TGF-ß ligand cross-subfamily interactions in the response of Caenorhabditis elegans to a bacterial pathogen.

The Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGF-ß) family consists of numerous secreted peptide growth factors that play significant roles in cell function, tissue patterning, and organismal homeostasis, including wound repair and immunity. Typically studied as homodimers, these ligands have the potential to diversify their functions through ligand interactions that may enhance, repress, or generate novel functions. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, there are only five TGF-ß ligands, providing an opportunity to dissect ligand interactions in fewer combinations than in vertebrates. As in vertebrates, these ligands can be divided into bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and TGF-ß/Activin subfamilies that predominantly signal through discrete signaling pathways. The BMP subfamily ligand DBL-1 has been well studied for its role in the innate immune response in C. elegans. Here we show that all five TGF-ß ligands play a role in survival on bacterial pathogens. We also demonstrate that multiple TGF-ß ligand pairs act nonredundantly as part of this response. We show that the two BMP-like ligands-DBL-1 and TIG-2-function independently of each other in the immune response, while TIG-2/BMP and the TGF-ß/Activin-like ligand TIG-3 function together. Structural modeling supports the potential for TIG-2 and TIG-3 to form heterodimers. Additionally, we identify TIG-2 and TIG-3 as members of a rare subset of TGF-ß ligands lacking the conserved cysteine responsible for disulfide linking mature dimers. Finally, we show that canonical DBL-1/BMP receptor and Smad signal transducers function in the response to bacterial pathogens, while components of the DAF-7 TGF-ß/Activin signaling pathway do not play a major role in survival. These results demonstrate a novel potential for BMP and TGF-ß/Activin subfamily ligands to interact and may provide a mechanism for distinguishing the developmental and homeostatic functions of these ligands from an acute response such as the innate immune response to bacterial pathogens.

Nanobiostimulant action of trigolic formulated zinc sulfide nanoparticles (ZnS-T NPs) on rice seeds by triggering antioxidant defense network and plant growth specific transcription factors.

Under a changing climate, nanotechnological interventions for climate resilience in crops are critical to maintaining food security. Prior research has documented the affirmative response of nano zinc sulfide (nZnS) on physiological traits of fungal-infested rice seeds. Here, we propose an application of trigolic formulated zinc sulfide nanoparticles (ZnS-T NPs) on rice seeds as nanobiostimulant to improve physiological parameters by triggering antioxidative defense system, whose mechanism was investigated at transcriptional level by differential expression of genes in germinated seedlings. Nanopriming of healthy rice seeds with ZnS-T NPs (50 µg/ml), considerably intensified the seed vitality factors, including germination percentage, seedling length, dry weight and overall vigor index. Differential activation of antioxidant enzymes, viz. SOD (35.47%), APX (33.80%) and CAT (45.94%), in ZnS-T NPs treated seedlings reduced the probability of redox imbalance and promoted the vitality of rice seedlings. In gene expression profiling by reverse transcription quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR), the notable up-regulation of target antioxidant genes (CuZn SOD, APX and CAT) and plant growth specific genes (CKX and GRF) in ZnS-T NPs treated rice seedlings substantiates their molecular role in stimulating both antioxidant defenses and plant growth mechanisms. The improved physiological quality parameters of ZnS-T NPs treated rice seeds under pot house conditions corresponded well with in vitro findings, which validated the beneficial boosted impact of ZnS-T NPs on rice seed development. Inclusively, the study on ZnS-T NPs offers fresh perspectives into biochemical and molecular reactions of rice, potentially positioning them as nanobiostimulant capable of eliciting broad-spectrum immune and growth-enhancing responses.

Synthesis of xylan and lignin based hydrogels and their use as growth media for rice (Oryza sativa).

