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With the better understanding of human genome and genetic contributions to human complex diseases, more and more clinical genetic tests have been developed for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases. This has raised new challenges to classroom teaching of medical genetics (MG) in medical education of undergraduates, who are relatively naive about the theory and technology of MG. A clear understanding of genotype-phenotype relationships is critical in MG learning. In the current study, we incorporated a practical approach of classroom MG teaching by using alcohol tolerance, a phenotype that is widely experienced by students and closely related to genetic polymorphism. To verify this teaching approach, which we named as student experience-based teaching (SEBT), undergraduates of two classes were recruited, with one accepting SEBT and the other accepting conventional lecture-based teaching (LBT). Final examination of the MG course indicated that while the two classes showed similar results to multiple-choice questions, the SEBT class showed significantly better performance to short-answer questions about gene polymorphism and phenotype, suggesting that SEBT might improve understanding. Thus, using student experience-based phenotypic instances and explaining the phenotype by practical genetic tests could improve understanding of genotype-phenotype relationships in classroom MG teaching.

Teacher-led classical instruction lacks interactions feedbacks and thus leads to a low learning efficiency. Serving as advanced educational concept and method, outcome-based education (OBE) and BOPPPS mode gradually become the leading concept in the remodeling of basic medical education. In order to improve the quality of microbial genetics teaching, this article aims to summarize the methods and experience of applying BOPPPS mode to microbial genetics directed by OBE, which hopefully stimulates medical students' interests of initiative learning and active exploration, cultivates students' ability of raising and resolving questions, develops the awareness of cooperative learning, and finally achieves the goal of improved classroom learning.

AIM: This study aimed to assess the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic curative resection for colorectal cancer through the clinical practice and basic research. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From September 2001 to September 2002, 47 patients with colorectal cancer were treated using laparoscopic approach, compared with 113 patients underwent traditional operation. The length of intestinal segment excised, size of tumour, clearance of lymph nodes, local recurrence and distant metastasis rate during the period of follow-up in both groups were compared. The other part of the study involved the detection of exfoliated tumour cells in the peritoneal washing before and after surgery; flushing of the instruments was performed in both groups and the results compared. For the laparoscopic cases, the filtrated liquid of CO2 pneumoperitoneum was also checked for tumour cells. RESULTS: No significant differences existed in tumour size, operative site and manner between the two groups. The exfoliated tumour cell was not detected in the CO2 filtrated liquid. Between both groups there was no difference in the incidence of exfoliated tumour cells in peritoneal washing before and after surgery as well as in the fluid used for flushing the instruments. The total number of lymph nodes harvested was 13.71±9.57 for the laparoscopic group and 12.10±9.74 for the traditional procedure. Similar length of colon was excised in both groups; this was (19.38±7.47) cm in the laparoscopic and (18.60±8.40) cm in the traditional groups. The distal margins of resection for rectal cancer were (4.19±2.52) cm and (4.16±2.00) cm respectively. The local recurrence rate was 2.13% (1/47) and 1.77% (2/113) with the distant metastasis rate 6.38% (3/47) and 6.19% (7/113) respectively. Both the statistics were comparable between the laparoscopic and traditional surgery for the colorectal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic curative resection for colorectal cancer can be performed safely and effectively. In the treatment of colorectal malignancy, laparoscopic resection can achieve similar radicalilty as compared to the traditional laparotomy.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2010.09.013 Byline: Ming Shi, Min-Hua Zheng, Zhi-Rong Liu, Ze-Lan Hu, Ying Huang, Jia-Yin Chen, Gang Zhao, Hua Han, Yu-Qiang Ding Keywords: DCC; Retinal ganglion cells; Displaced amacrine cells; Apoptosis; Neurogenesis; Retina; Development Abstract: Netrin-1 and DCC are well known for their roles in neurite growth, axonal guidance, and neuronal migration. Recently, a number of studies showed that DCC is involved in the induction of apoptosis, and this proapoptotic activity can be blocked in the presence of Netrin-1. However, here, we found that DCC is required for the survival of two types of neurons selectively in the developing mouse retina where DCC is abundantly expressed. Our results showed that the DCC.sup.-/- retina displayed a reduced ganglion cell layer with relatively normal neuroblastic layer. Immunostaining assays revealed that in DCC.sup.-/- mice, initial neurogenesis within retina was unchanged while the numbers of differentiated retinal ganglion cells and displaced amacrine cells in ganglion cell layer were greatly reduced due to increased apoptosis. By contrast, other neuronal types including horizontal cells, bipolar cells, amacrine cells, photoreceptors, and Muller cells appeared normal in DCC mutant retinas. Moreover, DCC.sup.kanga mice that lack the intracellular P3 domain of DCC receptor displayed the same defects as DCC.sup.-/- mice. Thus, our findings suggest that DCC is a key regulator for the survival of specific types of neurons during retinal development and that DCC-P3 domain is essential for this developing event. Article History: Received 4 June 2010; Revised 25 August 2010; Accepted 17 September 2010