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The relevance of the research topic. Wherever slavery existed, people attempted to escape, and American history is no exception. Sometimes such efforts took on organized and institutionalized forms, a notable example of which is the so-called Underground Railroad, a secret and organized system of resistance to enslavement by facilitating the escape of African Americans to northern states and other territories. In the chosen context of the research, the Underground Railroad can rightfully be considered one of the first mass movements for human rights not only in the United States, but also in the world.The purpose of the research is to reveal the main aspects of the functioning of the Underground Railroad, since this problem is extremely poorly covered by domestic science.The research is based on a scientific analysis of biographical data, literary sources, legal documents, materials from periodicals and has been carried out by applying the principle of historicism, comparative historical, problem-chronological, biographical and descriptive methods.The research results demonstrate that, in order to prevent human trafficking, individuals, families, and communities with anti-slavery attitude created preconditions for the formation of a large-scale institutionalized system that stretched from the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario east to the Atlantic coast, south to Florida and the Caribbean, and west to the border enclaves of Kansas, Texas, and Mexico.On the basis of the research results, it has been concluded that the term «Underground Railroad», although it does not reflect the specifics of its activities, denotes a very real historical phenomenon. The organization and activities of the Underground Railroad became an important component in the difficult task of eradicating slavery in the United States.

Climate change urges us to reconsider the very cold. Its natural manifestations – ice and snow – are today shrinking elements, and the gravity of melting glaciers and thawing polar regions is indeed deeply worrying for the planet as a whole. In this article questions will be raised concerning how cold was understood and imagined during the Little Ice Age, when the freezing cold was a regular part of the everyday life in large parts of Europe. The very cold became an object of enquiry for natural philosophers in unprecedented ways. The article focuses on Robert Boyle’s New Experiments and Observations touching Cold, or an Experimental History of Cold, begun (London, 1665) and Margaret Cavendish’s Observations upon Experimental Philosophy (London, 1666) and explores early modern English imaginaries of the polar regions, and how they join in the scientific debate on how to understand the cold.

Ensuring balanced spatial development of Russia is not possible without the implementation of measures for accelerated development of rural areas. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the need to adjust the priorities of rural development in the North of Russia based on the analysis of the regional state program “Integrated development of rural areas of the Vologda region”. The methodological basis is the developments of regional and spatial economics and economy of rural territories. The information base was the data of Federal State Statistics Service, reports of the Vologda Region state authorities, the results of surveys of the Vologda Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. We used methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison and correlation as well as regression analysis. The elements of scientific novelty are consideration of rural areas as an integral part of the region’s space as well as integrated use of monographic, statistical and econometric methods in justifying the need to change the priorities of rural development. The expediency of adjusting the priorities of rural development in the direction of active advancement of their economy is revealed. It seems relevant to adjust priorities by including measures for the development of the rural economy, enshrined in the Strategy for Sustainable Development of Rural Areas of the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2030, and measures to form a single rural-urban space. The prospect for research is justification of social and economic efficiency from the implementation of measures to improve the rural economy.

The article examines whether the image of the North sweetheart functions in the texts of A. Blok’s poem “In the Attic” and I. Severyanin’s poems “Estland poetry” and “The tale of Ingrid”. The author proceeds from the idea that the North, despite the semantic dominant due to cold and freezing, in the works of the Silver Age poets embodies the dream of the life freed from the problems of the time in which they had to live in. Accordingly, the female image, determined by the semantics of the North, is associated with the aspirations of poets, but remains inaccessible. It turns out that, despite the different ways of depicting the heroes, the poets use common themes and motives: the theme of love and death, the theme of beauty, the motives of threat, betrayal.