Different hydrogels were synthesised using lignin and xylan (extracted from rice straw) as the raw material, PVA as matrix template, citric acid, and succinic acid as crosslinkers and were structurally characterised by FT-IR and SEM analysis. Citric acid cross-linked hydrogels caused loose bonding between polymers and resulted in formation of large pores whereas succinic acid cross-linked hydrogels were observed to have less porosity and tight bonding network. The swelling ratio and reswelling capacity of hydrogels revealed that lignin hydrogels outperformed all other hydrogels. All the synthesised hydrogels were tested for their use as soil culture media ingredient for the germination of rice seedlings. All the hydrogels performed well in stress conditions as compared to normal conditions. Xylan/lignin hydrogel and lignin hydrogels performed best under stress conditions. These hydrogels could be used effectively as an ingredient of soil culture media owing to their tendency to absorb and retain water properly.

Characterization of rice straw lignin phenolics and evaluation of their role in pollen tube growth in Cucurbita pepo L.

Rice straw lignin was extracted via alkaline hydrolysis and structurally characterized using FT-IR and 1H NMR spectra. Ethyl acetate extract of acid solubilized lignin was found to contain p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid and caffeic acid as major phenolic acids which were isolated and characterized using spectral data. Amides of isolated phenolic acids were synthesized by their reaction with propyl and butyl amines using microwave irradiation and analysed using spectral studies. Phenolic acids and amides were evaluated for their effect on pollen germination and tube growth in pumpkin. Pollen tube length was significantly increased with N-butyl-3-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl) acrylamide and N-butyl-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acrylamide at 5 ppm concentration than the control. These results could be utilised in increasing pollen tube length of Cucurbita pepo while making interspecific cross between C. moschata and C. pepo in order to transfer hull-less character of C. pepo to virus resistant C. moschata genotypes.

Entomology beyond research and education: 2022 student debates.

The 2022 student debates of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) happened during the Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Societies of America, Canada, and British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, and addressed entomological aspects beyond research and education. The Student Debates Subcommittee of the ESA Student Affairs Committee and the participating student team members communicated for 8 months and prepared for the debates. The theme of the ESA meeting in 2022 was "Entomology as inspiration: Insects through art, science, and culture". There were 2 unbiased speakers who introduced the debate topics as well as 4 teams who debated the following 2 topics: (i) Is forensic entomology viable in criminal case investigations and court cases today? and (ii) Are insects being treated ethically in scientific research? The teams prepared for about 8 months, debated their arguments, and shared their thoughts with the audience. The teams were judged by a panel and the winners were recognized at the ESA Student Awards Session during the annual meeting.

TGF-ß Ligand Cross-Subfamily Interactions in the Response of Caenorhabditis elegans to Bacterial Pathogens.

The Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGF-ß) family consists of numerous secreted peptide growth factors that play significant roles in cell function, tissue patterning, and organismal homeostasis, including wound repair and immunity. Typically studied as homodimers, these ligands have the potential to diversify their functions through ligand interactions that are synergistic, cooperative, additive, and/or antagonistic. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, there are only five TGF-ß ligands, providing an opportunity to dissect ligand interactions in fewer combinations than in vertebrates. As in vertebrates, these ligands can be divided into bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and TGF-ß/Activin subfamilies that predominantly signal through discrete signaling pathways. The BMP subfamily ligand DBL-1 has been well studied for its role in the innate immune response in C. elegans. Here we show that all five TGF-ß ligands play a role in the immune response. We also demonstrate that multiple TGF-ß ligands act cooperatively as part of this response. We show that the two BMP-like ligands - DBL-1 and TIG-2 - function independently of each other in the immune response, while TIG-2/BMP and the TGF-ß/Activin-like ligand TIG-3 function cooperatively. Structural modeling supports the potential for TIG-2 and TIG-3 to form heterodimers. Finally, we show that canonical DBL-1/BMP receptor and Smad signal transducers function in the response to bacterial pathogens, while components of the DAF-7 TGF-ß/Activin signaling pathway do not play a role in survival. These results demonstrate a novel potential for BMP and TGF-ß/Activin subfamily ligands to interact, and may provide a mechanism for distinguishing the developmental and homeostatic functions of these ligands from an acute response such as the innate immune response to bacterial pathogens.

COVID-19 and its impact on mental health as a function of gender, age, and income.

