Monahan Asmussen (pyjamachair18)

The increasing mandate for fresh-like food products and the possible hazards of chemically preserved foods necessitate the search for alternatives. Bacteriocins represent a promising food biopreservative. In the present study, one hundred enterococci isolates recovered from Egyptian raw cow milk and homemade dairy products were screened for bacteriocin production. The overall detection rate was 10%. Three isolates, namely, Enterococcus faecalis (OE-7 and OE-12) and Enterococcus hirae (OE-9), showed the highest antibacterial activity with narrow spectrum against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-positive foodborne bacteria Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus. The antimicrobial activity was completely abolished by trypsin and proteinase K but not affected by lipase and/or amylase indicating the protein nature of the antimicrobial activity. Optimum conditions for bacteriocin production were cultivation in MRS broth at 37 °C, pH 6-6.5 for 16-24 h. The tested bacteriocins exhibited bactericidal activity on S. aureus subsp. aureus ATCC 25923; such activity was further investigated by transmission electron microscopy that revealed leakage and lysis of treated cells. Characterization of tested bacteriocins revealed high activity in a wide range of pH and temperature, storage stability, and heat resistance. PCR analysis revealed that the tested isolates produced multiple enterocins showing homology with the enterocins L50A, AS-48, and 31. Finally, this study reported potent antibacterial activity of bacteriocins derived from dairy products Enterococci against MDR foodborne and spoilage pathogens. The potency, specificity, and stability of these bacteriocins presented promising perspectives for application as biopreservatives in the food industry. The biopreservation of foods by bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria recovered directly from foods remains an innovative approach.Recent research has documented significant mental health disparities for transgender adolescents. However, the extant literature is hindered by vague operationalizations of gender identity and limited measurement of trans-specific stressors. In this article, we (1) introduce and describe the Gender Minority Youth (GMY) Study, a large-scale study of transgender youth disparities; and (2) provide evidence of the feasibility of using social media to recruit a diverse sample of U.S. transgender and cisgender youth. Facebook and Instagram advertisements targeted 14-18-year-old adolescents to complete an online survey. Participants (N = 3318) self-reported gender assigned at birth and current gender identity, mental health symptoms, and transgender-specific stressors and milestones. Adolescents included 1369 cisgender (n = 982 cisgender female; n = 387 cisgender male), 1938 transgender (n = 986 transgender male; n = 132 transgender female; n = 639 nonbinary assigned female at birth; n = 84 nonbinary assigned male at birth; n = 84 questioning gender identity assigned female at birth; n = 13 questioning gender identity assigned male at birth), and 11 intersex youth. The GMY Study is the first nationwide sample of U.S. adolescents recruited specifically for a study of mental health disparities between transgender and cisgender youth. We demonstrate the feasibility of using social media advertisements and a waiver of parental permission to recruit a large sample of adolescents, including subsamples of gender minority youth. We remedied limitations in the existing literature by including appropriate measures of gender assigned at birth, current gender identity, and detailed questions about transgender-specific stressors and transition milestones.Leaf color is an important characteristic of normal chloroplast development. Variegated plants have green- and white-sectored leaves, which can be used to identify important pathways and molecular mechanisms of chloroplast development. We studied two Brassica napus variegation mutants from same one va