A super SDM (species distribution model) 'in the cloud' for better habitat-association inference with a 'big data' application of the Great Gray Owl for Alaska.

The currently available distribution and range maps for the Great Grey Owl (GGOW; Strix nebulosa) are ambiguous, contradictory, imprecise, outdated, often hand-drawn and thus not quantified, not based on data or scientific. In this study, we present a proof of concept with a biological application for technical and biological workflow progress on latest global open access 'Big Data' sharing, Open-source methods of R and geographic information systems (OGIS and QGIS) assessed with six recent multi-evidence citizen-science sightings of the GGOW. This proposed workflow can be applied for quantified inference for any species-habitat model such as typically applied with species distribution models (SDMs). Using Random Forest-an ensemble-type model of Machine Learning following Leo Breiman's approach of inference from predictions-we present a Super SDM for GGOWs in Alaska running on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). These Super SDMs were based on best publicly available data (410 occurrences + 1% new assessment sightings) and over 100 environmental GIS habitat predictors ('Big Data'). The compiled global open access data and the associated workflow overcome for the first time the limitations of traditionally used PC and laptops. It breaks new ground and has real-world implications for conservation and land management for GGOW, for Alaska, and for other species worldwide as a 'new' baseline. As this research field remains dynamic, Super SDMs can have limits, are not the ultimate and final statement on species-habitat associations yet, but they summarize all publicly available data and information on a topic in a quantified and testable fashion allowing fine-tuning and improvements as needed. At minimum, they allow for low-cost rapid assessment and a great leap forward to be more ecological and inclusive of all information at-hand. Using GGOWs, here we aim to correct the perception of this species towards a more inclusive, holistic, and scientifically correct assessment of this urban-adapted owl in the Anthropocene, rather than a mysterious wilderness-inhabiting species (aka 'Phantom of the North'). Such a Super SDM was never created for any bird species before and opens new perspectives for impact assessment policy and global sustainability.

Physical Activity, Sleep, and Demographic Patterns in Alaska Native Children and Youth Living in Anaktuvuk Pass.

Physical activity (PA), sleep, and weight are important factors for youth health. However, data about these factors are unknown in youth living in isolated Alaska Native communities. This study aims to assess PA, sleep, height and weight in elementary through high school students living in Anaktuvuk Pass. Fourteen children (<12) and 24 youths (12-20) volunteered to participate in this study. PA and sleep data were collected with actigraphy. Height and weight were assessed with standard procedures. Demographics were collected via survey. Results show that 10.53% and 18.42% of participants were overweight and obese, respectively. Average bedtime was 00:15 am and wake time 08:23 am. Total sleep time was 498.21 min. Participants averaged 477.64 min in sedentary activity, 297.29 min in light activity, 150.66 min in moderate activity, and 18.05 min in vigorous activity. Adjusted models suggest that high school students engage in significantly more sedentary activity, and significantly less light, moderate, and vigorous activity compared to those in middle and elementary school. All students engaged in less moderate and vigorous activity on the weekend compared to the weekday. Data suggest that as children age they become more sedentary. Future studies should focus on increasing daily PA in high school students while considering other obesogenic factors.

Role of social, cultural and symbolic capital for youth and community wellbeing in a rural Alaska Native community.

