Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine

Editor-in-Chief
Lajos P. Balogh, PhD
Boston, MA
baloghl@prodigy.net

Managing Editor
Alice Landwehr
Tucson, Arizona
nanomedicine@cox.net

Publisher
Kate Williamson
Elsevier Inc.
1600 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 1800
Philadelphia, PA 19103
k.williamson@elsevier.com

Submission fee: Beginning April 1, 2012, Nanomedicine: NBM will require a $100 nonrefundable submission fee for communications, original articles, scientific reviews, and case studies. Payment must be made through Submission Start. Exempt from this submission fee are manuscripts in which the corresponding author is an editorial board members or one of the Journal's top reviewers (those who have completed 5 or more reviews in 2011). In recent years, the number of manuscripts submitted each year has more than doubled, leading to a significant increase in the expenses related to the peer review process; the submission fee will help to offset a small portion of these expenses. This administrative fee is non-refundable. Please note that this fee does not guarantee a favorable review. Also, please be aware that the editors may opt to decline to review certain papers that they feel are not right for the journal, but submission fees cannot be refunded in these cases.

ONLINE SUBMISSION SITE: http://ees.elsevier.com/nano/

Aims and Scope of the Journal

The mission of Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine (Nanomedicine: NBM) is to promote the emerging interdisciplinary field of nanomedicine.

The scope of the journal is publishing research related to nanoscience and nanotechnology in medicine and in the life sciences, with a special emphasis on theoretical, preclinical, and clinical studies addressing diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, prediction, and prevention of diseases.

Preferred topics include mechanistic insight into how nanoparticles influence cellular and sub-cellular mechanisms; improve imaging, diagnostics, and therapeutics; bioavailability, and toxicological assessment of nanomedicines; interactions of nanomaterials and nanodevices with cells, tissues, and living organisms; targeted delivery, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of nanomedicines; regenerative medicine; translational models for nanomedicine research, case studies, and clinical trials.

Article formats include Communications, Original Articles, Reviews, Perspectives, Technical and Commercialization Notes, Case Studies, and Letters to the Editor. Detailed description of these categories can be found in the Author Information section.

The journal website ( http://www.nanomedjournal.com) also presents important nanomedicine-related information, such as future meetings, meeting summaries, funding opportunities, societal subjects, public health, point of care monitoring, nutrition, and ethical issues of nanomedicine.

General Policies and Instructions for Authors

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1) The manuscript must be of INTERDISCIPLINARY nature, representing the overlapping fields of biology, and medicine with nanotechnology.

2) NOVELTY is of primary importance. The results presented must significantly advance the field and improve scientific knowledge. Manuscripts with similar approaches that have already been undertaken by other groups should be submitted to appropriate journals.

3) SIGNIFICANCE: Accounts of research must appeal to a broad readership. In the cover letter, authors should provide a paragraph explaining how the work differs from the knowledge available in the literature and describe how it improves or has the potential to improve medicine.

Experimental studies must include at least in vitro results, although in vivo is preferred. Accordingly, synthesis and characterization of nanotechnology-based medicines (i.e., substances that promote healing) must accompany bioavailability and toxicity data and their comprehensive evaluation.

Manuscripts that do not satisfy these general requirements will not be sent out for peer review and will be returned to the authors.

Authors should provide in the manuscript only information essential for the discussion of results, and utilize the Supporting Materials file to provide all experimental details and other non-essential but useful information.

Article Types

COMMUNICATIONS: Communications are to disseminate new observations quickly to the scientific community. Length of communications should not exceed 1,200 words (including body text, and figure legends), and the article should have no more than 4 figures. No more than 20 references should be cited. Upon acceptance, Communications enjoy priority in publishing and are entered into the next available issue.

ORIGINAL ARTICLES: Full-length articles describe a full account about hypothesis-based research or theory in nanomedicine. Length should not exceed 5,000 words (including body text, and figure legends), and the article should have no more than 6 figures in the main article. No more than 50 references should be cited. The body text should include the four separate headings: Background, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Use of supplementary materials is recommended for detailed descriptions (see below).

