Direct Sampling Method Research Articles

Detailed workflow for estimating bedload transport based on dune tracking method

ABSTRACT Accurate assessment of bedload transport is a challenging task due to its variable nature in space and time. Bedload transport measurement techniques can be divided into two categories of direct and indirect methods. The focus of this study is on dune tracking as an indirect measurement method that has received much attention in recent years. However, a comprehensive workflow that allows the integration of this method into a routine measurement operation instead of or jointly with the direct sampling method has not been implemented yet. During a three-day measurement campaign conducted in the Rhine River, a detailed workflow for performing bedload transport measurements using the dune tracking method was introduced. Dune tracking validation was thoroughly evaluated, with significant efforts to simultaneously collect data using direct sampling. Direct measurements of bedload transport showed higher and more variable rates compared to dune tracking estimates. It was assumed that finer sediment fractions, moving as patches or small-scale superimposed bedforms were presumably not captured by the dune tracking. However, their significant contribution to bedload transport suggests that dune tracking estimates may have been underestimated. Further research is needed to explore how varying flow and sediment conditions affect bedload transport modes and measurement methods comparability.

Algal Biodiversity of Nine Megaliths in South-East Bulgaria.

This paper presents the first data on the biodiversity of lithophytic algae from Bulgarian megaliths obtained after the application of the direct sampling method, subsequent cultivation, and processing by light microscopy. A rich algal flora was found: 90 species and 1 variety of 65 genera from Cyanoprokaryota/Cyanobacteria (29 species, 13 genera), Chlorophyta (40 species and 1 variety, 38 genera), Streptophyta (5 species, 1 genus), and Ochrophyta (16 species, 13 genera). Among them were the globally rare Pseudodictyochloris multinucleata (Chlorophyta), found for the first time in such lowland and warm habitats, and Scotiella tuberculata (Chlorophyta), for which this is the first finding in the country. Three of the recorded species are conservationally important. The low floristic similarity between the sites (0-33%) shows the diversity of the algal flora, with no common species found for all the megaliths studied. The most widespread were the strongly adaptive and competitive Stichococcus bacillaris, Apatococcus lobatus, and Chloroidium ellipsoidium (Chlorophyta). The correlations estimated between the species number and substrate temperature (18.1-49.6 °C) suggest the prospect of future research related to the impact of global warming. In addition, the study points to the safety aspects as it revealed species from nine potentially toxin-producing cyanoprokaryotic genera that could be harmful to visitors' health.

A direct sampling method for time-fractional diffusion equation

This paper introduces a direct sampling method tailored for identifying the location of the source term within a time-fractional diffusion equation (TFDE). The key aspect of our approach involves the utilization of a versatile family of index functions, which can be chosen according to the specific characteristics of the source term. Recognizing the key role of the TFDE’s fundamental solution within the index function, we further enhance our method by deriving its asymptotic expansions. This advancement not only enhances the accuracy, but also significantly improves the computational efficiency of our method. To validate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed sampling method, we conduct a series of comprehensive numerical experiments.

ADCP suspended sediment transport monitoring using acoustic particle radius

Monitoring suspended sediment concentration (SSC) can be challenging as direct sampling methods are labour intensive and indirect measurements based on optical or acoustic backscatter are sensitive to changes in particle properties. Regardless, using ADCP backscatter to predict SSC is promising because of the possibility to capture suspended sediment transport by combining with flow measurements. To reduce sensitivity of established backscatter-SSC relations to changing particle size, a methodology is proposed where acoustic particle radius is derived using multi-frequency backscatter measurements obtained with a Nortek Signature1000 ADCP equipped with a vertical beam echosounder. Considering acoustic particle radii in an adapted backscatter-SSC model shows promising improvement in correlations with water sample reference measurements compared to the traditional single frequency approach based on a field test. Follow-up assessment is required to overcome limitations in dataset sample size and to investigate further improvements of the method. Still, application of the method can significantly enhance capability of ADCPs predicting SSC and – since backscatter is recorded over depth in conjunction with flow measurements – the ability to monitor suspended sediment transport using a single instrument.

