Critical Consciousness and Sex Positivity: Opinions on Race Play within Alternate Sexuality Communities.

Race play, the act of making explicit overtures to race, racial differences, or political racial dynamics within the context of a kink or BDSM (bondage dominance/submission, sadism/masochism) can be a contentious topic among scholars and members of alternative sexuality communities. In the current study, we explored how individuals' ideologies about race and sex are associated with their opinions of race play. Two-hundred thirty-four participants recruited through sex-positive and BDSM community spaces between January and June of 2021 completed measures of color-blind racial ideology and sexual comfort as assessments of critical consciousness and sex-positive values. Additionally, participants provided open-ended responses to a description of race play. Mixed-methods analyses using k-means clusters and crosstabs approaches indicated that the interaction of critical consciousness and sex positive attitudes influenced participants' views on race play. Among those with strong sex-positive attitudes, those who denied institutional racism were more likely to provide unequivocal support for race play while those who acknowledged institutional racism were more likely to emphasize the nuance of balancing personal sexual freedom with the implications of race for practitioners as well as spectators. Additional research is needed to further determine whether racial group membership has an impact on opinions toward race play.

Potential application of a fungal co-culture crude extract for the conservation of post-harvest fruits.

Fungal plant pathogens are responsible for serious losses in many economically important crop species worldwide. Due to the use of fungicides and the fungi genome plasticity, multi-drug resistant strains are emerging as a new generation of pathogens, causing an expansive range of superficial and systemic plant infections, or new opportunistic fungal pathogens for humans. The group of antagonistic fungi Trichoderma spp. has been widely used to enhance plant growth and for the control of different pathogens affecting crops. Although Neurospora crassa is not a mycoparasitic fungus, its secretion of secondary metabolites with antimicrobial activity has been described. In this work, the effect of crude extract of the monoculture of Trichoderma asperellum T8a or the co-culture with N. crassa as an inhibitory treatment against the fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium solani was evaluated. The findings demonstrate that the secondary metabolites contained in the T. asperellum crude extract have a clear fungistatic activity against B. cinerea and F. solani. Interestingly, this fungistatic activity highly increases when T. asperellum is co-cultivated with the non-pathogenic fungus N. crassa. Moreover, the co-culture crude extract also showed antifungal activity on post-harvest fruits, and no toxic effects on Murine fibroblast L929 (CCL-1) and murine macrophages RAW 264.7 (TIB-71) were observed. All these results together are solid evidence of the potential of the co-culture crude extract of T. asperellum and N. crassa, as an antifungal agent against phytopathogenic fungi, or post-harvest fruits during the transportation or commercialization time.

Prevalence and characteristics of choking/strangulation during sex: Findings from a probability survey of undergraduate students.

OBJECTIVE: In a random sample of undergraduate students, we aimed to: (1) establish the prevalence of choking and being choked; (2) examine demographic and situational predictors of being choked, and (3) examine demographic and situational predictors of choking someone.Participants: 4168 randomly sampled undergraduates at a large public U.S. university.Methods: A cross-sectional, confidential online survey.Results: We found that 26.5% of women, 6.6% of men, and 22.3% of transgender and gender non-binary participants reported having been choked during their most recent sexual event. Additionally, 5.7% of women, 24.8% of men, and 25.9% of transgender and non-binary participants reported that they choked their partner at their most recent event. Choking was more prevalent among sexual minority students.Conclusions: Choking is prevalent among undergraduate students; implications for college sexual health education are discussed.

#ChokeMeDaddy: A Content Analysis of Memes Related to Choking/Strangulation During Sex.

Recent research indicates that some young people initially learn about sexual choking through Internet memes. Thus, a qualitative content analysis was performed on 316 visual and textual memes collected from various social media websites and online searches to assess salient categories related to choking during sex. We identified nine main categories: communication, gendered dynamics, choking as dangerous, choking as sexy, sexualization of the nonsexual, shame and worry, romance/rough sex juxtaposition, choking and religious references, instructional/informational. Given that memes, through their humor, can make difficult topics more palatable and minimize potential harm in the phenomenon they depict, more concerted, synergistic effort that integrates media literacy into sexuality education programming on the potential risks that may ensue for those engaging in sexual choking is warranted.

Beyond the Boundaries: Exploring the Identity-Related Experiences of Biracial/Multiracial and Bisexual Adults.

