Image Recognition of Disease-Carrying Insects: A System for Combating Infectious Diseases Using Image Classification Techniques and Citizen Science

We propose a system that assists infectious disease experts in the rapid identification of potential outbreaks resulting from arboviruses (mosquito, ticks, and other arthropod-borne viruses). The proposed system currently identifies mosquito larvae in images received from citizen scientists. Mosquito-borne viruses, such as the recent outbreak of Zika virus, can have devastating consequences in affected communities. We describe the first implemented prototype of our system, which includes modules for image collection, training of image classifiers, specimen recognition, and expert validation and analytics. The results of the recognition of specimens in images provided by citizen scientists can be used to generate visualizations of geographical regions of interest where the threat of an arbovirus may be imminent. Our system uses state-of-the-art image classification algorithms and a combination of mobile and desktop applications to ensure that crucial information is shared appropriately and accordingly among its users

GLOBE Mosquito Habitat Mapper Citizen Science Data 2017–2020

The GLOBE Program\u27s GLOBE Observer application is a free citizen science mobile data collection and visualization tool compatible with iOS and Android operating systems. Citizen scientists armed with the app can report the mosquito larval habitats they identify using the GLOBE Mosquito Habitat Mapper tool. This data can complement the climate, weather, and land cover data obtained from satellite measurements by scientists who develop risk models for mosquito-borne diseases. Public participation in mosquito surveillance research provides the opportunity to obtain the volume, velocity and variety of data needed to fight the threat of vector-borne diseases, especially in under-resourced communities with minimal to no municipal surveillance and mitigation services. GLOBE Mosquito Habitat Mappers document and describe potential and active mosquito larval habitats in and around their homes and communities. An easy-to-use pictorial interface enables users to geolocate and describe oviposition sites encountered, count and identify mosquito larvae, and when appropriate, eliminate the larval habitats. During Mosquito Habitat Mapper\u27s first 3 years of use, over 24,000 data observations have been reported throughout the world. This technical report summarizes GLOBE Mosquito Habitat Mapper data reported by GLOBE citizen scientists from three regions: Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Localized mosquito larvae distribution patterns were examined by comparing data collected in three cities in Senegal–Dakar, Touba, and Thilmakha. The Senegal data show habitat and genera differences among mosquitoes identified by citizen scientists in the cities and illustrates the potential of the app for community-based surveillance and research

Citizen Science as an Approach for Responding to the Threat of 'Anopheles stephensi' in Africa

Even as novel technologies emerge and medicines advance, pathogen-transmitting mosquitoes pose a deadly and accelerating public health threat. Detecting and mitigating the spread of Anopheles stephensi in Africa is now critical to the fight against malaria, as this invasive mosquito poses urgent and unprecedented risks to the continent. Unlike typical African vectors of malaria, An. stephensi breeds in both natural and artificial water reservoirs, and flourishes in urban environments. With An. stephensi beginning to take hold in heavily populated settings, citizen science surveillance supported by novel artificial intelligence (AI) technologies may offer impactful opportunities to guide public health decisions and community-based interventions. Coalitions like the Global Mosquito Alert Consortium (GMAC) and our freely available digital products can be incorporated into enhanced surveillance of An. stephensi and other vector-borne public health threats. By connecting local citizen science networks with global databases that are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR), we are leveraging a powerful suite of tools and infrastructure for the early detection of, and rapid response to, (re)emerging vectors and diseases

Integrating Global Citizen Science Platforms to Enable Next-Generation Surveillance of Invasive and Vector Mosquitoes

