Child Soldiers in Africa: Solutions to a Complex Dilemma

This article focuses on the dilemma of using child soldiers in violent conflicts throughout Africa and on ways of resolving it in the future. The first section briefly examines some important domestic and international aspects and dimensions of the problem. Then, attention is shifted to particular individual countries on the continent in which the use of children in battle has been most prevalent during the past decade. The next section reviews some recent efforts by the international community to assuage the crisis, offers recommendations on how they can be improved, and raises alternative ideas for new strategies and initiatives. Finally, a conclusion ties all this information together and suggests a hopeful future for the children of war-torn countries in Africa.In recent years, the use of child soldiers by both government forces and insurgent groups in African countries such as Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, and Sudan has been harshly condemned by the international community. Past efforts to alleviate the problem have been somewhat ineffective and many children continue to engage in violent conflict either voluntarily or against their will. The dimensions of this terrible dilemma are complex and widespread, stemming from both domestic and global forces. There is still hope, however, for the children of these war-torn nations. Many countries and international organisations are joining together to develop new strategies that will discourage the use of child soldiers and punish those groups and governments that do. It is extremely important that the United States support these endeavours in their early stages so that effective measures can be implemented that may one day help solve the problem

К вопросу о связи внешнеэкономической деятельности предприятия с инновационным его развитием

This paper responds to Daniel Dennett’s 2012 Praemium Erasmianum Essay Erasmus: Sometimes a Spin Doctor is Right in which he makes a distinction between manipulation and non-manipulative influence. Dennett argues that influence on an individual’s decision-making process is not manipulative so long as that individual’s rationality is involved. In this work we show that Dennett’s account of this distinction is, at best, incomplete. He fails to consider the many factors that implicitly weigh on a person’s rational decision-making process. That is, there are a number of manipulable factors that will always have some bearing on one’s rationality, ultimately influencing what reasons the individual ends up endorsing. We conclude that in order to make a clear distinction between ‘mere influence’ and manipulation, an appeal to rationality alone is not sufficient

A model of intensive oil burnout from glass fabric

This paper continues the previous investigations [1]‐[3] for process of intensive oil burnout in glass fabric. Aliejaus išdeginimo iš stiklo gaminių matematinis modelis Santrauka Darbe toliau sistemingai nagrinejami stiklo gaminimo procesu matematiniai modeliai. Tiriama ivairiu faktoriu (stiklo mases judejimo greičio, metalo plokšteliu savybiu, gaminio storio) itaka stiklo gaminio kokybei. Kadangi aliejaus išdeginimas vyksta labai aukštoje temperatūroje ir labai trumpai, tai matematiniai modeliai leidžia detaliai ištirti procesa bei parinkti optimalias parametru reikšmes. Matematini modeli sudaro nestacionari lygtis, aprašanti difuzijos, konvekcijos ir chemines reakcijos procesus. Vidurkinimo metodu uždavinys suvedamas i vienmati modeli. Chemines reakcijos greitis modeliuojamas panaudojant Aremijaus modeli. Pateikiami skaičiavimo eksperimento rezultatai. First Published Online: 14 Oct 201

Numerical solution of single mode gyrotron equation

In this paper we study numerical problems arising in solving the single mode gyrotron equation. Using the method of finite differences analytical and numerical solutions are obtained. Quasistationary solutions and corresponding eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of this problem are investigated. Girotrono lygties vienos modos skaitiniai sprendimai Santrauka Straipsnyje nagrinėjami skaitiniai sprendiniai gauti tiriant girotrono lygties vieną modą. Analitiniai ir skaitiniai sprendiniai gauti taikant baigtinių skirtumų metodą. Ištirti kvazistacionarieji sprendiniai ir atitinkamos tokio uždavinio tikrinės reikšmės ir tikrinės funkcijos. First Published Online: 14 Oct 201

Annexin A2 mediates apical trafficking of renal Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-)-cotransporter

The furosemide-sensitive Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-)-cotransporter (NKCC2) is responsible for urine concentration, and helps maintain systemic salt homeostasis. Its activity depends on trafficking to, and insertion into, the apical membrane, as well as on phosphorylation of conserved N-terminal serine and threonine residues. Vasopressin (AVP), signaling via PKA and other kinases, activates NKCC2. Association of NKCC2 with lipid rafts facilitates its AVP-induced apical translocation and activation at the surface. Lipid raft microdomains typically serve as platforms for membrane proteins to facilitate their interactions with other proteins, but little is known about partners that interact with NKCC2. Yeast two-hybrid screening identified an interaction between NKCC2 and the cytosolic protein, annexin A2 (AnxA2). Annexins mediate lipid raft-dependent trafficking of transmembrane proteins, including the AVP-regulated water channel, aquaporin 2. Here, we demonstrate that AnxA2, which binds to phospholipids in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner and may organize microdomains, is co-distributed with NKCC2 to promote its apical translocation in response to AVP stimulation and low chloride hypotonic stress. NKCC2 and AnxA2 interact in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Phosphomimetic AnxA2 carrying a mutant, Src-dependent phosphoacceptor (AnxA2-Y24D-GFP), enhanced surface expression and raft association of NKCC2 by 5-fold upon AVP stimulation, whereas PKC-dependent AnxA2-S26D-GFP did not. As the AnxA2 effect involved only non-phosphorylated NKCC2, it appears to affect NKCC2 trafficking. Overexpression or knockdown experiments further supported the role of AnxA2 in the apical translocation and surface expression of NKCC2. In summary, this study identifies AnxA2 as a lipid raft-associated trafficking factor for NKCC2 and provides mechanistic insight into the regulation of this essential cotransporter