The Study of Cell-Penetrating Peptides to Deliver dsRNA and siRNA by Feeding in the Desert Locust, .

RNA(i) interference is a gene silencing mechanism triggered by double-stranded (ds)RNA, which promises to contribute to species-specific insect pest control strategies. The first step toward the application of RNAi as an insecticide is to enable efficient gene silencing upon dsRNA oral delivery. The desert locust, is a devastating agricultural pest.

The general health status of newly arrived asylum seekers in Denmark.

Aims: The number of asylum seekers in Europe is increasing and is likely to do so continuously due to conflicts, poverty and climate. Asylum seekers are exposed to many health risk factors related to their migration process and this study aimed to explore their general health status on arrival at an immigration country.

Methods: A retrospective study including 1907 general health assessments (GHAs) of adult asylum seekers arriving in Denmark between 1 September 2017 and 31 December 2019 was undertaken.

Identification and profiling of stable microRNAs in hemolymph of young and old fifth instars.

Since the discovery of the first microRNA (miRNA) in the nematode , numerous novel miRNAs have been identified which can regulate presumably every biological process in a wide range of metazoan species. In accordance, several insect miRNAs have been identified and functionally characterized. While regulatory RNA pathways are traditionally described at an intracellular level, studies reporting on the presence and potential role of extracellular (small) sRNAs have been emerging in the last decade, mainly in mammalian systems.

PIWI Proteins Play an Antiviral Role in Lepidopteran Cell Lines.

Insect antiviral immunity primarily relies on RNAi mechanisms. While a key role of small interfering (si)RNAs and AGO proteins has been well established in this regard, the situation for PIWI proteins and PIWI-interacting (pi)RNAs is not as clear. In the present study, we investigate whether PIWI proteins and viral piRNAs are involved in the immunity against single-stranded RNA viruses in lepidopteran cells, where two PIWIs are identified (Siwi and Ago3).

RNAs on the Go: Extracellular Transfer in Insects with Promising Prospects for Pest Management.

RNA-mediated pathways form an important regulatory layer of myriad biological processes. In the last decade, the potential of RNA molecules to contribute to the control of agricultural pests has not been disregarded, specifically via the RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism. In fact, several proofs-of-concept have been made in this scope.

An ecological momentary episodic future thinking intervention on mother's weekly food purchases.

Background: Imagining one's own future (episodic future thinking, EFT) has helped mothers with overweight purchase healthier groceries during an online shopping task in the laboratory. The present study explored whether delivering an EFT intervention to participants' devices via an ecological momentary intervention (EMI) tool would help mothers purchase healthier food at brick-and-mortar stores.

Method: Participants (N = 43, mothers 31-52 years of age, BMI ≥ 24.

Improvements in episodic future thinking methodology: Establishing a standardized episodic thinking control.

Objective: Delay discounting (DD) is the choice of a smaller immediate reward over a larger delayed reward, which has been associated with a number of maladaptive behaviors. Episodic future thinking (EFT), the ability to project oneself into the future, is an intervention designed to reduce DD. EFT has reliable effects on DD, but the size of the effect varies, which could be due in part to the use of different control groups.

The presence of extracellular microRNAs in the media of cultured Drosophila cells.

While regulatory RNA pathways, such as RNAi, have commonly been described at an intracellular level, studies investigating extracellular RNA species in insects are lacking. In the present study, we demonstrate the presence of extracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) in the cell-free conditioned media of two Drosophila cell lines. More specifically, by means of quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), we analysed the presence of twelve miRNAs in extracellular vesicles (EVs) and in extracellular Argonaute-1 containing immunoprecipitates, obtained from the cell-free conditioned media of S2 and Cl.

Insights into RNAi-based antiviral immunity in Lepidoptera: acute and persistent infections in Bombyx mori and Trichoplusia ni cell lines.

The control of viral infections in insects is a current issue of major concern and RNA interference (RNAi) is considered the main antiviral immune response in this group of animals. Here we demonstrate that overexpression of key RNAi factors can help to protect insect cells against viral infections. In particular, we show that overexpression of Dicer2 and Argonaute2 in lepidopteran cells leads to improved defense against the acute infection of the Cricket Paralysis Virus (CrPV).