Adhesive Trap Research Articles

Design and Evaluation of a Sticky Attractant Trap for Intra-Domiciliary Surveillance of Aedes aegypti Populations in Mexico.

Surveillance consists of systematic data collection, analysis, and interpretation and is essential for planning and implementing control activities. The lack of success in the control and surveillance of the Ae. aegypti mosquito elsewhere demands the development of new accessible and effective strategies. This work aimed to develop and evaluate an adhesive lure trap for household indoor surveillance of Ae. aegypti. Based on a bibliographic review, four compounds that have significant attraction percentages for Ae. aegypti were considered. Our more effective blend was determined through preliminary bioassays using the high-throughput screening system (HITSS) and 90 × 90 cm mosquito cages. We designed a low-cost, pyramid-shaped, sticky cardboard trap to incorporate the selected blend. Semi-field 2 × 2 m cages and field tests were utilized to evaluate its effectiveness through mosquito capture percentages. In laboratory tests, blend number 2 presented an attraction percentage of 47.5 ± 4.8%; meanwhile, in semi-field cages, a 4-inch, 110 v powered fan was used to disperse the attractants, and then a similar capture percentage of 43.2 ± 4.0% was recorded. Results were recorded during the field evaluation of the at-house indoor environment and were compared with those recorded with the golden-standard BG-Sentinel trap, i.e., our prototype trapped an average of 6.0 ± 1.5 mosquitoes versus 10.0 ± 2.6. In most Latin American countries, there is a lack of formal and accessible strategies for monitoring adult populations of Ae. Aegypti; therefore, we must develop tools that reinforce entomological surveillance methods.

Smart insect monitoring based on YOLOV5 case study: Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata and Peach fruit fly Bactrocera zonata

The agricultural sector in Egypt is adversely affected by factors such as inadequate soil fertility and environmental hazards such as pestilence and diseases. The implementation of early pest prediction techniques has the potential to enhance agricultural yield. Bactrocera zonata and Ceratitis capitata, known as peach fruit fly and Mediterranean fruit fly, respectively, are the predominant pests that cause significant damage to fruits on a global scale. The present study proposes a deep learning-based approach for the detection and quantification of pests. The proposed approach entails the retrieval of data pertaining to the adhesive trap condition, followed by its examination and presentation through a mobile application. The YOLOV5 model has been implemented for the purpose of pest classification, localization, and quantification. In order to address the issue of a restricted dataset, a hybrid technique of transfer learning and data augmentation (copy and paste) was employed. The proposed approach offers an intelligent real time pest detection, thereby facilitating the prediction of treatment options. An application for smartphones has been developed to aid farmers and agricultural professionals in the management and treatment of pests. The proposed approach has the potential to aid farmers in identifying the existence of pests, thereby diminishing the duration and resources needed for farm inspection. As per the results of the conducted experiments, the proposed approach demonstrates a noteworthy increase in performance. The weighted average accuracy reaches 84%, while precision (P), mean average precision (mAP), and F1-score show enhancements of up to 15%, 18%, and 7% respectively.

Seasonal Dynamics of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), in Apple Orchards of Western Slovenia Using Two Trap Types

The invasive Halyomorpha halys is a serious pest for several fruit trees, causing millions of dollars of crop damage every year across the world’s major fruit-growing regions. Once established in an orchard, H. halys quickly becomes the predominant stink bug species and is a major season-long pest. Annual increases in the population size of H. halys have resulted in increased pest pressure and a growing risk of severe crop damage. Reliable monitoring is indispensable for H. halys control and management, providing comprehensive information on the seasonality of pest population dynamics, abundance, and interaction with the environment, and is essential for the successful implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies to prevent crop damage. Our study followed the seasonal population dynamics of H. halys in three apple orchards in the Goriška region of western Slovenia over the period 2019–2021. Pherocon® Dual Panel Adhesive Traps (Trece Inc.) and pyramidal Rescue® Stink Bug Traps, both baited with Trécé lures (two-component H. halys aggregation pheromone + pheromone synergist), were used to monitor H. halys adults and nymphs weekly from late March to the end of November. Captures taken with both types of trap clearly describe the seasonal dynamics of H. halys, with the first occurrence of overwintering adults in April and May, and with two peak occurrences in adults, in the middle of summer and in the beginning of autumn, corresponding to the appearance of two generations per year in the study area. The growing trap captures observed during the 3-year monitoring period suggest that H. halys was only recently introduced to the area and that natural enemies have not yet been fully recruited. Pyramid traps captured significantly more adults and nymphs than clear sticky traps and provided accurate monitoring of H. halys life stages throughout the season. Regardless of the lower trap catches of adults and juveniles, clear sticky traps clearly displayed H. halys seasonal dynamics pattern. Therefore, their use is recommended as an early detection tool in areas where pests are not yet present, or in areas with small H. halys populations. Halyomorpha halys adult trap captures were higher in Šempeter orchards, within areas of great landscape diversity and a large share of urban land. The seasonal dynamics of H. halys over the 3-year period were closely related to weather conditions, with temperature and relative humidity as the major factors affecting population growth.

INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF Conotrachelus dubiae IN RELATION TO FRUIT RETENTION OF Myrciaria dubia (CAMU-CAMU) IN A FLOODED AREA, IN LORETO-PERU

Myrciaria dubia (camu-camu) is an Amazonian fruit of economic importance.The most common problems are the damage caused by Conotrachelus dubiae and the drop of developing fruits. The objective was to clarify the factors influencing post-defoliation fruit retention influenced by C. dubiae in flooded areas. Four treatments were applied: control (T1), bottle trap (T2), adhesive tape trap (T3), and foliar fertilization (T4). The research was conducted at a camu-camu plot on the Amazon River banks. As an additional control, plants at a highland plot were evaluated. Data on the retention of flowers and fruits, yield, and quality were obtained. The presence of pests was monitored, and fruits attacked by C. dubiae were harvested. T2 showed the highest levels of damaged fruit (11.9% ± 9) and fruit retention (24.5% ± 21). This supports the hypothesis that the primary cause of fruit drop is not pest damage. In fact, T4 was the most effective pest control (damaged fruits: 4.1% ± 4). The critical period for fruit retention was right after the fruit set. Defoliation did not have any effects on fruit quality. Flowering induction, unusually occurring during the flooding period, explains the high stress that caused low fruit retention.

The Multifaceted Gene 275 Embedded in the PKS-PTS Gene Cluster Was Involved in the Regulation of Arthrobotrisin Biosynthesis, TCA Cycle, and Septa Formation in Nematode-Trapping Fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora.

The predominant nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora harbors a unique polyketide synthase-prenyltransferase (PKS-PTS) gene cluster AOL_s00215g responsible for the biosynthesis of sesquiterpenyl epoxy-cyclohexenoids (SECs) that are involved in the regulation of fungal growth, adhesive trap formation, antibacterial activity, and soil colonization. However, the function of one rare gene (AOL_s00215g275 (275)) embedded in the cluster has remained cryptic. Here, we constructed two mutants with the disruption of 275 and the overexpression of 275, respectively, and compared their fungal growth, morphology, resistance to chemical stress, nematicidal activity, transcriptomic and metabolic profiles, and infrastructures, together with binding affinity analysis. Both mutants displayed distinct differences in their TCA cycles, SEC biosynthesis, and endocytosis, combined with abnormal mitochondria, vacuoles, septa formation, and decreased nematicidal activity. Our results suggest that gene 275 might function as a separator and as an integrated gene with multiple potential functions related to three distinct genes encoding the retinoic acid induced-1, cortactin, and vacuolar iron transporter 1 proteins in this nematode-trapping fungus. Our unexpected findings provide insight into the intriguing organization and functions of a rare non-biosynthetic gene in a biosynthetic gene cluster.

Small-secreted proteins as virulence factors in nematode-trapping fungi.

Nematode-trapping fungi (NTF), such as Arthrobotrys flagrans (Duddingtonia flagrans), are soil-borne fungi able to form adhesive trapping networks to attract and catch nematodes. In this forum piece we highlight some of their most fascinating features with a special focus on the role of small-secreted proteins in the predatory interaction.

Examination of color preferences of invasive green anoles in the Ogasawara Islands

AbstractThe green anole (Anolis carolinensis) has been introduced to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, and has adversely affected native fauna through predation and competition. To eradicate green anoles, adhesive traps for capture and Teflon™‐sheet fencing to restrict movement have been used, however, their efficiency needs to be improved. Using behavioral experiments, we evaluated colors that would attract green anoles to traps and repel them from fences. We also conducted similar experiments on the native snake‐eyed skink (Cryptoblepharus nigropunctatus) to establish color preferences in an effort to reduce bycatch. We presented choices of 2 out of 6 colored papers (blue, brown, green, purple, red, yellow) to green anoles and 3 colored papers (blue, brown, red) to snake‐eyed skinks to observe which color of paper the animals walked on first. Both species chose blue significantly less often than the other colors (blue was chosen only in 29% of runs). Green anoles demonstrated a preference for brown, whereas snake‐eyed skinks favored red. Our results suggested that using blue Teflon™‐sheet fence might reduce the transborder crossing rate of green anoles. Furthermore, bycatch of native snake‐eyed skinks may be reduced by changing the adhesive trap color to brown, from the currently used red.

