CONFLICT OF INTEREST

CONFLICT OF INTEREST 

A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning primary scholarly interests (such as validity of research or editorial objectivity) may be influenced by secondary interests (such as financial gain, personal relationships, or institutional rivalry).

1. Authors:
All authors must disclose any financial support, honoraria, grants, or personal relationships with commercial entities related to the research subject within a dedicated 'Conflict of Interest' section before the references.
- If conflicts exist: Authors must declare the specific nature of the conflict.
- If no conflict exists: Authors must include: "The authors declare that there are no competing financial or personal conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript."

2. Peer Reviewers:
Reviewers must declare any potential competing interests regarding the authors, institutions, or subject matter upon receiving the review invitation. Reviewers must decline the invitation if objectivity cannot be guaranteed.

3. Editors:
Editors who have personal, professional, or institutional affiliations with authors of a submitted paper must recuse themselves from managing the manuscript and delegate handling to an independent editor.