research paper applied science

Preparing your manuscript

The title page should:

• present a title that includes, if appropriate, the research design
• if a collaboration group should be listed as an author, please list the Group name as an author and include the names of the individual members of the Group in the “Acknowledgements” section in accordance with the instructions below
• Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT , do not currently satisfy our authorship criteria . Notably an attribution of authorship carries with it accountability for the work, which cannot be effectively applied to LLMs. Use of an LLM should be properly documented in the Methods section (and if a Methods section is not available, in a suitable alternative part) of the manuscript
• indicate the corresponding author

The abstract should briefly summarize the aim, findings or purpose of the article. Please minimize the use of abbreviations and do not cite references in the abstract. 

Three to ten keywords representing the main content of the article.

Introduction

The Introduction section should explain the background to the study, its aims, a summary of the existing literature and why this study was necessary.

This should include the findings of the study including, if appropriate, results of statistical analysis which must be included either in the text or as tables and figures.

Discussion (can be combined in ‘Results and Discussion’ section)

For research articles this section should discuss the implications of the findings in context of existing research and highlight limitations of the study. For methodology manuscripts this section should include a discussion of any practical or operational issues involved in performing the study and any issues not covered in other sections.

Conclusions

This should state clearly the main conclusions and provide an explanation of the importance and relevance of the study to the field.

Methods/Experimental (can also be placed after Introduction)

The methods section should include:

• the aim, design and setting of the study
• the characteristics of participants or description of materials
• a clear description of all processes and methodologies employed. Generic names should generally be used. When proprietary brands are used in research, include the brand names in parentheses
• the type of statistical analysis used, including a power calculation if appropriate

studies involving human participants, data or tissue or animals must include statement on ethics approval and consent

List of abbreviations

If abbreviations are used in the text they should be defined in the text at first use, and a list of abbreviations should be provided.

Declarations

All manuscripts must contain the following sections under the heading 'Declarations':

Availability of data and materials

Competing interests, authors' contributions, acknowledgements.

• Authors' information (optional)

Please see below for details on the information to be included in these sections.

If any of the sections are not relevant to your manuscript, please include the heading and write 'Not applicable' for that section.

All manuscripts must include an ‘Availability of data and materials’ statement. Data availability statements should include information on where data supporting the results reported in the article can be found including, where applicable, hyperlinks to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. By data we mean the minimal dataset that would be necessary to interpret, replicate and build upon the findings reported in the article. We recognise it is not always possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be compromised, and in such instances data availability should still be stated in the manuscript along with any conditions for access.

Data availability statements can take one of the following forms (or a combination of more than one if required for multiple datasets):

• The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available in the [NAME] repository, [PERSISTENT WEB LINK TO DATASETS]
• The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
• All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article [and its supplementary information files].
• The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due [REASON WHY DATA ARE NOT PUBLIC] but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
• Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.
• The data that support the findings of this study are available from [third party name] but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under license for the current study, and so are not publicly available. Data are however available from the authors upon reasonable request and with permission of [third party name].
• Not applicable. If your manuscript does not contain any data, please state 'Not applicable' in this section.

More examples of template data availability statements, which include examples of openly available and restricted access datasets, are available  here .

SpringerOpen  also requires that authors cite any publicly available data on which the conclusions of the paper rely in the manuscript. Data citations should include a persistent identifier (such as a DOI) and should ideally be included in the reference list. Citations of datasets, when they appear in the reference list, should include the minimum information recommended by DataCite and follow journal style. Dataset identifiers including DOIs should be expressed as full URLs. For example:

Hao Z, AghaKouchak A, Nakhjiri N, Farahmand A. Global integrated drought monitoring and prediction system (GIDMaPS) data sets. figshare. 2014.  http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.853801

With the corresponding text in the Availability of data and materials statement:

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available in the [NAME] repository, [PERSISTENT WEB LINK TO DATASETS]. [Reference number]

If you wish to co-submit a data note describing your data to be published in BMC Research Notes , you can do so by visiting our submission portal . Data notes support open data and help authors to comply with funder policies on data sharing. Co-published data notes will be linked to the research article the data support ( example ).

All financial and non-financial competing interests must be declared in this section.

See our  editorial policies  for a full explanation of competing interests. If you are unsure whether you or any of your co-authors have a competing interest please contact the editorial office.

Please use the authors’ initials to refer to each authors' competing interests in this section.

If you do not have any competing interests, please state "The authors declare that they have no competing interests" in this section.

All sources of funding for the research reported should be declared. If the funder has a specific role in the conceptualization, design, data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript, this should be declared.

The individual contributions of authors to the manuscript should be specified in this section. Guidance and criteria for authorship can be found in our  editorial policies .

Please use initials to refer to each author's contribution in this section, for example: "FC analyzed and interpreted the patient data regarding the hematological disease and the transplant. RH performed the histological examination of the kidney, and was a major contributor in writing the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."

Please acknowledge anyone who contributed towards the article who does not meet the criteria for authorship including anyone who provided professional writing services or materials.

Authors should obtain permission to acknowledge from all those mentioned in the Acknowledgements section.

See our  editorial policies  for a full explanation of acknowledgements and authorship criteria.

If you do not have anyone to acknowledge, please write "Not applicable" in this section.

Group authorship (for manuscripts involving a collaboration group): if you would like the names of the individual members of a collaboration Group to be searchable through their individual PubMed records, please ensure that the title of the collaboration Group is included on the title page and in the submission system and also include collaborating author names as the last paragraph of the “Acknowledgements” section. Please add authors in the format First Name, Middle initial(s) (optional), Last Name. You can add institution or country information for each author if you wish, but this should be consistent across all authors.

Authors' information

This section is optional.

You may choose to use this section to include any relevant information about the author(s) that may aid the reader's interpretation of the article, and understand the standpoint of the author(s). This may include details about the authors' qualifications, current positions they hold at institutions or societies, or any other relevant background information. Please refer to authors using their initials. Note this section should not be used to describe any competing interests.

Footnotes should be designated within the text using a superscript number. It is not allowed to use footnotes for references/citations.

Examples of the Basic Springer reference style are shown below. 

See our editorial policies for author guidance on good citation practice.

Web links and URLs: All web links and URLs, including links to the authors' own websites, should be given a reference number and included in the reference list rather than within the text of the manuscript. They should be provided in full, including both the title of the site and the URL, as well as the date the site was accessed, in the following format: The Mouse Tumor Biology Database. http://tumor.informatics.jax.org/mtbwi/index.do . Accessed 20 May 2013. If an author or group of authors can clearly be associated with a web link, such as for weblogs, then they should be included in the reference.

Example reference style:

Article within a journal

Smith J, Jones M Jr, Houghton L (1999) Future of health insurance. N Engl J Med 965:325-329.

Article by DOI (with page numbers)

Slifka MK, Whitton JL (2000) Clinical implications of dysregulated cytokine production. J Mol Med 78:74-80. doi:10.1007/s001090000086.

Article by DOI (before issue publication and with page numbers)

Slifka MK, Whitton JL (2000) Clinical implications of dysregulated cytokine production. J Mol Med. doi:10.1007/s001090000086.

Article in electronic journal by DOI (no paginated version)

Slifka MK, Whitton JL (2000) Clinical implications of dysregulated cytokine production. Dig J Mol Med. doi:10.1007/s801090000086.

Journal issue with issue editor

Smith J (ed) (1998) Rodent genes. Mod Genomics J 14(6):126-233.

Journal issue with no issue editor

Mod Genomics J (1998) Rodent genes. Mod Genomics J 14(6):126-233.

Book chapter, or an article within a book

Brown B, Aaron M (2001) The politics of nature. In: Smith J (ed) The rise of modern genomics, 3rd edn. Wiley, New York.

Complete book, authored

South J, Blass B (2001) The future of modern genomics. Blackwell, London.

Complete book, edited

Smith J, Brown B (eds) (2001) The demise of modern genomics. Blackwell, London.

Complete book, also showing a translated edition [Either edition may be listed first.]

Adorno TW (1966) Negative Dialektik. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt. English edition: Adorno TW (1973) Negative Dialectics (trans: Ashton EB). Routledge, London.

Chapter in a book in a series without volume titles

Schmidt H (1989) Testing results. In: Hutzinger O (ed) Handbook of environmental chemistry, vol 2E. Springer, Heidelberg, p 111.

Chapter in a book in a series with volume titles

Smith SE (1976) Neuromuscular blocking drugs in man. In: Zaimis E (ed) Neuromuscular junction. Handbook of experimental pharmacology, vol 42. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 593-660.

OnlineFirst chapter in a series (without a volume designation but with a DOI)

Saito, Yukio, and Hyuga, Hiroyuki. (2007) Rate equation approaches to amplification of enantiomeric excess and chiral symmetry breaking. Topics in Current Chemistry. doi:10.1007/128_2006_108.

Proceedings as a book (in a series and subseries)

Zowghi D (1996) A framework for reasoning about requirements in evolution. In: Foo N, Goebel R (eds) PRICAI'96: topics in artificial intelligence. 4th Pacific Rim conference on artificial intelligence, Cairns, August 1996. Lecture notes in computer science (Lecture notes in artificial intelligence), vol 1114. Springer, Heidelberg, p 157.

Article within conference proceedings with an editor (without a publisher)

Aaron M (1999) The future of genomics. In: Williams H (ed) Proceedings of the genomic researchers, Boston, 1999.

Article within conference proceedings without an editor (without a publisher)

Chung S-T, Morris RL (1978) Isolation and characterization of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid from Streptomyces fradiae. In: Abstracts of the 3rd international symposium on the genetics of industrial microorganisms, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 4-9 June 1978.

Article presented at a conference

Chung S-T, Morris RL (1978) Isolation and characterization of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid from Streptomyces fradiae. Paper presented at the 3rd international symposium on the genetics of industrial microorganisms, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 4-9 June 1978.

Norman LO (1998) Lightning rods. US Patent 4,379,752, 9 Sept 1998.

Dissertation

Trent JW (1975) Experimental acute renal failure. Dissertation, University of California.

Book with institutional author

International Anatomical Nomenclature Committee (1966) Nomina anatomica. Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam.

In press article

Major M (2007) Recent developments. In: Jones W (ed) Surgery today. Springer, Dordrecht (in press).  

Online document

Doe J (1999) Title of subordinate document. In: The dictionary of substances and their effects. Royal Society of Chemistry. Available via DIALOG. http://www.rsc.org/dose/title of subordinate document. Accessed 15 Jan 1999.

Online database

Healthwise Knowledgebase (1998) US Pharmacopeia, Rockville. http://www.healthwise.org. Accessed 21 Sept 1998.

Supplementary material/private homepage

Doe J (2000) Title of supplementary material. http://www.privatehomepage.com. Accessed 22 Feb 2000.

University site

Doe J (1999) Title of preprint. http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/mydata.html. Accessed 25 Dec 1999.

Doe J (1999) Trivial HTTP, RFC2169. ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2169.txt. Accessed 12 Nov 1999.

Organization site

ISSN International Centre (2006) The ISSN register. http://www.issn.org. Accessed 20 Feb 2007.

General formatting information

Manuscripts must be written in concise English. For help on scientific writing, or preparing your manuscript in English, please see Springer's  Author Academy .

Quick points:

• Use double line spacing
• Include line and page numbering
• Use SI units: Please ensure that all special characters used are embedded in the text, otherwise they will be lost during conversion to PDF
• Do not use page breaks in your manuscript

File formats

The following word processor file formats are acceptable for the main manuscript document:

• Microsoft word (DOC, DOCX)
• Rich text format (RTF)
• TeX/LaTeX 

Please note: editable files are required for processing in production. If your manuscript contains any non-editable files (such as PDFs) you will be required to re-submit an editable file if your manuscript is accepted.

For more information, see ' Preparing figures ' below.

Additional information for TeX/LaTeX users

You are encouraged to use the Springer Nature LaTeX template when preparing a submission. A PDF of your manuscript files will be compiled during submission using pdfLaTeX and TexLive 2021. All relevant editable source files must be uploaded during the submission process. Failing to submit these source files will cause unnecessary delays in the production process.  

Style and language

For editors and reviewers to accurately assess the work presented in your manuscript you need to ensure the English language is of sufficient quality to be understood. If you need help with writing in English you should consider:

• Getting a fast, free online grammar check .
• Visiting the English language tutorial which covers the common mistakes when writing in English.
• Asking a colleague who is proficient in English to review your manuscript for clarity.
• Using a professional language editing service where editors will improve the English to ensure that your meaning is clear and identify problems that require your review. Two such services are provided by our affiliates Nature Research Editing Service and American Journal Experts . SpringerOpen authors are entitled to a 10% discount on their first submission to either of these services. To claim 10% off English editing from Nature Research Editing Service, click here . To claim 10% off American Journal Experts, click here .

Please note that the use of a language editing service is not a requirement for publication in Journal of Engineering and Applied Science and does not imply or guarantee that the article will be selected for peer review or accepted.  为便于编辑和评审专家准确评估您稿件中陈述的研究工作，您需要确保文稿英语语言质量足以令人理解。如果您需要英文写作方面的帮助，您可以考虑：

• 获取快速、免费的在线  语法检查 。
• 查看一些有关英语写作中常见语言错误的 教程 。
• 请一位以英语为母语的同事审阅您的稿件是否表意清晰。
• 使用专业语言编辑服务，编辑人员会对英语进行润色，以确保您的意思表达清晰，并提出需要您复核的问题。例如我们的附属机构 Nature Research Editing Service 以及合作伙伴 American Journal Experts 都可以提供此类专业服务。SpringerOpen作者享受首次订单10%优惠，该优惠同时适用于两家公司。您只需点击以下链接即可开始。使用 Nature Research Editing Service的编辑润色10%的优惠服务，请点击 这里 。使用 American Journal Experts的10%优惠服务，请点击 这里 。

请注意，使用语言编辑服务并非在期刊上发表文章的必要条件，这也并不意味或保证文章将被选中进行同行评议或被接受。 エディターと査読者があなたの論文を正しく評価するには、使用されている英語の質が十分であることが必要とされます。英語での論文執筆に際してサポートが必要な場合には、次のオプションがあります：

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英文校正サービスの利用は、このジャーナルに掲載されるための条件ではないこと、また論文審査や受理を保証するものではないことに留意してください。 영어 원고의 경우, 에디터 및 리뷰어들이 귀하의 원고에 실린 결과물을 정확하게 평가할 수 있도록, 그들이 충분히 이해할 수 있을 만한 수준으로 작성되어야 합니다. 만약 영작문과 관련하여 도움을 받기를 원하신다면 다음의 사항들을 고려하여 주십시오:

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Data and materials

For all journals, SpringerOpen strongly encourages all datasets on which the conclusions of the manuscript rely to be either deposited in publicly available repositories (where available and appropriate) or presented in the main paper or additional supporting files, in machine-readable format (such as spread sheets rather than PDFs) whenever possible. Please see the list of recommended repositories in our editorial policies.

For some journals, deposition of the data on which the conclusions of the manuscript rely is an absolute requirement. Please check the Instructions for Authors for the relevant journal and article type for journal specific policies.

For all manuscripts, information about data availability should be detailed in an ‘Availability of data and materials’ section. For more information on the content of this section, please see the Declarations section of the relevant journal’s Instruction for Authors. For more information on SpringerOpen's policies on data availability, please see our editorial policies .

Formatting the 'Availability of data and materials' section of your manuscript

The following format for the 'Availability of data and materials section of your manuscript should be used:

"The dataset(s) supporting the conclusions of this article is(are) available in the [repository name] repository, [unique persistent identifier and hyperlink to dataset(s) in http:// format]."

The following format is required when data are included as additional files:

"The dataset(s) supporting the conclusions of this article is(are) included within the article (and its additional file(s))."

For databases, this section should state the web/ftp address at which the database is available and any restrictions to its use by non-academics.

For software, this section should include:

• Project name: e.g. My bioinformatics project
• Project home page: e.g. http://sourceforge.net/projects/mged
• Archived version: DOI or unique identifier of archived software or code in repository (e.g. enodo)
• Operating system(s): e.g. Platform independent
• Programming language: e.g. Java
• Other requirements: e.g. Java 1.3.1 or higher, Tomcat 4.0 or higher
• License: e.g. GNU GPL, FreeBSD etc.
• Any restrictions to use by non-academics: e.g. licence needed

Information on available repositories for other types of scientific data, including clinical data, can be found in our editorial policies .

What should be cited?

Only articles, clinical trial registration records and abstracts that have been published or are in press, or are available through public e-print/preprint servers, may be cited.

Unpublished abstracts, unpublished data and personal communications should not be included in the reference list, but may be included in the text and referred to as "unpublished observations" or "personal communications" giving the names of the involved researchers. Obtaining permission to quote personal communications and unpublished data from the cited colleagues is the responsibility of the author. Either footnotes or endnotes are permitted. Journal abbreviations follow Index Medicus/MEDLINE.

Any in press articles cited within the references and necessary for the reviewers' assessment of the manuscript should be made available if requested by the editorial office.

Preparing figures

When preparing figures, please follow the formatting instructions below.

• Figure titles (max 15 words) and legends (max 300 words) should be provided in the main manuscript, not in the graphic file.
• Tables should NOT be submitted as figures but should be included in the main manuscript file.
• Multi-panel figures (those with parts a, b, c, d etc.) should be submitted as a single composite file that contains all parts of the figure.
• Figures should be numbered in the order they are first mentioned in the text, and uploaded in this order.
• Figures should be uploaded in the correct orientation.
• Figure keys should be incorporated into the graphic, not into the legend of the figure.
• Each figure should be closely cropped to minimize the amount of white space surrounding the illustration. Cropping figures improves accuracy when placing the figure in combination with other elements when the accepted manuscript is prepared for publication on our site. For more information on individual figure file formats, see our detailed instructions.
• Individual figure files should not exceed 10 MB. If a suitable format is chosen, this file size is adequate for extremely high quality figures.
• Please note that it is the responsibility of the author(s) to obtain permission from the copyright holder to reproduce figures (or tables) that have previously been published elsewhere. In order for all figures to be open access, authors must have permission from the rights holder if they wish to include images that have been published elsewhere in non open access journals. Permission should be indicated in the figure legend, and the original source included in the reference list.

Figure file types

We accept the following file formats for figures:

• EPS (suitable for diagrams and/or images)
• PDF (suitable for diagrams and/or images)
• Microsoft Word (suitable for diagrams and/or images, figures must be a single page)
• PowerPoint (suitable for diagrams and/or images, figures must be a single page)
• TIFF (suitable for images)
• JPEG (suitable for photographic images, less suitable for graphical images)
• PNG (suitable for images)
• BMP (suitable for images)
• CDX (ChemDraw - suitable for molecular structures)

Figure size and resolution

Figures are resized during publication of the final full text and PDF versions to conform to the SpringerOpen standard dimensions, which are detailed below.

Figures on the web:

• width of 600 pixels (standard), 1200 pixels (high resolution).

Figures in the final PDF version:

• width of 85 mm for half page width figure
• width of 170 mm for full page width figure
• maximum height of 225 mm for figure and legend
• image resolution of approximately 300 dpi (dots per inch) at the final size

Figures should be designed such that all information, including text, is legible at these dimensions. All lines should be wider than 0.25 pt when constrained to standard figure widths. All fonts must be embedded.

Figure file compression

Vector figures should if possible be submitted as PDF files, which are usually more compact than EPS files.

• TIFF files should be saved with LZW compression, which is lossless (decreases file size without decreasing quality) in order to minimize upload time.
• JPEG files should be saved at maximum quality.
• Conversion of images between file types (especially lossy formats such as JPEG) should be kept to a minimum to avoid degradation of quality.

If you have any questions or are experiencing a problem with figures, please contact the customer service team at [email protected] .

Preparing tables

When preparing tables, please follow the formatting instructions below.

• Tables should be numbered and cited in the text in sequence using Arabic numerals (i.e. Table 1, Table 2 etc.).
• Tables less than one A4 or Letter page in length can be placed in the appropriate location within the manuscript.
• Tables larger than one A4 or Letter page in length can be placed at the end of the document text file. Please cite and indicate where the table should appear at the relevant location in the text file so that the table can be added in the correct place during production.
• Larger datasets, or tables too wide for A4 or Letter landscape page can be uploaded as additional files. Please see [below] for more information.
• Tabular data provided as additional files can be uploaded as an Excel spreadsheet (.xls ) or comma separated values (.csv). Please use the standard file extensions.
• Table titles (max 15 words) should be included above the table, and legends (max 300 words) should be included underneath the table.
• Tables should not be embedded as figures or spreadsheet files, but should be formatted using ‘Table object’ function in your word processing program.
• Color and shading may not be used. Parts of the table can be highlighted using superscript, numbering, lettering, symbols or bold text, the meaning of which should be explained in a table legend.
• Commas should not be used to indicate numerical values.

If you have any questions or are experiencing a problem with tables, please contact the customer service team at [email protected] .

Preparing additional files

As the length and quantity of data is not restricted for many article types, authors can provide datasets, tables, movies, or other information as additional files.

All Additional files will be published along with the accepted article. Do not include files such as patient consent forms, certificates of language editing, or revised versions of the main manuscript document with tracked changes. Such files, if requested, should be sent by email to the journal’s editorial email address, quoting the manuscript reference number.

Results that would otherwise be indicated as "data not shown" should be included as additional files. Since many web links and URLs rapidly become broken, SpringerOpen requires that supporting data are included as additional files, or deposited in a recognized repository. Please do not link to data on a personal/departmental website. Do not include any individual participant details. The maximum file size for additional files is 20 MB each, and files will be virus-scanned on submission. Each additional file should be cited in sequence within the main body of text.

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Artificial-intelligence (AI) tools are becoming increasingly common in science, and many scientists anticipate that they will soon be central to the practice of research, suggests a Nature survey of more than 1,600 researchers around the world.

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Nature 621 , 672-675 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-02980-0

Updates & Corrections

Correction 10 October 2023 : An earlier version of this story erroneously affiliated Kedar Hippalgaonkar with the National University of Singapore.

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Supplementary Information

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• AI survey results (xlsx)

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4 march 2024 mdpi insights: the ceo's letter #9 - romania, research integrity, viruses.

Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.

In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.

Opening Thoughts

MDPI’s Impact on Romania

In February, I visited our office in Cluj, Romania. I worked closely with our senior office managers and various teams, including the departments of training, marketing and conferences, as well as our journal relationship specialists, reviewing our service to the local scholarly community. During the visit, I also met with representatives from Babes-Bolyai University and the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca. Our multifunctional Romanian office plays an important role in supporting our collaborations with the local market as well as helping to meet MDPI’s overall business needs.

With 22,436 articles, Romania ranks as a top 20 contributing country to MDPI’s total number of papers published as at 28 February 2024. This highlights the importance of our collaboration with Romanian-affiliated authors and the growing opportunity to support their publishing needs. MDPI is one of the few academic publishers with a significant presence in Romania, boasting over 360 colleagues across our offices in Bucharest and Cluj. We are also proud to hire colleagues from local institutions to launch their careers within publishing.

Romania ranks as a top 20 contributing country.

The Numbers: 2019–2023

MDPI has seen a healthy increase in submissions from Romanian authors over the past three years, from 8,439 in 2021 to 11,866 by end of 2023, with most submissions going to journals such as Sustainability , Medicina , Diagnostics , IJMS , Applied Sciences, and JCM . From 2019 to 2023, MDPI published articles from 32,145 authors affiliated with Romanian institutions. Over those years, we have worked with Romanian Guest Editors on nearly 3,000 occasions to support their Special Issue and Topical collections.

With more than 300 Editorial Board Members from Romania, 34 appear on the board of Mathematics , 27 on Materials , 19 on Polymers , 18 on Coatings , and 16 on Molecules , while three serve as Section Editors-in-Chief (SEiC) on our journals Coatings (3.4 IF, 4.6 Citescore), Magnetochemistry (2.7 IF, 3.5 Citescore), and Chemosensors (4.2 IF, 3.9 Citescore).

Institutional Open Access Programs

Our commitment to working with institutions is evident in Romania, where we have established eight Institutional Open Access Programs (IOAP) with esteemed institutions such as the University of Bucharest, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, and most recently the National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics.

Our growth and presence in Romania are a true testament.

We also have IOAP agreements with Babes-Bolyai University and the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, where I had the opportunity to meet senior stakeholders during my visit. Below are a few photos capturing our meeting with Prof. Radu Silaghi-Dumitrescu (Head of Faculty of Chemistry, Babes-Bolyai University) at the MDPI office in Cluj, Romania, along with a photo from our meeting with Vice Deans Nicoleta Cobarzan, Nicoleta Ilies, and Hoda Gavril, from the faculty of Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Cluj, Romania.

Our growth and presence in Romania are a true testament to the service we provide to the scholarly community and the relationships we foster in that region. We look forward to continuing to support Romanian scholars and institutions by providing a valuable and trusted experience with MDPI, the leader in open access publishing.

Impactful Research

MDPI Joins the STM Integrity Hub

MDPI has long been a supporter and partner of STM, with our involvement ranging from sponsoring and attending events to helping organize event programs. By joining the STM Integrity Hub , we aim to further our commitment to STM initiatives aimed at safeguarding the integrity of science.

“We are pleased to welcome MDPI as the 35 th organisation participating in the Hub. This expansion is critical, as every new member enhances our capacity to prevent fraudulent submissions from entering the academic record.” Joris van Rossum, Director of Research Integrity, STM

MDPI operates in full alignment with STM Integrity Hub's values of shared data and experiences. We strongly believe in collaboration and open exchange for the purposes of creating a holistic approach to support research integrity at MDPI itself and across the entire academic publishing industry. The Integrity Hub is an excellent example of how publishers can come together to jointly address industry-wide challenges related to research integrity, such as manuscripts that breach research integrity standards and paper-mills.

I look forward to our Research Integrity and Publication Ethics Team (RIPE) team immersing themselves in this initiative, exchanging information, best practices, and tools for the benefit of the entire scholarly ecosystem. We believe that ethical publishing standards should be implemented across the board, and we aim to be rigorous in our approach, addressing research integrity issues and improving the impact of published research.

Inside MDPI

MDPI Expands Research Integrity and Publication Ethics Team (RIPE)

In addition to external collaborations and joint initiatives aimed at further strengthening our commitment to research integrity, we are also enhancing our internal efforts. This includes improving our processes and guidelines and expanding our teams and departments to ensure quality assurance throughout our publishing process.

We are pleased to announce the expansion of our Research Integrity and Publication Ethics Team (RIPE) at MDPI. The RIPE team has recently welcomed new colleagues, each bringing unique skills and a personal commitment to prioritize ethical considerations in all our work.

The demand for research integrity and high ethical standards in academic publishing is steadily rising across our industry. Our expanded RIPE team will work to enhance and align our practices with industry best practices, ensuring excellence in research integrity and publication ethics.

Introducing our Research Integrity and Publication Ethics Team

Led by Dr. Tim Tait-Jamieson (Research Integrity Lead), the RIPE team comprises Dr. Ivana Resanovic (Research Integrity Manager), Dr. Lavinia Rogojina (Research Integrity Manager), Ms. Diana Apodaritei (Research Integrity Specialist), Dr. Zoltan Mihaly (Research Integrity Specialist), Mr. Aleksandar Đukić (Research Integrity Specialist), Ms. Ana Stankovic (Research Integrity Specialist), and Ms. Anna Pena (Publication Ethics Assistant).

Please click here to access everything that you need to know about MDPI’s Research and Publication Ethics.

With this span of complementary roles, the RIPE team collaborates directly with journal editorial teams and works closely with various departments, including our Scientific Office Board and our Journal Relationship Specialists. The team’s primary objectives are to help prevent issues regarding research integrity and publication ethics during peer review, uphold MDPI’s ethics policies, adhere to industry standards, and resolve publication ethics and research integrity issues and complaints.

Quality Updates to Special Issues Oversight

At MDPI, we are committed to reviewing policies pertaining to the quality of research. In this blog post , Shaheena Patel (Communications Associate, MDPI), outlines two recent updates to MDPI journal processes. These updates pertain to Special Issue (SI) quality guidelines, in line with criteria provided by COPE and DOAJ. Alongside the SI updates, details regarding the new minor corrections policy introduced in 2024 are provided in the blog.

The two updates we implemented include greater oversight and the verification of Guest Editor credentials. These guidelines require that Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) and Editorial Board Members (EBMs) take responsibility for overseeing SIs.

PS. Thank you, James Butcher, for featuring this up in your 67th issue of the Journalogy newsletter .

• Ethics in Publishing
• Ethics in Open Access Publishing
• Artificial Intelligence: Ethical Considerations in Academia

Coming Together for Science

Viruses 2024 – A World of Viruses

I am pleased to share the success of our MDPI conference Viruses 2024 – A World of Viruses , held 14-16 February, in Barcelona. With 240 registrations, this event brought together top scientists, researchers, and industry experts from 40 countries to share their findings on the latest developments in viral pathogenesis and immune responses.

Attendees gathered for the 5 th edition of the Viruses’ conference, where we hosted influential keynote speeches from Nobel Prize laureate Dr. Charles M. Rice and ‘Distinguished Senior Virologist’ Prof. Luis Enjuanes, along with 14 invited speakers, 47 selected speakers, and nine flash poster presenters, to discuss the most significant issues in virology today.

Recap on the #Viruses2024 Conference

Take a look at the key moments from MDPI’s Viruses event and please join us in commemorating a gathering for global knowledge and cooperation. A heartfelt thank-you to all attendees; their passion and engagement played a crucial role in making this event an engaging success!

Below are calls to action from the keynote speakers encouraging collaboration and communication:

“There’s never been a better time than now to really take the power that we have both in terms of basic research and also in biotech and pharma to develop antiviral agents.” - Dr. Charles M. Rice, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA

“The collaboration between labs is absolutely essential. Improving initial detection and improving communication is a must for all of us working in science.” - Prof. Dr. Luis Enjuanes, National Center of Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain

Our thanks go to our sponsors and partnering societies, our Viruses journal and editorial team, our Barcelona colleagues, and the social media, conference and other MDPI teams for making this event a memorable occasion. View the event gallery here .

Upcoming In-Person Event

24–26 April, 2024 4th MMCS – Harnessing the Power of New Drug Modalities Location: Barcelona, Spain

Esteemed speakers at MMCS 2024 include Prof. Arun K. Ghosh, the mind behind the Darunavir molecule, and Prof. Paul Brennan, CSO of Alzheimer's Research UK Oxford Drug Discovery Institute.

Find more upcoming MDPI events here .

Organize Your Event with MDPI’s Sciforum

Sciforum is MDPI’s platform dedicated to the organization of scientific events. In line with our mission to promote science, Sciforum supports scholars, societies, research networks, and universities at all stages of organizing in-person events, virtual events and webinars. Our platforms are efficient, user-friendly, and cost-effective. We handle all steps related to event management. Contact us for details.

Closing Thoughts

Researcher to Reader (R2R) Conference

From 20–21 February 2024, I had the pleasure of attending the Researcher to Reader (R2R) conference in London, which MDPI has proudly sponsored over the years. The conference programme offered a variety of session formats, including workshops, panel discussions, debates, interviews, presentations, and lightning talks, with opportunities to discuss relevant topics.

We take pride in supporting the scientific community, bringing researchers across the world together to network, exchange ideas and share the latest in science and publishing. In 2023, MDPI invested close to 2 million CHF in sponsoring over 2,000 scientific and publishing-related conferences worldwide.

R2R Peer Review Innovations Workshop

I found the R2R conference to be engaging, with the workshops being particularly enjoyable. My colleague Giulia Stefenelli (Chair of Scientific Office Board) and I participated in the “Peer Review Innovations” workshop, which spanned four sessions over the two days. These sessions explored the future of peer review and how we can improve the peer review process for everyone involved. Notably, the large majority of attendees expressed their opinion that peer review, as currently practiced, requires significant improvement. Together, we collaborated on potential immediate and long-term improvements and innovative processes, aiming to create an ecosystem beneficial to all stakeholders by strengthening submission systems with the aim of reducing threats and making authors more responsible for their work. We also discussed the opportunity for academic institutions to better scrutinize the quality of the work produced and submitted to journals.

Our group comprised publishers, software providers, librarians, and more, bringing diverse perspectives to the discussions. These interactions were relevant to MDPI’s ongoing conversations, providing insights to our efforts. The session also made me appreciate that MDPI is doing well, as the group discussions included the subject of various quality checks that we have already embedded in our processes, ensuring that we keep abreast of industry standards.

The need for an optimized system to incentivize the activities of editors and reviewers was also a focus of discussion, as well as the support that reviewers need from publishers via the provision of strong reports through fixed forms, questionnaires and training.

At MDPI, we are currently auditing our reviewer program to improve reviewer recognition, guidelines, and methods for identifying suitable reviewers, while maintaining our commitment to quality and timeliness.

Congratulations to Mark Carden, Conference Director, and the R2R team for organizing a productive and successful event. PS: The break times were greatly appreciated as well!

20 February 2024 Applied Sciences Webinar | Nanophotonics in the Third Millennium, 24 February 2024

MDPI would like to invite all experts recognized in their fields to attend the webinar Nanophotonics in the Third Millennium. The aim of this webinar is to discuss current research trends in the fields of nanophotonics and metamaterials, such as topological effects in optics, two-dimensional materials, light–matter interaction in nanocavities, plasmonic circuits, thermal engineering, and quantum photonic systems.

Title: Nanophotonics in the Third Millennium Date: 24 February 2024 Time: 10:00-12:00 (CET) | 5:00-7:00 (CST Asia) Webinar website: https://sciforum.net/event/ApplSci-14

This is a free webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.

Register for free:

Relevant Special Issue:

Applied Sciences

“ Metamaterials, Quantum and Nanophotonics in the Third Millenium ”

Edited by Prof. Dr. Eduard Babulak and Prof. Dr. Dieter Bimberg

Deadline for manuscript submissions:  29 Feb 2024

13 February 2024 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2022 in the Section “Mechanical Engineering”

1. “A Survey on Design and Control of Lower Extremity Exoskeletons for Bipedal Walking” by Ibrahim Tijjani, Shivesh Kumar and Melya Boukheddimi Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (5), 2395; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12052395   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/5/2395

2. “Modified A-Star (A*) Approach to Plan the Motion of a Quadrotor UAV in Three-Dimensional Obstacle-Cluttered Environment” by Ghulam Farid, Silvio Cocuzza, Talha Younas, Asghar Abbas Razzaqi, Waqas Ahmad Wattoo, Ferdinando Cannella and Hongwei Mo Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (12), 5791; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12125791 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/12/5791

3. “Gaussian Process Surrogates for Modeling Uncertainties in a Use Case of Forging Superalloys” by Johannes G. Hoffer, Bernhard C. Geiger and Roman Kern Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1089; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031089 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1089

4. “Numerical Performance Investigation of a Hybrid eCVT Specialized Agricultural Tractor” by Francesco Mocera and Valerio Martini Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (5), 2438; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12052438 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/5/2438

5. “A Novel Method for Fault Diagnosis of Bearings with Small and Imbalanced Data Based on Generative Adversarial Networks” by Qingbin Tong, Feiyu Lu, Ziwei Feng, Qingzhu Wan, Guoping An, Junci Cao and Tao Guo Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (14), 7346; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12147346 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/14/7346

6. “A Study on a New Independent Metering Valve for Hydraulic Boom Excavator” by Thanh-Ha Nguyen, Tri-Cuong Do and Kyoung-Kwan Ahn Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 605; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020605   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/605

7. “Joining of Fibre-Reinforced Thermoplastic Polymer Composites by Friction Stir Welding—A Review” by Miguel A. R. Pereira, Ivan Galvão, José Domingos Costa, Ana M. Amaro and Rui M. Leal Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (5), 2744; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12052744   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/5/2744

8. “A Numerical Aerodynamic Analysis on the Effect of Rear Underbody Diffusers on Road Cars” by Alex Guerrero, Robert Castilla and Giorgio Eid Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (8), 3763; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083763    Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/8/3763

9. “Deep Learning-Based Weld Contour and Defect Detection from Micrographs of Laser Beam Welded Semi-Finished Products” by Christian Nowroth, Tiansheng Gu, Jan Grajczak, Sarah Nothdurft, Jens Twiefel, Jörg Hermsdorf, Stefan Kaierle and Jörg Wallaschek Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (9), 4645; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094645 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/9/4645

10. “Statistical Characterization of Stress Concentrations along Butt Joint Weld Seams Using Deep Neural Networks” by Moritz Braun, Josef Neuhäusler, Martin Denk, Finn Renken, Leon Kellner, Jan Schubnell, Matthias Jung, Klemens Rother and Sören Ehlers Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (12), 6089; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12126089 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/12/6089

11. “Infill Microstructures for Additive Manufacturing” by Ioannis Ntintakis and Georgios E. Stavroulakis Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (15), 7386; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157386    Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/15/7386

12. “Computational Evaluation of Shock Wave Interaction with a Liquid Droplet” by Viola Rossano, Amedeo Cittadini and Giuliano De Stefano Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1349; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031349 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1349

13. “Thermal–Mechanical FEM Analyses of a Liquid Rocket Engines Thrust Chamber” by Michele Ferraiuolo, Michele Perrella, Venanzio Giannella and Roberto Citarella Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (7), 3443; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12073443   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/7/3443

14. “Development of Active Microvibration Isolation System for Precision Space Payload” by Yuchen Qian, Yong Xie, Jianjun Jia and Liang Zhang Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (9), 4548; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094548   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/9/4548

15. “Chatter Detection in Robotic Milling Using Entropy Features” by Bin Yang, Kai Guo and Jie Sun Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (16), 8276; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12168276   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/16/8276

16. “Solid-State Rotary Friction-Welded Tungsten and Mild Steel Joints” by Beata Skowrońska, Mariusz Bober, Paweł Kołodziejczak, Michał Baranowski, Mirosław Kozłowski and Tomasz Chmielewski Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (18), 9034; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12189034 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/18/9034

17. “Modeling and Validation of a Passive Truss-Link Mechanism for Deployable Structures Considering Friction Compensation with Response Surface Methods” by Han-Sol Choi, Dong-Yeon Kim, Jeong-Hoon Park, Jae Hyuk Lim and Tae Seong Jang Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (1), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010451 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/1/451

18. “Design, Manufacture and Wind Tunnel Test of a Modular FishBAC Wing with Novel 3D Printed Skins” by Andrés E. Rivero, Stephane Fournier, Rafael M. Heeb and Benjamin K. S. Woods Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 652; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020652   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/652

19. “Weak Signal Processing Methods Based on Improved HHT and Filtering Techniques for Steel Wire Rope” by Shiwei Liu, Yanhua Sun, Lingsong He and Yihua Kang Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (14), 6969; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12146969   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/14/6969

20. “Effect of Fuel Sloshing on the Damping of a Scaled Wing Model—Experimental Testing and Numerical Simulations” by Lucian Constantin, Joe J. De Courcy, Branislav Titurus, Thomas C. S. Rendall, Jonathan E. Cooper and Francesco Gambioli Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (15), 7860; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157860    Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/15/7860

8 February 2024 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2022 in the Section “Food Science and Technology”

1. “Effect of Temperatures on Polyphenols during Extraction” by Anila Antony and Mohammed Farid Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (4), 2107; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12042107   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/2107  

2. “Advances, Applications, and Comparison of Thermal (Pasteurization, Sterilization, and Aseptic Packaging) against Non-Thermal (Ultrasounds, UV Radiation, Ozonation, High Hydrostatic Pressure) Technologies in Food Processing” by Viola Chiozzi, Sofia Agriopoulou and Theodoros Varzakas Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (4), 2202; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12042202   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/2202

3. “Auxin Response Factors Are Ubiquitous in Plant Growth and Development, and Involved in Crosstalk between Plant Hormones: A Review” by Xiaohong Kou, Xiaoyang Zhao, Bingda Wu, Chao Wang, Caie Wu, Sen Yang, Jiaqian Zhou and Zhaohui Xue Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1360; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031360 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1360

4. “Myths and Realities about Genetically Modified Food: A Risk-Benefit Analysis” by Angelo Vega Rodríguez, Cristina Rodríguez-Oramas, Esther Sanjuán Velázquez, Arturo Hardisson de la Torre, Carmen Rubio Armendáriz and Conrado Carrascosa Iruzubieta Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (6), 2861; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12062861 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/6/2861

5. “Environmentally Friendly Techniques for the Recovery of Polyphenols from Food By-Products and Their Impact on Polyphenol Oxidase: A Critical Review” by Peyman Ebrahimi and Anna Lante Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (4), 1923; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12041923   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/1923

6. “Alternative Methods of Bioactive Compounds and Oils Extraction from Berry Fruit By-Products—A Review” by Iga Piasecka, Artur Wiktor and Agata Górska Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1734; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031734    Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1734

7. “Automated Beehive Acoustics Monitoring: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Future Work” by Mahsa Abdollahi, Pierre Giovenazzo and Tiago H. Falk Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (8), 3920; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083920   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/8/3920

8. “An Edible, Decellularized Plant Derived Cell Carrier for Lab Grown Meat” by Richard Thyden, Luke R. Perreault, Jordan D. Jones, Hugh Notman, Benjamin M. Varieur, Andriana A. Patmanidis, Tanja Dominko and Glenn R. Gaudette Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (10), 5155; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12105155 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/10/5155

9. “Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant and Wound Healing Potential of Three Artemisia Species: In Vitro and In Ovo Evaluation” by Daliana Minda, Roxana Ghiulai, Christian Dragos Banciu, Ioana Zinuca Pavel, Corina Danciu, Roxana Racoviceanu, Codruta Soica, Oana Daniela Budu, Delia Muntean, Zorita Diaconeasa et al. Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1359; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031359 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1359

10. “Application of Enzyme-Assisted Extraction for the Recovery of Natural Bioactive Compounds for Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Applications” by Agnieszka Łubek-Nguyen, Wojciech Ziemichód and Marta Olech Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (7), 3232; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12073232   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/7/3232

11. “Lactic Acid Bacteria as Biocontrol Agents against Potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) Pathogens” by Aleksandra Steglińska, Artur Kołtuniak, Ilona Motyl, Joanna Berłowska, Agata Czyżowska, Weronika Cieciura-Włoch, Małgorzata Okrasa, Dorota Kręgiel and Beata Gutarowska Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12( 15), 7763; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157763 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/15/7763

12. “Production and Chemical Characterization of Exopolysaccharides by Antarctic Yeasts Vishniacozyma victoriae and Tremellomycetes sp.” by Snezhana Rusinova-Videva, Manol Ognyanov, Yordan Georgiev, Margarita Kambourova, Aleksandar Adamov and Vasilena Krasteva Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (4), 1805; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12041805    Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/1805

13. “Application of the QuEChERS Strategy as a Useful Sample Preparation Tool for the Multiresidue Determination of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Food and Feed Samples: A Critical Overview” by Natalia Casado, Sonia Morante-Zarcero and Isabel Sierra Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (9), 4325; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094325   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/9/4325

14. “Biotechnological Conversions of Mizithra Second Cheese Whey by Wild-Type Non-Conventional Yeast Strains: Production of Yeast Cell Biomass, Single-Cell Oil and Polysaccharides” by Gabriel Vasilakis, Dimitris Karayannis, Theofilos Massouras, Ioannis Politis and Seraphim Papanikolaou Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (22), 11471; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122211471   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/22/11471

15. “Features of Bread Made from Different Amaranth Flour Fractions Partially Substituting Wheat Flour” by Ionica Coţovanu and Silvia Mironeasa Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 897; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020897   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/897

16. “Study on Kinetics of Trans-Resveratrol, Total Phenolic Content, and Antioxidant Activity Increase in Vine Waste during Post-Pruning Storage” by Alina Lenuța Crăciun and Gheorghe Gutt Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1450; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031450   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1450

17. “The Quantification of Fatty Acids, Color, and Textural Properties of Locally Produced Bakery Margarine” by Sergiu Pădureţ Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1731; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031731 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1731

18. “Vegetarian “Sausages” with the Addition of Grape Flour” by Bohuslava Tremlova, Lenka Havlova, Patrik Benes, Johana Zemancova, Hana Buchtova, Karolina Tesikova, Simona Dordevic and Dani Dordevic Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (4), 2189; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12042189    Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/2189

19. “Textural Properties of Bakery Products: A Review of Instrumental and Sensory Evaluation Studies” by Raquel P. F. Guiné Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (17), 8628; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12178628   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/17/8628

20. “The Use of Ultrasound in Shaping the Properties of Ice Cream with Oleogel Based on Oil Extracted from Tomato Seeds” by Sybilla Nazarewicz, Katarzyna Kozłowicz, Zbigniew Kobus, Bożena Gładyszewska, Arkadiusz Matwijczuk, Lidia Ślusarczyk, Tomasz Skrzypek, Monika Sujka and Natalia Kozłowicz Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (18), 9165; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12189165 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/18/9165

5 February 2024 Acknowledgment of the Reviewers of Applied Sciences in 2023

In recognizing the exceptional efforts of our reviewers in 2023, we express our sincere gratitude for upholding the high standards of Applied Sciences . Their commitment ensured the rigorous peer review that is integral to quality academic publishing.

In 2023,  Applied Sciences received 48,956 review reports, from 31,273 reviewers. This past year, we worked with reviewers from 140 countries and regions, reflecting the diversity in our collaboration with research communities. Their dedication shapes scholarly discourse and advances global research. The editorial team expresses gratitude for the vital role played by each reviewer in the  Applied Sciences family throughout 2023, and we look forward to their continued support in 2024.

The following are the reviewers who have consented to show their names:

31 January 2024 MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #8 - Altmetric and Flat Fee Agreement

MDPI and Digital Science Meeting

At MDPI, we are committed to providing our authors with the essential tools to publish, promote, and track their research. In line with this commitment, we have established a longstanding collaboration with Digital Science, a company specializing in research data and analytical insights for the research community. Our collaboration integrates their Altmetric tool, offering us and our authors the ability to track a variety of sources that monitor and report attention surrounding publications.

As part of our collaboration, we recently hosted Cathy Holland, Director of Global Publisher Business Development, and Helen Cooke, Managing Director of Publisher Sales, from Digital Science, at our MDPI headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.

During our meeting, we discussed MDPI’s publishing philosophy and explored further avenues for collaboration. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Digital Science, aiming to improve our services yet further and meet the needs of our authors more closely than ever.

What is Altmetric?

You will notice that MDPI articles feature an Altmetric score, a colourful doughnut capturing the score in the upper right corner of the article page. This score represents ‘alternative metrics,’ as distinct from traditional metrics such as Impact Factor, CiteScore, and Scimago Journal Rank.

Altmetrics complement traditional citation-based metrics by capturing online discussions related to a specific research topic. By analyzing both sets of data, we can obtain a comprehensive understanding of the attention a particular research output receives and the sources in which it is mentioned.

“Almetric provides visual insights into where research is being discussed”

Sources Tracked by Altmetric

Altmetric monitors various sources, categorizing them into segments such as policy documents, peer reviews, Wikipedia, news and blogs, and social media, among other sources. Each category is identifiable by a specific colour.

The Altmetric badge provides visual insights into where the research is being discussed. A more colourful badge indicates broader mentions across multiple platforms. Such tracking enables us to gauge the extent of an article’s online dissemination, noting that increased visibility may correlate with higher citation rates.

• How to Search for Social Media Attention
• Everything You Need to Know about Altmetrics

Ten High-Altmetric Articles Published by MDPI

As at 30 January 2024, Altmetric has tracked 670,500 MDPI research outputs from MDPI, resulting in over 4.3 million mentions. This includes over 71,894 mentions in policy and patents and 294,714 mentions in news and blogs, with some achieving an Altmetric score as high as 28,754.

So, what is a good Altmetric score? There are various ways to put this score into context. You can find out more about the score in context and how to evaluate your work by this means.

Here are ten MDPI papers ranking in the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric.

How do I use altmetrics?

Altmetric Explorer provides a detailed step-by-step guide and instruction video for first-time users of the tool. The guide includes useful diagrams that make it easy to get started.

Sharing Research Online

For research to be tracked across different sources, Altmetric needs a research output with a persistent identifier: a DOI, ISBN, PubMed ID, handle ID, etc. When sharing research, it is important to include a link to the original research output.

MDPI Annual Meeting Celebrations in China

On Thursday 25 January, over 1,300 MDPI colleagues from our two offices in Beijing gathered to kick off MDPI’s traditional ‘Annual Meetings.’ These celebrations take place in MDPI’s offices across China, including Dalian, Tianjin, Wuhan, and Nanjing.

The evenings include performances, informative talks and presentations, awards, and entertainment, providing an ideal platform to recognize our colleagues, celebrate their achievements, and set our sights on the future.

“It is essential that we stay connected and share best practices”

I sent a video congratulating everyone on their work and sharing our vision of building MDPI into the most trusted OA publisher, highlighting the roles each of us has to play in achieving that goal.

Unfortunately I could not join in person, but you may recall my recent trip , when I visited our offices in Beijing and Wuhan, which I look forward to visiting again this year.

Although our headquarters are in Basel, Switzerland, and we are expanding throughout Europe and North America, the majority of MDPI’s workforce is in China and throughout the Asia-Pacific region, including offices in Singapore, Thailand, Japan, and newly opened office in South Korea. It is essential that as a global organization, we stay connected and share best practices in order to grow collectively and continue providing the exceptional service to our authors.

The Annual Meeting is a moment to reflect and enjoy the year’s hard work and dedication.

I extend our best wishes to all for the Chinese New Year ( Xīnnián kuàilè )!

MDPI and TU Delft Adopt Flat Fee Model in Extended Partnership

We are excited to announce a renewed three-year partnership with Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands. This collaboration introduces a fixed lump-sum fee, covering publishing costs from 2024 to 2026.

“This initiative reflects our dedication to transparent and inclusive publishing”

TU Delft-affiliated authors will enjoy cost-free publishing in any MDPI journal during this period, aligning with our commitment to removing barriers for open access publishing. The agreement supports Plan S compliance and facilitates a seamless publishing process for TU Delft corresponding authors. This initiative reflects our dedication to transparent and inclusive publishing, providing stability and predictability both for authors and for institutions.

For further details on our Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP), please contact us .

Benefits to MDPI’s IOAP

At MDPI we have a long tradition of partnerships, including our Institutional Open Access Program ( IOAP ). IOAP supports institutions through simplification, access, transparency, APC discounts, and institutional repository deposits. The program simplifies administrative processes, offers central payment, and allows easy opting in and out. Participants gain free access to Susy , MDPI’s online submission system, with extensive article metadata and exportable data. APC discounts and Book Processing Charge discounts are available for affiliated authors. Automated deposits to institutional repositories and streamlined matching of papers to IOAP participants enhance the overall experience.

For further information, see our IOAP FAQ .

Reflections on the 2024 APE Conference

MDPI was proud to co-sponsor the Academic Publishing in Europe (APE) 2024 Conference that took place in Berlin, Germany, from 9–10 January 2024.

The conference theme, ‘Keep the Conversation Going!’, explored the evolving landscape of scholarly communication. APE is one of the key conferences I make a point to attend each year. January offers a valuable opportunity to engage with new contacts, reconnect with familiar faces, and participate in impactful discussions and presentations among professionals, scholars, and practitioners in the field.

“It's fascinating to see how other publishers are leveraging AI”

Some of the standout panels for me include: the role of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the publishing industry. It was encouraging to hear the current status quo, though I was eager also to learn about the exciting projects planned for 2024 and beyond. These will allow us to track progress in subsequent years. At MDPI, we remain committed to promoting Open–Access (OA) content on SDGs through scientific articles and books. Furthermore, we extend our commitment to sustainability by financially supporting researchers through initiatives such as the World Sustainability Award and the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award , as well as waiving the APC for feature papers on each SDG.

In recent years, discussions on AI have become increasingly prominent at such conferences. It’s fascinating to see how other publishers are leveraging AI to meet the evolving needs of their audiences while at the same time using it to safeguard the scientific process. Other engaging panels that I enjoyed included updates on transformation beyond transformative agreements, the principles of lean change, incentive structures related to research integrity, and the panel on reviewer incentives.

“We can share best practices and lessons learned”

Incorporating MDPI’s Insights into Conferences

I must confess that I sometimes feel overlooked when MDPI is not invited to participate in crucial industry discussions. As the leading open access publisher and the third-largest publisher overall, we possess extensive experience in many of these areas and can offer valuable contributions to these discussions. We can share best practices, lessons learned, and our thinking about future trajectories. For instance, in panels discussing reviewer incentives, at MDPI we offer a discount voucher to reviewers for future submissions, reflecting our commitment to fostering a robust peer review process. In  2022 alone, MDPI collected over 1.4 million peer review reports, informing the decision-making processes of our editors. Given our expertise in these areas, it would be natural to include MDPI in such discussions. I therefore extend an invitation to future conference organizers to consider MDPI for speaking engagements and collaborative opportunities.

2 January 2024 MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #7 - Nobel Laureates Entrust MDPI with Their Research

Nobel Prize Laureates Entrust MDPI with Their Research

The Nobel Prize stands as a hallmark of distinction, honouring ground-breaking research across disciplines. Annually, the Nobel Prizes are awarded in six categories: Physics, Chemistry, Medicine or Physiology, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences.

Through the years, renowned scholars have entrusted MDPI with their work. As at December 2023, 26 Nobel laureates have contributed to more than 75 articles across 25 MDPI journals, including: Antibiotics , Applied Sciences , Biology , Biomedicines , Cancers , Catalysts , Cells , Crystals , Entropy , Games , IJMS , Life , Materials , Micromachines , Molecules , Pharmaceuticals , Pharmaceutics ,  Photonics , Quantum Beam Science , Remote Sensing , Sensors , Solids , Universe , Vaccines , and Viruses .

The best of the best trust us with their work.

Nobel Prize Laureates Who Have Published with MDPI

We are proud to list the names of Pierre Agostini , Hiroshi Amano , Werner Arber , Aaron Ciechanover , Robert H. Grubbs , Oliver Hart , Gerard ‘t Hooft , Michael Houghton , Harald zur Hausen , Katalin Karikó , Jean-Marie Lehn , Gérard Mourou , Ferid Murad , Shuji Nakamura , William Nordhaus , Kostya S. Novoselov , Giorgio Parisi , Charles M. Rice , Alvin E. Roth , Donna Strickland , K. Barry Sharpless , George F. Smoot , Anne L’Huillier , Drew Weissman , Kurt Wüthrich , Ada Yonath .

The privilege of hosting such contributors resonates deeply with our editorial teams. For instance, in this interview , the Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of Universe speaks on the significance of publishing a paper by Nobel laureate Gerard ’t Hooft within the journal.

2023 Nobel Prize Winners Published by MDPI

Nobel Prize Winners, 2023: Katalin Karikó, Drew Weissman, Anne L’Huillier (Ill. Niklas Elmehed © Nobel Prize Outreach)

Three laureates from the 2023 Nobel Prize cohort have trusted MDPI as their publishing platform. Notably, in a 2022 Pharmaceutics paper , molecular biologist Katalin Karikó and her team presented a methodology for evaluating mRNA capping efficiency, pivotal for therapeutic applications. Pharmaceutics had previously dedicated a Special Issue to “ mRNA Therapeutics: A Themed Issue in Honor of Professor Katalin Karikó ”, spotlighting ten articles from August 2021 to February 2022.

In the journal Vaccines , Professor Drew Weissman, collaborating with scholars from Pennsylvania University and George Mason University, contributed an influential review titled “ Nanomaterial Delivery Systems for mRNA Vaccines ”. His collaborative efforts spanned five papers across MDPI journals between 2021 and 2023.

Furthermore, Anne L'Huillier of Lund University, only the fifth female recipient of the Physics Prize, co-authored an article in Applied Sciences focusing on "Advanced EUV and X-Ray Optics". Similarly, Pierre Agostini, an Emeritus Professor from Ohio State University, co-authored an article featured in the special issue " Attosecond Science and Technology: Principles and Applications ".

We extend heartfelt congratulations to all Nobel Prize laureates and express sincere gratitude for their confidence in MDPI as a platform for their scholarly contributions.

• Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2023 Awarded to Scientists Whose Discoveries Enabled COVID-19 Vaccines
• Two Authors in Applied Sciences Awarded the Physics Nobel Prize

MDPI Journals Newly Indexed in 2023

The aim of indexing is to enhance the quality and credibility of published research, ensuring that researchers access the most credible resources available. While the principle behind citation indexing is straightforward, it remains one of the most dependable methods for tracking an idea's evolution across various scientific disciplines.

Throughout the year, MDPI works to expand the reach of our publications across premier multidisciplinary databases like Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO, and ProQuest. This initiative is spearheaded by MDPI's Indexing team, under the leadership of Dr. Constanze Schelhorn.

In 2023, MDPI achieved 54 new acceptances in Scopus , 29 in Web of Science , 52 in EBSCO, and 83 in DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals.

The team prioritizes ensuring that our journals feature in numerous specialized databases, including PMC, PubMed, MEDLINE, Inspec, CAS, and FSTA, among others. Currently, MDPI collaborates with over 65 renowned international databases, consistently enhancing our database affiliations annually.

MDPI’s journals are indexed in all major global databases.

Furthermore, we collaborate with universities and government organizations to list our journals in country-specific ranking lists and relevant institutional repositories. This ensures compliance with requirements often set by funders or institutions for authors to publish in specific journals.

Web of Science Adds 24 MDPI Journals to Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI)

Clarivate recently analysed MDPI’s new journals, resulting in 24 journals , mainly established in 2020, being added to the ESCI in November and December 2023. Additionally, five journals passed this assessment earlier in the year. For a complete list of our journals in Web of Science, refer here . Journals in the ESCI meet 24 quality criteria, ensuring editorial rigor. They may be considered for inclusion in broader indices like the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), or the Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), based on four impact criteria.

• How to Use Impact Metrics
• First Four MDPI Books Selected for Clarivate’s Book Citation Index (BKCI)
• Clarivate adds MDPI’s Preprints.org Citation Index to the Web of Science

MDPI Appoints New Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Alistair Freeland returned to MDPI and assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer in November 2023, a position he previously held from 2013 to 2019. He succeeds Dr. Yu Lin, who will remain a member of MDPI’s Board of Directors , overseeing significant financial decisions for the company. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Yu Lin for his service as COO.

Alistair brings extensive experience not only in scholarly publishing but also in technology and business management. Prior to rejoining MDPI, he was associated with SIX Group, the entity responsible for Switzerland's financial market infrastructure. There, he played a pivotal role in developing the blockchain-based platform SDX (SIX Digital Exchange), which has gained traction among major Swiss banks and the Swiss National Bank.

As COO, Alistair will collaborate with the MDPI management team to improve the practices and services we offer to scholarly communities. I am pleased to welcome Alistair back to MDPI and look forward to his contributions going forward.

MDPI’s 2024 In-Person Academic Events Schedule

MDPI's Conference Team is dedicated to organizing and hosting in-person academic events across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and North America. We recognize conferences as invaluable platforms for scientific collaboration, scholarly exchange, discussions on contemporary topics, networking, and forging collaborations.

Here's a glimpse of the notable events we currently have scheduled for 2024:

Upcoming events with details to be announced:

• September 2024, Materials 2024 – Basel, Switzerland
• 19 – 21 September 2024, International Conference on Nanomaterials Sciences 2024 – Beijing, China
• October 2024, ncRNA 2024 – Basel, Switzerland
• November 2024, Pharmaceuticals 2024 – Barcelona, Spain
• 22 – 26 November 2024, International Conference on Science of Electronics – Wuhan, China
• Stay tuned for more details on the Sustainable Publishing Forum 2024 .

Click here for all upcoming MDPI events.

Reflecting on 2023 and Looking Ahead to 2024

As we approach 2024, I reflect on the incredible journey we’ve had together at MDPI this year. The past 12 months have been marked by ambitious projects and initiatives to improve our internal processes, and a commitment to continue delivering top-notch services to our stakeholders. I’d like to thank each and every one of our staff members for contributing to the positive experiences our stakeholders have reported in our surveys. Your dedication to speed, efficiency, and effective communication with our stakeholders is very much recognized and appreciated.

Becoming a stronger organisation

While we have encountered challenges in 2023, it’s important to understand that these are a part of our growth process. Difficulties provide us with opportunities to reflect, address problems at their roots, and ultimately evolve into a stronger organization. Our stakeholders expect us to overcome tough times, and it’s an expectation that we have for ourselves.

I extend my sincere appreciation to every MDPI employee, from our editorial office and IT department to marketing, indexing, IOAP, societies, Scientific Office board, products, production, conferences, finance, operations, admin, and beyond. To our newest team members, a warm welcome; to our longstanding colleagues, your dedication is invaluable.

“I am committed to taking MDPI to a new level of excellence.”

Interacting with many of you during my visits to our offices and representing MDPI at external events has been a personal highlight. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Lin for entrusting me with the role of CEO of MDPI. Looking forward, I am committed to working closely with our management team to lead MDPI and take it to a new level of excellence, aiming to establish it as the most trusted publisher in open access worldwide. This is a collective endeavour, with each of us shaping MDPI’s reputation. I therefore encourage us to take pride in our work, as it represents not only our craft but also MDPI as a whole.

Accountability and communication

As we look forward to 2024, there’s a lot to be excited about. Together, we’ll navigate challenges, seize growth opportunities, and refine our practices. To solidify MDPI’s position as the premier open access publisher globally, we must bolster accountability, improve stakeholder communication, share MDPI’s best practices, champion the open access philosophy, and educate stakeholders about our mission, methodologies, and motivations.

Thank you for engaging with the CEO Letter over the past six months of 2023. I will continue to release this newsletter as a method of sharing the great work being done at MDPI. Please feel free to connect directly with any insights or questions.

Here’s to a joyous and prosperous 2024!

21 December 2023 Applied Sciences | Invitation to Read Selected Papers from Editor’s Choice Articles

The goal of the Editor’s Choice Articles project is to promote high-quality articles published in Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417). Please find below the list of articles carefully handpicked by the scientific editors of the journal, which we believe will be of interest to you.

1. “Sustainability in the Circular Economy: Insights and Dynamics of Designing Circular Business Models” by Usama Awan and Robert Sroufe Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1521; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031521 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1521

2. “The Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) in Mitigating Plant’s Environmental Stresses” by Marco Vocciante, Martina Grifoni, Danilo Fusini, Gianniantonio Petruzzelli and Elisabetta Franchi Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1231; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031231 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1231

3. “Where Are Smart Cities Heading? A Meta-Review and Guidelines for Future Research” by João Reis, Pedro Alexandre Marques and Pedro Carmona Marques Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (16), 8328; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12168328 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/16/8328

4. “Analysis of Technologies for Carbon Dioxide Capture from the Air” by Grazia Leonzio, Paul S. Fennell and Nilay Shah Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (16), 8321; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12168321 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/16/8321

5. “Spatial Connections between Microplastics and Heavy Metal Pollution within Floodplain Soils” by Collin J. Weber, Jens Hahn and Christian Opp Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 595; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020595 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/595

6. “Halophytes as Medicinal Plants against Human Infectious Diseases” by Maria João Ferreira, Diana C. G. A. Pinto, Ângela Cunha and Helena Silva Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (15), 7493; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157493 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/15/7493

7. “Waste Management in a Sustainable Circular Economy as a Part of Design of Construction” by Marcela Spišáková, Tomáš Mandičák, Peter Mésároš and Matej Špak Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (9), 4553; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094553 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/9/4553

8. “Development and Characterization of Bioadsorbents Derived from Different Agricultural Wastes for Water Reclamation: A Review” by Julián Aguilar-Rosero, María E. Urbina-López, Blanca E. Rodríguez-González, Sol X. León-Villegas, Itza E. Luna-Cruz and Diana L. Cárdenas-Chávez Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (5), 2740; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12052740 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/5/2740

9. “Fire Risk Probability Mapping Using Machine Learning Tools and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis in the GIS Environment: A Case Study in the National Park Forest Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli, Greece” by Yannis Maniatis, Athanasios Doganis and Minas Chatzigeorgiadis Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (6), 2938; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12062938 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/6/2938

10. “Tannin Extraction from Chestnut Wood Waste: From Lab Scale to Semi-Industrial Plant” by Clelia Aimone, Giorgio Grillo, Luisa Boffa, Samuele Giovando and Giancarlo Cravotto Appl. Sci. 2023 , 13 (4), 2494; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13042494 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/4/2494

11. “A Review of Treatment Techniques for Short-Chain Perfluoroalkyl Substances” by Yang Liu, Tingyu Li, Jia Bao, Xiaomin Hu, Xin Zhao, Lixin Shao, Chenglong Li and Mengyuan Lu Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (4), 1941; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12041941 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/1941

12. “Internet of Things Platforms for Academic Research and Development: A Critical Review” by Luca De Nardis, Alireza Mohammadpour, Giuseppe Caso, Usman Ali and Maria-Gabriella Di Benedetto Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (4), 2172; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12042172 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/2172

13. “Implementing a GIS-Based Digital Atlas of Agricultural Plastics to Reduce Their Environmental Footprint; Part I: A Deductive Approach” by Giuseppe Cillis, Dina Statuto, Evelia Schettini, Giuliano Vox and Pietro Picuno Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1330; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031330 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1330

14. “Biodegradable Solvents: A Promising Tool to Recover Proteins from Microalgae” by David Moldes, Elena M. Rojo, Silvia Bolado, Pedro A. García-Encina and Bibiana Comesaña-Gándara Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (5), 2391; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12052391 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/5/2391

15. “An Innovative, Green Cascade Protocol for Grape Stalk Valorization with Process Intensification Technologies” by Manuel Salgado-Ramos, Silvia Tabasso, Emanuela Calcio Gaudino, Andrés Moreno, Francesco Mariatti and Giancarlo Cravotto Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (15), 7417; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157417 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/15/7417

16. “Metal–Organic Frameworks as Powerful Heterogeneous Catalysts in Advanced Oxidation Processes for Wastewater Treatment” by Antía Fdez-Sanromán, Emilio Rosales, Marta Pazos and Angeles Sanroman Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (16), 8240; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12168240 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/16/8240

17. “The 27 September 2021 Earthquake in Central Crete (Greece)—Detailed Analysis of the Earthquake Sequence and Indications for Contemporary Arc-Parallel Extension to the Hellenic Arc” by Emmanuel Vassilakis, George Kaviris, Vasilis Kapetanidis, Elena Papageorgiou, Michael Foumelis, Aliki Konsolaki, Stelios Petrakis, Christos P. Evangelidis, John Alexopoulos, Vassilios Karastathis et al. Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (6), 2815; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12062815 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/6/2815

18. “Time-Lapse Electrical Resistivity Tomography (TL-ERT) for Landslide Monitoring: Recent Advances and Future Directions” by Vincenzo Lapenna and Angela Perrone Appl. Sci. 20 2 2 , 12 (3), 1425; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031425 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1425

19. “Use of Machine Learning and Remote Sensing Techniques for Shoreline Monitoring: A Review of Recent Literature” by Chrysovalantis-Antonios D. Tsiakos and Christos Chalkias Appl. Sci. 2023 , 13 (5), 3268; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13053268 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/5/3268

20. “A Machine Learning Framework for Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment at the Regional Scale in Earthquake and Flood-Prone Areas” by Alessandro Rocchi, Andrea Chiozzi, Marco Nale, Zeljana Nikolic, Fabrizio Riguzzi, Luana Mantovan, Alessandro Gilli and Elena Benvenuti Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020583 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/583

21. “On the Patterns and Scaling Properties of the 2021–2022 Arkalochori Earthquake Sequence (Central Crete, Greece) Based on Seismological, Geophysical and Satellite Observations” by Filippos Vallianatos, Andreas Karakonstantis, Georgios Michas, Kyriaki Pavlou, Maria Kouli and Vassilis Sakkas Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (15), 7716; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157716 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/15/7716

22. “Quantifying the Occurrence of Multi-Hazards Due to Climate Change” by Diamando Vlachogiannis, Athanasios Sfetsos, Iason Markantonis, Nadia Politi, Stelios Karozis and Nikolaos Gounaris Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1218; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031218 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1218

23. “A Hybrid Early Warning Method for the Landslide Acceleration Process Based on Automated Monitoring Data” by Dongxin Bai, Guangyin Lu, Ziqiang Zhu, Xudong Zhu, Chuanyi Tao and Ji Fang Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (13), 6478; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12136478 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/13/6478

24. “Machine Learning-Assisted Prediction of Oil Production and CO 2 Storage Effect in CO 2 -Water-Alternating-Gas Injection (CO 2 -WAG)” by Hangyu Li, Changping Gong, Shuyang Liu, Jianchun Xu and Gloire Imani Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (21), 10958; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122110958 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/21/10958

25. “Using UAS-Aided Photogrammetry to Monitor and Quantify the Geomorphic Effects of Extreme Weather Events in Tectonically Active Mass Waste-Prone Areas: The Case of Medicane Ianos” by Evelina Kotsi, Emmanuel Vassilakis, Michalis Diakakis, Spyridon Mavroulis, Aliki Konsolaki, Christos Filis, Stylianos Lozios and Efthymis Lekkas Appl. Sci. 2023 , 13 (2), 812; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13020812 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/2/812

26. “Materials and Technique: The First Look at Saturnino Gatti” by Letizia Bonizzoni, Simone Caglio, Anna Galli, Luca Lanteri and Claudia Pelosi Appl. Sci. 2023 , 13 (11), 6842; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13116842 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/11/6842

We would like to thank all of the research groups that authored these exceptional papers for their contribution. We sincerely hope you find these articles of Applied Sciences as useful and insightful as we have found them.

15 December 2023 Meet Us at the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2024 (OSM24), 18–23 February 2024, New Orleans, USA

MDPI will be attending the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2024 (OSM24), which will be held from 18 to 23 February 2024 in New Orleans, USA, and online. The conference is co-sponsored by the American Geophysical Union, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), and The Oceanography Society (TOS) .

The OSM is the flagship conference for ocean sciences and the larger ocean-connected community. Every two years, the conference unifies the oceans community to share findings, connect scientists from around the world, and advance the impact of science. The OSM24 is committed to the theme of “Inspire. Discover. Restore.” by encouraging future generations of ocean enthusiasts and colleagues to explore the new frontiers in ocean science, uncovering new research and work to share knowledge of our interconnected ocean, and ensuring its health for future generations. Session formats include Plenaries, Oral Sessions, eLightning Sessions, Poster Sessions, and Town Halls.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Remote Sensing ;
• Sustainability ;
• Applied Sciences ;
• Diversity ;
• Marine Drugs ;
• Environments ;
• Hydrology .

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (#141) and start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.agu.org/Ocean-Sciences-Meeting .

1 December 2023 Applied Sciences | Top 10 Cited Papers in 2022 in the Section “Applied Physics General”

1. “Designed Circularly Polarized Two-Port Microstrip MIMO Antenna for WLAN Applications” by Ijaz Khan, Qun Wu, Inam Ullah, Saeed Ur Rahman, Habib Ullah and Kuang Zhang Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1068; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031068 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1068

2. “Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet Operated in Ar and He: From Basic Plasma Properties to Vacuum Ultraviolet, Electric Field and Safety Thresholds Measurements in Plasma Medicine” by Andrei Vasile Nastuta and Torsten Gerling Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 644; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020644 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/644

3. “Performance Comparison between Mini-LED Backlit LCD and OLED Display for 15.6-Inch Notebook Computers” by Zhiyong Yang, En-Lin Hsiang, Yizhou Qian and Shin-Tson Wu Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1239; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031239 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1239

4. “Wear Resistance Comparison Research of High-Alloy Protective Coatings for Power Industry Prepared by Means of CMT Cladding” by Paweł Kołodziejczak, Mariusz Bober and Tomasz Chmielewski Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (9), 4568; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094568 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/9/4568

5. “Ultrasonic Inspection for Welds with Irregular Curvature Geometry Using Flexible Phased Array Probes and Semi-Auto Scanners: A Feasibility Study” by Seong Jin Lim, Young Lae Kim, Sungjong Cho and Ik Keun Park Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020748 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/748

6. “Quantitative Neutron Dark-Field Imaging of Milk: A Feasibility Study” by Youngju Kim, Jacopo Valsecchi, Ohsung Oh, Jongyul Kim, Seung Wook Lee, Francois Boue, Evelyne Lutton, Matteo Busi, Christopher Garvey and Markus Strobl Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 833; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020833 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/833

7. “O-Band Multimode Interference Coupler Power Combiner Using Slot-Waveguide Structures” by Salman Khateeb, Netanel Katash and Dror Malka Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (13), 6444; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12136444 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/13/6444

8. “Analytical and Numerical Models for TE-Wave Absorption in a Graded-Index GNP-Treated Cell Substrate Inserted in a Waveguide” by Brage B. Svendsen, Mika Söderström, Hampus Carlens and Mariana Dalarsson Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (14), 7097; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12147097 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/14/7097

9. “Natural Time Analysis of Global Seismicity” by Stavros-Richard G. Christopoulos, Panayiotis K. Varotsos, Jennifer Perez-Oregon, Konstantina A. Papadopoulou, Efthimios S. Skordas and Nicholas V. Sarlis Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (15), 7496; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157496 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/15/7496

10. “A Two-Channel Silicon Nitride Multimode Interference Coupler with Low Back Reflection” by Jonathan Menahem and Dror Malka Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (22), 11812; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122211812 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/22/11812

30 November 2023 MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #6 - MDPI Spain Summit and ResearchGate

MDPI Spain Summit

On Friday 10 November 2023 I was in Barcelona, Spain, to deliver the opening presentation and participate in a panel at MDPI’s Spain Summit, a two-day event, inspired by our salon events in China.

