Push forward LC-MS-based therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacometabolomics for anti-tuberculosis precision dosing and comprehensive clinical management

The spread of tuberculosis(TB),especially multidrug-resistant TB and extensively drug-resistant TB,has strongly motivated the research and development of new anti-TB drugs.New strategies to facilitate drug combinations,including pharmacokinetics-guided dose optimization and toxicology studies of first-and second-line anti-TB drugs have also been introduced and recommended.Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS)has arguably become the gold standard in the analysis of both endo-and exo-genous compounds.This technique has been applied successfully not only for therapeutic drug monitoring(TDM)but also for pharmacometabolomics analysis.TDM improves the effectiveness of treatment,reduces adverse drug reactions,and the likelihood of drug resistance development in TB patients by determining dosage regimens that produce concentrations within the therapeutic target window.Based on TDM,the dose would be optimized individually to achieve favorable outcomes.Pharmacometabolomics is essential in generating and validating hypotheses regarding the metabolism of anti-TB drugs,aiding in the discovery of potential biomarkers for TB diagnostics,treatment monitoring,and outcome evaluation.This article highlighted the current progresses in TDM of anti-TB drugs based on LC-MS bioassay in the last two decades.Besides,we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of this technique in practical use.The pressing need for non-invasive sampling approaches and stability studies of anti-TB drugs was highlighted.Lastly,we provided perspectives on the prospects of combining LC-MS-based TDM and pharmacometabolomics with other advanced strategies(pharmacometrics,drug and vaccine developments,machine learning/artificial intelligence,among others)to encapsulate in an all-inclusive approach to improve treatment outcomes of TB patients.

Fiber optic monitoring of an anti-slide pile in a retrogressive landslide

Anti-slide piles are one of the most important reinforcement structures against landslides,and evalu-ating the working conditions is of great significance for landslide mitigation.The widely adopted analytical methods of pile internal forces include cantilever beam method and elastic foundation beam method.However,due to many assumptions involved in calculation,the analytical models cannot be fully applicable to complex site situations,e.g.landslides with multi-sliding surfaces and pile-soil interface separation as discussed herein.In view of this,the combination of distributed fiber optic sensing(DFOS)and strain-internal force conversion methods was proposed to evaluate the working conditions of an anti-sliding pile in a typical retrogressive landslide in the Three Gorges reservoir area,China.Brillouin optical time domain reflectometry(BOTDR)was utilized to monitor the strain distri-bution along the pile.Next,by analyzing the relative deformation between the pile and its adjacent inclinometer,the pile-soil interface separation was profiled.Finally,the internal forces of the anti-slide pile were derived based on the strain-internal force conversion method.According to the ratio of calculated internal forces to the design values,the working conditions of the anti-slide pile could be evaluated.The results demonstrated that the proposed method could reveal the deformation pattern of the anti-slide pile system,and can quantitatively evaluate its working conditions.

Application of GNSS-PPP on Dynamic Deformation Monitoring of Offshore Platforms

The real-time dynamic deformation monitoring of offshore platforms under environmental excitation is crucial to their safe operation.Although Global Navigation Satellite System-Precise Point Positioning(GNSS-PPP)has been considered for this purpose,its monitoring accuracy is relatively low.Moreover,the influence of background noise on the dynamic monitoring accuracy of GNSS-PPP remains unclear.Hence,it is imperative to further validate the feasibility of GNSS-PPP for deformation monitoring of offshore platforms.To address these concerns,vibration table tests with different amplitudes and frequencies are conducted.The results demonstrate that GNSS-PPP can effectively monitor horizontal vibration displacement as low as±30 mm,which is consistent with GNSS-RTK.Furthermore,the spectral characteristic of background noise in GNSS-PPP is similar to that of GNSS-RTK(Real Time Kinematic).Building on this observation,an improved Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise(CEEMDAN)has been proposed to de-noise the data and enhance the dynamic monitoring accuracy of GNSS-PPP.Field monitoring application research is also undertaken,successfully extracting and analyzing the dynamic deformation of an offshore platform structure under environmental excitation using GNSS-PPP monitoring in conjunction with improved CEEMDAN de-noising.By comparing the de-noised dynamic deformation trajectories of the offshore platform during different periods,it is observed that the platform exhibits reversible alternating vibration responses under environmental excitation,with more pronounced displacement deformation in the direction of load action.The research results confirm the feasibility and potential of GNSS-PPP for dynamic deformation monitoring of offshore platforms.