REVIEWS: Critical reviews of selected important topics in nanomedicine research are solicited from opinion leaders. Authors wishing to submit an unsolicited review should send the topic and title of the planned review along with names of authors and a brief, 250-word synopsis to nanomedicine@cox.net for pre-submission approval by the Editor-in-Chief. Length should not exceed 10,000 words (including body text, and figure legends), and the article should have no more than 15 figures. No more than 150 references should be cited in the review; additional references should be moved to the supplementary file(s).

PERSPECTIVES IN NANOMEDICINE: Invited articles or brief editorial comments that represent opinions of recognized leaders in nanomedicine research and are written for the general scientific readership. Length should not exceed 3,000 words (including body text, and figure legends).

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: LLetters to the Editor serves the purpose to comment on research published in Nanomedicine: NBM, including critical issues. Letters may not exceed 500 words with maximum 10 references, one illustration, and one table.

TECHNICAL AND COMMERCIALIZATION NOTES: Information regarding new technologies, business issues, commercialization of new products in the field, including intellectual property and patenting, nanotechnology law, etc. Length of technical notes should not exceed 1,500 words (including body text, and figure legends), 4 figures, and 10 references.

CASE STUDIES: These articles are descriptive or explanatory reports on actual clinical events based on an in-depth investigation of a single patient or small group of individuals, related to nanoparticles, nanostructures, or use of nanomedicines in real-life context. Length of case studies should not exceed 3,500 words (including body text, and figure legends) with a maximum of 6 figures and 20 references. Case studies enjoy priority in publishing.

Manuscripts should contain only information that is essential for the discussion of results. Authors are encouraged to utilize the supporting information file(s) to describe all experimental details and non-essential but useful information. There are no limitations for length, figures, and references in Supplementary Material (see below).

Meeting Announcements and Meeting Summaries may be published on the Journal website under a different heading and without typesetting.

The Journal may provide templates for material that will not receive typesetting. For questions, please contact Kate Williamson at k.williamson@elsevier.com.

Peer Review

All manuscripts will be first evaluated for completeness and adherence to submission guidelines, assessed by the editors, and may then undergo a peer-review process. Provisional or final acceptance is based on scope, originality, scientific accuracy, relevance, clarity, and topical balance of the Journal. Decisions will be communicated to the corresponding author by e-mail.

Editorial Decisions:
ACCEPT: The manuscript is accepted for publication and is sent to production.

REVISE: Authors are expected to address the concerns of the Editor and the reviewers in a constructive way. A request to submit a revised manuscript does not guarantee its acceptance, only that it will be reconsidered by the same editor. Revised manuscripts should be submitted by or before the deadline specified in the letter; authors may request an extension to the deadline if needed.

REJECT WITH HOPE: The manuscript is promising, but it requires significant modifications and/or additional experimental work. Authors can decide whether to submit a new version of the topic to the journal; the new version cannot be resubmitted earlier than 60 days from the day of the decision, but otherwise there is no deadline for submission.

REJECT/REJECT OF REVISION: Manuscripts may be rejected based on an internal editorial review if the manuscript is outside the scope of the Journal or if the manuscript did not achieve a sufficient score to be sent to external reviewers. Manuscripts with REJECT decisions will not be reconsidered and should not be resubmitted to the Journal. Generally, these manuscripts are recommended for submission elsewhere.

Conflict of Interest

Authors are required to acknowledge all funding sources that supported their work as well as all institutional or corporate affiliations of the authors. Each submission must also include a publishable statement on the title page disclosing any commercial associations, current and within the past five years, that might pose a potential, perceived, or real conflict of interest. These include grants, patent licensing arrangements, consultancies, stock or other equity ownership, advisory board memberships, or payments for conducting or publicizing the study.

When no competing interests are present, include a statement on the title page.

The editor asks each reviewer to disclose any competing interests or to recuse oneself if a competing interest might interfere with one's objectivity. For more information, please see Elsevier's Conflict of Interest and Disclosure policies.

Ethical Considerations

Nanomedicine: NBM considers research and publication misconduct to be a serious breach of ethics, and will take such actions as necessary to address such misconduct. Authors should refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics ( COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors for full information. Authors are also encouraged to visit Elsevier's Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication.

Plagiarism and duplicate submission are serious acts of misconduct. Plagiarism is defined as unreferenced use of published or unauthorized use of unpublished ideas, and may occur at any stage of planning, researching, writing, or publication. Plagiarism takes many forms, from 'passing off' another's paper as the author's own paper, to copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another paper (without attribution), to claiming results from research conducted by others. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. Duplicate submission/publication occurs when two or more papers, without full cross-reference, share the same hypothesis, data, discussion points, or conclusions.