Health promotion programs by and for Indigenous Peoples increasingly use strength-based Indigenous approaches aimed at reinforcing protective factors rooted in their cultures and traditions. These protective factors can counteract the deleterious effects induced by the rapid social changes related to colonization. Western social scientists defined cultural, social and symbolic capital as assets akin to social strengths that can promote health. It is important to understand Indigenous perspectives on these social and cultural capitals, and the ways their interplay can promote wellness. Using the qualitative methods photovoice and digital storytelling, we elicited the perspectives of Athabascan middle and high school students participating in the Frank Attla Youth and Sled Dog Care-Mushing Program in their home community of Huslia in Interior Alaska. Subsequently, we disseminated the stories and preliminary findings in Huslia, and conducted focus groups with adults to triangulate with the youth perspectives. Deductive and inductive thematic content analysis of youth stories and photos revealed the impacts of the program on them and their community. Youth reported gains in cultural, social and symbolic capital and shared what these forms of capital mean in their cultural context. Cultural capital gains were mostly in its embodied form, e.g. in work ethics, perseverance and the value of cultural traditions; social capital gains revolved around relations with peers, adults and Elders, nature and animals, as well as social cohesion and sense of belonging in Huslia; Symbolic capital was reflected through pride and spirituality. The students' stories also illustrated their perspectives on how the program affected their wellbeing, through physical activity, healing relations with dogs, increased self-esteem and visions of a bright future. Adults corroborated youth perspectives and shared their observations of program impacts on discipline, academic and life skills and resilience. These findings could be used to guide development and assessment of culturally-based wellbeing promoting interventions.

Indigenous Knowledge: Revitalizing Everlasting Relationships between Alaska Natives and Sled Dogs to Promote Holistic Wellbeing.

INTRODUCTION: Indigenous peoples have documented their culture's history in oral stories, revealing lessons about holistic relationships fostering perseverance. Despite vast differences in time, relationships and stories are equally important today. Athabascans retain their values, life skills, and wellness through cultural practices. Creating opportunities for youths to learn through reciprocal relationships increases wellness in Indigenous communities, highlighting the significance of community-developed programs that connect youths to their place and culture. METHOD: Athabascan youths in rural Alaska get hands-on experience and Elder mentorship working with sled dogs in the Frank Attla Youth and Sled Dog Care-Mushing Program (FAYSDP). Through a community-based participatory research partnership with the community of Huslia and Jimmy Huntington School, we examined how FAYSDP affects youths, and how relationships within culture and land promote wellbeing. Fifteen middle and high-school youths shared their perspectives on how FAYSDP impacts them and their community using photovoice and digital storytelling. Nineteen adults contributed their perspectives in focus groups. We used emerging themes (inductive) and Athabascan cultural values and elements of social capital (deductive approaches) to analyze the qualitative data. RESULTS: Findings illustrate how FAYSDP promotes wellbeing by empowering youths to apply what they learn to generate their own knowledge, while centering communities around culturally significant practices such as dog mushing. It connects youths to their home and their cultural values, using dogs as the driving force to bridge generations and foster youth wellness. DISCUSSION: We discuss implications for community-based programs that engage Elders as teachers and the land as their classroom to promote youth holistic wellness.

Yup'ik identity and socioeconomic status are associated with child consumption of traditional food and weight in rural Yup'ik communities.

OBJECTIVE: In remote, Alaska Native communities, traditional foods remain a significant source of essential nutrients and appear to protect against the development of chronic diseases. Relatively low intake of traditional foods among Alaska Native children is therefore of concern. The aim of this study was to identify household and parental predictors of child traditional food (TF) consumption and weight in remote Yup'ik communities of Alaska. DESIGN: Children (10-18 years old) and parents in two communities (populations <500) were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study. Intake of traditional foods among children and parents was estimated from two-24 h recalls using NDS-R. Weight and height were measured and BMI calculated. Sociodemographic factors, including income and education, were collected from parents. A partial least square path modeling analysis and bootstrapping were performed to identify predictors of child TF consumption and weight. RESULTS: Parental intake of traditional foods, Yup'ik identity and income were positively associated with child intake of traditional foods. Further, parental intake of traditional foods predicted lower child BMI. Parental education was negatively associated with child traditional food intake and positively associated with child BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that interventions targeting parents may be an effective strategy to increase intake of traditional foods and improve diet quality among Alaska Native youth.

The loss of hemoglobin and myoglobin does not minimize oxidative stress in Antarctic icefishes.