The small-secreted cysteine-rich protein CyrA is a virulence factor participating in the attack of Caenorhabditis elegans by Duddingtonia flagrans.

Nematode-trapping fungi (NTF) are a diverse and intriguing group of fungi that live saprotrophically but can switch to a predatory lifestyle when starving and in the presence of nematodes. NTF like Arthrobotrys oligospora or Duddingtonia flagrans produce adhesive trapping networks to catch and immobilize nematodes. After penetration of the cuticle, hyphae grow and develop inside the worm and secrete large amounts of hydrolytic enzymes for digestion. In many microbial pathogenic interactions small-secreted proteins (SSPs) are used to manipulate the host. The genome of D. flagrans encodes more than 100 of such putative SSPs one of which is the cysteine-rich protein CyrA. We have chosen this gene for further analysis because it is only found in NTF and appeared to be upregulated during the interaction. We show that the cyrA gene was transcriptionally induced in trap cells, and the protein accumulated at the inner rim of the hyphal ring before Caenorhabditis elegans capture. After worm penetration, the protein appeared at the fungal infection bulb, where it is likely to be secreted with the help of the exocyst complex. A cyrA-deletion strain was less virulent, and the time from worm capture to paralysis was extended. Heterologous expression of CyrA in C. elegans reduced its lifespan. CyrA accumulated in C. elegans in coelomocytes where the protein possibly is inactivated. This is the first example that SSPs may be important in predatory microbial interactions.

The STRIPAK component SipC is involved in morphology and cell-fate determination in the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans.

The striatin-interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) complex is a highly conserved eukaryotic signaling hub involved in the regulation of many cellular processes. In filamentous fungi, STRIPAK controls multicellular development, hyphal fusion, septation, and pathogenicity. In this study, we analyzed the role of the STRIPAK complex in the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans which forms three-dimensional, adhesive trapping networks to capture Caenorhabditis elegans. Trap networks consist of several hyphal loops which are morphologically and functionally different from vegetative hyphae. We show that lack of the STRIPAK component SipC (STRIP1/2/HAM-2/PRO22) results in incomplete loop formation and column-like trap structures with elongated compartments. The misshapen or incomplete traps lost their trap identity and continued growth as vegetative hyphae. The same effect was observed in the presence of the actin cytoskeleton drug cytochalasin A. These results could suggest a link between actin and STRIPAK complex functions.

Mechanics of cell interaction with intercellular nanoparticles: Shape-dependent competition between two-membrane trapping and single-membrane wrapping

Understanding the mechanical behaviors of nanoparticles confined between adjacent cells is of fundamental importance to the passage of drug cargoes through cell junctions, where the nanoparticles could have contact with two cell membranes simultaneously. Here we theoretically investigate the adhesive membrane wrapping and trapping of rigid cylindrical and spherical nanoparticles confined by two cell membranes. It is shown that the system energy and configurations depend collectively on the membrane bending rigidity, tension, adhesion energy, and the ratio between the particle size and intermembrane distance. Two fundamental modes of particle–membrane interaction are revealed, two-membrane trapping and single-membrane wrapping. Confined cylindrical nanoparticles remain trapped by two cell membranes and confined spherical nanoparticles could undergo a state transition from two-membrane trapping to single-membrane wrapping as the wrapping degree increases. Corresponding interaction phase diagrams for cylindrical and spherical nanoparticles are established based on the stability of no-wrapping, partial-trapping, partial-wrapping, full-trapping and full-wrapping states. Analytical predictions are also obtained in characterizing the single-membrane wrapping at early wrapping degree. Our results suggest that cylindrical nanoparticles in comparison with spherical nanoparticles might display superior drug penetration in tumors and across epithelial and endothelial barriers, providing guidance in the rational design of anticancer nanomedicine.

Necrobia rufipes (De Geer) Infestation in Pet Food Packaging and Setup of a Monitoring Trap.

