Objective To explore the number of peripheral blood regulatory T cells (Treg) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its correlation with vascular calcification. Methods This was a single-center, cross-sectional, and observational study. Non-dialysis patients with CKD treated at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from March 2021 to March 2022 were enrolled. Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) was assessed using lateral abdominal X-ray. Number of Treg and cytokine levels were measured by flow cytometry. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the related factors for AAC in CKD patients. Results A total of 83 patients were included, aged 17–86 years, with 57 males (68.7%). The distribution of CKD stages was as follows: stage G1 in 7 patients (8.4%), stage G2 in 17 patients (20.5%), stage G3 in 21 patients (25.3%), stage G4 in 19 patients (22.9%), and stage G5 in 19 patients (22.9%). No AAC was observed in patients with stages G1 and G2, while the prevalence of AAC in patients with stages G3, G4, and G5 was 23.8%, 21.1%, and 26.3%, respectively. Compared with stage G1 patients, those with stages G3–5 showed decreased number of peripheral blood Treg and elevated levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-17F (P＜0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for number of peripheral blood Treg in predicting AAC in CKD patients was 0.766 (95%CI 0.652–0.879, P＝0.002). Logistic regression analysis showed that decreased number of Treg was related factor for AAC in CKD patients (OR＝0.957, 95%CI 0.922–0.992, P＝0.018). Conclusion As CKD progresses, number of peripheral blood Treg significantly decreases, which is correlated with AAC in CKD patients.

Hepatitis D is an inflammatory liver disease caused by hepatitis D virus （HDV） infection， and co-infection of HDV and hepatitis B virus dramatically accelerates the progression of liver disease and significantly increases the risk of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. However， due to insufficient awareness and concern about hepatitis D among the public， clinicians， and public health workers， the screening rate of hepatitis D remains at a relatively low level around the world. The true disease burden of hepatitis D has been seriously underestimated， and it has become one of the major challenges in the global campaign of hepatitis elimination. This article systematically reviews the current epidemiological situation of hepatitis D， prevention and control strategies， and related issues and challenges and analyzes the future strategies and measures for prevention and control， in order to provide a reference for promoting the achievement of the goal to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat.

In this paper， by referring to ancient and modern literature， the textual research of Inulae Flos has been conducted to clarify the name， origin， production area， quality evaluation， harvesting， processing and others， so as to provide reference and basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. After textual research， it could be verified that the medicinal use of Inulae Flos was first recorded in Shennong Bencaojing of the Han dynasty. In successive dynasties， Xuanfuhua has been taken as the official name， and it also has other alternative names such as Jinfeicao， Daogeng and Jinqianhua. The period before the Song and Yuan dynasties， the main origin of Inulae Flos was the Asteraceae plant Inula japonica， and from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the present， I. japonica and I. britannica are the primary source. In addition to the dominant basal species， there are also regional species such as I. linariifolia， I. helianthus-aquatili， and I. hupehensis. The earliest recorded production areas in ancient times were Henan， Hubei and other places， and the literature records that it has been distributed throughout the country since modern times. The medicinal part is its flower， the harvesting and processing method recorded in the past dynasties is mainly harvested in the fifth and ninth lunar months， and dried in the sun， and the modern harvesting is mostly harvested in summer and autumn when the flowers bloom， in order to remove impurities， dry in the shade or dry in the sun. In addition， the roots， whole herbs and aerial parts are used as medicinal materials. In ancient times， there were no records about the quality of Inulae Flos， and in modern times， it is generally believed that the quality of complete flower structure， small receptacles， large blooms， yellow petals， long filaments， many fluffs， no fragments， and no branches is better. Ancient processing methods primarily involved cleaning， steaming， and sun-drying， supplemented by techniques such as boiling， roasting， burning， simmering， stir-frying， and honey-processing. Modern processing focuses mainly on cleaning the stems and leaves before use. Regarding the medicinal properties， ancient texts describe it as salty and sweet in taste， slightly warm in nature， and mildly toxic. Modern studies characterize it as bitter， pungent， and salty in taste， with a slightly warm nature. Its therapeutic effects remain consistent across eras， including descending Qi， resolving phlegm， promoting diuresis， and stopping vomiting. Based on the research results， it is recommended that when developing famous classical formulas containing Inulae Flos， either I. japonica or I. britannica should be used as the medicinal source. Processing methods should follow formula requirements， where no processing instructions are specified， the raw products may be used after cleaning.

