Rapid Solution Research Articles

A Mixed Integer Linear Programming Model for Rapid Rescheduling in Ship and Offshore Unit Design Projects

Shipbuilding and offshore projects frequently require schedule adjustments due to unforeseen factors such as material supply delays, technical issues, and adverse weather conditions. These adjustments are often managed manually, resulting in significant time consumption and an increased risk of human error. Unlike production scheduling, little attention has been given to design scheduling, particularly in the context of rescheduling. To address this gap, this paper presents an optimization model that automates the rescheduling process for shipbuilding and offshore unit design projects. The model generates updated schedules that accommodate necessary changes while minimizing deviations from the initial schedule. In a real-world case involving 857 tasks, the model generated a schedule in under one second, preserving approximately 80% of the original schedule and achieving a 20% improvement in adherence compared to the original scheduling method. Furthermore, the model demonstrated exceptional scalability by efficiently generating optimized schedules for 108,700 tasks in under three minutes. These results demonstrate the model’s capability to provide rapid, efficient, and scalable rescheduling solutions, enabling quick and iterative refinement processes.

A next-generation sequencing-based universal target panel and algorithm for one-stop detection of copy number alterations and single-nucleotide variations in the HBB gene cluster for rapid diagnosis of β-thalassemia.

This study aimed to develop and validate a targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel along with a data analysis algorithm capable of detecting single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy number variations (CNVs) within the beta-globin gene cluster. The aim was to reduce the turnaround time in conventional genotyping methods and provide a rapid and comprehensive solution for prenatal diagnosis, carrier screening, and genotyping of β-thalassemia patients. We devised a targeted NGS panel spanning an 80.4 kb region on chromosome 11, encompassing the beta-globin gene cluster and 5' locus control region. We also developed an advanced data analysis algorithm consisting of variant calling and depth plot analysis that facilitates simultaneous detection of SNVs and CNVs in a single run. The test panel and algorithm were validated with 14 in-house β-thalassemia carrier/patient samples and cross-checked against the HbVar database. We identified seven pathogenic SNVs and five CNVs within the beta-globin gene cluster in various combinations, such as heterozygous, homozygous, and compound heterozygous conditions. Additionally, the coordinates of 169 rare deletions and 11 fusion mutations reported in the HbVar database were checked to verify the theoretical ability of our developed gene panel to detect all the CNVs within the target region. The developed panel and NGS technology can detect both SNVs and CNVs in a single run and can also be utilized for prenatal diagnosis and carrier screening for hemoglobinopathies, underscoring its versatility and clinical utility.

A Radiation Heating-Based Oscillatory Polymerase Chain Reaction System for Detecting Donkey-Hide Gelatin

Abstract Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a biochemical technique for copying DNA by repeatedly changing the temperature of nucleic acid samples. In this study, we aim to create an oscillatory PCR system with a short reaction time, which could have significant practical implications. The device uses an electromechanical module with a servo motor and a homemade heating–cooling system that combines a halogen lamp, a Peltier element, a cooling fin, and a blower fan. We code the motor program to control the reaction chamber moving back and forth in the infrared thermal cycling system. The system uses one infrared lamp for heating and one Peltier element/thermal dissipation fins/blower fan for cooling to shorten the overall reaction time of the thermal process. Results show that using the radiant heating and convection cooling method and a micro-sample of 10 μL to perform a PCR, the total time spent is 35 min, which saves about 1 h compared to commercially available PCR instruments. The proposed PCR approach could specifically detect donkey-hide gelatin (DHG) made from donkey skin, offering a rapid and cost-effective solution. Therefore, our device has the advantages of easy manufacturing, low cost, and rapid temperature ramping rate for PCR.

