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The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical role of digital transformation in maintaining essential services and sustaining governance processes. This paper thus sought to examine the nexus between e-services and citizen engagement for sustainable local governance in South Africa during the post-COVID-19 era. It employed a qualitative approach encompassing document analysis and literature review as data collection techniques. The study examined how e-services were utilised for service delivery and citizen engagement during the pandemic and examined their effects on service delivery. The paper highlights that while some local governments made strides in deploying e-services and engaging citizens through digital channels, a considerable portion faced limitations due to digital inequality, lack of infrastructure, and limited digital literacy. Furthermore, the study discusses the key pandemic lessons, including enhancing the responsiveness of e-services mechanisms in local government. The paper strongly recommends a comprehensive approach to digital inclusion, entailing technological access, skills development, and budgetary support, underlining the urgency and importance of this issue. While emphasizing the lessons learned in the post-COVID-19 recovery phase, this research contributes to the discourse on building resilient local governance systems through digital transformation.

Maintenance of an aggregated population structure implies within-species communication. In mixed-species environments, species-specific aggregations may reduce interspecific competition and promote coexistence. We studied whether movement and aggregation behavior of three entomopathogenic nematode species changed when isolated, as compared to mixed-species arenas. Movement and aggregation of Steinernema carpocapsae, S. feltiae and S. glaseri were assessed in sand. Each species demonstrated significant aggregation when alone. Mixed-species trials involved adding two species of nematodes, either combined in the center of the arena or at separate corners. While individual species became less aggregated than in single-species conditions when co-applied in the same location, they became more aggregated when applied in separate corners. This increased aggregation in separate-corner trials occurred even though the nematodes moved just as far when mixed together as they did when alone. These findings suggest that maintenance of multiple species within the same habitat is driven, at least in part, by species-specific signals that promote conspecific aggregation, and when the species are mixed (as occurs in some commercial formulations involving multiple EPN species), these signaling mechanisms are muddled.

The article provided insights into why local government and service delivery must be rethought in light of digital transformation. It exposed the significance of digital transformation in solving local government and service delivery challenges. The article followed a qualitative research approach. It employed document analysis and literature review as data collection instruments. It argued that digital transformation can help local governments in South Africa fulfil constitutional obligations and meet policy goals. It demonstrated how digitally transformed local government can solve service delivery problems through the deployment of digital technologies that improve decision-making, cut costs, streamline operations, and offer efficient services. The article revealed that the digital divide, lack of technical expertise, data security concerns and resource constraints are some of the challenges that can affect the digital transformation of local government and service delivery in South Africa. These challenges must be resolved for digital transformation to play a significant role in improving the effectiveness of local government in service delivery. The article recommended that local governments in South Africa digitally transform in ways that foster equality and deliver local government services to all citizens. The article contributes to scholarship advocating for public sector innovation broadly, and specifically, illustrates the criticality of embracing digital transformation of local government and service delivery.

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) provide economic control of various insect pests. However, field efficacy can be inconsistent. The ability of a nematode to find and infect (invade) a host insect is critical to successful pathogenesis. Thus, behaviors including dispersal and infectivity play important roles in improving efficacy. Previously, we discovered that EPN-infected host substances enhance nematode dispersal. Later we found that a mixture of pheromones in the infected host induced dispersal and improved EPN efficacy. In this study, we determined if dispersal-inducing pheromone extracts also increase nematode infectivity (the propensity to invade a host insect). Two nematode species, Steinernema carpocapsae and Steinernema feltiae, and two insect hosts, Galleria mellonella and Diaprepes abbreviatus, were tested. We discovered that conspecific dispersal pheromone extracts of each EPN species enhanced infectivity. These results indicate that the utility of dispersal pheromone extracts for enhancing EPN activity and biocontrol efficacy is improved not only due to increased nematode movement, but also due to increased host infection.

