Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C Bowie

Publications and source records attributed to C Bowie.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Radon and health.

Radon and its daughter decay products are thought to be the cause of 5% of lung cancer in the UK. This assessment has been made by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) after a national survey of radon levels in homes, when more houses than anticipated were found to have high levels, and after a reappraisal upwards of the effectiveness of radon and its daughter products in causing lung cancer. A review of the scientific evidence reveals no direct evidence to incriminate radon or its decay products at the levels found in our homes in lung cell carcinogenesis. The issue involves different scientific disciplines and is highly complex. Debate between scientists is required and more epidemiological studies of lung cancer and low radon exposure are necessary. Meanwhile the indirect evidence linking low levels of radon exposure to lung cancer is insufficient to warrant the remedial action proposed by the NRPB and accepted by the UK government.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1989

Incidence of leukaemia in young people in the vicinity of Hinkley Point nuclear power station, 1959-86.

The incidence of leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in young people (aged under 25) living in a predefined area around the nuclear power station at Hinkley Point, Somerset, was examined for the period 1959-86 by using cancer registry data. During the period since Hinley Point began operations--that is, 1964-86--there were 19 cases in the area compared with 10.4 expected from national rates, giving a standardised registration ratio of 1.82 (95% confidence interval 1.10 to 2.85). The incidence in the rest of Somerset was also high, however (standardised registration ratio 1.18; 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 1.41), and the high rate around Hinkley Point may simply have been reflecting the high local incidence (ratio of the two standardised registration ratio's 1.54; 95% confidence interval 0.90 to 2.52). Analysis of predetermined five year periods showed that the excess cases in the Hinkley Point area were concentrated in the 10 years 1964-73 after commissioning of the station, at a time when rates in the rest of Somerset were close to the national average. In particular the nine cases occurring in the five years 1969-73 were about four times the number expected from national rates (standardised registration ratio 3.96; 95% confidence interval 1.81 to 7.52). Rates in the Hinkley Point area after 1973 were fairly low, especially as compared with the rest of Somerset. In the five years 1959-63 (that is, before Hinkley Point was commissioned) rates throughout Somerset (including the Hinkley Point area) were higher than the national rate. These findings should be interpreted with caution, and further studies are required to test the plausibility of theories relating to radiation and viruses.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Sexual behaviour of young people and the risk of HIV infection.

A survey of 16-21 year old people in Somerset was undertaken to find out about their sexual behaviour prior to mounting a local education campaign on AIDS. A representative sample of 400 people, using quota sampling in 40 randomly selected electoral wards, completed a schedule structured part self administered questionnaire. Of these, 371 (92%) considered themselves heterosexual. Nearly half (47%) of the 16 year olds had engaged in sexual intercourse, rising to 89% by the age of 21. Mean frequency of sexual intercourse among the sexually active is 62 per year. The frequency of partner change decreases with increasing age for non-virgins from 2.1 for 16 year olds to 1.5 partner changes per year for 21 year olds (mean frequency 1.7 per year, ie, a new partner every 7 months). This level of sexual activity could eventually give rise to HIV prevalence rates similar to those found in Africa, i.e., 15-100 HIV antibody positive per 1000.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Sexual complications of cancer treatment.

The most common sexual dysfunctions in men are erectile impotence, retrograde ejaculation, infertility and loss of libido. Infertility is a function of the drugs and the dosage employed. Alkylating agents are likely to cause prolonged azoospermia. Sexual complications in women include stenosis and atrophy of the vagina, menstrual irregularities, early menopause and decreased libido.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMed1981

Finding causes of seasonal diseases using time series analysis.

The relationship between monthly Ischaemic Heart Disease mortality and mean monthly temperature and rainfall is examined using data for England and Wales covering the period 1968 to 1976. The statistical procedure adopted involves a time series analysis of each of the individual series employing an approach which has become increasingly popular in other sciences over the last decade. Results indicate the correlation coefficients quoted in previous studies involving monthly data are spuriously high implying that temperature is not as closely related to Ischaemic Heart Disease deaths as has often been claimed.

Coronary Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The convergence of neuropsychological testing and clinical ratings of cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia.

This study examined the relationship between clinical rating of cognitive symptoms and performance on neuropsychological tests in acute and chronic samples of patients with schizophrenia. Two separate studies examined patients who varied widely in their lifetime functional outcome, including 263 elderly poor-outcome inpatients and 20 acutely admitted patients. In the first study, six cognitive performance measures were collected, and in the second study, five different measures were collected. Correlations with different symptom models of cognitive and negative symptoms were examined. In both samples, cognitive symptoms were never more highly correlated with cognitive test performance than with negative symptoms. When cognitive and negative symptom ratings were combined, they never accounted for as much as half of the variance in performance on the cognitive tests in both samples. These data suggest that clinical assessment of symptoms is not a viable alternative to neuropsychological testing to obtain information about cognitive functioning in schizophrenia. These results may also be specific to the clinical rating scale used, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Adult↗