MICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE 2 0 2 (1992)
Editorial New Initiatives in Quantitative Morphology The Society for Quantitative Morphology (SQM) is very pleased to participate in a new quantitative morphology section in Microscopy Research and Technique. SQM, a society closely associated with the International Society for Stereology, supports all aspects of quantitative morphology through symposia, workshops, newsletters, telephone hotlines, computer networks, software, and databases. The quantitative morphology section of the journal will publish papers dealing with the theory and application of quantitative methods in the life and materials sciences. Quantitative disciplines include, but are not restricted to, modern stereology, image analysis, computer graphics, reconstruction, and computer science. Original research papers that use new technologies for quantifying microscopic images and interpreting image data are particularly encouraged. The editorial board members participating in this new section include R.P. Bolender, F.L. Bookstein, R.T. DeHoff, D.M. Hyde, J.T. McCabe, L.D. Peachy, and J.C. Russ. The purpose of the quantitative morphology section will be to support the growth of computational approaches in biology and materials science. To start, we will launch two new initiatives: technology transfer reviews and data transfer software. Technology Transfer Reviews Most biologists and materials scientists use some form of morphology in their research. During the past few years, remarkable progress has taken place in our understanding of how to quantify structures. As a result, we now have the tools for solving a wide range of scientific and technological problems. As biology and materials science evolve into computational sciences, quantitative morphology (QM) can be expected to play a n increasingly important role in basic and applied research. Although QM has become a powerful experimental technique, many investigators find it too difficult to learn and use. Proper use of QM requires a working knowledge of basic theory, sampling methods, mathematical equations, statistics, and a thorough understanding of data interpretation. To add to the difficulty, the original papers describing QM methods are largely mathematical, and the accompanying worked examples rarely give enough practical information to use these methods in the laboratory. In effect, QM is a key technique beyond the reach of many researchers. This inaccessibility of QM methods to researchers is creating serious problems in our research communities. For example, a n enormous literature is currently being built in morphology with sophisticated methods of immunology (e.g., immunocytochemistry), and molecular biology (e.g., in situ hybridization). Although these methods provide exquisite information about the mor0 1992 WILEY-LISS, INC
phological localizations of specific molecules, most attempts to quantify the results remain largely in 2dimensional space (measurements on sections). While most biologists are keenly aware that the most powerful setting for detecting and interpreting structural changes in biology is 3-dimensional space, they continue to use the less reliable section data because they are simply not getting the support they need to move their data from 2- to 3-dimensional space. State-of-theart QM serves as a n excellent example of where recent technological advances far exceed our ability to use them. To address this problem of technology transfer, experts will be invited to prepare reviews that include advice and guidelines for using the modern tools of quantitative morphology. Data Transfer Software Many investigators look forward to the time when published data can be accessed directly with computers. Besides finding critical information quickly, the investigator will have access to a new generation of analysis tools designed to support the critical task of turning data into useful information. In this way, computers will help to accelerate the process of discovery. The first step in creating these computer facilities is to design and implement databases. The second step is to populate them with published data. The second step is turning out to be far more difficult than the first. Appropriate papers can be surprisingly hard to find, published data appear in a variety of representations (tables, graphs, text), and moving data from the literature into databases continues to be a daunting task. Microscopy Research and Technique authors can begin to solve this problem of data entry by participating in a novel electronic data transfer project associated with the QM 2000 database a t the University of Washington. This is how it will work. When a life sciences paper is accepted for publication in the Quantitative Morphology Section, the author will be sent a data entry kit. The kit will include database software, data disk, return mailer, and instructions. The author can use the software to enter his or her data into database files and return the data disk to the QM senior editor (Dr. Robert Bolender). The data files will be added to a main database, which will be made available to the community. Eventually, network facilities for entering and accessing data will be introduced. By supporting such research databases, the journal contributes directly to the development of a new infrastructure for biology based on modern information technologies. ROBERT BOLENDER, PH.D. Senior Editor Quantitative Morphology Section
