Scope
The “Hellenic Journal of Atherosclerosis” is a peer-reviewed academic journal which publishes all sources papers concerned with research and investigation on atherosclerosis, its complications, and related diseases, including: Lipoprotein metabolism, arterial and vascular biology and disease, thrombosis, inflammation, disorders of lipid transport diabetes and hypertension as related to atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular risk factors. The editors are also interested in clinical papers dealing with case studies of specific or general interest, new or unusual lipid syndromes, and the genetic basis and familial incidence of atherosclerosis and related diseases. High quality reports of controlled clinical trials of drugs or diets will be considered provided the paper deals with the mechanism of action of the drug or diet.
Objective
The “Hellenic Journal of Atherosclerosis” is the official scientific journal of the Hellenic Atherosclerosis Society. Its main objective is the continuous education of scientists of various disciplines including Medical doctors, Biologists, Biochemists, Dieticians, etc. in various topics related to the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerosis.
Types of papers
Types of papers that can be submitted for consideration by the Editorial Board include:
1. Editorials. Brief review articles on current and/or ambiguous topics related to Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease without abstract, written after invitation of the Editorial Board. Three key-words should be listed.
2. Reviews. Detailed surveys of medical subjects with the emphasis on current points of view related to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
3. Original papers. Reports on clinical trials or experimental work and epidemiological prospective or retrospective research in topics related to atherosclerosis, based on a research protocol described in detail in the methodology section. The results of the study should not have been previously published (except in abstract form). Clinical and epidemiological studies with particular interest to Greek healthcare workers will be given priority. Quite exceptionally original papers published in distinguished foreign journals by Greek scientists especially when their results are relevant for the Greek medical community can be republished in HELLENIC JOURNAL OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS after been approved by the Editorial Board. These papers must be translated by the authors, who also have to obtain written permission by the copyright owners.
4. Clinical points of view. A diagnostic, therapeutic or epidemiological approach to several clinical syndromes of the atherosclerotic disease; the data for and against should be in algorithmic form.
5. Case reports. Reports on new or very rare clinical cases of atherosclerotic disease, new diagnostic criteria or new therapeutic methods with proven results.
6. Conferences, seminars, round tables. Abstracts or short texts of speakers participated in conferences, seminars or round tables related to atherosclerosis organized by, or been under, the auspices of the Hellenic Atherosclerosis Society or abstracts presented as posters in conferences organized by the Hellenic Atherosclerosis Society.
7. Book presentations. They should refer to the title of the book, the authors’ name(s), the number of pages, the name of the publisher, the date and the place of publication and the price.
8. Correspondence. Letters containing comments on papers published in the journal, preliminary results, remarks about untoward eff ects of drugs, judgments concerning the journal etc. They must be signed. Previous or duplicate publication.
Length of papers
Editorials not exceed the 1,000 words. Review articles should not exceed 5,000 words including tables, legends to the figures and references and could include up to three figures. However, the Editorial Board may allow the publication of longer reviews upon judgement. Original papers should be shorter, generally not exceeding 4,000 words including tables, legends to the figures and references and could include up to six fi gures. Clinical points of view should not exceed 1,500 words, case reports 1,000 words and letters to the Editor 500 words.
Assembling a paper
HELLENIC JOURNAL OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS has agreed to conform to the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts submitted to Biomedical Journals (Vancouver System) and its guidelines for authors are in accordance to the above requirements. Papers must be typed doublespace of the usual dimensions (ISO A4 210×297 mm), with margins of at least 3.5 cm. A separate page must be used for the title, the abstract and keywords, the main text, the acknowledgements, the references, the tables, the figures and the figure legends.
Title page: Concise and informative. Titles are often used in information-retrieval systems. Avoid abbreviations and formulae where possible. It contains (a) the title of the article, which must be brief (up to 12 words), (b) running title up to 50 characters, (c) name and position of the authors(s), (d) institutional affi liation of each author, (e) name, address, telephone number, fax number of the author responsible for correspondence.
Author names and affiliations: Where the family name may be ambiguous (e.g., a double name), please indicate this clearly. Present the authors’ affiliation addresses (where the actual affiliations with a lower-case superscript letter immediately after the author’s name and in front of the appropriate address. Provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name and, if available, the e-mail address of each author.
