Style guide

doi:10.1053/S0016-5085(06)00295-2

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Volume 130, Issue 3 , Pages A54-A56, March 2006

Style guide

Article Outline

Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Short Names
Measurements and Units of Measure
Combining Prefixes
Units
Radioisotopes
Statistical Terms
General Information

Gastroenterology receives manuscripts from authors the world over. These papers are reviewed and read by medical personnel on every continent. Thus, national, regional, or personal variations in scientific terminology and style can impede the progress of a manuscript from submission to publication. In order to facilitate the reviewing and editing of manuscripts, we recommend that authors use the following style guidelines when manuscripts are submitted to or revised for the Journal. Final acceptance of any paper, however, will be based on its merits and its suitability for the Journal.

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Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Short Names

Listed below are the preferred forms of some common abbreviations, acronyms, and short names. Unless otherwise noted, these short forms should always be written out in full in titles. When introducing these abbreviations (or others not listed here), the term should be written out in full and the abbreviation or acronym given in parentheses; therafter only the abbreviations need be used.

anti-HDV

ACTH: adrenocorticotropic hormone (adrenocorticotropin)
ADP: adenosine diphosphate
ADPase: adenosine diphosphatase
ALT: alanine aminotransferase
AMP: adenosine monophosphate (adenylic acid)
anti-HAV: antibody to hepatitis A virus
anti-HBc: antibody to hepatitis B core antigen
anti-HBe: antibody to hepatitis B e antigen
anti-HBs: antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen
anti-HCV: antibody to hepatitis C virus
anti-HDV: antibody to hepatitis D (delta) virus
AST: aspartate aminotransferase
ATP: adenosine triphosphate
ATPase: adenosine triphosphatase
BUN: blood urea nitrogen
CAH: chronic active hepatitis
cAMP: adenosine 3’,5’-cyclic monophosphate
CCK: cholecystokinin
CCK-LI: cholecystokinin-like immunoreactivity
CD: Crohn’s disease
CDAI: Crohn’s Disease Activity Index
cDNA: complementary DNA
cGMP: guanosine 3’,5’-cyclic monophosphate
CGRP: calcitonin gene-related peptide
CNS: central nervous system
CoA: coenzyme A
con A: concanavalin A
DEAE: diethylaminoethyl
DNA: deoxyribonucleic acid (deoxyribonucleate)^⁎
EDTA: ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid^⁎
FFA: free fatty acid(s)
GIP: gastric inhibitory polypeptide
GRP: gastrin-releasing peptide
HAV: hepatitis A virus
HBcAg: hepatitis B core antigen
HBeAg: hepatitis B e antigen
HBsAg: hepatitis B surface antigen
HBV: hepatitis B virus
HCC: hepatocellular carcinoma
HCV: hepatitis C virus
HDV: hepatitis D (delta) virus
H&E: hematoxylin and eosin stain^⁎
HEPES: N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N’-2-ethanesulfonic acid^⁎
IA: intra-arterial(ly)
IBD: inflammatory bowel disease
IC: intracisternal(ly)
ID: inner diameter†
IEL: intraepithelial leukocyte
Ig: immunoglobulin
IM: intramuscular(ly)
IP: intraperitoneal(ly)
IV: intravenous(ly)
K_m: Michaelis constant
LES: lower esophageal sphincter
mol wt: molecular weight†
mRNA: messenger RNA
NANB: non-A, non-B (hepatitis)
NPY: neuropeptide Y
NSAID: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug
OD: outer diameter†
PAGE: polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
PBS: phosphate-buffered saline
PD: potential difference
PEG: polyethylene glycol
PG: prostaglandin
PGI: prostacyclin
PHI: peptide histidine isoleucine
PI: phosphatidylinositol
PLC: phospholipase C
PP: pancreatic polypeptide
PYY: peptide YY
RBC: red blood cell†
RIA: radioimmunoassay
RNA: ribonucleic acid^⁎
SC: subcutaneous(ly)
SGOT: serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase
SGPT: serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase
SI: saturation index
SP: substance P
sp act: specific activity†
TLC: thin-layer chromatography
TPN: total parenteral nutrition
Tris: tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane^⁎
TXA₂: thromboxane A₂
UC: ulcerative colitis
UDC: ursodeoxycholate
UDCA: ursodeoxycholic acid
UDP: uridine 5’-diphosphate
VIP: vasoactive intestinal polypeptide
vol: volume†
wt: weight†

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Measurements and Units of Measure

Abbreviate measurements and units of measure only with numerals, in figures, or in the body of tables. In measurements using more than 2 units of measure (e.g., 1.5 μmol/cm²/s), do not use more than one slant line (solidus). Instead, please express the measurement in the following way:

