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Biomedical subjects

R Perrier

Publications and source records attributed to R Perrier.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Effect of undernutrition on the ability of the sheep rumen to absorb volatile fatty acids.

The ability of the rumen to absorb the same quantity of VFA with 4 animals previously fed with 2 levels of intake was tested. Animals received maintenance (P1) and half maintenance (P2) energy and nitrogen requirements successively. Absorption was measured with the empty washed rumen technique. Three litres of a solution buffered at pH 6.30 containing VFA (C2:57.1, C3:49.2 and C4:7.4 mM or C2:79.8, C3:23.5 and C4:11.5 mM) and CoEDTA (7.1 mg Co/l) were introduced in the rumen and regularly sampled for 3 h. VFA absorption was linear during the trials. Rates of absorption were expressed as mmol/h or percentage of initial quantity/h for the comparison between VFA. The order of absorption rate (%/h) was C4 > C3 > C2. Water absorption was not significantly different between the periods whereas VFA absorption rates (mmol/h) were significantly reduced after undernutrition. Composition of the solution had no significant effect on VFA absorption rate (%/h).

Absorption↗

Portable image-manipulation software: what is the extra development cost?

A hospital-wide picture archiving and communication system (PACS) project is currently under development at the University Hospital of Geneva. The visualization and manipulation of images provided by different imaging modalities constitutes one of the most challenging component of a PACS. It was necessary to provide this visualization software on a number of types of workstations because of the varying requirements imposed by the range of clinical uses it must serve. The user interface must be the same, independent of the underlying workstation. In addition to a standard set of image-manipulation and processing tools, there is a need for more specific clinical tools that can be easily adapted to specific medical requirements. To achieve this goal, it was elected to develop a modular and portable software called OSIRIS. This software is available on two different operating systems (the UNIX standard X-11/OSF-Motif based workstations and the Macintosh family) and can be easily ported to other systems. The extra effort required to design such software in a modular and portable way was worthwhile because it resulted in a platform that can be easily expanded and adapted to a variety of specific clinical applications. Its portability allows users to benefit from the rapidly evolving workstation technology and to adapt the performance to suit their needs.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗

[Comparative study of cefoperazone and cotrimoxazole in kidney stone surgery via percutaneous approach].

The effectiveness and drawbacks of cefoperazone and cotrimoxazole in the prevention of postoperative infections following percutaneous removal of renal stones were studied comparatively. 60 patients were divided at random into two groups. 30 subjects were given 1 g cefoperazone IV every 8 hours for 5 consecutive days starting on the day before the procedure. The 30 other patients had an infusion of 800 mg sulfamethoxazole and 160 mg trimethoprim every 12 hours on the same 5 days. Age, sex and type of surgical procedure were comparable in both groups. Results were as follows: in the cefoperazone group, one patient had intraoperative septic shock due to a stone infected by a resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa; in the cotrimoxazole group, 2 patients had postoperative fever due to stones infected by resistant Gram negative rods (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and three patients had a urinary tract infection (Candida albicans in 1 case, Escherichia coli in 1 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 1). Tolerance was satisfactory for both regimens. The authors conclude that intravenous cefoperazone in the more effective drug and should be continued throughout the first three postoperative days.

Adolescent↗

Object-oriented design of medical imaging software.

A special software package for interactive display and manipulation of medical images was developed at the University Hospital of Geneva, as part of a hospital wide Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). This software package, called Osiris, was especially designed to be easily usable and adaptable to the needs of noncomputer-oriented physicians. The Osiris software has been developed to allow the visualization of medical images obtained from any imaging modality. It provides generic manipulation tools, processing tools, and analysis tools more specific to clinical applications. This software, based on an object-oriented paradigm, is portable and extensible. Osiris is available on two different operating systems: the Unix X-11/OSF-Motif based workstations, and the Macintosh family.

Computer Communication Networks↗

A clinical molecular scanner: the Melanie project.

We developed an expert system to analyze and interpret protein maps. This system, Melanie (medical electrophoresis analysis interactive expert), can distinguish between normal and cirrhotic liver and identify various types of cancer on the basis of protein patterns in biopsy specimens. Our findings suggest that some diseases associated with toxic compounds or modifications of the human genome can be diagnosed by expert systems that analyze protein maps. The combination of protein mapping and computer analysis could result in a clinically useful "molecular scanner". The massive amount of information analyzed and stored in such studies requires new strategies, including centralized databases and image transmission over networks. Increased understanding of protein expression and regulation will enhance the importance of the human genome project in medicine and biology.

Computer Systems↗