A software development and evolution model based on decision-making

Design is a complex activity whose purpose is to construct an artifact which satisfies a set of constraints and requirements. However the design process is not well understood. The software design and evolution process is the focus of interest, and a three dimensional software development space organized around a decision-making paradigm is presented. An initial instantiation of this model called 3DPM(sub p) which was partly implemented, is presented. Discussion of the use of this model in software reuse and process management is given

Association of Aortic Stiffness and Cognitive Decline: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Increased aortic stiffness has been found to be associated with cognitive function decline, but the evidence is still under debate. It is of great significance to elucidate the evidence in this debate to help make primary prevention decisions to slow cognitive decline in our routine clinical practice.Methods: Electronic databases of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched to identify peer-reviewed articles published in English from January 1, 1986, to March 16, 2020, that reported the association between aortic stiffness and cognitive function. Studies that reported the association between aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) and cognitive function, cognitive impairment, and dementia were included in the analysis.Results: Thirty-nine studies were included in the qualitative analysis, and 29 studies were included in the quantitative analysis. The aortic PWV was inversely associated with memory and processing speed in the cross-sectional analysis. In the longitudinal analysis, the high category of aortic PWV was 44% increased risk of cognitive impairment (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.24–1.85) compared with low PWV, and the risk of cognitive impairment increased 3.9% (OR 1.039; 95% CI 1.005–1.073) per 1 m/s increase in aortic PWV. Besides, meta-regression analysis showed that age significantly increased the association between high aortic PWV and cognitive impairment risk.Conclusion: Aortic stiffness measured by aortic PWV was inversely associated with memory and processing speed and could be an independent predictor for cognitive impairment, especially for older individuals

MSC-derived small extracellular vesicles overexpressing miR-20a promoted the osteointegration of porous titanium alloy by enhancing osteogenesis via targeting BAMBI

Abstract Background Patients with osteoporosis have a high risk of implant loosening due to poor osteointegration, possibly leading to implant failure, implant revision, and refracture. RNA interference therapy is an emerging epigenetic treatment, and we found that miR-20a could enhance osteogenesis. Moreover, small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) were utilized as nanoscale carriers for the protection and transportation of miR-20a (sEV-20a). In this study, we intended to determine whether sEVs overexpressing miR-20a could exert a superior effect on osteoporotic bone defects and the underlying mechanism. Methods For evaluating the effect of sEV-20a on osteogenesis, in vitro and in vivo studies were performed. In vitro, we first showed that miR-20a was upregulated in the osteogenic process and overexpressed sEVs with miR-20a by the transfection method. Then, the proliferation, migration, and osteogenic differentiation abilities of hBM-MSCs treated with sEV-20a were detected by CCK-8 assays, alkaline phosphatase staining and alizarin red staining, qRT-PCR, and western blot. In vivo, we established an osteoporotic bone defect model and evaluated the effect of sEV-20a on bone formation by micro-CT, sequential fluorescent labeling, and histological analysis. To further explore the mechanism, we applied a bioinformatics method to identify the potential target of miR-20a. Results In vitro, sEV-20a was successfully established and proved to promote the migration and osteogenesis of hBM-MSCs. In vivo, sEV-20a promoted osteointegration in an osteoporotic rat model. To further elucidate the related mechanism, we proved that miR-20a could enhance osteogenesis by targeting BAMBI. Conclusions Collectively, the in vitro and in vivo results confirmed that MSC-derived sEV-20a therapy effectively promoted osteoporotic porous titanium alloy osteointegration via pro-osteogenic effects by targeting BAMBI

Evaluation of the cross-neutralization activities elicited by Coxsackievirus A10 vaccine strains

Increased severity of diseases caused by Coxsackievirus A10 (CV-A10) as well as a large number of mutants and recombinants circulating in the population are a cause of concern for public health. A vaccine with broad-spectrum and homogenous protective capacity is needed to prevent outbreaks of CV-A10. Here, we evaluated cross-neutralization of prototype strain and 17 CV-A10 strains from related manufacturers in mainland China in vitro using 30 samples of plasma collected from naturally infected human adults and 18 sera samples from murine immunized with the above strains of CV-A10. Both human plasma and murine sera exhibited varying degrees of cross-neutralizing activities. Prototype A/Kowalik and sub-genotype C3/S113 were most difficult to neutralize. Among all strains tested, neutralization of S102 and S108 strains by 18 different sera was the most uniform, suggesting their suitability for detection of NtAb titers of different vaccines for avoiding biases introduced by detection strain. Furthermore, among all immune-sera, cross-neutralization of the 18 strains of CV-A10 by anti-S110 and anti-S102 was the most homogenous. Anti-S102 exhibiting higher geometric mean titer (GMT) in vitro was evaluated for its cross-protection capacity in vivo. Remarkably, administration of anti-S102 protected mice from lethal dosage of eight strains of CV-A10. These results provide a framework for formulating strategies for the R&D of vaccines targeting CV-A10 infections

Effects of Message Framing and Time Discounting on Health Communication for Optimum Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Prevention (EMT-OCSP): a protocol for a pragmatic, multicentre, observer-blinded, 12-month randomised controlled study

Introduction Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke often fails due to poor adherence among patients to evidence-based prevention recommendations. The proper formatting of messages portraying CVD and stroke risks and interventional benefits may promote individuals’ perception and motivation, adherence to healthy plans and eventual success in achieving risk control. The main objective of this study is to determine whether risk and intervention communication strategies (gain-framed vs loss-framed and long-term vs short-term contexts) and potential interaction thereof have different effects on the optimisation of adherence to clinical preventive management for the endpoint of CVD risk reduction among subjects with at least one CVD risk factor.Methods and analysis This trial is designed as a 2×2 factorial, observer-blinded multicentre randomised controlled study with four parallel groups. Trial participants are aged 45–80 years and have at least one CVD risk factor. Based on sample size calculations for primary outcome, we plan to enrol 15 000 participants. Data collection will occur at baseline, 6 months and 1 year after randomisation. The primary outcomes are changes in the estimated 10-year CVD risk, estimated lifetime CVD risk and estimated CVD-free life expectancy from baseline to the 1-year follow-up.Ethics and dissemination This study received approval from the Ethical Committee of West China Hospital, Sichuan University and will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.Trial registration number NCT04450888