Biomedical subjects

H Kahl

Publications and source records attributed to H Kahl.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2002

[The physical examination within the scope of The Child and Adolescent Health Survey].

The National Health Survey for Children and Adolescents intends a comprehensive description of the health status of children and adolescents. In this context physical examination of children and adolescents permits collection of objective data concerning physical development, certain body functions and selected performance parameters. Most important are indicators pointing towards increasing developmental and health problems in children and adolescents, which are partly predictive for the health status as an adult. Body measurements including stages of puberty will be taken, the blood pressure measured, vision tests carried out, coordination skills and endurance tested. Besides, if acute symptoms are detected, severity of atopic dermatitis is recorded. The methods and instruments have been tested in a pilot study over a period of one year and were optimised for the main study.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

[The National Child and Adolescent Health Survey. The complete concept].

The German National Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents aims at obtaining generalisable and practically convertible data and knowledge of the health situation of children and adolescents aged between 0 and 18 and living in Germany. After an extensive preparatory period of conceptional work by the Robert Koch Institute the beginning of this study is planned for spring 2003. Over a period of three years a representative sample of 18,000 young people will be medically examined and will be interviewed together with their parents. The investigational programme of the survey consists of a central part encompassing questionnaires and medical analyses of the most important health topics in childhood and adolescence. In addition, complementary modules will analyse subpopulations in-depth and extensively for specific aspects and questions. These modules are usually developed and financed by cooperating partners of the Robert Koch Institute. Soon after completion of the survey data first results will be made freely available to the scientific community in Public Use Files. These Files will become relevant sources for future health reporting addressing children and adolescents. Furthermore, they represent a reliable data base for epidemiological research and prevention programmes.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

[The motor activity study segment as pilot study of The Child and Adolescent Health Survey].

In the Health Survey for Children and Adolescents the examination of motor activity is one aspect of physical health covered by the study. This underlines the importance of physical activity for physical development in early years. This first representative child and adolescent study for Germany intends to obtain data on motor activity and to allow for the implementation of specific intervention programmes encouraging physical activity. The specific general conditions under which the survey is conducted restrict the selection and scope of possible instruments to a minimal programme, including fitness tests, strength in combination with endurance and coordinative skills as well as flexibility. In a pilot study the suitability, feasibility and the obtained evidence of selected single motor tests were tested. This article explains the choice of instruments and methods used in the examination of physical fitness. It also discusses methodological difficulties which affect the standardisation of tests and the requirements regarding personnel. A major concern of the pilot study was the evaluation of tested instruments with regard to gender and age differences. For the main survey the following tests are recommended: coordination (balancing backwards, one-leg-footing, sideway jumping), perseverance (sit-ups, push-ups), and flexibility (trunk bending).

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Influence of muscarinic ligands on the amplitudes of the evoked surface potential's late components in the optic tectum of the urodele Plethodon jordani.

Recordings of field potentials from the tectal surface of an urodele amphibian were obtained in an in vitro preparation under influence of various muscarinic drugs. Bath applied acetylcholine (ACh) led to no change in the amplitudes or the shape of the evoked potentials. If the ACh-esterase blocker (-)-physostigmine was applied synchronously, the late components of the surface potential increased in amplitude. The non-selective cholinergic agonist carbachol showed a similar effect which was partially diminished by the nicotinic antagonist d-tubocurarine chloride (d-TC) and the muscarinic antagonist atropine sulfate. The application of the non-selective muscarinic agonist (+)-pilocarpine hydrochloride led to an increase of the late oligo- and polysynaptic events. This effect was reduced by the M(1)-antagonist pirenzepine dihydrochloride. The presented findings suggest that muscarinic receptors play a more important role in tectal processing than assumed in previous studies which emphasized the role of nicotinic receptors.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMed1999

[Utilization of health screening studies and measures for health promotion].