With 16 Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) and 20 Editorial Board Members (EBMs) in attendance, the event, organized by our conference team and Barcelona office, featured presentations on open access (OA), MDPI, and publishing market trends in Spain.

The event provided a great opportunity to engage with stakeholders from various MDPI journals, including Nutrients , Vaccines , Buildings , IJMS , and others. We were able to gather feedback and have open conversations around manuscript quality, the peer-review process, and journal development, as well as accreditation agencies.

The main objective of this Summit was to bring together Editors representing MDPI journals across various disciplines within Spanish universities and research centers, primarily from the Barcelona area. The aim was to facilitate an open and fruitful discussion regarding the development of their journals, the future of OA in Spain, and to provide meaningful interactions and networking opportunities.

Connecting with Editorial Board Members

Interacting with our EBMs in person provides a valuable opportunity to show how important it is to us to connect with them, hear their perspectives on their journals and learn more about their own experience collaborating with MDPI.

From my conversations, it was clear that our EBMs are passionate about the journals they serve. I know the advice they provide may sometimes involve just small tweaks, but these can lead to important improvements. As the saying goes, small hinges swing open big doors.

As at November 2023, MDPI has over 6,300 EBMs affiliated with Spanish institutions, with more than 30 of them serving as EiCs or section EiCs. Furthermore, over 68,000 Spanish scholars have contributed as reviewers in MDPI journals.

Open Access in Spain

In 2023, Spain implemented legislation mandating immediate OA for all publicly funded research, aligning with the EU’s Plan S initiative to expedite the transition to OA. The Spanish government also approved a four-year, €23.8 million annual budget for the first national OA strategy, aiming to make publicly funded research freely accessible upon publication. This strategy aims to strengthen the quality and transparency of research in Spain, and to help promote movement towards a digital, low-carbon economy .

For further details of Spain's OA policy and the history of government mandates, click here .

Spain has already seen a notable decline in subscription-only articles, decreasing by 62% over a 10-year period, while gold OA increased by 42%. Green OA slightly decreased, suggesting a shift towards publishing in gold OA journals rather than traditional subscription-based ones. Here are some statistics from Scopus. 

A big thank-you to the various MDPI teams, including our conference team and the Barcelona office, for organizing this very successful event!

I think this type of gathering has the potential to become an annual event in various locations. For example, Manchester could be an option, as we have over 30 EiCs and over 3,000 EBMs in the UK, a top market for MDPI that publishes high-quality research.

769 Editorial Board Members of MDPI Journals Recognized as Highly Cited Researchers in 2023

Congratulations to our 769 Editorial Board Members from 40 countries/territories who have been awarded Highly Cited Researcher status for 2023 by Clarivate. This recognition is based on their outstanding scientific research contributions and significant influence in various fields, as evidenced by Web of Science data.

Click here to view the full list of 769 Editorial Board Members.

Clarivate's Highly Cited Researchers TM list identifies individuals with exceptional impact in scientific and social science domains over the past decade. Their papers rank in the top 1% of citations in 21 fields analysed in ‘Essential Science Indicators,’ showcasing their substantial influence.

This year, 7,125 Highly Cited Researcher 2023 designations were issued to 6,849 individuals from 67 countries, representing just 1 in 1,000 researchers worldwide.

These researchers demonstrate exceptional influence, representing a small fraction of contributors pushing the boundaries of knowledge, contributing to global well-being, sustainability, and security.

Congratulations to these scholars for their remarkable achievement: we are honoured to have them on board with our journals!

Corporate Marketing and Communications Strategy Session

For the past few years, I have led the Corporate Marketing & Communications department in our annual strategy session.

This typically involves 2–3 days of focused sessions covering key topics including budgeting, hiring targets, campaign reviews, and planning for the upcoming year, department strategy, and structure.

We are constantly exploring ways to optimize the Corporate Marketing & Communications department to support MDPI’s primary objectives and better convey the MDPI story while serving the scholarly community.

The strategy session also serves as a team-building activity, during which the team voted on bowling!

Strategy Session

In this strategy session, we looked at how to align our teams in order to better streamline our content with our campaigns, build a dedicated marketing team to strategically support our core MDPI products, expand our communications teams and functionalities to focus on company-critical campaigns and press releases, align our new brand design system with our marketing initiatives, set up a community and engagement team to support various teams with their outreach and communication efforts, and increase our use of data in the evaluation of campaign performance.

To grow in these areas, we will be hiring for various positions, including those of Public Relations Manager, Communications Manager, Internal Communications Manager, Campaign Manager, Marketing Associate, and Editorial Engagement Manager.

I am grateful for the way our Corporate Marketing & Communications department has grown and gelled over the years, and I look forward to supporting the department teams and their ideas for the future.

ResearchGate and MDPI Partner to Boost the Visibility of Open Access Content through Journal Home

When I assumed the role of CEO at MDPI, my primary focus was to initiate the building of essential partnerships and collaborations within our industry. After all, I am a firm believer in achieving our goals by helping others achieve theirs and focusing on co-opetition wherever there is an opportunity. I first touched on the notion of co-opetition in MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #3 , particularly when discussing collaborations with Elsevier.

In light of this, Sören Hofmayer (Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at ResearchGate) and I connected recently to continue a discussion that had been ongoing for months. I was quickly brought up to speed and felt there was an opportunity for MDPI journals to pilot the Journal Home service that ResearchGate had launched. This would provide a new way for MDPI to engage with authors and readers and amplify the visibility of our journals.

While I receive many offers and opportunities for discussions with vendors, I am a firm believer that timing is everything, and in this case, the time for us is now. Sören and I met in person during my recent visit to Berlin and decided to proceed with piloting ten MDPI journals with the Journal Home service.

The press release below provides further details.

Press Release: Berlin (Germany) and Basel (Switzerland), 15 November 2023

ResearchGate, the professional network for researchers, and MDPI, the largest open access publisher in the world and a pioneer in open access publishing, today announced a partnership that will see ten of MDPI’s open access journals benefit from an enhanced presence on ResearchGate through its innovative  Journal Home  offering.  

This new partnership will expand the reach and visibility of MDPI’s participating flagship journals with ResearchGate’s highly relevant community of more than 25 million researchers globally.

Around 210,000 version-of-record articles from these 10 titles will be readily available on ResearchGate, including the full archive material and all new articles as they are published. These journals also benefit from enhanced brand visibility, with dedicated journal profiles, prominent representation on all associated article pages and all relevant touchpoints across the ResearchGate network – keeping the journals top-of-mind with their reader and author audiences. All articles covered by the new partnership will automatically be added to the authors’ publication records in ResearchGate. This not only reduces MDPI authors’ needs for direct management but also offers them valuable insights into the impact of their work, including data about readership and citations.

November is Men’s Health Awareness Month

November is dedicated to raising awareness of various men’s health issues. I have been fortunate to have positive male role models in my life, and I strive to share my experiences with others.

I used to take part in Movember , growing my moustache throughout November to raise awareness and funds and to help “change the face of men’s health.” With male family and friends impacted by physical and mental health issues, I have recently become more interested in men’s overall well-being.

Men often face stigma involving the perceived need always to be strong and have things figured out. Recently, I’ve had meaningful conversations with male friends and colleagues about issues we rarely discuss, and it was a positive experience.

Various factors impact men’s health and well-being, all too easily leading to risky health behaviours including a lack of health awareness, poor health education, and negative, culturally induced, behaviour patterns in our work and personal lives. I hope we can break down these barriers in our work environment.

Healthy men help build healthy families and a healthy society

Men are less likely than women to seek help with their physical and mental health struggles. This is a reminder to prioritize your overall well-being. I hope that as men, we will continue to open up to one another, becoming vulnerable in order to share what we are going through. By sharing and by supporting each other, we can learn and grow together. You are not alone, and when you fall, you can still get up and stand tall.

From one broski to another, you are loved and appreciated. I hope this mindset carries into December and beyond.

Mindfulness

Our content team recently released a handful of articles on mindfulness , a practice that I believe provides a good opportunity for stress release and self-reflection:

• How To Lower Stress Using Mindfulness
• How Can Mindfulness Help the Immune System?
• How Yoga Affects Mental Health

21 November 2023 769 Editorial Board Members of MDPI Journals Achieve Highly Cited Researcher Recognition in 2023

We extend our sincere congratulations to the 769 Editorial Board Members of our journals – from 40 different countries/territories – who have been recognized as Highly Cited Researchers for the year 2023 by Clarivate. They are being recognized for their high-quality scientific research achievements and outstanding contributions to their professional fields, as indicated by Web of Science data.

Clarivate's annual list of Highly Cited Researchers TM identifies the most highly cited scientists for the past decade who stand out for their significant and broad influence in various scientific and social science domains. Their impactful papers are among the top 1 per cent in the citation distribution of one or more of 21 fields analyzed in the "Essential Science Indicators", distinguishing them as hugely influential among their peers.

This means that these researchers have demonstrated an incredible level of significant and broad influence in their chosen field or fields over the last decade. They represent a small fraction of the researcher population whose contributions disproportionately push the boundaries of knowledge, enhancing global well-being, sustainability, and security.

Congratulations to the scholars for their noteworthy achievement – we are honored to have them on board with our journals!

20 November 2023 Applied Sciences | Top 10 Cited Papers in 2022 in the Section “Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences”

1. “Graphene Nanoplatelets: In Vivo and In Vitro Toxicity, Cell Proliferative Activity, and Cell Gene Expression” by Beatriz Salesa, Alberto Tuñón-Molina, Alba Cano-Vicent, Marcelo Assis, Juan Andrés and Ángel Serrano-Aroca Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 720; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020720 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/720

2. “Carbon Nanoparticles and Their Biomedical Applications” by Drahomira Holmannova, Pavel Borsky, Tereza Svadlakova, Lenka Borska and Zdenek Fiala Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (15), 7865; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157865 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/15/7865

3. “Transient Thermal Stresses in FG Porous Rotating Truncated Cones Reinforced by Graphene Platelets” by Masoud Babaei, Faraz Kiarasi, Kamran Asemi, Rossana Dimitri and Francesco Tornabene Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (8) , 3932; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083932   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/8/3932

4. “Electrospinning-Based Carbon Nanofibers for Energy and Sensor Applications” by Trong Danh Nguyen and Jun Seop Lee Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (12), 6048; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12126048   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/12/6048

5. “The Impact of Reduced Gravity on Oscillatory Mixed Convective Heat Transfer around a Non-Conducting Heated Circular Cylinder” by Zia Ullah, Muhammad Ashraf, Ioannis E. Sarris and Theodoros E. Karakasidis Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (10), 5081; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12105081   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/10/5081

6. “Anodic Alumina Membranes: From Electrochemical Growth to Use as Template for Fabrication of Nanostructured Electrodes” by Bernardo Patella, Salvatore Piazza, Carmelo Sunseri and Rosalinda Inguanta Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020869   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/869

7. “Size-Dependent Cytotoxic and Molecular Study of the Use of Gold Nanoparticles against Liver Cancer Cells” by Abdulaziz A. Al-Khedhairy and Rizwan Wahab Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 901; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020901   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/901

8. “A Drug Stability Study Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering on Silver Nanoparticles” by Hulya Yilmaz and Mustafa Culha Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (4), 1807; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12041807   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/1807

9. “Morphological, Histological and Ultrastructural Changes in Hordeum vulgare (L.) Roots That Have Been Exposed to Negatively Charged Gold Nanoparticles” by Anna Milewska-Hendel, Weronika Gepfert, Maciej Zubko and Ewa Kurczyńska Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (7), 3265; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12073265   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/7/3265

10. “Stability of Graphene Oxide Composite Membranes in an Aqueous Environment from a Molecular Point of View” by Chiara Muzzi, Anastasios Gotzias, Enrica Fontananova and Elena Tocci Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (7), 3460; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12073460   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/7/3460

7 November 2023 Applied Sciences | Top 10 Cited Papers in 2022 in the Section “Robotics and Automation”

1. “Sort and Deep-SORT Based Multi-Object Tracking for Mobile Robotics: Evaluation with New Data Association Metrics” by Ricardo Pereira, Guilherme Carvalho, Luís Garrote and Urbano J. Nunes Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1319; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031319 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1319

2. “Systematic Odometry Error Evaluation and Correction in a Human-Sized Three-Wheeled Omnidirectional Mobile Robot Using Flower-Shaped Calibration Trajectories” by Jordi Palacín, Elena Rubies and Eduard Clotet Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (5), 2606; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12052606 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/5/2606

3. “A Gravity-Compensated Upper-Limb Exoskeleton for Functional Rehabilitation of the Shoulder Complex” by Stefano Buccelli, Federico Tessari, Fausto Fanin, Luca De Guglielmo, Gianluca Capitta, Chiara Piezzo, Agnese Bruschi, Frank Van Son, Silvia Scarpetta, Antonio Succi et al. Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (7), 3364; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12073364 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/7/3364

4. “Approach to Automated Visual Inspection of Objects Based on Artificial Intelligence” by Ivan Kuric, Jaromír Klarák, Vladimír Bulej, Milan Sága, Matej Kandera, Adrián Hajdučík and Karol Tucki Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 864; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020864 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/864

5. “Wheel Arrangement of Four Omni Wheel Mobile Robot for Compactness” by Masaaki Hijikata, Renato Miyagusuku and Koichi Ozaki Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (12), 5798; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12125798 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/12/5798

6. “Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Adaptive Controller for Trajectory Tracking and Altitude Control of an Aerial Robot” by Ali Barzegar and Deok-Jin Lee Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (9), 4764; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094764 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/9/4764

7. “Indoor-Guided Navigation for People Who Are Blind: Crowdsourcing for Route Mapping and Assistance” by Darius Plikynas, Audrius Indriulionis, Algirdas Laukaitis and Leonidas Sakalauskas Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (1), 523; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010523 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/1/523

8. “Automation System for the Flexible Sample Preparation for Quantification of Δ9-THC-D 3 , THC-OH and THC-COOH from Serum, Saliva and Urine” by Anna Bach, Heidi Fleischer, Bhagya Wijayawardena and Kerstin Thurow Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (6), 2838; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12062838 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/6/2838

9. “Design and Experiments of a Compact Self-Assembling Mobile Modular Robot with Joint Actuation and Onboard Visual-Based Perception” by Haiyuan Li, Haoyu Wang, Linlin Cui, Jiake Li, Qi Wei and Jiqiang Xia Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (6), 3050; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12063050 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/6/3050

10. “Light-Controlled Microbots in Biomedical Application: A Review” by Md Faiyaz Jamil, Mishal Pokharel and Kihan Park Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (21), 11013; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122111013    Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/21/11013

6 November 2023 Meet Us at the Advanced Fiber Laser Conference (AFL 2023), 10–12 November 2023, Shenzhen, China

MDPI will be attending the Advanced Fiber Laser Conference (AFL 2023) held in Shenzhen, China, from 10 to 12 November 2023.

The International Advanced Fiber Laser (AFL) Conference is a preeminent special conference for fiber lasers, bringing together professionals in the field to make academic connections, providing a platform for scientists and engineers to present their prospective viewpoints and probe into key technologies. The themes of the conference include the wide range of fields for fiber laser research and applications, such as fiber and fiber-based devices, high-power fiber lasers, ultrafast fiber lasers, nonlinear fiber optics, mid-infrared fiber lasers, fiber supercontinua, fiber laser combinations, and fiber laser applications, as well as a selection of four propelled special sessions, including the Young Scientist Forum, Fiber Laser in 2023, the Industrial Application Forum for Fiber Lasers, and the Best Student Paper Award Competition.

• Photonics ;
• Micromachines .

If you are attending this conference, please stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://b2b.csoe.org.cn/meeting/AFL2023.html#408_409 .

2 November 2023 Meet Us at the 12th National Conference on Environmental Chemistry, 17–21 November 2023, Wuhan, China

The 12th National Conference on Environmental Chemistry will be held from 17 to 21 November 2023, in Wuhan, China. The conference is organized by the Environmental Chemistry Committee of the Chinese Chemical Society and China University of Geosciences (Wuhan).

The key areas include the following:

• Twin carbon targets;
• Environment and health;
• Environmental analysis related to water, soil, gas and solid wastes;
• Interface process;
• Pollution control and remediation technology;
• Environmental policy.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to talk to us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at booth #A3 and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.ncec2023.com/ .

1 November 2023 MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #5 - OA Week, UK, and Strategy

Open Access Week 2023 – the Global Drive to Open Continues

As the world's largest open-access (OA) publisher, we believe that unrestricted access to research findings is the cornerstone of transparency, efficiency, and quality control across scientific disciplines. At MDPI, we provide free, immediate access to scientific papers, empowering scientists to examine, validate, replicate, and build upon existing results. This minimizes redundancy, optimizes resources, and fosters innovative approaches.

International OA Week , held from 23 to 29 October 2023, provided a unique opportunity to link the global movement toward open sharing and open science with the progress of policy changes at the local level. Our mission, during OA Week and all the year round, is to offer educational resources highlighting the benefits of open-access publishing. The MDPI Blog is a valuable resource for information on open access and open science .

Core principles of OA publishing

Accessibility, transparency, and collaboration are core principles of OA publishing. OA aims to break down barriers that have traditionally restricted research access, ensuring that knowledge is available to all, regardless of financial situation or institutional affiliations. Our commitment to diverse pathways for OA publishing worldwide includes discounts for researchers. You can learn more about how MDPI supports scientific communities here .

One of the key strengths of OA publishing is its ability to facilitate interdisciplinary research. By removing paywalls and promoting knowledge-sharing across disciplines, OA encourages collaboration and innovation. Researchers from various fields can access and build upon each others’ work, fostering a holistic approach to addressing complex global challenges.

OA holds the potential to democratize knowledge, advance science, and drive positive societal change.

Policy driving change

Governments, institutions, and funding agencies have recognized the transformative potential of OA and have implemented policies to promote it. These policies often require publicly funded research to be made openly accessible, accelerating the growth of OA repositories and journals. Check out our spotlights on OA policies in the US ,  EU and China . 

OA publishing is continuously evolving, with community-driven models and technologies shaping its future. Initiatives such as “Plan S” and “cOAlition S” promote OA publishing from the perspective of national funders, requiring grantees to publish their research openly. A new policy announced by the US administration last year mandates that, with effect from January 2026, all US federally funded research should be freely and immediately available after publication.

Additionally, preprint servers such as MDPI's Preprints.org , which allow researchers to share their findings before formal peer review, have gained popularity, enhancing the speed at which new knowledge is disseminated. The rise of blockchain technology is also being explored to ensure transparency and authenticity in scholarly publishing.

For more than two decades, OA publishing has been revolutionizing academic publishing by promoting accessibility, transparency, and collaboration. Its support for interdisciplinary research, evolving policies, and innovative practices all contribute to its growing influence in the global research community. As OA continues to expand, it holds the potential to democratize knowledge, advance science, and drive positive societal change.

MDPI is proud to lead the transition to open access.

• Visibility in Open Access Publishing

Spotlight on Smart Cities

Smart cities will serve as a cornerstone for future human development. Their implementation will help us tackle many of the significant challenges we are facing – climate change, ageing populations, waste management, public safety, travel, and so on. Recognising the importance of this multifaceted field, MDPI launched the inaugural issue of Smart Cities in 2018 to provide an advanced forum for research into smart technology and society. Here we take a look at how this journal has developed, and its impact in this exciting field.

As at 30 October, 2023, Smart Cities has published 421 papers and has an Impact Factor of 6.4. It also has a CiteScore of 8.5, and more than one quarter of its published papers – 124 – have been cited 10 times or more.

Highly cited papers in Smart Cities

Below are several highly cited papers recently published in Smart Cities . Citation metrics are current as at 31 October 2023.

1. “ Introducing the “15-Minute City”: Sustainability, Resilience and Place Identity in Future Post-Pandemic Cities ” Authors: Carlos Moreno, Zaheer Allam, Didier Chabaud, Catherine Gall and Florent Pratlong Smart Cities 2021 , 4 (1), 93-111; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4010006 Citations: Crossref (338), Scopus (366), Web of Science (270), Google Scholar (710) The paper discusses the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 on cities, including increasing inequalities and rising unemployment. It introduces the concept of the "15-Minute City," a form of "chrono-urbanism," as a response to the challenges posed by the pandemic.

2. “ A Review on Electric Vehicles: Technologies and Challenges ” Authors: Julio A. Sanguesa, Vicente Torres-Sanz, Piedad Garrido, Francisco J. Martinez and Johann M. Marquez-Barja Smart Cities 2021 , 4 (1), 372-404; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4010022 Citations: Crossref (359), Scopus (363), Web of Science (268), Google Scholar (558) This paper provides an overview of the progress in Electric Vehicles (EVs), focusing on battery technology, charging methods, and emerging research challenges. It also analyzes the global EV market and its future outlook.

3. “ IoT in Smart Cities: A Survey of Technologies, Practices and Challenges ” Authors: Abbas Shah Syed, Daniel Sierra-Sosa, Anup Kumar and Adel Elmaghraby Smart Cities 2021 , 4 (2), 429-475; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4020024 Citations: Crossref (121), Scopus (151), Web of Science (91), Google Scholar (215) This paper gives an overview of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the context of Smart Cities, discussing the fundamental components, technologies, architectures, networking technologies, and artificial algorithms that underpin IoT-based Smart City systems.

4. “ Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Smart Grid: A Survey ” Authors: Olufemi A. Omitaomu and Haoran Niu Smart Cities 2021 , 4 (2), 548-568; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4020029 Citations: Crossref (76), Scopus (94), Web of Science (57), Google Scholar (120) This survey paper reviews the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in the context of the smart grid. It covers various applications of AI in load forecasting, power grid stability assessment, fault detection, and security issues in the smart grid and power systems.

5. “ The Metaverse as a Virtual Form of Smart Cities: Opportunities and Challenges for Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability in Urban Futures ” Authors: Zaheer Allam, Ayyoob Sharifi, Simon Elias Bibri, David Sydney Jones and John Krogstie Smart Cities 2022 , 5 (3), 771-801; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities5030040 Citations: Crossref (72), Scopus (75), Web of Science (43), Google Scholar (176) This paper discusses the concept of the Metaverse, a virtual world introduced by Meta (formerly Facebook), and its potential impact on urban life. It explores how emerging technologies such as AI, Big Data, IoT, and Digital Twins could reshape urban design and services in the context of the Metaverse.

Testimonial

“It was indeed a great and pleasant experience with MDPI regarding our recent publication. The submission process was very straightforward and less time-consuming than the norm. The review process was very fast compared to many other open access journals, which is praiseworthy. The support from the Editorial Office during the revision process was highly useful as well. We look forward to publishing with MDPI in the future, and I will most definitely recommend MDPI to my colleagues and collaborators. ” – Dr. Luís Rosa, University of Minho

Article in Smart Cities : Mobile Networks and Internet of Things Infrastructures to Characterize Smart Human Mobility

MDPI Manchester office, UK Visit

In October, I visited MDPI’s new office in Manchester. During the visit, I connected with our English Editing (EE) managers, Scientific Officer, members of the Editorial team, the Marketing team, and IOAP Team Lead.

Our Manchester office focuses primarily on EE services and provides local support for the UK market. Additionally, we regularly visit Editorial Board members and participate in local conferences.

I would like to thank Jamie Anderson, Manchester Office Manager, and her team, for their deep commitment to our Manchester staff and to MDPI’s impact on the UK market.

The UK by numbers

The UK is a hub for the world’s top universities, making it a key market for MDPI and the publishing world in general. It is home to two of the top-five-ranked universities globally, 11 in the top 100, and 15 in the top 200.

As a result, the UK plays a key role in MDPI’s global market. As at October 2023, it ranks as the seventh-largest contributor to the total number of papers published by MDPI. We have 3,500 Editorial Board members affiliated with UK institutions, including 34 serving as Editors-in-Chief (EiCs). Our commitment to collaboration with institutions is evident in the UK, where we have successfully established some 60 Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) agreements with esteemed institutions, such as the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, the University of Edinburgh, and more.

According to InCites Dataset + ESCI for the period 2018–2022, as at October 2023, nearly 65% of UK papers are now published as OA. Just over 10% of total OA publications are by UK authors. UK papers are known for their high quality, with an average of 11 citations per paper. Furthermore, 2.16% of UK papers are in the top 1% of cited papers, and 14.61% are in the top 10% of cited papers, showcasing their impact.

We are currently hiring EEs in various locations worldwide.

English Editing at MDPI

Our English Editing (EE) department consists of two main branches, Quality Control and Learning and Development, reflecting our priorities. We are continuously enhancing the quality of our English Editing services and have raised the relevant standards, which now extend to company-wide communications. English editors participate in international interviews, conduct English assessments, and provide colleagues with presentations on ways to improve their use of written and spoken English.

While expanding, the EE department has proactively refocused its efforts on the quality of our work and how the English Editing department can benefit the company more broadly. We currently have approximately 140 full-time English Editors based across five offices worldwide, supplemented by over 700 freelance English editors.

Our Manchester office serves as the hub for the EE Department, with EE Managers situated there, except for Kurtis Jackson, who serves as the Head of EE and is located in our Basel office. Manchester EEs play a critical role in establishing and developing EE teams in our other offices, overseeing management and recruitment. The EE department plays a vital role in MDPI’s operations, as it is the department that touches every published paper. If this work interests you, I encourage you to explore our available EE positions, whether you are seeking full-time or freelance opportunities.

“MDPI provides an excellent service compared to any other previously used services. It delivers fast and high-quality results but at an affordable price.” – Ardha Apriyanto, University of Potsdam

“In my role as a professor, I consider that MDPI Author Services offer an excellent quality in the editing of Western academic writing while maintaining the required standards of clarity, precision and rigor. Additionally, delivery times are fast compared to other available services.” – Jesus Insuasti, University of Nariño

• The Benefits of Language Editing Services
• 5 Tips for Non-Native English Researchers
• Writing Your Manuscript in English
• Easily Avoided English Errors
• Linguistic Injustice in Academia
• Interview with Our English Editors

STM and Frankfurt Book Fair

Attending STM

MDPI has been a proud sponsor of the STM Conference for several years. The STM Conference is a dynamic event featuring interactive sessions, expert panellists, idea-sharing, and ample networking opportunities. On 16 October, the event kicked off with arrival drinks, sponsored by MDPI, followed by a welcoming dinner, providing a great chance to connect and network with industry professionals. The following day was filled with speakers, sessions, and further opportunities to connect. STM exemplifies the collaborative spirit of the scientific community, with session topics including achieving open, visible, and impactful research at scale; maintaining research integrity in a rapidly changing world; and exploring the impact of ever-evolving technology in the scholarly community.

Meeting with Web of Science

On a personal note, one of the highlights of STM was a candid and productive conversation with Nandita Quaderi , Editor-in-Chief and SVP at Web of Science. During our discussion, we talked about MDPI, Web of Science, the IJERPH delisting, and ways of moving forward. This open conversation aimed at fostering better collaboration for the future.

“We discussed ways to improve our communication and collaboration.”

I appreciated our frank discussion and felt that Nandita wholeheartedly supports open access. She also expressed her appreciation for the monthly CEO Letter, which she sees as a way to add personality to the MDPI brand and provide insight into the great work we do at MDPI. While we highlighted the positives, we also discussed ways to improve our communication and collaboration moving forward. This meeting alone made the trip worthwhile, and I hope Nandita doesn’t mind my sharing that she found our chat to be “the most honest and constructive discussion” she’s had with someone from MDPI in recent years.

75 th Frankfurt Book Fair

For the 75th time, the Frankfurter Buchmesse opened its doors in October to celebrate exciting stories and their authors. If you haven’t yet had the chance to visit the Frankfurt Book Fair, I highly recommend it. It’s the largest book fair in the world, attracting thousands of visitors from around the globe. This is the place to gain valuable industry insights from top-class publishing professionals, connect with publishers directly, and learn about the latest trends in publishing.

Our Books team was also present at the Frankfurt Book Fair, networking and learning from various panels. Did you know that our MDPI Books department publishes OA Books ?

The book publishing program includes monographs , book series , edited books and reprints of special issues and topical collections, among other book types.

If you have a book proposal you would like to discuss, please feel free to contact our Books team to understand the benefits and methods of publishing your next book with the OA model.

MDPI Strategy Meeting

As the newly appointed CEO, this is my first year leading the MDPI Senior Management Strategy session. I saw it as an opportunity to explore what MDPI has the potential to become in the next five years. Guided by the vision of its founder and President, Dr. Shu-kun Lin, the company has accomplished remarkable feats over the past 27 years and currently holds the position as the world’s third-largest academic publisher, following Springer Nature and Elsevier.

Our primary objective is to build upon the milestones of the past decades and consolidate MDPI’s position as well-established publishing brand. The two-day meeting emphasized the importance of communicating MDPI’s values more actively via its brand and adopting a straightforward yet impactful approach to managing MDPI as a mature academic publisher.

“Our primary objective is to consolidate MDPI’s position as well-established publishing brand”

As the world’s number one open-access publisher, MDPI has long been a game-changer in the scholarly community, serving millions of authors. The challenge in being a trailblazer is the need to continuously improve and at the same time explore the next blue-ocean strategy, while also maintaining the smooth operation of the business. Our collection model, featuring guest-curated thematic topics in the form of Special Issues, has disrupted the industry. Other publishers closely study us and attempt to replicate our models. The future of this collection model is something we are actively addressing – while, of course, looking ahead to what comes next!

19 October 2023 Open Access Week 2023 – the Global Drive to Open Continues

MDPI has been a strong proponent of the open access publishing model right from the beginning. As one of the pioneering fully open access publishers, we firmly believe that unrestricted access to research findings forms the foundation for better transparency, efficiency, and quality control across all scientific disciplines.

In December 2022, we reached a significant milestone by surpassing one million articles published. That is one million articles freely available to all, to circulate and build upon!

Offering free and immediate access to scientific papers empowers scientists to examine, validate, replicate, and expand upon existing results. This not only helps prevent redundancy and optimizes how resources are used but also paves the way for innovative new approaches.

The International Open Access Week takes place from 23 to 29 October 2023, providing a unique opportunity to connect the global movement towards open sharing and open science with the progress of policy transformations at the local level.

Our goal, during Open Access Week as well as throughout the year, is to offer resources for educating people about the benefits of open access publishing. The MDPI Blog offers a wealth of information around open access and open science .

Promoting the values of accessibility, transparency, and collaboration

Open access publishing embodies the fundamental values of democratizing knowledge and fostering global accessibility. It aims to break down barriers that have traditionally limited access to scholarly work, ensuring that knowledge is available to all, regardless of their financial or institutional affiliations. 

Discounts are part of our commitment to ensuring there are diverse pathways to Open Access publishing for researchers worldwide. MDPI supports scientific communities in  several different ways.  

One of the key strengths of open access publishing lies in its ability to facilitate interdisciplinary research. By removing paywalls and promoting the sharing of knowledge across disciplines, OA encourages collaboration and innovation. Researchers from diverse fields can access and build upon each other's work, fostering a holistic approach to addressing complex global challenges. 

Funders' policies are getting aligned with open science

Governments, institutions, and funding agencies have recognized the transformative potential of open access and have implemented policies to promote it. These policies often mandate that publicly funded research should be made openly accessible. Such initiatives have accelerated the growth of open access repositories and journals, reinforcing the commitment to open access principles. Check our spotlights on OA policies in the US ,  EU and China . 

Open access publishing is continually evolving, with innovative and community-driven models and technologies shaping its future. Initiatives like "Plan S" and "cOAlition S" promote the adoption of OA publishing from the national funders’ perspective by requiring grantees to publish their research openly. A new policy announced by the US administration last year requires that, as of January 2026, all US federally funded research be made freely and immediately available after publication. 

Additionally, preprint servers such as MDPI's Preprints.org , which allow researchers to share their findings before formal peer review, have gained popularity, enhancing the speed at which new knowledge is disseminated. The rise of blockchain technology is also being explored to ensure transparency and authenticity in scholarly publishing. 

For more than twenty years, open access scholarly publishing has been revolutionizing academia by promoting the values of accessibility, transparency, and collaboration. Its support for interdisciplinary research, evolving policies, and innovative practices all contribute to its growing influence in the global research community. As open access continues to expand, it holds the potential to democratize knowledge, advance science, and drive positive societal change. 

MDPI is proud to be a leader in the transition to open access.

19 October 2023 Meet Us at Tradition and Innovation-70 Years of Higher Education in Civil Engineering in Transylvania Conference (C70), 8–11 November 2023, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

MDPI will be attending the Tradition and Innovation-70 Years of Higher Education in Civil Engineering in Transylvania conference (C70), which will be held from 8 to 11 November 2023 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

The C70 anniversary session will bring together personalities in the construction science field, who have contributed to the development of construction science and to raising the academic prestige of the Faculty of Construction. This occasion will provide the opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge, as well as to share experience in the vast field of construction through presentations and debates that will take place during the event. An overview of the research, design and economic environment in the field of construction, as well as trends in its development, will be obtained by bringing together professionals from academia and practice.

• Geotechnics ;
• Trends in Higher Education ;
• Buildings .

If you are planning to attend this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth #B25 and start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. Moreover, we will hold a workshop at the conference, please join the workshop and discuss your opinion on open access publishing with us. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://c70.utcluj.ro/ .

7 October 2023 Applied Sciences | Invitation to Read Selected Papers from Editor’s Choice Articles

1. “Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet Operated in Ar and He: From Basic Plasma Properties to Vacuum Ultraviolet, Electric Field and Safety Thresholds Measurements in Plasma Medicine” by Andrei Vasile Nastuta and Torsten Gerling Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 644; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020644 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/644

2. “Wear Resistance Comparison Research of High-Alloy Protective Coatings for Power Industry Prepared by Means of CMT Cladding” by Paweł Kołodziejczak, Mariusz Bober and Tomasz Chmielewski Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (9), 4568; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094568 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/9/4568

3. “Effect of Rice Straw on Tensile Properties of Tailings Cemented Paste Backfill” by Zeyu Li, Xiuzhi Shi and Xin Chen Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (1), 526; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010526 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/1/526

4. “Ultrasonic Inspection for Welds with Irregular Curvature Geometry Using Flexible Phased Array Probes and Semi-Auto Scanners: A Feasibility Study” by Seong Jin Lim, Young Lae Kim, Sungjong Cho and Ik Keun Park Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020748 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/748

5. “O-Band Multimode Interference Coupler Power Combiner Using Slot-Waveguide Structures” by Salman Khateeb, Netanel Katash and Dror Malka Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (13), 6444; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12136444 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/13/6444

6. “Estimation of Cosmic-Ray-Induced Atmospheric Ionization and Radiation at Commercial Aviation Flight Altitudes” by Panagiota Makrantoni, Anastasia Tezari, Argyris N. Stassinakis, Pavlos Paschalis, Maria Gerontidou, Pantelis Karaiskos, Alexandros G. Georgakilas, Helen Mavromichalaki, Ilya G. Usoskin, Norma Crosby et al. Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (11), 5297; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12115297 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/11/5297

7. “Characteristics and Applications of Biochar in Soil–Plant Systems: A Short Review of Benefits and Potential Drawbacks” by Tamás Kocsis, Marianna Ringer and Borbála Biró Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (8), 4051; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12084051 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/8/4051

8. “Efficient Decomposition of Unitary Matrices in Quantum Circuit Compilers” by Anna M. Krol, Aritra Sarkar, Imran Ashraf, Zaid Al-Ars and Koen Bertels Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 759; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020759 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/759

9. “Dynamic Characteristics of Unsteady Aerodynamic Pressure on an Enclosed Housing for Sound Emission Alleviation Caused by a Passing High-Speed Train” by Haiquan Jing, Xiaoyu Ji, Xuhui He, Shifeng Zhang, Jichao Zhou and Haiyu Zhang Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1545; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031545 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1545

10. “In-Target Proton–Boron Nuclear Fusion Using a PW-Class Laser” by Daniele Margarone, Julien Bonvalet, Lorenzo Giuffrida, Alessio Morace, Vasiliki Kantarelou, Marco Tosca, Didier Raffestin, Philippe Nicolai, Antonino Picciotto, Yuki Abe et al. Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1444; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031444 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1444

11. “A Review of Optical Neural Networks” by Danni Zhang and Zhongwei Tan Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (11), 5338; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12115338 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/11/5338

12. “Making Sense of Light: The Use of Optical Spectroscopy Techniques in Plant Sciences and Agriculture” by Ana M. Cavaco, Andrei B. Utkin, Jorge Marques da Silva and Rui Guerra Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 997; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12030997 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/997

13. “An Overview of Terahertz Imaging with Resonant Tunneling Diodes” by Jue Wang, Mira Naftaly and Edward Wasige Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (8), 3822; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083822 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/8/3822

14. “Recent Progress of the PAL-XFEL” by Intae Eom, Sae Hwan Chun, Jae Hyuk Lee, Daewoong Nam, Rory Ma, Jaehyun Park, Sehan Park, Sang Han Park, Haeryong Yang, Inhyuk Nam et al. Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1010; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031010 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1010

15. “High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Lasers as Comb Sources for DWDM Applications” by Mario Dumont, Songtao Liu, M. J. Kennedy and John Bowers Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (4), 1836; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12041836 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/1836

16. “Orthopedics-Related Applications of Ultrafast Laser and Its Recent Advances” by Celina L. Li, Carl J. Fisher, Ray Burke and Stefan Andersson-Engels Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (8), 3957; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083957 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/8/3957

17. “Principle and Implementation of Stokes Vector Polarization Imaging Technology” by Yong Wang, Yuqing Su, Xiangyu Sun, Xiaorui Hao, Yanping Liu, Xiaolong Zhao, Hongsheng Li, Xiushuo Zhang, Jing Xu, Jingjing Tian et al. Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (13), 6613; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12136613 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/13/6613

18. “THz Time-Domain Ellipsometer for Material Characterization and Paint Quality Control with More Than 5 THz Bandwidth” by Helge Ketelsen, Rüdiger Mästle, Lars Liebermeister, Robert Kohlhaas and Björn Globisch Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (8), 3744; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083744 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/8/3744

19. “Polymer Pellet Fabrication for Accurate THz-TDS Measurements” by Keir N. Murphy, Mira Naftaly, Alison Nordon and Daniel Markl Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (7), 3475; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12073475 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/7/3475

20. “An Explainable Classification Method of SPECT Myocardial Perfusion Images in Nuclear Cardiology Using Deep Learning and Grad-CAM” by Nikolaos I. Papandrianos, Anna Feleki, Serafeim Moustakidis, Elpiniki I. Papageorgiou, Ioannis D. Apostolopoulos and Dimitris J. Apostolopoulos Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (15), 7592; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157592 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/15/7592

4 October 2023 Two Authors in Applied Sciences Awarded the Physics Nobel Prize

The Nobel Prize in Physics was recently awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier for work which allows to study processes inside atoms and molecules at the most fundamental time scale. The trio of scientists was recognized by the committee "for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter."

The laureates have developed the tools to produce light pulses that are so short that they can trace processes that are driven by the behavior of electrons at the attosecond timescale (one billionth of a billionth of a second), which was previously inconceivable to measure. Scientists can now explore the detailed physics of atoms and molecules.

"There are potential applications in many different areas," the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences wrote. "In electronics, for example, it is important to understand and control how electrons behave in a material. Attosecond pulses can also be used to identify different molecules, such as in medical diagnostics."

Anne L'Huillier, of Lund University, is only the fifth female winner of the Physics Prize. She co-authored  an article in Applied Sciences ' special issue on "Advanced EUV and X-Ray Optics".

Pierre Agostini, an Emeritus Professor of Ohio State University and originally from France, like L'Huillier, is co-author of  an article which appeared in the special issue " Attosecond Science and Technology: Principles and Applications ".

We offer our congratulations to this year's laureates of the Physics Prize!

3 October 2023 Applied Sciences | Top 10 Cited Papers in 2022 in the Section “Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering”

2 october 2023 mdpi insights: the ceo's letter #4 - mdpi presence in china.

Open Access in China

It is Saturday, 23 September, and I have just returned from an unforgettable 12-day trip to China, visiting our main offices in Beijing and Wuhan. In the wake of a packed and very enjoyable agenda of internal and external meetings, I would like to use this edition of the CEO Letter to showcase how MDPI supports the scholarly community in China.

Coincidentally, Jack McKenna, Communications Associate from MDPI’s corporate content team, has just released a  blog article  discussing China’s open access (OA) policy. It is a timely read, providing a concise overview of the development of the OA movement in China and reflecting on its future. I shall draw some content from Jack’s piece and use this edition of the CEO Letter to highlight the various ways in which MDPI is involved in this market. And it would be remiss of me not to include some pictures and highlights from my travels!

Open Access Policy in China

As per Jack’s post , in 2020, China became the world’s leading producer of research articles. Today, China is experiencing a “ substantial growth rate in OA [Open Access] publication ”. This growth is supported by the State’s commitment to research & development and its policy “ requiring the promotion of open science ”.

Over the past two decades, there have been gradual developments in China’s OA framework, with repositories and platforms being developed in a consistent manner. Currently, key institutions across China – including the National Science Library, the National Science and Technology Library, and the Natural Science Foundation of China – support OA. The State aims to establish consistent policies across government agencies – a framework for a more encompassing embrace of OA across institutions.

In China, the number of subscription-only articles decreased by nearly 30% over the 10-year period of 2011–2021, while gold OA increased by 22%. Between 2017 and 2020 alone, China published 800,921 academic papers in an OA format .

In 2023, as the leading publisher of academic research, China is pursuing “self-reliance ”. Therefore, the State will be establishing consistent policies across government agencies, including those related to OA. Additionally, it will want to ensure that Chinese people can access the research that is supported by Chinese funding and produced by Chinese academics. For this reason, “ Open Access is a matter of priority in China ”.

MDPI Offices in China

 While the history of MDPI begins in Basel, Switzerland, the story of MDPI’s founder is very much rooted in China. Dr. Shu-kun Lin , Founder and President of MDPI, graduated with a BSc from Wuhan University in 1982. He also studied physical chemistry at the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (1982–1986; MSc in 1985), and at the University of Louisville, USA (1987–1989). Dr. Lin completed his doctorate in organic chemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH-Zürich) in 1992.

In 2002, MDPI’s Basel headquarters moved to Matthäusstrasse 11, 4052 Basel, and Dr. Lin opened an editorial office in Qingdao, China, which launched the journal Marine Drugs in the following year. Below is a list of MDPI’s current offices in China and their respective dates of inauguration:

• 2008: Beijing (Tongzhou, Haidian)
• 2013: Wuhan (Hankou, Guanggu)
• 2019: Tianjin
• 2021: Dalian
• 2021: Nanjing

Our Strength is in Our People

With over 6,000 MDPI staff, across 20 offices in 11 countries, MDPI is able to offer authors responsive and efficient round-the-clock support, enabling a rapid publication process.

In my experience, stakeholders are genuinely surprised when they realize the extent of our global operations. My response is to reiterate that our people are our strength. This is why we have fast and efficient processes and top-notch responsiveness. Our global presence ensures that your manuscript is constantly attended to, rather than sitting on someone’s desk. We prioritize our authors’ needs and act quickly to move things through the various stages of publication. MDPI is built on speed, convenience, and competence, which I believe are core pillars for success in any industry. We continually strive to improve our systems and processes on the basis of these core strengths. We literally have over 6,000 staff worldwide dedicated to serving your needs. It’s not magic: it’s people; it’s real.

MDPI Awards

To support the academic community, and especially young researchers, and also to enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals offer various awards in specific fields. We serve the scientific community by funding research to facilitate the development of sustainable global solutions through our annual World Sustainability Award and Emerging Sustainability Leader Award.

In 2022, MDPI made awards totalling over US$1 million in recognition and support of researchers worldwide.

Across our journal catalogue, we have granted over 2,000 awards to recognize and support researchers from all disciplines. Since 2016, these awards have served as a source of recognition, acknowledging the impact of research by heightening the influence of talented individuals. The award types mainly include the Young Investigator Award, the Best PhD Thesis Award, the Best Paper Award, and the Outstanding Reviewer Award.

To learn more about MDPI Awards and to find out which are currently available, please click here .

MDPI Awards to Scholars from China

Since 2021, there have been 23 Best Paper Awards granted to authors affiliated with Chinese institutions, identifying their papers as having high-quality scientific impact. A total of 45 Chinese scholars have received awards such as the Young Investigator Award, the Best PhD Thesis Award, the Outstanding Reviewer Award, and the Tu Youyou Award, among others. Prizes for these awards include MDPI grants for paid publications, totalling over CHF 70,000 for scholars affiliated with Chinese institutions.

MDPI’s Tu Youyou Award

In 2015, Professor Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria.” In order to commemorate Professor Tu’s contributions to human health and to promote the passion and spirit conveyed by her experiences, MDPI in 2016 established the ‘ Tu Youyou Award ’, which runs biennially to recognize outstanding scholars dedicated to the research of natural products and medicinal chemistry.

The 2022 Tu Youyou Award was granted to Prof. Dr. Xiaoguang Lei of Peking University. Click here to access the interview with the winner.

2015 Nobel Prize for Medicine Awarded to Professor Youyou Tu

Professor Tu’s work was celebrated in a Special Issue from Molecules on the occasion of her 80th birthday. The Special Issue: ' Artemisinin (Qinghaosu): Commemorative Issue in Honor of Professor Youyou Tu on the Occasion of her 80th Anniversary ” was created five years before she won the Nobel Prize, highlighting the visibility MDPI provides researchers and their work.

Highly Cited Articles by Chinese Scholars Published in MDPI

Click here to access the most cited MDPI papers published by scholars affiliated with Chinese institutions. This list presents the most influential research from the more than 287,000 MDPI papers published by Chinese scholars. With over 9 million total citations, I encourage you to maximize your visibility and impact by publishing with MDPI, the number one most cited open access publisher.

• Tu Youyou Award

World Sustainability Awards

• Available Awards

Marketing Department in China

During my visit to our offices in Beijing and Wuhan, I had the opportunity to meet with, and to present to, our local marketing teams. These teams are responsible for various journal-related and corporate promotional activities, including newsletters, conferences, seminars, author training, journal awards, content creation, digital marketing, and social media.

I was pleased by the ambition and curiosity of our marketing colleagues. They showed a strong desire to collaborate and acquire knowledge and tactics to effectively market and promote MDPI-journal-related activities. I presented some of the principles and objectives that we apply in the Corporate Marketing and Communications department, and used the opportunity to strengthen our collaborative communications across offices.

Collaborations, Scholarships and Meetings

MDPI maintains partnerships with nearly 190 learned societies and over 800 institutions and consortia, helping to facilitate the transition to OA publishing. Our commitment to working with institutions is evident in China, where we have successfully established over 35 Institutional Open Access Programs (IOAP) with esteemed institutions such as the Tsinghua University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Our institutional partnerships, waiver programs, and article processing cost discounts create diverse pathways to OA publishing for researchers worldwide.

Scholarships in China

Since 2021, several MDPI journals ( Sensors , Photonics , Coatings , Materials , Energies , and Journal of Fungi ) have funded full scholarships for four Master’s and five Ph.D. projects in China. These scholarships align with Tianjin University, Wuhan University of Technology, Central South University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the China University of Petroleum (Beijing).

Meeting with the Society of Chinese University Journals (CUJS)

I am pleased to have participated in some highly productive meetings during my visit to China, including one with the Society of Chinese University Journals (CUJS). The meeting involved Prof. Tieming Zhang (President of CUJS), Assoc. Prof. Xin Zhang (Vice President and Secretary General), and Dr. Fei Gao (Executive Member of CUJS). Alongside my colleagues Dr. Guoshi Liu, Dr. Giulia Stefenelli, and Anita Sun, I represented MDPI and held an open discussion to address any questions regarding OA and MDPI.

We discussed several methods for collaboration, including a workshop on the future of peer review, MDPI sponsoring a funding grant for early-career researchers, and transitioning journals from diamond to gold OA. I am thankful for the opportunity to have met our colleagues at CUJS in person and feel very confident about our future collaborations in support of OA publishing in China.

MDPI hosts free academic seminars, author training sessions, and academic conferences as part of its commitment to enrich and support the scholarly community. CUJS often stages academic events (e.g., conferences, editor training, and editor competitions), and I believe there are great opportunities for CUJS and MDPI to collaborate accordingly.

Meeting with National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NSLC)

We also visited the NSLC Director, Xiwen Liu, and colleagues Ying Jin, Zhesi Shen, and Sichao Tong. Following our introductions, we gave a presentation on the history and editorial process at MDPI, discussing specific details related to MDPI’s business and data. We highlighted the status of our  IOAP collaborations in China and the makeup of our author base, specifically in China, and drew attention to the fact that MDPI has published research by authors from every country in the world. We then discussed the design indicators, calculation methods and implementation purposes of the ‘Early Warning Journal List’ and how we can have open communication to provide any data regarding MDPI journals. I am pleased to report that we reached a consensus on future communications, and am grateful to NSLC for hosting us in their offices.

In-person meetings with stakeholders provide an invaluable opportunity to communicate what MDPI is about and the various ways in which we serve the scholarly community. While digital marketing and online communication are essential, they are no replacement for the understanding and trust that come about through in-person interactions.

The Numbers

As at September 2023, China holds the largest position in MDPI’s global market, ranking as the largest contributor to the total number of papers published by MDPI.

At this point in time, there were more than 847,000 China mainland scholars who have published with MDPI, 51 of whom are Section-Editors-in-Chief (SEiC) of MDPI journals, with seven serving as Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) for journals such as Air , Big Data and Cognitive Computing , Blockchains , Future , Nanoenergy Advances , and Targets .

Our growth and presence in China are a true testament to the service we provide to the scholarly community, and to the relationships we foster through collaborative activities. We look forward to continuing to support the growth of the scholarly community in China, providing a valuable and trusted experience with MDPI.

Final Reflections on our MDPI Offices in Beijing and Wuhan

I spent approximately two weeks visiting some of our offices in China, and the first word that comes to mind when describing my experience is ‘hospitality.’ My colleagues and I were met with enthusiasm and delight at the airport by the Tongzhou Admin team (thank you, Jiale Shang, and thank you, Eric Wang, for keeping us organized on this trip!) and were taken care of with great attention. From hotels to transportation, dinners, and meetings, our stay was catered for perfectly.

Perhaps this is where MDPI’s focus on customers and service originates. At our core, we are a service company that provides a publishing platform for its authors. It’s therefore no surprise that authors consistently rate their experience with MDPI very highly.

95% of submitting authors rate their overall experience with the MDPI publication process as Excellent or Good ( Springer Nature  report 90%).

91% of submitting authors rate their overall experience with the MDPI peer review process as Excellent or Good.

Speed/Efficiency and Editorial Relationship are two key reasons underlying this high satisfaction score. ‘Editorial Relationship’ can be further explored, but in the past month, the most commonly noted aspects were the professionalism, kindness, availability, communicativeness, and personalized assistance provided by our editorial staff throughout the process. These attributes are at the core of our work across all our offices and continents.

Hospitality and Service

Just as our Chinese colleagues strove to keep us engaged by showing us the city sights (thank you, Thea Pan, and Jason Wu from the Wuhan Marketing team!) and sharing a variety of wonderful meals, our editorial staff are committed to serving our authors throughout their publishing journey. Our aim is to place the author at the centre of everything we do, eager to welcome our ‘guests’ and provide them with a pleasant publishing experience.

I asked my colleague Francis Wu (Senior Publisher, Wuhan office) where this hospitality originates. He responded that it is part of Chinese culture. I reflected long and deep on this answer. China is a vast country, and when visitors arrive, hosts want to ensure they feel welcomed and taken care of in order to maximize their time and visit. I can’t think of a better analogy for how I would want our authors to feel when they visit MDPI for their publishing needs. A company culture that prioritizes service, something that goes beyond products and productivity, and focuses on the overall experience. Over 6,000 people, across all MDPI offices, are ready, willing and able to go the extra mile for their colleagues and their customers. This is something I am truly proud of.

27 September 2023 Meet Us at the 27th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences (µTAS 2023), 15–19 October 2023, Katowice, Poland

MDPI will attend the 27th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences (µTAS 2023). µTAS 2023 continues an international conference series that is the premier forum for reporting research results in microfluidics, microfabrication, nanotechnology, integration, materials and surfaces, analysis and synthesis, and detection technologies for the life sciences and chemistry. The conference offers plenary and invited talks, expansive poster sessions, networking forums, and an array of industry exhibitions, as well as numerous contributed oral and poster presentations selected from submitted abstracts.

The conference anticipates over 1000 scientists, trainees, and industry professionals from around the globe will once again share advances regarding integrated microsystems and nanotechnology for chemistry and life sciences in person.

• Micromachines ;
• Bioengineering .

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth #17 and start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit https://microtas2023.org/ .

6 September 2023 Recap of Awards Granted to Scholars in 2022

MDPI is committed to supporting the academic community, nurturing talent and advancing science. Awards are an important part of the research landscape and play a vital role in helping academics gain recognition, especially young researchers as they embark on new research avenues.

In 2022, our journals presented a total number of 394 Awards, including Travel Awards, Young Investigator Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, Best Paper Awards, and Outstanding Reviewer Awards, with several winners announced for some of the awards. The total prize sum amounted to just under 580,000 Swiss francs (CHF), or approximately 650,000 US dollars. Overall, more than 720 scholars were awarded.

The majority of the awards were dedicated to young researchers in relatively early stages of their careers. This encompassed 66 of the afore-mentioned Travel Awards, 60 Young Investigator Awards, supporting research projects and conference attendance, as well as 51 Best PhD Thesis Awards. Additionally, 113 Best Paper Awards were given by our journals. The selection committees were entrusted with identifying the most impactful and novel research and review articles published in their journal within a given year.

MDPI will continue its support and recognition for the academic community moving forward, sponsoring new awards across disciplines. To learn more about all the awardees and their research projects in your field of study, please visit the following pages:

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here .

30 August 2023 MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #3 - Sustainability and Co-opetition

Our Commitment to Sustainability

As a pioneer in academic open access publishing since 1996, MDPI has always been dedicated to facilitating scientific exchange across all disciplines. Our approach to open science is  guided by principles such as Open Access (OA), Timeliness and Efficiency, Simplicity, High-Quality Service, Flexibility, and a commitment to Sustainability. This commitment involves preserving published papers for the long term and supporting the future of science through partnerships, sponsorships, and awards.

In this edition of the CEO Letter, I will delve into MDPI’s various sustainability initiatives. As a leader in OA publishing, we are able to provide the public with a significant amount of environment-related content at no cost.

MDPI and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In 2020, the SDG Publishers Compact was launched to accelerate implementation of the SDGs by promoting content that informs, develops, and inspires action. MDPI joined this initiative in 2021 and subsequently launched the MDPI SDG Hub in 2022, offering free access to recent research within the scope of each of the 17 SDGs. We also support authors from underrepresented communities by waiving publication charges for selected SDG-related papers. Detailed sustainability practices and supported publications are available in the report under each Goal page.

“More than 80% of MDPI articles and reviews published in 2022 relate to the Sustainable Development Goals.” [source: InCites, Accessed on 21.08.2023]

As at August 2023, MDPI boasts 14 journals dedicated to sustainability-related topics. Our first journal in this area, Sustainability , has published over 29,000 articles on the SDGs, accumulating over 240,000 citations (source: InCites, as at 1 January 2023). These journals serve as vital platforms for researchers to share insights and address environmental challenges. In addition:

MDPI journals specializing in sustainability-related topics:

• 2009: Sustainability
• 2012: Resources
• 2013: Climate
• 2014: Environments
• 2016: Recycling
• 2019: Clean Technologies
• 2020: Sustainable Chemistry
• 2021: Wind , Biomass , Conservation , Pollutants , Solar
• 2022: Waste , Microplastics
• MDPI SDG Hub
• MDPI’s Content for 2022 Open Access Week—Climate Justice
• 2022 MDPI Annual Report—Sustainability Initiatives

Highly Cited Articles in Sustainability

In 2022, content published in Sustainability and indexed in Journal Citation Reports (JCR) received nearly 190,000 citations. This highlights the fact that Sustainability publishes highly cited research articles related to environmental sciences and SDG-related topics such as climate action.

We are pleased to share that Sustainability received a 2022 CiteScore of 5.8, marking a 16% increase from the 2021 metric. Specifically, the CiteScore positions Sustainability as follows: Q1 (27 out of 163) in the “Environmental Science (miscellaneous)” category, and Q1 (101 out of 779) in the “Geography Planning and Development” category. For additional journal statistics, please visit here .

“Sustainability received a 2022 CiteScore of 5.8”

While MDPI journals such as Climate and Atmosphere have a distinct focus on atmosphere pollution and its impact on climate processes, journals like Sustainability , Environments , Water , Remote Sensing , and IJERPH publish content related to climate change. These journals have published over 32,300 articles related to SDG 13 : Climate Action.

Highly Cited Papers in Sustainability

Below are several highly cited papers published in Sustainability over the past three years. Citation metrics are current as at 15 August 2023.

This paper addresses one of the most significant challenges of climate change – achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2050. The meta-analysis suggests that while difficult, this transition is possible through the concerted application of pathways, lifestyle changes, and global cooperation.

This paper has received substantial media attention, including coverage by The Guardian , BBC , Vice , and CNBC . An interview with Dr. Panu Pihkala, a leading interdisciplinary researcher on the topic, can be found on MDPI’s podcast: Insight Faster , Episode 1 .

This paper reviews literature on climate change, addressing its causes, future projections, impact on agriculture, including plant physiology, growth, productivity, pest infestation, and the economic implications of mitigation strategies.

This review aims to assess the adverse effects of plastic pollution on ecosystems, link the management of plastic with the SDGs, and propose policy measures using transdisciplinary approaches. Empowering communities to reduce plastic use is crucial. Addressing global plastic pollution is a priority.

Sustainability is an international, cross-disciplinary, open access journal that explores environmental, cultural, economic, and social sustainability of human beings. It provides a forward-looking platform for research on sustainability and sustainable development, and is published semi-monthly online by MDPI. Sustainability is affiliated with The Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) and The International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) .

• Testimonials : See what our editors and authors say about Sustainability .

President of Ireland Authors Editorial in MDPI Journal Sustainability

It’s a very special occasion when the president of a country takes the initiative to write an editorial for a journal. Michael D. Higgins, President of the Republic of Ireland, has contributed his insights to a forthcoming Special Issue in Sustainability :

This Special Issue, focusing on “making sustainable development happen” at grassroots levels, allows for perspectives from, and on, the major world faiths, exploring how challenges have been conceptualised and addressed, in addition to case studies of faith-based sustainability initiatives in practice.

The experience of faith institutions and communities in translating theological and moral commitments to sustainable development into action is now a topic we must examine with urgency; one on which I am so glad this Special Issue focuses.

As President of Ireland, I very much support this Special Issue of Sustainability. It is my great hope that the contents of the papers contained herein will assist in making sustainable development happen at grassroots levels across the world so that we can cooperate together, people of faith and of none, to ensure a just, inclusive and sustainable future for all on our fragile planet.

Read the completed editorial here:

Special Issue “Faith and Sustainable Development: Exploring Practice, Progress and Challenges among Faith Communities and Institutions”: Foreword by the President of Ireland Author: Michael D. Higgins Sustainability 2023 , 15 (12), 9683; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129683

The World Sustainability Forum 2023

The World Sustainability Forum (WSF) is a biennial MDPI event focused on sustainability. WSF 2023 marks the tenth anniversary of the conference series, taking place on 14 September. For the first time, the event will be hosted as a 24-hour conference across three locations – Singapore, Basel in Switzerland, and Toronto in Canada – alongside virtual streaming.

This unique format allows us to span three time zones, providing live coverage of critical sustainability-related topics throughout the day:

• The Singapore Hub , chaired by Professor Horn Mun Cheah and Associate Professor Renee Tan, will explore “Sustainability for Social and Community Impact”.
• The Basel Hub , chaired by Prof. Dr. Anet Režek Jambrak and Dr. Lela Mélon, will delve into “Sustainability in the industry, and at university and corporate settings”.
• The Toronto Hub , led by Dr. Umberto Berardi, will discuss “The Sustainable Built Environment”.

MDPI Sustainability Foundation: Recognizing Excellence in Sustainability Research

The MDPI Sustainability Foundation supports researchers through two sustainability-focused awards:

• The World Sustainability Award , amounting to USD 100,000, is given to senior researchers.
• The Emerging Sustainability Leader Award , valued at USD 20,000, sponsored by the journal Sustainability , is presented to early-career researchers.

The winners of the Sustainability Foundation will be formally awarded during the WSF2023 on 14 September. Interviews with the award winners and finalists are available below.

2023 World Sustainability Award Winners

• Professor Michael R. Templeton
• Professor Tom Lyon
• Dr Krithi K. Karanth

Interviews with 2023 Emerging Sustainability Leader Award Finalists

• Dr. Bahareh Kamranzad
• Dr. Youjin Kim
• Dr. Julia Lohmann

As a hybrid event, WSF23 provides scholars with the option to attend in person at one of the conference sites or, for a more sustainable approach, virtually. All sessions will be recorded and archived for future access. Registration is open until 3 September 2023, with in-person and virtual tickets available here.

• The 10 th World Sustainability Forum
• The MDPI Sustainability Foundation

“Co-opetition”: Collaboration Plus Healthy Competition – A Visit to Elsevier

I firmly believe in fostering collaboration and at the same time promoting healthy competition within the academic publishing industry. The market offers ample room for publishers and related companies to provide valuable services and products that enrich the academic community. While MDPI is recognized for its efficient and streamlined processes –thanks to our over 6,000 colleagues, in-house tools, and initiatives that support the author journey – our ethos has always involved learning from and collaborating with other organizations.

MDPI’s Interaction with Elsevier

In January 2023, I had a brief conversation with Judy Verses, President of Global Academic and Government Markets at Elsevier, following her participation in a panel discussion at the Academic Publishers Europe event in Berlin. One of the highlights for me was Judy’s insight into the impact of research, particularly her emphasis on the role of collaboration, including policy and showing the impact of research to influence on funding decisions.

“Such collaborations drive forward-looking strategies to elevate our support for the scholarly community”

Judy and I resumed our discussion in August, when I visited Elsevier's office to review current projects, such as our recent agreement with Science Direct and the continued indexing of MDPI journals in Scopus (indexing database owned by Elsevier). We also explored possible opportunities for the future, including a potential collaboration to expand MDPI’s Scilit data infrastructure. This endeavour aims to aggregate and provide access to scholarly metadata encompassing journal articles, conference papers, books, preprints, and more. While these discussions are ongoing, the underlying principle remains that such collaborations drive forward-looking strategies to elevate our services and support for the scholarly community.

It was great that Judy and I acknowledged the merits of 'co-opetition,' a concept based of the belief that fostering cooperation alongside healthy competition can lead to shared advancements for both individual companies and the industry at large.

‘Fully OA’ Organizations Dedicated to Open Access

MDPI proudly aligns with the ‘Fully OA’ group, a collaborative initiative comprising nine organizations dedicated to Open Access. Our monthly meetings, including an OASPA representative, serve as platforms to share non-confidential information, resources, and projects. These gatherings also facilitate discussions on topics relevant to fully OA organizations. Occasionally, joint actions spring from these interactions, such as collaborative blog posts on pertinent subjects and joint statements, such as a recent response to the House Appropriations Committee .

This display of cooperation among competing entities forms a strategic alliance focused on nurturing the best interests of the OA publishing model.

As I wrap up this third edition of the CEO Letter, I encourage you to seize opportunities for collaboration and contribute to advancing our shared academic culture. As the African proverb has it, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

29 August 2023 Applied Sciences | Top 10 Cited Papers in 2022 in the Section “Optics and Lasers”

1. “In-Target Proton–Boron Nuclear Fusion Using a PW-Class Laser” by Daniele Margarone, Julien Bonvalet, Lorenzo Giuffrida, Alessio Morace, Vasiliki Kantarelou, Marco Tosca, Didier Raffestin, Philippe Nicolai, Antonino Picciotto, Yuki Abe et al. Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1444; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031444 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1444

2. “Recent Progress of the PAL-XFEL” by Intae Eom, Sae Hwan Chun, Jae Hyuk Lee, Daewoong Nam, Rory Ma, Jaehyun Park, Sehan Park, Sang Han Park, Haeryong Yang, Inhyuk Nam et al. Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1010; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031010 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1010

3. “Making Sense of Light: The Use of Optical Spectroscopy Techniques in Plant Sciences and Agriculture” by Ana M. Cavaco, Andrei B. Utkin, Jorge Marques da Silva and Rui Guerra Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 997; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12030997 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/997

4. “High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Lasers as Comb Sources for DWDM Applications” by Mario Dumont, Songtao Liu, M. J. Kennedy and John Bowers Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (4), 1836; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12041836 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/1836

5. “An Overview of Terahertz Imaging with Resonant Tunneling Diodes” by Jue Wang, Mira Naftaly and Edward Wasige Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (8), 3822; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083822 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/8/3822

6. “Orthopedics-Related Applications of Ultrafast Laser and Its Recent Advances” by Celina L. Li, Carl J. Fisher, Ray Burke and Stefan Andersson-Engels Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (8), 3957; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083957 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/8/3957

7. “A Comparison of PCA-LDA and PLS-DA Techniques for Classification of Vibrational Spectra” by Maria Lasalvia, Vito Capozzi and Giuseppe Perna Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (11), 5345; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12115345 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/11/5345

8. “Principle and Implementation of Stokes Vector Polarization Imaging Technology” by Yong Wang, Yuqing Su, Xiangyu Sun, Xiaorui Hao, Yanping Liu, Xiaolong Zhao, Hongsheng Li, Xiushuo Zhang, Jing Xu, Jingjing Tian et al. Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (13), 6613; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12136613 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/13/6613

9. “Fast 3D Analytical Affine Transformation for Polygon-Based Computer-Generated Holograms” by Houxin Fan, Bing Zhang, Yaping Zhang, Fan Wang, Wenlong Qin, Qingyang Fu and Ting-Chung Poon Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (14), 6873; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12146873 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/14/6873

10. “Evaluating Tissue Mechanical Properties Using Quantitative Mueller Matrix Polarimetry and Neural Network” by Changjiang Mi, Conghui Shao, Honghui He, Chao He and Hui Ma Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (19), 9774; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12199774 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/19/9774

22 August 2023 Meet Us at the 13th International Conference on Indoor Positioning and Indoor Navigation (IPIN 2023), 25–28 September 2023, Nuremberg, Germany

MDPI will be attending the 13th International Conference on Indoor Positioning and Indoor Navigation (IPIN 2023), held in Nuremberg, Germany, from 25 to 28 September 2023.

IPIN 2023 is organized by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS with the support of researchers from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences. The conference will be held on-site at Fraunhofer IIS in Nuremberg. Join the 300 expected industrial and academic experts in computer science, electronics and surveying to address this challenge. Discuss, in person, scientific and industrial matters and witness state-of-the-art systems and methods, including the uniquely challenging IPIN competition. During this conference, MDPI will welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest views as well as research with us.

• Electronics ;

If you are attending this conference, please stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: http://www.ipin-conference.org/2023/index.html .

16 August 2023 MDPI’s 2022 Young Investigator Awards in Engineering—Winners Announced

MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising junior researchers, acknowledge their contributions, and enhance communication among scientists. We are proud to present the winners for the year 2022 in the engineering category. The winners were selected by the journals’ Award Evaluation Committee.

We warmly congratulate the following young investigators for their outstanding contributions. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Actuators :

• Yi Zhang , University of Electronic Science and Technology, China

Batteries :

• Lin Ma , University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA

Biosensors :

• Stefano Cinti , University of Naples Federico II, Italy

Buildings :

• Umberto Berardi , Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada
• Benedetto Nastasi , Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
• Do Kyun Kim , Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
• Fernando Bento , University of Beira Interior, Portugal
• Goshtasp Cheraghian , Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
• Roman Mykhailyshyn , The University of Texas at Austin, USA

Micromachines :

• Pingan Zhu , City University of Hong Kong, China

Processes :

• Viknesh Andiappan , the Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Malaysia
• Wenzhuo Wu , Purdue University, USA

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

16 August 2023 MDPI’s 2022 Travel Awards in Engineering—Winners Announced

We are proud to recognize the winners of MDPI’s 2022 Travel Awards in the engineering category for their outstanding presentations.

MDPI journals regularly offer travel awards to encourage junior scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences in specific fields, which helps to increase their influence.

The winners mentioned below were carefully selected by the journal editors based on an outline of their research and the work to be presented at an academic conference.

We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of the 2022 Travel Awards and wish them the greatest success with their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.

• Dmitry Kireev , University of Texas at Austin, USA
• Danilo D’Angela , University of Naples Federico II, Italy
• Jungsub Kim , Texas A&M University, USA

16 August 2023 MDPI’s 2022 Outstanding Reviewer Awards in Engineering—Winners Announced

In order to acknowledge our reviewers, who demonstrate diligence, professionalism, and timeliness when generously dedicating their time to reviewing papers, MDPI journals regularly offer outstanding reviewer awards to scholars who participate in the peer review process.

We are proud to recognize the winners for the year 2022 in the engineering category for their outstanding contributions by presenting them with an Outstanding Reviewer Award.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the winners on their achievements. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

• Chongjing Cao , Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT), China

Applied Sciences :

• Roman Mykhailyshyn , University of Texas at Austin, USA
• Chiranjibi Sitaula , Monash University, Australia
• Davide Forcellini , 1 University of Auckland, New Zealand; 2 University of San Marino, San Marino
• Giuseppe Ciaburro , Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy
• Yang Song , Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
• Xiaoming Liu , Beijing Institute of Technology, China
• Carlos Torres-Torres , Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico
• Paolo Blecich , University of Rijeka, Croatia
• Łukasz Ścislo , Cracow University of Technology, Poland
• Giorgio Sonnino , Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium
• Luiz Antonio Alcântara Pereira , Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI), Brazil
• Cagatay Iris , University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
• Chiemela Victor Amaechi , Lancaster University, United Kingdom
• Denis Istrati , University of Nevada, USA
• Mai The Vu , Sejong University, Korea
• Mina Tadros , University of Lisbon, Portugal
• Chao Fu , Northwestern Polytechnical University, China
• Eduardo Suárez , Universidade de Vigo, Spain
• Jordi-Roger Riba , Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain
• Catalin Ianasi , Institute of Chemistry “Coriolan Dragulescu”, Romania
• Daniel Ferrández , Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain
• Kamil Krzysztof Roman , Institute of Technology and Life Sciences in Warsaw, Poland
• Marcin Dębowski , University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland
• Mariusz Szymanek , University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
• Agustin L. Herrera-May , Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
• Chiachung Chen , National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
• Jae-Myung Ryu , Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Republic of Korea
• Sebastian Głowiński , Koszalin Technical University, Poland
• Wei Zhou , University of Waterloo, Canada

16 August 2023 MDPI’s 2022 Best PhD Thesis Awards in Engineering—Winners Announced

MDPI’s Best PhD Thesis Awards are presented to recognize the young scholars who are judged to have completed the most outstanding PhD thesis in their field of research and to encourage them to continue their excellent work and further contributions to their field.

We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of the 2022 Best PhD Thesis Awards and wish them success with their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.

• “Mathematical Modelling of Wave-Induced Motions and Loads on Moored Offshore Structures” by Changqing Jiang , University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
• “Experimental Characterization of Frictional Hysteresis for Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis of Jointed Structures” by Alfredo Fantetti , Imperial College London, UK
• “Sustainable Cultivation of Microalgae Biomass for Bioenergy Production” by Angela Paul Peter , Xiamen University Malaysia, Malaysia
• “Studying Protein Function with Fluorescent Nanoantennas” by Scott G. Harroun , Université de Montréal, Canada

16 August 2023 MDPI’s Best Paper Awards in Engineering —Winners in 2022 Announced

The purpose of our Best Paper Awards is to promote and recognize the most impactful contributions published within MDPI journals.

The editors of each journal carefully selected reviews and research papers through a rigorous judging process based on criteria such as scientific merit, overall impact, and the quality of presentation of the papers published in the journal.