The unusual pattern of expression of hemoglobin (Hb) and myoglobin (Mb) among Antarctic notothenioid fishes provides an exceptional model system for assessing the impact of these proteins on oxidative stress. We tested the hypothesis that the lack of oxygen-binding proteins may reduce oxidative stress. Levels and activity of pro-oxidants and small-molecule and enzymatic antioxidants, and levels of oxidized lipids and proteins in the liver, oxidative skeletal muscle and heart ventricle were quantified in five species of notothenioid fishes differing in the expression of Hb and Mb. Levels of ubiquitinated proteins and rates of protein degradation by the 20S proteasome were also quantified. Although levels of oxidized proteins and lipids, ubiquitinated proteins, and antioxidants were higher in red-blooded fishes than in Hb-less icefishes in some tissues, this pattern did not persist across all tissues. Expression of Mb was not associated with oxidative damage in the heart ventricle, whereas the activity of citrate synthase and the contents of heme were positively correlated with oxidative damage in most tissues. Despite some tissue differences in levels of protein carbonyls among species, rates of degradation by the 20S proteasome were not markedly different, suggesting either alternative pathways for eliminating oxidized proteins or that redox tone varies among species. Together, our data indicate that the loss of Hb and Mb does not correspond with a clear pattern of either reduced oxidative defense or oxidative damage.

Association between iq'mik smokeless tobacco use and cardiometabolic risk profile among Yup'ik Alaska Native people.

OBJECTIVE: The traditional lifestyle of Yup'ik Alaska Native people, including a diet abundant in marine-based foods and physical activity, may be cardio-protective. However, iq'mik, a traditional form of smokeless tobacco used by >50% of Yup'ik adults, could increase cardiometabolic (CM) risk. Our objective was to characterize the associations between iq'mik use and biomarkers of CM status (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C], triglycerides [TG], systolic blood pressure [SBP] and diastolic blood pressure [DBP], glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c], fasting blood glucose [FBG], waist circumference [WC], and body mass index [BMI]). DESIGN: We assessed these associations using data from a cross-sectional sample of Yup'ik adults (n = 874). Current iq'mik use, demographic, and lifestyle data were collected through interviews. Fasting blood samples were collected to measure LDL-C, HDL-C, TG, HbA1c, and FBG. SBP, DBP, WC, and BMI were obtained by physical examination. We characterized the association between current iq'mik use and continuous biomarkers of CM status using multiple approaches, including adjustment for measures of Yup'ik lifestyle and a propensity score. RESULTS: Based on either adjustment method, current iq'mik use was significantly and positively associated with at least 5% higher HDL-C, and significantly associated but in an inverse direction with multiple biomarkers of CM status including 7% lower TG, 0.05% lower HbA1c, 2% lower FBG, 4% lower WC, and 4% lower BMI. Observed associations for LDL-C, SBP, and DBP varied by adjustment method. CONCLUSIONS: This inverse association between iq'mik use and cardiometabolic risk status has not been previously reported. Additional research is needed to replicate these findings and explore physiological mechanisms and/or confounding factors.

Longitudinal Prediction of Suicide Attempts for a Diverse Adolescent Sample of Native Hawaiians, Pacific Peoples, and Asian Americans.

The objective of this study was to determine the longitudinal predictors of past-6-month suicide attempts for a diverse adolescent sample of Native Hawaiians, Pacific peoples, and Asian Americans. The study used longitudinal data from the Hawaiian High Schools Health Survey (N = 2,083, 9th to 11th graders, 1992-1993 and 1993-1994 school years). A stepwise multiple logistic regression was conducted. The final model consisted of three statistically significant predictors: (1) Time 1 suicide attempt, odds ratio = 30.6; (2) state anxiety, odds ratio = 4.9; and (3) parent expectations, odds ratio = 1.9. Past suicide attempt was by far the strongest predictor of future suicide attempts. Implications are discussed, including the need for screening of prior suicide attempts and focused interventions after suicide attempts.