Authorship

The corresponding author must certify that all listed authors meet the Authorship and Contributorship criteria of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors detailed at http://www.icmje.org/ethical_1author.html, according to which each participant:
1) made substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data;
2) drafted the article or revised it critically for important intellectual content; and
3) gives approval of the submitted manuscript and subsequent versions.

All authors of a submitted manuscript must sign a form declaring that they meet the above criteria for authorship, approve the most recent submitted version of the manuscript, and take full responsibility for the manuscript. This form will be provided to the corresponding author when the Editors reach a decision that the manuscript may be potentially publishable. Those who do not meet all the criteria for authorship may be listed in the Acknowledgments.

NIH Public Access Policy Compliance

To comply with the NIH Public Access Policy, Elsevier will deposit to PubMed Central (PMC) author manuscripts on behalf of authors reporting NIH funded research. The NIH policy requires that NIH-funded authors submit to PubMed Central (PMC), or have submitted on their behalf, their peer-reviewed author manuscripts, to appear on PMC no later than 12 months after final publication. Elsevier will send to PMC the final peer-reviewed manuscript, which was accepted for publication and sent to Elsevier's production department, and that reflects any author-agreed changes made in response to peer-review comments. Elsevier will authorize the author manuscript's public access posting 12 months after final publication. Following the deposit by Elsevier, authors will receive further communications from the NIH with respect to the submission.

Note: Authors must declare their NIH funding (or the other funding bodies listed below) when completing the copyright transfer form.

Other Funding Body Policies

Elsevier has also worked with the following funding bodies to ensure that our authors can comply with their policies:

- Arthritis Research Campaign (UK)
- British Heart Foundation (UK)
- Cancer Research (UK)
- Chief Scientist Office
- Department of Health (UK)
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
- Medical Research Council (UK)
- Wellcome Trust (UK)

For full details on how these policies are implemented, please see complete information at: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorsview.authors/fundingbodyagreements

Sponsored Articles
Nanomedicine: NBM offers authors the option to sponsor non-subscriber access to their articles on Elsevier's electronic publishing platforms. For more information please view our Sponsored Articles page.

Requirements for Studies Involving Live Human or Animal Subjects

For studies that involved human or animal research, indicate approval by the institution's human or animal subject review committee in the Methods section of the manuscript. Include an additional statement of the humane care of the animals with animal studies and a statement of informed consent or exempt classification by the IRB with human studies.

Submission of Manuscripts

Manuscripts must be submitted through the Nanomedicine: NBM online submission and review Web site ( http://ees.elsevier.com/nano). All manuscripts submitted to the Journal must be original and must not have been previously published elsewhere or currently under consideration by another publication. In an accompanying letter, authors should state that the manuscript, or any part of it, is not and will not be submitted elsewhere for publication while under consideration by Nanomedicine: NBM. Authors should also suggest the names and contact information of three potential reviewers for the manuscript..

Manuscript Preparation

Submission items include a cover letter, a list of suggested reviewers, text for the graphical abstract, image for the graphical abstract, the manuscript (including title page, abstract, manuscript text [divided into Background, Methods, Results, and Discussion for Original Articles], references, and figure legends), tables, and figures. Authors are advised to upload Supplementary Material and permission(s) (see below) if needed. Revised manuscripts should also be accompanied by a unique file (separate from the cover letter) with responses to reviewers' comments.

The preferred order of files is as follows: cover letter, suggested reviewers, response to reviews (revised manuscripts only), graphical abstract files, manuscript file, table(s), figure(s), supplementary material, permission(s), if needed. Files should be labeled with appropriate and descriptive file names (e.g., SmithManuscript.doc, Figure1.eps, Table3.doc, Supplementary.pdf). Upload text, tables, and figures as separate files. Do not embed figures or tables into the text document. Please do not upload your text as a PDF, but do upload text-based Supplementary Materials as a PDF.

The manuscript file must be typed, double-spaced, and assembled in this order: title page, abstract, text, acknowledgments, if any, references, figure legends. Leave 1-inch margins on all sides. All manuscripts must conform to "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" ( http://www.icmje.org).

