A new volunteer computing model for data-intensive applications

Volunteer computing is a type of distributed computing in which ordinary people donate computing resources to scientific projects. BOINC is the main middleware system for this type of distributed computing. The aim of volunteer computing is that organizations be able to attain large computing power thanks to the participation of volunteer clients instead of a high investment in infrastructure. There are projects, like the ATLAS@Home project, in which the number of running jobs has reached a plateau, due to a high load on data servers caused by file transfer. This is why we have designed an alternative, using the same BOINC infrastructure, in order to improve the performance of BOINC projects that have reached their limit due to the I/O bottleneck in data servers. This alternative involves having a percentage of the volunteer clients running as data servers, called data volunteers, that improve the performance of the system by reducing the load on data servers. In addition, our solution takes advantage of data locality, leveraging the low network latencies of closer machines. This paper describes our alternative in detail and shows the performance of the solution, applied to 3 different BOINC projects, using a simulator of our own, ComBoS.Spanish MINISTERIO DE ECONOMÍA Y COMPETITIVIDAD, Grant/Award Number: TIN2016-79637-

Galaxy Zoo: Morphological Classification and Citizen Science

We provide a brief overview of the Galaxy Zoo and Zooniverse projects, including a short discussion of the history of, and motivation for, these projects as well as reviewing the science these innovative internet-based citizen science projects have produced so far. We briefly describe the method of applying en-masse human pattern recognition capabilities to complex data in data-intensive research. We also provide a discussion of the lessons learned from developing and running these community--based projects including thoughts on future applications of this methodology. This review is intended to give the reader a quick and simple introduction to the Zooniverse.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure; to be published in Advances in Machine Learning and Data Mining for Astronom

Banking on Vacancy: Homelessness and Real Estate Speculation

Exposes the extent to which vacant buildings and lots permeate our landscape, concentrated in the very communities hardest hit by gentrification and homelessness. We believe vacant property can create housing, parks, urban farms, commercial and cultural space, and jobs -- and this report will prove just what a transformative impact this property could have

Youth Alcohol Access, Consumption, and Consequences in Anchorage, Alaska: 2012 Update

Updates prior report, Youth Alcohol Access, Consumption, and Consequences in Anchorage, Alaska: Identification of Indicators by Marny Rivera and Jennifer McMullen. Report prepared for the Volunteers of America CMCA Project. Anchorage, AK: Justice Center, University of Alaska Anchorage, 15 Dec 2010. (JC 1010.01). (https://scholarworks.alaska.edu/handle/11122/3760).This report identifies indicators of underage drinking in Anchorage, Alaska, which can be used in assessing changes brought about by strategies designed to reduce underage access to alcohol and consequences associated with underage drinking. Indicators are addressed under the categories of underage access to alcohol, social norms and perceptions associated with underage drinking, alcohol consumption patterns, and consequences of underage drinking. Consequences examined include school-related consequences, risky behavior, and legal consequences of underage drinking. Alcohol abuse by people under 21 years of age requiring substance abuse treatment, health and safety consequences of underage drinking, and economic consequences of underage drinking are also discussed.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Grant No. 1U79SP013910-01Acknowledgements / Executive Summary / Introduction / Youth Access to Alcohol / Compliance Checks / Social Norms and Perceptions / Consequences (School-Related Consequences; Risky Behavior and Underage Drinking; Underage Drinking and Driving: Traffic Tickets, Crashes, Injuries and Fatalities; Legal Consequences of Underage Drinking; Alcohol Abuse Requiring Treatment; Health and Safety Consequences of Underage Drinking; Economic Consequences of Underage Drinking) / Data Gap Analysis / References / Appendix - Annotated Bibliography of Survey Source

