Metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the pediatric population has been reported in many studies to be associated with an inflammatory response. However, to our knowledge, there is no definitive conclusion in the form of a meta-analysis. The issue we aimed to address is whether C-reactive protein (CRP) is a trustworthy marker in detecting inflammation in children and adolescents with MetS. We systematically searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the ISI Web of Science, and SCOPUS until 31 June 2023 for studies involving children and adolescents with MetS where hsCRP or CRP were measured. After the screening process, we identified 24 full-text articles that compared 930 patients with MetS with either healthy (n = 3782) or obese (n = 1658) controls. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the Begg’s rank correlation test and Egger’s regression test. Statistical analysis was carried out based on pooled mean differences (MDs) and an associated 95% CI. Data analysis showed that MetS is associated with higher levels of CRP than those in healthy controls (MD = 1.28, 95% CI: (0.49–2.08), p = 0.002) in obese patients (MD = 0.88, 95% CI: (0.38–1.39), p = 0.0006). However, conventional methods of CRP analysis were found to be more accurate in differentiating between children and adolescents with obesity and those with MetS, compared with hsCRP (MD = 0.60, 95% CI: (−0.08–1.28), p = 0.08). No risk of bias was assessed. In conclusion, CRP is a reliable inflammatory marker for differentiating pediatric patients with MetS from healthy ones. On the other hand, it did not prove to be very accurate in distinguishing between patients who had MetS and those who were obese. There should be more research performed in this field.

The aging process, comorbidities, and age-associated diseases are closely dependent on each other. Cerebral ischemia impacts a wide range of systems in an age-dependent manner. However, the aging process has many facets which are influenced by the genetic background and epigenetic or environmental factors, which can explain why some people age differently than others. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify age-related changes in body functions or structures that increase the risk for stroke and which are associated with a poor outcome. Multimodal imaging, electrophysiology, cell biology, proteomics, and transcriptomics, offer a useful approach to link structural and functional changes in the aging brain, with or without comorbidities, to post-stroke rehabilitation. This can help us to improve our knowledge about senescence firstly, and in this context, aids in elucidating the pathophysiology of age-related diseases that allows us to develop therapeutic strategies or prevent diseases. These processes, including potential therapeutical interventions, need to be studied first in relevant preclinical models using aged animals, with and without comorbidities. Therefore, preclinical research on ischemic stroke should consider age as the most important risk factor for cerebral ischemia. Furthermore, the identification of effective therapeutic strategies, corroborated with successful translational studies, will have a dramatic impact on the lives of millions of people with cerebrovascular diseases.

Cosmetic products are chemical substances or mixtures used on the skin, hair, nails, teeth, and the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, whose use is intended to clean, protect, correct body odor, perfume, keep in good condition, or change appearance. The analysis of cosmetic ingredients is often challenging because of their huge complexity and their adulteration. Among various analytical tools, mass spectrometry (MS) has been largely used for compound detection, ingredient screening, quality control, detection of product authenticity, and health risk evaluation. This work is focused on the MS applications in detecting and quantification of some common cosmetic ingredients, i.e., preservatives, dyes, heavy metals, allergens, and bioconjugates in various matrices (leave-on or rinse-off cosmetic products). As a global view, MS-based analysis of bioconjugates is a narrow field, and LC- and GC/GC×GC-MS are widely used for the investigation of preservatives, dyes, and fragrances, while inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-MS is ideal for comprehensive analysis of heavy metals. Ambient ionization approaches and advanced separation methods (i.e., convergence chromatography (UPC²)) coupled to MS have been proven to be an excellent choice for the analysis of scented allergens. At the same time, the current paper explores the challenges of MS-based analysis for cosmetic safety studies.

Purpose: In aged humans, stroke is a major cause of disability for which no neuroprotective measures are available. In animal studies of focal ischemia, short-term hypothermia often reduces infarct size. Nevertheless, efficient neuroprotection requires long-term, regulated lowering of whole body temperature. Previously, we reported that post-stroke exposure to hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) effectively lowers whole body temperature and confers neuroprotection in aged animals. Methods: In the present study using behavioral tests, MRI, telemetrical EEG, BP and temperature recordings, RT-PCR and immunofluorescence, we assessed infarct size, vascular density, neurogenesis and as well as the expression of genes coding for proteasomal proteins as well as in post-stroke aged Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to H₂S- induced hypothermia. Results: Two days exposure to mild hypothermia diminishes the expression of several genes involved in protein degradation, thereby leading to better preservation of infarcted tissue. Further, hypothermia increased the density of newly formed blood vessels in the peri-lesional cortex did not enhance neurogenesis in the infarcted area of aged rats. Likewise, there was improved recovery of fine vestibulomotor function and asymmetric sensorimotor deficit. Conclusion: Long-term hypothermia may be a viable clinical approach by simultaneously targeting multiple processes including better tissue preservation, enhanced vascular density and improved behavioral performance.

The incidence of ischemic stroke in humans increases exponentially above 70 years both in men and women. Comorbidities like diabetes, arterial hypertension or co-morbidity factors such as hypercholesterolemia, obesity and body fat distribution as well as fat-rich diet and physical inactivity are common in elderly persons and are associated with higher risk of stroke, increased mortality and disability. Obesity could represent a state of chronic inflammation that can be prevented to some extent by non-pharmaceutical interventions such as calorie restriction and hypothermia. Indeed, recent results suggest that H₂S-induced hypothermia in aged, overweight rats could have a higher probability of success in treating stroke as compared to other monotherapies, by reducing post-stroke brain inflammation. Likewise, it was recently reported that weight reduction prior to stroke, in aged, overweight rats induced by caloric restriction, led to an early re-gain of weight and a significant improvement in recovery of complex sensorimotor skills, cutaneous sensitivity, or spatial memory. Conclusion: animal models of stroke done in young animals ignore age-associated comorbidities and may explain, at least in part, the unsuccessful bench-to-bedside translation of neuroprotective strategies for ischemic stroke in aged subjects.