Welcome
to this Volume 24 of Neuroendocrinology Letters together with
our new publisher, Society of Integrated Sciences.
It is with great pleasure that I can start this year with
informing you that two our colleagues, both of highest scientific
experience and reputation in the fields of neuroscience, namely
Professor Dick F. Swaab and Professor Paul Pévet have
graciously accepted my invitation to join the board of Associate
Editors. Prof. Paul Pévet, M.D., Ph.D. is Director
of Recherche CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurobiologie des Rythmes
Université L. Pasteur in Strasbourg, France. Prof.
Dick F. Swaab, M.D., Ph.D. is Director of the Netherlands
Institute for Brain Research in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
It is a true honor for me to be able to further develop the
scientific scope of this journal in a close cooperation with
these two illustrious personalities.
I would
like to express a sincere gratitude to Professor Michel
Salzet for his initiative to open a new section in the
Neuroendocrinology Letters devoted to technical developments
in neuroendocrinology, neurosciences, neuroimmunology, neurogenetic,
psychoneuroimmunology, neuropharmacology, neuroproteomic,
neuroimage. The aim of this section is to highlight novel
technologies for brain research studies, and is opened here
with the leading
paper by Isabelle Fournier, Robert Day and Michel Salzet.
Beginning
with this first double issue of Volume 24 we will again publish
a Preview of selected papers scheduled for publication in
the next coming issues of the Neuroendocrinology Letters.
I would
also like to draw your attention to two forthcoming Congresses,
both taking place in July 2003 in Prague:
“Towards a Science of Consciousness. Between Phenomenology
and Neuroscience” - Prague, Czech Republic, July 6-10,
2003. For more information visit http://www.cts.cuni.cz/tsc2003/
Email: tsc2003@cts.cuni.cz;
Center for Theoretical Study, the Institute for Advanced Studies
at Charles University and Academy of Sciences of the Czech
Republic. Program Chair: Prof. Ivan M. Havel, Center
for Theoretical Study. Among other invited speakers I can
mention here the distinguished member of our Editorial Board
- Prof. Cyril Höschl (Psychiatry) from the Charles University:
'Neurobiological Correlates of Normal and Altered Consciousness';
Prof. Karl Pribram (Neuroscience) Georgetown University:
'Consciousness Reassessed' and Prof. Arthur Zajonc
(Physics) Amherst College: 'Concerning the Problem of the
Observer: Learning the Lessons of Physics'.
6th IBRO World Congress on Neuroscience July 10-15, 2003:
Congress Secretariat: Guarant Ltd. Email: ibro2003@guarant.cz;
Congress President: Prof. Josef Syka, Secretary General: Prof.
Eva Sykova, Honorary President: Prof. Jan Bures. Scientific
Secretariat: Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy
of Sciences (Email: dutt@biomed.cas.cz).
One of the Symposia is: 'Circadian Rhythms: from molecules
to behavior' and is represented by two distinguished members
of our Editorial Board, the President of the Czech Academy
of Sciences, Prof. Helena Illnerova and by Prof. Paul
Pévet, Director of Recherche CNRS, Laboratoire
de Neurobiologie des Rythmes, Université L. Pasteur
in Strasbourg, France.
The interdisciplinary
character of this journal is again shown as often before,
in publishing studies from different integrative disciplines.
A parallel can be drawn between the study in this issue on
'Mechanical
reaction of the frontal abdominal wall to the impact load
during gravidity' by Karel Jelen and Antonín
Doležal, from the Department of Anatomy and Biomechanics,
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University
in Prague, and Clinic of Gynaecology and Obstretics of the
1st Medical Faculty, Charles University in Prague - and the
Invited Review (NEL Vol. 23 No.1, 2002, pp. 13-20) 'Cardiac
Mechanoenergetics In Silico' by Marko Vendelin, Peter H. M.
Bovendeerd, Valdur Saks and Jüri Engelbrecht from
the Institute of Cybernetics, Tallinn Technical University,
Tallinn, Estonia; from the Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands;
and from the Laboratory of Bioenergetics, Joseph Fourier University,
Grenoble, France.
Another example of the integrative approach to the different
scientific fields could be shown by studies from the interdisciplinary
field of Human Ethology namely, 'Human
Pheromones: Integrating Neuroendocrinology and Ethology'
(by J.V.
Kohl, M. Atzmüller, B. Fink and K. Grammer, NEL
Vol. 22 No.5, 2001) and 'Comparative Approaches in Evolutionary
Psychology: Molecular
Neuroscience Meets the Mind' (by Jaak
Panksepp, Joseph R. Moskal, Jules. B. Panksepp and Roger A.
Kroes, NEL Vol.23 Suppl.4, 2002). Both studies were
bestowed the Zdenek Klein Award for Human Ethology
for years 2001 and 2002 (see www.nel.edu/human_ethology/ethology.htm).
As always,
I would like to express my deep gratitude to all the distinguished
authors who contributed to the high scientific quality of
this issue of the Neurondocrinology Letters. It is worth of
notion that the contributions to this issue originate from
highly esteemed research institutions and universities from
ten different countries.
Prof.
Peter G. Fedor-Freybergh
Editor-in-Chief: Neuroendocrinology Letters
