THE DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF EXPERIMENTS. By Oscar Kempthorne. New York, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1952. 631 pp. $8.50. This book by a teacher of statistics (as well as a consultant for \"experimenters\") is a comprehensive study of the philosophical background for the statistical design of experiment. It is necessary to have some facility with algebraic notation and manipulation to be able to use the volume intelligently. The problems are presented from the theoretical point of view, without such practical examples as would be helpful for those not acquainted with mathematics. The mathematical justification for the techniques is given. As a somewhat advanced treatment of the design and analysis of experiments, this volume will be interesting and helpful for many who approach statistics theoretically as well as practically. With emphasis on the \"why,\" and with description given broadly, the author relates the subject matter to the general theory of statistics and to the general problem of experimental inference. MARGARET J. ROBERTSON

The Design and Analysis of Experiments

Global strategy for asthma management and prevention

ecent research has shown that inflammation plays a key role in coronary artery disease (CAD) and other manifestations of atherosclerosis. Immune cells dominate early atherosclerotic lesions, their effector molecules accelerate progression of the lesions, and activation of inflammation can elicit acute coronary syndromes. This review highlights the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic CAD. It will recount the evidence that atherosclerosis, the main cause of CAD, is an inflammatory disease in which immune mechanisms interact with metabolic risk factors to initiate, propagate, and activate lesions in the arterial tree. A decade ago, the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and hypertension was expected to eliminate CAD by the end of the 20th century. Lately, however, that optimistic prediction has needed revision. Cardiovascular diseases are expected to be the main cause of death globally within the next 15 years owing to a rapidly increasing prevalence in developing countries and eastern Europe and the rising incidence of obesity and diabetes in the Western world. 1 Cardiovascular diseases cause 38 percent of all deaths in North America and are the most common cause of death in European men under 65 years of age and the second most common cause in women. These facts force us to revisit cardiovascular disease and consider new strategies for prediction, prevention, and treatment.

/pdf/inflammation-atherosclerosis-and-coronary-artery-disease-23ryhxhuc2.pdf

Inflammation, Atherosclerosis, and Coronary Artery Disease

ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation : The Task Force for the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

/pdf/2015-esc-guidelines-for-the-management-of-acute-coronary-6did6h5nxk.pdf

2015 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation: Task Force for the Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes in Patients Presenting without Persistent ST-Segment Elevation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)

ACCF
: American College of Cardiology Foundation
ACS
: acute coronary syndrome
AHA
: American Heart Association
CAD
: coronary artery disease
CABG
: coronary artery bypass grafting
CKMB
: creatine kinase MB isoform
cTn
: cardiac troponin
CT
: computed tomography
CV
: coefficient of variation
ECG
: electrocardiogram
ESC
: European Society of Cardiology
FDG
: fluorodeoxyglucose
h
: hour(s)
HF
: heart failure
LBBB
: left bundle branch block
LV
: left ventricle
LVH
: left ventricular hypertrophy
MI
: myocardial infarction
mIBG
: meta-iodo-benzylguanidine
min
: minute(s)
MONICA
: Multinational MONItoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovascular disease)
MPS
: myocardial perfusion scintigraphy
MRI
: magnetic resonance imaging
mV
: millivolt(s)
ng/L
: nanogram(s) per litre
Non-Q MI
: non-Q wave myocardial infarction
NSTEMI
: non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction
PCI
: percutaneous coronary intervention
PET
: positron emission tomography
pg/mL
: pictogram(s) per millilitre
Q wave MI
: Q wave myocardial infarction
RBBB
: right bundle branch block
sec
: second(s)
SPECT
: single photon emission computed tomography
STEMI
: ST elevation myocardial infarction
ST–T
: ST-segment –T wave
URL
: upper reference limit
WHF
: World Heart Federation
WHO
: World Health Organization

