Green was good
Authors: Montgomery D. Bissell
Journal: Hepatology (1997)

With this issue, HEPATOLOGY announces a new editorial of portal blood flow, appears in this issue.We hope that such reviews-by offering the essence of a subject in manageable team, based in San Francisco, and acquires a cover with a color illustration.The cover will change monthly, following length-will be useful to the general reader.The popular HEPATOLOGY Elsewhere will continue in its current format, a trend among biomedical journals, which we view as reflecting the rapid, sometimes breathtaking, pace of biomedi-keeping readers abreast of new developments that appear in other journals.Also, as before, editorials will provide expert cal science today.It could be viewed also as the externalization of a process already occurring inside.Color is integral commentary and perspective on HEPATOLOGY articles of special interest.to some of the newer research technologies, with the result that published data increasingly require color reproduction.We have set ourselves ambitious goals for handling manuscripts, despite an ever-increasing number of submissions.The pages of HEPATOLOGY bear testimony to this, with a noteworthy increase in the use of color over the past 2 years.As indicated in the current Instructions, we are requesting that manuscripts be submitted on diskette as well as on paper The cover illustration will serve also, we hope, to pique the interest of the reader who would otherwise march straight so as to facilitate handling through the use of electronic communication.To speed the initial evaluation, we are imple-down the Contents page to only those articles in his or her specialized field.In this case, it will have furthered an im-menting a preliminary assessment by the editors of all manuscripts, to eliminate prior to formal review those papers that portant goal of the journal, namely, to bridge the different areas of hepatological science.We encourage authors submit-lack key elements of acceptability, such as completeness and novelty.In such cases, authors will receive early notice to-ting manuscripts to forward artwork that might be suitable for the cover (see Instructions, at the back of this issue).gether with specific comments.With these changes, we hope to streamline the review process, consistent with providing So, the green is gone.However, this should be not be read as wholesale change for HEPATOLOGY.A strong clinical focus quality critiques.We owe it to our authors to make decisions rapidly, just as we owe it to our readers to publish a HEPATOLwill be maintained.At the same time, we will seek to build on the notable success of outgoing editor, Paul Berk, in at-OGY that is timely.The journal has been fortunate from its inception in having tracting quality reports in liver-related basic science.In addition, we view ''translational research''-experimental science the talents of founding editor Irwin Arias and his successor, Steven Schenker.Paul Berk's tenure has been extraordinary, focused on clinical diagnosis and therapy-as an important area and would like to encourage submission of such manu-both for its impact on the journal and for its unprecedented 6-year duration.The quality of HEPATOLOGY also reflects im-scripts.Although the traditional departments of the journal will continue for the most part, the Special Article, which has portantly the efforts of its talented Associate Editors and Editorial Board, some members of which have served with been a regular feature for many years, will appear on an occasional basis only.In its place, we will offer HEPATOLOGY all three editors.Under this direction and the invariant green cover, the journal has more than prospered; it has grown Concise Reviews, which will be focused and relatively brief updates in a specific area of clinical or basic science.The impressively in both size and stature.Clearly, green was good-very good.As we take up the challenge posed by this inaugural report in the series, on the sinusoidal regulation standard, I would like to convey my personal appreciation to Paul Berk and to his office staff for their unstinting efforts to effect a smooth transition.