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D Cowan

Publications and source records attributed to D Cowan.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Multi-laboratory evaluation of a scrub typhus diagnostic kit.

Scrub typhus is a major cause of febrile illness throughout the Asia-Pacific region. It is commonly undiagnosed, partly because of the lack of a simple, reliable diagnostic test which can be used in clinical laboratories. The indirect immunoperoxidase technique, configured into a test kit, was provided to technicians who were trained in its use. They used the kit during a 2 year field trial in their respective clinical hospital laboratories throughout Malaysia. In an evaluation using 1,722 consecutive sera tested in those laboratories, the kit was found to have a median sensitivity for IgG detection of 0.85 (range 0.33-0.95), a median specificity of 0.94 (range 0.88-1.00), reproducibility of 0.86, and efficiency of 0.92 when compared to the reference laboratory. In a proficiency survey in which 10 laboratories received 3 coded test samples, all but 2 laboratories had results within 1 dilution of the reference laboratory in quantitating specific IgG, whereas 7 laboratories were within 1 dilution in quantitating IgM. The shelf life of the kit was at least 1 year at 4 degrees C.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1989

NLP-1: a DNA intercalating hypoxic cell radiosensitizer and cytotoxin.

The 2-nitroimidazole linked phenanthridine, NLP-1 (5-[3-(2-nitro-1-imidazoyl)-propyl]-phenanthridinium bromide), was synthesized with the rationale of targeting the nitroimidazole to DNA via the phenanthridine ring. The drug is soluble in aqueous solution (greater than 25 mM) and stable at room temperature. It binds to DNA with a binding constant 1/30 that of ethidium bromide. At a concentration of 0.5 mM, NLP-1 is 8 times more toxic to hypoxic than aerobic cells at 37 degrees C. This concentration is 40 times less than the concentration of misonidazole, a non-intercalating 2-nitroimidazole, required for the same degree of hypoxic cell toxicity. The toxicity of NLP-1 is reduced at least 10-fold at 0 degrees C. Its ability to radiosensitize hypoxic cells is similar to misonidazole at 0 degrees C. Thus the putative targeting of the 2-nitroimidazole, NLP-1, to DNA, via its phenanthridine group, enhances its hypoxic toxicity, but not its radiosensitizing ability under the present test conditions. NLP-1 represents a lead compound for intercalating 2-nitroimidazoles with selective toxicity for hypoxic cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Aplysia californica neurons express microinjected neuropeptide genes.

Neuropeptide genes are expressed in specific subsets of large polyploid neurons in Aplysia californica. We have defined the transcription initiation sites of three of these neuropeptide genes (the R14, L11, and ELH genes) and determined the nucleotide sequence of the promoter regions. The genes contain the usual eucaryotic promoter signals as well as other structures of potential regulatory importance, including inverted and direct repeats. The L11 and ELH genes, which are otherwise unrelated, have homology in the promoter regions, while the R14 promoter was distinct. When cloned plasmids were microinjected into Aplysia neurons in organ culture, transitions between supercoiled, relaxed circular, and linear DNAs occurred along with ligation into high-molecular-weight species. About 20% of the microinjected neurons expressed the genes. The promoter region of the R14 gene functioned in expression of the microinjected DNA in all cells studied. When both additional 5' and 3' sequences were included, the gene was specifically expressed only in R14, suggesting that the specificity of expression is generated by a multicomponent repression system. Finally, the R14 peptide could be expressed in L11, demonstrating that it is possible to alter the transmitter phenotype of these neurons by introduction of cloned genes.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Young red cell preparation--a comparison of available methods.

Four possible methods of preparing young red cells (YRBC) which exploit the relationship between red cell ageing and density are compared. Of these, two cell separators and the IBM cell washer are shown to be capable of producing YRBC suitable for clinical use. YRBC prepared from the IBM 2991 cell washer are recommended for clinical trials because of lower cost, greater convenience and lower white cell contamination compared to cell separator-derived YRBC.

Cell Separation↗
PubMed1981

Hospitals overseas: keeping costs down.

Britain is far from alone in its attempts to curb the capital costs of new hospitals. David Cowan, leader of the hospitals research group in the South African National Building Research Institute at Pretoria, describes in this paper, based on one originally presented to an IHF congress, how his country has tried to meet the problem.

Health Facilities↗
PubMed1980

Halo traction.

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Female↗