Crematogaster rogenhoferi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), an omnivorous ant, is one of the dominant predatory natural enemies of a soft scale pest, Parasaissetia nigra Nietner (Homoptera: Coccidae), and can effectively control P. nigra populations in rubber forests. Olfaction plays a vital role in the process of predation. However, the information about the molecular mechanism of olfaction-evoked behaviour in C. rogenhoferi is limited. In this study, we conducted antennal transcriptome analysis to identify candidate olfactory genes. We obtained 53,892 unigenes, 16,185 of which were annotated. Based on annotations, we identified 49 unigenes related to chemoreception, including four odourant-binding proteins, three chemosensory proteins, 37 odourant receptors, two odourant ionotropic receptors and three sensory neuron membrane proteins. This is the first report on the molecular basis of the chemosensory system of C. rogenhoferi. The findings provide a basis for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of the olfactory-related behaviours of C. rogenhoferi, which would facilitate a better application of C. rogenhoferi as a biological control agent.

In this research communication we describe the DGAT1 sequence and promoter region in dairy cows and buffalo and compare the activities of DGAT1 between the two species in order to increase knowledge of the cause of milk fat variation. pGL-3 basic vectors were used to construct the reporter gene. Based on the predicted promoter region, 4 truncated plasmid vectors were constructed in cow-DGAT1 and 3 plasmid vectors in buffalo-DGAT1. Each reporter plasmid was transfected into the bovine mammary epithelial cell (BMEC), 293T cell, and CHO cells to analyze the activity using Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay System. The results show that the region between −93 to −556 bp was essential for cow promoter activity while −84 to −590 bp was essential for buffalo promoter activity revealing these regions contain core promoter. The buffalo has higher promoter activity than cow yet it was not statistically significant. Comparison of candidate mutation K232A between cow and buffalo population revealed the presence of both the allelic population in dairy cows (lysine and alanine) however, only K (lysine) allelic amino acid was found in buffalo population. The absence of the alanine allelic population from buffalo explains the higher fat content of buffalo milk.

The objective of the studies presented in this Research Communication was to investigate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms present in the MAP4K4 gene with different milk traits in dairy cows. Based on previous QTL fine mapping results on bovine chromosome 11, the MAP4K4 gene was selected as a candidate gene to evaluate its effect on somatic cell count and milk traits in ChineseHolstein cows. Milk production traits including milk yield, fat percentage, and protein percentage of each cow were collected using 305 d lactation records. Association between MAP4K4 genotype and different traits and Somatic Cell Score (SCS) was performed using General Linear Regression Model of R. Two SNPs at exon 18 (c.2061T > G and c.2196T > C) with genotype TT in both SNPs were found significantly higher for somatic SCS. We found the significant effect of exon 18 (c.2061T > G) on protein percentage, milk yield and SCS. We identified SNPs at different location of MAP4K4 gene of the cattle and several of them were significantly associated with the somatic cell score and other different milk traits. Thus, MAP4K4 gene could be a useful candidate gene for selection of dairy cattle against mastitis and the identified polymorphisms might potentially be strong genetic markers.

The Critically Endangered Hainan gibbon Nomascus hainanus is one of the most threatened primate species and is now found only in the Bawangling National Nature Reserve of Hainan Province, China. We describe changes in population dynamics, and the current number of individuals, based on historical sources and fieldwork during 2002–2013. The population comprises a total of 20 individuals (including six solitary males) in three separate groups. All are confined to an area of c. 16 km2. The current population developed from two groups that comprised a total of 13 individuals in 2002, and has increased slowly since then, with the addition of one new group. Population increase is hindered by the gibbon's unique social structure of one adult male and two adult females, as well as the reproductive age limit in adult females. An imbalance in the sex ratio of offspring may also have hindered population recovery but further investigation of this is required. Our findings indicate that the Hainan gibbon is likely to remain Critically Endangered in the coming decades.

Titanate nanotube (TNT) was prepared by alkaline hydrothermal method starting from TiO2 (P25), and then CdS-TNT was prepared for visible light harvesting by immersing TNT in Cd(CH3COO)2 and then (NH2)2CS aqueous solutions subsequently and heat treated at specialtemperature. After loading with Pt, photocatalytic reduction of gas phase CO2 with water vapor was carried out under UV-VIS and visible light irradiation. The results showed that the main reaction products were CH4, C2H4, C2H6 and H2, which were online characterized by gaschromatography when the flow rate of 5000 ppm CO2 is 0.35 ml/min. The hydrogenation process also realized under visible light illumination for Pt-CdS/TNT and producted 0.44 μmol/min CH4. The maximum yield of methane reached about 130 μmol/min when Pt-CdS/TNTwas irradiated with UV-Vis light. The time profile for production yield increased steadily with time up to about 6–7 h, then a decrease of the reaction rate occurred. It is suggested that thadsorption of intermediate products CO, O2 etc. on Pt and the oxidation of Pt might be the reasons for the photocatalytic reaction deterioration.