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Randomized controlled trials and intent-to-treat analyses are important for infertility clinical studies. Dropouts or crossovers during the study process will disrupt the randomization design and affect the intent-to-treat analysis. In this review, we have briefly introduced the occurrence of dropout and crossover from our previous Reproductive Medicine Network and other related studies and provided some experience obtained from these studies on how to minimize and reduce the occurrence of dropout and crossover for infertility randomized clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there has been a rapid increase in the volume of medical image repositories because of the maximized utilization of digitized image data in hospitals. As a result, there is a complexity in querying and handling such large databases, which has led to the development of a novel Content-Based Medical Image Retrieval (CBMIR) technique. In this work, the CBMIR technique is developed using three types of visual features (i.e., color, texture and shape) along with 12 distance measures, and is optimized with the Crossover-Gravitational Search Algorithm (CRO-GSA). For ease, we named this technique Content-Based Medical Image Retrieval using Visual features with CRO-GSA (CBMIRVC). The initial step of our CBMIRVC technique is to extract three types of visual features from the images. Then, each type of feature is employed with a suitable distance measure, which is used for the computation of image similarities between the medical images in the database and a provided query image. The optimization of our proposed CBMIRVC technique is done by the CRO-GSA algorithm. This algorithm optimizes the CBMIRVC technique by identifying the optimal combinations of visual features and similarity measures. Additionally, optimal weights are computed in accordance with the three types of features for the three similarities. Experimental validations were done using retrieved cancer-related and endoscopic color images from databases holding numerous image categories. The experimental outcome shows that our proposed CBMIRVC technique outperforms other conventional image retrieval techniques by effectively retrieving similar images from large databases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Thermosensitive genic female sterility (TGFS) is a promising property to be utilized for hybrid breeding. Here, we identified a rice TGFS line, tfs2, through an ethyl methyl sulfone (EMS) mutagenesis strategy. This line showed sterility under high temperature and became fertile under low temperature. Few seeds were produced when the tfs2 stigma was pollinated, indicating that tfs2 is female sterile. Gene cloning and genetic complementation showed that a point mutation from leucine to phenylalanine in HEI10 (HEI10tfs2), a crossover formation protein, caused the TGFS trait of tfs2. Under high temperature, abnormal univalents were formed, and the chromosomes were unequally segregated during meiosis, similar to the reported meiotic defects in oshei10. Under low temperature, the number of univalents was largely reduced, and the chromosomes segregated equally, suggesting that crossover formation was restored in tfs2. Yeast two‐hybrid assays showed that HEI10 interacted with two putative protein degradation‐related proteins, RPT4 and SRFP1. Through transient expression in tobacco leaves, HEI10 were found to spontaneously aggregate into dot‐like foci in the nucleus under high temperature, but HEI10tfs2 failed to aggregate. In contrast, low temperature promoted HEI10tfs2 aggregation. This result suggests that protein aggregation at the crossover position contributes to the fertility restoration of tfs2 under low temperature. In addition, RPT4 and SRFP1 also aggregated into dot‐like foci, and these aggregations depend on the presence of HEI10. These findings reveal a novel mechanism of fertility restoration and facilitate further understanding of HEI10 in meiotic crossover formation. Significance Statement: Our study promotes the understanding of HEI10/TFS2 for meiotic crossover formation and provides a mechanism for the female fertility restoration of TGFS lines under low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: n-of-1 trials are a type of crossover trial designed to optimise the evaluation of health technologies in individual patients. This trial design may be considered for the evaluation of health technologies in rare conditions where fewer patients are available to take part in research. This review describes the characteristics of randomised n-of-1 trials conducted over the span of 12 years, including how the n-of-1 design has been employed to study both rare and non-rare conditions. Methods: Databases and clinical trials registries were searched for articles including "n-of-1" in the title between 2011 and 2023. The reference lists of reviews identified by the searches were searched for any additional eligible articles. Randomised n-of-1 trials were selected for inclusion and data were extracted on a range of design, population, and analysis characteristics. Descriptive statistics were produced for all variables. Results: We identified 74 studies meeting our eligibility criteria, 13 of which (17.6%) were conducted in rare conditions. They were conducted in a range of clinical areas with the most common being neurological conditions (n = 16, 21.6%). The median (Q1, Q3) number of participants randomised was 9 (4, 20) and 12 trials (16.2%) involved a single patient only. Forty-six (62.2%) trials evaluated pharmaceutical interventions and 49 (66.2%) trials were placebo controlled. Trials had a median (Q1, Q3) of six (4, 8) periods and 61 (82.4%) compared two health technologies. Fifty-seven (77.0%) trials incorporated blinding and 32 (43.2%) had a washout period. Forty-nine trials (66.2%) used patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to assess the primary outcome. Trials used a range of approaches to analysis and 48 (64.9%) combined data from multiple patients. The characteristics of the n-of-1 trials conducted in rare conditions were generally consistent with those in non-rare conditions. Conclusions: n-of-1 trials are still underused and the application of the n-of-1 design for the evaluation of health technologies for rare diseases has been particularly limited. We have summarised the characteristics of randomised n-of-1 trials in rare and non-rare conditions. We hope that it can inform researchers in the design of future n-of-1 studies. Further work is required to provide guidance on specific design considerations, implementation, and statistical analysis of these studies. Trial registration: Not applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In their lead article, Klug et al. conceptualize job insecurity as a multilevel construct whereby individuals are situated in mesolevel and macrolevel contexts. In our article, we advocate deepening the current conceptual model with two partially intertwined perspectives. First, we suggest adding a systemic perspective at the mesolevel that considers individuals' nestedness in family and relationship systems, thus looking into how individuals' job insecurity affects close others (i.e., [romantic] partners and family members) and how close others affect individuals' experience of and reactions to job insecurity. To illustrate our propositions, we draw on the crossover model and the systemic‐transactional model of stress processes within romantic couples. Second, we suggest adding a lifespan perspective that considers biographic time as a facet of the individual level in addition to historical time on the macrolevel. In doing so, we draw on the notion of path dependence and processes related to social learning. We advocate for future research taking into account the various, intertwined levels on which job insecurity operates to fully understand job insecurity as well as its consequences and remedies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through job crafting, employees proactively change or modify their tasks, thus reducing adverse job demands or protecting resources. There is still a lack of understanding of the impact that job crafting may have on colleagues at work (crossover effect), and how this may affect their ability to disconnect from work (spillover effect). In the present daily diary study, we examine these two processes among 82 dyads of colleagues (N = 164 employees) over five consecutive working days (N = 820 observations). We found a number of crossover and differential spillover effects. For example, when the focal employee starts new challenging projects, their colleague reacts by reducing the number of stressful tasks. This, in turn, affects psychological detachment from work. Specifically, whereas increasing challenging demands hinders daily detachment, decreasing hindering demands facilitates it. