Age, growth, and spawning season of red bream (Beryx decadactylus) off the southeastern United States

Red bream (Beryx decadactylus) is a commercially important deep-sea benthopelagic fish with a circumglobal distribution on insular and continental slopes and seamounts. In the United States, small numbers are caught incidentally in the wreckfish (Polyprion americanus) fishery which operates off the southeastern coast, but no biological information exists for the management of the U.S. red bream population. For this study, otoliths (n=163) and gonads (n=161) were collected from commercially caught red bream between 2003 and 2008 to determine life history parameters. Specimens ranged in size from 410 to 630 mm fork length and were all determined to be mature by histological examination of the gonads. Females in spawning condition were observed from June through September, and reproductively active males were found year-round. Sectioned otoliths were difficult to interpret, but maximum age estimates were much higher than the 15 years previously reported for this species from the eastern North Atlantic based on whole-otolith analysis. Estimated ages ranged from 8 to 69 years, and a minimum lifespan of 49 years was validated by using bomb radiocarbon dating. Natural mortality was estimated at 0.06/yr. This study shows that red bream are longer lived and more vulnerable to overfishing than previously assumed and should be managed carefully to prevent overexploitation

Species composition, distribution, and relative abundance of fishes in the coastal habitat off the southeastern United States

Ichthyofauna of the coastal «10 m depth) habitat of the South Atlantic Bight were investigated between Cape Fear, North Carolina, and the St. John's River, Florida. Trawl collections from four nonconsecutive seasons in the period July 1980 to December 1982 indicated that the fish community is dominated by the family Sciaenidae, particularly juvenile forms. Spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) and Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) were the two most abundant species and dominated catches during all seasons. Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortin tyrannus) was also very abundant, but only seasonally (winter and spring) dominant in the catches. Elasmobranch fIShes, especially rajiforms and carcharinids, contributed to much of the biomass of fishes collected. Total fish abundance was greatest in winter and lowest in summer and was influenced by the seasonality of Atlantic menhaden and Atlantic croaker in the catches. Biomass was highest in spring and lowest in summer, and was influenced by biomass of spot. Fish density ranged from 321 individuals and 12.2 kg per hectare to 746 individuals and 25.2 kg per hectare. Most species ranged widely throughout the bight, and showed some evidence of seasonal migration. Species assemblages were dominated by ubiquitous year-round residents of the coastal waters of the bight. Diversity (H') was highest in summer, and appeared influenced by the evenness of distribution of individuals among species. (PDF file contains 56 pages.

Nocturnal depth distribution of western North Atlantic swordfish (Xiphias gladius, Linnaeus, 1758) in relation to lunar illumination

Swordfish are known to undergo large diel vertical movements from surface waters at night to \u3e 300 m depth during the day. Evidence presented over the past several deeades suggests the lunar cycle affects these vertical migrations. This study collected data concurrently from 7 swordfish throughout 3 consecutive lunar cycles using pop-up satellite archival tags. All individuals demonstrated an inverse relationship between recorded nocturnal depths and lunar illumination

