Transfer of training in acquiring laparoscopic skills.

Background: Building on skills already learned in acquiring more complex or related skills is termed transfer of training (TOT). This study examined the TOT effects of previous open and laparoscopic surgical experience on a laparoscopic training module.

Study Design: Intracorporeal knot tying was chosen for evaluating TOT among three groups of surgical residents: interns (n = 11) with limited open and laparoscopic surgical experience, junior residents (n = 9) with recent and ongoing open and laparoscopic surgical experience, and senior residents (n = 8) with remote and limited laparoscopic experience but ongoing open surgical experience.

Trauma increases extrahepatic arginase activity.

Background: Although expressed primarily in the liver, arginase activity also is present in extrahepatic tissues and specifically in macrophages, where it may play diverse physiologic roles in wound healing, cellular proliferation, and the regulation of nitric oxide production. Arginase activity in immune cells is upregulated by certain cytokines such as IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-beta and by catecholamines. Since the release of these substances is increased after trauma, we hypothesized that arginase activity would also be increased in immune cells after trauma.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha: a marker for peritoneal adhesion formation.

This study investigates the possible correlation between higher levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and higher rates of adhesion formation following standard bowel injury. Forty-five Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three equal groups. Blood was obtained from all rats preoperatively.