Access to constitutional complaint procedures: A real chance?

In a recent decision, the European Court of Human Rights concluded that the constitutional complaint before the Hungarian Constitutional Court can be seen as an effective domestic remedy. This decision shows the growing role of constitutional complaint procedures even in the international system of human rights protection; therefore, it is worth examining how national laws ensure efficient access to such procedures. The current paper aims to analyse a specific aspect of this complex problem, namely, the question of legal aid in constitutional court proceedings – particularly constitutional complaints procedures – in Germany, Austria and Hungary. As a general staring point, it is intended to derive the need for legal aid from the national constitutions, followed by an analysis on the availability of legal aid schemes for constitutional complaint procedures and their conditions. The examination is based on the national legal provisions and case-law, as well as the relevant secondary literature. This comparative study can enable some conclusions to be drawn on the question of how constitutional complaints can become more efficient tools in the protection of fundamental rights for those in need, as well.

A Retrospective Analysis of Serous Effusions Based on the Newly Proposed International System for Reporting Serous Fluid Cytopathology: A Report of 3633 Cases in an Oncological Center

Background: The International System for Reporting Serous Fluid Cytopathology (TIS) was recently proposed. We retrospectively applied TIS recommendations for reporting the cytological diagnosis of serous effusions and reported our experience.Methods: All the serous effusions from January 2018 to September 2021 were retrieved from the database. Recategorization was performed using the TIS classification, the risk of malignancy (ROM) was calculated for each TIS category, and the performance evaluation was carried out among different samples (pleural, peritoneal and pericardial effusions) and preparation methods (conventional smears, liquid-based preparations and cell-blocks). Results: A total of 3633 cases were studied, 17 (0.5%) were diagnosed as ND, 1100 (30.3%) as NFM, 101 (2.8%) as AUS, 677 (18.6%) as SFM, and 1738 (47.8%) as MAL. The ROM for the categories were found to be 38.5%, 28.6%, 52.1%, 99.4% and 100%, respectively. The ROM for SFM was significantly higher than that for AUS (P < 0.001), while the difference between the ROMs for the IVa and IVb was insignificant. The sensitivity, negative predictive value(NPV) and diagnostic accuracy of liquid-based preparations were all superior to conventional smears and cell-blocks in detecting abnormalities. Using three preparation methods simultaneously had the highest sensitivity, NPV and diagnostic accuracy.Conclusion: Serous effusion cytology has a high specificity and positive predictive value(PPV), and the TIS is a user-friendly reporting system. Liquid-based preparations could improve the sensitivity of diagnosis, and it is best to use three different preparation methods simultaneously for serous effusion cytologic examination.

Composition, nutritional value and uses of Ricinodendron heudelotii, Vitex doniana and Cleome gynandra seed oil, three indigenous oil species sources of omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids: a review

Ricinodendron heudelotii, Vitex doniana and Cleome gynandra are three indigenous species of Benin/West Africa. This review focuses on the physicochemical characteristics of their seeds and the nutritional and functional properties of their oils. In this systematic review, scientific articles and reports were used to collect information. The minima, maxima and mean values were considered and converted into a dry basis and/or the same units by using the international system of units when needed to allow comparison. Seeds of Ricinodendron,Vitex and Cleome fat contents were 51.83 g/100 g dw, 28.55 g/100 g dw and 27.35 g/100 g dw, respectively. The three seed oils contained 58.54 to 87% mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Ricinodendron seed oil contained a conjugated polyunsaturated fatty acid α-eleostearic acid (49.3–51.1%). Data varied from one author to another due to the methods used. R. heudelotii seeds oil is traditionally used for the treatment of several diseases. Its oil showed phytochemical and antimicrobial properties suggesting its possible use in pharmaceutical industries. Ricinodendron and Vitex seed oil should not be used for cooking at high temperatures or frying because of their high and medium levels of unsaturation.

