As of April 25, 2007 JECT will be using "Editorial Manager" to manage our manuscript review process. We will no longer be sending out review forms, everything will be done online. As a reviewer you must first initially register to receive your user name and password.
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Instructions for Editors
Complete instructions for editors as pdf file: Download Editors Instructions. These instructions are not Editorial Manager specific but give detailed items to look for in the manuscript submissions to make sure they comply with JECT standards.
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Sample Review
Title: Effects of Carnitine on Recovery of Cardiac Function After Hypothermic Cardioplegic Ischemia in Neonatal Rabbit Hearts
Authors: Johnson et. al.
Institution: University of Tokyo
Location: Tokyo, Japan
General Comments:
The use of the Students test following ANOVA is not correct. Instead, the authors should use a suitable multiple comparison test such as Least Significant Difference or Tukeys test.
Please confirm that the reported values of coronary blood flow (Table 1) are correct. These seem rather low and should be compared to other papers that have utilized the neonatal model.
Figure 1 may be improved by including a time line on the X-axis with the sampling points delineated. The other figures can be improved by omitting the stippled area as a background. Since only two groups are reported in Figures 2, 3, and 5 change the fill area to solid black and white. Use standard error bars instead of bar graphs.
In the Discussion section the authors refer to the metabolic enhancement of including carnitine in the cardioplegic solution. However, no metabolic indicators were measured. This would have undoubtedly have lent credibility to these comments.
Abstract:
Consider including some of the numeric data to support the conclusions in this section. The inclusion of p values is acceptable, but the Abstract would be strengthened by the inclusion of numeric information.
Materials and Methods:
Page 5. Line 20. Change totally lacked sensation to after achieving an appropriate plane of anesthesia, or similar statement.
Line 26. How was the homologous blood obtained and what was the standard deviation of hematocrit level? How was oxygenation achieved? One can not assume that the gas mixture was bubbled in since the presence of blood proteins would have generated a tremendous quantity of foam in the perfusate.
Page 6. Line 17. What is modified compliance?
Page 7. Line 2. Please express hemoglobin concentration in grams.
Line 11. How was topical cooling applied to hearts?
Comment:
Please contrast the results of others that have suggested that carnitine should not be added to cardioplegic solutions since it may induce further injury Reference 17
Page 10. Line 17. This sentence is unclear and needs to be evaluated. Why does the use of carnitine post-cardioplegic arrest produce additive benefits that are insignificant? Begin new paragraphs at the following locations in the manuscript:
Page 10. Line 27
Page 11. Line 1
Page 11. Line 16
Page 12. Line 1
Page 12. Line 20.
Tables:
The legend for table 1 should list variables in alphabetical order. Figures: See comments above.
Figures:
See comments above.