum further distinguishes it from R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. andersonii, and R. grahami (SVL 62���81 mm for R. jingdongensis, 70��� 80 mm for R. andersonii, 66���84 mm for R. grahami). The relative length of fingers further distinguishes it from R. hainanensis (II R. hejiangensis (II IV> I> II, pad length (III) 85% of pad width; ventral circummarginal grooves on disks present; terminal phalanges T�� shaped; subarticular tubercles conical. Hindlimbs moderately robust; tibia length 57% of SVL; foot length 40% of SVL; relative toe lengths I IV k V, pad width (IV) 78% of pad length, ventral circummarginal grooves present; subarticular tubercles prominent and conical; inner metatarsal tubercle ovoid, long; outer metatarsal tubercle absent. Xiphisternum large, deeply notched posteriorly. Skin on dorsum smooth with large pustules, particularly on flanks, sacrum, and around cloaca; cloacal opening unmodified, directed posteriorly at upper level of thighs. COLOR IN LIFE (in preservative): Dorsum green (dark brown) and reddish brown (dark brown) with black spots. Sides reddish brown (gray) and yellow (cream), with some black spotting. Pustules on flanks yellowish white (creamy white), with black around the bases. Cloacal region dark brown (black). Lip��stripe creamy white (gray); dorsal surface of forearms with green (gray) patch; limbs mottled yellow (light brown) and brown (dark brown) with black transverse bands; anterior and posterior surfaces of thighs with brown (dark brown) marbling on yellow (cream); webbing uniformly brown; venter creamy white (creamy yellow). Iris greenish yellow or brown, pupil outlined with a yellow border. SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS: Holotype is a gravid female with white eggs, 2 mm diameter. Adult female SVL 135% that of males. Males have slightly larger tympanum than do females, and velvety nuptial pads on thumb. Paired gular pouches and pectoral spines absent. Venter of males varies from immaculate creamy white to darkly mottled brown (gray in preservative). MEASUREMENTS OF HOLOTYPE (in mm): SVL 86.8; SNT 11.1; HDL 42.3; HDW 31.1; EYE 9.7; IOD 6.4; TMP 2.5; TEY 3.9; HND 22.3; FGR 16.5; FPL 2.3; FPW 2.7; TIB 49.2; FTL 35.0; TPL 3.0; TPW 2.3. VARIATION OF PARATYPES: Pustules can sometimes form dorsolateral lines, which superficially resemble folds. Pustules can be white. Variation in all type material is given in table 15. MEASUREMENTS OF FEMALE PARATYPES (in mm, n = 9; ROM 26370 ���26375, 26377��� 26379): SVL 80.2 �� 4.3 (74.3���86.8); SNT 11.0 �� 0.5 (10.1���11.7); HDL 38.8 �� 1.9 (37.0���41.0); HDW 29.8 �� 1.0 (29.2���31.3); EYE 9.3 �� 1.1 (7.6���10.8); IOD 7.0 �� 0.3 (6.4���7.3); TMP 2.9 �� 0.4 (2.5���3.3); TEY 3.0 �� 0.6 (2.1���3.9); HND 23.2 �� 1.3 (22.1��� 25.6); FGR 18.6 �� 1.1 (16.5���19.6); FPL 3.0 �� 0.4 (2.3���3.4); FPW 2.6 �� 0.4 (2.0���3.1); TIB 47.6 �� 2.3 (43.1���49.2); FTL 39.6 �� 5.0 (35.0���48.3) TPL 2.8 �� 0.6 (2.0���3.5); TPW 2.4 �� 0.5 (1.9���3.3). MEASUREMENTS OF MALE PARATYPES (in mm, n = 12; ROM 26380, 30876, 39235, 39236, 39874, 39875, 39877, 39879, 39888, 39891, 39892; AMNH A��161480): SVL 59.4 �� 3.8 (54.7���65.3); SNT 9.4 �� 0.9 (8.7��� 10.4); HDL 24.0 �� 3.0 (20.7���30.4); HDW 20.0 �� 1.2 (18.9���21.1); EYE 7.3 �� 0.5 (6.7��� 8.3); IOD 5.3 �� 0.7 (4.3���6.5); TMP 3.0 �� 0.4 (2.4���3.7); TEY 2.5 �� 0.3 (2.2���3.0); HND 17.2 �� 1.4 (14.1���19.4); FGR 13.3 �� 1.2 (12.8���14.8); FPL 2.5 �� 0.5 (1.6���3.6); FPW 2.1 �� 0.6 (1.0���2.4); TIB 38.6 �� 4.5 (33.4���51.2); FTL 47.2 �� 5.7 (30.4���52.1); TPL 2.3 �� 0.4 (1.7���2.9); TPW 1.7 �� 0.4 (0.9���2.2). ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is a patronym for the Hmong (pronounced ������huhmung������) people, an ethnic group in the northern montane regions of Vietnam. Their assistance made it possible for us to document the fauna of Hoang Lien Mountains. DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY: This species is only known only from the vicinity of Mount Fan Si Pan at approximately 1900 m or above. Adults were found along the cascades of a waterfall and along the mossy slopes of a human��made culvert., Published as part of BAIN, RAOUL H., LATHROP, AMY, MURPHY, ROBERT W., ORLOV, NIKOLAI L. & CUC, HO THU, 2003, Cryptic Species of a Cascade Frog from Southeast Asia: Taxonomic Revisions and Descriptions of Six New Species, pp. 1-60 in American Museum Novitates 3417 on pages 40-44, DOI: 10.1206/0003-0082(2003)4172.0.CO;2, http://zenodo.org/record/4734880, {"references":["Fei, L., C. - y. Ye, and Y. - z. Huang. 1990. Keys to Chinese Amphibians. Chongqing: Chongqing Branch, Science and Technology Materials Press, 364 pp. [in Chinese]"]}