Monitoring seismicity in the southern Sichuan Basin using a machine learning workflow

Monitoring seismicity in real time provides significant benefits for timely earthquake warning and analyses.In this study,we propose an automatic workflow based on machine learning(ML)to monitor seismicity in the southern Sichuan Basin of China.This workflow includes coherent event detection,phase picking,and earthquake location using three-component data from a seismic network.By combining Phase Net,we develop an ML-based earthquake location model called Phase Loc,to conduct real-time monitoring of the local seismicity.The approach allows us to use synthetic samples covering the entire study area to train Phase Loc,addressing the problems of insufficient data samples,imbalanced data distribution,and unreliable labels when training with observed data.We apply the trained model to observed data recorded in the southern Sichuan Basin,China,between September 2018 and March 2019.The results show that the average differences in latitude,longitude,and depth are 5.7 km,6.1 km,and 2 km,respectively,compared to the reference catalog.Phase Loc combines all available phase information to make fast and reliable predictions,even if only a few phases are detected and picked.The proposed workflow may help real-time seismic monitoring in other regions as well.

Natural Disaster Risk Monitoring for Immovable Cultural Relics Based on Digital Twin

Natural disaster risk monitoring is an important task for disaster prevention and reduction.In the case of immovable cultural relics,however,the feedback mechanism,risk factors,monitoring logic,and monitoring indicators of natural disaster risk monitoring are complex.How to achieve intelligent perception and monitoring of natural disaster risk for immovable cultural relics has always been a focus and a challenge for researchers.Based on the analysis of the concepts and issues related to the natural disaster risk of immovable cultural relics,this paper proposes a framework for natural disaster risk monitoring for immovable cultural relics based on the digital twin.This framework focuses on risk monitoring,including the physical entities of natural disaster risk for immovable cultural relics,monitoring indicators,and virtual entity construction.A platform for monitoring the natural disaster risk of immovable cultural relics is proposed.Using the Puzhou Ancient City Site as a test bed,the proposed concept can be used for monitoring the natural disaster risk of immovable cultural relics at different scales.

Interplay of laser power and pore characteristics in selective laser melting of ZK60 magnesium alloys:A study based on in-situ monitoring and image analysis

This study offers significant insights into the multi-physics phenomena of the SLM process and the subsequent porosity characteristics of ZK60 Magnesium(Mg)alloys.High-speed in-situ monitoring was employed to visualise process signals in real-time,elucidating the dynamics of melt pools and vapour plumes under varying laser power conditions specifically between 40 W and 60 W.Detailed morphological analysis was performed using Scanning-Electron Microscopy(SEM),demonstrating a critical correlation between laser power and pore formation.Lower laser power led to increased pore coverage,whereas a denser structure was observed at higher laser power.This laser power influence on porosity was further confirmed via Optical Microscopy(OM)conducted on both top and cross-sectional surfaces of the samples.An increase in laser power resulted in a decrease in pore coverage and pore size,potentially leading to a denser printed part of Mg alloy.X-ray Computed Tomography(XCT)augmented these findings by providing a 3D volumetric representation of the sample internal structure,revealing an inverse relationship between laser power and overall pore volume.Lower laser power appeared to favour the formation of interconnected pores,while a reduction in interconnected pores and an increase in isolated pores were observed at higher power.The interplay between melt pool size,vapour plume effects,and laser power was found to significantly influence the resulting porosity,indicating a need for effective management of these factors to optimise the SLM process of Mg alloys.