Corresponding author: Clearly indicate who will handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication. Ensure that phone numbers (with country and area code) are provided in addition to the e-mail address and the complete postal address. Contact details must be kept up to date by the corresponding author.
Abstract and key words: A concise and factual abstract is required in English and in Greek. It must include the title, the names of the authors and the institutional affi liation of each author. It should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone.For this reason, references should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s). Also, non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they must be defined at their first mention in the abstract. Abstracts are limited to 250 words with the exception of clinical points of view and case reports whose length is limited to 150 words. The abstracts of the reviews must be descriptive, mentioning all chapters contained and the main conclusions. Abstracts of the original papers, should be structured into four paragraphs, under the following captions: Aim, Material or Patients and Methods, Results, Conclusions. It is important that the quality of the English abstract should be excellent, because it is a major criterion for the acceptance of the journal in the international lists of Biomedical journals
Immediately after the abstract, provide 3-10 keywords, using American spelling and avoiding general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, ‘and’, ‘of’). chosen from the MeSH terms of Index Medicus.
Text: Original papers usually contain the following chapters: Introduction, Material or Patients and Methods, Results, Discussion. The introduction contains the background and the necessary references and cites the objective of the study. The study protocol must be thoroughly described in the methodology section. Details such as the mode of patient or material selection, as well as the methodology applied must be fully disclosed in order that the research may be reproduced by future investigators. In the case of research related to human beings it must be stated that the research was performed according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (1975). The pharmaceutical substances used must be mentioned by their generic names. In the same chapter the data evaluated must be described and the chapter should be completed by an analysis of the statistical criteria used. In the next chapter the results should be presented fully but briefly. Results shown in tables should not be repeated in the text. In the Discussion, the perspectives opened up by the results of the study as well as the final conclusions are discussed. The results must not be repeated in this section. A comparison with the results of other similar studies may be done. The results may also be related to the objectives of the study but it is advisable to avoid arbitrary conclusions, not emerging from the results themselves. Acknowledgements. They are addressed only to persons who have contributed substantially.
References: They are numbered in the order in which they are first cited in the text. (e.g. Infl ammation is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis. 1). If author names are cited in the text, first author’s surname is followed by et al. If there are only two authors, place an “and” between the two surnames. All references cited in the text -and those only- must be shown in the reference section. (e.g. 1. Libby P, Ridker PM, Maseri A. Infl ammation and atherosclerosis. Circulation 2002, 105:1135-1143).
The number of references must be limited to those absolutely necessary. Reviews must have no more than 100 references, current issues and editorials up to 10 articles or monographs considered by the author to be necessary for complete information on the subject, and letters to the Editor up to 5 references. The reference section is organized numerically based on the consecutive numbers and order of references in the text. Cite the surnames and initials of all authors up to 3 (if more, add et al after the third), the title of the article, the abbreviation of journal title, the year, volume, first and last page of the publication; e.g. You CH, Lee KY, Chey WY et al. The role of oxidative stress in atherosclerosis. Circulation 1980, 79:311–314. In case that no author name is given, cite Anonymous; e.g. Anonymous. Coffee drinking and atherosclerosis (Editorial). Br Med J 1981, 283:628-629. References of papers published in supplements, must also note the number of supplement in parenthesis after the volume, e.g. Eur Heart Journal 1996, 54(Suppl 1):26-27.
The abbreviations of journal titles must be compatible to Index Medicus. No full stops are placed after author acronyms and journal abbreviations. For books or monographs, list the surnames and initials of the authors, the title, and the number of edition, the editor, and the town of edition, the year and the pages cited. For chapter in a book, the reference must be written as follows: Papathanasiou IB. Pleiotropic actions of statins. In: Hypolipidemic drugs in atherosclerosis. BETA, Athens, 1983:67-113. If the reference consists of chapter in a book written by another author, it must be written as follows: Κuhn L, Swartz MN. Toll-like receptors. In: Lee WA (Ed) or (Eds) Infl ammation and Atherosclerosis. Saunders, Philadelphia, 1987:457-472. Unpublished material as well as personal communications should not be used as references, whereas articles accepted for publication but not yet published may be included. In this last case after the journal title abbreviation there should be an indication “to be published”. Citation of Greek references is mandatory. Greek literature can be sought at the Data Base of the Greek Medical Literature (IATROTEK), www.iatrotek.org.
