Unfavorable Socioeconomic Situation Research Articles

Ideological segmentation of mass strata of the population under conditions of aggravated confrontation with the West (empirical analysis)

Using the data from surveys conducted by IS FCTAS RAS over a number of years, it is shown that despite the absence of the segmentation traditionally used for ideological structuring in the mass strata of the population, it still exists, but is based on different grounds. Moreover, the importance of ideological contradictions in the perception of Russians themselves has grown significantly over the past decade, and the majority of the country's citizens now have internally consistent ideological views. The comparative role of their various components changes over time under the influence of external events. The main line of demarcation in the ideological segmentation is the attitude to the West in modern conditions, which is based on different attitudes to the civilizational specifics of Russia and, in turn, influences their assessment of the vector of the country's development, their trust in the authorities, attitude to the special military operation, etc. It is also shown that in recent years, in the course of active crystallization and polarization of ideological views of Russians', an ideological majority and an ideological minority have been formed in the country, comprising almost two-thirds and about one-third of the population, respectively. The normative-value basis of the former is the recognition of the priority of state interests over human rights and the conviction that Western values are not suitable for Russians. The ideological majority is divided into a core and a peripheral group, which differ in the degree of consistency of their views and assessments, including those regarding to the special military operation in Ukraine. The ideological minority, which is characterized by the desire for Russia to adhere to the norms proposed by Western countries, is also heterogeneous. It includes, firstly, a group that is consistent in its negative attitude towards the current course of Russia, which makes up about a quarter of the population, and whose moods are primarily influenced by the unfavorable socio-economic situation these people are experiencing. The other group includes representatives who are loyal to the authorities and the course being implemented but would like Russia to follow the Western-oriented path in future. The normative value basis of the views of the members of the ideological minority is the recognition of the priority of human rights over the interests of the state.

Состояние здоровья подростков, находящихся под стражей, по данным 2019–2023 годов

The problem of the health of adolescents causes a special concern of the state, since they constitute a reserve of human resources in the socio-economic development of the country. The existing negative phenomena in a teenage environment, especially in people who are in custody, have an impact on their health. The study of the characteristics of the health status of adolescents in places of imprisonment will contribute to the development of recommendations aimed at maintaining their health, the possibility of their future adaptation in society. Objective. To study and summarize the health data of adolescents detained, and to identify the most characteristic of this group of children's population. Material and methods. This clinical observational non-finished cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2019 to November 2023 (5 full years) on the basis of the Temporary detention center of minor offenders of the Russian Ministry of Interior in the Khabarovsk Krai. 470 people have participated in the. Results. The detained adolescents had poor health indicators against the backdrop of a rooted unfavorable socio-economic situation: among children of the studied group, infectious diseases and parasitosis, mental disorders, trophic hypostature and protein- energy deficiency, the consequences of propmiscitable behavior and alcoholization, the lack of basic knowledge about about the consequences of the base and alcoholization were reliably more common. Self-and mutual assistance, hygiene standards, nutritional rules and a healthy lifestyle. Conclusions. An increase in investment for a regular comprehensive examination of all adolescents in custody, in combination with scientifically based treatment in places of imprisonment will help reduce the burden of preventive diseases among these young people and increase the possibility of their adaptation in society upon release.

Why may the 21st century become the «century of pandemics»? А question for discussion

In the first 20 years of the 21st century, almost annual outbreaks of viral infections were recorded. It is becoming increasingly clear that until humanity changes its destructive attitude towards nature, epidemics of deadly diseases will continue to occur. A question arises for discussion: is the existing arsenal of antiviral agents sufficient to withstand the current unfavorable socio-economic situation in the world?