We are honored to present the winners announced for the year 2022 in the engineering category, who were selected from extensive competition, and congratulate the authors for their outstanding scientific publications. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

• “Two-Way and Multiple-Way Shape Memory Polymers for Soft Robotics: An Overview” by Giulia Scalet Actuators 2020 , 9 (1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/act9010010
• “Low-Cost, Open-Source Mechanical Ventilator with Pulmonary Monitoring for COVID-19 Patients” by Leonardo Acho, Alessandro N. Vargas and Gisela Pujol-Vázquez Actuators 2020 , 9 (3), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/act9030084
• “Styrenic-Rubber Dielectric Elastomer Actuator with Inherent Stiffness Compensation” by Giacomo Moretti, Luca Sarina, Lorenzo Agostini, Rocco Vertechy, Giovanni Berselli and Marco Fontana Actuators 2020 , 9 (2), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/act9020044
• “Chromium(III) Removal from Wastewater by Chitosan Flakes” by Loris Pietrelli, Iolanda Francolini, Antonella Piozzi, Maria Sighicelli, Ilaria Silvestro and Marco Vocciante Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 (6), 1925; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10061925
• “Unravelling the Environmental Application of Biochar as Low-Cost Biosorbent: A Review” by Antía Fdez-Sanromán, Marta Pazos, Emilio Rosales and María Angeles Sanromán Appl. Sci . 2020 , 10 (21), 7810; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10217810
• “Observation of Potential Contaminants in Processed Biomass Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy” by Jingshun Zhuang, Mi Li, Yunqiao Pu, Arthur Jonas Ragauskas and Chang Geun Yoo Appl. Sci . 2020 , 10 (12), 4345; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10124345
• “Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis 2020: Where We Stand” by Angelo Iacobino, Lanfranco Fattorini and Federico Giannoni Appl. Sci . 2020 , 10 (6), 2153; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10062153
• “Real-Time Remote Maintenance Support Based on Augmented Reality (AR)” by Dimitris Mourtzis, Vasileios Siatras and John Angelopoulos Appl. Sci . 2020 , 10 (5), 1855; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10051855
• “Dielectric Elastomer Actuator for Soft Robotics Applications and Challenges” by Jung-Hwan Youn, Seung Mo Jeong, Geonwoo Hwang, Hyunwoo Kim, Kyujin Hyeon, Jihwan Park and Ki-Uk Kyung Appl. Sci . 2020 , 10 (2), 640; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10020640
• “Low-Cost Biochar Adsorbents for Water Purification Including Microplastics Removal” by Virpi Siipola, Stephan Pflugmacher, Henrik Romar, Laura Wendling and Pertti Koukkari Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 (3), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10030788
• “Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AISI 316L Produced by Directed Energy Deposition-Based Additive Manufacturing: A Review” by Abdollah Saboori, Alberta Aversa, Giulio Marchese, Sara Biamino, Mariangela Lombardi and Paolo Fino Appl. Sci . 2020 , 10 (9), 3310; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10093310
• “Humans-as-a-Sensor for Buildings—Intensive Longitudinal Indoor Comfort Models” by Prageeth Jayathissa, Matias Quintana, Mahmoud Abdelrahman and Clayton Miller Buildings 2020 , 10 (10), 174; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings10100174
• “Circular Building Design: An Analysis of Barriers and Drivers for a Circular Building Sector” by Jouri Kanters Buildings 2020 , 10 (4), 77; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings10040077
• “Building Information Modelling (BIM) to Enhance Occupational Safety in Construction Activities: Research Trends Emerging from One Decade of Studies” by Mario Fargnoli and Mara Lombardi Buildings 2020 , 10 (6), 98; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings10060098
• “A SWOT Analysis of the Use of BIM Technology in the Polish Construction Industry” by Krzysztof Zima, Edyta Plebankiewicz and Damian Wieczorek Buildings 2020 , 10 (1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings10010016
• “Durability and Climate Change—Implications for Service Life Prediction and the Maintainability of Buildings” by Michael A. Lacasse, Abhishek Gaur and Travis V. Moore Buildings 2020 , 10 (3), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings10030053
• “Worker 4.0: The Future of Sensored Construction Sites” by Diego Calvetti, Pedro Mêda, Miguel Chichorro Gonçalves and Hipólito Sousa Buildings 2020 , 10 (10), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings10100169
• “A Review of Topology Optimisation for Fluid-Based Problems” by Joe Alexandersen and Casper Schousboe Andreasen Fluids 2020 , 5 (1), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids5010029
• “On the Deterministic Prediction of Water Waves” by Marco Klein, Matthias Dudek, Günther F. Clauss, Sören Ehlers, Jasper Behrendt, Norbert Hoffman and Miguel Onorato Fluids 2020 , 5 (1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids5010009
• “On the Effect of Block Roughness in Ogee Spillways with Flip Buckets” by Rasoul Daneshfaraz, Amir Ghaderi, Aliakbar Akhtari, Silvia Di Francesco Fluids 2020 , 5 (4), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids5040182
• “Marine Application of Fiber Reinforced Composites: A Review” by Felice Rubino, Antonio Nisticò, Fausto Tucci and Pierpaolo Carlone J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2020 , 8 (1), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8010026
• “ Numerical Simulation of Large Wave Heights from Super Typhoon Nepartak (2016) in the Eastern Waters of Taiwan” by Shih-Chun Hsiao, Hongey Chen, Han-Lun Wu, Wei-Bo Chen, Chih-Hsin Chang, Wen-Dar Guo, Yung-Ming Chen and Lee-Yaw Lin J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2020 , 8 (3), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8030217
• “Development of Deterministic Artificial Intelligence for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV)” by Timothy Sands J. Mar. Sci. Eng . 2020 , 8 (8), 578; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8080578

Lubricants :

• “Effective Application of Solid Lubricants in Spacecraft Mechanisms” by Jeffrey R. Lince Lubricants 2020 , 8 (7), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants8070074
• “High-Rate Laser Surface Texturing for Advanced Tribological Functionality” by Jörg Schille, Lutz Schneider, Stefan Mauersberger, Sylvia Szokup, Sören Höhn, Johannes Pötschke, Friedemann Reiß, Erhard Leidich and Udo Löschner Lubricants 2020 , 8 (3), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants8030033
• “Size Sorting of Exosomes by Tuning the Thicknesses of the Electric Double Layers on a Micro-Nanofluidic Device” by Satoko Fujiwara, Kyojiro Morikawa, Tatsuro Endo, Hideaki Hisamoto and Kenji Sueyoshi Micromachines 2020 , 11 (5), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11050458
• “Additive Manufacturing of Sub-Micron to Sub-mm Metal Structures with Hollow AFM Cantilevers” by Giorgio Ercolano, Cathelijn van Nisselroy, Thibaut Merle, János Vörös, Dmitry Momotenko, Wabe W. Koelmans and Tomaso Zambelli Micromachines 2020 , 11 (1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11010006
• “A Robotic Biopsy Endoscope with Magnetic 5-DOF Locomotion and a Retractable Biopsy Punch” by Manh Cuong Hoang, Viet Ha Le, Kim Tien Nguyen, Van Du Nguyen, Jayoung Kim, Eunpyo Choi, Seungmin Bang, Byungjeon Kang, Jong-Oh Park and Chang-Sei Kim Micromachines 2020 , 11 (1), 98; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11010098
• “Development of Fully Flexible Tactile Pressure Sensor with Bilayer Interlaced Bumps for Robotic Grasping Applications” by Lingfeng Zhu, Yancheng Wang, Deqing Mei and Chengpeng Jiang Micromachines 2020 , 11 (8), 770; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11080770
• “A mm-Sized Free-Floating Wireless Implantable Opto-Electro Stimulation Device” by Yaoyao Jia, Yan Gong, Arthur Weber, Wen Li and Maysam Ghovanloo Micromachines 2020 , 11 (6), 621; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11060621
• “Advanced Bioethanol Production: From Novel Raw Materials to Integrated Biorefineries” by Aleta Duque, Cristina Álvarez, Pablo Doménech, Paloma Manzanares and Antonio D. Moreno Processes 2021 , 9 (2), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9020206
• “An Overview on Fault Diagnosis, Prognosis and Resilient Control for Wind Turbine Systems” by Zhiwei Gao and Xiaoxu Liu Processes 2021 , 9 (2), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9020300
• “Role of Microalgae in the Recovery of Nutrients from Pig Manure” by Ana Sánchez-Zurano, Martina Ciardi, Tomás Lafarga, José María Fernández-Sevilla, Ruperto Bermejo and Emilio Molina-Grima Processes 2021 , 9 (2), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9020203
• “Applying Lean Six Sigma Methodology to a Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Facility: A Case Study” by Brian Byrne, Olivia McDermott and John Noonan Processes 2021 , 9 (3), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9030550
• “YOLO-Tomato: A Robust Algorithm for Tomato Detection Based on YOLOv3” by Guoxu Liu, Joseph Christian Nouaze, Philippe Lyonel Touko Mbouembe and Jae Ho Kim Sensors 2020 , 20 (7), 2145; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20072145
• “Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Solutions: A Review” by Corina Covaci and Aurel Gontean Sensors 2020 , 20 (12), 3512; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20123512
• “Applications of Graphene Quantum Dots in Biomedical Sensors” by Bhargav D. Mansuriya and Zeynep Altintas Sensors 2020 , 20 (4), 1072; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20041072
• “Beyond the State of the Art of Electric Vehicles: A Fact-Based Paper of the Current and Prospective Electric Vehicle Technologies” by Joeri Van Mierlo, Maitane Berecibar, Mohamed El Baghdadi, Cedric De Cauwer, Maarten Messagie, Thierry Coosemans, Valéry Ann Jacobs and Omar Hegazy World Electr. Veh. J. 2021 , 12 (1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/wevj12010020
• “An Overview of Parameter and Cost for Battery Electric Vehicles” by Adrian König, Lorenzo Nicoletti, Daniel Schröder, Sebastian Wolff, Adam Waclaw and Markus Lienkamp World Electr. Veh. J. 2021 , 12 (1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/wevj12010021

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here . 

10 August 2023 Meet Us at the 2023 National University Students Innovation Contest on Plasma Science and Technology, 12–14 August 2023, Wuhan, China

MDPI will be attending the 2023 National University Students Innovation Contest on Plasma Science and Technology, organized by the China Electrotechnical Society and hosted by the Huazhong University of Science and Technology and the Wuhan University, which will be held from 12 to 14 August 2023, in Wuhan, China.

The National University Students Innovation Contest on Plasma Science and Technology is based on the principle of interdisciplinary integration and innovation-driven development. The contest revolves around national and industry needs, focusing on the forefront issues of high-voltage discharge and plasma. It aims to guide university students to carry out plasma science and technology innovation activities and cultivate their interdisciplinary innovation abilities. It also promotes the development of plasma in fields such as environmental protection, low-carbon energy, advanced manufacturing, eco-friendly agriculture, life and health, aerospace and ocean, advanced materials, high-voltage power transmission, pulse power and high-energy physics. The finals of the contest will be held in conjunction with the High-Voltage Discharge and Plasma Interdisciplinary Forum.

• Coatings (leading);
• Actuators .

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth and speak with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit https://ipst.mh.chaoxing.com/ .

10 August 2023 Meet Us at the 10th International Conference on Experimental Vibration Analysis for Civil Engineering Structures (EVACES 2023), 30 August–1 September 2023, Milan, Italy

A range of MDPI journals will be attending the 10th International Conference on Experimental Vibration Analysis for Civil Engineering Structures. This meeting will be held in Milan, Italy, from 30 August to 1 September 2023.

The conference will be a forum where engineers, scientists, researchers, and practitioners will have the opportunity to disseminate and discuss the latest research, developments and applications in all major aspects of vibration-based monitoring and testing of civil engineering structures.

Existing and emerging challenges related to instrumentation, sources of excitation, data analysis, system identification, damage identification, condition assessment, in situ and laboratory experiments, codes and standards will be the key, but nonexclusive, topics of the conference.

• Buildings ;
• Infrastructures ;
• Architecture ;
• Computation ;

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth (#2.2). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit https://www.evaces2023.polimi.it/ , or contact the Buildings Editorial Office at [email protected] .

27 July 2023 MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #2 - Open Peer-Review and IJERPH

Open Peer Review Reports

Continuing the topic of openness from my inaugural monthly CEO letter , in these Opening Thoughts, I highlight the growth and importance of open peer-review reports at MDPI. Open peer reports align with the principles of open science, making the publishing process more transparent and facilitating rigorous peer review.

MDPI journals operate an open peer-review option by default, allowing authors to publish review reports and author responses (often referred to as open reports) together with the published paper. Publishing the reviewer reports and author responses together with the article provides greater transparency and trust for readers, as this allows them to track the editorial decision-making process. Open peer-review also encourages reviewers and editors to provide high-quality comments, as these will be made public if the article is accepted for publication.

Start and Growth of Open Peer Review at MDPI

The MDPI journal Life was a pioneer in offering this opportunity to its authors in 2014. The first MDPI article with peer-review reports openly published was a review by the Nobel Laureate Werner Arber , in which the review reports were published as supplementary material. By 2018, open peer-review was available across all MDPI journals. As such, MDPI authors have embraced the open peer-review model, providing a steady increase in the number of MDPI articles. As of 2023, approximately one-third (34.0%) of MDPI articles were published with open review reports.

As at July 2023, the percentage of MDPI articles published with open peer review has increased to 36.2% of the total papers published in 2023 so far, indicating ongoing growth in adoption.

Open peer review continues to play a critical role in the assessment of the peer-review process in Life . For further insights, please see the recent editorial by Dr. Pabulo Henrique Rampelotto, the former Editor-in-Chief of Life , who spearheaded the implementation of the open peer-review process.

Benefits of Open Peer Review

The benefits of open peer review include increased transparency, trust and constructive feedback. To promote open communication further and increase the robustness of the peer-review process, we encourage reviewers to sign their reports so that their name appears on the review report (this process is referred to as open identity). The default option is for reviewers to remain anonymous; however, by signing the reports, reviewers receive direct credit for their contribution to the peer-review process and show their commitment towards open science.

As the leading open access publisher, MDPI remains committed to promoting open peer-review and encourages authors to choose this approach. Our goal is to provide a rigorous and transparent peer-review process that benefits the scientific community, and we believe that open peer-review is a vital step in fostering openness and collaboration in scientific communication.

MDPI Papers Cited in the News – IJERPH edition

Every month, our corporate marketing team compiles data from Altmetrics to create a list of MDPI papers that have been cited in the news. This list continues to grow as renowned news outlets regularly reference research published by MDPI in their articles.

During 2022, a total of 111,965 MDPI research papers were mentioned in prominent news outlets such as National Geographic, The Washington Post, Forbes, The Guardian, the BBC, CNN, Time, and Harvard Business Review.

Highly Cited Journal Publications

IJERPH , known for publishing impactful research, received the most news mentions among all MDPI journals in 2022, based on Altmetrics data:

• International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health : 3509 mentions
• Nutrients : 2698 mentions
• International Journal of Molecular Sciences : 1701 mentions
• Journal of Clinical Medicine : 1131 mentions
• Viruses : 1111 mentions

These numbers show the recognition and impact of the articles published in IJERPH . For a more detailed view of the journal’s most cited and viewed papers, you can visit here . In total, IJERPH has garnered over 28,000 mentions in prominent news outlets, and as at July 2023, an impressive count of over 17,000 papers cited 10 times or more. These figures highlight the impactful contribution of IJERPH publications to the scientific community.

Example of Recent Mentions

During May and June 2023, a noteworthy selection of articles from IJERPH was cited in news articles, including:

The Washington Post : “ Bringing nature inside can improve your health. Here’s how to do it .” IJERPH paper: “ Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic Review of Indoor Experiments ”

Harvard Business Review : “ How to Take Better Breaks at Work, According to Research ” IJERPH paper: “ Canine-Assisted Therapy Improves Well-Being in Nurses ”

National Geographic : “ Lyme disease is spreading fast—but a vaccine may be on the way ” IJERPH paper: “ Range Expansion of Tick Disease Vectors in North America: Implications for Spread of Tick-Borne Disease ”

MDPI Develops an Artificial Intelligence Tool to Enhance the Peer-Review Process

At MDPI, we believe that rigorous peer-review is the corner-stone of high-quality academic publishing. We are grateful to the scholars who generously dedicate their time to peer-review articles submitted to MDPI journals. Their contributions are invaluable to the advancement of science.

Peer-review is a critical part of the publication process, ensuring that MDPI upholds the highest quality standards for the papers we publish. Every manuscript submitted to our journals undergoes a comprehensive peer-review process conducted by subject-matter experts.

To further enhance our peer-review process, our Data Analytics team has developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool designed to support the selection of reviewers. This proprietary tool utilizes Natural Language Processing (NLP), a specially designed AI language model, to extract information from the title and abstract of submitted papers. It then searches our database for similar manuscripts and suggests potential reviewers based on this analysis. Integrated with MDPI's submission system ( SuSy ), the AI tool cross-references the suggested candidates with our reviewer database to verify their invitation status and availability.

The goal of this tool is to provide better targeted peer-review invitations, reducing the number of emails sent for each paper and increasing the efficiency of our editorial staff.

In the near future, our Data Analytics team plans to deploy similar AI projects to improve other critical aspects of our services, offering an enhanced experience to our authors and readers.

Click here to learn about MDPI’s review process, including procedures, responsibilities, and benefits.

• Four Ways AI Supports Healthcare
• Should You Be Worried About ChatGPT?
• Art and Technology in the Age of AI

The Future of IJERPH

On 5 July 2023, Prof. Dr. Paul B. Tchounwou, the founding Editor-in-Chief of IJERPH , along with five Section Editors in Chief (Prof. Dr. Germán Vicente-Rodríguez, Prof. Dr. Karl Goodkin, Prof. Dr. William A. Toscano, Prof. Dr. Jimmy T. Efird, and Prof. Dr. William Douglas Evans), gathered in Basel to discuss the future of the journal. The meeting provided an opportunity to address the recent decision by The Web of Science to delist IJERPH due to the journal failing the Content Relevance criterion, and propose best strategies that will ensure high scientific rigor as well as a clear scope and aim of IJERPH , going forward.

While the delisting is disappointing for IJERPH , as well as for our authors, academic editors, and the entire scientific community supporting our journal, we see it as an opportunity to reflect and prepare for the future direction of the journal.

Since its launch in 2004, IJERPH’s vision and mission have evolved to be more complete and comprehensive in engaging scientific communities. In light of this, we will refresh the journal’s aims and scope, ensuring they align with the organic expansion of IJERPH . Additionally, we will restructure the journal sections into broader categories, encouraging collaborative research and transdisciplinary approaches for authors. This is designed to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among diverse fields, contributing to a holistic understanding of health promotion and disease prevention. We are confident that these next steps will enhance the scientific strength and societal impact of our journal.

Journal Achievements

In addition to the productive discussions, we took the time to celebrate some of the remarkable achievements of IJERPH , which I highlight below:

• Founded by Prof. Dr. Paul B. Tchounwou in 2004
• Indexed in PubMed in 2008
• Received its first Impact Factor in 2012
• Published its 5000th paper in 2017
• Over 60,000 papers published as at June 30, 2023
• 131,628,173 paper views in 2018–2022
• Over 28,000 mentions in prominent news outlets
• 17,000 papers cited 10 times or more as at June 30, 2023
• No.1 journal in the 2022 Google Scholar Metrics in the category of Public Health
• Awarded several editions of Young Investigator Awards, Travel Awards, and Outstanding Reviewer Awards since 2018.

These achievements showcase the journal’s significant contributions to the field and its impact on global health. We are proud of the exceptional work accomplished by the IJERPH team and look forward to building upon this success in the years to come.

MDPI’s Impact in Spain

During the past month, I had the opportunity to visit our new office building in Barcelona , where I met with our local colleagues to discuss the ways we serve the scholarly community, particularly in Spain. The multi-functional office plays a vital role in supporting various business needs, including editorial, design, conference management, data analytics, journal relationship management, publishing partnerships, and collaborations with societies.

Spain holds a significant position in MDPI’s global market, ranking as the fourth-largest contributor to the total number of papers published by MDPI as at July 2023, ranking next to Italy, the USA, and China, with Germany completing the top five.

Out of the 1,680,000 total MDPI articles published as at 25 July, almost 80,000 articles are contributed by Spanish authors, representing nearly 40,000 unique authors affiliated with Spanish institutions. Remarkably, over 6,300 of these authors hold editorial board member (EBM) positions within MDPI journals, with 30 of them serving as Editors-in-Chief (EiCs).

Our commitment to working with institutions is very evident in Spain, where we have successfully established over 40 Institutional Open Access Programs (IOAP) with esteemed institutions such as the University of Barcelona, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Pompeu Fabra University, the University of Navarre, and Complutense University of Madrid.

Over the past five years, we have successfully organized eight in-person conferences in Barcelona, attracting over 1,150 registrations, with two forthcoming events scheduled for 2024. Barcelona's excellent connectivity to international airports makes it easily accessible to participants from around the world. Its welcoming atmosphere provides us with the perfect environment for knowledge-sharing, networking, and contributing to the local economy.

Our growth and presence in Spain are a true testament to the incredible service we provide to the scholarly community and the relationships we foster through responsive and collaborative communication. We look forward to continuing to support Spanish scholars, providing them a valuable and trusted experience with MDPI, the leader in open access publishing.

I close this letter as I did in the first edition, by sharing testimonials from our stakeholders. Here are a few IJERPH testimonials from a Spanish guest editor and an author:

Guest Editor “I want to thank the kindness, attention and professionalism of the MDPI team throughout the editorial process of the Special Issue. I believe that it is a very professional and quality editorial process.” - Professor Víctor Arufe-Giráldez , University of A Coruña Special Issue in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health : Physical Activity in Childhood and Adolescence Special Issue in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health : Physical Education: Present and Future __ Author “I want to thank the rigor of the revisions made to the manuscripts to improve their quality, the support to the authors for the editor assignment system they have and the follow-up they carry out, for the speed in answering and in carrying out the entire process of the revision, and for doing all this at an affordable price.” - Dr. María Paz García-Caro , University of Granada Article in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health : Factors Associated with Suicide Attempts and Suicides in the General Population of Andalusia (Spain)

25 July 2023 Meet Us at the 15th European Congress on Catalysis (EuropaCat 2023), 27 August–1 September 2023, Prague, Czech Republic

Conference : 15th European Congress on Catalysis (EuropaCat 2023) Date : 27 August–1 September 2023 Location : Prague, Czech Republic

MDPI will be attending EuropaCat 2023 as an exhibitor. We welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

EuropaCat has become a traditional meeting place for scientists and researchers from academia and industry who are based all over Europe. Consequently, it has developed into a forum to discuss important challenges in the field of catalysis and the related industrial areas and beyond. The conference is jointly organized by the catalysis societies of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

• Molecules ;
• Catalysts ;
• Chemistry ;
• Materials ;
• Nanomaterials ;
• Photochem ;
• Separations ;

If you are planning to attend this conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.europacat2023.cz/ .

24 July 2023 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2022 in the Section “Civil Engineering”

1. “A Comprehensive Review of Deep Learning-Based Crack Detection Approaches” by Younes Hamishebahar, Hong Guan, Stephen So and Jun Jo Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1374; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031374 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1374

2. “Forecast of Airblast Vibrations Induced by Blasting Using Support Vector Regression Optimized by the Grasshopper Optimization (SVR-GO) Technique” by Lihua Chen, Panagiotis G. Asteris, Markos Z. Tsoukalas, Danial Jahed Armaghani, Dmitrii Vladimirovich Ulrikh and Mojtaba Yari Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (19), 9805; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12199805 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/19/9805

3. “A Good Practice for the Proof Testing of Cable-Stayed Bridges” by Raoul Davide Innocenzi, Vanni Nicoletti, Davide Arezzo, Sandro Carbonari, Fabrizio Gara and Luigino Dezi Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (7), 3547; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12073547 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/7/3547

4. “Project Risk in the Context of Construction Schedules—Combined Monte Carlo Simulation and Time at Risk (TaR) Approach: Insights from the Fort Bema Housing Estate Complex” by Janusz Sobieraj and Dominik Metelski Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1044; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031044 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1044

5. “Low-Cost Sensors Accuracy Study and Enhancement Strategy” by Seyedmilad Komarizadehasl, Behnam Mobaraki, Haiying Ma, Jose-Antonio Lozano-Galant and Jose Turmo Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (6), 3186; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12063186 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/6/3186

6. “A FE-Based Macro-Element for the Assessment of Masonry Structures: Linear Static, Vibration, and Non-Linear Cyclic Analyses” by Luis C. M. da Silva and Gabriele Milani Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1248; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031248 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1248

7. “Different Types of Continuous Track Irregularities as Sources of Train-Induced Ground Vibration and the Importance of the Random Variation of the Track Support” by Lutz Auersch Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1463; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031463 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1463

8. “Numerical Analysis Exterior RC Beam-Column Joints with CFRP Bars as Beam’s Tensional Reinforcement under Cyclic Reversal Deformations” by Violetta K. Kytinou, Parthena-Maria K. Kosmidou and Constantin E. Chalioris Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (15), 7419; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157419 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/15/7419

9. “Waterproof Performance of Sealing Gasket in Shield Tunnel: A Review” by Chenjie Gong, Yuanye Wang, Wenqi Ding, Mingfeng Lei and Chenghua Shi Appl. Sci . 2022 , 12 (9), 4556; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094556 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/9/4556

10. “Insights into Plugging of Pipe Piles Based on Pile Dimensions” by Antonio Kodsy and Magued Iskander Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (5), 2711; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12052711 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/5/2711

11. “A Rough Discrete Fracture Network Model for Geometrical Modeling of Jointed Rock Masses and the Anisotropic Behaviour” by Peitao Wang, Cao Liu, Zhenwu Qi, Zhichao Liu and Meifeng Cai Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1720; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031720 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1720

12. “Review of Flexible Piezoresistive Strain Sensors in Civil Structural Health Monitoring” by Ke Gao, Zhiyue Zhang, Shun Weng, Hongping Zhu, Hong Yu and Tingjun Peng Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 ( 19), 9750; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12199750 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/19/9750

13. “Viability of Using High Amounts of Steel Slag Aggregates to Improve the Circularity and Performance of Asphalt Mixtures” by Caroline Moura, Lucas Nascimento, Carlos Loureiro, Mafalda Rodrigues, Joel Oliveira and Hugo Silva Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (1), 490; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010490 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/1/490

14. “Lateral Capacity of URM Walls: A Parametric Study Using Macro and Micro Limit Analysis Predictions” by Simon Szabó, Marco Francesco Funari, Bora Pulatsu and Paulo B. Lourenço Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (21), 10834; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122110834 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/21/10834

15. “Electrical Conductivity and Compressive Strength of Cement Paste with Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene Nanoplatelets” by Kwang Mo Lim and Joo Ha Lee Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1160; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031160 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1160

16. “Auto-Detection of Hidden Corrosion in an Aircraft Structure by Electromagnetic Testing: A Machine-Learning Approach” by Minhhuy Le, Van Su Luong, Dang Khoa Nguyen, Dang-Khanh Le and Jinyi Lee Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (10), 5175; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12105175 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/10/5175

17. “Experimental and Empirical Study for Prediction of Blast Loads” by Anselmo Filice, Miroslav Mynarz and Raffaele Zinno Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (5), 2691; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12052691 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/5/2691

18. “Experimental Study and Modelling on the Structural Response of Fiber Reinforced Concrete Beams” by Vitalijs Lusis, Krishna Kiran Annamaneni, Olga Kononova, Aleksandrs Korjakins, Inga Lasenko, Rengasamy Kannathasan Karunamoorthy and Andrejs Krasnikovs Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (19), 9492; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12199492 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/19/9492

19. “Joint Stiffness Influence on the First-Order Seismic Capacity of Dry-Joint Masonry Structures: Numerical DEM Investigations” by Nathanaël Savalle, Paulo B. Lourenço and Gabriele Milani Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (4), 2108; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12042108 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/2108

20. “Numerical Analysis of the Settlement Behavior of Soft Soil Improved with Stone Columns” by Athina Grizi, Wisam Al-Ani and Dariusz Wanatowski Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (11), 5293; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12115293 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/11/5293

14 July 2023 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2022 in the Section “Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering”

1. “The Application of Integration of EEG Signals for Authorial Classification Algorithms in Implementation for a Mobile Robot Control Using Movement Imagery—Pilot Study” by Dawid Pawuś and Szczepan Paszkiel Appl. Sci . 2022 , 12 (4), 2161; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12042161 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/2161

2. “Black Fungi on Stone-Built Heritage: Current Knowledge and Future Outlook” by Filomena De Leo, Alessia Marchetta and Clara Urzì Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (8), 3969; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083969 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/8/3969

3. “TTCNN: A Breast Cancer Detection and Classification towards Computer-Aided Diagnosis Using Digital Mammography in Early Stages” by Sarmad Maqsood, Robertas Damaševičius and Rytis Maskeliūnas Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (7), 3273; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12073273 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/7/3273

4. “A Hybrid Deep Residual Network for Efficient Transitional Activity Recognition Based on Wearable Sensors” by Sakorn Mekruksavanich, Narit Hnoohom and Anuchit Jitpattanakul Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (10), 4988; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12104988 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/10/4988

5. “Fine-Tuning Fuzzy KNN Classifier Based on Uncertainty Membership for the Medical Diagnosis of Diabetes” by Hanaa Salem, Mahmoud Y. Shams, Omar M. Elzeki, Mohamed Abd Elfattah, Jehad F. Al-Amri and Shaima Elnazer Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 950; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12030950 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/950

6. “Application of Botulinum Toxin in Temporomandibular Disorders: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)” by Fabrizio Di Francesco, Alessandro Lanza, Marco Di Blasio, Benedetta Vaienti, Emilio A. Cafferata, Gabriele Cervino, Marco Cicciù and Giuseppe Minervini Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (23), 12409; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122312409 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/23/12409

7. “Oral Lesions in Pediatric Subjects: SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 Vaccination” by Federica Di Spirito, Mario Caggiano, Maria Pia Di Palo, Maria Contaldo, Francesco D’Ambrosio, Stefano Martina and Alessandra Amato Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (18), 8995; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12188995 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/18/8995

8. “An Improved Stereo Matching Algorithm Based on Joint Similarity Measure and Adaptive Weights” by Xiangjun Lai, Bo Yang, Botao Ma, Mingzhe Liu, Zhengtong Yin, Lirong Yin and Wenfeng Zheng Appl. Sci. 2023 , 13 (1), 514; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13010514 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/1/514

9. “Black Fungi and Stone Heritage Conservation: Ecological and Metabolic Assays for Evaluating Colonization Potential and Responses to Traditional Biocides” by Daniela Isola, Flavia Bartoli, Paola Meloni, Giulia Caneva and Laura Zucconi Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (4), 2038; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12042038 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/2038

10. “A Review of Properties of Nanocellulose, Its Synthesis, and Potential in Biomedical Applications” by Aayushi Randhawa, Sayan Deb Dutta, Keya Ganguly, Tejal V. Patil, Dinesh K. Patel and Ki-Taek Lim Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (14), 7090; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12147090 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/14/7090

11. “Recognition of mRNA N4 Acetylcytidine (ac4C) by Using Non-Deep vs. Deep Learning” by Muhammad Shahid Iqbal, Rashid Abbasi, Md Belal Bin Heyat, Faijan Akhtar, Asmaa Sayed Abdelgeliel, Sarah Albogami, Eman Fayad and Muhammad Atif Iqbal Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1344; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031344 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1344

12. “Fungi Affecting Wall Paintings of Historical Value: A Worldwide Meta-Analysis of Their Detected Diversity” by Laura Zucconi, Fabiana Canini, Daniela Isola and Giulia Caneva Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (6), 2988; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12062988 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/6/2988

13. “Effect of Cold Plasma Treatment on the Packaging Properties of Biopolymer-Based Films: A Review” by Monjurul Hoque, Ciara McDonagh, Brijesh K. Tiwari, Joseph P. Kerry and Shivani Pathania Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1346; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031346 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1346

14. “Biological Effect of Gamma Rays According to Exposure Time on Germination and Plant Growth in Wheat” by Min Jeong Hong, Dae Yeon Kim, Yeong Deuk Jo, Hong-Il Choi, Joon-Woo Ahn, Soon-Jae Kwon, Sang Hoon Kim, Yong Weon Seo and Jin-Baek Kim Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (6), 3208; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12063208 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/6/3208

15. “Two-Phase Anaerobic Digestion of Corn Steep Liquor in Pilot Scale Biogas Plant with Automatic Control System with Simultaneous Hydrogen and Methane Production” by Elena Chorukova, Venelin Hubenov, Yana Gocheva and Ivan Simeonov Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (12), 6274; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12126274 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/12/6274

16. “Glucose Isomerase: Functions, Structures, and Applications” by Ki Hyun Nam Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (1), 428; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010428 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/1/428

17. “Salt Stress Tolerance-Promoting Proteins and Metabolites under Plant-Bacteria-Salt Stress Tripartite Interactions” by Ramasamy Krishnamoorthy, Aritra Roy Choudhury, Denver I. Walitang, Rangasamy Anandham, Murugaiyan Senthilkumar and Tongmin Sa Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (6), 3126; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12063126 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/6/3126

18. “Special Bioactivities of Phenolics from Acacia dealbata L. with Potential for Dementia, Diabetes and Antimicrobial Treatments” by Vanessa Paula, Soraia I. Pedro, Maria G. Campos, Teresa Delgado, Letícia M. Estevinho and Ofélia Anjos Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1022; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031022 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1022

19. “MALDI-Based Mass Spectrometry in Clinical Testing: Focus on Bacterial Identification” by Sachio Tsuchida Tomohiro Nakayama Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (6), 2814; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12062814 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/6/2814

20. “Mass Cultivation of Microalgae: I. Experiences with Vertical Column Airlift Photobioreactors, Diatoms and CO 2 Sequestration” by Hans Chr. Eilertsen, Gunilla K. Eriksen, John-Steinar Bergum, Jo Strømholt, Edel Elvevoll, Karl-Erik Eilertsen, Eldbjørg Sofie Heimstad, Ingeborg Hulda Giæver, Linn Israelsen, Jon Brage Svenning et al. Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (6), 3082; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12063082 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/6/3082

11 July 2023 MDPI’s Newly Launched Journals in June 2023

With the first issue released in June 2023, five new MDPI journals disseminating multi-disciplinary science are due to launch, which will cover the subjects of medicine & pharmacology, biology and physical sciences.

The newly launched journals will be overseen by professional Editorial Board Members and Editors to ensure an accurate and rapid publication, rigorous peer review and broad visibility.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to submit an application to the New Journal Committee ( [email protected] ) if you would like to create more new journals.

5 July 2023 Applied Sciences Webinar | Steel Health Monitoring and Rehabilitation, 29 September 2023

Thank you for your interest in the Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417) webinar: Steel Health Monitoring and Rehabilitation. We are writing to inform you that the webinar’s date has been postponed to 29 September 2023. We would like to apologize for any inconvenience that this has caused you, and to thank you for your understanding. The registration link will remain the same, so that there is no need to register again. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions or concerns.

Welcome message by Prof. Dr. Evangelos Hristoforou, the webinar Chair:

A method and the corresponding instruments, able to provide surface and bulk residual stress, as well as plastic deformation distribution monitoring in ferromagnetic steels and their welds, has been developed. The method is based on the correlation of the classic reference methods of stress tensor distribution determination and monitoring on the surface and the bulk of steels, namely X-ray Bragg–Brentano diffraction (XRD-BB) and neutron diffraction (ND), respectively, with the corresponding surface or bulk magnetic permeability and magnetostriction, resulting in reference magnetic stress calibration curves (MASC) for each different type of steel. The normalization of all different MASCs with respect to the corresponding yield point and maximum permeability, respectively, resulted in a universal law of dependence of stresses on magnetic properties concerning residual stresses, thus facilitating in determining the MASC of an unknown type of steel, only by a stress–strain characterization together with in situ magnetic permeability measurement. The mentioned uncertainty and speed of measurement for surface and bulk stress measurements have been verified for 17 out of the 42 different types of steel involved in the most interesting steel applications. The stress monitoring methods are also accompanied by localized stress rehabilitation, using localized induction heating probes. The system is accompanied by the proper software code, advancing the stress monitoring and rehabilitation method into an automated stress testing and rehabilitation system, meeting the needs for modern and advanced steel production and manufacturing.

Date:  29 September 2023 at 10:00 a.m. CEST Webinar ID: 845 2891 5723

Register now for free!

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway and we’ll let you know when the recording is available to watch.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Prof. Dr. Evangelos Hristoforou , Division of Communication Electronic and Information Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 9 Heroon Polytechniou Str., Athens, Greece;
• Prof. Aphrodite Ktena , National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece;
• Dr. Spyridon Angelopoulos , Laboratory of Electronic Sensors, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece.

Relevant feature papers:

“Sensor to Monitor Localized Stresses on Steel Surfaces Using the Magnetostrictive Delay Line Technique” by Kaiming Liang, Spyridon Angelopoulos, Georgios Lepipas, Panagiotis Tsarabaris, Aphrodite Ktena, Xiaofang Bi and Evangelos Hristoforou Sensors 2019 , 19 (21), 4797; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19214797 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/21/4797

“Magnetic Residual Stress Monitoring Technique for Ferromagnetic Steels” by Polyxeni Vourna, Aphrodite Ktena, Panagiotis Tsarabaris and Evangelos Hristoforou Metals 2018 , 8 (8), 592; https://doi.org/10.3390/met8080592 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/8/8/592

“Residual Stress Distribution Monitoring and Rehabilitation in Ferromagnetic Steel Rods” by Kaiming Liang, Spyridon Angelopoulos, Aphrodite Ktena, Xiaofang Bi and Evangelos Hristoforou Sensors 2022 , 22 (4), 1491; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22041491 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/4/1491

“Smart Stress Annihilation in Steels Using Residual Stress Distribution Monitoring and Localized Induction Heating” by Kaiming Liang, Panagiotis Tsarabaris, Aphrodite Ktena, Xiaofang Bi and Evangelos Hristoforou Metals 2020 , 10 (6), 838; https://doi.org/10.3390/met10060838 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/10/6/838

5 July 2023 Applied Sciences Receives an Updated Impact Factor of 2.7

We are pleased to share that Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417) received an updated Impact Factor of 2.7 in the 2022 Journal Citation Reports™ released by Clarivate in June 2023. Applied Sciences ranks in Q2 in the categories “Engineering, Multidisciplinary” (42 among 90 titles) and “Physics, Applied” (77 among 159 titles).

For further statistics, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/stats .

The support and dedication of all journal editors, reviewers, authors, and readers are essential to our excellent performance. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to and supported our journal.

3 July 2023 MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #1 - Open Access and Impactful Research

The Future is Open, and MDPI is Leading the Way

I strongly believe in a future that embraces openness, where open source, open information, and open access (OA) take center stage. This belief that led me to join MDPI in 2020, and I am honored to have recently been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In this capacity, and operating in close liaison with Dr. Lin and MDPI’s senior management, I shall work to build on Dr. Lin’s achievements of the past quarter-century. In this role, I will focus on communication initiatives to promote MDPI's remarkable work and continue to build our company as a trusted leader in OA publishing. For over two decades, MDPI has been at the forefront of reshaping the academic publishing landscape, with OA surpassing subscription-based publishing in 2020 . This trajectory is deeply rooted in our history and reflects our unwavering commitment and vision for an open future.

1 Million Published Articles

2023 began with a remarkable achievement for MDPI, as we became the first OA publisher to reach the milestone of 1 million published articles . This represents 2.7 million unique authors who have trusted us with their work, or about a third of all researchers worldwide. As the world's most cited OA publisher, we are proud in sharing these significant milestones.

Our mission remains unchanged: to make science open and accessible to all. We understand the importance of knowledge access, empowering researchers to stay at the forefront of a rapidly changing world. Our diverse range of journals covers a wide spectrum of disciplines, offering cutting-edge insights, trusted tools, and crucial knowledge to address global challenges.

Liberating Science

As the world’s leading OA publisher, MDPI is actively liberating science. We are committed to eliminating the frustrations researchers and the general public face when accessing information, ensuring it is not locked behind paywalls. We firmly believe that everyone has a right to information, and our commitment to open access publishing drives our work.

In this inaugural edition of Insights: The CEO's Letter, I draw inspiration from the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access . Its stated mission reminds us that true impact is achieved when knowledge is widely and readily available to society:

"Our mission of disseminating knowledge is only half complete if the information is not made widely and readily available to society”

MDPI Publishes Impactful Research: Recognized by Leading Indexing Databases

MDPI journals are indexed in every single top database in the world.

As of June 2023, we have 214 journals indexed within Web of Science, 223 indexed within Scopus, 87 indexed within PubMed and PMC, and 17 indexed within MEDLINE, and these numbers increase every month. We constantly strive to expand the coverage of our journals within leading multi-disciplinary and scope-specific databases, resulting in an incredibly broad range of journals that are indexed within a variety of databases. MDPI has active relationships with approximately 65 well-known databases around the world, and we continue to expand our portfolio every year so that your work can be found, cited, and referenced with ease.

Continued Growth of MDPI Journals

The 2022 Scopus and Web of Science journal citation metrics were officially released in June, and I am pleased to report that 31 MDPI journals received their first CiteScore, taking the total number of journals with a CiteScore to 216 . The number of MDPI journals receiving an Impact Factor (IF) also continues to grow with 111 receiving their first, by being covered in the ESCI, bringing our total number of journals with an IF to 208 of which 41 journals received an IF above 4.0. Looking at 2022 CiteScores in the Scopus database, 80% of MDPI journals have a score that ranks them in Q1 or Q2 in at least one subject category.

Publishing impactful science would not be possible without all of our authors, editors and reviewers. Thank you for your contribution and continued support! Together we share the latest scientific insights faster and ensure that your work is accessible to all.

Interview with Indexing Manager—Constanze Shelhorn

Preprints.org: Clarivate adds the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science

At MDPI, we are dedicated to driving the advancement of science. Through our initiative, Preprints.org , researchers can publish their work and gain valuable feedback from the broader research community, ensuring rapid progress in their respective fields. This is particularly crucial during times of health and climate challenges, where timely dissemination of findings is essential.

Increased Visibility for Preprints

I am pleased to share that Clarivate recognizes the significance of preprints and has taken a crucial step to enhance their visibility. Clarivate has added the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science , encompassing preprints published not only on Preprints.org but also on other reputable repositories.

Looking ahead, the future of preprints appears promising , bolstered by the recent indexing announcement from the Web of Science. As a result, preprints will receive increased visibility, serving as a valuable resource for staying informed about the latest research developments.

What are Preprints? The Pros and Cons of Preprints Preprints and COVID-19 Preprints—The Future of Open Access Publishing?

The First International Conference on Antioxidants: Sources, Methods, Health Benefits and Industrial Applications

In this edition of ‘Coming Together for Science,’ I am pleased to highlight the First International Conference on Antioxidants organized by our conference team in the beautiful city of Barcelona, Spain. The conference attracted over 130 attendees, who engaged in 42 talks, and 89 poster presentations spread across several sessions.

Working Together

Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Alessandra Napolitano (Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Naples, Italy) and Prof. Dr. Rosa M. Lamuela Raventos (Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Gastronomy, University of Barcelona, Spain) as chairs, and supported by the committee members, 10 invited keynote speakers , poster presenters, and all the attendees, this dedicated group of academics came together to discuss the natural sources, methodologies, health benefits, and industrial applications of antioxidants.

Especially noteworthy is the positive feedback received from attendees, with 94% rating the overall organization of the conference as good or excellent. I particularly love the picture above, capturing the gathering of some of the participants. You can browse through more photos in the event gallery located here .

Managing Events With Sciforum

If you are considering hosting your own academic event, I highly recommend checking out Sciforum , MDPI's event management platform. Sciforum simplifies the entire process, making it easy to host your own event by allowing you to focus on what really matters: Science!

Sciforum: forthcoming events Spotlight on Antioxidants

Viruses and Editorial Quality: Acknowledging the Dedication of our Viruses Journal Team

During a June meeting with Dr. Eric O. Freed , the founding and current Editor-in-Chief of our journal Viruses , I was reminded of the exceptional dedication of our editorial board. Meeting with Eric is a pleasure, as he has a strong commitment and clear vision for the journal. Over the course of two days, we gained a deep understanding of the journal’s expectations and focus on strategic growth, editorial board representation, and engagement.

I am pleased to share that Viruses holds a CiteScore of 7.1 (an increase of 7.57% versus the 2021 metric) and an Impact Factor of 4.7 . You can view the journal statistics here . Viruses publishes highly cited papers , and is indexed in renowned databases such as Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), PubMed, and others , and maintains affiliations with prestigious societies. Moreover, the Viruses team has recently announced an exciting upcoming event titled ‘Viruses 2024 – A World of Viruses,’ scheduled to take place in Barcelona, Spain, from 14–16 February 2024.

If you notice my enthusiasm regarding our editorial service, it’s because the surveys and testimonials we receive speak volumes about the experiences of our authors, reviewers, and guest editors who collaborate with MDPI. The purpose of these letters is to highlight the exceptional work that we do and the experiences we create for the scholars – thus, let me end with this testimonial from an author:

“It was a great pleasure to publish in Viruses Special Issue [Emerging Viruses in Aquaculture]. The submission process was easy. Guest editors were very helpful and provided all the guidance and support as needed. The handling of the manuscript by the Editorial Team was very fast, efficient, and professional. The reviewer’s comments were insightful, and the publication processes were remarkably rapid.” – Ms. Magdalena Stachnik , Państwowy Instytut Weterynaryjny | PIWet Article in Viruses: Emerging Viral Pathogens in Sturgeon Aquaculture in Poland: Focus on Herpesviruses and Mimivirus Detection

28 June 2023 2022 Impact Factors for MDPI Journals

The 2022 citation metrics have been released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and we’re pleased to announce the following results for MDPI journals:

We are thrilled to announce that 90% of our ranked MDPI journals, specifically 86 out of 96 (captured in the table below), are performing above average in Q1 or Q2. This year, Clarivate has expanded its Impact Factor (IF) awards to include journals in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) and the Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), providing greater transparency for the full set of journals indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection . As a result, 111 of MDPI journals have received their first IF in 2023, with 37 journals surpassing an IF of 3.0. In total, 208 MDPI journals have been honored with an IF.

Clarivate explains that by "expanding the coverage but holding to highly selective standards, the [Impact Factor] is now a reliable indicator of trustworthiness, as well as a measure of scholarly impact, at the journal level."

Please visit our blog post where we discuss the release of the latest citation metrics with our Indexing Manager, Dr. Constanze Schelhorn, to find out what's different this time around and how to make use of different metrics available.

Note: The Journal of Personalized Medicine 's Impact Factor was omitted in the original release and will be assigned separately. Please find the data on the journal webpage in due course.

Source: 2022 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports TM (Clarivate, 2023)

28 June 2023 Applied Sciences | Invitation to Read Selected Papers from Editor’s Choice Articles

1. “A Multiobjective Decision-Making Model for Risk-Based Maintenance Scheduling of Railway Earthworks” by Irina Stipanovic, Zaharah Allah Bukhsh, Cormac Reale and Kenneth Gavin Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 965; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11030965 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/965

2. “An Integrated SWOT-PESTLE-AHP Model Assessing Sustainability in Adaptive Reuse Projects” by Ioannis Vardopoulos, Evangelia Tsilika, Efthymia Sarantakou, Antonis Zorpas, Luca Salvati and Paris Tsartas Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (15), 7134; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11157134 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/15/7134

3. “Application of Spatial Time Domain Reflectometry for Investigating Moisture Content Dynamics in Unsaturated Loamy Sand for Gravitational Drainage” by Guanxi Yan, Thierry Bore, Zi Li, Stefan Schlaeger, Alexander Scheuermann and Ling Li Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 2994; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11072994 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/2994

4. “Applications of Decision Tree and Random Forest as Tree-Based Machine Learning Techniques for Analyzing the Ultimate Strain of Spliced and Non-Spliced Reinforcement Bars” by Hamed Dabiri, Visar Farhangi, Mohammad Javad Moradi, Mehdi Zadehmohamad and Moses Karakouzian Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (10), 4851; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12104851 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/10/4851

5. “Asphalt Pavement Temperature Prediction Models: A Review” by Adwan Ibrahim, Abdalrhman Milad, Zubair Ahmed Memon, Iswandaru Widyatmoko, Nuryazmin Ahmat Zanuri, Naeem Aziz Memon and Nur Izzi Md Yusoff Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3794; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093794 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/3794

6. “BIM Visual Programming Tools Applications in Infrastructure Projects: A State-of-the-Art Review” by Jorge Collao, Fidel Lozano-Galant, José Antonio Lozano-Galant and Jose Turmo Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (18), 8343; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11188343 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/18/8343

7. “BIM-Based Digital Twin and XR Devices to Improve Maintenance Procedures in Smart Buildings: A Literature Review” by Corentin Coupry, Sylvain Noblecourt, Paul Richard, David Baudry and David Bigaud Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (15), 6810; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11156810 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/15/6810

8. “Experimental Investigation and Artificial Neural Network Based Prediction of Bond Strength in Self-Compacting Geopolymer Concrete Reinforced with Basalt FRP Bars” by Sherin Khadeeja Rahman and Riyadh Al-Ameri Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4889; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114889 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4889

9. “Experimental Validation of Non-Marker Simple Image Displacement Measurements for Railway Bridges” by Kodai Matsuoka, Fumiaki Uehan, Hiroya Kusaka and Hikaru Tomonaga Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (15), 7032; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11157032 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/15/7032

10. “Exploring 3D Wave-Induced Scouring Patterns around Subsea Pipelines with Artificial Intelligence Techniques” by Mohammad Najafzadeh and Giuseppe Oliveto Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3792; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093792 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/3792

11. “Forecast of Airblast Vibrations Induced by Blasting Using Support Vector Regression Optimized by the Grasshopper Optimization (SVR-GO) Technique” by Lihua Chen, Panagiotis G. Asteris, Markos Z. Tsoukalas, Danial Jahed Armaghani, Dmitrii Vladimirovich Ulrikh and Mojtaba Yari Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (19), 9805; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12199805 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/19/9805

12. “Geostatistical Analysis of the Spatial Correlation between Territorial Anthropization and Flooding Vulnerability: Application to the DANA Phenomenon in a Mediterranean Watershed” by Salvador Garcia-Ayllon and John Radke Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 809; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020809 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/809

13. “Indoor Acoustic Requirements for Autism-Friendly Spaces” by Federica Bettarello, Marco Caniato, Giuseppina Scavuzzo and Andrea Gasparella Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3942; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093942 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/3942

14. “Nonlinear Dynamic Response of a Precast Concrete Building to Sudden Column Removal” by Simone Ravasini, Beatrice Belletti, Emanuele Brunesi, Roberto Nascimbene and Fulvio Parisi Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 599; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020599 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/599

15. “Predicting Compressive Strength of Concrete Containing Recycled Aggregate Using Modified ANN with Different Optimization Algorithms” by Amirreza Kandiri, Farid Sartipi and Mahdi Kioumarsi Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 485; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020485 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/485

16. “Railway Vehicle Wheel Flat Detection with Multiple Records Using Spectral Kurtosis Analysis” by Araliya Mosleh, Pedro Aires Montenegro, Pedro Alves Costa and Rui Calçada Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4002; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094002 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4002

17. “Tuning ANN Hyperparameters for Forecasting Drinking Water Demand” by Andrea Menapace, Ariele Zanfei and Maurizio Righetti Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4290; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094290 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4290

18. “Uncertainties in the Seismic Assessment of Historical Masonry Buildings” by Igor Tomić, Francesco Vanin and Katrin Beyer Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2280; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052280 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2280

19. “Wind-Induced Phenomena in Long-Span Cable-Supported Bridges: A Comparative Review of Wind Tunnel Tests and Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling” by Yuxiang Zhang, Philip Cardiff and Jennifer Keenahan Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1642; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041642 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1642

26 June 2023 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2022 in the Section “Computing and Artificial Intelligence”

1. “A Secured Industrial Internet-of-Things Architecture Based on Blockchain Technology and Machine Learning for Sensor Access Control Systems in Smart Manufacturing” by Hichem Mrabet, Adeeb Alhomoud, Abderrazek Jemai and Damien Trentesaux Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (9), 4641; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094641 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/9/4641

2. “A Semi-Supervised Extreme Learning Machine Algorithm Based on the New Weighted Kernel for Machine Smell” by Wei Dang, Jialiang Guo, Mingzhe Liu, Shan Liu, Bo Yang, Lirong Yin and Wenfeng Zheng Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (18), 9213; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12189213 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/18/9213

3. “A Survey on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and eXplainable AI in Air Traffic Management: Current Trends and Development with Future Research Trajectory” by Augustin Degas, Mir Riyanul Islam, Christophe Hurter, Shaibal Barua, Hamidur Rahman, Minesh Poudel, Daniele Ruscio, Mobyen Uddin Ahmed, Shahina Begum, Md Aquif Rahman et al. Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1295; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031295 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1295

4. “A System for Standardizing and Combining U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Emissions and Waste Inventory Data” by Ben Young, Wesley W. Ingwersen, Matthew Bergmann, Jose D. Hernandez-Betancur, Tapajyoti Ghosh, Eric Bell and Sarah Cashman Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (7), 3447; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12073447 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/7/3447

5. “An Improved Algorithm of Drift Compensation for Olfactory Sensors” by Siyu Lu, Jialiang Guo, Shan Liu, Bo Yang, Mingzhe Liu, Lirong Yin and Wenfeng Zheng Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (19), 9529; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12199529 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/19/9529

6. “An Overview of Variants and Advancements of PSO Algorithm” by Meetu Jain, Vibha Saihjpal, Narinder Singh and Satya Bir Singh Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (17), 8392; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12178392 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/17/8392

7. “Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality in Dentistry: A Narrative Review on the Existing Platforms and Future Challenges” by Riccardo Monterubbianesi, Vincenzo Tosco, Flavia Vitiello, Giulia Orilisi, Franco Fraccastoro, Angelo Putignano and Giovanna Orsini Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 877; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020877 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/877

8. “BERT-Based Transfer-Learning Approach for Nested Named-Entity Recognition Using Joint Labeling” by Ankit Agrawal, Sarsij Tripathi, Manu Vardhan, Vikas Sihag, Gaurav Choudhary and Nicola Dragoni Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 976; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12030976 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/976

9. “Comparative Study of Machine Learning Classifiers for Modelling Road Traffic Accidents” by Tebogo Bokaba, Wesley Doorsamy and Babu Sena Paul Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020828 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/828

10. “Dist-YOLO: Fast Object Detection with Distance Estimation” by Marek Vajgl, Petr Hurtik and Tomáš Nejezchleba Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1354; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031354 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1354

11. “Driver Drowsiness Detection by Applying Deep Learning Techniques to Sequences of Images” by Elena Magán, M. Paz Sesmero, Juan Manuel Alonso-Weber and Araceli Sanchis Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1145; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031145 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1145

12. “Educational AI Chatbots for Content and Language Integrated Learning” by Kleopatra Mageira, Dimitra Pittou, Andreas Papasalouros, Konstantinos Kotis, Paraskevi Zangogianni and Athanasios Daradoumis Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (7), 3239; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12073239 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/7/3239

13. “Ergonomic Design of a Workplace Using Virtual Reality and a Motion Capture Suit” by Ilona Kačerová, Jan Kubr, Petr Hořejší and Jana Kleinová Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (4), 2150; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12042150 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/2150

14. “Fake News Classification Based on Content Level Features” by Chun-Ming Lai, Mei-Hua Chen, Endah Kristiani, Vinod Kumar Verma and Chao-Tung Yang Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1116; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031116 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1116

15. “Fractional-Order Controller for Course-Keeping of Underactuated Surface Vessels Based on Frequency Domain Specification and Improved Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm” by Guangyu Li, Yanxin Li, Huayue Chen and Wu Deng Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (6), 3139; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12063139 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/6/3139

16. “Improved YOLOv5: Efficient Object Detection Using Drone Images under Various Conditions” by Hyun-Ki Jung and Gi-Sang Choi Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (14), 7255; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12147255 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/14/7255

17. “Options for and Challenges of Employing Digital Twins in Construction Management” by Tareq Salem and Mihai Dragomir Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (6), 2928; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12062928 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/6/2928

18. “Privacy-Preserving Federated Learning Using Homomorphic Encryption” by Jaehyoung Park and Hyuk Lim Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (2), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020734 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/734

19. “Securing SCADA Energy Management System under DDos Attacks Using Token Verification Approach” by Yu-Sheng Yang, Shih-Hsiung Lee, Wei-Che Chen, Chu-Sing Yang, Yuen-Min Huang and Ting-Wei Hou Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (1), 530; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010530 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/1/530

20. “Virtual Reality Metaverse System Supplementing Remote Education Methods: Based on Aircraft Maintenance Simulation” by Hyeonju Lee, Donghyun Woo and Sunjin Yu Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (5), 2667; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12052667 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/5/2667

15 June 2023 Applied Sciences Receives an Increased CiteScore of 4.5

We are pleased to inform you that Applied Sciences ‘ 2022 CiteScore is 4.5. Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417) now ranks Q1 in the “Category Engineering (General Engineering)” category. Our journal continues to build momentum in applied natural sciences. We would like to extend our congratulations to all concerned.

Applied Sciences ’ CiteScore ranks as follows:

• Q1 (73 out of 302) in the "Engineering (General Engineering)" category;
• Q2 (42 out of 136) in the "Physics and Astronomy (Instrumentation)" category;
• Q2 (32 out of 92) in the "Chemical Engineering (Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes)" category;
• Q2 (287 out of 792) in the "Computer Science (Computer Science Applications)" category;
• Q2 (199 out of 453) in the "Materials Science (General Materials Science)" category;
• Q3 (35 out of 68) in the "Chemical Engineering (Process Chemistry and Technology)" category.

For more journal statistics, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/stats .

15 June 2023 Meet Us at the 6th International Conference on Nanoenergy and Nanosystems (NENS 2023), 17­­–19 June 2023, Beijing, China

MDPI will be attending the 6th International Conference on Nanoenergy and Nanosystems (NENS 2023), held in Beijing, China, from 17 to 19 June 2023. Starting in 2014, NENS has been organized once every two years by the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences (BINN, CAS). The conference has attracted high-profile scholars from around the world to deliver plenary and invited talks. This conference will provide a platform for scientists to exchange scientific information, build relationships, and possibly establish collaborations. During this conference, MDPI will welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest views as well as research with us.

• Nanoenergy Advances ;
• ChemEngineering ;
• Technologies ;
• Batteries .

If you are attending this conference, please stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: http://www.nens.cn/ .

6 June 2023 Topics Webinar | Smart Manufacturing and Industry 5.0, 15 June 2023

Welcome message by Dr. Dimitris Mourtzis, the webinar chair:

We welcome you to our webinar Smart Manufacturing and Industry 5.0. We will explore how the integration of advanced technologies is reshaping the manufacturing sector. Industry 5.0 represents a paradigm shift, where humans and intelligent machines collaborate in a seamless ecosystem. Our expert speakers will discuss the principles, trends, and transformative potential of smart manufacturing. We will delve into automation, AI, big data, and IoT, optimizing production and enabling real-time decision making. We will also highlight the importance of human workers in Industry 5.0, where collaborative robots, augmented reality, and cognitive computing unlock new possibilities. Therefore, we invite you to join us on this interesting webinar to uncover the potential of smart manufacturing and Industry 5.0, gain valuable insights, participate in stimulating discussions, and envision the future of manufacturing.

Date : 15 June 2023 at 9:00 a.m. CEST | 15:00 p.m. CST Asia

• Dimitris Mourtzis , Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, University of Patras, Patras, Greece;
• Pai Zheng , Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China;
• Ang Liu , The University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia.

Relevant Topic:

“ Smart Manufacturing and Industry 5.0 ”

Abstract submission deadline: 30 September 2023

Manuscript submission deadline: 30 November 2023

5 May 2023 Meet Us at the 9th National Conference on Luminescence Properties of Doped Nanomaterials (NMLP 2023), 19–22 May 2023, Nanning, Guangxi, China

A range of MDPI journals will be attending the 9th National Conference on Luminescent Properties of Doped Nanomaterials (NMLP 2023) as exhibitors. This meeting will be held in Nanning, Guangxi, China, from 19 to 22 May 2023.

Guangxi University was established by the State Key Laboratory of Lifetime Safety of Special Metal Materials and Composite Structures and was jointly built by the province and the ministry. This is a grand meeting for scholars in the field of luminescence. It will comprehensively display the latest progress and achievements of basic research and applied research in the fields of doped nano-luminescent materials, optoelectronic materials, micro-nano devices, and related applications, and will discuss the latest developments related to disciplines. The topic of this conference is "Luminescent Properties of Doped Nanomaterials", and the topics covered include: perovskite materials and applications, rare earth luminescent materials and applications, quantum dot luminescent materials and devices, biomedical photonics and optical information processing, micro-/nanofiber optics, devices and sensors, energy materials, and micro-/nano-optoelectronic devices. These topics will be presented in the form of invited reports of the conference, invited reports of branch sessions, oral reports, and posters.

• Inorganics .

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit https://www.bagevent.com/event/NMLP2023/p/510700 , or contact the Applied Sciences Editorial Office at [email protected] .

24 April 2023 Applied Sciences Webinar | In Silico Methods to Unravel the Mysteries of Protein Biological Function, 27 April 2023

Proteins play a key role in every biological process that takes place in our body, from transporting molecules across our cells and providing mechanical strength to our tissues, to transmitting neurochemical signals between neurons and recognizing external pathogens. This extremely large variety of biological functions is encoded in the surprisingly small alphabet of only twenty amino acids. How is that possible? How can a simple sequence of amino acids lead to such well-defined biological tasks?

The answer lies in the fact that this sequence actually exists as a corporeal structure with an evolutionary-conserved shape and the specific ability to perform biologically relevant motions. This opens several fascinating research questions that the scientific community has been trying to answer in the last half century, such as the following: how exactly is an amino acid sequence translated into a specific protein structure? How does the structure change its conformation during the protein functional cycle or under external perturbations? Can we identify the relevant motions that enable a protein to perform its biological tasks? What are the causes of disease-associated protein malfunctions at both the sequence, structure, and dynamics level?

Advances in computational approaches in the last few decades have made it feasible to answer some of these questions, by exploiting methodologies such as Molecular Dynamics (MD), Normal Mode Analysis (NMA), and Elastic Network Models (ENMs). In this webinar, we will discuss some of the most recent applications of these computational approaches to unravel the mysteries of the biological function of specific protein systems.

Date : 27 April 2023 at 01:30 p.m. CEST | 7:30 a.m. EDT | 7:30 p.m. CST Asia Webinar ID : 836 7194 4334

Webinar chair and keynote speakers:

Dr. Domenico Scaramozzino , Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden Dr. Michal Cifra , Institute of Photonics and Electronics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia Dr. Laura Orellana , Protein Dynamics and Mutation Lab, Karolinska Institute, Sweden Prof. Patrick Senet , Laboratoire ICB, UMR 6303 CNRS-Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France

Relevant Special Issue: “ Computational Approaches for Protein Dynamics and Function ” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Robert Jernigan and Dr. Domenico Scaramozzino Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2023

21 April 2023 Meet Us at the 40 th Annual Conference of Chinese Society for Imaging Science and Technology (SCIST 2023), 13–16 May 2023, Kunming, Yunnan, China

A range of MDPI journals will be attending the 40th Annual Conference of Chinese Society for Imaging Science and Technology (SCIST 2023) as exhibitors. This meeting will be held in Kunming, Yunnan, China, from 13 to 16 May 2023.

The theme of this conference is "Strengthening the Driven by Technological Innovation and Building the Future of Photosensitive Imaging". The conference will invite well-known experts and scholars in the field of photosensitive imaging and related fields to make special reports and keynote reports of the conference. It will also organize academic exchanges in 17 sub-sessions in conjunction with various professional committees. The scale of the meeting is expected to be 1000 people.

• J. Imaging ;
• Chemosensors ;
• Photonics .

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth #1-12. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit https://2021csist.scimeeting.cn/cn/web/index/ , or contact the Applied Sciences Editorial Office at [email protected] .

12 April 2023 2023 International Day of Human Space Flight

The International Day of Human Space Flight commemorates the first manned space flight by the Soviet citizen Yuri Gagarin on 12 April 1961. This day was declared the International Day of Human Space Flight in 2011 by the United Nations General Assembly resolution, to celebrate the beginning of the human space age. It reaffirms the important contribution of space science and technology in achieving sustainable development goals and increasing the well-being of countries and people, as well as ensuring the realization of their aspiration to preserve outer space for peaceful purposes. 

In the course of human exploration of space, we have established many remarkable achievements and breakthrough milestones:

• In 1957, the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik I, was launched into outer space;
• In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first person to orbit the Earth;
• In 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot upon the surface of the Moon;
• In 1996, the first spacecraft in human history successfully landed on Mars;
• In 1998, the International Space Station, a 16-nation international space program, launched for the first time;
• In 2009, the Kepler space telescope was launched, which has helped humans find thousands of exoplanets;
• In 2015, SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket and recovered the first stage.  

To further explore the information about space on the 2023 International Day of Human Space Flight, we have gathered academic research from several journals on the topic of space flight , all of which are open access, enabling practitioners, policymakers and people around the world to access and share up-to-date scientific knowledge.  

Let us celebrate the International Day of Human Space Flight together.

4 April 2023 Applied Sciences Webinar | Advances in Acoustic Emission Technique: Test Interpretation and Numerical Simulations, 13 April 2023

Acoustic emission (AE) is a known technique for obtaining information about the critical conditions of structural systems. This system could be a tectonic plate with a characteristic length of km or an electronic device with a length of millimeters. The excitation that produces the acoustic emission events can be induced by different sources, including forces or other mechanical excitation. Several global parameters can be computed using AE data, and it is known that the evolution of these parameters in particular circumstances defines when and how the structural damage process evolves to collapse. Generally, it is not possible to prove a bidirectional, unique link between the AE signals and the damage process. For this reason, the numerical simulation of these kinds of mechanisms could furnish useful information to aid in the interpretation of AE experimental tests. Several strategies can be used, from the classical finite element model approaches to discrete element procedures, such as peridynamics, or other similar strategies where the possibilities of simulating spontaneous fractures can be more naturally harnessed. We posit that achieving such results could be a useful contribution to the scientific community. Therefore, the aim of this webinar is to bring together researchers working in the field of AE and numerical simulation, both at the material and structure scale. With it, we expect to provide novel insights on the application of this synergic approach to a wide variety of materials (concrete, steel, masonry, composites, etc.) in the field of physics, the mechanics of materials, and civil engineering.

Webinar date and time: 13 April 2023 at 11:00 a.m. CEST | 5:00 a.m. EST | 5:00 p.m. CST Asia Webinar ID : 872 8465 8746

Keynote Speakers:

• Prof. Alex Hansen , Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway;
• Prof. Florin Bobaru , University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA;
• Prof. Ignacio Iturrioz , Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

  Relevant Special Issue: “ Advances in Acoustic Emission Technique: Tests Interpretation and Numerical Simulations ” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Lacidogna and Prof. Dr. Ignacio Iturrioz Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2023

Certificates of attendance will be delivered to those who attend the live webinar.

Can’t attend? Register anyway and we’ll let you know when the recording is available to watch.

27 March 2023 Applied Sciences | Invitation to Read Selected Papers from Editor’s Choice Articles

The goal of “Editor’s Choice Articles” project is to promote high-quality articles published in Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417). Please find below the list of articles carefully handpicked by the scientific editors of the journal, which we believe will be of interest to you.

1. “Applications of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Technology in Medicine, Agriculture and Food Industry” by Mária Domonkos, Petra Tichá, Jan Trejbal and Pavel Demo Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4809; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114809 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4809

2. “Hydrothermal and Entropy Investigation of Ag/MgO/H 2 O Hybrid Nanofluid Natural Convection in a Novel Shape of Porous Cavity” by Nidal Abu-Libdeh, Fares Redouane, Abderrahmane Aissa, Fateh Mebarek-Oudina, Ahmad Almuhtady, Wasim Jamshed and Wael Al-Kouz Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1722; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041722 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1722

3. “Extensive Benchmarking of DFT+ U Calculations for Predicting Band Gaps” by Nicole E. Kirchner-Hall, Wayne Zhao, Yihuang Xiong, Iurii Timrov and Ismaila Dabo Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2395; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052395 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2395

4. “A Review on Recent Advancements of Graphene and Graphene-Related Materials in Biological Applications” by Federica Catania, Elena Marras, Mauro Giorcelli, Pravin Jagdale, Luca Lavagna, Alberto Tagliaferro and Mattia Bartoli Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 614; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020614 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/614

5. “Fe 3 O 4 Nanoparticles: Structures, Synthesis, Magnetic Properties, Surface Functionalization, and Emerging Applications” by Minh Dang Nguyen, Hung-Vu Tran, Shoujun Xu and T. Randall Lee Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (23), 11301; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112311301 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/23/11301

6. “Hybrid Metal/Polymer Filaments for Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) to Print Metal Parts” by Claudio Tosto, Jacopo Tirillò, Fabrizio Sarasini and Gianluca Cicala Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1444; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041444 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1444

7. “Biogenic Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterisation and Applications” by Bilal Mughal, Syed Zohaib Javaid Zaidi, Xunli Zhang and Sammer Ul Hassan Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2598; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062598 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2598

8. “Polyphenols: A Promising Avenue in Therapeutic Solutions for Wound Care” by Inês Guimarães, Sara Baptista-Silva, Manuela Pintado and Ana L. Oliveira Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1230; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031230 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1230

9. “Fundamentals of Building Deconstruction as a Circular Economy Strategy for the Reuse of Construction Materials” by Gaetano Bertino, Johannes Kisser, Julia Zeilinger, Guenter Langergraber, Tatjana Fischer and Doris Österreicher Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 939; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11030939 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/939

10. “Non-Destructive Testing Applications for Steel Bridges” by Seyed Saman Khedmatgozar Dolati, Nerma Caluk, Armin Mehrabi and Seyed Sasan Khedmatgozar Dolati Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (20), 9757; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11209757 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/20/9757

11. “The DEMO Water-Cooled Lead–Lithium Breeding Blanket: Design Status at the End of the Pre-Conceptual Design Phase” by Pietro Arena, Alessandro Del Nevo, Fabio Moro, Simone Noce, Rocco Mozzillo, Vito Imbriani, Fabio Giannetti, Francesco Edemetti, Antonio Froio, Laura Savoldi et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (24), 11592; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112411592 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/24/11592

12. “Enhancement of Antimicrobial Activity of Alginate Films with a Low Amount of Carbon Nanofibers (0.1% w/w )” by Isaías Sanmartín-Santos, Sofía Gandía-Llop, Beatriz Salesa, Miguel Martí, Finn Lillelund Aachmann and Ángel Serrano-Aroca Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2311; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052311 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2311

13. “The Behavior of Hybrid Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Elements: A New Stress-Strain Model Using an Evolutionary Approach” by Ali A. Abdulhameed, Alaa Hussein Al-Zuhairi, Salah R. Al Zaidee, Ammar N. Hanoon, Ahmed W. Al Zand, Mahir M. Hason and Haider A. Abdulhameed Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (4), 2245; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12042245 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/2245

14. “Effects of Adding Alkali Metals and Organic Cations to Cu-Based Perovskite Solar Cells” by Riku Okumura, Takeo Oku, Atsushi Suzuki, Masanobu Okita, Sakiko Fukunishi, Tomoharu Tachikawa and Tomoya Hasegawa Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (3), 1710; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031710 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1710

15. “Geometry and Distortion Prediction of Multiple Layers for Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing with Artificial Neural Networks” by Christian Wacker, Markus Köhler, Martin David, Franziska Aschersleben, Felix Gabriel, Jonas Hensel, Klaus Dilger and Klaus Dröder Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (10), 4694; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11104694 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/10/4694

16. “Buckling Analysis of CNTRC Curved Sandwich Nanobeams in Thermal Environment” by Ahmed Amine Daikh, Mohammed Sid Ahmed Houari, Behrouz Karami, Mohamed A. Eltaher, Rossana Dimitri and Francesco Tornabene Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 3250; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073250 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/3250

17. “Effect of Printing Layer Thickness on the Trueness and Margin Quality of 3D-Printed Interim Dental Crowns” by Gülce Çakmak, Alfonso Rodriguez Cuellar, Mustafa Borga Donmez, Martin Schimmel, Samir Abou-Ayash, Wei-En Lu and Burak Yilmaz Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (19), 9246; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11199246 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/19/9246

18. “Nanoparticles—Plant Interaction: What We Know, Where We Are?” by Ewa Kurczyńska, Kamila Godel-Jędrychowska, Katarzyna Sala and Anna Milewska-Hendel Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (12), 5473; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125473 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/12/5473

We would like to thank all of the research groups that authored these exceptional papers for their contribution. We sincerely hope you find these articles of Applied Sciences as useful and insightful.

