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At least 271 records · Page 15

Leveraging History to Predict Infrequent Abnormal Transfers in Distributed Workflows

Scientific computing heavily relies on data shared by the community, especially in distributed data-intensive applications. This research focuses on predicting slow connections that create bottlenecks in distributed workflows. In this study, we analyze network traffic logs collected between January 2021 and August 2022 at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC). Based on the observed patterns, we define a set of features primarily based on history for identifying low-performing data transfers. Typically, there are far fewer slow connections on well-maintained networks, which creates difficulty in learning to identify these abnormally slow connections from the normal ones. We devise several stratified sampling techniques to address the class-imbalance challenge and study how they affect the machine learning approaches. Our tests show that a relatively simple technique that undersamples the normal cases to balance the number of samples in two classes (normal and slow) is very effective for model training. This model predicts slow connections with an F1 score of 0.926.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Using Block-local Atomicity to Detect Stale-value Concurrency Errors

Data races do not cover all kinds of concurrency errors. This paper presents a data-flow-based technique to find stale-value errors, which are not found by low-level and high-level data race algorithms. Stale values denote copies of shared data where the copy is no longer synchronized. The algorithm to detect such values works as a consistency check that does not require any assumptions or annotations of the program. It has been implemented as a static analysis in JNuke. The analysis is sound and requires only a single execution trace if implemented as a run-time checking algorithm. Being based on an analysis of Java bytecode, it encompasses the full program semantics, including arbitrarily complex expressions. Related techniques are more complex and more prone to over-reporting.

Artho, Cyrille↗

Influence Network: Network visualization of influence between stories for Earth Science data and information exploration

Using storytelling to present data has been demonstrated as an effective way to help data users gain deeper insight of information. For this purpose, the “Data in Action” story concept has been adopted by NASA Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition (CSDA) Program to encourage creating and sharing data information in story form. To aid researchers in exploring similar stories and data in their fields of interest, we created an “Influence Network” within the “Data in Action” framework. The Influence Network is a data visualization system component which gathers information of story relationships using a concept called “influence,” which we define based on the number of visits and keyword similarity between stories. The visualization then provides insights into the influence flows between different stories within the system. The visualization of this “Influence Network” focuses on one story at a time, introducing a time series of neighbor stories that have the most influence to the currently focused story. By focusing on views over time and visualizing influence flows between stories, we aim to assist authors in understanding how their readers perceive their stories as well as advancing their methods for delivering more meaningful stories to expand and lower the barrier to use of CSDA datasets.

Dan Pham↗

Modern Integrated Decommissioning at Chalk River Laboratories - 19401

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), formerly Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) is Canada's premier nuclear science and technology (S and T) organization in Canada. Over the next decade, CNL will be transforming its many different sites through the revitalization of essential site infrastructure, the decommissioning of aging infrastructure and a significant investment in new, world-class science facilities. In particular, the main site for CNL resides at the Chalk River Laboratories (CRL), where the majority of parallel activities of revitalization and decommissioning will take place. In 2016, CRL started an ambitious ten year plan to decommission more than 120 buildings. In order to ensure this project remains on track and the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principle is maintained, a strategy is required. This strategy is to focus on integrated activities, which meet/exceed international best practices, to ensure the work is carried out as efficiently as possible. Given the complexity of CRL operations and the legacy issues accumulated over 60 years of operation, CNL needed to adopt a modern and integrated approach to handle competing project priorities. As a starting point, achieving complete radiological characterization of many building structures is required. CNL engaged various vendors to modernize radiological surveys from paper records to electronic documentation, deploying modern survey tools such as data-logging instruments, gamma cameras, robotic surveying tools, and introducing tablets to improve the flow of information while workers are in the field. Once fully implemented, these improvements will ensure that quality information is readily available at all stages of decommissioning, which greatly reduces project schedules and results in important company savings. These techniques will ensure that, during planning, historic radiological survey data is easily searchable from the electronic documentation system. Any additional data required can be quickly and safety collected using robotic surveying tools in areas of higher radiation to reduce possible exposure to individuals. As decommissioning progresses, individuals in the field can use tablets, gamma cameras and data-logging instruments to accurately retrieve, collect and share data. As a result of these efforts, CNL is progressing towards becoming a leader in the field of decommissioning within Canada, applying modern techniques and best practices to reduce decommissioning project risk. Access to high quality information results in improved decommissioning plans, which will reduce the amount of rework and scheduling delays required and improve worker safety as the project is executed. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Streamlining Stakeholder Data Accessibility Utilizing Web-Based GIS Capabilities - 18672

