PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G Kac

Publications and source records attributed to G Kac.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Contribution of Trichrome Blue in the diagnosis of microsporidiosis].

Detection of microsporidia belongs to the usual coprologic and urine detection of parasites from HIV seropositive patients. To improve the identification of microsporidial spores, several stains have been used. Trichrome Blue stain has been evaluated in this study. We first compared Trichrome Blue stain to Weber's trichrome for the detection of microsporidia in smears of stools received from HIV seropositive patients. No difference of sensibility has been demonstrated between the two stains, and Uvitex 2B used on the same samples has confirmed these results. Then, Trichrome Blue stain has been used for the detection of microsporidial spores in other specimens (40 samples of nasal mucus, conjonctival samples, duodenal biopsy and urine), also Giemsa and Uvitex 2B. The advantage of Trichrome Blue stain is its ready-to-use presentation, and faster realisation at higher temperature. Trichrome Blue stain is interesting as a confirmation technique or for laboratories which do not have fluorescent microscopy equipment.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Secular trend in age at menarche for women born between 1920 and 1979 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: This article presents data on the secular trend in age at menarche for 1955 women from 16 to 76 years of age born between 1920 and 1979 and studied under the Nutrition and Health Survey conducted in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1996. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Age at menarche was defined by the retrospective method. Women were grouped according to decade of birth, and the trend was estimated using simple linear regression between age at menarche and year of birth for the following specific periods: 1920-1940, 1920-1960, 1960-1979 and 1920-1979. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Mean age at menarche decreased from 13.07 to 12.40 years when comparing the group of women born in the 1920s with the 1970s birth cohort, corresponding to a mean rate of -0.0123 years per year (p < 0.001). The downward trend was -0.0120 years per year (p > 0.05) for the 1920s, 30s and 40s, -0.0093 years per year (p < 0.05) for the period from 1920 to 1960, and -0.0224 years per year (p < 0.01) for the 1960s/70s. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest a secular trend in age at menarche. The literature points to such environmental variables as improved living conditions and expanded access to health services. Within this context, age at menarche could be used as a marker for social development.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Length of stay is associated with incidence of in-hospital malnutrition in a group of low-income Brazilian children.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that increased length of stay and anthropometric status at admission are significant factors associated with in-hospital malnutrition (IHM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective study with two weight (admission and discharge) and one height (admission) measurements per child at the Instituto de Puericultura e Pediatria Martagão Gesteira (IPPMG), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The study included 456 children of low socioeconomic status under 10 years of age admitted to the IPPMG during 1997. Statistical analysis involved calculation of in-hospital malnutrition (IHM) prevalence by covariates. The length of hospital stay varied from 1 to 69 days. Association of IHM with gender, age category, length of stay, presence of wasting, and stunting, was tested by calculating odds ratios using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Logistic regression showed that after adjusting for gender, age category, and presence of stunting at admission, presence of wasting at admission (OR = 0.07, CI 95% 0.01-0.55) and length of stay from 17 to 69 days (OR = 4.68, CI 95% 2.00-10.95), were statistically associated with IHM in the final model. CONCLUSIONS: As intervention measures, the authors suggest implementation of an early identification system for children at risk of developing IHM, along with a review and implementation of in-hospital feeding protocols.

Age Distribution↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Secular trends in the stature of Brazilian Navy recruits born from 1940 and 1965].

The present paper reports data on secular trends in the stature of Brazilian Navy recruits born from 1940 to 1965. The final sample included 3269 individuals aged 18.00-18.99. Statistics performed were: ANOVA (one-way and two-way), Sheffe test, simple linear regression between stature and year of birth, and multiple linear regression adjusting for level of schooling (beta coefficient) and chi-square. Results indicated a progressive growth trend in stature of 0.1 cm/yr. for the country as a whole. The trend was also observed for nearly all regions and two out of three levels of schooling and can be explained by improvement in some of the country's health indicators. One important characteristic was a higher level of schooling observed among Navy recruits, suggesting that these individuals represent a highly select group, and that therefore data on the Navy cannot be applied directly to the Brazilian population as a whole.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Secular height trend: a literature review].

This paper presents a literature review of secular height trends. The principal topics included were definition of the phenomenon, use of historical data sets on height as an alternative approach for monitoring economic changes, the main theoretical explanations of the phenomenon, the beginning of military anthropometry, and past and current use in measuring secular height trends in recruits and children. The most important results showed that the positive secular trend can be attributed to environmental influences, especially improvements in health, economic, and social conditions. The mean reported rates in height increases varied with age, socioeconomic status, and country, so one must exercise caution in drawing inferences. World War II slowed the trend in several countries, including Brazil, but the trend was stronger in the post-war period than in the beginning of the century. Finally, we observed that data from military anthropometry are the most common source for estimating secular height trends.

Anthropometry↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Determinant factors of postpartum weight retention: a literature review].

This study is a literature review of factors determining postpartum weight gain retention. According to the literature, the main factors include gestational weight gain and intensity of lactation. Various studies show that the greater the weight gain during pregnancy, the greater the postpartum weight retention. Smoking was associated with lower retention, while lactation only demonstrated a protective effect against weight retention in some studies. Various factors, like physical activity, food consumption, age at menarche, number of abortions, and mother's work status have still not been properly studied. The conclusion is that there are few studies on postpartum weight changes, suggesting the need for new research on the theme, especially in developing countries where obesity has been insufficiently researched thus far.

Adult↗