An Official Journal of the American College of Cardiology



JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging publishes research articles on current and future clinical applications of noninvasive and invasive imaging techniques including echocardiography, CT, CMR, nuclear, angiography, and other novel techniques. JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging also publishes manuscripts related to basic science and molecular imaging with potential clinical applicability. It provides a forum for encouraging a lively and vigorous debate on all aspects of imaging, including imaging algorithms and the hierarchy of various imaging modalities.

All manuscripts should be submitted online at http://www.jaccsubmit-imaging.org . Manuscript submissions should conform to the guidelines set forth in the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication" available from http://www.ICMJE.org and most recently updated in February 2006.

English language help service: Upon request, Elsevier will direct authors to an agent who can check and improve the English language of their paper before submission. Please contactauthorsupport@elsevier.com for further information.

AUTHOR ENQUIRIES

For pre-submission queries and enquiries relating to articles currently being reviewed, please contact the JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging editorial office at jaccimg@acc.org. For information on articles that have been accepted for publication, please visit Elsevier's Authors Home at www.elsevier.com/authors. Elsevier's Authors Home also provides the facility to track accepted articles and set up e-mail alerts to inform you of when an article's status has changed, as well as detailed artwork guidelines, copyright information, frequently asked questions, and more. Authors can order copies of the issue in which their article appears at a discounted rate; please contact Elsevier Health ScienceS Division, Subscription Customer Service, 3251 Riverport Lane, Maryland Heights, MO 63043, Tel: 1-800-654-2452; E-mail: journalscustomerservice-usa@elsevier.com.

EXCLUSIVE SUBMISSION/PUBLICATION POLICY

The manuscripts are accepted for review only with clear understanding that they are not under consideration elsewhere and that the data presented have not appeared on the Internet or have not been previously published (including symposia, proceedings, transactions, books, articles published by invitation, and preliminary publications of any kind except abstracts not exceeding 400 words). Upon acceptance, written transfer of copyright to the American College of Cardiology Foundation, signed by all authors, is required. Elsevier Inc. maintains copyright records for the College.

PERMISSIONS

No part of materials published in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Permission may be sought directly from Elsevier's Global Rights Department. Phone: 215-239-3804 or 44-1865-843-830. Fax: 44-1865-853-333. E-mail: healthpermissions@elsevier.com. Requests may also be completed online via the Elsevier home page ( http://www.elsevier.com/permissions).

CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

The Editors require authors to disclose any financial associations that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article in both the cover letter and on the title page. All sources of funding for the work should be acknowledged in a footnote on the title page, as should all institutional affiliations of the authors (including corporate appointments). Other kinds of associations, such as consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interests or patent-licensing arrangements, should be disclosed to the Editors in the cover letter at the time of submission. If no conflict of interest exists, please state this in the cover letter and on the title page. Conflict of interest guidelines apply to authors of all submissions, including: Original Research Papers, Reviews, Images, Editorial Comments, News and Views, etc.

ETHICS

Studies should be in compliance with human studies committees and animal welfare regulations of the authors' institutions and Food and Drug Administration guidelines.

Human studies must be performed with the subjects' written informed consent. Authors must provide the details of this procedure and indicate that the institutional committee on human research has approved the study protocol. If radiation is used in a research procedure, the radiation exposure must be specified in the Methods.

Studies on patients or volunteers require ethics committee approval and informed consent which should be documented in your paper. Patients have a right to privacy. Therefore identifying information, including patients' images, names, initials, or hospital numbers, should not be included in videos, recordings, written descriptions, photographs, and pedigrees unless the information is essential for scientific purposes and you have obtained written informed consent for publication in print and electronic form from the patient (or parent, guardian or next of kin where applicable). If such consent is made subject to any conditions, the editorial office must be made aware of all such conditions. Written consents must be provided to the editorial office on request. Even where consent has been given, identifying details should be omitted if they are not essential. If identifying characteristics are altered to protect anonymity, such as in genetic pedigrees, authors should provide assurance that alterations do not distort scientific meaning and editors should so note. If such consent has not been obtained, personal details of patients included in any part of the paper and in any supplementary materials (including all illustrations and videos) must be removed before submission.

