The Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectionaims to publish high quality scientific research in the field ofmicrobiology, immunology, infectious diseases, and parasitology,with the goal of promoting and disseminatingmedical science knowledge to improve global health.

Articles on clinical or laboratory investigations of relevanceto microbiology, immunology, infectious diseases,parasitology and other related fields that are of interestto the medical profession are eligible for consideration.Review articles, original articles, case reports, shortcommunications, and letters to the editor are accepted.The journal is published every 2 months, with a total of6 issues a year.

The Editorial Board requires authors to be in compliancewith the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted toBiomedical Journals (URMs); current URMs are available at http://www.icmje.org

Manuscript Submission

Online submission
Authors may submit manuscripts to the Editorial Office at: http://www.ejmii.com/ms.php.
If assistance is needed, the Editorial Office can becontacted for any help necessary.

Editorial Office
Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection
Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital
No. 7, Zhongshan S. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist.
Taipei City 100, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Tel: 886-2-23123456 ext 65396
Fax: 886-2-23955072
E-mail: jmiieditorialoffice@gmail.com

• Articles submitted should be in Microsoft Word documentformat and prepared in the simplest form possible.We will add in the correct font, font size, margins and soon according to the journal's style.
• You may use automatic page numbering, but do NOT useother kinds of automatic formatting such as footnotes,endnotes, headers and footers.
• Put text, references, and table/figure legends in one file.
• Figures must be submitted as separate picture files, at thecorrect resolution of a minimum of 600 dpi. The files shouldbe named according to the figure number and format,e.g. "Fig1.tif", "Fig2.jpg".

(1) A cover letter. It must include your name, address, telephoneand fax numbers, and e-mail address (both of the firstauthor and corresponding author), and state that all authorshave contributed to the paper and have never submitted themanuscript, in whole or in part, to other journals. Your signatureand those of ALL your coauthors must be included.
(2) A conflict of interest disclosure statement (see relevantsection below).
(3) A copyright transfer statement. You may use the formthat follows these author instructions.
(4) Articles covering the use of human samples in researchand human experiments must be accompanied by a letter ofapproval from the relevant review committee (see relevantsection below).
(5) Articles covering the use of animals in experiments mustbe accompanied by a letter of approval from the relevantauthorities.
(6) Articles where human subjects can be identified in descriptions,photographs or pedigrees must be accompanied by asigned statement of informed consent to publish (in printand online) the descriptions, photographs and pedigrees fromeach subject who can be identified (see relevant section below).
(7) Where material has been reproduced from other copyrightedsources, the letter(s) of permission from the copyrightholder(s) to use the copyrighted sources must be supplied.

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 involvement in,within the past 5 years and foreseeable future, any organizationor entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict withthe subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript arecompletely disclosed (e.g. employment, consultancies, honoraria,stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patentsreceived or 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.

Ethical Approval of Studies andInformed Consent

For human or animal experimental investigations, appropriateinstitutional review board or ethics committee approval is required, and such approval should be stated inthe methods 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 investigation 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 (ex. 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 subjects (parents or legal guardiansfor minors) who can be identified (including by the subjectsthemselves) in such written descriptions, photographsor pedigrees. Such persons should be shown the manuscriptbefore its submission. Omitting data or making data lessspecific to de-identify patients is acceptable, but changingany such data is not acceptable.

Previous Publication or DuplicateSubmission

Submitted manuscripts are considered with the understandingthat they have not been published previously in print orelectronic format (except in abstract or poster form) and arenot under consideration in totality or in part by anotherpublication or electronic medium.

Basic Criteria

Articles should be written in English (using American Englishspelling) and meet the following basic criteria: the material isoriginal, the information is important, the writing is clear andconcise, the study methods are appropriate, the data are valid,and the conclusions are reasonable and supported by the data.

