Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “ARCTIC REGION”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1967

Northern health service in Canada.

The current state and future development of Canada's North present significant medical problems. The medical facilities available at present are inadequate and, although they are improving rapidly, they must keep pace with the coming expansion of the North. Arctic regions of other northern countries do not show the great discrepancies in health standards that Canada's North does in comparison to her southern areas. To improve the situation adequate communication, transportation, personnel and facilities are needed. It is proposed that residents in hospital training programs work for a period in the North to supplement recommendations of the Hall Commission in this connection and to broaden their own training.

Arctic Regions↗
PubMed1999

Concentrations of essential trace elements in maternal serum and the effect on birth weight and newborn body mass index in sub-arctic and arctic populations of Norway and Russia.

BACKGROUND: This project is part of an assessment of the impact of environmental factors on human health in the Kola Peninsula of Russia and the neighboring arctic area of Norway. Pregnant women and their newborns were studied to explore a relationship between maternal status of essential metals and birth weight. METHODS: Life-style information and serum specimens were collected from at least 50 consecutive mother-infant pairs from hospital delivery departments in three Russian and three Norwegian communities (N=151 and 167, respectively). Pregnancy outcomes were verified by consulting medical records. Copper, selenium and zinc in serum were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry and ferritin by an automated analyzer method. RESULTS: Mean birth weight and child's body mass index (BMIC) were significantly lower in the Russian group (p<0.001), with or without adjustment for gestational age. Copper, iron (as ferritin) and selenium serum concentrations were in the normal range, while zinc levels in both countries were mostly below the lower limit (10.8 micromol/L) of reported reference intervals. A positive correlation between zinc and birth weight or BMIC was only observed for concentrations exceeding 10.8 micromol/L. Analysis by quartiles showed that maternal urinary creatinine and birth weight were negatively correlated (p=0.001). The influence of the different elements on BMIC, grouped by quartiles, was significantly positive only for selenium (p=0.03) and ferritin (p=0.02), while there was no significant relationship for copper or zinc. Adjustment of birth weight and BMIC for gestational age did not alter substantially the various associations indicated. CONCLUSIONS: With the exception of zinc, the mineral status of delivering women in arctic and sub-arctic regions of Norway and western Russia appears to be adequate. The significantly lower BMIC for the Russian group suggests the likely occurrence of nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy in Russia. However, the significant contribution of a country factor in the predictive model implies that the maternal serum trace-element concentrations explored in this study are incomplete indicators of fetal undernourishment.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Spatial variation in the vulnerability of Norwegian Arctic counties to radiocaesium deposition.

Under the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), studies have been undertaken to compare potential fluxes of radiocaesium via important food products. The results for three Norwegian Arctic counties are presented in this paper. The comparative importance of different foodstuffs in contributing to collective dose varies spatially due to differing rates of production and transfer. Although reindeer meat is an important contributor to the radiocaesium flux following a nuclear release, other food products such as cow milk and lamb have been identified as potentially important. Assuming an even deposition following a nuclear release the radiocaesium flux was estimated to be highest for reindeer meat in Finnmark and Troms, whereas cow milk gave the highest flux in Nordland. The total number, geographical distribution and diet composition of indigenous peoples within different Arctic regions is an important factor affecting individual and collective doses arising from a nuclear release. Finnmark has been shown to be the most vulnerable of the three counties because it has the highest flux of radiocaesium and the largest number of indigenous people. The potential contribution of foodstuffs which are known to readily accumulate radiocaesium needs further consideration, in particular, mushrooms, freshwater fish and berries.

Arctic Regions↗
PubMed2004

Radiology as a part of a comprehensive telemedicine and eHealth network in Northern Finland.

