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Abstract As an important part of medical science, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) attracts much public attention due to its multi-target and multi-pathway characteristics in treating diseases. However, the limitations of traditional research methods pose a dilemma for the evaluation of clinical efficacy, the discovery of active ingredients and the elucidation of the mechanism of action. Therefore, innovative approaches that are in line with the characteristics of TCM theory and clinical practice are urgently needed. Chinmendomics, a newly emerging strategy for evaluating the efficacy of TCM, is proposed. This strategy combines systems biology, serum pharmacochemistry of TCM and bioinformatics to evaluate the efficacy of TCM with a holistic view by accurately identifying syndrome biomarkers and monitoring their complex metabolic processes intervened by TCM, and finding the agents associated with the metabolic course of pharmacodynamic biomarkers by constructing a bioinformatics-based correlation network model to further reveal the interaction between agents and pharmacodynamic targets. In this article, we review the recent progress of Chinmedomics to promote its application in the modernisation and internationalisation of TCM.

Rhein is a natural active ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine that has attracted much attention due to its wide range of pharmacological activities. However, its clinical application is limited by low water solubility, poor oral absorption, and potential toxicity to the liver and kidneys. Recently, advanced extraction and synthesis techniques have made it possible to develop derivatives of rhein, which have better pharmacological properties and lower toxicity. This article comprehensively summarizes the biological activity and action mechanism of rhein. Notably, we found that TGF-β1 is the target of rhein improving tissue fibrosis, while NF-κB is the main target of its anti-inflammatory effect. Additionally, we reviewed the current research status of the pharmacokinetics, toxicology, structural optimization, and potential drug applications of rhein and found that the coupling and combination therapy of rhein and other active ingredients exhibit a synergistic effect, significantly enhancing therapeutic efficacy. Finally, we emphasize the necessity of further studying rhein’s pharmacological mechanisms, toxicology, and development of analogs, aiming to lay the foundation for its widespread clinical application as a natural product and elucidate its prospects in modern medicine.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a specific heart condition in diabetic patients, which is a major cause of heart failure and significantly affects quality of life. DCM is manifested as abnormal cardiac structure and function in the absence of ischaemic or hypertensive heart disease in individuals with diabetes. Although the development of DCM involves multiple pathological mechanisms, mitochondrial dysfunction is considered to play a crucial role. The regulatory mechanisms of mitochondrial dysfunction mainly include mitochondrial dynamics, oxidative stress, calcium handling, uncoupling, biogenesis, mitophagy, and insulin signaling. Targeting mitochondrial function in the treatment of DCM has attracted increasing attention. Studies have shown that plant secondary metabolites contribute to improving mitochondrial function and alleviating the development of DCM. This review outlines the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of DCM and discusses the regulatory mechanism for mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, it also summarizes treatment strategies based on plant secondary metabolites. These strategies targeting the treatment of mitochondrial dysfunction may help prevent and treat DCM.

Abstract Mineral crude drug has revolutionized the treatment landscape in precision oncology niche that leads to the improvement in therapeutic efficiency on various tumor subtypes. Mangxiao (MX), a mineral crude drug in traditional Chinese medicine, has been used for treating gastrointestinal diseases for thousands of years. However, the action mechanisms are still ambiguous. Here, we attempt to explore inhibitory roles and associated pharmacological mechanisms of MX upon colorectal cancer (CRC) in APCMin/+ male mice by integrating metabolomics, 16S rDNA sequencing analyses, and metagenomic‐based microbiota analysis. We found that MX can significantly inhibit the occurrence of CRC through the regulation of the dysregulated gut microbe metabolism. Furthermore, the correlation analysis of metabolomes and 16S rDNA revealed that MX could restore the disorders of gut microbes by specifically enriching the abundance of Lactobacilli to improve bile acid metabolism, which further activated the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) in CRC mice, then the improvement of gut dysbiosis could inhibit the development of CRC. Collectively, our effort confirmed MX has the capacity to intervene the development of CRC and further discovered that it targets Lactobacillus–bile acid–intestinal FXR axis, which can be regarded as a candidate medicine for future drug discovery and development against CRC.

