All authors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to their manuscript at the time of submission. A conflict of interest exists when personal, financial, or other secondary interests could be perceived to influence the objectivity, integrity, or impartiality of their work. This includes, but is not limited to, financial ties such as employment, consultancies, grants, honoraria, royalties, stock ownership, patents, or benefits derived from products or services related to the research. It also encompasses non-financial interests such as personal or professional relationships, advisory roles, positions on boards, ideological beliefs, or legal disputes that could be viewed as influencing the research.

Examples of conflicts include receipt of funding from interested organizations, holding patents relevant to the research, being employed by or affiliated with organizations with a financial stake, or having personal relationships with individuals involved in the work.

Authors must disclose all relevant conflicts in the manuscript’s disclosure statement, which will be published alongside the article. Failure to disclose conflicts of interest, whether intentional or not, can have serious ethical implications and may result in rejection, correction, or retraction of the publication, ensuring transparency and maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record.