Verfassungspopulismus und Verfassungswandel in Lateinamerika

Am 15. Februar 2009 stimmten knapp 55 Prozent der Venezolaner für eine Verfassungsreform, mit der dem amtierenden Präsidenten Hugo Chávez die unbegrenzte Wiederwahl ermöglicht wird. Nur drei Wochen zuvor war in Bolivien gleichfalls mittels eines Referendums eine neue Verfassung angenommen worden. Bereits am 28. September des Vorjahres hatt en die Ecuadorianer in einer Volksabstimmung dem Entwurf für eine neue Verfassung zugestimmt

Verfassungspopulismus und Verfassungswandel in Lateinamerika

"Am 15. Februar 2009 stimmten knapp 55 Prozent der Venezolaner für eine Verfassungsreform, mit der dem amtierenden Präsidenten Hugo Chávez die unbegrenzte Wiederwahl ermöglicht wird. Nur drei Wochen zuvor war in Bolivien gleichfalls mittels eines Referendums eine neue Verfassung angenommen worden. Bereits am 28. September des Vorjahres hatten die Ecuadorianer in einer Volksabstimmung dem Entwurf für eine neue Verfassung zugestimmt. Verfassungsreformen sind in Lateinamerika zurzeit in Mode: Seit 1990 wurden insgesamt sieben neue Verfassungen und 239 einfache Verfassungsänderungen verabschiedet. Die jüngsten Reformen spiegeln allgemeine Trends wider, weisen aber auch einige spezifische Merkmale und Neuerungen auf. Dazu gehört, die Rechte der indigenen Bevölkerung zu stärken und den 'plurinationalen' Charakter der Staaten hervorzuheben. Die beiden neuen Verfassungen von Bolivien und Ecuador sind mit jeweils mehr als 400 Artikeln die bei weitem umfangreichsten Verfassungen in Lateinamerika. Sie enthalten eine Vielzahl von Versprechungen (wie das Anrecht auf ein 'gutes Leben') und legen wichtige Politikinhalte (vor allem in der Wirtschafts- und Sozialpolitik) fest. Verfassungen werden in Lateinamerika relativ häufig reformiert, sei es durch die Verabschiedung neuer Verfassungen, sei es durch einfache Verfassungsreformen. Dieser Trend hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren verstärkt. Die Verfassungstexte werden immer umfangreicher und führen zu einer Konstitutionalisierung von Politikfeldern. Viele der gegenwärtigen Verfassungsreformen weisen eine starke machtpolitische Komponente auf. Sie wurden von den amtierenden Präsidenten initiiert und festigen deren Position. Teilen der Verfassungsreformen kommt hingegen symbolischer Charakter zu, indem sie den Bürgern weitreichende Versprechungen machen ('Verfassungspopulismus'), deren Umsetzbarkeit jedoch zweifelhaft erscheint. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit immer neuer Verfassungsreformen ist mit den letzten Referenden gerade in den drei genannten Ländern eher größer als kleiner geworden." (Autorenreferat

Equivocal Helpers-Complicit States, Mixed Messages and International Law

Issues of State complicity arise ever more frequently in international relations. Rules which deal with the responsibility of States for aiding or assisting in the commission of internationally wrongful acts by other States are, however, not yet fully developed. States frequently support each other's actions without necessarily considering the potential implications of the rules on complicity in international law. This leads to another problem: is support given to another State automatically to be seen as relevant practice for the development of new customary rules or the interpretation of treaties through subsequent practice? Or is it possible for complicit States to play two different roles: to assist in some conduct while not endorsing the legal claim associated with it? This contribution aims to untangle the various facets of complicit State behaviour. It will argue that in some cases, States can indeed play two different roles. States should, however, be careful in considering the long-term implications of such behaviour

Effects of a 12-week high-α-linolenic acid intervention on EPA and DHA concentrations in red blood cells and plasma oxylipin pattern in subjects with a low EPA and DHA status