The article examines the impact of the processes of new industrial development of natural resources of the North on the socio-economic conditions and prospects for long-term development of municipal districts. Particular attention is paid to the problems of administrative management of these territories in the context of the concept of sustainable development, which is especially relevant for resource regions, since with all the benefits received by different actors, an economy based on exhaustible natural resources is limited in development and causes significant damage to the natural environment. The purpose of the article is to determine the features of administrative management in the areas of new industrial development, including the identification of problems and benefits of socio-economic development of Northern municipalities in the context of sustainable development. The research was carried out on the example of the territories of new industrial development of oil and gas resources in the North of the Irkutsk region. The article is based on the materials of field socio-geographical studies conducted in Katangskii, Kirenskii and Ust-Kutskii municipal districts in February and March 2022. The results of field research are supplemented with data from territorial statistics and materials from strategic planning documents, municipal programs, reports of administrations on the socio-economic development of the studied territories. Comparative geographical and statistical methods, as well as general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis are used in the work. It is revealed that the active development of the oil and gas industry in the Northern districts of the Irkutsk region has a positive effect on the dynamics of revenues of district budgets, but, nevertheless, they remain dependent on higher budget systems. The most effective formation of the revenue part of budgets in connection with industrial works is revealed in rural settlements in the territories of which hydrocarbons are extracted, despite the self-sufficiency of these local budgets, the formation of a stable base for long-term development of settlements is limited by the narrow powers of local administrations. As a result, a list of the main problems hindering the effective administrative management of the long-term socio-economic development of the northern municipalities at the local level has been formed.

As a Chinese born and raised in tropical Malaysia, I had never seen a radiator before studying in the United Kingdom. Therefore, when I first arrived in the UK in the autumn, I embarrassingly mistook the panel radiator in my room for the place to hang my towel. To capture the experience, I wrote my poem in the shape of a panel radiator, a rectangle with two stands on the sides. Written vertically from right to left, the poem's form resembles the ancient Chinese texts. I chose this form because the UK's autumn reminded me of literary works from China about autumn. Both locales are "the North" for me: while the UK is in the Global North, China is in the North for Malaysians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. The incidence of dermatoses of the peoples of the North is closely related to the way of life, traditional trades (reindeer husbandry, fishing, gathering wild plants), the impact of adverse climatic factors, as well as the influence of industrial enterprises on the fragile nature of the North. Along with the problem of anthropogenic and technogenic pollution of the environment in most regions of the North, there is also the problem of the widespread occurrence of various biogeochemical anomalies, among which the leading place belongs to natural iodine deficiency and the widespread occurrence of iodine deficiency diseases. A territorial feature that is seasonal in nature is allergic dermatitis caused by insect bites (mosquitoes, midges), as well as skin rashes associated with climatic and geographical factors (cold urticaria, simple contact irritable and photocontact dermatitis, etc.). The article gives a review of the dermatologic morbidity structure for one of small peoples of the North — the Selkups. Urgency of the problem of healthcare for indigenous and small peoples of the North was indicated, main climatic and geographical factors of the Selkup habitat were shown, which directly influence on the skin condition. In retrospect, according to medical documentation, the data of annual reports of the skin and venereologic dispensary in the city of Salekhard, the central district hospital of the Krasnoselkupsky district, the results of medical examinations and outpatient visits to a dermatovenerologist in the city of Noyabrsk and the village of Krasnoselkupsk for 3 years were analyzed. The object of the examination was patients — Selkups, divided into nomadic and sedentary groups.

The article explores quantitative regularities of distribution and the hierarchy of biotic indicators North, Tyumen region. Their connection with climatic parameters is shown: average air temperatures for the warmest month, indices of heat, dryness, average annual temperature, annual amount of precipitation, etc. The nature and schematic maps of their zonal distribution are constructed. The formulas for the dependence of the main biota indicators are determined: the number of taxa of plants and animals of different hierarchical levels, productivity and phytomass from indices of heat, dryness, and other climatic characteristics. The similarity of the spatial and temporal distribution of climatic parameters, as well as the richness and diversity of biota, is shown. For the convenience of analysis and assessment of the distribution of biota of different genesis, the concept of group (fractional) thermal indices, belonging to different temperature ranges, is introduced: 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-tm, oC.