Oulu University Hospital is the northernmost tertiary hospital in Finland and its responsibility area is the largest in the country, covering nearly half of the Finnish territory, also including the arctic regions. Because of vast distances and a sparse population, Oulu has been a forerunner in developing telemedicine and eHealth services in the country. The development started in 1990 and has resulted in the establishment of teleradiology and televideoconferencing services, distance education and a multimedia medical record with remote access capabilities. Wireless technology has been a special focus area, as has the development of an efficient communication between primary care and secondary care. This review highlights some of the key success elements.

Arctic Regions↗
PubMed2003

An arctic terrestrial food-chain bioaccumulation model for persistent organic pollutants.

A model representing the bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in arctic terrestrial mammalian food-chains is developed, parametrized, tested, and analyzed. The model predicts concentrations of POPs in lichen, caribou (Rangifer tarandus), and wolf (Canis lupus) food-chains of Canada's central and western arctic region from measured concentrations in air and snowpack meltwater. The model accounts for temporal and seasonal variation in diet composition, life-stage, body weight, and fat content over the life-span of the animal. Model predicted concentrations of 25 organic chemicals forecasted for caribou and wolves from Cambridge Bay (69 degrees 07' N 105 degrees 03' W), Inuvik (68 degrees 18' N 133 degrees 29' W) and Bathurst Inlet (64 degrees 15' N 113 degrees 07' W) are shown to be in good agreement with the observed data. The model illustrates a strong relationship between biomagnification factors and chemical K(OA) and illustrates the effect of age, sex, and temperature on POPs bioaccumulation. Model results show that POPs with K(OA)s < 10(5) do not biomagnify in arctic terrestrial food-chains, while substances that exhibit log K(OA)s > 5 and also exhibit a log K(OW) > 2, show significant bioaccumulation in arctic terrestrial food-chains. The model shows that persistent low K(OW) (K(OW)s < 10(5)) but high K(OA) substances such as beta-HCH, 1,2,4,5 tetrachlorobenzene, and beta-endosulfan biomagnify in terrestrial mammals.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2005

Comparing measured and predicted PCB concentrations in Arctic seawater and marine biota.

When a mechanistic food web model was parameterized for the Arctic marine ecosystem, it predicted PCB concentrations in zooplankton and fish that were two orders of magnitude lower than measured. PCB concentrations measured in zooplankton and fish were within the laboratory's accredited quality assured criteria, and were comparable to other Arctic regions. Although on a different scale, the predicted and measured PCB concentrations were highly correlated. As sensitivity analyses indicated water concentrations as the most sensitive parameter for the model output, dissolved water concentrations were predicted using measured zooplankton and air PCB concentrations, and empirical and mechanistic models. The food web model and the empirical relationship between bioaccumulation factor and octanol-water partitioning coefficient predicted mean dissolved water concentrations of 28 and 29 pg/L sum of PCB6 (PCB-28, -52, -105, -118, -138, -153), respectively. Mean dissolved water concentration predicted from measured air concentrations in 1996 was 7.6 pg/L sum of PCB5 (PCB-28 was not analysed). Mean dissolved water concentration measured in Barents Sea water sampled simultaneously as the biota in 1999 was 0.3 pg/L sum of PCB6. The dissolved water concentrations predicted from zooplankton PCB concentrations were comparable to water concentrations measured in 1996, whereas the dissolved water concentrations measured in 1999 were comparable to measurements from 2001. If the present high empirically derived bioaccumulation factors (log BAF 7.3-9.0) were realistic, this suggests that bioaccumulation in Arctic zooplankton is more efficient that previously assumed. The present study illustrates and discusses some of the difficulties encountered when different approaches to study environmental distribution of contaminants are compared.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Peptic ulcer patterns in Arctic Norway.

