Effects of Peromyscus spp. (Rodentia: Cricetidae) presence, land use, and ecotone on Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) ecology in an emergent area for tick-borne disease.

As the range of Ixodes scapularis Say expands, host abundance and land use can play important roles in regions where ticks and their associated pathogens are emerging. Small mammal hosts serve as reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens, with Peromyscus leucopus Rafinesque often considered a primary reservoir. A sympatric species Peromyscus maniculatus Wagner is also a competent reservoir and is notoriously difficult to differentiate from P.

"No Country Bureaucratised its way to Excellence": A Content Analysis of Comments on a Petition to Streamline Australian Research Ethics and Governance Processes.

We created a petition for a national inquiry into the Australian system of research ethics and governance, to inform the politicians about the problems with the existing system. We analyzed the reasons that signatories offered for why signing the petition was important to them. A total of 409 comments (by 805 signatories) focused on five major themes: (1) views on previous changes to the system of research ethics and governance; (2) drawbacks of the existing system; (3) suggested changes to the system; (4) anticipated impacts of changing the system; and (5) miscellaneous/other comments.

PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF ANAPLASMA INFECTIONS IN EASTERN MOOSE (ALCES ALCES AMERICANA) AND WINTER TICKS (DERMACENTOR ALBIPICTUS) IN MAINE, USA.

Eastern moose (Alces alces americana) are heavily parasitized by winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus), the dominant cause of increased calf mortality in the northeastern US. Although much work has focused on the direct negative effects of winter tick on moose, it remains unknown whether diseases transmitted by ticks may also affect moose health or pose a risk to other species. We explored the role that moose and winter ticks play in transmission of the tick-borne bacterial pathogens, Anaplasma spp.

Statewide Passive Surveillance of and Associated Pathogens in Maine.

The blacklegged tick, , is the primary vector of multiple human pathogens, including the causative agents of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. Both and its associated pathogens have expanded their geographic range throughout the northeastern Unites States and into northern New England. Through this study, we present an updated distribution of in Maine and report the first statewide passive surveillance infection and coinfection prevalence of , , and within the state's population.

Echinococcus in wild canids in Québec (Canada) and Maine (USA).

Zoonotic Echinococcus spp. cestodes (E. canadensis and E.

Long-term results with cryopreserved arterial allografts (CPAs) in the treatment of graft or primary arterial infections.

Objective: Our purpose was to evaluate our results with CPAs in patients with infected grafts or primary arterial infection with emphasis on long-term durability of these grafts.

Methods: To evaluate the long-term durability of CPAs, clinical outcomes were analyzed following their use for either graft or primary arterial infections at a single institution over a 9-y period (2000-2009). The 30-d mortality rate, 90-d mortality rate, and the cause of early mortality were determined in each case.

Case study: chronic femoropopliteal prosthetic graft infection with exposed graft.

One of the most feared complications following vascular reconstruction is infection due to the attendant risks of limb loss, sepsis, or death. The reported incidence of infection following infrainguinal prosthetic graft infection is 2.5% with associated mortality rates and amputation rates of 18% and 41%, respectively.

Combined thenar and hypothenar hammer syndromes: case report and review of the literature.

Patients who use the palms of their hands as a hammer may cause irreversible damage to the radial or ulnar arteries. Damage to the intima may lead to arterial thrombosis, whereas damage to the media may cause aneurysm formation with embolization to the digital arteries, causing symptoms of ischemia. These patients may have symptoms of Raynaud syndrome, or they may have ischemic ulcerations of their fingers.

Subclavian venous aneurysm: case report and review of the literature.

A case of a symptomatic 5.1-cm left subclavian venous aneurysm, which was treated with surgical excision, is presented. Most venous aneurysms in the head and neck region involve the internal or external jugular veins and are asymptomatic.

Infected splenic artery aneurysm with associated splenic abscess formation secondary to bacterial endocarditis: case report and review of the literature.

Infected aneurysms are rare and may present with rupture or sepsis. Surgical treatment is often required to prevent catastrophic sequelae. Bacterial endocarditis is one of the classic causes of infected aneurysm.

Arterial infections in the new millenium: an old problem revisited.

The natural history of infected aneurysms or arterial infections is characterized by rapid expansion leading to rupture, pseudoaneurysm formation, and sepsis. Treatment options include in situ grafting either with prosthetic or autogenous grafts or with cryopreserved allografts (CPAs), resection of the aneurysm with remote bypass grafting, and ligation. The purpose of this study was to review our recent experience with these infections and to present long-term follow-up with in situ CPAs.

Defibulation to treat female genital cutting: effect on symptoms and sexual function.

Objective: Women who have undergone type III female genital cutting may suffer long-term complications. Defibulation (reconstructive surgery of the infibulated scar) can alleviate some of these complications. We studied the physical and sexual outcomes after defibulation and evaluated both patient and husband satisfaction.

Pseudoaneurysm formation in a subset of patients with small intestinal submucosa biologic patches after carotid endarterectomy.

Background: The carotid artery is frequently patched after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) to minimize the risks of early postoperative thrombosis and late recurrent stenosis. The small intestinal submucosa (SIS) patch is a biologic vascular patch derived from porcine small intestine. It is composed primarily of cell-free collagen and other extracellular matrix constituents that act as a scaffold for host cell deposition.

Endoluminal repair of carotid artery pseudoaneurysms: a word of caution.

This report describes our results with covered endoluminal stents in the management of 4 patients with carotid artery pseudoaneurysms (PSAs) following carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Two patients had symptomatic embolization of thrombus from the PSA's into branches of the middle cerebral arteries (MCA) during deployment of the stents. Endoluminal stents were deployed uneventfully in the other two.

Pulmonary Kaposi's sarcoma in pregnancy.

Kaposi's sarcoma in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) -infected women, often misdiagnosed, has an aggressive clinical course, with high rates of visceral involvement and decreased survival. We describe the first case of isolated pulmonary Kaposi's sarcoma in pregnancy. A nulliparous woman was diagnosed with AIDS after presenting at 25 weeks gestation with a cough and multiple pulmonary nodules.

Fetal ovarian cysts: incidence, diagnosis and management.

Greater numbers of fetal ovarian cysts are being diagnosed due to improved antenatal imaging. These numbers correspond to data from autopsy studies showing approximately 30% of neonates to have ovarian cysts. Fetal ovarian cysts pose a risk of acute and long-term complications.

Surgical resection of a large recurrent pelvic arteriovenous malformation using deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.

Transcatheter embolization has emerged as the treatment of choice for pelvic arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), because surgical resection may be difficult and is associated with a high recurrence rate. We report a patient with a large recurrent pelvic AVM in whom transcatheter embolization was not feasible. This patient underwent surgical resection of the AVM, which was accomplished with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.