The article shows the role of the agricultural sector of the North in providing the population with fresh food products, preserving the traditional way of life of the indigenous ethnic groups, sustainable de-velopment of the northern territories, and ensuring the country's food security. The organization of agriculture in the north and Arctic territories of Scandinavia, Canada and Alaska and the possibility of its use in the Russian North, considering its own rich historical experience, is discussed in the article. The generalization of agricultural practices in northern countries allows us to recommend the Scandinavian development of agriculture and, above all, the experience of Finland for the European North of Russia. Canadian model of agricultural development is of little use for the Russian North since it was designed for sparsely populated territories. The study revealed the possibilities and limitations of the development of agriculture in the North. The critical points for the socio-economic development in the agrarian sector are the availability of natural and labor resources, the possibility of organizing organic (ecological) production within the traditional industries, the industrial nature of the economy that directs significant financial resources for the industrial modernization and the integrated development of rural areas. The study also revealed the possibilities and limitations of the agricultural development of the North. The constraints of agricultural development and food self-sufficiency are explicit. They are related to extreme natural conditions, low availability of biological resources, the poor technical support of the agrarian sector, low-qualified employees and hard living conditions of peasants, unfavorable external environment, inefficient state support, unavailability of loans, and unsustainable sales of agricultural products. The changes in the agriculture of the northern territories after the All-Russian Agricultural Censuses 2006 and 2016 revealed. The results of the study serve the ground for substantiating conceptual approaches to the development of agricultural production and increasing the level of food self-sufficiency of the local population.

The paper analyzes the phenomenon of the flypaper effect – non-identical growth of inter-budget transfer and equivalent growth of private income for budget expenditures – in the relations between the budgets of the Northern entities of Russia and their local budgets for 2013–2016. We conduct comparative assessment of the budget response to changes in parameters of the private sector on the one hand; on the other hand, in parameters of relations with the budget of another level. The relevance of the proposed study of inter-budget relations lies in determining the effects of inter-budget redistribution and optimal expenditures at different levels of the budget system in the current system of distribution of expenditure obligations. The purpose of the present research is to reveal the consequences of allocation of non-target transfers from budgets of the entities in the Russian North from the point of view of fiscal incentives formed in the process of inter-budget relations and the models of behavior of local budgets created by these incentives. For the Republic of Karelia and the Sakhalin Oblast, the flypaper effect in inter-budget relations of regional and local budgets has been revealed. In the Arkhangelsk Oblast, Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets autonomous okrugs, Kamchatka Krai, the republics of Komi and Sakha (Yakutia), the flypaper effect has not been revealed. It has been established that local budgets in the Republic of Karelia and the Sakhalin Oblast act in the interests of the regional budget to a relatively greater extent, they are more willing to expand production of local goods. In other regional budget systems, local budgets have a relatively more flexible fiscal policy, acting in the interests of local taxpayers, but at the expense of reducing regional benefits. It is assumed that budget systems of entities with the flypaper effect demonstrate lower differentiation of local and regional expenditures, which prevents decentralization; as well as higher dissatisfaction with the value of basic services in the public sector, which reduces the need for local differentiation. The author demonstrates the promising areas of interregional research. It has been revealed that the causes of the flypaper effect cannot be detected by analyzing traditional indicators of finance and regional economy

