APS Information for Authors  

 

Acta Pharmacologica Sinica Information For Authors


Guide for Authors

Welcome to the electronic manuscript submission website for Acta Pharmacologica Sinica (APS). The instructions below are structured so you can quickly and easily answer the following questions:

1.      Is my manuscript suitable for APS? (Aims and Scope )

2.      How do I format my manuscript for APS? (Format of Papers )

3.      How do I submit my manuscript to APS? (Submission of Papers)

Aims and Scope

APS encourages submissions from all areas of pharmacology and the life sciences. Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to, anticancer pharmacology, cardiovascular and pulmonary pharmacology, clinical pharmacology, drug discovery, gastrointestinal and hepatic pharmacology, genitourinary, renal and endocrine pharmacology, immunopharmacology and inflammation, molecular and cellular pharmacology, neuropharmacology, pharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics.

Prior to Submission

Editorial policy

Editor-in-Chief: Jian Ding

A manuscript will be considered for publication on the understanding that all named authors have agreed to its submission and that if accepted it will not be later published in the same or similar form in any language without the consent of the publishers. The editors also encourage submission of Reviews and Letters to the Editor.

The editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts without review. Such rejections must be approved by the editor-in-chief, and are intended to alleviate unnecessary workload for the editorial board, as well as provide authors the opportunity to seek other publishing options as soon as possible. Articles that are selected for peer review will be reviewed by two or more referees.

To avoid unnecessary delays in the review process, please consider the following policies carefully before you submit your manuscript. Manuscripts that are not concise or do not conform to the conventions and standards of APS will be returned to the authors for revision.

Conflicts of interest

In the interests of transparency and to help reviewers assess any potential bias, APS requires authors of original research papers to declare any competing commercial interests in relation to the submitted work. Referees are also asked to indicate any potential conflict they might have reviewing a particular paper.

Electronic manipulation of images

Digital image enhancement is acceptable practice, although it can result in the presentation of unrepresentative data as well as in the loss of meaningful signals. During manipulation of images a positive relationship between the original data and the resulting electronic image must be maintained. If a figure has been subjected to significant electronic manipulation, the specific nature of the enhancements must be noted in the figure legend or in the 'Materials and methods' section. The editors reserve the right to request original versions of figures from the authors of a paper under consideration.

Supplementary information for the editors and the reviewers

Any manuscripts under review or accepted for publication elsewhere should accompany the submission if they are relevant to its scientific assessment. Authors should also provide upon submission any kind of supplementary material that will aid the review process.

Content types

The content types accepted by APS are:

Editorial

Original article

Review

Letter

Format of Papers

Preparation of manuscripts

All papers should be written in concise English but should contain sufficient detail to illustrate how the results were obtained. Manuscripts should be double-spaced with wide margins.

Manuscripts are considered with the understanding that they have not been published previously in print or electronic format and are not under consideration by another publication or electronic medium. Copies of possibly duplicative materials that have been previously published or are being considered elsewhere must be provided at the time of manuscript submission.

Manuscripts should contain a statement to the effect that all human studies have been reviewed by the appropriate ethics committee or it should be stated clearly in the text that all persons gave their informed consent prior to their inclusion in the study. Details that might disclose the identity of the subjects under study should be omitted. Authors should also draw attention to the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki, 1964, as revised in 2004).

When reporting the results from experiments on animals indicate whether the experiments were conducted according to the National Research Council’s guidelines. Indicate the grade of the animals and give the certificate number of the animal breeder. Rats and mice of at least Grade II can be reported. The sex, age, and measured body weights of tested animals or humans should be expressed as mean, standard deviation, and total range.

Cover Letter

The uploaded covering letter must state that the material has not been submitted for publication elsewhere while under consideration for APS. Identify the name, full postal address, and fax number of the corresponding author. The authors are free to offer suggestions of suitable expert reviewers.

Editorial

Articles that are brief comments written by the editor(s) of the journal or by the guest editor(s) of thematic special features based on the contents of the current issue or topical subjects that fall within the scope of the journal.

Original Article

Studies that are of high scientific quality and that are of interest to the diverse readership of the journal. Manuscripts should include an abstract and appropriate experimental details to support the conclusions. Manuscripts should include the following sections, each starting a new page: title, abstract and keywords, text (introduction, methods, results, discussion, acknowledgments and author contribution), references, tables and figure captions.

