Apollo Lunar Sample Photograph Digitization Project Update

This is an update of the progress of a 4-year data restoration project effort funded by the LASER program to digitize photographs of the Apollo lunar rock samples and create high resolution digital images and undertaken by the Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office at JSC [1]. The project is currently in its last year of funding. We also provide an update on the derived products that make use of the digitized photos including the Lunar Sample Catalog and Photo Database[2], Apollo Sample data files for GoogleMoon[3]

An Assessment of Food Safety Handling Practices at Farmers\u27 Markets in Rhode Island Using a Smartphone Application

The number of foodborne illness outbreaks increased in the US from 2001 to 2010, and 17% of them were associated with produce. Higher risk, whole produce sold at farmers\u27 markets presents unique challenges to food safety practices in regard to temperature controls, potable water, and exposure to contaminants. The purpose of this study is to use direct observations to identify unsafe food handling practices among vendors selling higher risk produce at Rhode Island farmers\u27 markets. This study used, as a tool for data acquisition, a Smartphone application developed to allow concealed direct observations of actual vendors\u27 practices at farmers\u27 markets. Observations were made at fourteen (7 state and 7 private) farmers\u27 markets to collect data on food handling practices of 26 vendors selling higher-risk produce. The results of this study will be used as guidance for education programs targeting farmers\u27 market managers and vendors that promote best practices in regard to whole produce

Acceptance and perception of digital health for managing nutrition in people with Parkinson\u27s disease and their caregivers and their digital competence in the United States: A mixed-methods study

Background and aims: This mixed-methods study examined participants\u27 acceptance and perception of using digital health for managing nutrition and participants\u27 digital competence. The results will be formative for making digital nutrition education more effective and acceptable for people with Parkinson\u27s disease (PwPD) and their informal caregivers. Methods: Qualitative data were collected through in-person semi-structured, dyadic interviews, and questionnaires from 20 dyads (20 PwPD and their caregivers) in the Northeastern United States and analyzed throughout the 2018 to 2019 academic year. Interview transcripts were deductively coded using the framework analysis method. Phrases related to acceptance of digital health were sub-coded into accept, neutral, or reject and those related to perceptions of digital health were sub-coded into perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and awareness of digital health. Quantitative data were analyzed using independent samples t tests and Fisher\u27s exact tests. Qualitative codes were transformed into variables and compared to digital competence scores to integrate the data. An average acceptance rate for digital health was calculated through examining the mean percent of phrases coded as accept from interview transcripts. Results: Twenty-five of 40 (62.5%) participants used the internet for at least 5 health-related purposes and the average acceptance rate was 54.4%. Dyads rejected digital health devices if they did not see the added benefit. The majority of participants reported digital health to be useful, but hard to use, and about half felt they needed education about existing digital health platforms. There was no difference in digital competence scores between PwPD and their caregivers (28.6 ± 12.6). Conclusion: Findings suggest that dyads accept and use technology but not to its full potential as technology can be perceived as hard to use. This finding, combined with digital competence scores, revealed that education is warranted prior to providing a digital nutrition intervention

The Relationship between Arthritis and Muscular Strength in Older Women with Symptoms of Sarcopenia

Background: Sarcopenia classification is important for prevention or intervention of sarcopenia in the elderly. However, measures used for the current sarcopenia criteria, including muscular strength, could be impacted by forms of arthritis. Thus, it is crucial to understand the impact arthritis has on sarcopenia status. Objectives: The aim was to investigate if arthritis relates to sarcopenia classification via grip strength or single chair stand in older women. A secondary aim was to assess the relationship between grip strength and upper and lower body strength in those with arthritis. Design: A cross-sectional analysis. Setting and participants: Sixty-one community-dwelling older women (71.9±4.6 years) from Rhode Island. Measurements: Sarcopenia status was classified using established working definitions. Grip strength was measured using a hand grip dynamometer, chair stands were measured via a single chair stand test, and gait speed was assessed using a four-meter walk test. A segmental multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis assessed body composition and arthritis status was based on self-report. Upper and lower body muscular strength were measured using a chest press and leg press one repetition maximum. Results: No associations were observed between arthritis and sarcopenia status (p=0.36) nor arthritis and upper or lower body muscular strength and grip strength. Conclusions: The results of this study may indicate that arthritis is not associated with sarcopenia status but may affect other measures of muscular strength

Acceptance and perception of digital health for managing nutrition in people with Parkinson\u27s disease and their caregivers and their digital competence in the United States: A mixed-methods study

