GENERAL INFORMATION
EDITORIAL REQUIREMENTS
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
TRANSFER OF COPYRIGHT
USE OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL
ACCESS TO EDITORIAL MANAGER
MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSIONS
MANUSCRIPT CATEGORIES
Original articles
Reviews
Clinical cases
Editorials
Letters to the Editors
MANUSCRIPT GUIDELINES
Title page
Abstract and keywords
Main Text
Acknowledgements
References
Tables
Figures
Figure legends
SUBMISSION OF A REVISED MANUSCRIPT
PUBLICATION PROCESS
Page proofs
Offprints
DISCLAIMER
General Information
The International Journal of Artificial Organs (Int J Artif Organs)
Frequency: monthly
ISSN: 0391-3988 - eISSN: 1724-6040
Editor in Chief: Prof. Gerardo Catapano
Co-Editor: Jon B. Klein MD, PhD
Indexed in:
CURRENT CONTENTS ® / Clinical Practice
INDEX MEDICUS / MEDLINE
EMBASE / Excerpta Medica
CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS SERVICE
BIOSIS / Biological Abstracts ®
Engineered Materials Abstracts
Metal Abstracts / METADEX
Editorial Office
Gerardo Catapano PhD - Editor in Chief
Dept. of Chemical Engineering
University of Calabria
87030 Rende (CS) – Italy
Jon B. Klein MD, PhD - Co-Editor
Kidney Disease Program
University of Louisville
570 South Preston Street
Rm 102, Donald Baxter Bldg.
Louisville, Kentucky 40202, USA
The International Journal of Artificial Organs (IJAO) publishes monthly peer-reviewed research and clinical, experimental and theoretical, contributions to the field of artificial, bioartificial and tissue-engineered organs. The mission of the IJAO is to foster the development and optimization of artificial, bioartificial and tissue-engineered organs, for implantation or use in procedures, to treat functional deficits of all human tissues and organs.
EDITORIAL REQUIREMENTS
The International Journal of Artificial Organs will review manuscripts with the understanding that they are being submitted only to The International Journal of Artificial Organs and have not been published, simultaneously submitted, or already accepted for publication elsewhere. This does not preclude consideration of a manuscript that has been rejected by another journal or of a complete report that follows publication of preliminary findings elsewhere, usually in the form of an abstract. Copies of any possibly duplicative published material should be submitted with the manuscript that is being sent for consideration. The International Journal of Artificial Organs will not consider manuscripts that have appeared, in part or in total, in other publications. It is the Corresponding Author’s responsibility to complete, sign and submit on behalf of all Authors the declaration form stating that the submitted manuscript complies with the above requirements.Each Author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content. This participation must include:
1. Conception, design, or analysis and interpretation of data, or both.
2. Drafting the article or revising it for critically important intellectual content.
3. Final approval of the version to be published. (See Br Med J 1985; 291: 722-723.)
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for establishing and maintaining the highest possible standards of the Journal, as well as for maintaining its integrity. The final responsibility rests with the Authors, not with the Journal, its Editors, or the Publisher. The Editor-in-Chief, the Co-Editor, and the Editorial Board are primarily responsible for ensuring a fair review process and will give unbiased consideration to all submitted manuscripts. The statements and opinions contained in the articles published in the International Journal of Artificial Organs are solely those of the individual Authors and contributors.
Studies on human subjects must comply with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975. Studies using animals must comply with the laws of the country where the research was performed.
TRANSFER OF COPYRIGHT
All manuscripts submitted for publication must be accompanied by the Copyright Transfer Form. It is the Corresponding Author’s responsibility to fill in, sign and submit the Copyright Transfer Form on behalf of all Authors. A scanned copy of the signed form should be uploaded with the submitted manuscript. If, for any reason, uploading is not possible, the form should be sent by FAX to the number +39 0255105071 as soon as possible. Manuscripts WILL NOT be processed until the Copyright Transfer Form, signed by the Corresponding Author on behalf of all Authors, is received. Once a manuscript has been submitted, the order of Authorship (including adding or removing Authors) CANNOT be changed without a written request to the Editorial Office (ijao@unical.it) of the Corresponding Author. It is the Corresponding Author’s responsibility to be sure that all Authors meet the Authorship criteria.
USE OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL
Authors must submit written permission released by the copyright owner (usually the Publisher) to use direct quotations, tables, or illustrations that have appeared in copyrighted form elsewhere, along with complete details about the original source. Payment of any permission fee that might be required by the copyright owner is the responsibility of the Authors requesting use of the borrowed material, and not of Wichtig Editore.
