Technological and Functional Characteristics of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Traditional Serbian Cheeses.

Owing to the rich diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) microbiota, traditional Serbian white-brined cheeses can serve as a valuable source of LAB strains with promising technological and functional properties. This study aimed to identify potential candidates for developing commercial bacterial cultures, which could be used to produce cheese with distinct sensory qualities and added value as a functional food product. A total of 83 LAB isolates were tested for their ability to grow under different salt concentrations and temperatures; their acidifying, proteolytic, and lipolytic activities; and their production of diacetyl and exopolysaccharides (EPSs).

Genomic Insights into Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococci and Mammaliicocci from Bulk Tank Milk of Dairy Farms in Serbia.

The potential risk to human and animal health provides a rationale for research on methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) and mammaliicocci (MRM) in dairy herds. Here, we aimed to estimate their occurrence in the bulk tank milk (BTM) samples collected in 2019-2021 from 283 bovine dairy farms in the Belgrade district. We used whole-genome sequencing to characterize the obtained isolates and assess their genetic relatedness.

The Psychological Science Accelerator's COVID-19 rapid-response dataset.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Psychological Science Accelerator coordinated three large-scale psychological studies to examine the effects of loss-gain framing, cognitive reappraisals, and autonomy framing manipulations on behavioral intentions and affective measures. The data collected (April to October 2020) included specific measures for each experimental study, a general questionnaire examining health prevention behaviors and COVID-19 experience, geographical and cultural context characterization, and demographic information for each participant. Each participant started the study with the same general questions and then was randomized to complete either one longer experiment or two shorter experiments.

In COVID-19 Health Messaging, Loss Framing Increases Anxiety with Little-to-No Concomitant Benefits: Experimental Evidence from 84 Countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic (and its aftermath) highlights a critical need to communicate health information effectively to the global public. Given that subtle differences in information framing can have meaningful effects on behavior, behavioral science research highlights a pressing question: Is it more effective to frame COVID-19 health messages in terms of potential losses (e.g.

Safety evaluation of enterococci isolated from raw milk and artisanal cheeses made in Slovenia and Serbia.

Enterococci represent a significant part of the non-starter LAB microbiota of artisanal cheeses produced mainly from raw milk. Common approaches to safety evaluation of enterococci isolates include assessment of antimicrobial resistance and virulence potential. Hence, a collection of 47 (n = 22, Serbia; n = 25, Slovenia) dairy enterococcal isolates, of which (n = 28), (n = 11), (n = 5), (n = 2), and (n = 1), was analyzed.

Conspiracy mentality and political orientation across 26 countries.

People differ in their general tendency to endorse conspiracy theories (that is, conspiracy mentality). Previous research yielded inconsistent findings on the relationship between conspiracy mentality and political orientation, showing a greater conspiracy mentality either among the political right (a linear relation) or amongst both the left and right extremes (a curvilinear relation). We revisited this relationship across two studies spanning 26 countries (combined N = 104,253) and found overall evidence for both linear and quadratic relations, albeit small and heterogeneous across countries.