The total computerization of the last decades changes the structure of the information, the way of its use and the nature of human thinking. Science is rapidly developing, the inter- and trans-disciplinary links arise, and education becomes more intensive, but it also has its new problems. The way of thinking, the textbooks and education need to be adapted, combining the speed and flexibility with the stability and integrity of course units. In this situation, the digital educational information and the learning process itself acquire some hypertext (HT) features with its pro et contra which needs to be considered. We believe that a course should be built around a minimalist core, which contains all basic concepts, is closed and self-sufficient, and is surrounded by relatively independent HT-type structures with well-defined limits. We implement this concept based on our extensive teaching experience in a wide range of matters (physics, natural science, linguistics), at various levels and within different extents of courses.

Recent decades have seen an extensive penetration of computers and social networks into the society, and the information and computer technologies are now widely used at all education levels. Consequently the new generation of students has cognitive functions which strongly differ from those of previous generations. Hence, besides the undoubted advantages of computer and Internet technologies in education, a number of issues arise and require a comprehensive analysis. The authors of the present article giving courses on general physics and concepts of modern sciences to students in natural science and humanities at St. Petersburg State University, Russian State Hydrometeorological University, St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, and St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University "LETI" analyzed the use of information and computer technologies in their teaching experience in recent decades and especially in the last few years and have developed an approach that best combines traditional and innovative learning tools.

The use of computer technologies for increasing the efficiency of physics teaching is discussed. Proposed approach includes the development of professionally oriented teaching, the use of multimedia lecture courses, the use of Learning Management Systems (such as Blackboard Learn and MOODLE), webinars, etc. It is proposed to organize distributed educational system in a form of Grid infrastructure joining educational facilities of 4 St. Petersburg universities. This Grid infrastructure can provide equal access to all kinds of resources for the students and lecturers in order to teach and study physics more efficiently.

The spectral luminescence properties of aqueous solutions of the Hsp70 protein are studied, the dependence of the luminescence spectrum on the excitation wavelength is revealed, and the temperature dependence of luminescence intensity of tyrosine and tryptophan residues in the temperature interval of 20–80° C is analyzed. The luminescence method is used to determine temperature interval (42–57° C) in which protein melting takes place. An increase in the fluorescence quantum yield of tryptophan and the bathochromic shift of the emission spectrum of denatured Hsp70 prove that transition takes place of tryptophanyls to the surface of the protein molecule.

Исследованы спектрально-люминесцентные свойства водных растворов белка БТШ70, показана зависимость спектра испускания люминесценции от длины волны возбуждения, исследована зави- симость интенсивности люминесценции тирозиновых и триптофановых остатков от температуры в диапазоне от 20 до 80°С. Люминесцентным методом определен температурный интервал (42-57°С), в котором происходит плавление белка. Увеличение квантового выхода флуоресценции триптофа- на и батохромный сдвиг спектра испускания денатурированной формы БТШ70 свидетельствуют о выходе триптофанилов на поверхность молекулы белка.

The Casimir pressure on the dielectric layer in metal-dielectric-semiconductor (MDS) structures is calculated in the framework of the Lifshitz theory at nonzero temperature. In this calculation the standard parameters of semiconductor devices with a thin dielectric layer are used. We consider the thickness of a layer decreasing from 40 to 1 nm. At the shortest thickness the Casimir pressure achieves 8 MPa. At small thicknesses the results are compared with the predictions of nonrelativistic theory.

The possibility of modulating the Casimir force that acts in an air medium between a gold sphere and a silicon plate irradiated by laser pulses has been studied. It has been demonstrated that the oxide film that is formed on the silicon surface in air hardly affects the possibility of modulating the Casimir force when the distances between interacting bodies are of the order of 100 nm. With an increase in the distance, the modulation depth decreases; however, this region is of less practical interest, because the Casimir forces become too weak.

The external magnetic field influence on luminescence of GdClj aqueous solution was studied. It was observed, that prolonged (during 0,5-4 hours) magnetic field treatment of GdCl 3 aqueous solution (amplitude 0,7 Gs, frequency 156 Hz) decreased the luminescence intensity (maximum 310,5 nm). In the course of time the luminescence intensity of magnetic field treated samples continues to reduce up to the constant. The magnetic field stimulation of Gd oxyhydrate polymerization in water solution may be responsible for this effect.

Luminescence emission, polarization, and excitation spectra of polyadenylic acid (poly(A)) have been studied in room-temperature aqueous solution (pH 8). The temperature dependence of the luminescence of poly(A) at two different excitation wavelengths in the range 10-70 degrees C has also been studied and compared with that of adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP). It has been found that the luminescence excitation spectrum and the polarization curve of poly(A) solution reveal a low-intensity electronic transition at about 320 nm which is red-shifted by approximately 0.9 eV from the maximum of the absorption spectrum at 260 nm. A model of two luminescent stacked forms is suggested. The difference in the ground state levels of these two stacked forms obtained from the temperature dependencies of the emissions is insignificant ( approximately 1 kcal/mol). This means a lowering of the excited state of the stacked form with the 320 nm/420 nm absorption/emission bands by approximately 0.9 eV as compared to the main form with the 260 nm/400 nm absorption/emission bands. The low-lying excited states suggest the stronger electronic coupling of the bases in a certain stacked form. It is proposed that such clusters of the stacked bases could provide the wire-like conductivity in the short segments of DNA.