Environmental data is often complex, and it can be difficult to provide proper context to fully understand and comprehensively analyze the data. One tool identified to better present complicated data is the use of web-based Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Web-based GIS provides much-needed visual context to the complex data collected at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). By overlaying environmental data atop relevant geographical features, such as topography, surface or subsurface geology, hydrogeological features, buildings, roads, and technical areas, LANL's diverse group of stakeholders are better able to understand environmental data collected at the LANL site within the framework of the surrounding geography. Since 2012, Los Alamos has utilized a web-based GIS module in the Intellus New Mexico data-sharing web site. This web site provides unfettered public access to LANL and New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) - Department of Energy (DOE) Oversight Bureau environmental data. Through the past five years of real world experience, LANL identified areas where questions and confusion arose, particularly for those not directly associated with the site's environmental cleanup mission. In order to query the millions of records in Intellus in a meaningful way, users had to have substantial knowledge of the data organization and nomenclature ahead of time. While this was not a challenge for LANL and NMED environmental scientists, it proved to be a substantial barrier for members of the general public to utilize Intellus. In 2017, LANL initiated an Intellus redesign with the goal of deconstructing the type of questions people asked and identifying the types of user personas accessing the site to engineer a simpler path to desired data sets. Greatly simplified click paths ('Quick Paths') were created that walk the user through the basics with a minimum of jargon and a strong reliance on mapping results for easy visualization. The improved mapping was enabled by an upgraded online GIS functionality that allowed LANL to easily integrate their own base-maps to provide users the most up to date views of their data. The integrated Intellus GIS was enhanced to assimilate with LANL's dynamic base maps and site information in relation to data collection activities, to avoid outdated presentations. A simplified user interface (UI) was added and easier data querying was designed. A more robust visual presentation was created that allowed better viewing of spatial data. All data queries in the new simplified 'Quick Path' give the users the option to map the results and save their results to their optional accounts. This brings the power of GIS visualization to all users without the need for GIS knowledge or extensive training. By integrating with Esri{sup R} technologies, base-map layers in ArcGIS Online{sup R} can be updated by LANL or other data providers at any time and reflected immediately in the Intellus mapping application called GIS+ 1. Users can even load additional map layers to GIS+ that contain their own spatial data or information shared from over a million users on ArcGIS Online{sup R}, such as ecological information from the Fish and Wildlife Service, or geology layers from the USGS. The results from the improved quick path search in Intellus can be viewed in GIS+ and analyzed using Esri's{sup R} Smart Mapping technology, which makes it easy to classify results with its visual representation of the results in an interactive histogram, where sliders can be dragged to look at various intervals for each color range for that query. With enhanced GIS+, Los Alamos National Laboratory is able to observe improve Stakeholder engagement and positive Stakeholder interactions within its public environmental database, Intellus New Mexico. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Integration of evidence across human and model organism studies: A meeting report

