Loss of UBE2S causes meiosis I arrest with normal spindle assembly checkpoint dynamics in mouse oocytes.

The timely degradation of proteins that regulate the cell cycle is essential for oocyte maturation. Oocytes are equipped to degrade proteins via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. In meiosis, anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), an E3 ubiquitin-ligase, is responsible for the degradation of proteins. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 S (UBE2S), an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, delivers ubiquitin to APC/C. APC/C has been extensively studied, but the functions of UBE2S in oocyte maturation and mouse fertility are not clear. In this study, we used Ube2s knockout mice to explore the role of UBE2S in mouse oocytes. Ube2s-deleted oocytes were characterized by meiosis I arrest with normal spindle assembly and spindle assembly checkpoint dynamics. However, the absence of UBE2S affected the activity of APC/C. Cyclin B1 and securin are two substrates of APC/C, and their levels were consistently high, resulting in the failure of homologous chromosome separation. Unexpectedly, the oocytes arrested in meiosis I could be fertilized and the embryos could become implanted normally, but died before embryonic day 10.5. In conclusion, our findings reveal an indispensable regulatory role of UBE2S in mouse oocyte meiosis and female fertility.

Mitochondrial E3 ubiquitin ligase MARCH5 is required for mouse oocyte meiotic maturation†.

As the most abundant organelles in oocytes, mitochondria play an important role in maintaining oocyte quality. Here, we report that March5, encoding a mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase that promotes mitochondrial elongation, plays a critical role in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation via regulating mitochondrial function. The subcellular localization of MARCH5 was similar to the mitochondrial distribution during mouse oocyte meiotic progression. Knockdown of March5 caused decreased ratios of the first polar body extrusion. March5-siRNA injection resulted in oocyte mitochondrial dysfunctions, manifested by increased reactive oxygen species, decreased ATP content as well as decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, leading to reduced ability of spindle formation and an increased ratio of kinetochore-microtubule detachment. Further study showed that the continuous activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint and the failure of Cyclin B1 degradation caused MI arrest and first polar body (PB1) extrusion failure in March5 knockdown oocytes. Taken together, our results demonstrated that March5 plays an essential role in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation, possibly via regulation of mitochondrial function and/or ubiquitination of microtubule dynamics- or cell cycle-regulating proteins.

Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for efficient production of l-arginine.

As a semi-essential amino acid, l-arginine (l-Arg) plays an important role in food, health care, and medical treatment. At present, the main method of producing l-Arg is the use of microbial fermentation. Therefore, the selection and breeding of high-efficiency microbial strains is the top priority. To continuously improve the l-Arg production performance of the strains, a series of metabolic engineering strategies have been tried to transform the strains. The production of l-Arg by metabolically engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum (C. glutamicum) reached a relatively high level. Escherichia coli (E. coli), as a strain with great potential for l-Arg production, also has a large number of research strategies aimed at screening effective E. coli for producing l-Arg. E. coli also has a number of advantages over C. glutamicum in producing l-Arg. Therefore, it is of great significance to screen out excellent and stable E. coli to produce l-Arg. Here, based on recent research results, we review the metabolic pathways of l-Arg production in E. coli, the research progress of l-Arg production in E. coli, and various regulatory strategies implemented in E. coli.

MAPRE2 regulates the first meiotic progression in mouse oocytes.

Microtubule plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs) associate with growing microtubule plus ends and control microtubule dynamics and interactions with different cellular structures during cell division, cell migration and morphogenesis. Microtubule-associated RP/EB family member 2 (MAPRE2/EB2) is a highly conserved core component of +TIPs networks, but whether this molecule is required for mammalian meiotic progression is unknown. In this study, we investigated the expression and function of MAPRE2 during oocyte maturation. Our results showed that MAPRE2 was consistently expressed from germinal vesicle (GV) to metaphase II (MII) stages and that MAPRE2 was distributed in the cytoplasm of oocytes at GV stage and along the spindle at metaphase I (MI) and MII stages. Small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of Mapre2 severely impaired microtubule stability, kinetochore-microtubule attachment, and chromosome alignment and subsequently caused spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) activation and cyclin B1 nondegradation, leading to failure of chromosome segregation and first polar body extrusion. This study demonstrates for the first time that MAPRE2 plays an important role during mouse oocyte meiosis.