The aim of this article is to discuss the key works of Russian historiography that deal with Northern crosses of the 16th — 17th centuries. The article takes into account scientifi c works beginning from the fi rst half and middle of the 19th century, i.e. the time when staurography emerged, up to the present day. Following the logic of the development of staurography, the article pays attention to the emergence in the latter half of the 19th century of studies devoted to bow and mortgage crosses that are found in the North of Russia, in Novgorod. The Northern direction in historiography was developing in the early 20th century, when there appeared a number of works that incorporate this type of monument into the cultural context of North Russian lands by means of comparing crosses and a range of other ritual objects. In the late 20th — early 21st centuries there appeared a relatively sizeable (compared with the preceding periods) amount of studies that consider the northern crosses from various viewpoints. Their authors analyse the transformation of the appearance of Northern crosses and church complexes through the study of the change and combination of traditional folk practices with Christianity. Another object of research is the identifi cation of the role of the cross in the sacred topography of the Russian North and the centres of production of bow crosses. Besides, there appeared a number of works dealing with unique monuments. The attention of researchers has been directed to monuments from not only 18th and 19th centuries but to the earlier stauroi, though their study is complicated by the fact that they have been preserved in a signifi cantly smaller number than the later crosses.

The authors examined 32 teachers from a natural sciences lyceum, 26 teachers from Magadan vocational schools, and 32 teachers from a boarding school located in Evensk, a remote settlement in Magadan region. The research goal was to assess risk factors which could lead to occupational emotional burn-out syndrome in teachers working in secondary and vocational schools in Magadan region. Emotional burn-out parameters were determined as per V.V. Boiko's "Diagnostics of emotional burn-out" questionnaire; neuro-psychic adaptation was measured as per a scale developed by I.N. Gurvich; social frustration was determined as per L.I. Wasserman's technique. The research revealed that "Strain" syndrome phase didn't occur in any group of the examined teachers. "Resistance" phase was the most apparent one as it was just starting to appear. "Depletion" phase was detected only in teachers from a lyceum in Magadan, and it was at the stage of just being formed. This teachers' group also had more apparent specific symptoms as per various burn-out phases against two other examined groups, and this discrepancy was statistically significant. We showed that schoolteachers from Magadan and Evensk were significantly more frustrated with various social functioning spheres and had more apparent problems in their neuro-psychic sphere than teachers from vocational schools (p

The spatial and territorial development of Russia was explored by many groups of geographers, historians and economists within the framework of academic programs. I interpret such development as economic and geographic activity covering regional statistics, geo-informatics, spatial planning and design as well as geographical review. This approach corresponds to one of the general directions of fundamental research of RAS «Development of the strategy of the transformation of the socioeconomic space and territorial development of Russia». My northern research, since 2010, has become an integral part of the RAS programmes «Fundamental issues of spatial development of the Russian Federation: the interdisciplinary synthesis». Its conceptual foundations were formulated by Academician A. G. Granberg and «The role of the space in the modernization of Russia: natural and socio-economic potential» (supervisor, Academician V. M. Kotlyakov). At first, I consider the following problems of the North: the North and Russia’s internal market, modernization of the Northern households, scientific and technical preparation of the projects for the upcoming development of the Arctic. Further, I give the scientific explanation of the issues of socio-economic development. They are due to the poor state of the spatial organization of national economy in Russian Federation and the underestimation of the economic systems formed in the Northern and Arctic regions. These systems are divided into three types: territorial and economic complexes, certain centers (industrial periphery), the periphery of rural type. Complexes concentrate about 60 % of labour potential of the North, the industrial periphery — 15 % and rural — 25 %. They have different directions for the economic modernization and on the condition of this potential realization can ensure long-term sustainable development to the Northern regions. The Arctic vector of natural resource economy can succeed if its scientific and technical preparation is considered as an independent and priority direction of appropriate programs and projects. In fact, the science plays a pioneering role in the development of territories with an extreme environment.