Review

A number of Reviews will be solicited by the editors; however, we also welcome timely, unsolicited Reviews. Authors with proposals for Reviews should present information concerning the proposed content and authors of their Review to the editors prior to submission.

Letter

Letters report novel findings that have an immediate major impact on current pharmacological research. They contain only one figure and less than 10 references.

Article sections

Please make spelling consistent with current editions of either Webster's Dictionary or Oxford English Dictionary.

In general, manuscripts should be divided in to the following sections:

Title page

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgments

Author contribution

References

Tables

Figure legends

Figures

Supplementary Information

Title page The title page carries the title, the authors, the authors’ affiliations, and footnotes. Title: The title must be informative, specific, and brief (<120 characters, including spaces). Words should be chosen carefully for retrieval purposes. All nonfunctional words should be deleted, such as ‘the’, ‘studies on’, ‘observations of’, and ‘roles of’, etc. Authors: Authors should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content. Authorship should be based on all of the following conditions: 1) substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; 2) involvement in drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and 3) final approval of the version to be published. Any changes in authorship must be approved in writing by all authors. Capitalize all the letters in the surname, spell out the given name in full, and include a hyphen between the syllables of Chinese names. For example: Jin-an LI, Ji-nan OU-YANG, Noboru YANAIHARA, Theo Anthonie VAN DER HOEVEN, Kenneth Patrick DU BOIS, Paul Vincent HARPER Jr, John Davison ROCKEFELLER III. Affiliation: The affiliation is the institute or laboratory where the work was done. Footnotes: Footnotes may include 1) sources of financial support, 2) the corresponding author’s name and email address, and 3) present address.

Abstract The Abstract should be in structured form (<250 words), under the following headings: ‘Aim’ (the purpose of this study or why you intended to do the study), ‘Methods’, ‘Results’ (main data), and ‘Conclusion’ (in a definite, conclusive, and short statement, not indefinite, vague, or suggestive sentences). Abstracts for review articles should be unstructured. The abstract must be informative rather than indicative. Emphasize the new and important aspects of the study.

A list of 3–10 keywords should be given below the abstract, each separated by a semicolon (;).Whenever possible, the terms should be from the Medical Subject Headings list of Index Medicus.

Introduction This should give a short, clear account of the background and reasons for undertaking the study. It should not be a review of the literature.

Methods This section should contain sufficient detail so that all experimental procedures can be repeated by others in conjunction with cited references. This section may be divided into subheadings to assist the reader. Names of products and manufacturers should be included only if alternative sources are deemed unsatisfactory, giving both the company name and city. Generic names of drugs should be used. If necessary, the brand, trade or commercial name of a drug can be included in parentheses on first mention. Scientific species nomenclature should be used at all times, providing the genus, species (in italics) and authority for all microorganisms, plants and animals.

Novel experimental procedures should be described in detail, but published procedures should be referred to by literature citation of the original article and published modifications. Use of standard abbreviations and SI units of measurement (according to the Systeme International d’Unites) is encouraged. Measurements that are not currently converted to SI units in biomedical applications are blood and oxygen pressures, enzyme activity, H+ concentration, temperature, and volume. Abbreviations, if used, should be defined on their first appearance in the text.

Identify the drug administration schedule; for example, dose (base or salt) and route of administration. The routes of administration may be abbreviated: intraarterial (ia), intracerebroven-tricular (icv), intragastric gavage (ig), intramuscular (im), intraperitoneal (ip), intravenous (iv), per os (po), subcutaneous (sc).

Statistical methods should be described when they are used to verify the results. Choose suitable techniques for the statistical treatments; for example, t-test (group or paired comparisons), chi-squared test, Ridit, probit, logit, regression (linear, curvilinear, or stepwise), correlation, analysis of variance (ANOVA), analysis of covariance, etc.

Only homogeneous data can be averaged. Standard deviations are preferred to standard errors. Give the number of observations and subjects (n). Losses in observations, such as drop-outs from the study should be reported.

Values such as ED50, LD50, IC50 should have their 95% confidence limits calculated and compared by weighted probit analysis (Bliss and Finney).

The word ‘significantly’ should be replaced by its synonyms (if it indicates extent) or the P value (if it indicates statistical significance).