While there are four times as many duodenal as gastric ulcers in Europe and the United States, previous studies have shown gastric ulcers to be more common in the Arctic regions of Norway. To investigate a possible change in the duodenal-to-gastric ulcer ratio, the incidence rate of first-time peptic ulcer in a well defined population in Northern Norway was studied by registration of all examinations of the upper digestive tract from 1983 to 1984. In this population, 5.3% were examined by endoscopy (52.5%) or a barium meal (47.5%). The incidence rates of duodenal and gastric ulcers were 1.4 and 0.8 per 1,000 per year, resulting in a duodenal-to-gastric ulcer ratio of 1.7:1. Although this ratio is higher than in a previous study (1.1:1), the pattern of peptic ulcer disease in northern Norway is still different from that in the rest of Europe.

Arctic Regions↗
PubMed2004

Assessment of the radiological impacts of historical coal mining operations on the environment of Ny-Alesund, Svalbard.

Mineral extraction activities, such as those conducted by oil, gas and coal industries, are widespread throughout the Arctic region. Waste products of these activities can result in significant contributions to the radioactive burden of the surrounding environment due to increased concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) to levels that would not normally be found in the environment. Coal mining operations commenced in the early 1900s on Svalbard and have been conducted at a variety of locations on the archipelago since then. Coal contains radionuclides of the uranium and thorium series as well as 40K. Extraction and processing of coal can result in releases of these radionuclides to the broader environment with subsequent impact on the human and non-human inhabitants of the area. This paper presents the results of a study on environmental radioactivity resulting from historical coal mining operations conducted at Ny-Alesund, Spitsbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago. Activity concentrations of radionuclides found in materials associated with these operations are presented as well as the results of a spatial dosimetric survey conducted over an area affected by coal mining.

Arctic Regions↗
PubMed2003

Molecular identification of natural hybrids between Trichinella nativa and Trichinella T6 provides evidence of gene flow and ongoing genetic divergence.

To date, there are no data available on the population genetics of Trichinella due to the lack of genetic markers and the difficulty of working with such small parasites. In the Arctic region of North America and along the Rocky Mountains, there exist two genotypes of Trichinella, Trichinella nativa and Trichinella T6, respectively, which are well differentiated by biochemical and molecular characters. However, both are resistant to freezing, show other common biological characters (e.g. low or no infectivity to rodents and swine) and produce fertile F1 offspring upon interbreeding. To data, these two genotypes have been considered allopatric. In this study, we detected both genotypes in wolves of the same wolf packs in Alaska, suggesting sympatry. A single GTT trinucleotide present in the ITS-2 sequence of T. nativa but not in Trichinella T6 was used as a genetic marker to study gene flow for this character in both a murine infection model and in larvae from naturally-infected Alaskan wolves. Only F1 larvae originating from a cross between T. nativa male and Trichinella T6 female were able to produce F2 offspring. Larvae (F1) originating from a cross between Trichinella T6 male and T. nativa female were not reproductively viable. As expected, all F1 larvae showed a heterozygote pattern for the GTT character upon heteroduplex analysis; however, within the F2 population, the number of observed heterozygotes (n=52) was substantially higher than expected (n=39.08), as supported by the F(is) index, and was not in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Larvae from two of the 16 Trichinella positive Alaskan wolves, showed the Trichinella T6 pattern or the T. nativa/Trichinella T6 hybrid pattern. Our data demonstrate that T. nativa and Trichinella T6 live in sympatry at least in Alaskan wolves, where T. nativa occurs more frequently (69%) than Trichinella T6 (31%). One explanation for this phenomenon is that glacial periods may have caused a geographical relocation, colonisation and independent evolution of T. nativa within the Rocky Mountains, resulting in a bifurcation of the freeze-resistant genotype. Additional studies will be required to test this hypothesis.

Alaska↗
PubMed2005

Gull eggs--food of high organic pollutant content?

