scholarly journals Design and Development of Interoperable Cloud Sensor Services to Support Citizen Science Projects

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henning Bredel ◽  
SImon Jirka ◽  
Joan Masó Pau ◽  
Jaume Piera
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
It Infrastructure ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Observatory Data ◽  
Set Up

<p><span>Citizen Observatories are becoming a more and more popular source of input data in many scientific domains. This includes for example research on biodiversity (e.g. counts of specific species in an area of interest), air quality monitoring (e.g. low-cost sensor boxes), or traffic flow analysis (e.g. apps collecting floating car data).</span></p><p><span>For the collection of such data, different approaches exist. Besides frameworks providing re-usable software building blocks (e.g. wq framework, Open Data Kit), many projects rely on custom developments. However, these solutions are mainly focused on providing the necessary software components. Further work is necessary to set-up the necessary IT infrastructure. In addition, aspects such as interoperability are usually less considered which often leads to the creation of isolated information silos.</span></p><p><span>In our presentation, we will introduce selected activities of the European H2020 project COS4CLOUD (Co-designed citizen observatories for the EOS-Cloud). Among other objectives, COS4CLOUD aims at providing re-usable services for setting up Citizen Observatories based on the European Open Science (EOS) Cloud. We will especially discuss how it will make use of interoperability standards such as the Sensor Observation Service (SOS), SensorThings API as well as Observations and Measurements (O&M) of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC).</span></p><p><span>As a result, COS4CLOUD will not only facilitate the collection of Citizen Observatory data by reducing the work necessary to set-up a corresponding IT infrastructure. It will also support the exchange and integration of Citizen Observatory data between different projects as well as the integration with other authoritative data sources. This shall increase the sustainability of data collection efforts as Citizen Science data may be used as input for many data analysis processes beyond the project that originally collected the data.</span></p>

scholarly journals Cetacean Research and Citizen Science in Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Gilbert Mwango’mbe ◽  
Jane Spilsbury ◽  
Steve Trott ◽  
Judith Nyunja ◽  
Nina Wambiji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Pilot Whale ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Mammal Conservation ◽  
Kenyan Coast

In 2011, several non-governmental and government agencies established the Kenya Marine Mammal Network (KMMN) to provide a platform for the consistent collection of data on marine mammals along the Kenyan coast, identify areas of importance and engage marine users and the general public in marine mammal conservation. Prior to the KMMN, relatively little was known about marine mammals in Kenya, limiting conservation strategies. The KMMN collects data nationwide through dedicated surveys, opportunistic sightings and participative citizen science, currently involving more than 100 contributors. This paper reviews data on sightings and strandings for small cetaceans in Kenya collated by the KMMN. From 2011 to 2019, 792 records of 11 species of small cetaceans were documented. The most frequently reported inshore species were the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin and Indian Ocean humpback dolphin. Offshore species, included killer whales, short-finned pilot whale and long-snouted spinner dolphin. Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, long-snouted spinner dolphins, striped dolphins and Risso’s dolphins were recorded through stranding reports. The efforts of the KMMN were disseminated through international meetings (International Whaling Commission, World Marine Mammal Conference), national status reports, outreach and social media. Data has also supported the identification of three IUCN Important Marine Mammal Areas and one Area of Interest in Kenya. Further research is needed to improve estimates of cetacean abundance and distribution, particularly in unstudied coastal areas, and to assess the extent of anthropogenic threats associated with fisheries, coastal and port development, seismic exercises and unregulated tourism. The expansion of the network should benefit from the participation of remote coastal fishing communities, government research agencies, tourism and seismic operations, among others. The KMMN demonstrated the value of dedicated and citizen science data to enhance marine mammal conservation strategies to boost awareness and eco-tourism and to bring the public and science closer together, promoting research and effective conservation efforts.

scholarly journals Experiences from the Danish Fungal Atlas: Linking mushrooming, nature conservation and primary biodiversity research 

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Heilmann-Clausen ◽  
Tobias Frøslev ◽  
Jens Petersen ◽  
Thomas Læssøe ◽  
Thomas Jeppesen
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Dna Sequencing ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Global Biodiversity Information Facility ◽  
Validation Data ◽  
Species Discovery