Dosage is expressed as per kg (even in mice). Concentration in solution is expressed as per L or per mL. Values for rpm should be converted into gravity (×g). Absorbance (A) values are preferred to optical density (OD) values.

Symbols are not pluralized (eg, 9 kg, not kgs) and are not followed by a period (eg, min, not min.). Indicate the numerical value as the ratio of the quantity to the unit (eg, ?/nm=589). This is particularly useful in graphs and in the headings of columns in tables.

Use 12.4 mm (not 0.0124 m), 5 µmol (not 5×10-6 mol), 3-8 g, 3%-8%, 3 m×8 m×2 m, 8±3 g, (8±3) nmol·L-1·g-1 (protein).

Do not include more digits than are justified by the accuracy of the determinations. For example: a dog weighs 9 kg (not 9000 g, which implies an accuracy of 1 g). In a sample, the effective digits are determined by the variation within the sample, that is, one-third of the standard deviation. For example: 8.6±2.9 kg (not 8619±2930 g, or 9±3 kg).

For isotopically labelled compounds, use a square bracket directly attached to the front of the name (word) or formula. Examples: [14C]urea, [a-32P]ATP (not AT32P), sodium [14C]formate, [1-14C,2-13C]acetaldehyde, [carboxy-14C]leucine, and [1-3H]ethanol. However, both [131I]iodoalbumin and 131I-albumin are correct.

The SI unit for radioactivity is becquerel (Bq): 1 Ci=37×109 disintegrations per second=37 GBq. The disintegrations per minute (dpm), not counts per minute (cpm), should be converted to Bq for presentation.

Results The description of results should not simply reiterate data that appear in tables and figures and, likewise, the same data should not be displayed in both tables and figures. The results section should be concise and follow a logical sequence. If the paper describes a complex series of experiments, it is permissible to explain the protocol/experimental design before presenting the results. Do not discuss the results or draw any conclusions in this section. This section may be divided into subheadings to assist the reader. Large datasets or other cumbersome data pertinent to the manuscript may be submitted as supplementary information.

Discussion Do not recapitulate the results, but discuss their significance against the background of existing knowledge, and identify clearly those aspects that are novel. The final paragraph should highlight the main conclusion(s), and provide some indication of the direction future research should take. This section may be divided into subheadings to assist the reader.

Acknowledgments These should be brief, and should include sources of financial support, material (eg, novel compounds, strains, etc) not available commercially, personal assistance, advice from colleagues and gifts. Acknowledgments should be made only to those who have made a significant contribution to the study.

Author Contribution Authors must indicate their specific contributions to the published work. This information will be published as a footnote to the paper. Examples of designations include: XXX designed research; XXX performed research; XXX contributed new reagents or analytic tools; XXX analyzed data; XXX wrote the paper. An author may list more than one contribution, and more than one author may have contributed to the same aspect.

References Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the references. Published articles as well as those in press (please state the name of the journal and enclose a copy of the manuscript) may be included. In the text of the manuscript, references to the literature should be numbered consecutively and indicated by a superscript. Each reference should be numbered individually and listed at the end of the manuscript; examples are given below. All authors should be quoted for papers with up to six authors; for papers with six or more authors, the first six authors should be quoted, followed by et al.

Examples of journal citations:

1.   Standard journal article: Wang JA, Chen TL, Jiang J, Shi H, Gui C, Luo RH, et al. Hypoxic preconditioning attenuates hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced apoptosis in mesenchymal stem cells. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2008; 29: 74-82.

2.   Organization as author: International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals. Ann Intern Med 1997; 126: 36-47.

3.   No author given: Cancer in South Africa [editorial]. S Afr Med J 1994; 84: 15.

4.   Article not in English: Chachin M, Ohmura T, Hayashi N, Nishimura Y, Satoh H. Pharmacological and clinical profile of telmisartan, a selective angiotensin II type-1 receptor blocker. Nippon Yakurigaku Zasshi 2004; 124: 31-9. Japanese.

5.   Volume with supplement: Malmström RE. Neuropeptide YY1 receptor mechanisms in sympathetic vascular control. Acta Physiol Scand 1997; 160 Suppl 636: 1-55.

