In recent years, knowledge on the biology and pathobiology of extracellular vesicles (EVs) has exploded. EVs are submicron membrane-bound structures secreted from different cell types containing a wide variety of bioactive molecules (e.g., proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids (coding and non-coding RNA) and mitochondrial DNA). EVs have important functions in cell-to-cell communication and are found in a wide variety of tissues and body fluids. Better delineation of EV structures and advances in the isolation and characterization of their cargo have allowed the diagnostic and therapeutic implications of these particles to be explored. In the field of liver diseases, EVs are emerging as key players in the pathogenesis of both nonalcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD), the most prevalent liver diseases worldwide, and their complications, including development of hepatocellular carcinoma. In these diseases, stressed/damaged hepatocytes release large quantities of EVs that contribute to the occurrence of inflammation, fibrogenesis, and angiogenesis, which are key pathobiological processes in liver disease progression. Moreover, the specific molecular signatures of released EVs in biofluids have allowed EVs to be considered as promising candidates to serve as disease biomarkers. Additionally, different experimental studies have shown that EVs may have potential for therapeutic use as a liver-specific delivery method of different agents, taking advantage of their hepatocellular uptake through interactions with specific receptors. In this review, we focused on the most recent findings concerning the role of EVs as new structures mediating autocrine and paracrine intercellular communication in both ALD and NAFLD, as well as their potential use as biomarkers of disease severity and progression. Emerging therapeutic applications of EVs in these liver diseases were also examined, along with the potential for successful transition from bench to clinic.

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Chile has become a popular destination for migrants from South America and the Caribbean (low- and middle-income countries migration). Close to 200.000 Haitian migrants have arrived in Chile. Infectious and non-infectious disease burden among the Haitian adult population living in Chile is unknown. This study aimed to acquire the basic health information (selected transmissible and non-transmissible conditions) of the Haitian adult population living in Chile. A cross-sectional survey was performed, inviting Haitian-born residents in Chile older than 18 years old. Common conditions and risk factors for disease were assessed, as well as selected transmissible conditions (HIV, HBV, and HCV). 498 participants (60.4% female) from 10 communities in two regions of Chile were surveyed. Most subjects had never smoked (91.5%), and 80% drank less than one alcohol unit per month. The mean BMI was 25.6, with 45% of participants having a normal BMI (20–25). Hypertension was present in 31.5% (33% in the 25–44 age group). Prevalence of HIV was 2.4% (95 CI 1.3–4.2%), hepatitis B (HBsAg positive) was 3.4% (95 CI 2.1–5.5%), and hepatitis C was 0% (95 CI 0.0–0.9%). Quality of life showed a significant prevalence of depression and anxiety markers, particularly in those arriving in Chile less than 1 year ago. Low prevalence of obesity, diabetes, smoking, and drinking and estimated cardiovascular risk were found. Nonetheless, hypertension at a younger age, disproportionately higher prevalence of HIV and HBV infection and frequent markers of anxiety and depression were also found. Public policies for detecting and treating hypertension, HIV, and HBV screening, offering HBV vaccination, and organizing mental health programs for Haitian immigrants, are urgently needed.

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MicroRNAs are key non-coding RNA molecules that play a relevant role in the regulation of gene expression through translational repression and/or transcript cleavage during normal development and physiological adaptation processes like stress. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) has become the approach normally used to determine the levels of microRNAs. However, this approach needs the use of endogenous reference. An improper selection of endogenous references can result in confusing interpretation of data. The aim of this study was to identify and validate appropriate endogenous reference miRNA genes for normalizing RT-qPCR survey of miRNAs expression in four different tissues of Atlantic salmon, under handling and confinement stress conditions associated to early or primary stress response. Nine candidate reference normalizers, including microRNAs and nuclear genes, normally used in vertebrate microRNA expression studies were selected from literature, validated by RT-qPCR and analyzed by the algorithms geNorm and NormFinder. The results revealed that the ssa-miR-99-5p gene was the most stable overall and that ssamiR-99-5p and ssa-miR-23a-5p genes were the best combination. Moreover, the suitability of ssa-miR-99-5p and ssa-miR-23a-5p as endogeneuos reference genes was demostrated by the expression analysis of ssa-miR-193-5p gene.MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) molecules of approximately 22 nucleotides in length, that regulate gene expression through translational repression and/or transcript cleavage in several organisms 1, 2 . miRNAs can regulate several thousands of target mRNAs, which may include up to 30% of all protein-coding genes 3 . In this context, the activity of miRNAs has been described as essential for vertebrate development and in the differentiation and/or maintenance of tissue and cell growing. In comparison with the huge amount of studies focused on the development and evaluation of miRNAs activity in plants and animal models 4, 5 , miRNA studies in fishes are relatively scarce and in particular in salmonids are scarce. However, in the last years, several studies have focused on the development and characterizaton of a great number of miRNAs in fishes and aquaculture species 6, 7 . The logic next step after these studies would be the quantitative analysis of the key miRNA of interest, which is associated to traits or particular conditions. Although currently there are several methods to detect and quantify mature microRNAs 8,9 , the quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), corresponds to the approach usually utilized. This approach needs the use of endogenous references genes as internal controls to normalize target gene expression, since it captures all non-biological variations 10 . The selection of reference genes to be used as internal control is not a simple approach; in fact, this selection must be conducted in a single experimental design, according to a particular moment, tissue and challe...

