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A modern trends retrospective
A modern trends retrospective Edward E. Wallach, M.D. Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Lutherville, Maryland
Editorship of the Modern Trends section has been a great ride. The section raised the level of interest and readership of Fertility and Sterility, while providing important, up-to-date material for students, scientists and practitioners. (Fertil Steril 2011;95:2182–3. 2011 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)
The Modern Trends section was established 36 years ago as a result of discussions between Luigi Mastroianni, then editor-in-chief of Fertility and Sterility, and S. Jan Behrman, at the time president of the American Fertility Society. The responsibility for editing this section of the journal was delegated to me, as a member of the editorial board. The formal title of the section, ‘‘Modern Trends in Infertility and Conception Control,’’ was crafted to encompass the mission of the American Fertility Society at that time. Shortly thereafter, the title of the section was abbreviated and referred to simply as ‘‘Modern Trends.’’ The journal Fertility and Sterility first saw the light of day in 1950, 16 years after the founding of the American Fertility Society. The journal’s history is replete with many classic articles that chronicle the history and dramatic changes of the disciplines of reproductive endocrinology, infertility, and contraception during the past 60 years. Indeed, the very first article to appear in the journal, simply entitled ‘‘Dating the Endometrial Biopsy,’’ by Noyes, Hertig, and Rock, is still one of the most frequently cited papers in the field of reproduction (1). When the Modern Trends section first appeared in Fertility and Sterility in December 1975, it was preceded by the following comments by Luigi Mastroianni:
‘‘With this issue is initiated a new section in Fertility and Sterility entitled, ‘‘Modern Trends.’’ We have felt the need to provide a forum for our readers in which recent advances of clinical importance in our specialty are considered. This section will be devoted to diagnosis and management of clinical problems in reproductive medicine as well as an assessment of new techniques. The contributions will include recognized authorities from among the membership of The American Fertility Society.’’ (2) Dr. Mastroianni’s mission was launched, and the initial Modern Trends article appeared in the December 1975 issue of Fertility and Sterility. The article, entitled ‘‘Management of Endometriosis in the Infertile Patient,’’ was authored by Robert W. Kistner (3). Since 1975, 450 Modern Trends contributions have appeared, one article per month, each as the lead article in every issue of our journal. These papers in aggregate include many distinguished authors— physicians, scientists, ethicists—whose common interest is human reproduction. The variation in topics of the articles over these 35 years has captured the varied directions our discipline has taken. Received March 23, 2011; accepted March 23, 2011; published online April 15, 2011. E.E.W. has nothing to disclose. Reprint requests: Edward E. Wallach, M.D., Johns Hopkins Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, 2330 West Joppa Road, Lutherville, MD 21093 (E-mail: [email protected]).
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The birth of Modern Trends preceded the first successful in vitro fertilization, the development of DNA analysis, and sensitive and rapid hormonal determinations as well as many other techniques and modalities currently in daily use. Today, reviews of topics such as these appear with regularity in Modern Trends. Over the years, classic, often quoted articles have appeared in this section, including, for example, Buttram and Reiter’s article on uterine fibroids (4), Adashi’s on clomiphene citrate (5), McDonough’s on amenorrhea (6), and Stillman and colleagues’ on smoking and reproduction (7), and more recently, Harper and Harton’s on the use of microarrays in preimplantation diagnosis and screening (8). Such timely material, prepared so exquisitely by distinguished authorities, has enriched our readers to such an extent that Modern Trends is frequently the first section of the journal its readers have sought out each month. In fact, the impact factor for Modern Trends articles has consistently been the highest for the entire journal. That each manuscript undergoes peer review, usually by two or three referees, and that most articles require revision before acceptance emphasizes the high standards set by the section. Many of the contributions are solicited from leading authorities. Approximately one of every three manuscripts submitted is accepted for publication, and one of three is then published after having been revised by its authors. After the section’s initial 3 years, the widespread acceptance of the Modern Trends section led to the publication of the first 36 contributions in a single collection, published by Williams and Wilkins. Titled ‘‘Modern Trends in Fertility and Conception Control,’’ the text would ultimately be published at 3-year intervals for a total of four volumes, all coedited by Wallach and Kempers. Undoubtedly, the objectives of Mastroianni and Behrman had been fulfilled. The section raised the level of interest and readership of Fertility and Sterility while providing important, up-to-date material for students, scientists, and practitioners. Modern Trends truly established itself as a fixture in and major component of Fertility and Sterility for over 35 years. The section initiated during the editorship of Luigi Mastroianni was carried on under the stewardship of the journal’s next editor, Roger Kempers, who also served as the coeditor of the four bound volumes of Modern Trends. Modern Trends continued during Alan DeCherney’s 15-year tenure as editor-in-chief of Fertility and Sterility. From my own standpoint, editorship of the Modern Trends section has been a great ride. Considerable effort has been dedicated to soliciting top-notch material from solid authors. The experience has provided a rich continuing education for me personally through having read over 1,100 manuscripts and selecting the very best, after critiquing them and reviewing once again the revised versions. Contact with the authors, whose creativity is deeply appreciated, has always been a stimulating experience. The assignment of manuscripts to colleagues throughout the world who serve as ad hoc
Fertility and Sterility Vol. 95, No. 7, June 2011 Copyright ª2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Published by Elsevier Inc.
