Switching Points Research Articles

Costs of Potential Medication Wastage Due to Switching Treatment Among People With Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: Unused medications negatively impact healthcare resource utilization and environmental safety, contribute substantially to annual healthcare expenditures, and may ultimately affect patient health outcomes. People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) commonly switch disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), leading to medication wastage and substantial costs for insurers and patients. Objectives: To estimate the cost associated with potential medication wastage (PMW) in a subcohort of PwMS receiving oral or self-injectable US Food and Drug Administration-approved DMTs who switched DMTs in a calendar year in the United States. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included adults with MS and used PharMetrics® Plus claims data from 2017 to 2021. PwMS were required to have 12 months of continuous eligibility for the entire year and a claim for at least 2 unique DMTs during the same calendar year. The PMW cohort was defined as those who had an aggregate overlap in days' supply across DMT switches within the year; those in the non-PMW cohort did not. The cost of PMW for insurers and PwMS due to overlap was calculated only at the point of switch to the new DMT and defined as the cost of the remaining days' supply of the prior DMT. Results: The number of PwMS meeting the inclusion criteria was 1762 in 2017, 1947 in 2018, 1679 in 2019, 1461 in 2020, and 1782 in 2021. Approximately 95% of PwMS switched DMTs once within single calendar years, and 25% (n = 381-464) contributed to PMW. For those who had overlapping DMT supply, it was estimated that 34% to 38% of the DMT being switched from was potentially wasted. The total cost of PMW paid by the insurer and PwMS ranged from 1 489 859. While most of the total cost ( 1 450 328) was paid by the insurer, PwMS still owed substantial amounts ( 74 578). Across all PwMS, the per person per year cost ranged from 846. The estimated wastage and associated costs were consistent across all study years. Conclusions: DMT switching is common among PwMS, resulting in PMW and high costs to patients and insurers.

Costs of Potential Medication Wastage Due to Switching Treatment Among People With Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Unused medications negatively impact healthcare resource utilization and environmental safety, contribute substantially to annual healthcare expenditures, and may ultimately affect patient health outcomes. People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) commonly switch disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), leading to medication wastage and substantial costs for insurers and patients. Objectives: To estimate the cost associated with potential medication wastage (PMW) in a subcohort of PwMS receiving oral or self-injectable US Food and Drug Administration–approved DMTs who switched DMTs in a calendar year in the United States. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included adults with MS and used PharMetrics® Plus claims data from 2017 to 2021. PwMS were required to have 12 months of continuous eligibility for the entire year and a claim for at least 2 unique DMTs during the same calendar year. The PMW cohort was defined as those who had an aggregate overlap in days’ supply across DMT switches within the year; those in the non-PMW cohort did not. The cost of PMW for insurers and PwMS due to overlap was calculated only at the point of switch to the new DMT and defined as the cost of the remaining days’ supply of the prior DMT. Results: The number of PwMS meeting the inclusion criteria was 1762 in 2017, 1947 in 2018, 1679 in 2019, 1461 in 2020, and 1782 in 2021. Approximately 95% of PwMS switched DMTs once within single calendar years, and 25% (n = 381-464) contributed to PMW. For those who had overlapping DMT supply, it was estimated that 34% to 38% of the DMT being switched from was potentially wasted. The total cost of PMW paid by the insurer and PwMS ranged from $1 200 866 to $1 489 859. While most of the total cost ($1 172 140-$1 450 328) was paid by the insurer, PwMS still owed substantial amounts ($28 726-$74 578). Across all PwMS, the per person per year cost ranged from $716 to $846. The estimated wastage and associated costs were consistent across all study years. Conclusions: DMT switching is common among PwMS, resulting in PMW and high costs to patients and insurers.

