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Sampling device obtains pure subsurface soil that is free of any foreign substance that may exist on the surface. It is introduced through a contaminated surface area in a closed condition, opened, and a subsurface sample collected, sealed while in the subsurface position, and then withdrawn.
For qualitative analysis of atmospheric particulates by microscopy, the sampling device should preserve the particles in the state existing at the moment of capture. A collector is described that uses electrostatic precipitation to capture and disperse specimens on various substrates for direct insertion into microscopes. Sampling runs in various atmospheres are described. Micrographs are presented to show particle morphology and distribution on the substrates. Chemical identification by X-ray energy probe and electron diffraction is illustrated.
We conducted comprehensive (untargeted) metabolic profiling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted in culture by bacterial taxa Francisella tularensis (F. tularensis) subspecies novicida and Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis) Sterne, surrogates for potential bacterial bioterrorism agents, as well as selective measurements of VOCs from their fully virulent counterparts, F. tularensis subspecies tularensis strain SCHU S4 and B. anthracis Ames. F. tularensis and B. anthracis were grown in liquid broth for time periods that covered logarithmic growth, stationary, and decline phases. VOCs emitted over the course of the growth phases were collected from the headspace above the cultures using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). We developed criteria for distinguishing VOCs originating from bacteria versus background VOCs (originating from growth media only controls or sampling devices). Analyses of collected VOCs revealed methyl ketones, alcohols, esters, carboxylic acids, and nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds that were present in the bacterial cultures and absent (or present at only low abundance) in control samples indicating that these compounds originated from the bacteria. Distinct VOC profiles where observed for F. tularensis when compared with B. anthracis while the observed profiles of each of the two F. tularensis and B. anthracis strains exhibited some similarities. Furthermore, the relative abundance of VOCs was influenced by bacterial growth phase. These data illustrate the potential for VOC profiles to distinguish pathogens at the genus and species-level and to discriminate bacterial growth phases. The determination of VOC profiles lays the groundwork for non-invasive probes of bacterial metabolism and offers prospects for detection of microbe-specific VOC biomarkers from two potential biowarfare agents.
Like the Mars Sample Return endeavor, the Apollo lunar-sample program began with definition of strategy for sample collection and of scientific requirements for sampling hardware design. Several lessons can be illustrated by specific tools. The evolution of drive tubes from narrow 2 cm diameter, thick-walled tubes (used on Apollo 11, 12 and 14) to 4 cm diameter, thin-walled tubes used on Apollo 15, 16, and 17) as an example of the improvements made possible during multiple missions. The original Apollo 11 drive tube was designed to work in fluffy soil; thus, only 50 percent of the relatively dense lunar soil was recovered, and the core was distorted. The final configuration resulted in nearly 100 pct recovery with little distortion. The surface samplers (Contact Soil Sampling Devices) were designed to collect the upper 100 micrometer or the upper 1 mm of soil. It was over 2 years after the mission before these particularly specific samplers were opened because interest in them waned. Both core tubes and surface samplers were difficult to open in the laboratory. The Apollo Lunar Sample Return Containers (ALSRCs) were constructed with one indium and 2 Viton seals. They were closed on the lunar surface. Interior container pressures measured upon return to the laboratory indicate that these seals were not reliable in the lunar environment. Also, choice of indium as a sealing material interfered with siderophile analyses of samples.