ACCESS TO EDITORIAL MANAGER
Authors, Reviewers, and Editors must register to access Editorial Manager and submit, review, or check the progress of the review process of submitted manuscripts.
To access the Editorial Manager, please connect to the Internet and go to the following web address:
www.editorialmanager.com/ijao
First-time users: Please click on Register in the menu at the top of the page, and enter the requested information to complete your profile. On successful registration, you will be sent an e-mail with your username and password. Print a copy of this information for future reference. If you wish to change any data in your profile, log-in with your current username and password and update your profile. You only need to register once, and you should always use the same e-mail address.
Authors: Please click on Log-in in the menu at the top of the page, and log in the system as an Author. Submit your manuscript according to the instructions to Authors. You will be able to track the progress of your manuscript through the system. Should you have any difficulty, please contact the help desk by e-mail at the following address: help.desk@wichtig.it
Reviewers: Please click on Log-in in the menu at the top of the page, and log in the system as a reviewer. You may check your pending assignments, and choose the one you wish to check or complete. You will be able to track the progress of the review process of any manuscript assigned to you through the system. Should you have any difficulty, please contact the help desk by e-mail at the following address: help.desk@wichtig.it
Editors: Please click on Log-in in the menu at the top of the page, and log in the system as an Editor. You may check the state of the manuscripts that you have to process, or assign any of them to a Reviewer through the system. Should you have any difficulty, please contact the help desk by e-mail at the following address: help.desk@wichtig.it
MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION
Only registered Authors may submit a manuscript. Thus, prior to submitting a manuscript for the first time, the Corresponding Author should register as described above. Manuscripts must be submitted ONLY online at www.artificial-organs.com. Please refer to the Author Tutorial supplied online for detailed instructions for submission of original and/or revised manuscripts. We strongly recommend that each time Authors log-in in the system they check the e-mail address registered for correspondence. On submission, the following items should be provided:
1. the manuscript Text file
2. the manuscript Figure files
3. the Copyright Transfer and Authorship statement
5. a list of at least three suggested qualified Reviewers
6. if you wish, you may also provide a list of opposed Reviewers .
Manuscripts can belong to the following categories:
Original articles
Previously unpublished manuscripts reporting research or clinical investigations, or clinical observations. An original article should consist of around 16-18 double spaced typewritten pages, corresponding to 6 printed pages. Additional pages will be charged Euro 130,00 each directly by the Publisher and will be notified to the Corresponding Author with the proofs. Extra page charges do not apply to invited articles. The Text of articles must be divided into sections with headings such as: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion, Conclusions, as described below.
Reviews
Review papers critically describe the current state of knowledge or practice, and integrate recent advances with accepted principles and practice, or summarise and analyse consensus views of controversial issues in knowledge of research or clinical practice.
Clinical Cases
Reports of clinical cases are accepted in a limited number. They should be typed double spaced, and should be 2-4 pages in length including references and no more than three figures. Authors share in the cost of colour figure reproduction as specified below under Figures.
Editorials
The purpose of the editorials is to provide Readers with a balanced overview of relevant and up to date topics concerning artificial, bioartificial and tissue engineered organs. The length of an editorial should be limited to 6 printed pages including references, tables, figures, and legends.
Letters to the Editor
A section devoted to letters including short communications on significant preliminary clinical data or research development, as well as discussions of topics covered in previously published articles. Letters to the Editor are particularly welcome as they provide a means of open communication among members of the artificial organs community. Text should be limited to 500 words, 5 References and 1 Figure.
MANUSCRIPT GUIDELINES
Manuscripts that do not adhere to the following guidelines will be returned to the Corresponding Author for technical revision before undergoing the peer review process.
Authors should follow the guidelines set by the "Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals" (N Engl J Med 1997; 336: 309-15 and JAMA 1997; 277: 927-34).
All manuscripts will be read by the Editors and peer-reviewed by at least two independent Reviewers. Forms and contents should be very carefully checked to exclude the need for later corrections.
Title page
1. Article title, no longer than 135 characters including letters and spaces and avoiding abbreviations;
2. A short running head of no more than 40 characters (count letters and spaces), avoiding abbreviations;
3. First name, middle initial, and last name of each Author (i.e. Paul M. Smith);
4. Institutional affiliation for each Author, using superscripts and not symbols
5. Name, complete mailing address, telephone/fax number and e-mail address of Author to whom correspondence and reprints requests should be sent to;
6. The Title Page must include the following statement: "The Author(S) state that this manuscript has not been published previously and is not currently being assessed for publication by any journal other than the International Journal of Artificial Organs".