The National Institute on Drug Abuse and Joint Institute for Biological Sciences at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory hosted a meeting attended by a diverse group of scientists with expertise in substance use disorders (SUDs), computational biology, and FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) data sharing. The meeting's objective was to discuss and evaluate better strategies to integrate genetic, epigenetic, and 'omics data across human and model organisms to achieve deeper mechanistic insight into SUDs. Specific topics were to (a) evaluate the current state of substance use genetics and genomics research and fundamental gaps, (b) identify opportunities and challenges of integration and sharing across species and data types, (c) identify current tools and resources for integration of genetic, epigenetic, and phenotypic data, (d) discuss steps and impediment related to data integration, and (e) outline future steps to support more effective collaboration—particularly between animal model research communities and human genetics and clinical research teams. This review summarizes key facets of this catalytic discussion with a focus on new opportunities and gaps in resources and knowledge on SUDs.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Enabling Model Organism and Commercial Astronaut Data Access Through the NASA Open Science Data Repository

NASA’s Open Science Data Repository (OSDR) brings together omics data from NASA’s GeneLab project and non-omics data, including physiological, phenotypic, imaging, and behavioral data from NASA’s Ames Life Sciences Data Archive (ALSDA) collected from decades of space biology research, providing open and FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) access of these precious data to scientists world-wide. This rich source of meticulously curated metadata and data from spaceflight and analog studies has been mined by the scientific community resulting in dozens of high impact scientific publications that reveals a complex network of molecular and physiological effects of spaceflight across living systems, from microbes to plants, to mammals. Understanding how these effects translate to the human condition is critical as we move deeper into the era of commercial space travel. However, the integration of data, specifically omics data, from astronauts is particularly challenging due to their sensitive nature. OSDR has risen to this challenge by developing a mechanism to control access to identifiable levels of omics data, such as raw sequence data, while enabling public access to processed, unidentifiable, data and associated metadata that will allow the scientific community to interrogate human astronaut data alongside data from model organisms to begin answering these critical questions. The 2021 SpaceX Inspiration4 (I4) mission collected a comprehensive atlas of biological measurements from four civilian astronauts, providing a wealth of data to characterize the effects of spaceflight on the human body. These data include both non-omics and omics assays such as direct RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), single nuclei ATAC-seq and RNA-seq, metagenomics, proteomics, and comprehensive metabolic and cytokine panels, all of which have been integrated into the OSDR system across no less than 9 studies. Each study has been carefully curated using community-backed OSDR standards for sample and assay level metadata ensuring these data are findable and accessible. In addition to hosting both raw and processed data from the principal investigator team for each assay type, the GeneLab team plans to re-process the I4 omics data using GeneLab’s standard processing pipelines. The GeneLab processed data outputs will allow for comparisons across studies on OSDR and enable visualization of these data through the OSDR data visualization platform thereby enabling data reusability and interoperability. Here we describe the robust privacy and security protocols implemented by OSDR to safeguard sensitive health data from astronauts while facilitating metadata and processed data sharing for research purposes. We further provide a road map for navigating the vast amount of data provided for each I4 study on the OSDR, including experimental design, associated experiments, payloads, and missions, data generation and analysis protocols, and associated scientific articles. Additionally, we illustrate how to interrogate the standardized metadata provided in the sample and assay tables as well as various means to download and access the data including programmatically through the GeneLab Open API (GLOpenAPI). The open access of datasets in NASA’s OSDR provides a unique opportunity for the scientific community, as well as citizen scientists and students, to continue using OSDR resources to further unlock profound insights into the consequences of space travel on the human body. Through implementation of security measures to protect sensitive human data, the OSDR seeks to strengthen the science exchange between the Biological and Physical Sciences Program and the Human Research Program, per recommendation 4-1 of the 2023-2032 Decadal Survey, and encourage further sharing and dissemination of astronaut data to provide the scientific community with the resources needed to lay the groundwork for developing targeted mitigation strategies to help withstand the rigors of long-duration spaceflight.

