Echocardiogram by apical-subcostal protocol in prone position during invasive mechanical ventilation in cardiovascular intensive care unit.

Aims: To evaluate the feasibility of a transthoracic echocardiogram using an apical-subcostal protocol in invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and prone position.

Methods: Prospective study of adults who required a prone position during IMV. A pillow was placed only under the left hemithorax in the prone position to elevate and ease the apical and subcostal windows.

Performance of Cervical Screening a Decade Following HPV Vaccination: The Costa Rica Vaccine Trial.

Background: We investigated the impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination on the performance of cytology-based and HPV-based screening for detection of cervical precancer among women vaccinated as young adults and reaching screening age.

Methods: A total of 4632 women aged 25-36 years from the Costa Rica HPV Vaccine Trial were included (2418 HPV-vaccinated as young adults and 2214 unvaccinated). We assessed the performance of cytology- and HPV-based cervical screening modalities in vaccinated and unvaccinated women to detect high-grade cervical precancers diagnosed over 4 years and the absolute risk of cumulative cervical precancers by screening results at entry.

Single trans-septal access technique for left atrial intracardiac echocardiography to guide left atrial appendage closure.

Objective: This registry aimed to describe the safety and feasibility of a single trans-septal (TS) access technique for left intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) guidance of left-atrial appendage (LAA) closure procedure.

Background: LAA closure is currently accepted as an alternative to oral anticoagulation (OAC) in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) who are at high-risk for bleeding. Currently, LAA closure procedure is typically performed under trans-esophageal echocardiogram (TEE) guidance.

Cervical cancer incidence after screening with HPV, cytology, and visual methods: 18-Year follow-up of the Guanacaste cohort.

Testing negative for human papillomavirus (HPV) predicts long-term reassurance against invasive cervical cancer (ICC). To provide realistic estimates of effectiveness for new screening programs, we studied ICC risk after a 7-year repeated multimethod screening effort. In 1993-1994, 10,049 women aged 18-97 years were enrolled into a population-based cohort study of cervical HPV in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Views on sex and sex education among gang-involved Latino youth in the United States.

Although gang-involved Latino youth in the United States are uniquely at risk of adverse consequences from sexual behavior, little research is available that can guide those who wish to develop interventions to reduce sexual risk among these youth. To facilitate the development of effective interventions, we identified cultural and contextual factors that influence sexual behavior and sex education among gang-involved Latino youth in one U.S.

Low risk of type-specific carcinogenic HPV re-appearance with subsequent cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3.

Carcinogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are very common after sexual debut and nearly all become undetectable ("clear") within a few years. Following clearance, the long-term risks of type-specific HPV re-appearance and subsequent risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) are not well defined. In the 7-year, population-based cohort study in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, we studied how often type-specific carcinogenic HPV infections re-appeared after clearance and how often re-appearance led to CIN2+.

A competitive serological assay shows naturally acquired immunity to human papillomavirus infections in the Guanacaste Natural History Study.

Background: A competitive Luminex Immunoassay (cLIA) has been developed to measure neutralizing antibodies against human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16 and 18.

Methods: In a cohort of 974 women from the Guanacaste Natural History Study, we studied the relationship of baseline cLIA and virus-like particle (VLP) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (HPV16 and HPV18 only) seropositivity to measures of HPV exposure, HPV DNA positivity, number of sexual partners, cytology findings, and age. We then studied immunity against subsequent infection with HPV6, 11, 16, 18 and related types over a 7-year period.

Switch from cytology-based to human papillomavirus test-based cervical screening: implications for colposcopy.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is more sensitive than cytology; some cervical cancer prevention programs will switch from cytology to carcinogenic HPV test-based screening. The objective of our study is to evaluate the clinical implications of a switch to HPV test-based screening on performance and workload of colposcopy. Women in the population-based, 7-year Guanacaste cohort study were screened at enrollment using cytology.

A population-based prospective study of carcinogenic human papillomavirus variant lineages, viral persistence, and cervical neoplasia.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) types differ profoundly in cervical carcinogenicity. For the most carcinogenic type HPV16, variant lineages representing further evolutionary divergence also differ in cancer risk. Variants of the remaining 10 to 15 carcinogenic HPV types have not been well studied.

