Two cases of childhood linear immunoglobulin A bullous dermatosis following multivisceral transplant: A case report.

Childhood linear immunoglobulin A bullous dermatosis is a well-recognized autoimmune blistering dermatosis that can be idiopathic, drug-induced, secondary to autoimmune diseases, malignancies, infections, or gastrointestinal diseases including inflammatory bowel disease. However, it has not been previously associated with a history of organ transplantation. Here, we report two cases of childhood linear immunoglobulin A bullous dermatosis in young infants following multivisceral organ transplant, including one with a particularly recalcitrant course.

Lucio's phenomenon in a non-endemic region: A case report.

Leprosy remains a persistent health challenge in endemic regions with cases rising in non-endemic regions such as North America. Patients with leprosy present with a variety of symptoms including limited skin lesions in tuberculoid leprosy to extensive lesions and high bacterial proliferation in lepromatous leprosy. This case report details a 77-year-old Canadian man of South Asian descent with lepromatous leprosy and Lucio's phenomenon in Western Canada.

Functional hearing impairment common in Parkinson's disease: Insights from a pilot study.

Introduction: Hearing impairments in Parkinson's Disease (PD) have received limited attention in the past, possibly because PD patients often report no perceived hearing disability, yet negative consequences of hearing impairment might aggravate communication difficulties and social withdrawal.

Objective: Our aim was to investigate functional hearing (speech in noise recognition) in PD and evaluate its relationship to neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognition and quality of life.

Methods: Participants with PD were recruited in a tertiary movement disorder clinic.

Soft robotics-inspired sensing system for detecting downward movement and pistoning in prosthetic sockets: A proof-of-concept study.

Background: Vertical displacement of the residual limb within transtibial prosthetic socket, often known as "pistoning" or downward movement, may lead to skin breakdowns and ulcers. Downward movement is particularly difficult to self-manage for diabetic individuals living with amputation because of diminished sensation in the residual limb from peripheral neuropathy. Therefore, a customizable sensor at the distal end that can alert the users when high-risk downward movement and pistoning occurs is urgently needed.

The Oral and Fecal Microbiota in a Canadian Cohort of Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Despite decades of research, our understanding of Alzheimer's disease (AD) etiology remains incomplete. In recent years, appreciation has grown for potential roles for the microbiota in shaping neurological health.

Objective: This study aimed to examine associations between the microbiota and AD in a human cross-sectional cohort.

Data-Driven Prediction of Fatigue in Parkinson's Disease Patients.

Numerous non-motor symptoms are associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) including fatigue. The challenge in the clinic is to detect relevant non-motor symptoms while keeping patient-burden of questionnaires low and to take potential subgroups such as sex differences into account. The Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) effectively detects clinically significant fatigue in PD patients.

MIND and Mediterranean Diets Associated with Later Onset of Parkinson's Disease.

Background: The MIND diet has been linked with prevention of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline but has not been fully assessed in the context of Parkinson's disease (PD). The objective of the present study was to determine whether MIND diet adherence is associated with the age of Parkinson's disease onset in a manner superior to that of the Mediterranean diet.

Methods: Food Frequency Questionnaires from 167 participants with PD and 119 controls were scored for MIND and 2 versions of Mediterranean diet adherence.

The Gut Mycobiome in Parkinson's Disease.

The gut microbiome has been increasingly implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD); however, most existing studies employ bacterial-specific sequencing, and have not investigated non-bacterial microbiome constituents. Here, we use fungal-specific internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-2 amplicon sequencing in a cross-sectional PD cohort to investigate associations between the fungal gut microbiome and PD. Fungal load among participants was extremely low, and genera identified were almost exclusively of proposed dietary or environmental origin.

Microbiota Composition and Metabolism Are Associated With Gut Function in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease is characterized by a high burden of gastrointestinal comorbidities, especially constipation and reduced colonic transit time, and by gut microbiota alterations. The diverse metabolites produced by the microbiota are broadly relevant to host health. How microbiota composition and metabolism relate to gastrointestinal function in Parkinson's disease is largely unknown.

High yield primary microglial cultures using granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor from embryonic murine cerebral cortical tissue.

Background: Microglia play vital roles in neurotrophic support and modulating immune or inflammatory responses to pathogens or damage/stressors during disease. This study describes the ability to establish large numbers of microglia from embryonic tissues with the addition of granulocyte-macrophage stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and characterizes their similarities to adult microglia examined ex vivo as well as their responses to inflammatory mediators.

Method: Microglia were seeded from a primary embryonic mixed cortical suspension with the addition of GM-CSF.