The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is a very valuable commercial salmonid species. As with other aquaculture species, intensive aquaculture of Atlantic salmon often faces disease problems especially in early life stages which can limit stable production of the species. ‘Ssa miRNAs DB’, a bioinformatics and manually curated database, aims at providing a comprehensive resource of microRNA in Altantic salmon, with a user friendly interface for a convenient retrieval of each entry by microRNA ID or target gene. The current version of Ssa miRNAs DB involved the prediction of 41 and 266 homologous and novel microRNAs, respectively.AvailabilityThe database is available for free at http://www.molgenv.com/ssa_mirnas_db_home.php

Southern hake (Merluccius australis) is an ecological and economically important demersal fish in Chile and Argentina. Notwithstanding, genetic resource for genetic or ecological studies on this species are scarce. Consequently, here we present transcriptome sequencing results (RNA-Seq) for spleen and liver tissues with the 454 FLX titanium platform. The de novo transcriptome assembly generated 10,314 unigenes, with an average length of 510 bp, N50 of 572 bp and 3171 annotated sequences. A specific Gadiform BLAST search, with focus on immune genes, showed 186 (56%) genes homologous to those of Atlantic cod. A total of 2302 microsatellites were detected in 1687 unigenes and 741 presented adequate flanking sequences for primer design. In total, these potential molecular markers and transcriptome characterization represent an important resource for genetic and ecological studies on southern hake.

así como sus facilitadores y obstaculizadores, tanto en comparación con sus compañeros/as de generación de ingreso como en la distinción entre discapacidad auditiva y visual. De este modo, se quiso aportar a la discusión respecto del rol que pueden cumplir programas de acompañamiento que promuevan una participación inclusiva y con equidad de estudiantes con discapacidad sensorial en la educación superior. Para este cometido, se utilizó un enfoque metodológico mixto, cuantitativo y cualitativo. Dentro de los resultados, destaca la mayor presencia de no vigencia en la ES y el menor rendimiento académico de estudiantes con discapacidad sensorial respecto al total de estudiantes de sus respectivos programas, sobre todo en carreras de Ciencias Naturales y Matemática, así como el reconocimiento de que la interacción de características de la trayectoria escolar, de los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje en educación superior y, en particular, de las áreas disciplinarias, además del tipo y grado de discapacidad, son factores facilitadores y obstaculizadores de la experiencia académica de los y las estudiantes con discapacidad sensorial de la UC.Descriptores: Discapacidad; Estudiantes con discapacidad; Inclusión; Adecuaciones académicas; Educación superior.The present study aimed to analyze the academic participation of students with sensory disabilities in the different disciplinary areas of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, as well as their facilitators and barriers, both in comparison with their cohort and in the distinction between hearing and visual disability. Thus, this study can become a contribution to the discussion on the role of support programs which promote inclusive and equitable participation of students with sensory disabilities in higher education. For this purpose, a mixed methodological approach, quantitative and qualitative, was used. Among the main results, the greater presence of situations of not continuing studies and the lower academic achievement of students with sensory disabilities compared to the total number of students in their respective programs, especially in Natural Sciences and Mathematics careers, as well as the acknowledgement that interaction between characteristics of their school trajectories, of the teaching and learning processes in higher education and, particularly, of the disciplinary areas, in addition to the type and degree of disability, are factors that facilitate and hinder the academic experience of students with sensory disabilities at UC.