scholarly journals Performance Assessment of Portable Optical Particle Spectrometer (POPS)

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (21) ◽  
pp. 6294
Author(s):  
Fan Mei ◽  
Gavin McMeeking ◽  
Mikhail Pekour ◽  
Ru-Shan Gao ◽  
Gourihar Kulkarni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Apparent Size ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Flow Temperature ◽  
Atmospheric Research ◽  
Miniaturized Instrumentation ◽  
Aerial Systems ◽  
Laser Heater

Accurate representation of atmospheric aerosol properties is a long-standing problem in atmospheric research. Modern pilotless aerial systems provide a new platform for atmospheric in situ measurement. However, small airborne platforms require miniaturized instrumentation due to apparent size, power, and weight limitations. A Portable Optical Particle Spectrometer (POPS) is an emerged instrument to measure ambient aerosol size distribution with high time and size resolution, designed for deployment on a small unmanned aerial system (UAS) or tethered balloon system (TBS) platforms. This study evaluates the performance of a POPS with an upgraded laser heater and additional temperature sensors in the aerosol pathway. POPS maintains its performance under different environmental conditions as long as the laser temperature remains above 25 °C and the aerosol flow temperature inside the optical chamber is 15 °C higher than the ambient temperature. The comparison between POPS and an Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS) suggests that the coincidence error is less than 25% when the number concentration is less than 4000 cm−3. The size distributions measured by both of them remained unaffected up to 15,000 cm−3. While both instruments’ sizing accuracy is affected by the aerosol chemical composition and morphology, the influence is more profound on the POPS.

scholarly journals On the Quantitative Low-Level Aerosol Measurements Using Ceilometer-Type Lidar

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 2340-2352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anu-Maija Sundström ◽  
Timo Nousiainen ◽  
Tuukka Petäjä
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Theoretical Calculations ◽  
Measurement Instrument ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Lidar Measurement ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Absolute Accuracy ◽  
Particle Composition ◽  
Aerosol Measurement

Abstract The objective of this work is to investigate whether a commercial ceilometer-type lidar can be used as a quantitative aerosol measurement instrument. To this end, lidar backscattering measurements are compared with exact theoretical calculations of backscattering, which are based on in situ–measured size distributions and account for uncertainties in particle composition and shape. The results show that the differences between simulated and measured backscattering remain nearly constant and within the uncertainties involved. The differences are most plausibly explained by an error in the overlap function of the lidar and/or errors in the calibration of either the lidar or the in situ instruments used to measure the aerosol size distribution. Occasionally, large differences occur that are obviously connected to the unrepresentativeness of the in situ and lidar measurement volumes because of insufficient atmospheric mixing. The results imply that the absolute accuracy of the instrument investigated might be sufficient for quantitative aerosol measurements in some applications. A fix for the overlap function, however, would be desirable.

scholarly journals Sizing response of the Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS) and Laser Aerosol Spectrometer (LAS) to changes in submicron aerosol composition and refractive index

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 4517-4542
Author(s):  
Richard H. Moore ◽  
Elizabeth B. Wiggins ◽  
Adam T. Ahern ◽  
Stephen Zimmerman ◽  
Lauren Montgomery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Refractive Index ◽  
Ammonium Sulfate ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Electrical Mobility ◽  
Aerosol Composition ◽  
Submicron Aerosol ◽  
Fullerene Soot ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract. We evaluate the sensitivity of the size calibrations of two commercially available, high-resolution optical particle sizers to changes in aerosol composition and complex refractive index (RI). The Droplet Measurement Technologies Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS) and the TSI, Inc. Laser Aerosol Spectrometer (LAS) are two commonly used instruments for measuring the portion of the aerosol size distribution with diameters larger than nominally 60–90 nm. Both instruments illuminate particles with a laser and relate the single-particle light scattering intensity and count rate measured over a wide range of angles to the size-dependent particle concentration. While the optical block geometry and flow system are similar for each instrument, a significant difference between the two models is the laser wavelength (1054 nm for the UHSAS and 633 nm for the LAS) and intensity (about 100 times higher for the UHSAS), which may affect the way each instrument sizes non-spherical or absorbing aerosols. Here, we challenge the UHSAS and LAS with laboratory-generated, mobility-size-classified aerosols of known chemical composition to quantify changes in the optical size response relative to that of ammonium sulfate (RI of 1.52+0i at 532 nm) and NIST-traceable polystyrene latex spheres (PSLs with RI of 1.59+0i at 589 nm). Aerosol inorganic salt species are chosen to cover the real refractive index range of 1.32 to 1.78, while chosen light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols include fullerene soot, nigrosine dye, humic acid, and fulvic acid standards. The instrument response is generally in good agreement with the electrical mobility diameter. However, large undersizing deviations are observed for the low-refractive-index fluoride salts and the strongly absorbing nigrosine dye and fullerene soot particles. Polydisperse size distributions for both fresh and aged wildfire smoke aerosols from the recent Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments Experiment and Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) and the Cloud, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment (CAMP2Ex) airborne campaigns show good agreement between both optical sizers and contemporaneous electrical mobility sizing and particle time-of-flight mass spectrometric measurements. We assess the instrument uncertainties by interpolating the laboratory response curves using previously reported RIs and size distributions for multiple aerosol type classifications. These results suggest that, while the optical sizers may underperform for strongly absorbing laboratory compounds and fresh tailpipe emissions measurements, sampling aerosols within the atmospherically relevant range of refractive indices are likely to be sized to better than ±10 %–20 % uncertainty over the submicron aerosol size range when using instruments calibrated with ammonium sulfate.