The association of air pollutants with hospital outpatient visits for child and adolescence psychiatry in Shenzhen, China.

BACKGROUND: Although exposure to ambient air pollution has been associated with mental disorder, little is known about its potential effects on children and adolescents, especially in Chinese population. We aimed to reveal the relationship of air pollutants with hospital outpatient visits for child and adolescence psychiatry (HOVCAP) in Shenzhen. METHODS: A case-crossover study based on time-series data was applied, and a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to evaluate the non-linear and delayed effects of 4 major air pollutants (NO2, PM2.5, SO2 and O3) on HOVCAP. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to control the multicollinearity between covariates and to filter variables. RESULT: A total of 94,660 cases aged 3-18 were collected from 2014 to 2019 in the Mental Health Center of Shenzhen. Results of pollutants at mode value (M0) showed that in the single lag effect result, when the average daily concentration of NO2 at 24 µg/m3, there was a significant effect on HOVCAP over lag 1, lag 4 and lag 5, respectively. The cumulative RR of NO2 M0 value to the outpatient visits were 1.438 (1.137-1.818) over lag 0-2, 1.454 (1.120-1.887) over lag 0-3, 1.466 (1.084-1.982) over lag 0-4, 1.680 (1.199-2.354) over lag 0-5, 1.993 (1.369-2.903) over lag 0-6, and 2.069 (1.372-3.119) over lag 0-7. However, PM2.5, SO2, O3 were not associated with HOVCAP over neither single lag effects nor cumulative effects. The RR values both shown an increase either when NO2 increases by 10 units or when the maximum concentration of NO2 is reached. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that exposure to the normal air quality of NO2 in Shenzhen may associated with the risk of HOVCAP. However, PM2.5, SO2, O3 were not associated with HOVCAP.

Metastasis of lung cancer?

BACKGROUND: Sarcoidosis is a multi-system, idiopathic, inflammatory disorder that affects the lungs in over 90% of patients. The incidence of bone lesions in sarcoidosis is only 1-13%. CASE REPORT: This study describes a 60-year-old woman with a previous history of thyroid cancer, and a more recent diagnosis of lung cancer with suspicious metastatic lesions, which were confirmed to be sarcoidosis. CONCLUSION: This case suggests that pulmonary neoplasms and pulmonary sarcoidosis can coexist and be easily confused. When lung cancer is accompanied by symmetric hilar lymph node enlargement and multiple lung nodules, sarcoidosis should be considered in addition to metastasis, and a biopsy should be performed for confirmation.

Axial and frontal X-ray fluoroscopy technique of the sustentaculum tali can improve the accuracy of sustentacular screw placement.

INTRODUCTION: Calcaneal fractures, especially those involving the articular surface, should be anatomically reduced as much as possible. Fixing the fracture by placing a screw into the sustentaculum tali from the lateral side of the calcaneus is generally considered to be the key to successful surgery. However, due to the limited visibility during surgery, it is not easy to place screws into the sustentaculum tali accurately. The purpose of this study was to explore a new fluoroscopy method for the sustentaculum tali and verify the value of this method in improving screw placement accuracy. METHODS: In this study, a total of 42 human foot and ankle specimens were dissected and measured. The shape and position of the sustentaculum tali were observed, and the influence of adjacent bones on imaging findings was analysed. The axial and frontal X-ray fluoroscopy method to view the sustentaculum tali was formulated, and the appropriate projection angle through anatomical and image measurements was explored. Thirty specimens were randomly selected for screw placement, and the direction of the screw was dynamically adjusted under the new imaging method. The success rate of sustentacular screw placement was evaluated. RESULTS: The anteversion angles of the sustentaculum tali were 30.81 ± 2.21° and 30.68 ± 2.86° by anatomical and imaging measurements, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the anteversion angle between the two measurement methods. Harris heel views should be obtained at 30° to identify the sustentaculum tali on axial X-ray images. Frontal X-ray imaging was performed perpendicular to this projection angle. Through frontal and axial X-ray imaging, the position and shape of the sustentaculum tali can be clearly observed, and these factors are seldom affected by adjacent bones. Under the new fluoroscopy method, the screws were placed from the anterior region of the lateral wall of the calcaneus to the sustentaculum tali. A total of 60 screws were placed in the 30 specimens; of these, 54 screws were in good position, 2 screws penetrated the cortical bone, and 4 screws did not enter the sustentaculum tali. The success rate of sustentacular screw placement was 90% (54/60). CONCLUSIONS: Axial and frontal X-ray images of the sustentaculum tali can clearly show the shape of the structure, which improves sustentacular screw placement accuracy.