Rana livida (Blyth, 1856) Figures 6E, F, 7E, F, 9 Rana livida (Boulenger, 1887) NEOTYPE: BMNH 1889.3.25.48 an adult female from Thagata Juwa, Village on the hills southwest of Mt. Mooleyit, Dawna Mountains, Myanmar (400���500 m), by M.L. Fea in early 1887. DIAGNOSIS: Rana livida, a member of the subgenus Odorrana (sensu Fei et al. 1990), is characterized by a combination of the following attributes: (1) body dorsoventrally compressed; (2) SVL females 89.4, 97.1 mm; (3) vomerine teeth in rows oblique to choanae; (4) lip��stripe white, extending across upper lip, terminating in glandule above insertion of arm; (5) head broad, snout rounded in dorsal view, bluntly rounded in profile; (6) tympanum round, distinct, TMP:EYE 0.41; (7) supratympanic fold weak; (8) dorsal skin smooth to flanks, pustules dorsal to cloaca, dorsolateral folds absent, venter smooth; (9) dorsum uniform brown in preservative; forelimbs and hindlimbs lighter brown, without transverse bars; (10) median callous pad on finger III to proximal tubercle; (11) disks on fingers and toes enlarged (>2�� base of phalanges); (12) feet fully webbed to disks, weak lateral fringes on I and V to terminal phalanges; (13) subarticular tubercles and inner metatarsal tubercle distinct, conical; (14) terminal phalanges T�� shaped; (15) xiphisternum large, deeply notched posteriorly; (17) eggs white. COMPARISONS: Rana livida superficially resembles other Asian cascade ranids, including Huia nasica, Rana andersonii, R. archotaphus, R. chalconota, R. chloronota, R. grahami, R. graminea, R. hainanensis, R. hejiangensis, R. hosii, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, R. leporipes, R. margaretae, R. schmackeri, R. sinica, and R. tiannensis (table 12). The smooth, uniformly colored dorsum further distinguishes R. livida from all of the above species. The unpigmented eggs of R. livida distinguish it from H. nasica, Rana andersonii, R. chalconota, R. grahami, R. junlianensis, R. margaretae, and R. schmackeri, which are white with melanic poles. Huia nasica differs from R. livida in its longer, more pointed head, and smaller females (SVL 67 mm). Rana hainanensis further differs from R. livida in relative lengths of fingers (II R. hainanensis, II R. livida). Rana hejiangensis differs from R. livida in its relative finger size (II Rana andersonii has a rough, olive��brown dorsum and small disks on fingers. Rana grahami has pustules on the dorsum and flanks (vs. smooth in R. livida) and slightly swollen digital tips. Rana junlianensis has brown lip bands. Rana kwangwuensis has small digital disks. Rana schmackeri has a smooth, heavily spotted dorsum. Rana tiannensis has a rough brown dorsum with large, prominent lateral granulations. Rana chalconota differs from R. livida by having coarsely shagreened dorsum, distinct dorsolateral folds, pointed snout, smaller SVL (females 46���59 mm), and an outer metatarsal tubercle. In R. archotaphus, webbing (toe IV) reaches base of distal subarticular tubercle (R. livida, webbing to base of disk), females are smaller (SVL 59���62 mm), and it has an outer metatarsal tubercle. Rana sinica differs from R. livida in lacking a lip��stripe, and in having smaller mature females (R. sinica holotype 66.6 mm), an indistinct, skin��covered tympanum (distinct and uncovered in R. livida), nares halfway between the eye and tip of the snout (nearer the snout in R. livida), and a different finger formula (I R. sinica, II R. livida). Rana hosii differs from R. livida by its obtusely