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the impact of job crafting goes beyond the focal employee and beyond the work domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep disturbance is a major issue for patients with chronic pain. Melatonin has been shown to improve symptoms of fibromyalgia, but its efficacy in other chronic non-malignant pain conditions is not fully known. Hence, we determined the effect of melatonin in patients with severe noncancer chronic pain. This was a randomised double-blinded crossover trial of modified-release melatonin as Circadin™ compared with placebo. Sixty male and female subjects with chronic severe pain were randomised to receive either 2 mg of Circadin™ or placebo before sleep for 6 weeks, followed by a >4 week washout, then crossing over to the other treatment. Sleep disturbance, quality, and latency were measured using three different validated sleep assessment tools. The primary outcome measure was self-reported sleep disturbance after 6 weeks of treatment. Adverse events were also recorded. Sleep disturbance after 6 weeks was not significantly altered by melatonin treatment, but differences between melatonin and placebo treatment periods after 3 weeks were seen: sleep disturbance (P =0.014), latency (P =0.04), overall sleep quality (P =0.004), and effect of pain on sleep (P =0.032). Pain intensity scores improved during both treatment periods (both P <0.001). There were no differences in adverse events between treatment periods. Circadin™ treatment did not improve sleep disturbance in patients with severe chronic pain compared with placebo at 6 weeks, but there were consistent improvements in aspects of sleep in the shorter term. Given its favourable safety profile, it could be beneficial for some patients with chronic pain. ISRCTN12861060. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new swarm-based metaheuristic that is also enriched with the crossover technique called swarm flip-crossover algorithm (SFCA) is introduced in this work. SFCA uses swarm intelligence as its primary technique and the crossover as its secondary one. It consists of three searches in every iteration. The swarm member walks toward the best member as the first search. The central point of the swarm becomes the target in the second search. There are two walks in the second search. The first walk is getting closer to the target, while the second is avoiding the target. The better result between these two walks becomes the candidate for the replacement. In the third search, the swarm member performs balance arithmetic crossover with the central point of the space or jumps to the opposite location within the area (flipping). The assessment is taken by confronting SFCA with five new metaheuristics: slime mold algorithm (SMA), golden search optimization (GSO), osprey optimization algorithm (OOA), coati optimization algorithm (COA), and walrus optimization algorithm (WaOA) in handling the set of 23 functions. The result shows that SFCA performs consecutively better than SMA, GSO, OOA, COA, and WaOA in 20, 23, 17, 17, and 17 functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background To investigate the impact of wearing spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets (HAL) for 3 years and the impact of switching from single-vision lenses (SVL) to HAL on choroidal thickness (ChT). Methods Fifty-one participants who had already worn HAL for 2 years continued wearing them for an additional year (HAL group). Further, 50 and 41 participants who had worn spectacle lenses with slightly aspherical lenslets (SAL) and SVL for 2 years, respectively, switched to wearing HAL for another year (SAL-HAL and SVL-HAL groups). Additionally, 48 new participants aged 10–15 years were enrolled to wear SVL at the third year (new-SVL group). ChT was measured every 6 months throughout the study. Results Significant differences were observed in the changes in ChT among the four groups at the third year (all P 0.05). When comparing the changes in ChT for 3 years among the HAL, SAL-HAL, and SVL-HAL groups, significant differences were found before switching to HAL, but these differences were abolished after all participants switched to HAL. Conclusions Compared to those in the SVL group, choroid thinning was significantly inhibited in all the HAL groups. Wearing HAL for 3 years no longer had a choroidal thickening effect but could still inhibit choroidal thinning compared to wearing SVL. Trial registration The study was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR1800017683), http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=29789 .

Abstract Background n-of-1 trials are a type of crossover trial designed to optimise the evaluation of health technologies in individual patients. This trial design may be considered for the evaluation of health technologies in rare conditions where fewer patients are available to take part in research. This review describes the characteristics of randomised n-of-1 trials conducted over the span of 12 years, including how the n-of-1 design has been employed to study both rare and non-rare conditions. Methods Databases and clinical trials registries were searched for articles including “n-of-1” in the title between 2011 and 2023. The reference lists of reviews identified by the searches were searched for any additional eligible articles. Randomised n-of-1 trials were selected for inclusion and data were extracted on a range of design, population, and analysis characteristics. Descriptive statistics were produced for all variables. Results We identified 74 studies meeting our eligibility criteria, 13 of which (17.6%) were conducted in rare conditions. They were conducted in a range of clinical areas with the most common being neurological conditions (n = 16, 21.6%). The median (Q1, Q3) number of participants randomised was 9 (4, 20) and 12 trials (16.2%) involved a single patient only. Forty-six (62.2%) trials evaluated pharmaceutical interventions and 49 (66.2%) trials were placebo controlled. Trials had a median (Q1, Q3) of six (4, 8) periods and 61 (82.4%) compared two health technologies. Fifty-seven (77.0%) trials incorporated blinding and 32 (43.2%) had a washout period. Forty-nine trials (66.2%) used patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to assess the primary outcome. Trials used a range of approaches to analysis and 48 (64.9%) combined data from multiple patients. The characteristics of the n-of-1 trials conducted in rare conditions were generally consistent with those in non-rare conditions. Conclusions n-of-1 trials are still underused and the application of the n-of-1 design for the evaluation of health technologies for rare diseases has been particularly limited. We have summarised the characteristics of randomised n-of-1 trials in rare and non-rare conditions. We hope that it can inform researchers in the design of future n-of-1 studies. Further work is required to provide guidance on specific design considerations, implementation, and statistical analysis of these studies. Trial registration Not applicable.

