My manuscript remained in "Editor Assigned" status for approximately five months without any substantive update on its progress. I contacted the editorial office twice to inquire about the status; the second response appeared to be a generic template reply that did not address the specific situation of my manuscript. I also wrote directly to the handling editor and received no response. Given the lack of communication and the extended delay with no indication that review had actually begun, I ultimately withdrew the manuscript. Based on this experience, I would not recommend this journal.
