The Journal of Medical Ultrasound is the peer-reviewed publication of the Asian Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, and the Chinese Taipei Society of Ultrasound in Medicine. Its aim is to promote clinical and scientific research in ultrasonography, and to serve as a channel of communication among sonologists, sonographers, and medical ultrasound physicians in the Asia-Pacific region and wider international community. The Journal invites original contributions relating to the clinical and laboratory investigations and applications of ultrasonography.

Manuscript Submission

We encourage authors to submit manuscripts as e-mail attachmentsto the Editorial Office at: sumroc@sumroc.org.tw

If you are unable to submit your manuscript by e-mail,you may submit it on a CD-R and post it, together with 4 hard copies of your manuscript (thatmatch the disk file exactly) and a cover letter (that includesyour name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mailaddress), to:

Editorial Office
Journal of Medical UltrasoundThe Chinese Taipei Society of Ultrasound in Medicine
Room 203, Jin-Fu Building
1, Chang-Te Street
Taipei 10016
Taiwan.

If there are figures, please also enclose 4 sets of the originalfigures to the Editorial Office at the above address. Theywill not be returned.

Manuscript file requirements
• The complete manuscript should be in one MicrosoftWord document (*.doc) file. The manuscript should includethe following: title page, abstract, key words, maintext, acknowledgments, references, tables and tableheadings, and figure legends.
• Each figure should be submitted as a separate high resolutionpicture file, in *.EPS or *.TIFF format. Please ensurethat files are supplied at the correct resolution of a minimumof 600 dpi.

Previous Publication/Duplicate Submission

Submitted manuscripts are considered with the understandingthat they have not been published previously in printor electronic format (except in abstract or poster form) andare not under consideration by another publication or electronicmedium.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

All authors are required to sign and submit the followingfinancial disclosure statement at the time of manuscriptsubmission:

I certify that all my affiliations with or financial involvementin, within the past 5 years and foreseeable future,any organization or entity with a financial interest in orfinancial conflict with the subject matter or materialsdiscussed in the manuscript are completely disclosed(e.g. employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownershipor options, expert testimony, grants or patents receivedor pending, royalties).

Authors who have no relevant financial interests shouldprovide a statement indicating that they have no financialinterests related to the material in the manuscript.

Basic Criteria

Articles should be written in English (using American Englishspelling) and meet the following basic criteria: the materialis original, the information is important, the writing is clear(clinical or laboratory jargon is to be avoided), the studymethods are appropriate, the data are valid, and the conclusionsare reasonable and supported by the data.

Article Categories

Original Articles
These may be randomized trials, intervention studies, studiesof screening and diagnostic tests, cohort studies, costeffectivenessanalyses, case-control studies, and surveyswith high response rates, that represent new and significantcontributions to ultrasonography. Each manuscript shouldstate the objective/hypothesis, design and methods (includingthe study setting and dates, patients/participants with inclusionand exclusion criteria, or data sources and how thesewere selected for the study), the essential features of anyinterventions, the main outcome measures, the main results,discussion placing the results in context with the publishedliterature, and conclusions. Section headings should be:Abstract, Introduction, Materials (or Patients) and Methods,Results, Discussion.

Case Series
A case series is a paper that describes a group of cases orparticular observations with unique imaging features or involvinginterventional procedures never before reported. Caseseries are usually retrospective and not associated withextensive statistical analysis.

Case Reports
These are short discussions of a case or cases with uniquefeatures not previously described. Section headings shouldbe: Abstract, Introduction, Case Report(s), Discussion.

Review ArticlesThese should aim to provide the reader with a balancedoverview of an important and topical subject related toultrasonography, and should be systematic and critical assessmentsof literature and data sources. All articles and datasources reviewed should include information about the specifictype of study or analysis, population, intervention, application,and tests or outcomes. All articles or data sources shouldbe selected systematically for inclusion in the review andcritically evaluated. Figures, tables, algorithms and otherforms of illustration should be included as appropriate. Anabstract is required.

Brief Communications
These manuscripts are short and concise presentations (1000-2000 words) of clinical or technical notes, evaluations orpreliminary experimental results. A new method, procedure,technology, or treatment with a practical approach may bedescribed, or a recommendation for improving scanningmay be presented, with a description of how the techniqueshould be implemented, detailing the technique's limitations,and explaining why the technique is important and howit will enhance clinical practice. An abstract is required, andthe manuscript may be prepared according to the formatof original articles.

Letters to the Editor
Letters to the editor are welcome in response to previouslypublished content or correspondence in the Journal of MedicalUltrasound, or to present your views on a particular subjectin ultrasound. It may include some review of the literaturein making a point, although it is clearly an opinion piecerather than a review of the subject. Letters to the editorshould be objective, constructive and educational. The editorsreserve the right to edit any letter received.

Pictorial Essay
The message in a pictorial essay is contained in the imagespresented. The text is short (about 1000 words, with nomore than 20 references), but the figure legends are key.No introduction, methods or discussion sections are requiredas the message is conveyed through unique, exceptional andtimely ultrasound images.