NASA maintains nine separate cleanrooms at the Johnson Space Center to curate and preserve astromaterials samples. Routine microbial monitoring of the surfaces in these cleanrooms began in 20181. Until recently, materials compatibility requirements prevented monitoring airborne biological particles in all but one of these cleanrooms. New astromaterials collections from carbon rich asteroids are more susceptible to biological degradation than previous collections. Therefore, it is important to monitor the bioburden in the air and on surfaces in these labs. Establishing a comprehensive microbial monitoring program will help inform the monitoring and curation plans for Mars sample return which will include samples that are extremely biologically sensitive. In April of 2022 we began routinely collecting air samples in seven of the nine curation cleanrooms (Meteorite ISO 7 equivalent, Lunar ISO 6 equivalent, Stardust, Hayabusa2, OSIRIS-REx ISO 5 equivalent, and Genesis ISO 4 equivalent) using a sampling device that collects airborne biological particles on an electret filter instead conventional sampler that collect cells in a liquid media or onto organic rich Petri dishes. Electret is a generic term for electrostatically charged media. The charge on these materials increases particle trapping when compared to non-charged filters of similar thickness. N95 respirators also use electret filters. This dry sample collection method allows us to meet materials requirements for all the curation labs and reduces the risk of inadvertently introducing contamination as part of our monitoring effort. This method also allows us to preserve a portion of each sample for DNA extraction and next generation sequencing. DNA sequencing helps us to characterize the portion of the cleanroom microbiome that we cannot culture. We will present the results of our first 8 months of monitoring, compare these results to particle counts in the labs and to measurements made directly onto Petri dishes when possible. We will also make recommendations for modifications to the sampling method to improve sampling efficiency and preserve diversity.
An apparatus is being developed for sampling water for signs of microbial life in an ocean hydrothermal vent at a depth of as much as 6.5 km. Heretofore, evidence of microbial life in deep-sea hydrothermal vents has been elusive and difficult to validate. Because of the extreme conditions in these environments (high pressures and temperatures often in excess of 300 C), deep-sea hydrothermal- vent samplers must be robust. Because of the presumed low density of biomass of these environments, samplers must be capable of collecting water samples of significant volume. It is also essential to prevent contamination of samples by microbes entrained from surrounding waters. Prior to the development of the present apparatus, no sampling device was capable of satisfying these requirements. The apparatus (see figure) includes an intake equipped with a temperature probe, plus several other temperature probes located away from the intake. The readings from the temperature probes are utilized in conjunction with readings from flowmeters to determine the position of the intake relative to the hydrothermal plume and, thereby, to position the intake to sample directly from the plume. Because it is necessary to collect large samples of water in order to obtain sufficient microbial biomass but it is not practical to retain all the water from the samples, four filter arrays are used to concentrate the microbial biomass (which is assumed to consist of particles larger than 0.2 m) into smaller volumes. The apparatus can collect multiple samples per dive and is designed to process a total volume of 10 L of vent fluid, of which most passes through the filters, leaving a total possibly-microbe-containing sample volume of 200 mL remaining in filters. A rigid titanium nose at the intake is used for cooling the sample water before it enters a flexible inlet hose connected to a pump. As the water passes through the titanium nose, it must be cooled to a temperature that is above a mineral-precipitation temperature of 100 C but below the upper working temperature (230 C) of switching valves and tubes in the apparatus. The sample water then passes into a manifold tube, from whence the switching valves can direct the water through either a bypass tube or any one of the filter arrays, without contamination from a previous sample. Each filter array consists of series of filters having pore sizes decreasing in the direction of flow: 90-, 60-, 15-, and 7-micron prefilters and a large-surface-area 0.2-micron collection filter. All the filter taps are located between the intake and the bypass tube so that each time the bypass tube is used, the entire manifold tube is flushed as well.
Increasingly, NASA exploration mission objectives include sample acquisition tasks for in-situ analysis or for potential sample return to Earth. To address the requirements for samplers that could be operated at the conditions of the various bodies in the solar system, a piezoelectric actuated percussive sampling device was developed that requires low preload (as low as 10N) which is important for operation at low gravity. This device can be made as light as 400g, can be operated using low average power, and can drill rocks as hard as basalt. Significant improvement of the penetration rate was achieved by augmenting the hammering action by rotation and use of a fluted bit to provide effective cuttings removal. Generally, hammering is effective in fracturing drilled media while rotation of fluted bits is effective in cuttings removal. To benefit from these two actions, a novel configuration of a percussive mechanism was developed to produce an augmenter of rotary drills. The device was called Percussive Augmenter of Rotary Drills (PARoD). A breadboard PARoD was developed with a 6.4 mm (0.25 in) diameter bit and was demonstrated to increase the drilling rate of rotation alone by 1.5 to over 10 times. Further, a large PARoD breadboard with 50.8 mm diameter bit was developed and its tests are currently underway. This paper presents the design, analysis and preliminary test results of the percussive augmenter.