A novel femoral artery compression device (butterfly compress) versus manual compression for hemostasis after femoral artery puncture: a randomized comparison.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the hemostatic efficacy of a novel femoral artery compression device in patients undergoing an interventional procedure through femoral artery puncture. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients enrolled in this trial were randomly assigned 1:1 to the novel femoral artery compression device (NFACD) or the manual compression (MC) group. The primary endpoints were time to hemostasis (TTH), time to ambulation (TTA), any other complications, such as the occurrence of hematoma, bleeding, pseudoaneurysm and arteriovenous fistula at the puncture site, and time to hospital discharge. RESULTS: A total of 617 patients were included in this study (NFACD, n = 308 versus MC, n = 309) from May 2017 to September 2019, and the baseline characteristics of the groups were similar. We found that the TTH and TTA were significantly shorter in the NFACD group than in the MC group (4.4 ± 11.6 min vs. 20.1 ± 22.5 min; p < 0.001; 8.9 ± 14.2 h vs. 16.3 ± 27.5 h; p = 0.002). There were few other complications in either group. In addition, there was no significant difference in time to hospital discharge between the NFACD group and the MC group. CONCLUSION: The novel femoral artery compression device is effective in achieving hemostasis in patients undergoing femoral artery puncture and is associated with a marked shortening of the TTH and TTA.

[Cloning and expression analysis of chicken circular transcript of insulin degrading enzyme gene].

Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) is a highly conserved metallopeptidase that functions in the catabolism of bioactive peptides. In our previous study, we identified a putative circular transcript in that chicken insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) gene through analyzing a high throughput sequencing result. Here we set to confirm the circular transcript of IDE (circIDE) and explore its expression regularity in normal barred Plymouth chicken. The circIDE was confirmed by PCR amplification and sequencing. The circular structure of circIDE was determined by RNase R processing and reverse transcription experiments. Then we analyzed the spatiotemporal expression pattern of circIDE and IDE mRNA and compared the differential expression of circIDE and IDE mRNA in the normal barred Plymouth chicken and the dwarf ones. The results showed that the full length of chicken circIDE was 1332 nt, divided form exon 2-11 of the IDE gene. RNase R tolerance analysis showed that chicken circIDE had the general characteristics of circular molecule, and was highly resistant to RNase R. The random primers had higher transcription efficiency than the oligo-d(T)18 primers, confirming that circIDE is a circular structured molecule without poly(A). circIDE was highly expressed in the liver and heart tissues but less in the muscle tissues of leg and breast in normal chickens at the age of 1 and 12 weeks. The expression profile of circIDE in liver tissue showed that circIDE level was lower in1 to 6 weeks and then became higher after 8 weeks of age. The expression of circIDE in liver tissue was significantly higher in normal chicken than that in dwarf barred Plymouth chicken (P<0.05). This study confirmed a circIDE strucutre in chicken IDE gene and uncovered its expression regularity. We demonstrated that the expression level of circIDE in the liver tissue was higher in normal barred Plymouth chicken compared to dwarf species. This study paves the way for further understanding the biological function of chicken circIDE, including its roles in regulating chicken growth and development.

Investigation of a novel pyrolusite particle electrode effects in the chlorine-containing wastewater.

Research on three-dimensional electrode system mainly focuses on the material of plate electrode and catalytic activity, and minimal attention is provided to particle electrode. Pyrolusite was prepared as a novel particle electrode with high active chlorine (ACl) yield. The particle electrode was characterised by scanning electrode microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and electrochemical properties. Results show that the intended pyrolusite particle electrode was prepared successfully. These pyrolusite particle electrodes were applied to degrade sulphonated phenolic resin in chlorine-containing wastewater and displayed an excellent catalytic activity. A total of 68.76 mg/L ACl was produced, and the CODCr removal rate was 49.55%. These results indicated that pyrolusite particle electrode is much more effective than the reference material, that is, granular activated carbon. Furthermore, the product of electrolytic process was characterised by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ultraviolet visible spectrometry (UV-vis). The enhanced mechanism was proposed that the high degradation efficiency could be ascribed to the increase of ACl.