Aim. Evaluation of the associations of allele variant of gene VЕGFR2 rs2305948 with atherosclerotic lesion of coronary arteries in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients in the North (Surgut city) and big cities of the Siberian Federal District (SFD) (Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Kemerovo).Material and methods. Totally, 258 consecutive ACS patients investigated, at admission to cardiological in-patient clinics of big cities of the North (Surgut, 78 patients) and SFD (180 patients). All patients underwent coronary arteriography and genetic test (the allele variant assessment VЕGFR2 rs2305948).Results. In Surgut patients the allele variant VЕGFR2*CC is directly linked with the lesion of proximal and intermediate part of three main arteries >70% (PTA) (χ2=4,68; p=0,031), PTA and left main stem stenosis >50% (χ2=7,02; p=0,008), and in patients from SFD VЕGFR2 *CT + *TT is directly associated with hypercholesterolemia (HC) (χ2=8,53; p=0,003). Combination of allele variant VЕGFR2*CC with HC directly influences PTA of stem stenosis >50% in ACS patients in Surgut (Exp (B) =4,441; 95% CI (1,351; 14,601); p=0,014). Combination of allele variant VЕGFR2*CC with HC directly influences stenosis >70% existence in at least three coronary arteries, in Surgut patients (Exp (B): 3,697; 95% CI (1,304; 10,486);p=0,014), as in SFD patients exp (B): 4,460; 95% CI (1,306; 15,236); p=0,017).Conclusion. Allele variant VЕGFR2*СС does directly influence the existence of coronary atherosclerosis of various grade severity in patients with ACS in the North, and if combined with VЕGFR2*СС and HC is also a risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis not only in the North but in SFD cities as well.

The North and the Arctic are legitimate objects of interdisciplinary research, the methodology of which involves the content subjects of sciences themselves. To solve complex problems the author proposes informal convergence of sciences by mating the key concepts of each scientific discipline, included in the research project, and targeted using a variety of analytical methods. The most important aspects of interdisciplinarity are internal characteristics of the research object, not its external (multi-dimensional) attributes of description. Socio-economic geography plays the most important role in studying the North and the Arctic, if it is included in an interdisciplinary synthesis (along with physical geography, statistics, regional economy, sociology, etc.) by its «final part» - the scientific discipline that studies territorial natural-economic complexes. The latter are represented as a social geosystems, having approximately equal to the dimension of natural geosystems. With such approach to the interdisciplinarity, the North and the Arctic, taken as a whole, are not socio- economic systems, and therefore their main issues turn on the local and regional levels

The United States, as one of the five Arctic states, plays what seems at first glance a typical role in the Arctic through their regional policy that uses standard tactical maneuvers, which have proven themselves worthy in other areas of the globe. However, this role is played with unusual passiveness that can be attributed primarily to a lack of an Arctic identity. This is most evident upon comparison with other states of the Arctic "five", which are completely different from each other, and nevertheless are bound by a sense of belonging to the North. The Unites States is the only Arctic state that has not signed the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, that has taken a firm stance on the sovereignty of the Northwest Passage, that risks increasing tensions with Canada, and that is not developing its icebreaker fleet, which is crucial to operations in the Arctic. This circumpolar strategic ambivalence of a powerful state, that is experienced in conducting foreign affairs, in itself presents significant room for research. Meanwhile, the region's importance is increasing in the changing international environment; it can become a "battlefield" due its strategic geopolitical position and at the same time the "main trophy"due to its abundant hydrocarbon potential. During the recent years, the Arctic has been gradually transforming into a "metaregion" for foreign affairs; its geographically limited borders have spread globally due to an increasing international presence in the Polar Region that has significant energy resources and transportation potential. This is confirmed by the emergence of new actors (including traditionally non-Arctic players), the change in agenda of multilateral discussions (traditional topics, such as protection of the fragile Arctic environment, indigenous peoples of the North, have been complemented with the new "challenges" of energy security, global warming, and militarization), and the strengthening of the institutional framework (the Arctic Council has been more and more influential). In light of the recent tension in Russian-US relations and the rising significance of the Polar Region, US Arctic policy should be the subject of an in-depth analysis of foreign-affairs experts and the government.