Chapter numbering in reviews and current issues. All chapters must be numbered with Arabic numbers 1, 2, 3 etc. Subchapters should have the number of the initial chapter, point and the number of the subchapter, e.g. 1.1., 1.2. or 1.1.1., 1.2.1. etc.
Tables: They are typed double-space, in a separate page. They are numbered by the order they appear in the text, with Arabic numbers. They should have a brief, comprehensive explanation so that the reader need not turn to the text. Each column must have a brief explanatory heading. Explanations of the abbreviations should be made at the bottom of the table.
Figures: If your electronic artwork is created in a Microsoft Office application (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) then please supply ‘as is’ in the native document format. Regardless of the application used other than Microsoft Office, when your electronic artwork is finalized, please ‘Save as’ or convert the images to one of the following formats (note the resolution requirements for line drawings, halftones, and line/halftone combinations given below): PDF or JPEG.
Images: It is extremely important that a high enough file resolution is used. All separate images that you import into a figure file must be at the correct resolution before they are placed. Note, however, that the higher the resolution, the larger the file and the longer the upload time. Publication quality will not be improved by using a resolution higher than the minimum. Keep to a minimum of 300 dpi Vector drawings, embed all used fonts.
Please do not:
Supply files that are optimized for screen use (e.g.,GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG); these typically have a low number of pixels and limited set of colors;
Supply files that are too low in resolution.
Submit graphics that are disproportionately large for the content.
Whilst it is accepted that authors sometimes need to manipulate images for clarity, manipulation for purposes of deception or fraud will be seen as scientific ethical abuse and will be dealt with accordingly. No specific feature within an image may be enhanced, obscured, moved, removed, or introduced. Adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable if and as long as they do not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original.
Figure legends: On initial submission, each legend should be placed in the text file and be incorporated into the image file beneath the figure to assist review. Legends should provide enough information so that the figure is understandable without frequent reference to the text. However, detailed experimental methods must be described in the Materials and Methods section, not in a figure legend. A method that is unique to one of several experiments may be reported in a legend only if the discussion is very brief (one or two sentences). Define all symbols used in the figure and define all abbreviations that are not used in the text.
Terms and units of measurement: The authors must use the universally accepted terms and the SI units of measurement. For the choice of terms and names (of substances, entities, organizations, diseases etc.) please consult the MeSH of Index Medicus.
Acknowledgements: Collate acknowledgements in a separate section at the end of the article before the references. List here those individuals who provided assistance during the research.
Math formulae: Present simple formulae in the line of normal text where possible and use the solidus (/) instead of a horizontal line for small fractional terms, e.g., X/Y. In principle, variables are to be presented in italics. Powers of “e” are often more conveniently denoted by exp. Number consecutively any equations that have to be displayed separately from the text (if referred to explicitly in the text).
Footnotes: Footnotes should be used sparingly. Number them consecutively throughout the article, using superscript Arabic numbers. Many word processors build footnotes into the text, and this feature may be used. Should this not be the case, indicate the position of footnotes in the text and present the footnotes themselves separately at the end of the article. Do not include footnotes in the reference list.
Reprints: Photocopy reproduction of published papers is not allowed.
General Information
Papers submitted to HELLENIC JOURNAL OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS are judged for publication on the condition that the results or the paper itself have not been previously published or submitted for publication in another journal.
The corresponding author should report in the cover letter that the research work has not been published or submitted for publication in an other journal. An exception to this rule is the final research results that have been published as preliminary results or as an abstract form. In this case, the author(s) should also submit electronically these previous publications in a PDF form.
Submission of papers
“Papers submitted to the journal should be written in English with a greek abstract. All manuscripts should be submitted electronically in a PDF form to the Journal’s website www.hjatherosclerosis.com.
For any further information you may need please contact the editorial secretariat Dr Tellis Constantinos (Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45 110 Ioannina, Greece, Τel.: +30 26510 08326, Fax: +30 26510-08785, Ε-mail: [email protected]).
All manuscripts must be accompanied by a letter, in PDF form, signed by the author responsible for correspondence. The cover letter should include a statement, indicating that the manuscript has been approved by all authors.
Copyright Transfer
Papers published in “Hellenic Journal of Atherosclerosis” constitute copyright ownership of the manuscript to the Hellenic Atherosclerosis Society. The corresponding author should submit to the journal the copywrite transfer agreement form signed by all authors. In case of submission of an original paper been already published in a foreign journal, it must be clearly stated that the authors have obtained the written permission of the copyright owners, a copy of which must be attached. The final revised text will be resubmitted electronically in WORD and PDF form. All papers published in HELLENIC JOURNAL OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS are owned by the journal and are not allowed to be republished without the written consent of the Editor in chief.
