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Biomedical subjects

J Bowman

Publications and source records attributed to J Bowman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Information systems in food safety management.

Information systems are concerned with data capture, storage, analysis and retrieval. In the context of food safety management they are vital to assist decision making in a short time frame, potentially allowing decisions to be made and practices to be actioned in real time. Databases with information on microorganisms pertinent to the identification of foodborne pathogens, response of microbial populations to the environment and characteristics of foods and processing conditions are the cornerstone of food safety management systems. Such databases find application in: Identifying pathogens in food at the genus or species level using applied systematics in automated ways. Identifying pathogens below the species level by molecular subtyping, an approach successfully applied in epidemiological investigations of foodborne disease and the basis for national surveillance programs. Predictive modelling software, such as the Pathogen Modeling Program and Growth Predictor (that took over the main functions of Food Micromodel) the raw data of which were combined as the genesis of an international web based searchable database (ComBase). Expert systems combining databases on microbial characteristics, food composition and processing information with the resulting "pattern match" indicating problems that may arise from changes in product formulation or processing conditions. Computer software packages to aid the practical application of HACCP and risk assessment and decision trees to bring logical sequences to establishing and modifying food safety management practices. In addition there are many other uses of information systems that benefit food safety more globally, including: Rapid dissemination of information on foodborne disease outbreaks via websites or list servers carrying commentary from many sources, including the press and interest groups, on the reasons for and consequences of foodborne disease incidents. Active surveillance networks allowing rapid dissemination of molecular subtyping information between public health agencies to detect foodborne outbreaks and limit the spread of human disease. Traceability of individual animals or crops from (or before) conception or germination to the consumer as an integral part of food supply chain management. Provision of high quality, online educational packages to food industry personnel otherwise precluded from access to such courses.

Consumer Product Safety↗
PubMed2005

Regional scale evidence for improvements in surface water chemistry 1990-2001.

The main aim of the international UNECE monitoring program ICP Waters under the Convention of Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) is to assess, on a regional basis, the degree and geographical extent of the impact of atmospheric pollution, in particular acidification, on surface waters. Regional trends are calculated for 12 geographical regions in Europe and North America, comprising 189 surface waters sites. From 1990-2001 sulphate concentrations decreased in all but one of the investigated regions. Nitrate increased in only one region, and decreased in three North American regions. Improvements in alkalinity and pH are widely observed. Results from the ICP Waters programme clearly show widespread improvement in surface water acid-base chemistry, in response to emissions controls programs and decreasing acidic deposition. Limited site-specific biological data suggest that continued improvement in the chemical status of acid-sensitive lakes and streams will lead to biological recovery in the future.

Acid Rain↗
PubMed2003

The current status of nurse prescribing in dermatology.

This review describes the current status of prescribing by nurses and other nonmedical staff in the UK with particular emphasis on issues affecting secondary care dermatology departments. We discuss background issues of how the process has evolved, the requirement for this initiative and its assessment, the terminology applied to different groups of prescribers, and training issues.

Community Health Nursing↗
PubMed2002

Optimisation of one-tube PCR-ELISA to detect femtogram amounts of genomic DNA.

A simple, high-throughput, low-cost polymerase chain reaction-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (PCR-ELISA) protocol that detects the presence of 4 fg of DNA from four bacterial fish pathogens Yersinia ruckeri, Tenacibaculum maritimum (formerly Flexibacter maritimus), Lactococcus garvieae and Aeromonas salmonicida was developed. DNA amplification was undertaken in a biphasic system with free and bound PCR that are achieved in the one NucleoLink tube. Solid-phase amplicons were detected using biotin labelled hybridization probes and visualised colourimetrically with streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase and p-nitrophenylphosphate as substrate. PCR and hybridization took less than 8 h to perform with maximum signal output for femtogram amounts of template DNA achieved within 24 h. Implementation and optimization of the protocol is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Hordoindolines are associated with a major endosperm-texture QTL in barley (Hordeum vulgare).