The United States, as one of the five Arctic states, plays what seems at first glance a typical role in the Arctic through their regional policy that uses standard tactical maneuvers, which have proven themselves worthy in other areas of the globe. However, this role is played with unusual passiveness that can be attributed primarily to a lack of an Arctic identity. This is most evident upon comparison with other states of the Arctic "five", which are completely different from each other, and nevertheless are bound by a sense of belonging to the North. The Unites States is the only Arctic state that has not signed the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, that has taken a firm stance on the sovereignty of the Northwest Passage, that risks increasing tensions with Canada, and that is not developing its icebreaker fleet, which is crucial to operations in the Arctic. This circumpolar strategic ambivalence of a powerful state, that is experienced in conducting foreign affairs, in itself presents significant room for research. Meanwhile, the region's importance is increasing in the changing international environment; it can become a "battlefield" due its strategic geopolitical position and at the same time the "main trophy"due to its abundant hydrocarbon potential. During the recent years, the Arctic has been gradually transforming into a "metaregion" for foreign affairs; its geographically limited borders have spread globally due to an increasing international presence in the Polar Region that has significant energy resources and transportation potential. This is confirmed by the emergence of new actors (including traditionally non-Arctic players), the change in agenda of multilateral discussions (traditional topics, such as protection of the fragile Arctic environment, indigenous peoples of the North, have been complemented with the new "challenges" of energy security, global warming, and militarization), and the strengthening of the institutional framework (the Arctic Council has been more and more influential). In light of the recent tension in Russian-US relations and the rising significance of the Polar Region, US Arctic policy should be the subject of an in-depth analysis of foreign-affairs experts and the government.

This paper examines the use of mapping methodologies in some recent examples of contemporary art that chart the layered seascapes of the remote coastlines on North West Scotland as seen through the lens of visual culture in the Anthropocene. The art projects interrogate conflicting perspectives on landscape and nature in the North. The case studies demonstrate, both directly and indirectly, the political and cultural tensions made evident by the mapping of the micro and macro undercurrents at work in the region, and examine how mapping has been used as a methodology to visualise those intractable material relationships, often using the map as a trope to do so. These mappings make visible the enmeshments of these remote locations into a global ecosystem. The concept of the Anthropocene provides a useful framework to describe the contemporary context of climate change, ecological decline, biodiversity loss and recent discourses on land use within which the artworks by two artists, Julia Barton and Stephen Hurrel, will be discussed. The significance of Kester’s concept of Littoral Art were explored through the eponymous art project by Barton, which maps the human debris brought by the northern sea currents to the shores of the Western and Northern coasts, and Stephen Hurrel’s cultural mapping of the island of Barra on the West Coast. These projects were further considered in the context of Timothy Morton and Tim Ingold’s meshwork theory and the concept of the 19th century Scottish town planner and environmentalist Patrick Geddes, whose urging to ‘think global, act local’ is implicit in the multi-layered understanding of the Anthropocene.

The authors consider an assessment of bioclimatic conditions, which serve as a measure of the environment’s aggressiveness, as one of the stages of the regional economic strategy development. The calculation of the wet cooling wind index according to Hill (which was carried out on the data of 528 weather stations) resulted in the development of several diagrams. The authors obtain quantitative assessment of the different states of the environment and show the spatial heterogeneity of bioclimatic parameters on the territory of the Far Eastern Federal District. The study shows that the areas with the bioclimatic values, which are typical for the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, are found to the South of these natural zones

The results were received from the screening surveys of workers of the industrial enterprises of Myrnyi town among non native nationalities according to the report of the program of European regional Bureau WHO / CINDI. The purpose was to reveal risk factors of development of chronic noncommunicable diseases in 1991, 2000 and 2007 and for the characteristics of trends in prevalence of lipid disorders in a population. Among men during the period from 1991 to 2007 the concentration of blood total cholesterol, cholesterol of low density and high density lipoproteins (LDL-C and HDL-C) have decreased, the concentration of triglycerides increased and the index of atherogenesis increased too. Among women similar changes were found. Prevalence of lipid disorders among men and women were more than 70 %. During the specified years (1991–2007) the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia and hyper-HDL-C increased. The greatest increasing of the parameters has been marked during the period from 1991 to 2000.