Manuscript Preparation
Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with theUniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to BiomedicalJournals, updated in February 2006 by the InternationalCommittee of Medical Journal Editors, and available at: http://www.icmje.org/index.html.

Text should be typed double-spaced on one side ofA4 (297 x 210 mm) paper. Pages should be numberedconsecutively using Arabic numbers, beginning with thetitle page. Each section of the manuscript should begin ona new page.

Manuscripts should be prepared in the simplest formpossible. We will add in the correct font, font size, marginsand so on according to our house style. You may useautomatic page numbering, but please do NOT use otherkinds of automatic formatting such as footnotes, endnotes,headers and footers.

While the following instructions are for original articles,they apply generally to other article categories also.

Title Page
The title page is the first page and must contain the followinginformation:
• category of paper
• manuscript title
• short running title not exceeding 50 characters
• the names (spelled out in full) of all the authors and theirinstitutions
• corresponding author details (e-mail, mailing address, telephoneand fax numbers)

Abstract
The second page should contain a concise abstract and upto 5 relevant key words in alphabetical order for the purposesof cross-indexing. Abstracts should be structured, with thesection headings:
• Background: briefly explain the importance of the studytopic and state a precise study question or purpose
• Materials (or Patients) and Methods: briefly introduce themethods used to perform the study; include informationon the study design, setting, subjects, interventions, outcomemeasures and analyses as appropriate
• Results: briefly present the significant results, with data andstatistical details where appropriate; check that informationin the abstract matches that in the main text
• Conclusion: state the meaning of your findings concisely,being careful to address the study question directly andto confine your conclusions to aspects covered in theabstract; give equal emphasis to positive and negativefindings
• Key Words: these should be taken from the Medical SubjectHeadings (MeSH) list of Index Medicus (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html)

Abstracts for Case Reports are unstructured, but shouldnevertheless include information on the background of thereport, methods, results (or case report), and conclusion.

Main Text
The main text should begin on the third page and, for mostoriginal articles, should include the following sections:Introduction, Materials (or Patients) and Methods, Results,and Discussion. Subheadings in long papers are acceptableif needed for clarification and ease of reading.

The Introduction should address the subject of the paper.The Materials and Methods section should identify thepopulation, patient samples or animal specimens used, explainthe laboratory or study methods followed, and state thestatistical procedures employed in the research. Any statementsof informed consent or ethical treatment of animalsshould also be included in this section (see below). TheResults section should include pertinent findings andnecessary tables and figures. The Discussion should containconclusions based on the findings of the study, a reviewof the relevant literature, a discussion of the application ofthe conclusions and implications for future research or clinicalapplications. Following the Discussion, Acknowledgmentsmay be given. Those acknowledged should not includesecretarial, clerical or technical staff whose participation waslimited to the performance of their normal duties.

Ethical Approval of Studies and Informed Consent
For human or animal experimental investigations, appropriateinstitutional review board or ethics committee approvalis required, and such approval should be stated in themethods section of the manuscript. For those investigatorswho do not have formal ethics review committees, theprinciples outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki should befollowed (World Medical Association. Declaration of Helsinki:ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects.Available at: http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/b3/17c.pdf).

For investigations of human subjects, state explicitly inthe methods section of the manuscript that informed consentwas obtained from all participating adult subjects andfrom parents or legal guardians for minors or incapacitatedadults, together with the manner in which informed consentwas obtained (i.e. oral or written).

Identification of Patients in Descriptions,Photographs, and Pedigrees
A signed statement of informed consent to publish (in printand online) patient descriptions, photographs, and pedigreesshould be obtained from all persons (parents or legal guardiansfor minors) who can be identified (including by thepatients themselves) in such written descriptions, photographs,or pedigrees, and should be submitted with themanuscript. Such persons should be shown the manuscriptbefore its submission. Omitting data or making data lessspecific to deidentify patients is acceptable, but changingany such data is not acceptable.

Funding/Support and Conflicts of Interest
All financial and material support for the research and thework should be clearly and completely identified in anAcknowledgments in the manuscript. Ensure that any conflictsof interest are explicitly declared.

Abbreviations
Where a term/definition will be continually referred to, itmust be written in full, followed by the subsequent abbreviationin brackets, when it first appears in the text. Thereafter,the abbreviation may be used.

Units
Please use Système International (SI) units for all hematologicand clinical chemistry measurements. Blood pressure valuesshould be reported in mmHg. The metric system should beused for the expression of length, height, weight, mass, areaand volume. Temperatures are to be given in degrees Celsius.

Drug Names
Use the Recommended International Non-proprietary Namefor medicinal substances, unless the specific trade name ofa drug is directly relevant to the discussion.

Tables
Tables should be labeled in Arabic numerals and titledconcisely. Number all tables in the order of their citationin the text. Tables should be typed double-spaced in assimple a form as possible. The following symbols (in orderof appearance) should be used for items that require footnotes:*,†, ‡, §, ∥, ¶, #, **, ††, ‡‡.

Figures

The number of figures should be restricted to the minimumnecessary to support the textual material. Figures should belabeled in Arabic numerals in the order of their citation inthe text. Figure legends should indicate the anatomic areaand/or pathologic condition shown. For photomicrographs,include the type of specimen, original magnification, andstain. All symbols and abbreviations not defined in the textshould be defined in the legend.