Rapid authentication of Cuscutae Semen with imbalanced sample categories using a handheld near infrared spectrometer

Chinese herbal medicines, primarily derived from plants and natural sources, are widely incorporated into the formulation of health foods and dietary supplements. Ensuring their authenticity is crucial for maintaining therapeutic efficacy. This study introduces a method for rapid authentication of Chinese herbal medicines using a handheld near-infrared spectrometer coupled with chemometrics. Focusing on Cuscutae Semen, prone to market adulteration, the method involves spectral data collection, data preprocessing, feature processing, and classification algorithm. To address the challenge of imbalanced datasets prevalent in practice, synthetic minority over-sampling technique with tomek links (SMOTETomek) comprehensive data sampling was applied, enhancing model discrimination. The resulting model, combining Savitzky-Golay smoothing with the first derivative and a random forest classifier (SGFD_RF), achieved high accuracy in category authentication, with macro-averaged area under the curve (AUC_macro) scores of 0.997 (cross-validation) and 0.945 (test set). And the f-score and recall of the test set reached 0.954 and 0.955, respectively. For content authenticity detection, the SGFD_RF model displayed outstanding performance, with AUCs of 0.995 (cross-validation) and 1.000 (test set). Both f-score and recall of the test set reached 1.000. The study also demonstrated that the competitive adaptive reweighted sampling algorithm could reduce data dimensionality and training time, while providing even more precise classification with only 8 features. This approach offers a rapid and reliable solution for on-site herbal medicine authentication.

Passivated Zn Powders as Metal Anode

AbstractImpacted by heavy corrosion and poor connections, zinc (Zn) powders have rarely been considered as the raw materials of Zn‐ion aqueous batteries (ZABs). Nonetheless, the ease of controlling loadings of Zn powders entitles ZABs to better capacity match between negative and positive electrodes. Here, a simple and rapid chemical solution passivation method is reported, which leads to a thin, dense, and conformal passivation layer on Zn powder surface. The passivation layer suppresses parasitic reactions of Zn powder anode, mitigates corrosions, and extends the calendar life. Mixing with well‐dispersed carbon nanotubes, the passivated Zn powder anode is able to cycle 100 h under 3 mA cm−2 and 3 mAh cm−2 at depth of discharge of 41.3%. Besides, the anode with negative/positive electrode capacity ratio of 5.95 improves the energy density of the Zn powder||MnO2 full cell to 70 Wh Kg−1. Such a simple “one‐step” passivation method is believed to be a “drop‐in” technique applied in the scalable manufacture of ZABs.

Exploring the Perspectives of Canadian Clinicians Regarding Digitally Delivered Psychotherapies Utilized for Trauma-Affected Populations.

Many clinical sites shifted towards digital delivery of mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is still much to learn regarding tailoring digitally delivered interventions for trauma-affected populations. The current study examined the perceptions of Canadian mental health clinicians who provided digitally delivered psychotherapies utilized for trauma-affected populations. Specifically, we explored the shift to digital health use, what changed with this rapid shift, what needs, problems, and solutions arose, and important future considerations associated with delivering trauma-focused and adjunct treatments digitally. Survey data were collected from 12 Canadian mental health clinician participants. Surveys were adapted from the Alberta Quality Matrix of Health and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model. As a follow-up, the participants were invited to participate in either a semi-structured qualitative interview or focus group to further explore their perspectives on digitally delivered trauma-focused and adjunct therapies. Twenty-four clinician participants partook in an interview or focus group. The participants in this study supported the use of digitally delivered psychotherapies utilized for trauma-affected populations, sharing that these interventions appeared to offer similar quality of care to in-person delivery. Further research is required to address clinicians' concerns with digital delivery (e.g., patient safety) and identify other avenues in which digitally delivered psychotherapies utilized for trauma-affected populations can be engaged with and improved upon.