Carbon fiber-sampling combined flame ionization mass spectrometry for direct analysis of drugs in oral fluid

Drug-impaired driving poses a significant risk of collisions and other hazardous accidents, emphasizing the urgent need for simple and rapid roadside detection methods. Oral fluid, as an easily collectible and non-invasive test material, has gained widespread use in detecting drug-impaired driving. In this study, we have devised a method for direct sampling using a carbon fiber bundle combined with flame ionization mass spectrometry. The essence of this method lies in the synergy between the adsorption properties of carbon fiber and the plasma characteristics of the flame. Leveraging the strong adsorption capabilities of the carbon fiber bundle allows for the use of a minimal sample size (<100 μL) during sampling, presenting a distinct advantage in the roadside inspection and sampling process. Throughout the flame ionization process, proteins and salts within the oral fluid matrix adhere well to the carbon fiber bundle, while small molecule targets can be efficiently desorbed and react with charged species in the flame, leading to ionization. The results demonstrate the successful development of carbon fiber-sampling combined flame ionization mass spectrometry, capable of qualitative and quantitative analysis of drugs in oral fluid without the need for sample pre-treatment. Its quantitative capabilities are sufficient for real sample detection, providing an effective analytical method for the roadside detection of drugs in oral fluids.

Differential Sampling of AC Waveforms Based on a Commercial Digital-to-Analog Converter for Reference.

This paper introduces an innovative differential sampling technique for calibrating AC waveforms, leveraging a commercially available 16-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) as the reference standard. The novelty of this approach lies in its enhanced stability over traditional direct sampling methods, especially as the frequency of the AC waveform increases. Notably, this technique provides a cost-effective sampler alternative to the differential sampling methods that rely on a programmable Josephson voltage standard (PJVS). A critical aspect of this methodology is the precise measurement of the DAC's output voltage, for which a static measurement strategy is adopted to utilize the exceptional linearity and transfer accuracy of the Keysight 3458A (Santa Rosa, CA, USA) in its standard DCV mode. The differential sampling method has demonstrated good accuracy, achieving a near 1 µV/V agreement with a pulse-driven AC Josephson voltage standard (ACJVS) across a 40 Hz to 200 Hz frequency range. The method attained an expanded uncertainty (k = 2) of 1 part in 106 while measuring a 0.707107 VRMS sine wave at 50 Hz, showcasing its efficacy in precise AC waveform calibration.

Computer Program for Primer Design for Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP)

Introduction. To date, numerous methods of nucleic acid amplification have been proposed, and each method has a number of advantages and disadvantages. One of the most popular methods is Loop-mediated isothermal AMPlification (LAMP). Unlike thermocyclic reactions, such as PCR (polymerase chain reaction), which require three temperature changes and expensive equipment, in LAMP, the entire reaction takes place at one and the same temperature and at the maximum rate possible. An important component of LAMP-amplification is primers (usually 20–25 nucleotides), which need to be matched to a specific part of the nucleotide sequence. It is known that DNA sequence contains four nucleotides: A — adenine and T — thymine, G — guanine and C — cytosine. There is a huge variety of permutations of these nucleotides, and it is practically impossible to analyze such a large amount of data manually. Therefore, there is a need to use modern computer technologies. More than 150 computer programs have been proposed for the design of PCR primers, while for LAMP-primers there are less than 10 of them, and each of them has a number of drawbacks, e.g., in terms of the length of the analyzed site. Therefore, this work is aimed at developing a new domestic computer program for the design of specific primers for LAMP.Materials and Methods. The primer search algorithm was based on a linear search for a substring in a string, taking into account the criteria of primer selection for LAMP. The program complex of LAMP-primer design was implemented in Python programming language. The bioPython library was used to work with various DNA and RNA, and the Qt framework was used to develop the interface.Results. A modification of the direct sampling method using a stencil approach was proposed, taking into account the GC composition and annealing temperature of primers depending on their structure. A software package with a friendly interface was developed. It took into account the design criteria of primers: certificates of registration of computer programs (LAMPrimers iQ No. 2022617417 dated April 20, 2022, LAMPrimers iQ_loop No. 2023662840 dated June 14, 2023) were received. The program is in the public domain at https://github.com/Restily/LAMPrimers-iQDiscussion and Conclusion. The developed software packages can be used for research and analysis in molecular biology and genetics, to create diagnostic test systems that provide high sensitivity and reliability of detection of specific DNA and RNA. The software packages can be used in research institutes and laboratories engaged in the amplification of nucleic acids. The results of evaluating the selected sets of primers for the LAMP reaction were tested, and the effectiveness of working sets using the LAMPrimers iQ program was experimentally proven by the example of the detection of genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

Insects as potential vectors of phytoplasmas in urban trees in a mega-city: a case study in Bogotá, Colombia