A Review: Biosensor Progression in Glucose Monitoring for Patients with Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition that can come to the surface at any point throughout a person’s life. Although Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes have different triggers that cause them to arise, a person can experience similar complications from either if not monitored and treated accordingly. Through the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, it was found that a significant way to monitor diabetes is through glucose levels in a person’s body. The research surrounding glucose monitoring dates to the mid-1800s, with the first successful reagent for glucose testing being developed in 1908. Since then, glucose sensing has become one of the most rapidly growing areas of research and development in biosensor technology, creating a competitive market for more advanced, accurate, and convenient glucose monitoring. This article reviews the history of biosensors used for glucose monitoring, and major advancements in biosensor technology to enhance performance and improve quality of life for patients with diabetes.

Design and Construction of Automatic Monitoring System for Open-pit Coal Mine Slopes

[Objectives]To monitor the stability of open-pit coal mine slopes in real time and ensure the safety of coal mine production.[Methods]The automatic monitoring system of coal mine slope was explored in depth,and the core functions of the system were designed comprehensively.According to the design function of the automatic monitoring system,the slope automatic monitoring system was constructed.Besides,in accordance with the actual situation of the slope,the monitoring frequency of slopes was set scientifically,and the key indicators such as rainfall,deep displacement and surface displacement of the slopes were monitored in an all-round and multi-angle way.[Results]During the monitoring period,the overall condition of the slope remained good,and no landslides or other geological disasters occurred.At the same time,the overall rainfall in the slope area remained low.In terms of monitoring data,the horizontal displacement and settlement of the slopes increased first and then tended to be stable.Specifically,the maximum horizontal displacement during the monitoring period was 22.74 mm,while the maximum settlement was 18.65 mm.[Conclusions]The automatic slope monitoring system has obtained remarkable achievements in practical application.It not only improves the accuracy and efficiency of slope stability monitoring,but also provides valuable reference experience for similar projects.

Accuracy of FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring in patients with type 2 diabetes who migrated from highlands to plains

BACKGROUND The FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring(FGM)system entered the Chinese market in 2017 to complement the self-monitoring of blood glucose.Due to its increased usage in clinics,the number of studies investigating its accuracy has increased.However,its accuracy has not been investigated in highland populations in China.AIM To evaluate measurements recorded using the FreeStyle Libre FGM system compared with capillary blood glucose measured using the enzyme electrode method in patients with type 2 diabetes(T2D)who had migrated within 3 mo from highlands to plains.METHODS Overall,68 patients with T2D,selected from those who had recently migrated from highlands to plains(within 3 mo),were hospitalized at the Department of Endocrinology from August to October 2017 and underwent continuous glucose monitoring(CGM)with the FreeStyle Libre FGM system for 14 d.Throughout the study period,fingertip capillary blood glucose was measured daily using the enzyme electrode method(Super GL,China),and blood glucose levels were read from the scanning probe during fasting and 2 h after all three meals.Moreover,the time interval between reading the data from the scanning probe and collecting fingertip capillary blood was controlled to<5 min.The accuracy of the FGM system was evaluated according to the CGM guidelines.Subsequently,the factors influencing the mean absolute relative difference(MARD)of this system were analyzed by a multiple linear regression method.RESULTS Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that the fingertip and scanned glucose levels were positively correlated(R=0.86,P=0.00).The aggregated MARD of scanned glucose was 14.28±13.40%.Parker's error analysis showed that 99.30%of the data pairs were located in areas A and B.According to the probe wear time of the FreeStyle Libre FGM system,MARD_(1 d) and MARD_(2-14 d) were 16.55%and 14.35%,respectively(t=1.23,P=0.22).Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that MARD did not correlate with blood glucose when the largest amplitude of glycemic excursion(LAGE)was<5.80 mmol/L but negatively correlated with blood glucose when the LAGE was≥5.80 mmol/L.CONCLUSION The FreeStyle Libre FGM system has good accuracy in patients with T2D who had recently migrated from highlands to plains.This system might be ideal for avoiding the effects of high hematocrit on blood glucose monitoring in populations that recently migrated to plains.MARD is mainly influenced by glucose levels and fluctuations,and the accuracy of the system is higher when the blood glucose fluctuation is small.In case of higher blood glucose level fluctuations,deviation in the scanned glucose levels is the highest at extremely low blood glucose levels.