Enhancing lumpy skin disease control: Effective competitive and indirect ELISAs for serological surveillance.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD), caused by the LSD virus (LSDV) from the Capripoxvirus genus, affects cattle, water buffalo, and wild bovines, leading to significant economic losses. Characterised by fever, skin nodules, and mucosal lesions, LSD raises global concerns due to vector-borne transmission. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) classifies LSD as a notifiable disease, emphasising the need for rapid diagnostic methods for timely disease confirmation and control. This study evaluates the performance of two previously developed ELISA tests - competitive and indirect. The validation involved 450 field sera from infected and vaccinated herds in Albania (collected in 2016, during the LSD outbreak), 332 sera from vaccinated cattle in Serbia (collected in 2017 from farms with no prior history of LSD detection), 90 sera from experimental infections at Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, and 412 field negative sera from a Capripox-free country. The comparison with the virus neutralisation test - the gold standard - demonstrated high specificity (≥0.95) and significant sensitivity (0.87-0.94), with 8-9 % of sera showing discordant results. The results diverged more in sera from animals with a single vaccination or sampled five months post-vaccination, indicating reduced antibody detectability over time. The study confirms the ELISAs' efficacy for large-scale LSDV serological surveillance, highlighting their potential to provide a cost-effective and rapid solution for monitoring and controlling LSD in endemic regions.

Development of a broad-spectrum epitope-based vaccine against Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (SPN) is a significant pathogen causing pneumonia and meningitis, particularly in vulnerable populations like children and the elderly. Available pneumonia vaccines have limitations since they only cover particular serotypes and have high production costs. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant SPN strains further underscores the need for a new, cost-effective, broad-spectrum vaccine. Two potential vaccine candidates, CbpA and PspA, were identified, and their B-cell, CTL, and HTL epitopes were predicted and connected with suitable linkers, adjivant and PADRE sequence. The vaccine construct was found to be antigenic, non-toxic, non-allergenic, and soluble. The three-dimensional structure of the vaccine candidate was built and validated. Docking analysis of the vaccine candidate by ClusPro demonstrated robust and stable binding interactions between the MEV and toll-like receptor 4 in both humans and animals. The iMOD server and Amber v.22 tool has verified the stability of the docking complexes. GenScript server confirmed the high efficiency of cloning for the construct and in-silico cloning into the pET28a (+) vector using SnapGene, demonstrating successful translation of the epitope region. Immunological responses were shown to be enhanced by the C-IMMSIM server. This study introduced a strong peptide vaccine candidate that has the potential to contribute to the development of a rapid and cost-effective solution for combating SPN. However, experimental verification is necessary to evaluate the vaccine's effectiveness.

Whole-cell aptamer-based techniques for rapid bacterial detection: Alternatives to traditional methods.

Controlling the spread of bacterial infectious diseases is a major public health issue, particularly in view of the pandemic of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. In this context, the detection and identification of pathogenic bacteria is a prerequisite for the implementation of control measures. Current reference methods are mainly based on culture methods, which generate a delay in obtaining a result and requires equipment. Consequently, focusing on the detection of the whole bacterium represents a very attractive alternative, since no culture is required. Several techniques have already been deployed to identify whole-cell bacteria. In recent decades, growing interest in nucleic acid aptamers has emerged as a viable alternative to antibodies as recognition elements, offering preferable stability, cost-efficiency, good specificity and affinity. This review explores current alternative methods for the detection of whole-cell bacteria, with particular emphasis on aptamer-based assays. These assays have shown promising results in various transduction mechanisms, including optical, electrochemical, and mechanical approaches, enhancing their versatility in different diagnostic platforms. The integration of aptamers in these detection methods offers rapid, sensitive, versatile and portable solutions for pathogen identification, positioning them as valuable tools in the fight against bacterial infections.

Methods for Studying Motor-Driven Viral DNA Packaging in Bacteriophages phi29, Lambda, and T4 via Single DNA Molecule Manipulation and Rapid Solution Exchange.

