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PubMedDate not supplied

Analysis of the rural medivac system in the Copper River area.

A pattern of increasing use of aeromedical transport has been observed in the Copper River area of Central Alaska. A retrospective chart review was made to determine the reasons for these medivacs, and the outcome of the patients who were transferred by air ambulance from Cross Road Medical Center in Glennallen, Alaska. In this series there were no unexpected adverse outcomes. Additional or more accurate diagnoses were made on nearly one fourth of the patients. Ninety-two percent of those medivaced were hospitalized with 21 percent needing emergency surgery and 16 percent needing an ICU bed. All categories of patients showed benefit from transport to a higher level facility. There were no complications resulting from the transport.

Aircraft↗
PubMed2006

The yield and challenges of charitable state-wide photoscreening.

INTRODUCTION: State-wide cooperative programs for pediatric vision screening utilizing the MTI photoscreener and centralized interpretation were established in Alaska (The Alaska Blind Child Discovery, ABCD) and in Tennessee (Tennessee Lions Outreach). METHODS: Details of setup, implementation and interpretation of the state-wide MTI photoscreening programs are compared through 2002. The absolute numbers of children screened and the breakdown in interpretation categories are presented. RESULTS: ABCD screened 14,000 children while Tennessee Lions screened 100,800. Similarities between ABCD and Tennessee programs were funded by Lions Clubs and other charitable and public health organizations, community screening and each had coordinated centralized image interpretation and notification. The programs differed by clinic focus (Tennessee Lions organized pre-schools while ABCD used village and community health fairs and schools), parent notification (Tennessee Lions communicated through pre- schools and ABCD mailed directly to parents), and image interpretation (Tennessee used VOIC age-based and pupil-size crescents while ABCD used "delta-center crescent"). Predictive value positive was 73% for Tennessee and 89% for ABCD. Tennessee achieved better followup on referrals after a specific coordinator was employed. Image interpretation breakdown for ABCD: Tennessee Lions Outreach were anisometropia (29%:34%), high hyperopia (33%:16%), astigmatism (18%:30%), strabismus (7%:15%), myopia (5%:2%), cataract (0.7%:0.2%). Two state-wide programs detected 3216 amblyopic children at a charity borne-cost of 1.5 million dollars. If the parents persisted with appropriate amblyopia therapy, the expected societal value was estimated at 17 million dollars. Lacking societal mandate and funding, these concerted charitable efforts only achieved a community penetration rate of 10% to 14%. CONCLUSION: National adoption of preschool vision screening by a method with similar or even better validity and cost effectiveness as MTI photoscreening, ideally in the pediatric medical home, is warranted.

Alaska↗
PubMed1989

A profile of women participants in five long distance winter sporting events.

Women have been entering long distance winter sports in increasing numbers in Alaska and other states and countries. Much publicity has been given to the success of some. The 1,100 mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race across Alaska has been won by a woman every year since 1985. The Minnesota Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon 500 mile race was won by a woman in 1988. But what of the experience of the average female entrant? This investigation sought to examine the circumstances of each of the women who competed in the Iditarod, Iditaski, Iditabike, Yukon Quest and Beargrease Marathon. Since December 1987, 79 questionnaires were mailed to all of the women participants (past and present) of these events and as of July 1988 the response rate was 58%. Examination of the findings in the areas of age ranges; training/competition miles; types, rates, self-treatment of injuries and protection from cold are reported.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Type A and type B botulism in the North: first reported cases due to toxin other than type E in Alaskan Inuit.

Botulism outbreaks shown to be due to type A and type B toxin occurred in Alaska, a region previously known for only type E botulism. The outbreak due to type A toxin involved three people, two of whom died. The outbreak due to type B toxin involved nine people, none of whom died. Both outbreaks were in Inuit villages, and native foods were incriminated. The occurrence of these outbreaks strongly suggests that Clostridium botulinum, types A and B are indigenous to Alaska. The outbreaks underscore the need for initial treatment of patients with antitoxin that is trivalent (ABE), even in Arctic regions.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Alaska/Russian Far East behavioral health projects: a progress report on recent activities.