Endosperm texture has a tremendous impact on the end-use quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Cultivars of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), a close relative of wheat, also vary measurably in grain hardness. However, in contrast to wheat, little is known about the genetic control of barley grain hardness. Puroindolines are endosperm-specific proteins found in wheat and its relatives. In wheat, puroindoline sequence variation controls the majority of wheat grain texture variation. Hordoindolines, the puroindoline homologs of barley, have been identified and mapped. Recently, substantial allelic variation was found for hordoindolines among commercial barley cultivars. Our objective was to determine the influence of hordoindoline allelic variation upon grain hardness and dry matter digestibility in the 'Steptoe' x 'Morex' mapping population. This population is segregating for hordoindoline allele type, which was measured by a HinA/HinB/Gsp composite marker. One-hundred and fifty lines of the 'Steptoe' x 'Morex' population were grown in a replicated field trial. Grain hardness was estimated by near-infrared reflectance (NIR) and measured using the single kernel characterization system (SKCS). Variation attributable to the HinA/HinB/Gsp locus averaged 5.7 SKCS hardness units (SKCS U). QTL analysis revealed the presence of several areas of the genome associated with grain hardness. The largest QTL mapped to the HinA/HinB/Gsp region on the short arm of chomosome 7 (5H). This QTL explains 22% of the SKCS hardness difference observed in this study. The results indicate that the Hardness locus is present in barley and implicates the hordoindolines in endosperm texture control.

Hordeum↗
PubMed2001

Role of PHABULOSA and PHAVOLUTA in determining radial patterning in shoots.

The upper side of the angiosperm leaf is specialized for efficient capture of sunlight whereas the lower side is specialized for gas exchange. In Arabidopsis, the establishment of polarity in the leaf probably requires the generation and perception of positional information along the radial (adaxial versus abaxial or central versus peripheral) dimension of the plant. This is because the future upper (adaxial) side of the leaf develops from cells closer to the centre of the shoot, whereas the future under (abaxial) side develops from cells located more peripherally. Here we implicate the Arabidopsis PHABULOSA and PHAVOLUTA genes in the perception of radial positional information in the leaf primordium. Dominant phabulosa (phb) and phavoluta (phv) mutations cause a dramatic transformation of abaxial leaf fates into adaxial leaf fates. They do so by altering the predicted sterol/lipid-binding domains of ATHB14 and ATHB9, proteins of previously unknown function that also contain DNA-binding motifs. This change probably renders the protein constitutively active, implicating this domain as a central regulator of protein function and the PHB and PHV proteins as receptors for an adaxializing signal.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Sphingomonas alaskensis strain AFO1, an abundant oligotrophic ultramicrobacterium from the North Pacific.

Numerous studies have established the importance of picoplankton (microorganisms of < or =2 microm in length) in energy flow and nutrient cycling in marine oligotrophic environments, and significant effort has been directed at identifying and isolating heterotrophic picoplankton from the world's oceans. Using a method of diluting natural seawater to extinction followed by monthly subculturing for 12 months, a bacterium was isolated that was able to form colonies on solid medium. The strain was isolated from a 10(5) dilution of seawater where the standing bacterial count was 3.1 x 10(5) cells ml(-1). This indicated that the isolate was representative of the most abundant bacteria at the sampling site, 1.5 km from Cape Muroto, Japan. The bacterium was characterized and found to be ultramicrosized (less than 0.1 microm(3)), and the size varied to only a small degree when the cells were starved or grown in rich media. A detailed molecular (16S rRNA sequence, DNA-DNA hybridization, G+C mol%, genome size), chemotaxonomic (lipid analysis, morphology), and physiological (resistance to hydrogen peroxide, heat, and ethanol) characterization of the bacterium revealed that it was a strain of Sphingomonas alaskensis. The type strain, RB2256, was previously isolated from Resurrection Bay, Alaska, and similar isolates have been obtained from the North Sea. The isolation of this species over an extended period, its high abundance at the time of sampling, and its geographical distribution indicate that it has the capacity to proliferate in ocean waters and is therefore likely to be an important contributor in terms of biomass and nutrient cycling in marine environments.

Base Composition↗
PubMed2000

Novel mechanism of massive photoreceptor degeneration caused by mutations in the trp gene of Drosophila.