Introduction:Danggui Buxue Decoction (DBD) is a clinically proven, effective, classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula for treating blood deficiency syndrome (BDS). However, its effects and effective constituents in the treatment of BDS remain unclear, limiting precise clinical therapy and quality control. This study aimed to accurately evaluate the effects of DBD and identify its effective constituents and quality markers.Methods:BDS was induced in rats by a combined injection of acetylphenylhydrazine and cyclophosphamide, and the efficacy of DBD against BDS was evaluated based on body weight, body temperature, energy metabolism, general status, visceral indices, histopathology, biochemical markers, and metabolomics. The effects of DBD on urinary and serum biomarkers of BDS were investigated, and the associated metabolic pathways were analyzed via metabolomics. Guided by Chinmedomics, the effective constituents and quality markers of DBD were identified by analyzing the dynamic links between metabolic biomarkers and effective constituents in vivo.Results:DBD improved energy metabolism, restored peripheral blood and serum biochemical indices, and meliorated tissue damage in rats with BDS. Correlation analyses between biochemical indices and biomarkers showed that 15(S)-HPETE, LTB4, and taurine were core biomakers and that arachidonic acid, taurine, and hypotaurine metabolism were core metabolic pathways regulated by DBD. Calycosin-7-glucoside, coumarin, ferulic acid sulfate, cycloastragenol, (Z)-ligustilide + O, astragaloside IV, acetylastragaloside I, and linoleic acid were identified as effective constituents improving the hematopoietic function of the rats in the BDS model. Additionally, calycosin-7-glucoside, ferulic acid, ligustilide, and astragaloside IV were identified as quality markers of DBD.Conclusion:The hematopoietic function of DBD was confirmed through analysis of energy metabolism, biochemical markers, histopathology, and metabolomics. Moreover, by elucidating effective constituents of DBD in BDS treatment, quality markers were confirmed using a Chinmedomics strategy. These results strengthen the quality management of DBD and will facilitate drug innovation.

Ciwujia Tablets (CWT) are produced by concentrating and drying the extract solution of the dried rhizome of Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Maxim [Araliaceae; E. senticosus radix et rhizoma]. Besides, CWT is included in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia and is widely used in the treatment of insomnia. It mainly contains eleutheroside B, eleutheroside E, isofraxidin, eleutheroside C, ciwujiatone, and chlorogenic acid, as well as other chemical components. Although the clinical efficacy of CWT in treating insomnia has been confirmed, its functions and pharmacological effects have not been systematically evaluated and its mechanism of action in the treatment of insomnia remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, behavioral, energy metabolism, and metabonomics methods were applied to systematically evaluate the effect of CWT on insomnia. Additionally, urine metabonomics based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS were utilized to identify potential endogenous biomarkers of insomnia, detect the various changes before and after CWT treatment, explore the metabolic pathway and potential target of CWT, and reveal its pharmacological mechanism. Results revealed that CWT increased inhibitory neurotransmitter (5-HT and GABA) content and reduced the content of excitatory neurotransmitters (DA and NE). Moreover, CWT enhanced autonomous behavioral activity, stabilized emotions, and promoted the return of daily basic metabolic indexes of insomniac rats to normal levels. The urine metabolomics experiment identified 28 potential endogenous biomarkers, such as allysine, 7,8-dihydroneopterin, 5-phosphonooxy-L-lysine, and N-acetylserotonin. After CWT treatment, the content of 22 biomarkers returned to normal levels. The representative markers included N-acetylserotonin, serotonin, N-methyltryptamine, and 6-hydroxymelatonin. Additionally, the metabolic pathways in rats were significantly reversed, such as tryptophan metabolism, folate biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism. Ultimately, it is concluded that CWT regulated tryptophan metabolism, folate biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and other metabolic levels in the body. This drug has been confirmed to be effective in the treatment of insomnia by regulating the content of serotonin, 6-hydroxymelatonin, N-acetylserotonin, and N-methyltryptamine to a stable and normal level in tryptophan metabolism.

