Phylogeography of horseshoe bat sarbecoviruses in Vietnam and neighbouring countries. Implications for the origins of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2.

Previous studies on horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus spp.) have described many coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV (SARSCoVr) in China and only a few coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2 (SARSCoV2r) in Yunnan (southern China), Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. Here, we report the results of several field missions carried out in 2017, 2021 and 2022 across Vietnam during which 1218 horseshoe bats were sampled from 19 locations. Sarbecoviruses were detected in 11% of faecal RNA extracts, with much more positives among Rhinolophus thomasi (46%). We assembled 38 Sarbecovirus genomes, including 32 SARSCoVr, four SARSCoV2r, and two recombinants of SARSCoVr and SARSCoV2r (RecSar), one showing a Spike protein very similar to SARS-CoV-2. We detected a bat co-infected with four coronaviruses, including two sarbecoviruses. Our analyses revealed that Sarbecovirus genomes evolve in Vietnam under strong geographical and host constraints. First, we found evidence for a deep separation between viruses from northern Vietnam and those from central and southern Vietnam. Second, we detected only SARSCoVr in Rhinolophus thomasi, both SARSCoVr and SARSCoV2r in Rhinolophus affinis, and only RecSar in Rhinolophus pusillus captured close to the border with China. Third, the bias in favour of Uracil in synonymous third codon positions of SARSCoVr extracted from R. thomasi showed a negative correlation with latitudes. Our results also provided support for an emergence of SARS-CoV in horseshoe bats from northern Yunnan and emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in horseshoe bats from northern Indochina subtropical forests (southern Yunnan, northern Laos and north-western Vietnam).

Bat Rhinacoviruses Related to Swine Acute Diarrhoea Syndrome Coronavirus Evolve under Strong Host and Geographic Constraints in China and Vietnam.

Swine acute diarrhoea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV; Coronaviridae, Rhinacovirus) was detected in 2017 in Guangdong Province (China), where it caused high mortality rates in piglets. According to previous studies, SADS-CoV evolved from horseshoe bat reservoirs. Here, we report the first five Rhinacovirus genomes sequenced in horseshoe bats from Vietnam and their comparisons with data published in China. Our phylogenetic analyses provided evidence for four groups: rhinacoviruses from Rhinolphus pusillus bats, including one from Vietnam; bat rhinacoviruses from Hainan; bat rhinacoviruses from Yunnan showing a divergent synonymous nucleotide composition; and SADS-CoV and related bat viruses, including four rhinacoviruses from Vietnam sampled in Rhinolophus affinis and Rhinolophus thomasi. Our phylogeographic analyses showed that bat rhinacoviruses from Dien Bien (Vietnam) share more affinities with those from Yunnan (China) and that the ancestor of SADS-CoVs arose in Rhinolophus affinis circulating in Guangdong. We detected sequencing errors and artificial chimeric genomes in published data. The two SADS-CoV genomes previously identified as recombinant could also be problematic. The reliable data currently available, therefore, suggests that all SADS-CoV strains originate from a single bat source and that the virus has been spreading in pig farms in several provinces of China for at least seven years since the first outbreak in August 2016.

The genus Dedalopterus Sabatinelli & Pontuale, 1998 (Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Leucopholini) in Laos and Vietnam, with description of a new species.

The genus Dedalopterus Sabatinelli & Pontuale, 1998 from Laos and Vietnam is reviewed: three species are present of which Dedalopterus lexuanhuei Pham, Ahrens & Sabatinelli, new species from Central Vietnam (Ngoc Linh Mts., Annamite Range) is here described. Dedalopterusmalyszi Bunalski, 2001 is present in North Vietnam (Lao Cai, Hoang Lien Son Range), and Dedalopterus pulchellus Sabatinelli & Pontuale, 1998 (= D.bezdekorum Zdek & Krajk, 2007, new synonymy) is known from Northeast Laos (Mt. Xiangkhouang and Mt. Phou Pan). Additional records, an updated checklist, and an identification key of the genus Dedalopterus are provided. All species treated are abundantly illustrated.

Contributions to the biodiversity of Vietnam - Results of VIETBIO inventory work and field training in Cuc Phuong National Park.