Abstract Background Centromeres load kinetochore complexes onto chromosomes, which mediate spindle attachment and allow segregation during cell division. Although centromeres perform a conserved cellular function, their underlying DNA sequences are highly divergent within and between species. Despite variability in DNA sequence, centromeres are also universally suppressed for meiotic crossover recombination, across eukaryotes. However, the genetic and epigenetic factors responsible for suppression of centromeric crossovers remain to be completely defined. Results To explore the centromere-proximal meiotic recombination landscape, we map 14,397 crossovers against fully assembled Arabidopsis thaliana (A. thaliana) genomes. A. thaliana centromeres comprise megabase satellite repeat arrays that load nucleosomes containing the CENH3 histone variant. Each chromosome contains a structurally polymorphic region of ~3–4 megabases, which lack crossovers and include the satellite arrays. This polymorphic region is flanked by ~1–2 megabase low-recombination zones. These recombination-suppressed regions are enriched for Gypsy/Ty3 retrotransposons, and additionally contain expressed genes with high genetic diversity that initiate meiotic recombination, yet do not crossover. We map crossovers at high-resolution in proximity to CEN3, which resolves punctate centromere-proximal hotspots that overlap gene islands embedded in heterochromatin. Centromeres are densely DNA methylated and the recombination landscape is remodelled in DNA methylation mutants. We observe that the centromeric low-recombining zones decrease and increase crossovers in CG (met1) and non-CG (cmt3) mutants, respectively, whereas the core non-recombining zones remain suppressed. Conclusion Our work relates the genetic and epigenetic organization of A. thaliana centromeres and flanking pericentromeric heterochromatin to the zones of crossover suppression that surround the CENH3-occupied satellite repeat arrays.

This paper introduces an innovative $4 \times 4$ dual-band Butler matrix (BM) characterized by compactness and an enhanced frequency ratio (K). The design employs meandered lines and an interdigital capacitor (IDC) unit-cell-based composite right/left-handed transmission-line (CRLH-TL) metamaterial (MTM) structure. The BM integrates compact dual-band 3 dB branch-line couplers (BLC), a 0 dB crossover, and dual-band ±45° phase shifters on a single Rogers RT5880 substrate having relative permittivity $\varepsilon _{r}$ of 2.2 and thickness $h$ of 0.787 mm. Simulations and measurement results demonstrate reflection and isolation coefficients exceeding −20 dB at all ports, with obtained insertion loss of −6±3 dB over the 0.7 GHz and 3.5 GHz frequency bands. The achieved output phase differences of ±45°, ±135°, ±135°, and ±45° at the designed frequencies indicate a maximum average phase tolerance of ±4.5° concerning the ideal values. Importantly, the BM’s overall dimensions are 143 mm $ \times 186$ mm, resulting in an impressive 78% size reduction compared to traditional T-shaped BM designs. The proposed configuration is designed and simulated using CST Microwave Studio, with the agreement between simulated and measured parameters highlighting design reliability and effectiveness. Additionally, a performance evaluation comparing the proposed BM with existing circuits reveals its suitability for sub-6 GHz 5G dual-band antenna array beamforming networks (BFN) due to its compact size and improved band ratio.

Current wireless communications urgently need to provide huge data rates, high gain and high directivity radiation pattern beams. Therefore, beamforming networks (BFNs) are introduced to provide these needs. Butler matrix (BM) is a type of beamforming network, which can be realized using fixed network circuits and feeds the antenna array. BM at high frequency suffers from components loss and phase error for massive network, especially when it is implemented using common microstrip structures. Different transmission lines such as waveguide and substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) are studied and introduced to realize Butler matrix. SIW structures are good candidate for the implementation of BM due to its property of low loss transmission line which comprises of properties of microstrip and waveguide technology. However, SIW antennas and structures at millimeter waves have unwanted radiation loss coming from the vias holes. In addition, the vias separation distance is dependent on waveguide size, which leads to a more massive beamforming network at 26-GHz. Hence, this thesis is proposing a more size-friendly and optimal SIW antenna beamforming structure to reduce the vias loss and provides higher bandwidth and gain at 26 GHz. The BM components such as 3 dB coupler, 0 dB crossover, and 45-degree phase shifter are designed by implementing metallic vias determination method. Size and distance of vias are the most important factors in determining the coupling ratio and phase shifts at output ports. Hence, the coupler is designed with different vias width and distance to obtain the correct phase and coupling at output ports. Then, the designed coupler is cascaded to form a 0-dB crossover. The phase shifter is designed with alerting vias distance inside the coupling area of SIW structure. The last component in beamforming is the design of SIW slot antenna based on longitude slot distributions. All the components are integrated to form a $4\times4$ BM with four slot antennas attached to BM networks. Microtrip separation feedline used to for coupler, crossover, BM and BFN. The proposed designs are simulated using CST software and fabricated by PCB LPKF ProtoMat printer. The outcomes of wide bandwidth with more than 1-GHz and high directive gain of more than 10-dB for the beamforming network are achieved. The output power of the BM is between −6-dB to −8-dB at all four ports with phase difference error less than 5°. Four directive beams are achieved at beam scanning of −14°, −41°, 40°, and −14° at port 1 to port 4 respectively. Hence, this $4\times4$ -BM with four slot antenna theses have introduced a successful design of an antenna beamforming network based on SIW technology with significant characteristics at 26-GHz.