The Danish Fungal Atlas is a citizen science project launched in 2009 in collaboration among the University of Copenhagen, Mycokey and the Danish Mycological Society. The associated database now holds almost 1 million fungal records, contributed by more than 3000 recorders. The records represent more than 8000 fungal species, of which several hundred have been recorded as new to Denmark during the project. In addition several species have been described as new to science. Data are syncronized with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) on a weekly basis, and is hence freely available for research and nature conservation. Data have been used for systematic conservation planning in Denmark, and several research papers have used data to explore subjects such as host selection in wood-inhabiting fungi (Heilmann‐Clausen et al. 2016), recording bias in citizen science (Geldmann et al. 2016), fungal traits (Krah et al. 2019), biodiversity patterns (e.g. Andrew et al. 2018), and species discovery (Heilmann-Clausen et al. 2019). The project database is designed to faciliate direct interactions and communication among volunteers. The validation of submitted records is interactive and combines species-specific smart filters, user credibility, and expert tools to secure the highest possible data credibility. In 2019, an AI (artificial intelligence) trained species identification tool was launched along with a new mobile app, enabling users to identify and record species directly in the field (Sulc et al. 2020). At the same time, DNA sequencing was tested as an option to test difficult identifications, and in 2021 a high-throughput sequencing facility was developed to allow DNA sequencing of hundreds of fungal collections at a low cost. The presentation will give details on data validation, data use and how we have worked with cultivation of volunteers to provide a truly coherent model for collaboration on mushroom citizen science.

scholarly journals An overview of recent progress in modern synthetic approach—combinatorial synthesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chandravadivelu Gopi ◽  
Gudapati Krupamai ◽  
Chitikina Satya Sri ◽  
Magharla Dasaratha Dhanaraju
Keyword(s):  
Solid Phase ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Combinatorial Synthesis ◽  
Solution Phase ◽  
Synthetic Approach ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Small Set ◽  
Set Up

Abstract Background In recent times, a powerful tool of combinatorial synthesis has been used for the preparation of large chemical entities through a small set up of reactions between different building blocks using solid-phase and solution-phase techniques. This method reduced the time and cost of the drug discovery process substantially. Main text Thousands of compounds are synthesised in a few reactions through combinatorial synthesis instead of getting a few compounds in the traditional method. This method also helps to identify chemical lead of the compounds and optimise them through the biological screening using a high-throughput method. There is no review concerning the recent research finding of combinatorial synthesis. Hence, an attempt had been made on the latest research findings (2002–2020) of newly synthesised compounds using combinatorial synthesis and their biological activities. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, the current review has completely analysed the importance of combinatorial synthesis and furnished an overview of solid-phase and solution-phase techniques as well as helped mankind by improving higher productivity at low cost, lead identification and optimization and preventing environmental pollution. Graphical abstract

scholarly journals A compact in vitro test bench for cardiovascular flow analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (s1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Torta ◽  
Giuseppe Carlo Alp Caridi ◽  
Claudio Chiastra ◽  
Diego Gallo ◽  
Umberto Morbiducci
Keyword(s):  
Test Bench ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
In Vitro Test ◽  
Arterial Hemodynamics ◽  
Cardiovascular Flow ◽  
Vitro Test ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Educational Applications

A low-cost particle image velocimetry set-up that allows to investigate the fluid dynamics inside realistic coronary artery phantoms has been implemented. The proposed smart test bench for experimental characterization of arterial hemodynamics also in the presence of implanted devices represents a low-cost equipment that can be easily implemented in non-expert laboratories for research as well as educational applications.

From crowdsourcing environmental measurements to their integration in the GEOSS portal

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valantis Tsiakos ◽  
Maria Krommyda ◽  
Athanasia Tsertou ◽  
Angelos Amditis
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Monitoring ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Earth Observation ◽  
Observation System ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Portable Sensors ◽  
Areas Of Interest