Miscanthus × giganteus is considered as a perspective energy crop for biomass production in Ukraine where its commercial production has been observed. The herbivorous pest may pose a risk of yield reduction when an energy crop is growing on monoculture. The herbivorous diversity, species composition and potential damage associated with growing M. × giganteus were studied on seven experimental sites at three locations in Ukraine. The different life stages of herbivorous insects from seven orders representing thirteen families were found on M. × giganteus during the herbivorous survey and most of the insects had a pest status. Research indicated that crop was an alternate host for key cereal pest the Hessian fly Mayetiola destructor (Say) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). A comparative analysis of the biodiversity of herbivorous insects across research locations was done using statistical analysis. It was found that site location played a significant role in the level of biodiversity and an increase in the insect’s herbivores diversity was associated with the type of researched lands. The massive scale commercial use of M. × giganteus should take into account a responsible consideration of the benefits and risks associated with that crop in order to protect agroecosystems.

Cultivation of short rotation coppice energy willow (SRC EW), Salix viminalis L., has a great potential in Ukraine as a source of biomass for biofuel production. Commercial production of this species was recently initiated in the country. The growing of SRC EW in Western and Northern Europe for a long time showed that leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are key pests causing significant biomass reduction. However, data about the pest complex for energy willow growing in Ukraine is not available. Our three-year experiment in Poltava region, Ukraine showed that foliar damage caused by Clytra laeviuscula Ratzeburg (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) occurred at energy willow plantations in the second year of production, which could have an effect on commercial production. Accordingly, information about seasonal activity, population dynamics, host range and the role of natural enemies in pest regulation are requested for developing pest control program.

Insulin-like peptides (ILPs) play important roles in growth and metabolic homeostasis, but have also emerged as key regulators of stress responses and immunity in a variety of vertebrates and invertebrates. Furthermore, a growing literature suggests that insulin signaling-dependent metabolic provisioning can influence host responses to infection and affect infection outcomes. In line with these studies, we previously showed that knockdown of either of two closely related, infection-induced ILPs, ILP3 and ILP4, in the mosquito Anopheles stephensi decreased infection with the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum through kinetically distinct effects on parasite death. However, the precise mechanisms by which ILP3 and ILP4 control the response to infection remained unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we used a complementary approach of direct ILP supplementation into the blood meal to further define ILP-specific effects on mosquito biology and parasite infection. Notably, we observed that feeding resulted in differential effects of ILP3 and ILP4 on blood-feeding behavior and P. falciparum development. These effects depended on ILP-specific regulation of intermediary metabolism in the mosquito midgut, suggesting a major contribution of ILP-dependent metabolic shifts to the regulation of infection resistance and parasite transmission. Accordingly, our data implicate endogenous ILP signaling in balancing intermediary metabolism for the host response to infection, affirming this emerging tenet in host-pathogen interactions with novel insights from a system of significant public health importance.

A “healthy” soil can be thought of as one that functions well, both agronomically and ecologically, and one in which soil biodiversity and crop management work in synergy to suppress pests and diseases. UC researchers have pioneered many ways of managing soil biology for pest management, including strategies such as soil solarization, steam treatment and anaerobic soil disinfestation, as well as improvements on traditional methods, such as reducing tillage, amending soil with organic materials, and cover cropping. As managing for soil health becomes more of an explicit focus due to restrictions on the use of soil fumigants, integrated soil health tests will be needed that are validated for use in California. Other research needs include breeding crops for disease resistance and pest suppressive microbial communities as well as knowledge of how beneficial organisms influence plant health.

