Human Subjects Research  

(1) Ethical Approval  

✅ The Materials and Methods section must state the name of the ethics committee and the approval number.  

✅ An ethics certificate must be supplied at submission; if no approval number exists, a formal written approval document is required.  

(2) Required Declarations  

✅ State that the study complies with the Declaration of Helsinkiand other applicable ethical guidelines, and that informed consent was obtained from all participants (specify oral or written).  

✅ Studies involving minors require parental/guardian consent.  

✅ Clearly describe any restrictions on the use of human data.  

Rights of Participants  

✅ Participants must be informed of the study’s purpose, potential risks and benefits, and their right to withdraw at any time.  

Patient Anonymity & Privacy  

(a) Identity Protection  

✅ Identifiable information (names, medical record numbers, geographic locations, etc.) must never be disclosed unless scientifically essential and accompanied by the patient’s written consent (or next-of-kin consent for deceased persons).  

✅ All textual and visual elements must be anonymized.  

(b) Identifiable Images  

✅ If images of faces or other potentially identifying body parts are to be published, they must be shown to the patient and explicit written consent obtained.  

(c) Editorial Review  

✅ At submission, MAS will examine consent documents and screen for any potentially identifying information.  

Animal Research  

(1) Ethical Approval  

✅ The Materials and Methods section must cite the approving authority and approval number for vertebrates and higher invertebrates.  

✅ Studies on non-regulated species must explain why ethics approval was waived.  

✅ An ethics certificate or written approval must be provided at submission.  

(2) Experimental Standards  

✅Compliance with ARRIVE guidelines is encouraged.  

✅ Report animal details (species, sex, husbandry) and measures taken to minimize suffering.  

✅ Experiments involving non-human primates must conform to the Weatherall Report.  

Cell-Line Usage  

(1) Source Declaration  

✅ Specify the source of every cell line (authentication and mycoplasma testing are recommended).  

(2) Novel Human Cell Lines  

✅ Ethics-committee approval is required (state institution and approval number).  

✅ Written approval from the ethics committee and donor (or next-of-kin) consent must be supplied at submission.