I confirm this manuscript has not been previously published in whole or in part - I confirm this manuscript is not under consideration by any other journal - I confirm this manuscript will not be submitted elsewhere while under review by BJLM - If any part has been previously presented (e.g., conference abstract), I have declared this in the cover letter.

I confirm this manuscript has not been written by AI - I understand that BJLM reserves the right to check submissions using AI-detection tools - If AI tools were used for editing, language improvement, or figure generation, I have declared this in the methods/acknowledgements.

I confirm all references follow BJLM reference style noted in author guidance - I confirm reference formatting is consistent throughout the manuscript - Where available, I have provided DOIs or URLs for all references.

I confirm all authors have disclosed any potential conflicts of interest. Examples include: financial holdings, consultancies, advisory positions, board memberships, grants, patents, or personal relationships that could influence the work - If no conflicts exist: "No conflict of interest was reported by all authors" or "The authors declare no conflict of interest".

I confirm all sources of funding have been declared - I confirm the role of funders in study design, data collection, analysis, and manuscript preparation has been stated.

For human subjects research: Ethics approval has been obtained and the approval number/institution is provided - For human subjects research: Informed consent was obtained from all participants - For clinical trials: Trial registration number is provided (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN) - For animal research: Animal ethics approval has been obtained - For case reports: Patient consent for publication has been obtained.

I confirm all listed authors meet ICMJE authorship criteria - I confirm each author's specific contributions are documented (e.g., study design, data collection, analysis, writing, supervision).

I have read and understood BJLM's author policy - I confirm the APC is payable only after formal acceptance of the manuscript - I confirm I am aware of the current APC amount and have secured funding or institutional support if required.

I confirm that, upon acceptance, the article will be published under a Creative Commons license (open access) - I confirm all authors agree to the terms of publication.

For clinical trials: CONSORT checklist completed - For observational studies: STROBE checklist completed - For systematic reviews: PRISMA checklist completed - For case reports: CARE guidelines followed.

Manuscript is prepared in Microsoft Word format - Text is single-spaced, 12-point font - Abstract meets word limit (typically 250–300 words, structured) - Figures and tables are placed appropriately or provided as separate files - Title page includes all required author information and declarations.

I confirm all information provided is accurate and complete - I confirm all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript - I confirm I have the authority to submit on behalf of all co-authors.