Amanda Marie Saravia-butler↗

Open Humans: A platform for participant-centered research and personal data exploration

Background: Many aspects of our lives are now digitized and connected to the internet. As a result, individuals are now creating and collecting more personal data than ever before. This offers an unprecedented chance for human-participant research ranging from the social sciences to precision medicine. With this potential wealth of data comes practical problems (e.g., how to merge data streams from various sources), as well as ethical problems (e.g., how best to balance risks and benefits when enabling personal data sharing by individuals). Results: To begin to address these problems in real time, we present Open Humans, a community-based platform that enables personal data collections across data streams, giving individuals more personal data access and control of sharing authorizations, and enabling academic research as well as patient-led projects. We showcase data streams that Open Humans combines (e.g., personal genetic data, wearable activity monitors, GPS location records, and continuous glucose monitor data), along with use cases of how the data facilitate various projects. Conclusions: Open Humans highlights how a community-centric ecosystem can be used to aggregate personal data from various sources, as well as how these data can be used by academic and citizen scientists through practical, iterative approaches to sharing that strive to balance considerations with participant autonomy, inclusion, and privacy.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Positron emission tomography harmonization in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative: A scalable and rigorous approach to multisite amyloid and tau quantification

Abstract INTRODUCTION A key goal of the Alzheimer's Disease NeuroImaging Initiative (ADNI) positron emission tomography (PET) Core is to harmonize quantification of β‐amyloid (Aβ) and tau PET image data across multiple scanners and tracers. METHODS We developed an analysis pipeline (Berkeley PET Imaging Pipeline, B‐PIP) for ADNI Aβ and tau PET images and applied it to PET data from other multisite studies. Steps include image pre‐processing, refacing, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/PET co‐registration, visual quality control (QC), quantification of tracer uptake, and standardization of Aβ and tau standardized uptake value ratios (SUVrs) across tracers. RESULTS Measurements from 10,105 cross‐sectional and longitudinal Aβ and tau PET scans acquired in several studies between 2010 and 2024 can be processed, harmonized, and directly merged across tracers and cohorts. DISCUSSION The B‐PIP developed in ADNI is a scalable image harmonization approach used in several observational studies and clinical trials that facilitates rigorous Aβ and tau PET quantification and data sharing. Highlights Quantitative results from ADNI Aβ and tau PET data are generated using a rigorous, scalable image processing pipeline This pipeline has been applied to PET data from several other large, multisite studies and trials Quantitative outcomes are harmonizable across studies and are shared with the scientific community

Neurosciences & Neurology↗

A NWB-based dataset and processing pipeline of human single-neuron activity during a declarative memory task

A challenge for data sharing in systems neuroscience is the multitude of different data formats used. Neurodata Without Borders: Neurophysiology 2.0 (NWB:N) has emerged as a standardized data format for the storage of cellular-level data together with meta-data, stimulus information, and behavior. A key next step to facilitate NWB:N adoption is to provide easy to use processing pipelines to import/export data from/to NWB:N. Here, we present a NWB-formatted dataset of 1863 single neurons recorded from the medial temporal lobes of 59 human subjects undergoing intracranial monitoring while they performed a recognition memory task. We provide code to analyze and export/import stimuli, behavior, and electrophysiological recordings to/from NWB in both MATLAB and Python. The data files are NWB:N compliant, which affords interoperability between programming languages and operating systems. This combined data and code release is a case study for how to utilize NWB:N for human single-neuron recordings and enables easy re-use of this hard-to-obtain data for both teaching and research on the mechanisms of human memory.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Development of a graphical display on the DMS test bed

The DMS test bed is a model of a data network aboard space station. Users of the network share data relevant to the functional status of various systems aboard the station. Users may inquire the status of myriad sensors, obtaining reading of station subsystem status in real time via the Data Acquisition and Distribution Service. A graphical display of the status of a simulation of the Environmental Control and Life Support System was developed. Two broad issues were addressed: (1) flexible, extensible software design; and (2) the impact of utilizing standard processors, languages, and graphics packages implementing the software design concept. The experience gained with DEC hardware, the DEC implementation of the GKS graphics standard, and with Ada is summarized.