Simple SummaryNecrobia rufipes (Coleoptera: Cleridae) is an emerging pest of pet food stores. Information on infestation modalities for this pest is absent and specific monitoring tools are missing. In this paper, the adults’ and larvae’s ability to enter into pet food packaging was evaluated. Furthermore, to set up of a monitoring trap behavioral bioassays were carried out: testing two adhesive surfaces, one generally used in mouse glue trap and the other used in cockroach trap, to evaluate their ability in avoiding insects’ escape; screening different molecules, as candidate food attractants: methyl cyclopentenolone, squalene and stearic acid. The results evidenced that N. rufipes enter in packaging through the air vent valves, suggesting that a way to prevent insect infestation would be to modify packaging. Tests showed that the glues have strong differences in the ability to retain the caught insects, with mouse glue more effective than cockroach glue. The behavioral bioassays indicated that methyl cyclopentenolone and squalene are able to attract N. rufipes adults in olfactometer. Finally, the dual-choice arena bioassays showed that a mixture of pet food and methyl cyclopentenolone elicited the strongest attraction in N. rufipes adults, suggesting that this mixture can be used as lure in monitoring traps.Necrobia rufipes (De Geer) (Coleoptera: Cleridae), also known as the red-legged ham beetle, is a newly emerging pest of pet food stores, causing apprehension among producers worldwide. Concerns about this pest are exacerbated by the lack of information about infestation modalities in pet food, while specific monitoring tools are missing. Considering that adequate pet food packaging could limit N. rufipes infestations, information about the penetration modalities in commonly used pet food packaging is needed. Moreover, the development of appropriate monitoring instruments is urgent to detect pest presence early and to reduce chemical treatments for its control. In this paper, the adults’ and larvae’s ability to enter into pet food packaging was evaluated. Furthermore, to develop monitoring traps, behavioral bioassays were done: (1) testing two different commercial adhesive surfaces, one generally used in mouse glue traps (MG), and the other used in cockroach glue traps (CG), to evaluate their different abilities in avoiding insects’ escape; (2) screening different molecules, typical of the substrates attacked by N. rufipes, as candidate food attractants for this pest: methyl cyclopentenolone (MCP), squalene (SQ), and stearic acid (SA). The results show that N. rufipes adults and larvae enter into packaging through the air vent valves on the bottom, suggesting that a way to improve the packaging to prevent insect infestation would be to modify these points of weakness. Laboratory tests show that the different bioassayed glues have strong differences in the ability to retain the caught insects, with MG being more effective than CG. The behavioral bioassay indicated that MCP and SQ attract N. rufipes adults in olfactometer. Finally, the results of dual-choice arena bioassays show that among the candidate attractant tested, a mixture of pet food (PF) and MCP elicited the strongest attraction in N. rufipes adults. These results encourage further experiments with the use of an MG adhesive trap loaded with a mixture of PF+MCP to test the effectiveness of such a tool for monitoring N. rufipes in pet food industries and warehouses.

Antixenosis of the Triozid, Triozoida limbata (Hemiptera: Triozidae) to Some Cultivars of Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) in the Field

In the guava crop, insecticides are frequently used throughout the yr in an attempt to protect new shoots from the attack of the key pest Triozoida limbata (Enderlein) (Hemiptera: Triozidae). Research is essential to investigate the resistance of cultivars for management of T. limbata populations in sustainable production systems. We evaluated the preference of T. limbata on guava cultivars in the field, and determined the longitudinal and transverse incidence of the triozid for plants of Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae). The evaluations were carried out in an orchard located in the Embrapa Agropecuaria Oeste, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, with 8 cultivars of P. guajava, from May 2013 to Jul 2014. There were 96 plants in the area used; they were evaluated biweekly, quantifying the number of immatures and adults of the triozid using new leaves from the apex of the branches to the second pair of leaves fully expanded in 4 main branches (branches leaving the trunk) per plant. Simultaneously, to capture adults 96 plants were monitored with a yellow adhesive trap (10 × 15 cm) fixed at the height of the canopy, and the traps were changed every 15 d. The cultivars ‘Cascuda' and ‘Kumagai' were non-preferred for immatures of T. limbata, whereas ‘Paluma,' ‘Tailandesa,' ‘Novo Milenio,' and ‘Pedro Sato' cultivars were susceptible. There was a significant difference in the incidence of T. limbata adults between ‘Sassaoka' and ‘Paluma' cultivars. For the adults caught in adhesive traps, ‘Sassaoka,' ‘Kumagai,' and ‘Cascuda' cultivars were not preferred, compared to ‘Paluma' (susceptible). No difference occurred in the incidence of nymphs and adults of T. limbata between the positions of the branches, nor between plants or streets. The ‘Cascuda' and ‘Kumagai’ cultivars are promising for guava breeding programs, aiming at resistance to T. limbata attack. To sample for T. limbata in orchards, one can evaluate the leaves of any of the 4 main branches that leave the trunk.

