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Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the male urinary system, and its incidence and mortality rates have been increasing worldwide. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) represents stromal and epithelial cell proliferation in the prostate in elderly males. Abnormal activation of inflammation-related signalling molecules, such as toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) has been linked to the initiation and progression of various human diseases including PCa and BPH. Cylindromatosis (CYLD) gene alterations are associated with PCa progression. In this study, the contribution of CYLD, JAK2, and TLR4 gene variants to PCa and BPH risks and their associations with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, immunophenotype, and clinical features in Vietnamese men were determined. Methods: A total of 102 patients with PCa, 65 with BPH, and 114 healthy controls were enrolled. The immunophenotype was analyzed by flow cytometry, cytokine secretion by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and gene variants by DNA sequencing. Results: Lower levels of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and higher numbers of CD13+CD117- and CD56+CD25+ cells were observed in the PCa group than in the BPH group. Genetic analysis of the CYLD gene identified five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), of which c.2351-47 C>T, c.2351-46A>T, and rs1971432171 T>G had significantly higher frequencies in PCa patients than in the control and BPH groups. Sequencing of the TLR4 gene revealed five nucleotide changes, in which the rs2149356 SNP showed an increased risk for both PCa and BPH and the c.331-206 SNP had a reduced risk for PCa. Importantly, the expansion of activated natural killer (NK) cells and higher levels of PSA were found in PCa patients carrying the CT genotype of the CYLD c.2351-47 compared to those with the wild-type genotype. Conclusion: Activation of NK cells in CYLD-sensitive PCa patients was associated with serum PSA release and the CYLD c.2351-47 variant may be a significant risk factor for prostatitis in PCa patients.

Perceptions of, and attitudes toward, wildlife are influenced by exposure to, and direct experiences with, nature. Butterflies are a conspicuous and ubiquitous component of urban nature across megacities that are highly urbanized with little opportunity for human–nature interactions. We evaluated public familiarity with, perceptions of and attitudes toward butterflies across nine megacities in East and Southeast Asia through face-to-face interviews with 1774 urban park users. A total of 79% of respondents had seen butterflies in their cities mostly in urban parks, indicating widespread familiarity with butterflies. Those who had seen butterflies also had higher perceptions of butterflies, whereas greater than 50% of respondents had positive attitudes toward butterflies. Frequent visits to natural places in urban neighbourhoods was associated with (i) sightings of caterpillars, indicating increased familiarity with urban wildlife, and (ii) increased connectedness to nature. We found two significant positive relationships: (i) between connectedness to nature and attitudes toward butterflies and (ii) between connectedness to nature and perceptions of butterflies, firmly linking parks users' thoughts and feelings about butterflies with their view of nature. This suggests that butterflies in urban parks can play a key role in building connectedness to nature and consequently pro-environmental behaviours and support for wildlife conservation among urban residents.

We report on a large crocodile skull recovered from a river bank in August 2010 near Dau Sau Bridge, in An Binh, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho Province, in southern Vietnam. As the skull from Can Tho, named "Dau Sau" herein, is now deposited in the Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Ha Noi, we reinvestigated the circumstances surrounding its discovery and provide exact measurements. Skull length (dorsal mid-point) is 70.7 cm. The morphological features confirm it is from a Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), and not a Siamese crocodile (C. siamensis), which historically also occurred throughout the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Skull measurements are compared with those of other large C. porosus skulls for which reliable estimates of total length are available. We also provide measurements of the prepared skull of "Lolong" (69.8 cm), a 6.17 m long C. porosus captured in the Philippines in 2011. On the basis of known skull length:total length ratios the crocodile from Can Tho is estimated to be 6.3-6.8 m long. The skull of Dau Sau is likely to have been buried for at least 100 years. We discuss the origin of the local name Dau Sau, which has traditional and cultural significance, and provide historical reports of crocodiles in the area. Dau Sau is smaller than the largest known C. porosus skull (76 cm), but is the largest ever reported from Vietnam, and one of the largest C. porosus known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the results of molecular and morphological systematics analyses, a new species, Leptobrachella namdongensis, is recognised from Nam Dong Conservation Area in Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. Genetic divergences in the16S rRNA gene between the new form and other species in the genus range from 4.7 to 21.0% and average at approximately 24%. The new species is most similar to L. petrops and L. puhoatensis, but can be distinguished from them and other congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: size medium (30.9 mm in the adult male and 32.1-35.3 mm in adult females); head wider than long; tympanum distinct; throat immaculate white, chest and belly with dark specking on outer margins; toes with basal webbing; supratympanic fold edged by a distinct black line; inter-orbital region with distinct black blotches; iris bicoloured, upper half copper, fading to golden in its lower half; head without dorsolateral markings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a new reptile collection from Huu Lien Nature Reserve, Lang Son province we report six new records of snakes found in the nature reserve, namely Ahaetulla prasina, Boiga kraepelini, Chrysopelea ornata, Lvcodon futsingensis, Oligodon chinensis, and Sinomicrurus macclellandi. Our findings increased the species number of snakes to 21 in Huu Lien Nature Reserve and 49 in Lang Son province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gracixalus carinensis was originally described from Myanmar, but samples of the species reported in molecular phylogenetic works were all from Vietnam, far apart from the type locality. Moreover, the voucher specimens used for sequencing seem to have never been critically studied. We newly sequenced specimens from Vietnam and also closely examined morphology of vouchers. As a result, we confirmed that samples treated under this name from Vietnam constitute a single species. Although no molecular data are available for topotypic samples from Myanmar, detailed morphological comparisons revealed that samples from Vietnam are constantly separated from the topotypic samples of G. carinensis by much poorly developed toe webbing. We thus consider the Vietnamese samples as an undescribed species and describe them as G. sapaensis sp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phylogenetic hypothesis for the Asian newts of the Tylototriton asperrimus group was generated using data from two mitochondrial fragments including COI and the ND1-ND2 regions. Four distinct clades (A, B, C, D) were resolved with high nodal support within this monophyletic group. Clade A included T. asperrimus, T. hainanensis, T. notialis, "T. vietnamensis", and two unnamed salamander populations from Vietnam. Clade A, constituted the sister group of clades B + C. Newly identified clade C likely represents a new cryptic species. Clade C was the sister group of T. wenxianensis. The true T. vietnamensis exclusively constituted clade D. Our results bring into question some previous taxonomic decisions, and a revision is required. This study illustrates the necessity to include samples from type localities in taxonomic studies, and highlights the importance of fine-grained geographical sampling.