Socioeconomic factors and long-term mortality risk after surgical aortic valve replacement

BackgroundThere is scarce knowledge about the association between socioeconomic status and mortality in patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement. This study explores the associations between income, education and marital status, and long-term mortality risk. MethodsIn this national registry-based observational cohort study we included all 14,537 patients aged >18 years who underwent isolated surgical aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis in Sweden 1997–2020. Socioeconomic status and comorbidities were collected from three mandatory national registries. Cox regression models adjusted for patient characteristics and comorbidities were used to estimate the mortality risk. ResultsMortality risk was higher for patients in the lowest versus the highest income quintile (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.36, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.11–1.65), for patients with <10 years education versus >12 years (aHR 1.20, 95 % CI:1.08–1.33), and for patients who were not married/cohabiting versus those who were (aHR 1.24, 95 % CI:1.04–1.48). Patients with the most unfavorable socioeconomic status (lowest income, shortest education, never married/cohabiting) had an adjusted median survival of 2.9 years less than patients with the most favorable socioeconomic status (14.6 years, 95 % CI: 13.2–17.4 years vs. 11.7 years, 95 % CI: 9.8–14.4). ConclusionsLow socioeconomic status in patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement is associated with shorter survival and an increased long-term adjusted mortality risk. These results emphasize the importance of identifying surgical aortic valve replacement patients with unfavorable socioeconomic situation and ensure sufficient post-discharge surveillance.

Socio-hygienic aspects of mortality of the working-age population of an industrial city in Eastern Siberia (on the example of Usolye-Sibirskoye, Irkutsk region)

Introduction. For more than 80 years of its operation, JSC Usolekhimprom (Usolye-Sibirskoye, Irkutsk region) has released a significant amount of pollutants into the environment, such as mercury, lead, manganese, nickel, formaldehyde, phenols, etc. Despite the measures taken to rehabilitate the territory affected by the plant's activities, environmental pollution in Usolye-Sibirskoye remains a large-scale environmental problem and poses a threat to the city's population. Earlier it was found that the mortality rate of the population in the city exceeds similar indicators in comparison with the Irkutsk region and Russia in all age groups (child population, working age, older than working age). Scientists have established the maximum excess of the mortality rate among the working-age population.&#x0D; The study aims to assess the hygienic and socio–economic situation in the territory of Usolye-Sibirskoye and determine its impact on the causes and mortality rates of the working-age population.&#x0D; Materials and methods. Based on the official yearbooks of Roshydromet and reports of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Irkutsk region, the authors studied the state of the environment in Usolye-Sibirsky for 2010–2019. The scientists analyzed information on the main indicators of socio-economic development according to analytical reports on the socio-economic situation in the municipality "Usolye-Sibirskoye" for 2010–2019, as well as based on information from the database of indicators of municipalities of the Irkutsk region (Irkutskstat).The authors studied the mortality rate of the working-age population according to forms C-51 "Number of deaths by sex, age and individual causes of death" and 2RN "Population by sex and age" for 2010–2019. Based on the data obtained, they calculated age-standardized mortality rates from the main classes of causes in accordance with the indicators averaged over 10 years. As a standard, the researchers adopted the age structure of the Russian population for 2010 in accordance with the census data. Standardization was carried out by the direct method.&#x0D; Results. There is a severe environmental situation in Usolye-Sibirskoye is experiencing associated with man-made pollution of all components of the biosphere, including carcinogenic substances. When comparing mortality rates in Usolye-Sibirsky with regional and average Russian values, experts revealed an excess of mortality rates from all studied classes of causes among both men and women. There is an extremely unfavorable situation in terms of mortality from infectious diseases (5 times and 7.3 times higher compared to Russia for men and women, respectively), including from HIV infection and tuberculosis, as well as causes of death related to alcohol, the prevalence of which is associated with the socio-economic instability of the city. It is possible to note high mortality rates from causes that have an etiological connection with the consequences of the production activities of the Usolekhimprom enterprise (from diseases of the nervous system, malignant neoplasms, liver diseases).&#x0D; Conclusion. Sanitary and hygienic living conditions of the population of Usolye-Sibirskoye can be characterized by an extremely high level of contamination of all components of the biosphere with substances of hazard classes 1–2 and carcinogens. The unfavorable socio-economic situation due to the closure of the largest enterprise exacerbates the existing risks of premature mortality and leads to an increase in mortality from socially significant diseases. The working-age population is most vulnerable to these factors, since it is on it that the entire demographic burden falls.