A number of "behavioral health" exchange activities between Alaska and the Russian Far East took place during 1992-93. These included visits by a psychiatrist running one of the first "private polyclinics" in Magadan and by a narcologist to discuss the latest developments in alcohol services; a Behavioral Health Conference where Native health workers from Russia and Alaska shared experiences; beginning a multi-year epidemiology project; and a project to assess needs for a fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) prevention program in Magadan.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Organochlorine residues in Alaskan peregrines.

Organochlorine residue levels in eggs of Alaskan peregrines have remained essentially constant over the period 1969-73 despite decreased usage of these compounds in the United States and Canada. Studies on reproductive success in Great Britain and data on eggshell-thinning suggest that DDE residues above 20 ppm wet weight in peregrine eggs are associated with inability to maintain population levels. Residues in mainland Alaska are well above this critical figure and the reproductive rate is low. On the Colville River in northwestern Alaska, the last young falcons will fledge in 1975 and the remaining adult population will disappear by 1980 unless the present rate of reproductive failure is drastically and quickly reversed. In the Aleutians, however, levels range from 5 to 7 ppm and the reproductive rate is adequate to maintain the population.

Alaska↗
PubMed1993

mtDNA sequences suggest a recent evolutionary divergence for Beringian and northern North American populations.

Conventional descriptions of the pattern and process of human entry into the New World from Asia are incomplete and controversial. In order to gain an evolutionary insight into this process, we have sequenced the control region of mtDNA in samples of contemporary tribal populations of eastern Siberia, Alaska, and Greenland and have compared them with those of Amerind speakers of the Pacific Northwest and with those of the Altai of central Siberia. Specifically, we have analyzed sequence diversity in 33 mitochondrial lineages identified in 90 individuals belonging to five Circumpolar populations of Beringia, North America, and Greenland: Chukchi from Siberia, Inupiaq Eskimos and Athapaskans from Alaska, Eskimos from West Greenland, and Haida from Canada. Hereafter, we refer to these five populations as "Circumarctic peoples." These data were then compared with the sequence diversity in 47 mitochondrial lineages identified in a sample of 145 individuals from three Amerind-speaking tribes (Bella Coola, Nuu-Chah-Nulth, and Yakima) of the Pacific Northwest, plus 16 mitochondrial lineages identified in a sample of 17 Altai from central Siberia. Sequence diversity within and among Circumarctic populations is considerably less than the sequence diversity observed within and among the three Amerind tribes. The similarity of sequences found among the geographically dispersed Circumarctic groups, plus the small values of mean pairwise sequence differences within Circumarctic populations, suggest a recent and rapid evolutionary radiation of these populations. In addition, Circumarctic populations lack the 9-bp deletion which has been used to trace various migrations out of Asia, while populations of southeastern Siberia possess this deletion. On the basis of these observations, while the evolutionary affinities of Native Americans extend west to the Circumarctic populations of eastern Siberia, they do not include the Altai of central Siberia.

Alaska↗
PubMed1996

Native American Cancer Conference III. Cognitive correlates and impressions of attendees.

BACKGROUND: The results of preconference and postconference surveys, as well as conference evaluation forms, distributed to attendees at the "Native American Cancer Conference III: Risk Factors, Outreach and Intervention Strategies," Seattle, Washington, June 16-19, 1995, are presented. METHODS: Conference attendees were requested to complete a multi-item survey designed to assess knowledge and perceptions relating to cancer among native peoples at the beginning and end of the conference. The evaluation instrument solicited qualitative impressions of the conference. RESULTS: Survey respondents were predominantly female (70%), and approximately half were native persons representing 48 different American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Knowledge levels were generally high at baseline for most items relating to cancer, with evidence of significant improvement for several items on the postconference survey. The majority of respondents believed that cancer was of equal importance compared with other health problems and that cancer services for American Indians and Alaska Natives are generally less extensive compared with the majority population; there was no evidence of opinion change noted in the postconference survey. Results from the qualitative evaluation expressed the unique and affirmative experiences among participants in terms of the social, cultural, and informational sharing that occurred. CONCLUSIONS: It is hoped that the positive experiences of conference attendees will serve to stimulate the organization of similar programs and the design of research projects that both assess and expand cancer control services among Native peoples.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Measurement of antimicrobial susceptibility among invasive isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae: comparison of the Etest with the standard agar dilution method.