0015-0282/$36.00 doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.03.080
reviewers has also provided me with the opportunity to interact and share ideas with some of the best minds in our field. I am deeply grateful to the American Fertility Society/American Society for
Reproductive Medicine for having given me the opportunity to serve on the editorial board of its journal for the past 40 years and to guide the Modern Trends section for 35 of those years.
REFERENCES 1. Noyes RW, Hertig AT, Rock J. Dating the endometrial biopsy. Fertil Steril 1950;1:3. 2. Mastroianni L Jr, Wallach EE. Fertil Steril 1975;26:1149. 3. Kistner RW. Management of endometriosis in the infertile patient. Fertil Steril 1975;26:1151–66.
Fertility and Sterility
4. Buttram VC, Reiter RC. Uterine leiomyomata: etiology, symptomatology, and management. Fertil Steril 1981;36:433–45. 5. Adashi EY. Clomiphene citrate: mechanism(s) and site(s) of action—a hypothesis revisited. Fertil Steril 42:331–44.
6. McDonough PC. Amenorrhea—etiologic approach to diagnosis. Fertil Steril 1978;30:1–15. 7. Stillman RJ, Rosenberg MJ, Sachs BP. Smoking and reproduction. Fertil Steril 1986;46:545–66. 8. Harper LC, Harton G. The use of microarrays in preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Fertil Steril 2010;94:1173–7.
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Editorship of the Modern Trends section has been a great ride. The section raised the level of interest and readership of Fertility and Sterility, while providing important, up-to-date material for students, scientists and practitioners. (Fertil Steril 2011;95:2182–3. 2011 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)
The Modern Trends section was established 36 years ago as a result of discussions between Luigi Mastroianni, then editor-in-chief of Fertility and Sterility, and S. Jan Behrman, at the time president of the American Fertility Society. The responsibility for editing this section of the journal was delegated to me, as a member of the editorial board. The formal title of the section, ‘‘Modern Trends in Infertility and Conception Control,’’ was crafted to encompass the mission of the American Fertility Society at that time. Shortly thereafter, the title of the section was abbreviated and referred to simply as ‘‘Modern Trends.’’ The journal Fertility and Sterility first saw the light of day in 1950, 16 years after the founding of the American Fertility Society. The journal’s history is replete with many classic articles that chronicle the history and dramatic changes of the disciplines of reproductive endocrinology, infertility, and contraception during the past 60 years. Indeed, the very first article to appear in the journal, simply entitled ‘‘Dating the Endometrial Biopsy,’’ by Noyes, Hertig, and Rock, is still one of the most frequently cited papers in the field of reproduction (1). When the Modern Trends section first appeared in Fertility and Sterility in December 1975, it was preceded by the following comments by Luigi Mastroianni:
‘‘With this issue is initiated a new section in Fertility and Sterility entitled, ‘‘Modern Trends.’’ We have felt the need to provide a forum for our readers in which recent advances of clinical importance in our specialty are considered. This section will be devoted to diagnosis and management of clinical problems in reproductive medicine as well as an assessment of new techniques. The contributions will include recognized authorities from among the membership of The American Fertility Society.’’ (2) Dr. Mastroianni’s mission was launched, and the initial Modern Trends article appeared in the December 1975 issue of Fertility and Sterility. The article, entitled ‘‘Management of Endometriosis in the Infertile Patient,’’ was authored by Robert W. Kistner (3). Since 1975, 450 Modern Trends contributions have appeared, one article per month, each as the lead article in every issue of our journal. These papers in aggregate include many distinguished authors— physicians, scientists, ethicists—whose common interest is human reproduction. The variation in topics of the articles over these 35 years has captured the varied directions our discipline has taken. Received March 23, 2011; accepted March 23, 2011; published online April 15, 2011. E.E.W. has nothing to disclose. Reprint requests: Edward E. Wallach, M.D., Johns Hopkins Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, 2330 West Joppa Road, Lutherville, MD 21093 (E-mail: [email protected]).
