Self-Rated Masculinity and Femininity and Reported Number of Lifetime Sexual Partners Among Cisgender Heterosexual and LGBQ Men and Women.

Prior research has quantitatively examined why heterosexual men and women report different numbers of lifetime different-sex sexual partners, whereas qualitative work has analyzed how men's masculinity-and to a lesser extent, women's femininity-is tied to gender norms about sexual activity. Less research, however, has quantitatively examined the associations between self-rated masculinity and femininity and reported number of lifetime sexual partners. This brief report uses a large sample of Canadians (n = 2117) to examine how self-rated masculinity and femininity relate to reported numbers of sexual partners among four groups of cisgender people: (1) heterosexual men (n = 972), (2) heterosexual women (n = 979), (3) gay and bisexual/pansexual men (n = 99), and (4) lesbian and bisexual/pansexual women (n = 67).

Subcultural Identification, Penetration Practices, Masculinity, and Gender Labels within a Nationally Representative Sample of Three Cohorts of American Black, White, and Latina/o LGBQ People.

Most quantitative research about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) people's sexual subcultures and sexual practices has used non-probability samples due to data limitations. This paper used the Generations study, a national probability sample of LGBQ Americans in three age cohorts, 18-25 (n = 510), 34-41 (n = 294), and 52-59 (n = 425), who also identified as Black, white, or Latina/o. This paper analyzed men (n = 590) and women (n = 639) to answer the following sets of research questions: (1) What is the prevalence of subcultural identification as bear, leather/kink, twink, and jock among men, and how does it differ by cohort, race/ethnicity, and sexual identity? (2) What is the prevalence of men who describe themselves as a top, versatile top, versatile, versatile bottom, and bottom? What is the relationship between penetration practices and masculinity? (3) What is the prevalence of gender labels among women as femme, androgynous, and butch? How does the prevalence differ by cohort, race/ethnicity, and sexual identity? (4) What is the relationship between women's gender labels and masculinity? Penetration practices were fairly evenly distributed among men, and there were few differences in masculinity based on penetration practices after controlling for demographics and subcultural identification.

Heterosexual Identification and Same-Sex Partnering: Prevalence and Attitudinal Characteristics in the USA.

This paper used the 2011-2017 National Survey of Family Growth to estimate population sizes and attitudinal characteristics of heterosexual-identified men who have sex with men (MSM) and women who have sex with women (WSW) aged 15-44 years. Analyses estimated population sizes in stages: after excluding respondents who reported only one lifetime same-sex partner, which happened before the age of 15; after excluding males who reported nonconsensual male-male sex; after excluding respondents who reported only one lifetime same-sex partner, regardless of the age at which that experience occurred; after excluding respondents who reported only two lifetime same-sex partners, the first of which occurred before age 15; and after excluding males who reported male-male sex work. The broadest criteria included many individuals with limited same-sex sexual histories or those who experienced nonconsensual sex or potentially coerced sex in youth.

Sexual Identity-Behavior Discordance in Canada.

This paper uses two surveys to examine sexual identity-behavior discordance in Canada. The first is the Sex in Canada survey (SCS), which is a private survey of 2,303 Canadians. The second is the 2015-2016 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), which is a large nationally representative government-administered survey with 109,659 respondents.

Men's Feminist Identification and Reported Use of Prescription Erectile Dysfunction Medication.

We analyzed data from the 2018 Sex in Canada survey ( = 1,015 cisgender men) to examine the association between feminist identification and reported use of prescription ED medication (EDM) during men's last sexual encounter. Feminist-identified men were substantially more likely to report EDM use than non-feminist men, even after controlling for alcohol use before sex, erection difficulties, sexual arousal, sexual health, mental health, and physical health. One explanation is that feminist men may use EDM to bolster their masculinity when it is otherwise threatened by their identification as feminist.

New Insight into Parrots' Mitogenomes Indicates That Their Ancestor Contained a Duplicated Region.