pointed head (rounded in R. livida), dorsolateral folds, occasional bands on arms and legs, and feeble tarsal folds (dorsolateral and tarsal folds absent in R. livida). Rana chloronota differs from R. livida with its solid��colored dorsum and dark sides (uniform in R. livida), transverse bars on the limbs (absent in R. livida), smooth dorsum, flanks granular (slightly granulose on the posterior thighs in R. livida), and absence of white mottling on the flanks (present in R. livida). Rana leporipes differs from R. livida in having smaller digital disks, a white supratympanic fold, weak dorsolateral fold, and webbing that only reaches the distal phalanges (R. livida to base of the disk). Rana graminea further differs from R. livida with its nearly vertical (versus concave) loreal region and depressed head. DESCRIPTION: Head length greater than head width (103%), head width 35% of SVL, length 37% of SVL; snout short, protruding beyond margin of lower jaw, rounded in dorsal view, bluntly rounded in profile; eye large, prominent, 72% snout length; eyelid broader than interorbital distance. Top of head flat; canthus rostralis rounded; loreal region concave; lip flared just anterior to orbit; nostril about three��fourths distance from eye to tip of snout; supratympanic fold weak, swollen rim of tissue dorsal to tympanum; tympanum round, distinctly visible, 44% of EYE. Choanae ovoid; vomerine dentigerous processes prominent, oblique, posteromedial to choanae, each bearing numerous teeth. Tongue cordiform, distinctly notched posteriorly, free for approximately one��third its length. Forearm robust; fingers moderately short, slender; hands 29% of SVL, relative lengths of fingers II 2�� base of phalanges), relative pad size II IV> V; ventral circummarginal grooves present; subarticular tubercles prominent, conical; inner metatarsal tubercle ovoid, long; outer metatarsal tubercle absent. Xiphisternum large, deeply notched posteriorly. Skin on dorsum smooth to flanks; dorsolateral fold absent; small tubercles posteroventral to tympanum; granules dorsal cloaca; cloacal opening unmodified, directed posteriorly, at upper level of thighs. COLOR IN PRESERVATIVE: Dorsum uniform dark brown to flanks, some white spots and mottling on flank; prominent lip��stripe white; tympanum brown; posterior surface of thighs light brown with white spots, no transverse banding; venter creamy white; ventral side of limbs creamy white; webbing dark gray. SECONDARY SEX CHARACTERS: BMNH 1889.3.25.47, an adult female bears white eggs. No male specimens were studied. MEASUREMENTS OF NEOTYPE (in mm): SVL 89.4; SNT 14.2; HDL 32.8; HDW 31.6; EYE 10.2; IOD 8.0; TMP 4.5; TEY 2.8; HND 25.5; FPL 3.2; TIB 60.8; FTL 76.2; TPL 2.6. MEASUREMENTS OF REFFERED SPECIMEN (BMNH 1889.3.25.47): SVL 97.1; SNT 16.7; HDL 36.1; HDW 33.4; EYE 11.9; IOD 9.2; TMP 4.6; TEY 4.1; HND 28.8; FPL 3.3; TIB 63.8; FTL 75.6; TPL 2.7. DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY: The range of R. livida is unclear. The type material is lost and the locality information has been poorly recorded. Much confusion exists in its taxonomy. The only confirmed locality is that of the neotype and maps do not show Thagata Juwa village, as indicated in by Feae. Mount Mooleyit is currently found on maps as Mulayit Taung (16��N, 98��30��E). The closest villages to Mulayit Taung are Kyeik��ywa, Daukkat��ywa, and Kyeik��don, to the west, and Mawkhi and Huthi, near the Thai border to the east. REMARKS: Male R. chloronota are substantially smaller than females and they posses paired subgular pouches and a larger tympanum. Presumably, male R. livida have the same attributes. Blyth (1852) appears to have included males in his original description; many of the specimens that Theobold assumed to be juveniles have whiter lip��stripes and a relatively large tympanum that is closer to the eye than in females. Although the color is not recorded in life, Blyth (1856) reported that R. livida is ������uniform duskyplumbeous above, probably dull olive green when alive.