Automatic Withdrawal for Editorial Inactivity

To ensure timely editorial processing, a manuscript will be automatically withdrawn if no substantive editorial action has occurred for 12 consecutive months after the most recent editorial activity. Substantive editorial actions include editor assignment, peer-review invitation or completion, editorial decision, author revision, or any documented action that advances the manuscript through the editorial process. Routine administrative updates or automated system notifications do not constitute substantive activity. Where practicable, the corresponding author will be notified before withdrawal. Automatic withdrawal is an administrative action, not a rejection, and does not reflect the scientific merit of the manuscript. Following withdrawal, authors are free to submit the manuscript elsewhere or request reinstatement, which will be considered at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.