Mitochondrial genomes of vertebrates are generally thought to evolve under strong selection for size reduction and gene order conservation. Therefore, a growing number of mitogenomes with duplicated regions changes our view on the genome evolution. Among Aves, order Psittaciformes (parrots) is especially noteworthy because of its large morphological, ecological, and taxonomical diversity, which offers an opportunity to study genome evolution in various aspects.

Use of Savitzky-Golay Filter for Performances Improvement of SHM Systems Based on Neural Networks and Distributed PZT Sensors.

A considerable amount of research has focused on monitoring structural damage using Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) technologies, which has had recent advances. However, it is important to note the challenges and unresolved problems that disqualify currently developed monitoring systems. One of the frontline SHM technologies, the Electromechanical Impedance (EMI) technique, has shown its potential to overcome remaining problems and challenges.

Correction: A new parrot taxon from the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico-its position within genus based on morphology and molecular phylogeny.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3475.

A new parrot taxon from the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico-its position within genus based on morphology and molecular phylogeny.

Parrots (Psittaciformes) are a diverse group of birds which need urgent protection. However, many taxa from this order have an unresolved status, which makes their conservation difficult. One species-rich parrot genus is , which is widely distributed in the New World.

The functional properties of a xyloglucanase (GH12) of Aspergillus terreus expressed in Aspergillus nidulans may increase performance of biomass degradation.

Filamentous fungi are attractive hosts for heterologous protein expression due to their capacity to secrete large amounts of enzymes into the extracellular medium. Xyloglucanases, which specifically hydrolyze xyloglucan, have been recently applied in lignocellulosic biomass degradation and conversion in many other industrial processes. In this context, this work aimed to clone, express, and determine the functional properties of a recombinant xyloglucanase (AtXEG12) from Aspergillus terreus, and also its solid-state (SSF) and submerged (SmF) fermentation in bioreactors.

Inhabiting the sexual landscape: toward an interpretive theory of the development of sexual orientation and identity.

Building on Paula Rust's (1996) concept of a sexual landscape, we propose an interpretive theory of the development of both sexual orientation and sexual identity. We seek to reconcile human agency with active and shifting influences in social context and to recognize the inherent complexity of environmental factors while acknowledging the role that biological potential plays. We ground our model in the insights of three compatible and related theoretical perspectives: social constructionism, symbolic interactionism, and scripting theory.

Purification and biochemical properties of multiple xylanases from Aspergillus ochraceus tolerant to Hg2+ ion and a wide range of pH.

Production of multiple xylanases, in which each enzyme has a specific characteristic, can be one strategy to achieve the effective hydrolysis of xylan. Three xylanases (xyl 1, xyl 2, and xyl 3) from Aspergillus ochraceus were purified by chromatography using diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) cellulose, Biogel P-60, and Sephadex G-100 columns. These enzymes are glycoproteins of low molecular weight with an optimum temperature at 60 °C.

Increase of the phytase production by Aspergillus japonicus and its biocatalyst potential on chicken feed treatment.

Phytase hydrolyzes phytic acid from the plant components of animal feed, releasing inorganic phosphorus. The phytase production by Aspergillus japonicus was optimized using Plackett-Burman designs (PBD), composite central rotational designs (CCRD), and response surface methodology from standard Czapek medium. The enzyme was applied in broiler chicken and laying hen foods.

Co-immobilization of fungal endo-xylanase and α-L-arabinofuranosidase in glyoxyl agarose for improved hydrolysis of arabinoxylan.

Plant cell-wall arabinoxylans have a complex structure that requires the action of a pool of debranching (arabinofuranosidases) and depolymerizing enzymes (endo-xylanase). Two Aspergillus nidulans strains over-secreting endo-xylanase and arabinofuranosidase were inoculated in defined 2% maltose-minimum medium resulting in the simultaneously production of these enzymes. To study the synergistic hydrolysis was used arabinoxylan with 41% of arabinose and 59% of xylose residues.

Functional properties of a manganese-activated exo-polygalacturonase produced by a thermotolerant fungus Aspergillus niveus.

