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Adaptations for specific cultural populations are needed to respond to children affected by natural disasters. After Hurricane María, we provided disaster response training to mental health professionals and Disaster Response Play Therapy services to children in Puerto Rico. In this article, we describe culturally specific, field-tested preparation and procedures to promote Puerto Rican children's mental health after disasters. We recommend cultural adaptations for training mental health professionals and providing children's disaster response in Puerto Rico.

This study explores the bioconversion of diosgenin by Yarrowia lipolytica P01a, focusing on enhancing the antioxidant, antifungal, and herbicidal activities of the resulting extracts. The bioconversion process, involving glycosylation and hydroxylation, produced significant amounts of protodioscin and soyasaponin I. The extracts showed superior antioxidant activity, with up to 97.02% inhibition of ABTS· radicals and 33.30% inhibition of DPPH· radicals at 1000 mg L−1 of diosgenin. Antifungal assays revealed strong inhibitory effects against Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria sp., and Aspergillus niger, with maximum inhibition rates of 67.34%, 35.63%, and 65.53%, respectively. Additionally, the herbicidal activity of the bioconverted extracts was comparable to commercial herbicides, achieving 100% inhibition of seed germination in both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. These findings suggest that the Y. lipolytica P01a-mediated bioconversion of diosgenin could provide a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative for developing natural biofungicides and bioherbicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The guishe is a by-product of the fiber extraction from Agave lechuguilla. This material has no commercial value, although it contains metabolites that could be used as a resource for producing high-value products. This study optimized the DPPH• (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) antioxidant activity through microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of polyphenolic compounds from Agave lechuguilla residues. The MAE process was optimized using a Box-Behnken design, with extraction time (5–15 min), temperature (40–50 °C), and solvent: sample ratio (1:20–1:30 m/v) as independent variables. In contrast, the dependent variable was DPPH• free radical scavenging activity. As a result, the highest antioxidant activity was at 8 min of irradiation, extraction temperature of 45 °C, and solvent: sample ratio 1:30 w/v, obtaining a total flavonoid content of 19.25 ± 0.60 mg QE/g DW, a total polyphenol content of 6.59 ± 0.31 mg GAE/g DW, a DPPH• free radical scavenging activity of 73.35 ± 1.90%, and an ABTS+• ([2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate)]) free radical scavenging activity of 91.93 ± 0.68%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This participatory action research study explored queer womxn of color's (QWoC) experiences of microaggressions in counseling. Due to the multifaceted and complex experiences of QWoC, this study was informed by intersectionality theory and utilized photovoice methodology to explore QWoC's experiences of microaggressions in counseling. The seven QWoC who participated in this study provided portrayals of their experience of microaggressions in counseling. Five major themes were prominent in their photographs and narratives: (a) counseling as a tool of oppression, (b) impact of oppression in counseling, (c) strategies for survival, (d) healing for QWoC, and (e) the power of sharing mi historia. Overall, co‐researchers provided insight into their experiences of oppression in counseling, while highlighting clinical and research practices that may be healing and liberatory for QWoC. Additionally, implications and conclusions drawn from the experiences of co‐researchers provide recommendations for counselors working with QWoC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White spot syndrome virus ( WSSV) is the most aggressive disease affecting cultured shrimp. One possibility to tackle it is by means of RNA interference ( RNAi) induced by the presence of double-stranded RNA (ds RNA). Normally, ds RNA is a product of the cellular machinery to gene regulation, but it can be produced synthetically and introduced into specific tissues or cells and thereby induce RNAi. Although in vitro production of ds RNA is possible, this is high cost. An alternative is to produce ds RNA in vivo using biological systems such as bacteria or yeasts. In this regard, Yarrowia lipolytica offers distinctive advantages for ds RNA production. The objective was to develop a Y. lipolytica strain able to produce ds RNA-specific against WSSV and to evaluate its antiviral activity in the white leg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. From the 0.4 and 0.6 Kb fragments of the ORF89 gene, a ds RNA- ORF89-producing construct was built in the plasmid pJC410; the resulting construct ( pARY410) was used to transform Y. lipolytica to drive the specific expression of ds RNA- ORF89. Yeast colonies positive to the WSSV- ORF89 gene were selected. The expression of ds RNA- ORF89 and RNAse III was measured being detected at 32 and 48 hr. Subsequently, the antiviral activity of ds RNA- ORF89 was tested in a WSSV challenge bioassay. The results showed survival in ds RNA- ORF89 shrimp (25%) compared to control organisms treated with total RNA from the yeast P01- AS harvested at 32 hr. In conclusion, Y. lipolytica is a convenient host to produce and deliver ds RNA- ORF89 able to protect WSSV-challenged shrimp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Flavonoid biosynthesis is specialized and conserved within the Agave genus. • The Agave lechuguilla processed leaves presents a more active flavonoid biosynthesis than the intact leaves. • Transcriptomic bioprospecting is a reliable alternative to overcome the limits of analytical biochemistry. • The preliminary flavonoid profiling of the A. lechuguilla waste biomass exposes its industrial potential use. Agave lechuguilla is one of the most abundant species in arid and semiarid regions of Mexico, and is used to extract fiber. However, 85 % of the harvested plant material is discarded. Previous bioprospecting studies of the waste biomass suggest the presence of bioactive compounds, although the extraction process limited metabolite characterization. This work achieved flavonoid profiling of A. lechuguilla in both processed and non-processed leaf tissues using transcriptomic analysis. Functional annotation of the first de novo transcriptome of A. lechuguilla (255.7 Mbp) allowed identifying genes coding for 33 enzymes and 8 transcription factors involved in flavonoid biosynthesis. The flavonoid metabolic pathway was mostly elucidated by HPLC-MS/MS screening of alcoholic extracts. Key genes of flavonoid synthesis were higher expressed in processed leaf tissues than in non-processed leaves, suggesting a high content of flavonoids and glycoside derivatives in the waste biomass. Targeted HPLC-UV-MS analyses confirmed the concentration of isorhamnetin (1251.96 μg), flavanone (291.51 μg), hesperidin (34.23 μg), delphinidin (24.23 μg), quercetin (15.57 μg), kaempferol (13.71 μg), cyanidin (12.32 μg), apigenin (9.70 μg) and catechin (7.91 μg) per gram of dry residue. Transcriptomic and biochemical profiling concur in the potential of lechuguilla by-products with a wide range of applications in agriculture, feed, food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]