BackgroundParasitism is a major ecological niche for a variety of nematodes. Multiple nematode lineages have specialized as pathogens, including deadly parasites of insects that are used in biological control. We have sequenced and analyzed the draft genomes and transcriptomes of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae and four congeners (S. scapterisci, S. monticolum, S. feltiae, and S. glaseri).ResultsWe used these genomes to establish phylogenetic relationships, explore gene conservation across species, and identify genes uniquely expanded in insect parasites. Protein domain analysis in Steinernema revealed a striking expansion of numerous putative parasitism genes, including certain protease and protease inhibitor families, as well as fatty acid- and retinol-binding proteins. Stage-specific gene expression of some of these expanded families further supports the notion that they are involved in insect parasitism by Steinernema. We show that sets of novel conserved non-coding regulatory motifs are associated with orthologous genes in Steinernema and Caenorhabditis.ConclusionsWe have identified a set of expanded gene families that are likely to be involved in parasitism. We have also identified a set of non-coding motifs associated with groups of orthologous genes in Steinernema and Caenorhabditis involved in neurogenesis and embryonic development that are likely part of conserved protein-DNA relationships shared between these two genera.

BackgroundFruit flies and mammals protect themselves against infection by mounting immune and metabolic responses that must be balanced against the metabolic needs of the pathogens. In this context, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-dependent signaling is critical to regulating both innate immunity and metabolism during infection. Accordingly, we asked to what extent the Asian malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi utilizes p38 MAPK signaling during infection with the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.MethodsA. stephensi p38 MAPK (AsP38 MAPK) was identified and patterns of signaling in vitro and in vivo (midgut) were analyzed using phospho-specific antibodies and small molecule inhibitors. Functional effects of AsP38 MAPK inhibition were assessed using P. falciparum infection, quantitative real-time PCR, assays for reactive oxygen species and survivorship under oxidative stress, proteomics, and biochemical analyses.ResultsThe genome of A. stephensi encodes a single p38 MAPK that is activated in the midgut in response to parasite infection. Inhibition of AsP38 MAPK signaling significantly reduced P. falciparum sporogonic development. This phenotype was associated with AsP38 MAPK regulation of mitochondrial physiology and stress responses in the midgut epithelium, a tissue critical for parasite development. Specifically, inhibition of AsP38 MAPK resulted in reduction in mosquito protein synthesis machinery, a shift in glucose metabolism, reduced mitochondrial metabolism, enhanced production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, induction of an array of anti-parasite effector genes, and decreased resistance to oxidative stress-mediated damage. Hence, P. falciparum-induced activation of AsP38 MAPK in the midgut facilitates parasite infection through a combination of reduced anti-parasite immune defenses and enhanced host protein synthesis and bioenergetics to minimize the impact of infection on the host and to maximize parasite survival, and ultimately, transmission.ConclusionsThese observations suggest that, as in mammals, innate immunity and mitochondrial responses are integrated in mosquitoes and that AsP38 MAPK-dependent signaling facilitates mosquito survival during parasite infection, a fact that may attest to the relatively longer evolutionary relationship of these parasites with their invertebrate compared to their vertebrate hosts. On a practical level, improved understanding of the balances and trade-offs between resistance and metabolism could be leveraged to generate fit, resistant mosquitoes for malaria control.

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum (Solanaceae)) is particularly susceptible to Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), a pest that directly and profoundly influences tomato yields. Consequently, the early detection of T. absoluta damage intensity on leaves using machine learning or artificial intelligence-based algorithms is crucial for effective pest control. In this ground-breaking study, the galleries generated by T. absoluta were examined via field images using the Decision Trees (DTs) algorithm, a machine learning method. The unique advantage of DTs over other algorithms is their inherent capacity to identify complex and vague shapes without the necessity of feature extraction, providing a more streamlined and effective approach. The DTs algorithm was meticulously trained using pixel values from the leaf images, leading to the classification of pixels within regions with and without galleries on the leaves. Accordingly, the gallery intensity was determined to be 9.09% and 35.77% in the test pictures. The performance of the DTs algorithm, as evidenced by a high precision and an accuracy rate of 0.98 and 0.99 respectively, testifies to its robust predictive and classification abilities. This pioneering study has far-reaching implications for the future of precision agriculture, potentially informing the development of advanced algorithms that can be integrated into autonomous vehicles. The integration of DTs in such applications, due to their unique ability to handle complex and indistinct shapes without the need for feature extraction, sets the stage for a new era of efficient and effective pest control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]