VIETBIO [Innovative approaches to biodiversity discovery and characterisation in Vietnam] is a bilateral German-Vietnamese research and capacity building project focusing on the development and transfer of new methods and technology towards an integrated biodiversity discovery and monitoring system for Vietnam. Dedicated field training and testing of innovative methodologies were undertaken in Cuc Phuong National Park as part and with support of the project, which led to the new biodiversity data and records made available in this article collection. VIETBIO is a collaboration between the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science (MfN), the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum, Freie Universität Berlin (BGBM) and the Vietnam National Museum of Nature (VNMN), the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR), the Southern Institute of Ecology (SIE), as well as the Institute of Tropical Biology (ITB); all Vietnamese institutions belong to the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST). The article collection "VIETBIO" (https://doi.org/10.3897/bdj.coll.63) reports original results of recent biodiversity recording and survey work undertaken in Cuc Phuong National Park, northern Vietnam, under the framework of the VIETBIO project. The collection consist of this "main" cover paper - characterising the study area, the general project approaches and activities, while also giving an extensive overview on previous studies from this area - followed by individual papers for higher taxa as studied during the project. The main purpose is to make primary biodiversity records openly available, including several new and interesting findings for this biodiversity-rich conservation area. All individual data papers with their respective primary records are expected to provide useful baselines for further taxonomic, phylogenetic, ecological and conservation-related studies on the respective taxa and, thus, will be maintained as separate datasets, including separate GUIDs also for further updating.

Three new species of the genus Miridiba Reitter, 1902 (Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from Vietnam along with a new country record.

Three new species of the genus Miridiba Reitter, 1902 from Vietnam are described and illustrated: Miridiba apicespinosa P.V. Pham & Keith, new species, M. ngoclinhensis P.V. Pham & Keith, new species, and M. quangnamensis P.V. Pham & Keith, new species. Miridiba bannaensis Gao & Fang, 2018 is reported for the first time from Vietnam. Additionally, an updated checklist and a key to all Vietnamese species are provided.

An overview on the genus Amiserica Nomura, 1974 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Sericini).

Here we present an overview of the species of the genus Amiserica Nomura, 1974. The taxonomy of the species of eastern Asia (China and adjacent regions) is revised herein, which so far have not been treated yet. Twenty-eight species are discovered new to science: Amiserica basisymmetrica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. belousovi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. carolusholzschuhi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. diaocangshana Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. eucurviforceps Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. fengyangensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. funiushanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. gibbosiforceps Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. guanmenshanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. guizhouensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. gulinqin Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. incisa Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. jiuhuensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. jizuensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. linzhouensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. longxinensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. lucidiflava Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. nahang Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. panghongae Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. pappi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. piaoac Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. pseudoantennalis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. pseudoincisa Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. sacculiforceps Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. strnadi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. ventriscalptus Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. venxianensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. zhongtiaoshanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species. Furthermore, our investigation resulted in two new combinations: Maladera (Eumaladera) loi (Kobayashi, 1991), new combination and Amiserica antennalis (Nomura, 1974), new combination; the first species is thus excluded from Amiserica. A key to species groups and species within groups is given, habitus and male genitalia are illustrated. The distribution of the species revised herein is shown on maps.

Additions to the Neoserica calva group from continental South East Asia (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Sericini).

In this paper we revise the species of the Neoserica calva group from continental South East Asia, which was so far known only from China. Here we describe 11 new species from Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam: Neoserica allosigillata Ahrens Pham, new species, N. axelkalliesi Ahrens Pham, new species, N. chetaoensis Ahrens Pham, new species, N. diplospinosa Ahrens Pham, new species, N. fragilis Ahrens Pham, new species, N. ihlei Ahrens Pham, new species, N. judsoni Ahrens Pham, new species, N. peregovitsi Ahrens Pham, new species, N. rufoplagiatoides Ahrens Pham, new species, N. sharkeyi Ahrens Pham, new species, and N. tramton Ahrens Pham, new species.

Case-Control Study of Alcohol Usage and Fruit Intake and Stomach Cancer in the North Viet Nam.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to examine the association between alcohol usage, fruit intake and stomach cancer treated in hospitals in the Hanoi city during 2018-2019. METHODS: A case-control study was performed for 379 newly incidence cases of stomach cancer and matched 1096 hospital controls for sex and age (+/-5). We used the validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire to collect data on the intake of alcohol and fruits and other food groups. The average amount of total fruits intake (grams per week) was estimated. The adjusted Odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (OR (95%CI) were estimated. RESULTS: Intake of alcohol significantly increased the risk of stomach cancer, the mean frequency of intake per year of 345.1 times vs. non-drinkers, OR (95%CI): 1.51 (1.05, 2.17), p_trend=0.026. In contrast, a higher total of fruits intake was associated with a significantly decreased risk of stomach cancer in both sexes, men, and women, (Q5 vs Q1), OR (95%CI): 0.47 (0.30, 0.72), p_trend=0.000, OR (95%CI): 0.45 (0.26, 0.77), p_trend =0.003, OR (95%CI): 0.52 (0.24, 1.12), p_trend=0.026, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We observed alcohol usage increased the risk of stomach cancers. In contrast, a total of fruits intake was associated with a decreased risk of stomach cancer. 
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