Colorimetric detection of arboviruses and vector mosquito species. (A) Aptamer-gold nanoparticle conjugates, (B) mosquito salivary protein, (C) Zika envelope protein, (D) visible color change, (E) imbibed diagnostic and (F) diagnostic cards.

In this study, capillary alginate gel (Capgel TM), a collagen and alginate based self-assembling biomaterial, was used as a cellular scaffold for the treatment of ischemic, full-thickness dermal wounds in mice. Capgel TM was synthesized using copper sulfate to form the initial sol before rinsing and stabilizing the patent capillary structures with carbodiimide chemistry. This crosslinked hydrogel was then injected into ischemic, full-thickness dermal wounds and analyzed via histology after 7 and 10 days to assess wound contracture, granulation bed tissue and vascular structures. Capgel TM showed good resorbability and was well-invested with infiltrating host cells and vascular structures during and after resorption.

No abstract

Mosquitoes continue to be a major threat to global health, and the ability to reliably monitor, catch, and kill mosquitoes via passive traps is of great importance. Global, low-cost, and easy-to-use outdoor devices are needed to augment existing efforts in mosquito control that combat the spread of disease, such as Zika. Thus, we have developed a modular, portable, non-powered (passive), self-contained, and field-deployable device suitable for releasing volatiles with a wide range of applications such as attracting, repelling, and killing mosquitoes. This unique device relies on a novel nested wick and two-reservoir design that achieves a constant release of volatiles over several hundred hours. Devices loaded with one of either two compounds, geraniol or 1-methylpiperazine (MP), were tested in a controlled environment (32 °C and 70% relative humidity), and both compounds achieved a constant release from our devices at a rate of 2.4 mg/h and 47 mg/h, respectively. The liquid payload can be volatile attractants or repellants as well as mosquitocide-containing feeding solutions for capture and surveillance. This low-cost device can be utilized for both civilian and military mosquito control purposes, but it will be particularly important for protecting those in economically repressed environments, such as sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America.