Theriogenology 81 (2014) 1–2
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Theriogenology journal homepage: www.theriojournal.com
Editorial
Our first 40 years For birthdays and anniversaries, 40 is a significant number and so it is with great satisfaction that we have assembled this special issue celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first issue of Theriogenology. A celebration is a good time to look back at how far we’ve come and so our goal in this issue has been to provide historical perspective to the research areas that dominate the field of animal reproduction. We have asked some of the pioneers, as well as a number of the current leading scientists, to give us personal views of their own areas of work and research. All review papers include some degree of personal perspective, of course, but it is generally toned down and there is no room for informal observations or personal anecdotes. On this occasion, however, we asked all our contributors to be free with their reminiscences and to let us in on some of the behind-the-scenes actiondactions more usually revealed, beer in hand, at conferences around the world. So be prepared for some unorthodox comments and observations intermingled with a wide range of very interesting scientific data and insights. Those of you who are reading these words in a hard copy of Theriogenology have found the new cover design; we have forsaken our ‘traditional’ red and white cover for a full-page image that adds a touch of contemporary style. As always with such changes, nostalgia and attachment to the familiar make the transition a bit painful, but evolution is a driving force that is not limited to natural processes. The cover is only the most recent change, and only the tip of the iceberg, as far as Theriogenology’s editorial evolution is concerned. Although now it looks as if it had always been this way, it was only in January 2002 that Theriogenology began to be published as a typeset journal. Before that, manuscripts had to be typewritten in a very strict format because they were submitted as camera-ready copy that were printed exactly as received. Therefore when, in the same year, I first joined the journal longest serving editor Victor Shille, we began to ask the authors to mail an electronic copy on floppy disk in addition to the traditional three paper ones. I still keep a box full of those disks in a corner of my room as a souvenir of my early days as co-editor. Using some clever features of Word and Excel to combine an electronic database of our reviewers with a few 0093-691X/$ – see front matter Ó 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2013.09.015
form letters, we were able to handle most of the correspondence with authors and reviewers by e-mail, eliminating the frustrating uncertainties of ordinary mail. The advent of the current Elsevier Editorial System in May 2004 was another big help that greatly simplified the corresponding and archiving procedures. By now, all of you know the system well and will agree that (despite the occasional glitch!) it would be impossible to do without. Superseding paper copies for submission and revision has gone together with gradually leaving behind the paper copy of the published final product as well. I am sure that most of you are reading this on some sort of screen (computer, tablet, or smartphone) rather than holding the elegant Special Issue that was printed a few weeks ago. This electronic version provides numerous advantages including the opportunity to make a lot of material, too voluminous or unsuitable for the printed version, publicly available. Examples are large datasets, movies, and the latest Audioslides feature that many of our authors are beginning to produce to better explain the significance of their work. Beside the physical form of our papers, their content is changing as well. Theriogenology has always been a journal with strong veterinary roots, reflected in its name which is understood by few outside our field! (This I know from a couple of scientific editors’ meetings where having Theriogenology on one’s name tag was always an excellent conversation starter). Over the years, Therio, as we all call it, has bolstered its reputation as a forum for reproductive biology research applied to domestic and wild species. Poultry and some fish species gradually have been included as domestic, but to not lose our focus we are making an effort to limit the variety of the wild species to mammals or at least to species subject to conservation efforts or veterinary care. Scientific knowledge depends on technology. We began with embryo transfer and superovulation, then expanded to include cryoconservation, IVF, cloning, stem cells, computerassisted sperm analysis, and ultrasonography. Which techniques will take us into the future? High-throughput methods with all the -omics are strongly influencing current research and, as costs tumble, are becoming more and more affordable for domestic species. It will be up to us to make good use of them and not be overwhelmed by the huge amount of raw data that we can generate more and more
2
F. Gandolfi / Theriogenology 81 (2014) 1–2
