No abstract available.
Female ; Humans

Purpose: This phenomenological study aimed to comprehend the altered parenting experience of nurses during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Method: Using a qualitative approach, the research design employed a phenomenological methodology. The participants were 6 nurses with elementary school-aged children. The nurses were employed in tertiary general hospitals, working on rotating shifts during the COVID-19 pandemic. In-depth interviews were conducted to collect individual data, which were then analyzed using Colaizzi phenomenological method. Results: Analyzing the collected data led to 178 significant results, from which 13 themes were derived. These 13 themes were further integrated into 5 distinct theme clusters: (1) struggling as a nurse-mom, (2) providing a supportive presence, (3) facing challenges in facilitating children's learning activities, (4) navigating parental roles in a chaotic situation, and (5) pursuing physical safety. These clusters were subsequently categorized into four overarching categories: “suffering,” which encompassed the themes of pressure of infection and providing a supportive presence, as well as “controlling,” “parenting,” and “seeking,” representing the remaining clusters, respectively. Conclusion The parenting experiences of shift nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic encompassed various aspects, including the challenges posed by the pressure of infection, the importance of providing a supportive presence, difficulties in managing children’s learning activities, navigating parental roles amid chaotic circumstances, and the pursuit of physical safety. These experiences significantly impact the stability of shift nurses’ caregiving abilities for both their patients and their children. Therefore, it is crucial to establish a comprehensive nationallevel care support system in times of disaster situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) may be one of the most common pathogen in gastrointestinal tract. Although several recent articles have reported a decline in the prevalence of H. pylori infection in both children and adults over the last several years, H. pylori infection usually occurs early in life and persists for a long time. The role of H. pylori in some digestive diseases, such as gastritis, ulcer and gastric cancer has been well established. And the possible role of H. pylori as a trigger for some extraintestinal diseases in children and adults has been considered in the last year. H. pylori infection might be associated with refractory iron deficiency anemia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, growth retardation and obesity etc, directly or indirectly. Most of the studies are classified as epidemiological, clinical researches about effects on extraintestinal manifestations after eradication, or case reports. This review describes the possibility of association with several extraintestinal diseases and H. pylori infection and their possible mechanisms based on reported studies in the world and our several studies, even though there are still many conflicting results about that.
Adult ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Child ; Gastritis ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Helicobacter ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Obesity ; Prevalence ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Ulcer

To define the genes for production of catalytically active H. pylori urease, we camed out study to elucidate the structure of urease gene transcript, to delineate the genetic region which affected the extent of the expression and the activation of urease structural subunits. UreC and ureD were confirmed not to affect the expression of structural genes and active enzyme production, meaning that these genes are not components of the urease gene cluster of H. pylori. p-independent transcriptional stop signal was found in 12 bp down-stream of ureH stop codon. RNA extension test showed that the transcript starts with 267 bp upstream of ureA start codon. Although accessory genes did not affect the extent of the expression of the structural subunits, they were essential for assembling the active urease in E. coli. E. coli transformants of plasmid clones containing ureAB produced catalytically active urease when they are complemented with the plasmid clones of ureIEFGH or coexisted with ureIEFGH, meaning that accessory gene products could be trans-acting as well as cis-acting. The extent of production of urease structural subunits depended on the region of 241 to 57 bp upstream of ureA start codon. E. coli transformant of pBeloBACII clone containing the urease gene cluster, which is maintained with a single copy in host, did not express the urease. Proteins (60, 38, 30, 29, 27, and 24 kDa) that could hold nickel ions were identified in the cell extract of H. pylori. The results in this study will provide the basis to understand the control mechanism for urease gene expression and formation of the active urease.
Clone Cells ; Codon, Initiator ; Codon, Terminator ; Complement System Proteins ; Gene Expression ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Ions ; Multigene Family ; Nickel ; Plasmids ; RNA ; Urea ; Urease*

