Royal Geographical Society

We studied pre- to post-expedition changes in hand temperature measured by infrared (IR) thermography and energy expenditure during whole body cooling of Inspire-22 participants (6 M,3 F). Measurements were made in a whole-body calorimeter at the end of a 36-h protocol when the ambient temperature was reduced by ≈ 5.5 °C over a period of 2 h after which IR images of both hands were taken. After 1-h of re-warming, the imaging was repeated. The mean temperature of the finger and non-finger regions were determined. A line-of-best-fit and its 95% CI were used to estimate the change in energy expenditure (EE) for 100 min of cooling. Pre-expedition 5 participants showed an increased, 2 no-change and 2 decreased EE; post-expedition the corresponding values were 5, 1 and 3 respectively. There was no difference in these proportions between pre- and post-expedition measurements (χ2; p > 0.05). An Applied Rank Transform non-parametric ANOVA for small samples found no significant difference in the cool-warm temperatures for sex of the participants nor whether measurements were made pre- or post-expedition (p > 0.05). Graphical analysis showed no association between the change in EE and the change in hand-to-background temperature on cooling suggesting reduced peripheral circulation was not an explanation for reduced EE on cooling.

The work is devoted to new caves, explored in 2022–2024 in the Ashkul ravine of Aurgazy region of the Bashkortostan Republic. Investigated territory belongs to the Aurgazy karst-speleological area of the Ryazan’ — Okhlebinino rampart of the eastern edge of the East — European Platform. The area is characterized by the sulfate rocks outcropping which are attributed to the Kungurian Stage of the Lower Permian and are intensively eroded by karst process. Dry valley, fields of sinkholes, caves of considerable length were developed in the Ashkul ravine. The caves form a uniform hydrogeological in nodular anhydrites, while the volumetric cavities of the upper levels are formed in medium-grained gypsum. Many caves in the Ashkul ravine have seasonal and perennial ice deposits confined to nearslope fractured zones. The karst and speleological potential of the Ashkul ravine is favourable for organizing excursion routes and further investigations. Работа посвящена новым пещерам, исследованным в 2022–2024 гг. в логу Ашкул в Аургазинском районе Республики Башкортостан. Территория находится на Аургазинском карстово-спелеологическом участке Рязано-Охлебининского вала, восточной окраины Восточно-Европейской платформы. Участок характеризуется выходом на поверхность сульфатных пород кунгурского яруса нижней перми и подвержен интенсивному карстованию. В логу сформированы суходол, поля воронок и значительные по протяженности пещеры. Пещеры образуют единую гидрогеологическую систему. Установлено, что пещерные ходы нижнего уровня преимущественно развиты в желваковых ангидритах, тогда как объёмные полости верхних уровней — в среднезернистых гипсах. Многие пещеры лога Ашкул имеют сезонные и многолетние наледи, приуроченные к присклоновым трещиноватым зонам. Карстово-спелеологический потенциал лога Ашкул перспективен для организации экскурсионных маршрутов и дальнейшего изучения.

Abstract The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) annual Medals and Awards recognise achievements in researching, communicating and teaching a wide range of geographical knowledge. The speeches and citations are a record of the 2024 celebrations, which occurred at the Society on 3 June 2024, with contributions from Vanessa Lawrence, Stephen Venables, Lily Kong, Chris Clark and Stefan Doerr.

A digital model has been developed on the basis of a set of geological, engineering geological and digital terrain maps for machine learning of a neural network using the content of a map of natural processes for the Sochi territory. The description of natural processes in the preparation of input data for neural network training is based on the results of research on the Southern slope of the Greater Caucasus ridge. The neural network is based on the input and hidden matrices that distribute the input training signal at the output into the constituent elements of events with acceptable accuracy achieved during training. The author has developed his own library with functions that implement the development of a neural network, which has expanded the possibilities for solving target tasks. A set of programs has been created to work with the neural network. The territories of possible manifestations of landslide processes constructed by the neural network are well correlated with the available landslide maps and areas of identified deformations of engineering structures. The completed work can become a convenient tool for developers of territorial planning documents in the functional zoning of the territory.

Abstract In the Society's AGM, the President of the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) Nigel Clifford offered some thoughts on the current state of geography and the Society. In particular he reflected on the fact that it is a great time for geography and to be a geographer, on the health of the Society, and offered some thank yous and reflections on his upcoming final year.

In the Far East of the Russian Empire at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20 th century, migrants made up a significant part of all those living in the region. These were residents of neighboring Asian countries and migrants from Europe and America. This article attempts to make an overview of one of the European diasporas of migrantsthe Greek one. Among European migrants, the Greek diaspora was culturally closer to the Russian settlers of the Far East, and the community of faith -Orthodoxy -was of great importance. Research work on European migrants was carried out. There is also a publication about the Antipas Greek family in the Far East. However, in general, the issue of the presence of a diaspora of Greek migrants in the Far East has been little studied by researchers, and this article to some extent fills this gap. The article is an overview of the Greek diaspora in two major cities of the Far East -Vladivostok and Harbin -in the first decades of the 20 th century. In Harbin, the most famous Greek family was the Antipas family. The head of the family was Gerasim Dmitrievich Antipas. He remained in the memory of the people of Harbin as a conscientious church figure and a generous philanthropist. The Antipas family has been involved in charity work in Harbin for several decades. The article reports new facts about this family, which have not been published anywhere before, testifying to the extended family ties of the Antipases among the Greek diaspora. Representatives of this family led the Greek Society in Harbin until 1943, which indicates the high authority of the Antipas.

Relevance. Diving equipment and diving launch techniques witness continuous improvements, which allow individuals to more effectively perform various tasks underwater. A controlled electronic closed circuit rebreather has been used in amateur diving in our country for more than 20 years. It is therefore necessary to assess the biochemical effects in deep-sea divers wearing deep sea diving equipment to ensure its safety and functionality in professional diving and the activities of dedicated departmental structures.The objective is to assess the biochemical effects in deep-sea divers in controlled electronic closed circuit rebreather, with a similar level of intravascular decompression gas formation under the influence of aquatic environment factors.Methods. During the study, 9 blood biochemical parameters were evaluated using the Fujifilm DRI-CHEM NX500 apparatus in 6 divers before and after deep-sea descents. In total, 14 diving descents were performed in a controlled electronic closed circuit rebreather to depths from 60 to 100 m. Also, after each diving descent, the level of intravascular decompression gas formation was assessed using ultrasonic location with the constant-wave Doppler effect.Results and Discussion. As a result of these studies, a significant increase in the values of transaminases (ALT, AST) and urea was established, associated with increased partial pressure of oxygen in hyperbaric aquatic environment. The results of the analysis revealed that indicators of the CNS oxygen intoxication correlated with K+ ions concentration and glucose levels; a correlation between Na+ ions and Cl- ions concentration was established, as well as the inverse relationship between the concentration of urea and creatinine and the level of intravascular decompression gas formation. It is noteworthy that a correlation was found between the level of intravascular decompression gas formation and the CNS oxygen intoxication, whereby an increase in the CNS oxygen intoxication leads to increased levels of intravascular decompression gas formation.Conclusion. The studied blood biochemical parameters did not go beyond the reference values and had slight individual variations, which confirms the safety of the technology of descents in diving breathing apparatus with a controlled electronic closed circuit rebreather at depths of more than 60 m. The results of the correlation analysis revealed changes in carbohydrate and water-electrolyte metabolism in the body of divers after a deep-sea descent due to the action of an increased partial pressure of oxygen and intravascular decompression gas formation.