Миграционные намерения и качество жизни населения Мурманской области

The paper presents a sociological analysis of the migration situation in the Murmansk region by identifying the migration intentions of the region’s residents in the context of satisfaction with various aspects of quality of life. Positive migration intentions are demonstrated by 16 % of respondents, negative migration intentions – 52 % and “potential migrants” amounted to 26 %. The key motives for migration from the North are unfavorable cli-matic conditions and the unfavorable socio-economic situation in the region. The social portrait of respondents with positive migration intentions is described by such socio-demographic variables as: predominantly female gender, average age – 35 years, education - secondary vocational/specialized – 37 % and higher – 26 %, resi-dence in the Murmansk region since birth or almost all their lives – 71 %, equally employed and unemployed. Motivational factors constraining migration are the presence of own housing, employment, satisfaction with employment, wages and social guarantees of the employer, family, kinship and regional identity.

Il Microcredito istituzionale. Un nuovo ruolo per l’azione pubblica

In a period of repeated economic crises, access to traditional credit channels for those unable to provide personal or capital guarantees has proved particularly complex. Among the possible ways to limit the damage of the crisis, the Region of Sardinia has identified support for entrepreneurship - and in particular micro-entrepreneurship - as the most important way to foster the creation of new jobs, both in traditional and innovative sectors. The authority has deemed it appropriate to change course in favour of business creation through a special form of interest-free microcredit, which replaces the traditional grant. At the time of its creation in 2009, the ESF Microcredit Fund constituted a radical policy innovation, which entailed a major discontinuity with previous practices. It was an important and courageous decision, taken in a context heavily marked by the unfavourable socio-economic situation. This article presents the main results of the analysis of the ESF Microcredit, describing the mechanisms of genesis and implementation of the policy and finally describing the main effects of the ESF Microcredit on the beneficiaries and the socio-economic context.

Соціальний аспект працеохоронної підготовки майбутніх учителів

Attention is drawn to the unsatisfactory state of health of Ukrainians against the background of low demographics, unfavorable socio-economic situation, pandemic of coronavirus COVID-19 and the consequences of hostilities. It is noted that this threatens the future of the Ukrainian nation. The urgency of the problem of poor health and high levels of injuries in general secondary education is emphasized. It is claimed that there is a relationship between the health of teachers and the health of students in general secondary education. Data on the unsatisfactory state of health of Ukrainian teachers are given. Based on the analysis of recent research and publications on this issue, it is concluded that modern teachers are not ready to create safe and healthy conditions during the educational process, that is their incompetence in the field of labor protection, based on misunderstanding of its social significance. It calls for integration into the European community, where the occupational safety training of future specialists is a priority, and the level of labor protection is identified with the level of development of the state. Based on the theoretical and methodological analysis of the research problem, it is noted that, despite the presence of certain developments, the social context of occupational training of future teachers is insufficiently covered. It is emphasized that the direct reflection of social demands and challenges are legislative documents. It was found that the need to strengthen measures to preserve the health of minors is stated in the leading documents of the international, national and sectoral levels. It is argued that social challenges and demands are reflected in scientific publications. It has been studied that leading scientists have an important role of general secondary education institution in creating a safe and healthy environment and the need for appropriate training of future teachers. It was found that, despite the provisions of leading documents and the beliefs of scientists, in practice, the loss of health by students of general secondary education is characterized by a tendency to deteriorate. This has prolonged catastrophic consequences, as applicants for general secondary education move into the category of workers in 1015 years. And workers are practically the only category of the population that fills the state budget, while other categories require public spending. Loss of health at the stage of general secondary education will inevitably have a negative impact on the further health and efficiency of workers. Accordingly, the state will suffer economic losses related to the payment of sick leaves, loss of working time, interruptions in production activities, medical expenses, etc. The conclusion is made about the importance and strategic nature of occupational training of future teachers in the context of ensuring sustainable development of society.