Categories of Articles

Review Articles
These should aim to provide the reader with a balancedoverview of an important and topical subject in the field, andshould be systematic and critical assessments of literatureand data sources. They should cover aspects of a topic inwhich scientific consensus exists as well as aspects that remaincontroversial and are the subject of ongoing scientific research.All articles and data sources reviewed should include informationabout the specific type of study or analysis, population,intervention, exposure, and tests or outcomes. All articles ordata sources should be selected systematically for inclusionin the review and critically evaluated. The text should notexceed 3500 words with no more than 100 references. By invitationonly, the format for review articles will be jointlydecided by the Editors and the contributing author.

Original Articles
These articles typically include randomized trials, interventionstudies, studies of screening and diagnostic tests, laboratoryand animal studies, cohort studies, cost-effectivenessanalyses, case-control studies, and surveys with high responserates, which represent new and significant contributions tothe field.

Section headings should be: Abstract, Introduction,Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgments (if applicable)and References.

The Introduction should provide a brief background tothe subject of the paper, explain the importance of the study,and state a precise study question or purpose.

The Methods section should describe the study designand methods (including the study setting and dates, patients/participants with inclusion and exclusion criteria, or datasources and how these were selected for the study, patientsamples or animal specimens used, explain the laboratorymethods followed), and state the statistical proceduresemployed in the research.

The Results section should comprise the study resultspresented in a logical sequence, supplemented by tables and/or figures. Take care that the text does not repeat data thatare presented in tables and/or figures. Only emphasize andsummarize the essential features of any interventions, themain outcome measures, and the main results.

The Discussion section should be used to emphasize thenew and important aspects of the study, placing the resultsin context with published literature, the implications of thefindings, and the conclusions that follow from the studyresults.

The text should not exceed 2500 words with no morethan 40 references.

Case Reports
These are short discussions of a case or case series withunique features not previously described that make animportant teaching point or scientific observation. They maydescribe novel techniques, novel use of equipment, or newinformation on diseases of importance. Section headingsshould be: Abstract, Introduction, Case Report, Discussion,Acknowledgments (if applicable) and References.

The Introduction should describe the purpose of thepresent report, the significance of the disease and its specificity,and briefly review the relevant literature.

The Case Report should include the general data of thecase, medical history, family history, chief complaint, presentillness, clinical manifestation, methods of diagnosis andtreatment, and outcome.

The Discussion should compare, analyze and discuss thesimilarities and differences between the reported case andsimilar cases reported in other published articles. The importanceor specificity of the case should be restated whendiscussing the differential diagnoses. Suggest the prognosisof the disease and possibility of prevention.

The text should not exceed 2000 words with no morethan 10 references.

Short Communications
These reports should be concise presentations of clinical orpreliminary experimental results. The abstract should notexceed 150 words. The text should not exceed 1200 words,with no more than four figures or tables and no more than10 references. The editors reserve the right to decide whatconstitutes a Short Communication.

Letters to the Editor
Letters are welcome in response to previously publishedarticles, and may also include interesting cases that do notmeet the requirement of being truly exceptional, and othercommunications of general interest. Letters should havea title and include appropriate references (no more than 5references), and include the author's mailing and e-mailaddresses. Letters are edited, sometimes extensively, to sharpentheir focus. They may be sent for peer review, at the discretionof the Editors. Letters are selected based on clarity, significance,and space. The text should not exceed 500 words.

Manuscript Preparation

Text should be typed double-spaced on one side of white A4(297 x 210 mm) paper, with outer margins of 2.5 cm. A manuscriptshould include a title page, abstract, text, references,acknowledgments, and figures and tables as appropriate.Each section of the manuscript should begin on a new page.Pages should be numbered consecutively, beginning with thetitle page.

Title Page

The title page should contain the following information(in order, from the top to bottom of the page):

• category of paper
• article title
• names (spelled out in full) of all authors*, and the institutionswith which they are affiliated
• running title not exceeding 50 characters
• corresponding author details (name, e-mail, mailingaddress, telephone and fax numbers)

Abstracts
Abstracts should be no more than 250 words in length.Abstracts for Original Articles should be structured, with thesection headings: Background/Purpose(s), Methods, Results,Conclusion. Abstracts for Case Reports are unstructured, butshould include the significance and purpose of the case presentation,the diagnostic methods of the case, the key data,and brief comments and suggestions with regard to the case.For all article categories, 3-5 relevant key words should alsobe provided in alphabetical order.