Most prior bisexual research takes a monolithic approach to racial identity, and existing racial/ethnic minority research often overlooks bisexuality. Consequently, previous studies have rarely examined the experiences and unique health needs of biracial/multiracial and bisexual individuals. This exploratory qualitative study investigated the identity-related experiences of biracial/multiracial and bisexual adults within the context of health and well-being. Data were collected through 90-min semi-structured telephone interviews. Participants were recruited through online social network sites and included 24 adults between ages 18 and 59 years. We aimed to explore how identity-related experiences shape biracial/multiracial and bisexual individuals' identity development processes; how biracial/multiracial and bisexual individuals negotiate their identities; how the blending of multiple identities may contribute to perceptions of inclusion, exclusion, and social connectedness; and how biracial/multiracial and bisexual individuals may attribute positive and negative experiences to their identities. Interview transcripts were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach. Analysis highlighted four major themes: passing and invisible identities, not measuring up and erasing complexity, cultural binegativity/queerphobia and intersectional oppressions, and navigating beyond boundaries. Our findings imply promoting affirmative visibility and developing intentional support networks may help biracial/multiracial and bisexual individuals cultivate resiliency and navigate sources of identity stress. We encourage future research to explore mental health and chronic stress among this community.

"If Their Face Starts Turning Purple, You Are Probably Doing Something Wrong": Young Men's Experiences with Choking During Sex.

Choking/strangulation during sex has become prevalent in the United States. Yet, no qualitative research has addressed men's choking experiences. Through interviews with 21 young adult men, we examined the language men use to refer to choking, how they first learned about it, their experiences with choking, and consent and safety practices. Men learned about choking during adolescence from pornography, partners, friends, and mainstream media. They engaged in choking to be kinky, adventurous, and to please partners. While many enjoyed or felt neutral about choking, others were reluctant to choke or be choked. Safety and verbal/non-verbal consent practices varied widely.

Skin Color and Skin Tone Diversity in Human Sexuality Textbook Anatomical Diagrams.

Little is known about skin tone and skin color representation within sexuality education materials. A content analysis was performed to assess skin tone and skin color diversity among anatomical images (n = 182) within eight contemporary, college-level human sexuality textbooks. Of these images, 1.1% represented dark skin tones while 83.5% represented light skin tones. Skin colors commonly associated with Black and Brown people were underrepresented in comparison to colors generally associated with white or white-presenting people such as conch, which comprised 42.3% (n = 77) of anatomical images. We encourage sex therapists to use racially conscious and inclusive imagery and educational materials when serving clients.

"It Was Scary, But Then It Was Kind of Exciting": Young Women's Experiences with Choking During Sex.

Choking/strangulation during sex is prevalent among young adults, with one study finding that 58% of women college students had ever been choked during sex. However, no qualitative study has examined women's experiences with choking/strangulation during sex outside of intimate partner violence. The purpose of our qualitative interview study was to investigate women's experiences with choking and/or being choked during partnered sex. Through in-depth interviews with 24 undergraduate and graduate women students ages 18 to 33, we sought to understand how women communicate about choking, their learning about and initiation into choking, their feelings about being choked and choking others, as well as consent and safety practices used in relation to choking. We found that women had first learned about choking through diverse sources including pornography, erotic stories, magazines, social media, friends, and partners. While all 24 women had been choked during sex, only 13 of 24 had ever choked a partner. They described having engaged in choking with men as well as women and with committed as well as more casual partner types. Participants described consensual and non-consensual choking experiences. While many women enjoyed choking, others did it largely to please their sexual partner. Women described different methods and intensities of having been choked. Although very few had ever sought out information on safety practices or risk reduction, and only some had established safe words or safe gestures with partners, participants consistently expressed a belief that the ways in which they and their partner(s) engaged in choking were safe.

Diverse Sexual Behaviors in Undergraduate Students: Findings From a Campus Probability Survey.

BACKGROUND: Probability-based surveys of college students typically assess sexual behaviors such as oral, vaginal, and anal sex. Little is known about the broader range of sexual behaviors in which students engage. AIMS: In a random sample survey of undergraduate students, we aimed to: (1) describe how recently participants had engaged in solo and partnered sexual behaviors, (2) examine how frequently participants enacted certain rough sex sexual behaviors (e.g., light spanking, hard spanking, choking, slapping, and others), (3) assess participants' frequency of experiencing certain rough sex behaviors, (4) describe participants' frequency of threesome/group sex, (5) assess the characteristics of participants' experiences with choking during sex; and (6) examine choking and face slapping in regard to consent. METHODS: A confidential, online cross-sectional survey of 4,989 randomly sampled undergraduate students at a large U.S. university. OUTCOMES: Participants reported having engaged in a broad range of solo and partnered sexual activities, including rough sex behaviors. RESULTS: The most prevalent general sexual behaviors were solo masturbation (88.6%), oral sex (79.4% received, 78.4% performed), penile-vaginal intercourse (73.5%), and partnered masturbation (71.1%). Anal intercourse was the least prevalent of these behaviors (16.8% received, 25.3% performed). Among those with any partnered sexual experience, 43.0% had choked a partner, 47.3% had been choked, 59.1% had been lightly spanked and 12.1% had been slapped on the face during sex. CLINICAL TRANSLATION: College health clinicians and educators need to be aware of the diverse and evolving range of solo and partnered sexual behaviors reported by students. In addition to counseling students about pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection risk, clinicians might assess patients' engagement in diverse sexual behaviors, such as choking/strangulation during sex, given the risk for serious outcomes including death. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: Strengths of our research include the large sample size, use of random sampling, high response rate for college populations, broad range of behaviors assessed, and novel data on choking during sex. Among our limitations, we did not assess to what extent the experiences were wanted, pleasurable, or appealing to participants. Except for in relation to choking and slapping, we also did not assess issues of consent. CONCLUSION: Participants reported engaging in diverse sexual behaviors, some of which have important clinical implications, are understudied, and warrant further research. Herbenick D, Patterson C, Beckmeyer J, et al. Diverse Sexual Behaviors in Undergraduate Students: Findings From a Campus Probability Survey. J Sex Med 2021;18:1024-1041.

