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Results for “Sampling device”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Solid phase sampling device and methods for point-source sampling of polar organic analytes

Sampling devices for sampling an aqueous source (e.g., field testing of ground water) for multiple different analytes are described. Devices include a solid phase extraction component for retention of a wide variety of targeted analytes. Devices include analyte derivatization capability for improved extraction of targeted analytes. Thus, a single device can be utilized to examine a sample source for a wide variety of analytes. Devices also include an isotope dilution capability that can prevent error introduction to the sample analysis and can correct for sample loss and degradation from the point of sampling until analysis as well as correction for incomplete or poor derivatization reactions. The devices can be field-deployable and rechargeable.

Boggess, Andrew J.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Solid-phase sampling device and methods for point-source sampling of polar organic analytes

Sampling devices for sampling an aqueous source (e.g., field testing of ground water) for multiple different analytes are described. Devices include a solid phase extraction component for retention of a wide variety of targeted analytes. Devices include analyte derivatization capability for improved extraction of targeted analytes. Thus, a single device can be utilized to examine a sample source for a wide variety of analytes. Devices also include an isotope dilution capability that can prevent error introduction to the sample analysis and can correct for sample loss and degradation from the point of sampling until analysis as well as correction for incomplete or poor derivatization reactions. The devices can be field-deployable and rechargeable.

Boggess, Andrew J.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Sampling device

The present invention relates to a device for sampling internal substance(s) in the gastrointestinal tract of an animal composed of at least one wall which is partially expandable. The invention also relates to a method of orally administering the device to an animal and recovering the device from the stool to carry out analysis on the collected sample for diagnosing the health of the gastrointestinal tract and determining nutrient absorption and digestibility.

Wrigglesworth, David↗
DOE OSTI2020

Universal liquid sample device and process for high resolution transmission electron microscope imaging and multimodal analyses of liquid sample materials

Liquid sample imaging devices and processes are disclosed for high resolution TEM imaging and multimodal analyses of liquid sample materials in situ under high vacuum that are compatible with standard type TEM chip membranes and TEM sample holders allowing TEM liquid sample imaging to be performed wherever a TEM instrument is accessible and at a substantially reduced cost compared to prior art systems and approaches.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Sampling on NISQ Devices: "Who’s the Fairest One of All?"

Modern NISQ devices are subject to a variety of biases and sources of noise that degrade the solution quality of computations carried out on these devices. A natural question that arises in the NISQ era, is how fairly do these devices sample ground state solutions. To this end, we run five fair sampling problems (each with at least three ground state solutions) that are based both on quantum annealing and, on the Grover Mixer, -QAOA algorithm for gate-based NISQ hardware. In particular, we use seven IBM Q devices, the Aspen-9 Rigetti device, the IonQ device, and three D-Wave quantum annealers. For each of the fair sampling problems, we measure the ground state probability, the relative fairness of the frequency of each ground state solution with respect to the other ground state solutions, and the aggregate error as given by each hardware provider. Overall, our results show that NISQ devices do not achieve fair sampling yet. Furthermore, we also observe differences in the software stack with a particular focus on compilation techniques that illustrate what work will still need to be done to achieve a seamless integration of frontend (i.e., quantum circuit description) and backend compilation.

Computer Science↗
DOE OSTI2025

A device for volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis from skin using heated dynamic headspace sampling

Abstract Human skin is an important source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) offering noninvasive methods to gain clinical metabolite information. This work was focused on the development of a skin sampling device based on a dynamic headspace sampling method with the addition of temperature to increase VOC metabolite recovery. The device preconcentrates skin VOC emissions onto a sorbent substrate, which can either be preserved for offline analysis or attached to a real time sensor downstream. In this work, skin VOC samples were analyzed offline using thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A list of 10 common skin VOCs was pre-selected to optimize parameters of sampling time, sampling temperature, and sorbent selection. Overall, this study highlights an effective skin VOC sampling technology with a heating dimension (40 °C, rather than 30 °C or no heating) with a sampling time of 15 min (rather than 5 or 30 mins) and onto Tenax TA sorbent (rather than PDMS), which collectively increases the recovery of compounds with lower vapor pressure and decreases the observed variability in skin VOC measurements. Finally, a list of 79 skin VOC compounds were detected and identified within a cohort of 20 young, healthy volunteers.

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology↗
DOE OSTI2022

Sink or source? Insights into the behavior of copper and zinc in the sediment porewater of a constructed wetland by peepers