PERMISSIONS: If any material has been published previously (figure, tables, etc), provide written permission from the copyright holder to use such material. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission and payment of any fees associated with reuse.

TITLE PAGE: The title page should contain these elements: full title, all authors' names, academic degrees, and affiliations; short title (not to exceed 50 characters, including spaces); name and complete address for corresponding author and address for reprints if different from correspondence; fax and telephone number and e-mail address; conflict of interest statement if applicable; all sources of support for research; word count for abstract; complete manuscript word count (including body text and figure legends, but excluding abstract, title page, and references), and number of figures/tables. There is no length limit on Supplementary Material. Manuscripts with over-the-limit word counts will be returned to the authors without further review.

TITLE: A title should describe the article's content clearly and precisely and allow the reader to decide whether it would be appropriate to consult the article further. The title is the advertisement for the article; a poorly titled article may never reach its target audience, so be specific. Omit unnecessary words such as "A study of," "Investigations of," "Observations on," etc. Do not use abbreviations, jargon, and avoid overinflated, bombastic titles. Indexing and abstracting services depend on the accuracy of the title and extract keywords from it that are used in cross-referencing.

ABSTRACT: The abstract should not exceed 150 words and should summarize the content of the article. Insert 3 to 5 key words after the abstract.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACTS: Authors are required to submit a graphical abstract for their article containing one image and a short textual piece; both should briefly summarize the essence of the paper in a concise form designed to capture the attention of a wide readership and for compilation of databases. Graphical abstracts should be included as a separate file.

The image should present the key points of the paper in a concise, pictorial form designed to seize the attention of readers. Please submit one image (in .tif or .eps format). The text component should be ~50-100 words in .doc format, and it should not be the same as the abstract in the manuscript. If a figure in the manuscript is used as the graphical abstract image, please note this at the end of the abstract (i.e.: Graphical Abstract: Figure 2), and refer to the system's instructions for uploading.

Examples of successful graphical abstract images and a link to Graphical Abstract Polishing can be found at http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorsview.authors/graphicalabstracts; see also a recent issue of the Journal, particularly Example 1 { http://nanomedjournal.com/article/PIIS1549963411002607/abstract}, Example 2 { http://www.nanomedjournal.com/article/S1549-9634%2811%2900371-6/abstract}, Example 3 { http://www.nanomedjournal.com/article/S1549-9634%2811%2900098-0/abstract}.

TEXT: For Communications and Original Articles, the text should include the headings Background, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Only essential data and descriptions should be provided in the Methods and Results. All experimental details including synthetic and analytical procedures must be provided as SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS (see details below). All pages must be numbered. Abbreviations must be parenthetically notated at first mention in the text. Each table and figure must be mentioned in the text. Reports of studies on humans and animals must indicate that each study has been approved by an institutional review committee and the procedures followed are in accordance with institutional guidelines. Provide generic rather than trademarked names of drugs.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The acknowledgments section recognizes substantive contributions of individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship (see below). The Editorial Office must receive written, signed consent from each person recognized in the acknowledgments to be mentioned in the article because acknowledgment can imply endorsement of data and conclusions. (See this sample of an Acknowledgement.) Upload each permission separately in the online system. Do not include statements of funding, conflicts, or other disclosures in the Acknowledgments; these must appear on the title page.

REFERENCES: If using EndNote software, the journal reference style is Embellished Vancouver (Style 3a). Reference format should conform to the examples shown below, and journal abbreviations should conform to the style used in the Cumulated Index Medicus . Cite references in numeric order according to the first mention in the text. Accuracy of reference data is the responsibility of the author. Verify all references against original sources. "In press" citations must have been accepted for publication and the name of the journal or book publisher must be included. The style of citation should be as follows:

Journals: authors' last names and initials; title of article; journal name; date; volume number, and inclusive pages (list all authors when six or fewer; when seven or more, list six and add et al):
1. Graeber GM, Gupta NC, Murray GF. Positron emission tomographic imaging with fluorodeoxyglucose is efficacious in evaluating malignant pulmonary disease. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999;117:719-27.
2. Lytle BW, Blackstone EH, Loop FD, Houghtaling PL, Arnold JH, Akhrass R, et al. Two internal thoracic artery grafts are better than one. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999;117:855-72.