ПРОБЛЕМАТИКА ДЕТСКОЙ БЕДНОСТИ КАК ФАКТОРА НИЗКОЙ РОЖДАЕМОСТИ В РОССИИ

The problem of depopulation has become a major challenge for modern Russia. The demographic policy resulted in a short-term increase in the birth rate, but there remains the overall downward trend. The reason is that the current demographic situation in the country is a combination of global demographic transition processes and an unfavorable socio-economic situation. According to sociological studies, one of the main factors constraining the birth of children is the lack of material resources. The article presents a regional analysis of the distribution of constituent entities of the Russian Federation by the total fertility rate (TFR) as the basis of reproductive behavior and by the level of poverty of the population. Regions with a high birth rate were found to have a high level of poverty (the Republics of Chechnya, Tyva, and Altai). Since 2008, there has been an increase in relative child poverty; regions where this indicator is higher than the national average are divided into two groups – those with a high level of general poverty (Republic of Mari El, Pskov region, Republic of Karelia, Saratov region, Smolensk region) and regions with a low level of general poverty (Sakhalin region, Moscow, Moscow region, Lipetsk region, Voronezh region). When assessing the closeness of the relationship between the TFR indicators and relative child poverty, we revealed that the higher the level of child poverty, the lower the number of children in families. Out of 35 regions with a TFR of more than 1.5, only 9 territories have a poverty level below 12.3%. These are the national Republics of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan, the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug; the Tyumen and Sakhalin regions, which are ‘rich’ in raw materials; the Krasnodar Krai, actively accepting internal migration; the Sverdlovsk region, being the center of the industrial Urals; the Khabarovsk Krai, which is the center of the Far East; and the city of Moscow, where the poverty level is the lowest in the country. The study has identified the areas where a high birth rate has led to a concentration of poverty risks, especially for children, which, in turn, has long-term negative consequences for the development of regions. One of the main problems in preventing depopulation is the reduction of child poverty as one of the determining factors of reproductive behavior, social development, and public health.

Speciális régiótípusok az Európai Unió regionális egyenlőtlenségeiben

n the regional policy of the European Union, the importance of regional typologies linked to specific geographical elements has varied over the past decades. This article shows that since the 1990s the role of these specific regional typologies, and thus of regional characteristics, in European regional policy has been declining. However, the analysis of a wide range of socio-economic data reveals that some types of regions (sparsely populated regions, outermost regions, external border regions) are in a particularly unfavourable socio-economic situation, while others may need specific support not at European but at macro-regional level (for example, the coastal regions of the Mediterranean). The article concludes that, although the value of GDP per capita is indeed only marginally explained by the different regional typologies, broadening the concept of underdevelopment and recognising macro-regional challenges could be a priority for the European Union.

Demographic situation in Saratov oblast

The article summarizes the results of the reproduction and migration development of Saratov oblast n in the 20th — early 21st centuries. The origin of demographic waves in the age and sex structure of the population of the region over a century is substantiated. It is shown what demographic and social consequences led to such development of the region, in which depopulation has not stopped since 1992. There are identified the features of the current migration situation in Saratov oblast. The circle of close migration partners of the region and changes in its migration ties over 50 years is revealed. The character of the exchange of population with other regions of Russia is examined. The main factors of the negative demographic situation in the region are considered. The primary factor is the low level of socio-economic development, wages and incomes of the population. As a consequence, together with high proportion of the urban population and poor ecology this results in a low birth rate and a higher mortality rate than the national average. The latter factor is associated not only with the more "old" (than in the Russian Federation as a whole) age and sex structure of the population of the region. The unfavorable socio-economic situation in the region also generates an increased mortality rate for separate classes and causes of death. Indirectly, this is evidenced by a significantly higher (than in the Russian Federation as a whole) mortality of the population of Saratov oblast from diseases of the digestive system and from alcohol poisoning. In addition, the outflow of young people to economically more developed regions of the country and the decline in fertility leads to a decrease in the proportion of women in the most active childbearing age, which causes an even greater decline in the birth rate. And decrease in the share of young people as a whole leads to an increase in the pension burden on the able-bodied population and to a further decrease in the incomes of the entire population of the region. A general conclusion is made that it is necessary to more actively and effectively pursue a policy of equalizing the socio-economic and demographic development of the regions of Russia. It is necessary to create zones of advanced development not only in the Far East or in the Arctic. It is necessary to develop the economy and the social sphere in all underdeveloped regions of Russia at a faster pace.