Longitudinal study of human papillomavirus persistence and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3: critical role of duration of infection.

Background: The natural history of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in older women is critical for preventive strategies, including vaccination and screening intervals, but is poorly understood. In a 7-year population-based cohort study in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, we examined whether women's age and the duration of carcinogenic HPV infections influenced subsequent persistence of infection and risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 (CIN 2) or worse disease.

Methods: At enrollment, of the 9466 participants eligible for pelvic examination, 9175 were screened for cervical neoplasia using multiple methods; those with CIN 2 or worse disease were censored and treated.

Activation of calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor during ozone inhalation contributes to airway epithelial injury and repair.

The authors investigated the importance of the neuropeptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), in epithelial injury, repair, and neutrophil emigration after ozone exposure. Wistar rats were administered either a CGRP-receptor antagonist (CGRP(8-37)) or saline and exposed to 8 hours of 1-ppm ozone or filtered air with an 8-hour postexposure period. Immediately after exposure, ethidium homodimer was instilled into lungs as a marker of necrotic airway epithelial cells.

Short term persistence of human papillomavirus and risk of cervical precancer and cancer: population based cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate the cumulative incidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia II or worse (grade II+) or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade III+ after short term persistence of prevalently detected carcinogenic human papillomavirus (HPV).

Design: Population based cohort study.

Setting: Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Neither one-time negative screening tests nor negative colposcopy provides absolute reassurance against cervical cancer.

A population sample of 10,049 women living in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, was recruited into a natural history of human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical neoplasia study in 1993-1994. At the enrollment visit, we applied multiple state-of-the-art cervical cancer screening methods to detect prevalent cervical cancer and to prevent subsequent cervical cancers by the timely detection and treatment of precancerous lesions. Women were screened at enrollment with 3 kinds of cytology (often reviewed by more than one pathologist), visual inspection and cervicography.

Rationale and design of a community-based double-blind randomized clinical trial of an HPV 16 and 18 vaccine in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

We report the rationale, design, methods and details of participation of a community-based, double-blind, randomized clinical trial of an HPV 16 and 18 vaccine conducted in two provinces of Costa Rica to investigate the efficacy and population impact of the vaccine in the prevention of cervical cancer precursors. More than 24,000 women between 18 and 25 years of age were invited to participate and pre-screened for eligibility, with recruitment of 7466 women (30% of those pre-screened, 59% of those eligible) who were randomized to receive 3 doses of the HPV vaccine or hepatitis A vaccine as control. A complex protocol of data and specimen collection was applied, including an interview, pelvic exam for sexually active women, blood for serology and cell-mediated immunity, cervical secretions for local immunity and cells for HPV, Chlamydia trachomatis and gonorrhea testing.

Activation of neurokinin-1 receptors during ozone inhalation contributes to epithelial injury and repair.

We investigated the importance of neurokinin (NK)-1 receptors in epithelial injury and repair and neutrophil function. Conscious Wistar rats were exposed to 1 ppm ozone or filtered air for 8 hours, followed by an 8-hour postexposure period. Before exposure, we administered either the NK-1 receptor antagonist, SR140333, or saline as a control.

Comparison of a radiofrequency-based wireless pressure sensor to swan-ganz catheter and echocardiography for ambulatory assessment of pulmonary artery pressure in heart failure.

Objectives: The goal of this work was to evaluate the accuracy of a new heart failure (HF) sensor (HFS) (Heart Failure Sensor, CardioMEMS Inc., Atlanta, Georgia) pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) monitoring compared with Swan-Ganz (SG) (Hospira, Inc., Lake Forest, Illinois) catheterization and echocardiography (ECHO) in ambulatory HF patients.

High load for most high risk human papillomavirus genotypes is associated with prevalent cervical cancer precursors but only HPV16 load predicts the development of incident disease.

Cervicovaginal human papillomavirus (HPV) viral load has been purported as a potential marker for the detection of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or cancer (>/=CIN2). To examine disease association with type-specific viral load for the full-range of anogenital HPV infections, we conducted cross-sectional and prospective analyses of approximately 2,000 HPV-infected women from a 10,000-woman population-based study in Guanacaste, Costa Rica with 7 years of follow-up. Cervical specimens were tested for >40 HPV types using a MY09/MY11 L1 consensus primer PCR method with type-specific dot blot hybridization and PCR signal intensity as a measure of viral load.