Dietary Vitamin K and Association with Hepatic Vitamin K Status in a Yup'ik Study Population from Southwestern Alaska.

SCOPE: The relationship between dietary vitamin K and plasma PIVKA-II concentration, a biomarker of hepatic vitamin K status, in a Yup'ik study population in southwestern Alaska is investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 659 male and female, self-reported Yup'ik people, ≥14 years of age, were enrolled. Blood is collected for genotyping and plasma PIVKA-II biomarker analysis. A Yup'ik-specific dietary food frequency questionnaire is used to assess vitamin K intake. Among the participants, 22% report not consuming foods rich in vitamin K during the past year and 36% have a PIVKA-II concentration ≥ 2 ng mL-1 , indicating vitamin K insufficiency. The odds of an elevated PIVKA-II concentration are 33% lower in individuals reporting any versus no consumption of vitamin-K-rich foods. The association is significant after adjusting for CYP4F2*3 genotype. Tundra greens are high in vitamin K1 content, but an exploratory analysis suggests that subsistence meat sources have a greater effect on vitamin K status. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of the Yup'ik population exhibits vitamin K insufficiency, which is associated with low consumption of vitamin K rich foods and which might affect an individual's response to anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin that target the vitamin K cycle.

Bi-cultural dynamics for risk and protective factors for cardiometabolic health in an Alaska Native (Yup'ik) population.

Alaska Native people experience disparities in mortality from heart disease and stroke. This work attempts to better understand the relationships between socioeconomic, behavioral, and cardiometabolic risk factors among Yup'ik people of southwestern Alaska, with a focus on the role of the socioeconomic, and cultural components. Using a cross-sectional sample of 486 Yup'ik adults, we fitted a Partial Least Squares Path Model (PLS-PM) to assess the associations between components, including demographic factors [age and gender], socioeconomic factors [education, economic status, Yup'ik culture, and Western culture], behavioral factors [diet, cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use, and physical activity], and cardiometabolic risk factors [adiposity, triglyceride-HDL and LDL lipids, glycemia, and blood pressure]. We found relatively mild associations of education and economic status with cardiometabolic risk factors, in contrast with studies in other populations. The socioeconomic factor and participation in Yup'ik culture had potentially protective associations with adiposity, triglyceride-HDL lipids, and blood pressure, whereas participation in Western culture had a protective association with blood pressure. We also found a moderating effect of participation in Western culture on the relationships between Yup'ik culture participation and both blood pressure and LDL lipids, indicating a potentially beneficial additional effect of bi-culturalism. Our results suggest that reinforcing protective effects of both Yup'ik and Western cultures could be useful for interventions aimed at reducing cardiometabolic health disparities.

Relationship of Social Network to Protective Factors in Suicide and Alcohol Use Disorder Intervention for Rural Yup'ik Alaska Native Youth.

Suicide and alcohol use disorders are significant Alaska Native health disparities, yet there is limited understanding of protection and no studies of social network factors in protection in this or other populations. The Qungasvik intervention enhances protective factors from suicide and alcohol use disorders through activities grounded in Yup'ik cultural practices and values. Identification of social network factors associated with protection within the cultural context of these tight, close knit, and high density rural Yup'ik Alaska Native communities in southwest Alaska can help identify effective prevention strategies for suicide and alcohol use disorder risk. Using data from ego-centered social network and protective factors from suicide and alcohol use disorders surveys with 50 Yup'ik adolescents, we provide descriptive data on structural and network composition variables, identify key network variables that explain major proportions of the variance in a four principal component structure of these network variables, and demonstrate the utility of these key network variables as predictors of family and community protective factors from suicide and alcohol use disorder risk. Connections to adults and connections to elders, but not peer connections, emerged as predictors of family and community level protection, suggesting these network factors as important intervention targets for intervention.