Donnelly, Robert A.↗

Fleet DNA Phase 1 Refinement & Phase 2 Implementation; NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Fleet DNA acts as a secure data warehouse for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle data. It demonstrates that vehicle drive cycle data can be collected and stored for large-scale analysis and modeling applications. The data serve as a real-world data source for model development and validation. Storage of the results of past/present/future data collection efforts improves analysis efficiency through pooling of shared data and provides the opportunity for 'big data' type analyses. Fleet DNA shows it is possible to develop a common database structure that can store/analyze/report on data sourced from multiple parties, each with unique data formats/types. Data filtration and normalization algorithms developed for the project allow for a wide range of data types and inputs, expanding the project’s potential. Fleet DNA demonstrates the power of integrating Big Data with existing and future tools and analyses: it provides an enhanced understanding and education of users, users can explore greenhouse gases and economic opportunities via AFLEET and ADOPT modeling, drive cycles can be characterized and visualized using DRIVE, high-level vehicle modeling can be performed using real-world drive cycles via FASTSim, and data reporting through Fleet DNA Phase 1 and 2 websites provides external users access to analysis results and gives the opportunity to explore on their own.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Comparison of Deterministic and Statistical Models for Water Quality Compliance Forecasting in the San Joaquin River Basin, California

Model selection for water quality forecasting depends on many factors including analyst expertise and cost, stakeholder involvement and expected performance. Water quality forecasting in arid river basins is especially challenging given the importance of protecting beneficial uses in these environments and the livelihood of agricultural communities. In the agriculture-dominated San Joaquin River Basin of California, real-time salinity management (RTSM) is a state-sanctioned program that helps to maximize allowable salt export while protecting existing basin beneficial uses of water supply. The RTSM strategy supplants the federal total maximum daily load (TMDL) approach that could impose fines associated with exceedances of monthly and annual salt load allocations of up to $1 million per year based on average year hydrology and salt load export limits. The essential components of the current program include the establishment of telemetered sensor networks, a web-based information system for sharing data, a basin-scale salt load assimilative capacity forecasting model and institutional entities tasked with performing weekly forecasts of river salt assimilative capacity and scheduling west-side drainage export of salt loads. Web-based information portals have been developed to share model input data and salt assimilative capacity forecasts together with increasing stakeholder awareness and involvement in water quality resource management activities in the river basin. Two modeling approaches have been developed simultaneously. The first relies on a statistical analysis of the relationship between flow and salt concentration at three compliance monitoring sites and the use of these regression relationships for forecasting. The second salt load forecasting approach is a customized application of the Watershed Analysis Risk Management Framework (WARMF), a watershed water quality simulation model that has been configured to estimate daily river salt assimilative capacity and to provide decision support for real-time salinity management at the watershed level. Analysis of the results from both model-based forecasting approaches over a period of five years shows that the regression-based forecasting model, run daily Monday to Friday each week, provided marginally better performance. However, the regression-based forecasting model assumes the same general relationship between flow and salinity which breaks down during extreme weather events such as droughts when water allocation cutbacks among stakeholders are not evenly distributed across the basin. A recent test case shows the utility of both models in dealing with an exceedance event at one compliance monitoring site recently introduced in 2020.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