Content-Adaptive Bitrate Ladder Estimation in High-Efficiency Video Coding Utilizing Spatiotemporal Resolutions

The constant increase in multimedia Internet traffic in the form of video streaming requires new solutions for efficient video coding to save bandwidth and network resources. HTTP adaptive streaming (HAS), the most widely used solution for video streaming, allows the client to adaptively select the bitrate according to the transmission conditions. For this purpose, multiple presentations of the same video content are generated on the video server, which contains video sequences encoded at different bitrates with resolution adjustment to achieve the best Quality of Experience (QoE). This set of bitrate–resolution pairs is called a bitrate ladder. In addition to the traditional one-size-fits-all scheme for the bitrate ladder, context-aware solutions have recently been proposed that enable optimum bitrate–resolution pairs for video sequences of different complexity. However, these solutions use only spatial resolution for optimization, while the selection of the optimal combination of spatial and temporal resolution for a given bitrate has not been sufficiently investigated. This paper proposes bit-ladder optimization considering spatiotemporal features of video sequences and usage of optimal spatial and temporal resolution related to video content complexity. Optimization along two dimensions of resolution significantly increases the complexity of the problem and the approach of intensive encoding for all spatial and temporal resolutions in a wide range of bitrates, for each video sequence, is not feasible in real time. In order to reduce the level of complexity, we propose a data augmentation using a neural network (NN)-based model. To train the NN model, we used seven video sequences of different content complexity, encoded with the HEVC encoder at five different spatial resolutions (SR) up to 4K. Also, all video sequences were encoded using four frame rates up to 120 fps, presenting different temporal resolutions (TR). The Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) is used as an objective video quality metric. After data augmentation, we propose NN models that estimate optimal TR and bitrate values as switching points to a higher SR. These results can be further used as input parameters for the bitrate ladder construction for video sequences of a certain complexity.

Interpretability of Methods for Switch Point Detection in Electronic Dance Music

Switch points are a specific kind of cue point that DJs carefully look for when mixing music tracks. As the name says, a switch point is the point in time where the current track in a DJ mix is replaced by the upcoming track. Being able to identify these positions is a first step toward the interpretation and the emulation of DJ mixes. With the aim of automatically detecting switch points, we evaluate one experience-driven and several statistics-driven methods. By comparing the decision process of each method, contrasted by their performance, we deduce the characteristics linked to switch points. Specifically, we identify the most impactful features for their detection, namely, the novelty in the signal energy, the timbre, the number of drum onsets, and the harmony. Furthermore, we expose multiple interactions among these features.

An Adaptive Sliding Mode Control Using a Novel Adaptive Law Based on Quasi-Convex Functions and Average Sliding Variables for Robot Manipulators

This paper proposes a novel adaptive law that uses a quasi-convex function and a novel sliding variable in an adaptive sliding mode control (ASMC) scheme for robot manipulators. Since the dynamic equations of robot manipulators inevitably include model uncertainties and disturbances, time-delay estimation (TDE) errors occur when using the time-delay control (TDC) approach. Further, the ASMC method used to compensate for TDE errors naturally causes a chattering phenomenon. To improve tracking performance while reducing or maintaining chattering, this paper proposes an adaptive law based on a quasi-convex function that is convex at the origin and concave at the gain switching point, respectively. We also adopt a novel sliding variable that uses previously sampled tracking errors and their time derivatives. Further, this paper proves that the sliding variable of the robot manipulator controlled by the proposed ASMC satisfies uniformly ultimately bounded stability. The simulation and experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods in terms of tracking performance.

H ∞ bumpless transfer control for switched affine systems with its application to turbofan engine model

Switched affine systems (SASs) are a special class of switched systems. The existing works about SASs predominantly focuses on steady-state performance. There exist limited attention given to transient performance, particularly the transient performance induced by switchings. The inappropriate switchings can induce severe signal jumps, degrade the steady-state performance of the system, and even lead to instability. The bumpless transfer control (BTC) represents an effective strategy for mitigating signal jumps. However, the existing BTC methods are primarily designed for general switched systems, and these approaches are often not applicable to SASs. This article is focussed on the issue of H ∞ BTC for SASs under unmodeled disturbances. Firstly, an affine term (AT) related to H ∞ bumpless transfer (BT) performance definition is introduced for the SAS to characterise the alleviation level of the bumps in the control input signal at switching points. Secondly, a criterion is established to enable the solvability of the H ∞ BTC problem for the SAS. Thirdly, an H ∞ BT controller and a switching signal are co-designed to drive the SAS to satisfy the H ∞ BT performance which may not be shared by the subsystems. Finally, a turbofan engine model example is implemented to illustrate the availability and rationality of the suggested H ∞ BTC scheme.

A temperature-inducible protein module for control of mammalian cell fate.

