Der Haftrücklass im Bauträgervertrag

Das BMJ hat vor Kurzem den Begutachtungsentwurf für eine Novelle zum Bautr?gervertragsgesetz vorgelegt. Ein zentrales Regelungsanliegen des Entwurfs ist die Einführung eines zwingenden Haftrücklasses zur Sicherung allf?lliger Gew?hrleistungs- und Schadenersatzansprüche des Erwerbers auf Grund mangelhafter Leistung des Bautr?gers. Der vorliegende Beitrag setzt sich mit diesem Vorschlag kritisch auseinander.     

Influence of rubber compound and tread pattern of retreaded tyres on vehicle active safety

The aim of the article is to present the results of road tests of original and retreaded tyres, analysed in the aspect of vehicle active safety. The tests covered emergency braking, steady-state circular tests and severe lane-change manoeuvre. The tests were performed in summer and winter conditions. Original Michelin tyres and Michelin tyres retreaded with summer and winter rubber compounds were used. The results of the tests proved that vehicle active safety is affected by retreaded tyres. The differences between braking deceleration of a car with original tyres and braking deceleration of a car with retreaded tyres confirmed the necessity of performing braking tests on the place of accident with the set of tyres with which the vehicle participating in the accident was equipped.     

Involvement of Amphetamines in Sudden and Unexpected Death

Abstract:  In the present study, the effects of amphetamine-class drugs were examined in cases reported to the Victorian coroner from 2001 to 2005 to determine if death can occur from the use of amphetamine-class drugs alone. A total of 169 cases were reviewed where a forensic autopsy detected amphetamine(s) in the blood. Pathology, toxicology, and police reports were analyzed in all cases to ascertain the involvement of amphetamine-class drugs in these deaths. In Victoria, methamphetamine (MA) is the principal abused amphetamine-class followed by methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). There were six cases in which a cerebral hemorrhage caused death and three cases in which serotonin syndrome was established as being caused by the interaction of MDMA and moclobemide. There were 19 cases in which long-term use of amphetamines was associated with heart disease. There were three cases where amphetamine-class drugs alone were regarded as the cause of death, of which two cases exhibited high levels of MDMA and lesser amounts of MA and/or amphetamine. There were no cases in which significant natural disease was absent and death was regarded as caused by the use of MA. There was no correlation between blood concentration of drug and outcome.     

Polish Police Officers: Personality and Risk Taking

The present study was aimed at identifying the personality factors of Polish Officers preparing for the peace mission in Kosovo using Zuckerman`s Alternative Five Factor Model. The sample consisted of 86 policemen (Mage = 32.9 yr., SD = 4.5) and 58 low risk workers (Mage = 29.4 yr., SD = 5.3). It was found that policemen scored significantly higher on Impulsive Sensation Seeking in comparison to the control group. The policemen scores on other personality traits were more akin to those of the control group.     

The effect of psychotherapy on self-awareness in incarcerated and nonincarcerated alcoholics: a pilot study

Changes in self-awareness in incarcerated and nonincarcerated male alcoholics are measured before and after disaccustoming therapy based on Alcoholics Anonymous principles. The four-mode conception of self-awareness of Zaborowski is employed. The results show significant and expected changes in incarcerated participants (in defensive, individual, and reflective modes of self-awareness) and almost no changes in nonincarcerated individuals. An effect of motivation on therapy is also identified. Incarceration appears to be more conducive to recovery than to conditions outside the prison.     

The “revival of communism” or the effect of institutions?: The 1993 Polish parliamentary elections

In several Eastern European countries the breakdown of communism in 1989 was followed by a surprising return to power of post-communist parties. Yet, some electoral victories of post-communists look puzzling when contrasted with a small size of a shift in voters' preferences that has led to them. Such is the case of the 1993 Polish parliamentary elections. Using partition-function form games and results of simulated elections, we estimate the impact of three factors that were blamed, in addition to the shift to the left in voters' preferences, for the 1993 victory of the post-communists in Poland. We show that the shift to the left was insufficient to assure post-communists an electoral victory, and that this victory would not have happened under the old electoral law or under a unified coalition of the Right. Our results show the high sensitivity of emerging democracies to the details of their institutional backbones.     

Corporatization in the Public Sector: Explaining the Growth of Local Government Companies

The creation of companies by local governments to provide public services—referred to as “corporatization”—is an example of systemic public entrepreneurship that is popular across the world. To build knowledge of the antecedents of public sector entrepreneurship, the authors investigate the factors that lead local governments to create companies for public service delivery. Using zero-inflated negative binomial regressions to analyze secondary data from 150 major English local governments for 2010–16, the authors find that governments with higher levels of grant dependence and debt dependence are more involved in the creation and operation of companies, as are larger governments. Further analysis reveals that very low and very high managerial capabilities are strongly associated with more involvement in profit-making companies, while local government involvement in companies is more prevalent in deprived areas. At the same time, government ownership of companies is more common in areas with high economic output.