������ Boulenger (1920) recorded measurements of two R. livida females from Thagata, Tenasserim. It is not clear whether these two specimens are the same as those described above., Published as part of BAIN, RAOUL H., LATHROP, AMY, MURPHY, ROBERT W., ORLOV, NIKOLAI L. & CUC, HO THU, 2003, Cryptic Species of a Cascade Frog from Southeast Asia: Taxonomic Revisions and Descriptions of Six New Species, pp. 1-60 in American Museum Novitates 3417 on pages 28-30, DOI: 10.1206/0003-0082(2003)4172.0.CO;2, http://zenodo.org/record/4734880, {"references":["Blyth, E. 1856. Report for the October meeting, 1855. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 25 (7): 711 - 723.","Boulenger, G. A. 1887. An account of the reptiles and batrachians obtained in Tenasserim by M. L. Feae, of the Genoa Civic Museum. Annali dell Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, ser. 2, 4: 474 - 486, 3 pls.","Fei, L., C. - y. Ye, and Y. - z. Huang. 1990. Keys to Chinese Amphibians. Chongqing: Chongqing Branch, Science and Technology Materials Press, 364 pp. [in Chinese]","Blyth, E. 1852. Proceeding of the Society for April. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 21: 351 - 356.","Boulenger, G. A. 1920. A monograph of the south Asian, Papuan, Melanesian, and Australasian frogs of the genus Rana. Records of the Indian Museum 20: 1 - 126."]}

KEY TO VIETNAMESE SPECIES IN THE RANA CHLORONOTA COMPLEX The Rana chloronota complex in Vietnam includes species that are dorsoventrally compressed with long legs. Snout���vent length of females is approximately twice that of males (table 14). The dorsum may be green, brown, or a combination thereof; dorsum usually smooth, sometimes shagreened, often becoming more rugose laterally. Tympanum is distinct. Venter is entirely smooth. Legs with transverse bands or mottled with indistinct bands, posterior surface of thighs marbled yellow and black. An outer metatarsal tubercle is absent. Disks on fingers and toes well dilated, with ventral circummarginal grooves. Webbing is complete or nearly so, extending to most distal tubercle or to base of toe pad (as a fringe in some species). Males have velvety nuptial pads. VARIABLE CHARACTERS: Lip��stripe is present in most species and is usually white. Vomerine teeth, if present, are in rows oblique to the internal choanae. Males usually have paired gular pouches. Eggs completely pigmented or unpigmented. HABITAT: Ubiquitous throughout highland waterways of Southeast Asia. Found in and around water, including the forest floor and canopy of surrounding forests. Commonly found perched on rocks beside or among the cascades. 1. Dorsolateral fold distinct, composed of small gold (white in preservative) granules; noticeably smaller than other cascade ranids (males 35 mm, females 55 mm), large white lateral spot, and vomerine teeth absent.............................. R. daorum ��� Dorsolateral fold not as above or granules absent.............................. 2 2. Indistinct glandular dorsolateral folds present................................. 3 ��� Dorsolateral folds absent............... 4 3A. Lip��stripe indistinct yellow or absent in females, yellow in males; male tympanum 120% of eye length, 51% for females; skin completely shagreened, brown, and snout��� vent length notably large (males 52 mm, females 100 mm)... R. megatympanum 3B. White lip��stripe present in both males and females; dorsum green to olive, shagreened or incompletely smooth, flank gray; male tympanum 89% eye, females 75%; SVL males 50 mm, females 93 mm.......................... R. banaorum 3C. Dorsum bright green with or without black spots, completely smooth; flank brownish; male tympanum 77% eye, females 56%; SVL males 46 mm, females 94 mm........................... R. graminea 4. Dorsum completely smooth; dorsum bright green, vomerine teeth present, white lipstripe present, eggs immaculate, and SVL females 93 mm, males 46 mm............................. R. chloronota ��� Dorsum in part smooth and shagreened, or with heavy granulations............ 