Conflict of Interest Policy

         Authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose conflicts of interest at the earliest opportunity - for example, when a manuscript is submitted or a review work is accepted. Conflict of interest is defined as any personal, professional, or financial interest that may introduce bias into the journal's publication process.

       Examples of conflicts of interest include:

• Financial support from commercial companies with an interest in the results;
• Personal relationships that would compromise objectivity during review or publication;
• Professional competition that would hinder the objective evaluation of a submitted manuscript.

         Disclosure of a conflict of interest by an author does not necessarily mean that the manuscript will be denied acceptance in the journal. If it is discovered that an author has a conflict of interest that was not disclosed during the submission and review process, the editor will identify an appropriate solution, which may include a published correction or a retraction.