Breath condensate levels of 8-isoprostane and leukotriene B4 after ozone inhalation are greater in sensitive versus nonsensitive subjects.

Ozone (O3) inhalation induces pulmonary function decrements and inflammation. The present study was designed to determine if a relationship exists between O3 induced pulmonary function changes and the presence of inflammatory markers as measured in exhaled breath condensates (EBCs) obtained from O3-sensitive and nonsensitive human subjects. Eight healthy adult volunteers (4 males/4 females, age 18 to 30 years) were studied, characterized as to their ozone sensitivity and placed into 2 groups (sensitive and nonsensitive) with each group having 2 males and 2 females.

The natural history of human papillomavirus infection and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia among young women in the Guanacaste cohort shortly after initiation of sexual life.

Objective: Cross-sectional analyses of our 10,000-woman, population-based Guanacaste cohort suggest a lag of > or =10 years between the peak of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the later peak of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN 3). We wanted to explore early HPV natural history and CIN 3 prospectively.

Study Design: As part of the Guanacaste cohort, we followed 206 initially virginal women aged 18 to 26 semiannually for a median of 3.

A wireless pressure sensor for monitoring pulmonary artery pressure in advanced heart failure: initial experience.

Hemodynamic goals have been used in the past to guide therapy in patients with heart failure (HF). For HF patients whose signs and symptoms of congestion do not resolve with initial therapy it appears reasonable to consider hemodynamic monitoring at experienced sites. It has been suggested that implantable hemodynamic sensors may enable frequent monitoring of hemodynamic changes in HF patients and be used in tailoring vasodilator.

Right-sided ectocervical lesions may be associated with false-negative cytology among women with histologic cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 or 3.

Background: The association between the location of an ectocervical lesion and the sensibility of cytologic screening has not been adequately evaluated.

Methods: We evaluated the proportion of false-negative cytologic interpretations using three independent cytologic interpretations (conventional, PapNet, and ThinPrep) according to lesion location in 111 women with histologic cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 or 3 of a population-based study of cervical neoplasia conducted in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Semiquantitative measures of human papillomavirus viral load were also considered.

Relationships of human papillomavirus type, qualitative viral load, and age with cytologic abnormality.

Persistent cervical infections with carcinogenic human papillomaviruses (HPV) cause virtually all cervical cancer. Cytologic abnormalities are the manifestations of HPV infections used to identify women at risk. To compare the potential of the full range of anogenital HPV genotypes to induce cytopathic effects, we examined the influences of HPV type, viral load, and age on cytopathology among 1,222 women having a single HPV type at enrollment into a 10,000-woman population-based study in Costa Rica.

The carcinogenicity of human papillomavirus types reflects viral evolution.

Persistent infections with carcinogenic human papillomaviruses (HPV) cause virtually all cervical cancers. Cervical HPV types (n > 40) also represent the most common sexually transmitted agents, and most infections clear in 1-2 years. The risks of persistence and neoplastic progression to cancer and its histologic precursor, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3), differ markedly by HPV type.

Performance of direct visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid and magnification in a previously screened population.

Objective: To assess the screening performance of direct visual inspection with acetic acid and x2 magnification (VIAM) in a previously screened population, as performed by experienced gynecologic nurses with minimal training in VIAM.

Patients And Methods: Performance of VIAM was evaluated in 2,080 women from a population-based cohort in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, 5 years after they had negative enrollment results of conventional and liquid-based cytologic analysis, cervigram, and human papillomavirus DNA by Hybrid Capture Tube Test (Digene Corporation, Gaithersburg, MD). The VIAM results were compared with repeat conventional Pap smears, liquid-based cytologic examinations, and cervicography, with adjudication of differences by reference to MY09/MY11 L1 consensus primer polymerase chain reaction detection of oncogenic human papillomavirus DNA.

Epidemiologic profile of type-specific human papillomavirus infection and cervical neoplasia in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Background: Detailed epidemiologic studies of cervical type-specific human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in large populations are scarce.

Methods: We recruited a population-based cohort in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Participants were interviewed, screened for cervical neoplasia, and tested for >40 HPV types by use of MY09/11 L1 consensus primer polymerase chain reaction.