7. The Title page must include the following declaration: "Each Author has contributed substantially to the research, preparation and production of the paper and approves of its submission to the Journal".
8. Disclosures
- Informed Consent. Studies on human subjects must comply with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 and those using animals must comply with the laws of the country where the research was conducted. Manuscripts reporting the results of experimental investigation on human subjects must include a statement to the effect that informed consent was obtained. If the study being reported involved human subjects, human derived materials, or human medical records, please include one of the following statements in the Materials/ Patients and Methods section:
* Approval of the Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Ethics Committee was obtained.
* Approval of the Institutional Review Board(IRB)/Ethics Committee was not required for this study;
- Financial support. Identify all sources, public and private of grants and funds in support of the study. Supply the agency name and city, company name and city, fellowship name and grant number. Identify clearly equipment and supplies employed for the study;
- Conflict of interest. All manuscripts must state whether any Authors have proprietary interest or not. Authors should disclose at the time of submission any financial arrangement they may have with a company whose product is pertinent to the submitted manuscript or with a company making a competing product.
- Meeting presentation. If the data have been presented at a scientific meeting, state the place, exact date of presentation, and auspices of the meeting;
Abstract and Keywords
The second page should carry a structured abstract of no more than 250 words. The abstract should be structured in purpose, methods, results and conclusions. Below the abstract, provide a list of three to six key words from the Medical Subject Headings of the Index Medicus
Main Text
Type the manuscript, preferably in size 12 Arial font, double spaced on white A4 background, and number pages consecutively at the top right corner of each page, beginning with the title page. Submit the manuscript as a Word file: please, do not submit PDF files or desktop publishing software files. Label the manuscript file with the last name of the Corresponding Author followed by the word "Text" (e.g., Smith_Text.doc).
The main text of original articles must be divided into sections, preferably with the following headings: lntroduction, Materials/Patients and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions. Their suggested content is shortly described below. Long articles may need subheadings within some sections to clarify their contents, especially the Materials/Patients and Methods and the Results and Discussion sections. Other types of articles, such as reviews, case reports and editorials, may be submitted in other formats.
Tables and Figures must not be embedded in the text. They must be submitted as separate files, as described below.
Introduction - Clearly state the purpose of the article. Summarize the rationale for the study or observation. Give only strictly pertinent references, and do not review the subject extensively.
Materials and Methods - Describe your selection of the observational or experimental subjects (patients or experimental animals, including controls) clearly. Describe methods, equipment, chemicals, and procedures in sufficient detail to allow other scientists to reproduce the results. Identify precisely all drugs and chemicals used, including generic name(s), dosage(s), and route(s) of administration. For equipment, drugs and chemicals, please, provide manufacturer's name, city and country in brackets. Provide references to established methods, including statistical methods; provide references and brief descriptions of methods that have been published but are not well known; describe new or substantially modified methods, give reasons for using them, and evaluate their limitations. Do NOT use patients name, initials, or hospital numbers. Indicate the number of observations and the statistical significance of the findings, when appropriate. Detailed statistical analyses, mathematical derivations, and the like may sometimes be suitably presented in the form of one or more appendices.
Results - Present your results in logical sequence in the main text, and in the form of Tables and Figures. Do not repeat in the text all the data reported in the tables or figures, or both: emphasize or summarize only important observations.
Discussion – Discuss the implications of the findings and their limitations, and relate the observations to other relevant studies. Link the conclusions with the goals of the study, but avoid unqualified statements and conclusions not completely supported by your data. Avoid claiming priority and alluding to work that has not been completed. State new hypotheses when warranted, but clearly identify them as such. Recommendations, when appropriate, may be included. Do not repeat in detail the data described in the Results section.Conclusions – Emphasize the new and important aspects of the study, and the conclusions that may be drawn from them.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledge statistical consultation and assistance and financial support at the end of the manuscript, right before the references. Acknowledge statistical consultation and assistance (when provided by someone different from the Authors) by indicating name, degree and affiliation of those who contributed. Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission from everyone acknowledged by name because Readers may infer their endorsement of the data and conclusions. Acknowledge financial support of the study by identifying all public and private sources of grants and funds. Supply the agency name and city, company name and city, fellowship name and grant number.