Application and management of continuous glucose monitoring in diabetic kidney disease

Diabetic kidney disease(DKD)is a common complication of diabetes mellitus that contributes to the risk of end-stage kidney disease(ESKD).Wide glycemic var-iations,such as hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia,are broadly found in diabetic patients with DKD and especially ESKD,as a result of impaired renal metabolism.It is essential to monitor glycemia for effective management of DKD.Hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c)has long been considered as the gold standard for monitoring glycemia for>3 months.However,assessment of HbA1c has some bias as it is susceptible to factors such as anemia and liver or kidney dysfunction.Continuous glucose monitoring(CGM)has provided new insights on glycemic assessment and management.CGM directly measures glucose level in interstitial fluid,reports real-time or retrospective glucose concentration,and provides multiple glycemic metrics.It avoids the pitfalls of HbA1c in some contexts,and may serve as a precise alternative to estimation of mean glucose and glycemic variability.Emerging studies have demonstrated the merits of CGM for precise monitoring,which allows fine-tuning of glycemic management in diabetic patients.Therefore,CGM technology has the potential for better glycemic monitoring in DKD patients.More research is needed to explore its application and management in different stages of DKD,including hemodialysis,peritoneal dialysis and kidney transplantation.

A Fuzzy Trust Management Mechanism with Dynamic Behavior Monitoring for Wireless Sensor Networks

Traditional wireless sensor networks(WSNs)are typically deployed in remote and hostile environments for information collection.The wireless communication methods adopted by sensor nodes may make the network highly vulnerable to various attacks.Traditional encryption and authentication mechanisms cannot prevent attacks launched by internal malicious nodes.The trust-based security mechanism is usually adopted to solve this problem in WSNs.However,the behavioral evidence used for trust estimation presents some uncertainties due to the open wireless medium and the inexpensive sensor nodes.Moreover,how to efficiently collect behavioral evidences are rarely discussed.To address these issues,in this paper,we present a trust management mechanism based on fuzzy logic and a cloud model.First,a type-II fuzzy logic system is used to preprocess the behavioral evidences and alleviate uncertainty.Then,the cloud model is introduced to estimate the trust values for sensor nodes.Finally,a dynamic behavior monitoring protocol is proposed to provide a balance between energy conservation and safety assurance.Simulation results demonstrate that our trust management mechanism can effectively protect the network from internal malicious attacks while enhancing the energy efficiency of behavior monitoring.

Nanomaterial-assisted wearable glucose biosensors for noninvasive real-time monitoring:Pioneering point-of-care and beyond

This review explores glucose monitoring and management strategies,emphasizing the need for reliable and userfriendly wearable sensors that are the next generation of sensors for continuous glucose detection.In addition,examines key strategies for designing glucose sensors that are multi-functional,reliable,and cost-effective in a variety of contexts.The unique features of effective diabetes management technology are highlighted,with a focus on using nano/biosensor devices that can quickly and accurately detect glucose levels in the blood,improving patient treatment and control of potential diabetes-related infections.The potential of next-generation wearable and touch-sensitive nano biomedical sensor engineering designs for providing full control in assessing implantable,continuous glucose monitoring is also explored.The challenges of standardizing drug or insulin delivery doses,low-cost,real-time detection of increased blood sugar levels in diabetics,and early digital health awareness controls for the adverse effects of injectable medication are identified as unmet needs.Also,the market for biosensors is expected to expand significantly due to the rising need for portable diagnostic equipment and an ever-increasing diabetic population.The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for further research and development of glucose biosensors to meet the stringent requirements for sensitivity and specificity imposed by clinical diagnostics while being cost-effective,stable,and durable.