Inducible protein switches allow on-demand control of proteins in response to inputs including chemicals or light. However, these inputs either cannot be controlled with precision in space and time or cannot be applied in optically dense settings, limiting their application in tissues and organisms. Here we introduce a protein module whose active state can be reversibly toggled with a small change in temperature, a stimulus that is both penetrant and dynamic. This protein, called Melt (Membrane localization through temperature), exists as a monomer in the cytoplasm at elevated temperatures but both oligomerizes and translocates to the plasma membrane when temperature is lowered. The original Melt variant switched states between 28-32°C, and state changes could be observed within minutes of temperature change. Melt was highly modular, permitting thermal control over diverse processes including signaling, proteolysis, nuclear shuttling, cytoskeletal rearrangements, and cell death, all through straightforward end-to-end fusions. Melt was also highly tunable, giving rise to a library of variants with switch point temperatures ranging from 30-40°C. The variants with higher switch points allowed control of molecular circuits between 37°C-41°C, a well-tolerated range for mammalian cells. Finally, Melt permitted thermal control of cell death in a mouse model of human cancer, demonstrating its potential for use in animals. Thus Melt represents a versatile thermogenetic module for straightforward, non-invasive, spatiotemporally-defined control of mammalian cells with broad potential for biotechnology and biomedicine.

Free vibration analysis of Euler-Bernoulli beams modeled by spatial-fractional differential equation

In this article, a more accurate dynamic model of Euler-Bernoulli beam is proposed, based on the spatial-fractional derivatives. Firstly, the governing differential equation is derived. After that, this equation is solved by two different methods: the first method uses only the left fractional derivative, while the second method tends to use both the left and right fractional derivatives, simultaneously. In the second method, the location of the "switching point" which connects the left and right derivatives is treated as a variable parameter. The effect of this parameter is investigated by analyzing several beams. As numerical results, the natural frequencies and mode shapes of beams with different boundary conditions are presented.

Enhancing Manufacturing Processing Stability and Efficiency with Linear-Regression Analysis: Modeling on a Flow-Drill Screw (FDS) Joining Process

The instability (in processing time) in the flow-drill screwing process is undesired but inescapable due to variations in material property, gauge, and process parameters. A substantial number of materials and lab labor need to be used to test and control the variability of the real manufacturing joining process. To enhance the stability and efficiency of the screwing process, this study seeks multi-disciplinary collaboration by applying linear-regression modeling. Six hundred and forty-eight data points were collected and split into an 80% training set for model building and a 20% test set for model validation. A multiple linear-regression model was built. The results indicated that, compared to variable base level (6000 rpm rotational speed and 1100 N downforce), higher rotational speed (8000 rpm, 7000 rpm), greater downforce (1200 N, 1300 N), and their interaction were significantly associated with passage (processing) time, while the switch point did not significantly affect passage time. The interaction plot and effect size were adopted to provide measurements of the effect magnitude on processing time. The coefficient of determination indicated that 86% of the variability in the passage time can be explained by this model. Statistical analysis, such as data visualization, statistical modeling, and other data-driven analysis methods, can be used to detect underlying relationships between variables, investigate variations, and make predictions in the manufacturing process. The outcomes from the data-driven analysis can benefit from improving the economical manufacturing system, refining the processing setting, and reducing test material costs, labor, and lead time.

Implementation of variable cross-section curved beam in train-turnout dynamic interactions

The abundance of variable cross-section curved rails in railway turnouts emphasizes the necessity of intricately modeling them, which facilitates a more accurate evaluation of train-turnout interactions. This study presents a general formulation for analyzing both free and forced vibrations of a variable cross-section curved Timoshenko beam and its implementation in train-turnout dynamic interactions. First, the natural frequencies and mode shapes for in-plane and out-of-plane free vibrations of the beam are determined through eigenvalue analysis, taking into careful consideration the characteristics of variable cross-section and curvature. Then, the forced vibration solution is derived using modal superposition and orthogonality. Furthermore, comparative analyses using finite element method (FEM) validate the natural frequencies and dynamic responses of a beam under various boundary conditions, confirming the reliability and accuracy of the proposed method. Finally, the developed beam model is then applied to simulate the switch rail and point rail under train-turnout interactions, revealing the differences from existing methods that modeled these components as uniform cross-section straight beams. Numerical analyses provide new insights by comparing wheel-rail forces and rail acceleration. Considering curve and variable cross section characteristics could contribute to a more accurate evaluation of train-turnout dynamic interactions.