Attraction of Triatoma infestans (Klug) to adhesive yeast-baited trap under laboratory conditions

Existing methods to detect domestic triatomines have low sensitivity. As early house infestation detection is epidemiologically important, the exploration of better methods is required. Hence, we measured the attractiveness of a yeast-baited trap to adults and nymphs of Triatoma infestans, under laboratory conditions. The assays were conducted in an experimental arena, with an experimental and a control traps placed at opposite sides and one refuge in the center area. Insects were released and the number of triatomines in the yeast and control traps were counted, after 3, 6 and 24 h of the beginning of the experiment. We used generalized linear models within a multimodel inference approach to model the number of insects in the trap, using insect age classes, time after assay initiation and date of the experiment as predictors. Our results show that the attraction to CO2 depends upon the life stage of the insects. During the 24 h of experiment a constant number of adults (3.5; 95% CI [3.0; 4.1]) were attracted to the yeast trap, while nymphs show attraction only up to the first three hours after the initiation of CO2 liberation (2.7; 95% CI [2.0; 3.5]). Undoubtedly, the orientation response to chemical cues deserves further studies to be fully understood.

Validation of an automatic evaluation of sticky traps for fungus-gnats

A avaliação de insetos pragas por armadilhas adesivas é uma tarefa demorada, sujeita a erros de contagem. Nossa proposição originou-se da necessidade de realizar avaliações periódicas de infestações de mosquitos (Diptera: Sciaridae). Foram selecionadas 100 armadilhas, em um único local. A contagem manual foi realizada e as armadilhas foram posteriormente submetidas à digitalização e contagem automática. O programa R foi utilizado para comparação entre os métodos de contagem considerados. A abordagem automática sugerida, quando comparada à tradicional, permite esforços de amostragem mais rápidos, maiores coleções de registros de dados ou ainda maiores áreas amostradas em menos tempo.

Arthropods Captured Using an Adhesive Trap in a Pecan Plantation in the South of Brazil

This study aimed to evaluate the arthropod fauna associated with pecan trees [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] (Juglandaceae) in the south of Brazil. The experiment was conducted in a C. illinoinensis plantation of approximately 1.2 hectares, divided into 7 m × 7 m areas that were subjected to different soil preparations and pit sizes, in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. A randomized block design with five blocks and four treatments was used: planting in small pits of 20 cm × 60 cm (Sp); using a subsoiler with a leveling grader/shank and small pits (Ssp); using a rotary tiller and small pits (Tsp); and planting in large pits of 40 cm × 60 cm (Lp). Eighteen biweekly samplings were carried out from March 2014 to May 2015 using yellow adhesive traps in all treatment areas. No statistically significant difference in abundance or arthropod richness was observed. The population peak of Monellia caryella (Fitch) (Aphididae) occurred in April 2014. After the population growth of M. caryella, an increase in Coccinellidae in the traps was observed. It can be concluded that the different soil preparations and pit sizes proposed for pecan planting do not affect the diversity of the arthropods collected using yellow adhesive traps.

Entomological inventory of Phlebotomine sand flies and epidemiological study of leishmaniasis in Afourer, Azilal province, High Atlas, Morocco.

In Morocco, leishmaniases are a major public health problem due to their genetic diversity and geographical distribution. Cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. tropica is endemic in the center of the country; it has a high risk of transmission, with Phlebotomus sergenti as vector. This study aimed to identify the vectors of Leishmania and the epidemiological trends of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Afourer, Morocco. The entomological study used both adhesive and CDC miniature light trap to capture six different species: P.sergenti (50.21%), P.papatasi (18.45%), P.longicuspis (17.17%), P.perniciosus (12.02%), S.minuta (1.93%) and P.chabaudi (0.21%). The life cycle of sand flies in this area is characterized by a biphasic trend with two activity peaks, in May and November. Hence, the highest transmission levels are likely to occur from early summer to the end of autumn. However, the epidemiological status of leishmaniasis in Afourer between 2009-2013 showed a significant decreasing trend - of 87.7%.