This paper reviews the following questions of studying of the North with reference to a problematics of national safety of Russia: economic maintenance of geopolitics in the zone of Arctic, optimization of distribution of mineral-raw, fuel and energy resources between the Russian and international markets, expansion of inter-regional technological cooperation, coordination of resourced and innovative strategy with representations about postindustrial economy, achievement of a condition of social well-being. The scientific explanation of the specified objects is aimed at formation of a special kind of state policy, notably — connection of separate parts of the country to the creation of the general bases of safe social and economic development. The economic-geographical analysis has allowed obtaining additional proofs on necessity, firstly, of maintenance of the North as an insurance reserve of a sustainable development of the country and, secondly, eliminating those reasons which could lead to undesirable position of the North as hypothetical destabilizing element of national economy.

The current situation and prospects for innovation-based economic development in the North of Russia have been studied. The organizational-economic mechanism of technological modernization of industry is shown. An analysis is made of scientific and technological foundations of improving the efficiency of the mining complex. Conceptual approaches to the formation of the national reserve of strategic materials and to manpower coverage of innovative activities have been worked out

The current situation and prospects for innovation-based economic development in the North of Russia have been studied. The organizational-economic mechanism of technological modernization of industry is shown. An analysis is made of scientific and technological foundations of improving the efficiency of the mining complex. Conceptual approaches to the formation of the national reserve of strategic materials and to manpower coverage of innovative activities have been worked out

Aim. To define a complex action of extreme climatic and harmful environmental factors of present-day northern industrial city on the course of chronic visceral diseases. Material and methods. Dynamics of exacerbations of basic therapeutic nosologies was studied basing on the data on 10169 inpatients treated in therapeutic departments of Surgut hospitals (Khanty-Mansi District) in 1994-1998. In parallel, ambient air of the city was controlled for 3 main climatic and 6 technogenic hazards. The analysis was made by means of medicoecological mapping of residential zones. Results. A common feature of chronic visceral diseases course was determined: maximum number of recurrences in February-March and October-November, minimum number - in July-August. There is a relationship between the recurrences and extreme climatic factors. An increase in the number of exacerbations may be related with suppression of nonspecific resistance of the northerners' organism in these seasons. Differential study of the decompensation rate of chronic noninfectious diseases in residential zones in dependence with the degree of technogenic pollution has shown that areas of the town with high hospitalization rates are exposed to high mean annual pollution with sulfur dioxide, vanadium pentoxide and carbon oxide. Areas with low morbidity had the best environment. Conclusion. A combined action of extreme climatic and environment factors of the North plays an essential role in decompensation of chronic diseases in the northerners. Dynamics of recurrent chronic noninfectious diseases may seme a sensitive marker of ecological safety of the region. Design and realization of recreation and rehabilitation measures in ecologically polluted areas of the town are effective for prevention of aggravated chronic visceral diseases.

Aim. To evaluate basic parameters of lipid metabolism in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) stage I and II and normotensive subjects living in the far North of the Russian Federation (Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomic Region, Nyagan). Material and methods. Lipid spectrum was studied in 70 males and females with AH stage I and II, 280 normotensive males and females matched for sex, age, time of residence in the North. Results. Sex-related differences by concentrations of blood lipids become less pronounced with progression of AH while a concentration of atherogenic lipid fractions in AH patients rises. High prevalence of dyslipidemia, primarily hypercholesterolemia, in hypertensive and normotensive subjects is a prognostic factor of coronary atherosclerosis. Paired correlations indirectly confirm the effect of climatic factors on blood lipids. Conclusion. It is necessary to correct lipid spectrum and risk factors in hypertensive and normotensive subjects as a prophylactic measure.