Insomnia, whether chronic or intermittent, is a common central nervous system disease. Ciwujia Tablet (CWT) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) made from the extract of Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Maxim. This medication is commonly used for treating insomnia in China, but the lack of in-depth research focused on the chemical ingredients of CWT creates a gap in knowledge regarding its effective constituents against insomnia. Considering that the therapeutic material basis, targets, and pathways related to this drug have not been fully investigated by scholars in the field, the focus of this study is on identifying the chemical ingredients or structural characteristics of CWT by the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique. Besides, concepts of network pharmacology were also used to investigate the targets and pathways of CWT. An insomnia rat model was established by intraperitoneal injection of p-chlorophenylalanine, and the results were verified through various experiments. A total of 46 ingredients were identified in CWT, such as eleutheroside B, eleutheroside E, isofraxidin, and chlorogenic acid. Among them, 17 ingredients with good solubility, favorable gastrointestinal absorption, and high bioavailability were selected for network pharmacological analysis. It was concluded that CWT participated in the regulation of neurotransmitter levels, modulation of ion transport, neurotransmitter receptor activity, synaptic transmission, dopaminergic transmission and other essential processes. Results from the animal experiments showed that CWT can increase the content of inhibitory neurotransmitters 5-HT and GABA in the brain, reduce the synthesis of excitatory escalating transmitters DA and NE, shorten the sleep latency and prolong the sleep duration of insomnia rats. Furthermore, CWT could significantly alleviate the symptoms of insomnia in model rats. Identifying the chemical ingredients of CWT in this experiment is of great significance for exploring its potential curative effects, which provides a solid basis for further understanding the therapeutic value of this medication.

Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a common and frequently occurring disease in gynecology, seriously threatening women’s health. Baoyin Jian (BYJ) is a classical prescription for treating AUB. However, the lack of quality control standards of BYJ for AUB have limited the development and applications of BYJ. This experiment aims to explore the mechanism of action and screen the quality markers (Q-markers) of BYJ against AUB through the Chinmedomics strategy to improve the quality standards of Chinese medicine and provide scientific basis for its further development. BYJ has hemostatic effects in rats, as well as the ability to regulate the coagulation system following incomplete medical abortion. According to the results of histopathology, biochemical indexes and urine metabolomics, a total of 32 biomarkers of ABU in rats were identified, 16 of which can be significantly regulated by BYJ. Using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) serum pharmacochemistry technology, 59 effective components were detected in vivo, of which 13 were highly correlated with efficacy, and 9 components, namely catalpol, rehmannioside D, paeoniflorin, berberine, phellodendrine, baicalin, asperosaponinVI, liquiritin, and glycyrrhizic acid, were screened out as the Q-markers of BYJ based on the “Five Principles” of Q-markers. In sum, BYJ can effectively alleviate abnormal bleeding symptoms and metabolic abnormalities in AUB rats. The study shows that Chinmedomics is an effective tool for screening Q-markers and provides scientific support for the further development and clinical use of BYJ.

3,4,5,4’-Trans-tetramethoxystilbene (Synonyms: DMU-212) is a resveratrol analogue with stronger antiproliferative activity and more bioavailability. However, the metabolite characterization of this component remains insufficient. An efficient strategy was proposed for the comprehensive in vivo metabolite profiling of DMU-212 after oral administration in ApcMin/+ mice based on the effectiveness of the medicine. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/orbitrap/linear ion trap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q/Orbitrap/LTQ MS) in the AcquireXTM intelligent data acquisition mode, combining the exact mass and structural information, was established for the profiling and identification of the metabolites of DMU-212 in vivo, and the possible metabolic pathways were subsequently proposed after the oral dose of 240mg/kg for 3 weeks in the colorectal adenoma (CRA) spontaneous model ApcMin/+ mice. A total of 63 metabolites of DMU-212 were tentatively identified, including 48, 48, 34 and 28 metabolites in the ApcMin/+ mice’s intestinal contents, liver, serum, and colorectal tissues, respectively. The metabolic pathways, including demethylation, oxidation, desaturation, methylation, acetylation, glucuronide and cysteine conjugation were involved in the metabolism. Additionally, further verification of the representative active metabolites was employed using molecular docking analysis. This study provides important information for the further investigation of the active constituents of DMU-212 and its action mechanisms for CRA prevention.

Ephedrae Herba (Ephedra), known as “MaHuang” in China, is the dried straw stem that is associated with the lung and urinary bladder meridians. At present, more than 60 species of Ephedra plants have been identified, which contain more than 100 compounds, including alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, sugars, and organic phenolic acids. This herb has long been used to treat asthma, liver disease, skin disease, and other diseases, and has shown unique efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19 infection. Because alkaloids are the main components causing toxicity, the safety of Ephedra must be considered. However, the nonalkaloid components of Ephedra can be effectively used to replace ephedrine extracts to treat some diseases, and reasonable use can ensure the safety of Ephedra. We reviewed the phytochemistry, pharmacology, clinical application, and alkaloid toxicity of Ephedra, and describe prospects for its future development to facilitate the development of Ephedra.