Pharmacokinetic and tissue distributions study of adenosine, 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol and Parishin C from Gastrodia elata extract in rats.

The plant Gastrodia elata is a type of the orchid plant Gastrodia elata Bl. which contains glycosides, phenols, polysaccharides, sterols, and organic acids and a variety of active ingredients are proved to have certain pharmacological activities. To understand the process in the body of Gastridua elata, we used HPLC to study pharmacokinetics and tissue distributions of adenosine, 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol and Parishin C in rats. The results showed that the three ingredients could be detected in plasma and different organizations at various time points. There was no significant difference in systemic clearance at three ingredients and it may be show that the three ingredients distributed (0.475±0.025, 0.518±0.033, 0.699±0.051) quickly and eliminated (5.37±0.87, 4.54±0.69, 5.34±0.82) slowly in plasma. There was the highest content of adenosine in spleen, followed by liver and lung. The highest content of 4-hydroxybenzylacohol in liver, and was higher in spleen. Parishin C was highest in heart, followed by liver and spleen. It is obvious that the contents of three ingredients are all higher in liver. The trends of the three ingredients' contents in G. rhizome extract were consistent with the contents in the plasma after intravenous administration.

Vertical Transmission of PCV2b to Fetuses in Sows Intramuscularly Infected with PCV2b.

In order to investigate whether PCV2b can be transmitted across the placenta in sows thereby causing vertical infection of fetuses, six sows in 75 day of pregnancy were either intramuscularly inoculated with a PCV2b culture supernatant (n = 4) or mock infected with cell culture supernatant (n = 2). At parturition, 3 newborn piglets from each litter were randomly selected and euthanatized prior to suckling. Samples of the mesenteric lymph nodes, spleens, kidneys, hearts and lungs were collected for PCR, histopathological and immunohistochemical assays. The results showed that the newborn piglets from PCV2b-infected sows had histopathological lesions in the tested tissues. Moreover, PCV2b antigen and DNA were detected as well. These findings therefore suggested that porcine circovirus type 2b can be transmitted across the placenta of sows, thereby leading to PCV2b vertical infection of the fetuses.

Differential Diagnosis of Pathological Type of Peripheral Lung Cancer with Multimodal Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of the work described here was to investigate the role of multimodal contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer. METHODS: From April 2017 to July 2021, 109 patients with confirmed pulmonary malignant lesions who underwent CEUS examination were involved in our study. Seven patients were excluded because of the short duration of CEUS video or unsatisfactory imaging. Finally,102 patients with peripheral lung cancer were enrolled in this study. The maximum diameter of the lesions ranged from 1.6 to 13.0 cm (mean 6.2 ± 2.3 cm). On the basis of the pathological results, the patients were divided into the small cell lung cancer (SCLC) group and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) group (including adenocarcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma). A Logiq E9 ultrasonic machine equipped with a 3.5 to 5.0 MHz C5-1 probe was used. Patient clinical information, CEUS features, CPI patterns and TIC parameters were analyzed and compared between different groups. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS software and MedCalc software. The receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted. RESULTS: In the differential diagnosis of SCLC and NSCLC, color parametric imaging indicated great performance. NSCLC exhibited a centripetal enhancement pattern more frequently (72.7%), while SCLC exhibited an eccentric enhancement pattern more frequently (92.9%) (p < 0.001). In the differential diagnosis of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, logistic regression analysis revealed that patient age of onset ≤60 y, difference in arrival time between lung and tumor ≤3.8 s, drop time of the time-intensity curve >23.2 s and absence of internal necrosis on CEUS were independent predictors for adenocarcinoma (area under the curve = 0.861). CONCLUSION: In our study, multimodal contrast-enhanced ultrasound provided useful information in the differential diagnosis between small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, especially between adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Fangchinoline inhibits mouse oocyte meiosis by disturbing MPF activity.

