Does the Constitution Provide More Ballot Access Protection for Presidential Elections Than for U.S. House Elections?

Both the U.S. Constitution and The Federalist Papers suggest that voters ought to have more freedom to vote for the candidate of their choice for the U.S. House of Representatives than they do for the President or the U.S. Senate. Yet, strangely, for the last thirty-three years, the U.S. Supreme Court and lower courts have ruled that the Constitution gives voters more freedom to vote for the candidate of their choice in presidential elections than in congressional elections. Also, state legislatures, which have been writing ballot access laws since 1888, have passed laws that make it easier for minor-party and independent candidates to get on the ballot for President than for the U.S. House. As a result, voters in virtually every state invariably have far more choices on their general election ballots for the President than they do for the House. This Article argues that the right of a voter to vote for someone other than a Democrat or a Republican for the House is just as important as a voter’s right to do so for President, and that courts should grant more ballot access protection to minor-party and independent candidates for the House

Hemostasis and ageing

On March 19, 2008 a Symposium on Pathophysiology of Ageing and Age-Related Diseases was held in Palermo, Italy. The lecture of D. Mari on Hemostasis and ageing is summarized herein. Physiological ageing is associated with increased plasma levels of many proteins of blood coagulation together with fibrinolysis impairment. This may be of great concern in view of the known association between vascular and thromboembolic diseases and ageing. On the other hand, centenarians are characterized by a state of hypercoagulability and possession of several high-risk alleles and well-known atherothrombotic risk markers but this appears to be compatible with longevity and/or health. Parameters considered risk factors for atherosclerotic vascular diseases in young people may lose their biological significance in advanced age and assume a different role

Elektronenmikroskopische und Gerinnungsuntersuchungen bei einem Fall von primärer (idiopathischer) Thrombozythämie im Kindesalter.

Das Krankheitsbild der primären (idiopathischen) Thrombozythämie ist im Kindesalter sehr selten. Hämorrhagische Diathese, Splenomegalie und Vermehrung der Thrombozyten stellen die Leitsymptome dar. Der Fall eines 9jährigen Mädchens mit Thrombozytenwerten zwischen 2,8 und 4,5×106/mm3 wird beschrieben. Licht- und elektronenoptisch fand sich ein defekter Zellaufbau von Megakaryozyten und Thrombozyten. Die Funktionsdiagnostik zeigte eine defekte thrombozytäre Reaktivität. Diese Befunde werden zu der bestehenden hämorrhagischen Diathese sowie zu Befunden bei primärer und sekundärer Thrombozytämie im Erwachsenenalter in Beziehung gesetzt. Der mögliche Zusammenhang mit myeloproliferativen Syndromen wird diskutiert