Relationship of Social Network to Protective Factors in Suicide and Alcohol Use Disorder Intervention for Rural Yup'ik Alaska Native Youth / Relación de la red social con los factores protectores del sucidio: Intervención en los trastornos de consumo de alcohol de jóvenes nativos Yup'ik de Alaska

Suicide and alcohol use disorders are significant Alaska Native health disparities, yet there is limited understanding of protection and no studies about social network factors in protection in this or other populations. The Qungasvik intervention enhances protective factors from suicide and alcohol use disorders through activities grounded in Yup'ik cultural practices and values. Identification of social network factors associated with protection within the cultural context of these tight, close knit, and high density rural Yup'ik Alaska Native communities in southwest Alaska can help identify effective prevention strategies for suicide and alcohol use disorder risk. Using data from ego-centered social network and protective factors from suicide and alcohol use disorders surveys with 50 Yup'ik adolescents, we provide descriptive data on structural and network composition variables, identify key network variables that explain major proportions of the variance in a four principal component structure of these network variables, and demonstrate the utility of these key network variables as predictors of family and community protective factors from suicide and alcohol use disorder risk. Connections to adults and connections to elders, but not peer connections, emerged as predictors of family and community level protection, suggesting these network factors as important intervention targets for intervention

El suicido y los trastornos en el consumo de alcohol son disparidades de salud significativas entre los nativos de Alaska. Sin embargo, hay una comprensión limitada de las dinámicas de protección y no hay estudios sobre el papel de las redes sociales en esta población o en otras poblaciones. La intervención Qungasvik mejora los factores de protección contra el suicidio y los problemas de consumo de alcohol a través de actividades basadas en las prácticas y los valores culturales de los Yup'ik. La identificación de factores de redes sociales de carácter protector en los contextos culturales de comunidades Yup'ik muy unidas y densas del suroeste de Alaska pueden ayudar a identificar estrategias de prevención efectivas contra el riesgo de suicidio y los problemas con el alcohol. Con datos de redes egocéntricas e indicadores de encuesta sobre los factores protectores contra el suicidio y el abuso de alcohol en 50 adolescentes Yup'ik, proporcionamos datos descriptivos de las variables de composición y estructura de la red, identificamos aquellas variables claves de la red social que explican una mayor proporción de la varianza en la estructura de cuatro componentes principales de dichas variables, y demostramos la utilidad de dichos indicadores como predictores de los factores familiares y comunitarios de protección contra el suicidio y el riesgo de consumo abusivo de alcohol. Las conexiones con adultos y las conexiones con ancianos, pero no las conexiones con iguales, emergieron como predictores de la protección a nivel familiar y comunitario, lo que sugiere que estos factores de la red son un objetivo importante de la intervención

Genetics, Diet, and Season Are Associated with Serum 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol Concentration in a Yup'ik Study Population from Southwestern Alaska.

BACKGROUND: Low blood vitamin D concentration is a concern for people living in circumpolar regions, where sunlight is insufficient for vitamin D synthesis in winter months and the consumption of traditional dietary sources of vitamin D is decreasing. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to characterize the effects of diet, genetic variation, and season on serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol [25(OH)D3] concentrations in Yup'ik Alaska Native people living in rural southwest Alaska. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional design that assessed the associations of traditional diet (via a biomarker, the RBC δ(15)N value), age, gender, body mass index (BMI), community location, and genotype of select single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in cytochrome P450 family 2, subfamily R, peptide 1 (CYP2R1), 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7), and vitamin D binding protein (GC) with serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations in 743 Yup'ik male and female participants, aged 14-93 y, recruited between September 2009 and December 2013. RESULTS: Yup'ik participants, on average, had adequate concentrations of serum 25(OH)D3 (31.1 ± 1.0 ng/mL). Variations in diet, BMI, age, gender, season of sample collection, and inland or coastal community geography were all significantly associated with serum 25(OH)D3 concentration. In models not adjusting for other covariates, age, diet, and seasonal effects explained 33.7%, 20.7%, and 9.8%, respectively, of variability in serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations. Of the 8 SNPs interrogated in CYP2R1 and DHCR7, only rs11023374 in CYP2R1 was significantly associated with serum 25(OH)D3, explaining 1.5% of variability. The GC haplotype explained an additional 2.8% of variability. Together, age, diet, gender, season of sample collection, BMI, geography of the community, and genotype at rs11023374 explained 52.5% of the variability in serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Lower consumption of the traditional diet was associated with lower serum concentrations of 25(OH)D3. Younger adults and youth in this community may be at increased risk of adverse outcomes associated with vitamin D insufficiency compared with older members of the community, especially during seasons of low sunlight exposure, because of lower consumption of dietary sources of vitamin D.

