The Coulter counter, model S Plus, provides a platelet count and a mean platelet volume in all routine specimens of blood for cell count. The value of mean platelet volume in the prediction of the haemostatic potential of thrombocytopenic patients was investigated in 175 patients with haematological disorders who underwent 1473 blood counts over five months. Eighty-four haemorrhagic

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A new cell surgery technique has been developed to produce well-defined alterations in cells and tissue without detectable heating and/or other structural damage in the surroundings. The technique involves the use of an argon fluoride excimer laser, in the deep ultraviolet (UV) region of the spectrum at 193 nm, which is guided through a glass pipette filled with a positive air pressure. To demonstrate the method, holes were drilled in the zona pellucida of mouse oocytes. The diameter of the drilled hole was determined by the pipette tip size, and its depth by an energy emitted per pulse and number of pulses. Scanning electron microscopy of the drilled mouse oocytes showed uniform, round, well-circumscribed holes with sharp edges. Oocytes that had their zona pellucida drilled with this new method fertilized in vitro and developed to the blastocyst stage in a rate similar to that of control group. These results demonstrate the nonperturbing nature of this cold laser microsurgical procedure. In addition to the extension of our results for clinical in vitro fertilization purposes, such as enhancement of fertilization and embryo biopsy, there are wide-ranging possible uses of our method in fundamental and applied investigations that require submicron accuracy in cellular alteration.

The available data on 321 published cases of splenectomy in agnogenic myeloid metaplasia were reviewed. Anaemia and thrombopenia were the most common indications for this operation. Patients reported after 1940 had a median postoperative survival of 13 months. Their postoperative mortality was 7.5% after 2 d and 25.7% after 3 months. The postoperative mortality was significantly higher when the weight of the spleen exceeded 2000 g, or in patients with platelet count less than 70 X 10(9)/l. The most common causes of death were infections (34.4%), cardiac or thromboembolic events (26.4%) and haemorrhage (17.6%). Leukaemic transformation was reported in 11.2% of the cases.

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