Using <i>Grammarly</i> to Enhance Students’ Academic Writing Skills

The paper aims to present the results of the experiment in applying the online writing assistant Grammarly.com to evaluate ESP students’ essay writing skills. One hundred master students’ papers were processed by the application to identify persisting errors at a master’s level. Quantitative and qualitative methods enabled the researchers to analyze the essays by setting five parameters: audience, formality, domain, tone, and intent. At the other end, the application broke down the outcome by five measurable factors: correctness, clarity, delivery, engagement, and style issues. The representative number of the essays fed into Grammarly.com provided a vivid and reliable picture of which lexis, grammar, structure, or style issues still need addressing. The most common mistakes detected by Grammarly.com were punctuation, wordy sentences, redundancy, and the abundance of personal pronouns in a formal style. They show that the gaps in students’ academic writing need a remedial course. Another objective of the research was to explore the potential of the online writing tool for students’ self-study. Grammarly.com cannot do work for students: it cannot think for them, neither can it write for them, but it can help learners identify the reoccurring writing problems, eliminate them, and monitor the progress. The application could be particularly useful for advanced students. The functionality of the Grammarly premium version allows for a choice of styles, type of addressee, tone of writing, and many other nuances, which could be beneficial not only for studies but in future professional life. Nonetheless, despite Grammarly’s advanced features, it only suggests a better variant, sometimes it errs, and in no way is it a substitute for a teacher

Public administration risks in the migration sphere in the context of digital transformation

The article considers the processes of digitalization of migration as a state policy aimed at improving the regulation of migration flows. The purpose of the study is to show the possibilities of digitalization of migration in Russia and at the international level, the positive aspects of this process and the main risks and threats arising during the implementation of digital technologies for making managerial decisions. The relevance of the study is associated with the necessity of introduction of digital technologies in the state management of migration processes. The paper reveals the concepts of digital transformation and the digital state. The authors note the difficulties that arise when trying to define digital technologies due to the unique and changeable social environment in which they are created. The study used systematic and comparative methods, content analysis of print and electronic media, analysis of scientific sources, which made it possible to study digital technologies as an object of state management of migration processes. According to the results of the analysis the paper concludes that digital transformation technology can influence the management of international migration in three different dimensions: 1) increase the gap between developed and developing countries; 2) contribute to the modernization of traditional methods used in the practices of international organizations; 3) influence the adoption of new, more informed management decisions in the field of migration to ensure border security. The authors reveal the main problems that developers of digital technologies and representatives of government bodies may face when mass implementing these technologies in migration practice. The conclusions of the article can be useful for interested government authorities involved in the regulation of migration processes

Three-component condencations of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazoles, methyl 3-(2-cycloamino-4-methylpyrimidin-5-yl)-3- oxopropionoates, and a series of c1 synthons as a convenient approach to pyrimidin-5-yl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a] pyrimidines

A convenient synthetic approach to polysubstituted dihydrogenated or heteroaromatic 1,2,4-triazolo- [1,5-a] pyrimidines derivatives containing at position 5 a 4-methylpyrimidine moiety bearing a cycloamino substituent at position 2 and linked to the triazolopyrimidine bicycle through its position 5 was developed. The approach involves unusual three-component condensations of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazoles, methyl 3-(2-R-4-methylpyrimidin- 5-yl)-3-oxopropionates, and a series of C1 synthons whose synthetic equivalents are a series of aromatic aldehydes, triethyl orthoformate, or DMFDMA were used as of C1 synthon

Educational Policy of Kazakhstan in the Context of Youth Migration

Educational migration largely determines the dynamics and nature of the country’s economic development and is viewed as a factor in increasing the country’s competitiveness and building up human capital. In this context, an increasing problem for Kazakhstan is the regulation of educational migration in the context of fierce competition in the international market of educational services.A review of publications showed that the issues of regulating educational migration from Kazakhstan are not widely covered in scientific discourse. There are practically no scientific works on the political and legal aspects of youth migration. But even if there are such publications, then, as a rule, they are devoted to the analysis of youth migration in Central Asia in general. The relevance of the study is determined by the gradual expansion of educational contacts of Kazakhstan with other countries and the need to identify the competitive advantages of foreign educational systems over the national higher education system of Kazakhstan.The purpose of the article is to consider the main motives, causes and consequences of educational migration from Kazakhstan, to analyze the activities of the authorities and ways of regulating youth migration, develop new effective methods for regulating external migration processes and provide recommendations on minimizing the risks associated with the outflow of young people from the country.In order to identify the main trends and development of educational migration from Kazakhstan, the study was carried out on the basis of collecting information through a questionnaire, as well as its detailed processing and content analysis. Kazakhstani students studying in Russia took part in the survey. The sample consisted of 183 people.As a result of the study, the main reasons for the dynamic growth of educational migration from Kazakhstan were identified, such as the high quality of education abroad, the availability of education in Russian universities, comfortable learning and living conditions for Kazakhstanis, etc. Recommendations for authorities on regulating educational migration that can be used by other countries facing the problem of the outflow of youth abroad in order to receive education. The results of this work can be useful to scientists and teachers engaged in research on various aspects of educational migration in Kazakhstan

