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At least 127 records · Page 7

Using Pilot Jobs and CernVM File System for Simplified Use of Containers and Software Distribution

High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments entail an abundance of computing resources, i.e. sites, to run simulations and analyses by processing data. This requirement is fulfilled by local batch farms, grid sites, private/commercial clouds, and supercomputing centers via High Throughput Computing (HTC). The growing needs of such experiments and resources being prone to trends of heterogeneity make it difficult for physicists to handle these resources directly. Additionally, HEP collaborations heavily rely on data and software releases, typically in the order of tens of gigabytes, while conducting simulations and analyses. Hence, aspects of scalability, reliability, and maintenance become crucial with regards to the distribution of the necessary data and software stack. The GlideinWMS [4] framework helps with the resource management problem by using pilot jobs, aka Glideins, to provision reliable elastic virtual clusters. Glideins are submitted to unreliable heterogeneous resources which are validated and customized by the Glideins to make the worker nodes available for end-user job execution. On the other hand, the CernVM File System (CernVM-FS or CVMFS) [1] helps with data distribution. It is a write-once, read-everywhere filesystem used to deploy scientific software to thousands of nodes on a worldwide distributed computing infrastructure. CVMFS is based on the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol and has been widely used within the particle physics community for (1) distributing experiment software and data such as calibrations, and (2) facilitating containerization by efficiently hosting container images along with providing containerization software, especially Singularity [3] GlideinWMS relies on CVMFS installed locally on the computing resources to satisfy the experiments' software needs. This requires system administrators' effort to install and maintain CVMFS at the sites and limits the use of sites, especially HPC resources, that do not have CVMFS installed. This poster presents a solution, taking advantage of Glideins to provide CVMFS at most sites without the need for a local installation. Doing so expands the pool of resources available for HEP experiments and reduces the effort of system administrators for current resources. Additionally, the proposed solution allows GlideinWMS to also start Singularity [3], a containerization software that can run unprivileged, on sites where neither CVMFS nor Singularity are available, including HPC sites. The benefits provided by this solution are: (1) lower overhead for site administrators in that they have less software to install, (2) an expanded pool of resources that run user jobs with easy access to software and data provided by CVMFS, thus making life easier for the scientists, and (3) improved flexibility to use HPC resources by enabling GlideinWMS pilot jobs to support HPC sites.

Urs, Namratha↗

End-Use Load Profiles for the U.S. Building Stock: Practical Guidance on Accessing and Using the Data

This report describes example applications and considerations for using the National Renewable Energy Lab’s ResStock and ComStock end use load profiles (EULP). The report begins with an introduction to the three year project, and then provides instructions on accessing the EULP data and considerations for using the EULP and limitations of the data. The remainder of the report is on EULP use cases, including a variety of electricity planning use cases.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Mapping of terrain by computer clustering techniques using multispectral scanner data and using color aerial film

Two clustering techniques were used for terrain mapping by computer of test sites in Yellowstone National Park. One test was made with multispectral scanner data using a composite technique which consists of (1) a strictly sequential statistical clustering which is a sequential variance analysis, and (2) a generalized K-means clustering. In this composite technique, the output of (1) is a first approximation of the cluster centers. This is the input to (2) which consists of steps to improve the determination of cluster centers by iterative procedures. Another test was made using the three emulsion layers of color-infrared aerial film as a three-band spectrometer. Relative film densities were analyzed using a simple clustering technique in three-color space. Important advantages of the clustering technique over conventional supervised computer programs are (1) human intervention, preparation time, and manipulation of data are reduced, (2) the computer map, gives unbiased indication of where best to select the reference ground control data, (3) use of easy to obtain inexpensive film, and (4) the geometric distortions can be easily rectified by simple standard photogrammetric techniques.

Smedes, H. W.↗

Monitoring the evolving land use patterns using remote sensing

The urbanization of Walnut Valley from 1953-71 prompted land use change from intensive von Thunen market-oriented patterns to extensive, disinvested, production-factor-minimized patterns. Shortrun, interim land use planning, has allowed agriculture to persist but only in the form of barley farming and grazing. Aerial photography used synoptically recorded six periods of land use change that bracketed dates before and after the freeway was announced and built. Interpretations of these changes help recognize potential conversions to urban uses which allow guidelines to be established that deal with rural-urban transition problems before they arise.

Goehring, D. R.↗

A detailed procedure for the use of small-scale photography in land use classification

A procedure developed to produce accurate land use maps from available high-altitude, small-scale photography in a cost-effective manner is presented. An alternative procedure, for use when the capability for updating the resultant land use map is not required, is also presented. The technical approach is discussed in detail, and personnel and equipment needs are analyzed. Accuracy percentages are listed, and costs are cited. The experiment land use classification categories are explained, and a proposed national land use classification system is recommended.