1.5 μmol . cm⁻² . s⁻¹

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Combining Prefixes

cycle/min

T: tera- (10¹²)
G: giga- (10⁹)
M: mega- (10⁶)
k: kilo- (10³)
h: hecto- (10²)
da: deca- (10¹)
d: deci- (10⁻¹)
c: centi- (10⁻²)
m: milli- (10⁻³)
μ: micro- (10⁻⁶)
n: nano- (10⁻⁹)
p: pico- (10⁻¹²)
f: femto- (10⁻¹⁵)
a: atto- (10⁻¹⁸)

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Units

cycle/min

A: ampere(s)
Å: angstrom(s)
cal: calorie(s)
°C: degree(s) Celsius
C: coulomb(s)
cpm: counts per minute
cps: counts per second
cm³: cubic centimeter(s) (not cc)
Ci: Curie(s)
cycle/min: cycles per minute
cycle/s: cycles per second
dalton(s): dalton(s) (do not abbreviate)
day(s): day(s) (do not abbreviate)
d: density
dpm: disintegrations per minute
dps: disintegrations per second
eV: electron volt(s)
Eq: equivalent(s)
°F: degree(s) Fahrenheit
F: farad
ft: foot
G: gauss
g: gram(s)
g: gravity(ies)
t1/2: half-life
H: henry(ies)
Hz: hertz
h: hour(s)
in: inch(es)
IU: international unit(s)
J: joule(s)
K: kelvin
kcal: kilocalorie(s)
kg: kilogram(s)
L: liter(s)
mL: milliliter(s)
μL: microliter(s)
m: meter(s)
μm: micrometers (do not use microns, μ)
×: magnification
mile/h: mile(s) per hour (not mph)
mm Hg: millimeter(s) of mercury
min: minute(s)
mol/L: molar
mo: month(s)
mol: mole(s)
newton(s): newton(s) (do not abbreviate)
N: normal
Ω: ohm(s)
osm: osmole(s)
oz: ounces(s)
Pa: pascal(s)
lb: pound(s)
rad(s): rad(s) (do not abbreviate)
rpm: revolutions per minute
rps: revolutions per second
s: second(s)
U: unit(s)
V: volts(s)
W: watt(s)
wk: week(s)
yr: year(s)

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Radioisotopes

Gastroenterology follows the recommendations adopted by the IUB Committee of Editors of Biochemical Journals. The guidelines are: 1

The symbol for the isotope should be placed in square brackets directly attached to the front of the name or formula labeled (e.g., [¹⁴C]urea). The isotopic prefix should be attached to the part of the name to which it refers (e.g., sodium [¹⁴C]formate). Exceptions to these guidelines are: A

When the native chemical or substance does not contain any isotope of the radiolabel, use the hyphenated form (e.g., ¹³¹I-albumin).

B.When the radiolabeled chemical or substance is not a specific chemical name, use the hyphenated form (e.g., ³H-ligands, ¹⁴C-steroids).

2.Square brackets may be either used or omitted in short chemical formulas (e.g., ³H₂O, ¹⁴CO₂), or when the isotope stands alone (e.g., ³H, ¹⁴C).

3.When known, the positions of isotopic labeling should be indicated by Arabic numerals, Greek letters, or italicized prefixes (as appropriate) placed within the square brackets and before the isotope symbol (e.g., [1-³H]ethanol, l-[α-¹⁴C]leucine, [carboxyl-¹⁴C]leucine).

A more complete explanation can be found in the Instructions to Authors of Biochimica et Biophysica Acta and the Journal of Biological Chemistry, or in the IUPAC-CNOC Recommendations on Isotopically Modified Compounds (Eur J Biochem 1978;86:9–25).

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Statistical Terms

Student’s tttest

χ² method

chi-squared method

correlation coefficient

degrees of freedom

¯x

mean

not significant

number of observations

probability

standard deviation

SEM

standard error of the mean

Student t test

express in full

variance ratio

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General Information

Chemical names. Chemical names should be spelled and styled according to the Merck Index, 10th edition.

Drug names. Please use generic names wherever possible. If a trade name drug was used in the study being reported, please cite the trade name in parentheses, along with the manufacturer’s name and location (see Manufacturers).

Greek letters. Current preferred style favors the use of Greek letters over their English equivalents. Thus alpha-l-antitrypsin and gamma-globulin should be styled α₁-antitrypsin and γ-globulin, respectively.

Manufacturers. When the use of specific scientific equipment or other products is cited in the manuscript, the manufacturer’s full name, city, and state (or country) should be given in parentheses immediately after the citation. If other equipment or products from the same manufacturer are cited later in the paper, the manufacturer’s name only should be given in parentheses.

Molecular weight. Molecular weight is a pure number, and is defined as molecular weight ratio; it is not expressed in daltons. The dalton is a unit of mass equal to the mass of one atom of carbon 12.

Trade names. Trade names should be capitalized, and the manufacturer’s name and location should be cited as described in Manufacturers. Please note that some trade names are acronyms; these should be written in all capital letters.