The H-02 free water surface constructed wetland has been applied to remove heavy metals, mainly copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), from wastewater on the Savannah River Site (Aiken, SC, USA). More and more studies focus on the metal behavior between the sediment and the overlying water, which directly reflects the stability of metals after sedimentation in constructed wetlands. This study focused on the biogeochemical pathways in metal bioavailability and remobilization in the sediment after metals were removed from the overlying water. The dialysis sampling devices (peepers) were used to collect porewater samples from eight depths in the sediment for the measurement of Cu, Zn, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and major anions (sulfate and chloride). Surface water samples were also collected for the measurement of Cu, Zn, DOC, and anions. Different temporal trends were observed for dissolved Cu between the surface and bottom waters, but not for dissolved Zn. There were no obvious changes in porewater metal concentrations with increasing depths in the sediment. Sediment served as a sink for Cu as only 3% of porewater samples showed higher labile Cu concentrations than the surface water during the entire year. Furthermore, sediment served as a source for Zn in summer and winter as 32% of porewater samples showed higher labile Zn concentrations than the surface water, and these samples were collected at all sediment depths. We think the seasonal changes in the behaviors of Cu and Zn were primarily controlled by the sulfur dynamics and the metal removal processes in the constructed wetland, as well as the different complexing chemistry between Cu and Zn. Also, our study supports that peeper is a powerful tool for studying the biogeochemistry of metals in the sediment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Spatiotemporal Changes in Trace Metal Bioavailability in the Sediment Pore water of a Constructed Wetland Using Passive Pore water Samplers

Sediments in aquatic systems often act as a major sink for contaminants. Diffusive gradient in thin films (DGTs) and in situ equilibrium dialysis samplers (peepers) are two major in situ pore water sampling devices that overcome the problems associated with conventional pore water sampling methods. In the present study, DGTs and peepers were used to study the spatial and seasonal effects (cool months, October–February; warm months, May–September) on metal bioavailability in the H‐02 constructed wetland and the sink versus source role of the sediments by calculating the metal resupply capacity. Data showed similar seasonal trends in metal concentrations using passive samplers, peepers, and DGTs. Pooled Cu and Zn concentrations measured using DGTs were lower in warm months (1.67 ± 1.50 and 2.62 ± 0.68 μg L –1 , respectively, p < 0.001) versus in cool months (2.12 ± 0.65 and 5.58 ± 1.33 μg L –1 , respectively, p < 0.001; mean ± 95% confidence interval). Sulfate (SO 4 2− ) concentrations were significantly (p = 0.0139) lower in warm months (averaged at 0.22 ± 0.05 mg L –1 ) compared to in cool months (0.16 ± 0.05 mg L –1 ). The increase in SO 4 2− concentration is an indicator of the lower activity of sulfate‐reducing bacteria, which need SO 4 2− during anaerobic respiration, in which SO 4 2− is reduced to sulfide (S 2– ) that forms insoluble salts with Cu and Zn, which could partially explain the higher bioavailability of these metals in the cool season. Metal resupply capacity of the sediments was mostly <0.2 for Cu and Zn. Taken together, the H0‐2 wetland sediments mostly acted as a sink to both Cu and Zn over the course of the present study. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:2726–2736. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Request for the establishment of quantum information foundries

Quantum information science still requires basic science research to achieve its full potential. However, scientists require access to fabricated device samples if we are to utilize the full toolset for solving the pressing issues in the field such as materials, device layout, or optimal error correction methods.Currently, access to samples is either prohibitively expensive, or requires close collaboration with one of the few groups in the world developing these systems. A dedicated quantum foundry could,in principle,provide affordable samples designed with current best practices to a host of scientists who otherwise do not have access. We detail several different foundry models which we believe will assist the community in developing the science for both the underlying processes, as well as the more advanced chip layout and circuit design. Opening access to the broader community has the potential to significantly lower the barrier to entry and vastly improve the ability for researchers in fields ranging from condensed matter to materials characterization to systems engineering to contribute to accelerating the advance of quantum information science and technology.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

TRACER-Tethersonde VOC data

One objective of TRACER-Tethersonde campaign was to deploy a volatile organic compound (VOC) sampler on the Tethered Balloon System (TBS) to create vertical profiles and characterize VOC composition. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are highly reactive precursor species that undergo atmospheric processing to form secondary products, including aerosol. VOC emissions are influenced by many factors that include but are not limited to temperature, time of day, local anthropogenic activities, and local vegetation, which result in large spatiotemporal variability. The vertical distribution of volatile species is crucial for understanding gas-phase processing for particle production but challenging to accomplish using currently available sampling devices. The standalone sampler built during the campaign enabled the execution of robust experimental designs, including sample collection using resin tubes at multiple altitudes on subsequent flights. Following field sampling, resin tubes were transported back to Baylor University for chemical analysis using a Markes International thermal desorption unit coupled with a gas chromatograph-tandem mass spectrometer (Thermo Scientific). The target analyte list includes biogenic and anthropogenic VOCs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Metabolic Profiling of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Emitted by the Pathogens Francisella tularensis and Bacillus anthracis in Liquid Culture

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.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Comparative Multi-System Approach to Characterizing Bioactivity of Commonly Occurring Chemicals

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.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Coupling Environmental Whole Mixture Toxicity Screening with Unbiased RNA-Seq Reveals Site-Specific Biological Responses in Zebrafish

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.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

An algorithm for detecting and quantifying disturbance and recovery in high-frequency time series

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.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Harmonic cancellation within AC low voltage distribution for a realistic office environment

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.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Citywide indoor air sampling mirrors wastewater and clinical for environmental surveillance of respiratory viruses

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.

Wilton, Rosemarie↗
DOE OSTI2022

The ultrafast pixel array camera system and its applications in high energy density physics

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.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