scholarly journals Intercomparison of aerosol volume size distributions derived from AERONET ground-based remote sensing and LARGE in situ aircraft profiles during the 2011–2014 DRAGON and DISCOVER-AQ experiments

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 5289-5301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel S. Schafer ◽  
Tom F. Eck ◽  
Brent N. Holben ◽  
Kenneth L. Thornhill ◽  
Luke D. Ziemba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Large Data ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Average Difference ◽  
Fine Mode ◽  
Mode Size ◽  
Volume Size ◽  
Aerosol Volume

Abstract. Aerosol volume size distribution (VSD) retrievals from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) aerosol monitoring network were obtained during multiple DRAGON (Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observational Network) campaigns conducted in Maryland, California, Texas and Colorado from 2011 to 2014. These VSD retrievals from the field campaigns were used to make comparisons with near-simultaneous in situ samples from aircraft profiles carried out by the NASA Langley Aerosol Group Experiment (LARGE) team as part of four campaigns comprising the DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) experiments. For coincident (±1 h) measurements there were a total of 91 profile-averaged fine-mode size distributions acquired with the LARGE ultra-high sensitivity aerosol spectrometer (UHSAS) instrument matched to 153 AERONET size distributions retrieved from almucantars at 22 different ground sites. These volume size distributions were characterized by two fine-mode parameters, the radius of peak concentration (rpeak_conc) and the VSD fine-mode width (widthpeak_conc). The AERONET retrievals of these VSD fine-mode parameters, derived from ground-based almucantar sun photometer data, represent ambient humidity values while the LARGE aircraft spiral profile retrievals provide dried aerosol (relative humidity; RH <20 %) values. For the combined multiple campaign dataset, the average difference in rpeak_conc was 0.033±0.035 µm (ambient AERONET values were 15.8 % larger than dried LARGE values), and the average difference in widthpeak_conc was 0.042±0.039 µm (AERONET values were 25.7 % larger). For a subset of aircraft data, the LARGE data were adjusted to account for ambient humidification. For these cases, the AERONET–LARGE average differences were smaller, with rpeak_conc differing by 0.011±0.019 µm (AERONET values were 5.2 % larger) and widthpeak_conc average differences equal to 0.030±0.037 µm (AERONET values were 15.8 % larger).

scholarly journals Intercomparison of aerosol volume size distributions derived from AERONET ground based remote sensing and LARGE in situ aircraft profiles during the 2011–2014 DRAGON and DISCOVER-AQ experiments

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel S. Schafer ◽  
Tom F. Eck ◽  
Brent N. Holben ◽  
Kenneth L. Thornhill ◽  
Luke D. Ziemba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring Network ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Fine Mode ◽  
Mode Size ◽  
Field Campaigns ◽  
Volume Size ◽  
Aerosol Volume ◽  
Large Aircraft

Abstract. Aerosol volume size distributions (VSD) retrievals from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) aerosol monitoring network were obtained during multiple DRAGON (Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observational Network) conducted in Maryland, California, Texas and Colorado from 2011 to 2014 . These VSD products were used during field campaigns to make comparisons with near simultaneous in situ sampling from aircraft profiles carried out by the NASA Langley Aerosol Group Experiment (LARGE) team as part of four campaigns comprising the DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) experiments. For coincident (&amp;pm; 1 hour) measurements there were a total of 91 profile-averaged fine mode size distributions acquired with the LARGE Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS) instrument matched to 153 AERONET size distributions retrieved from almucantars at 22 different ground sites. These volume size distributions were characterized by two fine mode parameters, radius of peak concentration (rpeak_conc) and VSD fine mode width (widthfine_mode). The AERONET retrievals of these VSD fine mode parameters, derived from ground-based almucantar sun photometer data, represent ambient humidity values while the LARGE aircraft spiral profile retrievals provide dried aerosol (RH 

scholarly journals A comparison of lognormal and gamma size distributions for characterizing the stratospheric aerosol phase function from OPC measurements

