In 1978, Fritz Markwardt edited Fibrinolytics and Antifibrinolytics, vol. 46 of the Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology series. Since then tremendous strides have been made in our understanding of the pathophysiology of the fibrinolytic system, of myocardial infarction and of stroke. r am very grateful to the contributors to this new edition of Fibrinolytics and Antifibrinolytics, all outstanding scientists and/or clinicians in their field. They have succeeded in presenting an up-to-date account of basic aspects of the fibrinolytic system, of both older and new thrombolytic agents, and have analyzed in a balanced fashion the results of first to third generation throm- bolytic drugs in clinical trials. The book is arranged in three major sections. The first one deals with the molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology and pharmacology of the plas- minogen-plasmin enzyme system. The progress that has been made in this field since 1978 is staggering. Methods taken from molecular biology have been used successfully for cloning the zymogen plasminogen, the two princi- pal activators and three major inhibitors of the system, many receptors for plasmin( ogen) and its activators, and some modulators of this clot-dissolving system. For many compounds the crystal structure has been uncovered. Numerous regulators of the system, particularly cytokines, growth factors and hormones, have been identified and their action and signal transduction elu- cidated. This section is of particular interest to both basic scientists and phar- macologists.

Die Entwicklung neuer thrombolytisch wirksamer Medikamente einer- seits und ein rascher, auch technologisch bedingter Fortschritt moderner Gefasschirurgie andererseits sind notwendige Grunde, um den Wert der medikamentosen Thrombolyse erneut abzufragen. Der potentielle Nut- zen der Wiedereroffnung eines thrombotisch verschlossenen Gefasses muss in einem vertretbaren Verhaltnis zu den potentiellen Gefahren des Verfahrens stehen. Dabei hat sich gezeigt, dass die angiographisch erwie- sene Wiedereroffnung eines Gefasses u.V. nur ein vorubergehender Teil- erfolg ist und in die Beurteilung des Verfahrens unbedingt der langfristi- ge Nutzen, etwa die Haufigkeit postthrombotischer Syndrome oder die Letalitat nach Herzinfarkt, mit einbezogen werden mussen. Vnerlasslich ist daruber hinaus die Analyse der Komplikationen. Dieser Aufgabe hat sich eine Gruppe der auf diesem Gebiete erfah- rensten europaischen Kliniker gestellt und beim Deutschen Hamatolo- gen-Kongress 1983 in Munster in Vortragen und einem langfristig vorbe- reiteten Tischgesprach eine kritische Analyse der derzeitigen Situation gegeben. Vielleicht stellt dieses Buch eine Art abschliessender Wertung der ersten Generation von Thrombolytika - Streptokinase, Vrokinas- dar, wo die zweite Generation - Gewebe-Aktivatoren des fibrinolyti- schen Systems - eben in die klinische Erprobung eingefuhrt werden. Die Herausgeber sind den Autoren fur die konzise und kritische Dar- stellung ihrer Themen zu Dank verpflichtet.

Fundamentals of Mathematics represents a new kind of mathematical publication. While excellent technical treatises have been written about specialized fields, they provide little help for the nonspecialist; and other books, some of them semipopular in nature, give an overview of mathematics while omitting some necessary details. Fundamentals of Mathematics strikes a unique balance, presenting an irreproachable treatment of specialized fields and at the same time providing a very clear view of their interrelations, a feature of great value to students, instructors, and those who use mathematics in applied and scientific endeavors. Moreover, as noted in a review of the German edition in Mathematical Reviews, the work is "designed to acquaint the student] with modern viewpoints and developments. The articles are well illustrated and supplied with references to the literature, both current and 'classical.'"The outstanding pedagogical quality of this work was made possible only by the unique method by which it was written. There are, in general, two authors for each chapter: one a university researcher, the other a teacher of long experience in the German educational system. (In a few cases, more than two authors have collaborated.) And the whole book has been coordinated in repeated conferences, involving altogether about 150 authors and coordinators.Volume I opens with a section on mathematical foundations. It covers such topics as axiomatization, the concept of an algorithm, proofs, the theory of sets, the theory of relations, Boolean algebra, and antinomies. The closing section, on the real number system and algebra, takes up natural numbers, groups, linear algebra, polynomials, rings and ideals, the theory of numbers, algebraic extensions of a fields, complex numbers and quaternions, lattices, the theory of structure, and Zorn's lemma.Volume II begins with eight chapters on the foundations of geometry, followed by eight others on its analytic treatment. The latter include discussions of affine and Euclidean geometry, algebraic geometry, the Erlanger Program and higher geometry, group theory approaches, differential geometry, convex figures, and aspects of topology.Volume III, on analysis, covers convergence, functions, integral and measure, fundamental concepts of probability theory, alternating differential forms, complex numbers and variables, points at infinity, ordinary and partial differential equations, difference equations and definite integrals, functional analysis, real functions, and analytic number theory. An important concluding chapter examines "The Changing Structure of Modern Mathematics."