Increasingly, NASA exploration mission objectives include sample acquisition tasks for in-situ analysis or for potential sample return to Earth. To address the requirements for samplers that could be operated at the conditions of the various bodies in the solar system, a piezoelectric actuated percussive sampling device was developed that requires low preload (as low as 10 N) which is important for operation at low gravity. This device can be made as light as 400 g, can be operated using low average power, and can drill rocks as hard as basalt. Significant improvement of the penetration rate was achieved by augmenting the hammering action by rotation and use of a fluted bit to provide effective cuttings removal. Generally, hammering is effective in fracturing drilled media while rotation of fluted bits is effective in cuttings removal. To benefit from these two actions, a novel configuration of a percussive mechanism was developed to produce an augmenter of rotary drills. The device was called Percussive Augmenter of Rotary Drills (PARoD). A breadboard PARoD was developed with a 6.4 mm (0.25 in) diameter bit and was demonstrated to increase the drilling rate of rotation alone by 1.5 to over 10 times. The test results of this configuration were published in a previous publication. Further, a larger PARoD breadboard with a 50.8 mm (2.0 in) diameter bit was developed and tested. This paper presents the design, analysis and test results of the large diameter bit percussive augmenter.
A 2019 retrospective study analyzed wristband personal samplers from fourteen different communities across three different continents for over 1530 organic chemicals. Investigators identified fourteen chemicals (G14) detected in over 50% of personal samplers. The G14 represent a group of chemicals that individuals are commonly exposed to, and are mainly associated with consumer products including plasticizers, fragrances, flame retardants, and pesticides. The high frequency of exposure to these chemicals raises questions of their potential adverse human health effects. Additionally, the possibility of exposure to mixtures of these chemicals is likely due to their co-occurrence; thus, the potential for mixtures to induce differential bioactivity warrants further investigation. This study describes a novel approach to broadly evaluate the hazards of personal chemical exposures by coupling data from personal sampling devices with high-throughput bioactivity screenings using in vitro and non-mammalian in vivo models. To account for species and sensitivity differences, screening was conducted using primary normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells and early life-stage zebrafish. Mixtures of the G14 and most potent G14 chemicals were created to assess potential mixture effects. Chemical bioactivity was dependent on the model system, with five and eleven chemicals deemed bioactive in NHBE and zebrafish, respectively, supporting the use of a multi-system approach for bioactivity testing and highlighting sensitivity differences between the models. In both NHBE and zebrafish, mixture effects were observed when screening mixtures of the most potent chemicals. Observations of BMC-based mixtures in NHBE (NHBE BMC Mix) and zebrafish (ZF BMC Mix) suggested antagonistic effects. In this study, consumer product-related chemicals were prioritized for bioactivity screening using personal exposure data. High-throughput high-content screening was utilized to assess the chemical bioactivity and mixture effects of the most potent chemicals.
Passive sampling device (PSD) extracts paired with developmental toxicity assays in Danio Rerio (zebrafish) are excellent sensors for whole mixture toxicity associated with the bioavailable non-polar organics at environmental sites. We expand this concept by incorporating RNA-Seq in 48-h post fertilization zebrafish statically exposed to PSD extracts from two Portland Harbor Superfund Site locations: river mile 6.5W (RM 6.5W) and river mile 7W (RM 7W). RM 6.5W contained higher concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), but the diagnostic ratios of both extracts indicated similar PAH sourcing and composition. Developmental screens determined RM 6.5W to be more toxic with the most sensitive endpoint being a “wavy” notochord malformation. Differential gene expression from exposure to both extracts was largely parallel, although more pronounced for RM 6.5W. When compared to the gene expression associated with individual chemical exposures, PSD extracts produced some gene signatures parallel to PAHs but were more closely matched by oxygenated-PAHs. Additionally, differential expression, reminiscent of the wavy notochord phenotype, was not accounted for by either class of chemical, indicating the potential of other contaminants driving mixture toxicity. These techniques offer a compelling method for non-targeted hazard characterization of whole mixtures in an in vivo vertebrate system without requiring complete chemical characterization.