Exploiting Anopheles responses to thermal, odour and visual stimuli to improve surveillance and control of malaria

Mosquito surveillance and control are at the heart of efforts to eliminate malaria, however, there remain significant gaps in our understanding of mosquito behaviour that impede innovation. We hypothesised that a combination of human-associated stimuli could be used to attract and kill malaria vectors more successfully than individual stimuli, and at least as well as a real human. To test this in the field, we quantified Anopheles responses to olfactory, visual and thermal stimuli in Burkina Faso using a simple adhesive trap. Traps baited with human odour plus high contrast visual stimuli caught more Anopheles than traps with odour alone, showing that despite their nocturnal habit, malaria vectors make use of visual cues in host-seeking. The best performing traps, however, combined odour and visual stimuli with a thermal signature in the range equivalent to human body temperature. When tested against a human landing catch during peak mosquito abundance, this “host decoy” trap caught nearly ten times the number of Anopheles mosquitoes caught by a human collector. Exploiting the behavioural responses of mosquitoes to the entire suite of host stimuli promises to revolutionise vector surveillance and provide new paradigms in disease control.

Biodegradable brain-penetrating DNA nanocomplexes and their use to treat malignant brain tumors

The discovery of powerful genetic targets has spurred clinical development of gene therapy approaches to treat patients with malignant brain tumors. However, lack of success in the clinic has been attributed to the inability of conventional gene vectors to achieve gene transfer throughout highly disseminated primary brain tumors. Here, we demonstrate ex vivo that small nanocomplexes composed of DNA condensed by a blend of biodegradable polymer, poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE), with PBAE conjugated with 5kDa polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules (PBAE-PEG) rapidly penetrate healthy brain parenchyma and orthotopic brain tumor tissues in rats. Rapid diffusion of these DNA-loaded nanocomplexes observed in fresh tissues ex vivo demonstrated that they avoided adhesive trapping in the brain owing to their dense PEG coating, which was critical to achieving widespread transgene expression throughout orthotopic rat brain tumors in vivo following administration by convection enhanced delivery. Transgene expression with the PBAE/PBAE-PEG blended nanocomplexes (DNA-loaded brain-penetrating nanocomplexes, or DNA-BPN) was uniform throughout the tumor core compared to nanocomplexes composed of DNA with PBAE only (DNA-loaded conventional nanocomplexes, or DNA-CN), and transgene expression reached beyond the tumor edge, where infiltrative cancer cells are found, only for the DNA-BPN formulation. Finally, DNA-BPN loaded with anti-cancer plasmid DNA provided significantly enhanced survival compared to the same plasmid DNA loaded in DNA-CN in two aggressive orthotopic brain tumor models in rats. These findings underscore the importance of achieving widespread delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids within brain tumors and provide a promising new delivery platform for localized gene therapy in the brain.

Simplified low-temperature wafer-level hybrid bonding using pillar bump and photosensitive adhesive for three-dimensional integrated circuit integration

A simplified low-temperature wafer-level hybrid bonding process using Cu pillar bumps and photosensitive adhesive was reported, wherein Cu/SnAg/Ni–P micro interconnects were formed to achieve electrical interconnect and the sealing around adhesive played the role of mechanical reinforcement. The proposed hybrid bonding method has been applied to 8 inch wafer to wafer bonding. Two kinds of photosensitive adhesives, i.e., polyimide and dry film, were selected for adhesive bonding. Excess adhesive on the Cu/SnAg micro bumps was properly removed using simple and low cost lithograph process. In order to prevent the adhesive trapping in the metal bonding interface, the height of the Cu/SnAg micro bumps was 2 μm higher than that of the adhesives. Although hybrid bonding using polyimide and dry film can achieve seam free bonding interface, shear test results indicate that bonding strength using dry film is more robust, and dry film is more suitable for hybrid bonding in three-dimensional integration applications.

Identification of Nematode Trapping Fungus Monacrosporium eudermatum Based on Genetic Diversity Using RAPD Technique

Nematode-trapping fungus Monacrosporium eudermatum a predacious fungus of nematodes, has been very useful in understanding the most relationship between nematophagous fungi and their nematode hosts. M.eudermatum is by far the common nematode-trapping fungus with the characteristic ability of forming adhesive trapping nets once in contact with nematodes. Total DNA was extracted from M.eudermatum sera and amplified by RAPD-PCR using three random primers (OPA-16, OPB-08, OPF-05). The results show amplification of all markers (OPF-05, OPB-08, OPA-16) with the genomic DNA studied. As evidenced by the results, all the markers covered in the study showed high polymorphism (up to 60%) with the exception of the primer (OPB-08) which showed no polymorphism.