easily. New techniques generate new concepts; epigenetics is being used increasingly to explain biological phenomena. Reproduction and developmental biology are certainly at the forefront of these advances and I expect the results and interpretation of epigenetic studies to occupy an increasing number of our journal pages in the near future. Prediction, however, is a dangerous game and so, having said this, I shall refrain from any more anticipation of future trends! In the last 5 years, Theriogenology has enjoyed unprecedented popularity with constantly increasing submission rates. This, and the retirement of John Kastelic (who moved to a full professorship in Calgary) have prompted the recent changes in editorial structure. We have returned to the origins of the journal with an Editor-in-Chief and two Associate-Editors: Dan Sharp and Leo Brito have brought enthusiasm and new perspectives into our virtual editorial office. Finally, I sincerely thank all the individuals who helped to bring this issue to life, starting with Wolfgang Jöchle, the only remaining founding member of Theriogenology, here from day 1 and before. It was Wolfgang who reminded us of this anniversary and shared his vivid recollection of how it all began, as you can read in his introductory article. I am extremely grateful to all our authors who took the time and made the effort to write what several of them described as “the most difficult article I ever wrote” because the provi-
sion of a personal but realistic view of one’s own field in historical perspective requires a lot of critical effort. I am also grateful to the reviewers who read the manuscripts, put a lot of work into helping the authors get it right, and are never rewarded by the satisfaction of being recognized as part of the published paper. This leads me to thanking once again all the reviewers who have, over the years, supported me and all other editors, to the good of our journal. Neither this special issue, nor any other issue of Theriogenology would reach the web, our libraries, or our desks without the constant help and careful supervision of our Journal Manager Lorraine Bernazzani and of our Publisher Liz Donell, who has recently succeeded Aisling Murphy, Antony Trioli, and Ken Plaxton, who have shepherded the journal over the years. They are the link with our publishing company and magically solve all our technical problems while simultaneously supporting the diffusion and development of Therio. I hope you enjoy the product of our work and will continue to support Theriogenology as readers, authors and reviewers d making it truly our journal. Fulvio Gandolfi Editor-in-Chief, Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Theriogenology journal homepage: www.theriojournal.com
Editorial
Our first 40 years For birthdays and anniversaries, 40 is a significant number and so it is with great satisfaction that we have assembled this special issue celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first issue of Theriogenology. A celebration is a good time to look back at how far we’ve come and so our goal in this issue has been to provide historical perspective to the research areas that dominate the field of animal reproduction. We have asked some of the pioneers, as well as a number of the current leading scientists, to give us personal views of their own areas of work and research. All review papers include some degree of personal perspective, of course, but it is generally toned down and there is no room for informal observations or personal anecdotes. On this occasion, however, we asked all our contributors to be free with their reminiscences and to let us in on some of the behind-the-scenes actiondactions more usually revealed, beer in hand, at conferences around the world. So be prepared for some unorthodox comments and observations intermingled with a wide range of very interesting scientific data and insights. Those of you who are reading these words in a hard copy of Theriogenology have found the new cover design; we have forsaken our ‘traditional’ red and white cover for a full-page image that adds a touch of contemporary style. As always with such changes, nostalgia and attachment to the familiar make the transition a bit painful, but evolution is a driving force that is not limited to natural processes. The cover is only the most recent change, and only the tip of the iceberg, as far as Theriogenology’s editorial evolution is concerned. Although now it looks as if it had always been this way, it was only in January 2002 that Theriogenology began to be published as a typeset journal. Before that, manuscripts had to be typewritten in a very strict format because they were submitted as camera-ready copy that were printed exactly as received. Therefore when, in the same year, I first joined the journal longest serving editor Victor Shille, we began to ask the authors to mail an electronic copy on floppy disk in addition to the traditional three paper ones. I still keep a box full of those disks in a corner of my room as a souvenir of my early days as co-editor. Using some clever features of Word and Excel to combine an electronic database of our reviewers with a few 0093-691X/$ – see front matter Ó 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2013.09.015