References
References should follow the main text, beginning on a separate page. They must be typed using double-line spacing numbered consecutively, using the automatic numering function of Word, in the order of appearance in the main text. Identify references in text, Tables, and Legends by Arabic numerals (in brackets) and not in superscript.
References used within Tables should appear as footnotes in the Table Legend. These references should not be repeated in the main reference list unless they are also cited within the text. The titles of journals should be abbreviated according to the Index Medicus/Medline (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/serials/lji.html). If there is any doubt about abbreviation of a journal name, it should be spelled out completely. All references must be verified by the Authors(s) against the original documents. You may use the reference checking tool available at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query/static/citmatch.html .
Cite only published studies as references. Any reference (including books or articles) that has been accepted for publication, but not yet published, should have the term "in press" in the reference in place of the volume and page numbers. These must be updated prior to publication, if possible. You may also acknowledge "unpublished data" or "submitted" articles within brackets in the main text. For abstracts, oral or poster presentations follow the same rules as for unpublished materials.
References MUST be presented according to the AMA Style Guide as follows:
| Book—single author | Shepard TH. Catalog of Teratogenic Agents. 7th ed. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Press; 1992. |
Book—more than one author
(list all authors if six or less, otherwise list first three followed by "et al.") | Baselt RC, Cravey RH. Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man. 4th ed. Foster City, CA: Chemical Toxicology Institute; 1995. |
Book—with editors
| Armitage JO, Antman KH, eds. High-dose Cancer Therapy: Pharmacology, Hematopoietins, Stem Cells. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins; 1995. |
Chapter from a book
| Degner LF, McWilliams ME. Challenges in conducting cross-national nursing research. In: Fitzpatrick JJ, Stevenson JS, Polis NS, eds. Nursing Research and its Utilization: International State of the Science. New York, NY: Springer; 1994:211-215. |
Article from journal—single author
| Moldofsky H. Sleep, neuroimmune and neuroendocrine functions in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Adv Neuroimmunol. 1995;5:(1):39-56 |
Article from journal--more than one author
(list all authors if six or less, otherwise list first three followed by "et al.") | Raux H, Coulon P, Lafay F, Flamand A. Monoclonal antibodies which recognize the acidic configuration of the rabies glycoprotein at the surface of the virion can be neutralizing. Virology. 1995;210(2):400-408. |
| Monographic series | Davidoff RA. Migraine: Manifestations, Pathogenesis, and Management. Philadelphia, Pa: FA Davis; 1995. Contemporary Neurology Series, No. 42. |
| Online journals with volume and page information | Simon JA, Hudes ES. Relationship of ascorbic acid to blood lead levels. JAMA. 1999;281:2289-2293. http://url. Accessed July 11, 2009. |
| Online journals without volume and page information | Mast CT, DeMuro-Mercon C, Kelly CM, Floyd LE, Ealter EB. The impact of rotavirus gastroenteritis on the family. BMC Pediatrics. 2009;9:11. doi:10.1186/1471-2431-9-11 |
| Online web site | King MW. The Medical Biochemistry Page. http://themedicalbiochemistrypage.org. Updated July 14, 2009. Accessed July 14, 2009. |
Nomenclature/Abbreviations
A Nomenclature section explaining the symbols used in the main text or in the Appendices may be added after the Reference list if needed. Latin symbols should be reported first, in alphabetical order. Greek symbols should follow, also in alphabetical order. Subscripts and superscripts should end the section.
Use only standard abbreviations. The full term for which an abbreviation stands for, should be reported before its first use in the main text. Systeme International d'Unites (SI Units) units should be adopted throughout, and should also be indicated for symbols in the Nomenclature section.
Tables
Tables should be created in a Word document using the "Table" tools. Type each table on a separate sheet, double spaced. As a general rule, tables should not unnecessarily offer duplicate information offered in the text. Do not format tables by dividing the text in columns or by using tabs. Do not submit tables as
Figures (see below). Tables should be numbered consecutively in Roman numerals by order of citation in the main text. Each table must include title (e.g. Table 1), appropriate column headings and explanatory legends, including definitions of any abbreviation used. References used within tables should appear as footnotes in the table Legend. These references should not be repeated in the Reference section unless they are also cited in the main text. Identify statistical measures of variations, such as SD and SEM.
Figures
Figures must be submitted as individual files. Do not embed them in the Word file of the manuscript. Cite figures consecutively in the text, and number them in the order in which they are discussed. Label figure files with a name starting with the Corresponding Author’s name followed by the Figure number (e.g. Smith_Fig1, Smith_Fig2, etc.). If figures are not submitted in a high enough resolution for publishing, they will be returned to the Authors for technical revision.