High rates of invasive disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae occur in the Alaska Native population. Because of the wide use of empiric antibiotics to treat infection in rural regions of Alaska and concern over the emergence of pneumococcal strains now resistant to an increasing number of antibiotics we compared a simple strip system (Etest) for the measurement of antibiotic susceptibilities to the standard agar dilution method. Eighty-two pneumococcal isolates were tested by both methods. Overall, the Etest MICs of 91% of the isolates agreed within one log2 of the agar dilution, and 99.3% agreed within 2 log2 dilutions. There were no very major or major interpretative category discrepancies with the Etest for any antibiotic tested. There were 4.1% minor interpretative errors with the Etest, which generally occurred at the breakpoint between susceptible and intermediate resistance. The results indicated that the Etest was comparable to the agar dilution method for the measurement of antibiotic MICs for Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Alaska↗
PubMed1996

Spondyloarthropathies in circumpolar populations: II. Characterization of the populations.

For epidemiologic studies of spondyloarthropathy in circumpolar peoples of Chukotka, Russia and Alaska, we gathered demographic, physical and laboratory data to provide a background for evaluating and comparing factors that may influence susceptibility and clinical expression of disease. The study groups included the Chukchi and Siberian Eskimo of Russia and the Inupiat and Yupik Eskimo of Alaska. The 4 groups were remarkably similar in population structure, educational attainment, mean hemoglobin concentrations and frequency of the Class I histocompatibility antigen HLAB27. The Alaskan and Chukotkan groups were similar in mean height, but the Alaskans had higher body weights and significantly greater body mass indexes, probably a reflection of a shift away from traditional lifestyle and diet. Differences in the frequencies of ABO and MN blood group antigens were also apparent, with higher frequencies of blood group M in the Alaskan populations, particularly the Inupiat.

Alaska↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A clinical intervention for children exposed to alcohol in utero.

This study describes a statewide system of delivering special services to children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure and investigates the usefulness of this system as part of a statewide fetal alcohol syndrome surveillance system. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services administered seven clinics in four of the five largest cities in Alaska during 1992-1995. Among the 74 children selected to be evaluated for fetal alcohol syndrome, 70 had one or more central nervous system abnormalities. Four children were assigned the diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome. Recommendations made to parents of the evaluated children included parent support group follow-up (38%), referral to a psychologist (35%), and further school testing and planning (27%). Clinics for alcohol-exposed children provide health officials an opportunity to deliver appropriate services to children exposed to alcohol in utero and to their families. Further studies are necessary to improve the delivery of services to birth mothers of alcohol-exposed children who attend the clinic. State-wide fetal alcohol syndrome surveillance can be accomplished by linking these clinics with other state data sources.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Chronic liver disease mortality in the United States, 1990-1998.

In 1998, chronic liver disease (CLD) was the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. Alcohol and hepatitis C are thought to be important etiologies. However, traditional methods for calculating CLD mortality rates from death certificates may underestimate hepatitis C-related CLD mortality. We studied patterns of CLD deaths reported from 1990 through 1998, using an expanded definition that included death certificates where CLD, viral hepatitis, or CLD-related sequelae were reported as the underlying cause. We calculated overall age-specific and age-adjusted mortality rates, and according to demographic characteristics and recorded causes, and evaluated trends using linear regression modeling. CLD mortality declined 5% overall from 1990 through 1994 (12.1 to 11.6/100,000; P = 0.002), but remained unchanged from 1995 through 1998 (P = 0.366). Decreases were similar for all causes except hepatitis C, for which rates increased 220% from 1993 to 1998 (0.57 to 1.67/100,000). Rates declined in all racial-ethnic groups except American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN), among whom rates were unchanged. Of 30,933 CLD deaths in 1998, 39% were coded as alcohol related, 15% as hepatitis C, 4% as hepatitis B, and 44% had no recorded cause. Age-adjusted rates were higher among males (47.6/100,000) than females (32.2/100,000) and among Hispanics (19.1/100,000) compared with non-Hispanics (10.8/100,000). Rates among AI/AN (28.7/100,000) were more than twice those of African Americans and whites (12.9/100,000 and 11.5/100,000, respectively). In conclusion, 1998 CLD deaths and the proportion attributable to viral hepatitis increased by 23% and 19%, respectively, compared with traditional methods. Mortality declines of the early 1990s were not sustained after 1994. Large disparities in CLD mortality remain, particularly among American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Utilization of potatoes for life support in space. V. Evaluation of cultivars in response to continuous light and high temperature.