Clinical/Behavioral Monitoring of Rodents and Rabbits Undergoing Scientific Experiments

Background: We currently have international and national guidelines regarding the assessment and monitoring of clinical signs and humane endpoints in animals used in teaching and research, which make the performance of these activities mandatory for any experiment and professional working in this area. Assigning the severity of a research experiment is the result of an analysis of records of observations of the animal’s behavior, and clinical signs. The aim of this study was to describe the importance of carrying out a severity assessment associated with clinical and behavioral monitoring of rodents and rabbits during experimentation to maintain the welfare of these animals undergoing scientific research. Methods: The literature search was carried out using the following terms: “Monitoring”;“Humane endpoints”;“Animal welfare”, “Rodents”;“Rabbits”, and as connectors “and”;“or”, in the following databases: PubMed;LILACS/BIREME and SciELO. Results: A total of 987 articles were identified in the databases, and 20 of these studies were included in this review. Conclusions: Humane endpoint protocols and procedure severity tables are of the utmost importance, both from an ethical point and to refine the results of research conducted on laboratory animals. They should be drawn up jointly by the teams responsible for the project and the maintenance of the animals during the research period, and the data obtained should be published so that the scientific community can have access to it, helping to disseminate these practices, as well as helping to draw up new procedures. Monitoring and evaluating the welfare and clinical condition of animals undergoing scientific research procedures is the responsibility of the professors, researchers, veterinarians, and animal facility coordinators. The Ethics Committee on the Use of Animals must monitor all the activities conducted with the animals, by inspecting the experimental procedures and the physical environment of the laboratory animal facility where the animals are housed.

An improved typhoon monitoring model based on precipitable water vapor and pressure

The potential of monitoring the movement of typhoons using the precipitable water vapor(PWV) has been confirmed. However, monitoring the movement of typhoon is focused on PWV, making it difficult to describe the movement of a typhoon in detail minutely and resulting in insufficient accuracy. Hence,based on PWV and meteorological data, we propose an improved typhoon monitoring mode. First, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis 5-derived PWV(ERA5-PWV) and the Global Navigation Satellite System-derived PWV(GNSS-PWV) were compared with the reference radiosonde PWV(RS-PWV). Then, using the PWV and atmospheric parameters derived from ERA5, we discussed the anomalous variations of PWV, pressure(P), precipitation, and wind speed during different typhoons. Finally, we compiled a list of critical factors related to typhoon movement, PWV and P. We developed an improved multi-factor typhoon monitoring mode(IMTM) with different models(i.e.,IMTM-I and IMTM-II) in different cases with a higher density of GNSS observation or only Numerical Weather Prediction(NWP) data. The IMTM was evaluated through the reference movement speeds of HATO and Mangkhut from the China Meteorological Observatory Typhoon Network(CMOTN). The results show that the root mean square(RMS) of the IMTM-I is 1.26 km/h based on ERA5-P and ERA5-PWV,and the absolute bias values are mostly within 2 km/h. Compared with the models considering the single factor ERA5-P/ERA5-PWV, the RMS of the IMTM-I is improved by 26.3% and 38.5%, respectively. The IMTM-II model manifests a residual of only 0.35 km/h. Compared with the single-factor model based on GNSS-PWV/P, the residual of the IMTM-II model is reduced by 90.8% and 84.1%, respectively. These results propose that the typhoon movement monitoring approach combining PWV and P has evident advantages over the single-factor model and is expected to supplement traditional typhoon monitoring.