This paper examines the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of people from different socioeconomic classes. This has been done by creating an anxiety score, based on responses to a set of questions that were asked as part of a two-round telephonic survey done by Young Lives Data for India. Using this index, anxiety levels have been classified as high, medium, and low. As the dependent variable has an ordered nature, an ordered logit model has been used for regression. According to the results, job loss, death of the family's earning member or mishap in the family, and price increases all contributed to increased anxiety. The analysis indicates that anxiety levels among women were higher than among men because of the increased burden of household chores and childcare responsibilities. Also, anxiety levels were higher among those who perceived themselves as rich or poor as opposed to those who were comfortable in their income group. There was a higher anxiety level among the rich due to income loss and increased household responsibilities. A high percentage of children and elders reported feeling anxious; school closures and a lack of social interaction caused stress. Isolation also plagued the elderly. Furthermore, many students couldn't avail online learning opportunities due to a lack of resources. The government implemented many policies to mitigate these issues, which included those to mitigate the immediate hunger problem.

Allium leafminer (Diptera: Agromyzidae) host preference: implications for developing a trap cropping strategy.

Allium leafminer (Phytomyza gymnostoma Loew) is an emerging invasive pest of Allium crops and has been threatening Allium crop production in the eastern United States since its introduction in 2015. Phytomyza gymnostoma can cause substantial economic loss in leek crops when late instars tunnel into the lower portion of the plant, which often renders the crop unmarketable. With limited management tools that are cost-effective and practical, especially for leeks produced in organic systems, we examined the attractiveness of other Allium crop species that might be considered in a trap cropping strategy. In 2021 and 2022, controlled environment choice tests and field trials were conducted to evaluate host preference of P. gymnostoma among Allium crop species including chives, scallion, an onion and scallion hybrid, and leek. We also assessed preference of P. gymnostoma for scallions that varied in size/age. Results from field trials indicated that only chives had more oviposition marks, cumulative numbers of eggs, and a higher density of P. gymnostoma larvae and pupae than leeks. Larger/older scallions had more oviposition marks and higher P. gymnostoma densities than smaller ones in controlled environment choice tests, but this size/age preference was not evident in field trials. Based on our findings, chives could be considered as a potential trap crop for minimizing P. gymnostoma damage in leek crops.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-disk accurately predicts the daily life burden and parallels disease activity in patients with IBD

The inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-disk is a validated, visual, 10-item, self-administered questionnaire used to evaluate IBD-related disability. The present study aimed to evaluate IBD-disk in assessment of IBD daily life burden and its relation with disease activity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2021 and December 2021. Patients with IBD were asked to complete the IBD-disk and a visual analogue scale of IBD daily-life burden (scored from 0–10, score >5 indicative of high burden). The internal consistency of IBD-disk, correlation with IBD daily life burden and disease activity (assessed by partial Mayo score and Harvey Bradshaw Index in patients with ulcerative colitis [UC] and Crohn’s disease [CD], respectively) and diagnostic performance of IBD-disk to detect high burden were analyzed. Results: Out of the 546 patients (mean age 40.33±13.74 years, 282 [51.6%] males) who completed the IBD-disk, 464 (84.98%) had UC and the remaining (n=82, 15.02%) had CD. A total of 311 patients (291 UC and 20 CD; 56.95%) had active disease. The mean IBD-disk total score and IBD daily life burden were 18.39±15.23 and 2.45±2.02, respectively. The IBD-disk total score correlated strongly with the IBD daily life burden (ρ=0.94, P30 predicted high IBD daily-life burden. Conclusions: The IBD-disk accurately predicts the daily life burden and parallels disease activity in patients with IBD and can be applied in clinical practice. (Intest Res, Published online)