16 March 2023 Applied Sciences 2022 Outstanding Reviewer Award—Winners Announced

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences 2022 Outstanding Reviewer Award. The Applied Sciences Editorial Board and Editorial Team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy dedicated by reviewers in checking the manuscripts submitted to Applied Sciences . It is due to their efforts that the high quality of the journal and quick turnaround are maintained.

The Prize for Each Winner:

• An opportunity to publish a paper free of charge in Applied Sciences in 2023 after peer review;
• A certificate.

For more information about awards please visit: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/awards .

Applied Sciences Editorial Office

13 March 2023 MDPI’s Newly Launched Journals in December 2022

As a leading open access publisher, MDPI provides scholars with a high-quality and rich academic exchange platform by continuously expanding into new and exciting research areas.

In December 2022, MDPI launched five new journals, covering multiple subjects such as life sciences, biology, medicine and pharmacology, social sciences and humanities. These new journals are being edited by established scholars across the world.

If you are interested in creating more open access journals with us to publish cutting-edge research, please send your journal proposal application to [email protected] .

7 March 2023 Displaying Co-Authors’ Email Addresses on the Webpage of Published Papers

MDPI is pleased to announce that we now display the co-authors’ email addresses in addition to the corresponding author’s email address on the webpage of published papers, protected by Captcha. For more information about this change, please visit the journal’s instructions for authors page. 

We believe this change will facilitate academic discussions and advance our cause of open science and research. The corresponding authors are responsible for communicating with their co-authors and indicating in our system ( https://susy.mdpi.com/ ) if co-authors would prefer for their email addresses not to be displayed.

3 March 2023 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Environmental Sciences”

1. “The Use of Microalgae and Cyanobacteria in the Improvement of Agricultural Practices: A Review on Their Biofertilising, Biostimulating and Biopesticide Roles” by Ana L. Gonçalves Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 871; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020871 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/871

2. “A Smart and Sustainable Future for Viticulture Is Rooted in Soil: How to Face Cu Toxicity” by Stefano Cesco, Youry Pii, Luigimaria Borruso, Guido Orzes, Paolo Lugli, Fabrizio Mazzetto, Giulio Genova, Marco Signorini, Gustavo Brunetto, Roberto Terzano et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 907; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11030907 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/907

3. “Digestate as Sustainable Nutrient Source for Microalgae—Challenges and Prospects” by Lisa Bauer, Karolína Ranglová, Jiří Masojídek, Bernhard Drosg and Katharina Meixner Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1056; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031056 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1056

4. “Recent Advancements of UF-Based Separation for Selective Enrichment of Proteins and Bioactive Peptides—A Review” by Enny Ratnaningsih, Reynard Reynard, Khoiruddin Khoiruddin, I Gede Wenten and Ramaraj Boopathy Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1078; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031078 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1078

5. “Sources and Metal Pollution of Sediments from a Coastal Area of the Central Western Adriatic Sea (Southern Marche Region, Italy)” by Federico Spagnoli, Rocco De Marco, Enrico Dinelli, Emanuela Frapiccini, Fabrizio Frontalini and Patrizia Giordano Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1118; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031118 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1118

6. “Phosphogypsum Recycling: A Review of Environmental Issues, Current Trends, and Prospects” by Yelizaveta Chernysh, Olena Yakhnenko, Viktoriia Chubur and Hynek Roubík Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1575; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041575 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1575

7. “Paraben Compounds—Part I: An Overview of Their Characteristics, Detection, and Impacts” by João Lincho, Rui C. Martins and João Gomes Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2307; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052307 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2307

8. “Coupling Plant Biomass Derived from Phytoremediation of Potential Toxic-Metal-Polluted Soils to Bioenergy Production and High-Value by-Products—A Review” by Vázquez-Núñez Edgar, Fernández-Luqueño Fabián, Peña-Castro Julián Mario and Vera-Reyes Ileana Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 2982; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11072982 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/2982

9. “The Influence of Polystyrene Microspheres Abundance on Development and Feeding Behavior of Artemia salina (Linnaeus, 1758)” by Marco Albano, Giuseppe Panarello, Davide Di Paola, Fabiano Capparucci, Rosalia Crupi, Enrico Gugliandolo, Nunziacarla Spanò, Gioele Capillo and Serena Savoca Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3352; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083352 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3352

10. “Indoor Acoustic Requirements for Autism-Friendly Spaces” by Federica Bettarello, Marco Caniato, Giuseppina Scavuzzo and Andrea Gasparella Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3942; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093942 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/3942

11. “Antioxidant Production in Dunaliella ” by Uttam Kumer Roy, Birthe Vejby Nielsen and John James Milledge Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3959; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093959 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/3959

12. “Remediation of Metal/Metalloid-Polluted Soils: A Short Review” by Carla Maria Raffa, Fulvia Chiampo and Subramanian Shanthakumar Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4134; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094134 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4134

13. “Recent Developments in Lignin- and Tannin-Based Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane Resins for Wood Adhesives—A Review” by Manggar Arum Aristri, Muhammad Adly Rahandi Lubis, Sumit Manohar Yadav, Petar Antov, Antonios N. Papadopoulos, Antonio Pizzi , Widya Fatriasari, Maya Ismayati and Apri Heri Iswanto Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4242; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094242 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4242

14. “Influencing Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for the Removal of Ismate Violet 2R Dye from Wastewater: Isotherm, Kinetics, and Thermodynamic Studies” by Khamael M. Abualnaja, Ahmed E. Alprol, Mohamed Ashour and Abdallah Tageldein Mansour Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4786; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114786 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4786

15. “Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids from Red Macroalgae: UV-Photoprotectors with Potential Cosmeceutical Applications” by Julia Vega, Geniane Schneider, Bruna R. Moreira, Carolina Herrera, José Bonomi-Barufi and Félix L. Figueroa Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 5112; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11115112 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/5112

16. “Extraction of Pigments from Microalgae and Cyanobacteria—A Review on Current Methodologies” by Fernando Pagels, Ricardo N. Pereira, António A. Vicente and A. Catarina Guedes Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 5187; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11115187 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/5187

17. “Impacts of E-Micromobility on the Sustainability of Urban Transportation—A Systematic Review” by Buket Şengül and Hamid Mostofi Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (13), 5851; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11135851 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/13/5851

18. “Diversity of Synthetic Dyes from Textile Industries, Discharge Impacts and Treatment Methods” by Houda Ben Slama, Ali Chenari Bouket, Zeinab Pourhassan, Faizah N. Alenezi, Allaoua Silini, Hafsa Cherif-Silini, Tomasz Oszako, Lenka Luptakova, Patrycja Golińska and Lassaad Belbahri Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (14), 6255; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11146255 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/14/6255

19. “Removal of Pharmaceuticals from Water by Adsorption and Advanced Oxidation Processes: State of the Art and Trends” by Fatma Mansouri, Khawla Chouchene, Nicolas Roche and Mohamed Ksibi Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (14), 6659; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11146659 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/14/6659

20. “Microplastics in Wastewater and Drinking Water Treatment Plants: Occurrence and Removal of Microfibres” by Daniel Sol, Amanda Laca, Adriana Laca and Mario Díaz Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (21), 10109; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112110109 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/21/10109

16 February 2023 Increasing Visibility for Preprints.org – Clarivate adds the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science

On 9 February 2023, Clarivate, a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics, added the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science platform, streamlining the research process by allowing researchers to locate and link to preprints alongside other trusted content in the database.

The Preprint Citation Index will act as a bridge to connect cutting-edge preprints with peer-reviewed journal articles published within the Web of Science Core Collection. Alerts can be easily set to monitor new research across several repositories and authors will also be able to include preprints on their Web of Science Research Profile to more accurately display their various research outputs.

As of its launch, the Preprint Citation Index will provide nearly two million preprints from various repositories, including MDPI’s own Preprints.org.

MDPI's Preprints Platform – Preprints.org

To advance Open Science and the fast dissemination of research, MDPI offers researchers a free multidisciplinary preprint platform. Preprints.org accepts submissions from all research areas and offers authors high visibility, permanent archiving, article-level Metrics and immediately citable content by assigning a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to all preprints.

During submission to any MDPI journal, authors have the option to share their research as a preprint. After an initial screening, the manuscript is available online in 48 hours or less. Once online, preprints can be downloaded, shared, commented on, and cited, providing authors maximum visibility.

We invite you to join the ranks of the over 100k researchers using Preprints.org and share your research.

For more information, please visit Preprints.org .

14 February 2023 10th Applied Sciences Webinar | The Basics of Plasma Medicine and Its Biomedical Applications, 21 February 2023

Date : 21 February 2023 Time : 10:00 a.m. CET | 4:00 a.m. EST | 5:00 p.m. CST Asia Webinar website : https://applsci-10.sciforum.net/ Webinar ID : 826 5177 1009 Webinar Secretariat : [email protected]

In this webinar, we will give an overview of the basics of cold atmospheric plasma, an emerging multiagent technology and multi-modal therapy with several potential clinical applications at the interface between different research fields. Physicists, chemists, engineers, and life sciences researchers are welcome to participate to find out more about the promising field of plasma medicine, with a special focus on oral oncology.

Invited Speakers :

Sponsors and Partners:

14 February 2023 Meet Us at the 15th Annual International Conference on Porous Media, 22–25 May 2023, Edinburgh, Scotland

The International Society for Porous Media (InterPore) will hold its 15th annual meeting, InterPore2023—the International Conference on Porous Media.

The conference will be organized in cooperation with Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, and will be held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC).

Date: 22–25 May 2023 Satellite Short Courses: 21 and 26 May 2023

Please visit the InterPore2023 website for more details: https://events.interpore.org/event/41/ .

14 February 2023 Meet Us at the 16th International Conference on Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes, 22–25 February 2023, Online or On-Site in Berlin, Germany

The ATTD conference will host the latest innovative technologies, medicines, and treatments for diabetes. It gathers clinicians, scientists, industries, investors, reimbursement authorities, and people with diabetes from all around the world to share the most exciting advances in diabetes science. Join us from 22 to 25 February 2023 in Berlin or online.

Registration Savings Deadline: 7 February 2023.

Find out more about the conference at: https://attd.kenes.com/ .

9 February 2023 Meet Us at the Fourth International Conference on Energy Storage Materials, 13–16 April 2023, Shenzhen, China

Conference : The Fourth International Conference on Energy Storage Materials Date : 13–16 April 2023

MDPI will be attending the Fourth International Conference on Energy Storage Materials as the exhibitor. With the theme of advanced energy storage materials and energy storage devices, this seminar invites well-known scholars and industry professionals from around the world to discuss the latest research progress and industrial development status and trends in advanced energy storage materials and devices from academic and industrial perspectives in order to promote the application process of energy storage materials and energy storage devices. The conference is held annually.

• Batteries ;
• Inorganics ;
• AppliedChem ;
• Membranes ;
• Electrochem ;
• Molecules .

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth: #9 . Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit http://www.icensm.ac.cn/eindex.html .

3 February 2023 9th Applied Sciences Webinar | Additive Manufacturing and Topology Optimization of Microstructures, 7 February 2023

Date: 7 February 2023 Time: 10:00 a.m. CET | 4:00 a.m. EST | 5:00 p.m. CST Asia | 11:00 a.m. EET Webinar ID: 840 2871 8035 Webinar Secretariat: [email protected] Webinar Website: https://applsci-9.sciforum.net/

Topology optimization is the modern approach to a flexible optimal design of structures and microstructures. Additive manufacturing, also known as rapid prototyping or 3D printing, makes the creation of structures of any shape and topology, including microstructures, feasible. Exchange of information between the two disciplines, state-of-the-art development, and expected steps for the near future are the topics of the present webinar.

Invited Speakers:

Relevant Special Issue: “Additive Manufacturing: Topology Optimization and Cellular Microstructures” Edited by Prof. Dr. Georgios E. Stavroulakis, Dr. Loucas Papadakis, and Dr. Ioannis Ntintakis Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/special_issues/cellular_microstructures

31 January 2023 Meet Us at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2023), 29 May–2 June 2023, London, UK

Conference : IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2023)

Date : 29 May–2 June 2023 Place : London, UK

Machines (ISSN: 2075-1702) will be attending ICRA 2023 as an exhibitor. This meeting will take place from 29 May to 2 June 2023 in London, UK.

The largest and most prestigious event of the year in the robotics and automation calendar, the 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) will bring together the world's top academics, researchers, and industry representatives. With the conference taking place in the UK for the first time, London will provide the perfect backdrop to this world-class event.

• Actuators ;
• Inventions ;
• Automation .

If you are planning to attend this conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.icra2023.org/ .

12 January 2023 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Earth Sciences and Geography”

1. “Risk Assessment of Soil Contamination with Heavy Metals from Municipal Sewage Sludge” by Jolanta Latosińska, Robert Kowalik and Jarosław Gawdzik Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 548; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020548 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/548

2. “Drilling Fluid and Cement Slurry Design for Naturally Fractured Reservoirs” by Nediljka Gaurina-Međimurec, Borivoje Pašić, Petar Mijić and Igor Medved Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020767 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/767

3. “ Arundo donax L. Biomass Production in a Polluted Area: Effects of Two Harvest Timings on Heavy Metals Uptake” by Tommaso Danelli, Alessio Sepulcri, Giacomo Masetti, Federico Colombo, Stefano Sangiorgio, Elena Cassani, Simone Anelli, Fabrizio Adani and Roberto Pilu Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1147; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031147 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1147

4. “Optimization of Photogrammetric Flights with UAVs for the Metric Virtualization of Archaeological Sites. Application to Juliobriga (Cantabria, Spain)” by Julio Manuel de Luis-Ruiz, Javier Sedano-Cibrián, Raúl Pereda-García, Rubén Pérez-Álvarez and Beatriz Malagón-Picón Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1204; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031204 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1204

5. “Earthen Jewish Architecture of Southern Morocco: Documentation of Unfired Brick Synagogues and Mellahs in the Drâa-Tafilalet Region” by Eva Matoušková, Karel Pavelka, Tobiáš Smolík and Karel Pavelka, Jr. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1712; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041712 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1712

6. “Characterization of a Shallow Coastal Aquifer in the Framework of a Subsurface Storage and Soil Aquifer Treatment Project Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (Port de la Selva, Spain)” by Alex Sendrós, Aritz Urruela, Mahjoub Himi, Carlos Alonso, Raúl Lovera, Josefina C. Tapias, Luis Rivero, Ruben Garcia-Artigas and Albert Casas Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2448; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062448 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2448

7. “Fracturing Fluids and Their Application in the Republic of Croatia” by Nediljka Gaurina-Međimurec, Vladislav Brkić, Matko Topolovec and Petar Mijić Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2807; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062807 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2807

8. “Primary and Secondary Environmental Effects Triggered by the 30 October 2020, Mw = 7.0, Samos (Eastern Aegean Sea, Greece) Earthquake Based on Post-Event Field Surveys and InSAR Analysis” by Spyridon Mavroulis, Ioanna Triantafyllou, Andreas Karavias, Marilia Gogou, Katerina-Navsika Katsetsiadou, Efthymios Lekkas, Gerassimos A. Papadopoulos and Issaak Parcharidis Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 3281; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073281 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/3281

9. “Numerical Modelling of Flow-Debris Interaction during Extreme Hydrodynamic Events with DualSPHysics-CHRONO” by Gioele Ruffini, Riccardo Briganti, Paolo De Girolamo, Jacob Stolle, Bahman Ghiassi and Myrta Castellino Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3618; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083618 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3618

10. “Heavy Metals in Urban Street Dust: Health Risk Assessment (Lublin City, E Poland)” by Wojciech Zgłobicki and Małgorzata Telecka Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4092; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094092 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4092

11. “Solar Potential in Saudi Arabia for Southward-Inclined Flat-Plate Surfaces” by Ashraf Farahat, Harry D. Kambezidis, Mansour Almazroui and Emad Ramadan Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4101; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094101 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4101

12. “A Comprehensive Assessment of XGBoost Algorithm for Landslide Susceptibility Mapping in the Upper Basin of Ataturk Dam, Turkey” by Recep Can, Sultan Kocaman and Candan Gokceoglu Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4993; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114993 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4993

13. “From Field Archaeology to Virtual Reconstruction: A Five Steps Method Using the Extended Matrix” by Emanuel Demetrescu and Daniele Ferdani Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 5206; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11115206 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/5206

14. “Increasing Resolution of Seismic Hazard Mapping on the Example of the North of Middle Russian Highland” by Igor B. Movchan, Zilya I. Shaygallyamova, Alexandra A. Yakovleva and Alexander B. Movchan Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 5298; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11115298 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/5298

15. “How Will Rwandan Land Use/Land Cover Change under High Population Pressure and Changing Climate?” by Chaodong Li, Mingyi Yang, Zhanbin Li and Baiqun Wang Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (12), 5376; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125376 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/12/5376

16. “Land Suitability Mapping Using Geochemical and Spatial Analysis Methods” by Dimitrios E. Alexakis, George D. Bathrellos, Hariklia D. Skilodimou and Dimitra E. Gamvroula Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (12), 5404; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125404 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/12/5404

17. “Virtual Geosite Communication through a WebGIS Platform: A Case Study from Santorini Island (Greece)” by Federico Pasquaré Mariotto, Varvara Antoniou, Kyriaki Drymoni, Fabio Luca Bonali, Paraskevi Nomikou, Luca Fallati, Odysseas Karatzaferis and Othonas Vlasopoulos Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (12), 5466; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125466 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/12/5466

18. “Integrating Convolutional Neural Network and Multiresolution Segmentation for Land Cover and Land Use Mapping Using Satellite Imagery” by Saziye Ozge Atik and Cengizhan Ipbuker Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (12), 5551; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125551 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/12/5551

19. “Linking Soil Erosion Modeling to Landscape Patterns and Geomorphometry: An Application in Crete, Greece” by Imen Brini, Dimitrios D. Alexakis and Chariton Kalaitzidis Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (12), 5684; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125684 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/12/5684

20. “Biodeterioration of Salón de Reinos, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain” by Valme Jurado, José Luis Gonzalez-Pimentel, Bernardo Hermosin and Cesareo Saiz-Jimenez Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (19), 8858; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11198858 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/19/8858

6 January 2023 Recruiting Topical Advisory Panel Members for Applied Sciences

The Applied Sciences Editorial Office is pleased to inform you that applications are open for the Topical Advisory Panel. Should you decide to serve on the Topical Advisory Panel, you would be responsible for some of the following tasks, depending on your availability:

• Providing regular reviews of manuscripts;
• Setting up at least one Special Issue (SI) in partnership with a senior researcher within two years of your appointment and proposing a detailed strategy plan for the SI. The topic of the proposal should be within the scope of Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417) but broad enough to attract a reasonable number of submissions while also narrow enough to provide a cohesive collection of articles. The Special Issue should cover a small part of the scope of Applied Sciences ;
• Providing a detailed strategy plan for the SI, including assisting in preparing Special Issue/Topic titles, aim and scope, summary, and keywords, soliciting papers and promoting the SI;
• Providing support for the Special Issues/Topics related to your expertise when the Guest Editors are not available. This includes SI promotion via social media and advice on some scientific cases;
• Promoting our journal at conferences (adding 1–2 slides into your presentation, distributing flyers, recommending the journal to your colleagues, etc.), on social media and other relevant platforms;
• Working with Editorial Board Members or the Editorial Office to promote high-quality/featured papers (for example, writing summaries or highlights for editor-selected papers).

To qualify as a Topical Advisory Panel Member, applicants must:

• Have expertise and experience in the field related to Applied Sciences ;
• Have completed their Ph.D. in the last approximately 10 years;
• Have published at least 6 papers in the last 5 years as a first author or corresponding author;
• Currently hold an independent research position in academia or government institute.

Each year, members’ performance is evaluated, and outstanding members are promoted to the Editorial Board by the Editor-in-Chief. Please click on the following link to submit your application: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/topical_advisory_panel_application .

Please do not hesitate to contact the Applied Sciences Editorial Office ( [email protected] ) for further details and clarification.

5 January 2023 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Energy Science and Technology”

1. “Advanced Control and Fault Detection Strategies for District Heating and Cooling Systems—A Review” by Simone Buffa, Mohammad Hossein Fouladfar, Giuseppe Franchini, Ismael Lozano Gabarre and Manuel Andrés Chicote Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (1), 455; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010455 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/1/455

2. “Wind Turbine Prognosis Models Based on SCADA Data and Extreme Learning Machines” by Pere Marti-Puig, Alejandro Blanco-M., Moisès Serra-Serra and Jordi Solé-Casals Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 590; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020590 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/590

3. “Carbon from Bagasse Activated with Water Vapor and Its Adsorption Performance for Methylene Blue” by Fitria Rahmawati, Arikasuci Fitonna Ridassepri, Chairunnisa, Agung Tri Wijayanta, Koji Nakabayashi, Jin Miyawaki and Takahiko Miyazaki Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 678; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020678 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/678

4. “Review of Dew Point Evaporative Cooling Technology for Air Conditioning Applications” by Anna Pacak and William Worek Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 934; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11030934 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/934

5. “New Tendencies in Wind Energy Operation and Maintenance” by Ángel M. Costa, José A. Orosa, Diego Vergara and Pablo Fernández-Arias Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1386; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041386 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1386

6. “Towards Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage: Classification, Improvements and Applications in the Building Sector” by Christina V. Podara, Ioannis A. Kartsonakis and Costas A. Charitidis Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1490; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041490 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1490

7. “Estimation of the Optimum Energy Received by Solar Energy Flat-Plate Convertors in Greece Using Typical Meteorological Years. Part I: South-Oriented Tilt Angles” by Harry D. Kambezidis and Basil E. Psiloglou Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1547; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041547 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1547

8. “PV-Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: Preliminary Requirements and Feasibility Conditions” by Saleh Cheikh-Mohamad,Manuela Sechilariu, Fabrice Locment and Youssef Krim Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1770; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041770 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1770

9. “Efficient Operative Cost Reduction in Distribution Grids Considering the Optimal Placement and Sizing of D-STATCOMs Using a Discrete-Continuous VSA” by Oscar Danilo Montoya, Walter Gil-González and Jesus C. Hernández Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2175; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052175 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2175

10. “Application of Long-Short-Term-Memory Recurrent Neural Networks to Forecast Wind Speed” by Meftah Elsaraiti and Adel Merabet Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2387; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052387 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2387

11. “A 0.3 V, Rail-to-Rail, Ultralow-Power, Non-Tailed, Body-Driven, Sub-Threshold Amplifier” by Francesco Centurelli, Riccardo Della Sala, Giuseppe Scotti and Alessandro Trifiletti Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2528; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062528 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2528

12. “Building Information Modelling and Internet of Things Integration for Facility Management—Literature Review and Future Needs” by Antonino Mannino, Mario Claudio Dejaco and Fulvio Re Cecconi Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 3062; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073062 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/3062

13. “Towards an Occupancy-Oriented Digital Twin for Facility Management: Test Campaign and Sensors Assessment” by Elena Seghezzi, Mirko Locatelli, Laura Pellegrini, Giulia Pattini, Giuseppe Martino Di Giuda, Lavinia Chiara Tagliabue and Guido Boella Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 3108; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073108 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/3108

14. “Optimal Multi-Operation Energy Management in Smart Microgrids in the Presence of RESs Based on Multi-Objective Improved DE Algorithm: Cost-Emission Based Optimization” by Mohammad Ghiasi, Taher Niknam, Moslem Dehghani, Pierluigi Siano, Hassan Haes Alhelou and Amer Al-Hinai Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3661; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083661 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3661

15. “Review of Renewable Energy-Based Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles” by Gamal Alkawsi, Yahia Baashar, Dallatu Abbas U, Ammar Ahmed Alkahtani and Sieh Kiong Tiong Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3847; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093847 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/3847

16. “PV Benefits Assessment for PV-Powered Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles” by Youssef Krim, Manuela Sechilariu and Fabrice Locment Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4127; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094127 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4127

17. “An Adapted Model of Cognitive Digital Twins for Building Lifecycle Management” by Ibrahim Yitmen, Sepehr Alizadehsalehi, İlknur Akıner and Muhammed Ernur Akıner Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4276; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094276 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4276

18. “Optimal Control for a Hydraulic Recuperation System Using Endoreversible Thermodynamics” by Robin Masser and Karl Heinz Hoffmann Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 5001; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11115001 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/5001

19. “Perspectives on Cathodes for Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells” by Glenn C. Mather, Daniel Muñoz-Gil, Javier Zamudio-García, José M. Porras-Vázquez, David Marrero-López and Domingo Pérez-Coll Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (12), 5363; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125363 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/12/5363

20. “A State-of-Art-Review on Machine-Learning Based Methods for PV” by Giuseppe Marco Tina, Cristina Ventura, Sergio Ferlito and Saverio De Vito Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (16), 7550; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167550 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/16/7550

22 December 2022 Special Issue Mentor Program

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative—the MDPI Special Issue Mentor Program.

This program will enable early career researchers (who must hold a Ph.D. in a related field) to experience editing a Special Issue in MDPI journals, under the mentorship of our experienced Editorial Board Members or other experienced scientists. The mentor program will provide an excellent opportunity for early career scientists to gain editorial experience, and to cultivate their ability to edit scientific research.

The mentee’s responsibilities include:

• Proposing a Special Issue title and assisting the mentor in preparing a summary (around 200–400 words) and 3–10 keywords describing the background, importance, and goal of the Issue;
• Writing a brief promotion plan for the Special Issue;
• Preparing a list of scholars who may be interested in the Issue and personally e-mailing invitations on behalf of Guest Editors;
• Writing an editorial for the online Special Issue together with the mentor.

The mentor’s responsibilities include:

• Conducting a final check before the Special Issue is published online;
• Performing editorial control of the Special Issue and quality control of the publications, both of which must be carried out in a timely manner;
• Providing suggestions to younger scholars if they have any doubts or concerns regarding submissions;
• Organizing video calls with young scholars and the Editorial Office regularly to discuss problems and improvement suggestions for the Special Issue;
• Making and submitting decisions regarding submissions with the assistance of mentees.

Certificates and awards: After the Special Issue closes, the Editorial Office will provide official certificates for all the mentors and early career researchers.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Editorial Office of a journal you choose, and we will discuss the process (i.e., mentor collaboration, Special Issue topic feasibility analysis, etc.) in further detail. The full list of MDPI journals is as follows: https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals .

In addition to the new Special Issue Mentor Program, we will continue to welcome all Special Issue proposals focusing on hot research topics.

16 December 2022 Applied Sciences | Invitation to Read Selected Papers from Editor’s Choice Articles

1. “A Survey on Robotic Technologies for Forest Firefighting: Applying Drone Swarms to Improve Firefighters’ Efficiency and Safety” by Juan Jesús Roldán-Gómez, Eduardo González-Gironda and Antonio Barrientos Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (1), 363; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010363 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/1/363

2. “Deep Learning Method for Fault Detection of Wind Turbine Converter” by Cheng Xiao, Zuojun Liu, Tieling Zhang and Xu Zhang Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1280; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031280 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1280

3. “Multi-Resolution SPH Simulation of a Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Process” by Mohamadreza Afrasiabi, Christof Lüthi, Markus Bambach and Konrad Wegener Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 2962; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11072962 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/2962

4. “Rail Diagnostics Based on Ultrasonic Guided Waves: An Overview” by Davide Bombarda, Giorgio Matteo Vitetta and Giovanni Ferrante Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1071; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031071 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1071

5. “Security Vulnerabilities in LPWANs—An Attack Vector Analysis for the IoT Ecosystem” by Nuno Torres, Pedro Pinto and Sérgio Ivan Lopes Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 3176; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073176 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/3176

6. “A Literature Review of Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Manufacturing Systems” by Paolo Renna and Sergio Materi Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (16), 7366; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167366 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/16/7366

7. “An Improved VGG19 Transfer Learning Strip Steel Surface Defect Recognition Deep Neural Network Based on Few Samples and Imbalanced Datasets” by Xiang Wan, Xiangyu Zhang and Lilan Liu Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2606; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062606 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2606

8. “Effect of Hydrogen Addition on the Energetic and Ecologic Parameters of an SI Engine Fueled by Biogas” by Saugirdas Pukalskas, Donatas Kriaučiūnas, Alfredas Rimkus, Grzegorz Przybyła, Paweł Droździel and Dalibor Barta Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 742; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020742 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/742

9. “A Five-Step Approach to Planning Data-Driven Digital Twins for Discrete Manufacturing Systems” by Matevz Resman,Jernej Protner, Marko Simic and Niko Herakovic Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3639; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083639 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3639

10. “Application of an Additive Manufactured Hybrid Metal/Composite Shock Absorber Panel to a Military Seat Ejection System” by Valerio Acanfora, Chiara Corvino, Salvatore Saputo, Andrea Sellitto and Aniello Riccio Appl. Sci.   2021 ,  11 (14), 6473;  https://doi.org/10.3390/app11146473 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/14/6473

11. “Digital Twin and Reinforcement Learning-Based Resilient Production Control for Micro Smart Factory” by Kyu Tae Park, Yoo Ho Son, Sang Wook Ko and Sang Do Noh Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 2977; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11072977 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/2977

12. “Impact Fracture and Fragmentation of Glass via the 3D Combined Finite-Discrete Element Method” by Zhou Lei, Esteban Rougier, Earl E. Knight, Mengyan Zang and Antonio Munjiza Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2484; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062484 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2484

13. “Friction Stir Welding of 1Cr11Ni2W2MoV Martensitic Stainless Steel: Numerical Simulation Based on Coupled Eulerian Lagrangian Approach Supported with Experimental Work” by Mohamed Ragab, Hong Liu, Guan-Jun Yang and Mohamed M. Z. Ahmed Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 3049; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073049 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/3049

14. “A Review on the Lifecycle Strategies Enhancing Remanufacturing” by Raoul Fonkoua Fofou, Zhigang Jiang and Yan Wang Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (13), 5937; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11135937 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/13/5937

15. “Nano-Elicitation as an Effective and Emerging Strategy for In Vitro Production of Industrially Important Flavonoids” by Amna Komal Khan, Sidra Kousar, Duangjai Tungmunnithum, Christophe Hano, Bilal Haider Abbasi and Sumaira Anjum Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1694; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041694 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1694

14 December 2022 "Thanks a Million!" – One Million Articles Published in MDPI Journals

MDPI has just become the first open access (OA) publisher to reach the milestone of one million articles published. That is one million articles freely available to all, to circulate and build upon! We are proud to share this special moment with the global scientific community.

This landmark has been reached thanks to the immeasurable support of more than 600,000 expert reviewers, 66,000 editorial board members and 6700 hard-working colleagues across MDPI’s global offices.

Reaching the milestone of one million articles published reinforces our mission to remove any existing barriers and to make scientific research accessible to all. Since its inception, MDPI’s goal has been to create reliable processes to make science open. This is a path towards facilitating the dissemination of novel insights in scientific communities.

Regular feedback from authors and reviewers shows that our service is greatly appreciated and needed. At the same time, the feedback helps us identify areas for further improvement.

As it stands, a significant share of published research findings remain closed access. More than half of the content published with the most well-known legacy publishers stays behind a paywall, and that is not including articles published in hybrid OA journals, or made available months or years after publication.

A new policy announced by the US administration in August 2022 requires that, as of January 2026, all US federally funded research be made freely and immediately available after publication. While the new policy does not mandate articles be published under an open access license, it is aligned with the open access movement in removing all barriers to research. Similarly, some of the most advanced research institutions in the world intend to have all funded research articles published in open access by 2025.

MDPI is proud to be the leading agent of the transition to open access.

"Thanks a Million" to all the contributors!

9 December 2022 Applied Sciences | Top 10 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Chemical and Molecular Sciences”

1. “Smartphone-Based NFC Potentiostat for Wireless Electrochemical Sensing” by Karnpimon Krorakai, Supannika Klangphukhiew, Sirinan Kulchat and Rina Patramanon Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (1), 392; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010392 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/1/392

2. “Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater and Its Implications for Drinking Water Quality and Human Health in Under-Developed Countries and Remote Communities—A Review” by Samuel B. Adeloju, Shahnoor Khan and Antonio F. Patti Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1926; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041926 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1926

3. “Thermal Conductivity of Nanofluids: A Review on Prediction Models, Controversies and Challenges” by Inês Gonçalves, Reinaldo Souza, Gonçalo Coutinho, João Miranda, Ana Moita, José Eduardo Pereira, António Moreira and Rui Lima Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2525; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062525 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2525

4. “Synthesis and Characterization of ZnBi2O4 Nanoparticles: Photocatalytic Performance for Antibiotic Removal under Different Light Sources” by Oussama Baaloudj, Achraf Amir Assadi, Mohamed Azizi, Hamza Kenfoud, Mohamed Trari, Abdeltif Amrane, Aymen Amine Assadi and Noureddine Nasrallah Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3975; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093975 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/3975

5. “Deep Eutectic Solvents for the Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Natural Sources and Agricultural By-Products” by Bárbara Socas-Rodríguez, Monica Vanessa Torres-Cornejo, Gerardo Álvarez-Rivera and Jose A. Mendiola Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4897; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114897 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4897

6. “Current View on Green Tea Catechins Formulations, Their Interactions with Selected Drugs, and Prospective Applications for Various Health Conditions” by Magdalena Cerbin-Koczorowska, Magdalena Waszyk-Nowaczyk, Paweł Bakun, Tomasz Goslinski and Tomasz Koczorowski Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4905; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114905 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4905

7. “Five-Membered Cyclic Carbonates: Versatility for Applications in Organic Synthesis, Pharmaceutical, and Materials Sciences” by Patrick Rollin, Liane K. Soares, Angelita M. Barcellos, Daniela R. Araujo, Eder J. Lenardão, Raquel G. Jacob and Gelson Perin Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 5024; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11115024 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/5024

8. “Chemical Profiling, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activity against Drug-Resistant Microbes of Essential Oil from Withania frutescens L” by Abdelfattah EL Moussaoui, Mohammed Bourhia, Fatima Zahra Jawhari, Ahmad Mohammad Salamatullah, Riaz Ullah, Ahmed Bari, Hafiz Majid Mahmood, Muhammad Sohaib, Bohza Serhii, Alexander Rozhenko et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 5168; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11115168 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/5168

9. “A Review on the Advancements in the Field of Metal Complexes with Schiff Bases as Antiproliferative Agents” by Alessia Catalano, Maria Stefania Sinicropi, Domenico Iacopetta, Jessica Ceramella, Annaluisa Mariconda, Camillo Rosano, Elisabetta Scali, Carmela Saturnino and Pasquale Longo Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (13), 6027; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11136027 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/13/6027

10. “Recovery of Heavy Metal Ions Using Magnetic Glycine-Modified Chitosan—Application to Aqueous Solutions and Tailing Leachate” by Asmaa Benettayeb, Amine Morsli, Khalid Z. Elwakeel, Mohammed F. Hamza and Eric Guibal Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (18), 8377; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11188377 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/18/8377

8 December 2022 MDPI Sustainability Foundation: New Look and Nominations for the 2023 Sustainability Awards Now Open

We are pleased to announce that the  website of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation has been revamped! For the past couple of months, our UX UI team and front-end developers have been working hard to launch the website in time for the opening of the Sustainability Awards nominations.

The website is not the only thing that has had a remodeling. Indeed, the format of the  Emerging Sustainability Leader Award (ESLA) has been updated. ESLA is now a competition open to individual researchers or start-ups founded by researchers under the age of 35. Nominee applications will go through 2 rounds of selection until the final 3 are decided. The finalists will then be invited to give pitch presentations during the Award Ceremony to win either first place (10,000 USD) or runner-up (2 x 5000 USD).

The World Sustainability Award, on the other hand, remains the same: a total prize money of 100,000 USD is up for grabs by senior individual researchers or groups of researchers from the international research community.

Nominations for both the World Sustainability Award and the Emerging Sustainability Leader award are now open! Check out our  new website for more information on how to nominate.

16 November 2022 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Applied Industrial Technologies”

1. “Digital Processing of Seismic Data from Open-Pit Mining Blasts” by Natalia Koteleva and Ilia Frenkel Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (1), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010383 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/1/383

2. “A Review of the Water Desalination Technologies” by Domenico Curto, Vincenzo Franzitta and Andrea Guercio Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 670; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020670 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/670

3. “Towards Integrated Digital Twins for Industrial Products: Case Study on an Overhead Crane” by Juuso Autiosalo, Riku Ala-Laurinaho, Joel Mattila, Miika Valtonen, Valtteri Peltoranta and Kari Tammi Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 683; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020683 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/683

4. “Classification and Quantification of Human Error in Manufacturing: A Case Study in Complex Manual Assembly” by Yaniel Torres, Sylvie Nadeau and Kurt Landau Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 749; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020749 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/749

5. “Developing a Digital Twin and Digital Thread Framework for an ‘Industry 4.0’ Shipyard” by Toh Yen Pang, Juan D. Pelaez Restrepo, Chi-Tsun Cheng, Alim Yasin,Hailey Lim and Miro Miletic Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1097; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031097 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1097

6. “Lot-Sizing and Scheduling for the Plastic Injection Molding Industry—A Hybrid Optimization Approach” by Nathalie Klement, Mohamed Amine Abdeljaouad, Leonardo Porto and Cristóvão Silva Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1202; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031202 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1202

7. “A Review of Experimental and Numerical Studies of Lithium Ion Battery Fires” by Matt Ghiji, Shane Edmonds and Khalid Moinuddin Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1247; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031247 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1247

8. “Nano-Elicitation as an Effective and Emerging Strategy for In Vitro Production of Industrially Important Flavonoids” by Amna Komal Khan, Sidra Kousar, Duangjai Tungmunnithum, Christophe Hano, Bilal Haider Abbasi and Sumaira Anjum Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1694; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041694 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1694

9. “A Systematic Mapping of the Advancing Use of Machine Learning Techniques for Predictive Maintenance in the Manufacturing Sector” by Milena Nacchia, Fabio Fruggiero, Alfredo Lambiase and Ken Bruton Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2546; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062546 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2546

10. “An Improved VGG19 Transfer Learning Strip Steel Surface Defect Recognition Deep Neural Network Based on Few Samples and Imbalanced Datasets” by Xiang Wan, Xiangyu Zhang and Lilan Liu Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2606; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062606 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2606

11. “Is Digital Twin Technology Supporting Safety Management? A Bibliometric and Systematic Review” by Giulio Paolo Agnusdei, Valerio Elia and Maria Grazia Gnoni Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2767; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062767 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2767

12. “Adaptive Pitch Controller of a Large-Scale Wind Turbine Using Multi-Objective Optimization” by Manuel Lara, Juan Garrido, Mario L. Ruz and Francisco Vázquez Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2844; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062844 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2844

13. “Security Vulnerabilities in LPWANs—An Attack Vector Analysis for the IoT Ecosystem” by Nuno Torres, Pedro Pinto and Sérgio Ivan Lopes Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 3176; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073176 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/3176

14. “The Role of Digital Technologies in Operationalizing the Circular Economy Transition: A Systematic Literature Review” by Enrico Cagno, Alessandra Neri, Marta Negri, Carlo Andrea Bassani and Tommaso Lampertico Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3328; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083328 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3328

15. “Recent Progress Trend on Abrasive Waterjet Cutting of Metallic Materials: A Review” by Jennifer Milaor Llanto, Majid Tolouei-Rad, Ana Vafadar and Muhammad Aamir Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3344; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083344 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3344

16. “Smart Manufacturing Real-Time Analysis Based on Blockchain and Machine Learning Approaches” by Zeinab Shahbazi and Yung-Cheol Byun Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3535; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083535 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3535

17. “Mobile Learning Technologies for Education: Benefits and Pending Issues” by Santiago Criollo-C, Andrea Guerrero-Arias, Ángel Jaramillo-Alcázar and Sergio Luján-Mora Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4111; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094111 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4111

18. “Applications of Smart Glasses in Applied Sciences: A Systematic Review” by Dawon Kim and Yosoon Choi Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4956; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114956 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4956

19. “A Literature Review of Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Manufacturing Systems” by Paolo Renna and Sergio Materi Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (16), 7366; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167366 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/16/7366

20. “Adaptable and Explainable Predictive Maintenance: Semi-Supervised Deep Learning for Anomaly Detection and Diagnosis in Press Machine Data” by Oscar Serradilla, Ekhi Zugasti, Julian Ramirez de Okariz, Jon Rodriguez and Urko Zurutuza Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (16), 7376; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167376 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/16/7376

16 November 2022 Editorial Board Members from Applied Sciences Featured in Stanford’s List of the World’s Top 2% Scientists

Stanford University has recently published an update of the list of the top 2% most widely cited scientists—the World’s Top 2% Scientists.

The time node of the statistical data of this list is from 1960 to 2022, and it is divided into two lists: "Lifetime Scientific Influence Ranking" and "2022 Annual Scientific Influence Ranking". The "Lifetime Scientific Influence Ranking" counts the comprehensive influence performance of scientists during their careers, and the "2022 Annual Influence Ranking" focuses on highlighting the academic influence of scientists in the previous year. This ranking, considered the most prestigious worldwide, is based on the bibliometric information contained in the Scopus database and includes more than 200,000 researchers from the more than 10 million scientists considered to be active worldwide, with 22 scientific fields and 176 subfields taken into account.

We are pleased to share that 610 Editorial Board Members from Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417) were featured in Stanford University World’s Top 2% Scientists list in 2022.

The latest Stanford rankings reflect the significant influence and research excellence of the scientists, who are committed to furthering their knowledge for the benefit of the world.

We would like to congratulate our Editorial Board Members on their excellent achievement and thank them for their immense contribution to the scientific progression and development of Applied Sciences.

14 November 2022 Dr. Jean-Claude André Appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of Section “Additive Manufacturing Technologies” in Applied Sciences

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Jean-Claude André (Emeritus Research Director at CNRS) has been appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of "Additive Manufacturing Technologies" in Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417, IF: 2.838). Engineer "Processes" of the University of Lorraine, former scientific director of its National Polytechnic Institute, and former Deputy Director of the CNRS, Department of Engineering Sciences (Paris), he holds a Ph.D. in chemical-physics and a French doctorate in physical sciences, supplemented by two postdoctoral stays at the University of Western Ontario (Canada), where he completed his scientific skills on light-matter interactions and the signal processing of optical signals. Upon his return, he set up his team in the field of photo-physical and photochemical engineering. In 1984, with two colleagues, he was at the origin of the first patent on stereolithography, which he developed with his team. The initial lack of interest from the national environment led him to move to the private sector with the scientific responsibility of an R, R&D and consulting and training center of 700 people in charge of occupational risk prevention. This 12-year break reinforced his conviction of the need to engage researchers in interdisciplinary adventures. He returned as a scientific advisor to the CNRS headquarter, and as a "basic researcher", again involved in the 3D field and the development of 4D printing (plus bio-printing).

In addition to these new 3D manufacturing processes, his investment in the 4D field with a short, but efficient, French network of young colleagues attempts to break the epistemological barriers of the field: creativity, heuristics, interdisciplinary approaches, downstream control, inverse problem, proofs of concepts, etc. He is the origin of three start-ups in 3D machining and has about 50 patents (+5 under progress) and enough scientific papers (possibly over 300, ranging from physics, chemical physics, and optical engineering or process engineering to sociology and ethics) to allow for him to increase his investment in time-consuming “slow science”, divergent thinking (before convergence), and epistemology to try to go beyond the “conventional” New Public Management of the (French or European) scientific research system. He has published two books on photochemical engineering, three on additive manufacturing, one on Industry 4.0, three on chemical/process engineering, and two on 4D printing, either alone or with a colleague. Fearing not to do everything, he promised, before a probable end (which may be as far away as possible!). He has begun to write a book on creativity and innovation (now in press) and is beginning to explore biomimetic action paths for soft robotics based on 3D or 4D technologies.

The following is a short Q&A with Dr. Jean Claude André, who shared his vision for the Section with us, as well as his views on the research area and open access publishing:

I am a tinkerer of science who likes to cultivate himself and to open up to others; this is a big change from the narrow modes of today's too mono-disciplinary management. It is this vision that I wish to share.

2. What is your vision for the “Additive Manufacturing Technologies” Section?

The applied science approach should be more demand-driven and involve more exploration of complexity. This is particularly the case for 3D printing.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like, in your view?

With a technology that is around 40 years old, nothing is stabilized, which maintains a very open field for research, in particular application-oriented.

4. Who should contribute to this Section?

All those who can bring their high-level scientific and/or technological original contributions to the field.

5. What do you think of the development of Open Access in the publishing field?

Traditional journals now also play in this area.

We wish Dr. Jean Claude André every success in his new position, and we look forward to his contributions to the journal.

10 November 2022 Meet Us at the 2023 INT’L Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS ‘23), 6–9 June 2023, Warsaw, Poland

MDPI will be attending the 2023 INT’L Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS ‘23), held in Warsaw, Poland, from 6 to 9 June 2023. ICUAS ‘23 aims to bring together different groups of qualified representatives worldwide, as well as funding agencies, industry, academia, end-users, and practitioners, to discuss the current state of unmanned aviation and the roadmap to its full utilization in civilian and public domains. The conference is open to scholars and specialists from academia and the engineering profession. During this conference, MDPI will welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

• Applied Mechanics ;
• Aerospace ;
• Smart Cities .

If you plan on attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have.

For more information about the conference, please see the following link: http://www.uasconferences.com/2023_icuas/ .

3 November 2022 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Materials Science and Engineering”

1. “Polyphenols: A Promising Avenue in Therapeutic Solutions for Wound Care” by Guimarães, I.; Baptista-Silva, S.; Pintado, M. and L. Oliveira, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1230; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031230 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1230

2. “Hybrid Metal/Polymer Filaments for Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) to Print Metal Parts” by Tosto, C.; Tirillò, J.; Sarasini, F. and Cicala, G. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1444; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041444 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1444

3. “Hydrothermal and Entropy Investigation of Ag/MgO/H2O Hybrid Nanofluid Natural Convection in a Novel Shape of Porous Cavity” by Abu-Libdeh, N.; Redouane, F.; Aissa, A.; Mebarek-Oudina, F.; Almuhtady, A.; Jamshed, W. and Al-Kouz, W. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1722; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041722 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1722

4. “Extensive Benchmarking of DFT+U Calculations for Predicting Band Gaps” by Kirchner-Hall, N.; Zhao, W.; Xiong, Y.; Timrov, I. and Dabo, I. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2395; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052395 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2395

5. “Contribution of Interface Fracture Mechanism on Fracture Propagation Trajectory of Heterogeneous Asphalt Composites” by He, J.; Liu, L.; Yang, H.; Aliha, M. and Karimi, H. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 3013; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073013 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/3013

6. “Rheology, Hydration, and Microstructure of Portland Cement Pastes Produced with Ground Açaí Fibers” by Azevedo, A.; de Matos, P.; Marvila, M.; Sakata, R.; Silvestro, L.; Gleize, P. and Brito, J. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 3036; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073036 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/3036

7. “Buckling Analysis of CNTRC Curved Sandwich Nanobeams in Thermal Environment” by Daikh, A.; Houari, M.; Karami, B.; Eltaher, M.; Dimitri, R. and Tornabene, F. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 3250; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073250 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/3250

8. “Environmentally Friendly Anticorrosive Polymeric Coatings” by Faccini, M.; Bautista, L.; Soldi, L.; Escobar, A.; Altavilla, M.; Calvet, M.; Domènech, A. and Domínguez, E. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3446; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083446 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3446

9. “Investigation of Integral and Differential Characteristics of Variatropic Structure Heavy Concretes by Ultrasonic Methods” by Mailyan, L.; Stel’makh, S.; Shcherban’, E.; Khalyushev, A.; Smolyanichenko, A.; Sysoev, A.; Parinov, I. and Cherpakov, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3591; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083591 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3591

10. “Applications of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Technology in Medicine, Agriculture and Food Industry” by Domonkos, M.; Tichá, P.; Trejbal, J. and Demo, P. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4809; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114809 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4809

11. “Sustainability Levels in Comparison with Mechanical Properties and Durability of Pumice High-Performance Concrete” by Hrabová, K.; Lehner, P.; Ghosh, P.; Konečný, P. and Teplý, B. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4964; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114964 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4964

12. “Comparison of Testing Method Effects on Cracking Resistance of Asphalt Concrete Mixtures” by Yang, D.; Karimi, H. and Aliha, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 5094; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11115094 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/5094

13. “Improving the Structural Characteristics of Heavy Concrete by Combined Disperse Reinforcement” by Mailyan, L.; Beskopylny, A.; Meskhi, B.; Shilov, A.; Stel’makh, S.; Shcherban’, E.; Smolyanichenko, A. and El’shaeva, D. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (13), 6031; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11136031 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/13/6031

14. “Evaluation of Dental Surface after De-Bonding Orthodontic Bracket Bonded with a Novel Fluorescent Composite: In Vitro Comparative Study” by Farronato, M.; Farronato, D.; Inchingolo, F.; Grassi, L.; Lanteri, V. and Maspero, C. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (14), 6354; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11146354 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/14/6354

15. “Extraction, Characterization, and Applications of Pectins from Plant By-Products” by Belkheiri, A.; Forouhar, A.; Ursu, A.; Dubessay, P.; Pierre, G.; Delattre, C.; Djelveh, G.; Abdelkafi, S.; Hamdami, N. and Michaud, P. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (14), 6596; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11146596 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/14/6596

16. “Optimization of Composition and Technological Factors for the Lightweight Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Production on a Combined Aggregate with an Increased Coefficient of Structural Quality” by Mailyan, L.; Beskopylny, A.; Meskhi, B.; Stel’makh, S.; Shcherban, E. and Ananova, O. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (16), 7284; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167284 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/16/7284

17. “Sound-Absorbing Composites with Rubber Crumb from Used Tires” by Smirnova, O.; Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, I.; Mikhailevskii, V.; Kolosov, O. and Skolota, N. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (16), 7347; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167347 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/16/7347

18. “The Current State of Research of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM): A Review” by Treutler, K. and Wesling, V. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (18), 8619; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11188619 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/18/8619

19. “Influence of Composition and Technological Factors on Variatropic Efficiency and Constructive Quality Coefficients of Lightweight Vibro-Centrifuged Concrete with Alkalized Mixing Water” by Stel’makh, S.; Shcherban’, E.; Beskopylny, A.; Mailyan, L.; Meskhi, B.; Butko, D. and Smolyanichenko, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (19), 9293; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11199293 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/19/9293

20. “Non-Destructive Testing Applications for Steel Bridges” by Khedmatgozar Dolati, S.; Caluk, N.; Mehrabi, A. and Khedmatgozar Dolati, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (20), 9757; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11209757 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/20/9757

1 November 2022 Meet Us at the 14th National Surface Engineering Conference, 11–13 November 2022, Wuhan, China

MDPI will be attending the 14th National Surface Engineering Conference, held in Wuhan, China, from 11 to 13 November 2022. This conference aims to achieve an in-depth exchange of the latest research results in surface engineering and related disciplines and to discuss the frontier trends and future development trends of surface engineering research and engineering application. During this conference, MDPI will welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us. 

• Lubricants ;
• Clean Technologies . 

If you plan on attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. 

For more information about the conference, please see the following link: http://bmgc2022.aconf.cn/index.html .

21 October 2022 Prof. Dr. Yuyang Li Appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of Section “Applied Thermal Engineering” in Applied Sciences

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Yuyang Li has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of the “ Applied Thermal Engineering ” Section in Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417, IF: 2.838).

Prof. Dr. Yuyang Li received his bachelor's and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2004 and 2010, respectively, and worked as a postdoctoral researcher and a faculty member at the University of Science and Technology of China between 2010 and 2015. In February 2015, he joined the School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He was promoted to full professor in 2018 and is now a vice dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering. He served as a Board Member of the Combustion Section of the Chinese Society of Engineering Thermophysics, a Board Member of the Combustion Aerodynamics Section of the Chinese Aerodynamics Research Society, a Colloquium Co-Chair of the International Symposium on Combustion, a Program Co-Chair of the China National Symposium on Combustion, and a Scientific Committee Member of the Symposium on Ammonia Energy, etc.

In terms of scientific research, he has long been engaged in the research of carbon-neutral energy and power technology, low-carbon combustion technology, combustion kinetics and dynamics, novel combustion technologies, and spray, atomization, and evaporation. He has undertaken more than 10 scientific projects and published more than 170 papers and been authorized as the owner of 7 patents.

He has been awarded the second prize of the China’s State Natural Science Award, the China Youth Science and Technology Award, the Excellent Young Scholar of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Wu Zhonghua Outstanding Young Scholar Award of the Chinese Society of Engineering Thermophysics, the Excellent Research Award of the Combustion Institute, and the 2022 Energy and Fuel Rising Star.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Yuyang Li, who shared his vision for the journal and his views on the research area and open access publishing with us:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take on the role of its Section Editor-in-Chief? At present, great changes are taking place rapidly in the global energy field. The subject of applied thermal engineering plays a vital role in the energy revolution, and it has been a major topic of discussion. I have carried out long-term research on the subject of applied thermal engineering, especially in the field of combustion energy and power. I really appreciate the invitation from the Applied Sciences journal to be the Section Editor-in-Chief of “Applied Thermal Engineering”, and it is my pleasure to serve the international academic field of applied thermal engineering.

2. What is your vision for the Section "Applied Thermal Engineering"? There are currently 18 Editorial Members in the Section “Applied Thermal Engineering” of Applied Sciences . Their research directions cover combustion, engineering thermodynamics, heat transfer, renewable energy, building energy conservation, energy storage, etc. In the future, we will further expand the editorial team, cover emerging research directions, and strengthen key research directions, so as to form a high-level stable source of submissions, increase the influence of the Section, and better serve the goal of disseminating academic achievements and promoting academic exchanges in the direction of applied thermal engineering.

3. Who should contribute to this Section, and what can readers expect? Scholars, including mature Ph.D. students and post-doc researchers in the research field of applied thermal engineering can contribute to this Section, providing innovative academic ideas and valuable research progress to our readers.

4. What does the future of this field of research look like? The research field of applied thermal engineering is an important supporting field of energy science and technology. The research directions of low-carbon thermal engineering, renewable energy, energy storage and heat storage, and novel energy-saving technologies are on the rise. A large number of cutting-edge research hotspots have been developed, such as hydrogen and ammonia combustion, solar photothermal technology, battery thermal management, and the thermal management of electronic devices. In the future, with the strong support from government and industry and the joint efforts of scholars in this field, I believe that the research field of applied thermal engineering will develop more vigorously.

5. What do you think of the development of Open Access in the publishing field? Open Access is the general trend in academic publishing. As early as 2016, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research had announced the full implementation of the open access strategy. Chinese academic institutions are also actively exploring the open access mode for academic publishing. Founded in 2012 by the National Science Library of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the China Open Access Promotion Week has been held ten consecutive times. I myself am also an advocate and beneficiary of the open access mode of academic publishing. This year alone, five papers by my research group have been or will be published through the open access mode.

We warmly welcome Prof. Dr. Yuyang Li to his new role as Section Editor-in-Chief of the “Applied Thermal Engineering” Section, and we look forward to his guidance in helping  Applied Sciences  reach new milestones.

21 October 2022 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Mechanical Engineering”

1. “A Survey on Robotic Technologies for Forest Firefighting: Applying Drone Swarms to Improve Firefighters’ Efficiency and Safety” by Roldán-Gómez, J.; González-Gironda, E. and Barrientos, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (1), 363; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010363 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/1/363

2. “Methodology for Complex Efficiency Evaluation of Machinery Safety Measures in a Production Organization” by Pačaiová, H.; Andrejiová, M.; Balažiková, M.; Tomašková, M.; Gazda, T.; Chomová, K.; Hijj, J. and Salaj, L. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (1), 453; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010453 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/1/453

3. “Effect of Hydrogen Addition on the Energetic and Ecologic Parameters of an SI Engine Fueled by Biogas” by Pukalskas, S.; Kriaučiūnas, D.; Rimkus, A.; Przybyła, G.; Droździel, P. and Barta, D. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 742; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020742 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/742

4. “Uncertainty Handling in Structural Damage Detection via Non-Probabilistic Meta-Models and Interval Mathematics, a Data-Analytics Approach” by Ghiasi, R.; Noori, M.; Altabey, W.; Silik, A.; Wang, T. and Wu, Z. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 770; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020770 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/770

5. “Enhanced K-Nearest Neighbor for Intelligent Fault Diagnosis of Rotating Machinery” by Lu, J.; Qian, W.; Li, S. and Cui, R. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 919; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11030919 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/919

6. “Rail Diagnostics Based on Ultrasonic Guided Waves: An Overview” by Bombarda, D.; Vitetta, G. and Ferrante, G. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1071; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031071 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1071

7. “Life Cycle Assessment of an NMC Battery for Application to Electric Light-Duty Commercial Vehicles and Comparison with a Sodium-Nickel-Chloride Battery” by Accardo, A.; Dotelli, G.; Musa, M. and Spessa, E.

Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1160; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031160 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1160

8. “Advances in Metal Additive Manufacturing: A Review of Common Processes, Industrial Applications, and Current Challenges” by Vafadar, A.; Guzzomi, F.; Rassau, A. and Hayward, K. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1213; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031213 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1213

9. “Deep Learning Method for Fault Detection of Wind Turbine Converter” by Xiao, C.; Liu, Z.; Zhang, T. and Zhang, X. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1280; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031280 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1280

10. “Topology Optimisation in Structural Steel Design for Additive Manufacturing” by Ribeiro, T.; Bernardo, L. and Andrade, J. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2112; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052112 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2112

11. “Integrated Design of a Morphing Winglet for Active Load Control and Alleviation of Turboprop Regional Aircraft” by Dimino, I.; Andreutti, G.; Moens, F.; Fonte, F.; Pecora, R. and Concilio, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2439; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052439 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2439

12. “Review of Liquid Argon Detector Technologies in the Neutrino Sector” by Majumdar, K. and Mavrokoridis, K. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2455; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062455 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2455

13. “A Comparative Study of Energy Consumption and Recovery of Autonomous Fuel-Cell Hydrogen–Electric Vehicles Using Different Powertrains Based on Regenerative Braking and Electronic Stability Control System” by Yildiz, A. and Özel, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2515; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062515 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2515

14. “Trends and Challenges in Intelligent Condition Monitoring of Electrical Machines Using Machine Learning” by Kudelina, K.; Vaimann, T.; Asad, B.; Rassõlkin, A.; Kallaste, A. and Demidova, G. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2761; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062761 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2761

15. “Multi-Resolution SPH Simulation of a Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Process” by Afrasiabi, M.; Lüthi, C.; Bambach, M. and Wegener, K. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 2962; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11072962 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/2962

16. “Environmental Consequences of Closing the Textile Loop—Life Cycle Assessment of a Circular Polyester Jacket” by Braun, G.; Som, C.; Schmutz, M. and Hischier, R. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 2964; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11072964 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/2964

17. “Exploring the Traveler’s Intentions to Use Public Transport during the COVID-19 Pandemic While Complying with Precautionary Measures” by Abdullah, M.; Ali, N.; Dias, C.; Campisi, T. and Javid, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3630; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083630 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3630

18. “A Review of X-ray Microcalorimeters Based on Superconducting Transition Edge Sensors for Astrophysics and Particle Physics” by Gottardi, L. and Nagayashi, K. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3793; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093793 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/3793

19. “Industry 4.0 Technologies for Manufacturing Sustainability: A Systematic Review and Future Research Directions” by Jamwal, A.; Agrawal, R.; Sharma, M. and Giallanza, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (12), 5725; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125725 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/12/5725

20. “Applications of Magnesium and Its Alloys: A Review” by Tan, J. and Ramakrishna, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (15), 6861; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11156861 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/15/6861

11 October 2022 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Food Science and Technology ”

1. “Internet of Nonthermal Food Processing Technologies (IoNTP): Food Industry 4.0 and Sustainability” by Režek Jambrak, A.; Nutrizio, M.; Djekić, I.; Pleslić, S. and Chemat, F. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 686; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020686 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/686

2. “The Assessment of the Possibility of Using Ethanol and Ultrasound to Design the Properties of Dried Carrot Tissue” by Dadan, M. and Nowacka, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020689 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/689

3. “Non-Thermal Methods for Ensuring the Microbiological Quality and Safety of Seafood” by Ekonomou, S. and Boziaris, I. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 833; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020833 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/833

4. “Evaluation of Bioactive and Physicochemical Properties of White and Black Garlic ( Allium sativum L. ) from Conventional and Organic Cultivation” by Najman, K.; Sadowska, A. and Hallmann, E. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 874; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020874 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/874

5.“Interactions between Polyphenols and Volatile Compounds in Wine: A Literature Review on Physicochemical and Sensory Insights” by Pittari, E.; Moio, L. and Piombino, P. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1157; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031157 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1157

6. “Current Applications of Ultrasound in Fruit and Vegetables Osmotic Dehydration Processes” by Nowacka, M.; Dadan, M. and Tylewicz, U. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1269; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031269 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1269

7. “Volatile Organic Compounds in Breads Prepared with Different Sourdoughs” by De Luca, L.; Aiello, A.; Pizzolongo, F.; Blaiotta, G.; Aponte, M. and Romano, R. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1330; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031330 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1330

8. “Kombucha Tea as a Reservoir of Cellulose Producing Bacteria: Assessing Diversity among Komagataeibacter Isolates” by La China, S.; De Vero, L.; Anguluri, K.; Brugnoli, M.; Mamlouk, D. and Gullo, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1595; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041595 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1595

9. “Flavor Chemistry of Virgin Olive Oil: An Overview” by Genovese, A.; Caporaso, N. and Sacchi, R. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1639; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041639 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1639

10. “Buckwheat Seeds: Impact of Milling Fractions and Addition Level on Wheat Bread Dough Rheology” by Coțovanu, I. and Mironeasa, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1731; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041731 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1731

11. “Environmental Conditions and Agronomical Factors Influencing the Levels of Phytochemicals in Brassica Vegetables Responsible for Nutritional and Sensorial Properties” by Biondi, F.; Balducci, F.; Capocasa, F.; Visciglio, M.; Mei, E.; Vagnoni, M.; Mezzetti, B. and Mazzoni, L. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1927; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041927 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1927

12. “Effect of Chitosan Nanoemulsion on Enhancing the Phytochemical Contents, Health-Promoting Components, and Shelf Life of Raspberry (Rubus sanctus Schreber)” by Ishkeh, S.; Shirzad, H.; Asghari, M.; Alirezalu, A.; Pateiro, M. and Lorenzo, J. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2224; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052224 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2224

13. “Phenolic Profiling of Five Different Australian Grown Apples” by Li, H.; Subbiah, V.; Barrow, C.; Dunshea, F. and Suleria, H. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2421; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052421 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2421

14. “Ohmic Heating in the Food Industry: Developments in Concepts and Applications during 2013–2020” by Alkanan, Z.; Altemimi, A.; Al-Hilphy, A.; Watson, D. and Pratap-Singh, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2507; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062507 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2507

15. “Infrared Radiation Favorably Influences the Quality Characteristics of Key Lime Juice” by Altemimi, A.; Al-Hilphy, A.; Abedelmaksoud, T.; Aboud, S.; Badwaik, L.; G, L.; Noore, S. and Pratap-Singh, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2842; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062842 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2842

16. “Maize and Sorghum as Raw Materials for Brewing, a Review” by Dabija, A.; Ciocan, M.; Chetrariu, A. and Codină, G. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 3139; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073139 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/3139

17. “Postharvest UV-B and Photoperiod with Blue + Red LEDs as Strategies to Stimulate Carotenogenesis in Bell Peppers” by Martínez-Zamora, L.; Castillejo, N. and Artés-Hernández, F. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3736; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093736 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/3736

18. “Animal Protein Sources as a Substitute for Fishmeal in Aquaculture Diets: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” by Luthada-Raswiswi, R.; Mukaratirwa, S. and O’Brien, G. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3854; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093854 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/3854

19. “Microencapsulation of Anthocyanins—Critical Review of Techniques and Wall Materials” by Mohammadalinejhad, S. and Kurek, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3936; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093936 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/3936

20. “Nanoencapsulation of Essential Oils as Natural Food Antimicrobial Agents: An Overview” by Liao, W.; Badri, W.; Dumas, E.; Ghnimi, S.; Elaissari, A.; Saurel, R. and Gharsallaoui, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (13), 5778; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11135778 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/13/5778

29 September 2022 Applied Sciences | Top 10 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Applied Physics”

1. “Mathematical Model and FPGA Realization of a Multi-Stable Chaotic Dynamical System with a Closed Butterfly-Like Curve of Equilibrium Points” by Sambas, A.; Vaidyanathan, S.; Bonny, T.; Zhang, S.; Sukono; Hidayat, Y.; Gundara, G. and Mamat, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020788 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/788

2. “Artificial Intelligence and the Medical Physicist: Welcome to the Machine” by Avanzo, M.; Trianni, A.; Botta, F.; Talamonti, C.; Stasi, M. and Iori, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1691; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041691 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1691

3. “Assessment of Natural Radioactivity and Radiological Risks in River Sediments from Calabria (Southern Italy)” by Caridi, F.; Di Bella, M.; Sabatino, G.; Belmusto, G.; Fede, M.; Romano, D.; Italiano, F. and Mottese, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1729; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041729 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1729

4. “Applications of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma in Dentistry” by Borges, A.; Kostov, K.; Pessoa, R.; de Abreu, G.; Lima, G.; Figueira, L. and Koga-Ito, C. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 1975; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11051975 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/1975

5. “A Review of the Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Bulk and Two-Dimensional Tin (II) Sulfide (SnS)” by Norton, K.; Alam, F. and Lewis, D. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2062; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052062 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2062

6. “Current Progress in Femtosecond Laser Ablation/Ionisation Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry” by Tulej, M.; Ligterink, N.; de Koning, C.; Grimaudo, V.; Lukmanov, R.; Keresztes Schmidt, P.; Riedo, A. and Wurz, P. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2562; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062562 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2562

7. “Flexible Sample Environment for the Investigation of Soft Matter at the European Spallation Source: Part II—The GISANS Setup” by Widmann, T.; Kreuzer, L.; Kühnhammer, M.; Schmid, A.; Wiehemeier, L.; Jaksch, S.; Frielinghaus, H.; Löhmann, O.; Schneider, H.; Hiess, A.; Klitzing, R.; Hellweg, T. and Müller-Buschbaum, P. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4036; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094036 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4036

8. “MA-XRF for the Characterisation of the Painting Materials and Technique of the Entombment of Christ by Rogier van der Weyden” by Mazzinghi, A.; Ruberto, C.; Castelli, L.; Czelusniak, C.; Giuntini, L.; Mandò, P. and Taccetti, F. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (13), 6151; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11136151 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/13/6151

9. “Characterizations of a Plasma-Water System Generated by Repetitive Microsecond Pulsed Discharge with Air, Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Argon Gases Species” by Bolouki, N.; Kuan, W.; Huang, Y. and Hsieh, J. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (13), 6158; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11136158 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/13/6158

10. “The Role of HNO2 in the Generation of Plasma-Activated Water by Air Transient Spark Discharge” by Janda, M.; Hensel, K.; Tóth, P.; Hassan, M. and Machala, Z. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (15), 7053; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11157053 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/15/7053

29 September 2022 Meet Us at the 2022 BMES Annual Meeting, 12–15 October 2022, San Antonio, Texas, USA

Conference: 2022 BMES Annual Meeting Date: 12–15 October 2022 Place: San Antonio, Texas, USA Booth: #346

MDPI will be attending the 2022 BMES Annual Meeting as an exhibitor from 12 to 15 October 2022 in San Antonio, Texas, USA.

BMES holds an annual meeting where they have hosted up to 5,500 biomedical engineers who attend more than 2,500 scientific presentations on cancer treatment, heart disease, women’s health, global health disparities, and more. The meeting allows members to advocate for their innovative solutions, demonstrating their commitment to the society’s core value of health equity for all individuals. In addition, BMES shares scientific information to inspire the up-and-coming generation through four scientific journals, three special interest groups, and collaborations with other scientific societies to elevate the visibility and significant impact that the biomedical engineering community has worldwide as the thought leaders behind the future of human health.

From 12 to 15 October 2022, in the vibrant multicultural city of San Antonio, we will celebrate the tremendous contributions made by BMES members in research, teaching, education, and the workforce that directly impact many sectors of our society. We also aim to highlight equity issues in healthcare and education, stemming from racial and socioeconomic diversity, gender and sexual orientation, and disabilities.

• Bioengineering ;
• Biomedicines;
• Biomimetics ;
• Biomolecules ;
• Biosensors ;

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you plan on attending this conference. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you might have.

28 September 2022 Peer Review Week 2022 – Research Integrity: Creating and Supporting Trust in Research

Peer Review Week began 19 September 2022 under the theme of “Research Integrity: Creating and Supporting Trust in Research”. Through various blog articles, podcast, and webinar, we discussed this crucial subject throughout the week, celebrating the essential role peer review plays in maintaining research quality.

To begin, we held a Webinar on the topic. Professor Peter W. Choate and Dr. Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi joined Dr. Ioana Craciun, one of MDPI’s scientific officers, for an in-depth discussion.

We invite you to view the event recording:

During the week, the MDPI Blog in a series articles highlighted how good Peer Review safeguards research integrity. The following topics were covered:

• Peer Review Week 2022
• Research Integrity
• What We’ve Learned About Peer Review Reports
• 4 Steps to the Perfect Peer Review Report
• How to Write the Perfect Peer Review Report: An Interview
• Inviting Great Peer Reviewers

In a  new edition of Insight Faster, an MDPI podcast, we were delighted to talk to the co-chairs of the Peer Review Week committee, Jayashree Rajagopalan (Senior Manager of Global Community Engagement for CACTUS) and Danielle Padula (Head of Marketing and Community Development at Scholastica) to get their take on this year’s event and its related topics.

You can find the Podcast here .

We hope you enjoy the contents!

27 September 2022 Applied Sciences | Invitation to Read Selected Papers from Editor’s Choice Articles

The goal of Editor’s Choice Articles project is to promote high-quality articles published in Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417).  Please find below the list of articles carefully handpicked by the scientific editors of the journal, which we believe will be of interest to you.

1. “Photodynamic Therapy—An Up-to-Date Review” by Adelina-Gabriela Niculescu et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3626; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083626 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3626

2. “Current Challenges and Future Opportunities for XAI in Machine Learning-Based Clinical Decision Support Systems: A Systematic Review” by Anna Markella Antoniadi et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 5088; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11115088 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/5088

3. “Deep Learning-Based Methods for Prostate Segmentation in Magnetic Resonance Imaging” by Albert Comelli et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 782; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020782 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/782

4. “Recent Progress in Applications of Non-Thermal Plasma for Water Purification, Bio-Sterilization, and Decontamination” by Azadeh Barjasteh et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3372; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083372 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3372

5. “Ozonized Water Administration in Peri-Implant Mucositis Sites: A Randomized Clinical Trial” by Andrea Butera et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (17), 7812; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11177812 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/17/7812

6. “Mitigation of NaCl Stress in Wheat by Rhizosphere Engineering Using Salt Habitat Adapted PGPR Halotolerant Bacteria” by Souhila Kerbab et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1034; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031034 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1034

7. “Applications of Nanosized-Lipid-Based Drug Delivery Systems in Wound Care” by Andreea-Mariana Matei et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4915; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114915 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4915

8. “Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review of the Application of Machine Learning Classifiers in Biomedical Applications of Infrared Thermography” by Carolina Magalhaes et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 842; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020842 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/842

9. “Chronic Effects of Diazinon® Exposures Using Integrated Biomarker Responses in Freshwater Walking Catfish, Clarias batrachus ” by Shubhajit Saha et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (22), 10902; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112210902 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/22/10902

10. “Deep Malaria Parasite Detection in Thin Blood Smear Microscopic Images” by Asma Maqsood et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2284; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052284 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2284

11. “Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Triclosan Induce Cyto-Genotoxicity and Biochemical Alterations in the Hatchlings of Labeo rohita ” by Sunil Sharma et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (21), 10478; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112110478 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/21/10478

12. “N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Gold(I) Complexes Targeting Actin Polymerization” by Domenico Iacopetta et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (12), 5626; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125626 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/12/5626

13. “Land Suitability Mapping Using Geochemical and Spatial Analysis Methods” by Dimitrios E. Alexakis et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (12), 5404; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125404 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/12/5404

14. “Virtual Geosite Communication through a WebGIS Platform: A Case Study from Santorini Island (Greece)” by Federico Pasquaré Mariotto et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (12), 5466; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125466 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/12/5466

15. “Primary and Secondary Environmental Effects Triggered by the 30 October 2020, Mw = 7.0, Samos (Eastern Aegean Sea, Greece) Earthquake Based on Post-Event Field Surveys and InSAR Analysis” by Spyridon Mavroulis et al. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 3281; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073281 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/3281

We would like to thank all of the research groups that authored these exceptional papers for their contribution. We sincerely hope you find these articles of Applied Sciences to be useful and insightful.