Characterising the reproducibility and reliability of dietary patterns among Yup'ik Alaska Native people.

FFQ data can be used to characterise dietary patterns for diet-disease association studies. In the present study, we evaluated three previously defined dietary patterns--'subsistence foods', market-based 'processed foods' and 'fruits and vegetables'--among a sample of Yup'ik people from Southwest Alaska. We tested the reproducibility and reliability of the dietary patterns, as well as the associations of these patterns with dietary biomarkers and participant characteristics. We analysed data from adult study participants who completed at least one FFQ with the Center for Alaska Native Health Research 9/2009-5/2013. To test the reproducibility of the dietary patterns, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of a hypothesised model using eighteen food items to measure the dietary patterns (n 272). To test the reliability of the dietary patterns, we used the CFA to measure composite reliability (n 272) and intra-class correlation coefficients for test-retest reliability (n 113). Finally, to test the associations, we used linear regression (n 637). All factor loadings, except one, in CFA indicated acceptable correlations between foods and dietary patterns (r>0·40), and model-fit criteria were >0·90. Composite and test-retest reliability of the dietary patterns were, respectively, 0·56 and 0·34 for 'subsistence foods', 0·73 and 0·66 for 'processed foods', and 0·72 and 0·54 for 'fruits and vegetables'. In the multi-predictor analysis, the dietary patterns were significantly associated with dietary biomarkers, community location, age, sex and self-reported lifestyle. This analysis confirmed the reproducibility and reliability of the dietary patterns in the present study population. These dietary patterns can be used for future research and development of dietary interventions in this underserved population.

Using exploratory factor analysis of FFQ data to identify dietary patterns among Yup'ik people.

OBJECTIVE: An FFQ developed by the Center for Alaska Native Health Research for studies in Yup'ik people includes market foods and subsistence foods such as moose, seal, waterfowl and salmon that may be related to disease risk. Because the FFQ contains >100 food items, we sought to characterize dietary patterns more simply for use in ongoing pharmacogenomics studies. DESIGN: Exploratory factor analysis was used to derive a small number of 'factors' that explain a substantial amount of the variation in the Yup'ik diet. We estimated factor scores and measured associations with demographic characteristics and biomarkers. SETTING: South-west Alaska, USA. SUBJECTS: Yup'ik people (n 358) aged ≥18 years. RESULTS: We identified three factors that each accounted for ≥10 % of the common variance: the first characterized by 'processed foods' (e.g. salty snacks, sweetened cereals); the second by 'fruits and vegetables' (e.g. fresh citrus, potato salad); and the third by 'subsistence foods' (seal or walrus soup, non-oily fish). Participants from coastal communities had higher values for the 'subsistence' factor, whereas participants from inland communities had higher values for the 'fruits and vegetables' factor. A biomarker of marine intake, δ 15N, was correlated with the 'subsistence' factor, whereas a biomarker of corn- and sugarcane-based market food intake, δ 13C, was correlated with 'processed foods'. CONCLUSIONS: The exploratory factor analysis identified three factors that appeared to reflect dietary patterns among Yup'ik based on associations with participant characteristics and biomarkers. These factors will be useful for chronic disease studies in this population.