Main Text
The text for Original Articles should be organized in sectionsas follows: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.Sections for Case Reports are: Introduction, Case Report,and Discussion. Each section should begin on a new page.

Abbreviations
Where a term/definition will be continually referred to, it mustbe written in full when it first appears in the text, followed bythe subsequent abbreviation in parentheses. Thereafter, theabbreviation may be used. Restrict the number of abbreviationsto those that are absolutely necessary.

Units
Système International (SI) units must be used, with theexception of blood pressure values which are to be reportedin mmHg. Please use the metric system for the expression oflength, area, mass, and volume. Temperatures are to be givenin degrees Celsius.

Names of Drugs, Devices and Other Products
The generic term should be used, unless the specific tradename is directly relevant to the discussion.

Statistical Requirements
Statistical analysis is essential for all research papers exceptcase reports. Use correct nomenclature of statistical methods(e.g. two sample t test, not unpaired t test). All p values should bepresented to the third decimal place for accuracy, unless theyare less than 0.001. Descriptive statistics should follow thescales used in data description. Inferential statistics are important for interpreting results and should be describedin detail.

Acknowledgments
General acknowledgments for consultations, statistical analysis,etc., should be listed concisely at the end of the text,including the names of the individuals who were directlyinvolved. Consent should be obtained from those individualsbefore their names are listed in this section.

All financial and material support for the research andwork from internal or external agencies, including commercialcompanies, should be clearly and completely identified.Ensure that any conflicts of interest are explicitly declared.

References
In the Main Text, Tables, Figure Legends

• References should be identified using superscripted numbers,and numbered consecutively in order of appearancein the text and placed after punctuation.
• References cited in tables or figure legends should beincluded in sequence at the point where the table or figureis first mentioned in the main text.
• Do not cite uncompleted work or work that has notyet been accepted for publication (i.e. "unpublishedobservation", "personal communication") as references.
• Do not cite abstracts unless they are the only availablereference to an important concept.

• References should be limited to those cited in the text andlisted in numerical order, NOT alphabetical order.
• References should include, in order, author names, articletitle, journal name, year, volume and inclusive pagenumbers. The last names and initials of all the authors upto 6 should be included, but when authors number 7 ormore, list the first 6 authors only followed by "et al".
• Abbreviations for journal names should conform to thoseused in MEDLINE.
• If citing a website, provide the author information, articletitle, website address and the date you accessed theinformation.
• Reference to an article that is in press must state the journalname and, if possible, the year and volume.

Examples are given below.

Standard journal article
He W, Fang Z, Wang F, Wu K, Xu Y, Zhou H, et al.Galectin-9 significantly prolongs the survival of fullymismatched cardiac allografts in mice. Transplantation 2009;88:782-90.

Journal supplement
Kaplan NM. The endothelium as prognostic factor and therapeutictarget: what criteria should we apply? J CardiovascPharmacol 1998;32(Suppl 3):S78-80.

Journal article not in English but with English abstract
Kawai H, Ishikawa T, Moroi J, Hanyu N, Sawada M, Kobayashi N,et al. Elderly patient with cerebellar malignant astrocytoma.No Shinkei Geka 2008;36:799-805. [In Japanese, English abstract]

Book
Bradley EL. Medical and Surgical Management. Philadelphia:Saunders, 1982:72-95.

Book chapter in book with editor and edition
Greaves M, Culligan DJ. Blood and bone marrow. In:Underwood JCE, ed. General and Systematic Pathology, 4th ed.London: Churchill Livingstone, 2004:615-72.

Conference proceedings
Pacak K, Aguilera G, Sabban E, Kvetnansky R. ed. Stress: CurrentNeuroendocrine and Genetic Approaches. 8th Symposium onCatecholamines and Other Neurotransmitters in Stress,June 28-July 3, 2003, Smolenice Castle, Slovakia. New York:New York Academy of Sciences, 2004.