A Real-World Comparison of Clinical Effectiveness in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated with Upadacitinib, Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors, and Other Advanced Therapies After Switching from an Initial Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor.

This study compared the clinical effectiveness of switching from tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) to upadacitinib (TNFi-UPA), another TNFi (TNFi-TNFi), or an advanced therapy with another mechanism of action (TNFi-other MOA) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Data were drawn from the Adelphi RA Disease Specific Programme™, a cross-sectional survey administered to rheumatologists and their consulting patients in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Japan, Canada, and the USA from May2021 to January 2022. Patients who switched treatment from an initial TNFi were stratified by subsequent therapy of interest: TNFi-UPA, TNFi-TNFi, or TNFi-other MOA. Physician-reported clinical outcomes including disease activity (with formal DAS28 scoring available for 29% of patients) categorized as remission, low/moderate/high disease activity, as well as pain were recorded at initiation of current treatment and ≥ 6months from treatment switch. Fatigue and treatment adherence were measured ≥ 6months from treatment switch. Inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment compared outcomes by subsequent class of therapy: TNFi-UPA versus TNFi-TNFi, or TNFi-UPA versus TNFi-other MOA. Of 503 patients who switched from their first TNFi, 261 were in TNFi-UPA, 128 in TNFi-TNFi, and 114 in TNFi-other MOA groups. At the time of switch, most patients had moderate/high disease activity (TNFi-UPA: 73%; TNFi-TNFi: 52%; TNFi-other MOA: 60%). After adjustment for differences in characteristics at point of switch, patients in TNFi-UPA group (n = 261) were significantly more likely to achieve physician-reported remission (67.7% vs. 40.3%; p = 0.0015), no pain (55.7% vs. 25.4%; p = 0.0007), and complete adherence (60.0% vs. 34.2%; p = 0.0049) compared with patients in TNFi-TNFi group (n = 121). Similar findings were observed for TNFi-UPA versus TNFi-other MOA groups (n = 111). Patients who switched from TNFi to UPA had significantly better clinical outcomes of remission, no pain, and complete adherence than those who cycled TNFi or switched to another MOA.

Genome-wide association study of delay discounting in Heterogeneous Stock rats.

Delay discounting refers to the behavioral tendency to devalue rewards as a function of their delay in receipt. Heightened delay discounting has been associated with substance use disorders and multiple co-occurring psychopathologies. Human and animal genetic studies have established that delay discounting is heritable, but only a few associated genes have been identified. We aimed to identify novel genetic loci associated with delay discounting through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using Heterogeneous Stock (HS) rats, a genetically diverse outbred population derived from eight inbred founder strains. We assessed delay discounting in 650 male and female HS rats using an adjusting amount procedure in which rats chose between smaller immediate sucrose rewards or a larger reward at various delays. Preference switch points were calculated and both exponential and hyperbolic functions were fitted to these indifference points. Area under the curve (AUC) and the discounting parameter k of both functions were used as delay discounting measures. GWAS for AUC, exponential k, and one indifference point identified significant loci on chromosomes 20 and 14. The gene Slc35f1, which encodes a member of the solute carrier family, was the sole gene within the chromosome 20 locus. That locus also contained an eQTL for Slc35f1, suggesting that heritable differences in the expression might be responsible for the association with behavior. Adgrl3, which encodes a latrophilin subfamily G-protein coupled receptor, was the sole gene within the chromosome 14 locus. These findings implicate novel genes in delay discounting and highlight the need for further exploration.

