The Circumpolar North has been changing rapidly within the last decades, and the socioeconomic systems of the Eurasian Arctic and Siberia in particular have displayed the most dramatic changes. Here, anthropogenic drivers of environmental change such as migration and industrialization are added to climate-induced changes in the natural environment such as permafrost thawing and increased frequency of extreme events. Understanding and adapting to both types of changes are important to local and indigenous peoples in the Arctic and for the wider global community due to transboundary connectivity. As local and indigenous peoples, decision-makers and scientists perceive changes and impacts differently and often fail to communicate efficiently to respond to changes adequately, we convened a meeting of the three groups in Salekhard in 2017. The outcomes of the meeting include perceptions of how the three groups each perceive the main issues affecting health and well-being and recommendations for working together better.

Short-lived climate forcers have been proven important both for the climate and human health. In particular, black carbon (BC) is an important climate forcer both as an aerosol and when deposited on snow and ice surface because of its strong light absorption. This paper presents measurements of elemental carbon (EC; a measurement-based definition of BC) in snow collected from western Siberia and northwestern European Russia during 2014, 2015 and 2016. The Russian Arctic is of great interest to the scientific community due to the large uncertainty of emission sources there. We have determined the major contributing sources of BC in snow in western Siberia and northwestern European Russia using a Lagrangian atmospheric transport model. For the first time, we use a recently developed feature that calculates deposition in backward (so-called retroplume) simulations allowing estimation of the specific locations of sources that contribute to the deposited mass. EC concentrations in snow from western Siberia and northwestern European Russia were highly variable depending on the sampling location. Modelled BC and measured EC were moderately correlated (R = 0.53–0.83) and a systematic region-specific model underestimation was found. The model underestimated observations by 42 % (RMSE = 49 ng g⁻¹) in 2014, 48 % (RMSE = 37 ng g⁻¹) in 2015 and 27 % (RMSE = 43 ng g⁻¹) in 2016. For EC sampled in northwestern European Russia the underestimation by the model was smaller (fractional bias, FB > −100 %). In this region, the major sources were transportation activities and domestic combustion in Finland. When sampling shifted to western Siberia, the model underestimation was more significant (FB < −100 %). There, the sources included emissions from gas flaring as a major contributor to snow BC. The accuracy of the model calculations was also evaluated using two independent datasets of BC measurements in snow covering the entire Arctic. The model underestimated BC concentrations in snow especially for samples collected in springtime.

A variety of rehabilitation programmes can be offered to Long COVID patients, specifically physical training. Indeed 90% of these patients reports impairments of verticalization, stability and spatial orientation, making difficult exercise in the gym. The aim of our study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of aquatic exercise techniques as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation program for patients with Long COVID. The first of a two-stage program involved development of aquatic exercises technique, which was evaluated in 12 patients with impaired upright posture control before and after exercising by "Habilect" video gait analysis system. During the second phase, effectiveness and safety of aqua exercises were tested in water pool as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation programme conducted in 23 patients with Long COVID outcomes. Physical examination, 6-minute step test, Euro-QL-5D questionnaire, Borg scale, laser Doppler flowmetry, cardiointervalography, and spirometry were performed before and after the aquatic exercises program. After the training with aquatic exercises, indices of deviations of the main body axes of the head and the body mass centre ameliorated, as well as direction of body movement vector decreased (p<0.05). This study demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in exercise tolerance in both groups, as measured by the 6-minute step test after rehabilitation. The comparison group averaged 236.7 metres [126; 380] (T=8, p=0.047) after the rehabilitation course and the intervention group averaged 233.71 metres [150; 320] (T=8.0, p=0.047). When tested with the Euro-QL-5D questionnaire, a post-treatment improvement was noted in the comparison group on the anxiety/depression subscale (3 [3;3] (T=0, p=0.043)). In the intervention group, laser Doppler flowmetry revealed a statistically significant increase in microcirculation (6.36 standard units after rehabilitation) [5.54; 8.17] (T=7.0, p=0.004), and a decrease of oxidative metabolism index of 6.89 standard units. [4.76; 6.96] (T=4.0, p=0.03). No serious adverse events were reported. In conclusion, the developed aquatic exercises technique seems to contribute to recovery of impaired upright posture and motor function, normalizing the walking pattern.

Climate change represents a global challenge that impacts the environment, traditional lifestyle and health of the Indigenous Peoples in the Arctic zone of Western Siberia and threatens their food security. Reindeer are an important food source for this population since reindeer herding products are used as traditional nutrition and effective preventive means and remedies for adapting to the cold and geomagnetic activity in the High North. Longer off-season periods, high summer and winter temperatures, melting ice, and forest and tundra fires have a significant impact on the trampling and degradation of reindeer pastures. These effects may lead to massive reindeer losses and changes in the traditional diet of the Indigenous Peoples in the Arctic, which result in increases in the prevalence of respiratory diseases, overweight and hypertension. This study applied a multidisciplinary approach based on ecological and medical research methods with the inclusion of socioeconomic analysis. The primary sources included data on the longitudinal dynamics of air temperature as a climate change indicator and reindeer livestock populations (1936–2018), consumption of reindeer products and physiological impacts on the Yamal Indigenous population collected during expeditions to the Arctic zone of Western Siberia in 2012–2018.