5 5. Dorsum with heavy granulations; skin heavily granulated laterally and on pelvis, dorsum bright green with black spots, males without gular pouches, SVL females 80 mm, males 60 mm...................................... R. hmongorum ��� Dorsum shagreened or in part smooth... 6 6. Black vertical bar on lip; dorsum shagreened, brown with some black spots, lip bands black, extend vertically across mandible, (white lip��stripe absent), webbing marbled white on dark brown to toes, eggs pigmented black, SVL 95 females, 55 mm males)................ R. bacboensis ��� No black vertical bar on lip; dorsum shagreened or incompletely smooth, color variable green to brown in daylight, changing to brown at night, white lip��stripe present, webbing brown, eggs immaculate white, SVL females 88 mm, males 43 mm........................... R. morafkai, Published as part of BAIN, RAOUL H., LATHROP, AMY, MURPHY, ROBERT W., ORLOV, NIKOLAI L. & CUC, HO THU, 2003, Cryptic Species of a Cascade Frog from Southeast Asia: Taxonomic Revisions and Descriptions of Six New Species, pp. 1-60 in American Museum Novitates 3417 on pages 53-54, DOI: 10.1206/0003-0082(2003)4172.0.CO;2, http://zenodo.org/record/4734880

Rana leporipes Werner, 1930 HOLOTYPE: Two figures (Werner, 1930: 49, pl. IV) of Mell no. 15660, an adult female from Lung Tao Shan, North Kwangtung, China (700 m a.s.l.) collected on 4 July 1919 by R. Mell. The voucher specimens of the type series have been lost and the photographs of the holotype become the iconotype. DIAGNOSIS (from text and plates of original description): Rana leporipes is characterized by a combination of the following attributes: (1) body dorsoventrally compressed; (2) SVL reported for females between 52 and 102 mm; (3) vomerine teeth in rows oblique to choanae; (4) lip��stripe white; (6) tympanum very distinct, TMP:EYE is 0.5; (7) supratympanic fold milky white; (8) dorsal skin smooth, flanks weakly granular, dorsolateral folds slightly distinguishable, venter smooth; (9) dorsum dark green, flanks stony gray with white marbling, legs not banded; (11) disks on fingers and toes only slightly enlarged (Rana leporipes superficially resembles other Asian cascade ranids, including Huia nasica, Rana andersonii, R. archotaphus, R. chalconota, R. chloronota, R. grahami, R. graminea, R. hainanensis, R. hejiangensis, R. hosii, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, R. livida, R. margaretae, R. schmackeri, R. sinica and R. tiannensis (table 12). Rana leporipes is unique among all of the above species in having a white supratympanic fold, webbing that only reaches the distal phalanx (not the disk), and oblong, somewhat rounded distal phalanges (T�� shaped in others, unknown for R. hejiangensis, R. junlianensis, and R. kwangwuensis). The absence of banding on the legs distinguishes R. leporipes from all species listed here, except R. livida (present or absent in R. chalconota and R. hosii). The presence of a dorsolateral fold also distinguishes it from R. andersonii, R. chloronota, R. hainanensis, R. hejiangensis, R. jingdongensis, R. junlianensis, R. kwangwuensis, R. livida, R. margaretae, R. schmackeri, R. sinica, and R. tiannensis. Whereas Huia nasica has an olive��brown dorsum, R. leporipes is dark green. Rana hainanensis further differs from R. leporipes in its size (SVL R. hainanensis 103 mm) and relative lengths of fingers (II R. hainanensis, I = II for R. leporipes). Rana junlianensis has brown lip bands. Rana andersonii has a rough, olive��brown dorsum. Rana grahami has pustules on the dorsum and flanks and no digital disks. Rana schmackeri has a smooth, heavily spotted dorsum. Rana tiannensis has a rough, brown dorsum with large, prominent lateral granulations. Both Rana chalconota and R. archotaphus possess an outer metatarsal tubercle, but R. leporipes does not. Rana hosii can be distinguished from R. leporipes by its feeble tarsal folds. Rana chloronota differs from R. leporipes in that it is larger (R. chloronota female SVL 80���100 mm) and it has a different digital formula (II R. chloronota). Dorsum of R. livida is uniform (flanks a different color for R. leporipes). REMARKS: The original description of R. leporipes