The Tricontinental Revolution

The Tricontinental Revolution provides a major reassessment of the global rise and impact of Tricontinentalism, the militant strand of Third World solidarity that defined the 1960s and 1970s as decades of rebellion. Cold War interventions highlighted the limits of decolonization, prompting a generation of global South radicals to adopt expansive visions of self-determination. Long associated with Cuba, this anti-imperial worldview stretched far beyond the Caribbean to unite international revolutions around programs of socialism, armed revolt, economic sovereignty, and confrontational diplomacy. Linking independent nations with non-state movements from North Vietnam through South Africa to New York City, Tricontinentalism encouraged marginalized groups to mount radical challenges to the United States and the inequitable Euro-centric international system. Through eleven expert essays, this volume recenters global political debates on the priorities and ideologies of the Global South, providing a new framework, chronology, and tentative vocabulary for understanding the evolution of anti-imperial and decolonial politics.

Frequently Asked Questions

This chapter comprises answers to a number of questions that are often asked about the Grondona system by people wishing to understand how it differs from other policy proposals. The questions covered include whether it is a commodity standard, whether it uses buffer-stocks, how it is possible for a single country to have a significant influence, how it can be better than an international system, whether the system could use a crypto-currency, why such government intervention in markets could be beneficial, and other questions. Although some of the content unavoidably repeats what is explained in other chapters, it is hoped that it will be helpful to readers to be able to focus on specific issues in this way.

Nuclear Laws for Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy

The development and utilization of nuclear energy is one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century. It has greatly enhanced the ability of humanity to understand and shape the world and had a significant impact on the development of technology and civilization. In the 21st century, the United Nations (UN) has developed the “Millennium Development Goals” and the “2030 Sustainable Development Goals” to promote a comprehensive solution to the world’s social, economic and environmental issues. To this end, nuclear energy offers unique advantages, but the associated risks and challenges of its further development and utilization must be addressed. Nuclear law is a powerful tool for regulating its development and responding to those risks and challenges. The Chinese Government has always developed nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in a safe and innovative way. At the Nuclear Security Summit in 2014, President Xi Jinping proposed adhering to a rational, coordinated and balanced approach to nuclear security and promoting a fair, cooperative and win–win international nuclear security regime. This not only summarizes China’s experience in establishing a nuclear legal framework and developing nuclear industry, but would also strengthen international nuclear governance and promote nuclear energy to better benefit humanity. The international community should fulfil international obligations strictly, implement national responsibilities effectively, and jointly maintain the UN focused international system and international legal order, contributing to the realization of the common goal of “Atoms for Peace and Development”.

Multi-National Implementation

It is an extremely important feature of Grondona's system that, just as any country implementing it would do so independently on a scale appropriate to their economy, many different countries could establish a CRD without any need for coordination and without in any way hindering each other. On the contrary, as the number of CRDs increased, their collective stabilizing influence on commodity markets would increase proportionately. Moreover, the stabilizing influence on their mutual exchange rates would increase more than proportionately as the number of their mutual exchange rates grew. This contrasts sharply with the proposed international system of buffer stocks which could stabilize no more than a single currency and would become increasingly cumbersome as the number of participating countries increased.

Advancements in NRC’s Primary Spectral Irradiance Scale Realization

The National Research Council (NRC) of Canada has been working to establish new facilities and to improve measurement capabilities traceable to the International System of Units (SI units) in optical radiometry. The NRC primary spectral irradiance scale has transitioned from a detector-based approach in the range of 700 nm to 1600 nm to a detector and source-based realization from 250 nm to 2500 nm. A high temperature blackbody (HTBB) acts as the primary light source for the calibration of 1000 W FEL spectral irradiance standard lamps. The thermodynamic temperature of the HTBB is determined using an NRC-designed wide-band filter radiometer, with spectral responsivity SI-traceable to the NRC optical power scale. This new facility has significantly improved measurement uncertainties compared to the previous NRC spectral irradiance scale.

The Reality of 21st Century International Relations

This chapter will highlight contemporary issues plaguing the international system and the actors (nation-states) involved. The chapter begins by detailing the rising nationalism that fomented into insurrection on January 6, 2021 at the United States Capitol building. The chapter will take a deeper look into the 21st century world order and provide foresight into the chapters to come.