Each figure should be submitted as a separate highresolution picture file, in *.EPS or *.TIFF format. Please ensurethat files are supplied at the correct resolution of a minimumof 600 dpi.

If you are not submitting your manuscript by e-mail,then please post 4 sets of the original figures to the EditorialOffice. They will not be returned. The figures should be inthe form of unmounted, unretouched glossy prints (about3 x 5 inches in size), and marked on the back with thefigure number, an arrow to indicate the top of the figure,and the first author's name, using a soft lead pencil or stickonlabels. Patient identification should be obscured. Do notmark directly on the prints. Indicators/arrows and labelsmay be marked on a photocopy of the original print to indicatesubtle but salient points. Include internal scale markersin photomicrographs and electron micrographs. Illustrationsshould be drawn with black ink on white paper and shouldpreferably be done by a professional illustrator. Arrows andother symbols must be of professional quality and of a sizepermitting some reduction in the final copy.

Personal Communications and Unpublished Data
A signed statement of permission should be included fromeach individual identified as a source of information in apersonal communication or as a source for unpublished data;the date of communication and whether the communicationwas written or oral should be specified.

References
• Each reference citation within the main body of the textshould be enclosed in square brackets, not a superscript.
• References must be numbered consecutively in order ofappearance in the text, and listed in number order in thereference list: do not alphabetize.
• References cited in tables or figure legends should beincluded in sequence at the point where the table or figureis first mentioned in the text.
• Abstracts should not be cited unless the abstract is theonly available reference to an important concept.
• Do not cite uncompleted work or work that has not yetbeen accepted for publication as references.
• Abbreviations for journals should conform to those usedin Index Medicus.
• References should include the complete title of the articleand the last names and initials of all the authors up to3. If there are more than 3 authors, include the last namesand initials of the first 3 authors followed by "et al".
• Always give the last page number as well. If there is only1 page, state if the article is an abstract or letter.
• If citing information from a website, please provide theauthor information, article title, the website address andthe date you accessed the information.
• Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completenessof their references and for correct text citation.

Examples are given below.

Journal articles:
1. Park SB, Kim JK, Cho KS. Imaging findings of a primarybilateral testicular carcinoid tumor associated with carcinoidsyndrome. J Ultrasound Med 2006;25:413-6.
2. Ueno M. Evaluation of blood flow by color Doppler sonographyin free jejunal interposition grafts between thehypopharynx and esophagus after radical pharyngoesophagectomy.J Med Ultrasound 2004;12:82-5.
3. Lin ZY, Chen SC, Hsieh MY, et al. Incidence and clinicalsignificance of spontaneous intrahepatic portosystemicvenous shunts detected by sonography in adults withoutpotential cause. J Clin Ultrasound 2006;34:22-6.
4. Matsuoka H. Paradoxical brain embolism. Rinsho Shinkeigaku2005;45:849-51. [In Japanese]

Books:1. Kremkau FW. Diagnostic Ultrasound: Principles andInstruments, 6th edition. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 2002.
2. Scheerer LJ, Bartolucci L. Ultrasound evaluation of thecervix. In: Callen PW. Ultrasonography in Obstetrics andGynecology, 4th edition. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 2000:577-96.

Editorial and Peer Review

Submitted manuscripts are reviewed initially by the EditorialBoard, whose members will determine which articles will beconsidered for publication based on their scientific merit,readability and interest. Manuscripts with insufficient priorityfor publication are rejected promptly. Rejected manuscriptswill not be returned to authors unless requested. All othermanuscripts are sent to 2 or more expert consultants forpeer review.

Preparation for Publication

Once a manuscript has been accepted for publication, theauthors should submit the FINAL VERSION of their manuscript(in MS Word format) by e-mail (ctsum@sumroc.org.tw).

All persons listed as authors should have participatedsufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for thecontent, and should have made substantial contributions toall of the following aspects of the work: (a) conception anddesign; (b) analysis and interpretation of the data; (c) draftingthe article or revising it critically for intellectual content; and(d) final approval of the version to be published. These pointsshould be stated in the cover letter. If six or more authorsare listed, the specific contributions of each should bedescribed in the cover letter.

Authors are responsible for obtaining consent from humansubjects and the local ethics board or institutional reviewboard (IRB), and such consent should be noted in theMaterials and Methods section of the manuscript.

Accepted manuscripts are presented to the Publisher tobe copyedited according to the house style. Galley proofsare returned to the corresponding author for final approval.Authors are responsible for all statements made in their work,including changes made by the copy editor and authorizedby the corresponding author. Authors must sign a statementof authorship responsibility and copyright transfer prior topublication of their paper. This form will be provided bythe Publisher, together with the galley proofs.

Reprints

Professional reprints may be ordered at termsbased on the cost of production. A reprint order form isprovided by the Publisher, together with the galley proofs.

Copyright

Published manuscripts become the permanent property ofthe Publisher, Elsevier, and the Chinese Taipei Society ofUltrasound in Medicine, and may not be published elsewhere,in any media or translated into another language,without written permission.