The study of thrombopoiesis has evolved greatly since an era when platelets were termed "the dust of the blood," only about 100 years ago. During this time megakaryocytes were identified as the origin of blood platelets; marrow-derived megakaryocytic progenitor cells were functionally defined and then purified; and the primary regulator of the process, thrombopoietin, was cloned and characteriz...

axes), one can construct a curved surface on which any point would be focused or mapped to precisely corresponding points on the two re t i n a s . This surface is the horopter, often simplified as a curved line in the horizontal plane (Figure 3-2). For example, a point 4 degrees to the right of fixation on the horopter would be imaged on each retina precisely four degrees to the left of each f...

An important objective of occupational therapy practice is to maximise functional potential in patients who have physical disabilities. Pressure sores are a major complication in the medical course of these individuals. Therefore, prevention, or at least the proper management, of these sores becomes an important focus for occupational therapists who treat the physically disabled patient. Occupa...

Recovery from alcoholism can occur through a process of psychological death and rebirth. Generating a new person within a body once occupied by another, transformational change (TC) stands as a life-defining experience demarcating before (old self) and after (new self). The TC experiences of 7 individuals (Handsome Lake, John Gough, Francis Murphy, Jerry McAuley, Bill Wilson, Marty Mann, and Ma...

In less than 50 years the number of MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine or Ecstasy) users in the United States has gone from zero to nearly three million. For all of its popularity, very little is known about MDMA’s probable mechanism of action, or the mechanisms by which it causes death and disability. Even less is known about this drug’s checkered past, including dangerous plans by variou...

Background: Datura stramonium is a poisonous and common flowering plant that is a member of the Solanacae family. Datura poisonings are a rare occurrence in the 21st century, making toxicological information on this plant sparse. Historical information on Datura provides useful information on the clinical symptoms and characteristics of poisonings. This review looks at the state of knowledge on...