Health-conscious behaviour of a population may be measured by the utilization rate in screening programs and health promotion measures. In the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey 1998, 7124 respondents were asked for their individual participation. The utilization in free health check-ups (1997) was 26.7% for men and 24.5% for women. Health related medical advice was given to 70.9% of men and 67.8% of women in the wake of the check-up. Annual early cancer screening test were taken by 22.6% of men and 36.5% of women. Cancer-related medical advice was reported by 42.4% of men and 43% of women. 10.5% of all respondents participate in health promotion measures, women two times more often than men (13.8% vs. 7%). The ranking according to the type of measures is: 44% for back (muscle) training, followed by nutrition consultation (13%), weight reduction (10%) and anti-smoking, -drinking and -substance use measures (4%). The results show differences in utilization rates for early cancer diagnosis, health checkups and health promotion programmes according to age, region, social status and health insurance type.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Connectivity of the salamander pretectum: an in-vitro (whole-brain) intracellular tracing study.

The amphibian optic tectum and pretectum have been analyzed in detail anatomically and physiologically, and a specific model for tecto-pretectal interaction in the context of the visual guidance of behavior has been proposed. However, anatomical evidence for this model, particularly the precise pattern of pretectotectal connectivity, is lacking. Therefore, we stained pretectal neurons intracellularly in an in-vitro preparation of the salamanders Plethodon jordani and Hydromantes genei. Our results demonstrate that the projections of neurons of the nucleus praetectalis profundus are divergent and widespread. Individual neurons may project divergently to telencephalic (ipsilateral amygdala and striatum), diencephalic (ipsi-and contralateral thalamus, contralateral pretectum), and mesencephalic (ipsi- and contralateral tectum and tegmentum) centers, and to the ipsi- and contralateral medulla oblongata and rostral spinal cord. The projection of pretectal cells to the optic tectum is bilateral; axonal structures do not show discernible patterns and are present in all layers of the superficial white matter. A classification of pretectal neurons on the basis of axonal termination pattern or dendritic arborization has not been possible. Our results do not support the hypothesis that a distinct class of pretectal neurons projects to a particular subset of tectal cells. Rather, the pretectum appears to influence the tectum indirectly, acting either on retinal afferents or modulating inhibitory interneurons.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Air pollution and mortality in East Berlin during the winters of 1981-1989.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between air pollution and mortality in East Berlin was examined for the winters of 1981-1989. METHODS: Regression analysis included daily mean levels of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and suspended particulates (SP), and was controlled for temperature, humidity, week-day, month, and year. Moving averages of previous pollution were also used. RESULTS: Each pollutant was a significant contributor to excess mortality. The strongest association was found for mortality lagged for 2 days, which depended significantly on the level of SP (beta for in SP = 0.876; P = 0.008) and SO2 (beta for in SO2 = 0.635; P = 0.012), when regressed separately. When omitting days with pollutant concentrations above 150 micrograms m-3, the pollutant-mortality relationship was linear, and a 100 micrograms m-3 increase was associated with a 6.1% (SP) and 4.5% (SO2) mortality increase 2 days later, when pollutants were considered separately; this was reduced to 4.6% (SP) and 2.8% (SO2) increase, when both were considered simultaneously. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that short-term associations between air pollutants and mortality in East Berlin did exist during the winters 1981-1989. Since the coefficients for SP and SO2 dropped when controlling for the other pollutant species, a similar strength of association with mortality for both pollutants was found.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed1990

[New aspects of assessment of physical development of children and adolescents by preventive examinations].

The results of the examinations of a representative cross-section were used as the basis for bringing up to date the standard values and ranges of variability of the body measurements of newborns according to gestational age, of head circumference up to the 3rd year and of body height and weight from 0-18 years. Tables and somatograms were also drawn up for the evaluation of body weight in relation to specific types of build, and standard values for skinfold thickness and total body fat were worked out in order to permit a biologically meaningful assessment of the physical development and nutritional status of children and adolescents. Alongside the description of the individual stages in the development of selected characteristics of maturation used in assessing sexual maturity, percentiles for the average age on reaching each of these stages of development will be available, together with a new series of photographs of breast, pubes and genital development.

Anthropometry↗

PubMed1988