Determining when a disturbance has occurred, its severity, and when the system recovered, is important to numerous questions in the aquatic sciences. This problem can be conceptualized as the timing and degree of perturbation from a typical state, and when the system returns to that typical state. We present an algorithm for detecting disturbance and recovery designed for high-frequency time series, e.g., data produced by automated sampling devices in instrumented buoys and flux towers. The algorithm quantifies differences in the empirical cumulative distribution functions of moving windows over reference and evaluation periods, and is sensitive to changes in the mean, variance, and higher statistical moments. Tests on simulated data show it accurately identifies disturbance and recovery. Three case studies illustrate the application of our algorithm in different empirical settings. A case study on dissolved oxygen in a Florida, USA estuary following a hurricane identified the disturbance and recovery 73 d later. A case study on air temperature and net ecosystem exchange in the Florida everglades identified cold snaps coinciding with periods of reduced carbon uptake. A case study on rotifer abundance following zebra mussel invasion in the Hudson River, NY showed rotifer collapse following invasion and recovery over a decade later. Methods such as ours can improve understanding response to disturbance and facilitate comparative and synthetic study of disturbance impacts across ecosystems.
An increase of non-linear loads, primarily from power electronics, has substantially increased current harmonics in commercial buildings, which contributes to decreased transformer efficiency / lifespan and poor power quality. This study uses recorded power consumption data from common miscellaneous electric loads (MELs) seen in offices, combined with detailed characterizations of example MELs, to simulate harmonic cancellation within building circuits. Typically, harmonic cancellation studies assume that AC converters operate across their rated power range. However, this study finds that common MELs operate below 40% of rated power the majority of the time when not quiescent; 89% of sampled devices never operated above 60% of rated power. Simulations using these more realistic power levels indicate current-harmonic cancellation (3rd to 13th harmonic) is significantly lower than that predicted when using full-range power assumptions, resulting in minor errors for low-order harmonics and larger errors for higher order harmonics. Furthermore, increased MELs load diversity increases harmonic cancellation, but insufficiently to eliminate errors. In contrast, blending lighting loads with MELs on the secondaries of distribution transformers improves harmonic cancellation to near those predicted by traditional methods. These results indicate that realistic power levels, as well as better characterization of harmonics from typical MELs, should be used to estimate harmonic cancellation.
Wastewater surveillance of respiratory pathogens can provide timely estimates of viral activity and disease trends in a population. Indoor air surveillance could be used similarly with some advantages but remains largely unvalidated at the community -scale. Here, an indoor air surveillance program was employed as part of public health environmental surveillance in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Ten air samplers were placed in healthcare and congregate living settings across the city. Weekly air samples were evaluated for influenza A, influenza B, respiratory syncytial virus, and SARS -CoV-2 over two respiratory virus seasons (2023 -2025). Citywide, aggregated air sample positivity and viral load were closely correlated with local clinical case and wastewater surveillance data across all respiratory viruses. Virus trends in air data often preceded clinical and wastewater, although this varied across pathogens and respiratory virus seasons. Further, whole -genome sequencing of SARS -CoV-2 showed close correlation of variant proportions across all datasets. At the building -scale, air samples obtained from a single sampling device provided efficient respiratory virus surveillance, with respiratory pathogen levels mirroring citywide clinical surveillance data. These data demonstrate that air surveillance can provide respiratory virus case and variant trend data at a building or community -scale, serving as an alternative or complementary tool for public health environmental surveillance.