Pretreatment and analysis techniques development of TKIs in biological samples for pharmacokinetic studies and therapeutic drug monitoring

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs)have emerged as the first-line small molecule drugs in many cancer therapies,exerting their effects by impeding aberrant cell growth and proliferation through the modulation of tyrosine kinase-mediated signaling pathways.However,there exists a substantial inter-individual variability in the concentrations of certain TKIs and their metabolites,which may render patients with compromised immune function susceptible to diverse infections despite receiving theoretically efficacious anticancer treatments,alongside other potential side effects or adverse reactions.Therefore,an urgent need exists for an up-to-date review concerning the biological matrices relevant to bioanalysis and the sampling methods,clinical pharmacokinetics,and therapeutic drug monitoring of different TKIs.This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the advancements in pretreatment methods,such as protein precipitation(PPT),liquid-liquid extraction(LLE),solid-phase extraction(SPE),micro-SPE(μ-SPE),magnetic SPE(MSPE),and vortex-assisted dispersive SPE(VA-DSPE)achieved since 2017.It also highlights the latest analysis techniques such as newly developed high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)and high-resolution mass spectrometry(HRMS)methods,capillary electrophoresis(CE),gas chromatography(GC),supercritical fluid chromatography(SFC)procedures,surface plasmon resonance(SPR)assays as well as novel nanoprobes-based biosensing techniques.In addition,a comparison is made between the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches while presenting critical challenges and prospects in pharmacokinetic studies and therapeutic drug monitoring.

Advancing respirable coal mine dust source apportionment:a preliminary laboratory exploration of optical microscopy as a novel monitoring tool

Exposure to respirable coal mine dust(RCMD)can cause chronic and debilitating lung diseases.Real-time monitoring capabilities are sought which can enable a better understanding of dust components and sources.In many underground mines,RCMD includes three primary components which can be loosely associated with three major dust sources:coal dust from the coal seam itself,silicates from the surrounding rock strata,and carbonates from the inert‘rock dust’products that are applied to mitigate explosion hazards.A monitor which can reliably partition RCMD between these three components could thus allow source apportionment.And tracking silicates,specifically,could be valuable since the most serious health risks are typically associated with this component-particularly if abundant in crystalline silica.Envisioning a monitoring concept based on field microscopy,and following up on prior research using polarized light,the aim of the current study was to build and test a model to classify respirable-sized particles as either coal,silicates,or carbonates.For model development,composite dust samples were generated in the laboratory by successively depositing dust from high-purity materials onto a sticky transparent substrate,and imaging after each deposition event such that the identity of each particle was known a priori.Model testing followed a similar approach,except that real geologic materials were used as the source for each dust component.Results showed that the model had an overall accuracy of 86.5%,indicating that a field-microscopy based moni-tor could support RCMD source apportionment and silicates tracking in some coal mines.

Novel Fractal-Based Features for Low-Power Appliances in Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring

Non-intrusive load monitoring is a method that disaggregates the overall energy consumption of a building to estimate the electric power usage and operating status of each appliance individually.Prior studies have mostly concentrated on the identification of high-power appliances like HVAC systems while overlooking the existence of low-power appliances.Low-power consumer appliances have comparable power consumption patterns,which can complicate the detection task and can be mistaken as noise.This research tackles the problem of classification of low-power appliances and uses turn-on current transients to extract novel features and develop unique appliance signatures.A hybrid feature extraction method based on mono-fractal and multi-fractal analysis is proposed for identifying low-power appliances.Fractal dimension,Hurst exponent,multifractal spectrum and the Hölder exponents of switching current transient signals are extracted to develop various‘turn-on’appliance signatures for classification.Four classifiers,i.e.,deep neural network,support vector machine,decision trees,and K-nearest neighbours have been optimized using Bayesian optimization and trained using the extracted features.The simulated results showed that the proposed method consistently outperforms state-of-the-art feature extraction methods across all optimized classifiers,achieving an accuracy of up to 96%in classifying low-power appliances.