A thermotolerant fungus identified as Aspergillus niveus was isolated from decomposing materials and it has produced excellent levels of hydrolytic enzymes that degrade plant cell walls. A. niveus germinated faster at 40 °C, presenting protein levels almost twofold higher than at 25 °C.

Purification, partial characterization, and covalent immobilization-stabilization of an extracellular α-amylase from Aspergillus niveus.

An extracellular amylase secreted by Aspergillus niveus was purified using DEAE fractogel ion exchange chromatography and Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration. The purified protein migrated as a single band in 5 % polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and 10 % sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS-PAGE). The enzyme exhibited 4.

A novel xylan degrading β-D-xylosidase: purification and biochemical characterization.

Aspergillus ochraceus, a thermotolerant fungus isolated in Brazil from decomposing materials, produced an extracellular β-xylosidase that was purified using DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography, Sephadex G-100 and Biogel P-60 gel filtration. β-xylosidase is a glycoprotein (39 % carbohydrate content) and has a molecular mass of 137 kDa by SDS-PAGE, with optimal temperature and pH at 70 °C and 3.0-5.

Thermostable invertases from Paecylomyces variotii produced under submerged and solid-state fermentation using agroindustrial residues.

The filamentous fungus Paecylomices variotii was able to produce high levels of cell extract and extracellular invertases when grown under submerged fermentation (SbmF) and solid-state fermentation, using agroindustrial products or residues as substrates, mainly soy bran and wheat bran, at 40°C for 72 h and 96 h, respectively. Addition of glucose or fructose (≥1%; w/v) in SbmF inhibited enzyme production, while the addition of 1% (w/v) peptone as organic nitrogen source enhanced the production by 3.7-fold.

Endo-xylanase GH11 activation by the fungal metabolite eugenitin.

Eugenitin, a chromone derivative and a metabolite of the endophyte Mycoleptodiscus indicus, at 5 mM activated a recombinant GH11 endo-xylanase by 40 %. The in silico prediction of ligand-binding sites on the three-dimensional structure of the endo-xylanase revealed that eugenitin interacts mainly by a hydrogen bond with a serine residue and a stacking interaction of the heterocyclic aromatic ring system with a tryptophan residue. Eugenitin improved the GH11 endo-xylanase activity on different substrates, modified the optimal pH and temperature activities and slightly affected the kinetic parameters of the enzyme.

Biotechnological Potential of Agro-Industrial Wastes as a Carbon Source to Thermostable Polygalacturonase Production in Aspergillus niveus.

Agro-industrial wastes are mainly composed of complex polysaccharides that might serve as nutrients for microbial growth and production of enzymes. The aim of this work was to study polygalacturonase (PG) production by Aspergillus niveus cultured on liquid or solid media supplemented with agro-industrial wastes. Submerged fermentation (SbmF) was tested using Czapeck media supplemented with 28 different carbon sources.

Thermostable saccharogenic amylase produced under submerged fermentation by filamentous fungus Penicillium purpurogenum.

The effect of several nutritional and environmental parameters on Penicillium purpurogenum growth and sacharogenic amylase production was analyzed. High enzyme levels (68.2 U mg(-1)) were obtained with Khanna medium at initial pH 6.

Purification and characterization of a thermostable α-amylase produced by the fungus Paecilomyces variotii.

An α-amylase produced by Paecilomyces variotii was purified by DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography, followed by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration and electroelution. The α-amylase showed a molecular mass of 75 kDa (SDS-PAGE) and pI value of 4.5.

Tunicamycin inhibition of N-glycosylation of α-glucosidase from Aspergillus niveus: partial influence on biochemical properties.

Treatment of Aspergillus niveus with 30 μg tunicamycin/ml did not interfere with α-glucosidase production, secretion, or its catalytic properties. Fully- and under-glycosylated forms of the enzyme had similar molecular masses, ~56 kDa. Moreover, the absence of N-glycans did not affect either pH optimum (6.