Institutional shared resources and translational cancer research

The development and maintenance of adequate shared infrastructures is considered a major goal for academic centers promoting translational research programs. Among infrastructures favoring translational research, centralized facilities characterized by shared, multidisciplinary use of expensive laboratory instrumentation, or by complex computer hardware and software and/or by high professional skills are necessary to maintain or improve institutional scientific competitiveness. The success or failure of a shared resource program also depends on the choice of appropriate institutional policies and requires an effective institutional governance regarding decisions on staffing, existence and composition of advisory committees, policies and of defined mechanisms of reporting, budgeting and financial support of each resource. Shared Resources represent a widely diffused model to sustain cancer research; in fact, web sites from an impressive number of research Institutes and Universities in the U.S. contain pages dedicated to the SR that have been established in each Center, making a complete view of the situation impossible. However, a nation-wide overview of how Cancer Centers develop SR programs is available on the web site for NCI-designated Cancer Centers in the U.S., while in Europe, information is available for individual Cancer centers. This article will briefly summarize the institutional policies, the organizational needs, the characteristics, scientific aims, and future developments of SRs necessary to develop effective translational research programs in oncology

Vertical Administration of Vanadium through Lactation Induces Behavioural and Neuromorphological Changes: Protective Role of Vitamin E

The work investigated the protective role of vitamin E on vanadium induced neurotoxicity. Three adult female rats were divided into three groups, A-C with each dam and her pups forming a group. Group A served as control. The dam in Group B was given 3mg/kg b.w./day of vanadium from PND 1 while the Group C dam were given 3mg/kg b.w./day of vanadium, for 14 days and 500mg/kg b.w. of vitamin E 72 hourly in the same time frame. The results showed that pups from Group B, exhibited behavioural deficits in most tests, a significant reduction in body weight gain and absolute brain weight; in addition immunohistochemistry showed reactive astrogliosis induced by vanadium exposure. All these findings were however attenuated in pups whose dam was exposed to vanadium and vitamin E depicting the significant protective effects of this antioxidant against vanadium. This study is novel in that both vanadium and vitamin E were introduced through the lactation route. We conclude that though caution remains essential in the posology of vitamin E, the management of lactating mothers who have been exposed to vanadium occupationally, environmentally or therapeutically with supplementation of this antioxidant may be beneficial at least in the short term to both mother and offspring.Keywords: Vanadium, Vitamin E, Vertical administration, Neuroprotection. Nig. J. Physiol. Sci. 26(June 2011) 055 – 06

Developing a competency-based medical education curriculum for the core basic medical sciences in an African Medical School

Funmilayo Eniola Olopade,1 Oluwatosin Adekunle Adaramoye,2 Yinusa Raji,3 Abiodun Olubayo Fasola,4 Emiola Oluwabunmi Olapade-Olaopa5 1Department of Anatomy, 2Department of Biochemistry, 3Department of Physiology, 4Department of Oral Pathology, 5Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria Abstract: The College of Medicine of the University of Ibadan recently revised its MBBS and BDS curricula to a competency-based medical education method of instruction. This paper reports the process of revising the methods of instruction and assessment in the core basic medical sciences directed at producing medical and dental graduates with a sound knowledge of the subjects sufficient for medical and dental practice and for future postgraduate efforts in the field or related disciplines. The health needs of the community and views of stakeholders in the Ibadan medical and dental schools were determined, and the “old” curriculum was reviewed. This process was directed at identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the old curricula and the newer competences required for modern-day medical/dental practice. The admission criteria and processes and the learning methods of the students were also studied. At the end of the review, an integrated, system-based, community-oriented, person-centered, and competency-driven curriculum was produced and approved for implementation. Four sets of students have been admitted into the curriculum. There have been challenges to the implementation process, but these have been overcome by continuous faculty development and reorientation programs for the nonteaching staff and students. Two sets of students have crossed over to the clinical school, and the consensus among the clinical teachers is that their knowledge and application of the basic medical sciences are satisfactory. The Ibadan medical and dental schools are implementing their competency-based medical education curricula successfully. The modifications to the teaching and assessment of the core basic medical science subjects have resulted in improved learning and performance at the final examinations. Keywords: competency-based medical education, curriculum revision, basic medical science, integratio