Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Synopsis: General Aspects and Focus on Bangladesh.

HEV is the most common cause of acute hepatitis globally. This review summarizes the latest knowledge on the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, testing, and treatment of HEV infection. We also focused on Bangladesh to highlight the distinct challenges and the possible remedies. In low-income settings, the virus is mainly transmitted between people by fecal contamination of drinking water causing large outbreaks, and sporadic cases. The disease is usually mild and self-limiting acute hepatitis. Still, pregnant women and their offspring in low-income countries are at particular risk for severe disease, with up to 20% maternal mortality. Despite the high burden of the disease, HEV remains a relatively neglected virus, with detection hampered by costly tests and a lack of suitable treatments. Molecular PCR diagnostics, together with ELISA antibody tests, remain the preferred methods for diagnosis of HEV; however, rapid bedside diagnostics are available and could offer a practical alternative, especially in low-income countries. One vaccine (HEV 239) is only available in China and Pakistan, as efficacy against the other genotypes remains uncertain. The effectiveness trial conducted in Bangladesh might lead the way in gathering more efficacy data and could, together with improved surveillance and raised awareness, dramatically reduce the global burden of HEV.

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Workplace Accidents in Korea.

(1) Background: Although the number of people infected with COVID-19 has increased over time, its effects on workplace accidents are still poorly understood. On the one hand, COVID-19 can reduce workplace accidents through contracted economic activities or changes in work methods. On the other hand, it can increase workplace accidents by spreading in the workplace. The main purpose of this paper is to examine how COVID-19 affected workplace accidents in Korea during the early part of the pandemic. (2) Methods: This paper utilizes the administrative data on workplace accidents in Korea collected by Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency. In particular, we use monthly data from February 2016 to August 2020. This period was chosen to rule out the effect from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in 2015 and to include COVID-19 effects in 2020, given the available data. To examine the impact of COVID-19 on workplace injury and illness, we estimate fixed effects regression models, allowing us to control for group and time effects. (3) Results: COVID-19 was generally found to reduce workplace accidents in Korea, particularly through a reduction in occupational diseases. However, we also found that COVID-19 increased occupational injuries for males and workers in the transportation industry. We provide some evidence that these workers experienced an increase in workload and were unable to change work methods including working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. (4) Conclusions: Our results indicate that to reduce workplace accidents, government interventions should be directed at workers who are unable to change work methods and who are likely to suffer an increase in work burden due to COVID-19.

Role of apoptosis in retinoic acid-induced cleft palate.

PURPOSE: Although the mechanism by which retinoic acid (RA) induces cleft palate has been intensely investigated, some controversies remain. Some researchers argue that RA inhibits apoptosis, resulting in a failure of palatal shelves to fuse, whereas others propose that RA disrupts elevation or retards the growth of palatal shelves. This study investigated the mechanism underlying RA-induced formation of cleft palate in the rat, focusing mainly on the role of apoptosis. METHODS: Using an RA-induced cleft palate model of Sprague-Dawley rats described in our previous study, we examined a total of 92 embryos. Retinoic acid was injected intraperitoneally in experimental group animals on embryonic day 11 (D11), a time when our previous study indicated that RA-induced cleft palate was maximally developed. Control animals were treated with normal saline mixed with sesame oil. Timed pregnant rats were killed by an overdose of ether on D13, D14, D15, D16, and D17, and 8 sections were prepared from the anterior to the posterior of the palate. Growth of palatal shelves was evaluated histologically by examining sections stained with hematoxylin-eosin, periodic acid-Schiff, trichrome, and cresyl violet. Differences in apoptosis were monitored using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assays. RESULTS: Histologic examinations revealed underdevelopment of palatal shelves in the experimental group compared with the control group. In the RA-treated group, the overall process of palatal shelf development was delayed 1 day, and palatal elevation was observed. In hard-palate areas of both groups, apoptosis was maximal immediately after the fusion of palatal shelves. In the soft-palate areas, the saline-treated group showed fusion of palatal shelves, whereas the RA-treated group showed retarded growth of palatal shelves that resulted in failure of palatal fusion. Moreover, apoptosis occurred before palatal contact. CONCLUSIONS: Apoptotic manifestations did not differ between RA-induced cleft palates and control palates, suggesting that apoptosis makes a minimal contribution to the cleft palate formed in response to RA. Instead, growth retardation of the palatal shelves appears to play a major role in RA-induced cleft palate.