Editorial New Initiatives in Quantitative Morphology The Society for Quantitative Morphology (SQM) is very pleased to participate in a new quantitative morphology section in Microscopy Research and Technique. SQM, a society closely associated with the International Society for Stereology, supports all aspects of quantitative morphology through symposia, workshops, newsletters, telephone hotlines, computer networks, software, and databases. The quantitative morphology section of the journal will publish papers dealing with the theory and application of quantitative methods in the life and materials sciences. Quantitative disciplines include, but are not restricted to, modern stereology, image analysis, computer graphics, reconstruction, and computer science. Original research papers that use new technologies for quantifying microscopic images and interpreting image data are particularly encouraged. The editorial board members participating in this new section include R.P. Bolender, F.L. Bookstein, R.T. DeHoff, D.M. Hyde, J.T. McCabe, L.D. Peachy, and J.C. Russ. The purpose of the quantitative morphology section will be to support the growth of computational approaches in biology and materials science. To start, we will launch two new initiatives: technology transfer reviews and data transfer software. Technology Transfer Reviews Most biologists and materials scientists use some form of morphology in their research. During the past few years, remarkable progress has taken place in our understanding of how to quantify structures. As a result, we now have the tools for solving a wide range of scientific and technological problems. As biology and materials science evolve into computational sciences, quantitative morphology (QM) can be expected to play a n increasingly important role in basic and applied research. Although QM has become a powerful experimental technique, many investigators find it too difficult to learn and use. Proper use of QM requires a working knowledge of basic theory, sampling methods, mathematical equations, statistics, and a thorough understanding of data interpretation. To add to the difficulty, the original papers describing QM methods are largely mathematical, and the accompanying worked examples rarely give enough practical information to use these methods in the laboratory. In effect, QM is a key technique beyond the reach of many researchers. This inaccessibility of QM methods to researchers is creating serious problems in our research communities. For example, a n enormous literature is currently being built in morphology with sophisticated methods of immunology (e.g., immunocytochemistry), and molecular biology (e.g., in situ hybridization). Although these methods provide exquisite information about the mor0 1992 WILEY-LISS, INC
phological localizations of specific molecules, most attempts to quantify the results remain largely in 2dimensional space (measurements on sections). While most biologists are keenly aware that the most powerful setting for detecting and interpreting structural changes in biology is 3-dimensional space, they continue to use the less reliable section data because they are simply not getting the support they need to move their data from 2- to 3-dimensional space. State-of-theart QM serves as a n excellent example of where recent technological advances far exceed our ability to use them. To address this problem of technology transfer, experts will be invited to prepare reviews that include advice and guidelines for using the modern tools of quantitative morphology. Data Transfer Software Many investigators look forward to the time when published data can be accessed directly with computers. Besides finding critical information quickly, the investigator will have access to a new generation of analysis tools designed to support the critical task of turning data into useful information. In this way, computers will help to accelerate the process of discovery. The first step in creating these computer facilities is to design and implement databases. The second step is to populate them with published data. The second step is turning out to be far more difficult than the first. Appropriate papers can be surprisingly hard to find, published data appear in a variety of representations (tables, graphs, text), and moving data from the literature into databases continues to be a daunting task. Microscopy Research and Technique authors can begin to solve this problem of data entry by participating in a novel electronic data transfer project associated with the QM 2000 database a t the University of Washington. This is how it will work. When a life sciences paper is accepted for publication in the Quantitative Morphology Section, the author will be sent a data entry kit. The kit will include database software, data disk, return mailer, and instructions. The author can use the software to enter his or her data into database files and return the data disk to the QM senior editor (Dr. Robert Bolender). The data files will be added to a main database, which will be made available to the community. Eventually, network facilities for entering and accessing data will be introduced. By supporting such research databases, the journal contributes directly to the development of a new infrastructure for biology based on modern information technologies. ROBERT BOLENDER, PH.D. Senior Editor Quantitative Morphology Section