A wide range and occasionally high levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are reported in Arctic regions, especially among top predators. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus), arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) and some gull species (Larus spp.) often have high levels of these fat-soluble pollutants. Gulls deposit significant levels of these contaminants in their eggs. In northern regions, gull eggs are part of the traditional human diet. In the present study we have investigated the levels of POPs in gull eggs in order to determine the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for humans. Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were measured in 214 gull eggs collected in the spring of 2001-02. The eggs were collected from four gull species (herring gulls (Larus argentatus), great black-backed gulls (L. marinus), lesser black-backed gulls (L. fuscus) and glaucous gulls (L. hyperboreus)) at 12 different locations in Northern Norway, on the Faroe Islands and on Svalbard. The pollutant levels in gull eggs were found to be 65.5 +/- 26.9 pg toxic equivalent (TE) for dioxin and PCB g(-1) wet weight. Based on these findings and the TWI-value determined by the EU Scientific Committee on Food it is advised that children, young women and pregnant and nursing women should not eat gull eggs. Other people should limit their intake of eggs to an absolute minimum, considering the health risks associated with gull egg intake.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Investigation and management of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in Canadian Inuit: enhancing access to care.

Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is a major cause of morbidity among Circumpolar women. Cervical cancer comprised 15% of all cancers in Canadian Inuit women from 1969-1988. The age standardized incidence for invasive cervical cancer in Canadian Inuit women is 3.1 times the rate in the general Canadian population. Management of CIN in women of remote Arctic regions has traditionally required multiple visits to specialized medical centres for diagnosis, therapy and follow-up. Such centralized care requires separation of women from their families, resulting in significant medical, emotional and economic costs for the patient, her family and community. In the Canadian Central Arctic, a program for the diagnosis and therapy of CIN has been established using colposcopy with loop electrosurgery, performed by a trained local family practitioner and visiting gynecologist. Early program evaluation has indicated reduction in medical expenditures due to travel costs, minimal procedure-related morbidity and discomfort, and improved patient satisfaction associated with reduced separation from family and community. It is hoped that the program design, which harnesses technology in order to provide improved care closer to home, will be applicable to other Circumpolar regions.

Arctic Regions↗
PubMed2007

Polarization of 'water-skies' above arctic open waters: how polynyas in the ice-cover can be visually detected from a distance.

The foggy sky above a white ice-cover and a dark water surface (permanent polynya or temporary lead) is white and dark gray, phenomena called the 'ice-sky' and the 'water-sky,' respectively. Captains of icebreaker ships used to search for not-directly-visible open waters remotely on the basis of the water sky. Animals depending on open waters in the Arctic region may also detect not-directly-visible waters from a distance by means of the water sky. Since the polarization of ice-skies and water-skies has not, to our knowledge, been studied before, we measured the polarization patterns of water-skies above polynyas in the arctic ice-cover during the Beringia 2005 Swedish polar research expedition to the North Pole region. We show that there are statistically significant differences in the angle of polarization between the water-sky and the ice-sky. This polarization phenomenon could help biological and man-made sensors to detect open waters not directly visible from a distance. However, the threshold of polarization-based detection would be rather low, because the degree of linear polarization of light radiated by water-skies and ice-skies is not higher than 10%.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2003

Biochemical analysis of encapsulated and non-encapsulated species of Trichinella (Nematoda, Trichinellidae) from cold- and warm-blooded animals reveals a high genetic divergence in the genus.

Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis was used to analyse genetic variation in the genus Trichinella. Twenty-eight isolates belonging to eight species and six genotypes were analysed for 12 enzyme systems, producing 19 different phenotypes. According to Jaccard's similarity index, the isolates clustered into two main groups, specifically, encapsulated species/genotypes and non-encapsulated species/genotypes. Furthermore, the non-encapsulated species clustered into two other groups: the species infecting mammals and birds ( Trichinella pseudospiralis) and those infecting mammals and reptiles ( Trichinella papuaeand Trichinella zimbabwensis). The encapsulated species/genotypes, which only infect mammals, clustered into four main groups: the cosmopolitan species Trichinella spiralis, the species/genotypes of the temperate regions ( Trichinella britovi, Trichinella murrelli, Trichinella T8, and Trichinella T9), the species/genotype of the arctic region ( Trichinella nativa and Trichinella T6), and the equatorial species Trichinella nelsoni. These results are consistent with biological, epidemiological, and molecular data, which show a high genetic divergence in this genus.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Exfoliation syndrome: frequency, gender distribution and association with climatically induced alterations of the cornea and conjunctiva.