Background and aims: This mixed-methods study examined participants\u27 acceptance and perception of using digital health for managing nutrition and participants\u27 digital competence. The results will be formative for making digital nutrition education more effective and acceptable for people with Parkinson\u27s disease (PwPD) and their informal caregivers. Methods: Qualitative data were collected through in-person semi-structured, dyadic interviews, and questionnaires from 20 dyads (20 PwPD and their caregivers) in the Northeastern United States and analyzed throughout the 2018 to 2019 academic year. Interview transcripts were deductively coded using the framework analysis method. Phrases related to acceptance of digital health were sub-coded into accept, neutral, or reject and those related to perceptions of digital health were sub-coded into perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and awareness of digital health. Quantitative data were analyzed using independent samples t tests and Fisher\u27s exact tests. Qualitative codes were transformed into variables and compared to digital competence scores to integrate the data. An average acceptance rate for digital health was calculated through examining the mean percent of phrases coded as accept from interview transcripts. Results: Twenty-five of 40 (62.5%) participants used the internet for at least 5 health-related purposes and the average acceptance rate was 54.4%. Dyads rejected digital health devices if they did not see the added benefit. The majority of participants reported digital health to be useful, but hard to use, and about half felt they needed education about existing digital health platforms. There was no difference in digital competence scores between PwPD and their caregivers (28.6 ± 12.6). Conclusion: Findings suggest that dyads accept and use technology but not to its full potential as technology can be perceived as hard to use. This finding, combined with digital competence scores, revealed that education is warranted prior to providing a digital nutrition intervention

Processing and Transmission of Information

Contains reports on seven research projects.Lincoln Laboratory (Purchase Order DDL-B222

PDS Archive Release of Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and Apollo 17 Lunar Rock Sample Images

Scientists at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Lunar Sample Laboratory, Information Resources Directorate, and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory have been working to digitize (scan) the original film negatives of Apollo Lunar Rock Sample photographs [1, 2]. The rock samples, and associated regolith and lunar core samples, were obtained during the Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 missions. The images allow scientists to view the individual rock samples in their original or subdivided state prior to requesting physical samples for their research. In cases where access to the actual physical samples is not practical, the images provide an alternate mechanism for study of the subject samples. As the negatives are being scanned, they have been formatted and documented for permanent archive in the NASA Planetary Data System (PDS). The Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate (which includes the Lunar Sample Laboratory and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory) at JSC is working collaboratively with the Imaging Node of the PDS on the archiving of these valuable data. The PDS Imaging Node is now pleased to announce the release of the image archives for Apollo missions 11, 12, and 17

Transportability without positivity: a synthesis of statistical and simulation modeling

When estimating an effect of an action with a randomized or observational study, that study is often not a random sample of the desired target population. Instead, estimates from that study can be transported to the target population. However, transportability methods generally rely on a positivity assumption, such that all relevant covariate patterns in the target population are also observed in the study sample. Strict eligibility criteria, particularly in the context of randomized trials, may lead to violations of this assumption. Two common approaches to address positivity violations are restricting the target population and restricting the relevant covariate set. As neither of these restrictions are ideal, we instead propose a synthesis of statistical and simulation models to address positivity violations. We propose corresponding g-computation and inverse probability weighting estimators. The restriction and synthesis approaches to addressing positivity violations are contrasted with a simulation experiment and an illustrative example in the context of sexually transmitted infection testing uptake. In both cases, the proposed synthesis approach accurately addressed the original research question when paired with a thoughtfully selected simulation model. Neither of the restriction approaches were able to accurately address the motivating question. As public health decisions must often be made with imperfect target population information, model synthesis is a viable approach given a combination of empirical data and external information based on the best available knowledge

Restoration and PDS Archive of Apollo Lunar Rock Sample Data

In 2008, scientists at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Lunar Sample Laboratory and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory (under the auspices of the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate or ARES) began work on a 4-year project to digitize the original film negatives of Apollo Lunar Rock Sample photographs. These rock samples together with lunar regolith and core samples were collected as part of the lander missions for Apollos 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17. The original film negatives are stored at JSC under cryogenic conditions. This effort is data restoration in the truest sense. The images represent the only record available to scientists which allows them to view the rock samples when making a sample request. As the negatives are being scanned, they are also being formatted and documented for permanent archive in the NASA Planetary Data System (PDS) archive. The ARES group is working collaboratively with the Imaging Node of the PDS on the archiving

Comparison of Current Sarcopenia Classification Criteria in Older New England Women

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia in a sample of older, sedentary women using criteria from the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), the International Working Group (IWG), and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project (FNIHSP). Design: Cross-sectional analysis. Setting and Participants: Community-dwelling women (n = 61) aged 71.9 ± 4.6 years (mean±SD) with a BMI 27.3 ± 6.0 kg/m2 who by self-report were healthy and did not exercise were recruited and evaluated for sarcopenia. Measurements: Height, weight, grip strength, gait speed, and appendicular lean mass (via segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis: SMF-BIA) were measured. Prevalence was reported using descriptive statistics and a Fisher’s exact test was used to analyze the distribution frequency of sarcopenia classification by different criteria. Results: In this sample 14.8% met EWGSOP criteria, 6.6% met FNIHSP criteria, and 3.3% met IWG criteria. There was a borderline significant difference in distribution frequency between EWGSOP and IWG classification criteria (p=0.053). Conclusion: The variation in sarcopenia prevalence depending on the diagnostic criteria used is consistent with previous research and there are borderline significant differences between classification criteria in this population. These data suggest the need for additional examination to determine current cut points for ALM measured by SMF-BIA, as well as which established definition of sarcopenia is appropriate for this population