Achievements Celebrated, A Loss Lamented

Editorial Achievements Celebrated, A Loss Lamented he announcement of the 2008 Impact Factors for major journals by Thomson Reuters was gratifying for The Ocular Surface (TOS) and a testimonial to the expanding interest in the ocular surface. TOS ranked number 3 in the list of impact factors for 48 ophthalmology/vision journals. This was truly exhilarating, since, as a young journal, TOS had only become eligible for Impact Factor ranking in 2007. Certainly, a major factor in the achievement was the publication of the Report of the International Workshop on Dry Eye (DEWS) in 2008. It was anticipated that such a significant report would generate much interest and citation; that potential certainly was realized. The collaboration of the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) and TOS in the generation, preparation, and promotion of the DEWS report is evidence of the strength of such a united effort. The continued collaboration of TFOS and TOS should further enhance the activities and achievements of both entities. We anticipate that next year’s TFOS Conference in Florence, Italy, will generate many topics for enhanced reviews that may subsequently appear in TOS. Offsetting the exhilaration of the announcement of Impact Factor success was the shocking news of the untimely death of Dr. Jeffrey P. Gilbard, whose achievements in dry eye research and treatment were well known. Jeff was an accomplished clinician-researcher who helped introduce our specialty to the importance of tear film osmolarity in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye patients. His early work under the mentorship of Dr. Linsy Farris led to a very productive research career at the Schepens Eye Research Institute and subsequently to the business of providing innovative products for the treatment of dry eye and lid margin disease. Jeff’s innovative spirit will be missed. The “In Memoriam” provided by Drs. Linsy Farris, Edward Holland, and Eric Donnenfeld in this issue of the journal reminds us of Jeff’s enthusiasm and persistence in the pursuit of understanding and therapy for ocular surface disease. This issue of TOS continues the tradition of stimulating and challenging reviews. In the Basic Science section, Drs. Chen, Mehta, and Vasiliou review the antioxidant defenses in the ocular surface and remind us of the panoply of possible antioxidant pathways that serve to protect the ocular surface from deterioration by oxidation. In Clinical Science, Drs. Tomlinson, Doane, and McFadyen explore the inputs and outputs of the tear film by collating and contrasting reports of tear film turnover and evaporation parameters. With their usual precision, the authors analyze techniques and conclusions to provide a valuable perspective on the mechanics of tear turnover. In the Clinical Practice section, Dr. Johnson provides a critical analysis of the problems in quantifying symptoms of ocular surface disease in an attempt to resolve the previously observed discrepancy between symptoms and signs in dry eye disease. In Sources in Time, Dr. Murube concludes his series on the evolution of psychoemotional tearing in humans, describing various hypotheses documented in the literature and presenting a new hypothesis of his own. Finally, in Pipeline, Dr. Novack provides historical perspective on the process of clinical trial registration and how we have reached the present precarious position of the requirements for such trial registration. The potential implications and consequences of the new paradigm of clinical trial registration represents new challenges for clinical trial researchers in public, academic, and corporate research. As always, I wish you good reading. Gary N. Foulks, MD, FACS Editor-in-Chief

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THE OCULAR SURFACE / OCTOBER 2009, VOL. 7, NO. 4 / www.theocularsurface.com

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