Precarization of the youth’s employment in the context of COVID-19 pandemic consequences

Objective: to assess the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the youth labor market in the context of the spread of precarization processes in employment.Methods: qualitative methods were used to analyze labor market institutions, together with in-depth interviews and interpretative analysis of actors’ discourses.Results: the COVID-2019 pandemic posed new challenges to the economy and contributed to the active development of new employment formats and employer-employee interaction in the form of informal employment, freelance platforms, and precariat development. The article considers the features and risks of informal and non-standard employment. Based on the labor market analysis, we determined the impact of the pandemic on working conditions, inequality growth and the increasing role of the informal sector. The impact of the crisis on employment conditions for young people with higher education is particularly emphasized. To form the models of students’ behavior under the conditions of labor market instability, the authors conducted in-depth interviews with students and graduates of the Southern Federal University to assess the employment opportunities of university graduates. The characteristics of respondents’ perception of the processes associated with precarization in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic consequences are clarified and specified. Scientific novelty: it consists in the development of theoretical and methodological approaches to the analysis of precarization of youth employment in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic consequences. It is shown that the observed increase of employment precarization is associated with behavioral features caused by dominant behavioral models and distortions in the perception of unstable employment by university graduates in relation to the structural opportunities provided by the labor market.Practical significance: the identified features of employment of the Russian university graduates can be used to develop recommendations for improving the system for monitoring the employment precarization level in the regional labor markets

Cryopreservation of epididymal semen of domestic cat

Domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) is used as a model species for developing effective methods of wild felids’ semen cryopreservation. The present study represents a comparison of domestic cat semen cryopreservation with two commercially available cryoprotectant agents (CPAs): CaniPlus Freeze (CPF) and SpermFreeze (SF). Semen was collected from the caudal epididymises of adult males and frozen with CPF and SF, correspondingly. The viability of frozen-thawed spermatozoa was evaluated by VitalScreen kit, staining with hematoxylin and eosin was performed for analysis of the spermatozoa morphology; both analyses were combined with the light microscopy. The viability rate of the frozenthawed semen cryopreserved with CPF and SF did not differ: 32.3±4.4 % for CPF and 43.3±4.0 % for SF. Total percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa after freezing and thawing domestic cat semen was 26.0±2.3 % for CPF and 23.9±1.9 % for SF. In both cases, there were no differences from non-frozen semen, in the latter group the total percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology was 29.0±4.1 %. The most frequent anomalies were the anomalies of tail, and the rarest anomalies were head defects. The percentages of spermatozoa with anomalies of the head, mid piece, tail and combined did not differ in these three groups. Taken together these results suggest that both CPAs are suitable for the purpose of domestic cat semen freezing and cryopreservation, although CPF was designed for Canidae semen cryopreservation and SF was developed for human semen freezing and so far was used exclusively in reproductive medicine. It might be concluded that these two commercially available cryoprotectant media are applicable for the purposes of domestic cat breeds’ semen cryopreservation

Genome resource banking in the family Felidae

Many of the extant Felidae species are endangered or vulnerable. Others being not endangered as a whole species contain endangered subspecies. Only a very few cat species, besides domestic cats, are not in the risk group. Cryopreservation of embryos and gametes is a modern approach for ex situ mammalian genetic resources conservation. Freezing of semen has been successfully applied to the domestic cat and to more than 25 wild members of this family. However, embryos/oocytes cryopreservation was successful for only a small number of felids. Domestic cat and four wild Felidae species produced offspring after cryopreservation and subsequent embryo transfer. Regarding freezing of oocytes, so far different cryopreservation methods are still being experimentally tried exclusively for domestic cat. Genome Resource Bank (GRB) containing frozen semen of Amur leopard cat, bobcat and Eurasian lynx was established at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk. As a result of this project, original methods of feline semen freezing have been developed; embryos of domestic cat have been successfully frozen as well. Approaches to freeze domestic cat’s oocytes have also been tried. During this work, we combined biological and physical methods. In particular, the process of freezing embryos and oocytes was monitored with Raman spectroscopy. Different methods of frozen-thawed spermatozoa and embryonic viability testing were used in this study, including vital staining and subsequent fluorescent and light microscopy, and heterologous in vitro fertilization

Comparison of in vivo and in vitro preimplantation embryo development in OXYS and WAG rats