Animal investigation must conform to the "Position of the American Heart Association on Research Animal Use," adopted by the AHA on November 11, 1984. If equivalent guidelines are used, they should be indicated. The AHA position includes: 1) animal care and use by qualified individuals, supervised by veterinarians, and all facilities and transportation must comply with current legal requirements and guidelines; 2) research involving animals should be done only when alternative methods to yield needed information are not possible; 3) anesthesia must be used in all surgical interventions, all unnecessary suffering should be avoided and research must be terminated if unnecessary pain or fear results; and 4) animal facilities must meet the standards of the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC).

AUTHORSHIP/COVER LETTER

Each author should have contributed significantly to the submitted work. If there are more than 4 authors, the contribution of each should be substantiated in the cover letter. If authorship is attributed to a group (either solely or in addition to 1 or more individual authors), all members of the group should meet the full criteria and requirements for authorship. To save space, if group members have been listed in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, the article should be referenced rather than reprinting the list. The Editors consider authorship to include all of the following: 1) conception and design or analysis and interpretation of data, or both; 2) drafting of the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and 3) final approval of the manuscript submitted. Participation solely in the collection of data does not justify authorship but may be appropriately acknowledged in the Acknowledgment section.

Manuscripts should be submitted with a cover letter stating: 1) the paper is not under consideration elsewhere; 2) none of the paper's contents have been previously published; 3) all authors have read and approved the manuscript; and 4) the full disclosure of any potential conflict of interest (see "Conflict of Interest Policy"). Exceptions must be explained. If there is no conflict of interest, this should also be stated in the cover letter.

The corresponding author should be specified in the cover letter, who will receive all editorial communications. The Editorial Office will contact the corresponding author for submission queries.

A short paragraph telling the editors why the authors think their paper merits publication priority may be included in the cover letter. Potential reviewers may be suggested in the cover letter, as well as reviewers to avoid.

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION OF ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPERS

Because of the printed page limitations, the Editors require that manuscripts not exceed 4,500 words (including references and figure legends). Note that if you are asked to revise your paper an alternate word limit may be specified by the Editors. An outcomes expert/associate editor will review such manuscripts after provisional acceptance. If needed, the Editors will work with the authors in revising the manuscript to highlight the important features of the manuscript. Illustrations and tables should be limited to those necessary to highlight key data. Please provide gender-specific data, when appropriate, in describing outcomes of epidemiologic analyses or clinical trials; or specifically state that no gender-based differences were present. Basic science or experimental studies should have potential clinical applicability. We would prefer manuscripts that offer an algorithmic approach to the use of diagnostic modalities for the best cost-effective use in clinical medicine.

The manuscript should be arranged as follows: 1) title page; 2) structured abstract and key words; 3) condensed abstract; 4) abbreviations list; 5) text; 6) acknowledgments (if applicable); 7) references; 8) figure titles and legends; and 9) tables. Page numbering should begin with the title page.

iReviews (From Pictures to Practice Paradigms). Editors will invite reviews on integrated cardiovascular imaging and multi-modality imaging in an attempt to provide the best practice guidelines for general cardiologists. The Editors welcome your suggestions for such reviews and the role that you may like to play. Imaging reviews must adhere to preferred length guidelines and would be accompanied by an unstructured abstract.

iPix (Imaging Vignette). Clinical or basic science images including studies in motion that illustrate important classic or novel findings, provide insight into basic mechanisms responsible for cardiovascular disease, emphasize various facets of an abnormality, or clarify a new therapy, will be considered for this section. A collage of 10 to 20 images should be provided. Text should consist of a title page, an introduction of 150 words, a long figure legend of approximately 300 words, and—only if absolutely necessary—up to 3 references. Movie clips should be submitted in any of the standard formats (see "Video Requirements"). Though often presented within the context of a case, the images in this section are not intended as a vehicle for case reports.