Este artículo contiene 24 páginas, 6 figuras.Mosquito-borne diseases continue to ravage humankind with >700 million infections and nearly one million deaths every year. Yet only a small percentage of the >3500 mosquito species transmit diseases, necessitating both extensive surveillance and precise identification. Unfortunately, such efforts are costly, time-consuming, and require entomological expertise. As envisioned by the Global Mosquito Alert Consortium, citizen science can provide a scalable solution. However, disparate data standards across existing platforms have thus far precluded truly global integration. Here, utilizing Open Geospatial Consortium standards, we harmonized four data streams from three established mobile apps—Mosquito Alert, iNaturalist, and GLOBE Observer’s Mosquito Habitat Mapper and Land Cover—to facilitate interoperability and utility for researchers, mosquito control personnel, and policymakers. We also launched coordinated media campaigns that generated unprecedented numbers and types of observations, including successfully capturing the first images of targeted invasive and vector species. Additionally, we leveraged pooled image data to develop a toolset of artificial intelligence algorithms for future deployment in taxonomic and anatomical identification. Ultimately, by harnessing the combined powers of citizen science and artificial intelligence, we establish a next-generation surveillance framework to serve as a united front to combat the ongoing threat of mosquito-borne diseases worldwide.This research was funded by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. IIS-2014547 to R.M.C., S.C., R.D.L. and A.B. The GLOBE Observer app and citizen science programming are supported through National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) cooperative agreement NNX16AE28A to the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) for the NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC, PI: Theresa Schwerin). F.B. and J.R.B.P. acknowledge funding from: (a) the European Commission, under Grants CA17108 (AIM-COST Action), 874735 (VEO), 853271 (H-MIP), and 2020/2094 (NextGenerationEU, through CSIC’s Global Health Platform, PTI Salud Global); (b) the Dutch National Research Agenda (NWA), under Grant NWA/00686468; and (c) “la Caixa” Foundation, under Grant HR19-00336.Peer reviewe

GLOBE Observer Data: 2016–2019

This technical report summarizes the GLOBE Observer data set from 1 April 2016 to 1 December 2019. GLOBE Observer is an ongoing NASA‐sponsored international citizen science project that is part of the larger Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program, which has been in operation since 1995. GLOBE Observer has the greatest number of participants and geographic coverage of the citizen science projects in the Earth Science Division at NASA. Participants use the GLOBE Observer mobile app (launched in 2016) to collect atmospheric, hydrologic, and terrestrial observations. The app connects participants to satellite observations from Aqua, Terra, CALIPSO, GOES, Himawari, and Meteosat. Thirty‐eight thousand participants have contributed 320,000 observations worldwide, including 1,000,000 georeferenced photographs. It would take an individual more than 13 years to replicate this effort. The GLOBE Observer app has substantially increased the spatial extent and sampling density of GLOBE measurements and more than doubled the number of measurements collected through the GLOBE Program. GLOBE Observer data are publicly available (at observer.globe.gov)

Geoscience Education Perspectives on Integrated, Coordinated, Open, Networked (ICON) Science

Practitioners and researchers in geoscience education embrace collaboration applying ICON (Integrated, Coordinated, Open science, and Networked) principles and approaches ICON principles and approaches have been used to create and share large collections of educational resources, to move forward collective priorities, and to foster peer-learning among educators. These strategies can also support the advancement of coproduction between geoscientists and diverse communities. For this reason, many authors from the geoscience education community have co-created three commentaries on the use and future of ICON in geoscience education. We envision that sharing our expertise with ICON practice will be useful to other geoscience communities seeking to strengthen collaboration. Geoscience education brings substantial expertise in social science research and its application to building individual and collective capacity to address earth sustainability and equity issues at local to global scales The geoscience education community has expanded its own ICON capacity through access to and use of shared resources and research findings, enhancing data sharing and publication, and leadership development. We prioritize continued use of ICON principles to develop effective and inclusive communities that increase equity in geoscience education and beyond, support leadership and full participation of systemically non-dominant groups and enable global discussions and collaborations

Promoting the Study of Natural Resources in K-12 Classrooms: Developing Active Professional Learning Communities for Science Educators On-Line

