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This article presents a retrospective study conducted at the National Skin Centre in Singapore from 2012 to 2021. The study aimed to identify trends in contact allergies to preservatives. A total of 4,585 patients were included in the study, with the majority being female. The most common preservatives that patients were sensitized to were MI, MCI/MI, paraben mix, and Quaternium 15. Sensitization frequencies for MDBGN and formaldehyde were lower, while sensitization to other preservatives was less than 1%. None of the patients had a positive reaction to 2-Phenoxyethanol. The study also found that the most common site affected by dermatitis was the hands, followed by the face and/or neck. Toiletries were the main source of allergens, and delayed positive patch tests were observed in a small percentage of cases. The study compared sensitization frequencies of preservatives between different time periods and found that the sensitization frequency of MCI/MI had increased, while the prevalence of paraben sensitivity had decreased, possibly due to regulations. The article emphasizes the importance of conducting a second patch test reading and notes that personal care products were common sources of allergens. [Extracted from the article]

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) integration is an increasingly popular and innovative investing strategy that requires companies to be transparent about their ESG practices to facilitate investors' decisions. In the palm oil sector, companies are addressing ESG risks by adopting and disclosing ESG efforts to improve access to financing. This study seeks to broaden existing research on ESG transparency and firms' financial indicators by using firm valuation as a financial indicator and investigating the moderating role of firm size in the palm oil sector. It first investigates whether ESG transparency has a direct positive or negative effect on firm valuation. Transparency is measured using the Zoological Society of London's (ZSL) Sustainability Policy Transparency Toolkit (SPOTT) 2021 assessment, which provides scores for palm oil companies' total, environmental, social, and governance disclosures. Firm valuation is measured by the price-to-earnings ratio (P/E), a widely used ratio calculated by dividing the share price by earnings per share. The study also explores the moderating role of firm size, using accounting-based measures such as revenue and assets, in strengthening the relationship between ESG transparency and firm valuation. The results show statistically significant negative relationships between ESG transparency and firm valuation. Companies with stronger ESG transparency are valued at a discount relative to companies with weaker ESG transparency. Additionally, the results find that firm size plays a moderating role such that larger firms strengthen the negative relationships between all transparency measures and firm valuation. These findings encourage constructive action for various stakeholders and provide implications for future research to support mainstreaming sustainable palm oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Photopatch testing represents the gold standard for the diagnosis of photoallergic contact dermatitis (PACD). We aimed to identify common photoallergens in our tertiary dermatological referral centre from 2012 to 2021, to compare this to the preceding period studied, and data from other communities. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all 90 patients who underwent photopatch testing at the National Skin Centre, Singapore, between 2012 and 2021. Results: Of 90 patients, 19 (21.1%) were male, and the mean age was 41.6 years. Eighty‐four (93.3%) underwent testing to our standard sunscreen series, 10 (11.1%) to our extended series, and 73 (81.1%) to their own items. Seventeen (18.9%) were diagnosed with PACD (i.e., photocontact allergy with present or past relevance), 12 (13.3%) with ACD, and 4 (4.4%) with photoaugmented ACD. Relevant reactions were commonest to oxybenzone (8, 9.5%) and mexenone (3, 3.6%). Eleven (15.1%) had PACD to their own items, with 3 of 4 (75%) tested to ketoprofen diagnosed with PACD and the remaining 1 (25%) with photoaugmented ACD. Age, race, sex, atopy, and site of involvement were not associated with photocontact allergy. Compared to the preceding time period, the overall frequency of photocontact allergy and PACD decreased, but rates of photoallergic reactions to individual photoallergens were not significantly different. Conclusion: Organic ultraviolet absorbers such as oxybenzone and mexenone remained the most relevant photoallergens. Personal item testing was valuable, and testing to ketoprofen should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]