6.   Volume with part: Ozben T, Nacitarhan S, Tuncer N. Plasma and urine sialic acid in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Ann Clin Biochem 1995; 32 (Pt 3): 303-6.

7.   Pagination in Roman numerals: Fisher GA, Sikic BI. Drug resistance in clinical oncology and hematology. Introduction. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am 1995; 9 : xi-xii.

8.   Type of article indicated as needed: Enzensberger W, Fischer PA. Metronome in Parkinson's disease [letter]. Lancet 1996; 347: 1337.

9.   Article republished with corrections: Mansharamani M, Chilton BS. The reproductive importance of P-type ATPases. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2002;188: 22-5. Corrected and republished from: Mol Cell Endocrinol 2001;183: 123-6.

10.  Article published electronically ahead of the print version: Yu WM, Hawley TS, Hawley RG, Qu CK. Immortalization of yolk sac-derived precursor cells. Blood 2002; 100: 3828-31. Epub 2002 Jul 5.

Examples of book and other monograph citations:

11.  Personal author(s): Ringsven MK, Bond D. Gerontology and leadership skills for nurses. 2nd ed. Albany (NY): Delmar Publishers; 1996.

12.  Editor(s)/compiler(s) as author: Norman IJ, Redfern SJ, editors. Mental health care for elderly people. New York: Churchill Livingstone; 1996.

13.  Organization as author and publisher: Institute of Medicine (US). Looking at the future of the Medicaid program. Washington: The Institute; 1992.

14.  Chapter in a book: Milton AS. Prostaglandins and fever. In: Sharma HS, Westman J, editors. Progress in brain research; v 115. Brain function in hot environment. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 1998. p 129-39.

15.  Conference proceedings: Kimura J, Shibasaki H, editors. Recent advances in clinical neurophysiology. Proceedings of the 10th International Congress of EMG and Clinical Neuro-physiology; 1995 Oct 15-19; Kyoto, Japan. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 1996.

16.  Conference paper: Bengtsson S, Solheim BG. Enforcement of data protection, privacy and security in medical informatics. In: Lun KC, Degoulet P, Piemme TE, Rienhoff O, editors. MEDINFO 92. Proceedings of the 7th World Congress on Medical Informatics; 1992 Sep 6-10; Geneva, Switzerland. Amsterdam: North-Holland; 1992. p 1561-5.

17.  Scientific or technical report: Issued by funding/sponsoring agency: Smith P, Golladay K. Payment for durable medical equipment billed during skilled nursing facility stays. Final report. Dallas (TX): Dept of Health and Human Services (US), Office of Evaluation and Inspections; 1994 Oct. Report No: HHSI-GOEI-69200860.

18.  Dissertation: Kaplan SJ. Post-hospital home health care: the elderly's access and utilization [dissertation]. St Louis (MO): Washington Univ; 1995.

19.  Patent: Larsen CE, Trip R, Johnson CR, inventors; Novoste Corporation, assignee. Methods for procedures related to the electrophysiology of the heart. US patent 5 529 067. 1995 Jun 25.

Examples of other published material:

20.  Newspaper article: Lee G. Hospitalizations tied to ozone pollution: study estimates 50 000 admissions annually. The Washington Post 1996 Jun 21; Sect A: 3 (col 5).

21.  Legal material: Public law: Preventive Health Amendments of 1993, Pub L 103-183, 107 Stat 2226 (1993 Dec 14).

Examples of citations to material ‘in press’:

22.  In press: Lu XZ, Wang JH, Wu X, Zhou L, Wang L, Zhang XW, et al. Ginsenoside Rg1 promotes bone marrow stromal cells proliferation via the activation of the estrogen receptor-mediated signaling pathway. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2008; 29: in press.

Examples of citations to electronic material:

23. CD-ROM: Anderson SC, Poulsen KB. Anderson's electronic atlas of hematology [CD-ROM]. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2002.

24. Journal article on the Internet: Abood S. Quality improvement initiative in nursing homes: the ANA acts in an advisory role. Am J Nurs [serial on the Internet]. 2002 Jun [cited 2002 Aug 12]; 102: [about 3 p]. Available from: http://www.nursingworld.org/AJN/2002/june/Wawatch.htm.