Guyinjian (GYJ) is an ancient classic formula of traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment of liver and kidney yin deficiency; it was derived from the book “Jing Yue Quan Shu” in the Ming Dynasty. Modern clinical observation experiments have shown that GYJ has a definite therapeutic effect on the treatment of gynecological diseases such as kidney deficiency type oligomenorrhea, climacteric syndrome, intermenstrual bleeding, pubertal metrorrhagia, etc. However, the lack of GYJ quality control studies has greatly limited the development of its wider clinical application. In this study, a validated UPLC-MS/MS method was developed successfully for the first time and used to quantify fourteen compounds in GYJ samples with good specificity, linearity (r = 0.9960−0.9999), precision (RSD% ≤ 3.18%), stability (RSD% ≤ 2.22%) and accuracy (recovery test within 88.64–107.43%, RSD% at 2.82–6.22%). Simultaneously, the determination results of 15 batches of GYJ samples were analyzed by multivariate statistical methods, and it was found that the compounds have a greater influence on batch-to-batch stability, mainly Rehmannioside D, Loganin, Morroniside, Ginsenoside Re, and 3′,6-Disinapoylsucrose. The proposed new method has the advantages of high sensitivity, high selectivity, and rapid analysis, which provides a reference for the GYJ quality control study.

Humans are often exposed to a variety of toxic substances (including some drugs, herbs, environmental pollutants); all these heterologous substances can result in metabolic changes in organism. Clarifying their metabolic details will help to understand the beneficial and toxic effects of those heterologous substances. Traditional toxicology research tends to focus on toxic doses and time rather than on mechanisms and detoxification methods. Compared with other omics methods, metabolomics has unique, dynamic, and phenotypic characteristics. Similarly, metabolomics can link the interaction between genes and the environment; it represents both the downstream output of the genome and the upstream input of the environment, and reflects the interactions between biological system and environmental stimulation. It highlighting not only biological mechanisms but also closely related to the phenotype of biological events, which is widely employed in toxicology studies presently. Therefore, strengthening toxicological research based on metabolomics can help better understand the mechanisms of action and toxicological effects of toxic substances. Thus, present review systematically summarized and discussed the current application status of metabolomics approaches in toxicology, which might contribute to provide a deeper understanding of the processes and mechanisms of toxicity caused by related chemicals and herbal medicines, thereby reducing the occurrence of damage and providing technical reference for toxicity research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The involvement of B lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is well-established, with their early and aberrant activation being a crucial factor. However, the mechanisms underlying this abnormal activation in RA remain incompletely understood. In this study, we identified a significant reduction in MAPK4 expression in both RA patients and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse models, which correlates with disrupted B cell activation. Using MAPK4 knockout (KO) mice, we demonstrated that MAPK4 intrinsically promotes the differentiation of marginal zone (MZ) B cells. Loss of MAPK4 in KO mice enhances proximal BCR signaling and activates the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway, leading to heightened B cell proliferation. Notably, B cells from MAPK4 KO mice produce significantly higher levels of IL-6, a key pro-inflammatory cytokine in RA. Furthermore, MAPK4 KO mice exhibit impaired T cell-independent humoral immune responses. Mechanistically, MAPK4 inhibits the activation of the PI3K signaling pathway in B cells by activating the IRF4-SHIP1 pathway. Treatment with the MAPK4 agonist Vacquinol-1 enhances MZ B cell differentiation in WT mice and reduces IL-6 secretion in CIA mouse models. In summary, this study reveals the diverse roles of MAPK4 in regulating of B cell functions, with potential implications for developing therapeutic strategies for RA and related autoimmune diseases.

Abstract Progranulin (PGRN) plays a critical role in bronchial asthma and the function of various immune cells. However, the mechanisms by which PGRN influences B‐cell receptor (BCR) signaling and immunoglobulin E(IgE) production are not fully understood. The study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms through which PGRN affects BCR signaling, B‐cell differentiation, and IgE production. A PGRN knockout mouse model, along with techniques including flow cytometry, the creation of a bone marrow chimeric mouse model, total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF), and Western blot (WB) analysis is employed, to investigate the link between PGRN and various aspects of B‐cell biology. It is discovered that the absence of PGRN in mice alters peripheral B‐cell subpopulations, promotes IgE class switching in a cell‐intrinsic manner, and affects B‐cell subpopulations. Additionally, PGRN modulates B‐cell functions by regulating BCR signaling pathways, metabolic processes, and the actin cytoskeleton during early B‐cell activation. Significantly, PGRN deficiency results in diminished production of NP‐specific antibodies. Moreover, it is found that PGRN inhibits B‐cell activation and IgE production through the PGRN‐IFITM3‐STAT1 signaling pathway. The findings provide new strategies for the targeted treatment of bronchial asthma, highlighting the crucial role of PGRN in B‐cell signaling and IgE production.

