Marriage of professional and technical tasks: a strategy to improve obtaining informed consent.

Background: Education in obtaining informed consent, combined with technical training using a stepwise approach, may improve resident knowledge of, confidence in, and frequency of obtaining consent for bedside procedures.

Methods: Surgical trainees were randomized to receive a lecture on obtaining informed consent. Knowledge of, confidence in, and frequency of obtaining consent were assessed.

Mitochondrial DNA decrease in subcutaneous adipose tissue of HIV-infected individuals with peripheral lipoatrophy.

Objective: To determine whether the peripheral fat wasting (lipodystrophy), which is seen in association with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) that includes a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), is associated with a decrease in subcutaneous adipose tissue mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content or with large mtDNA deletions or insertions.

Design: A four cohort cross-sectional study.

Methods: The mtDNA content of subcutaneous fat tissue from the neck, abdomen and thigh was determined by polymerase chain reaction utilizing the amplification of three different mtDNA fragments.

Cholecystectomy is an effective treatment for biliary dyskinesia.

Background: An increasing number of reports indicate symptomatic relief of biliary colic symptoms after cholecystectomy for biliary dyskinesia. Despite this, cholecystectomy as a treatment for biliary dyskinesia remains controversial. Our aim was to determine efficacy of cholecystectomy in alleviating biliary dyskinesia symptoms and the correlation with histologic findings.