The International Council for Standardization in Haematology (ICSH) and the International Society of Laboratory Hematology (ISLH) recommend the counting of specifically labeled platelets relative to the RBCs with a fluorescence flow cytometer, together with an accurate RBC count determined with a semiautomated, single-channel aperture-impedance counter as a reference method for the enumeration of platelets. Fresh EDTA-anticoagulated venous blood specimens are measured within 4 hours of the draw. The specimen is prediluted (1:20) and the platelets labeled with two monoclonal antibodies specific to a cluster of differentiation common to all platelets. A final 1:1,000 dilution is made and at least 50,000 events with a minimum of 1,000 platelet events are counted with a flow cytometer to determine the RBC/platelet ratio. The platelet count is then calculated from this ratio and the RBC concentration of the original blood specimen.

SummaryProf. Sir John Dacie was one of the most distinguished haematologists of the 20th century. He died on 12 February 2005 at the age of 92. This annotation is intended to give an impression of his career, and his role in the development of haematology in the UK and beyond. It describes his approach to haematological practise, taking account of both clinical and laboratory aspects, and reviews his published works over a range of haematological topics.

Training for muscle hypertrophy can be expected to induce some increase in total body mass, and this can have positive or negative consequences for athletic performance. Positive effects may be increased strength, increased resistance to being pushed aside, and greater momentum when running, while possible negative effects may be reduced capacity to accelerate, decelerate, change direction, and jump. These possible effects of gaining muscle and total body mass suggest that strength and conditioning coaches should give thoughtful consideration to the amount of hypertrophy training prescribed throughout an athlete's development, and should be determined by the specific needs of the athlete.

John Dacie was the leading figure in haematology in this country during its period of major expansion after World War II. By his meticulous approach to the study of patients in haematological disorders in the laboratory he was able accurately to define many new diseases, particularly haemolytic anaemias, so laying a firm foundation for their further definition by the tools of the protein chemistry and molecular biology eras. And by establishing the haematology laboratory at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School as an international centre of excellence, where many future leaders of the field were trained, he had a critical role in the development of the clinical and laboratory aspects of haematology, both in the UK and internationally.