Viral DNA packaging is a required step in the assembly of many dsDNA viruses. A molecular motor fueled by ATP hydrolysis packages the viral genome to near crystalline density inside a pre-formed prohead shell in ~5min at room temperature in vitro. We describe procedures for measuring the packaging of single DNA molecules into single viral proheads with optical tweezers. Additionally, we describe techniques for conducting rapid solution exchange measurements that can be used to probe nucleotide-dependent motor-DNA interactions, stall and restart the motor to probe DNA conformational relaxation, and to probe the dynamics of release of the DNA, akin to ejection, in conditions where the motor fully releases its grip. Three viral packaging systems are described in detail: bacteriophages phi29 (φ29), lambda (λ), and T4. Two different approaches are described: 1. With φ29 and T4, prohead-motor complexes can be pre-assembled in bulk and packaging can be initiated in the optical tweezers by "feeding" a single DNA molecule to one of the complexes; 2. with φ29 and λ, packaging can be initiated in bulk then stalled, and a single prohead-motor-DNA complex can then be captured with optical tweezers and restarted. In both cases, the prohead is ultimately attached to one trapped microsphere and the end of the DNA being packaged is attached to a second trapped microsphere such that packaging of the DNA pulls the two microspheres together and the rate of packaging and force generated by the motor is directly measured in real time. These protocols allow for the effect of many experimental parameters on packaging dynamics to be studied such as temperature, ATP concentration, ionic conditions, structural changes to the DNA substrate, and mutations in the motor proteins. Procedures for capturing microspheres with the optical traps and different measurement modes are also described.

Global big data laboratory experiment, integrated with kernel-based algorithm with an improved nonlinear ensemble for compressive strength modeling

With the continuous clamor for a reduction in embodied carbon in cement, rapid solution to climate change, and reduction to resource depletion, studies into substitute binders become crucial. These cementitious binders can potentially lessen our reliance on cement as the only concrete binder while also improving concrete functional properties. Finer particles used in cement microstructure densify the pore structure of concrete and enhance its performance properties. The compressive strength of concrete made from a mixture of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), fly ash (FA), and ordinary Portland cement was estimated using kernel regression techniques in this work. The kernel-based method offered was support vector regression (SVR), while robust linear regression (RLR), and multi-linear regression (MLR) were used as regression methods, subsequently, nonlinear average approaches were used to improve the accuracy of the prediction. Eight variables (cement, FA, GGBFS, water, superplasticizer dose [SP], coarse aggregate [CA], fine aggregate [Fag], age) were employed as input features in 3323 data samples, and their relative value was assessed using linear correlation analysis. Following analysis, three combinations were employed to train the kernel-based models: I (inputs: cement, water, and age|output: CS), II (inputs: cement, water, FA, SP, and age|output: CS), and III (inputs: cement, water, FA, SP, CA, GGBFS, and Fag|output: CS). The third combination gave the best testing performance with all the proposed models where their R2 and MSE results after model evaluation for SVR, RLR, and MLR, are [0.984, 0.8776 and 0.8804] and [0.0019, 0.0131 and 0.0128] respectively. The study concludes that SVR with the combination III (SVR-M3) offered the best performance through effectiveness and efficiency in accurately predicting the compressive strength of the blended concrete. The prediction models should be utilized with the input variable ranges used in this work.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Modified with Thermoplastic Polyurethane and Microfibrillated Cellulose: Hydrolytic Degradation and Thermal and Mechanical Properties.

Blending poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) with other polymers could be a rapid and accessible solution to overcome some of its drawbacks. In this work, PHB was modified with microfibrillated cellulose (MC) and a thermoplastic polyurethane containing biodegradable segments (PU) by two routes, using a masterbatch and by direct mixing. The PU and MC modifiers improved the thermal stability of PHB by up to 13 °C and slightly decreased its melt viscosity and crystallinity, thus improving the melt processability. The addition of PU in PHB composites led to a decrease in the storage modulus, which did not exceed 20% at room temperature. The hydrolytic degradation in an alkaline environment at 50 °C for 28 days decreased the thermal stability of the composites by 58-65 °C, while the lower mass loss and morphological features showed that the PU modifier delayed the degradation of the PHB composites. The improved thermal stability, melt processability, and lower cost, along with higher flexibility and the possibility of controlling the hydrolytic degradation by the PU content, make the PHB/PU/MC composites obtained by the masterbatch method promising materials for medical and engineering applications.