23 September 2022 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section "Computing and Artificial Intelligence"

1. “Detection of Cardiac Structural Abnormalities in Fetal Ultrasound Videos Using Deep Learning” by Komatsu, M.; Sakai, A.; Komatsu, R.; Matsuoka, R.; Yasutomi, S.; Shozu, K.; Dozen, A.; Machino, H.; Hidaka, H.; Arakaki, T.; Asada, K.; Kaneko, S.; Sekizawa, A. and Hamamoto, R. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (1), 371; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010371 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/1/371

2. “Impact of Dataset Size on Classification Performance: An Empirical Evaluation in the Medical Domain” by Althnian, A.; AlSaeed, D.; Al-Baity, H.; Samha, A.; Dris, A.; Alzakari, N.; Abou Elwafa, A. and Kurdi, H. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 796; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020796 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/796

3. “Sentence Representation Method Based on Multi-Layer Semantic Network” by Zheng, W.; Liu, X. and Yin, L. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1316; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031316 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1316

4. “Trends and Challenges in Network Covert Channels Countermeasures” by Caviglione, L. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1641; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041641 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1641

5. “Intelligent Cyber Attack Detection and Classification for Network-Based Intrusion Detection Systems” by Oliveira, N.; Praça, I.; Maia, E. and Sousa, O. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1674; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041674 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1674

6. “Augmented CWT Features for Deep Learning-Based Indoor Localization Using WiFi RSSI Data” by Ssekidde, P.; Steven Eyobu, O.; Han, D. and Oyana, T. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1806; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041806 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1806

7. “How to Correctly Detect Face-Masks for COVID-19 from Visual Information?” by Batagelj, B.; Peer, P.; Štruc, V. and Dobrišek, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2070; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052070 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2070

8. “A Review of Human–Computer Interaction and Virtual Reality Research Fields in Cognitive InfoCommunications” by Katona, J. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2646; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062646 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2646

9. “Deep Learning Based Human Activity Recognition Using Spatio-Temporal Image Formation of Skeleton Joints” by Tasnim, N.; Islam, M. and Baek, J. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2675; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062675 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2675

10. “Key Factors in the Implementation of the Internet of Things in the Hotel Sector” by Infante-Moro, A.; Infante-Moro, J. and Gallardo-Pérez, J. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 2924; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11072924 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/2924

11. “Information Security Behavior and Information Security Policy Compliance: A Systematic Literature Review for Identifying the Transformation Process from Noncompliance to Compliance” by Ali, R.; Dominic, P.; Ali, S.; Rehman, M. and Sohail, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3383; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083383 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3383

12. “A Deep Neural Network Model for Speaker Identification” by Ye, F. and Yang, J. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3603; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083603 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3603

13. “Prediction of Peak Particle Velocity Caused by Blasting through the Combinations of Boosted-CHAID and SVM Models with Various Kernels” by Zeng, J.; Roussis, P.; Mohammed, A.; Maraveas, C.; Fatemi, S.; Armaghani, D. and Asteris, P. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3705; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083705 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3705

14. “Sentiment Analysis of Students’ Feedback with NLP and Deep Learning: A Systematic Mapping Study” by Kastrati, Z.; Dalipi, F.; Imran, A.; Pireva Nuci, K. and Wani, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3986; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093986 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/3986

15. “Real-Time Hand Gesture Recognition Based on Deep Learning YOLOv3 Model” by Mujahid, A.; Awan, M.; Yasin, A.; Mohammed, M.; Damaševičius, R.; Maskeliūnas, R. and Abdulkareem, K. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4164; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094164 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4164

16. “Augmented Reality Maintenance Assistant Using YOLOv5” by Malta, A.; Mendes, M. and Farinha, T. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4758; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114758 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4758

17. “COVID-19 Vaccination Awareness and Aftermath: Public Sentiment Analysis on Twitter Data and Vaccinated Population Prediction in the USA” by Sattar, N. and Arifuzzaman, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (13), 6128; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11136128 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/13/6128

18. “A Survey on Change Detection and Time Series Analysis with Applications” by Ghaderpour, E.; Pagiatakis, S. and Hassan, Q. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (13), 6141; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11136141 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/13/6141

19. “Prediction of COVID-19 from Chest CT Images Using an Ensemble of Deep Learning Models” by Biswas, S.; Chatterjee, S.; Majee, A.; Sen, S.; Schwenker, F. and Sarkar, R. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (15), 7004; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11157004 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/15/7004

20. “Comparative Analysis of Low Discrepancy Sequence-Based Initialization Approaches Using Population-Based Algorithms for Solving the Global Optimization Problems” by Bangyal, W.; Nisar, K.; Ag. Ibrahim, A.; Haque, M.; Rodrigues, J. and Rawat, D. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (16), 7591; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167591 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/16/7591

15 September 2022 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences”

1. “A Review on Recent Advancements of Graphene and Graphene-Related Materials in Biological Applications” by Catania, F.; Marras, E.; Giorcelli, M.; Jagdale, P.; Lavagna, L.; Tagliaferro, A. and Bartoli, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 614; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020614 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/614

2. “Review on Silver Nanoparticles as a Novel Class of Antibacterial Solutions” by Crisan, C.; Mocan, T.; Manolea, M.; Lasca, L.; Tăbăran, F. and Mocan, L. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1120; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031120 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1120

3. “Carbon Nanotube-Based Composite Filaments for 3D Printing of Structural and Conductive Elements” by Podsiadły, B.; Matuszewski, P.; Skalski, A. and Słoma, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1272; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031272 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1272

4. “Ag-Nanowire Bundles with Gap Hot Spots Synthesized in Track-Etched Membranes as Effective SERS-Substrates” by Kozhina, E.; Bedin, S.; Nechaeva, N.; Podoynitsyn, S.; Tarakanov, V.; Andreev, S.; Grigoriev, Y. and Naumov, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1375; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041375 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1375

5. “Nanoparticles and Nanocrystals by Supercritical CO 2 -Assisted Techniques for Pharmaceutical Applications: A Review” by Franco, P. and De Marco, I. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1476; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041476 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1476

6. “Nanotechnology Development for Formulating Essential Oils in Wound Dressing Materials to Promote the Wound-Healing Process: A Review” by De Luca, I.; Pedram, P.; Moeini, A.; Cerruti, P.; Peluso, G.; Di Salle, A. and Germann, N. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1713; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041713 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1713

7. “Mechanical Properties of DNA Hydrogels: Towards Highly Programmable Biomaterials” by Bush, J.; Hu, C. and Veneziano, R. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1885; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041885 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1885

8. “Yttrium Oxide Nanoparticle Synthesis: An Overview of Methods of Preparation and Biomedical Applications” by Rajakumar, G.; Mao, L.; Bao, T.; Wen, W.; Wang, S.; Gomathi, T.; Gnanasundaram, N.; Rebezov, M.; Shariati, M.; Chung, I.; Thiruvengadam, M. and Zhang, X. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2172; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052172 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2172

9. “Enhancement of Antimicrobial Activity of Alginate Films with a Low Amount of Carbon Nanofibers (0.1% w/w)” by Sanmartín-Santos, I.; Gandía-Llop, S.; Salesa, B.; Martí, M.; Lillelund Aachmann, F. and Serrano-Aroca, Á. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2311; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052311 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2311

10. “Systematic Review on Human Skin-Compatible Wearable Photoplethysmography Sensors” by Lee, I.; Park, N.; Lee, H.; Hwang, C.; Kim, J. and Park, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2313; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052313 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2313

11. “Green Approaches to Carbon Nanostructure-Based Biomaterials” by Adorinni, S.; Cringoli, M.; Perathoner, S.; Fornasiero, P. and Marchesan, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2490; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062490 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2490

12. “Biogenic Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterisation and Applications” by Mughal, B.; Zaidi, S.; Zhang, X. and Hassan, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2598; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062598 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2598

13. “Electrospun PVP/PVA Nanofiber Mat as a Novel Potential Transdermal Drug-Delivery System for Buprenorphine: A Solution Needed for Pain Management” by Rahmani, F.; Ziyadi, H.; Baghali, M.; Luo, H. and Ramakrishna, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2779; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062779 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2779

14. “Tuning Single-Molecule Conductance by Controlled Electric Field-Induced trans-to-cis Isomerisation” by Quintans, C.; Andrienko, D.; Domke, K.; Aravena, D.; Koo, S.; Díez-Pérez, I. and Aragonès, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3317; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083317 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3317

15. “Surface Functionalization of PLGA Nanoparticles to Increase Transport across the BBB for Alzheimer’s Disease” by Del Amo, L.; Cano, A.; Ettcheto, M.; Souto, E.; Espina, M.; Camins, A.; García, M. and Sánchez-López, E. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4305; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094305 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4305

16. “Antibacterial Activity of TiO 2 Nanoparticles Prepared by One-Step Laser Ablation in Liquid” by Khashan, K.; Sulaiman, G.; Abdulameer, F.; Albukhaty, S.; Ibrahem, M.; Al-Muhimeed, T. and AlObaid, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (10), 4623; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11104623 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/10/4623

17. “Electrospun Nanofibrous Membranes for Tissue Engineering and Cell Growth” by Tanzli, E. and Ehrmann, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (15), 6929; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11156929 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/15/6929

18. “Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine, and the Kidney” by Hauser, P.; Chang, H.; Yanagawa, N. and Hamon, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (16), 7187; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167187 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/16/7187

19. “Fe 3 O 4 Nanoparticles: Structures, Synthesis, Magnetic Properties, Surface Functionalization, and Emerging Applications” by Nguyen, M.; Tran, H.; Xu, S. and Lee, T. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (23), 11301; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112311301 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/23/11301

20. “Copper Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Characterization, Physiology, Toxicity and Antimicrobial Applications” by Crisan, M.; Teodora, M. and Lucian, M. Appl. Sci. 2022 , 12 (1), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010141 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/1/141

14 September 2022 Meet Us at NanoInnovation 2022, 19–23 September 2022, Rome, Italy

MDPI will be attending NanoInnovation 2022, held in Rome, Italy, from 19 to 23 September 2022.

• A pplied S ciences (leading);
• Nanomaterials (co-leading);
• Applied Nano ;
• Nanomanufacturing ;
• Technologies .

If you plan on attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions that you may have.

For more information about the conference, please see the following link: https://www.nanoinnovation2022.eu/ .

13 September 2022 Applied Sciences | Top 10 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Robotics and Automation”

1. “A Practical and Effective Layout for a Safe Human-Robot Collaborative Assembly Task” by Scimmi, L.; Melchiorre, M.; Troise, M.; Mauro, S. and Pastorelli, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1763; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041763 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1763

2. “Control of DC Motors to Guide Unmanned Underwater Vehicles” by Sands, T. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2144; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052144 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2144

3. “Belt Conveyors Rollers Diagnostics Based on Acoustic Signal Collected Using Autonomous Legged Inspection Robot” by Skoczylas, A.; Stefaniak, P.; Anufriiev, S. and Jachnik, B. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2299; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052299 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/5/2299

4. “An Improved PID Controller for the Compliant Constant-Force Actuator Based on BP Neural Network and Smith Predictor” by Pei, G.; Yu, M.; Xu, Y.; Ma, C.; Lai, H.; Chen, F. and Lin, H. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2685; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062685 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2685

5. “Transformed Structural Properties Method to Determine the Controllability and Observability of Robots” by Martinez, D.; Rubio, J.; Garcia, V.; Vargas, T.; Islas, M.; Pacheco, J.; Gutierrez, G.; Meda-Campaña, J.; Mujica-Vargas, D. and Aguilar-Ibañez, C. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 3082; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073082 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/3082

6. “A Mobile Service Robot Global Path Planning Method Based on Ant Colony Optimization and Fuzzy Control” by Tao, Y.; Gao, H.; Ren, F.; Chen, C.; Wang, T.; Xiong, H. and Jiang, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3605; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083605 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3605

7. “Digital Twin for Designing and Reconfiguring Human–Robot Collaborative Assembly Lines” by Kousi, N.; Gkournelos, C.; Aivaliotis, S.; Lotsaris, K.; Bavelos, A.; Baris, P.; Michalos, G. and Makris, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (10), 4620; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11104620 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/10/4620

8. “Comparing Methods of DC Motor Control for UUVs” by Shah, R. and Sands, T. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4972; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114972 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4972

9. “A 4-DOF Upper Limb Exoskeleton for Physical Assistance: Design, Modeling, Control and Performance Evaluation” by Gull, M.; Thoegersen, M.; Bengtson, S.; Mohammadi, M.; Andreasen Struijk, L.; Moeslund, T.; Bak, T. and Bai, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (13), 5865; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11135865 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/13/5865

10. “Anomaly Detection Using Deep Neural Network for IoT Architecture” by Ahmad, Z.; Shahid Khan, A.; Nisar, K.; Haider, I.; Hassan, R.; Haque, M.; Tarmizi, S. and Rodrigues, J. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (15), 7050; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11157050 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/15/7050

8 September 2022 Meet Us at the 21st European Conference on Computational Biology (ECCB2022), 18–21 September 2022, Barcelona, Spain

MDPI will be attending the 21st European Conference on Computational Biology (ECCB2022), held in Barcelona, Spain, from 18 to 21 September 2022.

For more information about the conference, please see the following link: https://eccb2022.org/.

2 September 2022 Prof. Dr. Francesco Cappello Appointed Associate Editor of Applied Sciences

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Francesco Cappello has been appointed as the Associate Editor of the journal Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417, IF: 2.838).

Prof. Dr. Francesco Cappello was born in Palermo, Italy, in 1973. In 1997, he completed his degree in medicine and surgery with honors and was awarded the Best Thesis prize. In 2002, he became a specialist in pathological anatomy, receiving the maximum score. Since 2016, he has served as a Full Professor at the University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy, where he teaches human anatomy and histology. His current honorific appointments include the following: Scientific Director of the Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, Italy; Associate Member of the Faculty of the Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston (TX), USA; Adjunct Associate Professor of the Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia (PA), USA; President of the Italian Society of Experimental Biology; and Senior Fellow of the Cell Stress Society International. His research interests include cell differentiation, tissue homeostasis, organ regeneration, cell stress and chaperones, and nanovesicles.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Francesco Cappello, who shared his vision for the journal and his views of the research area and open access publishing with us:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take on the role as its Associate Editor? The reputation of MDPI and the efficacious support of its editorial team.

2. What is your vision for the Section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering"? This is a growing field of interest for the future as well as in developing countries.

3. Who should contribute to this Section, and what can readers expect? Scientists, including mature Ph.D. and post-doc students, should contribute to offering readers the opportunity to learn about their contributions to the advancement of science in this field.

4. What does the future of this field of research look like? The future of this field is of great interest and includes the opportunity of receiving funding from public and private entities.

We warmly welcome Prof. Dr. Francesco Cappello to his new role as Associate Editor, and we look forward to his guidance in helping Applied Sciences reach new milestones.

2 September 2022 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering”

1. “Assessment of an Improved Three-Diode against Modified Two-Diode Patterns of MCS Solar Cells Associated with Soft Parameter Estimation Paradigms” by Bayoumi, A.; El-Sehiemy, R.; Mahmoud, K.; Lehtonen, M.; Darwish, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1055; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031055 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1055

2. “ Real-Time Extensive Livestock Monitoring Using LPWAN Smart Wearable and Infrastructure” by Casas, R.; Hermosa, A.; Marco, Á.; Blanco, T.; Zarazaga-Soria, F. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1240; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031240 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1240

3. “A Novel Automatic Modulation Classification Method Using Attention Mechanism and Hybrid Parallel Neural Network” by Zhang, R.; Yin, Z.; Wu, Z.; Zhou, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1327; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031327 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1327

4. “Crowded Space: A Review on Radar Measurements for Space Debris Monitoring and Tracking” by Muntoni, G.; Montisci, G.; Pisanu, T.; Andronico, P.; Valente, G. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1364; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041364 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1364

5. “Metamaterial Based Design of Compact UWB/MIMO Monopoles Antenna with Characteristic Mode Analysis” by Jabire, A.; Ghaffar, A.; Li, X.; Abdu, A.; Saminu, S.; Alibakhshikenari, M.; Falcone, F.; Limiti, E. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1542; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041542 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1542

6. “Machine Learning for Design Optimization of Electromagnetic Devices: Recent Developments and Future Directions” by Li, Y.; Lei, G.; Bramerdorfer, G.; Peng, S.; Sun, X.; Zhu, J. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1627; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041627 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1627

7. “Design and Realization of a Frequency Reconfigurable Multimode Antenna for ISM, 5G-Sub-6-GHz, and S-Band Applications” by Ghaffar, A.; Li, X.; Awan, W.; Iffat Naqvi, S.; Hussain, N.; Seet, B.; Alibakhshikenari, M.; Falcone, F.; Limiti, E. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1635; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041635 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1635

8. “Time-Dependent Performance of a Multi-Hop Software Defined Network” by Czachórski, T.; Gelenbe, E.; Kuaban, G.; Marek, D. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2469; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062469 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2469

9. “Interpretation of Frequency Response Analysis for Fault Detection in Power Transformers” by Al-Ameri, S.; Kamarudin, M.; Yousof, M.; Salem, A.; Siada, A.; Mosaad, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 2923; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11072923 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/2923

10. “Digital Twins Collaboration for Automatic Erratic Operational Data Detection in Industry 4.0” by Sahal, R.; Alsamhi, S.; Breslin, J.; Brown, K.; Ali, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (7), 3186; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073186 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/3186

11. “Renewable Generation and Transmission Expansion Planning Coordination with Energy Storage System: A Flexibility Point of View” by Ansari, M.; Pirouzi, S.; Kazemi, M.; Naderipour, A.; Benbouzid, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3303; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083303 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3303

12. “True Random Number Generator Based on Fibonacci-Galois Ring Oscillators for FPGA” by Nannipieri, P.; Di Matteo, S.; Baldanzi, L.; Crocetti, L.; Belli, J.; Fanucci, L.; Saponara, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3330; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083330 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3330

13. “Power-Ordered NOMA with Massive MIMO for 5G Systems” by Marques da Silva, M.; Dinis, R. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3541; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083541 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3541

14. “In Situ Assessment of 5G NR Massive MIMO Base Station Exposure in a Commercial Network in Bern, Switzerland” by Aerts, S.; Deprez, K.; Colombi, D.; Van den Bossche, M.; Verloock, L.; Martens, L.; Törnevik, C.; Joseph, W. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3592; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083592 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3592

15. “Sizing and Sitting of DERs in Active Distribution Networks Incorporating Load Prevailing Uncertainties Using Probabilistic Approaches” by Nematollahi, A.; Shahinzadeh, H.; Nafisi, H.; Vahidi, B.; Amirat, Y.; Benbouzid, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4156; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094156 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4156

16. “A Self-Optimizing Technique Based on Vertical Handover for Load Balancing in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks Using Big Data Analytics” by Beshley, M.; Kryvinska, N.; Yaremko, O.; Beshley, H. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4737; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114737 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4737

17. “Parametric Analysis of the Edge Capacitance of Uniform Slots and Application to Frequency-Variation Permittivity Sensors” by Muñoz-Enano, J.; Martel, J.; Vélez, P.; Medina, F.; Su, L.; Martín, F. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (15), 7000; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11157000 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/15/7000

18. “Microwave Planar Resonant Solutions for Glucose Concentration Sensing: A Systematic Review” by Juan, C.; Potelon, B.; Quendo, C.; Bronchalo, E. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (15), 7018; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11157018 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/15/7018

19. “Cyclostationary Crosstalk Cancelation in High-Speed Transmission Lines” by Kuznetsov, Y.; Baev, A.; Konovalyuk, M.; Gorbunova, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (17), 7988; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11177988 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/17/7988

20. “Dynamic Correction of the Influence of Long Measuring Path Irregularity in Antenna Tests” by Dobychina, E.; Snastin, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (17), 8183; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11178183 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/17/8183

25 August 2022 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Optics and Lasers”

1. “Homodyne Spectroscopy with Broadband Terahertz Power Detector Based on 90-nm Silicon CMOS Transistor” by Ikamas, K.; But, D.; Lisauskas, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (1), 412; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010412 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/1/412

2. “Beam Profile Characterisation of an Optoelectronic Silicon Lens-Integrated PIN-PD Emitter between 100 GHz and 1 THz” by Smith, J.; Naftaly, M.; Nellen, S.; Globisch, B. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 465; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020465 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/465

3. “Trends in Performance Limits of the HOT Infrared Photodetectors” by Rogalski, A.; Martyniuk, P.; Kopytko, M.; Hu, W. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 501; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020501 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/501

4. “Performance Evaluation of a THz Pulsed Imaging System: Point Spread Function, Broadband THz Beam Visualization and Image Reconstruction” by Di Fabrizio, M.; D’Arco, A.; Mou, S.; Palumbo, L.; Petrarca, M.; Lupi, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 562; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020562 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/562

5. “Inductive Thermography as Non-Destructive Testing for Railway Rails” by Tuschl, C.; Oswald-Tranta, B.; Eck, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1003; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031003 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1003

6. “Review on Complete Mueller Matrix Optical Scanning Microscopy Imaging” by Le Gratiet, A.; Mohebi, A.; Callegari, F.; Bianchini, P.; Diaspro, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1632; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041632 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1632

7. “Cladding-Pumped Erbium/Ytterbium Co-Doped Fiber Amplifier for C-Band Operation in Optical Networks” by Supe, A.; Olonkins, S.; Udalcovs, A.; Senkans, U.; Mūrnieks, R.; Gegere, L.; Prigunovs, D.; Grube, J.; Elsts, E.; Spolitis, S.; Ozolins, O.; Bobrovs, V. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1702; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041702 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1702

8. “Dual-Slope Diffuse Reflectance Instrument for Calibration-Free Broadband Spectroscopy” by Blaney, G.; Donaldson, R.; Mushtak, S.; Nguyen, H.; Vignale, L.; Fernandez, C.; Pham, T.; Sassaroli, A.; Fantini, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1757; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041757 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1757

9. “Storm-Time Features of the Ionospheric ELF/VLF Waves and Energetic Electron Fluxes Revealed by the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite” by Zhima, Z.; Hu, Y.; Shen, X.; Chu, W.; Piersanti, M.; Parmentier, A.; Zhang, Z.; Wang, Q.; Huang, J.; Zhao, S.; Yang, Y.; Yang, D.; Sun, X.; Tan, Q.; Zhou, N.; Guo, F. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2617; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062617 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2617

10. “Inverse Design for Silicon Photonics: From Iterative Optimization Algorithms to Deep Neural Networks” by Mao, S.; Cheng, L.; Zhao, C.; Khan, F.; Li, Q.; Fu, H. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3822; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093822 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/3822

11. “A Survey of Low-Cost 3D Laser Scanning Technology” by Bi, S.; Yuan, C.; Liu, C.; Cheng, J.; Wang, W.; Cai, Y. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3938; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093938 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/3938

12. “Towards a Glass New World: The Role of Ion-Exchange in Modern Technology” by Berneschi, S.; Righini, G.; Pelli, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (10), 4610; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11104610 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/10/4610

13. “Trace CH4 Gas Detection Based on an Integrated Spherical Photoacoustic Cell” by Jiao, Y.; Fan, H.; Gong, Z.; Yang, K.; Shen, F.; Chen, K.; Mei, L.; Peng, W.; Yu, Q. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4997; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114997 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4997

14. “Gas Sensors Based on Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances: Synthesis of Oxide Films with Embedded Metal Nanoparticles, Theory and Simulation, and Sensitivity Enhancement Strategies” by Rodrigues, M.; Borges, J.; Lopes, C.; Pereira, R.; Vasilevskiy, M.; Vaz, F. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (12), 5388; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125388 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/12/5388

15. “From Femtoseconds to Hours—Measuring Dynamics over 18 Orders of Magnitude with Coherent X-rays” by Lehmkühler, F.; Roseker, W.; Grübel, G. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (13), 6179; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11136179 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/13/6179

16. “Terahertz and Microwave Optical Properties of Single-Crystal Quartz and Vitreous Silica and the Behavior of the Boson Peak” by Naftaly, M.; Gregory, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (15), 6733; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11156733 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/15/6733

17. “Exact Scan Patterns of Rotational Risley Prisms Obtained with a Graphical Method: Multi-Parameter Analysis and Design” by Duma, V.; Dimb, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (18), 8451; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11188451 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/18/8451

18. “Review of Element Analysis of Industrial Materials by In-Line Laser—Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)” by Pedarnig, J.; Trautner, S.; Grünberger, S.; Giannakaris, N.; Eschlböck-Fuchs, S.; Hofstadler, J. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (19), 9274; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11199274 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/19/9274

19. “Fast Image Reconstruction Technique for Parallel Phase-Shifting Digital Holography” by Tsuruta, M.; Fukuyama, T.; Tahara, T.; Takaki, Y. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (23), 11343; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112311343 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/23/11343

20. “Experimental Demonstration and Performance Enhancement of 5G NR Multiband Radio over Fiber System Using Optimized Digital Predistortion” by Hadi, M.; Awais, M.; Raza, M.; Ashraf, M.; Song, J. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (24), 11624; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112411624 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/24/11624

17 August 2022 Applied Sciences | Top 10 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Acoustics and Vibrations”

1. “Recent Advances in Acoustics of Transitional Airfoils with Feedback-Loop Interactions: A Review” by Golubev, V. Appl. Sci . 2021 , 11 (3), 1057; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031057 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1057

2. “Improving the Accuracy of Analytical Relationships for Mechanical Properties of Permeable Metamaterials“ by Hedayati, R.; Ghavidelnia, N.; Sadighi, M.; Bodaghi, M. Appl. Sci . 2021 , 11 (3), 1332; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031332 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1332

3. “Underwater Acoustic Target Recognition with a Residual Network and the Optimized Feature Extraction Method” by Hong, F.; Liu, C.; Guo, L.; Chen, F.; Feng, H. Appl. Sci . 2021 , 11 (4), 1442; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041442 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1442

4. “Ultrasound Extraction Mediated Recovery of Nutrients and Antioxidant Bioactive Compounds from Phaeodactylum tricornutum Microalgae” by Khawli, F.; Martí-Quijal, F.; Pallarés, N.; Barba, F.; Ferrer, E. Appl. Sci . 2021 , 11 (4), 1701; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041701 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1701

5. “Monitoring the Hydration Process in Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Cement-Based Composites Using Nonlinear Elastic Waves” by Tragazikis, I.; Kordatou, T.; Exarchos, D.; Dalla, P.; Matikas, T. Appl. Sci . 2021 , 11 (4), 1720; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041720 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1720

6. “3D Roughness Measurement of Failure Surface in CFA Pile Samples Using Three-Dimensional Laser Scanning” by Seo, H. Appl. Sci . 2021 , 11 (6), 2713; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062713 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2713

7. “Recent Advancements in Non-Destructive Testing Techniques for Structural Health Monitoring ” by Kot, P.; Muradov, M.; Gkantou, M.; Kamaris, G.; Hashim, K.; Yeboah, D. Appl. Sci . 2021 , 11 (6), 2750; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062750 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2750

8. “Aeroacoustics Assessment of an Hybrid Aircraft Configuration with Rear-Mounted Boundary Layer Ingested Engine” by Petrosino, F.; Barbarino, M.; Staggat, M. Appl. Sci . 2021 , 11 (7), 2936; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11072936 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/7/2936

9. “Detection and Localization of Multiple Damages through Entropy in Information Theory” by Ceravolo, R.; Civera, M.; Lenticchia, E.; Miraglia, G.; Surace, C. Appl. Sci . 2021 , 11 (13), 5773; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11135773 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/13/5773

10. “An Ensemble of Convolutional Neural Networks for Audio Classification” by Nanni, L.; Maguolo, G.; Brahnam, S.; Paci, M. Appl. Sci . 2021 , 11 (13), 5796; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11135796 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/13/5796

17 August 2022 Meet Us at the XVI Meeting of Plant Molecular Biology (RBMP), 14–16 September 2022, Sevilla, Spain

MDPI will be attending RBMP 2022, held in Sevilla, Spain, from 14 to 16 September 2022. The Meeting of Plant Molecular Biology (RBMP) is the most important biennial event with the greatest impact on plant research, open to scientists from academia and industry. During this conference, MDPI (at the booth #25) welcomes researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share with us your latest inspirations.

• IJMS (leading journal);
• Horticulturae ;
• Antioxidants ;

If you plan on attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth #25. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have.

For more information about the conference, please see the following link: https://www.bcongresos.com/congresos/rbmp2022/ .

15 August 2022 Meet Us at the INTECOL 2022, 28 August–2 September 2022, Geneva, Switzerland

A range of MDPI journals will be attending INTECOL 2022 as exhibitors. This meeting will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 28 August to 2 September 2022.

“Frontiers in Ecology – Science and Society” is the general theme of the conference. With an estimated number of 1500 participants coming to Geneva, and as many following the conference from a distance, the conference aims to bring the state-of-the-art expertise in ecology to the forefront of societal challenges.

• Diversity (leading) ;
• Ecologies ;
• Quaternary ;
• Resources ;

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth # 03. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit http://intecol2021.org/ , or contact the Diversity Editorial Office at [email protected] .

15 August 2022 Meet Us at the 25th International Conference on Digital Audio Effects (DAFx20in22), 6–10 September 2022, Vienna, Austria

MDPI will be attending the 25th International Conference on Digital Audio Effects (DAFx20in22), held in Vienna, Austria, from 6 to 10 September 2022.

• Acoustics ;
• Audiology Research ;
• Vibration .

For more information about the conference, please see the following link: https://dafx2020.mdw.ac.at/ .

10 August 2022 Recruiting Section Editors-in-Chief for Applied Sciences

To ensure the continued efficient and high-quality production of our journal, we are currently seeking nominations and applications for the position of Section Editor-in-Chief (SEiC) for the following Sections of Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417):

Engineering Subject:

• “ Agricultural Science and Technology ”;
• “ Marine Science and Engineering ”;
• “ Robotics and Automation ”;
• “ Transportation and Future Mobility ”.

Physical Sciences Subject:

• “ Fluid Science and Technology ”;
• “ Quantum Science and Technology ”.

Chemistry & Materials Science Subject:

• “ Materials Science and Engineering ”;
• “ Surface Sciences and Technology ”.

Biology & Life Sciences Subject:

• “ Biomedical Engineering ”;
• “ Applied Microbiology ”;
• “ Applied Neuroscience and Neural Engineering ”.

Environmental & Earth Sciences Subject:

• “ Green Sustainable Science and Technology ”;
• “ Ecology Science and Engineering ”.

The Section Editor-in-Chief is responsible for ensuring the scientific quality of a particular Section of a journal and is expected to oversee the growth and development of the journal Sections and its Board Members.

The responsibilities of a Section Editor-in-Chief include the following:

• Acting as an ambassador for the journal, MDPI, and Open Access publishing;
• Making scientific decisions about the scope of their Section;
• Inviting distinguished scientists to join the Editorial Board;
• Suggesting topics for Special Issues;
• Providing support and guidance to Editorial Board Members and editorial staff where required;
• Maintaining oversight of the editorial process for individual manuscripts in their Section (mainly by making the final decision as to whether a paper can be published after peer review and revisions);
• Understanding, leading, and upholding MDPI’s peer review and ethics guidelines.

If you are a researcher in a related field and are passionate about participating in the publication of cutting-edge research, please do not hesitate to get in touch about joining the Editorial Board ( https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci ). To apply for this position, please contact the Applied Sciences Editorial Office ( [email protected] ) with the following two files attached:

• A full academic CV;
• A short cover letter that details your interests and enthusiasm for the position.

9 August 2022 Interview with Prof. Dr. Dimitris Mourtzis—Winner of Applied Sciences 2020 Best Paper Award in “Mechanical Engineering”

Name: Prof. Dr. Dimitris Mourtzis Email : [email protected] Article Title : “Real-Time Remote Maintenance Support Based on Augmented Reality (AR)”

Prof. Dr. Dimitris Mourtzis is a Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics at the University of Patras. At this institute, he also serves as Vice President of the Research and Development Council of the University of Patras and Governing Board Member for the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, representing European Academia. He is also the Director of the Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems and Automation (LMS). Additionally, he is the coordinator of the Internal Evaluation Team for the evaluation of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics. At the University of Patras, he has served as Vice Chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics from 2017 to 2020 and the Director of the Design and Manufacturing Division from 2015 to 2017. He has remarkable teaching experience, having taught for many years eight undergraduate and four postgraduate courses at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics at the University of Patras in the field of Manufacturing Systems Programming and Control Methods. He has been the coordinator of the innovative educational activity for engineers, Teaching Factories—“New training methods of the Engineer”, in close collaboration with the industry. At an international level, he is the Faculty Liaison representing the University of Patras in the iPodia program. His scientific interests focus on the simulation, design, planning and control of manufacturing systems and networks, robotic systems, automation, augmented, mixed, and virtual reality in manufacturing, manufacturing processes modeling and machine tool maintenance. Furthermore, his research interests are also focused on the design, development and implementation of solutions based on technologies such as the cloud, internet of things (IoT), the digital twin, 5G cellular networks, and artificial intelligence as well as on the development of product–service systems (PSS). He is also actively involved in the digital transformation of manufacturing companies and implementation of Industry 4.0 as well as of the upcoming Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 practices, both on a national and international level.

He is a Fellow of the International Academy for Production Research (CIRP), International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC 5.2), and International Federation of Information Processing (IFIP WG 5.7); Member of the Scientific Committee of the International Association of Learning Factories (IALF), European Factories of the Future Association (EFFRA), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), and European Manufacturing and Innovation Research Association (EMIRACLE); and Founding Member of the European Aeronautics Science Network/Association (EASN).

He is also the author and editor of the book Design and Operation of Production Networks for Mass Personalization in the Era of Cloud Technology , published by Elsevier in 2022. He also participates as a member of the editorial board of nine international scientific journals and has participated as a guest editor in four international scientific journals with a high impact factor.

He has published around three hundred scientific papers, of which one hundred were in highly regarded international scientific journals and one hundred and fifty at international scientific conferences in addition to thirty-five chapters in books, ten editorials, and four white papers. His research work has been acknowledged by the scientific community with more than 10,300 citations (h-index 52) according to the Google Scholar, Scopus, and ResearchGate databases.

We want to congratulate Prof. Dr. Dimitris Mourtzis for winning the Applied Sciences 2020 Best Paper Award in “Mechanical Engineering”.

The following is an interview with Prof. Dr. Dimitris Mourtzis:

• Could you please briefly introduce the main research content of the winning paper?

Cloud computing has enabled the provision of high-quality services, especially in the field of maintenance. However, since modern machines are becoming more complex, maintenance has to be carried out by experienced and well-trained personnel, while overseas support is timely and financially costly. Furthermore, augmented reality (AR) is a backbone technology facilitating the development of robust maintenance support tools. However, its applications are limited to the provision of predefined scenarios. Thus, the main research content of the winning paper is research work that aims to design and develop a framework for the support of remote maintenance and repair operation based on AR by creating suitable communication channels between the shop-floor technicians and the expert engineers who are utilizing real-time feedback from the operator’s field of view. Finally, the applicability and validation of the proposed tool are tested in a lab-based machine shop and a real-life industrial case study.

• Could you describe the difficulties and breakthrough innovations encountered in this research?

Τhe most important challenge that the research and development community has to overcome is the creation of highly intuitive AR applications and tools. Even though there are several publications covering the AR-based aspect of maintenance, the majority of publications have focused on the remote assistance of technical operation. However, in the majority of publications, the use of frame markers is inevitable, which can highly affect the overall performance of the tool and, by extension, the performance of the shop-floor/field technician. Therefore, according to our literature search, a more robust and compact framework to enhance the technician’s mobility when working on the machine is needed. This research work is one of the first publications that provide real-time support based on AR technology.

• What are the current cutting-edge research areas in this field?

The majority of maintenance tasks are now being completed in one of four ways: shipment to a repair facility, hiring a skilled specialist, hiring a novice technician, or a combination of these. The method, involving the use of a skilled specialist, would undoubtedly result in faster and higher-quality maintenance than that provided by a novice technician. However, there may not be a specialist available, resulting in longer downtime for equipment and higher travel costs. Additionally, if the maintenance problem is not properly reported before the specialist arrives, additional transportation may be required to allow the specialist to diagnose the problem and obtain the necessary tools and replacement parts. Next, another method used for maintenance would be to utilize a novice technician, aided by an operations manual or additional instructional material such as videos. While personnel would be readily available, support material takes a long time to produce and quickly becomes obsolete as the equipment is modified. Finally, allowing an off-site skilled specialist to guide an on-site novice technician through maintenance tasks using an audiovisual call is another option for performing maintenance. Therefore, it may be difficult to effectively communicate tasks when both the specialist and the novice technician are unfamiliar with the same terminology because of the high reliance on technical vocabulary. As a result, finding more efficient ways to train and guide technicians is critical to the continued maintenance of globally distributed equipment.

Taking into consideration that, under the framework of Industry 4.0, the complexity of machines and systems has greatly increased, suitably trained personnel are required for maintenance repair and operations (MRO). Moreover, during the current Industrial Revolution, the research community has expended great efforts in the design, development, and implementation of big dataset analytics toward predictive maintenance (PdM). PdM approaches can facilitate the improvement of production and manufacturing networks by providing good estimates for future events (e.g., machine breakdowns). However, there is a lack within the field of decision-making and human support.

Above all, engineering is a wide and highly technological field that focuses on the satisfaction of market demands (human demands). Therefore, it is imperative that humans remain at the center of attention. Many countries are already moving toward more human-centric, resilient, and sustainable initiatives in what is known as Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0. Similar to the pillar technologies of Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 will focus on the development of new analytics methods also known as prescriptive analytics. Prescriptive analytics can be realized as the next generation of predictive analytics. Their main differentiation lies in the provision of decision-making support (for prescriptive analytics), which will facilitate humans into foreseeing future events and act proactively and, by extension, improve the seamless and continuous operation of manufacturing and production networks. Furthermore, digital technologies, such as extended reality (which encapsulates augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality) will be key drivers for delivering more intuitive human experiences and improved data interpretation and visualization.

• As one of the winners of the Applied Sciences Best Paper Award, what do you think researchers find appealing about this award?

Beyond the publication of their manuscripts, the Best Paper Award is the ultimate recognition of the research work accomplished by scientists. It is important for authors to receive recognition for their research activities as well as to know that the community has benefited from their research work. Furthermore, the Best Paper Award is one of the most important points for building a strong academic and professional profile. Finally, such awards drive young researchers to strive even harder to produce and publish top-quality research works.

• How do you think open access impacts authors?

Scientific research shows that publishing in open access results in more citations and impact because of the global visibility without barriers. Businesses can also gain access to the most up-to-date scientific ideas, which they can then build on. Increased visibility is one of the most widely praised benefits of open access publishing; since there is no barrier to accessing articles, more people can find and read them. To that end, this research work has been cited 43 times so far, based on Google Scholar.

About the other authors of “Real-Time Remote Maintenance Support Based on Augmented Reality (AR)”:

John Angelopoulos John Angelopoulos holds an integrated master’s in Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics from the University of Patras. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate and Research Associate with the Laboratory of Manufacturing Systems and Automation (LMS) at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, University of Patras. His research activities are related to extended reality (XR), maintenance techniques, artificial intelligence (AI), and manufacturing systems in Industry 4.0. He has published 45 research works, including 2 book chapters, 10 publications in scientific journals, 32 publications at international scientific conferences, and 1 white paper. His research work has been acknowledged by the scientific community with more than 300 citations corresponding to an h-index of 10 according to Google Scholar.

Vasileios Siatras Vasilis Siatras is an undergraduate integrated master’s degree student at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics at the University of Patras. His research interests are focused on artificial intelligence (AI), optimization, and extended reality (XR) technologies. He is also a Research Associate at the Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems and Automation (LMS) working on European-funded projects in close collaboration with key innovation drivers and SMEs in Europe. He has also published thirteen research papers in international journals and conferences. His research work has been acknowledged by the scientific community with 120 citations corresponding to an h-index of 5 according to Google Scholar.

11 July 2022 MDPI’s 2021 Best Paper Awards in “Engineering”—Winners Announced

The academic editors of each journal carefully selected reviews and research papers through a rigorous judging process based on criteria such as the scientific merit, overall impact, and the quality of presentation of the papers published in the journal.

We are honored to present the winners in the “Engineering” category, who were selected amongst extensive competition, and congratulate the authors for their outstanding scientific publications.

• “ Position Control of Pneumatic Actuators Using Three-Mode Discrete-Valued Model Predictive Control ” by Haitao Qi, Gary M. Bone and Yile Zhang Actuators 2019 , 8 (3), 56; doi: 10.3390/act8030056
• “ Review of Electrothermal Actuators and Applications ” by Alissa Potekhina and Changhai Wang Actuators 2019 , 8 (4), 69; doi: 10.3390/act8040069
• “ Pre-Lithiation Strategies for Rechargeable Energy Storage Technologies: Concepts, Promises and Challenges ” by Florian Holtstiege, Peer Bärmann, Roman Nölle, Martin Winter and Tobias Placke Batteries 2018 , 4 (1), 4; doi: 10.3390/batteries4010004
• “ A Critical Review of Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Processes from a Circular Economy Perspective ” by Omar Velázquez-Martínez, Johanna Valio, Annukka Santasalo-Aarnio, Markus Reuter and Rodrigo Serna-Guerrero Batteries 2019 , 5 (4), 68; doi: 10.3390/batteries5040068
• “ Critical Review of the Use of Reference Electrodes in Li-Ion Batteries: A Diagnostic Perspective ” by Rinaldo Raccichini, Marco Amores and Gareth Hinds Batteries 2019 , 5 (1), 12; doi: 10.3390/batteries5010012
• “ Life Cycle Analysis of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Automotive Applications ” by Qiang Dai, Jarod C. Kelly, Linda Gaines and Michael Wang Batteries 2019 , 5 (2), 48; doi 10.3390/batteries5020048
• “ Design Strategies for High Power vs. High Energy Lithium Ion Cells ” by Michael J. Lain, James Brandon and Emma Kendrick Batteries 2019 , 5 (4), 64; doi: 10.3390/batteries5040064

Chemosensors:

• “ Influence of Humidity on NO 2 -Sensing and Selectivity of Spray-CVD Grown ZnO Thin Film above 400 °C” by Roussin Lontio Fomekong and Bilge Saruhan Chemosensors 2019 , 7 (3), 42; doi: 10.3390/chemosensors7030042
• “ Low Molecular Weight Fluorescent Probes (LMFPs) to Detect the Group 12 Metal Triad” by Ashley D. Johnson, Rose M. Curtis and Karl J. Wallace Chemosensors 2019 , 7 (2), 22; doi: 10.3390/chemosensors7020022

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering :

• “ Marine Application of Fiber Reinforced Composites: A Review ” by Felice Rubino, Antonio Nisticò, Fausto Tucci and Pierpaolo Carlone Mar. Sci. Eng. 2020 , 8 (1), 26; doi: 10.3390/jmse8010026
• “ Numerical Simulation of Large Wave Heights from Super Typhoon Nepartak (2016) in the Eastern Waters of Taiwan ” by Shih-Chun Hsiao, Hongey Chen, Han-Lun Wu, Wei-Bo Chen, Chih-Hsin Chang, Wen-Dar Guo, Yung-Ming Chen and Lee-Yaw Lin Mar. Sci. Eng. 2020 , 8 (3), 217; doi: 10.3390/jmse8030217
• “ Development of Deterministic Artificial Intelligence for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) ” by Timothy Sands Mar. Sci. Eng. 2020 , 8 (8), 578; doi: 10.3390/jmse8080578
• “ Solid Lubrication with MoS 2 : A Review ” by Mohammad R. Vazirisereshk, Ashlie Martini, David A. Strubbe and Mehmet Z. Baykara Lubricants 2019 , 7 (7), 57; doi:10.3390/lubricants7070057
• “ Investigations of the Friction Losses of Different Engine Concepts. Part 1: A Combined Approach for Applying Subassembly-Resolved Friction Loss Analysis on a Modern Passenger-Car Diesel Engine” by Christoph Knauder, Hannes Allmaier, David E. Sander and Theodor Sams Lubricants 2019 , 7 (5), 39; doi: 10.3390/lubricants7050039
• “ A Discussion on Present Theories of Rubber Friction, with Particular Reference to Different Possible Choices of Arbitrary Roughness Cutoff Parameters ” by Andrea Genovese, Flavio Farroni, Antonio Papangelo and Michele Ciavarella Lubricants 2019 , 7(10), 85; doi: 10.3390/lubricants7100085
• “ 4D Printing of Multi-Hydrogels Using Direct Ink Writing in a Supporting Viscous Liquid ” by Takuya Uchida and Hiroaki Onoe Micromachines 2019, 10 (7), 433; doi: 10.3390/mi10070433
• “ Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance and Mechanism of Au@CaTiO 3 Composites with Au Nanoparticles Assembled on CaTiO 3 Nanocuboids ” by Yuxiang Yan, Hua Yang, Zao Yi, Ruishan Li and Xiangxian Wang Micromachines 2019 , 10 (4), 254; doi: 10.3390/mi10040254
• “ Three-Dimensionally Structured Flexible Fog Harvesting Surfaces Inspired by Namib Desert Beetles ” by Jun Kyu Park and Seok Kim Micromachines 2019 , 10 (3), 201; doi: 10.3390/mi10030201
• “ Accelerating Biologics Manufacturing by Modeling or: Is Approval under the QbD and PAT Approaches Demanded by Authorities Acceptable without a Digital-Twin? ” by Steffen Zobel-Roos, Axel Schmidt, Fabian Mestmäcker, Mourad Mouellef, Maximilian Huter, Lukas Uhlenbrock, Martin Kornecki, Lara Lohmann, Reinhard Ditz and Jochen Strube Processes 2019, 7 (2), 94; doi: 10.3390/pr7020094
• “ Multiscale Agent-Based and Hybrid Modeling of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment ” by Kerri-Ann Norton, Chang Gong, Samira Jamalian and Aleksander S. Popel Processes 2019 , 7 (1), 37; doi: 10.3390/pr7010037
• “ Dynamic Flowsheet Model Development and Sensitivity Analysis of a Continuous Pharmaceutical Tablet Manufacturing Process Using the Wet Granulation Route ” by Nirupaplava Metta, Michael Ghijs, Elisabeth Schäfer, Ashish Kumar, Philippe Cappuyns, Ivo Van Assche, Ravendra Singh, Rohit Ramachandran, Thomas De Beer, Marianthi Ierapetritou and Ingmar Nopens Processes 2019, 7 (4), 234; doi: 10.3390/pr7040234
• “ A Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Healthcare Blockchain for IoT ” by Ashutosh Dhar Dwivedi, Gautam Srivastava, Shalini Dhar and Rajani Singh Sensors 2019, 19 (2), 326; doi: 10.3390/s19020326
• “ The Progress of Glucose Monitoring—A Review of Invasive to Minimally and Non-Invasive Techniques, Devices and Sensors ” by Wilbert Villena Gonzales, Ahmed Toaha Mobashsher and Amin Abbosh Sensors 2019, 19 (4), 800; doi: 10.3390/s19040800
• “ Contact-Based Methods for Measuring Respiratory Rate ” by Carlo Massaroni, Andrea Nicolò, Daniela Lo Presti, Massimo Sacchetti, Sergio Silvestri and Emiliano Schena Sensors 2019, 19 (4), 908; doi: 10.3390/s19040908

World Electric Vehicle Journal :

• “ Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer Charging Infrastructure for Future EVs: From Experimental Track to Real Circulated Roads Demonstrations ” by Stéphane Laporte, Gérard Coquery, Virginie Deniau, Alexandre De Bernardinis and Nicolas Hautière World Electr. Veh. J. 2019 , 10 (4), 84; doi: 10.3390/wevj10040084

11 July 2022 MDPI’s 2021 Young Investigator Awards in “Engineering ” —Winners Announced

MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising junior researchers, acknowledge their contributions, and enhance communication among scientists. We are proud to present the winners for the year 2021 in the “Engineering” category. The winners were selected by the journals’ editors.

We warmly congratulate the awarded Young Investigators for their outstanding contributions. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

• Amay J. Bandodkar, North Carolina State University, USA.

ChemEngineering:

• Andrew S. Paluch, Miami University, USA.

Chemosensors :

• Mindy Levine, Ariel University, Israel.

Electronics :

• Amir H. Gandomi, University of Technology Sydney, Australia.
• Tiago Fazeres-Ferradosa, University of Porto, Portugal.
• Chen Lv, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore;
• Ignacio Gonzalez-Prieto, University of Malaga (UMA), Spain;
• Ning Sun, Nankai University, China.
• Anton Rassõlkin, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia.
• Qammer H. Abbasi, Queen Mary University of London, UK;
• Chi Hwan Lee, Purdue University, USA.

11 July 2022 MDPI’s 2021 Travel Awards in “Engineering”—Winners Announced

We are proud to recognize the winners of MDPI’s 2021 Travel Awards in the “Engineering” category for their outstanding presentations and to present them with the prize.

MDPI journals regularly offer travel awards to encourage talented junior scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences in specific fields, which helps to increase their influence.

We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of this year’s Travel Awards and wish them the greatest success with their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.

• Matthew Wei Ming Tan, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
• Márcia de Sousa Oliveira, University of León, Spain;
• Caroline Sarah Taylor, University of Sheffield, UK;
• Raquel Viveiros, NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal;
• Alfonso González Briones, University of Salamanca, Spain;
• Alen Horvat, University Carlos III Madrid, Spain;
• Marie Švecová, University of Chemistry and Technology, Czech Republic;
• Venanzio Giannella, University of Salerno, Italy;
• Michaël Lobet, University of Namur, Belgium;
• Lam Thi Ngoc Tran, National Research Council, Italy;
• Hanfei Mei, University of South Carolina, USA.

Applied System Innovation :

• Mert Nakip, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland.
• Mengdi Bao, Rochester Institute of Technology, USA;

Yichi Su, Stanford University, USA.

• Karthik Panchabikesan, Concordia University, Canada;
• Xiaolei Yuan, Tongji University, China.
• Verónica Montes García, Université de Strasbourg & CNRS, France.

Electronics:

• Peng Hang, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore;
• Alfonso González Briones, University of Salamanca, Spain.
• Alberto Zingaro, Politecnico di Milano, Italy;
• Sarah E. Morris, Auburn University, USA.

Infrastructures :

• Angelo Aloisio, University of L’Aquila, Italy;
• André Filipe Castanheira Alves Furtado, University of Porto, Portugal.

Journal of Low Power Electronics and Applications :

• Tommaso Zanotti, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing :

• Nagalingam Arun Prasanth, Rolls-Royce@NTU Corporate Lab, Singapore.
• Muhammad Jamil, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA), China;
• Mariagrazia Tristano, Sheffield Hallam University, UK.
• Michele Schlich, University of Cagliari, Italy;
• Álvaro Santana Mayor, University of La Laguna, Spain.
• Eleonora Macchia, Åbo Akademi University, Finland;
• Alfonso Gonzalez Briones, University of Salamanca, Spain;
• Saúl Vallejos Calzada, University of Burgos, Spain;
• Ana Novo, University of Vigo, Spain;
• Yalin Liu, Macau University of Science and Technology, China;
• Marilena Giglio, Politecnico of Bari, Italy;
• Yuzhi Shi, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

11 July 2022 MDPI’s 2021 Outstanding Reviewer Awards in “Engineering”—Winners Announced

In order to acknowledge our reviewers, who so generously dedicate their time to reviewing papers and demonstrate diligence, professionalism, and timeliness when reviewing manuscripts, MDPI journals regularly offer outstanding reviewer awards to scholars who participate in the peer-review process.

We are proud to recognize the winners for the year 2021 in the “Engineering ” category for their outstanding contributions among extensive competition by presenting them with an Outstanding Reviewer Award.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the winners on their achievement. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

• Ryszard Dindorf, Kielce University of Technology, Poland.
• Khaled Giasin, University of Portsmouth, UK;
• Jakub Krzysztof Grabski, University of Technology, Poland;
• Marcos Tostado-Véliz, University of Jaén, Spain;
• Luigi Pugliese, University of Calabria, Italy;
• Francesco Bennardo, University of Catanzaro, Italy;
• Heriberto Perez-Acebo, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Spain.
• Amir Hatamie, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
• Francesco Fiorito, Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy;
• Paul G. O’Brien, York University, Canada.
• Verónica Montes García, University of Strasbourg, France.
• Piotr Gierlak, Rzeszow University of Technology, Poland;
• Sebastian A. Nugroho, University of Michigan, USA;
• Viorel Paleu, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, Romania.
• Marcin Dębowski, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland;
• Bartłomiej Zieniuk, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland;
• Zbigniew Nadolny, Poznan University of Technology, Poland;
• Attila Egedy, University of Pannonia, Hungary;
• Seok-Ho Rhi, Chungbuk National University, Korea.
• Hojong Choi, Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Korea;
• Li Fu, Hangzhou Dianzi University, China;
• Leonardo De Mello Honorio, Federal University of Juiz De Fora Juiz De Fora, Brazil;
• Mario Versaci, Mediterranea University, Italy;
• Robertas Damasevicius, Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania.

11 July 2022 Recruiting Section Editor-in-Chief for the Section “Applied Thermal Engineering” in Applied Sciences

The journal Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417) is currently recruiting a Section Editor-in-Chief for the Section “Applied Thermal Engineering”.

The Section “Applied Thermal Engineering” aims to publish high-quality, state-of-the-art reviews, original full research, short communications, and case studies, covering all technologies based on heat transfer processes. Therefore, challenging works dealing with applied thermodynamic problems up to real applications are welcomed in this Section. Both theoretical and experimental works with rigorous and replicable methodology can be submitted in this Section.

Both basic and applied research and anything in between is acceptable in this Section, and many different applications can be covered, such as domestic, commercial, industrial, marine, aeronautics, aerospatial, transport, primary/secondary/tertiary sector, and clean energy.

Further information about the Section may be found via the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/sections/ATE .

The Section Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the following :

• Defining the aims and scope of the Section;
• Advising on the strategic development of the Section;
• Ensuring that the published content is of high quality;
• Nominating/inviting Guest Editors and optionally providing them with the authority to make final acceptance decisions about submitted articles;
• Nominating/inviting contributors;
• Nominating and leading the Section Editorial Board;
• Promoting the journal at scientific conferences or through other venues;
• Conducting preliminary checks of submissions and making the final decision as to whether a paper can be accepted for publication following peer review and author revisions (when it suits your schedule).

To apply for this position, please contact the Applied Sciences Editorial Office ( [email protected] ) with the following two files attached:

• A short cover letter that details your interest and enthusiasm for the position.

4 July 2022 Meet Us at the 11th National Conference on Environmental Chemistry, 25–29 July 2022, Harbin, China

A range of MDPI journals will be attending the 11th National Conference on Environmental Chemistry as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in Harbin, China, from 25 to 29 July 2022.

The theme of this conference will be “Innovating Environmental Sciences, Low-Carbon Protecting Environment and Health”, which fully reflects the conference’s purpose of innovation, participation, cooperation, and foresight. More than 50 branches have been set up in the fields of interface process, toxicology and health, public health, environmental safety, pollution control, remediation technology, green and low-carbon, and environmental policy, and various well-known experts at home and abroad have been invited to produce conference and branch reports and deliver speeches. We invite experts in the field and environmental protection companies to participate in the exhibition, for which academic activities such as paper exhibitions, postgraduate forums, and Editor-in-Chief meetings have been organized.

• Toxics (leading) ;
• Water (leading);
• Sustainability (leading);
• Soil Systems ;
• Sustainable Chemistry ;
• Pollutants ;
• Environments .

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions you may have. For more information about the conference and our booth, please visit the following link: https://www.ncec2021.com/Home/Default .

1 July 2022 Meet Us Online at the 3rd International Electronic Conference on Applied Sciences (ASEC 2022), 1–15 December 2022

We would like to invite you to join the 3rd International Electronic Conference on Applied Sciences (ASEC 2022), which will be hosted online from 1 to 15 December 2022. ASEC 2022 will be free of charge for presenters and visitors.

This event will take place entirely online, enabling participation from all over the world with no concerns regarding travel and related expenditures. An electronic conference provides a platform for rapid and direct exchange of the latest research findings and novel ideas.

ASEC 2022 aims to promote and advance the exciting and rapidly changing fields representing all aspects of applied sciences. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering (Session A);
• Chemistry and Materials Science (Session B);
• Computing and Artificial Intelligence (Session C);
• Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Session D);
• Energy Science and Technology (Session E);
• Environmental and Earth Sciences (Session F);
• Mechanical Engineering (Session G);
• Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences (Session H);
• Optics and Lasers (Session I);
• Sensors, Instrumentation and Measurement Science (Session J).

Paper submission guidelines: For information about the procedure for submission, peer review, revision, and acceptance of conference proceedings papers, please refer to the instructions for authors . There will be an opportunity to publish papers that have been peer reviewed and accepted for a Special Issue of Applied Sciences . MDPI offers a 20% discount on the fees for publication in this Special Issue.

Important dates: Abstract submission: 25 August 2022; Notification of acceptance: 15 September 2022; Proceedings paper submission deadline: 13 October 2022; Conference: 1–15 December 2022.

We look forward to receiving your research papers and to welcoming you to ASEC 2022.

28 June 2022 2021 Impact Factors - Released

The 2021 citation metrics have been released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and we’re pleased to announce the following results for MDPI journals:

For more information on Impact Factors and what it means to index academic journals, please visit our related blog posts .

* Journals given their first Impact Factor in 2022

Source: 2021 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports TM (Clarivate, 2022)

23 June 2022 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Civil Engineering”

1. “Feasibility of LoRa for Smart Home Indoor Localization” by Kim, K.; Li, S.; Heydariaan, M.; Smaoui, N.; Gnawali, O.; Suh, W.; Suh, M.; Kim, J. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (1), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010415

2. “Predicting Compressive Strength of Concrete Containing Recycled Aggregate Using Modified ANN with Different Optimization Algorithms” by Kandiri, A.; Sartipi, F.; Kioumarsi, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 485; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020485

3. “Concrete Crack Detection Based on Well-Known Feature Extractor Model and the YOLO_v2 Network” by Teng, S.; Liu, Z.; Chen, G.; Cheng, L. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 813; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020813  

4. “Deep Learning-Based Applications for Safety Management in the AEC Industry: A Review” by Hou, L.; Chen, H.; Zhang, G.; Wang, X. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 821; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020821  

5. “Mechanical Strength Characterization of Plastic Fiber Reinforced Cement Concrete Composites” by Anandan, S.; Alsubih, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 852; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020852  

6. “Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis of Seismically Base-Isolated Structures by a Novel OpenSees Hysteretic Material Model” by Vaiana, N.; Capuano, R.; Sessa, S.; Marmo, F.; Rosati, L. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 900; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11030900  

7. “A Tool for the Rapid Seismic Assessment of Historic Masonry Structures Based on Limit Analysis Optimisation and Rocking Dynamics” by Funari, M.; Mehrotra, A.; Lourenço, P. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 942; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11030942  

8. “A Multi-Criteria Decision Support Concept for Selecting the Optimal Contractor” by Marović, I.; Perić, M.; Hanak, T. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1660; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041660  

9. “Advanced Modelling and Risk Analysis of RC Buildings with Sliding Isolation Systems Designed by the Italian Seismic Code” by Ponzo, F.; Di Cesare, A.; Telesca, A.; Pavese, A.; Furinghetti, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1938; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041938  

10. “Influence of Additional Bracing Arms as Reinforcement Members in Wooden Timber Cross-Arms on Their Long-Term Creep Responses and Properties” by Asyraf, M.; Ishak, M.; Sapuan, S.; Yidris, N. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2061; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052061  

11. “Extending 3D-GIS District Models and BIM-Based Building Models into Computer Gaming Environment for Better Workflow of Cultural Heritage Conservation” by Ma, Y. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2101; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052101  

12. “Evaluation of the Seismic Capacity of Existing Moment Resisting Frames by a Simplified Approach: Examples and Numerical Application” by Montuori, R.; Nastri, E.; Piluso, V.; Todisco, P. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (6), 2594; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062594  

13. “Exploring 3D Wave-Induced Scouring Patterns around Subsea Pipelines with Artificial Intelligence Techniques” by Najafzadeh, M.; Oliveto, G. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3792; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093792  

14. “An ANN Model for Predicting the Compressive Strength of Concrete” by Lin, C.; Wu, N. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 3798; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093798  

15. “Railway Vehicle Wheel Flat Detection with Multiple Records Using Spectral Kurtosis Analysis” by Mosleh, A.; Montenegro, P.; Costa, P.; Calçada, R. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4002; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094002  

16. “SVM Performance for Predicting the Effect of Horizontal Screen Diameters on the Hydraulic Parameters of a Vertical Drop” by Daneshfaraz, R.; Aminvash, E.; Ghaderi, A.; Abraham, J.; Bagherzadeh, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4238; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094238  

17. “Development of Prediction Models for Shear Strength of Rockfill Material Using Machine Learning Techniques” by Ahmad, M.; Kamiński, P.; Olczak, P.; Alam, M.; Iqbal, M.; Ahmad, F.; Sasui, S.; Khan, B. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (13), 6167; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11136167  

18. “Machine-Learning-Aided Prediction of Flexural Strength and ASR Expansion for Waste Glass Cementitious Composite” by Sun, J.; Wang, Y.; Yao, X.; Ren, Z.; Zhang, G.; Zhang, C.; Chen, X.; Ma, W.; Wang, X. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (15), 6686; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11156686  

19. “BIM-Based Digital Twin and XR Devices to Improve Maintenance Procedures in Smart Buildings: A Literature Review” by Coupry, C.; Noblecourt, S.; Richard, P.; Baudry, D.; Bigaud, D. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (15), 6810; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11156810  

20. “Stability Analysis of Roadway Groups under Multi-Mining Disturbances” by Sun, Y.; Bi, R.; Chang, Q.; Taherdangkoo, R.; Zhang, J.; Sun, J.; Huang, J.; Li, G. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (17), 7953; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11177953

22 June 2022 Meet Us at the 5th International Conference on Building Energy and Environment (COBEE 2022), 25–29 July 2022, Montréal, Canada

Conference: The 5th International Conference on Building Energy and Environment (COBEE 2022) Date: 25–29 July 2022 Place: Montréal, Canada + Online

Buildings (ISSN: 2075-5309) will be attending the 5th International Conference on Building Energy and Environment as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in Canada and online from 25 to 29 July 2022.

Concordia University is proud to host the 5th International Conference on Building Energy and Environment (COBEE 2022), providing a platform for discussing building energy and environmental issues in addition to initiating collaboration among researchers, environmental scientists, architects, facility managers, and policymakers. We look forward to welcoming you and having you experience the city’s unique culture and joie de vivre. There is a profusion of sights, sounds, and flavors to enjoy, all within reach of the convention venue. See you in Montréal!

The session topics covered will include the following:

• COVID-19, Pandemic, and Epidemic;
• Health and Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation;
• Thermal Comfort;
• Occupant-Centric Building Design and Controls;
• Building Renewables, Solar Buildings and Smart Grid;
• Urban Energy and Urban Microclimate;
• Wind Engineering, Aerodynamics and Urban Physics;
• Building Physics, Building Envelope and Materials;
• Thermal Storages;
• Smart Buildings and Smart Cities (Machine Learning, AI, IoT);
• Resilience and Climate Change;
• Building Mechanical System and Controls;
• Advanced Modeling and Building Simulations, CFD;
• Building Codes and Standards;
• Urban Green Infrastructure;
• Low / Zero Carbon Emission Buildings and Communities;
• Building Fire Safety.
• Atmosphere ;
• Smart Cities ;
• Computation .

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

For more information about the conference and our booth, please visit the following link: https://www.cobee2022.org/index.html .

16 June 2022 Applied Sciences | Top 20 Cited Papers in 2021 in the Section “Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering”

1. “Diarylureas as Antitumor Agents” by Catalano, A.; Iacopetta, D.; Sinicropi, M.; Franchini, C. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (1), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010374

2. “Deep Learning-Based Methods for Prostate Segmentation in Magnetic Resonance Imaging” by Comelli, A.; Dahiya, N.; Stefano, A.; Vernuccio, F.; Portoghese, M.; Cutaia, G.; Bruno, A.; Salvaggio, G.; Yezzi, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 782; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020782

3. “Development of Inula graveolens (L.) Plant Extract Electrospun/Polycaprolactone Nanofibers: A Novel Material for Biomedical Application” by Al-Kaabi, W.; Albukhaty, S.; Al-Fartosy, A.; Al-Karagoly, H.; Al-Musawi, S.; Sulaiman, G.; Dewir, Y.; Alwahibi, M.; Soliman, D. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020828

4. “Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review of the Application of Machine Learning Classifiers in Biomedical Applications of Infrared Thermography” by Magalhaes, C.; Mendes, J.; Vardasca, R. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (2), 842; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020842

5. “ABACO: A New Model of Microalgae-Bacteria Consortia for Biological Treatment of Wastewaters” by Sánchez-Zurano, A.; Rodríguez-Miranda, E.; Guzmán, J.; Acién-Fernández, F.; Fernández-Sevilla, J.; Molina Grima, E. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 998; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11030998

6. “Oil-In-Water Microemulsion Encapsulation of Antagonist Drugs Prevents Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats” by Hasanein, P.; Rahdar, A.; Barani, M.; Baino, F.; Yari, S. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (3), 1264; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031264

7. “Interactive Effects of Scion and Rootstock Genotypes on the Root Microbiome of Grapevines ( Vitis spp. L.)” by Vink, S.; Dini-Andreote, F.; Höfle, R.; Kicherer, A.; Salles, J. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1615; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041615

8. “Schiff Bases: Interesting Scaffolds with Promising Antitumoral Properties” by Iacopetta, D.; Ceramella, J.; Catalano, A.; Saturnino, C.; Bonomo, M.; Franchini, C.; Sinicropi, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1877; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041877

9. “Data Mining Techniques for Early Diagnosis of Diabetes: A Comparative Study” by Chaves, L.; Marques, G. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2218; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052218

10. “Identification and Application of Bioactive Compounds from Garcinia xanthochymus Hook. for Weed Management” by Rob, M.; Hossen, K.; Khatun, M.; Iwasaki, K.; Iwasaki, A.; Suenaga, K.; Kato-Noguchi, H. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (5), 2264; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052264

11. “Recent Progress in Applications of Non-Thermal Plasma for Water Purification, Bio-Sterilization, and Decontamination” by Barjasteh, A.; Dehghani, Z.; Lamichhane, P.; Kaushik, N.; Choi, E.; Kaushik, N. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3372; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083372

12. “Protective Effect of Emblica officinalis in Cyprinus carpio against Hepatotoxicity Induced by Malachite Green: Ultrastructural and Molecular Analysis” by Sinha, R.; Jindal, R.; Faggio, C. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3507; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083507

13. “Photodynamic Therapy—An Up-to-Date Review” by Niculescu, A.; Grumezescu, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (8), 3626; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083626

14. “Virtual Reality Rehabilitation and Exergames—Physical and Psychological Impact on Fall Prevention among the Elderly—A Literature Review” by Piech, J.; Czernicki, K. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4098; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094098

15. “Decontamination of Food Packages from SARS-CoV-2 RNA with a Cold Plasma-Assisted System” by Capelli, F.; Tappi, S.; Gritti, T.; de Aguiar Saldanha Pinheiro, A.; Laurita, R.; Tylewicz, U.; Spataro, F.; Braschi, G.; Lanciotti, R.; Gómez Galindo, F.; Siracusa, V.; Romani, S.; Gherardi, M.; Colombo, V.; Sambri, V.; Rocculi, P. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (9), 4177; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094177

16. “Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Prevention Exercises: Could a Neuromuscular Warm-Up Improve Muscle Pre-Activation before a Soccer Game? A Proof-of-Principle Study on Professional Football Players” by de Sire, A.; Demeco, A.; Marotta, N.; Moggio, L.; Palumbo, A.; Iona, T.; Ammendolia, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 4958; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114958

17. “Current Challenges and Future Opportunities for XAI in Machine Learning-Based Clinical Decision Support Systems: A Systematic Review” by Antoniadi, A.; Du, Y.; Guendouz, Y.; Wei, L.; Mazo, C.; Becker, B.; Mooney, C. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (11), 5088; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11115088

18. “Experimental Analysis of Engine Performance and Exhaust Pollutant on a Single-Cylinder Diesel Engine Operated Using Moringa Oleifera Biodiesel” by Soudagar, M.; Khan, H.; Khan, T.; Razzaq, L.; Asif, T.; Mujtaba, M.; Hussain, A.; Farooq, M.; Ahmed, W.; Shahapurkar, K.; Alwi, A.; Ibrahim, T.; Ishtiaq, U.; Elfasakhany, A.; Ali Baig, M.; Goodarzi, M.; Safaei, M. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (15), 7071; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11157071

19. “Extraction of Antioxidant Compounds and Pigments from Spirulina ( Arthrospira platensis ) Assisted by Pulsed Electric Fields and the Binary Mixture of Organic Solvents and Water” by Martí-Quijal, F.; Ramon-Mascarell, F.; Pallarés, N.; Ferrer, E.; Berrada, H.; Phimolsiripol, Y.; Barba, F. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (16), 7629; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167629

20. “Bioengineered Skin Substitutes: Advances and Future Trends” by Tavakoli, S.; Klar, A. Appl. Sci. 2021 , 11 (4), 1493; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041493

16 June 2022 Applied Sciences | Invitation to Read Selected Papers from “Editor’s Choice Articles”

The goal of the “Editor’s Choice Articles” project is to promote high-quality articles published in Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417). Please find the list of articles carefully handpicked by the scientific editors of the journal, which we believe will be of interest to you.

We would like to thank all the research groups that authored these exceptional papers for their contribution. We sincerely hope you find these articles of Applied Sciences as useful and insightful as we have found them.

15 June 2022 Meet Us at the 2022 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2022), 23–27 October 2022, Kyoto, Japan

Conference : The 2022 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2022) Date : 23–27 October 2022 Place : Kyoto, Japan

Machines (ISSN: 2075-1702) will be attending IROS 2022 as an exhibitor. This meeting will take place from 23 to 27 October in Kyoto, Japan.

IROS is one of the largest and most impactful robotics research conferences worldwide. It provides an international forum for the international robotics research community to explore the frontiers of science and technology in intelligent robots and smart machines. The theme of IROS 2022 is “Embodied AI for a Symbiotic Society”. In addition to technical sessions and multimedia presentations, IROS conferences also hold panel discussions, forums, workshops, tutorials, exhibits, and technical tours to encourage fruitful discussions among conference attendees.

• Applied Sciences;
• Technologies;
• Inventions;
• Fractal Fract;
• Smart Cities;

If you are planning to attend this conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference and virtual booth, please visit the following website: https://iros2022.org/ .

9 June 2022 2021 CiteScores - Released

The 2021 citation metrics have been officially released in Scopus !

We are pleased to announce that 182 MDPI journals are included, of which:

● 21 journals received their first CiteScore . ● 85% of journals increased their CiteScore from 2020. ● 155 journals (85%) ranked above average , in at least one category.

The following 65 MDPI journals (36%) ranked among the top 25 % of journals, in at least one category:

Source: 2021 CiteScores™ (Elsevier)

26 May 2022 Meet Us at the 25th International Conference on Digital Audio Effects, 6–10 September 2022, Vienna, Austria

Conference: The 25th International Conference on Digital Audio Effects Website: https://dafx2020.mdw.ac.at/ Date: 6-10 September 2022 Place: Vienna, Austria

In 2020, we organized the first virtual DAFx: the eDAFx2020. Due to the persisting travel restrictions and uncertainties in the organization of large events, in 2021, we hosted another virtual edition of DAFx: the DAFx20in21.

Although we do not believe that any virtual experience could replace in-person DAFx's, both online editions of DAFx20's Vienna were a great success and reached a broader audience than usual.

A Special Issue to appear on Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417) is planned for 2023, which will feature extended versions of the best DAFx20in22 papers and beyond.

We thank all our generous sponsors for supporting us, the authors for submitting excellent scientific work, the army of hundreds of reviewers for helping us select and improve the papers, as well as the keynote and tutorial speakers for their patience over the years.

Contributions are invited within the following general areas:

• capture and analysis;
• representation, transformation, and modeling;
• transmission and resynthesis;
• effects and manipulation;
• perception, psychoacoustics, and evaluation;
• spatial sound analysis, coding, and synthesis;
• source separation;
• physical modeling, virtual acoustic, and analog models;
• sound synthesis, composition, and sonification;
• hardware and software design;
• music information retrieval and intelligent audio engineering.

Details on the Call for Papers, the review process, and more topics can be found on the DAFx20’s Vienna Website https://dafx2020.mdw.ac.at (Authors Section), with a submission deadline of 1 April 2022.

24 May 2022 Applied Sciences | Special Issue Mentor Program

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative—the Special Issue Mentor Program.