25.  Monograph on the Internet: Foley KM, Gelband H, editors. Improving palliative care for cancer [monograph on the Internet]. Washington: National Academy Press; 2001 [cited 2002 Jul 9]. Available from: http://www.nap.edu/books/0309074029/html/.

26.  Homepage/Web site: Cancer-Pain.org [homepage on the Internet]. New York: Association of Cancer Online Resources Inc; c2000-01 [updated 2002 May 16; cited 2002 Jul 9]. Available from: http://www.cancer-pain.org/.

27.  Part of a homepage/Web site: American Medical Association [homepage on the Internet]. Chicago: The Association; c1995-2002 [updated 2001 Aug 23; cited 2002 Aug 12]. AMA Office of Group Practice Liaison; [about 2 screens]. Available from: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/1736.html.

28.  Open database on the Internet: Who's Certified [database on the Internet]. Evanston (IL): The American Board of Medical Specialists. c2000 - [cited 2001 Mar 8]. Available from: http://www.abms.org/newsearch.asp.

29.  Closed database on the Internet: Jablonski S. Online Multiple Congenitial Anomaly/Mental Retardation (MCA/MR) Syndromes [database on the Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). c1999 [updated 2001 Nov 20; cited 2002 Aug 12]. Available from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/jablonski/syndrome-title.html.

30.  Part of a database on the Internet: Mesh Browser [database on the Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); 2002 - [cited 2003 Jun 10]. Meta-analysis; unique ID: D015201; [about 3 p]. Available from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/MBrowser.html Files updated weekly.

The names of journals cited should be abbreviated according to the "List of Journals Indexed" in Index Medicus (www.nlm.nih.gov).

Citations of ‘unpublished data’ and ‘S. A. Waksman, personal communication’ should be written in the text parenthetically. Abstracts may be cited only if they are the sole sources, and must be identified in the reference list as ‘(Abstract)’. Manuscripts that have been accepted for publication but are not yet published must be identified in the reference list as ‘in press’. Written proof for ‘personal communication’ and preprint for ‘in press’ may be requested for review.

Tables These should be labeled sequentially as Table 1, Table 2, etc. Each table should be saved in a separate file, numbered and titled, and cited in the text. Reference to table footnotes should be made by means of Arabic numerals. Tables should not duplicate the content of the text. They should consist of at least two columns; columns should always have headings. Tables should have a brief footnote that identifies all abbreviations used. Authors should ensure that the data in the tables are consistent with those cited in the relevant places in the text, totals add up correctly, and percentages have been calculated correctly. Tables should be supplied as separate electronic files (as Word or Excel file formats).

Figures These should be labeled sequentially as Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. Each figure should be saved in a separate file, numbered and titled and cited in the text. Figure legends should be printed, double spaced, on a separate sheet titled ‘Titles and legends to figures’. Figures should be referred to specifically in the text of the paper but should not be embedded within the text. If a table or figure has been published before, the authors must obtain written permission to reproduce the material in both print and electronic formats from the copyright owner and submit it with the manuscript. This follows for quotes, illustrations and other materials taken from previously published works not in the public domain. The original source should be cited in the figure caption or table footnote. Color figures can be reproduced if necessary, but the authors will be expected to contribute towards the cost of publication. A quote will be supplied upon acceptance of your paper.

Color on the web Authors who wish their articles to have FREE color figures on the web (only available in the HTML (full text) version of manuscripts) must supply separate files in the following format. These files should be submitted as supplementary information and authors are asked to mention they would like color figures on the web in their submission letter.

For single images:

Width

500 pixels (authors should select ‘constrain proportions’, or equivalent instructions, to allow the application to set the correct height automatically.)

Resolution

125 dpi (dots per inch) or ‘Save for Web’ if using Photoshop

Format

JPEG for photographs
GIF for line drawings or charts

File naming

Please save image with .jpg or .gif extension to ensure it can be read by all platforms and graphics packages.

For multi-part images:

Width

900 pixels (authors should select ‘constrain proportions’, or equivalent instructions, to allow the application to set the correct height automatically.)

Resolution

125 dpi (dots per inch) or ‘Save for Web’ if using Photoshop

Format

JPEG for photographs
GIF for line drawings or charts

File naming

Please save image with .jpg or .gif extension to ensure it can be read by all platforms and graphics packages.