IMPLEMENTATION OF STAFF MARKETING BASED ON THE MARKETING-MIX CONCEPT

The article proposes the understanding of personnel marketing as a concept that systematically combines three components: the goal of creating a strategy for human resource accumulation; research method; a means of creating an attractive image of the company as an employer. Personnel marketing is understood as a threefold concept that systematically combines the goal (creating long-term prospects for human potential), method (providing information to work with staff based on their research), means (creating an attractive image of the company as an employer by differentiating communications). The external factor of competition in the labor market determines the actualization of such a management function as staff marketing. The theory of marketing mix "4P" is modified considering the specifics of marketing variables designed to gain competitive advantage in the labor market. The classical components have been determined, which have received the following meaning: product - workplace; promotion (place) - selection of alternative options for attracting intermediaries; promotion - the formation of an attractive brand of the employer; price - wages and intangible benefits. The solution of the applied problem of ensuring the competitiveness of the "workplace" for enterprises has led to the inclusion in the methodological tools of generational theory. In our opinion, the algorithm for creating an attractive image of the employer in the framework of the incentive strategy should be considered based on the EVP concept. It is established that in the conditions of the general unfavorable socio-economic situation in Ukraine the segment of intangible benefits is growing in terms of attracting and retaining employees at a particular enterprise. They were structured by aggregate groups: social benefits, professional development and career growth, work environment, corporate culture. The formation of human capital in enterprises is a key area for gaining sustainable competitive advantages and involves a conscious choice of strategy for the marketing mix of staff, considering current trends at the national and supranational levels. Key words: personnel marketing, marketing mix concept, product, promotion, incentive, price.

Structural Changes in the Market of Bank Deposits of Households in Ukraine

The purpose of the article is to identify the main factors that cause the structural changes in the market of bank deposits of households by regions of Ukraine. This is based on evaluating the spatial asymmetries in this market development in 2009–2018 by regions of Ukraine and identifying the factors that influences its structure by gross regional product (GRP) by means of the methodology of multivariate econometric modelling.&#x0D; Methodology. The following scientific methods are used: analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, comparative analysis and econometric modelling. The scope and coefficients of variation for such indicators as the share of household bank deposits by GRP, the volume of household bank deposits per capita, the structure of household bank deposits by terms in general, in national and foreign currencies are calculated. Determining the main factors for multiple regression equations influencing structural changes in the market of household bank deposits by GRP is based on the methodology of stepwise regression.&#x0D; Results of the research. The spatial peculiarities of household bank deposits development in Ukraine was analysed and the reduction of its capacity was revealed due to the unfavourable socio-economic situation, the reform of the banking system and the influence of geopolitical factors. Based on the assessment of variation indicators dynamics, it was found that this market is characterised by regional asymmetries in terms of types of currencies and placement of household deposits. Regression-correlation equations were built, in which the shares of household deposits by regions of Ukraine (Y1, % GRP), in national currency (Y2, % GRP) and foreign currency (Y3, % GRP) are selected as dependent variables. The following measures are proposed to achieve positive changes in the market of household bank deposits in Ukraine: reducing unemployment; creation of favourable conditions for increasing the average monthly salary in the regions and modifying household spending to make savings; formation of an appropriate interest rate policy aimed at actively attracting temporarily available funds of the population to commercial banks.