Background: Apolipoprotein-E (apoE) is one of the metabolically active apoproteins and plays an important role in lipid metabolism. However, there are no data on levels of apoE in residents of the North in spite of the fact that specific features of lipid metabolism in the northerners are described. The present work was designed to study plasma levels of apoE in residents of the European North of Russia. Methods: A total of 937 native residents of the European North of Russia (463 men and 474 women) aged 13-60 years were included in the study. ApoE concentrations in the blood plasma were measured by immunoturbidimetric method. Results: Plasma levels of apoE in residents of the European North of Russia were low. ApoE concentrations below the defined normal values were detected in 57.0% of the men and in 59.2% of the women. The mean plasma levels of apoE did not significantly differ in men and women (2.80 mg/dl vs 2.87 mg/dl). Plasma apoE concentrations in residents of the European North of Russia changed with age. Plasma levels of apoE decreased from 13 to 21 years in men and from 13 to 35 years in women and then increased in both sexes (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The limits of variation of plasma apoE levels in residents of the European North of Russia shift towards lower values. Plasma levels of apoE below normal values were observed in approximately half of investigation subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this article is on different adaptations of Christianity by the northern indigenous peoples of Russia in the early Soviet period. We shall examine the community of Yup'ik Eskimo maritime hunters who experimented with Christian ritual forms in order to overcome the crisis caused by the intrusion of the Soviets. Naukan Yup'ik developed a Christian-influenced ritualistic practice to fight back against growing pressure from the Soviets. We propose that the spiritual developments of this community on the edge of Siberia were tightly related to changing economic, social and political conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of this article is to discuss how images of science and northern space were also images of a type of masculinity which emerged in the decades around the turn of the century. The connection made between masculinity and the north comprises several aspects, including science, tourism, mountaineering and a society in the throes of change. The premise is that "masculinity" (like "femininity") is shaped by social and cultural processes. However masculinity is also constructed in relation to other men. These gender relationships imply a struggle for male hegemony. The hypothesis is that at the turn of the century, the development of a successful masculine type featuring a connection between masculinity and the north, literally or symbolically, can be observed. The turn of the century also comprised a period of development within the natural sciences and their application to industry during the industrial breakthrough in Sweden. Mankind's struggle against nature was an important theme at that time. The explorer personified mankind's struggle to chart and subjugate nature. This struggle was particularly evident in two regions ⁠— the voyages of discovery to Africa and the expeditions into the northern Arctic. This meant that academic scientific ability need to be combined with practical skills, deliberation and stamina. In other words, here were demanded all the characteristics deemed fitting for the modern, middle-class (male) subject, a combination of rationality, enterprise and physical strength ⁠— particularly suited to adventures in the mountains and in the north.

This paper examines the use of mapping methodologies in some recent examples of contemporary art that chart the layered seascapes of the remote coastlines on North West Scotland as seen through the lens of visual culture in the Anthropocene. The art projects interrogate conflicting perspectives on landscape and nature in the North. The case studies demonstrate, both directly and indirectly, the political and cultural tensions made evident by the mapping of the micro and macro undercurrents at work in the region, and examine how mapping has been used as a methodology to visualise those intractable material relationships, often using the map as a trope to do so. These mappings make visible the enmeshments of these remote locations into a global ecosystem. The concept of the Anthropocene provides a useful framework to describe the contemporary context of climate change, ecological decline, biodiversity loss and recent discourses on land use within which the artworks by two artists, Julia Barton and Stephen Hurrel, will be discussed. The significance of Kester's concept of Littoral Art were explored through the eponymous art project by Barton, which maps the human debris brought by the northern sea currents to the shores of the Western and Northern coasts, and Stephen Hurrel's cultural mapping of the island of Barra on the West Coast. These projects were further considered in the context of Timothy Morton and Tim Ingold's meshwork theory and the concept of the 19th century Scottish town planner and environmentalist Patrick Geddes, whose urging to 'think global, act local' is implicit in the multi-layered understanding of the Anthropocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]