Revie wer’s report  
 
Title: Impact of preoperative fecal short chain fatty ac ids on postoperative infectious 
complication s in esophageal cancer patients  
 
Version: 1 Date: 19 Feb 2020  
 
Reviewer: Yoshihiro Nabeya  
 
Reviewer's report:  
The authors have responded aptly to the issues raise d by the Reviewers before.  While the 
content of this manuscript may be acceptable for publication now in BMC Gastroenterology, I 
am sorry to have raised one minor concerns regarding the Figure legend.  
 
In a box -and-whisker plot, the Figure in this paper, the box usally shows the interquartile range 
(25-75 percentile) of values.  It also has lines extending from the box (whiskers) indicating 
variability outside the upper and lower quartiles.  However, wha t the upper and lower bars mean 
may be different, depending on the figure.  Therefore, It is kind to mention which values the box 
and the bars indicate in the figure legend.  
 
 
Are the met hods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional s tatistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or sal ary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publica tion of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents  relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I dec lare that I have  no competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understan d that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted f or publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Acc ess Creative Commons 
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be in cluded as confidential comments 
to the editor s, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
Revie wer’s report  
 
Title: Impact of preoperative fecal short chain fatty ac ids on postoperative infectious 
complication s in esophageal cancer patients  
 
Version: 1 Date: 19 Feb 2020  
 
Reviewer: Yoshihiro Nabeya  
 
Reviewer's report:  
The authors have responded aptly to the issues raise d by the Reviewers before.  While the 
content of this manuscript may be acceptable for publication now in BMC Gastroenterology, I 
am sorry to have raised one minor concerns regarding the Figure legend.  
 
In a box -and-whisker plot, the Figure in this paper, the box usally shows the interquartile range 
(25-75 percentile) of values.  It also has lines extending from the box (whiskers) indicating 
variability outside the upper and lower quartiles.  However, wha t the upper and lower bars mean 
may be different, depending on the figure.  Therefore, It is kind to mention which values the box 
and the bars indicate in the figure legend.  
 
 
Are the met hods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional s tatistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or sal ary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publica tion of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents  relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I dec lare that I have  no competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understan d that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted f or publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Acc ess Creative Commons 
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be in cluded as confidential comments 
to the editor s, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
Please review this paper.
user
Revie wer’s report  
 
Title: Impact of preoperative fecal short chain fatty ac ids on postoperative infectious 
complication s in esophageal cancer patients  
 
Version: 1 Date: 19 Feb 2020  
 
Reviewer: Yoshihiro Nabeya  
 
Reviewer's report:  
The authors have responded aptly to the issues raise d by the Reviewers before.  While the 
content of this manuscript may be acceptable for publication now in BMC Gastroenterology, I 
am sorry to have raised one minor concerns regarding the Figure legend.  
 
In a box -and-whisker plot, the Figure in this paper, the box usally shows the interquartile range 
(25-75 percentile) of values.  It also has lines extending from the box (whiskers) indicating 
variability outside the upper and lower quartiles.  However, wha t the upper and lower bars mean 
may be different, depending on the figure.  Therefore, It is kind to mention which values the box 
and the bars indicate in the figure legend.  
 
 
Are the met hods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional s tatistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or sal ary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publica tion of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents  relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I dec lare that I have  no competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understan d that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted f or publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Acc ess Creative Commons 
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be in cluded as confidential comments 
to the editor s, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
assistant