The essential omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n3) can be converted into EPA and DHA. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of a high-ALA diet on EPA and DHA levels in red blood cells (RBCs) and their oxylipins in the plasma of subjects with a low EPA and DHA status. Fatty acid concentrations [μg mL−1] and relative amounts [% of total fatty acids] in the RBCs of 19 healthy men (mean age 26.4 ± 4.6 years) were analyzed by means of GC-FID. Free plasma oxylipin concentrations were determined by LC-MS based targeted metabolomics. Samples were collected and analyzed at baseline (week 0) and after 1 (week 1), 3 (week 3), 6 (week 6), and 12 (week 12) weeks of high dietary ALA intake (14.0 ± 0.45 g day−1). ALA concentrations significantly (p < 0.001) increased from 1.44 ± 0.10 (week 0) to 4.65 ± 0.22 (week 1), 5.47 ± 0.23 (week 3), 6.25 ± 0.24 (week 6), and 5.80 ± 0.28 (week 12) μg mL−1. EPA concentrations increased from 6.13 ± 0.51 (week 0) to 7.33 ± 0.33 (week 1), 8.38 ± 0.42 (p = 0.021, week 3), 10.9 ± 0.67 (p < 0.001, week 6), and 11.0 ± 0.64 (p < 0.001, week 12) μg mL−1. DHA concentrations unexpectedly decreased from 41.0 ± 1.93 (week 0) to 37.0 ± 1.32 (week 1), 36.1 ± 1.37 (week 3), 35.1 ± 1.06 (p = 0.010, week 6), and 30.4 ± 1.09 (p < 0.001, week 12) μg mL−1. Relative ΣEPA + DHA amounts were unchanged during the intervention (week 0: 4.63 ± 0.19, week 1: 4.67 ± 0.16, week 3: 4.61 ± 0.13, week 6: 4.73 ± 0.15, week 12: 4.52 ± 0.11). ALA- and EPA-derived hydroxy- and dihydroxy-PUFA increased similarly to their PUFA precursors, although in the case of ALA-derived oxylipins, the concentrations increased less rapidly and to a lesser extent compared to the concentrations of their precursor FA. LA-derived oxylipins remained unchanged and arachidonic acid and DHA oxylipin concentrations were not significantly changed. Our results confirm that the intake of ALA is not a sufficient source for the increase of EPA + DHA in subjects on a Western diet. Specifically, a high-ALA diet results in increased EPA and declined DHA concentrations. However, the changes effectively balance each other out so that ΣEPA + DHA in RBCs – which is an established marker for health protective effects of omega-3-PUFA – remains constant. The PUFA levels in RBCs reflect the concentration and its changes in plasma hydroxy- and dihydroxy-PUFA concentrations for ALA and EPA

Wood-Veneer-Reinforced Mycelium Composites for Sustainable Building Components

The demand for building materials has been constantly increasing, which leads to excessive energy consumption for their provision. The looming environmental consequences have triggered the search for sustainable alternatives. Mycelium, as a rapidly renewable, low-carbon natural material that can withstand compressive forces and has inherent acoustic and fire-resistance properties, could be a potential solution to this problem. However, due to its low tensile, flexural and shear strength, mycelium is not currently widely used commercially in the construction industry. Therefore, this research focuses on improving the structural performance of mycelium composites for interior use through custom robotic additive manufacturing processes that integrate continuous wood fibers into the mycelial matrix as reinforcement. This creates a novel, 100% bio-based, wood-veneer-reinforced mycelium composite. As base materials, Ganoderma lucidum and hemp hurds for mycelium growth and maple veneer for reinforcement were pre-selected for this study. Compression, pull-out, and three-point bending tests comparing the unreinforced samples to the veneer-reinforced samples were performed, revealing improvements on the bending resistance of the reinforced samples. Additionally, the tensile strength of the reinforcement joints was examined and proved to be stronger than the material itself. The paper presents preliminary experiment results showing the effect of veneer reinforcements on increasing bending resistance, discusses the potential benefits of combining wood veneer and mycelium’s distinct material properties, and highlights methods for the design and production of architectural components

Corrigendum: Tandem occlusions involving the internal carotid and anterior cerebral arteries-A rare form of stroke: results from the multicenter EVATRISP collaboration study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.1024891.]

Characterization of transient and progressive pulmonary fibrosis by spatially correlated phase contrast microCT, classical histopathology and atomic force microscopy

: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a severe and progressive condition in which the lung becomes scarred over time resulting in pulmonary function impairment. Classical histopathology remains an important tool for micro-structural tissue assessment in the diagnosis of PF. A novel workflow based on spatial correlated propagation-based phase-contrast micro computed tomography (PBI-microCT), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and histopathology was developed and applied to two different preclinical mouse models of PF - the commonly used and well characterized Bleomycin-induced PF and a novel mouse model for progressive PF caused by conditional Nedd4-2 KO. The aim was to integrate structural and mechanical features from hallmarks of fibrotic lung tissue remodeling. PBI-microCT was used to assess structural alteration in whole fixed and paraffin embedded lungs, allowing for identification of fibrotic foci within the 3D context of the entire organ and facilitating targeted microtome sectioning of planes of interest for subsequent histopathology. Subsequently, these sections of interest were subjected to AFM to assess changes in the local tissue stiffness of previously identified structures of interest. 3D whole organ analysis showed clear morphological differences in 3D tissue porosity between transient and progressive PF and control lungs. By integrating the results obtained from targeted AFM analysis, it was possible to discriminate between the Bleomycin model and the novel conditional Nedd4-2 KO model using agglomerative cluster analysis. As our workflow for 3D spatial correlation of PBI, targeted histopathology and subsequent AFM is tailored around the standard procedure of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens, it may be a powerful tool for the comprehensive tissue assessment beyond the scope of PF and preclinical research