This program intends to provide an opportunity for early career scientists to enhance their editing, networking, and organizational skills and to work closely with our journal to gain more editorial experience. Early career scientists who have novel ideas for new Special Issues of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417) will act as Guest Editors under the mentorship of an experienced scientist; this mentor could be a member of the Applied Sciences Editorial Board or may be from other well-established research institutes or laboratories.

Early career scientist’s responsibilities:

• Providing a CV that includes a list of publications;
• Proposing a Special Issue title and preparing a short introduction;
• Writing an editorial for the online Special Issue;
• Reviewing and making decisions for submissions under the mentorship of our Editorial Board Members.

Mentor’s responsibilities:

• Co-editing Special Issues with younger scholars and performing quality control for the publications in the SI;
• Providing suggestions to younger scholars if they have doubts or concerns regarding submissions;
• Organizing video calls with young scholars and the office regularly to discuss problems and improvement suggestions for the Special Issue.

Certificates and awards:

When the Special Issue is closed, the Editorial Office will provide official certificates for all of the mentors. The young scholars involved in the program will be prioritized as future candidates for the Applied Sciences 2022 Early Career Investigator Award ( https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/awards ).

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Applied Sciences Editorial Office ( [email protected] ) or complete and submit the form at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/applsci . We will discuss the process (i.e., mentor collaboration, Special Issue topic feasibility analysis, etc.) in further detail after receiving your application.

In addition to the new Special Issue Mentor Program, Applied Sciences will continue to welcome all Special Issue proposals based on hot research topics as usual.

13 May 2022 Applied Sciences | Invitation to Read Selected Papers from “Editor’s Choice Articles”

The goal of the “Editor’s Choice Articles” project is to promote high-quality articles published in Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417). Please find below the list of articles carefully handpicked by the scientific editors of the journal, which we believe will be of interest to you.

29 April 2022 Meet Us at the 30th Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation (MED 2022), 28 June–1 July 2022, Athens, Greece

Conference : The 30th Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation (MED 2022)

Date : 28 June–1 July 2022

Venue : Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso, Athens, Greece

Machines (ISSN: 2075-1702) will be attending the 30th Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation (MED 2022) as an exhibitor and will be sponsoring a Best Paper Award. This meeting will take place from 28 June to 1 July 2022, at the Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso seaside resort in Vougliameni, Greece.

MED 2022 is co-sponsored by the IEEE Control Systems Society (CSS), the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS), and the ICUAS Association, Inc.

The theme of MED 2022 centers on control and automation challenges and opportunities in the 21 st  century and focuses on system design for autonomy and resilience in high-confidence cyber physical systems. The international conference committee is soliciting technical papers as well as inviting sessions, workshops, and tutorial proposals.

• Automation ;
• Applied sciences ;
• Applied System Innovation (ASI) ;
• Standards ;
• Big Data and Cognitive Computing (BDCC) ;
• Modelling .

If you are planning to attend this conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions you may have. For more information about the conference and virtual booth, please visit the following website: https://www.med-control.org/med2022/ .

2 April 2022 Applied Sciences 2020 Best Paper Award in Environmental and Sustainable Science and Technology—Winners Announced

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences 2020 Best Paper Awards in Environmental and Sustainable Science and Technology, sponsored by MDPI and Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417). Each winner (corresponding author) will receive CHF 400 and a certificate.

The awards have been granted to:

One Article:

“Chromium(III) Removal from Wastewater by Chitosan Flakes” by Loris Pietrelli et al. Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 (6), 1925; doi:10.3390/app10061925

One Review:

“Unravelling the Environmental Application of Biochar as Low-Cost Biosorbent: A Review” by Antía Fdez-Sanromán et al. Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 (21), 7810; doi:10.3390/app10217810

The selection process was incredibly difficult due to the high number of exceptional candidates. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the nominated research groups of the above exceptional papers for their contributions to Applied Sciences.

14 March 2022 Applied Sciences 2020 Best Paper Award in Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering—Winners Announced

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences 2020 Best Paper Awards in Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering, sponsored by MDPI and Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417). Each winner (corresponding author) will receive CHF 400 and a certificate.

The awards have been granted to the following papers:

“Observation of Potential Contaminants in Processed Biomass Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy ” by Jingshun Zhuang et al. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(12), 4345; doi:10.3390/app10124345

“Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis 2020: Where We Stand” by Angelo Iacobino et al. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(6), 2153; doi:10.3390/app10062153

For more information about the Applied Sciences awards, please see the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/awards .

19 January 2022 Applied Sciences Collaborative Webinar | Recent Advances in Research on Air Pollution and Health, 28 January 2022

Date : 28 January 2022 Time : 14:00–15:50 (GMT+9) Register here : https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XL5vSJg2Qze5yItyZXOsog Participation fee : None Language : Japanese

The WHO (World Health Organization) has warned that air pollution causes seven million premature deaths every year. PM 2.5 , fine inhalable particles measuring 2.5 micrometers and smaller in the atmosphere can contain a variety of toxic chemicals, including carcinogens. In addition, the annual arrival of Yellow Sand has been linked to chronic coughs and congestion, making air pollution a serious public health issue. Three researchers based in Japan who are investigating atmospheric pollution, Yellow Sand, PM 2.5 , toxic chemicals, and chronic coughs will present their latest work at this webinar and lead discussions that go beyond the scope of conventional academia.

Chairperson :

• Dr. Kazuichi Hayakawa, Professor Emeritus Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University Title of lecture : Combustion-Derived Organic Pollutants in the Atmosphere

Guest speakers :

• Dr. Akinori Takami, Director National Institute for Environmental Studies, Regional Environment Conservation Division Title of lecture : Long-Term Trends for Trans-boundary Air Pollutions in Western Japan
• Dr. Hiroyuki Nakamura, Professor Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa University Title of lecture : The Effects of Atmospheric Chemicals on Chronic Cough

Prof. Dr. Kazuichi Hayakawa and Prof. Dr. Hiroyuki Nakamura are guest-editing the Special Issue " PM 2.5 and PM 10 : Atmospheric Behaviors and Correlation with Health Effects " (deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2022).

For any questions about the webinar, please contact MDPI Japan .

22 November 2021 722 MDPI Editorial Board Members Receiving "2021 Highly Cited Researchers" Distinction

It is our great honor to congratulate the Editorial Board Members and Editors in MDPI's journals who have been distinguished as 2021 Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate, according to Web of Science data. We herewith express our gratitude for the immense impact the named researchers continue to make on scientific progress and on our journals' development.

Clarivate's annual list of  Highly Cited Researchers TM identifies the most highly cited scientists for the past decade. Their impactful papers are among the top 1 per cent in the citation distribution of one or more of 22 fields analyzed in the "Essential Science Indicators", distinguishing them as hugely influential among their peers.

The full list of 2021 Highly Cited Researchers  can be accessed at the following webpage in the Web of Science TM https://recognition.webofscience.com/awards/highly-cited/2021/ .

--- Highly Cited Researchers (HCR) is a Clarivate product.

16 November 2021 Topical Advisory Panel Established to Support Editorial Board

Academic editors play a crucial role in leading our journals and ensuring that each article undergoes a robust and timely peer-review. With the launch of Topics this year and addition of Topic Editors to our family of academic editors, we decided it would be a good time to restructure our academic boards, thus providing more clarity and support for each role. MDPI is pleased to announce the launch of a new position—Topical Advisory Panel Member, that will replace the previous position of Topics Board Member. The Topical Advisory Panel will be comprised of early career researchers eager to gain experience in editorial work.

The main responsibility of the new members of the Topical Advisory Panel is to regularly provide support to Guest Editors, Topic Editors, and Section Board Members. The responsibilities of the Topical Advisory Panel are available here: https://www.mdpi.com/editors .

Each year, the members’ performances are evaluated, and outstanding members are promoted to the Editorial Board by the Editor-in-Chief.

• Have expertise and experience in the field related to the journal;
• Have received a Ph.D. in the last 10 years, approximately;
• Have at least 6-8 published papers in the last 5 years as first author or corresponding author;
• Currently hold an independent research position in academia or a government institute.

If you are interested in this role, please contact the editorial office by email.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

25 October 2021 Open Access Week 2021 | It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity, 25–31 October

Founded in 1996, MDPI was one of the first fully Open Access publisher. Over 25 years MDPI has grown to become the largest Open Access publisher globally, publishing over 160,000 articles across more than 350 journals in 2020. At the core, MDPI was founded in response to a pressing need of fast publication and inclusion. The scholar was set at the centre of the publication process for the first time. Acting as a service provider, rather than a product provider, MDPI exists to help scientists achive their objective to disseminate research results. At MDPI, we believe scientists deserve a better service from the publishing world.

The International Open Access Week (Open Access Week), founded by the SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) Alliance and student partners in 2008, has been successfully running for 13 years. As an advocate and pioneer of open access publishing, MDPI actively responds to the call of International Open Access Week. This year’s theme of “It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity” highlights the Recommendation’s call for equitable participation from all authors and readers.

For the last 25 years, MDPI has been committed to disseminating open research. Here is a video showing MDPI’s Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Diversity for More than 25 Years.

International Open Access Week is an important opportunity to catalyze new conversations, create connections across and between communities that can facilitate this co-design, and advance progress in the building of more equitable foundations for opening knowledge—discussions and actions that need to be continued, year in and year out. MDPI has always aimed to provide professional and efficient publishing services to scholars around the world.

Our mission is to make scientific research accessible to everyone; this year, we interview and hold discussions with open science ambassadors on how to build an equal and inclusive environment for open science. Academic editors help us collaborate with more institutions to advocate for open access ideas.

Read our anniversary blog post: "Sharing 'Collective Human Knowledge': The Benefits of Open Access Publication"

Besides this, our scientific community is a key driver of our success and MDPI’s remarkable growth. Despite the pandemic, we have prepared online conferences and workshops to gather scholars from different communities.

The Basel Sustainable Publishing online forum provides an equal opportunity for stakeholders and researchers from multi-cultural environments to exchange ideas and eliminate barriers to participation.

Conference date: 25 October 2021, online Conference website: https://bspf2021.sciforum.net/ Main topics: MDPI discusses the current dilemma of open access science from various perspectives such as governments, libraries, and publishers, and related measures on how to change the status quo of discrimination from a global perspective.

We aim to support equality, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in scholarly communications. We collaborate with universities and key laboratories and have scholarly communications with researchers, teachers, and students on open access workshops.

• 25 October 2021 Energies journal and Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• 28 October 2021 Machines journal and State Key Laboratory of Traction Power, Southwest Jiaotong University
• 29 October 2021 Processes journal and Beijing Institute of Technology
• 29 October 2021 Coatings journal and Wuhan University of Technology

MDPI is committed to providing open access and high-quality publishing services for scholars and promoting rapid dissemination of academic achievements. We hope to promote the practices and policies of open access publishing and diversify the dissemination of academic achievements.

28 September 2021 Meet Us at the Advanced Membrane Technology Summit for Water Treatment 2021, Shanghai, China, 15–17 October 2021

MDPI will be attending the Advanced Membrane Technology Summit for Water Treatment 2021, jointly hosted by the International Water Association (IWA), China Regional Office and Tongji University, which will be held from 15 to 17 October 2021, in Shanghai, China.

Famous domestic and foreign experts will give keynote speeches during the conference, in addition to poster exhibitions, postgraduate seminars and other academic activities. This summit is focused on the theme of "Sustainable Development of Membrane Water Treatment Technology under the Background of Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality". Topics covered by the summit include, but are not limited to, membrane water and wastewater treatment, new theories of membrane processes, advanced membranes and membrane modules, advanced membrane processes and combined processes, sustainable membrane water treatment technologies, and the industrial application of membrane technology.

• Separations;
• Sustainability;
• ChemEngineering .

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit:

https://amts2021.scimeeting.cn/cn/web/index/12145 .

26 September 2021 Meet Us at the 11th International Conference on Quality, Reliability, Risk, Maintenance, and Safety Engineering & the 4th International Conference on Reliability Systems Engineering (QR2MSE2021 & ICRSE2021), Chengdu, China, 27–30 October 2021

QR2MSE2021 & ICRSE2021 is an international forum for the exchange of innovative ideas, cutting-edge research results, and applications of asset management, reliability and quality tools in design, manufacturing, and operation and maintenance of engineering systems. Papers dealing with case studies, reliability data generation, experimental results, best design practice, and effective asset management solutions are of particular interest. All papers accepted will be included in the conference proceedings and submitted to the IEEE digital library and referred in EI Compendex.

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: http://www.qr2mse.org/ .

24 September 2021 Applied Sciences | Call for Special Issue Proposal

Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417, IF 2.679) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on all aspects of applied natural sciences published semimonthly online by MDPI. The journal covers all aspects of applied physics, applied chemistry, engineering, environmental and earth sciences, and applied biology. The journal is indexed within Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), Inspec, CAPlus/SciFinder, and many other databases.

The Applied Sciences editorial team is pleased to announce an open call for Special Issue proposals. This Special Issue will offer a group of authors the opportunity to work on an interconnected set of papers on an innovative topic. We welcome high-quality proposals that will be evaluated in a continuous selection process throughout the year.

Proposals for a Special Issue should have a well-articulated, unifying topic and reflect, on an international level, the best work available in a particular research area (either an established or an important emerging area), in which future investigations may be encouraged by the publication of a set of novel research papers. Hence, the creation of an international group of Guest Editors with some high-quality planned papers is always important when it comes to proposals.

Proposals for Special Issues should be sent to the Editorial Office ( [email protected] ) or submitted via the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/applsci .

The following information should be provided in a proposal:

• A 150–200-word summary that clearly states the significance, novelty, technical advancement, and adherence to the scope of the journal of the proposed topic;
• A list of 5–10 keywords relating to the topic;
• A brief resume of the proposed Guest Editors, together with their information (title, name, email, affiliation, personal website, keywords of interests);
• A proposed submission deadline (a Special Issue will usually be open for submissions for 6–8 months);
• A list of at least 20 potential contributors, or a list of 8 planned papers.

As a Guest Editor, you would be responsible for:

• Inviting your peers to submit papers to be published in your Special Issue. These papers will be able to take advantage of the high publicity offered by our open access publishing, our rapid and high-quality peer-review process, and immediate publication after acceptance;
• Checking the suitability of abstracts/manuscripts submitted to the Special Issue;
• Making pre-check decisions regarding whether to send a new submission to peer review;
• Making final decisions regarding whether to accept or reject a paper based on peer-review outcomes.

As a Guest Editor, you would have the following privileges:

• A certificate of recognition as a Guest Editor of Applied Sciences ;
• Publishing one paper free of charge in your Special Issue;
• Inviting authors to submit high-quality papers to be published in your Special Issue free of charge or with certain discounts;
• If the Special Issue is successful and features at least 10 manuscripts accepted after full peer review, we can organize it into a printed book and send you a free one as a gift.

Editorial Office’s role:

The Editorial Office will set up the Special Issue website, arrange the promotional material, assist with invitations for paper contributions, and take care of the administrative tasks associated with peer review, including inviting reviewers, collating reports, contacting authors, and arranging professional production before publication.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Editorial Office ( [email protected] ) if you are interested and would like further details or clarification.

We look forward to receiving your proposals.

23 September 2021 2020 MDPI Top Reviewer Award—Winners Announced

Rigorous peer-review is the cornerstone of high-quality academic publishing. Over 369,916 scholars served as reviewers for MDPI journals in 2020. We are extremely appreciative of all those who made a contribution to the editorial process in this capacity. At the beginning of every year, journal editorial offices publish a list of all reviewers’ names to express our gratitude. In addition, this year, the MDPI Top Reviewer Award was announced, to recognize the very best reviewers for their expertise and dedication, and their high-quality, and timely review reports. We are pleased to announce the following winners of the 2020 MDPI Top Reviewer Award:

• Adriana Burlea-Schiopoiu;
• Alban Kuriqi;
• Álvaro González-Vila;
• Alessandro Alaimo;
• Alexey Beskopylny;
• Alexander Yu Churyumov;
• Alberto Fernández-Isabel;
• Andrea Mastinu;
• Antonios N. Papadopoulos;
• Anton Rassõlkin;
• Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino;
• Arkadiusz Matwijczuk;
• Artur Słomka;
• Bartłomiej Potaniec;
• Bojan Đurin;
• Camilo Arturo Rodriguez Diaz;
• Carmelo Maria Musarella;
• Chiachung Chen;
• Chiman Kwan;
• Cristian Busu;
• Danil Pimenov;
• Dan-Cristian Dabija;
• Delfín Ortega-Sánchez;
• Demetrio Antonio Zema;
• Denis Butusov;
• Elena Lucchi;
• Gaurab Dutta;
• Livia Anastasiu;
• M. R. Safaei.

For more information about how to become a reviewer of MDPI journals, please see: www.mdpi.com/reviewers .

23 September 2021 Meet Us at the 2023 Annual Conference for Society of Chinese Mechanical Engineering Biomanufacturing Division and the International Symposium on Bio-Manufacturing (ACBD-ISBM2023), 17–19 March, in Beijing, China

The Annual Conference for the Society of Chinese Mechanical Engineering Biomanufacturing Division and the International Symposium on Bio-Manufacturing (ACBD-ISBM2023) will be held from 17 to 19 March 2023, in Beijing, China. The conference is organized by the Society of Chinese Mechanical Engineering Biomanufacturing Division, Beihang University, and co-organized by Tsinghua University, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, and Southeast University.

• Biomanufacturing and Regenerative Medicine;
• Bio-Bionic Manufacturing and Planting/Interventional Devices;
• Biosensor and Flexible Electronics Manufacturing;
• Multi-Scale Biomimetic Manufacturing;
• Micromanipulation and Minimally Invasive Instruments.
• Biological Modeling and Bio-3D Printing;
• Tissue and Organ Chip;
• Innovative Medical Devices and Biomaterials.
• Biomimetics;

22 September 2021 MDPI Joins SDG Publishers Compact

UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. In 2020 the SDG Publishers Compact was launched, aimed to inspire publishers and accelerate progress to achieve the 17 goals by 2030. Members of the programme are committed to support the publication of materials that will promote and inspire actions towards SDGs.

MDPI is an eager advocate of SDGs and has already been supporting the programme by creating Special Issues and publishing a  series of books on SDGs prior to joining the Compact in 2021. MDPI's Sustainability Foundation initiated the World Sustainability Awards in 2016. We fully support UN's goals to promote sustainable actions that make the world a better place for all and, as part of its commitment, we will focus our actions on SDG10: Reduced Inequalities whilst promoting all 17 SDGs. For more details, please visit the programme’s website: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdg-publishers-compact/ .

Joining this initiative was a unanimous decision. MDPI has in its core values the dissemination of science for all, breaking the wall between research access and under-represented members of the scientific community and the general population. To support this initiative further and continue to support under-represented scientists, MDPI will take a series of actions that will be announced once ready.

The first action MDPI takes is to nominate Dr. Liliane Auwerter as the coordinator of the programme. Dr. Auwerter studied Environmental Process Technology (UTFPR, Brazil), obtained her MSc degree in Water and Environmental Engineering (University of Surrey, UK) and in 2020 completed her PhD in self-healing low-friction materials for water transport (Imperial College London, UK), always focusing on diverse scientific projects that would potentially bring sustainability to industrial processes. As a student in Brazil, she engaged in volunteering activities focused on environmental education and took part in the Millennial Development Goals meetings held at the university.

For more information, please contact: Dr. Liliane Auwerter Scientific Officer [email protected]

15 September 2021 Meet Us at the 20th National Catalysis Conference, Wuhan, China, 15–20 October 2021

MDPI will be attending the 20th National Catalysis Conference in Wuhan, China, which will take place from 15 to 20 October 2021. The theme of the conference is “Catalytic Science and Technology for Green, Low-Carbon, High-Quality Economic Development”. The topics include the science and technology of catalytic materials and catalyst preparation, catalytic materials and catalytic reaction characterization technology and theory, green catalysis, environmental catalysis, energy catalysis, and science and technology in the catalysis process of petroleum and chemical industry.

• Processes ;
• Reactions ;

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: http://20ncc.mzpco.com/ .

11 August 2021 Applied Sciences | New Section Established

In order to specifically develop different research areas and attract more high-quality papers, we are pleased to announce the addition of the following Section in Applied Sciences to cover all the disciplines of natural and applied science:

• “Green Sustainable Science and Technology”

We are now recruiting Editorial Board Members (EBMs) for this Section. If you are an active researcher in one of the aforementioned fields and are passionate about publishing cutting-edge research, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]). Alternatively, you may wish to submit your work directly via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload/?journal=applsci .

Applied Sciences is an international, peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary, and open access journal published quarterly online by MDPI. The journal covers all aspects of applied physics, applied chemistry, engineering, environmental and earth sciences, and applied biology.

3 August 2021 Announcement on Japanese Consumption Tax (JCT)

This serves to announce to our valued authors based in Japan that value-added tax, or consumption tax will now be imposed on article processing fees and other service fees for all papers submitted, or resubmitted (assigned new paper IDs), effective from 15 August 2021 . The change is in accordance with the Japanese "Act for Partial Revision of the Income Tax Act and Other Acts" (Act No. 9 of 2015), which includes a revision of consumption taxation on cross-border supplies of services such as digital content distribution.

For additional information from the National Tax Agency please see here ("Cross-border supplies of electronic services").

Contact: Setsuko Nishihara , MDPI Tokyo

9 July 2021 Meet Us at the 12th International Conference on Information Optics and Photonics (CIOP 2021), Xi’an, China, 23–26 July 2021

MDPI will be attending the 12th International Conference on Information Optics and Photonics (CIOP 2021), Xi’an, China, 23–26 July 2021.

CIOP, an annual conference with comprehensive topics on optics and photonics, was initiated in 2007 by Chinese Laser Press, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The 12th International Conference on Information Optics and Photonics (CIOP2021) will be held on 23–26 July 2021 in Xi'an, China.

• Applied Sciences (leading journal);

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: https://www.researching.cn/EN/EventMain/CIOP2021 .

9 July 2021 Meet Us at the IEEE-2021 International Conference of Optical Imaging and Measurement (ICOIM 2021), Xi’an, China, 27–29 August 2021

MDPI will be attending the IEEE-2021 International Conference of Optical Imaging and Measurement (ICOIM 2021), which is going to be held in Xi’an, China, from the 27 th to the 29 th of August 2021.

Optical imaging and measurement are closely related and have a wide range of applications such as microscopes, telescopes, sensors, etc. Usually, imaging is the basis of measurement, and measurement is a rigorous consideration of imaging results in a quantitative way. This conference covers the broad field of advanced optical imaging and precision measurement technologies, ranging from micro to macro, from static to dynamic, from single physical quantity to multiple. Optical methods continuously have a profound impact on new developments in the field of science and technology, such as milestone breakthroughs, STED optical nanoscope (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2014), and LIGO’s interferometer (Nobel Prize in Physics 2017). This conference is looking forward to opening a discussion between optical scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

• Journal of Imaging ;

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: http://www.icoim.org/ .

7 July 2021 Meet Us Online at the 2nd International Electronic Conference on Applied Sciences (ASEC 2021), 15-31 October 2021

Conference website: https://asec2021.sciforum.net/

We would like to invite you to join the 2nd International Electronic Conference on Applied Sciences (ASEC 2021) that will be hosted online from 15–31 October 2021. ASEC 2021 will be free of charge for presenters and visitors. There will be an opportunity to publish papers peer-reviewed and accepted for a Special Issue of Applied Sciences ( https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/special_issues/2nd_IECAS ). MDPI offers a 10% discount on the fees for publication in this Special Issue.

ASEC 2021 aims to promote and advance the exciting and rapidly changing fields representing all aspects of applied sciences. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Optics and Lasers (Session A)
• Chemistry (Session B)
• Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering (Session C)
• Environmental and Sustainable Science and Technology (Session D)
• Applied Physics (Session E)
• Computing and Artificial Intelligence (Session F)
• Applied Dentistry (Session G)
• Foods Science and Technology (Session H)
• Mechanical Engineering (Session I)

We hope that you share our enthusiasm for this project and will join us in ensuring this conference is a success.

2 July 2021 Applied Sciences Has Received Updated Impact Factor of 2.679

We are pleased to report that the 2020 Impact Factor of Applied Sciences has increased to 2.679 from 2.474 in the recent release of Journal Citation Reports®. The journal’s 5-Year Impact Factor is 2.736. Applied Sciences now ranks 101/179 (Q3) in the category “Chemistry, Multidisciplinary”, 38/91 (Q2) in “Engineering, Multidisciplinary”, 201/335 (Q3) in “Materials Sciences, Multidisciplinary” and 73/160 (Q2) in “Physics, Applied”.

Evolution of Impact Factor, Citations and Publications for Applied Sciences :

Source: data according to Journal Citation Reports®, 2020 release, a Clarivate Analytics product.

30 June 2021 2020 Impact Factors - Released

The 2020 citation metrics have been officially released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR)!

We are pleased to announce that 85 MDPI journals are included, of which:

• 10 journals received their first impact factor
• 96% of journals increased their impact factor from 2019
• 32 journals (38%) ranked among the top 25 % of journals, in at least one category

* Journals given their first Impact Factor in 2021

Source: 2020 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports ® (Clarivate, 2021)

23 June 2021 Applied Sciences | Special Issues for 2021 Women Engineering Day

Special Issue " Women in Smart Industrial System "

Prof. Dr. Antonella Petrillo

Editorial Board Member of Applied Sciences

Department of Engineering, University of Naples “Parthenope”, Italy

Guest Editor of the Special Issue " Women in Smart Industrial System"

Introduction: Antonella Petrillo received her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cassino. Her research interests include multi-criteria decision analysis, sustainability, digitalization, smart manufacturing and supply chain management.

Contribution: Prof. Petrillo has published more than 176 peer-reviewed journal/conference papers within the above-mentioned topics, and several books as an editor and/or co-editor. She also serves as an international reviewer for over 50 international journals and she is a member of scientific committees for PhD programs, international conferences and proposal evaluations.

Do you want to say something to celebrate 23 rd June—International Women in Engineering Day?

We are living in an epochal historical period, imaginable (perhaps), predictable (perhaps), but that we never imagined could really happen. This period will be remembered as the time of a world pandemic in a globalized world, the likes of which have never been seen before. A Black Swan. We have no idea what work will look like in 2050. However, we are certain that we are experiencing an epochal period that will change our ways of working as well as our ways of living. We do know that we are living in a period in which revolutions in biotechnology and information technology are putting humanity in the face of difficult trials, perhaps the most difficult trails that it has ever encountered. We are witnessing an epochal paradigm shift in the interaction between “man” and “machine”. The pandemic is proving to be a catalyst for digitization processes. If talent used to be everywhere but opportunities were concentrated in a few places in the world, now talents themselves can create opportunities everywhere. In a future of work where the physical-biological and digital levels will be in symbiosis, the problem will not be a gender issue. Only cooperation and collaboration between motivated minds with a clear goal will be able to overcome the global challenges of the near future. Women, like men, must have this awareness by promoting the empowerment of mankind. We are first women, first men, and then engineers. Science has no gender.

Special Issue " Women in Building Materials "

1. Prof. Dr. Carmen Martínez-García

Department of Chemical, Environmental and Material Engineering, High Polytechnic School of Linares, University of Jaen, Jaén, Spain

Guest Editor of the Special Issue " Women in Building Materials "

Introduction: Since 2015, Prof. Dr. Carmen Martínez-García  has been the Managing Director of the Academic Organization of the University of Jaén. She was previously the Subdirector of Quality and Attention to Disability of the Superior Polytechnic School of Linares of the University of Jaén (2012-2015). Since 2004, Prof. Dr. Carmen Martínez-García  has belonged to the Materials Engineering and Mining Research Group. The lines of research that Prof. Dr. Carmen Martínez-García has worked on are: Materials Engineering, Advanced Materials, Construction Materials and Waste Recovery. Prof. Dr. Carmen Martínez-García’s research work is mainly focused on the line of waste recovery in clay products and the circular economy.

Contribution:  Prof. Dr. Carmen Martínez-García has more than 80 contributions to national and international congresses in the area of materials and environment, and 31 articles in international journals indexed in JCR.

2. Prof. Dr. María Teresa Cotes-Palomino

Introduction: Since 2009, Prof. Dr. María Teresa Cotes-Palomino has been a part of the Materials Engineering and Mining Research Group. The lines of research that Prof. Dr. María Teresa Cotes-Palomino has worked on are: Materials Engineering, Advanced Materials, Construction Materials and Waste Recovery.

Contribution:  Prof. Dr. María Teresa Cotes-Palomino has made 54 contributions to national and international congresses in the area of materials and environment, and 10 articles in international journals indexed in JCR.

It is a very important day to raise awareness and highlight the role of women in a sector traditionally dominated by men. It is essential to make the sector and society aware of the value of women's work and research in engineering and, at the same time, to encourage vocations among young female students, so that they see engineering as their future professional career.

8 June 2021 Applied Sciences Receives Updated CiteScore of 3.0

We are pleased to report that the CiteScore of Applied Sciences has increased to 3.0 (from 2.4). For full details of the current CiteScore release, please refer to the journal’s Source profile ( https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21100829268 ).

28 April 2021 Book Builder — Compile a Customized E-Book from Your Favorite MDPI Open Access Content

MDPI Books recently released Book Builder , a new online tool to conveniently arrange, design and produce an eBook from any content published in MDPI journals. Book Builder offers two functions: on the one hand (1) Selections, available to every registered user of MDPI; on the other hand (2) Special Issue Reprints, which can be used exclusively by Guest Editors of Special Issues.

In just a matter of a few clicks, all users are now able to assemble books from MDPI articles and receive instantaneous feedback in the form of a fully produced and compiled book (PDF), which can be downloaded or ordered as print copy. Selections can include any paper published with MDPI, picking and combining content from different journals and special issues.

This way, the user may for example choose to compile an ebook focusing around a particular topic, or assemble articles from a group of others.

We invite you to make yourself familiar with the new tool! The Book Builder can be found here: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book_builder .

Special Issue Reprints

The Book Builder allows Guest Editors of MDPI journals to create a reprint from a successfully completed Special Issue or Topical Collection in book format. If you are a Guest Editor for an MDPI journal, you can use the new tool  to create an PDF document which includes all articles published in the Special Issue as well as a book cover and table of contents.

For Special Issues containing a minimum of 5 articles, the Guest Editor can request its publication on the MDPI Book platform. Published reprints are assigned an ISBN and DOI.

In addition to the PDF copy of the Reprint Book, as a token of our gratitude, MDPI offers every Guest Editor one (1) complimentary print copy (via print-on-demand). All contributors benefit from a discount on orders of any additional print copies, to share with colleagues or libraries or others.

In line with our organization's values, MDPI Books publishes all content in open access, promoting the exchange of ideas and knowledge in a globalized world. MDPI Books encompasses all the benefits of open access—high availability and visibility, as well as wide and rapid dissemination. MDPI Books are distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution License , meaning as an author you retain the copyright for your work. In addition, with MDPI Books you can complement the digital version of your work with a high-quality printed counterpart.

If you are interested in editing a book volume or series , or have a monograph manuscript to be considered for publication, please  submit your proposal online and look at our Information for Authors .

Contact: Laura Wagner, MDPI Books Manager ( email )

20 April 2021 Applied Sciences | Four New Sections Established

In order to specifically develop different research areas and attract more high-quality papers, we are pleased to announce the addition of the following four new Sections in Applied Sciences to cover all the disciplines of natural and applied science:

• Transportation and Future Mobility ;
• Biomedical Engineering ;
• Neurosciences ;

We are now recruiting Editorial Board Members (EBMs) for these Sections. If you are an active researcher in one of the aforementioned fields and are passionate about publishing cutting-edge research, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]). Alternatively, you may wish to submit your work directly via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload/?journal=applsci .

15 April 2021 MDPI Celebrates Company Milestone With 25th Anniversary Page "We exist to help scientists achieve their own objectives"

In June of this year, MDPI will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its foundation. To mark this significant milestone, we have created a  25th Anniversary page on our website that evokes the development of our company over the past quarter-century.

MDPI has been a pioneer of Open Access publishing ever since the concept was first created.

In a wide-ranging interview , our CEO Delia Mihaila reflects on the company’s 25th anniversary and its contribution to the world of scientific publishing.

Delia considers how MDPI has evolved since starting life in 1996 as a visionary ‘project’ run out of an apartment in Basel, Switzerland, by Dr. Shu-Kun Lin. A chemist who was passionate about the long-term preservation of rare chemical sample, Dr. Lin was determined to help scholars publish their findings as quickly as possible and make their research results available to as wide a readership as possible worldwide. That determination remains unchanged 25 years later.

Today, MDPI is an international organization with over 4,000 employees based on three continents and in ten countries, and ranks among the world's top four academic publishers.

MDPI's mission is to accelerate access to new scientific research, delivering insight faster for researchers worldwide. Read more  here about the company's remarkable success story and what the Open Access publishing model can offer the global scientific community.

10 March 2021 Journal Selector: Helping to Find the Right MDPI Journal for Your Article

At MDPI, we strive to make your online publication process seamless and efficient. To achieve this, our team is continuously developing tools and features to make the user experience useful and convenient.

As the number of academic papers continues to grow, so does the need to analyze and work with them on a large scale. This prompted us to design a new feature aimed at helping researchers find journals that are relevant to their publication by matching their abstract topic. In this regard, we designed a similarity model that automatically identifies the most suitable academic journals for your paper.

We are pleased to introduce Journal Selector , a new feature that measures similarity in academic contexts. By simply entering the title and/or abstract into our Journal Selector, the author will see a list of the most related scientific journals published by MDPI. This method helps authors select the correct journals for their papers, highlighting the time of publication and citability.

The methodology is known as representation learning, where words are represented as vectors in hyperspace. Representation helps us differentiate between different concepts within articles, and in turn, helps us identify similarities between them.

We used an advanced machine learning model to better capture the semantic meanings of words. This helps the algorithm make better predictions by leveraging scientific text representation. In turn, this ensures high precision, helping authors decide which journal they should submit their paper to.

The goal is to support authors to publish their work in the most suitable journal for their research, as fast as possible, accelerating their career progress.

Contact: Andrea Perlato, Head of Data Analytics, MDPI ( email )

3 March 2021 Applied Sciences | Four New Sections Established

In order to specifically develop different research areas and attract more high-quality papers, we are pleased to announce the addition of the following four new sections in Applied Sciences to cover all the disciplines of natural and applied science:

• Applied Adhesion ;
• Applied Thermal Engineering ;
• Agricultural Engineering ;
• Additive Manufacturing Technologies .

We are now recruiting Editorial Board Members (EBMs) for these sections. If you are an active researcher in one of the aforementioned fields and are passionate about publishing cutting-edge research, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]). Alternatively, you may wish to submit your work directly via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload/f316fed2fcf2df49bac3cf6c3323ec06?journal=applsci .

20 February 2021 Applied Sciences | 2020 Review

In 2020, Applied Sciences received 23,516 articles and published 8176 articles with 25,976 authors，and 18,662 researchers who reviewed a manuscript for us. Applied Sciences articles were cited an estimated 34,182 times in 2020. All submitted manuscripts are peer-reviewed and time from submission to publication is approximately 35 days.

Applied Sciences received the 2019 impact factor (2.474) and established six new sections in 2020 on “Membrane Science and Technology", "Robotics and Automation", "Aerospace Science and Engineering", "Marine Engineering", "Applied Microbiology", and "Applied Micromedicine”. 

High Altmetric Papers

• Effect of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Tubes Filled with Recycled Materials and Concrete on Structural Capacity of Pile Foundations Visar Farhangi et al. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10 (5), 1554; doi: 10.3390/app10051554
• A Novel Transfer-Learning-Based Approach for Pneumonia Detection in Chest X-ray Images Vikash Chouhan et al. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10 (2), 559; doi: 10.3390/app10020559
• Debonding Detection of Reinforced Concrete (RC) Beam with Near-Surface Mounted (NSM) Pre-Stressed Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Plates Using Embedded Piezoceramic Smart Aggregates (SAs) Yang Liu et al. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10 (1), 50; doi: 10.3390/app10010050
• Control and Backbone Identification for the Resilient Recovery of a Supply Network Utilizing Outer Synchronization Liang Geng et al. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10 (1), 313; doi: 10.3390/app10010313
• Effect of Micropiles on Clean Sand Liquefaction Risk Based on CPT and SPT Visar Farhangi et al. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10 (9), 3111; doi: 10.3390/app10093111

Collections/Special Issues

Applied Sciences runs Special Issues to create collections of papers on specific topics. The aim is to build a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions. Special Issues are led by Guest Editors who are experts in the subject, who oversee the editorial process for papers. Papers published in a Special Issue will be collected together on a dedicated page of the journal website. High-quality Collections/Special Issues will be printed as books. The book can be made available on Amazon, eBookMall, Apple books, etc.

Top Downloaded Topics :

• Machine Learning
• Biomechanics
• Structural Engineering
• Image Processing

Diagnostics

Open Calls:

• New Achievements in Structural Dynamics Analysis edited by Marek Krawczuk and Magdalena Palacz submission deadline: 30 June 2021
• Optical Design and Engineering edited by Pin Han, Chun Hung Lai, Yi Chin Fang and Ye Zhi Ting topical collection
• Topological Optimization in Engineering Design edited by Boyan Stefanov Lazarov submission deadline: 30 October 2021

Read full list of call for papers at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/special_issues .

On behalf of the editorial team, we would like to express our gratitude to the Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences , all Section Editors-in-Chief and Editorial Board Members, as well as to the Guest Editors of Special Issues, Topic Board Members, and Reviewer Board Members, all of whom have ensured the continued success of the journal through their hard work and diligence!

In 2021, Applied Sciences will continue to contribute to academic exchange and sharing of knowledge.

20 February 2021 Applied Sciences | Presenting 2021 Travel Award Winners

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 Travel Awards, sponsored by MDPI and Applied Sciences . The awards were granted to nine outstanding young researchers working in thematic areas:

This has been a difficult decision given the collection of high-quality applications received for the awards. We would like to thank all the applicants for submitting such a range of diverse and fascinating research topics and congratulate the winners on their accomplishment.

For more information about Applied Science awards, please visit here .

15 December 2020 MDPI adopts C4DISC principles to improve diversity and inclusion in scholarly communications

MDPI is proud to adopt the principles of the Coalition for Diversity & Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC) to support building equity, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in scholarly communications.

The C4DISC represents organizations and individuals working in scholarly communications and is focused on addressing issues of diversity and inclusion within the publishing industry.

MDPI’s Managing Editors encourage the Editors-in-Chief and Associate Editors to appoint diverse expert Editorial Boards. This is also reflective in our multi-national and inclusive workplace. We are proud to create equal opportunities without regard to gender, ethnicity, geographic location, sexual orientation, age, disability, political beliefs, religion, or socio-economic status. There is no place for discrimination in our workplace and editors of MDPI journals are to uphold these principles in high regard.

Representatives from C4DISC meet monthly, and have started to implement initiatives to shed light and improve on the lack of diversity in scholarly communications. Some of the initiatives include developing a joint statement of principles; conducting market research; providing training resources, best practices, toolkits, and documentation for our collective memberships; and establishing outreach programs, curricula, events, and publications.

The Coalition is committed to:

• eliminating barriers to participation, extending equitable opportunities across all stakeholders, and ensuring that our practices and policies promote equitable treatment and do not allow, condone, or result in discrimination;
• creating and maintaining an environment that respects diverse traditions, heritages, and experiences;
• promoting diversity in all staff, volunteers, and audiences, including full participation in programs, policy formulation, and decision-making;
• raising awareness about career opportunities in our industries to groups who are currently underrepresented in the workforce;
• supporting our members in achieving diversity and inclusion within their organizations.

14 December 2020 Article Layout and Templates Revised for Future Volumes

At MDPI we have slightly revised the layout for articles to be published in the 2021 Volume, starting at the end of December 2020. As of today, the article templates available for download on ‘Instructions for Authors’ pages have been updated.

The most noticeable change can be found on the first page of the article, where a left-hand column has been created to include the following front matter elements: (i) the recommended citation style for the article, (ii) the publishing history, (iii) as well as the Creative Commons Attribution license used (iv) a standard note regarding affiliations. At the same time, the extra spacing on the left means the authors’ affiliations are now more clearly set apart than before. Other front matter key elements such as journal logo, article type, article title, authors, abstract and keywords remain unchanged.

The blank column on the left runs through all pages in an article; as a result, the main text is slightly more condensed, which improve reader friendliness for smaller screens. Small figures/tables are aligned on the left with standard indenture, while large figures/tables are centered and covering the full width of the page. The revised layout was applied in the article pictured below, to serve as an example:

1) Information is displayed in the left information bar.

2) In the main text, there is a blank column on the left.

3) Small tables/figures are aligned on the left, large tables/figures are centered.

11 December 2020 2020 "Highly Cited Researchers" on MDPI Journal's Editorial Boards

We are pleased to acknowledge that many academic editors who have made an impact on MDPI journals as editorial board members, editors-in-chief, or section editors, are recognized as 2020 Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate.

Highly Cited Researchers highlights the top 1% of researchers, by citations, in one or more of the 22 fields used in Clarivate Analytics Essential Science Indicators . We offer our congratulations to 279 academic editors of MDPI journals who were recognized as the most influential scholars in their fields in 2020.

The full list of 2020 Highly Cited Researchers  can be accessed on https://recognition.webofsciencegroup.com/awards/highly-cited/2020/

19 November 2020 Recruiting Editors for New Section “Applied Microbiology” in Applied Sciences

In order to better categorize papers published within the journal, the section “ Applied Microbiology ” has recently been established. We are now recruiting Editorial Board members for this new section.

If you are an active researcher in the field and are passionate about participating in cutting-edge research publications, please do not hesitate to get in touch ( [email protected] ). As an Editorial Board member, you will have the following responsibilities:

• To make decisions on whether a manuscript can be accepted, or not, based on the reports we collect;
• To serve as Editor of a Special Issue on a topic related to your research interests when it is convenient for you;
• To review some manuscripts in your area of interest and when you are available;
• To recommend timely topics or appropriate conferences;
• To promote Applied Sciences and increase its visibility at related academic conferences.

19 November 2020 Recruiting Editors for New Section “Applied Micromedicine” in Applied Sciences

In order to better categorize papers published within the journal, the section “ Applied Micromedicine ” has recently been established. We are now recruiting Editorial Board members for this new section.

3 November 2020 1st Webinar of Applied Sciences : Recent Advances in the Development and Application of Green Extraction Techniques—13 November 2020

Nowadays, more than ever, new strategies need to be developed and implemented to reduce the environmental burden of extraction techniques that are intensively used across all sectors of the (bio)economy and analytical laboratories. The ongoing works towards alternative greenest extraction methodologies, and consequently those contributing to an imperative World Sustainable Development, need to be disseminated to expand the acquired knowledge to other fields and to provide the needed impetus for overcoming the existent limitations.

Thus, the goal of the webinar “Recent Advances in the Development and Application of Green Extraction Techniques” is to share experiences and promote discussion on novel (experimental or theoretical) challenges, advances, and outlooks concerning the development and/or applications of Green Extraction Methodologies. You are all invited to participate!

Date: 13 November 2020

Time: 02:00 pm (CEST) 丨 2:00 am (EDT) 丨 10:00 pm (CST ASIA)

Webinar ID: 830 4635 8756

Register for Free Here: https://applsci-1.sciforum.net/

For any questions about the webinar, please send an email to [email protected]

13 October 2020 1st International Electronic Conference on Applied Sciences – Open for Submission

We are pleased to announce that the 1st Electronic Conference on Applied Sciences, chaired by Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi from The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, Japan will be held from 10 to 30 November 2020 at Sciforum ( https://sciforum.net/conference/ASEC2020 ). All proceedings will be held online.

These are some of the topics that we expect to cover:

• Optics and Lasers
• Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences
• Acoustics and Vibrations
• Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering
• Environmental and Sustainable Science and Technology

Applied Physics

• Computing and Artificial Intelligence

Applied Dentistry

The conference will be completely free of charge—both to attend, and for scholars to upload and present their latest work on the conference platform. There will also be the possibility to submit selected extended papers to the Special Issue of the conference entitled. For information about the procedure for submission, peer review, revision, and acceptance of conference proceedings papers, please refer to the section “ Instructions for Authors ”.

**Important Dates**:

• Abstract Submission: 28 October 2020
• Notification of Acceptance: 30 October 2020
• Paper Submission Deadline: 31 October 2020

Conference Open: 10–30 November 2020

For more information on IOCN2020, please visit the conference website ( https://sciforum.net/conference/ASEC2020 ) or contact us by email ( [email protected] ).

27 September 2020 Prof. Dr. Saulius Juodkazis Appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of the Section “Optics and Lasers” in Applied Sciences

Professor Juodkazis has contributed to the development of a three-dimensional laser printing with nano-/microscale precision using femtosecond laser for applications in optofluidics, micro-optics, optical memory, and photonic crystals. He has shown, experimentally, the creation of high-pressure density phases of materials using tightly focused ultra-short laser pulses. Currently, his research also includes nanotextured surfaces for sensing, bactericidal, and light-harvesting applications.

Professor Juodkazis received his doctorate in experimental physics and materials science jointly from Vilnius University (Lithuania) and Lyon-I University (France). He has also held previous tenured positions at the Universities of Tokushima and Hokkaido in Japan, and is the author of 320 peer-reviewed journal papers and reviews as well as numerous book chapters. He is Fellow of OSA and SPIE and ChangJiang scholar.

His research area also focuses on nanofabrication, nanophotonics, micro-optics, 3D laser fabrication (additive and subtractive), ablation, light–matter interaction, solar hydrogen, physics, and photonics.

We warmly welcome Prof. Dr. Saulius Juodkazis as the Editor-in-Chief of the section “Optics and Lasers”, and we look forward to achieving many milestones under his leadership. For further information on the journal section, please visit the following link.

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/sections/optics

23 September 2020 Greeting from Editorial Board Members to Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Applied Sciences

In 2020, we made interviewers with the journal section EiCs:

18 August 2020 Recruiting Editors for Section “Optics and Lasers” in Applied Sciences

The section “ Optics and Lasers ” includes more than 150 Editorial Board members. In order to further develop this section, we are now recruiting additional Editorial Board members for this leading section.

If you are an active researcher in the field and are passionate about participating in cutting-edge research publications, please do not hesitate to get in touch ( [email protected] ). As an Editorial Board member, you will have the following responsibilities:

18 August 2020 Recruiting Editors for New Section "Aerospace Science and Engineering" in Applied Sciences

In order to better categorize papers published within the journal, the section "Aerospace Science and Engineering" has been set up recently. We are now recruiting the editorial board members for this new section.

If you are an active researcher in the field and are passionate about participating in cutting-edge research publications, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]). As an Editorial Board member, you will have the following responsibilities:

17 August 2020 Recruiting Editors for New Section “Marine Engineering” in Applied Sciences

In order to better categorize papers published within the journal, the section “ Marine Engineering ” has recently been established. We are now recruiting Editorial Board members for this new section.

13 August 2020 Applied Sciences Celebrates Its 10 th Anniversary

The year 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of Applied Sciences , a peer-reviewed open access journal providing an advanced forum for all aspects of applied natural sciences. Applied Sciences has published more than 15,000 papers in the form of reviews, research papers, and communications. More than 1000 of these papers have received over 10 citations. To celebrate this 10th anniversary, we are arranging a series of special content and events. We hope you will join us in celebrating this milestone of our journal and enjoy the collections below.

Collections of Excellent Works

Anniversary Special Issues

10th Anniversary of Applied Sciences: Invited Papers in Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering Section edited by Mohamed Benbouzid submission deadline 31 Oct 2020 | 5 articles

10th Anniversary of Applied Sciences: Invited Papers in "Optics and Lasers" Section edited by Totaro Imasaka and Takayoshi Kobayashi submission deadline 31 Oct 2020 | 7 articles

10th Anniversary of Applied Sciences: Invited Papers in Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences Section edited by Philippe Lambin and Raul Arenal submission deadline 31 Oct 2020

10th Anniversary of Applied Sciences: Invited Papers in Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering Section edited by Roger Narayan submission deadline 31 Oct 2020 | 5 articles

10th Anniversary of Applied Sciences: Invited Papers in Energy Section edited by Frede Blaabjerg, S. M. Muyeen and Tomislav Dragicevic submission deadline 20 Dec 2020 | 5 articles

10th Anniversary of Applied Sciences: Invited Papers in Materials edited by Alexander Chroneos submission deadline 31 Dec 2020 | 1 article

10th Anniversary of Applied Sciences Invited Papers in Applied Dentistry Section edited by Gianrico Spagnuolo submission deadline 30 Jan 2021 | 1 article

9 July 2020 Open Access Agreement Between Jisc Collections and MDPI

We are delighted to announce the establishment of our Open Access agreement with Jisc Collections, which will allow UK institutions to benefit from access to article processing charge (APC) discounts and streamlined payment workflows.

All institutions participating in the agreement will also gain access to the MDPI online submission system where they can find full article metadata and pricing information for easy identification and additional transparency.

Eligible authors affiliated with the participating institutions are prompted to choose the corresponding Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) when they submit an article via our online submission system.

Jisc's vision is for the UK to be the most digitally advanced education and research nation in the world. At its heart is the super-fast national research and education network, Janet, with built-in cyber security protection.  Jisc also provides technology solutions for its members (colleges, universities and research centres) and customers (public sector bodies), helps members save time and money by negotiating sector-wide deals and provides advice and practical assistance on digital technology. Jisc is funded by the UK higher and further education and research funding bodies and member institutions.

For more information, contact [email protected].

MDPI is a publisher of fully peer-reviewed, Open Access journals with a focus on thorough and rapid editorial processing. Its aim is to ensure that high-quality research is verified and made available to the research community as quickly as possible. MDPI stands at the forefront of the Open Access movement, having launched its first online journal Molecules in 1996. Today, MDPI is a leader in Open Access publishing with over 250 journals across all research disciplines, and all content published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).

For any questions about this agreement, please contact the MDPI IOAP team at [email protected] .

29 June 2020 Updated Impact Factors Released in the Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate)

The updated citation metrics have been released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), published by Clarivate. The recent release of the JCR includes seventy-one MDPI titles. Out of these, 18 titles are newcomers, receiving a first Journal Impact Factor which is based on citation activity in 2019: Actuators , Agriculture , Biology , Biomedicines , Biosensors , Chemosensors , Children , Healthcare , Journal of Fungi , Journal of Personalized Medicine (JPM), Land , Life , Magnetochemistry , Membranes , Pharmaceuticals , Photonics , Separations and Toxics .

• Out of the previously listed journals, a total of 72 percent boast an increased Impact Factor.
• 25 journals are ranked among the top 25% of journals in at least one of the categories they are ranked for.
• Articles published in 2019 in MDPI journals account for approximately 17 percent of of articles published in gold Open Access journals covered in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI).

First Impact Factors

Updated impact factors, 13 may 2020 covid-19 academic resources center.

Since 1996, MDPI has been committed to supporting the research community by providing the latest research freely available and making relevant and useful research available as quickly as possible. The world is current experiencing a pandemic of COVID-19, and researchers are working extremely hard to understand it and find a cure.

The values MDPI holds strongly are particularly important at the moment, and we will continue to publish relevant, peer-reviewed research as quickly as possible in open access format. This means that it will immediately be available for researchers, health professionals, and the general public to read, distribute, and reuse. We believe that scientific advancements will be crucial to overcoming this pandemic, and will do everything we can to support researchers working looking for solutions.

COVID-19 Academic Resources Center contains a variety of information related to COVID-19 available from MDPI, including journal articles, special issues, and preprints, among others.

For more information, please visit: https://www.mdpi.com/covid-19

29 April 2020 Recruiting Editors for Four New Sections Set up in  Applied Sciences

In order to better categorize papers published within the journal, the following four new topical sections have been set up recently:

Membrane Science and Technology 

Robotics and Automation 

Marine Engineering 

Aerospace Science and Engineering 

We are now recruiting the Editorial Board Members (EBMs) for these sections. As an Editorial Board member, you have the following responsibilities:

• Make decisions on whether a manuscript can be accepted or not, based on the reports we collect.
• Serve as Editor of a Special Issue on a topic related to your research interests when it is convenient for you.
• Review manuscripts in your area of interest and when you are available.
• Recommend topics or appropriate conferences.
• Promote Applied Sciences and increase its visibility at related academic conferences.

If you are an active researcher in one of the aforementioned fields and are passionate about participating in the cutting-edge research of the corresponding field, please do not hesitate to get in touch ( [email protected] ).

Applied Sciences  Editorial Office

24 April 2020 Applied Sciences 10th Anniversary Special Issue Now Open for Submissions

Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417; CODEN: ASPCC7) published its inaugural issue in 2011; it has experienced tremendous growth in terms of the number and quality of scientific publications, and has been covered by Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science) and Scopus.

Applied Sciences was started to help all scientists conduct their own research into the growth of these frontiers by breaking down barriers and connecting the many subfields to cut through this vast forest. These functions allow researchers to see these frontiers and their surrounding (or quite distant) fields and subfields, and provide them the opportunity to incubate and develop their knowledge even further with the aid of this multi-dimensional network.

20 April 2020 Meet us at the 2020 IAFP (International Association for Food Protection) Annual Meeting, held in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, 25–28 October 2020.

MDPI will be attending 2020 IAFP Annual Meeting, held in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, 25–28 October 2020.

Each year, the International Association for Food Protection hosts an Annual Meeting, providing attendees with information on current and emerging food safety issues, the latest science, innovative solutions to new and recurring problems, and the opportunity to network with thousands of food safety professionals from around the globe. Held in various locations throughout North America, this meeting has grown over the years to become the leading food safety conference worldwide. IAFP 2020 will be held at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland in Cleveland, Ohio. 

The IAFP Annual Meeting is attended by more than 3,800 of the top industry, academic and governmental food safety professionals from six continents. This renowned event owes its reputation and success to the quantity, quality, and diversity of each year’s program; the quality and relevance of exhibits sharing the latest in available technologies; leading experts speaking on a variety of timely topics; and special recognition of outstanding professionals and students for their contributions in the food safety field.

• Foods (Leading journal)
• Microorganisms (co-leading)

Sustainability

• Applied Scienc es
• Antioxidants

If you are also attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth ( Booth #736 ). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please see the following link:  http://www.foodprotection.org/annualmeeting/

9 April 2020 Free Open Platforms to Support Academics During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As a leading Open Access publisher, MDPI is committed to fostering open scientific exchange in all forms across all disciplines. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, many researchers have to stay at home and many academic conferences have been cancelled or postponed. In light of these changes, MDPI has adopted numerous initiatives that may help accelerate scientific exchange and provide support to the academics during this period.

Scholarly Community— Encyclopedia

Encyclopedia is an online reference created and curated by active scholars. It aims to highlight the latest research results as well as providing benchmark information for researchers and the general public interested in accurate and advanced knowledge on specific topics.

Comprehensive and Free Literature Database — Scilit

Scilit is a comprehensive, free database for scientists that uses a new method to collate data and index scientific material. Our crawlers extract the latest data from CrossRef and PubMed on a daily basis. This means that newly published articles are immediately added to Scilit.

Display Academic Achievements — SciProfiles

SciProfiles is an innovative social network for researchers and scholars that is developed by MDPI. In line with our broad mission, the purpose of SciProfiles is to accelerate discovery and innovation by facilitating immediate access to research results and providing opportunities for academic networking.

Organize and Participate in Conferences Online — Sciforum

Sciforum is an event planning platform that supports open science by offering the opportunity to host and participate in academic conferences. It provides an environment for scholarly exchange, discussion of topics of current interest, building of networks, and establishing collaborations .

Post Early Versions of Research Outputs — Preprints

Preprints is a platform dedicated to making early versions of research outputs permanently available and citable. We post original research articles and comprehensive reviews, and papers can be updated by authors at any time. Content on Preprints is not peer-reviewed, and feedback can be received from readers.

MDPI remains committed to open science and open data and has signed a statement , along with more than thirty scholarly publishers, showing our intention to facilitate sharing of new research findings as early on as possible. The initiative sees publishers collectively removing barriers to new research , in the face of a global healthcare crisis.

25 March 2020 MDPI Comment on the COVID-19 Virus

The world is currently suffering from a global pandemic of the corona virus COVID-19. MDPI expresses its sympathies for all of those affected by the virus and stands in solidarity with medical staff and researchers treating patients and searching for scientific solutions.

MDPI has previously published papers covering corona viruses in addition to new papers on the current outbreak, see all papers here . In particular, Viruses has published a number of Special Issues and papers on the topic (see here , here , and here ) as well as a forthcoming Special Issue .

Alongside journal articles, MDPI has been a strong supporter of preprints, which are increasingly being used to rapidly disseminate the latest research, and we run the preprint server Preprints.org . Our database of research articles, Scilit , is free to use and covers all publishers including preprint servers. New papers are often in search results within hours of publication and users can set up alerts for new papers.

Our main priority during this period has been the health and safety of staff, and we continue to allow staff to work at home and closely monitor the situation in all locations in which we work. Despite the restrictions, we continue to provide a full publication service and, by close collaboration with our editorial boards and making use our in-house teams, ensure that there are no unnecessary delays in publishing vital research. Fast and open publication has always been at the core of MDPI values and is now more important than ever.

We hope that a solution to the current situation will emerge soon. In the meantime, we will do our best to continue communicating vital research in all fields.

20 March 2020 Meet us at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Spanish Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (SEBBM 2020) in Barcelona, Spain, 20–23 July 2020

MDPI will be attending SEBBM 2020, held in Barcelona, Spain, 20th–23rd July 2020.

La Sociedad Española de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular (SEBBM) is committed to promoting research links, encouraging years of study, promoting the dissemination of knowledge, improving teaching, and promoting young scientists among Spanish researchers for the international development of Spanish science and to contribute to scientific aspects of the public interest.

• Genes (Leading journal)
• Biomolecules (co-leading)
• Brain Sciences
• Antibiotics

If you are also attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth ( Booth #17 ). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please see the following link:

18 March 2020 MDPI Co-Signed Position Statement on Transformative Agreements

The advantages of the open access model of scientific publishing are being increasingly recognized in the scientific community. It allows new scientific evidence to be accessed from the moment of publication for free by anyone around the globe, boosting the impact of new research. In response, many funders, libraries and universities have been adopting new principles to accelerate the transition to open access.

Recently, “transformative agreements” have been negotiated between traditional publishers and various institutions. While increasing the number of open access papers, these agreements lack binding commitments to a full transition to open access, their conditions vary across different regions, and access is still limited for many users.

MDPI is a co-signatory of the recent position statement raising concerns about potential downsides of transformative agreements and how they may delay a full transition to open access. The statement highlights that these models “risk perpetuating current limitations on access, transparency and market competitiveness, while simultaneously facilitating excessive charges on the public purse”.

As a pioneering open access journal publisher, MDPI is the first to promote the importance of science being made available to everyone. Our peer-reviewed journals, covering diverse academic disciplines, are fully accessible to the public free of charge under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). This is why, along with other open access publishers, MDPI is a proud signatory of the position paper and is committed to contributing to the replacement of weak transitional agreements with “agreements with publishers that are already fully committed to open science and who offer full, immediate and transparent Open Access”.

Read the position paper  here

16 March 2020 Encyclopedia Outstanding Contributor Awards 2020 - Open for Application

We are pleased to announce that Encyclopedia will be awarding five Outstanding Contributor Awards for researchers in 2020. The nominations and applications will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee consisting of senior scholars from the Encyclopedia Editorial Board.

Prize for Winners

• An official certificate;
• A cash award of 500 CHF or an MDPI discount voucher of 800 CHF.

Application Deadline

31 December, 2020 (Please send your application email with a list of all entries you contributed to our office before the deadline: [email protected] )

Candidate Requirements

• Have a Ph.D. degree;
• Have more than three qualified entries published in Encyclopedia in 2020.

Evaluation Standards

• Number of entries published in Encyclopedia in 2020;
• Quality of entries online (including length, figure quality, and novelty);
• Impact of entries (including the number of likes, discussion contents, views, and downloads) .

If you are a researcher and have not yet contribute entries to Encyclopedia , please do not miss this chance to highlight your research results.

14 February 2020 Meet us at the CLEO Laser Science to Photonic Applications, San Jose, California, USA, May 12-14, 2020

MDPI will be attending the CLEO Laser Science to Photonic Applictions, San Jose, California, USA, May 12-14, 2020

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics to generate quality face-time with world renowned industry leaders and help achieve your annual sales and marketing goals. Special industry offerings make this event a magnet for executives and scientific equipment users throughout the buying channel. Exhibitors will have extensive, targeted opportunities for exposure and in-depth interaction with key prospects and customers. These high-level buyers are looking to you—the leading product experts, manufacturers and service providers—for the most innovative, cost-effective solutions to support their missions.

• Applied Sciences (leading journal)
• Photonics (co-leading)

Electronics

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth ( Booth #2607 ). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: https://www.cleoconference.org/home/ .

10 February 2020 Presenting the 2020 Applied Sciences Travel Award Winners

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 Travel Awards, sponsored by MDPI and Applied Sciences . The awards were granted to six outstanding young researchers working in thematic areas:

Travel Award in Earth Sciences and Geography 2020

Nicolò Giordano holds post-doc fellowship at Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) focusing on evaluation of themthermal energy storage potential for buildings and greenhouses in Nunavik, Québec; development of a methodology for oscillatory thermal response tests in borehole heat exchangers to evaluate the subsurface heat capacity; and use of near surface geophysical surveys to image permafrost, monitor the thermal plume of underground storage systems, and characterize the subsurface thermal properties.

Travel Award in Energy 2020

Alfonso González Briones holds a Ph.D. in computer engineering from the University of Salamanca. In 2018, his thesis was second place in the 1st SENSORS+CIRTI Award for the best national thesis in Smart Cities (CAEPIA 2018). Alfonso González Briones is a project manager of Industry 4.0 and Internet of Thing projects at the AIRInstitute. He is also a lecturer for Master of Industry 4.0 at the International University of La Rioja (UNIR).

Travel Award in Environmental and Sustainable Science and Technology 2020

Marco Vocciante joined University of Genoa (UniGe) as Ph.D. student in 2013. He has been involved in projects dealing with mathematical modeling, process data reconciliation and optimization, energy efficiency, and environmental protection. After his Ph.D. appointment in early 2016, he was the holder of a two-year postdoc grant on issues of environmental interest and is currently working as assistant professor at the University of Genoa. He is actively involved in teaching activities of the Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry (DCCI).

Travel Award in Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences 2020

Daniel M. Balazs is a postdoctoral research associate from the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, U.S. He work includes understanding the growth of single-crystalline colloidal quantum dot arrays, developing scalable techniques for the formation of ordered, electronic-quality quantum dot assemblies, and managing students working on the project.

Travel Award Optics and Lasers 2020

Kayn Forbes is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the School of Chemistry at the University of East Anglia. He obtained his M.S. degree in chemistry in 2014 and Ph.D. in theoretical physics in 2018. He began his independent research fellowship in September 2019, where he has been theoretically studying optical light–matter interactions and photonics.

Stefano Signorini is a postdoctoral researcher from the University of Trento. His research topics include: integrated nonlinear optics and quantum photonics and near- and mid-infrared heralded single photons on a silicon chip. Stefano Signorini is a scientific consultant for Indivenire srl, Trento. His projects include developing a solution to the gas nozzle dripping problem and optimization of the laser cavity of a laser welding machine.

This has certainly been a difficult decision, with such a collection of high quality applications for the awards. We would like to thank all of the applicants for submitting such a range of diverse and fascinating research topics and congratulate the winners for their accomplishment.

For more information about Applied Science awards, please see this page .

21 January 2020 Meet us at the 45th International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing, Barcelona, Spain, 4–8 May 2020

MDPI will be attending the 45th International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing, Barcelona, Spain, 4–8 May 2020.

ICASSP is the world's largest and most comprehensive technical conference focused on signal processing and its applications. The 2020 conference will feature world-class presentations by internationally renowned speakers, cutting-edge session topics and provide a fantastic opportunity to network with like-minded professionals from around the world.

ICASSP 2020 will feature a mix of national and international speakers, tutorials, workshops and exhibits. Featuring contemporary research, highly regarded presenters and a focus on translating research into practice the conference is sure to be an exciting event for all who attend.

• Applied System Information
• Journal of Imaging
• Journal of Sensor and Actuator Networks

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth ( Booth #23 ). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: https://2020.ieeeicassp.org/ .

21 January 2020 Thank You to the Recipients of the " Applied Sciences 2019 Outstanding Reviewer Awards"

The Applied Sciences Editorial Board and Editorial Team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy given by reviewers in checking manuscripts submitted to the journal . It is thanks to their efforts that the high quality of the journal and quick submission to publication process are maintained. The median time to first decision is currently and impressive 15.5 days, and the median time to publication is 39 days, which is all because of you.

Please join us in congratulating the six referees below, who will receive the “ Applied Sciences 2019 Outstanding Reviewer Awards” in recognition of the quantity, timeliness, and quality of their reviews in 2019. Each of them will receive 500 CHF and a certificate for their outstanding review work.

From left to right:

Prof. Gabor Sziebig UIT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway

Prof. Hojong Choi Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Korea

Dr. Aryan Rezaei Rad EPFL ENAC IIC IBOIS, Switzerland

Dr. Ali Behnood Purdue University, USA

Dr. Andreas Hoffmann Max-Born-Institut, Berlin, Germany

Prof. Douglas O'Shaughnessy Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Canada

Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417; Applied Sciences-Basel in Web of Science) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal, published monthly by MDPI AG, Basel, Switzerland. The journal is covered by leading indexing services, including Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science) and Scopus. Its 2018 Impact Factor is 2.217, and its five-year Impact Factor is 2.287. For further details, please visit the journal website .

21 January 2020 Meet Us at the 2020 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS 2020) in Waikoloa, Hawaii, USA, 19–24 July, 2020

MDPI will be attending the IGARSS 2020, to be held in Hawaii, USA, 19–24 July 2020

Hosted by the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society, the 2020 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS 2020) will be held Sunday, 19 July through Friday, 24 July, 2020 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Waikoloa, Hawaii, USA. The main theme of the 2020 symposium is "Remote Sensing: Global Perspectives for Local Solutions".

GARSS 2020 is offering unique perspectives, discussions, research, solutions, and an opportunity to network in a beautiful environment.

Remote Sensing

Geosciences

7 January 2020 Recruiting Editors for "Applied Physics" Section in Applied Sciences

In order to better categorize papers published within the journal, the following section has been set up:

We are now recruiting editorial board members (EBMs) for the new section. As an Editorial Board member, you have the following responsibilities:

If you are an active researcher in one of the aforementioned fields and are passionate about participating in cutting-edge research in a corresponding field, please do not hesitate to get in touch ( [email protected] ).

7 January 2020 Prof. Dr. Nicholas Vassiliou Sarlis Appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of "Applied Physics" in Applied Sciences

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Nicholas Vassiliou Sarlis was appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of the section ' Applied Physics ' in the journal Applied Sciences .

Dr. Nicholas Vassiliou Sarlis is a Professor in the Department of Physics of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. His research has focused on solid state physics, thermodynamics of point defects, complex systems physics, nonlinear dynamics, the physics of earthquakes, heart rate variability, and natural time analysis.

We are confident that the strong academic background and connections of the new Section Editor-in-Chief will continue to raise the prestige and quality of Applied Sciences while maintaining the efficiency of manuscript processing that Applied Sciences ' authors have come to expect.

20 December 2019 I4Future (Imaging for the Future) Now Affiliated with Applied Sciences

I4Future -  Imaging for the Future: Novel Imaging and Characterization Methods in Bio, Medical and Environmental Research and Technology Innovations  is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie action co-funded international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral doctoral programme, hosted by the University of Oulu. I4Future network involves 17 University of Oulu research groups, 10 international partner universities, 11 private companies and 4 multidisciplinary public sector organisations. The programme brings together the complementary and supplementary expertise of internationally accredited researchers with the aim of training young researchers in an interdisciplinary manner in highly relevant sosioeconomic research areas using state-of-the-art techniques.

In October 2019, I4Future became an affiliated project to the journal Applied Sciences. As part of this collaboration, all affiliated I4Future members are now entitled to a discount on the article processing charge (APC) for articles published in Applied Sciences, to Special Issue “Imaging and Characterization of Applied Materials”.

Project: I4Future (Imaging for the Future): https://www.oulu.fi/i4future/

SI: Imaging and Characterization of Applied Materials:  https://www.mdpi.com/si/applsci/applied_materials

18 December 2019 Meet Us at TMS 2020 in San Diego, CA, USA, 23–27 February 2020

MDPI will be attending the 149th TMS 2020 on minerals, metals, and materials in San Diego, CA, USA, 23–27 February 2020. An Editorial Board Member meeting of Metals will take place during this event. We warmly welcome you join and share your publishing experience with us.

TMS2020 will present more than 85 symposia planned by all five TMS technical divisions and covering a broad range of topics related to minerals, metals, and materials science and engineering. The event will draw more than 4000 attendees and feature four full days of technical programming.

Nanomaterials

Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth ( Booth #726 ). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: https://www.tms.org/TMS2020 .

4 December 2019 Applied Sciences Reaches 10,000 Articles Milestone

Applied Sciences , MDPI’s open access journal on all aspects of applied natural sciences, has published more than 10,000 articles and reviews since its inception in 2011. Applied Sciences is covered in the Science Citation Index Expanded in the Web of Science and received an Impact Factor of 2.217 for 2018.

Applied Sciences ' current CiteScore in Scopus is 2.52, which equals rank 41/275 (Q1) in "General Engineering". Our sincerest thanks go to the Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences , Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi; to all the editorial board members; as well as to the Guest Editors of our Special Issues, who have ensured, with their hard work and diligence, the continued success of the journal.

25 November 2019 Recruiting Editors for "Applied Dentistry" Section in Applied Sciences

In order to better categorize papers published within the journal, the following section has recently been set up:

• To make decisions on whether a manuscript can be accepted or not, based on the reports we collect;

28 October 2019 Recruiting Editors for New Section "Food Science and Technology" in Applied Sciences

In order to better categorize papers published within the journal, the section " Food Science and Technology " has been set up recently. We are now recruiting the editorial board members for this new section.

11 October 2019 Introducing SciProfiles , an Academic Social Network

MDPI is pleased to announce the release of SciProfiles , its social network platform for researchers and scholars.

The purpose of SciProfiles is aligned with MDPI’s broad mission to accelerate discovery and innovation by facilitating immediate access to research results and to serve scholars and communities by providing opportunities for academic networking.

SciProfiles also ambitions to serve as a sustainable, transparent and community-driven research evaluation system aligned with the DORA principles ( https://sfdora.org/ ). Through their scientific profiles, academics can highlight their contribution to research communities, and measure their impact on their field, beyond publication numbers and impact factors. SciProfiles is currently a beta version and will enrich to give researchers the possibility to highlight all of their contributions to science and their scientific communities as authors, reviewers, editors, conference organizers, conference panelists, conference keynote speakers, or even as lecturers or student mentors at their University.

The classic components of popular community social networks, including follower/following, classical metrics, endorsements and recommendations ( https://www.mdpi.com/about/announcements/1690 ), comments ( https://www.mdpi.com/about/announcements/1397 ) are or will be very soon highlighted in SciProfiles as open science contributions.

To help increase the impact and visibility of articles and their authors to an appropriate audience, the platform offers a NewsFeed that includes recommendations of relevant content based on interests, publication history, saved searches or colleagues’ recommendations.

SciProfiles’ avatars are now being integrated on several MDPI platforms, meaning that you will directly access researchers’ profiles from any of the MDPI platforms:

MDPI's journal publishing website: www.mdpi.com MDPI's conference hosting and management website: www.sciforum.net MDPI's pre-print website : www.preprints.org MDPI's knowledge sharing website : www.encyclopedia.pub MDPI's books store: www.mdpi.com/books MDPI's literature database : www.scilit.net

SciProfiles aims to serve scientific communities at large. It can be embedded into third-party websites and also welcomes integration of data from third-parties.

Dr. Shu-Kun Lin: https://sciprofiles.com/profile/2 Dr. Franck Vazquez: https://sciprofiles.com/profile/FranckVazquez Dr. Martyn Rittman: https://sciprofiles.com/profile/martynrittman

2 October 2019 Winners of the 2019 MDPI Writing Prize

We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2019 MDPI Writing Prize. Entrants were asked to write on the theme "Judging research: How should research and researchers be evaluated and rewarded?" We received a large number of excellent essays from PhD students and postdocs, and the process of shortlisting and choosing winners was not an easy one. The winners demonstrated excellent writing skills alongside interesting and thought-provoking ideas.

As last year , we will begin the process of collating all entries into a book that will be available in open access format. Alongside promoting good writing skills, we see the prize as a way to promote the voices of early career researchers within broader debates and policy discussions.