Impact of early versus late tracheostomy on patient outcomes in a tertiary care multispeciality ICU.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Tracheostomy is a commonly performed procedure in critically ill patients because patients requiring chronic mechanical ventilation (MV) are rising by as much as 5.5% per year. The controversy on likely benefits of early versus late tracheostomy is ongoing. We aimed to study the impact of early versus late tracheostomy on patient outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective observational study was performed in intensive care unit (ICU) patients who underwent tracheostomy in a 31-bedded multispeciality ICU of a 350-bedded tertiary care hospital, over a period of 1 year. Data collected included the age, sex, APACHE II score, indication for tracheostomy, timing of procedure, whether surgical or percutaneous, any complication, MV days, ICU stay, and patient outcome. Patients were divided into two groups for statistical comparison: early ≤7 days and late >7 days of MV. RESULTS: A total of 102 patients underwent tracheostomy over the study period, of which 19 were excluded because of inadequate data and exclusion criteria. Of the 83 study patients, 60 had percutaneous, while 23 had surgical tracheostomy. About 51 (61.45%) had early, while 32 (38.55%) had late tracheostomy. On statistical analysis, there was a significant difference in MV days (5 vs 12.5 days, P = 0.002), ICU stay (10 vs 16 days, P = 0.004), mortality (21.6% vs 43.8%, P = 0.032), and decannulation rate (29.41% vs 6.25%, P = 0.009). No difference was observed in hospital stay or complication rates. CONCLUSION: Early tracheostomy is associated with both morbidity and mortality benefits. Patients requiring MV should be given an option of early tracheostomy.

Anthropometric and Physiologic Parameters in Cleft Neonates: A Hospital-Based Study.

The oro-facial morphology is greatly affected in neonates with a cleft lip and palate. The initial evaluation of neonate's body and maxillary arch dimensions is important for treatment planning and predicting growth in cleft patients. The objective of this study was comparative evaluation of the anthropometric and physiologic parameters of cleft and non-cleft neonates in a hospital-based set up. This cross sectional study was conducted on 88 cleft and non-cleft neonates (n = 44 in each group) aged between 0 and 30 days after obtaining approval from the institutional ethics committee and positive written informed consent from their parents. Neonates' body weight, body length, head length, head circumference, and maxillary arch dimensions were measured. Maxillary arch dimensions were measured on dental casts with digital sliding calipers. Statistical analyses performed using the independent t-test and one-way ANOVA analysis were followed by Bonferroni correction for post-hoc comparison. The results showed statistically significant differences in birth weight (p < 0.0001), head length (p < 0.01), head circumference (p < 0.007), and maxillary arch dimensions (p < 0.0001) between cleft and non-cleft neonates. These findings suggest that cleft neonates had significant anthropometric and physiologic variations than non-cleft neonates.

Determination of heat stress zone for daily milk yield using carryover heat effect model in Murrah buffaloes.

The objective of the present study was to determine heat stress zones (HSZ) in a year for daily milk yield (DMY) of Murrah buffaloes. Data for the study included 2,67,599 daily milk yield records of 445 Murrah buffaloes sired by 171 bulls as well as climatic parameters, viz. dry bulb temperature (Tdb) and wet bulb (Twb) temperatures spanning over 16 years (2001-2016). The regression analysis of DMY on carryover heat effect indicated that the decline in DMY was significant above the carryover heat effect (CHE) 70. April-November were critical for daily milk yield, and maximum decline in daily milk yield was observed during the month of August in Murrah buffaloes. Therefore, two zones in a year were classified as non-heat stress zone (NHSZ) with CHE < 70 for months December-March and heat stress zone (HSZ) with CHE > 70 during April-November.

Covid-19 and mucormycosis (Black Fungus): An epidemic within the pandemic.

The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected India significantly with country reporting more than 400,000 cases in the month of May 2021 and health system almost collapsing. This was attributed to the new mutant strain also called as the 'Delta Strain' which led to high surge of cases across the country. As the country was stabilising over this situation, another imminent threat in the form of Covid Associated Mucormycosis (CAM) challenged the already burdened health system of India. Also called as 'Black Fungus,' cases of CAM began to rise rapidly in the last week of May 2021 with multiple states reporting steady rise in the number of cases. Based on the published literature, India contributed to approximately 71% of global cases of CAM from December 2019 to start of April 2021, with majority of the cases occurring during the second wave. The present paper focuses on the epidemic of CAM during the second wave in India highlighting the causes, symptoms and various treatment modalities that have been adopted to cure the disease. Also, spotlight has also been thrown on some other nations where cases of CAM have begun to emerge. Some key recommendations are also mentioned which can prove vital towards disease prevention.

