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This pilot research was one of the first sociological studies with general questions on genetic testing with 300 participants, 75% of which were representatives of one people – the Sakha. A quantitative method was used: a sociological survey with quota sampling (Δ ± 5%), held in February – March 2018 in the City of Yakutsk (n = 350). Analysis of the survey results have shown that the respondents have low levels of awareness about the DNA-testing method: 72.3% “do not know about the method”. Only 18.7% of respondents knew that since 2000 the Medical-Genetic Centre of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) conducts DNA diagnostics for hereditary diseases, with 81.0% replying that they didn’t know that. The questionnaire has shown that 90.3% of participants would like to undergo DNA-testing to identify their susceptibility to genetic diseases. Our questionnaire has shown high levels of self-identity among the young Sakha and their desire to learn about their belonging to a specific ethnicity (49.3%) with the assistance of DNA-testing. Furthermore, based on the answers relating to motivations for undergoing DNA-testing, we can say that the respondents have confirmed the peculiarities of their national mindset, specifically, high value of children for a family: “concern for the health of my future children” was a great motivator for taking the test (50.3%).

The positive impact of the virtual labour market development is examined, its capabilities and capacity, as well as the annual effect of the introduction of flexible employment forms, are evaluated. In particular, the features of the Russian labour market, which is starting to use virtual forms, are analyzed: the structure of the areas of employment of remote workers is still narrow - IT, programming; sales finance, accounting; online employment; design; customer support services. This tendency was especially pronounced in the context of a pandemic that changed the attitude of people towards distance work. It is emphasized that in the near future, each employee will have to have digital skills for work and social integration. WEF identifies five separate groups of demanded skills: business, specialized industry, general and soft skills, technical basic skills, technical breakthrough skills. Despite the fact that communication and thinking skills are brought to the forefront, digital skills allow people to create and share digital content, communicate and solve problems, to learn, perform work and social activities in an effective and creative way as a whole. The high level of employees with digital competencies at different levels in the company will provide it with a number of competitive advantages. Neoclassical models that reflect the relationship between economic growth and the growth of human capital are considered. State support for investments in education, research and development, accumulating new knowledge can be considered as the most important endogenous growth factor.

This article examines the involvement of citizens in the process of making technological decisions aimed at developing a smart environment, from smart home to urban infrastructure. The study is based on an approach that takes into account the dual behavior of the consumer of smart services - passive and active behavior. Highlighted the contradictions that create obstacles to the effective functioning of the smart city: the selective multidirectionality of the smart city development strategy and sustainable development goals; developing smart solutions for citizens without taking into account their opinions; polar approach of smart city residents to involvement in the development and implementation of smart solutions. The risks associated with the likelihood of incomplete return from the use of smart solutions are identified: consumer distrust of data security and privacy; insufficient literacy of residents regarding understanding of smart technology management processes; significant financial costs and the orientation of smart solutions to wealthy citizens; lack of sufficient evidence of the effectiveness of using a number of smart solutions; the difficulty of implementing an integrated approach to ensuring the growth of the quality of life of citizens. In accordance with the concept of the study, two directions for mitigating or eliminating risks are proposed - depending on the significant or insignificant involvement of citizens. Specific measures have been developed to help mitigate and eliminate risks. The experience of the creation of the People’s Institute of the Voronezh State Technical University was used.

Development, leading to the depletion of resources, in modern conditions is not seen as long-term and sustainable. Accordingly, national strategies for security, long-term and territorial development of the countries of the world are being developed in accordance with the existing goals of sustainable development. This study examines the relationship of sustainable development with the goals of countries in the framework of the orientation towards the introduction of new models of economic development - a green and circular economy. The highly specialized applications of the noted models are considered, the ambiguity of the possibilities and results of their practical implementation is noted, depending on the level of development of states, the level of their incomes, social or economic priorities of their development. The advantages and disadvantages of the circular economy model are summarized.

The article discusses the prospects of energy saving in a ‘smart home’, taking into account the characteristics of consumer behavior. It is shown that the technical characteristics of the building in conditions of insufficient consumer awareness (passive approach to energy conservation) are preferable to the characteristics associated with intelligent solutions (active approach). It was revealed that special attention is paid to assessing the possibility of reducing the energy loss of a building by wall enclosures. In this regard, the effectiveness of the use of popular wall structural and heat-insulating materials, which reduce energy and material consumption in their production, is analyzed. The rationality of the production of porous ceramic products by the method of introducing into the mixture of mineral pore-forming additives with plastic molding is proved. A composition of porous ceramic material has been developed using local raw materials to create wall structural and heat-insulating products that meet the requirements of energy conservation.

Efficiency in the use of energy resources is a priority for the “smart cities” trajectory of sustainable development. This is an essential condition for improving the economic, social and environmental well-being of citizens in general. The importance of life systems orientation to the consumer as an effective user is emphasized. The factors of sustainable development of technologies were identified: updating and modernization of fixed assets in the fuel and energy complex and other sectors of the economy, social and industrial infrastructure on a new technological and energy-efficient basis; provision of forecasting, full accounting and regulation of energy resources consumption, as well as reduction of their losses. The directions of increasing the energy systems efficiency in various sectors are generalized. The necessity of developing human resources through digital skills training was emphasized.

The analysis of the health index dynamics of children, teenagers and young people of Russia during the last two decades testifies that there is a lasting tendency of decline of physical, mental and moral health of those under teaching. The social negative phenomena like tobacco-smoking, beer drinking and risky sexual behavior have become widely spread. The absence of a continual system of pedagogical education focused on health value and healthy lifestyle is one of the major reasons of low efficiency of the work carried out by educational institutions. The article substantiates the potential possibilities of a foreign language as an aspect to provide those trained with continual formation of a healthy lifestyle and examines the work done within the frame of curriculum and extra-curriculum activities united by one topic.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves dementia conceivably arising from integrated inflammatory processes, amyloidogenesis, and neuronal apoptosis. Glutamate can also cause neuronal death via excitotoxicity, and this is similarly implicated in some neurological diseases. The aim was to examine treatment with in vitro generated proinflammatory protein S100A9 aggregate species alone or with glutamate antibodies (Glu-Abs) on Morris water maze (MWM) spatial learning and memory performance in 12 month old mice. Amino acid and monoamine cerebral neurotransmitter metabolic changes were concurrently monitored. Initially, S100A9 fibrils were morphologically verified by atomic force microscopy and Thioflavin T assay. They were then administered intranasally alone or with Glu-Abs for 14 days followed by a 5 day MWM protocol before hippocampal and prefrontal cortical neurochemical analysis. S100A9 aggregates evoked spatial amnesia which correlated with disrupted glutamate and dopaminergic neurochemistry. Hippocampal glutamate release, elevation of DOPAC and HVA, as well as DOPAC/DA and HVA/DA ratios were subsequently reduced by Glu-Abs which simultaneously prevented the spatial memory deficit. The present outcomes emphasized the pathogenic nature of S100A9 fibrillar aggregates in causing spatial memory amnesia associated with enhanced hippocampal glutamate release and DA-ergic disruption in the aging brain. This finding might be exploited during dementia management through a neuroprotective strategy.