H. pylori produces urease abundantly amounting to 6% of total protein of bacterial mass. Urease genes are composed of a cluster of 9 genes of ureC, ureD, ureA, ureB, ureI, ureE, ureF, ureG, ureH. Production of H. pylori urease in E. coli was studied with genetic cotransformation. Structural genes ureA and ureB produce urease apoprotein in E, coli but the apoprotein has no enzymatic activity. ureC and ureD do not affect urease production nor enzyme activity ureF, ureG, and ureH are essential to produce the catalytically active H. pylori urease of structural genes (ureA and ureB) in E.coli. The kinetics of activation of H. pylori urease apoprotein were examined to understand the production of active H. pylori urease. Activation of H. pylori urease apoprotein, pH dependency, reversibility of CO2 binding, irreversibility of CO2 and Ni2+ incorporation, and CO2 dependency of initial rate of urease activity have been observed in vitro. The intrinsic reactivity (ko) for carbamylation of urease apoprotein coexpressed with accessory genes was 17-fold greater than that of urease apoprotein expressed without accessory genes. It is concluded that accessory genes function in maximizing the carbamylating deprotonated E-amino group of Lys 219 of urease B subunit and metallocenter of urease apoprotein is supposed to be assembled by reaction of a deprotonated protein side chain with an activating CO2 molecule to generate ligands that facilitate productive nickel binding.
Apoproteins* ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Kinetics ; Ligands ; Nickel ; Urea ; Urease*

With the developement of the conventional abdominal ultrasound, many asymptomatic gallbladder diseases are noted. The combined diagnostic modalities using abdominal ultrasound, endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopanereatography are useful for the diagnosis of gallbladder diseases, especially polypoid lesions. But, diagnostic accuracy or ability is not satisfactory for the detection of early gallbladder cancer, among which there are increasing trends of flat or superficial type. Many efforts were tried to diagnose these lesions through the variable methods by direct access to the gallbladder, such as percutaneous transhepatic cholecystoscopy(PTCCS). With the advent of cystic duct cannulation method, endoscopic cholecystoduodenal stenting or nasocholecystic drainage come to be available for the treatment of acute suppurative cholecystitis. Via this route, double contrast study with barium sulfate and CO2 showed fine reticular mucosal structures of the gallbladder and increased diagnostic accuracy af the flat type cancer. We report 2 cases of gallbladder diseases with early cancer confined to the mucosa and adenomyomatous hyperplasia. They were diagnosed by the double contrast method of gallbladder that was firstly introduced domestically by us after endoscopic cannulation of cystic duct and pla~eement of the catheter to the gallbladder.
Barium Sulfate ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Cholecystitis ; Cystic Duct ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Gallbladder Diseases* ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; Gallbladder* ; Hyperplasia ; Mucous Membrane ; Stents ; Ultrasonography

With the developement of the conventional abdominal ultrasound, many asymptomatic gallbladder diseases are noted. The combined diagnostic modalities using abdominal ultrasound, endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopanereatography are useful for the diagnosis of gallbladder diseases, especially polypoid lesions. But, diagnostic accuracy or ability is not satisfactory for the detection of early gallbladder cancer, among which there are increasing trends of flat or superficial type. Many efforts were tried to diagnose these lesions through the variable methods by direct access to the gallbladder, such as percutaneous transhepatic cholecystoscopy(PTCCS). With the advent of cystic duct cannulation method, endoscopic cholecystoduodenal stenting or nasocholecystic drainage come to be available for the treatment of acute suppurative cholecystitis. Via this route, double contrast study with barium sulfate and CO2 showed fine reticular mucosal structures of the gallbladder and increased diagnostic accuracy af the flat type cancer. We report 2 cases of gallbladder diseases with early cancer confined to the mucosa and adenomyomatous hyperplasia. They were diagnosed by the double contrast method of gallbladder that was firstly introduced domestically by us after endoscopic cannulation of cystic duct and pla~eement of the catheter to the gallbladder.
Barium Sulfate ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Cholecystitis ; Cystic Duct ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Gallbladder Diseases* ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; Gallbladder* ; Hyperplasia ; Mucous Membrane ; Stents ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: Commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits have been considered less reliable for children than for adults. The aim of this study was to compare four ELISA kits and in-house immunoblotting based on the analysis of anti-H. pylori-IgG antibody reactivity. METHODS: A total of 399 serum samples were collected at the GNU Hospital during 1998-1999. All sera were tested using ELISA and immunoblotting. Statistically significant differences were determined by the chi2 test. RESULTS: The overall seropositivity rates using GAP IgG, Genedia IgG, HM-CAP, Pyloriset EIA-G, and immunoblotting were 13.0%, 25.1%, 18.3%, 15.8%, and 62.9%, respectively. Immunoblotting showed a higher seropositivity rate than did all four ELISA kits in all age groups. Genedia IgG had the highest seropositivity among the ELISA kits. The seropositivity rate for children aged 13 to 18 months was lowest, and that of children aged 15 years was highest (90.0%). The seropositivity rate for children aged 7 months to 5 years was significantly lower than that for children aged 6 to 15 years among the four ELISA kits (p<0.0001) and immunoblotting (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Immunoblotting is the most sensitive test for detection of anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG antibodies among the serological tests in this study. These results emphasize the need for standardization when commercial ELISA tests are used in different nations or in young age groups. Immunoblotting could be a suitable noninvasive assay for serodiagnosis and seroepidemiologic study of H. pylori infection in Korean children.
Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies ; Child ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Helicobacter ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoglobulin G ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Serologic Tests

This study investigated the actual status of constipation. In total, 978 female students in Korea participated. We identified the relationship among constipation and life style, clothing patterns, housing patterns, dietary habits, and dietary intake in a constipation symptom group and a normal group. The actual constipation rate based on the Rome II criteria was 27.0% (n = 264). Body weight (p < 0.05) and body mass index (p < 0.05) in the constipation group were significantly higher than those in the normal group. The incidence of functional bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome in the constipation group were significantly higher than those in the normal group. The discomfort of wearing underwear was significantly higher in the constipation group than that in the normal group. The constipation group revealed a significantly higher rate of irregular dietary habits than those in the normal group. The dietary diversity score of the normal group was 4.22 (p < 0.05), which was significantly higher than that of constipation group (4.12). No significant difference in life style factors was observed. It is necessary for university female students to correct their dietary habits, maintain food intake of three times per day, and select diverse foods. Furthermore, it is necessary for university female students to wear comfortable clothing to lessen symptoms and improve constipation rates.
Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Clothing ; Constipation ; Eating ; Female ; Food Habits ; Housing ; Humans ; Incidence ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Korea ; Life Style ; Rome

PURPOSE: To assess gastric pH and its relationship with urease-test positivity and histological findings in children with Helicobacter pylori infection. METHODS: Fasting gastric juices and endoscopic antral biopsy specimens were collected from 562 children and subjected to the urease test and histopathological examination. The subjects were divided into 3 age groups: 0-4, 5-9, and 10-15 years. The histopathological grade was assessed using the Updated Sydney System, while the gastric juice pH was determined using a pH meter. RESULTS: The median gastric juice pH did not differ significantly among the age groups (p=0.655). The proportion of individuals with gastric pH >4.0 was 1.3% in the 0-4 years group, 6.1% in the 5-9 years group, and 8.2% in 10-15 years (p=0.101). The proportions of moderate and severe chronic gastritis, active gastritis, and H. pylori infiltration increased with age (p<0.005). Urease-test positivity was higher in children with hypochlorhydria (77.8%) than in those with normal gastric pH (31.7%) (p<0.001). Chronic and active gastritis were more severe in the former than the latter (p<0.001), but the degree of H. pylori infiltration did not differ (20.9% vs. 38.9%; p=0.186). CONCLUSION: Gastric pH while fasting is normal in most children regardless of age. Urease-test positivity may be related to hypochlorhydria in children, and hypochlorhydria is in turn related to H. pylori infection.
Achlorhydria ; Biopsy ; Child* ; Fasting ; Gastric Juice ; Gastritis ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration* ; Urease