Current Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Cleft Care: A Scoping Review.

Objective: This scoping review aims to identify the various areas and current status of the application of artificial intelligence (AI) for aiding individuals with cleft lip and/or palate. Introduction: Cleft lip and/or palate contributes significantly toward the global burden on the healthcare system. Artificial intelligence is a technology that can help individuals with cleft lip and/or palate, especially those in areas with limited access to receive adequate care. Inclusion Criteria: Studies that used artificial intelligence to aid the diagnosis, treatment, or its planning in individuals with cleft lip and/or palate were included. Methodology: A search of the Pubmed, Embase, and IEEE Xplore databases was conducted using search terms artificial intelligence and cleft lip and/or palate. Gray literature was searched using Google Scholar. The study was conducted according to the PRISMA- ScR guidelines. Results: The initial search identified 458 results, which were screened based on title and abstracts. After the screening, removal of duplicates, and a full-text reading of selected articles, 26 publications were included. They explored the use of AI in cleft lip and/or palate to aid in decisions regarding diagnosis, treatment, especially speech therapy, and prediction. Conclusion: There is active interest and immense potential for the use of artificial intelligence in cleft lip and/or palate. Most studies currently focus on speech in cleft palate. Multi-center studies that include different populations, with collaboration amongst academicians and researchers, can further develop the technology.

Biocontrol of Wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) Using Entomopathogenic Nematodes: The Impact of Infected Host Cadaver Application and Soil Characteristics.

Wireworms have become a significant menace to cereals in the Northern Great Plains. Therefore, research toward developing effective control methods such as biological control with entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) is warranted. Two strains, each of two EPN species, Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) and Steinernema riobrave Cabanillas, Poinar, and Raulston in the form of infected Galleria mellonella (L.) cadavers were evaluated against wireworms in field and greenhouse. In field experiments, none of the four EPN strains were found effective against wireworms. However, in the greenhouse test, three of the strains, S. carpocapsae (All and Cxrd) or S. riobrave (355) applied in cadavers killed 50-68% of the sugarbeet wireworm, Limonius californicus (Mannerheim) was associated with 8-24% plant damage at 35 d after treatment (DAT), when seeds were treated with imidacloprid. The mortality range was 40-56% with 57-75% plant damage observed at 35 DAT, when seeds were planted without imidacloprid treatment. Synergistic effect among imidacloprid and S. carpocapsae (Cxrd) or S. riobrave (355) was observed in regard to L. californicus mortality. Additionally, effects of soil texture, moisture, and temperature on the infection rate of EPNs against L. californicus were examined in the laboratory. Limonius californicus mortality was not significantly affected by either soil moisture or soil types maintained at field capacity moisture levels. However, soil temperature showed a significant effect on L. californicus mortality. Overall, imidacloprid enhanced the infection and killing ability of EPNs against L. californicus and S. carpocapsae (All and Cxrd) strains were the virulent strains in different soil experiments.

A Viral Fragmentation Signature for SARS-CoV-2 in Clinical Samples Correlating with Contagiousness

The viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical samples as measured by the primary diagnostic tool of RT-PCR is an imperfect readout for infection potential as most targeted assays designed for sensitivity, indiscriminately detect short and long RNA fragments, although infectivity is embodied only in the whole virus and its intact genome. Here, we used next-generation sequencing (NGS) to characterize 155 clinical samples and show sensitive and quantitative detection of viral RNA which confirmed subgenomic RNA in 57.6% of samples and provided a novel method to determine relative integrity of viral RNA in samples. The relative abundance of long fragments quantified as a viral fragmentation score was positively associated with viral load and inversely related to time from disease onset. An empirically determined score cut-off for presence of substantially fragmented RNA was able to identify 100% of samples collected after 8 days of illness with poor infection potential in line with current clinical understanding of infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2. The quantification of longer fragments in addition to existing short targets in an NGS or RT-PCR-based assay could provide a valuable readout of infection potential simultaneous to the detection of any fragments of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in test samples.

Denoising AVIRIS-NG Data for Generation of New Chlorophyll Indices.