Generative attention based framework for implicit language change detection

Spoken language change detection (LCD) refers to detecting language switching points in a multilingual speech signal. Most approaches in literature use the explicit framework that requires the modeling of intermediate phonemes and Senones to distinguish language. However, such techniques are limited when used with resource scare/ zero resource languages. Hence as an alternative, this study explores implicit frameworks to perform LCD. The focus of this work is to detect language change when a single speaker is speaking two languages. In this direction, a subjective study is performed to analyze the method humans adapt to discriminate languages. The outcome of the subjective study suggests humans require more neighborhood duration to detect language change. The initial observation suggests, that detecting language change is challenging using the baseline implicit unsupervised distance-based approach. Inspired by human cognition, prior language knowledge is integrated into the computational framework through the Gaussian mixture model and universal background model (GMM-UBM), temporal information via attention, and pattern storage using the Generative adversarial network (GAN) to enhance language discrimination. The experimental results on the Microsoft code-switched (MSCS) dataset show, compared to the unsupervised distance-based approach, the performance of the proposed LCD relatively improved by 19.3%, 47.3%, and 50.7% using the GMM-UBM, attention, and GAN-attention based framework, respectively.

One-volt oxide based complementary circuit

In low-power electronics, there is a substantial demand for high-performance p-type oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) that are capable of efficient operation at low voltages. In this study, we employ anodization to form an aluminum oxide gate dielectric layer, enabling the fabrication of p-type tin oxide (SnO) TFTs that effectively operate at a low voltage of 1 V. Under optimal device fabrication conditions, the SnO TFT demonstrates an on/off current ratio exceeding 103 and a saturation mobility of 1.94 cm2 V−1 s−1 at 1 V operation. The optimal SnO TFT fabrication conditions are subsequently used to fabricate a complementary inverter, comprising a SnO TFT and an n-type indium gallium zinc oxide TFT, achieving a gain of up to 38 at a 1 V supply voltage. Notably, the inverter’s switching point voltage is finely tuned to the ideal value, precisely half of the supply voltage. This oxide-based complementary inverter showcases promising potential in low-power electronics.

Keep calm and carry on blending: Experimental insights into Romanian lexical blending

Although lexical blending is considered a creative and unpredictable process, the literature shows that it tends to follow certain patterns ( Gries 2012 ; Beliaeva 2019 ), a tendency observed mainly in English. To check whether such generalisations and constraints are the same for Romanian or whether there are language-specific features affecting lexical blending, we created a hybrid-object image-based online experiment asking 110 Romanian native speakers, students at the University of Bucharest who rated themselves as advanced and intermediate users of English, to use only one word to name the hybrids presented to them; as compounding is mainly used in Romanian to name hybrids, we expected it to be more often used. Surprisingly, 68.31% of the elicited Romanian words were lexical blends, likely due to the linguistic profile of our subjects, reinforcing Vasileanu & Niculescu-Gorpin’s (2022) corpus based-analysis that suggests that, due to the global English influence, the process is also active in Romanian. Most of the elicited Romanian lexical blends observe the patterns acknowledged in the literature, e.g. merging the beginning of the first source-word with the end of the second, preserving the phonological contour of a source-word, and source-word clipping at syllable boundaries. Nevertheless, a handful of items revealed morpho-phonological properties that had been previously considered impossible in blends (e.g. interfixes or switch points inside complex syllable constituents), evidence that some constraints, formulated mainly for English, need to be checked against larger datasets and against other languages as lexical blending is a very creative process that seems to transgress possible constraints.

Inverted triplications formed by iterative template switches generate structural variant diversity at genomic disorder loci

The duplication-triplication/inverted-duplication (DUP-TRP/INV-DUP) structure is a complex genomic rearrangement (CGR). Although it has been identified as an important pathogenic DNA mutation signature in genomic disorders and cancer genomes, its architecture remains unresolved. Here, we studied the genomic architecture of DUP-TRP/INV-DUP by investigating the DNA of 24 patients identified by array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) on whom we found evidence for the existence of 4 out of 4 predicted structural variant (SV) haplotypes. Using a combination of short-read genome sequencing (GS), long-read GS, optical genome mapping, and single-cell DNA template strand sequencing (strand-seq), the haplotype structure was resolved in 18 samples. The point of template switching in 4 samples was shown to be a segment of ∼2.2-5.5 kb of 100% nucleotide similarity within inverted repeat pairs. These data provide experimental evidence that inverted low-copy repeats act as recombinant substrates. This type of CGR can result in multiple conformers generating diverse SV haplotypes in susceptible dosage-sensitive loci.