Twenty-four potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars from different regions of the world were evaluated in terms of their responses to continuous light (24 h photoperiod) and to high temperature (30 C) in two separate experiments under controlled environments. In each experiment, a first evaluation of the cultivars was made at day 35 after transplanting, at which time 12 cultivars exhibiting best growth and tuber initiation were selected. A final evaluation of the 12 cultivars was made after an additional 21 days of growth, at which time plant height, total dry weight, tuber dry weight, and tuber number were determined. In the continuous light evaluation, the 12 selected cultivars were Alaska 114, Atlantic, Bintje, Denali, Desiree, Haig, New York 81, Ottar, Rutt, Snogg, Snowchip, and Troll. In the high temperature evaluation, the 12 selected cultivars were Alpha, Atlantic, Bake King, Denali, Desiree, Haig, Kennebec, Norland, Russet Burbank, Rutt, Superior, and Troll. Among the cultivars selected under continuous irradiation, Desiree, Ottar, Haig, Rutt, Denali and Alaska showed the best potential for high productivity whereas New York 81 and Bintje showed the least production capability. Among the cultivars selected under high temperature, Rutt, Haig, Troll and Bake King had best performance whereas Atlantic, Alpha, Kennebec and Russet Burbank exhibited the least production potential. Thus, Haig and Rutt were the two cultivars that performed well under continuous irradiation and high temperature conditions, and could have maximum potential for adaptation to varying stress environments. These two cultivars may have the best potential for use in future space farming in which continuous light and/or high temperature conditions may exist. However, cultivar responses under combined conditions of continuous light and high temperature remains for further validation.

Environment, Controlled↗
PubMed2001

Arctic wilderness policy in the United States and Finland.

The United States and Finland have passed laws to classify and manage Arctic wilderness areas, but their national policies are based on different nature ideologies. Finns tend to perceive wilderness as a human-centered idea, while Americans are inclined to see the same land from a nature-based point of view. Rural residents in the Arctic, and especially indigenous peoples, use motorized vehicles for hunting and gathering in wilderness areas. Attempts of southern-based environmental groups to restrict motor use by imposing a nature-based ideology on rural residents in northern Alaska will result in high levels of political conflict. Alaska land managers need to respect the minority rights of rural residents and a study of wilderness policies in Finnish Lapland is instructive toward this end.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

A long-term follow-up study of asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen-positive carriers in Montreal.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Prospective studies from the Far East and Alaska have shown an increased mortality from cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma in asymptomatic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers. The magnitude of this risk in apparently healthy North American carriers remains undefined. METHODS: The outcomes of 317 asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen-positive carriers from the Montreal area were examined after 16 years of follow-up. A majority of carriers were of French Canadian origin, were positive for antibody to hepatitis B e antigen, and had normal serum transaminase levels; institutionalization in orphanages as infants or children was the most important epidemiological risk factor, suggesting horizontal transmission of HBV during childhood. RESULTS: At follow-up, mean age was 46 +/- 8 years; 3 carriers had died of HBV-related cirrhosis, 1 of alcoholic cirrhosis, and 9 of causes unrelated to liver disease. No carrier died of hepatocellular carcinoma; had the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma been similar to that reported from the Far East and Alaska, 17 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma-related deaths would have been expected. During follow-up, the annual negativation rate for hepatitis B surface antigen was 0.7%. CONCLUSIONS: In asymptomatic HBV carriers from Montreal, a majority are "healthy" carriers and remain asymptomatic after 16 years of follow-up and the risk of death from HBV-related cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma is low.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Molecular epidemiological study of Arctic rabies virus isolates from Greenland and comparison with isolates from throughout the Arctic and Baltic regions.