Digital artwork should be created/scanned, saved and submitted as either a TIFF (tagged image file format) or EPS file which will ensure the best printing results. Do not submit figures as PPT files (Powerpoint files) or embedded in the Word document. Electronic photographs and scanned images must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi to a base of 10 cm. Line art must have a resolution of at least 1200 dpi. Any figure containing text should be saved only as TIFF file. Color images must be created/scanned and saved and submitted as CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) files; Black and white illustrations, graphs and figures convert your original artwork by setting the colour mode as greyscale and saving it as TIFF file with a resolution of at least 600 DPI if text is included. If no text is included, set the resolution at a minimum of 300 DPI.
But for axis labels and scale, NO text should appear on the face of a figure. Text should be reported in the Figure Legend. Lettering, arrows, and other symbols should be large enough to remain legible after reduction to a figure with a base of 10 cm. All symbols or letters that appear in the figures should be defined in the Legends. Arial font should be used for any lettering or text in a figure. If possible, use the same font type and size in all artworks (Arial 12 is recommended).
When a patient is identifiable in a photograph, the Author(s) must supply the Journal with evidence of the patient's permission to publish the photograph. If a figure has been published elsewhere, acknowledge the original source and submit to the Editors written permission from the copyright holder to reproduce the material. Permission is required, regardless of Authorship or publisher, except for documents in the public domain.
The Publisher charges Authors directly for colour figures included in their manuscript. Colour figure charge is Euro 700,00 as start-up colour printing fee, including the first figure, plus Euro 80,00 for each additional figure. Authors will receive a colour charge form from the Publisher together with the galley proofs, to be signed prior to publication and will be invoiced after publication in print of the manuscript.
Legends
Type legends to figures and illustrations double-spaced, starting on a separate page with Arabic numerals corresponding to the Figures. When symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters are used to identify parts of the figure, identify and explain each one of them clearly in the Legends.
SUBMISSION OF A REVISED MANUSCRIPT
If it is decided through the review process that a manuscript needs revision, the revised version must be submitted within 3 months from the date of the evaluation letter. When submitting the revised version of a manuscript, the Author must submit a detailed point-to-point Reply to Reviewers that clearly states how each issue raised by the Reviewers has been addressed and where changes have been made (possibly by reporting each Reviewer's comment followed by the relative Author’s reply, page and line numbers of the original or previous submission where the changes have been made).
Refer to the on-line Author Tutorial for detailed instructions to submission of revised manuscripts.
PUBLICATION PROCESS
Editor-in-Chief and Co-Editor accept submitted manuscripts with the understanding that the Authors cooperate in a timely manner to the review/publication process, including response to future correspondence from the International Journal of Artificial Organs or its Readers.
If accepted for publication, manuscripts are subject to copy-editing according to the American medical usage and style in the respect of the Author(s)' style.
Page proofs
Corresponding Authors will receive electronic galley proofs, with all figures and tables in place, to check the copyedited and typeset article before publication. Portable document format (PDF) files of the typeset pages and support documents will be sent to the Corresponding Author by e-mail. Complete instructions will be provided for revision. Proofs should be reviewed carefully by more than one person and returned, preferably by email or by fax, to the Publisher within 48 hours of receipt to avoid delay in publication. Otherwise, manuscripts will be published with staff corrections only. Changes that have been made to conform to the Journal style will stand if they do not alter the Authors’ meaning. Only the most critical changes to text will be accepted. Style changes or rewording of previously accepted material are discouraged. The Publisher reserves the right to deny any change that does not affect the meaning of text. Authors may be charged for changes of the proofs beyond those required to correct errors or to answer queries.
Offprints
The Corresponding Author will receive a complimentary copy of the Journal issue featuring her/his article. Authors will receive a reprint order form, and a price list with the galley proofs. Reprint requests should be faxed (or e-mailed after scanning the signed form) to the Production Editor with the corrected proofs. Reprints are normally shipped 6 to 8 weeks after publication of the issue in which the article appears.
DISCLAIMER
The statements and opinions contained in the articles published in the International Journal of Artificial Organs are solely those of each individual Author, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Editors or the Publisher. The appearance of advertisements in the Journal is not a warranty, endorsement or approval of the products or services advertised, or of their safety. Editor-in-Chief, Co-Editor and Publisher disclaim responsibility for any offense to persons or property.
30/1/2011