reported extensive variation in snout���vent length (52���102 mm) and lacked any description of secondary sex characters. The single male specimen of R. leporipes is significantly larger than males of R. chloronota (93 mm vs. a maximum of 53 mm). However, it is unclear how the male was sexed, as nuptial excrescences and gular pouches are not mentioned. Bourret (who did not indicate whether he had seen the type series) thought the male was an incorrectly identified female and that Werner���s (1930) frogs were all females spanning a range of varying degrees of maturity. We are also skeptical about any males, although this cannot be confirmed, as the type series has been lost., Published as part of BAIN, RAOUL H., LATHROP, AMY, MURPHY, ROBERT W., ORLOV, NIKOLAI L. & CUC, HO THU, 2003, Cryptic Species of a Cascade Frog from Southeast Asia: Taxonomic Revisions and Descriptions of Six New Species, pp. 1-60 in American Museum Novitates 3417 on pages 27-28, DOI: 10.1206/0003-0082(2003)4172.0.CO;2, http://zenodo.org/record/4734880, {"references":["Werner, F. 1930. Rana leporpies, a new species of frog from south China. Lignan Science Journal 9 (1, 2): 45 - 47, pl. 49."]}

The Southeast Asian cascade frog, Rana livida (Blyth, 1856), has long been suspected to be a complex of species. Several different forms are described from across its vast range. The loss of type material and disparate sampling efforts are challenges. Is variability in this species due to geographic variation or to the presence of multiple species? We use concordant evidence from morphology, morphometrics, cellular DNA content, and allozyme electrophoresis to investigate diversity in R. livida from Vietnam. Three distinct species are recognized on the basis of morphology, as are four other suspect groups (morphotypes). Discriminant function analyses of morphometric data detect patterns of morphological variation among all seven groups. Pairwise comparison of cellular DNA content using t-tests shows significant differences among sympatric morphotypes, suggesting they represent distinct species. This hypothesis is supported by an analysis of 14 allozymic loci, in which fixed allelic differences are found among specimens in sympatry and allopatry. Examination of available type material of four junior synonyms of R. livida results in their recognition as species. One of these species, 1 Biodiversity Specialist, Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, and Division of Zoology (Herpetology), Amer

We studied the relationship between the age of reaching motor milestones, especially anti-gravity activities, and the age of development of pathological spinal curvatures in children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). We hypothesized that earlier achievement of anti-gravity motor milestones predicts a later development of pathological spinal curvatures. Ninety-six children participated in this retrospective study. The severity of the disease was classified according to Sillence into types I-IV. Spinal radiography was performed annually and spinal deformities were measured according to the Cobb angle. Scoliosis was defined as a Cobb angle exceeding 9 degrees. Pathological thoracic kyphosis was defined as a Cobb angle exceeding 40 degrees. The parents were asked to report the age at which the child achieved motor milestones, and data were checked against health care records. Thirty-seven of 96 children (39%) developed a scoliosis of more than 9 degrees. Nine of 96 children (9%) developed a pathological kyphosis. The age of developing scoliosis was significantly lower than the age of development of the pathological kyphosis (P=0.01). Bone mineral density was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in 53 children, 28 of whom developed scoliosis, and 25 of whom did not. The mean DEXA Z-score of the 28 children with scoliosis was significantly lower than that of the 25 children without (-5.2, SD 1.3 vs -3.2, SD 1.9; P-value