The availability of Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer-Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG) data has enormous possibilities for quantification of Leaf Chlorophyll Content (LCC). The present study used the AVIRIS-NG campaign site of Western India for generation and validation of new chlorophyll indices by denoising the AVIRIS-NG data. For validation, concurrent to AVIRIS-NG flight overpass, field samplings were performed. The acquired AVIRIS-NG was subjected to Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) classifier for discriminating the crop types. Three smoothing techniques i.e., Fast-Fourier Transform (FFT), Mean and Savitzky-Golay filters were evaluated for their denoising capability. Raw and filtered data was used for developing new chlorophyll indices by optimizing AVIRIS-NG bands using VIs based on parametric regression algorithms. In total, 20 chlorophyll indices and corresponding 20 models were developed for mapping LCC in the area. SAM identified 17 crop types in the area, while FFT found to be the best for filtering. Performance of these models when checked based on Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and Centered Root Mean Square Difference (CRMSD), indicated that LCC-CCI10 based on normalized difference type index formed through Near Infrared band and blue band is the best estimator of LCC (rcal = 0.73, rval = 0.66, CRMSD = 4.97). The approach was also tested using AVIRIS-NG image of the year 2018, which also showed a promising correlation (r = 0.704, CRSMD = 8.98, Bias = -0.5) between modeled and field LCC.

Factors Affecting High Caries Risk in Children With and Without Cleft Lip and/or Palate: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to analyze the caries protective factors, salivary parameters, and microbial counts in high caries risk children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P). DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study. SETTING: This study was conducted in a tertiary health care teaching hospital in New Delhi, India. PARTICIPANTS: The study was conducted in 40 children, 20 with CL/P and 20 without aged between 5 and 12 years. METHODS: Children with 2 or more caries lesions in both groups were included in this study. Demographic details, dental caries of affected teeth (World Health Organization criteria for Decayed Missing Filled Teeth [WHO-DMFT] and International Caries Detection and Assessment System [ICDAS II]), caries protective factors, salivary parameters, and microbial counts were recorded by one calibrated investigator. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Caries protective factors, salivary parameters, and microbial profile. RESULTS: The Chi-square (χ2) test and Pearson correlation were used for statistical analysis. All the children participating in the study brushed their teeth only once in a day and consumed sweets more than twice a day. None of the children had ever received fluoride varnish. Resting saliva had a low buffering capacity in 80% of children with CL/P and 95% of children without CL/P. Microbial assessment of stimulated saliva showed that with the increases in the numbers (DMFT scores ≥4) and severity (ICDAS codes from 1-2 to 5-6) of caries lesions, both Streptococci and Lactobacilli counts were ≥105 colony-forming units/mL of saliva in the both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Children with CL/P showed limited access to caries protective measures and low buffering capacity in resting saliva, along with elevated levels of salivary Streptococci and Lactobacilli in stimulated saliva.

Montana Native Entomopathogenic Nematode Species Against Limonius californicus (Coleoptera: Elateridae).

Wireworms are destructive soil inhabiting polyphagous pests in the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain region of the United States. Continuously increasing wireworm populations and damage in small grain crops such as spring wheat in Northern Great Plains has become a challenge for growers. Due to unavailability of effective control measures, alternative methods, including biological control agents such as entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are needed. Native/indigenous EPN species are expected to have better potential than exotic species to control the local insect pests. Two Montana native EPN species (Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora) were tested against, Limonius californicus (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in laboratory and shade house studies. In the laboratory bioassay, two isolates of S. feltiae at the rate of 28,000 IJs/five larvae killed 48-50% of the insects within 4 wk. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora was not able to cause >30% L. californicus larval mortality. None of the two isolates of S. feltiae performed well against L. californicus when tested in different soil types. Similarly, two isolates of S. feltiae that were tested killed only 20-25% wireworms in a shade house trial that did not differ significantly from the control treatment. Four weeks after EPN treatment in the shade house trial, the percentage of wheat plant damage from L. californicus ranged from 30 to 40% in the presence of S. felitae, not differing statistically from control. These results suggest that S. felitae have limited potential in managing wireworm populations.