<p>Environmental monitoring is based on time-series of data collected over long periods of time from expensive and hard to maintain in-situ sensors available only in specific areas. Due to the climate change it is important to monitor extended areas of interest. This need has raised the question of whether such monitoring can be complemented or replaced by Citizen Science.</p><p>Crowdsourced measurements from low-cost and easy to use portable sensors and devices can facilitate the collection of the needed information with the support of volunteers, enabling the monitoring of environmental ecosystems and extended areas of interest. In particular, during the last years there has been a rapid increase of citizen-generated knowledge that has been facilitated by the wider use of mobile devices and low-cost portable sensors. To enable their easy integration to existing models and systems as well as their utilisation in the context of new applications, citizen science data should be easily discoverable, re-usable, accessible and available for future use.</p><p>The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) offers a single access point to Earth Observation data (GEOSS Portal), connecting users to various environmental monitoring systems around the world while promoting the use of common technical standards to support their utilisation. </p><p>Such a connection was demonstrated in the context of SCENT project. SCENT is a EU project which has implemented an integrated toolbox of smart collaborative and innovating technologies that allows volunteers to collect environmental measurements as part of their everyday activities.</p><p>These measurements may include images that include information about the land cover and land use of the area, air temperature and soil moisture measurements from low-cost portable environmental sensors or river measurements, water level and water velocity extracted from multimedia, images and video, through dedicated tools.</p><p>The collected measurements are provided to policy makers and scientists to facilitate the decision making regarding needed actions and infrastructure improvements as well as the monitoring of environmental phenomena like floods through the crowdsourced information.</p><p>In order to ensure that the provided measurements are of high quality, a dedicated control mechanism has been implemented that uses a custom mechanism, based on spatial and temporal clustering, to identify biased or low quality contributions and remove them from the system.</p><p>Finally, recognising the importance of making the collected data available all the validated measurements are modelled, stored and provisioned using the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards Web Feature Service (WFS) and Web Map Service (WMS) as applicable.</p><p>This allows the spatial and temporal discovery of information among the collected measurements, encourages their re-usability and allows their integration to systems and platforms utilizing the same standards. The data collected by the SCENT Campaigns organized at the Kifisos river basin and the Danube Delta can be found at the GEOSS portal under the WFS here https://www.geoportal.org/?f:sources=wfsscentID and under the WMS here https://www.geoportal.org/?f:sources=wmsSCENTID.  </p><p>This activity is showcased as part of WeObserve project that has received funding from the European Union’ s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 776740.</p>

scholarly journals Perspective: The Power (Dynamics) of Open Data in Citizen Science

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caren B. Cooper ◽  
Lisa M. Rasmussen ◽  
Elizabeth D. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Data Governance ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Ethical Decisions ◽  
The Relationship

In citizen science, data stewards and data producers are often not the same people. When those who have labored on data collection are not in control of the data, ethical problems could arise from this basic structural feature. In this Perspective, we advance the proposition that stewarding data sets generated by volunteers involves the typical technical decisions in conventional research plus a suite of ethical decisions stemming from the relationship between professionals and volunteers. Differences in power, priorities, values, and vulnerabilities are features of the relationship between professionals and volunteers. Thus, ethical decisions about open data practices in citizen science include, but are not limited to, questions grounded in respect for volunteers: who decides data governance structures, who receives attribution for a data set, which data are accessible and to whom, and whose interests are served by the data use/re-use. We highlight ethical issues that citizen science practitioners should consider when making data governance decisions, particularly with respect to open data.

Development of a Capacitor Probe to Detect Subsurface Deterioration in Concrete

1997 ◽  
Vol 503 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. K. Diefenderfer ◽  
I. L. Al-Qadi ◽  
J. J. Yoho ◽  
S. M. Riad ◽  
A. Loulizi
Keyword(s):  
Dielectric Constant ◽  
Portland Cement ◽  
Electromagnetic Waves ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Complex Dielectric Constant ◽  
Life Cycle Costs ◽  
Parallel Plates ◽  
Portland Cement Concrete ◽  
Cement Concrete ◽  
Set Up

