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Background: Hylurgus ligniperda, a major international forestry quarantine pest, was recently found to have invaded and posed a serious threat to the Pinus forests of the Jiaodong Peninsula in China. Continuous monitoring and vigilance of the early population is imperative, and rapid molecular detection technology is urgently needed. We focused on developing a single-gene-based species-specific PCR (SS-PCR) method., Results: We sequenced and assembled the mitochondrial genome of H. ligniperda to identify suitable target genes. We identified three closely related species for detecting the specificity of SS-PCR through phylogenetic analysis based on 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs). Subsequently, we analyzed the evolution of 13 PCGs and selected four mitochondrial genes to represent slow-evolving gene (COI) and faster-evolving genes (e.g. ND2, ND4, and ND5), respectively. We developed four species-specific primers targeting COI, ND2, ND4, and ND5 to rapidly identify H. ligniperda. The results showed that the four species-specific primers exhibited excellent specificity and sensitivity in the PCR assays, with consistent performance across a broader range of species. This method demonstrates the ability to identify beetles promptly, even during their larval stage. The entire detection process can be completed within 2-3 h., Conclusions: This method is suitable for large-scale species detection in laboratory settings. Moreover, the selection of target genes in the SS-PCR method is not affected by the evolutionary rate. SS-PCR can be widely implemented at port and forestry workstations, significantly enhancing early management strategies and quarantine measures against H. ligniperda. This approach will help prevent the spread of the pest and effectively preserve the resources of Chinese pine forests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In the current technological world, artificially intelligent deep learning techniques are adapted in many fields. This advanced technology is also used in the field of education. In this study, people will conduct research on the optimization of ideological and political education strategies in colleges and universities based on deep learning. Deep learning is often a machine learning technique that uses artificial neural networks that allow a machine to imitate human behaviour. Ideological and political education deals with the social studies implied by the political scenario. Ideological and political education aims to teach the younger generation social, economic, and political awareness. In our proposed system, people will deploy the deep learning algorithm named brute force algorithm to optimize ideological and political education in colleges and universities. The teaching optimization is performed by automating the training of the deep learning model. The results were compared with the existing K -means algorithm, and it is observed that the proposed system has achieved a higher accuracy of 99.12% in optimizing the educational strategies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Yanxia Yao and Jianwen Xia.)

Agrilus mali Matsumura is a wood-boring beetle that aggressively attacks species of the genus Malus, that has recently caused serious damage to the wild apple tree M . sieversii (Lebed.) in the western Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang. It was first detected there in the early 1990s and spread rapidly, being thus considered a regional invasive pest. To explore the possible outbreak mechanism of the local population and characterize the genetic differentiation of A. mali across different regions of China, we used three mitochondrial genes ( COI , COII , and CytB ) to investigate the genetic diversity and genetic structure of 17 A. mali populations containing 205 individuals collected from five Chinese provinces. Among them, nine populations were from the western Tianshan Mountains. Ultimately, of the 136 pairwise F st comparisons, 99 showed high genetic differentiation among overall populations, and Tianshan populations exhibited significant differentiation with most of the non-Tianshan populations. Furthermore, A. mali populations represented relatively abundant haplotypes (54 haplotypes). Nine populations from the Tianshan Mountains showed 32 haplotypes (26 of which were unique), displaying relatively high genetic diversity. Additionally, the Mantel test revealed population genetic differentiation among either overall populations or the Tianshan Mountains populations, likely caused by geographical isolation. Phylogenic relationships showed that all populations clustered into three clades, and Tianshan Mountains populations, including CY, occupied one of the three clades. These results suggest that A. mali in the western Tianshan region has possibly been present in the area for a long period, and may not have been introduced recently. Highly frequent gene flows within Tianshan populations are possibly caused by human activities and may enhance the adaptability of A. mali along the western Tianshan Mountains, leading to periodic outbreaks. These findings enhance our understanding of jewel beetle population genetics and provide valuable information for pest management., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Sun, Jia, Zhao, Zhou, Li, Wang and Yao.)

In this study, we sequenced the mitochondrial (mt) genome of Agrilus mali (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) using next-generation sequencing, and accordingly annotated 13 protein-coding, 22 tRNA, and 2 rRNA genes and a 1458-bp non-coding region. Comparative analysis indicated that the mt genome of A. mali is relatively conserved, with a typical gene content and order identical to those of other coleopterans. However, the newly sequenced mt genome is characterized by a relatively higher A + T content compared with that of other species within the family Buprestidae. Phylogenetic analysis based on Bayesian inference revealed that the evolutionary relationship among the six infraorders of the suborder Polyphaga is (Scirtiformia + (Elateriformia + ((Scarabaeiformia + Staphyliniformia) + (Bostrichiformia + (Cucujiformia))))). However, the topology indicated that the family Buprestidae is a sister group to other Polyphaga infraorders, excluding Scirtiformia as a monophyly, and thus the monophyly of Elateriformia was not supported. This study not only presents the mt genome of a species in the family Buprestidae and a comparative analysis of jewel beetles but also examines the contribution of mt genomes in elucidating phylogenetic relationships within the suborder Polyphaga of Coleoptera., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interests to declare., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The ideal mapping geometry in a Fizeau interferometer is to map equal height increments on a flat object and equal angle increments on a spherical surface to equal heights on the detector. So the initial intent of the optical design of Fizeau transmission spheres (TSs) is to provide R-θ mapping geometry for equal angle increments. The corresponding unequal heights mapping will introduce retrace error as coma when linear carrier fringes exist. On the contrary, equal heights mapping with R-sin θ mapping geometry will avoid linear carrier fringes induced coma error. These two different mapping geometries conflict especially for the TS with a small f-number. In this paper, we will first explore the design and the performance of the f/0.75  TS according to the two different mapping geometries, and then evaluate the mapping geometry for the commercial ZYGO f/0.75  TS, and give some engineering notes for the designers, the metrologists, and the fabricators in the optical laboratory.

Microsatellite markers were developed for epidemiological studies on the black locust gall midge Obolodiplosis robiniae (Haldeman) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), a native North America pest introduced to Europe and Asia. Polymorphism at each locus was tested on 68 individuals from six populations reared from infected host leaves of Robinia pseudoacacia L. collected in China. Fourteen loci were found to be polymorphic, with the number of alleles ranging from 3 to 10. The observed heterozygosity varied evenly from 0.2667 to 0.6540. For populations, the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.1429 to 1.000. The allele frequency of the predominant allele varied from 0.250 to 0.500. All loci with negative FST values indicated heterozygote excess in each locus with six populations. Of 14 loci, four were observed to have FST values up to 0.05, which indicated negligible genetic differentiation within the population. Significant deviations (P < 0.05) from the expected Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, as evaluated using the Markov chain algorithm for each locus and for all six populations, were observed, and genotypic linkage disequilibrium was clearly detected. These markers represent a useful tool to design strategies for integrated pest management and in the study of population evolution in this important introduced pest., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.)