OXYS rats are the model of precocious senescence. Numerous studies addressed physiology and behavior in rats of this strain during a postnatal period of their life, however, preimplantation development in OXYS rats has not yet been investigated. This study is addressing preimplantation embryonic development in OXYS rats both in vivo and in vitro. Rats of the WAG strain were used as controls. For studying the in vivo development, the embryos were collected from OXYS and WAG rats on day 5 post coitum, the stages of embryo development were estimated, the percentage of embryos at blastocyst stage and the cell numbers in these blastocysts were counted. In a special experiment, for studying in vitro development, the embryos were collected from both rat strains on day 4 post coitum and were cultured in vitro in P1 medium for 48 hours with or without supplementation with IGF-1 (200 ng/mL). Thereafter the percentage of embryos at blastocyst stage and the cell numbers in these blastocysts were counted in the same manner as for the in vivo experiment. This study reports that in vivo derived blastocysts of OXYS rats contain fewer cells on day 5 of their development than in vivo derived blastocysts of WAG rats. In vitro culture of the early preimplantation embryos in P1 medium mitigated the difference in the rate of embryo development between these two strains, the addition of IGF-1 into culture medium exerts neither negative nor positive effect on the rate of in vitro embryo development in rats of both strains

Studies of Biofilm Formation in Non-Pigmented and Plasmid-Deprived Mutants of <I>Yersinia pestis</I> on Biotic Surfaces, <I>in vivo</I> and <I>in vitro</I> Conditions

In non-pigmented and plasmid-deprived mutants – isogenic variants of highly virulent Yersinia pestis 231 strain – studied is the mechanism of biofilm formation on biotic surfaces, both in vitro (on the laboratory model of nematode Caenorhabdiitis elegans) and in vivo (inside the alimentary tract of Nosopsyllus laeviceps flea). It is determined that spontaneous loss of ability to form biofilms and generate pigmented colonies in the mutants is probably caused not only by the deletion of the whole chromosome pigmentation fragment, but also by a point(single base) mutation in structural hms operon. It is demonstrated that the absence of pCad, pFra or pPst plasmids does not have an impact on the ability of plasmid-deprived mutants to form biofilm on the cuticle of nematode C. elegans

Conditions for Virus Circulation and Premises for Natural West Nile Fever Foci Formation in the Territory of the Saratov Region

Local climate change (rise of mean temperatures and amount of precipitation, prolongation of frost-free season) triggers further distribution, and increase in numbers of animals – carriers and vectors of West Nile fever virus in the territory of the Saratov region. Based on the results of ecological-epizootiological monitoring (2006–2012) traced out have been the species composition, abundance dynamics, and character of distribution of birds habitant in aquatic and anthropogenic complexes, mosquitoes and Ixodidae ticks. Investigated are possible causes of West Nile fever nosoarea expansion, related to ecology of migrating birds wintering in Africa. Persistent circulation of the virus in intra-zonal inundated biocoenosis facilitates formation of secondary natural foci of West Nile fever and factors into epidemic complications as regards this particularly dangerous vector-borne infection. On the basis of analytical data concerning hydrographic network density, fauna structure, population numbers of birds and mosquitoes – potential carriers and vectors of WNF, epizootiological and epidemiological surveillance, designed has been expectation-driven forecasting map chart which illustrates possibility of sustainable WNF foci formation in various territories of the Saratov region

Studies of West Nile Virus Circulation in the Territory of the Saratov Region in 2010

Presented are the results of ecological and epizootiological surveillance of the territory of the Saratov region, which was carried out in autumn of 2010. The surveillance was aimed at detection of West Nile (WN) virus circulation and premises for WN Fever natural focus formation. It is demonstrated that in 2010 WN virus circulation took place in damp biotopes of the Saratov region territory, and that common species of small mammals were involved in it. Presented are the results of analysis of the WN virus role in the infectious pathology in the territory of the Saratov region

Distribution and Abundance of Ticks and Fleas, Infectious Diseases Vectors, in the Semi-Desert Zone of Saratov Trans-Volga Region

Many-years observations demonstrate that six species of the ticks inhabit semi-desert zone of Saratov Trans-Volga Region. Nine flea species are registered at small mammalians in the near-water biotopes. The dominating ectoparasite species can be of significance at present as dangerous infectious diseases vectors. They are 2 ticks species and 3 flea species. Epizootiologic monitoring to be carried out is associated with control of abundance of ectoparasite species conventional for this territory, and with detection of new species possessing condition to inhabit it