Urban trees offer many ecosystem services which can be affected by pathogens, including phytoplasmas. Phytoplasmas cause regulator growth imbalances in infected plants, which produce deviations from the normal plant architecture, among other symptoms. In Bogotá, Colombia, ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ and ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma fraxini’ infect at least 11 species of urban trees, including Andean oak. This tree species is endemic to Colombia and Panama, and it plays an important ecologic role in the Colombian Andes wild forests. In Bogotá, knowledge about the insect vectors associated with the transmission of phytoplasmas to Andean oak is scarce. In this work we sampled the entomofauna of Andean oaks and evaluated the role of Cicadellidae and Psylloidea taxa as potential vectors of phytoplasmas in Bogotá. Insects were captured using direct and indirect sampling methods from Andean oaks at three contrasting sites in Bogotá, and also from neighbouring trees. The insects were identified by morphological and molecular methods and tested for phytoplasmas. In total, 510 Cicadellidae members of 13 taxa and 129 Psylloidea of 8 taxa were captured; richness and abundance depended on the type and sampling site. The most abundant species were Scaphytopius (Convelinus) sp. (Cicadellidae) and Acizzia uncatoides (Psylloidea). Leafhoppers positive for phytoplasmas were Chiasmodolini, Dikrella (Readionia) sp., Empoasca sp. and Scaphytopius sp. taxa. Our results suggest that several potential species of phytoplasmas may be dispersing phytoplasmas to Andean oaks and other urban tree species. It is necessary to conduct transmission tests to evaluate the transmission capacity of the potential vectors.

Newsjacking technology in advertising: the topic of sanctions and import substitution

INTRODUCTION. Newsjacking is a fairly new media technology, which allows you to draw more attention to the promoted product and to ensure standing out from the competitors. Situational marketing of this type presupposes a focus of attention towards the newsworthy events and a high reaction rate to them. In the classic form, a newsworthy event rarely lives longer than five days, but there are also options for a prolonged newsworthy event, the appeal to which can be quite lengthy. COVID-19 became such a relevant “news stream” in 2020, and the topic of sanctions and import substitution in the period 2014–2016, 2022–2023 which is the subject of this study. The purpose of this study is to consider import substitution as the dominant of media discourse, which has become an urgent news reason and the basis of newsjacking technology.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The material for the study was more than 80 polycode advertising texts, which are based on an appeal to the discursive dominant “import substitution”. To achieve this goal, the following set of methods was used: directional sampling method; descriptive and analytical method; content analysis; discourse analysis; method of systematization and classification.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. Analysis of representing the discursive dominant of “import substitution” in advertising texts allowed us to identifies the following basic techniques: use of stereotypical images associated with Russia; use of the symbols of the USSR; turn to the sanctions theme; direct replacement of foreign counterparts with Russian goods; adaptation of foreign brands.CONCLUSION. The use of the topic of import substitution in advertising is a very significant trend that many advertisers have used for a certain time, and in 2022–2023 this trend was updated in an updated version.

Time-Variant Reliability Analysis with an Adaptive Single-Loop Kriging Combined with Directional Sampling Method

The difficulty in calculating time-variant reliability lies in the large number of performance function calls. This paper proposes an efficient method for time-variant reliability analysis by incorporating the directional sampling method (DS). In this method, within the framework of single-loop active learning Kriging (SL–AK), the burden of fitting the Kriging surrogate model is alleviated by constructing a novel candidate sample pool. While reducing the computational burden, the accuracy of the Kriging surrogate model remains unaffected. Unlike the traditional SL–AK, the proposed method obtains the failure probability through an improved DS method. The improved DS utilizes a bisection method for root-finding, thereby circumventing the impact of interpolation coefficients on the computation results. This method of computing failure probability not only alleviates computational burden but also enhances the precision of the estimated failure probability. Furthermore, this paper introduces global sensitive analysis (GSA) into time-variant reliability analysis, thereby expanding the applicability of GSA. The accuracy and high efficiency of the proposed method are verified through three numerical examples and two engineering examples with implicit performance function.

Didactic potential of mobile applications in the practice of teaching Russian as a foreign language

Importance. Over the past ten years, mobile applications for learning a foreign language have gained great popularity and have occupied their niche among other information and communication technologies. In this regard, the task of identifying the didactic potential of mobile applications offering the study of the Russian language as a foreign language is relevant.Materials and Methods. The research material is the content of mobile applications for learning Russian as a foreign language. The following methods are used during the study: directional sampling method, descriptive-analytical, comparative, included observation method, systematization, classification, modeling.Results and Discussion. The work presents the results of an analysis of 6 mobile applications designed to study the Russian as a foreign language, the advantages and disadvantages of each of the applications are identified, their specialization is determined. When assessing the didactic potential of mobile applications in the practice of studying the Russian as a foreign language, we use the following criteria: structured training, tasks diversity and quality, the presence of elements of individualization and differentiation, and a number of others.Conclusion. Each of the considered applications is designed to solve certain didactic problems: Memrise and FunEasyLearn – to increase lexical stock; Duolingo – for working out grammatical constructions; Lingualeo – for working with authentic texts; Busuu – for communicating with a native speaker and developing writing and speaking skills; Kalinka – for detailed study and practice of grammar of the Russian language.