ESTABLISHMENT OF A NIGHTHAWK MIGRATION MONITORING PROGRAM

The Nighthawk Migration Monitoring Program was initiated in 1997 to study the Common Nighthawk, Chordeiles minor. Modeled after the Hawk Migration Association of North America\u27s hawkwatching methodology, the program enlisted volunteers to record time of day for peak flight, time of season for peak flight, weather conditions affecting migration, and other data. Volunteers were enlisted by establishment of a web­ page and e-mail address, preparation and circulation of a brochure, and through mail. Individual chapters of the Virginia Society of Ornithology and others expressing interest were sent a letter, brochure, a Nighthawk Count Report Form, and an instruction sheet for filling out the daily report form. Fifty-three data sheets were returned by nine individuals from ten locations for a total of 67.15 hours of observation. Two-thousand one hundred seven nighthawks were seen on 24 days between August 9 and October 11, 1997. The time of day for peak flight was within fifteen minutes before and after sunset and the time of the season for peak flight was the last week of August. Nighthawks were observed migrating in wind speeds up to 38 km/hr and clear to partly cloudy skies. Data was inconclusive on wind direction and use of leading lines by migrants. Based on the first year\u27s results, changes are being made in the program\u27s design and plans are being made to expand it in upcoming years

Newmarket Open Space Conservation Plan

Open spaces – forests, fields, wetlands, floodplains, salt marshes, rivers and streams – are integral to our community. These lands and waters that thread through our neighborhoods are a scenic reminder of our history, when people made their living by working the land. Yet we still depend on these open spaces for our health and our wellbeing. These places provide many “services” such as clean air, flood control, filtering pollutants and purifying drinking water, natural pest control, plant pollination, cooler summer temperatures, and areas for relaxing, exercising and recreating. Collectively these can be thought of as a “natural services network” – a minimum framework or backbone of open spaces that offer these services to all of us regardless of age, income, or points of view. New Hampshire is transforming from a largely rural state to a mostly urban and suburban one. This trend will continue at a rapid pace as the State is expected to grow by 358,000 people (or more than 28%) from 2000 to 2025. Most of this growth will occur in the four southeastern counties, with the Town of Newmarket in the heart of this growth area. The major land use trends include loss of unfragmented forestland, lack of protected lands around public water supplies and aquifers, and loss of intact wetlands and wildlife habitat (SPNHF 2005). Many communities, including the residents of Newmarket, have acknowledged these changes and the need to conserve special places and ecosystems by supporting land use planning tools, natural resource inventories, conservation funds, and stewardship of lands. Since 2001, 83 New Hampshire towns have passed open space bond issues or appropriated funds for land acquisition worth more than $135 million (NH Center for Land Conservation Assistance). In 2002, Newmarket residents overwhelmingly passed a$2 million land acquisition bond. Landowners in our community have generously donated interest in land or easements to ensure that conservation values are protected in perpetuity. This support for land and water conservation that benefits all of us is a tribute to the community land ethic in our region. The Town of Newmarket boasts a rich diversity of natural habitats and associated plants and animals. The Lamprey and Piscassic Rivers, Great Bay Estuary, and Tuttle Swamp, to name just a few, all contribute to the sense of place and allure of the town (Map 1). Balancing the preservation of open space with responsible development, long maintained as a priority by Newmarket citizens, business owners and town officials, is necessary, as growth and all its requisite accompaniments present increasing challenges. Recent concerns about the availability of drinking water for Newmarket residents and businesses as well as the floods of 2006 reflect these challenges. As Newmarket continues to grow, so will concern over loss of natural areas, recreational opportunities, and the quality of life that residents have long enjoyed. Maintaining a network of rivers and wetlands, forests and fields throughout Newmarket for the health of the land and people requires vision, support, and action. In 1991, the Town of Newmarket hired the Smart Associates to prepare a Natural Resource Inventory and Conservation Plan. This was the beginning of efforts by the Conservation Commission to conserve important lands identified in the “Smart Report.” In the fifteen years that have elapsed since the Smart Report, Newmarket has undergone many changes, highlighting the need to revisit the current state of natural resources within the community. The Open Space Commission and Conservation Commission have led recent efforts to identify and protect conservation and recreation areas. The Planning Board and staff have led in creating effective land use planning tools that conserve open spaces while allowing orderly and thoughtful development. Together, Newmarket Open Space Conservation Plan Page 7 of 94 these boards applied for a grant from the NH Estuaries Project (NHEP) Technical Assistance Program in 2006 to develop an Open Space Plan. The NHEP awarded the grant of $6,200 to Ibis Wildlife Consulting to work with the Town of Newmarket to prepare this Plan