What Is Rough Sex, Who Does It, and Who Likes It? Findings from a Probability Sample of U.S. Undergraduate Students.

Using data from an undergraduate probability sample, we aimed to: (1) describe the prevalence and demographic characteristics of students who reported having engaged in rough sex with their current partner; (2) assess which sexual behaviors students consider to be rough sex; (3) describe the frequency with which participants report engaging in rough sex as well as their reports of initiating and liking rough sex, in relation to gender and sexual identity; and (4) examine predictors of rough sex frequency. Participants were 4998 students randomly sampled from a large Midwestern university who completed a confidential Internet-based survey (2453 women, 2445 men, 41 gender non-binary, 36 transgender or other gender non-conforming identities). Within these, 1795 individuals who reported a romantic/sexual partner of at least 3 months responded to questions about engaging, liking, and initiating rough sex. The most common behaviors participants considered to be rough sex were choking, hair pulling, and spanking. Transgender and gender non-binary students more often endorsed behaviors as rough sex. Also, rough sex was conceptualized as multidimensional, with one cluster being more consistent with earlier conceptualizations of rough sex (e.g., hair pulling, spanking) and the second cluster including behaviors such as choking, slapping, punching, and making someone have sex. About 80% of those with a current sexual or romantic partner engaged in rough sex with them and most who engaged it liked it. Bisexual women reported greater rough sex frequency and enjoyment (54.1% indicated enjoying it "very much"). Implications for sexuality research and education are discussed.

Pyocyanin Restricts Social Cheating in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Quorum sensing (QS) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa coordinates the expression of virulence factors, such as exoproteases and siderophores, that are public goods utilized by the whole population of bacteria, regardless of whether they invested or not in their production. These public goods can be used by QS defective mutants for growth, and since these mutants do not contribute to public goods production, they are considered social cheaters. Pyocyanin is a phenazine that is a toxic, QS-controlled metabolite produced by P. aeruginosa. It is a redox-active compound and promotes the generation of reactive oxygen species; it also possesses antibacterial properties and increases fitness in competition with other bacterial species. Since QS-deficient individuals are less able to tolerate oxidative stress, we hypothesized that the pyocyanin produced by the wild-type population could promote selection of functional QS systems in this bacterium. Here, we demonstrate, using competition experiments and mathematical models, that, indeed, pyocyanin increases the fitness of the cooperative QS-proficient individuals and restricts the appearance of social cheaters. In addition, we also show that pyocyanin is able to select QS in other bacteria such as Acinetobacter baumannii.

Induction of the lateral flagellar system of Vibrio shilonii is an early event after inhibition of the sodium ion flux in the polar flagellum.

In this study, we show the induction of lateral flagella by the action of the sodium channel blocker phenamil, in the marine bacterium Vibrio shilonii, a coral pathogen that causes bleaching. We analyzed the growth and morphology of cells treated with phenamil. A time course analysis showed that after 30 min of exposure to the sodium channel blocker, lateral flagella were present and could be detected by electron microscopy. Detection of the mRNA of the master regulator (lafK) and lateral flagellin (lafA) by RT-PCR confirmed the expression of lateral flagellar genes. We show the simultaneous isolation of polar and, for the first time, lateral flagellar hook-basal bodies. This allowed us to compare the dimensions and morphological characteristics of the 2 structures.

Na(+)- and H(+)-dependent motility in the coral pathogen Vibrio shilonii.

In this work, we analyzed motility and the flagellar systems of the marine bacterium Vibrio shilonii. We show that this bacterium produces lateral flagella when seeded on soft agar plates at concentrations of 0.5% or 0.6%. However, at agar concentrations of 0.7%, cells become round and lose their flagella. The sodium channel blocker amiloride inhibits swimming of V. shilonii with the sheathed polar flagellum, but not swarming with lateral flagella. We also isolated and characterized the filament­hook­basal body of the polar flagellum. The proteins in this structure were analyzed by MS. Eight internal sequences matched with known flagellar proteins. The comparison of these sequences with the protein database from the complete genome of V. shilonii allows us to conclude that some components of the polar flagellum are encoded in two different clusters of flagellar genes, suggesting that this bacterium has a complex flagellar system, more complex possibly than other Vibrio species reported so far.