form letters, we were able to handle most of the correspondence with authors and reviewers by e-mail, eliminating the frustrating uncertainties of ordinary mail. The advent of the current Elsevier Editorial System in May 2004 was another big help that greatly simplified the corresponding and archiving procedures. By now, all of you know the system well and will agree that (despite the occasional glitch!) it would be impossible to do without. Superseding paper copies for submission and revision has gone together with gradually leaving behind the paper copy of the published final product as well. I am sure that most of you are reading this on some sort of screen (computer, tablet, or smartphone) rather than holding the elegant Special Issue that was printed a few weeks ago. This electronic version provides numerous advantages including the opportunity to make a lot of material, too voluminous or unsuitable for the printed version, publicly available. Examples are large datasets, movies, and the latest Audioslides feature that many of our authors are beginning to produce to better explain the significance of their work. Beside the physical form of our papers, their content is changing as well. Theriogenology has always been a journal with strong veterinary roots, reflected in its name which is understood by few outside our field! (This I know from a couple of scientific editors’ meetings where having Theriogenology on one’s name tag was always an excellent conversation starter). Over the years, Therio, as we all call it, has bolstered its reputation as a forum for reproductive biology research applied to domestic and wild species. Poultry and some fish species gradually have been included as domestic, but to not lose our focus we are making an effort to limit the variety of the wild species to mammals or at least to species subject to conservation efforts or veterinary care. Scientific knowledge depends on technology. We began with embryo transfer and superovulation, then expanded to include cryoconservation, IVF, cloning, stem cells, computerassisted sperm analysis, and ultrasonography. Which techniques will take us into the future? High-throughput methods with all the -omics are strongly influencing current research and, as costs tumble, are becoming more and more affordable for domestic species. It will be up to us to make good use of them and not be overwhelmed by the huge amount of raw data that we can generate more and more
2
F. Gandolfi / Theriogenology 81 (2014) 1–2
easily. New techniques generate new concepts; epigenetics is being used increasingly to explain biological phenomena. Reproduction and developmental biology are certainly at the forefront of these advances and I expect the results and interpretation of epigenetic studies to occupy an increasing number of our journal pages in the near future. Prediction, however, is a dangerous game and so, having said this, I shall refrain from any more anticipation of future trends! In the last 5 years, Theriogenology has enjoyed unprecedented popularity with constantly increasing submission rates. This, and the retirement of John Kastelic (who moved to a full professorship in Calgary) have prompted the recent changes in editorial structure. We have returned to the origins of the journal with an Editor-in-Chief and two Associate-Editors: Dan Sharp and Leo Brito have brought enthusiasm and new perspectives into our virtual editorial office. Finally, I sincerely thank all the individuals who helped to bring this issue to life, starting with Wolfgang Jöchle, the only remaining founding member of Theriogenology, here from day 1 and before. It was Wolfgang who reminded us of this anniversary and shared his vivid recollection of how it all began, as you can read in his introductory article. I am extremely grateful to all our authors who took the time and made the effort to write what several of them described as “the most difficult article I ever wrote” because the provi-
sion of a personal but realistic view of one’s own field in historical perspective requires a lot of critical effort. I am also grateful to the reviewers who read the manuscripts, put a lot of work into helping the authors get it right, and are never rewarded by the satisfaction of being recognized as part of the published paper. This leads me to thanking once again all the reviewers who have, over the years, supported me and all other editors, to the good of our journal. Neither this special issue, nor any other issue of Theriogenology would reach the web, our libraries, or our desks without the constant help and careful supervision of our Journal Manager Lorraine Bernazzani and of our Publisher Liz Donell, who has recently succeeded Aisling Murphy, Antony Trioli, and Ken Plaxton, who have shepherded the journal over the years. They are the link with our publishing company and magically solve all our technical problems while simultaneously supporting the diffusion and development of Therio. I hope you enjoy the product of our work and will continue to support Theriogenology as readers, authors and reviewers d making it truly our journal. Fulvio Gandolfi Editor-in-Chief, Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