A novel sampling method for time domain acoustic inverse source problems

The time domain acoustic inverse source problems of the wave equation have been widely used in many fields, such as radar detection and underwater sonar. This paper is concerned with the inverse acoustic scattering problems of reconstructing time-dependent multiple point sources and sources on a curve L of the form λ(t)τ(x)δ L (x). A direct sampling method with a novel indicator function is proposed to reconstruct the sources. The sampling method is easy to implement and low in calculation cost. Based on the sampling method, numerical algorithms are provided to get the positions and intensities of the sources. Through theoretical analysis of the indicator function and numerical experiments, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified.

Intercomparison of leaf area index observed by destructive sampling, plant canopy analyzer and tracing radiation and architecture of canopies in paddy fields

ABSTRACT Leaf area index (LAI) is a canopy structure parameter used to characterize vegetation growth. It is increasingly important to obtain continuous and accurate ground LAI measurement data for the validation of remote-sensing products. In this study, direct destructive sampling method and indirect optical measurement including LAI-2200 plant canopy analyser (PCA) and Tracing Radiation and Architecture of Canopies (TRAC) were used for long-term continuous observation of paddy fields in southern China, to explore the variation of LAI during the growth period of paddy, and to quantitatively analyse the errors of indirect optical measurement. The results show that (1) LAI and Plant area index (PAI) increased first and then decreased in the growing period. The proportion of green leaf area gradually decreased at reproductive growth stage (less than 50%). There was a linear relationship between the proportion of green leaf area and PAI at this stage, with a good correlation (R2 = 0.73). This linear relationship can be used to convert PAI into LAI more conveniently. (2) Effective PAI (PAIe) calculated by the two methods (2000 method and Lang method) from PCA showed good consistency between each other in the growing season (the maximum value of R2 is 0.99). With the increase of zenith angle, the consistency between 2000 method and Lang method decreases (R2 = 0.83). Multiple scattering has an effect on PCA measurement, and this effect is more obvious at high zenith angle. Lang method is more sensitive to the change of zenith angle. (3) Compared to the destructive values, both 2000 method and Lang method are able to compute accurate LAI using four ring sensors (4 R), while TRAC underestimates the LAI and PAI from destructive sampling method. This study provided a new idea for reducing the impact of ground reference data errors on LAI product validation.

Direct sampling method via Landweber iteration for an absorbing scatterer with a conductive boundary

Direct sampling method via Landweber iteration for an absorbing scatterer with a conductive boundary

Green direct ultrasonic slurry sampling and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry method for metal analysis of solid plastics samples.

This work presents a "green" analytical method developed for the determination of potentially toxic metals such as aluminium, barium and chromium in solid plastics samples using the slurry sampling technique in conjunction with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The development of the slurry sampling technique in conjunction with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry entailed optimisation of the measuring conditions, which included optimisation of the temperature programme, selection of an appropriate liquid medium for slurry preparation, optimisation of the concentration and volume of the liquid medium and optimisation of the mass of the solid plastics sample. The following conditions were determined: the optimal pyrolysis temperature for aluminium, barium and chromium was in the range of 1300 °C to 1700 °C and the optimal atomisation temperature was in the range of 2100 °C to 2400 °C. The optimal liquid media for solid plastics samples were H2O, 0.2% (v/v) HNO3 and 0.2% (v/v) HCl. The optimal volume of liquid medium was in the range from 5 to 15 mL and the mass of the solid plastics samples was in the range from 30 to 100 mg. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were estimated as 0.06-0.52 ng g-1 and 0.22-1.69 ng g-1 for aluminium, 0.11-0.94 ng g-1 and 0.37-3.14 ng g-1 for barium and 0.07-0.31 ng g-1 and 0.25-1.04 ng g-1 for chromium. Relative standard deviation was below 5% for all plastic samples analysed. Based on the established validation parameters, the slurry sampling technique in conjunction with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry represents a viable technique for metal analysis of a variety of plastic materials. The concentrations of analytes in individual solid plastic samples were in the range of 1.36 ± 0.06 μg g-1 to 22.65 ± 0.66 μg g-1 for aluminium, 1.13 ± 0.03 μg g-1 to 6.01 ± 0.22 μg g-1 for barium and 0.60 ± 0.03 μg g-1 to 10.48 ± 0.46 μg g-1 for chromium.