Fangchinoline (FA) is an alkaloid derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Fangji. Numerous studies have shown that FA has a toxic effect on various cancer cells, but little is known about its toxic effects on germ cells, especially oocytes. In this study, we investigated the effects of FA on mouse oocyte maturation and its potential mechanisms. Our results showed that FA did not affect meiosis resumption but inhibited the first polar body extrusion. This inhibition is not due to abnormalities at the organelle level, such as chromosomes and mitochondrial, which was proved by detection of DNA damage and reactive oxygen species. Further studies revealed that FA arrested the oocyte at the metaphase I stage, and this arrest was not caused by abnormal kinetochore-microtubule attachment or spindle assembly checkpoint activation. Instead, FA inhibits the activity of anaphase-promoting complexes (APC/C), as evidenced by the inhibition of CCNB1 degeneration. The decreased activity of APC/C may be due to a reduction in CDC25B activity as indicated by the high phosphorylation level of CDC25B (Ser323). This may further enhance Maturation-Promoting Factor (MPF) activity, which plays a critical role in meiosis. In conclusion, our study suggests that the metaphase I arrest caused by FA may be due to abnormalities in MPF and APC/C activity.

Novel syngeneic liver hapten protein compounds play different roles in pathogenesis of autoimmune hepatitis in the C57BL/6 mouse.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) model in C57BL/6 mice with syngeneic hapten S100 and adjuvant injected intraperitoneally has been designed to elucidate the pathogenesis of AIH. Three separate hapten peak proteins, peak I, peak II and peak III, could be derived from S100, but little is understood their roles on the development of AIH. This study aims to learn more about these roles on pathogenesis of AIH. METHODOLOGY: Novel AIH C57BL/6 mouse models were developed by weekly immunization by intraperitoneal injection with syngeneic S100 liver proteins and the three separated hapten peak proteins emulsified covalently in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) for 4 weeks and sacrificed for liver histopathological study. Additionally, TNF-α and INF-γ in culture supernatants of spleen lymphocytes of healthy C57BL/6 mice cultured together with S100 plus CFA for 48 hours were detected, and the T-lymphocytes proliferative response after stimulation with crude S100, peak I, II or III proteins were also assessed. RESULTS: Data showed that hepatitis induced by CFA+S100 was accompanied with more severe inflammation characterized by diffusely distributed liver necrosis and enhanced lymphocyte infiltration in portal tracts, while hepatitis induced by peak I+CFA was characterized by mass lymphocyte infiltration, occasional isolated liver necrosis and many acidophilic bodies, which was more similar to autoimmune hepatitis; hepatitis induced by peak II+CFA was characterized by massive liver necrosis and mild lymphocyte infiltration; hepatitis induced by peak III+CFA was characterized by mild inflammation with isolated acidophilic bodies or dotted hepatocellular necrosis. TNF-α, INF-γ from culture supernatants were increased, and T-lymphocyte proliferative response stimulated with peak I protein significantly increased compared with those stimulated with crude S100, peak II or III proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Syngenic S100 liver protein and its three separated hapten proteins have different roles in the pathogenesis of AIH, and peak I protein may be important in its development.

Sonographic diagnosis of fetal intestinal volvulus with ileal atresia: a case report.

Fetal intestinal volvulus is a rare life-threatening condition usually manifesting after birth with most cases being associated with intestinal malrotation. It appears on prenatal sonography (US) as a twisting of the bowel loops around the mesenteric artery, leading to mechanical obstruction and ischemic necrosis of the bowel. We report a case of intrauterine intestinal volvulus with ileal atresia, suspected when US revealed a typical "whirlpool" sign at 37 weeks' gestation, with a segment of markedly distended bowel loops and small amount of fetal ascites.

A heterozygous ZP2 mutation causes zona pellucida defects and female infertility in mouse and human.

The zona pellucida (ZP) is an extracellular glycoprotein matrix surrounding mammalian oocytes. Recently, numerous mutations in genes encoding ZP proteins have been shown to be possibly related to oocyte abnormality and female infertility; few reports have confirmed the functions of these mutations in living animal models. Here, we identified a novel heterozygous missense mutation (NM_001376231.1:c.1616C>T, p.Thr539Met) in ZP2 from a primary infertile female. We showed that the mutation reduced ZP2 expression and impeded ZP2 secretion in cell lines. Furthermore, we constructed the mouse model with the mutation (Zp2T541M) using CRISPR-Cas9. Zp2WT/T541M female mice had normal fertility though generated oocytes with the thin ZP, whereas Zp2T541M female mice were completely infertile due to degeneration of oocytes without ZP. Additionally, ZP deletion impaired folliculogenesis and caused female infertility in Zp2T541M mice. Our study not only expands the spectrum of ZP2 mutation sites but also, more importantly, increases the understanding of pathogenic mechanisms of ZP2 mutations.

