The Lunar Environment Heliophysics X-ray Imager (LEXI) Mission.

The Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) is a wide field-of-view soft X-ray telescope developed to study solar wind-magnetosphere coupling. LEXI is part of the Blue Ghost 1 mission comprised of 10 payloads to be deployed on the lunar surface. LEXI monitors the dayside magnetopause position and shape as a function of time by observing soft X-rays (0.1-2 keV) emitted from solar wind charge-exchange between exospheric neutrals and high charge-state solar wind plasma in the dayside magnetosheath. Measurements of the shape and position of the magnetopause are used to test temporal models of meso- and macro-scale magnetic reconnection. To image the boundary, LEXI employs lobster-eye optics to focus X-rays to a microchannel plate detector with a 9.1×∘9.1∘ field of view.

Soft X-ray and ENA Imaging of the Earth's Dayside Magnetosphere.

The LEXI and SMILE missions will provide soft X-ray images of the Earth's magnetosheath and cusps after their anticipated launch in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The IBEX mission showed the potential of an Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) instrument to image dayside magnetosheath and cusps, albeit over the long hours required to raster an image with a single pixel imager. Thus, it is timely to discuss the two imaging techniques and relevant science topics. We simulate soft X-ray and low-ENA images that might be observed by a virtual spacecraft during two interesting solar wind scenarios: a southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field and a sudden enhancement of the solar wind dynamic pressure. We employ the OpenGGCM global magnetohydrodynamics model and a simple exospheric neutral density model for these calculations. Both the magnetosheath and the cusps generate strong soft X-rays and ENA signals that can be used to extract the locations and motions of the bow shock and magnetopause. Magnetopause erosion corresponds closely to the enhancement of dayside reconnection rate obtained from the OpenGGCM model, indicating that images can be used to understand global-scale magnetopause reconnection. When dayside imagers are installed with high-ENA inner-magnetosphere and FUV/UV aurora imagers, we can trace the solar wind energy flow from the bow shock to the magnetosphere and then to the ionosphere in a self-standing manner without relying upon other observatories. Soft X-ray and/or ENA imagers can also unveil the dayside exosphere density structure and its response to space weather.

The Hawaii Diet: ad libitum high carbohydrate, low fat multi-cultural diet for the reduction of chronic disease risk factors: obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglycemia.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the health effects of a high carbohydrate, low fat multi-cultural traditional diet, The Hawaii Diet, fed ad libitum to an adult population. METHODS: Twenty-two adults recruited from various cultural backgrounds in Hawaii were fed, without calorie or portion size restriction, the Hawaii Diet for 21 days. The Hawaii Diet, based on familiar traditional foods from different cultures, is high in complex carbohydrate (77% of calories), low in fat (12% of calories), and moderate in protein (11% of calories). Participants were encouraged to eat to satiety. RESULTS: There was a significant weight loss on The Hawaii Diet averaging 10.8 lbs (23.8 kg) (P < .0001). Blood pressure was decreased from an average of 136.0/82.7 mm Hg to 125.5/78.9 mm Hg yielding a significant decrease of 10.4 mm Hg for systolic (P < .01). Beginning diastolic levels were normal so decreases in these values were not significant. Average lipid values also decreased with total serum cholesterol being significantly reduced from 205.3 to 156.9 mg/dl (P < .0001); LDL from 125.9 to 94.9 mg/dl (P < .001); and HDL from 38.3 to 31.3 mg/dl (P < .0005). Triglycerides (238.7 to 152.2 mg/dl) and the Chol:HDL ratio (5.8 to 5.2) improved at marginally significant levels (P < .08). There was also a significant reduction in blood glucose levels from 112.2 to 91.5 mg/dL (P < .01). CONCLUSION: The Hawaii Diet consisting of high carbohydrate, low fat ethnic meals appears to have a beneficial influence on weight loss and in decreasing systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL, and blood glucose values. Marginal improvement occurred for triglyceride levels. There was also a significant drop in HDL levels, however, the Chol:HDL was ratio did not increase. Further studies of longer duration with a control group should be conducted to test the effectiveness of The Hawaii Diet in maintaining these health benefits over a longer period of time.

Waianae Diet Program: long-term follow-up.

A long-term follow-up was conducted on 82 participants from prior programs based on ad libitum feeding of a traditional Hawaiian diet. Follow-up period ranged from 12 months to 90 months and averaged 33.67 months. An average weight loss of 15.1 pounds was maintained over 7.5 years of follow-up (p < 0.0005) even when stratified over two year intervals, suggesting that this type of program may be an effective long-term weight loss intervention.

The Waianae Diet Program: a culturally sensitive, community-based obesity and clinical intervention program for the Native Hawaiian population.

The Waianae Diet Program (WDP) is a community-based program designed at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center in response to the high rates of obesity and chronic disease among Native Hawaiians. Its foundation is a 3-week program of traditional Hawaiian diet and cultural teachings. It employs 8 innovations in clinical nutrition and health promotion theory: 1. Non-calorie restricted weight loss protocol, 2. Dietary clinical intervention, 3. Cultural sensitivity, 4. Transition diet, 5. Whole-person approach, 6. Group ohana (family) support, 7. Community intervention, and 8. Role modeling. It has demonstrated significant weight loss with no calorie restriction, improvement in blood pressure, serum glucose, and serum lipids. It appears to have wide acceptance in the Hawaiian community. More studies are warranted to determine the long-term effect of this program.

Obesity and cardiovascular risk intervention through the ad libitum feeding of traditional Hawaiian diet.

The Waianae Diet Program is a community-based intervention strategy designed to be culturally appropriate by using a pre-Western-contact Hawaiian diet to reduce chronic-disease risk factors in Native Hawaiians. This paper describes a trial of the traditional Hawaiian diet fed ad libitum to Native Hawaiians with multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease to assess its effect on obesity and cardiovascular risk factors. Twenty Native Hawaiians were placed on a pre-Western-contact Hawaiian diet for 21 d. The diet was low in fat (7%), high in complex carbohydrates (78%), and moderate in protein (15%). Participants were encouraged to eat to satiety. Average energy intake decreased from 10.86 MJ (2594 kcal)/d to 6.57 MJ (1569 kcal)/d. Average weight loss was 7.8 kg (P less than 0.0001) and average serum cholesterol decreased 0.81 mmol/L (P less than 0.001) from 5.76 to 4.95 mmol/L. Blood pressure decreased an average of 11.5 mm Hg systolic (P less than 0.001) and 8.9 mm Hg diastolic (P less than 0.001).