In this paper， by referring to ancient and modern literature， the textual research of Inulae Flos has been conducted to clarify the name， origin， production area， quality evaluation， harvesting， processing and others， so as to provide reference and basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. After textual research， it could be verified that the medicinal use of Inulae Flos was first recorded in Shennong Bencaojing of the Han dynasty. In successive dynasties， Xuanfuhua has been taken as the official name， and it also has other alternative names such as Jinfeicao， Daogeng and Jinqianhua. The period before the Song and Yuan dynasties， the main origin of Inulae Flos was the Asteraceae plant Inula japonica， and from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the present， I. japonica and I. britannica are the primary source. In addition to the dominant basal species， there are also regional species such as I. linariifolia， I. helianthus-aquatili， and I. hupehensis. The earliest recorded production areas in ancient times were Henan， Hubei and other places， and the literature records that it has been distributed throughout the country since modern times. The medicinal part is its flower， the harvesting and processing method recorded in the past dynasties is mainly harvested in the fifth and ninth lunar months， and dried in the sun， and the modern harvesting is mostly harvested in summer and autumn when the flowers bloom， in order to remove impurities， dry in the shade or dry in the sun. In addition， the roots， whole herbs and aerial parts are used as medicinal materials. In ancient times， there were no records about the quality of Inulae Flos， and in modern times， it is generally believed that the quality of complete flower structure， small receptacles， large blooms， yellow petals， long filaments， many fluffs， no fragments， and no branches is better. Ancient processing methods primarily involved cleaning， steaming， and sun-drying， supplemented by techniques such as boiling， roasting， burning， simmering， stir-frying， and honey-processing. Modern processing focuses mainly on cleaning the stems and leaves before use. Regarding the medicinal properties， ancient texts describe it as salty and sweet in taste， slightly warm in nature， and mildly toxic. Modern studies characterize it as bitter， pungent， and salty in taste， with a slightly warm nature. Its therapeutic effects remain consistent across eras， including descending Qi， resolving phlegm， promoting diuresis， and stopping vomiting. Based on the research results， it is recommended that when developing famous classical formulas containing Inulae Flos， either I. japonica or I. britannica should be used as the medicinal source. Processing methods should follow formula requirements， where no processing instructions are specified， the raw products may be used after cleaning.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF) in the treatment of mild to moderate female pattern hair loss (FPHL), and to analyze the related clinical factors affecting the therapeutic efficacy of i-PRF. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a prospective, randomized controlled trial. A total of 29 FPHL patients with Sinclair grade Ⅱ-Ⅲ, who attended the outpatient clinics of Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University and Peking University Third Hospital from March 2024 to April 2025, were enrolled. All patients received i-PRF treatment once every 4 weeks for a total of 4 sessions, with follow-up up to 24 weeks. Standardized clinical photographs were taken at baseline, week 12 and week 24. Trichoscopic examination was performed to measure the non-vellus target area hair count (TAHC) and hair diameter (HD) in the target area, and all adverse events were recorded. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the intergroup differences in efficacy for categorical influencing factors; Spearman rank correlation analysis was employed to assess the correlation between continuous influencing factors and efficacy; and multiple linear regression (enter method) was performed to identify independent influencing factors of efficacy. Results: A total of 27 patients completed the trial. At week 12, TAHC significantly increased from 112 (105, 120) hairs/cm at baseline to 128 (110, 150) hairs/cm , with a median increase of 12 (5, 28) hairs/cm and a median growth rate of 10.5 (4.2, 24.5)% (P=0.045); hair diameter significantly increased from 42.5 (39.8, 45.2) μm to 52.0 (47.0, 58.0) μm, with a median increase of 7.5 (3.0, 12.5) μm and a median growth rate of 18.0 (7.5, 29.0)% (P<0.001). At week 24, TAHC further significantly increased to 141 (125, 158) hairs/cm (P<0.001), with a median growth rate of 24.8 (18.5, 32.0)%; hair diameter continued to improve to 55.0 (50.0, 61.0) μm (P=0.008), with a median growth rate of 21.5 (16.0, 27.0)%. The overall incidence of adverse events was 10.34% (3/29), mainly presenting as mild scalp pruritus and transient headache, without severe adverse effects. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that baseline TAHC was an independent influencing factor for i-PRF efficacy (P<0.05), while age, BMI, disease duration, Sinclair grade, family history of AGA, and baseline HD showed no significant independent effect on efficacy in this model (P>0.05). Conclusion: This preliminary study indicates that i-PRF can improve hair density and hair shaft diameter in patients with FPHL with a favorable safety profile. Patients with FPHL and lower baseline TAHC may achieve greater clinical improvement.