Abstract Profiling antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the Yellow River of China’s Henan Province is essential for understanding the health risks of antibiotic resistance. The profiling of ARGs was investigated using high-throughput qPCR from water samples in seven representative regions of the Yellow River. The absolute and relative abundances of ARGs and moble genetic elements (MGEs) were higher in summer than in winter (ANOVA, p

ABSTRACT: Four experiments were performed to investigate the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in intestinal absorption of phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) in broiler chickens. Experiment 1 assessed how dietary levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) influence the gene expression of intestinal P and Ca transporters in broilers. Experiment 2 evaluated the effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 administered via intraperitoneal injection on the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) signaling pathways. Experiments 3 and 4 investigated the effect of ERK and p38MAPK inhibitors on the expression of intestinal P and Ca transporters. The findings demonstrated that broilers (1–21 days old) fed a 1,25(OH)2D3-deficient diet (0.625 µg/kg) exhibited reduced body weight, tibia P and Ca levels, and mRNA levels of P transporters (NaPi-IIb, PiT-1, and PiT-2), Ca transporters (NCX1, PMCA1b, and CaBP-D28k), vitamin D receptors (VDR), ERK, and p38MAPK in the duodenum (Experiment 1) (P < 0.05). By comparison, the growth, bone quality, and mRNA levels of genes (except for duodenal NaPi-IIb) in broilers were similar to those in broilers fed the control diet when dietary 1,25(OH)2D3 was adequate (5 µg/kg) (Experiment 1) (P > 0.05). After intraperitoneal injection of 1,25(OH)2D3, the mRNA level of jejunal NaPi-IIb and the protein level of p-p38MAPK/t-p38MAPK in broilers (9–14 days old) decreased (P < 0.05), whereas the mRNA level of CaBP-D28k and the protein level of p-ERK/t-ERK increased (Experiment 2) (P < 0.05). The mRNA and protein expression of jejunal NaPi-IIb and the protein expression of CaBP-D28k in broilers (9–17 days old) treated with the ERK inhibitor PD98059 were greater than those in the control group (Experiment 3) (P < 0.05). Similarly, compared with control broilers, broilers (9–17 days old) treated with the p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580 showed elevated mRNA expression of jejunal NaPi-IIb and CaBP-D28k (Experiment 4) (P < 0.05). These results suggest that adequate supplementation with 1,25(OH)2D3 (5 µg/kg) can restore broiler growth and bone quality by upregulating the transcription of genes involved in intestinal P and Ca absorption. Additionally, the ERK and p38MAPK signaling pathways are implicated in the modulatory effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on the absorption of P and Ca in broilers.

Sepsis is a serious life-threatening health disorder with high morbidity and mortality rates that burden the world, but there is still a lack of more effective and reliable drug treatment. Liang-Ge-San (LGS) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and is a promising candidate for the treatment of sepsis. However, the anti-sepsis mechanism of LGS has still not been elucidated. In this study, a set of genes related to inflammatory chemotaxis pathways was downloaded from Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and integrated with sepsis patient information from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to perform differential gene expression analysis. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) was found to be the feature gene after these important genes were examined using the three algorithms Random Forest, support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-REF), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and then intersected with possible treatment targets of LGS found through the search. Upon evaluation, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of GSK-3β indicated an important role in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Immune cell infiltration analysis suggested that GSK-3β expression was associated with a variety of immune cells, including neutrophils and monocytes. Next, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced zebrafish inflammation model and macrophage inflammation model was used to validate the mechanism of LGS. We found that LGS could protect zebrafish against a lethal challenge with LPS by down-regulating GSK-3β mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner, as indicated by a decreased neutrophils infiltration and reduction of inflammatory damage. The upregulated mRNA expression of GSK-3β in LPS-induced stimulated RAW 264.7 cells also showed the same tendency of depression by LGS. Critically, LGS could induce M1 macrophage polarization to M2 through promoting GSK-3β inactivation of phosphorylation. Taken together, we initially showed that anti-septic effects of LGS is related to the inhibition on GSK-3β, both in vitro and in vivo.

