Instructions to Authors

Manuscript and all editorial correspondence should be sent to the Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Yukiyasu Sezai, c/o Medical Tribune Inc., 2-1 Nibancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo , Japan, fax: .

Manuscripts must be in English, typed in double spacing on only one side of the paper using wide margins and checked carefully to minimize changes in proofs. A change will be made for changes introduced after the manuscript has been set in type. Please mark in the margin of the manuscript the desired position of figures and tables. One original and two copies are required.

Manuscripts of those whose mother tongue is other than English should be checked fully by native speakers.

Copyright statement: According to the Copyright Act of 1976, all manuscripts must be accompanied by the statement which is attached at the end of the journal (Download the form "Transfer of Copyright Agreement [PDF]" now), signed by one author. Authors will be consulted, when possible, regarding republication of their material.

Conflict of interest: When the proposed publication concerns a device, such as an artificial valve or an instrument for measurement, the author must enclose a statement (1) indicating that he has no financial or other interest in the manufacturer or distributor of the device or (2) explaining the nature of any relation between himself and the manufacturer or distributor of the device.

Informed consent: Reports describing data obtained from research conducted in human subjects must contain a statement in the Methods section indicating approval by the institutional review board and affirmation that informed consent was obtained from each patient.

Humane animal care: All papers reporting experiments using animals must include a statement in the Methods section giving assurance that all animals have received humane care in comoliance with the "Principles of Laboratory Animal Care" formulated by the National Society for Medical Research and the "Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals" prepared by the Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources and published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH Publication No. 86-23, revised 1985).

Full-length research papers: As a guide (but not a rule) full-length papers should normally not exceed six printed pages in an original article and four printed pages in a case report. An additional charge will be made for longer manuscripts (¥ 20,000 per page).

Title page: Make the title concise. List affiliation and academic degrees of author (s). Restrict number of authors to those making material contributions. Include where the work was done, sources of support (if any). and name, address, and business and home telephone numbers of individual to whom correspondence and reprint requests are to be addressed.

Abstract: On the first page of the manuscript, an abstract of approximately 150 to 200 words according to the length of the article but not exceeding one double-spaced, typed page, should be provided. It is recommended to form the abstract with several individual columns such as Purpose, Methods, Results, and Conclusion, summarize the data and present the inferences in an explicit fashion. Tables are not to be included, and acronyms are not to be used. The use of an abstract eliminates the need for a summary.
Include several (less than 5) Key words which are suitable for use in indexing.

References: References should be numbered serially in the text and listed, double-spaced on a separate sheet at the end of the paper in that order, Reference format should conform to that set forth in "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" (N Engl J Med 1991; 324: 424­8), also known as the "Vancouver" style for biomedical journals. Journal abbreviations should conform to the style used in the Cumulated Index Medicus. Each reference should include:
For journals- authors' names, and initials, title of article, journal name, date, volume number, and inclusive pages (list all authors when five or less; when six or more, list only five and add et al.) e.g:
Maroto E, Fouron JC, Douste-Blazy MY, Carceller AM, van Doesburg N, et al. Influence of age on wall thickness, cavity dimensions and myocardial contractility of the left ventricle in simple transposition of the great arteries. Circulation 1983; 67: 1311­7.
For books- authors' names, chapter title, editor's name, book title, edition city, publisher, date, and pages e.g.:
Bugiasky L, Zak R. Biological mechanisms of hypertrophy. In: Fozzard HA, Haber E, Jennings RB, Katz AM, Morgan HE eds.; The Heart and Cardiovascular System. New York: Raven Press, 1986; pp 1491­506.

Figures: All figures, whether photographys, graphs or diagrams, should be numbered consecutively throughout and submitted on separate sheets. Identify each print on the back with a typed label or mark it lightly with a soft pencil. Include the figure number, name of the first author, and abbreviated title of the article. If a figure has been published previously, acknowledge its source and submit written permission of author and publisher. The previously published source should also be included in the list of references.
Line drawings: Please submit good quality glossy prints. The height and thickness of letters and numbers in illustrations must be legible when the figures are reproduced.
Half-tone illustrations: Please submit 3 sets of high contrast photographic prints trimmed at right angles.
Figures in color: Color illustrations will be accepted; however, the authors will be expected to make a contribution towards the extra costs (\ 150,000 for the first and \ 70,000, for each additional page).
Captions: Each figure should be briefly and clearly described. Remarks like "For explanation, see text" should be avoided. Tables should be typed on separate sheets, number with Arabic numbers, and given a title.

Offprints: A total of 50 offprints of each paper are provided free of charge to the authors. Additional copies may be ordered at cost price per fifty.

Letter to Editors: The section is designed to provide a mechanism for the exchange of information and opinions. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Editors or the journal. The letter should be no longer than 2 type-written pages in double space with no more than 4 references. Only one figure/table can be submitted. Its publication will be at the Editor’s discretion.

Rapid communications: Preliminary results of ongoing, original work or newly developed instrumentation and methods can be submitted in the from of a rapid communication, including only one table or figure. Those who with to submit a rapid communication should be asked for the manuscript form and detailed instructions concerning its preparation. In this case, authors will be asked to pay an express fee of \ 50,000.

Checklist:
- Letter of submission
- Copyright transfer letter
- Original and two copies of article
- Title page
- Title of article
- Full name (s), academic degrees, and affiliation of author (s)
- Author to whom correspondence is to be sent
- Telephone numbers (business and home)
- E-mail address
- Abstract (double-spaced)
- Key words (less than 5 words)
- Article proper (double-spaced)
- References (double-spaced) on a separate sheet
- Tables
- Legends (double-spaced) on a separate sheet
- Illustrations, properly labeled (original and two copies)
- Permission to reproduce published material or cite unpublished date
- Informed consent
- Humane animal care
- Letter to the Editor (double-spaced)
- Covering letter
- Original and two copies of letter
- Title