Kyoto Protocol cooperation: Does government corruption facilitate environmental lobbying?

Does environmental lobbying affect the probability of environmental treaty ratification? Does the level of government corruption play a role for the success of such lobbying? In this paper, we propose that a more corruptible government may be more responsive to the demands of the environmental lobby. We use several stratified hazard models and panel data from 170 countries on the timing of Kyoto Protocol ratification to test this hypothesis. We find that increased environmental lobby group activity raises the probability of ratification, and the effect rises with the degree of corruption.     

Sudden suffocation by surgical sponge retained after a 23-year-old thoracic surgery

A 70-year-old male patient with a 23-year-old history of right lower lung lobectomy for primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma (T1 N0 M0) presented with recurrent bronchopneumonia and purulent sputum. Pleural callus, lung abscess, bronchopleural fistula, and stitch granulomas were confirmed by chest x-ray, computed tomography scan, and bronchoscopy in the background of his complaints. An attempt to remove the bronchial purulent discharge and tissue sampling was made by using a flexible bronchoscope. The area of the lower trachea suddenly became clogged during bronchoscopic removal of the suspected piece of tissue (which later turned out to be organizing surgical gauze). The resuscitation following ventricular fibrillation failed to save the patient's life. The forensic postmortem examination confirmed the position of the foreign body extending from the abscess cavity, crossing the midline at carina and obstructing the lower trachea. This foreign body was a remnant of the surgical gauze left behind during a thoracic surgery 23 years ago.     

Analysis of the population heterogeneity in Hungary using fifteen forensically informative STR markers

Previous studies have shown that population analyses in Hungary can be of great importance from the viewpoint of the examination of population differentiation. This study provides additional population genetic data of the Hungarian population on the thirteen CODIS core STR loci and on two penta STRs (PentaE, PentaD). Allele frequency and profile databases were generated for four population samples. Comparing the allele frequency values by G-statistic, calculating the FST indices and with the pair-wise comparisons of inter-population molecular variance (AMOVA) the four Hungarian populations could be distinguished.     

Alternative models of issue voting: The case of the 1991 and 1995 elections in Belgium

Abstract. Previous research has indicated that the success of the directional model of issue voting depends on levels of political sophistication and how party position is measured. Using 1991 and 1995 Belgian Election Surveys, the predictive power of proximity and directional measures are compared controlling for both variables. It is shown that when one uses overall mean placements, instead of mean placements by level of political sophistication, the proximity effect declines most among the highly sophisticated voters. The article also compares the performance of the proximity and directional measures across party systems. Contrary to theoretical expectations, party–system differences between Flanders and Wallonia do not affect the explanatory power of either of these measures. It is only in the cases of the liberal, socialist and extreme right parties that the directional measure is clearly superior. A closer analysis of this result indicates that the relative success of the directional measure is due to the limited number of issues from which those parties draw support.     

Minority Rights and the Roma of Central and Eastern Europe

Since 1990, minority rights have enjoyed an extraordinary renaissancein Europe. Ironically, this has occurred at precisely the timewhen Europe's largest ethnic minority, the Roma, has faced anunprecedented crisis, particularly in post-Communist states.This article explores the various problems facing the Roma inCentral and Eastern Europe and considers why minority rightsregimes have had a marginal impact on the situation confrontingthis minority. In addition, the article reflects on whethercurrent conceptions of minority rights are well suited to suchan extraordinarily heterogeneous ‘people’ as theRoma, many of whom have lost the cultural and linguistic featuresthat formerly distinguished them as a minority.     

A Letter of Congratulations from Ujhelyi,Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly

H.E.Mr.Zhou Tienong President of CAFIU Beijing Dear Mr.President,Referring to the discussion held with Mr.Zhu Dacheng,your Deputy President in Beijing recently,let me send you my greetings as deputy speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly.It is an honor and privilege for me to wish the 2nd Plenary Session of the CAFIU’s 10th Executive Council-if not in person but through this letter-a fruitful activity.