[Establishment and preliminary application of multiplex PCR for detecting the microsatellite markers in silkies].

In order to obtain the stable PCR combinations for silkies genetic analysis, multiplex PCR was used and its reaction condition was optimized. Five combinations of multiplex PCR with good effects were obtained from eighteen microsatellite markers. Three of them were quadruplex-PCRs, and two were triplex-PCRs. The products of multiplex PCR were further combined into three sets for the electrophoresis on ABI 3100-Avant Genetic Analyzer. The results suggested that the eighteen microsatellite markers could be successfully applied to the silkies genetic analysis.

[A linkage map of mirosatellite on chromosome 1 in Liangshan semi-wool sheep].

The 9 microsatellite markers on Chromosomes 1 were used to construct a linkage map of Liangshan semi-wool sheep with a 387 members half-sib pedigrees after paternity testing. The results were as follows: the number of alleles for 9 markers was from 5 to 15; the heterozygosity was from 0.202 to 0.831, the average heterozygosity was 0.617 and the polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.604. Length of the linkage map of chromosome 1 we built was 311.0 cM which is in consistent with the sheep linkage map of USDA and IMF, and can be used in Quantitative Trait Loci searching in Liangshan semi-wool sheep.

Clinical simulation training improves the clinical performance of Chinese medical students.

BACKGROUND: Modern medical education promotes medical students' clinical operating capacity rather than the mastery of theoretical knowledge. To accomplish this objective, clinical skill training using various simulations was introduced into medical education to cultivate creativity and develop the practical ability of students. However, quantitative analysis of the efficiency of clinical skill training with simulations is lacking. METHODS: In the present study, we compared the mean scores of medical students (Jinan University) who graduated in 2013 and 2014 on 16 stations between traditional training (control) and simulative training groups. In addition, in a clinical skill competition, the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) scores of participating medical students trained using traditional and simulative training were compared. The data were statistically analyzed and qualitatively described. RESULTS: The results revealed that simulative training could significantly enhance the graduate score of medical students compared with the control. The OSCE scores of participating medical students in the clinical skill competition, trained using simulations, were dramatically higher than those of students trained through traditional methods, and we also observed that the OSCE marks were significantly increased for the same participant after simulative training for the clinical skill competition. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these data indicate that clinical skill training with a variety of simulations could substantially promote the clinical performance of medical students and optimize the resources used for medical education, although a precise analysis of each specialization is needed in the future.