Combate a la pobreza y percepciones de beneficiarios en la frontera sur de México

The Mexico-Belize border presents a complex network of situations to the detriment of development, accentuated by the prevailing poverty. PROGRESA, as a social inclusion program, reached the poorest to help counteract the unfavorable socioeconomic situation they face. The objective of this article is to analyze the perception of beneficiaries in the fight against poverty in said border. Through qualitative research techniques, under the non-experimental, interpretive model, it was established that the perception generated by the now-defunct program is not entirely positive, since not all favored extreme poverty families improved their living conditions. life, its most pressing needs were not fully met and were not considered for its design, among other problems evidenced. This is how the results obtained expose a situation to be considered by other social assistance programs and conditional transfers, which combat poverty and consider the target population as passive subjects. In addition, it is a democratic exercise of empowerment of the population that has an assessment of government actions, an exercise unthinkable in authoritarian, corrupt and inefficient states. It is concluded that it is necessary to redirect social development policies, undertaking actions that complement monetary transfers.

Factors influencing the migration intention of health professionals in low and middle income countries: Critical review with a theoretical model

Objective&#x0D; Migration of healthcare workers could result in shortage of human resources and rising inequalities in service provision in resource poor countries. The aim of this review was to determine the factors influencing the migration decisions of medical and dental graduates migrating from low- and middle-income countries as well as introducing a practical model for health professional’s migration.&#x0D; Methods&#x0D; Google Scholar and PubMed were searched together with relevant journals for English studies from January 2005 to January 2020. The original studies which evaluated the motivational factors of dental and medical graduates migrating from low or middle income countries were included. The migration model was developed by investigating the factors and frameworks of selected studies.&#x0D; Results&#x0D; Twenty-five articles were met the inclusion criteria. Push and pull theory was the most popular way to describe the driving factors of migration. These factors were classified into three macro-, meso- and micro-level with eight key domains. Poor income, unfavorable socio-economic situation, political instability, lack of professional and educational opportunities together with family and personal concerns found as strong common reasons perpetuating migration.&#x0D; Conclusion&#x0D; Despite the fact that health workers migrate for different reasons, they follow a same route for decision to stay or leave their home countries. Un-fulfillment of expectations in mother land in addition to media reconstructed reality of life in foreign land can develop a positive attitude for better quality of life improvement after migration. Once individuals could overpass their national identity and barriers of migration, the final decision toward migration would be more feasible.

Renal allograft performance in immigrant transplant recipients.

The growing immigration in EU countries has resulted in gradual increments of immigrant patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) which may account for more than 20% in dialysis units or in kidney transplant programs1 . The common unfavourable socioeconomic situation of these immigrant populations has been considered potentially detrimental for transplant outcomes which led to analyse transplant results mainly evaluating graft and patient survival.

ФАКТОРЫ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ ЧЕЛОВЕЧЕСКОГО КАПИТАЛА В РЕГИОНАХ ДАЛЬНЕГО ВОСТОКА

The article examines the main factors in the formation of human capital in the regions of the Far Eastern Federal District. The article discusses in detail the main indicators that form the integral human development index, developed by the specialists of the United Nations Development Program. The key characteristics of socio-economic processes were identified, an analysis of the most important economic indicators of the studied subjects of the Russian Federation was given. It was found that one of the most important components of human capital is the social and economic stability of society. In the regions of the Far East, on the whole, an unfavorable socio-economic situation has developed, which directly affects human capital. It was found that, despite the higher level of income compared to the average for Russia, the real incomes of residents, adjusted for the cost of living in the considered regions, turned out to be lower than in Russia. An important factor in the development of human capital is the life expectancy of the population, which in the regions of the Far East is below the national average and does not reach the planned targets set by the Concept of the Demographic Policy of the Far East for the period up to 2025. It has been established that the main contribution is made by external causes of death in the male working-age population in the most sparsely populated regions, characterized by a low level of development of medical infrastructure and its availability. Another factor in the development of human capital is the level of education of the population. The development of this factor in the Far East repeats the all-Russian trajectory, maintaining the tendency to reduce the number of educational institutions at all levels, an increase in the number of students in programs of primary secondary and complete education is recorded. The persistence of such trends, together with changes in the age structure of the population, can negatively affect the development of human capital in the regions of the Far East.