Editorial Comments and Editorial Viewpoints. Up to 5 manuscripts in every issue will be accompanied by editorial comments. Of these, 2–3 manuscripts may carry a dynamic editorial, comprised of an online 5-min discussion between the authors, editorialist, and the Editor, recorded through Cardiosource Video Network (CVN).

Although usually invited, succinct opinion pieces will also be considered for JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

iStory (Historical Perspective). Manuscripts for this category are invited by the Editors. These manuscripts include brief contributions of the historical innovations that have made a landmark impact on the field of cardiovascular imaging. This feature may also offer insights into where the field is going.

iBiz (Business and Advocacy). Manuscripts for this category are invited by the Editors. They are brief write-ups on the business of imaging, advocacy, reimbursement, legislation, and policy matters related to cardiovascular imaging.

iMnemonics (Imaging for Fellows). The mnemonics will provide important imaging parameters that cardiology fellows need to remember. These manuscripts will carry actual diagrams and schematic figures with approximately 800 words of text, and maximum 5 references. Although the Editors will invite these manuscripts, suggestions are welcome from readers.

iForum (News and Views). Important news features, which may have significant bearing on cardiovascular imaging, will be published. Since papers go to press almost 3 months before the Journal is published, a conventional news column (as is often published in weekly journals) is not likely to work. Therefore, the Editors will identify a topical subject and bring it to readers in concert with Cardiosource. The Journal will then carry expert opinions from 2 luminaries on the impact of the news from 2 different vantage points on the issue. The news piece will be provided by the Editors and expert opinions will be invited.

Letters to the Editor. A limited number of letters will be published online. They should not exceed 500 words and should focus on a specific article that has appeared in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging. Please include the cited article as a reference. If needed, replies to the letter will be solicited by the Editors from the authors. These letters may be posted in an online forum. After a certain amount of time has passed, the Editors may no longer accept letters for a particular article.

MANUSCRIPT CONTENT

Title Page
Include the title, authors' names (including full first name and middle initial and degrees), total word count, and a brief title of no more than 45 characters. List the departments and institutions with which the authors are affiliated, and indicate the specific affiliations if the work is generated from more than one institution (use the footnote symbols given under "Tables"). Also provide information on grants, contracts, and other forms of financial support, and list the cities and states of all foundations, funds, and institutions involved in the work. Include any potential conflicts of interest (see "Conflict of Interest Policy"). If there are no conflicts of interest, this should be stated. Under the heading "Address for correspondence," give the full name and complete postal address of the author to whom communications, printer's proofs, and reprint requests should be sent. Also provide telephone and fax numbers and an email address.

Structured Abstract
Provide a structured abstract of 300 words, presenting essential data in 5 paragraphs introduced by separate headings in the following order: Objectives, Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. Use complete sentences. All data in the abstract should also appear in the manuscript text or tables. For general information on preparing structured abstracts, please refer to Haynes RB, et al. More informative abstracts revisited. Ann Intern Med 1990;113:69-76. A 200-word unstructured abstract is appropriate for review articles.

Condensed Abstract
Provide a condensed abstract of 100 words, stressing clinical implications, for the expanded table of contents.

Text
The text should be structured as Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Use headings and subheadings in the Methods, Results, and Discussion sections. Every reference, figure, and table should be cited in the text according to order of mention.

The abbreviations of common terms (e.g., ECG, PTCA, CABG) or acronyms (GUSTO, SOLVD, TIMI) may be used in the manuscript. On a separate page following the condensed abstract, list the selected abbreviations and their definitions (e.g., TEE = transesophageal echocardiography). The Editors may determine which lesser known terms should not be abbreviated. Please consult "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication," available from http://www.ICMJE.org and most recently updated in February 2006, for appropriate use of units of measure.