Objective To investigate the effect of astragaloside Ⅳ (AS-Ⅳ) on renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (RIRI) and its specific mechanism. Methods Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, with 8 rats in each group: sham operation group (Sham group), RIRI group, RIRI + AS-Ⅳ (10 mg/kg) group, RIRI + AS-Ⅳ (20 mg/kg) group, RIRI + AS-Ⅳ (40 mg/kg) group and RIRI + AS-Ⅳ + Brusatol group [Brusatol is a nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) inhibitor]. Serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels of rats were detected using an automatic biochemical analyzer; the pathological damage degree of rats kidney tissue was evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining and scored; the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in rats serum, and interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 in rats kidney tissue were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; the degree of cell apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling; real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to determine the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of Nrf2/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway and cell pyroptosis regulatory factors in rats kidney tissue. Results Compared with the Sham group, the BUN and Scr levels in the RIRI group were increased, the renal function and tissue damage were more severe, the degree of cell apoptosis was aggravated, the MDA level was increased, and the SOD activity was decreased, the Nrf2 and HO-1 protein and mRNA levels were downregulated, the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), Cle-Caspase-1 (the activated form of Caspase-1) and gasdermin D (GSDMD)-N protein levels were upregulated, the NLRP3, Caspase-1 and GSDMD-N mRNA levels were increased, and the release of IL-1β and IL-18 was increased. Compared with the RIRI group, the BUN and Scr levels in rats after AS-Ⅳ treatment were decreased, the degree of renal function and tissue damage was reduced, the degree of cell apoptosis was decreased, the MDA level was decreased, and the SOD activity was increased, the Nrf2 and HO-1 protein and mRNA levels were increased, the NLRP3, Cle-Caspase-1 and GSDMD-N protein levels were decreased, the NLRP3, Caspase-1 and GSDMD-N mRNA levels were decreased, and the release of IL-1β and IL-18 was reduced. Compared with the RIRI + AS-Ⅳ (20 mg/kg) group, the MDA level and SOD activity in rats of the RIRI + AS-Ⅳ + Brusatol group were increased, the Nrf2 and HO-1 protein and mRNA levels were decreased, the NLRP3, Cle-Caspase-1 and GSDMD-N protein levels were upregulated, the NLRP3, Caspase-1 and GSDMD-N mRNA levels were increased, and the release of IL-1β and IL-18 was increased. Conclusions AS-Ⅳ may alleviate RIRI in rats by inhibiting oxidative stress response and pyroptosis, and this mechanism is related to the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo analyze the current status of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） prediction model research for emerging acute infectious diseases， in order to provide reference for subsequent model construction and optimization. MethodsEight databases， including PubMed， Cochrane Library， and Embase， were systematically searched to comprehensively collect Chinese and English literature on TCM prediction models for emerging acute infectious diseases. The search period ranged from database inception to July 5， 2024. Reporting quality compliance was evaluated using the Transparent Reporting of a Multivariable Prediction Model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis—Traditional Chinese Medicine （TRIPOD-TCM） guideline. Risk of bias and applicability were assessed using the Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool （PROBAST）. ResultsA total of 21 studies were included， comprising 