Vegas, P. L.↗

A procedure for automated land use mapping using remotely sensed multispectral scanner data

A system of processing remotely sensed multispectral scanner data by computer programs to produce color-coded land use maps for large areas is described. The procedure is explained, the software and the hardware are described, and an analogous example of the procedure is presented. Detailed descriptions of the multispectral scanners currently in use are provided together with a summary of the background of current land use mapping techniques. The data analysis system used in the procedure and the pattern recognition software used are functionally described. Current efforts by the NASA Earth Resources Laboratory to evaluate operationally a less complex and less costly system are discussed in a separate section.

Whitley, S. L.↗

Toward the modeling of land use change: A spatial analysis using remote sensing and historical data

It was hypothesized that the chronological observation of land use change could be shown to follow a predictable pattern and these patterns could be correlated with other statistical data to develop transition probabilities suitable for modeling purposes. A literature review and preliminary research, however, indicated a totally stochastic approach was not practical for simulating land use change and thus a more deterministic approach was adopted. The approach used assumes the determinants of the land use conversion process are found in the market place, where land transactions among buyers and sellers occur. Only one side of the market transaction process is studied, however, namely, the purchaser's desires in securing an ideal or suitable site. The problem was to identify the ideal qualities, quantities or attributes desired in an industrial site (or housing development), and to formulate a general algorithmic statement capable of identifying potential development sites. Research procedures involved developing a list of variables previously noted in the literature to be related to site selection and streamlining the list to a set suitable for statistical testing. A sample of 157 industries which have located (or relocated) in the 16-county Knoxville metropolitan region since 1950 was selected for industrial location analysis. Using NASA color infrared photography and Tennessee Valley Authority historical aerial photography, data were collected on the spatial characteristics of each industrial location event. These data were then subjected to factor analysis to determine the interrelations of variables.

Honea, R. B.↗

Techniques for land use change detection using Landsat imagery

A variety of procedures were developed for the delineation of areas of land use change using Landsat Multispectral Scanner data and the generation of statistics revealing the nature of the changes involved (i.e., number of acres changed from rural to urban). Techniques of the Image Based Information System were utilized in all stages of the procedure, from logging the Landsat data and registering two frames of imagery, to extracting the changed areas and printing tabulations of land use change in acres. Two alternative methods of delineating land use change are presented while enumerating the steps of the entire process. The Houston, Texas urban area, and the Orlando, Florida urban area, are used as illustrative examples of various procedures.

Angelici, G. L.↗

Urban land use classification using synthetic aperture radar

Several approaches to the use of radar imagery for land use classification of urban and near-urban areas are presented. The use of L band, horizontal transmit, and horizontal receive data is emphasized because of their general availability. For urban area studies using imaging radar, the effects of processing in an off-zero Doppler or squint mode, of the presence of large diffuse scatters, and of the possibility of height measurements are discussed. Data from the Los Angeles area are illustratively used.

Bryan, M. L.↗

Use of system identification techniques for improving airframe finite element models using test data

A method for using system identification techniques to improve airframe finite element models using test data has been developed and demonstrated. The method uses linear sensitivity matrices to relate changes in selected physical parameters to changes in the total system matrices. The values for these physical parameters were determined using constrained optimization with singular value decomposition. The method was confirmed using both simple and complex finite element models for which pseudo-experimental data was synthesized directly from the finite element model. The method was then applied to a real airframe model which incorporated all of the complexities and details of a large finite element model and for which extensive test data was available. The method was shown to work, and the differences between the identified model and the measured results were considered satisfactory.

Hanagud, Sathya V.↗

Use of system identification techniques for improving airframe finite element models using test data

A method for using system identification techniques to improve airframe finite element models using test data was developed and demonstrated. The method uses linear sensitivity matrices to relate changes in selected physical parameters to changes in the total system matrices. The values for these physical parameters were determined using constrained optimization with singular value decomposition. The method was confirmed using both simple and complex finite element models for which pseudo-experimental data was synthesized directly from the finite element model. The method was then applied to a real airframe model which incorporated all of the complexities and details of a large finite element model and for which extensive test data was available. The method was shown to work, and the differences between the identified model and the measured results were considered satisfactory.