Books: authors' last names and initials; chapter title, editor's name, book title, edition, city, publisher, date, and pages:
1. Mollnes TE. Analysis of in vivo complement activation: In: Herzenberg LA, Weir DM, Herzenberg LA, Blackwell C, editors. Weir's handbook of experimental immunology. Volume 78, 5th ed. Boston: Blackwell Science; 1997, p. 1-8.

Unpublished data and personal communications should be cited only in the text, not as a numbered reference. Authors wishing to cite unpublished material must have a letter of permission from the originator of the communication to do so. This letter should be submitted with the manuscript.

FIGURES: Figures must be of professional quality. When possible, please use first-generation artwork. Figures must be submitted in electronic figure file format:.tif, .eps, or .jpg format. Figures may be black and white line art, graphs, halftones (photographs), or color. Line art (black lines on a white background) must have a minimum resolution of 1,000 ppi. Combination line art (eg, line art with gray fill patterns) must be created at 500 ppi. Black and white or color photographs must have a minimum resolution of 300 ppi.

Illustrations should be saved at the recommended resolution setting and sized as close to a column width (3 to 4 inches) as possible. Create figures in scale with each other to the extent possible. Avoid background gridlines and other formatting that do not convey information (eg, superfluous use of 3-dimensional formatting, background shadings). Use uniform lettering and sizing of all original artwork. As a general rule the lettering on the artwork should have a finished, printed size of 7 points. Smaller lettering will yield barely legible text. Recommended font choices include Arial, Helvetica, or Symbol. Labeling of multipart figures (eg, A, B, C...) should use capital letters only and should be done consistently, preferably using uppercase type (Arial, Helvetica or Universe, 11 or 12 points) in the lower-right corner of the figure. Avoid headings on the figure when possible. Additional information on preparation of electronic artwork can be found in the Artwork Instructions available at http://www.elsevier.com/authors For best results, please follow these guidelines carefully. There is no charge for publication of color illustrations.

TABLES: Table numbers should be Arabic, followed by a period and a brief title. Upload each table as a separate file. Use same type size as in text where possible. Supply a brief heading for each column. Do not use vertical lines between columns. Use horizontal lines above and below the column headings and at the bottom of the table only. Use extra space to delineate sections within the table. Abbreviations used in the table must be defined in a footnote to the table. Indicate footnotes in this order: .

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS: Nanomedicine: NBM accepts supplementary data files to accompany the online article, allowing authors to support and enhance their papers. Supplementary materials may include experimental details, additional images, background datasets, video clips, etc. Experiments should be described in such detail that someone trained in the art could repeat the experiment or measurement. Please provide text-based data as a separate PDF file when submitting your manuscript. All supplementary materials are subject to peer review but will not be edited by Nanomedicine: NBM and will be posted as provided by the authors. There are no limitations for length, figures, and references in Supporting Materials.

VIDEOS: Authors are encouraged to submit videos that give readers a fuller understanding of the article. Supplementary movies or animation files that supplement a submitted article should be provided in one of the following preferred formats: .mpg, .mov, .avi, or .gif. All videos are subject to peer review. For more details, please visit http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorsview.authors/movies_animations.

Within a week of acceptance, articles will be available on the journal website www.nanomedjournal.com and ScienceDirect as Articles in Press, and will be indexed in PubMed/MEDLINE. Articles will then be copyedited and typeset, then compiled into issues available on the websites.

MEETING INFORMATION (announcements regarding upcoming nanomedicine conferences) and
MEETING SUMMARIES will be posted on www.nanomedjournal.com separately from the scientific contents of the Journal.

OTHER RESOURCES FOR AUTHORS
How to Get Published: downloadable guide at
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authors.authors/authorpacks
How to Write a Scientific Article:
http://www.elsevier.com/framework_authors/pdfs/2_How_to_write_a_scientific_article_Author_Pack.pdf

OFFPRINTS: Offprint order forms will be sent to authors before articles are published. Reprints in quantity must be purchased from the Publisher.



Updated March 2012



Notice No responsibility is assumed by the Publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. Because of rapid advances in the medical sciences, in particular, independent verification of diagnoses and drug dosages should be made. Although all advertising material is expected to conform to ethical (medical) standards, inclusion in this publication does not constitute a guarantee or endorsement of the quality or value of such product or of the claims made of it by its manufacturer.