Dynamic linear functions on the boolean hypercube are functions which assign to each bit a positive weight, but the weights change over time. Throughout optimization, these functions maintain the same global optimum, and never have defecting local optima. Nevertheless, it was recently shown [Lengler, Schaller, FOCI 2019] that the (1 + 1) -Evolutionary Algorithm needs exponential time to find or approximate the optimum for some algorithm configurations. In this experimental paper, we study the effect of larger population sizes for dynamic binval, the extreme form of dynamic linear functions. We find that moderately increased population sizes extend the range of efficient algorithm configurations, and that crossover boosts this positive effect substantially. Remarkably, similar to the static setting of monotone functions in [Lengler, Zou, FOGA 2019], the hardest region of optimization for (μ + 1) -EA is not close the optimum, but far away from it. In contrast, for the (μ + 1) -GA, the region around the optimum is the hardest region in all studied cases.Kindly check and confirm the inserted city name is correctly identified.Correct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate segregation of homologous chromosomes during meiosis depends on both the presence and the regulated placement of crossovers (COs). The centromere effect, or CO exclusion in pericentromeric regions of the chromosome, is a meiotic CO patterning phenomenon that helps prevent nondisjunction, thereby protecting against chromosomal disorders and other meiotic defects. Despite being identified nearly a century ago, the mechanisms behind this fundamental cellular process remain unknown, with most studies of the Drosophila centromere effect focusing on local influences of the centromere and pericentric heterochromatin. In this study, we sought to investigate whether dosage changes in centromere number and repetitive DNA content affect the strength of the centromere effect, using phenotypic recombination mapping. Additionally, we studied the effects of repetitive DNA function on centromere effect strength using satellite DNA–binding protein mutants displaying defective centromere-clustering in meiotic nuclei. Despite what previous studies suggest, our results show that the Drosophila centromere effect is robust to changes in centromere number, repetitive DNA content, as well as repetitive DNA function. Our study suggests that the centromere effect is unlikely to be spatially controlled, providing novel insight into the mechanisms behind the Drosophila centromere effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although ADAURA (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02511106) was a positive trial that produced a significant improvement in both disease‐free survival and overall survival, the limited crossover to postprotocol osimertinib and some other methodological issues detract from the cancer community's ability to distinguish the benefits of timing of osimertinib versus overall access to osimertinib at a later point. Discrete refinements can be applied to global, randomized phase 3 trials to ensure their design optimally addresses the key clinical question while reducing disparities in best management practices based on resources across health care systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Combining two or more related homoeologous genomes in a single nucleus, newly formed allopolyploids must rapidly adapt meiosis to restore balanced chromosome segregation, production of euploid gametes and fertility. The poor fertility of such neo‐allopolyploids thus strongly selects for the limitation or avoidance of genetic crossover formation between homoeologous chromosomes.In this study, we have reproduced the interspecific hybridization between Arabidopsis thaliana and Arabidopsis arenosa leading to the allotetraploid Arabidopsis suecica and have characterized the first allopolyploid meioses.First‐generation neo‐allopolyploid siblings vary considerably in fertility, meiotic behavior and levels of homoeologous recombination. We show that centromere dynamics at early meiosis is altered in synthetic neo‐allopolyploids compared with evolved A. suecica, with a significant increase in homoeologous centromere interactions at zygotene. At metaphase I, the presence of multivalents involving homoeologous chromosomes confirms that homoeologous recombination occurs in the first‐generation synthetic allopolyploid plants and this is associated with a significant reduction in homologous recombination, compared to evolved A. suecica.Together, these data strongly suggest that the fidelity of recombination partner choice, likely during the DNA invasion step, is strongly impaired during the first meiosis of neo‐allopolyploids and requires subsequent adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is a growing interest in performing coronary artery and neurovascular interventions via the radial artery; however, few studies have examined the outcomes of transradial carotid stenting. Therefore, our study aimed to compare cerebrovascular outcomes and crossover rates in carotid stenting between transradial and traditional transfemoral approaches. Methods: A systematic review was performed by searching three electronic databases from inception to June 2022 in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. In addition, random effect meta-analysis was used to pool the odds ratios (ORs) for stroke, transient ischemic attack, major adverse cardiac events, death, major vascular access site complications, and procedure crossover rates between the transradial and transfemoral approaches. Results: A total of 6 studies were included involving a total of n = 567 transradial and n = 6176 transfemoral procedures. The ORs for stroke, transient ischemic attack, and major adverse cardiac events were 1.43 (95% confidence interval, CI 0.72–2.86, I2 = 0), 0.51 (95% CI 0.17–1.54, I2 = 0), and 1.08 (95% CI 0.62–1.86, I2 = 0), respectively. Neither the major vascular access site complication rate (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.32–3.87, I2 = 0) nor crossover rate (OR 3.94, 95% CI 0.62–25.11, I2 = 57%) showed statistically significant differences between the two approaches. Conclusion: The modest quality of the data suggested comparable procedural outcomes between the transradial and transfemoral approaches when performing carotid stenting; however, high level evidence regarding postoperative brain images and risk of stroke in transradial carotid stenting are lacking. Therefore, it is reasonable for interventionists to weigh up the risks of neurological events and potential benefits, including fewer access site complications, before choosing the radial or femoral arteries as access sites. Future large-scale randomized controlled trials are imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrification of the chemical industry has been considered an enabler for energy transition on a massive scale. In this context, carbon monoxide electroreduction (COR) to produce multi‐carbon (C2+) products is considered one of the forefront emerging technologies. The key challenge in COR comes from the excessive cation crossover to the cathode via electromigration and water diffusion, which limits CO availability and impedes product selectivity. Commercial anion exchange membrane (AEM) suppresses the electromigration of cations, however, suffers from water diffusion which facilitates cation crossover. Here, we tackled these problems emerging from cation crossover and water diffusion by directly depositing an ultrathin Nafion ionomer on the cathode (sputtered Cu) surface. Our approach enables full‐cell energy efficiency of 21 % for converting CO into ethylene (C2H4) at 100 mA/cm2 with over 200 hours of stable operation. We also exhibited record high energy efficiency for ethanol (C2H5OH) production with CO‐to‐C2H5OH electrolysis efficiency of 17 %. This approach to directly depositing ultrathin ionomer on the cathode to enhance system performance may benefit other electrochemical systems to overcome challenges associated with scalability, stability, and efficiency to produce high‐value chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Meiotic recombination (or crossover, CO) is essential for gamete fertility as well as for alleles and genes reshuffling that is at the heart of plant breeding. However, CO remains a limited event, which strongly hampers the rapid production of original and improved cultivars. RecQ4 is a gene encoding a helicase protein that, when mutated, contributes to improve recombination rate in all species where it has been evaluated so far. Methods: In this study, we developed wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) triple mutant (TM) for the three homoeologous copies of TaRecQ4 as well as mutants for two copies and heterozygous for the last one (Htz-A, Htz-B, Htz-D). Results: Phenotypic observation revealed a significant reduction of fertility and pollen viability in TM and Htz-B plants compared to wild type plants suggesting major defects during meiosis. Cytogenetic analyses of these plants showed that complete absence of TaRecQ4 as