Diagnostics in high energy density physics, shock physics, and related fields are primarily driven by a need to record rapidly time-evolving signals in single-shot events. These measurements are often limited by channel count and signal degradation issues on cable links between the detector and digitizer. Here we present the Ultrafast Pixel Array Camera (UPAC), a compact and flexible detector readout system with 32 waveform-recording channels at up to 10 Gsample/s and 1.8 GHz analog bandwidth. The compact footprint allows the UPAC to be directly embedded in the detector environment. A key enabling technology is the PSEC4A chip, an eight-channel switch-capacitor array sampling device with up to 1056 samples/channel. The UPAC system includes a high-density input connector that can plug directly into an application-specific detector board, programmable control, and serial readout, with less than 5 W of power consumption in full operation. We present the UPAC design and characterization, including a measured timing resolution of ~20 ps or better on acquisitions of sub-nanosecond pulses with minimal system calibrations. Example applications of the UPAC are also shown to demonstrate operation of a solid-state streak camera, an ultrafast imaging array, and a neutron time-of-flight spectrometer.
CANARY is a wearable environmental sampling device that is small, lightweight, and low-power. CANARY integrates a novel mechanism that uses magnets rather than powered pumps to mimic human breathing. In its current form, CANARY breathes, but sensor integration can easily turn this into a standalone device for use in airborne detection of chemicals, biologicals, viruses, etc. CANARY has a small footprint and requires little power to operate enabling it to be used in various environments. Los Alamos researcher have developed a working prototype of the air intake system and are seeking licensees for the current air intake, validation outside the lab, or further development to integrate biosensors as desired.
The goal of the Scalable Thin Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Light Sheet Platform project is to derisk the manufacturing scalability for a high chip count heterogeneous smart lighting platform, with the potential to enable significant energy savings through dynamic directional light control and custom. Specifically, the project derisks the scalability of a disruptive new computer controlled microassembly fabrication process SRI International is developing, to address fundamental cost barriers to mass production of high chip count systems. This is key for enabling mass adoption and thus maximum societal energy savings impact. The LED light sheet technology is a smart illumination platform that can be applied to lighting, signage, and display. It has features and a form factor similar to bendable or conformal OLED light sheets but uses more efficient LEDs with a remote phosphor layer that is very close to the LED to deliver a luminous efficacy that exceeds 125 lumen/Watt and enable > 50% Lighting Application Efficiency (LAE) energy savings. During Budget Period 1 (BP1), all of the BP1 milestones were successfully completed: (M2.0.1) Design demonstrator details that will meet the final project goals, (M6.1.1) Show lighting output model can predict illuminance, spatial, spectral distribution for specific light-sheet designs and use case, (M3.2.1) Automated loading supports 200 chip arrays, and (M3.3.1) Finish first interconnect process run for 200 chip array. The BP1 Go/No-Go Decision Point (G/NG 1) 200 chip demonstrator sample was in the process of final assembly and test at the end of BP1 on December 31, 2023. The objective was successfully achieved on January 16, 2024, when a wired 200-chip sample underwent confirmation testing that demonstrated a 93.75% first pass electrical yield that successfully exceeded the 75% first-pass electrical yield BP1 G/NG requirement. In addition, all 93.75% of the sample devices lit up, further demonstrating the ability to assemble and transfer small LED chips without damaging their functionality.
A bromide tracer study with the primary focus on hydrology in the active layer of polygonal tundra in the Barrow Environmental Observatory in Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska from July 2015 to September 2016. Sampling devices placed at various depths in the polygon centers, rims, and troughs were used to monitor tracer concentrations during thaw seasons. The tracer was continually monitored simultaneously on a low- and high-centered polygon throughout thaw seasons. Included is one data file of the bromide tracer concentrations. Also included are measurements taken throughout the experiment - one data file each of frost table depth and precipitation; and twelve water table elevation data files. Water level data, meteorological data, and thaw depth measurements were taken throughout the experiment. Our approach permits a comparison of hydrological behaviors in low- and high-centered polygons over the same time period and meteorological conditions.The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a 10-year research effort (2012-2022) to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research.The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska.Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).
Steel drill bit having terraces of teeth intersected by spiral grooves with teeth permits the boring of small holes through rock with low power. The cuttings are stored in a chamber behind the cutting head. Could be used as sampling device.