Interleukin-17 deficiency improves locomotor recovery and tissue sparing after spinal cord contusion injury in mice.

Following the initial impact, spinal cord injury (SCI) triggers a number of inflammatory responses which can exacerbate tissue damage in the cord and impair functional recovery. The involvement of several pro-inflammatory cytokines in the secondary degenerative mechanisms of SCI has been well established, although the role of interleukin-17 (IL-17) remains unclear. In the present study, we used IL-17 knockout (KO) and C57BL/6J wildtype (WT) mice to investigate the effects of IL-17 deficiency on locomotor recovery, lesion size, glial activation and inflammatory cell response following spinal cord contusion injury.

Implementing the undergraduate mini-CEX: a tailored approach at Southampton University.

Objectives: The mini-clinical evaluation exercise (mini-CEX) is widely used in the UK to assess clinical competence, but there is little evidence regarding its implementation in the undergraduate setting. This study aimed to estimate the validity and reliability of the undergraduate mini-CEX and discuss the challenges involved in its implementation.

Methods: A total of 3499 mini-CEX forms were completed.

Building leadership capacity in medical education: developing the potential of course coordinators.

The School of Medicine at the University of Southampton has undergone a process of consultation and staff development aimed at developing the leadership role of course coordinators. The paper reports on the negotiation of a generic framework of tasks and the development of a successful leadership training programme for course coordinators. The authors recommend a complex adaptive style of leadership based on whole systems theory and argue that leadership training for course coordinators is vital to the success of undergraduate medical programmes.

Negotiating strategic direction for education staff development: the Southampton experience.

The School of Medicine at the University of Southampton has identified and implemented strategic direction for education staff development. This paper reports on the processes of consultation and negotiation undertaken to ensure the success of a strategic approach and reflects on the difficulties involved. In particular, it reports on the development of a successful training programme for established teachers and course coordinators.

Complementary and alternative medicine: the next generation of health promotion?

This paper reports on a research study into the professional interface between health promotion and complementary and alternative medicine. The study was conducted in the UK, the USA and, to a lesser extent, Eastern Europe. Professionals from both sides of the interface were interviewed.