Search

The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) is a resurgent pest of rice crops throughout Asia. We recently discovered that octopamine (OA) and OA2B2 operate in the BPH mating system, where it mediates a wide range of molecular, physiological and behavioural changes. Here, we report on outcomes of experiments designed to test the hypothesis that OA/OA2B2 signalling mediates responses to three abiotic stressors, starvation, high temperature (37 °C), and induced oxidative stress. We found per os RNAi‐mediated OA2B2 silencing led to significantly decreased survival, measured in days, following exposure to each of these stressors. We selected a biologically costly process, reproductive biology, as a biotic stressor. Silencing of OA2B2 led to decreased total protein content in ovaries and fat bodies, downregulated expression of vitellogenin (Vg) and Vg receptor (VgR), inhibited fat body Vg protein synthesis, shortened the oviposition period, prolonged the preoviposition period, reduced the number of laid eggs, body weight and female longevity. In addition, the silencing treatments also led to inhibited ovarian development, and ovarian Vg uptake, reduced numbers of egg masses and offspring and lower hatching rates and population growth index. These data support our hypothesis that OA2B2 acts in mediating BPH resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antegrade dissection reentry with Stingray device (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA) accounts for 20-34% of the chronic total occlusion (CTO) cases in the various hybrid operators' CTO registries and is an important component of CTO crossing algorithms. The Stingray device can facilitate antegrade dissection and reentry, however its use is low outside North America and Europe. The Asia Pacific CTO Club along with three experience Stingray operators from the US, Europe and India, created an algorithm guiding use of the CrossBoss and Stingray catheter. This APCTO Stingray algorithm defines when to use the CrossBoss and Stingray device recommending a reduction in CrossBoss use except for in-stent restenosis lesions and immediate transition from knuckle wiring to the Stingray device. When antegrade wiring fails, choice of Stingray-facilitated reentry versus parallel wiring depends on operator experience, device availability, cost concerns, and anatomical factors. When the antegrade wire enters the subintimal space, we recommend using a rotational microcatheter to produce a channel and deliver the Stingray balloon-so called the "bougie technique." We recommend early switch to Stingray rather than persisting with single wire redirection or parallel wire. We recommend choosing a suitable reentry zone based on preprocedural computer tomography or angiogram, routine use of stick and swap, routine use of Subintimal TRAnscatheter Withdrawal (STRAW) through the Stingray balloon, and the multi stick and swap technique. We believe these techniques and algorithm can facilitate incorporation of the Stingray balloon into the practice of CTO interventionists globally., (© 2019 The Authors. Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: Despite the advances in wire technology and development of algorithm-driven methodology for chronic total occlusion (CTO) intervention, there is a void in the literature about the technical aspects of CTO wiring. The Asia Pacific CTO Club, a group of 10 experienced operators in the Asia Pacific region, has tried to fill this void with this state-of-the-art review on CTO wiring., Methods: This review explains, for proximal cap puncture: choices of wires, shaping of the wire, use of dual lumen catheter, and method of step-down of wire penetration force for successful wiring. In wiring the CTO body, the techniques of loose tissue tracking, intentional intimal plaque tracking, and intentional subintimal wiring are described in detail. For distal lumen wiring, a blunt distal cap, presence of a distal cap side branch, calcium, and sharp tapered distal stump predict cap toughness, and wire penetration force should be stepped-up in these cases. The importance of choosing between redirection, parallel wiring, and Stingray (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA, USA) for angiographic guidance is discussed along with which will be more successful. On the retrograde side, the problems encountered with distal cap puncture and methods to overcome these problems are explained. The method of wiring the CTO body through a retrograde approach depending on the morphology of the CTO is described. Different reverse controlled antegrade and retrograde tracking (CART) wiring methods - including end balloon wiring, side balloon entry, and conventional reverse CART - are explained in detail., Conclusion: This is a systematic CTO wiring review, which is believed to be beneficial for CTO operators worldwide., (Copyright © 2019 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)