Laboratory Earth originated as a series of graduate courses offered to K-12 teachers by the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The scientific content of the courses is congruent with topics identified in the National Science Education Standards and is designed to meet a variety of learning styles and appeal to teachers’ motivation to learn the content and improve their teaching. These graduate-level courses consist of four modules , are taught entirely on-line, and are part of a 36 credit hour graduate program, Science for Educators specialization in a Masters of Applied Science program at UNL. The Laboratory Earth program has grown in scope--from an initial three to six Lab Earth courses, as well as in sophistication of delivery. Course activities now include group projects interacting with on-line climate models and GIS software, as well as synchronous virtual chats and lectures using no-cost meeting software such as EVO and Join.me. Web 2.0 technologies sought out by the participants themselves are now complementing the Content Management System hosting the course at the university. Pre- and post-course surveys indicated significant increases in teachers‘ (n=51) content knowledge, science teaching efficacy beliefs (STEBI- A), sense of community within the course (LEO) and science teaching enjoyment (STES). Qualitative data indicated teachers valued the cohort system, content aligned to teaching needs, and the instructor’s response to requested feedback. Participants in the Lab Earth program find on-line learning an attractive professional development option. Throughout the Great Plains and western United States, many rural teachers live as far as 200 miles from an institution of higher education. For those teachers, participation in on-line courses provides an opportunity to be part of a vibrant and active professional learning community, where they can accumulate graduate credit while developing expertise and lesson plans that they can use in their own classroom. We have teachers who continue to take classes after graduation because of the value they see in continuing professional development within a community of dedicated professionals, developing and sharing lesson plans and inquiry-based activities, and tackling challenges they face in their classrooms together

Using Authentic Science in the Classroom: NASA’s Coordinated Efforts to Enhance STEM Education

A key NASA education goal is to attract and retain students in science, technology engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. When teachers engage students in the examination of authentic data derived from NASA satellite missions, they simultaneously build 21st century technology skills as well as core content knowledge about the Earth and space. In this session, we highlight coordinated efforts by NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Education and Public Outreach (EPO) programs to enhance educator accessibility to data resources, distribute state-of-the-art data tools and expand pathways for educators to find and use data resources. The group discussion explores how NASA SMD EPO efforts can further improve teacher access to authentic NASA data, identifies the types of tools and lessons most requested by the community, and explores how communication and collaboration between product developers and classroom educators using data tools and products can be enhanced

The Wicked Problem of Food Security: Modules that Promote Interdisciplinary and Systems Thinking Using AGO

Over the next several decades, food security will continue to be one of the most pressing issues facing our planet. With this in mind, three professors from different disciplinary backgrounds, cultural geography, geosciences, and science education, created a 3-week module on food security using ArcGIS Online to integrate social and environmental datasets. The interdisciplinary module was designed for online and face-to-face venues and tested in different classroom contexts: geography, environmental science, and sustainability. During our presentation, we will discuss the three-week module, where we have taken an Earth systems approach to understand and address world food insecurity issues, and explore how social, economic, and political factors impact decision making and can improve or compromise the biogeochemical interactions provided by the Earth system as they pertain to food production. Students will explore the very factors that cause food insecurity (including climate, socio-economic, and physical) through readings, lecture, case studies, and geospatial analysis using ArcGIS Online. The module culminates with a small research project on food security in three localities, urban New York City, rural Nebraska, and developing islands in the Caribbean. AGO web maps with environmental and social datasets were created for each locality that students used in their final projects. The food security module is available through the SERC InTeGrate website. This session will show how the materials in the module can be used as well as how they were made, so that instructors will know how to create their own modules that include AGO

What We Need: The 2012 NASA EPO Forum Survey on Two-Year College STEM Teaching

A survey of community college STEM faculty, administered by the NASA SMD Higher Education Working Group (HEWG), was administered in fall 2012 in an effort to document the demographic make-up and views of community college faculty who teach NASA science-related STEM courses in astronomy, physics, Earth science, and engineering. Nearly half of respondents reported that less than 10% of students in their classroom are “STEMward bound” and indicated the need for STEM resources that can relate science course content and be relevant to the daily life of their students. A number of respondents also noted a new or renewed emphasis on outreach activities within the community served by their institution as part of their job description. The survey suggests specific directions and ways that the NASA SMD EPO forum can support two-year college stakeholders