Polymorphisms in chicken extracellular fatty acid binding protein gene.

In this study, we report the investigation of extracellular fatty acid binding protein gene (Ex-FABP) genetic polymorphism in a sample of 360 chicken individuals. The screening of the coding regions with their intron-exon boundaries and the proximal flanking regions was performed through a PCR-SSCP strategy. Following sequence analysis revealed 35 novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of chicken Ex-FABP gene. Among the 35 SNPs, twenty-five were found in the introns. And the remaining seven and three SNPs were in the coding region and the 5'UTR, respectively. Two SNPs in the coding region caused two missense mutants and the other five did not result in any amino acid changes. The nature and the distribution of Ex-FABP mutations in three chicken breeds were analyzed. Variations detected here might have an impact on Ex-FABP activity and function and underpin the development of gene markers for chicken fatty deposition and metabolism. The polymorphism, generated by C4715T mutation in exon5, was significantly associated with thickness of subcutaneous fat plus skin in cocks. Subcutaneous fat plus skin of cocks was more thick in TT genotype than in CC genotype (P < 0.05). The Ex-FABP gene could be a candidate locus or linked to a QTL that significantly affects fatty deposition and metabolism in chicken.

A new method for studying the mechanism of "Feature Identification based quality assessment" of Traditional Chinese Medicine, taking Gastrodiae Rhizoma as an example.

Aim of the study: The research group proposed that the mechanism of "Feature Identification based Quality Assessment" (FIQA) of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can be explained according to the relationship between the "Feature" of TCM and the Pharmacodynamic Components representing the holistic effect of TCM. Gastrodiae Rhizoma (GR) was selected as the research object to reveal the close relationship between "Feature" and the quality of TCM. Materials and methods: In this study, the "Feature" such as "Shape", "Color", "Odour" and "Taste" of GR are quantified by the electronic nose, electronic tongue, and other instruments. Then, the Pharmacodynamic Components Group (PCG) of GR was determined which could reflect the holistic effect of GR by spectrum effect relationship analysis. By analyzing the correlation between the "Feature" and the content of PCG, the mechanism of FIQA of GR was determined. Results: The quantitative results of "Shape", "Color", "Odour" and "Taste" of GR from different sources were significantly different. Six components were selected as the PCG, which can represent the holistic effect of GR in the aspect of the neuroprotective effect. There was a good correlation between the components in the PCG and "Feature". Conclusions: The quality of GR can be determined quantitatively according to its "Shape", "Color", "Odour" and "Taste". The mechanism of FIQA of TCM can be explained according to the relationship between the Shape of TCM and the Pharmacodynamic Components representing the quality of TCM. The revelation of this mechanism reflects the holistic characteristics of the multi-component synergistic effect of TCM. This study provides a reference research method for revealing the mechanism of FIQA of TCM.

How to improve the problem of hotel manpower shortage in the COVID-19 epidemic environment? Exploring the effectiveness of the hotel practice training system.

This study aimed to examine the role of effective employee training in the sustainable growth and corporate social responsibility of hotels during the postpandemic period. An initial respondent pool was selected using purposive sampling, and 280 questionnaires were finally obtained by snowball sampling from September 2019 to February 2020. The sample was analyzed using basic statistical tests, the Pearson correlation coefficient, and multivariate regression. We then interpreted the sample data through consultation with scholars and practitioners in hotel management. Finally, the data were analyzed using multivariate verification. The results indicated that China Binhai Hotel could not foster consistent employee enthusiasm and fulfill its corporate social responsibilities during the postpandemic period due to deficiencies in its human resources training, employee benefit, job rotation, and incentive systems. We suggest for hotels to promote corporate culture, improve the system of promotion, increase employee benefits, and adjust the workplace environment and equipment provided to employees. These will improve employee attitudes toward hotel management, improve work efficiency, increase retention, and solve the problem of personnel shortage during the postpandemic period.