Scientific modelling can be accessible, interoperable and user friendly: A case study for pasture and livestock modelling in Spain

This article describes the adaptation of a non-spatial model of pastureland dynamics, including vegetation life cycle, livestock management and nitrogen cycle, for use in a spatially explicit and modular modelling platform (k.LAB) dedicated to make data and models more interoperable. The aim is to showcase to the social-ecological modelling community the delivery of an existing, monolithic model, into a more modular, transparent and accessible approach to potential end users, regional managers, farmers and other stakeholders. This also allows better usability and adaptability of the model beyond its originally intended geographical scope (the Cantabrian Region in the North of Spain). The original code base (written in R in 1,491 lines of code divided into 13 files) combines several algorithms drawn from the literature in an opaque fashion due to lack of modularity, non-semantic variable naming and implicit assumptions. The spatiotemporal rewrite is structured around a set of 10 namespaces called PaL (Pasture and Livestock), which includes 198 interoperable and independent models. The end user chooses the spatial and temporal context of the analysis through an intuitive web-based user interface called k.Explorer. Each model can be called individually or in conjunction with the others, by querying any PaL-related concepts in a search bar. A scientific dataflow and a provenance diagram are produced in conjunction with the model results for full transparency. We argue that this work demonstrates key steps needed to create more Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) models beyond the selected example. This is particularly essential in environments as complex as agricultural systems, where multidisciplinary knowledge needs to be integrated across diverse spatial and temporal scales in order to understand complex and changing problems. © 2023 Marquez Torres et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.The authors would like to thank Joan Busqué who created and shared the original Puerto model and the team lead by José Barquín at the Hydrological Institute of Cantabria (IHC). Special thanks to Simone Langhans and Ken Bagstad who suggested revisions to the article. Robinson et al. (2014) for logistic support for EarthEnv-DEM90

The Need to Support of Data Flow Graph Visualization of Forensic Lucid Programs, Forensic Evidence, and their Evaluation by GIPSY

Lucid programs are data-flow programs and can be visually represented as data flow graphs (DFGs) and composed visually. Forensic Lucid, a Lucid dialect, is a language to specify and reason about cyberforensic cases. It includes the encoding of the evidence (representing the context of evaluation) and the crime scene modeling in order to validate claims against the model and perform event reconstruction, potentially within large swaths of digital evidence. To aid investigators to model the scene and evaluate it, instead of typing a Forensic Lucid program, we propose to expand the design and implementation of the Lucid DFG programming onto Forensic Lucid case modeling and specification to enhance the usability of the language and the system and its behavior. We briefly discuss the related work on visual programming an DFG modeling in an attempt to define and select one approach or a composition of approaches for Forensic Lucid based on various criteria such as previous implementation, wide use, formal backing in terms of semantics and translation. In the end, we solicit the readers' constructive, opinions, feedback, comments, and recommendations within the context of this short discussion.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, index; extended abstract presented at VizSec'10 at http://www.vizsec2010.org/posters ; short paper accepted at PST'1

A grid-enabled problem solving environment for parallel computational engineering design

This paper describes the development and application of a piece of engineering software that provides a problem solving environment (PSE) capable of launching, and interfacing with, computational jobs executing on remote resources on a computational grid. In particular it is demonstrated how a complex, serial, engineering optimisation code may be efficiently parallelised, grid-enabled and embedded within a PSE. The environment is highly flexible, allowing remote users from different sites to collaborate, and permitting computational tasks to be executed in parallel across multiple grid resources, each of which may be a parallel architecture. A full working prototype has been built and successfully applied to a computationally demanding engineering optimisation problem. This particular problem stems from elastohydrodynamic lubrication and involves optimising the computational model for a lubricant based on the match between simulation results and experimentally observed data

Dimensionality reduction for parametric design exploration

In architectural design, parametric models often include numeric parameters that can be adjusted to explore different design options. The resulting design space can be easily displayed to the user if the number of parameters is low, for example using a simple two or three-dimensional plot. However, visualising the design space of models defined by multiple parameters is not straightforward. In this paper it is shown how dimensionality reduction can assist in this task whilst retaining associativity between input designs in a high-dimensional parameter space. A form of dimensionality reduction based on neural networks, the Self-Organising Map (SOM) is used in combination with Rhino Grasshopper to demonstrate the approach and its potential benefits for human/machine design exploration

Eye(I) Still Know! – An App for the Blind Built using Web and AI

This paper proposes eye(I) still know!, a voice control solution for the visually impaired people. The main purpose is even though the blind cannot see they can still know where to go and what to do! Nearby 60% of total blind population across the world is present in India. In a time where no one likes to rely on anyone, this is a small effort to make the blind independent individuals. This can be achieved using wireless communication, voice recognition and image scanning. The application with the use of object identification will priorly inform about the barriers in the path. The software will use the camera of the device and scan all the obstacles with their corresponding distances from the user. This will be followed by audio instructions through audio output of the device. This will efficiently direct the user through his/her way

Integrating Data Science and Earth Science

This open access book presents the results of three years collaboration between earth scientists and data scientists, in developing and applying data science methods for scientific discovery. The book will be highly beneficial for other researchers at senior and graduate level, interested in applying visual data exploration, computational approaches and scientifc workflows