Relationship Between Masticatory Dysfunction and Salivary Microbiota.

Backgrounds: Oral health predicts adverse systemic health-related outcomes, including future physical frailty. This study aimed to determine whether the salivary microbiome is associated with specific oral health indicators.

Methods: We collected oral gargle samples from 97 patients admitted to medical wards (mean age, 65 years) and assessed their oral health status.

In vitro culture and confocal microscopy study of Maritrema gratiosum Nicoll, 1907 (Digenea): From metacercaria to ovigerous adult.

This study set out to characterise the in vitro development, including musculature, of the microphallid parasite of the barnacle Semibalanus balanoides (Linnaeus, 1767), Maritrema gratiosum Nicoll, 1907 collected in Scotland. An in vitro culture model was developed to obtain ovigerous adults of M. gratiosum and their morphology was observed.

Coding-complete genomic sequence of bovine viral diarrhea virus isolated from a calf in Taiwan.

The coding-complete genomic sequence of a Taiwanese bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) was sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the Taiwanese isolate belonged to the 1b clade. This study will advance the understanding of BVDV genotypes in Southeast Asia and promote future studies on BVDV epidemiology in Taiwan.

A plasmonic refractive index sensor with an ultrabroad dynamic sensing range.

Refractive index sensors based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) promise to deliver high sensitivities. However, these sensitivities depend on the derivative of the monitored SPR parameters near resonance, so this dependency leads to a relatively narrow detection range for refractive index changes. Herein, we introduce an idea to improve the detection range refractive index through a high-contrast-index curved waveguide surrounded with an outer gold ring.