Contributions and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples to the study of mercury in the Arctic.

Arctic Indigenous Peoples are among the most exposed humans when it comes to foodborne mercury (Hg). In response, Hg monitoring and research have been on-going in the circumpolar Arctic since about 1991; this work has been mainly possible through the involvement of Arctic Indigenous Peoples. The present overview was initially conducted in the context of a broader assessment of Hg research organized by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme. This article provides examples of Indigenous Peoples' contributions to Hg monitoring and research in the Arctic, and discusses approaches that could be used, and improved upon, when carrying out future activities. Over 40 mercury projects conducted with/by Indigenous Peoples are identified for different circumpolar regions including the U.S., Canada, Greenland, Sweden, Finland, and Russia as well as instances where Indigenous Knowledge contributed to the understanding of Hg contamination in the Arctic. Perspectives and visions of future Hg research as well as recommendations are presented. The establishment of collaborative processes and partnership/co-production approaches with scientists and Indigenous Peoples, using good communication practices and transparency in research activities, are key to the success of research and monitoring activities in the Arctic. Sustainable funding for community-driven monitoring and research programs in Arctic countries would be beneficial and assist in developing more research/monitoring capacity and would promote a more holistic approach to understanding Hg in the Arctic. These activities should be well connected to circumpolar/international initiatives to ensure broader availability of the information and uptake in policy development.

The role of a traditional and western diet on glucose homeostasis in Greenlandic Inuit carriers and non-carriers of type 2 diabetes variant in the TBC1D4 gene: A protocol for a randomized clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: The lifestyle of Inuit in Greenland and worldwide is undergoing a transition from a fisher-hunter to a westernized society and meanwhile the prevalence of type-2 diabetes (T2D) has increased dramatically. Studies have shown that a common nonsense p.Arg684Ter variant in TBC1D4, which is frequent in Greenland, confers genetic susceptibility towards high risk of T2D. The aim of the study is to investigate whether a traditional marine diet, with high fat and low carbohydrate, will improve glycemic control in Greenland Inuit compared to a western diet. Moreover, we want to examine if the response is more pronounced in carriers of the p.Arg684Ter variant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We will conduct a randomized, clinical cross-over trial with two dietary intervention periods of four weeks duration. The diet intervention comprise provision of >20E% and instruction for the remaining part of the diet. We expect to include 30 homozygous carriers and 30 homozygous non-carriers of the p.Arg684Ter variant, aged 18-80 years, across three Greenlandic towns. The primary outcome is plasma (p)-glucose 2 h post an oral glucose tolerance test and we aim to have 80% power, at α = 0.05, to detect a difference of 1.1 mmol/L. We will also include supporting measures of glucose homeostasis, assess other markers of the metabolic syndrome and perform metabolome and microbiome profiling. The statistical analysis will be performed as complete case analyses using linear mixed models. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study received approval by the Ethics Committee of Greenland (KVUG 2018-26) and will be disseminated via international peer-reviewed journal articles and conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier no. NCT04011904.