Разработка нейросетевого подхода сегментации и распознавания номерных знаков автомобилей на изображениях реальных сцен

Объектом исследования являются методы искусственного интеллекта, используемые в алгоритмах сегментации и распознавания автомобильных номерных знаков. Целью работы является разработка и реализация алгоритма детектирования и распознавания автомобильных номерных знаков на изображениях реальных сцен с применением аппарата искусственных нейронных сетейThe object of research is the artificial intelligence methods used in the segmentation and recognition of automobile license plates. The aim of the work is to develop and implement an algorithm for detecting and recognizing car license plates on images of real scenes using the apparatus of artificial neural network

Safety and effectiveness of IV Thrombolysis in retinal artery occlusion: A multicenter retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND Retinal artery occlusion (RAO) may lead to irreversible blindness. For acute RAO, intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) can be considered as treatment. However, due to the rarity of RAO, data about IVT safety and effectiveness is limited. METHODS From the multicenter database ThRombolysis for Ischemic Stroke Patients (TRISP), we retrospectively analyzed visual acuity (VA) at baseline and within 3 months in IVT and non-IVT treated RAO patients. Primary outcome was difference of VA between baseline and follow up (∆VA). Secondary outcomes were rates of visual recovery (defined as improvement of VA ⩾ 0.3 logMAR), and safety (symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) according to ECASS II criteria, asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and major extracranial bleeding). Statistical analysis was performed using parametric tests and a linear regression model adjusted for age, sex and baseline VA. RESULTS We screened 200 patients with acute RAO and included 47 IVT and 34 non-IVT patients with complete information about recovery of vision. Visual Acuity at follow up significantly improved compared to baseline in IVT patients (∆VA 0.5 ± 0.8, p < 0.001) and non-IVT patients (∆VA 0.40 ± 1.1, p < 0.05). No significant differences in ∆VA and visual recovery rate were found between groups at follow up. Two asymptomatic ICH (4%) and one (2%) major extracranial bleeding (intraocular bleeding) occurred in the IVT group, while no bleeding events were reported in the non-IVT group. CONCLUSION Our study provides real-life data from the largest cohort of IVT treated RAO patients published so far. While there is no evidence for superiority of IVT compared to conservative treatment, bleeding rates were low. A randomized controlled trial and standardized outcome assessments in RAO patients are justified to assess the net benefit of IVT in RAO

Recanalization Therapies for Large Vessel Occlusion Due to Cervical Artery Dissection: A Cohort Study of the EVA-TRISP Collaboration

Background and Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of endovascular treatment (EVT, with or without intravenous thrombolysis [IVT]) versus IVT alone on outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and intracranial large vessel occlusion (LVO) attributable to cervical artery dissection (CeAD). Methods: This multinational cohort study was conducted based on prospectively collected data from the EVA-TRISP (EndoVAscular treatment and ThRombolysis for Ischemic Stroke Patients) collaboration. Consecutive patients (2015–2019) with AIS-LVO attributable to CeAD treated with EVT and/or IVT were included. Primary outcome measures were (1) favorable 3-month outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 0–2) and (2) complete recanalization (thrombolysis in cerebral infarction scale 2b/3). Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (OR [95% CI]) from logistic regression models were calculated (unadjusted, adjusted). Secondary analyses were performed in the patients with LVO in the anterior circulation (LVOant) including propensity score matching. Results: Among 290 patients, 222 (76.6%) had EVT and 68 (23.4%) IVT alone. EVT-treated patients had more severe strokes (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, median [interquartile range]: 14 [10–19] vs. 4 [2–7], Padjusted 0.56 [0.24–1.32]). EVT was associated with higher rates of recanalization (80.5% vs. 40.7%; ORadjusted 8.85 [4.28–18.29]) compared to IVT. All secondary analyses showed higher recanalization rates in the EVT-group, which however never translated into better functional outcome rates compared to the IVT-group. Conclusion: We observed no signal of superiority of EVT over IVT regarding functional outcome in CeAD-patients with AIS and LVO despite higher rates of complete recanalization with EVT. Whether pathophysiological CeAD-characteristics or their younger age might explain this observation deserves further research