Myocardial infarction (MI) can be recognised by clinical features, including electrocardiographic (ECG) findings, elevated values of biochemical markers (biomarkers) of myocardial necrosis, and by imaging, or may be defined by pathology. It is a major cause of death and disability worldwide. MI may be the first manifestation of coronary artery disease (CAD) or it may occur, repeatedly, in patients with established disease. Information on MI rates can provide useful information regarding the burden of CAD within and across populations, especially if standardized data are collected in a manner that …

/pdf/third-universal-definition-of-myocardial-infarction-1nbq846anm.pdf

Third universal definition of myocardial infarction

Airway challenges with allergen are frequently followed by an increase in responsiveness to both specific and unspecific stimuli. This phenomenon in the lower airways has been linked to the presence of a late phase response to allergen challenge. One of the hallmarks of the late phase response is a tissue infiltration of granulocytes, specifically the eosinophils. A hypothesis for the increase in responsiveness has been that local activation of these eosinophils with subsequent release of the toxic granular constituents leads to a decrease in the barrier function of the airway epithelium. The aim of the present study was to further explore this hypothesis. Ten patients with previously demonstrated nasal allergen-induced hyperresponsiveness participated in a double-blind cross-over study involving pretreatment for various periods with topical glucocorticosteroids. The patients were challenged intranasally with allergen on one day, rechallenge 24 h later and the increase in responsiveness noted. In a nasal lavage performed immediately prior to challenge the number of eosinophilic granulocutes and the level of eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) was determined. As expected, the placebo-treated patients demonstrated an increase in nasal responsiveness at rechallenge accompanied by a tendency for an increase in eosinophils as well as ECP in the lavage preceding the rechallenge compared with the initial allergen challenge 24 h previously. The amount of ECP found in the lavage on the second day correlated with the TAME-esterase activity, a marker of ongoing inflammatory activity (r = 0.64; P<0.05) in the same lavage, suggesting participation of the eosinophilic granulocyte in the inflammatory response to allergen. However, there were no correlations between number of eosinophils or ECP content in the nasal lavages on the first or second day and the degree of the increased responsiveness obtained on the second day. Further, topical treatment with glucocorticosteroids, which totally abolished the increased responsiveness, did not appear to significantly change the levels of ECP in the nasal lavage prior to the initial or re-challenge. It is therefore suggested that the increase in responsiveness seen after an airway allergen challenge is not only a result of eosinophil activation but is a more complex phenomenon.

Eosinophils and eosinophil cationic protein in nasal lavages in allergen-induced hyperresponsiveness: effects of topical glucocorticosteroid treatment.

Challenge with gliadin induces eosinophil and mast cell activation in the jejunum of patients with celiac disease.

Extracts from the granule fraction obtained from leukaemic myeloid cells contained several basic proteins with electrophoretic mobilities against the cathod faster than that for lysozyme. Similar proteins have previously been demonstrated in rabbit polymorphonuclear granules. By chromatography on sulphoethyl Sephadex and on a weak dipolar ion adsorbant the most basic proteins were isolated. The amino acid analysis of the protein gave a preponderance of basic amino acids (29 %) and electrophoresis after treatment with sodium dodecyl sulphate revealed components with the molecular weight in the range 10, 000–25, 000. These proteins seem to be specific for granulocytes and probably have antibacterial properties.

Cationic proteins of human granulocytes. I. Isolation of the cationic proteins from the granules of leukaemic myeloid cells.

Objectives: Eosinophils are common findings cells in allergic asthma as is sub-base membrane thickening of the airways. The objective of this review was to summarise some recent findings linking th ...

The eosinophil and airway remodelling in asthma.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for human carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 8, a biological marker of granulocyte activities in vivo.

Per Venge

Papers

Eosinophils and eosinophil cationic protein in nasal lavages in allergen-induced hyperresponsiveness: effects of topical glucocorticosteroid treatment.

Challenge with gliadin induces eosinophil and mast cell activation in the jejunum of patients with celiac disease.

Cationic proteins of human granulocytes. I. Isolation of the cationic proteins from the granules of leukaemic myeloid cells.

The eosinophil and airway remodelling in asthma.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for human carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 8, a biological marker of granulocyte activities in vivo.