Herbivorous mammals host a complex microbiological community composed of archaea, bacteria, fungi, and ciliate protists. Metabarcoding sequencing approaches are among the main tools used to investigate these microbiomes. Despite their contribution to our understanding of local biodiversity, detailed taxonomic analyses are hindered by gaps in knowledge regarding ciliate diversity and fundamental taxonomic inferences. Short-reads alignment software from next-generation sequencing (NGS), along with computational species delimitation methods, offer promising tools for analyzing these data, enhancing accuracy and revealing previously undocumented lineages and diversity patterns within microbiomes. We propose a new workflow that integrates short-reads alignment with computational species delimitation, using different algorithms to analyze microbiomes from bovines and camelids. Our results showed that amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) from bovine and camelid microbiomes clustered within known families of endosymbiotic protists. At the level of taxonomic signatures, the application of different delimitation methods yielded contrasting numbers of Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) across the microbiomes analyzed. In addition, the approaches were able to recover taxonomic signatures at the genus level and identify taxonomic correspondences with known species. They also demonstrated greater taxonomic resolution when applied to the bovine microbiome and revealed hidden diversity within the camelid microbiome. This work is pioneering in presenting a methodological framework for processing amplicon data generated by NGS platforms, enabling a more refined taxonomic analysis of the structure of ciliated protist communities.
The L-scar technique has emerged as a promising alternative in breast surgery, aiming to reduce visible scarring while preserving aesthetics and minimizing complications. Despite growing clinical interest, comprehensive evaluations of its outcomes remain scarce. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA and Cochrane guidelines. Studies were included if they assessed the L-scar technique in breast procedures, including reduction mammaplasty, mastopexy and augmentation, and reported on postoperative complications or patient satisfaction. Searches were performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane through December 2024. Pooled prevalences were calculated using a random-effects model, and heterogeneity was assessed via the I2 statistic. Risk of bias was evaluated using ROBINS-I. Twelve studies comprising 3,130 patients were included. The pooled incidence of complications was low across most outcomes: breast asymmetry (1.95 www.springer.com/00266 .
Objectives This systematic review with network meta-analysis (NMA) evaluated whether three-dimensional (3D) printed resin-based composites (RBCs) intended for long-term dental restorations perform similarly or superiorly to conventional restorative materials. Data sources The review followed the PRISMA extension for NMA. Six electronic databases were searched up to November 2025. Study selection In vitro studies assessing at least one commercially available 3D-printed RBC for long-term dental restorations and at least one conventional restorative material were eligible. Methodological quality was assessed using the RoBDEMAT tool, and data were synthesized using Bayesian NMA. Results From 2,299 records, 50 studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 40 were included in the meta-analyses. Across mechanical, physical, reproducibility, and optical outcomes, 3D-printed RBCs generally performed similarly to or worse than most conventional materials. However, they demonstrated superior marginal and internal fit compared with glass ceramics, polymer-infiltrated ceramic networks, and polymeric restoratives, except when compared with direct RBCs, indicating enhanced dimensional accuracy. Conclusions Although 3D printing achieved superior trueness and internal/marginal fit relative to most conventional restorative materials, the inferior mechanical performance, suboptimal microstructural characteristics, and limited optical stability of 3D-printed resins underscore the need for improvements in material formulation, post-curing strategies, and finishing and polishing protocols. Clinical significance At present, 3D-printed resins for long-term single-unit restorations do not yet match the overall performance of established conventional restorative systems.
During extreme droughts and heatwaves, high air pollution levels further intensify the hazardous outcome of compound events. This study proposes a new index to measure the compound PM2.5 drought heat wave (CPDH) hazard. To achieve this, MERRA-2 air pollution data and ERA5 precipitation and temperature data over South Asia were used for a 43-year period from 1980 to 2022. The study employed three CPDH indices to estimate characteristics such as duration, magnitude, and severity. Additionally, the trends of these indices were also studied to understand the spatiotemporal changes in CPDH. The results showed that the annual duration of CPDH ranges from 0 to 9 days, and the magnitude is 0.4 in the western regions, while severity ranges between 0 and 2 in the central and western regions. The trend analysis showed that PM2.5 increased annually by 0.21 to 0.48 mu g/m3, heatwave events increased by 0.25 to 0.67 over most of the study area, and drought severity increased with a decrease in SPEI by -0.01 to -0.03 in the west of South Asia over the past 43 years. These changes caused the CPDH magnitude and severity in the western, eastern, and southern regions to more than triple in the last decade compared to the early period. The CPDH duration, magnitude, and severity trends revealed an increase of more than 0.6 days, 0.015, and 0.05 per year in the eastern, southwestern, and western parts of the sub-continent. The study indicates a gradual increase in CPDH events, which can adversely affect public health.
Monsoon systems underpin the water, food, and economic security of over two-thirds of the global population, yet they are entering a state of instability as global temperatures have now surpassed +1.5 degrees C above preindustrial levels. This crossing of the 1.5 degrees C threshold raises a critical problem: Are monsoon onset, duration, and extreme rainfall already shifting in detectable, regionally differentiated ways? Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 framework, we screened 784 peer-reviewed studies (2000-2024) and synthesized 72 high-quality articles. A complementary global diagnostic using Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS; 1981-2024) ensured uniform comparison across monsoon regions. Results reveal onset shifts of +/- 15 days, rainfall-intensity increases of +10-60%, and duration changes of +/- 15 days, with the strongest signals in South Asia, East Asia, the Western North Pacific, and Southeast Asia. Attribution using CMIP5/CMIP6, ERA5, TRMM, GPM, and IMERG identifies El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), sea-surface temperature anomalies, and greenhouse-gas (GHG)-aerosol interactions as dominant drivers. Although seasonal totals often change modestly, clustering of extremes and lengthening dry spells markedly elevate compound flood-drought risk. This review establishes the first harmonized global baseline of observed monsoon change and highlights urgent needs for convection-permitting regional models, improved subseasonal prediction, expanded observational networks, and increased representation of African and South American monsoon systems.