11 early warning model studies， 5 diagnostic model studies， 3 prognostic model studies， and 2 prescription prediction model studies， involving 84 models in total. The diseases involved were mainly viral infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019 （COVID-19） and hepatitis B. The most frequently applied TCM theory was the "five movements and six climates" theory. The most commonly used modeling method was neural network-based approaches. The most frequently reported predictive factors were meteorological variables， including daily mean temperature， wind speed， precipitation， relative humidity， and vapor pressure. In terms of reporting quality， the included studies showed poor item-level compliance， with only 13 sub-items achieving compliance rates above 50%. Overall compliance ranged from 27% to 59% across studies. Although the included studies showed relatively good applicability， all were assessed as having a high risk of bias. The main sources of bias included inappropriate handling of missing data， absence of calibration methods， and unreasonable validation strategies， indicating deficiencies across multiple stages of model development. ConclusionCurrent research on TCM prediction models for emerging acute infectious diseases exhibits distinctive modeling characteristics. These models are based on traditional TCM theories such as the "five movements and six climates"， incorporate TCM-specific features as predictive variables， and use TCM syndromes as outcomes. However， they generally suffer from low reporting compliance and a high risk of bias. Future studies should systematically design model development and validation processes， adhere to TRIPOD-TCM reporting standards， and apply PROBAST or develop dedicated bias risk assessment tools for TCM prediction models to improve methodological quality and promote their translation into clinical practice.

Objective To investigate changes in the distribution of Oncomelania hupensis snails in Yixing City, Jiangsu Province, from 2008 to 2024, and to provide insights to guide formulation of O. hupensis snail investigation and surveillance programs. Methods Data from O. hupensis snail surveys in Yixing City from 2008 to 2024 were collected. Trends in snail habitat site numbers, snail-infested areas, proportion of total area with snail habitats, occurrence of frames with living snails, and density of living snails in snail habitats in hilly regions of Yixing City were evaluated from 2008 to 2024 by applying a Joinpoint regression model to collect annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC) data. Results From 2008 to 2024, a total of 193.815 hm2 of snail-infested area was found within Yixing City, of which 191.765 hm2 (accounting for 98.94%) was distributed in hilly regions. A total of 344 snail infestation sites in hilly regions were identified. The average occurrence rate of living snail frames in snail habitats was 8.650% and the average living snail density in snail habitats was 0.246 per 0.1 m2. No Oncomelania snails were positively identified. The number of snail habitat sites in hilly regions of Yixing City showed no significant decreasing trend (AAPC=-2.8%, P=0.527). Similarly, no significant increasing trend in snail-infested area (APC=AAPC=5.7%, P=0.328) was found. The occurrence rate of living snail frames in snail habitats showed no significant increasing trend (APC=AAPC=5.1%, P=0.583). Living snail density in snail habitats also showed no significant increasing trend (APC=AAPC=3.2%, P=0.598). Conclusions From 2008 to 2024, snail infestation has persisted in the hilly areas of Yixing City with an unclear variation trend. The quality of snail investigation and snail surveillance system should be strengthened to permit timely identification of hidden dangers and rapid risk responses, thereby preventing schistosomiasis outbreaks.