The Drosophila trp gene encodes a light-activated Ca(2+) channel subunit, which is a prototypical member of a novel class of channel proteins. Previously identified trp mutants are all recessive, loss-of-function mutants characterized by a transient receptor potential and the total or near-total loss of functional TRP protein. Although retinal degeneration does occur in these mutants, it is relatively mild and slow in onset. We report herein a new mutant, Trp(P365), that does not display the transient receptor potential phenotype and is characterized by a substantial level of the TRP protein and rapid, semi-dominant degeneration of photoreceptors. We show that, in spite of its unusual phenotypes, Trp(P365) is a trp allele because a Trp(P365) transgene induces the mutant phenotype in a wild-type background, and a wild-type trp transgene in a Trp(P365) background suppresses the mutant phenotype. Moreover, amino acid alterations that could cause the Trp(P365) phenotype are found in the transmembrane segment region of the mutant channel protein. Whole-cell recordings clarified the mechanism underlying the retinal degeneration by showing that the TRP channels of Trp(P365) are constitutively active. Although several genes, when mutated, have been shown to cause retinal degeneration in Drosophila, the underlying mechanism has not been identified for any of them. The present studies provide evidence for a specific mechanism for massive degeneration of photoreceptors in Drosophila. Insofar as some human homologs of TRP are highly expressed in the brain, a similar mechanism could be a major contributor to degenerative disorders of the brain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Analysis of small amines in pharmaceuticals by capillary ion electrophoresis with conductivity detection.

Capillary ion electrophoresis (CIE) with direct conductivity detection is a simple, fast, and versatile method for analysis of ions. In this study CIE with conductivity detection was used to analyze for hydroxylamine which is often used in the synthesis of pharmaceutical intermediates and drug substances. The conductivity response of hydroxylamine was investigated by using different buffer types and buffer concentrations. Other small amines were also studied with this method and were correlated with the molecular weight of the amines. The response of hydroxylamine increased significantly with MES glycylglycine buffer as compared to MES-histidine buffer (LOD from 10 to 1 ppm). The detection of trace level of hydroxylamine in a drug substance proved to be possible with this method. The developed method was also tested for the linearity range, reproducibility, and selectivity with several small amines. The method developed in this study was demonstrated as a sensitive and reliable method for detection and quantification of small amines in pharmaceutical substances.

Amines↗
PubMed2000

An evaluation of educational requirements for community nurses treating dermatological patients.

In a questionnaire to community nurses treating dermatological patients, 14 out of 69 (20%) either treated children or gave advice to parents regarding childhood eczema, 35 (51%) treated adult eczema, 11 (16%) treated psoriasis, 55 (80%) treated leg ulcers, and 30 (43%) treated other dermatological problems. Specific questions regarding confidence to treat or educate were analysed in relation to the tasks being performed. All but 15% (8/55) treating leg ulcers were confident about their ability to apply four-layer bandaging. However, 8 out of 11 (72%) respondents treating psoriasis were not confident about their ability to treat scalp scaling, 11 out of 14 (79%) of those treating childhood eczema were not confident about applying body suiting, and 26 out of 36 (72%) of those treating eczema (any age), were not confident about ability to recognize infection as a cause or complication of dermatoses. The favoured educational modalities were visits to the local dermatology department (60/69, 87%), availability of a dermatology Nurse Practitioner or Liaison Nurse, or access to a hospital nurse-run dermatology clinic (both 44/69, 63%), or attendance at courses (36/69, 52%). Community nurses have an important role in treating and educating patients who may not require or be able to attend hospitals for treatment; they will achieve this best by provision of relevant locally based education, with allocation of adequate study time.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Tailored, interactive soap operas for breast cancer education of high-risk Hispanic women.

BACKGROUND: While Hispanic women have lower rates of breast cancer than do women of other ethnic groups, they are the least likely to undergo screening examinations. This study evaluated a culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate, tailored, computer-based, educational program for early detection of breast cancer aimed at high-risk Hispanic women. METHODS: Spanish-speaking Hispanic women from an inner-city community health clinic were recruited and randomly assigned either to a computer intervention with an interactive soap-opera format (n = 118) or to a comparison group (n = 60). Pre- and posttests were used to identify any change in breast-cancer-related knowledge and beliefs. RESULTS: Both younger (18-40 years old) and older (41-65 years old) women in the intervention group demonstrated significant increases in their breast cancer screening knowledge and beliefs as compared with the younger and older women in the comparison group (n < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Computer-based tailored and interactive soap operas that are linguistically and culturally appropriate are effective in increasing breast cancer screening knowledge and beliefs among underserved Spanish-speaking Hispanic women.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Nurse prescribing in a day-care dermatology unit.

