This study aimed to characterize the population structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Pskov oblast in northwestern Russia, to view it in the geographical context, to compare drug resistance properties across major genetic families. Ninety M. tuberculosis strains from tuberculosis (TB) patients, permanent residents in Pskov oblast were subjected to LAM-specific IS 6110 -PCR and spoligotyping, followed by comparison with SITVITWEB and MIRU-VNTRplus databases. The Beijing genotype (n = 40) was found the most prevalent followed by LAM (n = 18), T (n = 13), Haarlem (n = 10), Ural (n = 5), and Manu2 (n = 1); the family status remained unknown for 3 isolates. The high rate of Beijing genotype and prevalence of LAM family are similar to those in the other Russian settings. A feature specific for M. tuberculosis population in Pskov is a relatively higher rate of Haarlem and T types. Beijing strains were further typed with 12-MIRU (followed by comparison with proprietary global database) and 3 hypervariable loci QUB-3232, VNTR-3820, VNTR-4120. The 12-MIRU typing differentiated 40 Beijing strains into 14 types (HGI = 0.82) while two largest types were M2 (223325153533) prevalent throughout former USSR and M11 (223325173533) prevalent in Russia and East Asia. The use of 3 hypervariable loci increased a discrimination of the Beijing strains (18 profiles, HGI = 0.89). Both major families Beijing and LAM had similar rate of MDR strains (62.5 and 55.6%, respectively) that was significantly higher than in other strains (21.9%; P = 0.001 and 0.03, respectively). The rpoB531 mutations were more frequently found in Beijing strains while LAM drug resistant strains mainly harbored rpoB516 and inhA −15 mutations. Taken together with a high rate of multidrug resistance among Beijing strains from new TB cases (79.3% versus 44.4% in LAM), these findings suggest the critical impact of the Beijing genotype on the current situation with MDR-TB in the Pskov region in northwestern Russia.

The paper presents research results on mobile learning of English for specific purposes to ecology students with the help of the Quizlet learning platform. The study was conducted in four stages: the students were surveyed about their mobile devices, and then they underwent an experimental mobile learning process during one term. The next stage was to work with authentic texts, during which the skills developed for reading comprehension of authentic specialized texts were assessed. In order to incorporate subjectspecific vocabulary into professional discourse, in-class discussions were organized with students at the same stage of the study. The students were assigned to agree or disagree with the statements, prove their point, make arguments using familiar vocabulary on these topics. Such classroom discussions have shown that the subject-specific vocabulary the students mastered in the process of mobile learning is active. In our opinion, this is a very important result of mobile learning. The students also note that it is now easier for them to make up statements on professional topics and participate in conversations after mobile training. At the final stage, the students were surveyed once again in order to clarify their impressions of mobile learning. The paper shows the students are sufficiently equipped with mobile technologies and highly motivated to m-learning. The objective test results and a high level of accuracy when doing followup activities and final tests indicate that mobile learning has increased the effectiveness of teaching ESP. Mobile devices and, above all, smartphones can form a personalized learning environment which is motivating and challenging at the same time. Employment of m-learning tools in ESP instruction, besides increasing foreign language proficiency, enhances the levels of students' satisfaction and motivation which are crucial for professional foreign language communication throughout life.

It was hoped that the Partnership for Modernisation would improve the troubled relationship between the Russian Federation and the European Union (EU), but it has fallen far short of expectations. Moreover, the disagreement between the two parties has been evident not only on such predictably conflictual topics as human rights but also in the areas where mutual understanding would have seemed likely to have been achieved. This article analyses one of these topics, the fight against corruption, as it is defined in the Russian discourse. It is argued that the Russian discourse on corruption exists at three levels, which do not overlap at all. The first level is the official definition of corruption; the second is 'home corruption', which is interpreted only as an economic problem and frequently understood as a part of the socio-economic system and the third level -that of political opposition, where the fight against corruption, although being the axial line for the articulation of the protest agenda, has nothing to do with the anti-corruption fight as such. As a result, the Russian and the EU discourses have little in common, which presents some problems for future cooperation.In 2010, Russia and the European Union (EU) signed a joint declaration on the 'Partnership for Modernisation'. This document raised expectations for a new improvement of bilateral relations; it was also hoped that a new framework agreement would be signed soon. More ground for optimism was the fact that this time the Kremlin did not stop at a bilateral declaration with the EU, but took the initiative in signing individual agreements on the Partnership for Modernisation (P4M) with 24 out of the 28 EU member states. During these negotiations, Moscow demonstrated unprecedented flexibility by making very significant concessions as regards the political component, for example, democratic development or human rights. It is important that Russia was ready to make concessions not just with the leading EU countries, but also with new member states. However, despite Russia's and the EU's efforts, we cannot yet talk about any real breakthrough in Russia's relations

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