Some stylised facts about cash and black economies in Germany

The currency approach assumes black economies to entail larger cash volumes than those needed for transactions in the official economy. Estimates of this hypothesis use e.g. overall cash data. But, for the case of Germany, the growing DM cash amounts in circulation did not only accompany transactions in the national economy, they also disseminated in hoards and in international uses. A series of adjusted cash figures is derived which shows the maximum dimension of national cash uses either for official or black activities. The adjusted cash figures in general grew less fast than overall cash, private consumption, GDP or M1 respectively. They even diminished relative to sales figures which often are accused of being a basis for black activities. This enhances the presumption that, contrary to some contentions in the literature, black activities during the times of the DM-regime played a minor or even decreasing role in Germany.     

Verfassungsfragen einer Reform des österreichischen Bundesheeres

Die Diskussion über eine Abschaffung der Wehrpflicht und einen Umbau des österreichischen Wehrsystems muss auch die verfassungsrechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen mit in den Blick nehmen. Die Bundesverfassung verankert nicht nur die allgemeine Wehrpflicht und das Milizsystem als Organisationsmaximen des Bundesheeres, sondern trifft auch eine abschließende Regelung der Aufgaben des Bundesheeres. Darüber hinaus ergeben sich aus der Neutralität Österreichs und aus dem in Art 4 EMRK normierten Verbot von Zwangs- und Pflichtarbeit verfassungsrechtliche Kriterien, die bei der Entscheidung für ein bestimmtes Wehrsystem zu beachten sind.     

当代侵权法比较研究

侵权法在两大法系中所采路径截然不同、风格各异,这一特点与具体规则模式和一般原则模式之间的现代法律理论的区别是相伴而生的。比较侵权法的焦点主要不是实体问题,而是侵权法的基本结构和模式问题。在侵权法的诸多具体制度上,两大法系远比普遍认为的那样更为相近,二者之间并没有不可逾越的障碍和差别。     

Literatur

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

The use of rapid diagnostic test of procalcitonin serum levels for the postmortem diagnosis of sepsis

Because serum Procalcitonin is reported to be a valid postmortem marker of sepsis, this prospective study was carried out to determine whether the semi-quantitative PCT-Q((R))-Test (B.R.A.H.M.S., Germany) is a reliable indicator of postmortem Procalcitonin (PCT) serum levels, thus enabling a quick "tableside" diagnosis of sepsis. Postmortem PCT-levels of 70 forensic and 78 clinical-pathological autopsy cases (n=148) were examined using the B.R.A.H.M.S-PCT-Q-Test during autopsy. 27 cases were categorized as the cases of sepsis according to the ACCP/SCCM Consensus Conference criteria. 121 cases were assigned to the non-sepsis group. Among the 148 cases, 18 samples could not be analyzed by the reason of strong hemolysis. Using a cut-off point of 2 ng/ml, 20 cases of sepsis were identified (true positive) whereas 3 cases of sepsis were not detected (false negative). In the non-sepsis group (107 cases) 6 cases showed a positive testing (false positive). When applied within 48 h postmortem, the PCT-Q-Test showed a sensitivity of 86.96% and a specificity of 94.39% (at cut-off 2 ng/ml). Likelihood ratios and positive predictive values proved to be lower in the forensic autopsy group (PPV: 59.3% in forensic case vs. 85.1% in clinicopathological cases; NPV: 98.73% in forensic cases vs. 95.2% in clinicopathological cases). The PPVs using a cut-off point of 10 ng/ml were 100% in both groups independent of sepsis prevalences. The results show, that a high NPV for prevalences ranging from 3% to 30% can be reached using a 2 ng/ml cut-off point, whereas a cut-off of 10 ng/ml ensures a high PPV for the respective prevalences in the absence of exclusion criteria. The study provides strong evidence that the introduction of rapid diagnostic test (RDTs) of postmortem PCT serum levels may be useful in achieving rapid distinction between sepsis and non-sepsis-related causes of death, especially in conjunction with the medical case history and further autopsy results. In addition, the use of RDTs enables clinicians to conduct an evidence-based validation of clinical diagnosis, thus facilitating future clinical decision-making.     

Economic aspirations, well-being and political support in recession and boom periods: the case of West Germany

Abstract. Usually the aggregate over-time relationship between economics and politics is empirically reduced to a simple one equation regression model which specifies political support as the dependent, and several economic indicators as independent variables. Here more comprehensive causal model is tested for West Germany. Economic aspirations, personal well-being, fear of the direct effects of economic crisis and political demands are introduced as intervening causal structures between the state of the economy and political support. It is demonstrated that the strength of the relationship between the economy and political support is quite different in recession and boom periods, depending on the subjective importance of economic concerns and the degree of fear of losing one's job. As the analysis of four different economic periods reveals, the effects of inflation and unemployment on political support are strongest when these indicators have an upward tendency. If they are stationary at a low or a higher level, their influences disappear.     

EG-Umwelthaftungs-Richtlinie und Biodiversität

Im April 2004 ist die Richtlinie 2004/35/EG des Europ?ischen Parlamentes und des Rates über Umwelthaftung zur Vermeidung und Sanierung von Umweltsch?den (Umwelt-Haftungs-Richtlinie – UH-RL) in Kraft getreten. Der deutsche Gesetzgeber hat die Richtlinie bis zum April 2007 in nationales Recht umzusetzen, ein Referentenentwurf liegt bereits vor. Dieser Beitrag stellt die zentralen biodiversit?tsspezifischen Regelungen der Richtlinie vor und bewertet sie vor dem Hintergrund des bestehenden deutschen Rechts. Die Richtlinie konstituiert eine ?ffentlich-rechtliche Verantwortlichkeit der Verursacher von Umweltsch?den, der Eingriffsbefugnisse der Beh?rden korrespondieren. Sie bringt an einigen Punkten Neuerungen für das deutsche Recht. Bei Sch?den an den von der Richtlinie erfassten geschützten Arten und Lebensr?umen fordert sie nicht nur die Wiederherstellung des früheren Zustandes, sondern verlangt auch einen Ausgleich für „zwischenzeitliche Verluste“.