observed in TM plants, leads to chromosome fragmentation during the pachytene stage, resulting in problems in the segregation of chromosomes during meiosis. Htz-A and Htz-D mutants had an almost normal meiotic progression indicating that both TaRecQ4-A and TaRecQ4-D copies are functional and that there is no dosage effect for TaRecQ4 in bread wheat. On the contrary, the TaRecQ4-B copy seems knocked-out, probably because of a SNP leading to a Threonine>Alanine change at position 539 (T539A) of the protein, that occurs in the crucial helicase ATP bind/DEAD/ResIII domain which unwinds nucleic acids. Occurrence of numerous multivalents in TM plants suggests that TaRecQ4 could also play a role in the control of homoeologous recombination. Discussion: These findings provide a foundation for further molecular investigations into wheat meiosis regulation to fully understand the underlying mechanisms of how TaRecQ4 affects chiasma formation, as well as to identify ways to mitigate these defects and enhance both homologous and homoeologous recombination efficiency in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploration of premium and new locations is regarded as a fundamental function of every evolutionary algorithm. This is achieved using the crossover and mutation stages of the differential evolution (DE) method. A best-and-worst position-guided novel exploration approach for the DE algorithm is provided in this study. The proposed version, known as "Improved DE with Best and Worst positions (IDEBW)", offers a more advantageous alternative for exploring new locations, either proceeding directly towards the best location or evacuating the worst location. The performance of the proposed IDEBW is investigated and compared with other DE variants and meta-heuristics algorithms based on 42 benchmark functions, including 13 classical and 29 non-traditional IEEE CEC-2017 test functions and 3 real-life applications of the IEEE CEC-2011 test suite. The results prove that the proposed approach successfully completes its task and makes the DE algorithm more efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: About 50% of patients who sustain an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury are treated without ACL reconstruction (ACL‐R). A significant proportion of these patients opt for late ACL‐R. Patients' experience of changing treatment has not yet been investigated and presented in the scientific literature. Aim: To explore patients' experiences before and after changing treatment from ACL rehabilitation alone to ACL‐R. Method: Fifteen patients were interviewed in semi‐structured interviews, which were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed with qualitative content analysis, based on the method described by Graneheim and Lundman. Patients were between 26 and 58 years old, and had tried rehabilitation for a minimum of 9 months prior to ACL‐R. Results: Two themes, "Expecting what could not be achieved: the struggle to recover and not becoming stable", and "Internal completeness: expectations can be achieved", emerged from the analysis. Each theme was supported by three main categories and 5–6 subcategories. The first theme represents the journey before ACL‐R, where patients experienced getting stronger, but perceived the knee as unstable. The second theme represents the journey after ACL‐R, where patients expressed that they felt whole after their ACL‐R, and where able to achieve their expections. Patients experienced a greater support from the healthcare system, and ultimately expressed a feeling of having achieved the unachievable after ACL‐R. Summary: Patients who cross over from ACL rehabilitation to ACL‐R experienced rehabilitation alone as insufficient to achieve the desired outcomes, which resulted in a need to opt for delayed ACL‐R. Healthcare providers need to support patients, who primarily choose to undergo rehabilitation alone and later opt for ACL‐R, throughout the whole rehabilitation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both an acute bout, as well as chronic static stretching (SS), can increase the joint range of motion (ROM). However, ROM increases of a non‐stretched muscle (non‐local) are reported following an acute SS session, and these effects have not been studied for long‐term SS training. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of a comprehensive 7‐week SS training program of the pectoralis muscles on ankle dorsiflexion ROM. Thirty‐three healthy, physically active participants (20 male and 13 female) were assigned to either the SS (n = 18) or the control (n = 15) group. The SS group performed a 7‐week SS intervention that comprised three sessions a week, including three exercises of the pectoralis muscles for 5‐min each. Before and after the intervention period, the ankle dorsiflexion ROM was tested with a dynamometer. There was no significant time (p = 0.93, F1,31 = 0.008; η2 = 0.000) or time x group effect (p = 0. 56, F1,31 = 0.342; η2 = 0.011) in ankle dorsiflexion ROM, indicating no changes in ROM in the intervention as well as the control group. Although previous studies on the acute effects of stretching reported non‐local increases in ROM, our study showed no such changes after 7 weeks of SS training. Consequently, if the goal is to chronically increase the ROM of a specific joint, it is recommended to directly stretch the muscles of interest. Highlights: This is the first study that investigated the chronic non‐local effects of stretching.The results showed no significant changes in the range of motion in the non‐stretched tissues.If the goal is to chronically increase the ROM of a specific joint by stretching, it is recommended to directly stretch the muscles of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most evolutionary algorithms have multiple parameters and their values drastically affect the performance. Due to the often complicated interplay of the parameters, setting these values right for a particular problem (parameter tuning) is a challenging task. This task becomes even more complicated when the optimal parameter values change significantly during the run of the algorithm since then a dynamic parameter choice (parameter control) is necessary. In this work, we propose a lazy but effective solution, namely choosing all parameter values (where this makes sense) in each iteration randomly from a suitably scaled power-law distribution. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, we perform runtime analyses of the (1 + (λ , λ)) genetic algorithm with all three parameters chosen in this manner. We show that this algorithm on the one hand can imitate simple hill-climbers like the (1 + 1) EA, giving the same asymptotic runtime on problems like OneMax, LeadingOnes, or Minimum Spanning Tree. On the other hand, this algorithm is also very efficient on jump functions, where the best static parameters are very different from those necessary to optimize simple problems. We prove a performance guarantee that is comparable to the best performance known for static parameters. For the most interesting case that the jump size k is constant, we prove that our performance is asymptotically better than what can be obtained with any static parameter choice. We complement our theoretical results with a rigorous empirical study confirming what the asymptotic runtime results suggest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prehospital care for cold-stressed and hypothermic patients focuses on effective insulation and rewarming. When encountering patients wearing wet clothing, rescuers can either remove the wet clothing before isolating the patient or isolate the patient using a vapor barrier. Wet clothing removal increases skin exposure but avoids the need to heat the wet clothing during rewarming. Leaving wet clothing on will avoid skin exposure but is likely to increase heat loss during rewarming. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of wet clothing removal compared to containing the moisture using a vapor barrier on skin temperature in a prehospital setting. Methods: This randomized crossover experimental field study was conducted in a snow cave in Hemsedal, Norway. After an initial cooling phase of 30 min while wearing wet clothes, the participants were subjected to one of two rewarming scenarios: (1) wet clothing removal and wrapping in a vapor barrier, insulating blankets, and windproof outer shell (dry group) or (2) wrapping in a vapor barrier, insulating blankets, and windproof outer shell (wet group). The mean skin temperature was the primary outcome whereas subjective scores for both thermal comfort and degree of shivering were secondary outcomes. Primary outcome data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: After an initial decrease in temperature during the exposure phase, the dry group had a higher mean skin temperature compared to the wet group after only 2 min. The skin-rewarming rate was highest in the initial rewarming stages for both groups, but increased in the dry group as compared to the wet group in the first 10 min. Return to baseline temperature occurred significantly faster in the dry group (mean 12.5 min [dry] vs. 28.1 min [wet]). No intergroup differences in the subjective thermal comfort or shivering were observed. Conclusion: Removal of wet clothing in combination with a vapor barrier increases skin rewarming rate compared to encasing the wet clothing in a vapor barrier, in mild cold and environments without wind. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT05996757, retrospectively registered 18/08/2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper proposes a high‐selective crossover with a third‐order filtering characteristic, high passband isolation, and multiple controllable transmission zeros based on a coupled topology using single‐ and dual‐mode resonators. By virtue of the odd‐ and even‐mode feature of the stub‐loaded dual‐mode ring resonator, not only can the two resonant modes for different passbands be relatively independently controlled, but also better isolation can be achieved. With a single‐mode resonator and stub‐loaded dual‐mode resonant coupling topology, the resultant crossover can perform third‐order filtering performance in two distinct passbands/channels and generate several transmission zeros outside the desired bands to improve the isolation between the passbands. Experimental results demonstrate that, compared with conventional works, the filtering order of the proposed crossover is promoted and its passband isolation can be significantly improved by about 8 dB. The proposed work may facilitate its widespread applications in high‐performance multichannel integrated microwave systems for avoiding interference between multiple intersecting signal paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification and repair of structural damage in building foundations are critical tasks in ensuring the safety and integrity of civil infrastructure. This research paper proposes a method based on genetic algorithms for the identification and repair of structural damage in building foundations. The proposed approach begins with the identification of structural damage by analysing sensor data, including vibration measurements and strain gauges, obtained from the building's foundation. A genetic algorithm is then employed to optimize the identification process by iteratively searching for the most likely damage scenarios based on the collected sensor data. Once the damage is identified, the algorithm proceeds to develop an optimal repair strategy. It considers various parameters, such as available repair materials, budget constraints, and desired structural performance, to generate a repair plan that minimizes cost and maximizes the restoration of structural integrity. The repair plan is optimized using the genetic algorithm to find the best combination of repair techniques and materials. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, extensive simulations and case studies are conducted on different types of building foundations. The performance of the algorithm is assessed in terms of its accuracy in identifying structural damage and the efficiency of the repair strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of post-quantum security, isogeny-based cryptography stands out for its ability to fight quantum attacks. One of the key operations in isogeny-based schemes is finite field multiplication, which plays a crucial role in cryptographic protocols such as key exchange and digital signatures. To ensure practical implementations of these schemes, efficient finite field multiplication is essential. In this research, a novel optimization approach, the Crossover-Boosted Water Cycle Algorithm (CB-WCA), to enhance the efficiency of finite field multiplication in isogeny-based cryptography is proposed. By using both the WCA and a crossover method inspired by genetic algorithms, the CB-WCA effectively explores solution areas, aiming for the best solutions. The formulation of the finite field multiplication optimization problem and an objective function that quantifies the efficiency of the multiplication process based on computational cost is presented and defined. The CB-WCA is then applied to find the optimal set of parameters for finite field multiplication algorithms. Extensive experimental evaluations are conducted, comparing the performance of the CB-WCA-optimized algorithms with traditional optimization methods and other metaheuristic algorithms. Through the findings, it is evident that the CB-WCA stands out for its ability to achieve faster execution times and decrease computational costs. Furthermore, the optimized finite field multiplication algorithms are integrated into isogeny-based cryptographic schemes and evaluate their impact on cryptographic protocol efficiency and security. Real-world implementations showcase the practical applicability of the optimized algorithms in hardware and software environments. To ensure the security of the optimized algorithms, rigorous cryptanalysis is performed to verify their resilience against potential attacks, ensuring they meet the highest standards of security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Mutations affecting crossover (CO) frequency and distribution lead to the presence of univalents during meiosis, giving rise to aneuploid gametes and sterility. These mutations may have a different effect after chromosome doubling. The combination of altered ploidy and mutations could be potentially useful to gain new insights into the mechanisms and regulation of meiotic recombination; however, studies using autopolyploid meiotic mutants are scarce.Here, we have analyzed the cytogenetic consequences in colchicine‐induced autotetraploids (colchiploids) from different Arabidopsis mutants with an altered CO frequency.We have found that there are three types of mutants: mutants in which chiasma frequency is doubled after chromosome duplication (zip4, mus81), as in the control; mutants in which polyploidy leads to a higher‐than‐expected increase in chiasma frequency (asy1, mer3, hei10, and mlh3); and mutants in which the rise in chiasma frequency produced by the presence of two extrachromosomal sets is less than doubled (msh5, fancm). In addition, the proportion of class I/class II COs varies after chromosome duplication in the control.The results obtained reveal the potential of colchiploid meiotic mutants for better understanding of the function of key proteins during plant meiosis. This is especially relevant considering that most crops are polyploids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a massive development of metaheuristic algorithms in the latest decade where swarm intelligence becomes the fundamental approach. Meanwhile, there is still no ideal metaheuristic that can solve all problems superiorly, as declared in the no-free-lunch (NFL) theory. This work introduces a novel swarm-based metaheuristic named as migration-crossover algorithm (MCA). In MCA, the swarm intelligence is enriched with the crossover technique and the neighbourhood search with unbalanced local search space. The global finest solution becomes the reference in the first step while the middle between two stochastically chosen solutions becomes the reference in the second step. The neighbourhood search is performed in the third step. The collection of 23 functions become the use case during the evaluation of MCA. In the first evaluation, MCA is compared with five new metaheuristics: total interaction algorithm (TIA), osprey optimization algorithm (OOA), migration algorithm (MA), coati optimization algorithm (COA), and walrus optimization algorithm (WaOA). The result reveals that MCA is finer than TIA, OOA, MA, COA, and WaOA in 20, 19, 17, 20, and 17 functions subsequently. The result of the second evaluation reveals that the global finest solution becomes the dominant contributor in the high dimension functions while the middle between two stochastically chosen solutions becomes the dominant contributor in the fixed dimension functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadium acetylacetonate (V(acac)3) disproportionation electrochemistry promises a crossover-tolerant, high-voltage flow battery, but exhibits low efficiency and short cycle life. We show that membrane fouling, rather than a parasitic side reaction, dominates early performance fade. Crossover rates through porous membranes were estimated from voltage transients with an adaptive observer while cycling flow-through reactors. For 0.1M V(acac)3 and 0.3M TEABF4 in acetonitrile flowed countercurrently at 5.0cms−1 parallel to the separator, fresh Daramic 175 and Celgard 4650 afforded active-species mass-transfer coefficients of 3.8μms−1 and 7.5μms−1, respectively, which decreased and became non-Fickian as cycling progressed. At ±10mAcm−2 from 0%–20% state of charge, voltage efficiency with Celgard fell from 96% to 60% over 27 cycles. Separator replacement restored the coulombic and voltage efficiencies, which repeated their first progression. Impedance spectra from series-connected canary cells reveal that separator resistances remain stable during open-circuit exposure to charged single electrolytes, but increase under applied current or open-circuit contact with differently charged electrolytes.