Thesis
Ayers AJ. Retention of Resin Restorations by Means of Enamel Etchingand by Pins. MSD thesis, Indiana University, Indianapolis, 1971.

Website
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.Wisdom Teeth. Rosemont, IL: AAOMS, 2008. Available at: http://www.aaoms.org/wisdom_teeth.php [Date accessed:November 15, 2008]

Company/manufacturer publication/pamphlet
Eastman Kodak Company, Eastman Organic Chemicals.Catalog No. 49. Rochester, NY: Eastman Kodak, 1977:2-3.

Tables
Tables should supplement, not duplicate, the text. Theyshould have a concise table heading, be self-explanatory, andnumbered consecutively in the order of their citation in thetext. Information requiring explanatory footnotes should bedenoted using superscript lowercase letters (a, b, c, etc.), withthe footnotes arranged alphabetically by the superscripts.Asterisks (*, **) are used only to indicate the probability levelof tests of significance. Abbreviations used in the table must be defined and placed after the footnotes. If you include a blockof data or table from another source, whether published orunpublished, you must acknowledge the original source.

Figures
The number of figures should be restricted to the minimumnecessary to support the textual material. They should havean informative figure legend and be numbered in the orderof their citation in the text. All symbols and abbreviationsshould be defined in the legend. Patient identification shouldbe obscured. All lettering should be done professionally andshould be in proportion to the drawing, graph or photograph.Photomicrographs must include an internal scale marker,the type of specimen, original magnification and stain.

Figures must be submitted as separate picture files (ex. TIF,JPG, etc.) at the correct resolution of a minimum of 600 dpi.The files should be named according to the figure numberand format, e.g. "Fig1.tif ", "Fig2.jpg".

The cost of color illustrations will be charged to theauthor.

The Editorial and Peer Review Process

As a general rule, the receipt of a manuscript will be acknowledgedwithin 2 weeks of submission, and authors will beprovided with a manuscript reference number for futurecorrespondence. If such an acknowledgment is not receivedin a reasonable period of time, the author should contact theEditorial Office.

Manuscripts are reviewed by the Editorial Office to ensurethat the submission contains all parts. The Editorial Officewill not accept a submission if the author has not suppliedall parts of the manuscript as outlined in this document.

Manuscripts are then forwarded to the Editor-in-Chief,who makes an initial assessment of it. If the manuscript doesnot appear to be of sufficient merit or is not appropriate forthe Journal, then the manuscript will be rejected withoutreview. Rejected manuscripts will not be returned to authorsunless requested.

Manuscripts that appear meritorious and appropriatefor the Journal are reviewed by at least two Editorial Boardmembers or expert consultants assigned by the Editor-in-Chief. Authors will usually be notified within 10 weeks ofwhether the submitted article is accepted for publication,rejected, or subject to revision before acceptance. However,do note that delays are sometimes unavoidable.

Preparation for Publication

Once a manuscript has been accepted for publication, theauthors should submit the final version of their manuscriptthrough Elsevier's online submission system-EES.

Accepted manuscripts are copyedited according to thejournal's style and the galley proofs in the form of a PDF fileare e-mailed by the Publisher to the corresponding authorfor final approval. Authors are responsible for all statementsmade in their work, including changes made by the copyeditor.

Publication Charges and Reprints

The journal will bear the cost of publication for articles of7 printed pages or less for Original Articles, and 5 printedpages or less for Case Reports and Short Communications.Authors will be charged for the cost of extra pages at US$150/page. Authors will also be charged US$75/illustration, figureor table that is in color. For manuscripts that require extensiveEnglish editing, authors will be charged for the correction ofEnglish grammar at US$20/page.

Authors receive 20 stapled offprints of their articles freeof charge, which will be sent by the Editorial Office to thecorresponding author. Additional professional reprints (whichinclude a cover page for the article) may be ordered at pricesbased on the cost of production. A reprint order form is available here.

Copyright

Published manuscripts become the permanent property ofThe Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection and maynot be published elsewhere in any form without writtenpermission.