Statistics
All publishable manuscripts will be reviewed for appropriateness and accuracy of statistical methods and statistical interpretation of results. We subscribe to the statistics section of the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication," available from http://www.ICMJE.org and most recently updated in February 2006. In the Methods sections, provide a subsection detailing the statistical methods, including specific methods used to summarize the data, methods used for hypothesis testing (if any) and the level of significance used for hypothesis testing. When using statistical methods beyond t tests, chi-square, and simple linear regression, specify the statistical package, version number, and non-default options used. For more information on statistical review, see "Glantz SA. It is all in the numbers. J Am Coll Cardiol 1993;21:835-7." All manuscripts are reviewed by the outcomes editor as well.

Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments or appendices must contain 100 words or less. Anything exceeding this limit will appear in the online version only. Letters of permission from all individuals listed in the acknowledgments are the responsibility of the corresponding author.

References

Identify references in the text by Arabic numerals in parentheses on the line. The reference list should be typed double-spaced on pages separate from the text. The references should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are mentioned in the text.

Do not cite personal communications, manuscripts in preparation, or other unpublished data in the references; however, these may be included in the text in parentheses. Do not cite abstracts that are older than 2 years. Identify abstracts by the abbreviation "abstr" in parentheses. If letters to the editor are cited, identify them with the word "letter" in parentheses.

Use Index Medicus (National Library of Medicine) abbreviations for journal titles. It is important to note that when citing an article from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Imaging, the correct citation format is J Am Coll Cardiol Img.

Use the following style and punctuation for references:

Periodical
List all authors if 6 or fewer, otherwise list the first 3 and add et al.; do not use periods after the authors' initials. Please do provide inclusive page numbers as in example below.

5. Glantz SA. It is all in the numbers. J Am Coll Cardiol 1993; 21:835-7.

Chapter in book
Provide authors, chapter title, editor(s), book title, publisher location, publisher name, year, and inclusive page numbers.

27. Meidell RS, Gerard RD, Sambrook JF. Molecular biology of thrombolytic agents. In: Roberts R, editor. Molecular Basis of Cardiology. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1993:295-324.

Book (personal author or authors)
Provide a specific (not inclusive) page number.

23. Cohn PF. Silent Myocardial Ischemia and Infarction. 3rd edition. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker, 1993:33.

Online media
Provide specific URL address and date information was accessed.

10. Henkel J. Testicular Cancer: Survival High With Early Treatment. FDA Consumer magazine [serial online]. January-February 1996. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/196_test.html. Accessed August 31, 1998.

Material presented at a meeting but not published
Provide authors, presentation title, full meeting title, meeting dates, and meeting location.

20. Eisenberg J. Market forces and physician workforce reform: why they may not work. Paper presented at: Annual Meeting of the Association of Medical Colleges; October 28, 1995; Washington, DC.

Figure Legends

Figure legends should be typed double-spaced on pages separate from the text; figure numbers should correspond with the order in which they are mentioned in the text. The figure legends should provide an in-depth explanation of each figure, including a figure caption, the purpose of the figure, and brief method, results, and discussion statements pertaining to the figure. All abbreviations used in the figure should be identified either after their first mention in the legend or in alphabetical order at the end of each legend. All symbols used (arrows, circles, etc.) should be explained. If previously published figures are used, written permission from the copyright holder (typically the original publisher) is required. Cite the source of the figure in the legend.

