Abstract
Broadbill swordfish (Xiphias gladius) is a key species in commercial fisheries, but management efforts continue to be hindered by data gaps in their basic biology, including ongoing debate ...over stock boundaries and movement between management zones. We deployed 20 pop-up satellite archival transmitting (PSAT) tags on juvenile swordfish in the Azores and adults in the northwest Atlantic (NWA). We applied a recently developed geolocation approach that synthesizes tag data with a global observation-assimilating ocean model to improve geolocation accuracy. Resulting tracks from 16 individuals averaged 3751 km (range 345–7247 km) over 93 days (range 17–181 days). Juveniles tagged in the Azores made regional movements while adults tagged in the NWA moved between summer foraging grounds near the Grand Banks to winter habitats near the Antillean Arc. All individuals spent considerable time in the mesopelagic zone during the day, and this behaviour increased with fish size. We integrate results from our PSAT-based movements with conventional tag and catch-per-unit effort data, which indicates complex stock structure within the North Atlantic that largely supports current stock boundaries. Our work demonstrates the utility in synthesizing fishery-independent electronic tag data and fisheries datasets to improve our understanding of large pelagic fish ecology.
Background & Aims Weight regain or insufficient loss after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is common. This is partially attributable to dilatation of the gastrojejunostomy (GJ), which diminishes the ...restrictive capacity of RYGB. Endoluminal interventions for GJ reduction are being explored as alternatives to revision surgery. We performed a randomized, blinded, sham-controlled trial to evaluate weight loss after sutured transoral outlet reduction (TORe). Methods Patients with weight regain or inadequate loss after RYGB and GJ diameter greater than 2 cm were assigned randomly to groups that underwent TORe (n = 50) or a sham procedure (controls, n = 27). Intraoperative performance, safety, weight loss, and clinical outcomes were assessed. Results Subjects who received TORe had a significantly greater mean percentage weight loss from baseline (3.5%; 95% confidence interval, 1.8%−5.3%) than controls (0.4%; 95% confidence interval, 2.3% weight gain to 3.0% weight loss) ( P = .021), using a last observation carried forward intent-to-treat analysis. As-treated analysis also showed greater mean percentage weight loss in the TORe group than controls (3.9% and 0.2%, respectively; P = .014). Weight loss or stabilization was achieved in 96% subjects receiving TORe and 78% of controls ( P = .019). The TORe group had reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure ( P < .001) and a trend toward improved metabolic indices. In addition, 85% of the TORe group reported compliance with the healthy lifestyle eating program, compared with 53.8% of controls; 83% of TORe subjects said they would undergo the procedure again, and 78% said they would recommend the procedure to a friend. The groups had similar frequencies of adverse events. Conclusions A multicenter randomized trial provides Level I evidence that TORe reduces weight regain after RYGB. These results were achieved using a superficial suction-based device; greater levels of weight loss could be achieved with newer, full-thickness suturing devices. TORe is one approach to avoid weight regain; a longitudinal multidisciplinary approach with dietary counseling and behavioral changes are required for long-term results. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00394212.
The present study explores depictions of converso spirituality in two polemical works written around 1650 by Saul Levi Mortera. As the chief rabbi of Amsterdam, Mortera oversaw the rejudaization of ...conversos who fled to the city from the Portuguese and Spanish Inquisitions. In order to persuade conversos to abandon crypto-Judaism, Mortera wrote polemical works in which he asserted the superiority of rabbinic Judaism. However, Mortera's works reveal that some conversos were reluctant to undergo rejudaization because of an enduring attachment to crypto-Judaism. Keywords: converso, Saul Levi Mortera, Amsterdam, Inquisition, crypto-Judaism
This collection of essays reveals the diversity of the impact on late medieval and Golden Age Spanish literature of the socio-religious dichotomy that came to exist between conversos (New ...Christians), who were perceived as inferior because of their Jewish descent, and Old Christians, who asserted the superiority of their pure Christian lineage.
Due to an increase in enrollment in upper‐level Spanish classes that posed staffing problems, the Spanish section of the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of ...Tennessee decided to combine three sections of Spanish 331, “Introduction to Hispanic Culture,” into one large lecture course, which was offered for the first time in the spring of 2004. This study is devoted to analyzing the design of Spanish 331 in the light of recent pedagogical research as well as to discussing the successful implementation of this course. Special attention is paid to the distinguishing features of Spanish 331, in particular to the effective use of PowerPoint presentations as a means of managing a large lecture course taught in a target language, the integration of a variety of Hispanic cultures into one course, and the creation of assessment techniques and follow‐up activities.