Primary publication
Manuscripts submitted to the journal must represent reports of original research, and the original data must be available for review by the editor if necessary. By submitting a manuscript to the journal, the authors guarantee that they have the authority to publish the work and that the manuscript, or one with substantially the same content, was not published previously, is not being considered or published elsewhere, and was not rejected on scientific grounds by another journal. It is incumbent upon the author to acknowledge any prior publication, including his/her own articles, of the data contained in a manuscript submitted to the journal. A copy of the relevant work should be submitted with the paper as supplemental material not for publication. Whether the material constitutes the substance of a paper and therefore renders the manuscript unacceptable for publication is an editorial decision. In the event that the authors’ previously published figures and/or data are included in a submitted manuscript, it is incumbent upon the corresponding author to (i) identify the duplicated material and acknowledge the source on the submission form, (ii) obtain permission from the original publisher (i.e., copyright owner), (iii) acknowledge the duplication in the figure legend, and (iv) cite the original article.
Review Process
All manuscripts are considered to be confidential and are reviewed by the editors, members of the editorial board, or qualified ad hoc reviewers. To expedite the review process, authors should recommend at least two editors and also at least three reviewers (i) who are either Editorial Board members or otherwise qualified scientists who are not members of their institution(s), (ii) who have not recently been associated with their laboratory(ies), and (iii) who could not otherwise be considered to pose a conflict of interest regarding the submitted manuscript. Please provide their contact information where indicated on the submission form. Impersonation of another individual during the review process is considered serious misconduct.
When a manuscript is submitted to the journal, it is given a control number (e.g., and assigned to one of the editors. It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to inform the coauthors of the manuscript’s status throughout the submission, review, and publication processes. The corresponding author is informed for receipt of the manuscript and the number of registration. The manuscripts are first checked whether they have been written and submitted according to the instructions of the Journal (instructions to authors). Manuscripts which do not meet the requirements of correct submission are returned to the corresponding author with instructions for due corrections. The manuscript is double – blind checked by special consultant reviewers of the Journal. The revised manuscript must be accompanied by a signed letter by the corresponding author, in which he /she declares that all corrections have been made. The final decision of the manuscript acceptance lies on the Editorial Board that decides for approval, or return of manuscript for supplementary information, decision for re-approval or to reject the manuscript. As soon as the paper is accepted and has been allotted final publication, a proof is dispatched to the authors for final checking.
Editors’ responsibilities
1. Publication decisions: The editor is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The decision will be based on the paper’s importance, originality and clarity, and the study’s validity and its relevance to the journal’s scope. The decision is guided by the policies of the journal’s editorial board. The decision is constrained by current legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The decision should not be restricted by the authors’ race, gender, sex, religious belief, ethnic origin, and citizenship. The editor may confer with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.
2. Confidentiality: The editor and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.
3. Disclosure and conflicts of interest: Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted paper will not be used either in an editor’s own project or by the members of the editorial board for their own research purposes without the express written consent of the author.
Duties of reviewers
1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers’ assists the editor in making editorial decisions and through the editorial communications with the author may also assist the author in improving the paper.
2. Promptness: Any selected referee who feels unable or unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript should notify the editor and exclude himself from the review process.
3. Confidentiality: Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.
4. Standards of Objectivity: Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
5. Acknowledgement of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation.
Reviewers should also call to the editor’s attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.
6. Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.
Duties of authors
1. Reporting standards: Authors of original research papers should present accurately the work performed and provide an objective discussion of its significance.
Underlying data should be properly represented in the paper. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work.
2. Data Access and Retention: Authors are asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to provide public access to such data and should in any event be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.
3. Originality and Plagiarism: The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.
4. Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication: Authors should not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication.
5. Acknowledgement of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.
6. Authorship of the Paper: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co – authors while those who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co – authors are included on the paper and that all co – authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper.
7. Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects: If the work involves chemicals, procedures or equipment that have any unusual hazards inherent in their use, the author must clearly identify these in the manuscript.
8. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript.
All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.
9. Errors in published works: When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with them to correct the paper.