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To quantify the PPD content in hair dyes by measuring the PPD concentration after mixing the ingredients of commercial hair dyes. Methods: A total of 290 permanent hair dyes were tested. RP-HPLC-DAD analysis was performed to determine and quantify the PPD content. Results: The estimated mean of the PPD limit was 0.89 (95% CI [0.81– 0.96]). Of the 290 tested hair dyes, 7.2% (n = 21) exceeded the recommended PPD concentration after mixing. Significantly more hair dyes manufactured in India and China had a PPD content exceeding 2% after mixing compared to dyes from other regions (P = 0.001). Moreover, hair dyes manufactured in India and the UAE were more likely to have incomplete descriptions of the conditions of use and warnings on the label (P = 0.002). Conclusion: The effectiveness of the current regulations relevant to these products should be reevaluated. Moreover, through the use of good manufacturing procedures (GMPs), research, and the reporting of adverse reactions, hair dyes should be subjected to better control and monitoring in terms of their safety and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wu X, Liang Y, Wang L, Wang Z, Zhang C, Yang Y, Zhang J. Latent tuberculosis infection among new recruits to the army in Beijing, China in 2009. APMIS 2011; 119: 377-84. China is a country with high latent tuberculosis infection (LTI) and has a policy of routine BCG vaccination. To monitor tuberculosis (TB) infection, a total of 907 new recruits to the army were interviewed and routinely examined by chest radiographs. They were intradermally injected with purified protein derivative (PPD) and detected with enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay with recombinant CFP-10/ESAT-6 (rCFP-10/ESAT-6) fusion protein, as a stimulus, from December 2009 to February 2010. The prevalence of LTI among new recruits was estimated as 50.2% and 30.7% by PPD skin test and ELISPOT assay, respectively. Of 452 PPD-negative and 455 PPD-positive volunteers, 132 (29.2%) and 146 (32.1%) were ELISPOT positive, respectively. The overall consistency between these two tests was 51.4% (466/907). Although 65.6% of PPD-positive volunteers and 27.8% of ELISPOT-positive volunteers (spot-forming cells; SFC 12.2 ± 21.2) could find the vaccination scars on their arms, 21.3% of PPD-positive volunteers and 35.9% of ELISPOT-positive volunteers (SFC 18.3 ± 34.6) could not. Thus, the TB infection rate in army recruits in China was not as high as previously reported. The results suggest that the ELISPOT technique, we presented, is an accurate method for screening TB infection in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: In China, latent tuberculosis infection (LTI) is frequent. To protect the health of soldiers and monitor TB infection, new recruits were routinely examined for LTI by tuberculin skin testing (TST). This is the first report on the extent of LTI in the Chinese army comparing TST and enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay. Methods: New recruits to the army were interviewed, routinely examined and injected intradermally with purified protein derivative (PPD) in March 2007. At the same time, 100 male soldier volunteers were detected with ELISPOT assay using recombinant CFP-10/ESAT-6 fusion protein (rCFP-10/ESAT-6) as a stimulus. Results: The prevalence of LTI, as estimated by TST and ELISPOT assay, was 41% and 21% of new recruits, respectively. Vaccination scars on the arms could be found in 83% of volunteers with positive TST and 19% of volunteers with negative TST. Five individuals with strongly positive TST of whom 2 had negative ELISPOT were not given chemotherapy, and were observed for 20 months. None developed active TB. Conclusions: The prevalence of LTI in new recruits to the Chinese army is not as high as previously reported. ELISPOT technique may be the most accurate screening method for the TB infection in China, which was not interfered by BCG vaccination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To ease the Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD) measurement and calculation and consider the adaptive behaviors of residents, the present research proposed an adaptive thermal discomfort evaluation model: Air-conditioner based Adaptive Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (aaPPD). First, the indoor temperature, outdoor temperature, and humidity data of the residential buildings in five cities within three climate regions in China were collected. Second, through the air-conditioner-turning-on (ATO) judgment algorithm, the data from when the air conditioner was turned on could be extracted from the original data, and then transformed via the Monte Carlo sampling method to obtain a dataset of the ATO percentage of residents within specific indoor and outdoor environments. Finally, a nonlinear model was built according to this dataset. The final R2 of this model was 0.833. This model utilized data from resident ATO behaviors as the basis for determining the thermal discomfort and avoiding the psychological impact on the subjects when filling out the thermal sensation vote questionnaire. Moreover, when compared with the PPD model, the aaPPD model simplified the variables to obtain the calculation parameters more conveniently and ease the thermal discomfort testing and predictions, which could allow for better adaptation to the early architectural design stage working characteristics. • A model called air-conditioner based adaptive predicted percentage of dissatisfied. • Simplify the calculation process when compared with the traditional PPD model. • A thermal sensation vote method based on air-conditioner-turning-on behaviors. • Proposing an air-conditioner-turning-on judgment algorithm. • The characteristics of the air-conditioner-turning-on behaviors of Chinese residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preaxial polydactyly (PPD) is congenital hand malformation characterized by the duplication of digit. Herein, we scan the genome-wide SNPs for a large Chinese family with PPD-II/III. We employ the refined IBD algorithm to identify the identity-by-decent (IBD) segments and compare the frequency among the patients and normal relatives. A total of 72 markers of 0.01 percentile of the permutation are identified as the peak signals. Among of them, 57markers locate on chromosome 7q36 which is associated with PPD. Further analyses refine the mapping of candidate region in chromosome 7q36 into two 380 Kb fragments within LMBR1 and SHH respectively. IBD approach is a suitable method for mapping causal gene of human disease. Target-enrichment sequencing as well as functional experiments are required to illustrate the pathogenic mechanisms for PPD in the future.