 

Supplementary information Supplementary information is peer-reviewed material directly relevant to the conclusion of an article that cannot be included in the printed version owing to space or format constraints. It is posted on the journal's website and linked to the article when the article is published and may consist of data files, graphics, movies or extensive tables.

The printed article must be complete and self-explanatory without the supplementary information. Supplementary information enhances a reader’s understanding of the paper but is not essential to that understanding.

Supplementary information must be supplied to the editorial office in its final form for peer review. On acceptance the final version of the peer reviewed supplementary information should be submitted with the accepted paper.

To ensure that the contents of the supplementary information files can be viewed by the editor(s), referees and readers, please also submit a ‘read-me’ file containing brief instructions on how to use the file.

The supplementary information may not be altered, nor new supplementary information added, after the paper has been accepted for publication.

Supplying supplementary information files

Authors should ensure that supplementary information is supplied in its FINAL format because it is not subedited and will appear online exactly as originally submitted. It cannot be altered, nor new supplementary information added, after the paper has been accepted for publication.

Please supply the supplementary information via eJP, the electronic manuscript submission and tracking system, in an acceptable file format (see below).
Authors should:

·  Include a text summary (no more than 50 words) to describe the contents of each file.

·  Identify the types of files (file formats) submitted.

·  Include the text ‘Supplementary information is available at (the journal’s name)’s website’ at the end of the article and before the references.

Accepted file formats

·  Quick Time files (.mov)

·  Graphical image files (.gif)

·  HTML files (.html)

·  MPEG movie files (.mpg)

·  JPEG image files (.jpg)

·  Sound files (.wav)

·  Plain ASCII text (.txt)

·  Acrobat files (.pdf)

·  MS Word documents (.doc)

·  Postscript files (.ps)

·  MS Excel spreadsheet documents (.xls)

·  PowerPoint (.ppt)
We cannot accept TeX and LaTeX.

File sizes must be as small as possible, so that they can be downloaded quickly. Images should not exceed 640 x 480 pixels (9 x 6.8 inches at 72 pixels per inch) but we would recommend 480 x 360 pixels as the maximum frame size for movies. We would also recommend a frame rate of 15 frames per second. If applicable to the presentation of the supplementary information, use a 256-color palette. Please consider the use of lower specification for all of these points if the supplementary information can still be represented clearly. Our recommended maximum data rate is 150 KB/s.

The number of files should be limited to eight, and the total file size should not exceed 8 MB. Individual files should not exceed 1 MB. Please seek advice from the editorial office before sending files larger than our maximum size to avoid delays in publication.

Further questions about the submission or preparation of supplementary information should be directed to the editorial office.

House Style

As the electronic submission will provide the basic material for typesetting, it is important that papers are prepared in the general editorial style of the journal.

1.   See the artwork guidelines for information on labeling of figures

2.      Do not make lines thinner than 1pt (0.36mm)

3.      Use a coarse hatching pattern rather than shading for tints in graphs

4.      Color should be distinct when being used as an identifying tool

5.      Use SI units throughout

6.      Spaces, not commas, should be used to separate thousands

7.      Abbreviations should be preceded by the words for which they stand in the first instance of use

8.      Text should be double spaced with a wide margin

Non-Native Speakers of English

Researchers who are not native speakers of English who submit manuscripts to international journals often receive negative comments from referees or editors about the English-language usage in their manuscripts, and these problems can contribute to a decision to reject a paper. To help reduce the possibility of such problems, we strongly encourage such authors to take at least one of the following steps:

·         Have your manuscript reviewed for clarity by a colleague whose native language is English.

·         Use one of the many English language editing services that are available, such as that offered by Nature Publishing Group Language Editing. An editor will improve the English to ensure that your meaning is clear and identify problems that require your review.

Please note that the use of Nature Publishing Group Language Editing  is at the author's own expense and in no way implies that the article will be selected for peer review or accepted by an NPG journal (or any other journal). The decisions that the editors of any NPG journal make based on the quality and suitability of a manuscript for that journal are entirely independent of whether that manuscript has been language-edited by Nature Publishing Group Language Editing.

Submission of papers

The first thing you need to do, if you have not done so already, is register for an account  on our online submission and review system with Scholar One Manuscript Central (http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/aphs). After this, please consult the User Guide to enable you to submit your article through our secure server.