We assessed the relationship between general joint hypermobility (GJH) and lower urinary tract symptoms presenting as nonneurogenic bladder sphincter dysfunction in children. Parents of 89 children 5 to 12 years old who were diagnosed with GJH according to the Beighton and Bulbena scales were asked to fill out a questionnaire concerning symptoms of nonneurogenic bladder sphincter dysfunction, namely daytime urinary incontinence, nighttime urinary incontinence, urinary tract infection, constipation and fecal soiling. The control group comprised 116 healthy schoolchildren 5 to 12 years old. Constipation was reported in 19% of boys with GJH and 4% of male controls (p = 0.02). Fecal soiling occurred more often in the GJH group than in the control group (34% versus 18%, p = 0.07). In girls daytime and nighttime urinary incontinence was more prevalent in the GJH group (38% and 14%, respectively) than in controls (13% and 2%, respectively, p = 0.004 and p = 0.02, respectively). Of girls with GJH 24% had a history of urinary tract infections compared with 11% of the control group (p = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS In children with generalized hypermobility of joints symptoms of nonneurogenic bladder sphincter dysfunction are more prevalent. In boys this condition manifests as constipation and possibly fecal soiling, and in girls as urinary incontinence and possibly urinary tract infections

Engelbert RH, Gulmans VA, Uiterwaal CS, Helders PJ. Osteogenesis imperfecta in childhood: perceived competence in relation to impairment and disability. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001;82:943-8. Objectives: To examine the perceived competence of children with different types of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and to investigate the possible relationships between their perceived competence and impairment parameters. Design : Cross-sectional study. Setting: National referral center (hospital) for the treatment of children with OI. Patients: Forty children with OI (type I=17; type III=11; type IV=12) with a mean age ± standard deviation of 12.6 ± 3.2 years. Interventions: Measured joint range of motion (ROM) in the upper extremities (UEs), and lower extremities (LEs), muscle strength, functional skills, ambulation, and perceived competence. Main Outcome Measures: Joint ROM in UE and LE; muscle strength (using the manual muscle testing criteria of the Medical Research Council); functional skills using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory in 3 domains (self-care, mobility, social function). Ambulation (according to Bleck and classified as nonwalking, therapy walking, household walking, neighborhood walking, community walking with or without the use of crutches), and perceived competence (using the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Children, which was cross-culturally validated for Dutch children). Results: In children with type I, joint ROM and muscle strength were almost comparable to the healthy population. In children with type III, a severe decrease in joint ROM was measured, especially in the LEs, and muscle strength was severely decreased in the UEs and LEs. In children with type IV, joint ROM and muscle strength decreased, especially in the LEs. In all types, fairly to strongly positive perceived competence was measured except for fairly negative perceived competence in the athletic performance subscale in type I and a fairly negative perceived competence in the romance subscale in type III. No correlations were found between (1) joint ROM and athletic performance and physical appearance, (2) muscle strength and athletic performance or physical appearance, or (3) the functional skills, concerning self-care and mobility, with the subscales of the perceived competence. Conclusions: Although joint ROM, muscle strength, and functional and walking ability were related to the severity of the disease and differed significantly between the different types of OI, overall perceived competence in children with OI was fairly to strongly positive, without significant differences between the different types of OI. © 2001 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation