Novel and conserved microRNAs in soybean floral whorls

AbstractMicroRNAs (miRNAs) correspond to a class of endogenous small non-coding RNAs (19–24nt) that regulates the gene expression, through mRNA target cleavage or translation inhibition. In plants, miRNAs have been shown to play pivotal roles in a wide variety of metabolic and biological processes like plant growth, development, and response to biotic and abiotic stress. Soybean is one of the most important crops worldwide, due to the production of oil and its high protein content. The reproductive phase is considered the most important for soybean yield, which is mainly intended to produce the grains. The identification of miRNAs is not yet saturated in soybean, and there are no studies linking them to the different floral organs. In this study, three different mature soybean floral whorls were used in the construction of sRNA libraries. The sequencing of petal, carpel and stamen libraries generated a total of 10,165,661 sequences. Subsequent analyses identified 200 miRNAs sequences, among which, 41 were novel miRNAs, 80 were conserved soybean miRNAs, 31 were new antisense conserved soybean miRNAs and 46 were soybean miRNAs isoforms. We also found a new miRNA conserved in other plant species, and finally one miRNA-sibling of a soybean conserved miRNA. Conserved and novel miRNAs were evaluated by RT-qPCR. We observed a differential expression across the three whorls for six miRNAs. Computational predicted targets for miRNAs analyzed by RT-qPCR were identified and present functions related to reproductive process in plants. In summary, the increased accumulation of specific and novel miRNAs in different whorls indicates that miRNAs are an important part of the regulatory network in soybean flower

Hotspots of soil pollution: possible glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid risks on terrestrial ecosystems and human health

The study presents a literature review of glyphosate (GLY) occurrence and its breakdown product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), in soils worldwide, but with a specific focus on South America. In addition, an ecological risk approach based on the ecotoxicological endpoints for key soil biota (e.g., collembolans, and earthworms) assessed the impact of GLY and AMPA on these organisms. A generic probabilistic model for human health risk was also calculated for the different world regions. For what reports the risk for edaphic species and the level of pollution under the worst-case scenario, the South American continent was identified as the region of most concern. Nonetheless, other areas may also be in danger, but no risk could be calculated due to the lack of data. Since tropical countries are the top food exporters worldwide, the results obtained in this study must be carefully examined for their implications on a global scale. Some of the factors behind the high levels of these two chemicals in soils are debated (e.g., permissive protection policies, the extensive use of genetically modified crops), and some possible guidelines are presented that include, for example, further environmental characterisation and management of pesticide residues. The present review integrates data that can be used as a base by policymakers and decision-makers to develop and implement environmental policies

Feasibility and acceptability of SEPA+PrEP: An HIV prevention intervention to increase PrEP knowledge, initiation, and persistence among cisgender heterosexual Hispanic women

The HIV epidemic disproportionately affects Hispanics in the U.S., with Hispanic women (HW) accounting for 18% of new HIV diagnoses in 2019 despite comprising only 16% of the female population. The imbalance of power related to cultural values and HW’s lack of knowledge and low perception of risk for HIV interferes with prevention efforts (e.g., condom use, HIV testing, and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis [PrEP]). It is estimated that in 2019, only 10% of women in the U.S. who could benefit from PrEP were given prescriptions for it. This number is estimated to be significantly lower among HW. PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV, reducing the risk of acquiring HIV from sexual activity by about 99%. To respond to this need, we developed SEPA+PrEP, a biobehavioral HIV prevention intervention that adapted and integrated SEPA (Salud/Health, Educación/Education, Prevención/ Prevention, Autocuidado/Self-Care), an empirically validated behavioral HIV prevention intervention, with the evidence-based biomedical strategy of PrEP. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of SEPA+PrEP among cisgender heterosexual Hispanic women (HW). We used a mixed methods approach to gather data from 44 HW living in the City of Homestead and its surrounding communities in Miami-Dade County, Florida. None of the participants knew about PrEP prior to participating in the study, and the majority (70.5%, n = 23) had not used condoms when engaging in vaginal sex during the previous three months. Overall, study results suggest that SEPA+PrEP is an acceptable and feasible intervention to prevent HIV among HW, with a focus on PrEP knowledge, initiation, and maintenance

Indicadores de qualidade do solo em sistemas de cultivo orgânico e convencional no semi-árido Cearense.

A qualidade do solo pode mudar com o passar do tempo, em decorrência de eventos naturais ou ações antrópicas. A adoção de práticas de cultivo orgânico reduz o revolvimento do solo, favorecendo a recuperação de suas propriedades físicas e químicas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo comparar propriedades físicas,químicas e biológicas de solos cultivados com algodão em bases orgânicas e no sistema convencional, assim como identificar as que possam ser utilizadas como indicadores de qualidade do solo. Selecionaram-se seis áreas submetidas ao cultivo orgânico e três ao cultivo convencional para coleta de amostras de solo deformadas e indeformadas, nas camadas de 0–10, 10–20 e 20–30 cm. Técnicas de estatística univariada e multivariada foram utilizadas para análise dos dados. Os resultados mostraram que os indicadores físicos e químicos testados individualmente não foram sensíveis para diferenciar as áreas sob sistema de cultivo orgânico daquelas sob cultivo convencional. No entanto, a aplicação de técnicas de análise multivariada – no caso, componentes principais e a discriminante de Anderson – permitiu a distinção entre algumas áreas cultivadas sob cultivo orgânico comparativamente às convencionais, até mesmo as que estavam em transição.Dos indicadores biológicos, a fauna edáfica mostrou-se mais precisa na avaliação da qualidade do solo, distinguindo de forma satisfatória as áreas sob sistema de cultivo orgânico das que estavam sob sistema convencional