NASA InterCenter Collaboration Increases ROI

Funding for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space mission operations is tighter than ever in the current environment of federal government deficit reductions. Conventional wisdom would expect this environment to drive increasing competition between NASA centers for the limited available funds. However, recent inter-center activities at the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center emphasize collaboration rather than competition and demonstrate the value of partnerships to increase the return on shrinking investments. These efforts cover a variety of activities and potential returns. To facilitate sharing data from test and verification through operations without levying requirements on data format or software tools, the HOSC is working with multiple centers on an evolutionary path toward a distributed data architecture and archive. The approach reduces the required investment by allowing the partners to reuse their existing formats and tools, while facilitating gone ]stop h user visibility into and controlled access to the full complement of data regardless of user or data location. The HOSC is also working on two activities to promote sharing operations implementations and leveraging the experts and expertise across multiple NASA sites. In one, the use of Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) standards for the message abstraction layer provides an interoperability layer on top of existing ground data system communication architectures. This allows missions to select the most appropriate solutions for their requirements with a minimal investment in rehosting the components in a coherent operational environment. The other emphasizes shared tools and increased remote access to minimize travel for tests and critical activities and reduce the floor space required for a dedicated operations center. This paper summarizes these and other inter-center collaboration activities at the HOSC and the benefits that each can bring, not just to the participants, but to the broader operations community.

Lankford, Kimberly↗

Designing a new structure for storing nuclear data: Progress of the Working Party for Evaluation Cooperation subgroup #38

An international effort is underway to design a new structure for storing and using nuclear reaction data, with the goal of eventually replacing the current standard, ENDF-6. This effort, organized by the Working Party for Evaluation Cooperation, was initiated in 2012 and has resulted in a list of requirements and specifications for how the proposed new structure shall perform. The new structure will take advantage of new developments in computational tools, using a nested hierarchy to store data. Here, the structure can be stored in text form (such as an XML file) for human readability and data sharing, or it can be stored in binary to optimize data access. In this paper, we present the progress towards completing the requirements, specifications and implementation of the new structure.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Electronic Visualization Laboratory's 50th Anniversary Retrospective: Look to the Future, Build on the Past

September 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) at University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). EVL's introduction of the CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment in 1992, the first widely replicated, projection-based, walk-in, virtual-reality (VR) system in the world, put EVL at the forefront of collaborative, immersive data exploration and analytics. However, the journey did not begin then. Since its founding in 1973, EVL has been developing tools and techniques for real-time, interactive visualizations—pillars of VR. But EVL's culture is also relevant to its successes, as it has always been an interdisciplinary lab that fosters teamwork, where each person's expertise contributes to the development of the necessary tools, hardware, system software, applications, and human interface models to solve problems. Over the years, as multidisciplinary collaborations evolved and advanced scientific instruments and data resources were distributed globally, the need to access and share data and visualizations while working with colleagues, local and remote, synchronous and asynchronous, also became important fields of study. This paper is a retrospective of EVL's past 50 years that surveys the many networked, immersive, collaborative visualization and VR systems and applications it developed and deployed, as well as lessons learned and future plans.

Johnson, Andrew E.↗

A Functional All-Hazard Approach to Critical Infrastructure Dependency Analysis

The critical infrastructures protection landscape is a vast and varied pattern of independent, but interconnected infrastructure systems that are essential to the function of our modern society. The U.S. policy on critical infrastructure protection has been continually evolving since the “President’s Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection” was published in 1997. In response to these policies, federal, state, and local governments, along with research institutions, have invested a substantial amount of time and effort into identifying and analyzing critical infrastructure, their functions, and dependencies/interdependencies to better understand their vulnerabilities. To date, the ability to assess vulnerabilities, resiliency, and priorities for protecting interdependent critical infrastructure systems from an all-hazards perspective remains a difficult problem. In this paper we introduce the All-Hazards Analysis (AHA) methodology, which provides an integrated functional basis across infrastructure systems, through the implementation of a common language and a scalable level of decomposition to effectively evaluate the resilience of interconnected infrastructure systems. AHA models infrastructure systems as directed multidimensional graphs, which enable the evaluation of cross-sector interdependencies prior to, during, and after disruptive events. Finally, and by design, AHA enables the cross linking of data taxonomies to enable more effective data sharing, such as the National Critical Functions (NCF) and Infrastructure Data Taxonomy (IDT).

02 PETROLEUM↗

Livewire Data Platform: File Standards Version 1.0

This technical document is a user guide to help users of the Livewire Data Platform understand the standards and requirements for storing and sharing data on the Livewire Data Platform.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