PURPOSE: To investigate exfoliation syndrome (ES) in order to elucidate gender distribution and the roles of genetic and climatic factors in its manifestation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied the gender distribution of ES and the association between ES and the appearance of certain climatically induced disorders (pterygium, climatic droplet keratopathy) and the size of pingueculae in populations living in the Arctic region, in temperate regions and in tropical regions. This involved a total of 11 samples taken in eight different countries, comprising 2206 persons of both genders over the age of 50 years. RESULTS: A total of 1051 males were investigated for ES and 147 of them (14.0%) were found to have it. The corresponding figures for females were 1093 and 177 (16.2%). After standardization according to age, no systematic difference between the genders was found in the study. The frequency of ES varied greatly. It was not observed at all in the Inuit (Eskimos) but was found most frequently (about 30%) among the Saami (Lapps), Aland Islanders, Finns, Icelanders and Russians over 70 years of age. After the age of 50, the frequency of ES increases rapidly with age in all populations. However, the curves for ES in people living in the tropics show a delay of about 10 years. In contrast, the frequency of climatically caused changes (pterygium, climatic keratopathy and pronounced pinguecula) mostly peaks at the age of 50 years and is highest in the tropics and in the Arctic. Males in these regions tended to be more affected by climatically caused changes than females. Likewise, in tropical climates, where radiation from the sun is strong, and in Lapland and Novosibirsk, where there is radiation from snow, males showed more evidence of ES than females. However, examination of 506 patients from a private practice in South Finland, who were under observation for glaucoma or for risk of glaucoma, showed females to be in the majority of those with ES. CONCLUSIONS: As a rule, climate does not appear to influence the occurrence of ES. However, in tropical countries, where radiation from the sun is strong, ES was more common among males than among females. In the light of its peculiar population distribution, even when climatic factors are considered, there would appear to be an important genetic factor involved in the manifestation of ES.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1995

Geographical distribution and identification of methyl sulphone PCB and DDE metabolites in pooled polar bear (Ursus maritimus) adipose tissue from western hemisphere arctic and subarctic regions.

The geographical distribution of methyl sulphone (MeSO2-) PCB and DDE metabolites is unknown for any species in any region. In this study, pooled male polar bear (Ursus maritimus) adipose samples from 12 arctic and subarctic regions from the Bering Sea to the Greenland Sea were analyzed for PCBs, DDE, and their MeSO2-metabolites. Each adipose pool contained from three to 27 lipid extracts prepared on an equal fat basis. The total (S-) MeSO2-PCB and MeSO2-DDE levels were generally higher in the east (Greenland) and south (Hudson Bay) and ranged from 138 to 633 ng/g lipid and 0.8-11 ng/g lipid, respectively. Five new MeSO2- compounds were identified and/or quantitated, 3M-DDE, 4M-CB64, 3M- and 4M-CB70, and 3M-CB149. The congeners 3M- and 4M-CB101 and 3M- and 4M-CB87 consistently accounted for ca. 50% of the S-MeSO2-PCBs. The MeSO2-PBC congener pattern was independent of geographic variation among the regions, implying that the pattern of atmospheric input and subsequent biomagnification of precursor PCBs is homogeneous in the western hemisphere. The ratio of S-MeSO2-PCBs to accumulating PCBs decreased very gradually (average value of .056 +/- .012) from west to east reflecting the proportion of higher chlorinated PCBs that are not major precursors of MeSO2-PCBs. The 3-MeSO2-DDE/DDE ratio fluctuated among regions with an average value of .033 +/- 0.017 [corrected].

Adipose Tissue↗