Psychosocial risks faced by olive workers in Spain: evaluated using the 'Mini Psychosocial Factors' questionnaire.

Background: Spain has the largest olive-growing area in Europe. The goal of the present research is to evaluate the psychosocial risks faced by workers in the olive groves of Jaén (the largest olive grove region of Spain).

Method: This method consists of 15 questions that analyse a total of 12 variables (mental load, demands, health, etc).

Changes in circulating extracellular vesicle cargo are associated with cognitive decline after major surgery: an observational case-control study.

Background: Postoperative neurocognitive decline is a frequent complication triggered by unclear signalling mechanisms. This observational case-control study investigated the effects of hip or knee replacement surgery on the composition of circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs), potential periphery-to-brain messengers, and their association with neurocognitive outcomes.

Methods: We mapped the microRNAome and proteome of plasma-derived EVs from 12 patients (six with good and six with poor neurocognitive outcomes at 3 months after surgery) at preoperative and postoperative timepoints (4, 8, 24, and 48 h).

Impaired astrocytic synaptic function by peripheral cholesterol metabolite 27-hydroxycholesterol.

Astrocytes represent the most abundant cell type in the brain, where they play critical roles in synaptic transmission, cognition, and behavior. Recent discoveries show astrocytes are involved in synaptic dysfunction during Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD patients have imbalanced cholesterol metabolism, demonstrated by high levels of side-chain oxidized cholesterol known as 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OH).

Review of Technological Challenges in Personalised Medicine and Early Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative Disorders.

Neurodegenerative disorders are characterised by progressive neuron loss in specific brain areas. The most common are Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease; in both cases, diagnosis is based on clinical tests with limited capability to discriminate between similar neurodegenerative disorders and detect the early stages of the disease. It is common that by the time a patient is diagnosed with the disease, the level of neurodegeneration is already severe.

Surgical Trauma in Mice Modifies the Content of Circulating Extracellular Vesicles.

Surgical interventions rapidly trigger a cascade of molecular, cellular, and neural signaling responses that ultimately reach remote organs, including the brain. Using a mouse model of orthopedic surgery, we have previously demonstrated hippocampal metabolic, structural, and functional changes associated with cognitive impairment. However, the nature of the underlying signals responsible for such periphery-to-brain communication remains hitherto elusive.