The medicinal use of Malvae Semen has a long history. In this paper， by consulting the ancient materia medica， prescription， agronomy， literature and other aspects of the classics， the name， origin， evolution of scientific name， quality， harvesting and processing， functions and indications and others of Malvae Semen were systematically sorted out and verified， so as to provide a basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. According to the textual research， Shennong Bencaojing began to use Dongkuizi as the correct name， which was used in the past dynasties， and there were also aliases such as Kuicaizi， Huacai， and Kuizi. Through the original research， it can be seen that Kuicai is the mainstream original plant of Malvae Semen， that is， Malva verticillata var. crispa， the Alcea rosea and M. cathayensis are also used. In modern times， the seeds of Abutilon theophrasti have been passed off as Malvae Semen， while the seeds of M. verticillata var. crispa have rarely been used in medicine. And Abutili Semen has been another medicinal material with different efficacy since the collection of Newly Revised Materia Medica in the Tang dynasty. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties， the cultivation of Kuicai has been decreasing， while A. theophrasti is more common and easy to obtain， and Abutili Semen and Malvae Semen are similar in morphology and confused， which should be corrected. In addition， Malvae Fructus is a Mongolian customary medicinal herb， which is different from the traditional use of seeds in traditional Chinese medicine. Kuicai， as an important vegetable in history， was widely cultivated and gradually shrunk after the Song dynasty， it is now mainly produced in southern provinces. The quality evaluation of Malvae Semen is better for those with dry bodies， full grain， grayish brown color， no mud， and no impurities. The harvesting is generally in the autumn and winter. After drying， it is seeded， sieved peel and impurities， mashed， or slightly stir-fried to yellow-white color with gentle fire. It is sweet， cold and slippery in nature and taste， with the main effects of laxation， diuresis， lactation and elimination of swelling. The efficacy of Abutili Semen is clearing heat and removing toxicity， promoting diuresis and removing nebula， the efficacy is quite different from that of Malvae Semen. Based on the results of textual research， it is suggested that M. verticillata var. crispa should be used as the medicinal source of Malvae Semen in the development of famous classical formulas， the corresponding processing methods should be selected according to the requirements of drug processing in the formulas， while the raw products are recommended to be used if the processing is not specified.

The medicinal use of Malvae Semen has a long history. In this paper， by consulting the ancient materia medica， prescription， agronomy， literature and other aspects of the classics， the name， origin， evolution of scientific name， quality， harvesting and processing， functions and indications and others of Malvae Semen were systematically sorted out and verified， so as to provide a basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. According to the textual research， Shennong Bencaojing began to use Dongkuizi as the correct name， which was used in the past dynasties， and there were also aliases such as Kuicaizi， Huacai， and Kuizi. Through the original research， it can be seen that Kuicai is the mainstream original plant of Malvae Semen， that is， Malva verticillata var. crispa， the Alcea rosea and M. cathayensis are also used. In modern times， the seeds of Abutilon theophrasti have been passed off as Malvae Semen， while the seeds of M. verticillata var. crispa have rarely been used in medicine. And Abutili Semen has been another medicinal material with different efficacy since the collection of Newly Revised Materia Medica in the Tang dynasty. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties， the cultivation of Kuicai has been decreasing， while A. theophrasti is more common and easy to obtain， and Abutili Semen and Malvae Semen are similar in morphology and confused， which should be corrected. In addition， Malvae Fructus is a Mongolian customary medicinal herb， which is different from the traditional use of seeds in traditional Chinese medicine. Kuicai， as an important vegetable in history， was widely cultivated and gradually shrunk after the Song dynasty， it is now mainly produced in southern provinces. The quality evaluation of Malvae Semen is better for those with dry bodies， full grain， grayish brown color， no mud， and no impurities. The harvesting is generally in the autumn and winter. After drying， it is seeded， sieved peel and impurities， mashed， or slightly stir-fried to yellow-white color with gentle fire. It is sweet， cold and slippery in nature and taste， with the main effects of laxation， diuresis， lactation and elimination of swelling. The efficacy of Abutili Semen is clearing heat and removing toxicity， promoting diuresis and removing nebula， the efficacy is quite different from that of Malvae Semen. Based on the results of textual research， it is suggested that M. verticillata var. crispa should be used as the medicinal source of Malvae Semen in the development of famous classical formulas， the corresponding processing methods should be selected according to the requirements of drug processing in the formulas， while the raw products are recommended to be used if the processing is not specified.