Recent Advances in Metabolic Engineering for the Biosynthesis of Phosphoenol Pyruvate–Oxaloacetate–Pyruvate-Derived Amino Acids

The phosphoenol pyruvate–oxaloacetate–pyruvate-derived amino acids (POP-AAs) comprise native intermediates in cellular metabolism, within which the phosphoenol pyruvate–oxaloacetate–pyruvate (POP) node is the switch point among the major metabolic pathways existing in most living organisms. POP-AAs have widespread applications in the nutrition, food, and pharmaceutical industries. These amino acids have been predominantly produced in Escherichia coli and Corynebacterium glutamicum through microbial fermentation. With the rapid increase in market requirements, along with the global food shortage situation, the industrial production capacity of these two bacteria has encountered two bottlenecks: low product conversion efficiency and high cost of raw materials. Aiming to push forward the update and upgrade of engineered strains with higher yield and productivity, this paper presents a comprehensive summarization of the fundamental strategy of metabolic engineering techniques around phosphoenol pyruvate–oxaloacetate–pyruvate node for POP-AA production, including L-tryptophan, L-tyrosine, L-phenylalanine, L-valine, L-lysine, L-threonine, and L-isoleucine. Novel heterologous routes and regulation methods regarding the carbon flux redistribution in the POP node and the formation of amino acids should be taken into consideration to improve POP-AA production to approach maximum theoretical values. Furthermore, an outlook for future strategies of low-cost feedstock and energy utilization for developing amino acid overproducers is proposed.

Distribution of the built-in field extracted from switching dynamics in HfO2-based ferroelectric capacitor

In this work, we proposed a method to extract the distribution of the built-in field (Eb) from the switching dynamics of the TiN/HfZrO/TiN capacitor. The relationship between reversal polarization and the distribution of Eb is established based on the classic inhomogeneous field mechanism model. Both positive and negative write pulses with different amplitudes and durations are applied to obtain the distribution parameters of Eb. The distribution of Eb is fitted by a Gaussian-type distribution, and the mean value and standard deviation are about −0.02 MV/cm and 0.28 MV/cm, respectively. This work provides an effective approach to analyze Eb directly from the electrical measurement and helps optimize the device design from the polarization switching point of view.

The switch point algorithm applied to a harvesting problem.

In this paper, we investigate an optimal harvesting problem of a spatially explicit fishery model that was previously analyzed. On the surface, this problem looks innocent, but if parameters are set to where a singular arc occurs, two complex questions arise. The first question pertains to Fuller's phenomenon (or chattering), a phenomenon in which the optimal control possesses a singular arc that cannot be concatenated with the bang-bang arcs without prompting infinite oscillations over a finite region. 1) How do we numerically assess whether or not a problem chatters in cases when we cannot analytically prove such a phenomenon? The second question focuses on implementation of an optimal control. 2) When an optimal control has regions that are difficult to implement, how can we find alternative strategies that are both suboptimal and realistic to use? Although the former question does not apply to all optimal harvesting problems, most fishery managers should be concerned about the latter. Interestingly, for this specific problem, our techniques for answering the first question results in an answer to the the second. Our methods involve using an extended version of the switch point algorithm (SPA), which handles control problems having initial and terminal conditions on the states. In our numerical experiments, we obtain strong empirical evidence that the harvesting problem chatters, and we find three alternative harvesting strategies with fewer switches that are realistic to implement and near optimal.

Optimising printing fidelity of the single-nozzle based multimaterial direct ink writing for 3D food printing

ABSTRACT Single-nozzle based multimaterial direct ink writing enables voxel-based fabrication with superior printing efficiency than multi-nozzle protocol. This is attractive for food 3D printing process where efficiency matters for its application. However, for single-nozzle based process, the presence of residual material in the shared channel can affect its printing fidelity. In this study, we propose a path planning algorithm that can address this issue by incorporating (i) advance distance to compensate the extrusion delay when switching materials, and (ii) in-process printhead motion adjustments to stabilise the extrusion process. Our approach demonstrated a substantial improvement in printing fidelity, where the switching point offset was reduced to ±0.5 mm. Similarly, the unstable extrusion behaviours (bulging and necking) during switching materials were suppressed, where the printing fidelity was improved by 27 ± 5% (bulging) and 19 ± 3% (necking) respectively. Additionally, we provide an open-source slicing programme that empowers users to implement the above two algorithms.