Summary Protective efficiency of a combination of four recombinant Brucella abortus (B. abortus) proteins, namely, ribosomal protein L7/L12, outer membrane protein (OMP) 22, OMP25 and OMP31, was evaluated as a combined subunit vaccine (CSV) against B. abortus infection in RAW 264.7 cell line and murine model. Four proteins were cloned, expressed and purified, and their immunocompetence was analysed. BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously with single subunit vaccines (SSVs) or CSV. Cellular and humoral immune responses were determined by ELISA. Results of immunoreactivity showed that these four recombinant proteins reacted with Brucella‐positive serum individually but not with Brucella‐negative serum. A massive production of IFN‐γ and IL‐2 but low degree of IL‐10 was observed in mice immunized with SSVs or CSV. In addition, the titres of IgG2a were heightened compared with IgG1 in SSV‐ or CSV‐immunized mice, which indicated that SSVs and CSV induced a typical T‐helper‐1‐dominated immune response in vivo. Further investigation of the CSV showed a superior protective effect in mice against brucellosis. The protection level induced by CSV was significantly higher than that induced by SSVs, which was not significantly different compared with a group immunized with RB51. Collectively, these antigens of Brucella could be potential candidates to develop subunit vaccines, and the CSV used in this study could be a potential candidate therapy for the prevention of brucellosis.

Social insurance is an essential component of a contemporary social security system since it protects people's fundamental well-being, but it also incurs a heavy cost for businesses. If social security costs are excessively high, business profitability will suffer, and innovation will be discouraged. The most affected companies would be those in labor-intensive industries and medium-sized enterprises. Chinese businesses have suffered severe losses as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Given the circumstance, China enacted additional tax cuts and preferential social insurance premium plans. This article suggests a lower ratio of contribution as a strategy to cut the cost of social insurance premiums for businesses, given the growth of the social security fund in recent years and the proportion of participants to recipients in pension funds. It would be possible to increase firm profitability and lessen the impact of COVID-19 on industries by minimizing this operation burden. In order to compare the financial performance of state-owned manufacturers (SOMs) to that of their non-state-owned peers, who have a lower ratio of contribution, this study uses a multiple regression model. The ratio of contributions was inversely correlated with an enterprise's financial performance. In other words, financial performance will improve as the ratio of contribution lowers; nevertheless, this effect is more pronounced in SOMs. The final section of this study proposed optimized approaches for social insurance premiums reform.

A dual-polarized continuous transverse stub (CTS) K-band antenna with reconfigurable four beams and low profile is proposed based on substrate-integrated-waveguide (SIW) design. It consists of a line source generator (LSG) on the bottom surface, a spherical-wave to plane-wave transforming part on the middle layer, and CTS radiators on the top surface. Particularly, the LSG has four SIW-based H-plane horns, and a chip is integrated to switch among the two pairs of horns, so as to transfer the quasi-TEM waves on the bottom surface by a ±10° deflection angle to the middle layer for the CTS radiators on the top surface, resulting in four reconfigurable scanning beams with 10° for two polarizations. The measurements show that it realizes four reconfigurable beams with a 25.8 dBi gain at 24 GHz, verifying the design. The proposed antenna takes into account the advantages of reconfigurable multi-beam, dual polarization, low side lobes, low profile, and high gain, which can be applied to K-band sensing, especially for wind profile radars.

Wind profile radar systems require antennas with multiple radiation beams for detecting wind velocity, as well as with a low sidelobe and dual polarization for enhancing the sensitivity for the weak signal reflected from the turbulence. This paper proposes a lens antenna operating at 24 GHz with four reconfigurable beams for wind profile radars. This lens antenna includes 2 × 2 corrugated horn antennas for radiating 24 GHz waves in two polarizations, and the dielectric lens for modulating four radiation beams with a high gain and low sidelobe. Experiments demonstrate that this lens antenna can realize reconfigurable beams with deflections of ±15° in dual polarizations, meanwhile with the gain of 30.58 dBi and the sidelobe of −20 dB. This proposed lens antenna can be applied to mmWave wind profile radars of wind turbines for enhancing wind power efficiency.