Figures

Figures and graphs submitted in electronic format should be provided in EPS or TIF format. Graphics software such as Photoshop and Illustrator, NOT presentation software such as Powerpoint, CorelDraw, or Harvard Graphics, should be used to create the art. Color images must be at least 300 DPI. Gray scale images should be at least 300 DPI. Line art (black and white or color) should be at least 1200 DPI and combinations of gray scale images and line art should be at least 600 DPI. Lettering should be of sufficient size to be legible after reduction for publication. The optimal size is 12 points. Symbols should be of a similar size. Figures should be no smaller than 13 cm x 18 cm (5" x 7"). Please do not reduce figures to fit publication layout. If the manuscript is accepted for publication, the publisher will re-size the figures accordingly.

ALL FIGURES SHOULD HAVE A TITLE AND A LEGEND. There is no fee for the publication of color figures. Our editors encourage authors to submit figures in color, as we feel it improves the clarity and visual impact of the images. Decimals, lines, and other details should be strong enough for reproduction. Use only black and white, not gray, in charts and graphs. Place crop marks on photomicrographs to show only the essential field. Designate special features with arrows. All symbols, arrows, and lettering on half-tone illustrations should contrast with the background.

Upon provisional acceptance, we may request 2 sets of glossy or laser print (clean copies will suffice) hard copies of the figures. Glossy prints should be provided for all half-tone or color illustrations. All graphs and line drawings must be professionally prepared on a computer and reproduced as high quality laser prints. Indicate the first author's last name (and the corresponding author's last name within parentheses, if different) and the figure number on the back of each figure, preferably on an adhesive label. Figure title and caption material should appear on the legends page in the manuscript, not on the figure. If we request hard copies of figures, they will not be returned to authors. After acceptance of the manuscript, the graphs and schematic figures of the manuscripts may be redrawn by the art department to maintain consistency in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

Tables

Tables should be typed double-spaced on separate pages, with the table number and title centered above the table and explanatory notes below the table. Use Arabic numbers. Table numbers should correspond with the order cited in the text.

ALL TABLES SHOULD HAVE A TITLE. Abbreviations should be listed in a footnote under the table in alphabetical order. Footnote symbols should appear in the following order: *,†, ‡, §, ||, ¶, #, **, ††, ‡‡, §§, etc. Tables should be self-explanatory, and the data presented in them should not be duplicated in the text or figures. If previously published tables are used, written permission from the copyright holder (typically the original publisher) is required. Cite the source of the table in the footnote.

Video Requirements

JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging encourages authors to submit video files of their studies in motion as seen in the imaging laboratory. These videos will be available online with the PDFs of the published articles. Inclusion of videos in the published article is at the discretion of the Editors.

Video submissions for viewing online should be one of the following formats: Audio Video Interleave (.avi), MPEG (.mpg), or Quick Time (.qt, .mov).
AVI files can be displayed via Windows Media Player
MPEG files can be displayed via Windows Media Player
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/players.aspx
Quick Time files require Quick Time software (free) from Apple http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/index.html

Videos should be brief (<2-5 min). Longer videos will require longer download times and may have difficulty playing online. Videos should be restricted to the most critical aspects of your research. A longer procedure can be restructured as several shorter videos.

It is advisable to compress files to use as little bandwidth as possible and to avoid overly long download times. Video files should be no larger than 5 megabytes. This is a suggested maximum. If files are larger please contact the JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging office.

A video legends page giving a brief description of the content of each video should be included in the manuscript.

If your paper is accepted for publication you may wish to supply the editorial office with several different resolutions of your video files. This will allow viewers with slower connections to download a lower resolution version of your video.

Please do not send hard copy manuscript submissions.
If the manuscript absolutely cannot be submitted online, mail a CD containing all files to: Jagat Narula, MD, PhD, FACC, Editor-in-Chief, JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, 3655 Nobel Drive, Suite 630, San Diego, CA 92122. Tel: [+1] [858] 558-3411; Fax: [+1] [858] 558-3148. This disk should include files for the cover letter, manuscript, tables, and figures. If supplementary materials such as "in press" references are included, these files should also be stored on the disk.

It is important to note that when citing an article from JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, the correct citation format is J Am Coll Cardiol Img

Updated May 2009