Hanagud, Sathya V.↗

Survey of Aerothermodynamics Facilities Useful for the Design of Hypersonic Vehicles Using Air-Breathing Propulsion

This paper surveys the use of aerothermodynamic facilities which have been useful in the study of external flows and propulsion aspects of hypersonic, air-breathing vehicles. While the paper is not a survey of all facilities, it covers the utility of shock tunnels and conventional hypersonic blow-down facilities which have been used for hypersonic air-breather studies. The problems confronting researchers in the field of aerothermodynamics are outlined. Results from the T5 GALCIT tunnel for the shock-on lip problem are outlined. Experiments on combustors and short expansion nozzles using the semi-free jet method have been conducted in large shock tunnels. An example which employed the NASA Ames 16-Inch shock tunnel is outlined, and the philosophy of the test technique is described. Conventional blow-down hypersonic wind tunnels are quite useful in hypersonic air-breathing studies. Results from an expansion ramp experiment, simulating the nozzle on a hypersonic air-breather from the NASA Ames 3.5 Foot Hypersonic wind tunnel are summarized. Similar work on expansion nozzles conducted in the NASA Langley hypersonic wind tunnel complex is cited. Free-jet air-frame propulsion integration and configuration stability experiments conducted at Langley in the hypersonic wind tunnel complex on a small generic model are also summarized.

Arnold, James O.↗

Using Leaf Chlorophyll to Parameterize Light-Use-Efficiency Within a Thermal-Based Carbon, Water and Energy Exchange Model

Chlorophylls absorb photosynthetically active radiation and thus function as vital pigments for photosynthesis, which makes leaf chlorophyll content (C(sub ab) useful for monitoring vegetation productivity and an important indicator of the overall plant physiological condition. This study investigates the utility of integrating remotely sensed estimates of C(sub ab) into a thermal-based Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB) model that estimates land-surface CO2 and energy fluxes using an analytical, light-use-efficiency (LUE) based model of canopy resistance. The LUE model component computes canopy-scale carbon assimilation and transpiration fluxes and incorporates LUE modifications from a nominal (species-dependent) value (LUE(sub n)) in response to short term variations in environmental conditions, However LUE(sub n) may need adjustment on a daily timescale to accommodate changes in plant phenology, physiological condition and nutrient status. Day to day variations in LUE(sub n) were assessed for a heterogeneous corn crop field in Maryland, U,S.A. through model calibration with eddy covariance CO2 flux tower observations. The optimized daily LUE(sub n) values were then compared to estimates of C(sub ab) integrated from gridded maps of chlorophyll content weighted over the tower flux source area. The time continuous maps of daily C(sub ab) over the study field were generated by focusing in-situ measurements with retrievals generated with an integrated radiative transfer modeling tool (accurate to within +/-10%) using at-sensor radiances in green, red and near-infrared wavelengths acquired with an aircraft imaging system. The resultant daily changes in C(sub ab) within the tower flux source area generally correlated well with corresponding changes in daily calibrated LUE(sub n) derived from the tower flux data, and hourly water, energy and carbon flux estimation accuracies from TSEB were significantly improved when using C(sub ab) for delineating spatio-temporal variations in LUE(sub n). The results demonstrate the synergy between thermal infrared and shortwave reflective wavebands in producing valuable remote sensing data for operational monitoring of carbon and water fluxes.

Houlborg, Rasmus↗

Use of Land Use Land Cover Change Mapping Products in Aiding Coastal Habitat Conservation and Restoration Efforts of the Mobile Bay NEP

The Mobile Bay region has undergone significant land use land cover change (LULC) over the last 35 years, much of which is associated with urbanization. These changes have impacted the region s water quality and wildlife habitat availability. In addition, much of the region is low-lying and close to the Gulf, which makes the region vulnerable to hurricanes, climate change (e.g., sea level rise), and sometimes man-made disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. Land use land cover change information is needed to help coastal zone managers and planners to understand and mitigate the impacts of environmental change on the region. This presentation discusses selective results of a current NASA-funded project in which Landsat data over a 34-year period (1974-2008) is used to produce, validate, refine, and apply land use land cover change products to aid coastal habitat conservation and restoration needs of the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MB NEP). The project employed a user defined classification scheme to compute LULC change mapping products for the entire region, which includes the majority of Mobile and Baldwin counties. Additional LULC change products have been computed for select coastal HUC-12 sub-watersheds adjacent to either Mobile Bay or the Gulf of Mexico, as part of the MB NEP watershed profile assessments. This presentation will include results of additional analyses of LULC change for sub-watersheds that are currently high priority areas, as defined by MB NEP. Such priority sub-watersheds include those that are vulnerable to impacts from the DWH oil spill, as well as sub-watersheds undergoing urbanization. Results demonstrating the nature and permanence of LULC change trends for these higher priority sub-watersheds and results characterizing change for the entire 34-year period and at approximate 10-year intervals across this period will also be presented. Future work will include development of value-added coastal habitat quality assessment products that will be used by the MB NEP and its partners in the planning of coastal conservation and restoration activities.

