Coping with the challenges of the next four years

TLDR: The Editors areattered by the kind invitation of the Board of Management, representing the two prestigious scienti®c Societies of which the Journal is the ofcial organ, to continue their task for a further 3 years beyond their previous mandate expiring by the end of 2002.

Abstract: The Editors are ̄attered by the kind invitation of the Board of Management, representing the two prestigious scienti®c Societies of which the Journal is the of®cial organ, to continue their task for a further 3 years beyond their previous mandate expiring by the end of 2002. We are grateful to all those who have generously helped us during the past years, the Associate Editors, all members of the Editorial Board, the several hundred reviewers and the several hundred authors who have submitted manuscripts. Their help and contributions have made the Journal a lively and growing body of scienti®c information attracting an increasing number of remarkable manuscripts, which are being read and cited more and more, as shown by the steadily rising impact factor (3.640 according to the last evaluation published in September 2001).