In this study, an altered differential evolution (ADE) is presented for numerical and engineering problem optimization. It incorporates innovative mutation strategy with new control parameters using the perception of particle swarm optimization (PSO) process, to enhance exploration and exploitation activities extra profusely and increase the global search capacity. Also, a new crossover rate is employed in ADE, to attain higher convergence accuracy and quality optimal solutions. Finally, a novel selection strategy is introduced in ADE, to facilitate information sharing as well as for escaping local minima and keeps progressing. To investigate the suggested ADE performance, a collection of 13 classical benchmark functions, CEC2014 and CEC2017 benchmark suite are solved. Furthermore, the superiority and applicability of the ADE algorithm are further demonstrated through experimentation on six famous real-life engineering problems. The experimental and statistical test outcomes, collectively indicate that compared to other modern optimization algorithms, overall ADE exhibits superior performance. Also, comparison results show that ADE has powerful exploration and exploitation capabilities, excellent convergence performance, and strong ability for gaining high quality solution.

IntroductionMeiotic recombination (or crossover, CO) is essential for gamete fertility as well as for alleles and genes reshuffling that is at the heart of plant breeding. However, CO remains a limited event, which strongly hampers the rapid production of original and improved cultivars. RecQ4 is a gene encoding a helicase protein that, when mutated, contributes to improve recombination rate in all species where it has been evaluated so far. MethodsIn this study, we developed wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) triple mutant (TM) for the three homoeologous copies of TaRecQ4 as well as mutants for two copies and heterozygous for the last one (Htz-A, Htz-B, Htz-D).ResultsPhenotypic observation revealed a significant reduction of fertility and pollen viability in TM and Htz-B plants compared to wild type plants suggesting major defects during meiosis. Cytogenetic analyses of these plants showed that complete absence of TaRecQ4 as observed in TM plants, leads to chromosome fragmentation during the pachytene stage, resulting in problems in the segregation of chromosomes during meiosis. Htz-A and Htz-D mutants had an almost normal meiotic progression indicating that both TaRecQ4-A and TaRecQ4-D copies are functional and that there is no dosage effect for TaRecQ4 in bread wheat. On the contrary, the TaRecQ4-B copy seems knocked-out, probably because of a SNP leading to a Threonine>Alanine change at position 539 (T539A) of the protein, that occurs in the crucial helicase ATP bind/DEAD/ResIII domain which unwinds nucleic acids. Occurrence of numerous multivalents in TM plants suggests that TaRecQ4 could also play a role in the control of homoeologous recombination. DiscussionThese findings provide a foundation for further molecular investigations into wheat meiosis regulation to fully understand the underlying mechanisms of how TaRecQ4 affects chiasma formation, as well as to identify ways to mitigate these defects and enhance both homologous and homoeologous recombination efficiency in wheat.

Static stretching and foam rolling can increase the range of motion (ROM) of a joint acutely as well as chronically. Although studies have reported ROM increases of a non-stretched heterologous muscle (non-local) following an acute static stretching or foam rolling session, these effects have not been studied for long-term training interventions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a comprehensive 7-week static stretching and foam rolling training program of the foot sole on shoulder extension ROM. A total of 33 healthy, physically active participants (20 male) were assigned to either the intervention (n = 19) or control (n = 14) group. The intervention group performed a 7-week combined static stretching and foam rolling intervention comprising three sessions a week, including three exercises of the foot sole for 5 min each. Before and after the intervention period, the shoulder extension ROM was tested with three-dimensional (3D) motion caption. The level of significance for all statistical analyses was set to ρ ≤ 0.05. There was no significant time (p = 0.70, F1, 31 = 0.157; η2 = 0.005) or time×group effect (p = 0.38, F1, 31 = 0.785; η2 = 0.025) in shoulder extension ROM, indicating no ROM changes in the intervention or the control group. Although previous studies on the acute effects of stretching and foam rolling reported non-local increases in ROM in heterologous muscles, this study could show that such effects do not occur after chronic SS and foam rolling training for 7 weeks. Consequently, if the goal is to chronically increase the ROM of a specific joint, it is recommended to directly treat the muscles of interest.

The exploration of premium and new locations is regarded as a fundamental function of every evolutionary algorithm. This is achieved using the crossover and mutation stages of the differential evolution (DE) method. A best-and-worst position-guided novel exploration approach for the DE algorithm is provided in this study. The proposed version, known as “Improved DE with Best and Worst positions (IDEBW)”, offers a more advantageous alternative for exploring new locations, either proceeding directly towards the best location or evacuating the worst location. The performance of the proposed IDEBW is investigated and compared with other DE variants and meta-heuristics algorithms based on 42 benchmark functions, including 13 classical and 29 non-traditional IEEE CEC-2017 test functions and 3 real-life applications of the IEEE CEC-2011 test suite. The results prove that the proposed approach successfully completes its task and makes the DE algorithm more efficient.