ABSTRACTPortland cement concrete (PCC) structures deteriorate with age and need to be maintained or replaced. Early detection of deterioration in PCC (e.g., alkali-silica reaction, freeze/thaw damage, or chloride presence) can lead to significant reductions in maintenance costs. However, it is often too late to perform low-cost preventative maintenance by the time deterioration becomes evident. By developing techniques that would enable civil engineers to evaluate PCC structures and detect deterioration at early stages (without causing further damage), optimization of life-cycle costs of the constructed facility and minimization of disturbance to the facility users can be achieved.Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods are potentially one of the most useful techniques ever developed for assessing constructed facilities. They are noninvasive and can be performed rapidly. Portland cement concrete can be nondestructively evaluated by electrically characterizing its complex dielectric constant. The real part of the dielectric constant depicts the velocity of electromagnetic waves in PCC. The imaginary part, termed the “loss factor,” describes the conductivity of PCC and the attenuation of electromagnetic waves.Dielectric properties of PCC have been investigated in a laboratory setting using a parallel plate capacitor operating in the frequency range of 0.1 to 40.1MIHz. This capacitor set-up consists of two horizontal-parallel plates with an adjustable separation for insertion of a dielectric specimen (PCC). While useful in research, this approach is not practical for field implementation. A new capacitor probe has been developed which consists of two plates, located within the same horizontal plane, for placement upon the specimen to be tested. Preliminary results show that this technique is feasible and results are promising; further testing and evaluation is currently underway.

Fault Localization of Power-Ground Short via Signal Injection and Oscilloscope Technique

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Binh Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Fault Localization ◽  
Fault Isolation ◽  
Test Apparatus ◽  
Good Working ◽  
Signal Injection ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Non Destructive ◽  
Short Circuit Condition

Abstract For those attempting fault isolation on computer motherboard power-ground short issues, the optimal technique should utilize existing test equipment available in the debug facility, requiring no specialty equipment as well as needing a minimum of training to use effectively. The test apparatus should be both easy to set up and easy to use. This article describes the signal injection and oscilloscope technique which meets the above requirements. The signal injection and oscilloscope technique is based on the application of Ohm's law in a short-circuit condition. Two experiments were conducted to prove the effectiveness of these techniques. Both experiments simulate a short-circuit condition on the VCC3 power rail of a good working PC motherboard and then apply the signal injection and oscilloscope technique to localize the short. The technique described is a simple, low cost and non-destructive method that helps to find the location of the power-ground short quickly and effectively.

scholarly journals The Use of Citizen Science to Achieve Multivariate Management Goals on Public Lands

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 293
Author(s):  
Sara Souther ◽  
Vincent Randall ◽  
Nanebah Lyndon
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Ecological Integrity ◽  
Public Land ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Public Land Management ◽  
Federal Land ◽  
Botanical Research ◽  
Federal Land Management

Federal land management agencies in the US are tasked with maintaining the ecological integrity of over 2 million km2 of land for myriad public uses. Citizen science, operating at the nexus of science, education, and outreach, offers unique benefits to address socio-ecological questions and problems, and thus may offer novel opportunities to support the complex mission of public land managers. Here, we use a case study of an iNaturalist program, the Tribal Nations Botanical Research Collaborative (TNBRC), to examine the use of citizen science programs in public land management. The TNBRC collected 2030 observations of 34 plant species across the project area, while offering learning opportunities for participants. Using occurrence data, we examined observational trends through time and identified five species with 50 or fewer digital observations to investigate as species of possible conservation concern. We compared predictive outcomes of habitat suitability models built using citizen science data and Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data. Models exhibited high agreement, identifying the same underlying predictors of species occurrence and, 95% of the time, identifying the same pixels as suitable habitat. Actions such as staff training on data use and interpretation could enhance integration of citizen science in Federal land management.

Optimum Design for the Frame of Open Type Abrasive Flow Polish Machine

2012 ◽  
Vol 497 ◽  
pp. 89-93
Author(s):  
Liang Liang Yuan ◽  
Ke Hua Zhang ◽  
Li Min
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Natural Frequency ◽  
Finite Element Methods ◽  
Optimization Design ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Force Model ◽  
Optimization Analysis ◽  
Open Type ◽  
Set Up

In order to process heterotype hole of workpiece precisely, an open abrasive flow polish machine is designed, and the optimization design of machine frame is done for low cost. Firstly, basing on the parameters designed with traditional ways, three-dimensional force model is set up with the soft of SolidWorks. Secondly, the statics and modal analysis for machine body have been done in Finite element methods (FEM), and then the optimization analysis of machine frame has been done. At last, the model of rebuild machine frame has been built. Result shows that the deformation angle value of machine frame increased from 0.72′ to 1.001′, the natural frequency of the machine decreased from 75.549 Hz to 62.262 Hz, the weight of machine decreased by 74.178 Kg after optimization. It meets the strength, stiffness and angel stiffness requirement of machine, reduces the weight and cost of machine.

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