Long-term hydrochemical monitoring and geothermometry:understanding groundwater salinization and thermal fluid contamination in Mila’s basin,Northeastern Algeria

The regular hydrochemical monitoring of groundwater in the Mila basin over an extended period has provided valuable insights into the origin of dissolved salts and the hydrogeochemical processes controlling water salinization.The data reveals that the shallow Karst aquifer shows an increase in TDS of 162 mg L^(-1) while the ther-mal carbonate aquifer that is also used for drinking water supply exhibits an increase of 178 mg L^(-1).Additionally,significant temperature variations are recorded at the sur-face in the shallow aquifers and the waters are carbo-gaseous.Analysis of dissolved major and minor elements has identified several processes influencing the chemical composition namely:dissolution of evaporitic minerals,reduction of sulphates,congruent and incongruent car-bonates’dissolution,dedolomitization and silicates’weathering.The hydrogeochemical and geothermometric results show a mixing of saline thermal water with recharge water of meteoric origin.Two main geothermalfields have been identified,a partially evolved water reservoir and a water reservoir whosefluid interacts with sulphuric acid(H_(2)S)of magmatic origin.These hot waters that are char-acterized by a strong hydrothermal alteration do ascend through faults and fractures and contribute to the contamination of shallower aquifers.Understanding the geothermometry and the hydrogeochemistry of waters is crucial for managing and protecting the quality of groundwater resources in the Mila basin,in order to ensure sustainable water supply for the region.A conceptual model for groundwater circulation and mineralization acquisition has been established to further enhance under-standing in this regard.

Irregular initial solidification by mold thermal monitoring in the continuous casting of steels:A review

Occasional irregular initial solidification phenomena,including stickers,deep oscillation marks,depressions,and surface cracks of strand shells in continuous casting molds,are important limitations for developing the high-efficiency continuous casting of steels.The application of mold thermal monitoring(MTM) systems,which use thermocouples to detect and respond to temperature variations in molds,has become an effective method to address irregular initial solidification phenomena.Such systems are widely applied in numerous steel companies for sticker breakout prediction.However,monitoring the surface defects of strands remains immature.Hence,indepth research is necessary to utilize the potential advantages and comprehensive monitoring of MTM systems.This paper summarizes what is included in the irregular initial solidification phenomena and systematically reviews the current state of research on these phenomena by the MTM systems.Furthermore,the influences of mold slag behavior on monitoring these phenomena are analyzed.Finally,the remaining problems of the formation mechanisms and investigations of irregular initial solidification phenomena are discussed,and future research directions are proposed.

Building the Capacity of Health Professionals in Monitoring and Evaluation in a Public Health Institution: Experience of the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) of Côte d’Ivoire

Background: In the context of the fight against HIV, a lack of skills in monitoring and evaluating the personnel in charge of activities has been identified at the national level. It was the subject of a priority axis of the national plan for monitoring and evaluating the fight against HIV (2006-2010) that was aimed at strengthening the capacities of actors in this area. To increase the critical mass of competent human resources in the short term, the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) of Côte d’Ivoire organized monitoring and evaluation training sessions for healthcare professionals from 2011 to 2016. Methods: A single case study with multiple levels of analysis was carried out, combining a qualitative survey and a literature review. An evaluation was carried out six months after each training session. In addition, the results of the pre- and post-tests and of the daily and final evaluations that accompanied the various training sessions were used to provide further information. The qualitative data collected were analyzed using INVIVO 15 software. Results: Some 89 health professionals (69% men and 31% women) working at the national level (51% at the central level, including 58% in health programs) and in development partner agencies (37%) participated in this capacity building program. Most participants were senior health managers (56%), data managers (23%), and statisticians and computer scientists (10%). Almost all the trainings were financed by 16 technical and financial partners (85%), mainly the MEASURE Evaluation project (27%). Conclusion: M&E training, despite all its imperfections, has made it possible to identify M&E training needs at the national level and to increase the critical mass of national skills and to have some culture in M&E.