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest Nyaku ◽  
Robert Loughman ◽  
Pawan K. Bhartia ◽  
Terry Deshler ◽  
Zhong Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Distribution ◽  
Phase Function ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Concentration Data ◽  
Radiation Model ◽  
Better Than

Abstract. A series of in situ measurements made by optical particle counters (OPC) at Laramie, Wyoming provides size-resolved stratospheric aerosol concentration data for the period of 2008–2017. These data are analyzed in this study for the purpose of assessing the sensitivity of the stratospheric aerosol phase function to the aerosol size distribution (ASD) model used to fit the measurements. The two unimodal ASD models investigated are the uni-modal lognormal (UMLN) and gamma distribution models, with the minimum χ2 method employed to assess how well each ASD fits the measurements. The aerosol phase function (APF) for each ASD is calculated using Mie theory, and is compared to the APF derived from the Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA) sectional aerosol microphysics module. Comparing the χ2 values for the fits at altitudes 20 km and 25 km shows that the UMLN distribution better represents the OPC measurements. The importance of data at aerosol radius below 0.1 μm is also demonstrated: When these data are not available from OPC measurements, the gamma distribution provides a more stable derived APF. The gamma distribution also fits the CARMA model results better than the UMLN model, when the CARMA model results are binned to mimic the OPC measurement bins (and therefore measurements between 0.05 and 0.1 μm are excluded).

scholarly journals Sizing Response of the Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Size Spectrometer (UHSAS) and Laser Aerosol Spectrometer (LAS) to Changes in Submicron Aerosol Composition and Refractive Index

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard H. Moore ◽  
Elizabeth B. Wiggins ◽  
Adam T. Ahern ◽  
Stephen Zimmerman ◽  
Lauren Montgomery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Refractive Index ◽  
Ammonium Sulphate ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Electrical Mobility ◽  
Aerosol Composition ◽  
Submicron Aerosol ◽  
Fullerene Soot ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract. We evaluate the sensitivity of the size calibrations of two commercially-available, high-resolution optical particle sizers to changes in aerosol composition and complex refractive index (RI). The Droplet Measurement Technologies Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Size Spectrometer (UHSAS) and the TSI, Inc. Laser Aerosol Spectrometer (LAS) are two commonly used instruments for measuring the portion of the aerosol size distribution with diameters larger than nominally 60–90 nm. Both instruments illuminate particles with a laser and relate the single-particle light scattering intensity and count rate measured over a wide range of angles to the size-dependent particle concentration. While the optical block geometry and flow system are similar for each instrument, a significant difference between the two models is the laser wavelength (1054 nm for the UHSAS and 633 nm for the LAS) and intensity (about 100x higher for the UHSAS), which may affect the way each instrument sizes non-spherical or absorbing aerosols. Here, we challenge the UHSAS and LAS with laboratory-generated, mobility-size-classified aerosols of known chemical composition to quantify changes in the optical size response relative to that of ammonium sulphate (RI of 1.52 + 0i at 532 nm) and NIST-traceable polystyrene latex spheres (PSLs with RI of 1.59 + 0i at 589 nm). Aerosol inorganic salt species are chosen to cover the real refractive index range of 1.32 to 1.78, while chosen light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols include fullerene soot, nigrosine dye, humic acid, and fulvic acid standards. The instrument response is generally in good agreement with the electrical mobility diameter. However, large undersizing deviations are observed for the low-refractive-index fluoride salts and the strongly absorbing nigrosine dye and fullerene soot particles. Polydisperse size distributions for both fresh and aged wildfire smoke aerosols from the recent Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments Experiment – Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) and the Cloud, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment (CAMP2EX) airborne campaigns show good agreement between both optical sizers and contemporaneous electrical mobility sizing and particle time-of-flight mass spectrometric measurements. We assess the instrument uncertainties by interpolating the laboratory response curves using previously-reported RIs and size distributions for multiple aerosol type classifications. These results suggest that, while the optical sizers may underperform for strongly absorbing laboratory compounds and fresh tailpipe emissions measurements, sampling aerosols within the atmospherically-relevant range of refractive indices are likely to be sized to better than ±10–20 % uncertainty over the submicron aerosol size range when using instruments calibrated with ammonium sulphate.