AN ENGINEERING MODEL FOR PRESSURE ASSESSMENT IN ROUGH CONTACTS

In many scenarios involving mechanical contacts loaded in the elastic-plastic domain, finding the pressure distribution and the related stresses without a detailed description of the plastic strains may be a sufficiently good approximation for the contact problem solution. This approach is considered in this work, which aims to achieve a rapid solution for the pressure distribution in elastic-plastic contacts without the solution of the residual part: the influence of the plastic strains on the contact geometry, i.e., the residual displacements, and on the subsurface stresses, i.e., the residual stresses, are not accounted for. Experimental works and numerical approaches from the literature prove that the pressure in elastic-plastic contacts is limited to roughly three times the yield strength of the softer material. The latter threshold is introduced in a previously developed computer code for the purely elastic contact, as an additional restriction. The elastic-plastic pressure is calculated from the solution of the purely elastic problem, but it is not allowed to exceed the aforementioned limit. Considering the iterative nature of the original elastic solver, algorithm convergence is not affected by the additional restriction. The technique is firstly applied to a Hertz-type contact to prove the solution viability. A roughness sample is then processed with the newly advanced computer program. The resulting pressure distribution is compared to the purely elastic case. Considering that the former was achieved with the same computational effort as the latter, it is clearly a more convenient solution for practical engineering purposes.

Distributed Task Allocation for Multiple UAVs Based on Swarm Benefit Optimization

The auction mechanism stands as a pivotal distributed solution approach for addressing the task allocation problem in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms, with its rapid solution capability well-suited to meet the real-time requirements of aerial mission planning for UAV swarms. Building upon the auction mechanism, this paper proposes a distributed task allocation method for multi-UAV grounded in swarm benefits optimization. The method introduces individual benefit variation to quantify the effect of a task on the benefit of a single UAV, thereby enabling direct optimization of swarm benefit through these individual benefit variations. Within the formulated individual benefit calculation, both the spatial distance between tasks and UAVs and the initial task value along with its temporal decay are taken into account, ensuring a thorough and accurate assessment. Additionally, the method incorporates real-time updates of individual benefits for each UAV, reflecting the dynamic state of task benefit fluctuations within the swarm. Monte Carlo simulation experiments demonstrate that, for a swarm size of 16 UAVs and 80 tasks, the proposed method achieves an average swarm benefit improvement of approximately 2% and 4% over the Consensus-Based Bundle Algorithm (CBBA) and Performance Impact (PI) methods, respectively, thus validating its effectiveness.

Integrated 3D-Printed Hollow Microneedle Array and Lateral Flow Immunoassay for Point-of-Care Wound Healing Monitoring.

Chronic wound management requires continuous monitoring to assess healing and guide treatment. We developed a hollow microneedle array patch integrated with a lateral flow immunoassay strip to address the need for convenient, home-based diagnostics. This device extracts wound exudate directly from the wound matrix, overcoming the limitations of conventional swab sampling, which relies on surface exudate collection. The patch provides a minimally invasive, rapid solution to assess the wound healing phase. The immunoassay delivers a colorimetric signal visible to the naked eye, facilitating straightforward interpretation by clinicians within 10 min. In a clinical study involving 90 patients, matrix metalloproteinase 8 (MMP-8) was identified as a critical biomarker, achieving 80.3% sensitivity in detecting the proliferative phase. A specific lateral flow immunoassay for MMP-8 was developed with a detection limit of 0.7 ng/mL, lower than the threshold level for the proliferative healing phase (164.7 ng/mL). The hollow microneedle array patch was 3D-printed for cost-efficiency (less than €0.10 per patch) with a height of 865 ± 6 μm, allowing for a painless, easy sampling. Mechanical tests confirmed the durability of the patch, while cytotoxicity assays demonstrated its biocompatibility. Prevalidation using an ex vivo skin model showed the patch could extract 61 ± 6 μL of exudate, with a 122% recovery rate for MMP-8 detection, highlighting its efficiency in biomarker extraction. This approach represents a significant advance in decentralized wound care, offering a low-cost, user-friendly tool for at-home monitoring of chronic wounds, potentially improving early intervention and reducing hospital visits.