Spruce, Joseph P.↗

Use of DSC and DMA Techniques to Help Investigate a Material Anomaly for PTFE Used in Processing a Piston Cup for the Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) on International Space Station (ISS)

Human urine and flush water are eventually converted into drinking water with the Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This conversion is made possible through the Distillation Assembly (DA) of the UPA. One component of the DA is a molded circular piston cup made of virgin polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The piston cup is assembled to a titanium component using eight fasteners and washers. Molded PTFE produced for spare piston cups in the first quarter of 2010 was different in appearance and texture, and softer than material molded for previous cups. For the suspect newer PTFE material, cup fasteners were tightened to only one-half the required torque value, yet the washers embedded almost halfway into the material. The molded PTFE used in the DA piston cup should be Type II, based on AMS 3667D and ASTM D4894 specifications. The properties of molded PTFE are considerably different between Type I and II materials. Engineers working with the DA thought that if Type I PTFE was molded by mistake instead of Type II material, that could have resulted in the anomalous material properties. Typically, the vendor molds flat sheet PTFE from the same material lot used to mold the piston cups, and tensile testing as part of quality control should verify that the PTFE is Type II material. However, for this discrepant lot of material, such tensile data was not available. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were two of the testing techniques used at the NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to investigate the anomaly for the PTFE material. Other techniques used on PTFE specimens were: Shore D hardness testing, tensile testing on dog bone specimens and a qualitative estimation of porosity by optical and scanning electron microscopy.

Wingard, Doug↗

Development of thermostable carbonic anhydrases using structure-guided recombination for use in CO2 removal systems on spacecraft

Carbon capture and storage has been a research area of great interest in recent years asa method for mitigation of CO2emissions, due to the effects of climate change. The development of technologies for the efficient capture of CO2are also of great interest for human spaceflight applications. One of the most promising technologies in this area is CO2 scrubbing using liquid amines, unfortunately, liquid amines with low heats of desorption tend to have slow CO2binding kinetics. One potential solution to this problem is to use the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA) to enhance the kinetics of CO2binding to liquid amines, allowing the overall process to be more energy efficient. Interest in using carbonic anhydrase as a biocatalyst has led to a number of efforts to improve the thermostability and solvent tolerance of several distinct carbonic anhydrase enzymes. In the work described here, we screened through a diverse set of natural carbonic anhydrases to identify candidates for protein engineering aimed at increased stability and activity in various liquid amines. We then used SCHEMA structure-guided recombination to develop a set of chimeric carbonic anhydrases with high thermostability and activity. These chimeras were used as the starting points for further protein engineering work targeting activity in liquid amine systems. Our ultimate goal is to test the engineered enzymes in a liquid amine system for cabin air revitalization on ISS or other spacecraft.

Life Support↗

Development of Thermostable Carbonic Anhydrases Using Structure-Guided Recombination for Use in CO2 Removal Systems on Spacecraft

Carbon capture and storage has been a research area of great interest in recent years as a method for mitigation of CO2 emissions, due to the effects of climate change. The development of technologies for the efficient capture of CO2 are also of great interest for human spaceflight applications. One of the most promising technologies in this area is CO2 scrubbing using liquid amines, unfortunately, liquid amines with low heats of desorption tend to have slow CO2 binding kinetics. One potential solution to this problem is to use the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA) to enhance the kinetics of CO2 binding to liquid amines, allowing the overall process to be more energy efficient. Interest in using carbonic anhydrase as a biocatalyst has led to a number of efforts to improve the thermostability and solvent tolerance of several distinct carbonic anhydrase enzymes. In the work described here, we screened through a diverse set of natural carbonic anhydrases to identify candidates for protein engineering aimed at increased stability and activity in various liquid amines. We then used SCHEMA structure-guided recombination to develop a set of chimeric carbonic anhydrases with high thermostability and activity. These chimeras were used as the starting points for further protein engineering work targeting activity in liquid amine systems. Our ultimate goal is to test the engineered enzymes in a liquid amine system for cabin air revitalization on ISS or other spacecraft.

Life Support, Carbon dioxide, Carbonic anhydrase, ↗

Assessing the use of UAS-related terms in ASRS using Seed Topic Modeling

Context: The NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) is a voluntary confidential aviation safety reporting system. The ASRS receives reports from pilots, air traffic controllers, flight attendants and other involved in aviation operations. The reports are de-identified and coded by ASRS expert safety analysts. The de-identified reports are then disseminated to the aviation community in a number of ways including entry into an online database. Augmenting the discovery of topics of user interest in this online database would therefore be beneficial to the community it serves. Aim: We propose and execute an experiment to assess the use of seed term topic modeling using the database narratives to identify UAS reports. The use of seed term topic modeling would enable users to identify groups of related narratives associated to a topic of their interest. Method: We use a newly curated field in ASRS reports which identify UAS from non-UAS reports in combination of different set of UAS related terms to assess if seed topic modeling can be used in ASRS.

LDA↗