A study carried out in an NHS trust showed that its dermatology nurses could safely undertake nurse prescribing. To be effective a formal system of nurse prescribing is required. This involves the compilation of a formulary for the nurse prescribers and the development of relevant treatment protocols. The introduction of nurse prescribing in a day-care unit led to improvements in the dermatology services available to the local population.

Continuity of Patient Care↗
PubMed1999

Novel synthetic analogs of the Pseudomonas autoinducer.

Release of virulence factors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is regulated by two N-acylhomoserine lactones, PAI-1 and PAI-2, that activate the respective transcription factors LasR and RhlR. With the goal of developing novel therapeutic agents, we synthesized constrained analogs of PAI-1 and evaluated them in P. aeruginosa. Two of the novel analogs bound to LasR and showed agonist activity in LasR stimulation of a lasI-lacZ reporter construct.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1999

Developments with antarctic microorganisms: culture collections, bioactivity screening, taxonomy, PUFA production and cold-adapted enzymes

There have been recent research developments with Antarctic prokaryotes in the areas of isolations of novel bacterial, culture collections, bioactivity screening, taxonomy, production of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), cold-adapted enzymes and bioremediation. Research to date confirms the novelty of bacteria isolated from this extreme environment. Opportunities now exist to exploit these and other findings to develop possible new biotechnological products from Antarctic microorganisms.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Rapid and sensitive high performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of itraconazole and its hydroxy-metabolite in human serum.

Published high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods for the determination of itraconazole (ITZ) in biological matrices are labor intensive, extraction-based procedures which operate at a pH approaching the limit of column tolerance, and unless modified, cannot measure its hydroxy-metabolite (OH-ITZ). A protein precipitation-based method requiring no solvent extraction and utilizing a base-deactivated C18 analytical column to minimize peak tailing is described herein. Calibration curves for OH-ITZ and ITZ were linear from 25-1500 ng ml-1 (r2 > or = 0.999). Intra-assay relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) were below 12%. Inter-assay R.S.D. were below 14%. This method provides a rapid means for the accurate and precise determination of both OH-ITZ and ITZ concentrations in human serum.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMed1997

Rhodopsin replacement rescues photoreceptor structure during a critical developmental window.

Rhodopsin is essential for normal photoreceptor development in Drosophila (O'Tousa et al., 1989; Leonard et al., 1992; Kumar and Ready, 1995) and in mice (Humphries et al., 1997). Here we report studies in which a rhodopsin transgene is expressed at restricted stages during the development of Drosophila photoreceptors otherwise lacking rhodopsin. Substantial rescue of normal photoreceptor structure and physiology is effected by rhodopsin expression during the time of the normal onset of rhodopsin synthesis. Expression shortly before or after this critical period does not rescue these deficits. There is a critical developmental period in which rhodopsin plays its key role in photoreceptor morphogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

The management of hemolytic disease in the fetus and newborn.

Rh hemolytic disease (HDN) is the prototype of maternal alloimmunization and fetal hemolytic disease. There are other antigens capable of causing alloimmunization and hemolytic disease such as c, Kell, and Fya. Rh immunization is usually caused by a prior Rh positive fetal maternal transplacental hemorrhage, which occurs in at least 75% of pregnancies. Unless treated, hemolytic disease will result in kernicterus or fetal hydrops in 25% of cases, respectively. Neonatal exchange transfusion has eradicated kernicterus. Measures available to predict severity of fetal hemolytic disease are maternal antibody titers, prior history of hemolytic disease, in vitro cell-mediated maternal antibody functional assays, amniotic fluid spectrophotometry, ultrasound fetal assessment, and fetal blood sampling. The Rh or Kell antigen status of the fetus may be determined by amniotic fluid PCR testing. The management of the severely affected fetus consists of early delivery, with or without fetal transfusions, depending on the gestation of the fetus. With the use of these diagnostic and treatment measures, perinatal mortality from hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn has been reduced in Manitoba, population one million, from 100 per year in the early 1940s to 1 every 3 years in the mid 1990s.

Blood Transfusion, Intrauterine↗