• Protons are the primary charge carriers in VRFBs employing AEMs. • Regular operation (5–80 % SoC) shows ∼0.5 % electrolyte volume transfer per cycle. • Osmotic effects are the main contributors to volumetric transport. • Impact of diffusion coefficients, pH changes, and bisulfate concentration gradient. The volumetric and species transport is a significant source of capacity decay in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). However, even with the prevalent use of anion exchange membranes (AEMs) in commercial systems, the understanding of the crossover mechanisms in this context remains limited. The primary objective of this study was to gain a deeper comprehension of these mechanisms through experimental investigations conducted on a 6 kW/43kAh VRFB system using AEMs. It is concluded that protons serve as the primary charge carriers, owing to the high ionic concentrations of the electrolyte. During normal operation, there was a consistent pattern of volume transfer from the positive to the negative half-cell (∼0.5 % of the total electrolyte per cycle/day). Experimental assessments performed at different states-of-charge (SoCs) revealed that the volumetric transport towards the anolyte increases with SoC. The osmotic effects are concluded to be the main contributors to the volumetric transport. The osmotic pressure difference is hypothesized to arise from the asymmetric diffusion coefficients of the vanadium ions, changes in pH affecting sulfate and bisulfate equilibrium alongside their different diffusion coefficients, and a likely predominance of the bisulfate concentration gradient in the water transport through the membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The issue featured with concurrent job operations - mobile robots scheduling problems in complex FMS environment. • A logical and practical approach for the selection of GA parameters based on fuzzy rules to improve the solution to the complex combinatorial NP-hard scheduling problem. • Adaptively adjustment of genetic operator, i.e., crossover and mutation for better exploration and exploitation activities in searching process. Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) is known as one of the recurring themes that possess these promising characteristics with a synergistic combination of productivity-efficiency transport and flexibility through a number of machine tools alongside other material handling devices. In FMS, mobile robots are commonly deployed in material handling system for the purpose of increasing the efficiency and productivity of the manufacturing process. A reliable, efficient, and optimal scheduling is the most important in manufacturing system. The scheduling problems can become highly complex, especially in large-scale systems with numerous tasks and constraints. Thus, schedule optimization becomes crucial to enhance target performance by determining the best allocations and sequences of resources under specified constraints. Recently, Genetic Algorithm (GA) is a remarkably applicable search algorithm to solve scheduling problems to the way that near optimal could be found. While the performance of GA much depends on the selection of the main parameters, a standard GA may suffer from the issue of premature convergence due to the lack of control on its parameters especially crossover and mutation operators. As there is no specific method or way to tune these parameters, the algorithm is prone to converge on the local optimum, thereby leading to performance degradation. To overcome such flaw, this paper proposed an improved Genetic Algorithm using an adaptive Fuzzy Logic to control crossover and mutation operators (FGAOC) for the solution to the NP-hard problem of scheduling mobile robot within Job-Shop FMS environment. The proposed algorithm has been evaluated in several case studies such as small and large-scale problem, various numbers of mobile robots and the 40-test benchmark problem. The results have demonstrated that the proposed FGAOC has delivered a good performance in exploration-exploitation activities with better solution quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we aimed to reveal two main contributors to the capacity fade of a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). These contributors are the oxidative imbalance caused by the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) competing with V3+ reduction during charging, and crossover, particularly the net transfer of vanadium ions from negolyte to posolyte. To investigate this, we performed VRFB cycling under various operation conditions with sequential monitoring of the electrolytes composition. We discovered that shortly after cycling starts, the crossover makes the negolyte capacity-limiting. This leads to high polarization of the negative electrode inducing HER and increasing average oxidation state (AOS) of the electrolyte. Our examination shows that the magnitude of the oxidative imbalance correlates with that of the crossover, both being dependent on the state-of-charge (SoC). Therefore, by changing operation conditions, we can slightly influence the crossover, while dramatically affect the oxidative imbalance. We also found that the resulting magnitude of the capacity fade is a trade-off between these two side-processes. This necessitates careful optimization of the battery and electrolyte composition, along with its cycling regime. From the data obtained, we conclude that the only proper approach to achieve lower capacity fade is by ensuring that the negolyte is capacity-limiting over long-term cycling. We hope that the data on the capacity fade mechanisms presented here will facilitate development of more stable and cost-effective VRFBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ideal target limb alignment remains a debated topic in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We aimed to determine the effect of limb alignment correction on patient-reported outcomes and knee range of motion (ROM) following TKA., Methods: In this retrospective analysis, patients (N = 409) undergoing primary TKA at a single institution were studied. Using full leg-length radiographs, limb alignment was measured preoperatively and postoperatively. Patients were categorized by preoperative (Preop) alignment (varus > 0°; valgus < 0°). Preop varus patients were then divided as follows based on postoperative alignment: neutral (VAR-NEUT, 0°± 2), remaining in varus (VAR-rVAR, ≥3°), and cross-over to valgus (VAR-CO, ≤-3°). Similarly, Preop valgus patients were divided as follows for postoperative alignment: neutral (VAL-NEUT, 0°± 2), remaining in valgus (VAL-rVAL, ≤-3°), and cross-over to varus (VAL-CO, ≥3°). The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement survey scores were collected at preoperatively as well as at 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Knee ROM was collected at 2 weeks, 6 to 12 weeks, and >6 months postoperatively. An analysis of variance repeated on time followed by a Bonferroni post hoc test was used to compare outcomes for the postoperative alignment subgroups., Results: Preop Varus patients: Those in the VAR-CO group (overcorrected to -4.03° ± 1.95 valgus ) were observed to have lower Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement scores at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively compared to those in the NEUT group (P < .05). This finding was paired with reduced ROM at 6 to 12 weeks postoperatively in the VAR-CO group compared to VAR-NEUT and VAR-rVAR (P < .05). Preop Valgus patients: Those in the VAL-rVal group (left in -4.39° ± 1.39 valgus ) were observed to have reduced knee flexion at 6 to 12 weeks postoperatively compared to VAL-NEUT and VAL-CO., Conclusions: These findings indicate that postoperative valgus alignment via either crossing over to valgus (VAR-CO) or remaining in valgus (VAL-rVAL) alignment may result in less preferable outcomes than correction to neutral or slightly varus alignment., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: To investigate the impact of wearing spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets (HAL) for 3 years and the impact of switching from single-vision lenses (SVL) to HAL on choroidal thickness (ChT)., Methods: Fifty-one participants who had already worn HAL for 2 years continued wearing them for an additional year (HAL group). Further, 50 and 41 participants who had worn spectacle lenses with slightly aspherical lenslets (SAL) and SVL for 2 years, respectively, switched to wearing HAL for another year (SAL-HAL and SVL-HAL groups). Additionally, 48 new participants aged 10-15 years were enrolled to wear SVL at the third year (new-SVL group). ChT was measured every 6 months throughout the study., Results: Significant differences were observed in the changes in ChT among the four groups at the third year (all P < 0.05 except for the outer nasal region: P = 0.09), with the new-SVL group showing larger reductions compared with the other three groups. However, none of the three HAL-wearing groups showed significant changes in ChT at the third year (all P > 0.05). When comparing the changes in ChT for 3 years among the HAL, SAL-HAL, and SVL-HAL groups, significant differences were found before switching to HAL, but these differences were abolished after all participants switched to HAL., Conclusions: Compared to those in the SVL group, choroid thinning was significantly inhibited in all the HAL groups. Wearing HAL for 3 years no longer had a choroidal thickening effect but could still inhibit choroidal thinning compared to wearing SVL., Trial Registration: The study was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR1800017683), http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=29789 ., (© 2024. The Author(s).)