2182
The birth of Modern Trends preceded the first successful in vitro fertilization, the development of DNA analysis, and sensitive and rapid hormonal determinations as well as many other techniques and modalities currently in daily use. Today, reviews of topics such as these appear with regularity in Modern Trends. Over the years, classic, often quoted articles have appeared in this section, including, for example, Buttram and Reiter’s article on uterine fibroids (4), Adashi’s on clomiphene citrate (5), McDonough’s on amenorrhea (6), and Stillman and colleagues’ on smoking and reproduction (7), and more recently, Harper and Harton’s on the use of microarrays in preimplantation diagnosis and screening (8). Such timely material, prepared so exquisitely by distinguished authorities, has enriched our readers to such an extent that Modern Trends is frequently the first section of the journal its readers have sought out each month. In fact, the impact factor for Modern Trends articles has consistently been the highest for the entire journal. That each manuscript undergoes peer review, usually by two or three referees, and that most articles require revision before acceptance emphasizes the high standards set by the section. Many of the contributions are solicited from leading authorities. Approximately one of every three manuscripts submitted is accepted for publication, and one of three is then published after having been revised by its authors. After the section’s initial 3 years, the widespread acceptance of the Modern Trends section led to the publication of the first 36 contributions in a single collection, published by Williams and Wilkins. Titled ‘‘Modern Trends in Fertility and Conception Control,’’ the text would ultimately be published at 3-year intervals for a total of four volumes, all coedited by Wallach and Kempers. Undoubtedly, the objectives of Mastroianni and Behrman had been fulfilled. The section raised the level of interest and readership of Fertility and Sterility while providing important, up-to-date material for students, scientists, and practitioners. Modern Trends truly established itself as a fixture in and major component of Fertility and Sterility for over 35 years. The section initiated during the editorship of Luigi Mastroianni was carried on under the stewardship of the journal’s next editor, Roger Kempers, who also served as the coeditor of the four bound volumes of Modern Trends. Modern Trends continued during Alan DeCherney’s 15-year tenure as editor-in-chief of Fertility and Sterility. From my own standpoint, editorship of the Modern Trends section has been a great ride. Considerable effort has been dedicated to soliciting top-notch material from solid authors. The experience has provided a rich continuing education for me personally through having read over 1,100 manuscripts and selecting the very best, after critiquing them and reviewing once again the revised versions. Contact with the authors, whose creativity is deeply appreciated, has always been a stimulating experience. The assignment of manuscripts to colleagues throughout the world who serve as ad hoc
Fertility and Sterility Vol. 95, No. 7, June 2011 Copyright ª2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Published by Elsevier Inc.
0015-0282/$36.00 doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.03.080
reviewers has also provided me with the opportunity to interact and share ideas with some of the best minds in our field. I am deeply grateful to the American Fertility Society/American Society for
Reproductive Medicine for having given me the opportunity to serve on the editorial board of its journal for the past 40 years and to guide the Modern Trends section for 35 of those years.
REFERENCES 1. Noyes RW, Hertig AT, Rock J. Dating the endometrial biopsy. Fertil Steril 1950;1:3. 2. Mastroianni L Jr, Wallach EE. Fertil Steril 1975;26:1149. 3. Kistner RW. Management of endometriosis in the infertile patient. Fertil Steril 1975;26:1151–66.
Fertility and Sterility
4. Buttram VC, Reiter RC. Uterine leiomyomata: etiology, symptomatology, and management. Fertil Steril 1981;36:433–45. 5. Adashi EY. Clomiphene citrate: mechanism(s) and site(s) of action—a hypothesis revisited. Fertil Steril 42:331–44.
6. McDonough PC. Amenorrhea—etiologic approach to diagnosis. Fertil Steril 1978;30:1–15. 7. Stillman RJ, Rosenberg MJ, Sachs BP. Smoking and reproduction. Fertil Steril 1986;46:545–66. 8. Harper LC, Harton G. The use of microarrays in preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Fertil Steril 2010;94:1173–7.
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