Development of Group Subjectivity of Pupils within Collaborative Activities

The article is devoted to the development of group subjectivity in collaborative activities. The concept of "subjectivity" and types of subjectivity are given. The results of experimental study of potential, real, and reflective subjectivity are described. The authors conclude that the development of group subjectivity will contribute to communication and relationships of members of pupils’ groups which are revealed in collaborative activities. When the members of the group participate in the preparation and conducting of collaborative activities actively, they are ready for any difficulties and their overcoming. Success or failure of teammates causes sincere participation of other members of the group (approval, support). They show mutual responsibility for individual and/or group success and failures in the group

Traversing the margins of corruption amidst informal economies in Amazonia

This article focuses on local idioms of extra-legal economic activity among indigenous Amazonians in eastern Peru, and its overall argument is that these idioms are part of a broader context in which indigenous people are compelled by a variety of factors to act in a seemingly corrupt manner. I further suggest that within such a context these idioms are not confined to the informal economy but are also used to refer to activities that fall within the formal economy, supporting Hart’s (2009) claim that the informal economy is a way of imagining the orthodox economy. I argue that corruption within Amazonian economies is commonly perceived by non-indigenous people as contrasting with the workings of the orthodox economy without proper consideration of the economic conditions and bureaucratic structures that give rise to it. Lastly, I argue that, here, corruption can contravene bureaucracy by restoring the humanity that Herzfeld (1993) claims bureaucracy rejects through its acts of indifference toward individuals

Characteristics of mukoviscisidosis in the southern regions of Russia

Introduction. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a  hereditary disease with genetic heterogeneity and clinical polymorphism. Expanding the range of knowledge about the characteristics of the course of the disease in different regions is important to achieve the goal of improving the quality and life expectancy.Purpose. Comparative analysis of the features of the course of CF in the subjects of the Southern Federal District, Stavropol Territory.Methods. Data from the National Register of Patients of the RF MV 2016 were used. Results: there are clinical and genetic features between the regions of the Southern Federal District and the Stavropol Territory of the North Caucasus Federal District and in general with the Russian Federation. Analysis of the data showed differences in indicators: the proportion of patients aged ≥ 18 is the lowest in the Republic of Crimea (14.9%), in the Rostov region the lowest average age of patients (9.0 ± 6.3), and the lowest age of diagnosis 2.2 ± 3.1 years. Late terms of diagnosis were revealed in the Stavropol Territory (4.0 ± 8.0 years), but here there is one of the highest average age of CF patients (14.1 ± 11.5), the proportion of adult patients (23.3%) and the lowest allelic frequency of F508del, which is determined by the high number of patients with a “soft” genotype. There is a high proportion of patients with an undetermined genotype. A low proportion of two identified genetic variants of the CFTR gene is registered in patients of the Republic of Crimea. A low frequency of Burkholderia cepacia complex and Achromobacter spp was revealed, and a high infection with non-tuberculous mycobacteria was revealed in the Rostov region. FEV1 in children and adults was lower in Rostov Region and Stavropol Territory. In all regions, there is a discrepancy between the seeding of flora and azithromycin therapy and the severity of the genotype with the use of pancreatic enzymes.Conclusions. Analysis of the data of the registry, which allows substantiating the need to study the regional characteristics of the course of CF in order to differentiate the planning of measures to improve the quality of medical care for patients with CF

Russia’s Legal Transitions: Marxist Theory, Neoclassical Economics and the Rule of Law

We review the role of economic theory in shaping the process of legal change in Russia during the two transitions it experienced during the course of the twentieth century: the transition to a socialist economy organised along the lines of state ownership of the means of production in the 1920s, and the transition to a market economy which occurred after the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. Despite differences in methodology and in policy implications, Marxist theory, dominant in the 1920s, and neoclassical economics, dominant in the 1990s, offered a similarly reductive account of law as subservient to wider economic forces. In both cases, the subordinate place accorded to law undermined the transition process. Although path dependence and history are frequently invoked to explain the limited development of the rule of law in Russia during the 1990s, policy choices driven by a deterministic conception of law and economics also played a role.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40803-015-0012-

Developing international business relationships in a Russian context

The collapse of the former Soviet Union has opened up a wealth of business opportunities for companies seeking new markets in the Russian Federation. Despite this, firms intending to do business in Russia have found themselves hampered by cultural differences in business practices and expectations. As Russia integrates into the global economy, understanding such practices and the managerial mindset of business people is crucial for managers who hope to navigate Russia's complex markets. This study draws on the trust literature and adopts quantitative tools to deconstruct the Russian 'Sviazi' system of social capital business networking. We develop a model isolating three dimensions of Sviazi: one an affective or emotional component; the second, a conative component; and the third, a cognitive component. The model provides a useful guide for helping foreign firms to succeed in Russia, while also serving as a basis for further research in the field. Keywords

Explaining varieties of corruption in the Afghan justice sector

© 2015 Taylor & Francis. Judicial reform in Afghanistan is seriously undermined by systemic corruption that has resulted in low legitimacy of the state and weak rule of law. This article reviews the main shortcomings in the Afghan justice system with reference to 70 interviews conducted in Kabul. Building on legal pluralism and a political economic approach, the shortcomings and causes and consequences of corruption in the Afghan justice sector are highlighted. These range from low pay, resulting in bribery; criminal and political intrusion into the judiciary; non-adherence to meritocracy, with poorly educated judges and prosecutors; and low funding in the judicial sector resulting in weak case tracking and human rights abuses in the countryside. This is followed by sociological approaches: understanding corruption from a non-Western approach and emphasis on religion, morality and ethics in order to curb it