TO SEPARATELY ASSESS THE DIAGNOSTIC POTENTIAL OF TVS & MRI IN THE TERMS OF SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY BY CORRELATING THE IMAGING FINDINGS WITH HISTOPATHOLOGY

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suraj Mathur
Keyword(s):  
Transvaginal Ultrasound ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Imaging Evaluation ◽  
Medical College ◽  
Conventional Mri ◽  
Diagnostic Potential ◽  
Adc Mapping ◽  
Malignant Lesions ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

This prospective study was done in the Department of Radio diagnosis Govt. Medical College, Kozhikode. A total of 65 patients who were referred to our department with clinical suspicion of endometrial lesions and incidentally detected endometrial lesions on ultrasonography underwent transvaginal ultrasound and subsequent Imaging evaluation of pelvis MRI has very high sensitivity (95%) and specificity (98%) and is almost as accurate (97%) as histopathology in differentiating benign from malignant lesions. Addition of DWI with ADC mapping to conventional MRI increases its accuracy even more. However there is inherent limitation to MRI in detecting carcinoma in situ and micrometastasis. Keywords: TVS, MRI, Sensitivity, Specificity, Histopathology.

LIGHTER-THAN-AIR (LTA) UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM (UAS) CARRIER CONCEPT FOR SURVAILLANCE AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 1255
Author(s):  
Ahmad Salahuddin Mohd Harithuddin ◽  
Mohd Fazri Sedan ◽  
Syaril Azrad Md Ali ◽  
Shattri Mansor ◽  
Hamid Reza Jifroudi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Unmanned Aerial System ◽  
Border Control ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Operational Safety ◽  
In Situ Methods ◽  
Aerial Systems

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) has many advantages in the fields of SURVAILLANCE and disaster management compared to space-borne observation, manned missions and in situ methods. The reasons include cost effectiveness, operational safety, and mission efficiency. This has in turn underlined the importance of UAS technology and highlighted a growing need in a more robust and efficient unmanned aerial vehicles to serve specific needs in SURVAILLANCE and disaster management. This paper first gives an overview on the framework for SURVAILLANCE particularly in applications of border control and disaster management and lists several phases of SURVAILLANCE and service descriptions. Based on this overview and SURVAILLANCE phases descriptions, we show the areas and services in which UAS can have significant advantage over traditional methods.

scholarly journals Spatial expression pattern of serine proteases in the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni determined by fluorescence RNA in situ hybridization

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lenka Ulrychová ◽  
Pavel Ostašov ◽  
Marta Chanová ◽  
Michael Mareš ◽  
Martin Horn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
In Situ Hybridization ◽  
Schistosoma Mansoni ◽  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
Serine Proteases ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Host Parasite Interactions ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Host Parasite

Abstract Background The blood flukes of genus Schistosoma are the causative agent of schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that infects more than 200 million people worldwide. Proteases of schistosomes are involved in critical steps of host–parasite interactions and are promising therapeutic targets. We recently identified and characterized a group of S1 family Schistosoma mansoni serine proteases, including SmSP1 to SmSP5. Expression levels of some SmSPs in S. mansoni are low, and by standard genome sequencing technologies they are marginally detectable at the method threshold levels. Here, we report their spatial gene expression patterns in adult S. mansoni by the high-sensitivity localization assay. Methodology Highly sensitive fluorescence in situ RNA hybridization (FISH) was modified and used for the localization of mRNAs encoding individual SmSP proteases (including low-expressed SmSPs) in tissues of adult worms. High sensitivity was obtained due to specifically prepared tissue and probes in combination with the employment of a signal amplification approach. The assay method was validated by detecting the expression patterns of a set of relevant reference genes including SmCB1, SmPOP, SmTSP-2, and Sm29 with localization formerly determined by other techniques. Results FISH analysis revealed interesting expression patterns of SmSPs distributed in multiple tissues of S. mansoni adults. The expression patterns of individual SmSPs were distinct but in part overlapping and were consistent with existing transcriptome sequencing data. The exception were genes with significantly low expression, which were also localized in tissues where they had not previously been detected by RNA sequencing methods. In general, SmSPs were found in various tissues including reproductive organs, parenchymal cells, esophagus, and the tegumental surface. Conclusions The FISH-based assay provided spatial information about the expression of five SmSPs in adult S. mansoni females and males. This highly sensitive method allowed visualization of low-abundantly expressed genes that are below the detection limits of standard in situ hybridization or by RNA sequencing. Thus, this technical approach turned out to be suitable for sensitive localization studies and may also be applicable for other trematodes. The results suggest that SmSPs may play roles in diverse processes of the parasite. Certain SmSPs expressed at the surface may be involved in host–parasite interactions. Graphic abstract

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document