Congratulations to all of the participants and especially the winners. The winners are:

1st Prize (500 CHF): Albin Nilsson (National Centre for Nuclear Research, Warsaw, Poland) [ Read here ]

2nd Prize (250 CHF): Qi Zhang (Shandong University, Jinan, China) [ Read here ] Igor Ogashawara (Indiana University, Indianapolis, US) [ Read here ]

3rd Prize (100 CHF): Margaret Sivapragasam (Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Perak, Malaysia) [ Read here ] Arvind Sharma (The University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia) [ Read here ] Jose Flores-Guerrero (University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands) [ Read here ]

The MDPI Writing Prize is an annual award supported by MDPI Author Services , which provides services including language editing, reformatting, plagiarism checks, and image editing.

20 September 2019 MDPI Now Gives Scholars the Possibility to Endorse and Recommend Articles

MDPI is pleased to announce the release of a new functionality giving the possibility for researchers and scholars to endorse, and formally recommend articles to their colleagues.

MDPI was an early signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment ( https://sfdora.org/read/ ) which calls for improvement in how quality and impact of scholarly research outputs are evaluated, especially in moving beyond journal-based citation metrics (journal Impact Factor, Scopus Citescore, etc.).

MDPI supports the establishment of article-level impact metrics, including citations, views, downloads, and Altmetric scores. These measures serve as an impact indicator for research articles on a case–by-case basis, assessing paper on its own merit. However, these metrics are also subjective and can give a biased picture of the article impact: they do not directly reflect the quality or the intrinsic scientific value of the article.

In our view, community engagement with publications based on community-driven metrics can help to overcome this limitation. We have therefore launched an option for scholars to endorse articles, indicating their own assessment of its content and making a recommendation to their community. This follows our implementation of the open source Hypothesis commenting tool, which has been available for all articles published by MDPI for over a year ( https://www.mdpi.com/about/announcements/1397 ). Both endorsement and commenting are available for all previously published and forthcoming MDPI articles.

In addition to potentially serving as a sustainable solution to article assessment, endorsements will help scientific communities to identify the most relevant articles, independently of the journal in which it was published.

The code for the endorsing functionality, which relies on DOIs and ORCIDs, will be made available on GitHub with an open source license.

Dr. Shu-Kun Lin, President and Founder Dr. Franck Vazquez, Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Martyn Rittman, Publishing Director

12 September 2019 Meet Us at MicroTAS 2019 in Basel, Switzerland, 27–31 October 2019

We will be attending the 23rd International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences (MicroTAS 2019), to be held at Congress Center Basel, in Basel, Switzerland, on 27–31 October 2019. MicroTAS 2019 represents the continuation of a series of conferences that are considered the premier forum for presenting the latest research in microfluidics, microfabrication, nanotechnology, integration, materials and surfaces, analysis and synthesis, and detection technologies for life science and chemistry. MicroTAS 2019 offers plenary talks as well as contributed oral presentations and posters from selected abstracts. The following open-access journals will be represented:

Micromachines Biosensors Coatings Applied Sciences IJMS Sensors

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (booth #21). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit https://microtas2019.org .

11 September 2019 Create an Entry in Encyclopedia to Get a 100 CHF Voucher in Publishing in MDPI Journals

Encyclopedia is a free online reference created and curated by active scholars. It aims to highlight the latest research results as well as provide a comprehensive record of scientific development. If you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to contact us via [email protected] .

11 September 2019 Society Collaborations Established in June and July 2019

In June and July 2019, four societies chose to establish a cooperation with MDPI journals.

As part of this collaboration, the members of these affiliated societies will enjoy a discount on the article processing charges (APC) when submitting articles to the corresponding journals. The collaboration goes beyond the discount benefit offered to members and includes other services as well as cross-promotions.

Further information about these societies:

Spanish Society of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology (SEFIG) is a national organization that includes pharmacists and other graduates devoted to pharmaceutical R&D and pharmaceutical education related to the pharmaceutical industry, university education, and research centers or health institutions.

Spanish Society for Cellular Biology (SEBC) was founded in 1984 and it is currently formed by over 350 members. It was initially established as a scientific association to coordinate research and formative activities in the field of Cell Biology.

Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC ) is an innovation consortium that seeks to make Canada a global leader in low carbon smart mobility technologies across heavy-duty and light-duty platforms, including advanced transit, transportation, and integrated mobility applications. It supports the commercialization of technologies through industry-led collaborative research, development, demonstration/delivery, and integration (RDD&I) projects that bring innovative design to Canada’s low-carbon smart mobility eco-system.

Clim4Vitis (Climate Change Impact Mitigation for European Viticulture) is a three-year Horizon 2020 project funded by the European Union Research and Innovation programme. Coordinated by UTAD (Portugal), with the support of PIK (Germany), UNIFI (Italy), LIST (Luxembourg) and SPI (Portugal), the project aims to encourage S&T capacity and performance in grapevine modelling with a vision to implement methods and tools for assessing climate change impacts on European viticulture. First edition of the project Newsletter can be found here .

6 September 2019 Meet us at the 35th Annual International Conference on Soils, Sediments, Water, and Energy in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA, 21-24 October 2019

MDPI will be attending the 35th Annual International Conference on Soils, Sediments, Water, and Energy in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA, 21-24 October 2019.

The Annual Conference on Soils, Sediments, Water and Energy at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst has become the preeminent national conference in this important environmental area. The conference attracts 600-800 attendees annually which includes a wide variety of representation from state and federal agencies, military, industry (including railroad, petroleum, transportation, and utilities), environmental engineering, environmental consulting, and academia.

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth ( Booth #B34 ). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: https://www.aehsfoundation.org/Ecc-Exhibitor-Info.aspx

8 August 2019 Applied Sciences Reaches 8,000 Articles Milestone

Applied Sciences , MDPI’s open access journal on all aspects of applied natural sciences, has published more than 8,000 articles and reviews since its inception in 2011. Applied Sciences is now covered in the Science Citation Index Expanded in Web of Science and received an Impact Factor of  2.217 for 2018.

6 August 2019 Preprints Reaches 10,000 Posted Articles Milestone

We are pleased to announce that Preprints has passed the milestone of 10,000 posted preprints. We are delighted to have reached this after just over three years of operation. Our congratulations and thanks go to our authors and advisory board who have supported growth of the platform and been crucial to its operation.

You can find further details at https://www.preprints.org/announcement/show/37 .

2 August 2019 DeepGreen Partnering with Publishers and Universities in Distributing Open Access Content to Institutional Repositories

Last week, the DeepGreen initiative in Germany started into an advanced test phase with the publishing partners S. Karger AG, SAGE Publishing, MDPI, Frontiers and De Gruyter, as well as 27 universities from all over Germany, from Hamburg University of Applied Sciences to University of Konstanz.

DeepGreen aims at lowering the barriers for open access publishing by automatically delivering metadata and full text publications from participating publishers to authorized repositories at German universities.

In preparation for a later live operation, the advanced test phase serves to gain experience with extensive data deliveries from publishers and also handling different repository software (including OPUS4, DSpace, EPrints, MyCoRe). DeepGreen thereby acts as a sophisticated platform, receiving articles published by authors affiliated with German universities and depositing these articles to respective university repositories, based on the affiliation metadata. For more information about DeepGreen: https://deepgreen.kobv.de

Karger AG has been a close cooperation partner of the DeepGreen consortium since 2016. S. Karger has more than 80 subscription-based and around 20 open access journals covering a wide spectrum in health science. DeepGreen will assign S. Karger articles to authorized institutions on the legal basis of German alliance and national licenses.

SAGE Publishing   was founded by Sara Miller McCune in 1965 to support the dissemination of usable knowledge and educate a global community. SAGE publishes more than 1,000 journals and over 600 new books each year, spanning a wide range of subject areas. Our growing selection of library products includes archives, data, case studies and video. SAGE remains majority owned by our founder and after her lifetime will become owned by a charitable trust that secures the company’s continued independence. Principal offices are located in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC and Melbourne. SAGE Publishing has been a close cooperation partner of DeepGreen since 2016.

MDPI  is a scientific open access publisher and has been a partner of DeepGreen since 2017. MDPI comprises 205 peer-reviewed journals of various disciplines. All articles are published under a CC-BY license and are freely available without embargo period.

Frontiers   is a scientific open access publisher with 61 journals of over 600 academic disciplines. All articles are peer-reviewed and published freely available under CC-BY license.

De Gruyter   is an academic publisher with more than 700 subscription-based and open access journals of 29 disciplines. Articles provided by De Gruyter will be assigned to institutions with German alliance and national licenses.

There is promising communication with other publishers.

DeepGreen is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the consortium comprises six institutions: the Cooperative Library Network Berlin-Brandenburg, Bavarian State Library, Bavarian Library Network, University Library of the Technische Universität Berlin, University Library of Erlangen-Nuremberg and the Helmholtz Open Science Coordination Office at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences.

30 July 2019 Clim4Vitis (Climate Change Impact Mitigation for European Viticulture) Now Affiliated with Applied Sciences

In July 2019, Clim4Vitis became an affiliated project to the journal Applied Sciences . As part of this collaboration, all affiliated Clim4Vitis members are now entitled to a discount on the article processing charge (APC) for articles published in Applied Sciences , to Special Issue “Climate Change Impact on Viticulture and Potential Adaptation Strategies”.

Project: Clim4Vitis (Climate Change Impact Mitigation for European Viticulture):  https://clim4vitis.eu/

SI: Climate Change Impact on Viticulture and Potential Adaptation Strategies:  https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/special_issues/Climate_Viticulture

17 July 2019 First Basel Sustainable Publishing Forum

The University of Basel and the MDPI Sustainability Foundation are organizing the First Basel Sustainable Publishing Forum on 9th September 2019.

The aim of this event is to provide background and perspectives on Plan S to Learned Societies, which have to make well-informed decisions to transition their journals to Open Access (OA).

The BSPF will bring together several representatives of Learned societies, Plan S architects as well as representatives from various publishers and publishing platforms. After getting the big picture from cOAlition S, panel discussions will allow to better understand the diverse challenges that Learned societies are facing to transition their journals to OA as well as to identify sustainable, implementable and scalable solutions for successful Open Access transition.

For program details and registration, please follow the link below: https://sciforum.net/conference/SustainableSolutionsToOpenAccess

3 July 2019 Meet Us at the Conference EWTEC 2019 in Napoli, Italy, 1–6 September 2019

The European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference series are international, technical and scientific conferences, focused on ocean renewable energy. EWTEC series are widely respected for their commitment to maintaining high standards in the quality of academic and industrial contributions to their proceedings.

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (Booth #13). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: http://www.ewtec.org/conferences/ewtec-2019/ .

20 June 2019 Applied Sciences Receiving 2018 Updated Impact Factor of 2.217

We are pleased to inform that  Applied Sciences received an updated Journal Impact Factor of 2.217 in the recent release of the Journal Citation Reports®. The journal's 5-Year Impact Factor is 2.287. Applied Sciences now ranks 151/293 (Q3) in the category 'Materials Sciences, Multidisciplinary', 67/148 (Q2) in the category 'Physics, Applied' and 89/172 (Q2) in the category 'Chemistry, Multidisciplinary'.

Source: data according to Journal Citation Reports®, 2018 release, a Clarivate Analytics product; and Scopus journal metrics.

18 June 2019 Meet Us at the MNE 2019 in Rhodes Island, Greece, 23–26 September 2019

MDPI will be attending the 45th International Conference on Micro & Nano Engineering (MNE 2019), to be held in Rhodes Island, Greece, 23 - 26 September 2019.

MNE is the core international conference focusing on: micro/ nanofabrication and manufacturing techniques, and application of the fabricated micro/nanostructures, devices and microsystems into electronics, photonics, energy, environment, chemistry and life sciences.

Micromachines

• Chemosensors

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (Booth #3). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: http://www.cleoeurope.org/ .

11 June 2019 Meet Us at the CLEO/Europe-EQEC 2019 in Munich, Germany, 23–27 June 2019

MDPI will be attending the CLEO/Europe-EQEC 2019, to be held in Munich, Germany, 23–27 June 2019.

CLEO/Europe-EQEC 2019 will be offering an expanded short course programme covering a wide range of exciting topics in photonics and laser technology. Short courses participants are generally targeted individuals who wish to learn about a topic outside their main area of expertise. They are intended for engineers and scientists.

6 June 2019 Prof. Dr. Dibyendu Sarkar wins the 2019 SSSA Fellow Award

The journal Section Editor in Chief, Dibyendu Sarkar, has been selected as the 2019 SSSA (Soil Science Society of America) Fellow Award recipient. He will be recognized during the 2019 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, USA.

The SSSA Fellow is the highest recognition bestowed by the Soil Science Society of America. Members of the Society nominate worthy colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service. Up to 0.3 percent of the Society’s active and emeritus members may be elected Fellow.

We want to sincerely congratulate Prof. Dr. Dibyendu Sarkar on this excellent achievement.  

28 May 2019 Meet us at the 8th World Hydrogen Technologies Convention (WHTC 2019) in Tokyo, Japan

MDPI will attend WHTC 2019 in Tokyo, Japan from 2–7 June 2019.

The World Hydrogen Technologies Convention, consisting of an exhibition and various sessions, is one of the most authoritative international conferences related to hydrogen technologies. WHTC 2019 aims to provide a forum for scientific, industrial, governmental, and general audiences from all over the world to gather together and present their most recent research findings, and to offer a stimulating atmosphere to discuss and exchange ideas on frontier research topics and future possibilities in hydrogen energy technologies through oral / poster presentations and technology exhibitions. This conference will be a place for the sharing and exchange of information on hydrogen-related technologies and policies and also for deepening international cooperation while discussing the future of a low carbon society.

Our representatives will be exhibiting the open access journals Energies , Catalysts , Processes , Safety , Metals , Applied Sciences , and ChemEngineering .

If you will also be in attendance, please stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and to answering any questions you may have regarding open access publishing or our journals. For more information about this conference, please visit http://whtc2019.jp/index.html .

27 May 2019 Optics : A New Journal Seeking an Editor-in-Chief and Accepting Applications for Editorial Positions

People rely on optics every day. By utilizing the knowledge of how light behaves under different conditions, scientists and engineers develop remarkable technologies that improve our world. In expanding our offerings to the field of optics, MDPI will be launching a broad-interest and high-quality journal, Optics , an open access journal that seeks full research articles in all areas of optics and related interdisciplinary areas. Optics will also act as a medium for exchanging ideas and thoughts regarding the impacts of optical research.

Optics is an international, peer-reviewed open access journal which aims to present cutting edge research related to all aspects of optics. We are now seeking a founding Editor-in-Chief to develop Optics into a leading flagship journal in this field.

The main responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief include the following:

• Setting the scope and direction of the journal;
• Advising on the strategic development of the journal;
• Ensuring the quality of the published content;
• Coordinating the Editorial Board and stimulating their contributions to the journal;
• Promoting the journal at scientific conferences and through other venues.

We also welcome scientists in the field of optics to join our Editorial Board.

A full application for evaluation should include these items:

• An up-to-date CV;
• A description of the candidate’s vision for Optics .

Applications are due by 20 June 2019 . Please send your application or any questions to the Optics Editorial Office ( [email protected] ).

10 April 2019 Recruiting Editors for Three New Sections Set up in Applied Sciences

In order to better categorize papers published within the journal, the following three new topical sections have been set up recently:

Earth Sciences and Geography

Civil Engineering

Applied Industrial Technologies

We are now recruiting the Editorial Board Members (EBMs) for these sections. If you are an active researcher in one of the aforementioned fields and are passionate about participating in the cutting-edge research of the corresponding field, please do not hesitate to get in touch ( [email protected] ).

27 March 2019 Applied Sciences Reaches 6000 Articles Milestone

Applied Sciences , MDPI’s open access journal on all aspects of applied natural sciences, has published more than 6000 articles and reviews since its inception in 2011. Applied Sciences is now covered in the Science Citation Index Expanded in Web of Science and received an Impact Factor of 1.689 for 2017.

Applied Sciences’ current CiteScore in Scopus is 1.98. The CiteScore is a ratio between the number of citations in 2017 to papers published in 2014–2016 in the numerator and the number of papers published in 2014–2016 in the denominator, drawn from Scopus data.

Our sincerest thanks go to the Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences , Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi; to all the editorial board members; as well as to the Guest Editors of our Special Issues, who have ensured, with their hard work and diligence, the continued success of the journal.

20 March 2019 Fostering Open Access Publishing Worldwide: New IOAP Participants in February and March 2019

We are pleased to welcome more universities from Poland, Italy, Germany, Brazil and other parts of the world to MDPI's Institutional Open Access Program ( IOAP ). A warm welcome to the institutions listed below, who have joined the Program in February and March this year.

Authors affiliated with these institutions can now enjoy a discount on the APC for papers accepted for publication in any MDPI journal . If you would like to learn more about our program, please visit: https://www.mdpi.com/about/ioap or email us at [email protected] .

5 March 2019 MDPI Joins Jisc’s Publications Router Service

We are delighted to announce our participation in Jisc’s Publication Router project, as of March 2019. Publications Router is a Jisc service that automatically sends notifications about research articles to institutions' systems such as their repositories or CRISs, since May 2015. Through this agreement, MDPI will provide Jisc with daily feeds and information regarding published articles, which will be gathered by their system and delivered to institutions also registered to this service. Nearly all of our articles are published within 15 days of acceptance, so institutions will receive them quite promptly.

The feed will include the full text of the published version of record, with no embargo, so the articles can be exposed immediately for public view. They are accompanied by rich metadata, including confirmation of the immediate CC BY licence, minimising the need for any manual intervention or checking.

For more information about Publications Router, you may contact Jisc’s central helpdesk at  [email protected] . For any queries about MDPI’s institutional agreements and collaborations, you may get in touch with MDPI’s Institutional Engagement team at [email protected] , which would be very happy to hear from further UK institutions.

25 February 2019 2018 Applied Sciences Young Investigator Awards - Winners

The editorial office is pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences 2018 Young Investigator Award in “Biosciences and Bioengineering” and “Environmental and Sustainable” Fields.

They have been granted to: Dr. Thanh Duc Nguyen, an assistant Professor in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, USA; and Dr. José Marcos Ortega, who is now an Associate Professor in the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Alicante, Spain.

Dr. Thanh Duc Nguyen was nominated by Prof. Cato T. Laurencin (Chief Executive Officer, Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science). Dr. Nguyen is a very impressive and innovative young investigator with outstanding research works focused on biodegradable polymers and technologies of transforming materials into “smart” structures at small scales without compromising their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability for significant applications in vaccine delivery and medical devices.

Dr. José Marcos Ortega was nominated by the Head of the research group “Durability of materials and constructions in Engineering and Architecture” of the University of Alicante, Professor Miguel Ángel Climent Llorca. Dr. Ortega has continued working in the “Durability of materials and constructions in Engineering and Architecture” research group of the University of Alicante. Recently, he attained a position as an associate professor at the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Alicante, where he is also the secretary of the PhD program “Materials, Structures and Soil Engineering: Sustainable Construction”.

It was a difficult decision with such high-quality applications for the awards, and we would like to thank all applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, we congratulate the winners for their accomplishments. We are proud to support these young scientists and wish them further success in their careers.

25 February 2019 2019 Applied Sciences Travel Awards - Winners

The editorial office would like to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences Travel Awards in Nanosciences and Optics fields for 2019.

They have been granted to: Dr. Giuseppe Cavallaro from the University of Palermo, who has demonstrated mobility in the field of Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences; and Dr. Juan Sebastian Totero Gongora, a Helena Normanton Research Fellow in Quantum Technology, University of Sussex, United Kingdom.

It was a difficult decision with such high-quality applications for the awards, and we would like to thank all applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winners for their accomplishments. We are proud to support these young scientists and wish them further success in their careers.

1 February 2019 2018 MDPI Top Reviewer Award — Winners Announced

Rigorous peer-review is the cornerstone of high quality academic publishing. Over 97,000 scholars served as reviewers for MDPI journals in 2018. We are extremely appreciative of all those who made a contribution to the editorial process in this capacity. At the beginning of every year, journal editorial offices publish a list all reviewers’ names to express our gratitude. In addition, this year the “MDPI Top Reviewer Awards” are announced, to recognize the very best reviewers for their expertise, dedication, high quality, and timely review reports. We are pleased to announce the following winners of the 2018 MDPI Top Reviewer Awards:

• Ali Behnood
• Andrea Pezzuolo
• Angela Gorgoglione
• Anna D'Auria
• Antonio D'Andrea
• Azhar Abbas
• Bogdan Zagajewski
• Chunhui Chen
• Dominika Głąbska
• Dominika Guzek
• Dragan Pamucar
• Francisco J. G. Silva
• Gianluca Serafini
• Gyorgy Szekely
• Helvi Heinonen-Tanski
• José Manuel Gómez-Soberón
• Kathy Lewis
• Klara Kosova
• Luis N. López De Lacalle
• M. Z. Naser
• Malwina Tytła
• Masoume Amirkhani
• Matteo Ghidelli
• Moretti Laura
• Petra Schneider
• Roberto Cerchione
• Spyros Papaefthymiou
• Ştefan Cristian Gherghina

24 January 2019 JAMS Journals: A Low-Cost Publishing Platform

Since 2010, MDPI has run its own online submission system. More recently, we have made the software, with accompanying publishing services, available to other publishers as JAMS (Journal and Article Management System). We are now delighted to announce the launch of JAMS Journals , a standardized platform for operating open access journals at low cost.

JAMS Journals provides a comprehensive service, including a shared submission website, journal websites hosted at a URL provided by the publisher, and a full production service. There is a small setup fee and the cost for each published paper is just a few hundred Swiss francs.

The platform demonstrates that running an open access journal can be straightforward and affordable. The JAMS Journals platform is suitable for

• small publishers or groups of scholars looking to launch their own journal;
• existing publishers or societies seeking to explore open access options;
• publishers looking to convert an existing subscription journal to open access.

JAMS journals launches with two journals from Canadian-based publisher Etcetera Publications:

• Canadian Journal of Pesticides & Pest Management ( http://www.cjppm.ca )
• Nanotechnology in Agriculture, Food & Environment ( http://www.nanoafe.ca )

Dr AJ Al-Rajab (President of Etcetera Publications) comments:

“In the past few months, we were working on our project to launch new open access scientific journals in the field of agricultural and environmental sciences. We decided to go with JAMS for this venture because of the high quality of their services, reasonable prices, professionalism and easy communication. Our portfolio is expected to grow rapidly during 2019 to include more titles covering different areas in agriculture and environment. MDPI earned already our complete satisfaction and we are looking for a long term cooperation.”

Alongside the new platform, we continue to provide flexible, tailored journal management solutions for existing publishers. For any questions or to request a quotation, contact Dr. Constanze Schelhorn ( [email protected] ).

24 January 2019 Popularity of Preprints Continues to Grow

2018 was a great year for preprints, with increasing numbers of authors looking to make their papers available online before peer review. Along with other preprint servers, our platform Preprints.org  saw an increase in the uptake from authors, and more than double the number of announced papers compared to 2017. In fact, we recently passed two important milestones: 8000 preprints online and 30,000 authors. 

We believe that the whole research community has the opportunity to benefit from work being available online as early as possible. We thank and congratulate our authors for supporting us to make this goal a reality. In 2019, we will be looking carefully at how to provide better value for authors, maintain efficiency while growing in size, and make sure we remain well-connected with the research community.  If you want to participate, you can consider  screening preprints  or joining our  advisory board . And, of course,  posting your own work .

9 January 2019 Open Access Agreement between the Austrian Academic Library Consortium (KEMÖ), the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), and MDPI

We are delighted to announce the establishment of our national Open Access agreement with the Austrian Academic Library Consortium (KEMÖ) and the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). Through this national agreement, the Austrian institutions listed below as well as FWF will cover the Article Processing Charges (APC) of manuscripts published by eligible corresponding or funded authors in MDPI journals as long as central funds are available.

All participating institutions have gained access to the MDPI online submission system where they can find full article metadata and pricing information as well as Funder and Grant ID details for easy identification and additional transparency. At the same time eligible authors are benefited from an APC discount which comes at no cost for the institutions.

Eligible corresponding authors affiliated with the participating institutions are prompted to choose the corresponding Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) when they submit an article via our online submission system. The program will be selected automatically if authors submit their papers using their institutional email address. To claim their discount, FWF funded authors should choose the particular funder and add their Grant ID upon online submission of their manuscript. The institutions will then crosscheck the information and confirm the APC funding.

Eligible authors that have their APC covered by their institution or funder are advised to include the following sentence in their acknowledgments: "Open Access Funding by the [name of the institution/funder]".

The full text of the agreement is openly available online at: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2536007

For any questions about the agreement, please contact the KEMÖ Consortium at [email protected], FWF at [email protected], or the MDPI IOAP team at [email protected].

The Austrian institutions participating in this agreement are:

• Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
• University for Continuing Education Krems
• University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna
• University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria
• University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien
• Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences
• International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
• Institute of Science and Technology Austria
• MCI Management Center Innsbruck
• University of Graz
• University of Linz
• University of Salzburg
• Graz University of Technology
• University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
• University of Vienna

This is our first collective agreement with a national library consortium, while the individual institutions around the world participating in our IOAP are now more than 500 - see details here: https://www.mdpi.com/about/ioap . We would be mostly interested in discussing about possible collaborations with other consortia, funders, and institutions in our mutual efforts to accelerate Open Access.

2 January 2019 Encyclopedia—the Scholarly Community Encyclopedia

We are pleased to announce the new platform Encyclopedia , which is an online reference created and curated by active scholars. It aims to highlight the latest research results as well as providing benchmark information for researchers and the general public interested in accurate and advanced knowledge on specific topics.

We encourage authors of review articles to quote and adapt the content of their published papers to create Encyclopedia entries. You can create completely new entries on topics in which you have knowledge and expertise. There is no limit on the topics or research fields. All of science and the humanities are included. Each entry will be published directly after submission.

We also have prepared a DOI application function in Encyclopedia. Once a DOI application is approved, the entry website will announce the DOI number and a pdf version with DOI information will be automatically created.

We look forward to your contributions and hope you will make use of this service. Find more about the service at: https://encyclopedia.pub/

15 November 2018 Meet Us at M EMS 2019 in Seoul, Korea, 27–31 January 2019

We will attend the 32nd International Conference on  Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS 2019). It will be held in Seoul, Korea, 27–31 January 2019, and it will be organized by the society of Micro and Nano Systems (SMNS). MEMS 2019 is one of the premier annual events reporting research results on every aspect of microsystems technology. This conference reflects from the rapid proliferation of the commitment and success of the microsystems research community. In recent years, the IEEE MEMS Conference has attracted more than 700 participants and 800+ abstract submissions and has created a forum to present over 200 select papers in podium and poster/oral sessions. Representatives of the following open-access journals will attend:

Technologies

J – Journal of Multidisciplinary Science

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth ( booth #40 ). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit http://mems19.org/html/main.php .

15 November 2018 Meet Us at the TMS 2019 Annual Meeting and Exhibition at San Antonio, TX, USA, 10–14 March 2019

Our colleagues and editors will be attending the TMS 2019 Annual Meeting and Exhibition, to be held in San Antonio, TX, USA, 10–14 March 2019. The following MDPI journals will be represented:

Journal of Composites Science

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth ( #137 ). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions you may have.

13 November 2018 Meet US at M icro TAS 2018 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 11–15 November 2018

Our editors and colleagues are attending the 22nd International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences (µTAS 2018). The conference is being held at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center in Kaohsiung, Taiwan from 11 to 15 November 2018, organized by the Chemical and Biological Microsystems Society (CBMS).

µTAS 2018 continues a series of Conferences that are the premier forum for reporting research results in microfluidics, microfabrication, nanotechnology, integration, materials and surfaces, analysis and synthesis, and detection technologies for life science and chemistry. Representatives of the following open access journals will attend:

International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS)

Journal of Multidisciplinary Science (J)

If you're attending the conference too, please feel free to stop by our booth ( Booth #350 ). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: https://cbmsociety.org/conferences/microtas2018/

5 November 2018 Blog │ Funders Push for a Full Transition to Open Access: Plan S

30 october 2018 institutional open access agreement between bill and melinda gates foundation and mdpi.

We are delighted to announce that the  Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) is now a participant of our  Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP). Authors funded by the BMGF can enjoy discounts on the APC, while the funder covers the costs of eligible articles centrally. BMGF also has access to the MDPI online submission system where they can find full article metadata and pricing information as well as Grant ID details for easy identification and additional transparency.

We hope that funded authors find the programme beneficial and we are happy to offer our IOAP to other funders that need a streamlined workflow of  compliance checking and APC coverage. 

To claim their discount, BMGF funded authors should choose the particular funder and add their Grant ID upon online submission of their manuscript.

For any questions about the BMGF agreement, please contact the funder at [email protected] or the MDPI IOAP team at [email protected] .

15 October 2018 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to Professor Donna Strickland

We congratulate Donna Strickland (University of Waterloo, Canada) on receiving the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics, jointly with fellow physicist Gérard Mourou, for inventing a method for generating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses which can be utilized in a variety of applications in science and technology (e.g., advanced material 3D micro-/nano-processing and micro-machining).

One of Dr. Donna Strickland's studies was published in Applied Sciences : Effect of Two-Photon Stark Shift on the Multi-Frequency Raman Spectra Appl. Sci. 2014 , 4 (3), 390–401. The paper described how linear Raman scattering from two-photon dressed states can lead to the generation of these extra peaks on the low-frequency side of the Raman orders.

The MRG spectra are shown for two positively chirped pump pulses, with total energy of 1.5 mJ as a function of time delay between the two pulses (figure adapted from Appl. Sci. 2014 , 4(3), 390–401).

2 October 2018 MDPI Welcomes Plan S

Recently, it was announced that a group of European funders supported 10 principles that will help to expand open access, known as Plan S. MDPI warmly welcomes this move as a step towards achieving more open and accessible communication of research across all disciplines. Some aspects remain to be clarified, however the details given so far match the aims and values that MDPI has held over the past two decades.

We believe that open access publishers should be active participants in discussions around Plan S, particularly regarding potential new business models and practical aspects of implementation. MDPI supports APCs as a transparent unit of payment for article publishing, however we are committed to exploring other measures and recently signed the Jussieu Call . Sustainability is a key value for MDPI, and future funding models should have at their heart the sustainability of knowledge and research dissemination. Plan S provides an opportunity for funders and publishers to directly discuss funding of open access journals in ways that are beneficial to all parties involved.

30 August 2018 MDPI establishes Open Access agreement with Qatar National Library

We are happy to announce the establishment of an Open Access (OA) agreement with Qatar National Library (QNL). QNL is committed to supporting and helping Qatar authors publish OA at no cost. Through this national agreement, QNL will cover the Article Processing Charges (APC) of manuscripts published by Qatar-based corresponding authors in MDPI journals.

Eligible corresponding authors affiliated with Qatar research centers and universities are prompted to choose QNL as part of our Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) when they submit an article via our online submission system. The program will be selected automatically if authors submit their papers using their institutional email and/or a computer registered with the institution’s IP range. QNL will then crosscheck the information and confirm the APC funding.

Qatar authors that have their APC covered by QNL are advised to include the following sentence in their acknowledgments: "The publication of this article was funded by Qatar National Library".

For more information, please visit Open Access at QNL or email the QNL Open Access team at [email protected] .

13 July 2018 Meet Us at the XXVI Ibero-American Catalysis Congress (CICat 2018) in Coimbra, Portugal, 9–14 September 2018

Our editorial team will be attending the XXVI Ibero-American Catalysis Congress (CICat 2018) in Coimbra, Portugal, 9–14 September 2018

As a result of the biannual meetings held since 1968, the Ibero-American Federation of Catalysis Societies (FISoCat), the Portuguese Society of Chemistry (SPQ) and the University of Coimbra, have the pleasure of organizing the XXVI Ibero-American Catalysis Congress (CICat 2018). As in previous editions, this event aims to be a meeting point for the Ibero-American community working in Catalysis and in all its different areas of scientific knowledge. The 2018 CICat has a symbolic historical importance, for reaching 50 years since the beginning of this series of Encounters. Participants of CICat 2018 are also invited to visit the city of Coimbra, as well as its historic center and the University of Coimbra (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The following MDPI journals will be represented:

Catalysts Processes Energies Symmetry Applied Sciences Sustainability Materials

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth ( Booth near the Lobby Coffee Break ). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: http://cicat2018.eventos.chemistry.pt/?setLn=es .

26 June 2018 2017 Impact Factor Released for Applied Sciences :  1.689

We are pleased to inform that Applied Sciences received an updated Journal Impact Factor of 1.689 in the June 2018 release of the Journal Citation Reports®. The journal's 5-Year Impact Factor is 1.855. Applied Sciences now ranks 170/285 (Q3) in the category 'Materials Science, Multidisciplinary', 98/171 (Q3) in 'Chemistry, Multidisciplinary' and 77/146 (Q3) in 'Applied Physics.' Overview of Citation Metrics:

• Journal Impact Factor, 2 yrs (2017): 1.689
• 5-Year Impact Factor (2017):  1.855
• CiteScore, 3 yrs (Scopus):  1.90
• SJR Scimago Journal Rank 2017 (SJR):  0.303
• Source Normalized Impact 2017 (SNIP):  0.801

31 May 2018 Applied Sciences 2017 CiteScore ™ Announced - 1.90

We are pleased to report Applied Sciences received a CiteScore of 1.90 for 2017. The metric reflects citation activity in 2017 in Scopus for papers published in the period 2014‒2016.

For the full details in the current CiteScore release, please see the journal's Source profile . To check the full list of MDPI journals receiving CiteScores, please see here .

31 May 2018 2017 CiteScore™ Metrics Released

The 2017 CiteScore ™ data is available now, based on citation data in the Scopus ® database. The current CiteScore reflects citation activity in 2017 for articles published in 2014‒2016. Please note that the list below includes journals assigned a CiteScore in this year’s release. For a full list of journals indexed in Scopus, please see our journal list .

Thirteen of our journals received a CiteScore which is in the top 10% of the distribution in at least one of the categories (marked with * in the table below), while a further 32 journals exhibit scores that are in the first quartile of the respective categories.

To access the full data for MDPI journals, please see here . More data can also be found in SJR Scimago Journal & Country Rank .

Unlike CiteScores and the widely used Journal Impact Factors, the Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) metrics are normalized in order to correct for differences in citation practices between scientific fields. Therefore, the SNIP allows direct comparison between journals specialized in different fields.

According to 2017 data, MDPI publishes six journals with an average citation impact, or SNIP, in excess of 1.500. These journals are Biomolecules , Cancers , Journal of Clinical Medicine (JCM), Marine Drugs , Remote Sensing and Sensors (see the last column in the table below).

CiteScore Data for MDPI Journals

30 may 2018 mdpi sponsors the latest issue of chimia, 22 may 2018 meet us at the annual ise meeting in bologna, italy (2–7 september 2018).

MDPI will be attending the 69th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry, to be held in Bologna, Italy, 2–7 September 2018.

To mark the continuity between academic culture and technological progress, the scientific theme of the meeting is Electrochemistry from Knowledge to Innovation. Fundamental aspects of analytical, molecular, physical and bioelectrochemistry will be discussed, as well as their applications to (nano)materials science, energy, environment and biomedicine.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the Meeting:

• Applied Science

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth ( Booth #9 ). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: http://annual69.ise-online.org/ .

30 April 2018 Winners of the First MDPI Writing Prize

We are pleased to announce the results of the first MDPI Writing Prize. We received a large number of entries from across the globe on the theme of “The Global Benefits of Open Research”. It was a pleasure to read so many original, well-researched and well-presented ideas, and the final choice was not an easy one. We are pleased to announce that the winners are as follows:

1st prize (500 CHF, Swiss knife and certificate)

Edmond Sanganyado , Shantou University, China

2nd prizes (250 CHF, Swiss knife and certificate)

Kamala T. Rajahgopal , Asia e University, Malaysia Yin Zhixuan , Qingdao University of Technology, China

3rd prizes (100 CHF, Swiss knife and certificate)

Alexandra Ticea , Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania Ankur Sarker , University of Virginia, USA Daniel Attoye , United Arab Emirates University, UAE

Congratulations to all of them! The winning entries can be downloaded by clicking on the names above. A compilation of all entries will soon be available as an open access book.

The writing prize is sponsored by the MDPI English editing service .

23 March 2018 Check for Updates: A New Function in the Article PDF Version

At MDPI, we always want to keep you up to date. Even for already published articles, some corrections or minor changes may occur. To prevent you from missing any updates, from now on you will be able to access the latest version of any manuscript by clicking on the “check for updates” logo that you can find in the PDF file, even if you have saved the file on your computer.

13 March 2018 MDPI Becoming a Member of UKSG

We are proud to announce that MDPI is now a member of UKSG, the UK´s largest scholarly communications community. Through UKSG, different stakeholders share their knowledge and experience in order to improve the knowledge and information environment for researchers. UKSG´s members include universities, publishers, content providers, intermediaries, and other similar organisations. Members participate in discussions and events on issues around scholarly communications.

The UKSG Annual Conference and Exhibition is a flagship initiative from the UKSG and one of the most stimulating events in the scholarly communications calendar. It is held annually and attracts a large number of delegates. More information is available at https://www.uksg.org/events/annualconference

MDPI is delighted to be a part of this active community and we look forward to making our own contribution. We will continue to support organisations and initiatives that boost collaboration and vision within scholarly communication.

More information about UKSG can be found at  https://www.uksg.org/ . The full membership list is available at:  https://www.uksg.org/members .

12 March 2018 Meet Us at the 2018 E-MRS Spring Meeting and Exhibit in Strasbourg, France, 18–22 June 2018

MDPI will be attending the 2018 E-MRS Spring Meeting and Exhibit . The conference is a plenary session to provide an international forum for discussing recent advances in the field of materials science. It will consist of 29 parallel symposia with invited speakers, oral and poster presentations. Representatives of the following open access journals will attend:

Applied Sciences Biomimetics Clean Technologies Coatings Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing   (JMMP) Materials Metals Nanomaterials Polymers Processes Quantum Beam Science (QuBS)

8 March 2018 Meet Us at NANOTECH 2018 in Anaheim, CA, USA, 13–16 May 2018

We will be attending the  20th annual Nanotech 2018 Conference & Expo (NANOTECH 2018) , co-located with the TechConnect World Innovation Conference, Defense TechConnect Summit and Spring SBIR/STTR Conference. The event will attract more than 350 featured exhibitors and an expected crowd of more than 4000 attendees, including business executives, venture capitalists, politicians, s cientists and researchers from over 70 countries. Nanotech contains 38 symposiums and brings together specialists from a wide range of scientific fields, technology and business.

Representatives of the following open access journals will attend:

Sensors Materials Nanomaterials Journal of Functional Biomaterials  (JFB) Journal of Imaging Sustainability Fluids Photonics Electronics Catalysts Applied Sciences Inventions Diagnostics Cancers Journal of Low Power Electronics and Applications   (JLPEA) Designs Pharmaceuticals C Inorganics International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health  (IJERPH) Machines Pharmaceutics Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing   (JMMP) Actuators Robotics Energies Biosensors Chemosensors Membranes Coatings Micromachines

If you will also attend this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth ( Booth # 317 ). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit:

https://www.techconnectworld.com/Nanotech2018/

Conference Location: Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W Katella Avenue Anaheim CA 92802 USA

1 February 2018 MDPI Signed the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)

The DORA initiative addresses the need for advanced approaches in the evaluation and measurement of the quality of scientific research outputs. It is a worldwide initiative covering all scholarly disciplines. MDPI proudly joins a list of more than 400 organizations around the world which support DORA’s recommendations for improving the way the quality of research results is evaluated.

More info can be found at http://www.ascb.org/dora/

25 January 2018 Meet Us at the ACS National Meeting & Exposition in New Orleans, USA, 18–22 March 2018

We will be attending the 255th ACS National Meeting & Exposition. It is an interdisciplinary forum open to anyone with an interest in Chemistry and the related disciplines. Representatives of the following open access journals will attend:

Agronomy Applied Sciences Beverages Biomimetics Biosensors C Catalysts ChemEngineering Chemosensors Coatings Energies Environments Fibers Foods Gels Inorganics Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (JMSE) Lubricants Materials Mathematics Metals Molecules Nanomaterials Polymers Processes Resources Safety Sensors Separations Sustainability Symmetry Toxins Water

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth ( Booth #640 ). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/meetings/national-meeting.html?sc=home_meetings_170818_mtg_NO18_od

28 December 2017 6th International Symposium on Sensor Science (I3S 2018) and 4th SPINTECH Technology Thesis Award, 6–8 August 2018, Kenting, Taiwan

Sensors are vital components of smart manufacturing, artificial Intelligence, Cyber–Physical System (CPS) and Internet of Things (IoT) for industry 4.0. For more advanced creations, biologists, engineers, physicists and chemists are all endeavoring to provide innovative technical sensors. In 2018, the journal Sensors is going to hold an international conference in Kenting, which is located in the south of Taiwan; the conference is taking place in Asia for the first time.

I3S embraces all professionals from industry, academia and government to discuss the latest developments and breakthroughs of sensor technology and related subjects. During the conference, attendees, from a range of research areas, will all gather together to share different aspects and establish new mutually beneficial collaborations across different fields.

Conference scope: Physical Sensors; Sensor Networks; Sensors Application; Biosensors; Chemical Sensors; IOT sensor and application.

We sincerely look forward to your participation in I3S2018 .

19 December 2017 Announcing the MDPI English Writing Prize

The competition is still open until end of March ! Please check out the banner for more details: https://mdpi-res.com/data/english-prize.pdf

15 December 2017 UCL Press Adopts the MDPI Editorial Platform JAMS

We are delighted to announce that UCL Press has adopted MDPI's  Journal Article & Management System,  JAMS, including production services. JAMS is a modular, integrated editorial platform for academic publishers. It offers flexibility, ease-of-use, and is a fully integrated solution for the end-to-end management of scholarly journals. JAMS is based on the software used to publish MDPI’s portfolio of journals. 

Ian Caswell, UCL Press Journals Manager, says he is "excited to see UCL Press and MDPI partner together to implement the JAMS submission system for all UCL Press journals. The system offered a flexible, efficient and straightforward solution for our processes from author submission to ready for publication. I am grateful for the valuable experience and support MDPI have offered and look forward to developing our programme with an effective submission system in place.” Dr Martyn Rittman, MDPI’s Publishing Services Manager, adds, “We are proud to support one of the UK’s premier university presses in their publishing operation. This is an excellent way for us at MDPI to share our experience and knowledge, and benefit the research community beyond our own journals.”

JAMS combines services that are kept separate for many publishers. The entire editorial process, production and invoicing (e.g. for open access article processing charges) are fully integrated into a single platform. This allows for efficient, fast manuscript processing. For further information about JAMS, see  https://www.mdpi.com/publishing_services . 

7 December 2017 Meet Us at the TMS 2018 Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Phoenix

We will be attending the 147th TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition , which will be held in Phoenix, Arizona, USA , March 11–15, 2018 , representing the following open access journals:

Metals Materials Coatings Applied Sciences Energies Minerals Fibers JFB

Please come along to our booth ( #322 ) to talk with our delegates about online publishing and our journals. We look forward to meeting you in person in Phoenix !

For more information on the conference, please visit: http://www.tms.org/tms2018

23 November 2017 New Participants in the Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP)

We are pleased to welcome new participants to MDPI's Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP), designed to help institutions manage the transition to the Open Access publishing model. Researchers affiliated with participating universites benefit from a 10% discount on the Article Processing Charges (APC) for any paper published in an MDPI journal, while the participating library or university incurs no basic fee for participating in the program.

• No fee for participants and no obligation to prolong after the initial 12 months. The participants may withdraw from the programme at any time, and we will also keep it free for the library for as long as they continue in the programme.
• Authors affiliated with the university will receive a 10% discount on the APC.
• The institution is granted free access to the MDPI submission system and can receive free alerts of new submissions to our journals.
• By default, authors from the institution will continue to be invoiced directly unless the institution opts for central billing.
• Auto-archiving of papers into the institutions´ repository as long as it supports SWORD 1.3.

More details about the programme and a list of our current participant institutions can be found at: https://www.mdpi.com/about/ioap

Institutions which are interested to participate may do so online at: https://www.mdpi.com/ioap-form

The following North American universities have signed up to the IOAP program recently:

Connecticut College , USA Emory University , USA Florida International University , USA Johns Hopkins University , USA Mississippi State University , USA Northeastern University , USA Rice University , USA University of Ontario Institute of Technology , Canada University of Rhode Island , USA University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , USA University of Toronto , Canada University of Windsor , Canada University of Wisconsin–Madison , USA Wellesley College , USA West Virginia University , USA

Many prestigious institutions from Europe and Asia have joined as well:

Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation , Malaysia Czech Technical University in Prague , Czech Republic Gdansk University of Technology , Poland Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg , Germany National Chung Hsing University , Taiwan Newcastle University , UK Northumbria University , UK Southwest University , China Technical University of Crete , Greece University Malaya , Malaysia University of Antwerp , Belgium University of Cyprus , Cyprus University of Manchester , UK University of Reading , UK University of Sussex , UK University of Warwick , UK West Pomeranian University of Technology Szczecin , Poland We offer a warm welcome to the new participants!

10 November 2017 Available Journal Awards at MDPI

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields, for example, Young Investigator Awards, Travel Awards, Best Paper Awards, and Best Poster Awards, etc. The awardees range from PhD students to junior scientists.

Currently, the following 44 awards given by MDPI journals are accepting applications. Please click on the award title below to check whether you are eligible for it and start the application process.

9 November 2017 New Section Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences – Section 'Computer Science and Electrical Engineering'

We are pleased to announce that Professor Andrea Prati has been appointed as Section Editor-in-Chief of “ Computer Science and Electrical Engineering ” in  Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). His term started at the beginning of November 2017.

Andrea Prati graduated with honors in Computer Engineering in 1998 and received his PhD in Information Engineering from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in 2001. He was a visiting scholar for 9 months at the University of California, San Diego in 2001. From 2005 to 2011, he was a researcher at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. In 2013, he was promoted to full professorship.

His research interests encompass different themes, from embedded devices for sensor networks in computer vision applications, to robotic vision, to multimedia, to performance analysis for multimedia computers. However, his main research activity is in video-surveillance topics: object tracking in distributed, multi-camera environments; analysis and removal of shadows; behavior analysis through trajectory classification. He recently started to research mobile vision, i.e., the application of sophisticated computer vision techniques on mobile phones.

He is the author of more than 150 papers, including 30 journals and five book chapters (list of publications can be found here . He has been an invited speaker and reviewer for many international journals. He is also Area Editor of Elsevier CVIU journal, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, Eurasip JIVP, SPIE Optical Engineering and IOS Press JAISE. In 2017, he was appointed as Section Editor-in-Chief for the Section “Computer Science, Electrical and Electronic Engineering” for Applied Sciences .

He has also organized several Special Issues in international journals. He was the PC of ICIAP 2007. He was the PC of ACM/IEEE ICDSC in 2011, 2012, and 2013 and General Chair for the 2014 edition in Venice, Italy. He was also the local chair for International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV) 2017, a leading conference in computer vision with more than 3200 attendees. He is a senior member of IEEE, and a member of ACM and GIRPR, and fellow of IAPR.

We would like to warmly welcome Professor Andrea Prati as Section Editor-in-Chief and look forward to developing the Section “Computer Science and Electrical Engineering” under his leadership.

7 November 2017 MDPI has signed the Jussieu Call for Open Science and Bibliodiversity

The Jussieu Call aims to develop and implement alternative models to meet the aims of open science while promoting bibliodiversity. In particular it wishes to promote new business models for funding open access publication. It was drafted on the Jussieu campus in Paris by a group of French researchers and scientific publishing professionals.

MDPI supports scholarly communities and initiatives that innovate and further promote Open Access publishing. There is a need to explore different frameworks to fund open access in ways that ensure that excessive funds are not diverted from research towards publishing. Many fair funding models already exist, and they can be further developed and extended. These include institutional support, library contributions or subsidies, premium services, participatory funding, etc. For this reason, MDPI has signed up to the Jussieu call and welcomes its aims.

More information can be found at http://jussieucall.org/  (archived here )

6 October 2017 Dr. Franck Vazquez, MDPI CEO, Interviewed by Scholarly Kitchen

The Society for Scholarly Publishing’s popular blog about topics in academic publishing, Scholarly Kitchen, recently  interviewed MDPI’s CEO, Dr. Franck Vazquez . He shared some thoughts and information on the past and future of MDPI and open access publishing in general:

“In the long run, we aim to anchor MDPI in research communities. We recently developed and launched the preprint platform Preprints , revamped our free-to-use conference hosting platform Sciforum , and are working on other projects, such as Scilit , our bibliographic database.”

Read the full interview here .

25 September 2017 Meet Us at MicroTAS 2017 in Savannah, USA on October 22–26, 2017

We will be attending the MicroTAS 2017, a series of Conferences that are the premier forum for reporting research results in microfluidics, microfabrication, nanotechnology, integration, materials and surfaces, analysis and synthesis, and detection technologies for life science and chemistry. It will be held at the Savannah International Trade and Conference Center in Savannah, Georgia, USA from October 22–26, 2017, representing the following MDPI open access journals:

Micromachines Sensors Diagnostics Biosensors Technologies Applied Sciences

Please visit our stand ((booth number: #6) to chat about our journals with our delegates. We look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: http://www.microtas2017.org .

Conference Location

Savannah International Trade & Convention Center 1 International Drive Savannah, Georgia 31402 USA

22 September 2017 Special Issue Best Paper Award for ‘Photonic Integration: Recent Advances and Applications’

Once over 10 papers are received for this Special Issue , one of the published papers will be selected to receive a SI Best Paper Award by an Evaluation Committee.

From papers submitted to this Special Issue, the award nominees will be assessed on their originality, quality, and contribution to the field.

A SI Best paper Award consisting of 300 CHF, a certificate and the opportunity to publish one’s next submission free of charge in Applied Sciences will be given to the authors of the winning best paper of the Special Issue.

19 September 2017 Meet Us at the 2017 MRS Fall Meeting in Boston

We will be attending the 2017 MRS Fall Meeting which will be held in Boston, Massachusetts , from November 26–December 1, 2017, and representing the following open access journals:

Materials Nanomaterials Energies Metals Applied Sciences Crystals Minerals Journal of Functional Biomaterials Coatings Robotics Biosensors Chemosensors Polymers Bioengineering Please come along to our booth (booth number: #122) to chat with our delegates about our journals and hear about our travel awards offered to Postdocs and PhD students. Our delegates will also answer any questions about online publishing and our journals. We look forward to meeting you in person in Boston!

For more information on the conference, please visit: www.mrs.org/fall2017

19 September 2017 A Warm Welcome to the New IOAP Participants

We are delighted to have welcomed 24 new participants to our Institutional Open Access Programme (IOAP) since the beginning of September this year. These are University libraries and Research Institutions located around the world; from the USA and Canada to the UK, and from Norway and Spain to Greece. Well respected Universities, such as the University of Denver, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the University of Arizona in the US, have signed up, while their researchers can now benefit from a 10% discount on the Article Processing Charges (APC) for any papers they publish in MDPI journals, at no cost for the library or the University.

We are more than happy to see the Open Access movement growing stronger and wider every day and we appreciate the vital role which librarians, repository managers, and other scholarly communications professionals play in the field. Our communication with and service to this community is, therefore, one of our principal priorities. The IOAP is our way to support academic and scientific Institutions as well as their scholars in managing, administrating, and publishing research in an Open Access world.

The IOAP set of free services, provided by MDPI to institutions that sign up, include:

• Authors affiliated with the university will receive a discount on the article processing charge (APC).

 The full list of the Institutions that signed up in September is as follows:

• University of Denver , USA
• University of Colorado Boulder , USA
• University of Arizona , USA
• Institute of Metrology of Bosnia and Herzegovina , Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Middlebury College , USA
• Touro College , USA
• University of New Orleans , USA
• University of Leicester , UK
• Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis , USA
• University of Strathclyde , UK
• Cranfield University , UK
• Hope College , USA
• Oregon State University , USA
• Drew University , USA
• Swansea University , UK
• University of South Florida , USA
• University of Georgia , USA
• Arizona State University , USA
• University of Southern Mississippi , USA
• Université du Québec à Chicoutimi , Canada
• Grinnell College , USA
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology , Norway
• University of Patras , Greece
• Public University of Navarre , Spain

23 June 2017 Congratulations for Publishing the 100,000th Peer-Reviewed Article

Congratulations to the authors Javier Monroy and Javier Gonzalez-Jimenez from Universidad de Malaga, Spain, Victor Hernandez-Bennets, Han Fan and Achim Lilienthal from Örebro University, Sweden for publishing the 100,000th peer-reviewed article.

The article is published in the Chemical Sensors section of Sensors .

GADEN: A 3D Gas Dispersion Simulator for Mobile Robot Olfaction in Realistic Environments

Evermore pressing environmental concerns have led global actors and decision-makers to search for stricter emission monitoring approaches. As part of novel monitoring systems, robots with gas and environmental sensors are a promising solution. However, validation of such robotic inspectors is expensive, time consuming, and plagued by repeatability issues. In this article, we present GADEN (the short form for Gas Dispersion Simulator for Mobile Robot Olfaction in Realistic Environments), which combines gas dispersion and robotics simulation in a common framework. Developed under the widely used Robot Operating System (ROS), GADEN enables validation of sensing strategies with gas dispersion being simulated using computational fluid dynamics and filament dispersion theory. GADEN allows simulating complex, realistic, 3D environments for reproducible testing of robotic gas sensing algorithms. Through qualitative and quantitative evaluations, we show that GADEN is a versatile and user-friendly evaluation tool and emphasize its enormous potential for the mobile robot olfaction community.

Read the full article here: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/17/7/1479/htm

14 June 2017 2016 Impact Factor Released for Applied Sciences – 1.679

14 June 2017 Meet Us at World of Photonic Congress 2017 in Munich

We will be attending the World of Photonic Congress 2017, which takes place June 25-29, 2017, representing the following open access journals: Applied Sciences Materials Technologies Photonics Micromachines Please come along to our stand, to have a chat about our journals with our delegates about our journals andor to learn more about our travel awards that offered to Postdocs and PhD students by the representeding journals offering to Postdocs and PhD students. Conference address: World of Photonic Congress 2017 International Congress Center , Munich, Germany Conference date: June 25–-29 2017 For more information on the conference, please visit: http://www.cleoeurope.org/world-of-photonics-congress

6 June 2017 CiteScore™ Metrics Released for Scopus Journals

The CiteScore , the new citation metric for journals covered in the Scopus ® database, was released on 1 June 2017, reflecting the citation activity in 2016 for articles published during the three previous years. Please note that the list below does not contain all MDPI journals covered in Scopus. For the CiteScore to serve as a reliable metric at least three volumes of articles need to be indexed in Scopus; journals which have not met this criterion have been omitted here.

Ten MDPI journals received a CiteScore which is in the Top 10% of scores in at least one of the categories, while a further 21 journals exhibit scores that are in the first quartile of the respective categories.

23 May 2017 Meet Us at 25th North American Meeting of the Catalysis Society

We will be attending the 25th North American Meeting (NAM) of the Catalysis Society, which takes place June 4-9, 2017, representing the following open access journals:

Magnetochemistry

Please come along to our stand, booth number #211, to talk to our delegates about our journals and travel awards you could apply. We also would like to invite you to our ‘Meet and Greet’ session at 12:00 pm on 7th June! Catalysts  Professor Keith Hohn, the Editor-in-Chief of Catalysts , and the Editorial Board Member Professor Calvin Bartholomew will be there to answer your questions about the Open Access publishing.

Food and refreshments will be provided and we look forward to meeting you in person to answer your questions.

Conference address:

MDPI booth - number #211

25th North American Meeting of the Catalysis Society

June 4-9, 2017

Hyatt Regency Hotel and Convention Center, Denver, Colorado, USA

For more information on the conference, please visit http://www.nam25.org/

17 May 2017 Three New Institutional Memberships Established

We are pleased to announce that the Goethe University of Frankfurt , the Technical University of Hamburg (TU Hamburg-Harburg) , as well as the Humboldt University of Berlin , in Germany, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these instititions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page .

4 May 2017 MDPI Supports the Initiative for Open Citations (I4OC)

As an open access publisher, we are keen to support openness and transparency in the research process. Citation data is very important for assessing the value of individual papers and the contribution of researchers. As such, we support the recently launched Initiative for Open Citations (I4OC). The initiative recognizes that citations should be freely available and machine-readable. By doing so, authors gain the maximum benefit from having their work cited.

MDPI now uploads citation data with metadata uploaded to Crossref when registering digital object identifiers (DOIs) for published papers. We are delighted to take this step to support a truly open research environment.

2 May 2017 Publons Peer Review Academy Goes Live

Getting high quality review reports is critical for any journal’s editorial process. At MDPI we have put in place several measures to motivate reviewers and reward them for their work. We are proud of the quality of reviewer reports we receive and grateful for the hours put in by active researchers from across the globe.

Reviewers of MDPI’s largest journals can get recognition via Publons , a website dedicated to rewarding peer reviewers. They have now taken this one step further and launched the Publons Reviewer Academy to help train reviewers to provide useful feedback. Through the academy, researchers can be trained and tutored in various aspects of how to provide structured feedback that will be of genuine help to editors and authors. We support this initiative and recommend it to potential MDPI reviewers, especially early career researchers. See the Publons announcement for further information.

More information on reviewing for MDPI, including how to volunteer as a reviewer, can be found here .

24 April 2017 Two New Institutional Memberships Established

We are pleased to announce that the following universities have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Trinity University , San Antonio, Texas, USA and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) , Sydney, Australia. Primary authors from these instititions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

30 March 2017 Credit for Preprints Comments via Publons

Preprints.org is a platform run by MDPI that allows authors to make early versions of manuscripts available before peer review has been completed.

One of the major benefits of putting a preprint online is to get feedback before journal submission. Until now, however, the feedback has been on a voluntary basis. Preprints is delighted to be the first preprint server to collaborate with  Publons  to acknowledge substantial comments as reviews and give commentators the opportunity to receive credit for their efforts.  When you add a comment to any article, there is a check box to click for it to appear on Publons. If you have already linked your account it will be passed on automatically. If you don't already have a Publons account, you will be contacted soon afterwards with instructions on how to create one. We appreciate the enthusiasm and cooperation of Publons in this project and expect it to be of great benefit to authors and commenters alike.

20 March 2017 MDPI 2016 Annual Report Released

We are pleased to announce that our annual report for the year 2016 has now been published. 

It contains information regarding company and journal performance, conferences and other publishing services that we provided throughout 2016. 

To read the report in full or download a copy, please click here .

16 March 2017 Meet MDPI at the 253rd American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition

MDPI will be attending the 253rd American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition, which takes place 2–6 April 2017, representing the following open access journals:

Molecules Materials Energies Nanomaterials Catalysts Applied Sciences Batteries Coatings Metals   Magnetochemistry Marine Drugs Processes Pharmaceuticals Symmetry

If you are planning to attend, please visit our booth  (Number 1618)  to talk to our delegates about our journals and open access publishing. Also feel free to attend our ‘Meet and Greet’ session at 12:30pm on 3 April with Dr. Derek J. McPhee, the Editor-in-Chief of our journal Molecules . Food and refreshments will be provided.  

MDPI - Booth 1618 253rd American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition The Moscone Center, 747 Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94103 USA

15 March 2017 Our 100,000th Article Could be Yours!

After the 20th anniversary of MDPI in 2016, we will reach another milestone this year and will publish the 100,000th peer-reviewed article in one of our 170+ open access journals.

We would like you to be part of this great achievement and so are offering to publish the 100,000th accepted paper free of charge.

To be in with a chance, select a journal  in one of our 10 scientific subject areas and submit your paper.

Access the live tracker on published articles here .

3 March 2017 1000 Preprints Online

We are delighted that Preprints  now has 1000 papers online since its launch on 3 May 2016.

For more information, see the editorial here .

17 February 2017 New Editor-in-Chief of the Applied Chemistry Section

We are pleased to announce that Professor Samuel B. Adeloju has been appointed as Editor-in-Chief of the Applied Chemistry Section of the Applied Sciences journal  (ISSN 2076-3417). His appointment started in January 2017.

Sam Adeloju is a Professor of Chemistry at the Monash University (Australia) and a Visiting Professor of Sensors and Analytical Chemistry at the University of Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Prof. Adeloju is an internationally recognised expert in biosensing technology, nanotechnology, analytical spectrometry, electroanalytical and environmental chemistry. He has published numerous papers in journals and books, speaking regularly at international conferences and conventions.

Prof. Adeloju’s research has earned him regular recognition both nationally and internationally. He was awarded the 2009 Applied Research Medal by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) for outstanding contributions to the development of Applied Chemistry research in Australia from 1999–2009, particularly in biosensors, nanotechnology and analytical spectrometry. He was also the recipient of the 2011 Stokes Medal from the Electrochemistry Division of RACI for distinguished contributions to electrochemistry in Australia and the winner of the 2013 Doreen Clark Medal from the Analytical and Environmental Chemistry Division of RACI for outstanding contributions to Analytical Chemistry in Australia. He is also currently the Chairman of the RACI Management Committee of the monthly published Chemistry in Australia magazine.

We would like to warmly welcome Professor Adeloju as Editor-in-Chief and look forward to his support in the continued success of the Applied Chemistry Section of the Applied Sciences journal .

9 February 2017 Minister and State Secretaries Visit MDPI Office at STP, Belgrade, Serbia

Earlier this week the Science Technology Park in Belgrade, Serbia was visited by Swiss Secretary of State Dr. Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, as well as Serbian Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Ana Brnabic, State Secretary Dr. Vladimir Popovic and Mayor of Belgrade Mr. Siniša Mali.

During the visit to the STP they had a short presentation from MDPI’s CEO Dr. Franck Vazquez and IT Manager Mr. Miloš Čučulović, and further discussed important issues such as Open Access and Open education. Dr. Dell'Ambrogio said he was impressed with the potential for development and ideas for business.

For more information please see:

http://bit.ly/2kpIu7k and http://bit.ly/2kpUQfz

7 February 2017 The 6th World Sustainability Forum: Final Press Release

Basel, 29 January 2017

The 6th World Sustainability Forum #WSF2017SA : African universities critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

Jeffrey and sonia sachs win first world sustainability award ..

Universities need to take the lead in solving the greatest challenges the world faces today, particularly in Africa. They need to do this not only through education – teaching the next generation to think critically and creatively to find sustainable solutions – but also through research that cuts across a range of disciplines. To ensure these solutions are implemented, they need to partner with the private sector and with government.

This was the key message from the 6th World Sustainability Forum (WSF2017), which took place in Cape Town on 27 and 28 January 2017. Sponsored by MDPI and the journal Sustainability under the patronage of the Universities of the Western Cape (UWC), Cape Town (UCT), University of Basel and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa, the conference was attended by key national and international speakers, including world-leading economist Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs , senior United Nations (UN) advisor and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University .

The WSF is an annual sustainability conference which addresses research in a range of areas related to sustainable development and sustainability globally. This was the first WSF to take place on the African continent. Discussions at the 2017 conference were driven by the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the UN in September 2015.

Achieving the SDGs “ is the moonshot for our generation ,” said Sachs. “ Like the moonshot [moon landing] of the 1960s, these are tough, bold and achievable objectives .”

“ This is a nasty, tough world we live in, and our world agrees on very little. So when 193 governments agree on something, that is important. And when they agree on something as important as sustainable development, that is really something for us to grab hold of – that is a lifeline.”

There was agreement at the WSF that the SDGs are particularly important for Africa, and that African universities in particular have a role to play in achieving them.

Said Professor Tyrone Pretorius, vice-chancellor of UWC: “ The quest for sustainable development can only be met through education. Universities today are the oil that fuels the knowledge economy .”

As part of the drive to develop academic capacity to provide the knowledge needed to meet the SDGs, WSF2017 was preceded by the 1 st Postgraduate Forum on Sustainability . “A series of workshops for postgraduate education linked to WSF are important, in order to equip postgraduates with the skills necessary to promote sustainability,” said Professor Thandi Mgwebi, director for research at UWC. A second postgraduate forum will take place alongside the WSF2018 in Beijing.

This capacity development is particularly critical to Africa. Said Sachs: “ African universities need to do research to find solutions to Africa’s development challenges, because no other university will .”

The UN set a target of achieving the SDGs by 2030: “ I regard this as the breakthrough period to end extreme poverty on the continent,” said Sachs, “and for Africa to become one of the most dynamic centres of the world economy.”

It is a critical time for South African universities, said Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, deputy vice-chancellor for research and internationalisation at UCT: “ Higher education is at a crossroads, and there is much polarisation. We need to think carefully about how this sustainable development agenda is owned by all so that it is inclusionary .”

There was also strong emphasis on public–private partnerships – for universities, business and government to work together to achieve the goals.

Said Professor Francis Petersen, deputy vice-chancellor at UCT and vice-chancellor designate at the University of the Free State : “ Business sustainability has become critical, because there is increasing demand and complexity of demand on business from the natural, social and economic environment. Sustainability cannot be a standalone issue, divorced from business as usual. Sustainability needs to be embedded into business .”

Environmental crises and climate change was also high on the WSF agenda. In his keynote address, Sachs noted the irreversibility of the climate- and environmental-related challenges.

“ If we don’t get our act together, we lose the chance of safety ,” he said.

Said Professor Mark New, pro vice-chancellor and director of the African Climate and Development Initiative at UCT: “ We have a fundamental challenge in responding to climate change, and we must go further than just putting a plaster on a wound. We need to address the deep structural issues, to move from our current model of development into climate-compatible development.”

“ This requires researchers to find the evidence for the correct development pathways to take, and then support the ability of policymakers at all levels to enable the shift to climate-compatible development planning .”

Said Dr. Aldo Stroebel, executive director of international relations and cooperation at the NRF, in closing: “ We have seen over the past two days an urgency towards the next step of thinking, that critical type of framework that we all must engage with, not only from an academic perspective, but further up into the policy environment and into rural-based environments where one can clearly see the links and effectiveness of the work.”

The first World Sustainability Award and the first Emerging Sustainability Leader Awards were presented by Prof. Thandi Mgwebi, Director of Research at UWC, and Dr. Franck Vazquez, CEO of MDPI, during the ceremony on 27 January 2017 as part of the gala dinner of the 6th World Sustainability Forum in South Africa.after day one of proceedings of the 2017 World Sustainability Forum South Africa.

Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs and Dr.  Sonia Ehrlich Sachs are the joint recipients of the first World Sustainability Award . Jeffrey Sachs is a world-renowned economist and senior United Nations (UN) advisor and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Sonia Sachs is a paediatrician and public health specialist, and director of the Health Centre at the Centre for Sustainable Development, also at Columbia University.

The joint recipients of the first Emerging Sustainability Leader Award are Dr. Esther Ngumbi and Dr. Xiaosong Hu. Esther Ngumbi is a postdoctoral researcher at Auburn University in Alabama USA and serves as a 2015 Clinton Global University Mentor for agriculture. Xiaosong Hu is a professor at the Chongqing University in China and specialises in automotive control systems and mechanical engineering.

The World Sustainability Award and the Emerging Sustainability Leader Awards are funded to encourage new initiatives and developments in sustainability with the ultimate aim of fostering the transition to sustainable practices and societies.

The World Sustainability Award is funded by the MDPI Sustainability Foundation , and included a monetary prize of USD 100,000 to Jeffrey and Sonia Sachs. The Emerging Sustainability Leader Award is funded by the journal Sustainability , awarded to researchers under 40, and included a monetary prize of USD10,000.

Issued jointly by: UCT Global Strategy and Visibility, Research Office, UWC Communications & Media and MDPI AG

Conference photos are free available at: https://sciforum.net/conference/wsf-6/page/175  Photo credit: Matthias Burkhalter

31 January 2017 Three New Institutional Memberships Established

We are pleased to announce that the Chalmers University of Technology , Sweden, the University of Manitoba , Canada and the  Technical University of Cartagena , Spain, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these institutions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

27 January 2017 6th World Sustainability Forum under way in South Africa

The   6 th   World Sustainability Forum  is currently being held at the Cape Sun Hotel until 28 January 2017.  

The Forum will showcase the work of internationally renowned researchers and include more than 150 presentations. During the conference dinner, the World Sustainability Award, associated with a US$ 100,000 prize, will be announced, as well as the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, associated with a US$ 10,000 prize. The prizes are sponsored by the  MDPI Sustainability Foundation  and  Sustainability , an academic open access journal by MDPI.

Here are some pictures from the forum so far:

To see the full WSF2017 program and schedule, please see here: https://sciforum.net/conference/wsf-6/page/schedule

19 January 2017 Cape Town to Host the 6th World Sustainability Forum

Cape Town will host the 6 th World Sustainability Forum at the Cape Sun Hotel on 27 and 28 January 2017. This prominent event, held for the first time in Africa, will include many illustrious South African and international experts, such as Her Excellency Graça Machel ( Sustainable Development Advocate for the United Nations, Mozambique) , Joyene Isaacs (HoD Agriculture Western Cape Government), Jeffrey Sachs (Columbia University, USA), Max Bergman (SRaM, University of Basel), Mark New (Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of Cape Town), Frans Swanepoel (FutureAfrica, University of Pretoria) and Francis Petersen (Vice-Chancellor-designate, University of the Free State). The Forum will provide a stage for national and international debates on sustainability in South Africa, the African continent, and about international perspectives on sustainability. It brings together researchers and representatives from government and the business sector to discuss a wide-ranging set of issues associated with sustainability, including food security, water and energy scarcity, mining, poverty reduction, climate change, and urbanisation.

The next few decades will be marked by profound changes in the relationships between global economics, national societies, and the environment. We have entered what some call the Anthropocene, an age in which human activity dominates the climate and the environment. These changes will have numerous consequences on societies around the globe. South Africa and Africa will play a central role, for better or worse, in creating opportunities and risks during these changing times as Africa is profoundly influencing and being influenced by global developments.

The adoption of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015 was accompanied by what insiders considered an optimism they have not experienced in relation to UN resolutions before. The relative efficiency in the drafting, the lack of trenches between East and West, or between North and South, and the unanimity of support of the 193 countries speak volumes. In stark contrast, sustainability seems to go against a changing economic and political tide, where waves of nationalism and protectionism from some of the most powerful countries risk the wellbeing of the rest of the world. The 6 th World Sustainability Forum will enable fruitful exchanges, which sensitise South African and international communities to the global urgency and specifics of sustainability. The Forum will showcase the work of internationally renowned researchers and include more than 150 presentations. During the conference dinner, the World Sustainability Award, associated with a US$ 100 000 prize, will be announced, as well as the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, associated with a US$ 10 000 prize. The prizes are sponsored by the MDPI Sustainability Foundation and Sustainability , an academic open access journal by MDPI. The World Sustainability Forum is preceded by the Postgraduate Forum on Sustainability, which will introduce more than 100 young scholars from South Africa and the African continent to sustainability research. Both events are organized and sponsored by the University of Cape Town , the University of the Western Cape , the University of Basel , MDPI , and by the National Research Foundation of South Africa .

Scientific Matters: Prof Manfred Max Bergman, Social Research and Methodology Group (SRaM), University of Basel, Switzerland; Email:   [email protected]

Press Accreditation and General Enquiries: Mr Matthias Burkhalter, MDPI AG, Basel, Switzerland; Email:  [email protected] ; Tel. +41 61 683 77 34 

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6 January 2017 New Section Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences – Section Applied Materials

We are pleased to announce that Professor Peter Van Puyvelde has been appointed as Section Editor-in-Chief of “Applied Materials” in Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). His appointment started from December 2016.

Peter Van Puyvelde (1971) is professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Leuven, Belgium. In 1999, he obtained his PhD in chemical engineering from the same university under the supervision of Professor Paula Moldenaers. His PhD work dealt with the development of rheo-optical methodologies for the study of structure formation in immiscible polymeric systems. After spending six months at the Technical University Eindhoven in 2002, working with Han Meijer and Patrick Anderson, he joined the faculty in Leuven.

His current research focusses on flow-induced structuring of polymeric materials with a strong interest in additive manufacturing techniques. The key aspect of his work is his systematical scientific approach towards processing related problems, using a broad range of experimental methodologies such as rheology and rheo-optics. He is the author of more than 150 scientific publications, including peer-reviewed journal papers and conference proceedings and has delivered invited lectures in academic and industrial settings. He is a member of the Polymer Processing Society (PPS), Society of Rheology (SoR) and is the current President of the Belgian Group of Rheology (BGR). 

We would like to warmly welcome Professor Van Puyvelde as Section Editor-in-Chief and look forward to developing the Section “Applied Materials” under his leadership.

