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Oceanic hydrothermal vent systems represent some of the oldest habitats on Earth and serve as analogs for extraterrestrial environments. The Lost City Hydrothermal Field (LCHF) near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is one such environment, and its large chimneys are unique in hosting actively venting hydrothermal fluids that are primarily controlled by serpentinization reactions in the subseafloor. Microbial communities within LCHF have been studied for insights into their functional adaptations to the warm, alkaline, and dissolved inorganic carbon-limited environment. Metagenomic and mineralogical data collected during a recent expedition to Lost City were analyzed to delineate associations between microbial populations and physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the chimneys. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences show a high degree of putative microdiversity within the relatively dominant genera Desulfotomaculum, Sulfurovum, Thiomicrorhabdus, and Serpentinicella, which represent a large core of the overall LCHF vent bacterial community. This microdiversity relates to the compositional fraction of aragonite, brucite, and calcite minerals within chimney samples rather than just the composition of nearby vent fluids. Although many species are found in both chimneys and venting fluids, the overall microbial community structures in chimney biofilms remain distinct from the hydrothermal fluids that flow through them. Shotgun metagenomic analyses reveal differences among genes predicted to be involved in carbon, methane, nitrogen and sulfur cycling with respect to their correlations to the abundances of specific minerals. These data hint at microenvironmental complexity lost within standard bulk analyses. The findings of this study underscore the need to more closely examine microbe-mineral interactions in natural environments, critically informing not just population-level distributions, but also the functional underpinnings of these extremophile microbial communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Israeli Mamanet Cachibol League (MCL) is a community-oriented athletic program serving mothers through non-competitive recreational sports participation. This study aimed to assess the effects of the MCL on perceived health status, mental health (happiness, depression, social capital), and healthy lifestyle behaviors (physical activity and nutrition). Methods: This is an experimental study with a sample of 231 women (174 in the experimental group and 57 in the control). Participants completed questionnaires in November 2023 (T1) and then in August 2024 (T2). The questionnaire included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, perceived health status, mental health (happiness, depression, social capital), and healthy lifestyle behaviors (physical activity and nutrition). Results: At T1, the MCL participants reported better mental health (higher subjective happiness and social capital and lower depressive symptoms) than the control group. Over time, participation in the MCL led to significant improvements in mental health (reductions in depression and increases in subjective happiness and social capital). The participants showed substantial improvements in healthy lifestyle behaviors, with moderate effect sizes (effects size > 0.5) observed across these areas. Sociodemographic factors influenced the outcomes, with variations in health perception and physical activity linked to marital status and education level. Conclusions: Participation in the MCL program was associated with better mental health at baseline and significantly improved over time compared to the control group. The MCL participants also showed gains in healthy lifestyle behaviors, highlighting the importance of tailored interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Increasing demands, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have presented substantial challenges to global healthcare systems, resulting in staff shortages and overcrowded emergency rooms. Health kiosks have emerged as a promising solution to improve overall efficiency and healthcare accessibility. However, although kiosks are commonly used worldwide for access to information and financial services, the health kiosk industry, valued at $800 million, accounts for just 1.9% of the $42 billion global kiosk market. This review aims to bridge the research-to-practice gap by examining the development of health kiosk technology from 2013 to 2023. Methods We conducted a systematic search across PubMed, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar databases, identifying 5,537 articles, with 36 studies meeting inclusion criteria for detailed analysis. We evaluated each study based on kiosk purpose, targeted diseases, measured vital signs, and user demographics, along with an assessment of limitations in participant selection and data reporting. Results The findings reveal that blood pressure is the most frequently measured vital sign, utilized in 34% of the studies. Furthermore, cardiovascular disease detection emerges as the primary motivation in 56% of the included studies. The United States, India, and the United Kingdom are notable contributors, accounting for 43% of the reviewed articles. Our assessment reveals considerable limitations in participant selection and data reporting in many studies. Additionally, several research gaps remain, including a lack of performance testing, user experience evaluation, clinical intervention, development standardization, and inadequate sanitization protocols. Conclusions This review highlights health kiosks’ potential to ease the burden on healthcare system and expand accessibility. However, widespread adoption is hindered by technical, regulatory, and financial challenges. Addressing these barriers could enable health kiosks to play a greater role in early disease detection and healthcare delivery.

ABSTRACT Background Fascioliasis represents one of the most significant parasitic and foodborne zoonotic diseases in the world. Resistance to currently deployed human and veterinary flukicides is a growing health problem. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO‐NPs) have developed enormous importance in nanomedicine. The current study aims to evaluate the flukicide activity of ZnO‐NPs on the adult stages of Fasciola hepatica, in vitro assay. Methods Mature flukes of F. hepatica were collected from the biliary tracts of cattle liver from the main slaughterhouses in Aswan Governorate, Egypt. The co‐precipitation process was utilized to create ZnO‐NPs. The adult active flukes of F. hepatica (n = 6) were transferred in Petri dishes (triplicates) containing different concentrations of ZnO‐NPs (0.5, 0.10 and 0.12 mg/mL), with simultaneous maintenance of control in only PBS. The treated and control groups of flukes were maintained inside an incubator at 37°C ± 1°C. Mortality and paralysis of the flukes were observed. The adult flukes were picked up for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination from the control medium, and those exposed to the highest effective concentration of ZnO‐NPs. ZnO‐NPs showed dose‐dependent flukicide efficacy against the adult flukes. Results At 0.12 mg/mL concentration of ZnO‐NPs, the mortality of flukes was attained early in 4.05 ± 0.033 h. The photomicrographs obtained by SEM of the flukes revealed that ZnO‐NPs (0.12 mg/mL) had a potent effect on the integument surface and genital system of F. hepatica. Most of the tegument was damaged with complete erosion and loss of the spines and papillae. Furthermore, a severe rupture in the genital system causes the uterus to burst and releases eggs through the genital pore. Conclusions Hence, it could be concluded that ZnO‐NPs performed effective anthelmintic activity against the adult stages of F. hepatica, in vitro. The results of the present study recommend the use of ZnO‐NPs as new preparations with anthelmintic activity.