Transesophageal Echocardiography Use for Orthotopic Liver Transplant

Impact Statement: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is an invaluable tool used in cardiac surgery. So why is it not consistently used in other high-risk surgeries, such as orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT)? Key Words: Transesophageal echocardiography, Liver graft, Liver transplantation Introduction: This scholarly project observes a high-risk patient undergoing an OLT. Hemorrhage, acute cardiac dysfunction, fluid shifts, and other intraoperative pathologies associated with OLT present many challenges for the anesthesia provider. Therefore, timely identification, evaluation, and intervention of intraoperative pathology are necessary to maintain hemodynamic stability. Traditionally, intra-arterial and pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) were used as hemodynamic monitors. Recently, however, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has been used for noncardiac surgery to assess hemodynamic status. The objective of this project is to identify the benefits gained from using TEE during OLT in addition to traditional hemodynamic monitoring techniques (CVP/PAOP) and how these findings affect fluid and medication management. Case Presentation: A 50-year-old female underwent general anesthesia for OLT. The patient’s medical history included cirrhosis, ascites, portal hypertension, portal vein thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, anemia, obesity, and coronary artery disease. Surgical history included splenic embolization and coronary artery bypass graft. The patient was transported to the OR, and standard monitors were applied. Initial VS were as follows: BP 148/75, HR 89, SpO2 92%, RR 24. The patient underwent an uneventful anesthetic induction and intubation. Sevoflurane was used to maintain anesthesia. A radial arterial line and an internal jugular introducer with a PAC were placed. Epinephrine and norepinephrine infusions were used to treat intraoperative hypotension. 1.5 L of 5% albumin, 6 U of packed red blood cells (PRBCs), 5 U of fresh frozen plasma (FFP), and 1 U of platelets were administered. Along with intraarterial blood pressure monitoring, CVP and PA pressure monitoring was used to estimate volume status and treat hypotension. Profound hypotension was treated frequently with vasopressors, fluids, and blood products throughout the case. The patient remained intubated and was transported to the intensive care unit (ICU) postoperatively. Forty-eight hours postoperatively, the patient remained intubated. Due to acute kidney injury, a continuous furosemide infusion and subsequent dialysis were required. Discussion: The reviewed literature provided ample evidence that TEE for OLT can be used to make new intraoperative diagnoses, many of these being difficult to identify by other means. Common findings included intracardiac thrombus (ICT), ventricular dysfunction, and multiple embolic pathologies. Shillcutt et al found that 88% of participants in their study had some form of abnormal TEE finding during OLT. TEE findings were also found to impact fluid and medication administration. Hofer et al found that vasopressor (56%), vasodilator (63%), and fluid management (50%) were all impacted by TEE findings in OLT patients. While evidence was provided to exhibit the efficacy of TEE as an intraoperative monitor, sufficient evidence was not provided to support better patient outcomes based on TEE assessments. This is largely due to a lack of quality observations and controlled research during OLT. The most significant evidence supporting better outcomes was from a retrospective observational cohort study that compared TEE, PAC, and a combined therapy group. The authors found that the patients undergoing OLT with both TEE and PAC had the lowest hospital length of stay (LOS), 30-day mortality, and infusion of fluids. This suggests that the addition of TEE with traditional monitors may be the safest method of hemodynamic monitoring. In the presented case study, the addition of TEE monitoring may have helped diagnose the causes of hemodynamic instability more rapidly and potentially altered medication and fluid administration. While the assumption that timely diagnosis of intraoperative findings leads to better outcomes may be reasonable, higher-powered studies are necessary to verify this assumption. Until beneficial outcomes have been validated, the use of TEE cannot be recommended as a comprehensive intervention for every OLT. However, it should be used based on the anesthesia provider’s judgment along with other monitoring tools. Conflict of Interest: I have no conflict of interest to disclose. References: De Marchi L, Wang CJ, Skubas NJ, et al. Safety and benefit of transesophageal echocardiography in liver transplant surgery: a position paper from the society for the advancement of transplant anesthesia (SATA). Liver transplant. 2020;26:1019-1029. doi: 10.1002/lt.25800 Hofer RE, Vogt MNP, Taner T, Findlay JY. Influence of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography and pulmonary artery catheter monitoring on outcomes in liver transplantation. Transplant. Direct. 2020;6:e525-e525. doi: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000000972 Shillcutt, Sasha K., MD, FASE, Ringenberg KJ, MD, Chacon MM, MD, et al. Liver transplantation: intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography findings and relationship to major postoperative adverse cardiac events. J.Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. 2016;30:107-114. https://doi-org.ezproxy.tcu.edu/10.1053/j.jvca.2015.09.009. Fayad A, Shillcutt S, Meineri M, Ruddy TD, Ansari MT. Comparative effectiveness and harms of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in noncardiac surgery: a systematic review. Semin Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth.2018;22:122-136. doi: 10.1177/1089253218756756 Hofer CK, Zollinger A, Rak M, et al. Therapeutic impact of intra-operative transoesophageal echocardiography during noncardiac surgery. Anaesthesia. 2004;59:3-9. https://doi-org.ezproxy.tcu.edu/10.1111/j.1365-2044.2004.03459.x

Operational Calculus

The Operational Calculus is a construction used for analyzing the behavior of linear operators that arise in the study of ordinary and partial differential equations. Given a linear operator T and a class of functions F, one rigorously defines a new operator f(T) for each f in F and establishes properties of the transformation f -> f(T), among which is that, if F is an algebra of functions, then the transformation induces an algebra homomorphism from F to the algebra of bounded linear operators on a Banach space. This paper begins with a discussion of an operational calculus for compact symmetric operators. This motivates the construction of the Dunford operational calculus for general bounded linear operators. Next, a treatment for bounded symmetric operators is provided, together with a rigorous presentation of all background material. All this is the basis of an operational calculus for unbounded symmetric operators T on a complex Hilbert space. This latter construction is based on a representation theorem of Riesz and Lorch for unbounded self-adjoint operators: the presentation is simpler and more illuminating than the customary one

Andy\u27s Inner Society: Warhol\u27s Philosophy and Sense of Self

Andy Warhol’s The Philosophy of Andy Warhol is an intimate look at the internal world of the painter and graphic artist. The general public often assumes that Warhol’s life was little more than a whirlwind of success and partying. His Philosophy conflicts with the general presuppositions about who Andy Warhol was. It reads like a diary and is rich with disclosures of his beliefs about love, beauty, success and underwear. Despite the intimate nature of these subjects and the apparently candid delivery of Warhol’s philosophies and life experiences, he maintains a cagey and detached voice throughout. I argue that his Philosophy, despite appearing to be authentic and adorable in its transparency, is actually evidence of his fragmented and disconnected internal world

The continuum in James Ward's psychology

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston Universit