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THIS ISSUE MARKS THE BEGINNING of a new thematic series for the Journal of Applied Physiology. It is our goal to be proactive in identifying important and exciting areas of research in applied physiology and attracting high-quality papers in these areas. The selection of these areas is not meant to be restrictive or exclusionary of other exciting areas of research. Instead, we hope to better define the scope of the Journal of Applied Physiology and to be inclusive of new techniques and approaches. For example, in the first thematic series, starting in this issue, we are emphasizing the "Molecular and Cellular Basis of Exercise Adaptations." Certainly, exercise physiology has always been identified as fitting within the scope of the Journal, but in this emphasis we are pointing out that molecular and cellular techniques can be used as tools to explore exercise adaptations. Exploration of the linkage between gene regulation and environmental factors such as exercise is an important new direction for research in applied physiology. In this first thematic series, the basic biological mechanisms underlying exercise adaptations are emphasized. Although this thematic emphasis spans only three issues of the Journal, this should not limit authors from continuing to submit articles in this important area of research. Indeed, by focusing the scope of the Journal in this area we hope to further encourage the submission of future articles

For each thematic area, as part of the overall emphasis, we will include the following:

A Historical Perspectives article, which places the selected theme in the context of previous research by highlighting past key discoveries and summarizing how research in this area has evolved to the present day.

A series of Invited Reviews, which offer succinct summaries of state-of-the-art research in the emphasized area. These reviews are not meant to be exhaustive, in-depth reviews but rather to give an overview of a selected subtopic, with some indication of where research in this area might focus in the future.

A Call for Papers, to encourage the submission of high-quality papers in the emphasized area of research. With the online submission and review process, we offer authors the incentive of expedited review and publication of manuscripts requiring minimal revision.

Highlighted Topics, spotlighting selected papers that have been identified early in the review process as having the potential for substantial scientific impact. These papers are selected because they represent outstanding cutting-edge work in the area of research being emphasized.

This new initiative represents an exciting opportunity and an ongoing effort to attract the highest quality papers to the Journal of Applied Physiology. We encourage your participation and welcome any suggestions for topics to be highlighted in future issues of the Journal.

For the year 2000, several research topics will be emphasized with a Call for Papers in each area. The deadlines for submission of papers are listed below. This information is also provided on the Journal of Applied Physiology website at http://jap.physiology.org.   1) "Molecular and Cellular Basis of Exercise Adaptations"January through March 2000 issues, coordinated by Frank Booth, PhD, E-mail: boothf{at}missouri.edu.

The deadline for the submission of papers has already passed.
  2) "Hypoxia Influence on Gene Expression"April through June 2000 issues, coordinated by Judith Neubauer, PhD, E-mail: neubauer{at}umdnj.edu, and Gabriel Haddad, MD, E-mail: gabriel.haddad{at}yale.edu.

The deadline for the submission of papers is February 1, 2000, for inclusion in the June issue. The deadlines for the April and May issues have already passed.
  3) "Physiology of a Microgravity Environment"July through September 2000 issues, coordinated by Peter D. Wagner, MD, E-mail: pdwagner{at}ucsd.edu, and Frank Booth, PhD, E-mail: boothf{at}missouri.edu. The deadlines for the submission of papers are as follows:

March 1, 2000, for the July issue

April 1, 2000, for the August issue

May 1, 2000, for the September issue.
  4) "Cellular Responses to Mechanical Stress" October through December 2000 issues, coordinated by Rolf D. Hubmayr, MD, E-mail: hubmayr.rolf{at}mayo.edu. The deadlines for the submission of papers are as follows:

June 1, 2000, for the October issue

July 1, 2000, for the November issue

August 1, 2000, for the December issue.

Authors may contact the Associate Editor coordinating the thematic series or me (sieck.gary{at}mayo.edu) if they have any questions regarding the appropriateness of their area of research for any of the emphasized theme topics.

We hope that this new initiative will bring exciting new research to the Journal.