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Alternative name: Platelet Apheresis ('plate-let ay-fer-'ee-sis) What are blood platelets? Blood platelets are irregularly-shaped, colorless bodies that are present in blood. Their sticky surface lets them, along with other substances, form clots to stop bleeding. When bleeding from a wound suddenly occurs, the platelets gather at the wound and attempt to block the blood flow. The mineral calcium, vitamin K, and a protein called fibrinogen help the platelets form a clot. A clot begins to form when the blood is exposed to air. The platelets sense the presence of air and begin to break apart. They react with the protein fibrinogen to begin forming fibrin, which resembles tiny threads. The fibrin threads then begin to form a web-like mesh that traps the blood cells within it. This mesh of blood cells hardens as it dries, forming a clot, or a scab. Who needs blood platelets? Blood platelets are needed for: Patients with clotting disorders,...

Become a platelet donor! If you've donated blood before, you know that you've made a tremendous difference for the hospital patients who received your blood. You can take that feeling one step further by donating platelets. Many hospital patients need platelets to survive. By donating platelets, you provide an invaluable gift of life. Why are platelets needed? Blood is made of four components: platelets, plasma, red blood cells and white blood cells. The platelet component is necessary to control bleeding. Patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments are unable to produce enough platelets. Without platelet transfusions, life-threatening hemorrhages could result. History of plateletpheresis Until recently(page update=year 2000), the only way to collect enough platelets for a single transfusion was to take units of blood given by 5 to 10 donors, separate the platelets from the other blood cells using a centrifuge and combine the platelets. Today, sophisticated medica...

Here comes this year grand event for all the photographers from every part of the country. The Rally held in Cholistan Desert near Derawar Fort is easily accessible for photographers from Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan. The Rally is being held this year from 19th Feb to 21st Feb, 2010. TDCP's Cholistan Jeep Rally is one of the most awaited event of the year not because of the exceptional programs that they offer or the extremely managed event but due to the variety of events that it provides in the hub of the dersert in front of majestic Derawar Fort. From cultural folk sports to motor sports to fireworks against the backdrop of Derawar Fort, no one can view such grand festivities anywhere in Pakistan at any festival. Unlike last year, this event this year has a lot of changes Festivities and Programs for Jeep Rally 2010 19th Feb: This time, no activity will be held in Bahawalpur, the qualifying rounds and inspection of vehicles will be done in Cholistan this year instead of the dri...

US Foreign Service Officer Matthew P. Hoh, Senior Civilian Representative, Afghanistan September 10, 2009 Ambassador Nancy J. Powell Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, D.C. 20520     Dear Ambassador Powell     ,It is with great regret and disappointment I submit my resignation from my appointment as a Political Officer in the Foreign Service and my post as the Senior Civilian Representative for the US Government in Zabul Province. I have served six of the previous ten years in service to our country overseas, to include deployment as a US Marine office and Department of Defense civilian in the Euphrates and Tigris River Valleys of Iraq in 2004-2005 and 2006-2007. I did not enter into this position lightly or with any undue expectations nor did I believe my assignment would be without sacrifice, hardship or difficulty. However, in the course of my five months of service in Afghanistan, in bo...

The New Great Game: Part-2 Hassan Rizvi , Lahore Pakistan : This is a rather lengthy article, and I was delaying publishing it on Instablog for this reason. Yet I see that terrorism is on the rise in India too. Unfortunately my frequent predictions that after Afghanistan and Pakistan, India because of it again getting involved in Afghanistan would soon itself become a hot bed of terrorism appear to be coming true. This article is therefore being published to give a bird eyes view of the issues to the general public who blame Islam and Pakistan for the rise of global terrorism. Unfortunately the subject is such that despite my best efforts I could not make it any shorter. In Part-1 we studied the background to the US involvement in Afghanistan. Essentially Curzon's great game of containment of Russia had been turned on its head by the India. It decided that it's interests would best be served by allying with the Russian. The resulting rise in Afghan militancy against Pakist...

A Student of Government High School, Okara District bagged second position in matriculation and received a prize of Rs 3 million from Punjab chief minister LAHORE:THE Government High School, Nehranwala, Okara District is a typical village school beset with numerous problems but it made headlines recently when one of its students bagged the second position in matriculation examination and received a prize of Rs 3 million from Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif. Muhammad Naveed Asif clinched the second position in Humanities Group of matriculation examination of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Lahore by scoring 919 marks. He might have topped the Science Group provided science subjects were taught in his school which could not be offered there owing to shortage of science teachers. The school is located around 25 kilometres from main city of Okara while its distance from Naveed's residence is around seven kilometres. At least 18 students from this school ap...

January 14th, 2010 A joint statement from Todd Shea and Ethan Casey : Dear Pakistani-American friends, The aftermath of the October 8, 2005 earthquake was Pakistan's finest moment. The nation's citizens, government, military, and expatriates stepped up together and contributed money, material, time, professional skills and other resources to alleviate the suffering of the survivors of the devastating quake that killed more than 80,000 people. You know both of us as staunch friends of Pakistan. After doing urgently needed relief work in Manhattan after 9/11, in Sri Lanka after the tsunami, and in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Todd Shea responded to the humanitarian emergency in Azad Kashmir and was so affected by his experiences and friendships there that he has stayed, founding CDRS Pakistan to address the longer-term needs of people in Azad Kashmir. He also responded in the spring and summer of 2009 when nearly three million people were displaced by the figh...