Repurposing zidovudine and 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine as antibiotic drugs made possible by synergy with both trimethoprim and the mitochondrial toxicity-reducing agent uridine.

The increasing frequency of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections is a major public health challenge, and new antibiotic drugs are urgently needed. A rapid solution to the problem is to repurpose clinically approved compounds with antibacterial properties, such as the nucleoside analogues zidovudine (azidothymidine) or 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine. Here we report the in vitro and in vivo antibacterial properties of double and triple combinations of azidothymidine or 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine with uridine and/or trimethoprim. We determined MICs of azidothymidine and 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine, alone or combined with uridine and/or trimethoprim, against a selection of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. We also measured MICs of a selection of antibiotics of different classes as a function of uridine concentration. The efficacy of azidothymidine and 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine with uridine and/or trimethoprim was measured in a murine peritonitis infection model. The addition of uridine enhanced the in vitro antibacterial activity of azidothymidine and 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine, against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively. Uridine also enhanced the in vitro antibacterial activity of azidothymidine/trimethoprim and 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine/trimethoprim combinations. Triple combinations containing azidothymidine, trimethoprim and uridine, showed antibacterial synergy against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) whereas the 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine, trimethoprim and uridine combination showed synergy against the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. The positive effect of uridine on the efficacy of azidothymidine/trimethoprim combination was also observed in vivo in a murine E. coli peritonitis model. Triple combinations of these clinically approved compounds warrant further investigations as therapies to combat antibiotic-resistant infections.

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) based prevalence and dissipation analysis of acetamiprid and bifenthrin in okra after foliar application

ABSTRACT The acetamiprid, and bifenthrin residues levels in the okra crop were assayed using a QuEChERS extraction method combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The technique was subsequently checked for linearity, matrix effect, recovery, repeatability, reproducibility, and limit of quantification (LOQ). A salting-out mixture comprising magnesium sulphate, sodium chloride, disodium hydrogen citrate sesquihydrate and trisodium citrate dihydrate offered quick and rapid extraction of acetamiprid and bifenthrin residues from okra. The devised method was found to be linear for the recovery of acetamiprid and bifenthrin with regression coefficients (R2 ) of 0.9577 and 0.9698, respectively. After applying a ready-made mixed formulation of acetamiprid (25 g a.i. ha−1) and bifenthrin (12.5 g a.i. ha−1), the average initial deposits on okra vegetables were 0.175 mg/kg and 0.062 mg/kg, respectively. The residues of acetamiprid and bifenthrin fell below the LOQ of 0.01 mg/kg after 14 and 4 days of foliar spray, respectively. The dissipation kinetics of acetamiprid and bifenthrin followed first-order kinetics with half-life values (t1/2) of 3.74 and 2.18 days, respectively. The comparison between observed levels of acetamiprid and bifenthrin and European Union Maximum Residual Limits reveals it is safe to harvest okra one day after applying the recommended dose. Overall, the salting out conditions followed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry may provide a rapid and pragmatic solution for analysts and stakeholders to ensure the adherence to the safety and responsible use of these pesticides in agriculture

Localization and Diagnosis of Short-Circuit Faults in Transformer Windings Injected by Damped Oscillatory Wave