We report a molecular epidemiological study of rabies in Arctic countries by comparing a panel of novel Greenland isolates to a larger cohort of viral sequences from both Arctic and Baltic regions. Rabies virus isolates originating from wildlife (Arctic/red foxes, raccoon-dogs and reindeer), from domestic animals (dogs/cats) and from two human cases were investigated. The resulting 400 bp N-gene sequences were compared with isolates representing neighbouring Arctic or Baltic countries from North America, the former Soviet Union and Europe. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated similarities between sequences from the Arctic and Arctic-like viruses, which were distinct from rabies isolates originating in the Baltic region of Europe, the Steppes in Russia and from North America. The Arctic-like group consist of isolates from India, Pakistan, southeast Siberia and Japan. The Arctic group was differentiated into two lineages, Arctic 1 and Arctic 2, with good bootstrap support. Arctic 1 is mainly comprised of Canadian isolates with a single fox isolate from Maine in the USA. Arctic 2 was further divided into sub-lineages: 2a/2b. Arctic 2a comprises isolates from the Arctic regions of Yakutia in northeast Siberia and Alaska. Arctic 2b isolates represent a biotype, which is dispersed throughout the Arctic region. The broad distribution of rabies in the Arctic regions including Greenland, Canada and Alaska provides evidence for the movement of rabies across borders.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Diurnal patterns of cortisol and thyroid hormones in the Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) during summer and winter seasons.

A leading hypothesis for the dramatic population decline of the Alaskan harbor seal over the last 2-3 decades have related environmental changes to a decrease in the quality or quantity of available prey. If harbor seals are experiencing some sort of nutritional stress, it is important to understand the physiological and endocrine mechanisms controlling metabolic homeostasis in this species. The purpose of this research project was to determine whether circadian patterns of cortisol and total and free thyroxine (T(4)) and triiodothyronine (T(3)) are present in the harbor seal during the summer and winter seasons, and identify how they might alter metabolic rate and maintenance of body reserves. This study was carried out at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska in June 2000 and January 2001. Blood samples were obtained every 2-3 h over a 24-h period through in-dwelling catheters inserted the day before sampling. The presence of a diurnal rhythm was determined by comparing levels between ante meridian (12 am to noon) and post meridian (noon to 12 midnight) time periods. Mean daily cortisol concentrations were not significantly different between seasons, but cortisol displayed a circadian rhythm only during the summer. Mean concentrations of cortisol (51.5 ng/ml+/-20.3) in the summer hours of ante meridian differed significantly from levels in the hours of post meridian (28.5 ng/ml+/-17.4). Neither total and free T(4), nor T(3), displayed a diurnal rhythm in either season. However, tT(4), tT(3), and fT(3) levels were significantly higher in the winter than in the summer. There was no seasonal effect on fT(4) levels. The absence of a circadian rhythm of cortisol during the winter may have been a result of the limited amount of daylight as well as the continual need to produce metabolic heat as a by-product of gluconeogenesis. Higher levels of thyroid hormones in the winter indicate an adaptive mechanism to cope with the low temperatures of winter.

Aging↗
PubMed2002

Latitudinal variation in plasma testosterone levels in birds of the genus Zonotrichia.

Birds breeding in northern latitudes generally have elevated plasma testosterone levels throughout the breeding season with a peak at the onset of the breeding season. In contrast, tropical birds tend to have extremely low plasma testosterone levels year round with only a slight increase during breeding. While these patterns have been consistent in the species investigated, closely related species have not been investigated across a range of latitudes. Birds of the genus Zonotrichia present an ideal opportunity to investigate latitudinal variation in plasma testosterone levels as breeding populations occur from northern Alaska to southern Argentina. We studied three taxa of Zonotrichia: (1) Gambel's white-crowned sparrows, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, breeding at high latitude in northern Alaska, (2) Puget Sound white-crowned sparrows, Z. l. pugetensis, breeding at mid-latitude in Washington state, and (3) an equatorial population of the rufous-collared sparrow, Z. capensis, in Ecuador. To compare both baseline breeding and maximal testosterone levels, males from the three taxa were either bled immediately upon capture during the breeding season or first challenged with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and then bled. As a control, another group of birds experienced a saline challenge. Two-way ANCOVA, with treatment and taxa as factors and testis volume as a covariate, showed a significant effect of treatment on plasma testosterone levels. There was also a significant interaction between taxa and treatment. Contrary to expectations, the equatorial species exhibited greater plasma testosterone levels in response to the GnRH challenge than the high latitude species. There were no differences between the mid- and high-latitude species. The equatorial species had the smallest average testis size and within each taxa there were no relationships between plasma testosterone and testis size. These data suggest that latitudinal clines in plasma testosterone levels in Zonotrichia do not follow previously described patterns and that tropical birds can have levels of testosterone similar to northern latitude species.

Animals↗