6 January 2017 MDPI Supports the OA2020 Initiative

MDPI is now a proud supporter of the OA2020 Initiative . Open Access 2020 is an international initiative that aims to induce the swift, smooth and scholarly-oriented transformation of today’s scholarly journals from subscription to open access publishing.

MDPI is participating in the upcoming Berlin13 conference in March 2017, where we are contributing to the initiative by aiding in the design of the roadmap which will make OA the default publishing model.

For more information please see here .

6 January 2017 MDPI is Attending SPIE Photonics West 2017

We are pleased to announce that MDPI will be attending the 2017 SPIE Photonics West Conference (28 January-2 February, 2017) and representing the following open access journals:

Sensors Photonics Micromachines Materials Applied Sciences Journal of Imaging Inventions Computation Technologies Remote Sensing Biosensors Electronics

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth ( Booth #4220 ) and meet the representative editors.

Conference details:

SPIE Photonics West 2017 28 January-2 February, 2017 Moscone Center 747 Howard St San Francisco, CA 94103, USA

5 January 2017 Three New Institutional Memberships Established

We are pleased to announce that the University of Texas at Arlington , USA, the Harbin Institute of Technology , China and TU Darmstadt , Germany, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these institutions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

22 December 2016 Happy Festive Season!

Season's greetings from everyone at MDPI!

22 December 2016 Two New Institutional Memberships Established

We are pleased to announce that the Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg , Germany and the  University of California, Berkeley , USA, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these instititions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

19 December 2016 MDPI and Wellcome Trust Compliance

The Wellcome Trust has, for a number of years, required that the results of its funded projects are published in open access format. Recently it announced criteria that publishers must fulfil for publication fees to be paid by the Trust. MDPI is pleased to have been added to the list of compliant publishers.

Only publishers who have confirmed their compliance by 16 December 2016 will be eligible to receive payment of APCs by the Wellcome Trust as of 1 April 2017. For more information on the criteria and a full list of publishers that meet them, see here .

13 December 2016 Meet MDPI at the 2016 AGU Fall Meeting

If you are also attending the conference, please feel free to stop by our booth ( Booth #1147 ) and meet the representative editors.

2016 AGU Fall Meeting 12–16 December 2016 Moscone Center 747 Howard St San Francisco, CA 94103, USA

8 December 2016 Three New Institutional Memberships Established

We are pleased to announce that  Purdue University , USA, the Universitat Politécnica de Valencia , Spain and the Queensland University of Technology , Australia, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these instititions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

16 November 2016 World Sustainability Award - Final Extension

The deadline for the World Sustainability Award has been extended for one last time! You now have one more month to nominate an individual researcher, group or project! The final deadline for nominations will be December 15, 2016. 

For full details, please visit here .

11 November 2016 Three New Institutional Memberships Established

We are pleased to announce that the University of Minnesota , USA, the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid , Spain and Shanghai Jiao Tong University , China, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these instititions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

4 November 2016 MDPI Joins the United Nations Global Compact

MDPI has become a member of the United Nations Global Compact to support corporate sustainability and have committed ourselves to the ten principles associated with the Compact.

Sustainability has always been at the core of MDPI’s values, starting with the collection and preservation of rare chemical samples that started in 1996 and led to the first journal, Molecules . Sustainability has become one of our flagship journals and we have supported and organized several conferences and events based on Sustainability, including the upcoming 6th World Sustainability Forum . As a global enterprise, we see it as our duty to promote responsible practices that will ensure a bright future for our planet. Given this, the choice to join the Global Compact was an easy one and we will do our utmost to fully implement it.

3 November 2016 MDPI Now a Member of SPARC Europe

We are delighted to announce that MDPI has become a member of SPARC Europe , an organization that works for open scholarship in Europe, including support of open access publication.

As one of the few publishers to join SPARC Europe to date, MDPI looks forward to making a contribution that puts open scholarship on a positive and sustainable path. We fully support the goals of open scholarship that allow the largest number of people possible to benefit from work of researchers in all disciplines. We hope that our membership will enable us to work with other stakeholders to find the best possible solution.

2 November 2016 World Sustainability Award Deadline Extension

The deadline for the World Sustainability Award has been extended! You now have until November 15, 2016 to nominate an individual researcher, group or project!

26 October 2016 Four New Institutional Memberships Established

We are pleased to announce that the Wuppertal Institut , Germany, the University of Girona , Spain and Central South University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology , China, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these instititions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

24 October 2016 International Open Access Week 2016

Meet us during International Open Access Week 2016! We will be presenting at various locations in Europe and China. 

To get involved and for full details see the complete list of events organised by MDPI here .

18 October 2016 Institutional Membership established with Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain and Aalto University, Finland

We are pleased to announce that the Universitat Pompeu Fabra , Spain and Aalto University , Finland, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these universities will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

12 October 2016 Institutional Membership Established with Iowa State University and the University of North Texas, USA

We are pleased to announce that the Iowa State University and the University of North Texas , USA, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these universities will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

7 October 2016 MDPI at Open Access Days in Munich, 10-11 October 2016

Meet MDPI during the Open Access Days held from 10-11 October 2016 at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany. 

The two-day event will feature experts from the open access sector, scientists from all disciplines, publishing representatives and supporters of scientific research and communication from libraries as well as research institutes and funding institutions. Join us!

For more information about the event and to see the program, visit the event webpage .

7 October 2016 Institutional Membership Established with the University of Sevilla and the University of Alicante, Spain

We are pleased to announce that the University of Sevilla and the University of Alicante , Spain have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these universities will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

29 September 2016 Institutional Membership Established with the University of Delaware

We are pleased to announce that the University of Delaware , USA, has joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from this university will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

19 September 2016 Peer Review Week 2016

As an open access publisher indebted to the work of our peer reviewers, we are proud to support Peer Review Week 2016. As part of the week's activities and to celebrate this year's theme "Recognition for Review", MDPI will host two webinars that anyone can join.

These webinars will explore the role and value of reviewers and the recognition they receive from a publishers perspective, with examples from MDPI's experience in publishing nearly 80,000 peer reviewed papers, along with evidence from reviewer surveys. It will also touch upon potential changes in how review is carried out and tips for early career researchers who want to be involved in the review process.

Details and links to join can be found below:

Wednesday September 21, 08:00 (CEST)

Friday September 23, 16:00 (CEST)

For more information about all the activites taking place, please visit the Peer Review Week website .

6 September 2016 Institutional Membership established with Kansas State University and Northwestern University, USA

We are pleased to announce that Kansas State University and Northwestern Universty , USE, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these universities will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

5 September 2016 Institutional Membership Established with University College Cork

We are pleased to announce that University College Cork , Ireland, has joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from this university will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

22 August 2016 MDPI New Office Location

We are pleased to announce that MDPI has now moved to a new permanent address:

MDPI AG St. Alban Anlage 66 CH-4052 Basel Postfach, CH-4020 Basel Switzerland

Telephone and fax numbers remain unchanged.

17 August 2016 MDPI is Attending the 252nd American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition

We are pleased to announce that MDPI will be attending the 252nd American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition (21-25 August, 2016) representing the following open access journals:

Molecules Materials Marine Drugs IJMS Polymers Applied Sciences Membranes Metabolites Pharmaceuticals Biomolecules Symmetry

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (Booth 411) and meet our representatives.

ACS - American Chemical Society Fall Meeting 2016 21-25 August, 2016

Pennsylvania Convention Center 1101 Arch St Philadelphia PA 19107 USA

10 August 2016 Institutional Membership established with the University of Texas at Austin, USA, the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland and the University of Granada and the Compultense University of Madrid, Spain

We are pleased to announce that the following institutions have joined MDPI's institutional membership program in August 2016:

• University of Texas at Austin , USA
• Wroclaw University of Science and Technology , Poland
• University of Granada , Spain
• Compultense University of Madrid , Spain

Authors affiliated with these institutions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

18 July 2016 Institutional Membership established with Louisiana State University and Florida State University, USA, Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland, University of Rostock, Germany, AGH University of Science and Technology, Poland and Southeast University, China

We are pleased to announce that the following institutions have joined MDPI's institutional membership program in July 2016:

• Louisiana State University , USA
• Florida State University , USA
• Royal College of Surgeons , Ireland
• University of Rostock , Germany
• AGH University of Science and Technology , Poland
• Southeast University , China

12 July 2016 MDPI Moving to New Office Location in Basel (Switzerland) in August 2016

As of 20 August 2016, MDPI's new address in Basel will be:

MDPI AG St. Alban-Anlage 66 CH-4052 Basel Switzerland

St. Alban-Anlage 66 was built from 1947 to 1948 and initially the home of the "Bühler AG", a book printing business. 

For more information about this building, see: https://www.mdpi.com/about/headquarters

21 June 2016 "Behind the Scenes of Academic Publishing—A Publisher's Perspective" - MDPI's Lecture at the University of Basel

From the 15-16 September, 2016, MDPI will run a course on Academic Publishing at the University of Basel.

In this two day workshop, MDPI will look in detail at the role performed by academic journal publishers and how they interact with academics. Ethical dimensions, what happens when problems occur and how the publisher coordinates all aspects of the submission process will also be covered. 

For more detailed information about the program, trainers and registration please visit the course webpage .

14 June 2016 2015 Impact Factors Released

We are pleased to report the 2015 Journal Impact Factors in the latest Journal Citation Reports ® Science Edition, published by Thomson Reuters in June 2016. Twenty out of 25 journals have seen an increase in their Impact Factor and two journals (Crystals and IJGI) received a first Impact Factor. Coatings was recently added to SCIE and will receive its first Impact Factor in next year’s JCR.

Updated Impact Factors for Journals in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE)

Journals with first impact factors, 14 june 2016 2015 impact factor released for applied sciences – 1.726.

We are pleased to inform you that the new Impact Factor of Applied Sciences has been released. According to the Journal Citation Reports ® , published by Thomson Reuters in June 2016, the new Impact Factor is 1.726, and the 5-Year Impact Factor is 1.773. Compared to last year, the Impact Factor has increased by 16 percent (see figures below).

Applied Sciences now ranks 129/271 (Q2) in the category ‘Materials Science, Multidisciplinary’, 83/163 (Q3) in ‘Chemistry, Multidisciplinary’, and 64/145 (Q2) in the category 'Physics, Applied’.

26 May 2016 Institutional Membership established with University of Bremen, Germany, Koç University, Turkey, IIASA, Austria and Jilin University and Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS, China

We are pleased to announce that the following institutions have joined MDPI's institutional membership program in May 2016:

• Unversity of Bremen , Germany
• Koç University , Turkey
• International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) , Austria
• Jilin University , China
• Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences , China

23 May 2016 Institutional Membership Established with the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden and the South China University of Technology, Beijing University of Technology and Southern Medical University, China

We are pleased to announce that the following institutions have joined MDPI's institutional membership program in April and May 2016:

• KTH Royal Institute of Technology , Sweden
• South China University of Technology , China
• Beijing University of Technology , China
• Southern Medical University , China

12 May 2016 Applied Sciences 2017 Travel Awards

We are pleased to announce that another MDPI journal is offering awards to support and encourage junior researchers.

The journal Applied Sciences is currently accepting applications and nominations for two Travel Awards to sponsor postdoctoral researchers to attend conferences in 2017. Find more information about the awards and how to apply here .

26 April 2016 New Section on www.mdpi.com - Latest Books

You may have noticed a new section that is now visible on our home page. This section is called "Latest Books" and showcases recent publications from MDPI Books , our book publishing service.

By clicking on the hyperlink "More Books" you will be taken to the MDPI Books Home Page . There you will find more information about the service, as well as the "Recent Publications" list. 

Clicking on any of the book images in this list will take you to detailed information about that book (shown below). Here you can also download a PDF version of the book, or order a hardcover printed copy.

For further information about the MDPI Books service, please visit the webpage or contact [email protected] .

31 March 2016 Axioms , Behavioral Sciences , Photonics , Separations and Toxics added to the Emerging Sources Citation Index in Web of Science

We are pleased to announce that the journals Axioms , Behavioral Sciences , Photonics , Separations and Toxics were recently accepted for inclusion in the newly launched Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) in Web of Science.

ESCI serves to highlight promising journals which are still under consideration for the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) or the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI).

The Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), and Web of Science™ (WoS) are Thomson Reuters products.

30 March 2016 Institutional Membership established with the University of Winchester, UK, Silesian University of Technology, Poland and Beijing Jiaotong University and Zhejiang University, China

We are pleased to announce that the University of Winchester , UK, the Silesian University of Technology , Poland and Beijing Jiaotong University  and Zhejiang University , China, have joined our Institutional Membership program. Primary authors from these universities will benefit from a 10% discount on article processing charges.

24 March 2016 New Editorial Office in Barcelona, Spain

We are excited to announce the opening of our new editorial office in Barcelona, Spain. The launch team is led by a Senior Editor and comprises further staff holding doctoral degrees with several years of research experience. The new editorial team will help us to get closer to European research communities and progress  Sciforum , the platform to support the scientific community via conference hosting and other functions. They will also help spread the word about Open Access and meet academics at scientific events.

We are in the process of hiring more doctoral and masters graduates to join the editorial team and welcome applications via [email protected] . For contact details about the office, see our contact page.

22 February 2016 Membership Established with the Max Planck Society

We are pleased to announce that the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) has signed an agreement with MDPI to support authors associated with the Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft). As of 22 February 2016, corresponding authors will receive full funding from the MPDL for articles published in MDPI journals, with a 10% discount applied to the Article Processing Charges. Additional details can be found at our  institutional membership page .

Founded in 1948, The Max Planck Society is one of Germany’s leading research organizations, and is currently made up of 83 institutes conducting basic research in natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences and humanities. 18 Nobel laureates have emerged from its ranks of scientists and the society has more than 15,000 publications in scientific journals each year.

5 February 2016 Institutional Membership Extension: Wageningen University, CSIC, University of Zürich, ETH Zürich, University of Tübingen and Osnabrück University

We are pleased to announce that Wageningen University , the Netherlands, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) , Spain, the University of Zürich and ETH Zürich , Switzerland, and the University of Tübingen and Osnabrück University , Germany, have not only renewed their institutional memberships with MDPI after two years of successful cooperation, but have also increased the reduction of the article processing charges (APCs) for affiliated authors to 25%.

5 February 2016 Institutional Membership established with Brock University, Canada and the University of Pisa, Italy

We are pleased to announce that Brock University , Cananda, and the University of Pisa , Italy, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these universities will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges as of 01 February 2016. 

25 January 2016 MDPI Sponsors diss:kurs with the University of Basel

MDPI is pleased to announce its newly established sponsorship of diss:kurs , an event coordinated by the University of Basel to support their doctorate program. For more information about the event and how to register, please visit the diss:kurs webpage .

22 January 2016 Congratulations to Applied Sciences Editorial Board Member, Rajender S. Varma on receiving the ORD Sustainability Award, U.S. EPA 2015

Rajender S. Varma, Ph.D. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency National Risk Management Research Laboratory Sustainable Technology Division 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, MS 443 Cincinnati, Ohio 45268, USA Website: http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/std/green_chem_nano.html Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kzbCKOQAAAAJ&hl=en Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rajender_Varma/info

Citation: "Sustainable Strategies for Risk Reduction In Nanotechnology: Application in Chemical Catalysis and Environmental Remediation".

7 January 2016 New Institutional Memberships Established with Tsinghua University, the Chinese Society of Micro-Nano Technology, Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Ulm

We are pleased to announce that the following institutions have joined MDPI's institutional membership program as of 1 January 2016:

• Tsinghua University, China
• Chinese Society of Micro-Nano Technology (CSMNT)
• Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
• University of Ulm, Germany

5 January 2016 Safety, Fermentation, C-Journal of Carbon Research, Magnetochemistry, Batteries and Horticulturae Released Their First Issue in December 2015

We are pleased to announce that MDPI's open access journals Safety, Journal of Imaging, Fermentation, C-Journal of Carbon Research, Magnetochemistry, Batteries and Horticulturae released their first issue at the end of December 2015.

23 December 2015 Happy Festive Season!

17 December 2015 Institutional Membership Extension: University of Bern, Switzerland

We are pleased to announce that the University of Bern, Switzerland has not only renewed their institutional membership with MDPI after two years of successful cooperation, but also increased the reduction of the article processing charges (APCs) for affiliated authors to 25%.

17 December 2015 Institutional Membership with the University of Ulm and Helmholtz Zentrum Munich

We are pleased to announce that University of Ulm , Germany and Helmholtz Zentrum Munich , Germany has joined MDPI's institutional membership program:

Primary authors from the University of Ulm and Helmholtz Zentrum Munich will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges as of 1 January 2016. Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page .

9 December 2015 Membership Established with the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)

We are pleased to announce that Virginia Tech has joined MDPI's institutional membership program. Authors from Virginia Tech will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges as of 1 December 2015. Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page .

2 December 2015 Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417) Accepted for Coverage in Scopus

We are pleased to announce that the journal Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417) was recently selected to be included in Scopus . Citations are expected to be available in Scopus soon.

Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature and is published by Elsevier B.V. This means that the research you publish with Applied Sciences will be more visible than ever. Applied Sciences is an international open access journal that covers all aspects of applied natural sciences.

1 December 2015 Membership Established with the Technical University of Denmark and the University of North Florida

We are pleased to announce that the following universities have joined MDPI's institutional membership program:

• Technical University of Denmark (as of 1 November 2015)
• University of North Florida, USA (as of 15 November 2015)

Primary authors from the Technical University of Denmark and the University of North Florida will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.

2 October 2015 Membership Established with the University of Freiburg and the University of Regensburg

University of Freiburg, Germany University of Regensburg, Germany

Primary authors from the University of Freiburg and the University of Regensburg will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges as of 1 October 2015 and 1 November 2015.

19 June 2015 Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417) Receives First Impact Factor – 1.484

We are pleased to report the first Impact Factor for Applied Sciences for 2014. According to the 2015 Journal Citation Reports ® Science Edition, published in June 2015 by Thomson Reuters, the first Impact Factor for Applied Sciences is 1.484.

Applied Sciences enters the ranking in the categories ‘Chemistry, Multidisciplinary’ (SCIE) placed 78 out of 157 (Q2), ‘Materials Science, Multidisciplinary’ (SCIE) placed 138 out of 259 (Q3) and ‘Physics, Applied’ (SCIE) placed 78 out of 143 (Q3).

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Home » Applied Research – Types, Methods and Examples

Applied Research – Types, Methods and Examples

Table of Contents

Applied Research

Definition:

Applied research is a type of scientific inquiry that focuses on developing practical solutions to real-world problems. It involves the use of existing knowledge, theories, and techniques to address specific problems or challenges in a particular field or industry.

Applied research is often conducted in collaboration with industry or government partners, who provide funding and expertise to support the research. The results of applied research are typically intended to be directly applicable to the real world, and may involve the development of new products, technologies, or processes.

Types of Applied Research

Types of Applied Research are as follows:

Action Research

This type of research is designed to solve specific problems within an organization or community. The research involves collaboration between researchers and stakeholders to develop solutions to issues that affect the organization or community.

Evaluation Research

This type of research is used to assess the effectiveness of a particular program, policy, or intervention. Evaluation research is often used in government, healthcare, and social service settings to determine whether programs are meeting their intended goals.

Developmental Research

This type of research is used to develop new products, technologies, or processes. The research may involve the testing of prototypes or the development of new methods for production or delivery.

Diagnostic Research

This type of research is used to identify the causes of problems or issues. Diagnostic research is often used in healthcare, where researchers may investigate the causes of a particular disease or condition.

Policy Research

This type of research is used to inform policy decisions. Policy research may involve analyzing the impact of existing policies or evaluating the potential outcomes of proposed policies.

Predictive Research

This type of research is used to forecast future trends or events. Predictive research is often used in marketing, where researchers may use data analysis to predict consumer behavior or market trends.

Data Collection Methods

In applied research, data collection methods can be broadly classified into two categories: Quantitative and Qualitative methods:

Quantitative Data Collection

Quantitative research methods involve collecting numerical data that can be analyzed statistically. The most commonly used quantitative data collection methods in applied research include:

• Surveys : Surveys are questionnaires designed to collect data from a large sample of people. Surveys can be conducted face-to-face, over the phone, or online.
• Experiments : Experiments involve manipulating variables to test cause-and-effect relationships. Experiments can be conducted in the lab or in the field.
• Observations : Observations involve watching and recording behaviors or events in a systematic way. Observations can be conducted in the lab or in natural settings.
• Secondary data analysis: Secondary data analysis involves analyzing data that has already been collected by someone else. This can include data from government agencies, research institutes, or other sources.

Qualitative Data Collection

Qualitative research methods involve collecting non-numerical data that can be analyzed for themes and patterns. The most commonly used qualitative data collection methods in applied research include:

• Interviews : Interviews involve asking open-ended questions to individuals or groups. Interviews can be conducted in-person, over the phone, or online.
• Focus groups : Focus groups involve a group of people discussing a topic with a moderator. Focus groups can be conducted in-person or online.
• Case studies : Case studies involve in-depth analysis of a single individual, group, or organization.
• Document analysis : Document analysis involves analyzing written or recorded documents to extract data. This can include analyzing written records, audio recordings, or video recordings.

Data Analysis Methods

In applied research, data analysis methods can be broadly classified into two categories: Quantitative and Qualitative methods:

Quantitative Data Analysis

Quantitative data analysis methods involve analyzing numerical data to identify patterns and trends. The most commonly used quantitative data analysis methods in applied research include:

• Descriptive statistics: Descriptive statistics involve summarizing and presenting data using measures such as mean, median, mode, and standard deviation.
• Inferential statistics : Inferential statistics involve testing hypotheses and making predictions about a population based on a sample of data. This includes methods such as t-tests, ANOVA, regression analysis, and correlation analysis.
• Data mining: Data mining involves analyzing large datasets to identify patterns and relationships using machine learning algorithms.

Qualitative Data Analysis

Qualitative data analysis methods involve analyzing non-numerical data to identify themes and patterns. The most commonly used qualitative data analysis methods in applied research include:

• Content analysis: Content analysis involves analyzing written or recorded data to identify themes and patterns. This includes methods such as thematic analysis, discourse analysis, and narrative analysis.
• Grounded theory: Grounded theory involves developing theories and hypotheses based on the analysis of data.
• Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Interpretative phenomenological analysis involves analyzing data to identify the subjective experiences of individuals.
• Case study analysis: Case study analysis involves analyzing a single individual, group, or organization in-depth to identify patterns and themes.

Applied Research Methodology

Applied research methodology refers to the set of procedures, tools, and techniques used to design, conduct, and analyze research studies aimed at solving practical problems in real-world settings. The general steps involved in applied research methodology include:

• Identifying the research problem: The first step in applied research is to identify the problem to be studied. This involves conducting a literature review to identify existing knowledge and gaps in the literature, and to determine the research question.
• Developing a research design : Once the research question has been identified, the next step is to develop a research design. This involves determining the appropriate research method (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods), selecting the data collection methods, and designing the sampling strategy.
• Collecting data: The third step in applied research is to collect data using the selected data collection methods. This can include surveys, interviews, experiments, observations, or a combination of methods.
• Analyzing data : Once the data has been collected, it needs to be analyzed using appropriate data analysis methods. This can include descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, content analysis, or other methods, depending on the type of data collected.
• Interpreting and reporting findings : The final step in applied research is to interpret the findings and report the results. This involves drawing conclusions from the data analysis and presenting the findings in a clear and concise manner.

Applications of Applied Research

Some applications of applied research are as follows:

• Product development: Applied research can help companies develop new products or improve existing ones. For example, a company might conduct research to develop a new type of battery that lasts longer or a new type of software that is more efficient.
• Medical research : Applied research can be used to develop new treatments or drugs for diseases. For example, a pharmaceutical company might conduct research to develop a new cancer treatment.
• Environmental research : Applied research can be used to study and address environmental problems such as pollution and climate change. For example, research might be conducted to develop new technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Agriculture : Applied research can be used to improve crop yields, develop new varieties of plants, and study the impact of pests and diseases on crops.
• Education : Applied research can be used to study the effectiveness of teaching methods or to develop new teaching strategies.
• Transportation : Applied research can be used to develop new technologies for transportation, such as electric cars or high-speed trains.
• Communication : Applied research can be used to improve communication technologies, such as developing new methods for wireless communication or improving the quality of video calls.

Examples of Applied Research

Here are some real-time examples of applied research:

• COVID-19 Vaccine Development: The development of COVID-19 vaccines is a prime example of applied research. Researchers applied their knowledge of virology and immunology to develop vaccines that could prevent or reduce the severity of COVID-19.
• Autonomous Vehicles : The development of autonomous vehicles involves applied research in areas such as artificial intelligence, computer vision, and robotics. Companies like Tesla, Waymo, and Uber are conducting extensive research to improve their autonomous vehicle technology.
• Renewable Energy : Research is being conducted on renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydro power to improve efficiency and reduce costs. This is an example of applied research that aims to solve environmental problems.
• Precision Agriculture : Applied research is being conducted in the field of precision agriculture, which involves using technology to optimize crop yields and reduce waste. This includes research on crop sensors, drones, and data analysis.
• Telemedicine : Telemedicine involves using technology to deliver healthcare remotely. Applied research is being conducted to improve the quality of telemedicine services, such as developing new technologies for remote diagnosis and treatment.
• Cybersecurity : Applied research is being conducted to improve cybersecurity measures and protect against cyber threats. This includes research on encryption, network security, and data protection.

Purpose of Applied Research

The purpose of applied research is to solve practical problems or improve existing products, technologies, or processes. Applied research is focused on specific goals and objectives and is designed to have direct practical applications in the real world. It seeks to address problems and challenges faced by individuals, organizations, or communities and aims to provide solutions that can be implemented in a practical manner.

The primary purpose of applied research is to generate new knowledge that can be used to solve real-world problems or improve the efficiency and effectiveness of existing products, technologies, or processes. Applied research is often conducted in collaboration with industry, government, or non-profit organizations to address practical problems and create innovative solutions.

Applied research is also used to inform policy decisions by providing evidence-based insights into the effectiveness of specific interventions or programs. By conducting research on the impact of policies and programs, decision-makers can make informed decisions about how to allocate resources and prioritize interventions.

Overall, the purpose of applied research is to improve people’s lives by developing practical solutions to real-world problems. It aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice, and to ensure that research findings are put into action to achieve tangible benefits.

When to use Applied Research

Here are some specific situations when applied research may be appropriate:

• When there is a need to develop a new product : Applied research can be used to develop new products that meet the needs of consumers. For example, a company may conduct research to develop a new type of smartphone with improved features.
• When there is a need to improve an existing product : Applied research can also be used to improve existing products. For example, a company may conduct research to improve the battery life of an existing product.
• When there is a need to solve a practical problem: Applied research can be used to solve practical problems faced by individuals, organizations, or communities. For example, research may be conducted to find solutions to problems related to healthcare, transportation, or environmental issues.
• When there is a need to inform policy decisions: Applied research can be used to inform policy decisions by providing evidence-based insights into the effectiveness of specific interventions or programs.
• When there is a need to improve efficiency and effectiveness: Applied research can be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of processes or systems. For example, research may be conducted to identify ways to streamline manufacturing processes or to improve the delivery of healthcare services.

Characteristics of Applied Research

The following are some of the characteristics of applied research:

• Focus on solving real-world problems : Applied research focuses on addressing specific problems or needs in a practical setting, with the aim of developing solutions that can be implemented in the real world.
• Goal-oriented: A pplied research is goal-oriented, with a specific aim of solving a particular problem or meeting a specific need. The research is usually designed to achieve a specific outcome, such as developing a new product, improving an existing process, or solving a particular issue.
• Practical and relevant: Applied research is practical and relevant to the needs of the industry or field in which it is conducted. It aims to provide practical solutions that can be implemented to improve processes or solve problems.
• Collaborative : Applied research often involves collaboration between researchers and practitioners, such as engineers, scientists, and business professionals. Collaboration allows for the exchange of knowledge and expertise, which can lead to more effective solutions.
• Data-driven: Applied research is data-driven, relying on empirical evidence to support its findings and recommendations. Data collection and analysis are important components of applied research, as they help to identify patterns and trends that can inform decision-making.
• Results-oriented: Applied research is results-oriented, with an emphasis on achieving measurable outcomes. Research findings are often used to inform decisions about product development, process improvement, or policy changes.
• Time-bound : Applied research is often conducted within a specific timeframe, with deadlines for achieving specific outcomes. This helps to ensure that the research stays focused on its goals and that the results are timely and relevant to the needs of the industry or field.

Advantages of Applied Research

Some of the advantages of applied research are as follows:

• Practical solutions: Applied research is focused on developing practical solutions to real-world problems, making it highly relevant to the needs of the industry or field in which it is conducted. The solutions developed through applied research are often highly effective and can be implemented quickly to address specific issues.
• Improved processes: Applied research can help organizations to improve their processes, leading to increased efficiency and productivity. The research can identify areas for improvement, such as bottlenecks or inefficiencies, and provide recommendations for optimizing processes.
• Innovation: Applied research can lead to the development of new products, services, and technologies that can transform industries and create new opportunities for growth and innovation. The research can help organizations to identify unmet needs and develop new solutions to meet them.
• Collaboration : Applied research often involves collaboration between researchers and practitioners, leading to the exchange of knowledge and expertise. Collaboration can result in more effective solutions and can help to build partnerships between academia and industry.
• Increased competitiveness : Applied research can help organizations to stay competitive by enabling them to adapt to changing market conditions and customer needs. The research can provide insights into emerging trends and technologies, helping organizations to stay ahead of the curve.
• Economic growth: Applied research can contribute to economic growth by creating new industries and jobs. The research can lead to the development of new technologies and products that can drive economic growth and create new opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation.

Limitations of Applied Research

Some of the limitations of applied research are as follows:

• Limited generalizability: Applied research often focuses on specific contexts and may not be generalizable to other settings. This means that the findings of applied research may not be applicable to other industries, regions, or populations.
• Time and resource constraints: Applied research is often conducted within a specific timeframe and with limited resources. This can limit the scope and depth of the research and may prevent researchers from exploring all possible avenues.
• Potential for bias: Applied research may be influenced by the interests and perspectives of the organization or industry funding the research. This can lead to a bias in the research and potentially compromise the objectivity and validity of the findings.
• Ethical considerations: Applied research may raise ethical concerns, particularly if it involves human subjects or sensitive issues. Researchers must adhere to ethical standards and ensure that the research is conducted in a responsible and respectful manner.
• Limited theoretical development: Applied research tends to focus on practical solutions and may not contribute significantly to theoretical development in a particular field. This can limit the broader impact of the research and may hinder the development of new theories and frameworks.
• Limited focus on long-term impact: Applied research often focuses on short-term outcomes, such as developing a new product or improving a process. This may limit the focus on long-term impacts, such as the sustainability of the solution or its broader implications for the industry or society.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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Title: sv3d: novel multi-view synthesis and 3d generation from a single image using latent video diffusion.

Abstract: We present Stable Video 3D (SV3D) -- a latent video diffusion model for high-resolution, image-to-multi-view generation of orbital videos around a 3D object. Recent work on 3D generation propose techniques to adapt 2D generative models for novel view synthesis (NVS) and 3D optimization. However, these methods have several disadvantages due to either limited views or inconsistent NVS, thereby affecting the performance of 3D object generation. In this work, we propose SV3D that adapts image-to-video diffusion model for novel multi-view synthesis and 3D generation, thereby leveraging the generalization and multi-view consistency of the video models, while further adding explicit camera control for NVS. We also propose improved 3D optimization techniques to use SV3D and its NVS outputs for image-to-3D generation. Extensive experimental results on multiple datasets with 2D and 3D metrics as well as user study demonstrate SV3D's state-of-the-art performance on NVS as well as 3D reconstruction compared to prior works.

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Discover is now a new imprint within Springer Nature, and we are in the process of evolving from our origins within the Springer journals family. Discover journals currently follow the editorial policies outlined on the Springer and Springer Nature editorial policies pages and our submission guidelines.

Discover Applied Sciences accepts submissions of the following article types:

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Brief Communications are short papers that present significant new observations of wide potential interest to readers, and that will likely stimulate further research in the field. Brief Communications may present results that are not sufficiently elaborated to justify a full Research Article but provide compelling evidence for their potential significance.

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• Abstract: 200 words
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Registered Reports are a publication format in which the research question and the quality of methodology are peer reviewed before the data are collected and analysed. High quality protocols addressing well framed questions are then provisionally accepted for publication before data collection begins. This format allows methodological issues to be addressed before time and resources are invested in experiments, and helps minimize publication bias and research bias in hypothesis-driven research.

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• Stage 1 submission : Authors submit manuscripts including only an Introduction, Methods (including proposed analyses), and Pilot Data (where applicable).

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• In principle acceptance (IPA): Manuscripts that pass peer review will be issued an IPA, indicating that the article will be published pending successful completion of the study.

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The essential feature of the Registered Reports format is that a significant part of the manuscript is assessed prior to data collection. The submission and review process is consequently divided into two stages.

Stage 1: Initial manuscript submission and review

Initial submissions should include the stage 1 manuscript (requirements detailed below) and a brief cover letter. Authors are welcome to submit presubmission enquiries for advice on the likely suitability of a study as a Registered Report.

Cover letter

Please include a brief scientific case for consideration and an estimated timeline for completing the study if the initial submission is accepted in principle.

Introduction

This section should include a review of the relevant literature that motivates the research question and a full description of the experimental aims and hypotheses. Please note that following IPA, the Introduction section cannot be altered.

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• Full description of proposed sample characteristics, including criteria for data inclusion and exclusion (e.g. outlier extraction). Procedures for objectively defining exclusion criteria due to technical errors or for any other reasons must be specified, including details of how and under what conditions data would be replaced.

• A description of experimental procedures in sufficient detail to allow another researcher to repeat the methodology exactly, without requiring further information. These procedures must be adhered to exactly in the subsequent experiments or any Stage 2 manuscript can be rejected.

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• Studies involving Neyman-Pearson inference must include a statistical power analysis. Estimated effect sizes should be justified with reference to the existing literature. Since publication bias over-inflates published estimates of effect size, power analysis must be based on the lowest available or meaningful estimate of the effect size. For frequentist analysis plans, the a priori power must be 0.9 or higher for all proposed hypothesis tests. In the case of highly uncertain effect sizes, a variable sample size and interim data analysis is permissible but with inspection points stated in advance, appropriate Type I error correction for ‘peeking’ employed, and a final stopping rule for data collection outlined.

• Methods involving Bayesian hypothesis testing are encouraged. For studies involving analyses with Bayes factors, the predictions of the theory must be specified so that a Bayes factor can be calculated. Authors should indicate what distribution will be used to represent the predictions of the theory and how its parameters will be specified. For example, will you use a uniform up to some specified maximum, or a normal/half-normal to represent a likely effect size, or a JZS/Cauchy with a specified scaling constant? For inference by Bayes factors, authors must be able to guarantee data collection until the Bayes factor is at least 6 times in favour of the experimental hypothesis over the null hypothesis (or vice versa). Authors with resource limitations are permitted to specify a maximum feasible sample size at which data collection must cease regardless of the Bayes factor; however to be eligible for advance acceptance this number must be sufficiently large that inconclusive results at this sample size would nevertheless be an important message for the field.

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• Optional. Can be included to establish proof of concept, effect size estimations, or feasibility of proposed methods. Any pilot experiments will be published with the final version of the manuscript and will be clearly distinguished from data obtained for the pre-registered experiment(s).

Following stage 1 peer review manuscripts will either be rejected, given the opportunity to revise or offered an in-principle acceptance (IPA). An IPA indicates that the article will be published pending completion of the approved methods and analytic procedures, in addition to a defensible interpretation of the results.

In Principle Accepted (IPA) Stage 1 reports are not published in the journal. Instead they are deposited in a recognized repository (either publicly or under embargo until Stage 2) and integrated into a single article following approval of the final Stage 2 manuscript. We have created a Figshare repository for Stage 1 protocol deposition, and offer to upload the protocol on the authors' behalf.

Authors are reminded that any deviation from the stated experimental procedures, regardless of how minor it may seem to the authors, could lead to rejection of the manuscript at Stage 2. In cases where the pre-registered protocol is altered after IPA due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g. change of equipment or technical error), the authors must consult the Managing Editor immediately for advice, and prior to the completion of data collection. Minor changes to the protocol may be permitted according to editorial discretion. In such cases, IPA would be preserved and the deviation reported in the Stage 2 submission. If the authors wish to alter the experimental procedures more substantially following IPA but still wish to publish their article as a Registered Report then the manuscript must be withdrawn and resubmitted as a new Stage 1 submission.

Note that registered analyses must be undertaken, but additional unregistered analyses can also be included in a final manuscript (see below).

Stage 2: Full manuscript submission and review

Authors will be asked to complete their study and resubmit their manuscripts within 12 months of receiving an in-principle acceptance. Failure to meet the agreed timetable may result in a stage 1 manuscript being considered withdrawn.

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Cover Letter

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• Please note that the Introduction cannot be altered from the approved stage 1 submission, and the stated hypothesis cannot be amended or expanded.

Results and Discussion

• The outcome of all registered analyses must be reported in the manuscript, except in rare instances where a registered and approved analysis is subsequently shown to be logically flawed or unfounded. In such cases, the authors, reviewers, and editor must agree that a collective error of judgment was made and that the analysis is inappropriate. In such cases the analysis would still be mentioned in the Methods but omitted with justification from the Results.

• It is reasonable that authors may wish to include additional analyses that were not included in the registered submission. For instance, a new analytic approach might become available between IPA and stage 2 review, or a particularly interesting and unexpected finding may emerge. Such analyses are admissible but must be clearly justified in the text, appropriately caveated, and reported in a separate section of the Results titled “Exploratory analyses”. Authors should be careful not to base their conclusions entirely on the outcome of statistically significant post hoc analyses.

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Conclusions

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Please consult the ‘Title page’ section of the submission guidelines for details of the additional Declarations that must be included, as with standard article types (eg funding, data availability, competing interests).

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Please see the relevant sections in the submission guidelines for further information on these statements as well as possible other mandatory statements.

The title page should include:

- The name(s) of the author(s)

- A concise and informative title

- The affiliation(s) of the author(s), i.e. institution, (department), city, (state), country

- A clear indication and an active e-mail address of the corresponding author

- If available, the 16-digit ORCID of the author(s)

If address information is provided with the affiliation(s) it will also be published.

For authors that are (temporarily) unaffiliated we will only capture their city and country of residence, not their e-mail address unless specifically requested.

Please provide an abstract of 150 to 250 words. The abstract should not contain any undefined abbreviations or unspecified references.

Declarations

All manuscripts must contain the following sections under the heading 'Declarations'.

If any of the sections are not relevant to your manuscript, please include the heading and write 'Not applicable' for that section.

Funding (information that explains whether and by whom the research was supported)

Conflicts of interest/Competing interests (include appropriate disclosures)

Data availability (data transparency)

Code availability (software application or custom code)

Authors' contributions (see Authorship principles section )

Please see the relevant sections in the submission guidelines for further information as well as various examples of wording. Please revise/customize the sample statements according to your own needs.

Text Formatting

Manuscripts should be submitted in Word.

• Use a normal, plain font (e.g., 10-point Times Roman) for text.
• Use italics for emphasis.
• Use the automatic page numbering function to number the pages.
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• Use the table function, not spreadsheets, to make tables.
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• Save your file in docx format (Word 2007 or higher) or doc format (older Word versions).

Manuscripts with mathematical content can also be submitted in LaTeX. We recommend using Springer Nature’s LaTeX template .

Please use the decimal system of headings with no more than three levels.

Abbreviations

Abbreviations should be defined at first mention and used consistently thereafter.

Footnotes can be used to give additional information, which may include the citation of a reference included in the reference list. They should not consist solely of a reference citation, and they should never include the bibliographic details of a reference. They should also not contain any figures or tables.

Footnotes to the text are numbered consecutively; those to tables should be indicated by superscript lower-case letters (or asterisks for significance values and other statistical data). Footnotes to the title or the authors of the article are not given reference symbols.

Always use footnotes instead of endnotes.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments of people, grants, funds, etc. should be placed in a separate section on the title page. The names of funding organizations should be written in full.

Reference citations in the text should be identified by numbers in square brackets. Some examples:

1. Negotiation research spans many disciplines [3].

2. This result was later contradicted by Becker and Seligman [5].

3. This effect has been widely studied [1-3, 7].

Reference list

The list of references should only include works that are cited in the text and that have been published or accepted for publication. Personal communications and unpublished works should only be mentioned in the text.

The entries in the list should be numbered consecutively.

If available, please always include DOIs as full DOI links in your reference list (e.g. “https://doi.org/abc”).

Smith JJ. The world of science. Am J Sci. 1999;36:234–5.

Slifka MK, Whitton JL. Clinical implications of dysregulated cytokine production. J Mol Med. 2000; https://doi.org/10.1007/s001090000086

Blenkinsopp A, Paxton P. Symptoms in the pharmacy: a guide to the management of common illness. 3rd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Science; 1998.

Wyllie AH, Kerr JFR, Currie AR. Cell death: the significance of apoptosis. In: Bourne GH, Danielli JF, Jeon KW, editors. International review of cytology. London: Academic; 1980. pp. 251–306.

Doe J. Title of subordinate document. In: The dictionary of substances and their effects. Royal Society of Chemistry. 1999. http://www.rsc.org/dose/title of subordinate document. Accessed 15 Jan 1999.

Always use the standard abbreviation of a journal’s name according to the ISSN List of Title Word Abbreviations, see

ISSN.org LTWA

If you are unsure, please use the full journal title.

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Electronic Figure Submission

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• Name your figure files with "Fig" and the figure number, e.g., Fig1.eps.
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Halftone Art

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Combination Art

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Figure Lettering

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Figure Numbering

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• If an appendix appears in your article and it contains one or more figures, continue the consecutive numbering of the main text. Do not number the appendix figures,"A1, A2, A3, etc." Figures in online appendices [Supplementary Information (SI)] should, however, be numbered separately.

Figure Captions

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Figure Placement and Size

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If you include figures that have already been published elsewhere, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner(s). Please be aware that some publishers do not grant electronic rights for free and that Springer will not be able to refund any costs that may have occurred to receive these permissions. In such cases, material from other sources should be used.

Accessibility

In order to give people of all abilities and disabilities access to the content of your figures, please make sure that

• All figures have descriptive captions (blind users could then use a text-to-speech software or a text-to-Braille hardware)
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Generative AI Images

Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein.

Springer accepts electronic multimedia files (animations, movies, audio, etc.) and other supplementary files to be published online along with an article or a book chapter. This feature can add dimension to the author's article, as certain information cannot be printed or is more convenient in electronic form.

Before submitting research datasets as Supplementary Information, authors should read the journal’s Research data policy. We encourage research data to be archived in data repositories wherever possible.

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Audio, Video, and Animations

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Spreadsheets

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Specialized Formats

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Collecting Multiple Files

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• For each supplementary material, please supply a concise caption describing the content of the file.

Processing of supplementary files

• Supplementary Information (SI) will be published as received from the author without any conversion, editing, or reformatting.

In order to give people of all abilities and disabilities access to the content of your supplementary files, please make sure that

• The manuscript contains a descriptive caption for each supplementary material
• Video files do not contain anything that flashes more than three times per second (so that users prone to seizures caused by such effects are not put at risk)

Color illustrations

Publication of color illustrations is free of charge.

Proof reading

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Articles in Springer Nature open access journals do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In confirming the publication of your article with open access you agree to the Creative Commons Attribution License.

Find more about the license agreement

This journal follows Springer Nature research data policy . Sharing of all relevant research data is strongly encouraged and authors must add a Data Availability Statement to original research articles.

Research data includes a wide range of types, including spreadsheets, images, textual extracts, archival documents, video or audio, interview notes or any specialist formats generated during research.

Data availability statements

All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here .

If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be compromised, this statement should describe how data can be accessed and any conditions for reuse. Participant consent should be obtained and documented prior to data collection. See our guidance on sensitive data for more information.

When creating a data availability statement, authors are encouraged to consider the minimal dataset that would be necessary to interpret, replicate and build upon the findings reported in the article.

Further guidance on writing a data availability statement, including examples, is available at:

Data repositories

Authors are strongly encouraged to deposit their supporting data in a publicly available repository. Sharing your data in a repository promotes the integrity, discovery and reuse of your research, making it easier for the research community to build on and credit your work.

See our data repository guidance for information on finding a suitable repository.

We recommend the use of discipline-specific repositories where available. For a number of data types, submission to specific public repositories is mandatory.

See our list of mandated data types .

The journal encourages making research data available under open licences that permit reuse. The journal does not enforce use of particular licences in third party repositories. You should ensure you have necessary rights to share any data that you deposit in a repository.

Data citation

The journal recommends that authors cite any publicly available data on which the conclusions of the paper rely. This includes data the authors are sharing alongside their publication and any secondary data the authors have reused. Data citations should include a persistent identifier (such as a DOI), should be included in the reference list using the minimum information recommended by DataCite (Dataset Creator, Dataset Title, Publisher [repository], Publication Year, Identifier [e.g. DOI, Handle, Accession or ARK]) and follow journal style.

See our further guidance on citing datasets.

Research data and peer review

If the journal that you are submitting to uses double-anonymous peer review and you are providing reviewers with access to your data (for example via a repository link, supplementary information or data on request), it is strongly suggested that the authorship in the data is also anonymised. There are data repositories that can assist with this and/or will create a link to mask the authorship of your data.

Support with research data policy

Authors who need help understanding our data sharing policy, finding a suitable data repository, or organising and sharing research data can consult our Research Data Helpdesk for guidance.

See our FAQ page for more information on Springer Nature’s research data policy.

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Manuscripts submitted to the journal are expected to adhere to internationally accepted nomenclature

• for receptors:

www.guidetopharmacology.org

• and enzymes:

International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The journal subscribes to the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics ( COPE ) and commits to investigate allegations of misconduct in order to ensure the integrity of research.

Authors should refrain from misrepresenting research results which could damage the trust in the journal, the professionalism of scientific authorship, and ultimately the entire scientific endeavour. Maintaining integrity of the research and its presentation is helped by following the rules of good scientific practice, which include*:

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• Authors are strongly advised to ensure the author group, the Corresponding Author, and the order of authors are all correct at submission. Adding and/or deleting authors during the revision stages is generally not permitted, but in some cases may be warranted. Reasons for changes in authorship should be explained in detail. Please note that changes to authorship cannot be made after acceptance of a manuscript.

*All of the above are guidelines and authors need to make sure to respect third parties rights such as copyright and/or moral rights.

Upon request authors should be prepared to send relevant documentation or data in order to verify the validity of the results presented. This could be in the form of raw data, samples, records, etc. Sensitive information in the form of confidential or proprietary data is excluded.

If there is suspicion of misbehavior or alleged fraud the Journal and/or Publisher will carry out an investigation following COPE guidelines. If, after investigation, there are valid concerns, the author(s) concerned will be contacted under their given e-mail address and given an opportunity to address the issue. Depending on the situation, this may result in the Journal’s and/or Publisher’s implementation of the following measures, including, but not limited to:

• If the manuscript is still under consideration, it may be rejected and returned to the author.

- an erratum/correction may be placed with the article

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The reason will be given in the published erratum/correction, expression of concern or retraction note. Please note that retraction means that the article is maintained on the platform , watermarked “retracted” and the explanation for the retraction is provided in a note linked to the watermarked article.

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Fundamental errors

Authors have an obligation to correct mistakes once they discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published article. The author(s) is/are requested to contact the journal and explain in what sense the error is impacting the article. A decision on how to correct the literature will depend on the nature of the error. This may be a correction or retraction. The retraction note should provide transparency which parts of the article are impacted by the error.

Suggesting / excluding reviewers

Authors are welcome to suggest suitable reviewers and/or request the exclusion of certain individuals when they submit their manuscripts. When suggesting reviewers, authors should make sure they are totally independent and not connected to the work in any way. It is strongly recommended to suggest a mix of reviewers from different countries and different institutions. When suggesting reviewers, the Corresponding Author must provide an institutional email address for each suggested reviewer, or, if this is not possible to include other means of verifying the identity such as a link to a personal homepage, a link to the publication record or a researcher or author ID in the submission letter. Please note that the Journal may not use the suggestions, but suggestions are appreciated and may help facilitate the peer review process.

To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals.

Authors should include the following statements (if applicable) in a separate section entitled “Compliance with Ethical Standards” when submitting a paper:

• Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest
• Research involving Human Participants and/or Animals

Please note that standards could vary slightly per journal dependent on their peer review policies (i.e. single or double blind peer review) as well as per journal subject discipline. Before submitting your article check the instructions following this section carefully.

The corresponding author should be prepared to collect documentation of compliance with ethical standards and send if requested during peer review or after publication.

The Editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts that do not comply with the above-mentioned guidelines. The author will be held responsible for false statements or failure to fulfill the above-mentioned guidelines.

Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclosure of interests provides a complete and transparent process and helps readers form their own judgments of potential bias. This is not meant to imply that a financial relationship with an organization that sponsored the research or compensation received for consultancy work is inappropriate.

Editorial Board Members and Editors are required to declare any competing interests and may be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists. In addition, they should exclude themselves from handling manuscripts in cases where there is a competing interest. This may include – but is not limited to – having previously published with one or more of the authors, and sharing the same institution as one or more of the authors. Where an Editor or Editorial Board Member is on the author list they must declare this in the competing interests section on the submitted manuscript. If they are an author or have any other competing interest regarding a specific manuscript, another Editor or member of the Editorial Board will be assigned to assume responsibility for overseeing peer review. These submissions are subject to the exact same review process as any other manuscript. Editorial Board Members are welcome to submit papers to the journal. These submissions are not given any priority over other manuscripts, and Editorial Board Member status has no bearing on editorial consideration.

Interests that should be considered and disclosed but are not limited to the following:

Funding: Research grants from funding agencies (please give the research funder and the grant number) and/or research support (including salaries, equipment, supplies, reimbursement for attending symposia, and other expenses) by organizations that may gain or lose financially through publication of this manuscript.

Employment: Recent (while engaged in the research project), present or anticipated employment by any organization that may gain or lose financially through publication of this manuscript. This includes multiple affiliations (if applicable).

Financial interests: Stocks or shares in companies (including holdings of spouse and/or children) that may gain or lose financially through publication of this manuscript; consultation fees or other forms of remuneration from organizations that may gain or lose financially; patents or patent applications whose value may be affected by publication of this manuscript.

It is difficult to specify a threshold at which a financial interest becomes significant, any such figure is necessarily arbitrary, so one possible practical guideline is the following: "Any undeclared financial interest that could embarrass the author were it to become publicly known after the work was published."

Non-financial interests: In addition, authors are requested to disclose interests that go beyond financial interests that could impart bias on the work submitted for publication such as professional interests, personal relationships or personal beliefs (amongst others). Examples include, but are not limited to: position on editorial board, advisory board or board of directors or other type of management relationships; writing and/or consulting for educational purposes; expert witness; mentoring relations; and so forth.

Primary research articles require a disclosure statement. Review articles present an expert synthesis of evidence and may be treated as an authoritative work on a subject. Review articles therefore require a disclosure statement.Other article types such as editorials, book reviews, comments (amongst others) may, dependent on their content, require a disclosure statement. If you are unclear whether your article type requires a disclosure statement, please contact the Editor-in-Chief.

Please note that, in addition to the above requirements, funding information (given that funding is a potential competing interest (as mentioned above)) needs to be disclosed upon submission of the manuscript in the peer review system. This information will automatically be added to the Record of CrossMark, however it is not added to the manuscript itself. Under ‘summary of requirements’ (see below) funding information should be included in the ‘ Declarations ’ section.

Summary of requirements

The above should be summarized in a statement and placed in a ‘Declarations’ section before the reference list under a heading of ‘Funding’ and/or ‘Competing interests’. Other declarations include Ethics approval, Consent, Data, Material and/or Code availability and Authors’ contribution statements.

Please see the various examples of wording below and revise/customize the sample statements according to your own needs.

When all authors have the same (or no) conflicts and/or funding it is sufficient to use one blanket statement.

Examples of statements to be used when funding has been received:

• Partial financial support was received from [...]
• The research leading to these results received funding from […] under Grant Agreement No[…].
• This study was funded by […]
• This work was supported by […] (Grant numbers […] and […]

Examples of statements to be used when there is no funding:

• The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work.
• No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript.
• No funding was received for conducting this study.
• No funds, grants, or other support was received.

Examples of statements to be used when there are interests to declare:

Non-financial interests: Author C is an unpaid member of committee Z.

Non-financial interests: Author A is on the board of directors of Y and receives no compensation as member of the board of directors.

Non-financial interests: none.

Non-financial interests: Author D has served on advisory boards for Company M, Company N and Company O.

Examples of statements to be used when authors have nothing to declare:

• The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.
• The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.
• All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.
• The authors have no financial or proprietary interests in any material discussed in this article.

Authors are responsible for correctness of the statements provided in the manuscript. See also Authorship Principles. The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to reject submissions that do not meet the guidelines described in this section.

Ethics approval

When reporting a study that involved human participants, their data or biological material, authors should include a statement that confirms that the study was approved (or granted exemption) by the appropriate institutional and/or national research ethics committee (including the name of the ethics committee) and certify that the study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. If doubt exists whether the research was conducted in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration or comparable standards, the authors must explain the reasons for their approach, and demonstrate that an independent ethics committee or institutional review board explicitly approved the doubtful aspects of the study. If a study was granted exemption from requiring ethics approval, this should also be detailed in the manuscript (including the reasons for the exemption).

Retrospective ethics approval

If a study has not been granted ethics committee approval prior to commencing, retrospective ethics approval usually cannot be obtained and it may not be possible to consider the manuscript for peer review. The decision on whether to proceed to peer review in such cases is at the Editor's discretion.

Ethics approval for retrospective studies

Although retrospective studies are conducted on already available data or biological material (for which formal consent may not be needed or is difficult to obtain) ethics approval may be required dependent on the law and the national ethical guidelines of a country. Authors should check with their institution to make sure they are complying with the specific requirements of their country.

Ethics approval for case studies

Case reports require ethics approval. Most institutions will have specific policies on this subject. Authors should check with their institution to make sure they are complying with the specific requirements of their institution and seek ethics approval where needed. Authors should be aware to secure informed consent from the individual (or parent or guardian if the participant is a minor or incapable) See also section on Informed Consent .

If human cells are used, authors must declare in the manuscript: what cell lines were used by describing the source of the cell line, including when and from where it was obtained, whether the cell line has recently been authenticated and by what method. If cells were bought from a life science company the following need to be given in the manuscript: name of company (that provided the cells), cell type, number of cell line, and batch of cells.

It is recommended that authors check the NCBI database for misidentification and contamination of human cell lines. This step will alert authors to possible problems with the cell line and may save considerable time and effort.

Further information is available from the International Cell Line Authentication Committee (ICLAC).

Authors should include a statement that confirms that an institutional or independent ethics committee (including the name of the ethics committee) approved the study and that informed consent was obtained from the donor or next of kin.

Research Resource Identifiers (RRID)

Research Resource Identifiers (RRID) are persistent unique identifiers (effectively similar to a DOI) for research resources. This journal encourages authors to adopt RRIDs when reporting key biological resources (antibodies, cell lines, model organisms and tools) in their manuscripts.

Organism: Filip1 tm1a(KOMP)Wtsi RRID:MMRRC_055641-UCD

Cell Line: RST307 cell line RRID:CVCL_C321

Antibody: Luciferase antibody DSHB Cat# LUC-3, RRID:AB_2722109

Plasmid: mRuby3 plasmid RRID:Addgene_104005

Software: ImageJ Version 1.2.4 RRID:SCR_003070

RRIDs are provided by the Resource Identification Portal . Many commonly used research resources already have designated RRIDs. The portal also provides authors links so that they can quickly register a new resource and obtain an RRID.

Clinical Trial Registration

The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to assess, improve, maintain, promote or modify health, functioning or health conditions” and a health-related outcome is generally defined as a change in the health of a person or population as a result of an intervention.

To ensure the integrity of the reporting of patient-centered trials, authors must register prospective clinical trials (phase II to IV trials) in suitable publicly available repositories. For example www.clinicaltrials.gov or any of the primary registries that participate in the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform .

The trial registration number (TRN) and date of registration should be included as the last line of the manuscript abstract.

For clinical trials that have not been registered prospectively, authors are encouraged to register retrospectively to ensure the complete publication of all results. The trial registration number (TRN), date of registration and the words 'retrospectively registered’ should be included as the last line of the manuscript abstract.

Standards of reporting

Springer Nature advocates complete and transparent reporting of biomedical and biological research and research with biological applications. Authors are recommended to adhere to the minimum reporting guidelines hosted by the EQUATOR Network when preparing their manuscript.

Exact requirements may vary depending on the journal; please refer to the journal’s Instructions for Authors.

Checklists are available for a number of study designs, including:

Randomised trials (CONSORT) and Study protocols (SPIRIT)

Observational studies (STROBE)

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) and protocols (Prisma-P)

Diagnostic/prognostic studies (STARD) and (TRIPOD)

Case reports (CARE)

Clinical practice guidelines (AGREE) and (RIGHT)

Qualitative research (SRQR) and (COREQ)

Animal pre-clinical studies (ARRIVE)

Quality improvement studies (SQUIRE)

Economic evaluations (CHEERS)

The above should be summarized in a statement and placed in a ‘Declarations’ section before the reference list under a heading of ‘Ethics approval’.

Examples of statements to be used when ethics approval has been obtained:

• All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the Bioethics Committee of the Medical University of A (No. ...).

• This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of University B (Date.../No. ...).

• Approval was obtained from the ethics committee of University C. The procedures used in this study adhere to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

• The questionnaire and methodology for this study was approved by the Human Research Ethics committee of the University of D (Ethics approval number: ...).

Examples of statements to be used for a retrospective study:

• Ethical approval was waived by the local Ethics Committee of University A in view of the retrospective nature of the study and all the procedures being performed were part of the routine care.

• This research study was conducted retrospectively from data obtained for clinical purposes. We consulted extensively with the IRB of XYZ who determined that our study did not need ethical approval. An IRB official waiver of ethical approval was granted from the IRB of XYZ.

• This retrospective chart review study involving human participants was in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The Human Investigation Committee (IRB) of University B approved this study.

Examples of statements to be used when no ethical approval is required/exemption granted:

• This is an observational study. The XYZ Research Ethics Committee has confirmed that no ethical approval is required.

• The data reproduced from Article X utilized human tissue that was procured via our Biobank AB, which provides de-identified samples. This study was reviewed and deemed exempt by our XYZ Institutional Review Board. The BioBank protocols are in accordance with the ethical standards of our institution and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

The welfare of animals (vertebrate and higher invertebrate) used for research, education and testing must be respected. Authors should supply detailed information on the ethical treatment of their animals in their submission. For that purpose they may use the ARRIVE checklist which is designed to be used when submitting manuscripts describing animal research.

For studies involving client-owned animals, authors must also document informed consent from the client or owner and adherence to a high standard (best practice) of veterinary care.

Authors are recommended to comply with:

• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Policy Statement on Research Involving Species at Risk of Extinction and consult the IUCN red list index of threatened species .

• Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

When reporting results authors should indicate:

• … that the studies have been approved by a research ethics committee at the institution or practice at which the studies were conducted. Please provide the name of ethics committee and relevant permit number;

• … whether the legal requirements or guidelines in the country and/or state or province for the care and use of animals have been followed.

Researchers from countries without any legal requirements or guidelines voluntarily should refer to the following sites for guidance:

– The Basel Declaration describes fundamental principles of using animals in biomedical research

– The International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS) provides ethical guidelines for researchers as well as editors and reviewers

– The Association for the study of Animal Behaviour describes ethical guidelines for the treatment of animals in research and teaching

– The International Association of Veterinary Editors’ Consensus Author Guidelines on Animal Ethics provide guidelines for authors on animal ethics and welfare

Researchers may wish to consult the most recent (ethical) guidelines available from relevant taxon-oriented professional societies.

If a study was granted exemption or did not require ethics approval, this should also be detailed in the manuscript.

• All procedures involving animals were in compliance with the European Community Council Directive of 24 November 1986, and ethical approval was granted by the Kocaeli University Ethics Committee (No. 29 12 2014, Kocaeli, Turkey).

• All procedures performed in the study were in accordance with the ARVO Statement for Use of Animals in Ophthalmic Vision and Research. The ethical principles established by the National Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NIH Publications No. 8523, revised 2011) were followed. The research protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee on Animal Use (Protocol No. 06174/14) of FCAV/Unesp, Jaboticabal.

• This study involved a questionnaire-based survey of farmers as well as blood sampling from their animals. The study protocol was assessed and approved by Haramaya University, research and extension office. Participants provided their verbal informed consent for animal blood sampling as well as for the related survey questions. Collection of blood samples was carried out by veterinarians adhering to the regulations and guidelines on animal husbandry and welfare.

• All brown bear captures and handling were approved by the Ethical Committee on Animal Experiments, Uppsala, Sweden (Application C18/15) and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency in compliance with Swedish laws and regulations.

• The ethics governing the use and conduct of experiments on animals were strictly observed, and the experimental protocol was approved by the University of Maiduguri Senate committee on Medical Research ethics. Proper permit and consent were obtained from the Maiduguri abattoir management, before the faecal samples of the cattle and camels slaughtered in this abattoir were used for this experiment.

• No approval of research ethics committees was required to accomplish the goals of this study because experimental work was conducted with an unregulated invertebrate species.

• As the trappings of small mammals were conducted as part of regular pest control measures in accordance with the NATO Standardized Agreement 2048 "Deployment Pest and Vector Surveillance and Control ", no approval by an ethics committee was required.

• All experiments have been conducted as per the guidelines of the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee, Department of Zoology, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. However, the insect species used in this study is reared for commercial production of raw silk materials, as a part of agro-based industry. Therefore, use of this animal in research does not require ethical clearance. We have obtained permission from the office of Research officer sericulture, Baripada, Orissa, India for the provision of infrastructure and support for rearing of silkworm both in indoor and outdoor conditions related to our study to promote sericulture practices.

All individuals have individual rights that are not to be infringed. Individual participants in studies have, for example, the right to decide what happens to the (identifiable) personal data gathered, to what they have said during a study or an interview, as well as to any photograph that was taken. This is especially true concerning images of vulnerable people (e.g. minors, patients, refugees, etc) or the use of images in sensitive contexts. In many instances authors will need to secure written consent before including images.

Identifying details (names, dates of birth, identity numbers, biometrical characteristics (such as facial features, fingerprint, writing style, voice pattern, DNA or other distinguishing characteristic) and other information) of the participants that were studied should not be published in written descriptions, photographs, and genetic profiles unless the information is essential for scholarly purposes and the participant (or parent/guardian if the participant is a minor or incapable or legal representative) gave written informed consent for publication. Complete anonymity is difficult to achieve in some cases. Detailed descriptions of individual participants, whether of their whole bodies or of body sections, may lead to disclosure of their identity. Under certain circumstances consent is not required as long as information is anonymized and the submission does not include images that may identify the person.

Informed consent for publication should be obtained if there is any doubt. For example, masking the eye region in photographs of participants is inadequate protection of anonymity. If identifying characteristics are altered to protect anonymity, such as in genetic profiles, authors should provide assurance that alterations do not distort meaning.

Exceptions where it is not necessary to obtain consent:

• Images such as x rays, laparoscopic images, ultrasound images, brain scans, pathology slides unless there is a concern about identifying information in which case, authors should ensure that consent is obtained.

• Reuse of images: If images are being reused from prior publications, the Publisher will assume that the prior publication obtained the relevant information regarding consent. Authors should provide the appropriate attribution for republished images.

Consent and already available data and/or biologic material

Regardless of whether material is collected from living or dead patients, they (family or guardian if the deceased has not made a pre-mortem decision) must have given prior written consent. The aspect of confidentiality as well as any wishes from the deceased should be respected.

Data protection, confidentiality and privacy

When biological material is donated for or data is generated as part of a research project authors should ensure, as part of the informed consent procedure, that the participants are made aware what kind of (personal) data will be processed, how it will be used and for what purpose. In case of data acquired via a biobank/biorepository, it is possible they apply a broad consent which allows research participants to consent to a broad range of uses of their data and samples which is regarded by research ethics committees as specific enough to be considered “informed”. However, authors should always check the specific biobank/biorepository policies or any other type of data provider policies (in case of non-bio research) to be sure that this is the case.

Consent to Participate

For all research involving human subjects, freely-given, informed consent to participate in the study must be obtained from participants (or their parent or legal guardian in the case of children under 16) and a statement to this effect should appear in the manuscript. In the case of articles describing human transplantation studies, authors must include a statement declaring that no organs/tissues were obtained from prisoners and must also name the institution(s)/clinic(s)/department(s) via which organs/tissues were obtained. For manuscripts reporting studies involving vulnerable groups where there is the potential for coercion or where consent may not have been fully informed, extra care will be taken by the editor and may be referred to the Springer Nature Research Integrity Group.

Consent to Publish

Individuals may consent to participate in a study, but object to having their data published in a journal article. Authors should make sure to also seek consent from individuals to publish their data prior to submitting their paper to a journal. This is in particular applicable to case studies. A consent to publish form can be found

here. (Download docx, 36 kB)

The above should be summarized in a statement and placed in a ‘Declarations’ section before the reference list under a heading of ‘Consent to participate’ and/or ‘Consent to publish’. Other declarations include Funding, Competing interests, Ethics approval, Consent, Data and/or Code availability and Authors’ contribution statements.

Sample statements for "Consent to participate" :

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Informed consent was obtained from legal guardians.

Written informed consent was obtained from the parents.

Verbal informed consent was obtained prior to the interview.

Sample statements for “Consent to publish” :

The authors affirm that human research participants provided informed consent for publication of the images in Figure(s) 1a, 1b and 1c.

The participant has consented to the submission of the case report to the journal.

Patients signed informed consent regarding publishing their data and photographs.

Sample statements if identifying information about participants is available in the article:

Additional informed consent was obtained from all individual participants for whom identifying information is included in this article.

Images will be removed from publication if authors have not obtained informed consent or the paper may be removed and replaced with a notice explaining the reason for removal.

These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to.

Authorship clarified

The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before the work is submitted.

The Publisher does not prescribe the kinds of contributions that warrant authorship. It is recommended that authors adhere to the guidelines for authorship that are applicable in their specific research field. In absence of specific guidelines it is recommended to adhere to the following guidelines*:

All authors whose names appear on the submission

1) made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; or the creation of new software used in the work;

2) drafted the work or revised it critically for important intellectual content;

3) approved the version to be published; and

4) agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

* Based on/adapted from:

ICMJE, Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors,

Transparency in authors’ contributions and responsibilities to promote integrity in scientific publication, McNutt at all, PNAS February 27, 2018

Disclosures and declarations

All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate).

The decision whether such information should be included is not only dependent on the scope of the journal, but also the scope of the article. Work submitted for publication may have implications for public health or general welfare and in those cases it is the responsibility of all authors to include the appropriate disclosures and declarations.

Data transparency

All authors are requested to make sure that all data and materials as well as software application or custom code support their published claims and comply with field standards. Please note that journals may have individual policies on (sharing) research data in concordance with disciplinary norms and expectations.

Role of the Corresponding Author

One author is assigned as Corresponding Author and acts on behalf of all co-authors and ensures that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately addressed.

The Corresponding Author is responsible for the following requirements:

• ensuring that all listed authors have approved the manuscript before submission, including the names and order of authors;
• managing all communication between the Journal and all co-authors, before and after publication;*
• providing transparency on re-use of material and mention any unpublished material (for example manuscripts in press) included in the manuscript in a cover letter to the Editor;
• making sure disclosures, declarations and transparency on data statements from all authors are included in the manuscript as appropriate (see above).

* The requirement of managing all communication between the journal and all co-authors during submission and proofing may be delegated to a Contact or Submitting Author. In this case please make sure the Corresponding Author is clearly indicated in the manuscript.

Author contributions

In absence of specific instructions and in research fields where it is possible to describe discrete efforts, the Publisher recommends authors to include contribution statements in the work that specifies the contribution of every author in order to promote transparency. These contributions should be listed at the separate title page.

Examples of such statement(s) are shown below:

• Free text:

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by [full name], [full name] and [full name]. The first draft of the manuscript was written by [full name] and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Example: CRediT taxonomy:

• Conceptualization: [full name], …; Methodology: [full name], …; Formal analysis and investigation: [full name], …; Writing - original draft preparation: [full name, …]; Writing - review and editing: [full name], …; Funding acquisition: [full name], …; Resources: [full name], …; Supervision: [full name],….

For review articles where discrete statements are less applicable a statement should be included who had the idea for the article, who performed the literature search and data analysis, and who drafted and/or critically revised the work.

For articles that are based primarily on the student’s dissertation or thesis , it is recommended that the student is usually listed as principal author:

A Graduate Student’s Guide to Determining Authorship Credit and Authorship Order, APA Science Student Council 2006

Affiliation

The primary affiliation for each author should be the institution where the majority of their work was done. If an author has subsequently moved, the current address may additionally be stated. Addresses will not be updated or changed after publication of the article.

Changes to authorship

Authors are strongly advised to ensure the correct author group, the Corresponding Author, and the order of authors at submission. Changes of authorship by adding or deleting authors, and/or changes in Corresponding Author, and/or changes in the sequence of authors are not accepted after acceptance of a manuscript.

• Please note that author names will be published exactly as they appear on the accepted submission!

Please make sure that the names of all authors are present and correctly spelled, and that addresses and affiliations are current.

Adding and/or deleting authors at revision stage are generally not permitted, but in some cases it may be warranted. Reasons for these changes in authorship should be explained. Approval of the change during revision is at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief. Please note that journals may have individual policies on adding and/or deleting authors during revision stage.

Author identification

Authors are recommended to use their ORCID ID when submitting an article for consideration or acquire an ORCID ID via the submission process.

Deceased or incapacitated authors

For cases in which a co-author dies or is incapacitated during the writing, submission, or peer-review process, and the co-authors feel it is appropriate to include the author, co-authors should obtain approval from a (legal) representative which could be a direct relative.

Authorship issues or disputes

In the case of an authorship dispute during peer review or after acceptance and publication, the Journal will not be in a position to investigate or adjudicate. Authors will be asked to resolve the dispute themselves. If they are unable the Journal reserves the right to withdraw a manuscript from the editorial process or in case of a published paper raise the issue with the authors’ institution(s) and abide by its guidelines.

Confidentiality

Authors should treat all communication with the Journal as confidential which includes correspondence with direct representatives from the Journal such as Editors-in-Chief and/or Handling Editors and reviewers’ reports unless explicit consent has been received to share information.

Single-blind peer review

This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure.

Peer Review Process

Discover Applied Sciences is committed to providing a streamlined submission process, rapid review and publication, and a high level of author service at every stage. Although the Editors of Discover Applied Sciences strive for the most timely and efficient process for peer review, our over-arching goal is to provide substantive reviews to our authors along with constructive suggestions for improvements and clarifications when needed.

Manuscripts submitted to Discover Applied Sciences are usually reviewed by two referees selected from the relevant worldwide research community, together with one editorial board member who will make the decision.

Generally, no article is accepted without two complete and final reviews. The reviewers handling a paper are all anonymous and are invited by the editorial board member or internal editorial team. When selecting reviewers, the editor seeks to avoid conflicts of interest and close associates of the authors, such as frequent collaborators, former advisees, or former advisors. For revisions of prior submissions, it is common for suggested major revisions to be re-evaluated by the original referees, but articles requiring only minor revisions are often only re-evaluated by the original editorial board member directly by default. Editorial board members are tasked with making recommendations on each submission that they handle, request revisions and make a final decision to accept or reject as well. All the final decisions will undergo quality checks by the in-house editorial team before sending out.

Discover Applied Sciences accepts submissions from its own editorial board members in cases in which the identities of referees handling the manuscript can remain fully confidential and the editorial board member who handles it has no conflict of interest with the authors. To be accepted, manuscripts submitted by editorial board members must meet the same quality standards as all other accepted submissions, there is absolutely no special preference or consideration given to such submissions.

Discover Applied Sciences also publishes topical collections. The peer review process of any submission associated with a topical collection is handled by guest editors who are responsible for assigning at least two referees to each manuscript and evaluating the reviews. The guest editors can be from either the journal's own editorial board or external experts. Like our editorial board members, guest editors make recommendations on each submission that they handle, request revisions and make a final decision to accept or reject as well. The journal’s editorial board will double-check all the decisions for some specific Topical Collections. Any articles submitted to a topical collection by guest editors will be handled by editorial board members outside of the topical collection to ensure that the evaluation of these articles is completely objective.

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