Family Management and socioeconomic situation of children and adolescents with neurological disorders.

to identify the relation between family management and socioeconomic situation of children and adolescents with neurological disorders. a descriptive and correlational study with 141 family members who answered a questionnaire on socioeconomic and family management information. Data collection took place between May and September 2016 in a pediatric neurology center. A descriptive and analytical analysis was carried out with the use of statistical tests in order to assess the relation of the variables researched. a higher early childhood disease time was related with higher scores of management difficulty. There was relation between the highest family income and management skills and the lowest scores of family difficulty. The highest schooling level of mothers was associated with the lowest scores of disease impact view and family difficulty. family members with unfavorable socioeconomic situation had more difficulty with family management.

ANALYSIS OF MARKET PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IN UKRAINE

The article considers the necessity and importance of the existence of the market of professional services, outlines the nature and purpose of the audit in accordance with the current legislation of Ukraine, the functions and role of the Audit Chamber of Ukraine. The peculiarities of the regulatory and institutional framework for the provision of services by audit firms in the context of international and domestic legislation are highlighted. The analysis of the presence of the world's largest auditing companies in Ukraine has revealed the representation of each of the ten financial giants in the domestic market. The historical and institutional background for the formation of an unfair competitive environment in this area is highlighted, where the largest share belongs to BIG FOUR companies. The reasons of monopolization of the market of providing of audit services are investigated and the factors hindering the establishment and functioning of small audit firms are outlined. An analytical review of audit activity in the state is carried out in terms of regions and types of services rendered. Based on the research, it was discovered that the market for auditing services is diversified unevenly throughout the territory of Ukraine, in particular, the largest share of all audit companies belongs to the Kyiv region, where almost half of all participants of the market of professional services of the state are concentrated. On the basis of data evaluation over the last three years, a number of problems faced by the professional services market in Ukraine have been identified. On the basis of the analysis, the author developed S.W.O.T. analysis of the Ukrainian market of professional services. The analysis clearly outlines all four aspects, namely: strengths of the Ukrainian professional services market, weaknesses in the provision of audit services, potential opportunities for functioning of this market both within Ukraine and the international market, as well as threats in recent years. It is proved that the unfavorable socioeconomic situation in Ukraine requires quality provision of audit services, as well as the development of the institutional and legal environment and conditions that will promote an equitable and equitable distribution of financial services. Keywords : audit, financial (audit) services, market of professional services, audit companies, S.W.O.T. analysis.

Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity associated to peri-urban living places in pregnant women in a rural area of Buenos Aires province, Argentina

Infection with Toxoplasma gondii is very common in humans throughout the world, the intake of raw or undercooked meat with tissue cysts and fruits, vegetables and water contaminated with parasite oocysts being the main routes of infection. Here, we analyzed the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies in pregnant females (age 13–44 years; n = 920) between April 2014 and December 2017 from Chascomús (Argentina), a city immersed in a rural area. Altogether 320 tested positive for immunoglobulin G antibodies, yielding an overall seroprevalence of 34.8% (CI 95%: 31.7–37.9). No association was observed between seropositivity and age. In addition, by using the QGIS 3.2.1 software we analyzed the geographical distribution of 769 (83.6%) pregnant females in two main areas of the city: Urban (n = 157) and Peri-urban (n = 612) with a seroprevalence of 26.8% (CI 95%: 19.8–33.7) and 36.4% (CI 95%: 32.6–40.3) respectively, and this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.023). Furthermore, we assessed through a questionnaire survey, between April 2016 to December 2017, possible risk factors such as activity (urban and rural), home water supply, animal husbandry, presence of cats as pets, gardening and consumption of meat and its derivatives (pork, sheep meat and sausages) and their frequencies (consumption per week), not finding significant association with seropositivity. Significant differences was found when the seroprevalence was analyzed between the urban and peri-urban neighborhoods of the city of Chascomús. The higher seroprevalence in peri-urban neighborhoods could be due to an unfavorable socioeconomic situation and/or to undeveloped peri-urban environments, which is a risk factor that should be taken into account when planning the health care of pregnant females.