Endocrine Regulation of Maturation and Sex Change in Groupers.

Groupers are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide, are key species to coastal ecosystems, and valuable fishery targets. To facilitate artificial seed production technology for grouper aquaculture, the mechanisms of reproduction and gonad development are being elucidated for these important species. In addition, since groupers are sexually dimorphic fish with female-first maturity (protogynous hermaphrodite fish), research is being conducted to clarify the ecological mechanism of sex change and their reproductive physiology, focusing on the endocrine system. In recent years, research on groupers has also been conducted to understand changes in the coastal environment caused by ocean warming and man-made chemicals. However, due to difficulties associated with conducting research using wild populations for breeding experiments, knowledge of the physiology and ecology of these fish is lacking, especially their reproductive physiology. In this review, we present information on the reproductive physiology and endocrinology of groupers obtained to date, together with the characteristics of their life history.

Cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam sodium vs piperacillin sodium/tazobactam sodium for treatment of respiratory tract infection in elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory tract infections in the elderly are difficult to cure and can easily recur, thereby posing a great threat to patient prognosis and quality of life. AIM: To investigate the therapeutic effects of different antibiotics in elderly patients with respiratory tract infection. METHODS: Seventy-four elderly patients with respiratory tract infection were randomly allocated to a study (n = 37; treated with cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam sodium) or control (n = 37; treated with piperacillin sodium/tazobactam sodium on the basis of routine symptomatic support) group. Both groups were treated for 7 d. Time to symptom relief (leukocyte recovery; body temperature recovery; cough and sputum disappearance; and rale disappearance time), treatment effect, and laboratory indexes [procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell count (WBC), and neutrophil percentage (NE)] before and 7 d after treatment and the incidence of adverse reactions were assessed. RESULTS: In the study group, the time to WBC normalization (6.79 ± 2.09 d), time to body temperature normalization (4.15 ± 1.08 d), time to disappearance of cough and sputum (6.19 ± 1.56 d), and time to disappearance of rales (6.68 ± 1.43 d) were shorter than those of the control group (8.89 ± 2.32 d, 5.81 ± 1.33 d, 8.77 ± 2.11 d, and 8.69 ± 2.12 d, respectively; P = 0.000). Total effective rate was higher in the study group (94.59% vs 75.68%, P = 0.022). Serum PCT (12.89 ± 3.96 µg/L), CRP (19.62 ± 6.44 mg/L), WBC (20.61 ± 6.38 × 109/L), and NE (86.14 ± 7.21%) levels of the study group before treatment were similar to those of the control group (14.05 ± 4.11 µg/L, 18.79 ± 5.96 mg/L, 21.21 ± 5.59 × 109/L, and 84.39 ± 6.95%, respectively) with no significant differences (P = 0.220, 0.567, 0.668, and 0.291, respectively). After 7 d of treatment, serum PCT, CRP, WBC, and NE levels in the two groups were lower than those before treatment. Serum PCT (2.01 ± 0.56 µg/L), CRP (3.11 ± 1.02 mg/L), WBC (5.10 ± 1.83 × 109/L), and NE (56.35 ± 7.17%) levels were lower in the study group than in the control group (3.29 ± 0.64 µg/L, 5.67 ± 1.23 mg/L, 8.13 ± 3.01 × 109/L, and 64.22 ± 8.08%, respectively; P = 0.000). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the groups (7.50% vs 12.50%, P = 0.708). CONCLUSION: Piperacillin sodium/tazobactam sodium is superior to cefoperazone sodium/ sulbactam sodium in the treatment of elderly patients with respiratory tract infection with a similar safety profile.

Monodentate Transient Directing Group Assisted Pd-Catalyzed Direct Dehydrogenative Cross-Coupling of Benzaldehydes with Arenes toward 9-Fluorenones.

Commercially available 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)aniline was found to be a highly efficient monodentate transient directing group (MonoTDG) for the palladium-catalyzed direct dehydrogenative cross-coupling of benzaldehydes with arenes. A diverse set of symmetrical and unsymmetrical 9-fluorenones was readily obtained in yields of 32-72% along with excellent regioselectivities and broad functional group compatibility as well as high atom economy under mild conditions via a dual carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bond activation sequence.

Sixty-one patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy treated by tongluo yangyin recipe.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of tongluo yangyin recipe (TLYYR) in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). METHODS: Ninety-nine patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 were assigned, according to the order of their visit, to two groups: 61 in the treated group and 38 in the control group. They were given the same information about diabetes mellitus and treated with the same therapy: strict diet control and Western drugs for hypoglycemia. In addition, the treated group received one dose (200 mL) of TLYYR in water decoction every day in two portions, while the control group had vitamin B1 100 mg and vitamin B12 250 microg administered daily via intramuscular injection. The course for all patients was 28 days. RESULTS: The treated group experienced a therapeutic effect superior to that of the control group, with the difference between the total effective rates and the markedly effective rates (P<0.05, P<0.01). The blood levels of total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) fell, the hemorrheological manner improved, the transmission velocity of the median nerve and common peroneal nerve significantly increased in the treated group after treatment (P<0.05), although the treatment showed no significant influence on blood glucose level (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: TLYYR could promote blood microcirculation, improve nutritional metabolism of peripheral nerve, and thus accelerating DPN repair.