For optimum performance, we recommend that your browser should be either Netscape 4.7 or above, or Internet Explorer 5.0 and above.

Please be sure that your browser is set to accept cookies. Our tracking system requires cookies for proper operation. (If you have Windows XP the defaults will need changing. For more details on this, please refer to the 'Tips' function on this site.)

Process for Manuscript Submission

Submitted manuscripts should be accompanied by a covering letter giving details of: 1) the title of the manuscript and its main point; 2) a statement that the manuscript has not been published in part or whole (except in the form of abstract) or is under consideration for publication elsewhere by any language; 3) a statement that all authors have agreed to be so listed and have seen and approved the manuscript, its consent and its submission to APS; 4) a full current postal address, telephone and fax numbers, and current e-mail address. We usually communicate with authors by e-mail. Authors must specify if they wish to exclude a method of communication.

Authors may suggest 2-3 reviewers. Please provide the name, postal address, and e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers, and fields of interest. Authors may also suggest that specific individuals not be involved as reviewers, but APS reserves the right of final selection.

Adobe Acrobat

We recommend that for accessing the PDF files, best results are achieved if you have access to Adobe Acrobat Reader (4.0 or above). Should you require installation of this FREE program, please download from the link here and follow the on-screen instructions. (We recommend that on completion of installation, you amend one of the default settings. Select: File - Preferences - General, and UNCHECK Web Browser Integration. This will open PDF files in Acrobat Reader itself rather than in your browser. The amendment will not affect any functionality of either Acrobat Reader or your browser software.)
Please refrain from submitting your manuscript by e-mail attachment. If the site replicates your details on screen, then your paper has been successfully submitted.

Once you have submitted your files and the conversion is in progress, you may log off the Internet and come back later to check and approve the conversion. This process can take up to 5 - 10 minutes before the PDF, created in the conversion process, is ready for approval. Please remember that your manuscript will not be submitted until you have approved the converted files.

Manuscript Status

Upon receipt of the manuscript, APS Editorial Office will immediately assign a code number, which is strongly recommended for use in subsequent correspondence. A letter acknowledging receipt will be sent to the corresponding author. After being pre-reviewed by the editors, most of the submitted manuscripts will be sent to expert referees for peer-review. All manuscripts are subject to editorial modifications. APS disclaims any liability for statements made by authors or advertisers.

Licence to Publish

The corresponding author must complete and sign the Licence to Publish form upon acceptance of the manuscript and return it to the editorial office. Failure to do so will result in delays to the publication of your paper. A copy of the Licence to Publish form can be found at [URL to go here]

APS does not require authors of original research papers to assign copyright of their published contributions. Authors grant APS an exclusive licence to publish, in return for which they can re-use their papers in their future printed work. NPG's author licence page provides details of the policy and a sample form. Authors are encouraged to submit their version of the accepted, peer-reviewed manuscript to their funding body's archive, for public release six months after publication. In addition, authors are encouraged to archive their version of the manuscript in their institution's repositories (as well as on their personal websites), also six months after the original publication. Authors should cite the publication reference and doi number on any deposited version, and provide a link from it to the published article on the NPG website. This policy complements the policies of the US National Institutes of Health, the Wellcome Trust and other research funding bodies around the world. NPG recognizes the efforts of funding bodies to increase access of the research they fund, and strongly encourages authors to participate in such efforts.

Advance Online Publication

All articles that are published ahead of print through Advance Online Publication are the final version of the manuscript and will subsequently appear, unchanged, in print.

Proofs

Once the manuscript has been accepted, the corresponding author will receive PDF proofs and are responsible for proofreading and checking the entire article. Authors should correct only typesetting errors, no major alteration of the text will be accepted. Page proofs must be returned within 48 hours to avoid delays in publication along with the reprint order if required.

Offprints

Offprints may be ordered using the order form available for download with the proofs. Later orders submitted after the journal is printed are subject to increased reprint prices.

Page Charges

A charge of RMB ¥200 (US $30) per printed page will be levied on all manuscripts accepted. The cost of color photographs is met by the authors. Authors will be charged RMB ¥1000 (US $150) per color page.

Business Matters

To find out who to contact for business correspondence and enquiries such as advertising, subscriptions, permissions, papers in production or publishing a supplement, please visit our publisher’s contacts page.

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