Error estimation to the direct sampling method for the inverse acoustic source problem with multi-frequency data

Error estimation to the direct sampling method for the inverse acoustic source problem with multi-frequency data

Evaluation of an internal standard-free laser ablation-ICP-OES method for elemental analysis in solid food samples

Although the laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (LA-ICP-OES) is a promising method for the elemental screening of solid food materials, the main challenge associated with this technique is the lack of commercial solid standard reference materials to serve as the external standard for quantitative calibration. In this study, a reliable internal standard-free LA-ICP-OES method for direct sampling and analysis of solid food materials was developed. The method relies on the carbon internally-standardized relative sensitivity factor (CIS-RSF) was developed, eliminating the need for calibration curves or matrix-matched external standards once the CIS-RSF has been determined. After careful evaluation of the effect of the instrumental operating parameters on the long-term stability of CIS-RSFs, this method was used to analyze a variety of microelements, including sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mg), magnesium (Mn), copper (Cu), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), sodium (Na), and potassium (K), with the limit of quantitation (LOQ) ranging from 0.06 (Sr) to 400 μg g−1 (S). The accuracy and reproducibility of this proposed method were evaluated through the analysis of three food NIST reference materials and six typical food samples. The results indicated that the relative error of most target elements was less than 20% and the reproducibility (SD, n = 3) more than 10%. This developed LA-ICP-OES screening method has great potential for the high-throughput multielement determination of various solid food materials.

A direct sampling-based deep learning approach for inverse medium scattering problems

In this work, we focus on the inverse medium scattering problem (IMSP), which aims to recover unknown scatterers based on measured scattered data. Motivated by the efficient direct sampling method (DSM) introduced in Ito et al (2012 Inverse Problems 28 025003), we propose a novel direct sampling-based deep learning approach (DSM-DL) for reconstructing inhomogeneous scatterers. In particular, we use the U-Net neural network to learn the relation between the index functions and the true contrasts. Our proposed DSM-DL is computationally efficient, robust to noise, easy to implement, and able to naturally incorporate multiple measured data to achieve high-quality reconstructions. Some representative tests are carried out with varying numbers of incident waves and different noise levels to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The results demonstrate the promising benefits of combining deep learning techniques with the DSM for IMSP.

Uniqueness and numerical scheme for spherical shell-structured sources from the far field patterns with at most two frequencies

It is well known that the far field patterns at finitely many frequencies are not enough to uniquely determine a general source. To establish uniqueness, we consider the acoustic scattering of spherical shell-structured sources. We show that the spherical shell-structured sources can be identified from the far field patterns with at most two frequencies. Precisely, we show that the number and the centers (i.e., locations) of the spherical shells can be uniquely determined by the far field patterns at a fixed frequency. Furthermore, the scattering strengths, the inner and outer diameters are uniquely determined by the far field patterns at two frequencies. Motivated by the uniqueness arguments, a numerical scheme is proposed for reconstructing the spherical shell-structured sources. A migration series method is designed to located the centers. The numerical simulations show that the reconstruction quality is the same as the direct sampling method. Furthermore, an iterative method is designed for computing the inner diameters and outer diameters. An important feature of the proposed iterative method is that it avoids computing any derivatives. The convergence of the iterative method is also proved. Finally, some numerical examples are presented to verify the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed numerical scheme.

Reciprocity gap functional for potentials/sources with small-volume support for two elliptic equations

In this paper, we consider inverse shape problems coming from diffuse optical tomography and the Helmholtz equation. In both problems, our goal is to reconstruct small volume interior regions from measured data on the exterior surface of an object. In order to achieve this, we will derive an asymptotic expansion of the reciprocity gap functional associated with each problem. The reciprocity gap functional takes in the measured Cauchy data on the exterior surface of the object. In diffuse optical tomography, we prove that a MUSIC-type algorithm that does not require evaluating the Green's function can be used to recover the unknown subregions. This gives an analytically rigorous and computationally simple method for recovering the small volume regions. For the problem coming from inverse scattering, we recover the subregions of interest via a direct sampling method. The direct sampling method presented here allows us to accurately recover the small volume region from one pair of Cauchy data, requiring less data than many direct sampling methods. We also prove that the direct sampling method is stable with respect to noisy data. Numerical examples will be presented for both cases in two dimensions where the measurement surface is the unit circle.