Power transformers, as critical components in regional power distribution and transmission systems, require early fault detection to ensure system reliability. This paper presents a scalable design capable of rapidly simulating winding faults in experimental transformers. By diagnosing three-phase transformer winding short-circuit faults using oscillatory shock voltages and numerical statistical methods, the relationship between the transfer function and winding short-circuit faults is investigated. The experimental results show that winding short-circuit faults cause significant changes in the transfer function curve. By analyzing transfer function variations across different phases, the location of a fault can be effectively determined. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient and absolute logarithmic deviation provide a clear indication of the fault severity. The transfer function of the high-voltage phase-to-phase is particularly sensitive to winding short-circuit faults. In non-fault phases, after the application of damped oscillatory waves, the transfer function correlation coefficient becomes negative and the absolute logarithmic deviation increases linearly with fault severity. These findings provide a rapid diagnostic solution for determining both the faulty phase and the severity of damage in three-phase transformer winding short-circuit faults.

Development and validation of genome-informed and multigene-based qPCR and LAMP assays for accurate detection of Dickeya solani: a critical quarantine pathogen threatening the potato industry.

Dickeya solani one of the most aggressive pectinolytic phytopathogens, causes blackleg disease in potatoes, resulting in significant economic losses and adversely impacting one of the world's most important food crops. The diagnostics methods are critical in monitoring the latent infection for international trade of potato seed tubers and in implementation of control strategies. Our study employed a whole-genome comparative approach, identifying unique target gene loci (LysR and TetR family of transcriptional regulators gene regions) and designing loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and a multi-gene-based multiplex TaqMan qPCR assays for specific detection and differentiation of D. solani. Both methods underwent meticulous validation with extensive inclusivity and exclusivity panels, exhibiting 100% accuracy and no false positives or negatives. The LAMP method demonstrated the detection limit of 100 fg and 1 CFU per reaction using pure genomic DNA and crude bacterial cell lysate, respectively. The qPCR detection limit was 1 pg, 100 fg and 10 fg with quadplex, triplex, and singleplex, respectively. None of the assays were impacted by any inhibitory or competitive effects after adding host DNA (in qPCR) or crude lysate (in LAMP). The assays proved robust and reproducible in detecting the target pathogen in infected samples, with the LAMP assay being field-deployable due to its simplicity and rapid results acquisition within approximately 9 min. The reproducibility was confirmed by performing the assay in two independent laboratories. These assays offer a robust, rapid, and reliable solution for routine testing, with applications in phytosanitary inspection, disease diagnosis, and epidemiological studies.IMPORTANCEDickeya solani, one of the most aggressive soft rot causing bacteria and a quarantine pathogen, poses a severe threat to food security by causing substantial economic losses to the potato industry. Accurate and timely detection of this bacterium is vital for monitoring latent infections, particularly for international trade of potato seed tubers, and for implementing effective control strategies. In this research, we have developed LAMP and multi-gene-based multiplex TaqMan qPCR assays for specific detection of D. solani. These assays, characterized by their precision, rapidity, and robustness, are crucial for distinguishing D. solani from related species. Offering unparalleled sensitivity and specificity, these assays are indispensable for phytosanitary inspection and epidemiological monitoring, providing a powerful tool enabling management of this threatening pathogen.

Advanced characterization of confined electrochemical interfaces in electrochemical capacitors.

The advancement of high-performance fast-charging materials has significantly propelled progress in electrochemical capacitors (ECs). Electrochemical capacitors store charges at the nanoscale electrode material-electrolyte interface, where the charge storage and transport mechanisms are mediated by factors such as nanoconfinement, local electrode structure, surface properties and non-electrostatic ion-electrode interactions. This Review offers a comprehensive exploration of probing the confined electrochemical interface using advanced characterization techniques. Unlike classical two-dimensional (2D) planar interfaces, partial desolvation and image charges play crucial roles in effective charge storage under nanoconfinement in porous materials. This Review also highlights the potential of zero charge as a key design principle driving nanoscale ion fluxes and carbon-electrolyte interactions in materials such as 2D and three-dimensional (3D) porous carbons. These considerations are crucial for developing efficient and rapid energy storage solutions for a wide range of applications.