Announcements

MDPI invites all experts recognized in their fields to attend the MDPI World Hepatitis Day Webinar 2024. Inspired by the collaborative spirit of World Hepatitis Day, this webinar aims to raise awareness about hepatitis and promote the development of innovative strategies to combat it. By engaging experts and the public, the webinar seeks to drive advancements and highlight the importance of collective efforts in scientific research and innovation.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the MDPI World Hepatitis Day Webinar 2024.

Title: MDPI World Hepatitis Day Webinar 2024
Date: 29 July 2024
Time: 15:00–17:00 (CEST) | 21:00–23:00 (CST Asia)
More Information: https://sciforum.net/event/WHD2024

This is a free webinar. After registration, 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 for viewing.

Register for free:

Program:

Relevant Special Issues:

Animals
“Diseases of the Small and Large Intestine, Liver and Pancreas in Small Animals: Second Edition”
Edited by Dr. Alessio Pierini and Dr. Eleonora Gori
Deadline for submission: 20 December 2024

“Metabolic Disorders of Poultry”
Edited by Dr. Victoria Anthony Uyanga and Dr. Felix Kwame Amevor
Deadline for submission: 28 February 2025

Cancers
“Hepatitis Viruses and Cancer”
Edited by Prof. Dr. John Koskinas and Dr. Urania Georgopoulou
Deadline for submission: 1 November 2024

Cells
“Interdisciplinary Approaches to Studying Human Liver Biology and Promoting Organ Regeneration: Understanding the Curse of Prometheus”
Edited by Prof. Dr. David C. Hay, Dr. Matthew Sinton and Alvile Kasarinaite
Deadline for submission: N.A.

Children
“Old and New Therapeutic Strategies in Children with Liver Disease”
Edited by Dr. Raffaele Iorio and Dr. Fabiola Di Dato
Deadline for submission: 30 September 2024

Diagnostics
“Diagnosis, Management, and Prognosis of Liver Disease and Its Syndromes”
Edited by Prof. Dr. Chien Hao Huang
Deadline for submission: 31 August 2024

“Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers in Liver Diseases”
Edited by Dr. Dávid Tornai
Deadline for submission: 31 October 2024

“Diagnosis of Liver Disease”
Edited by Dr. Sung-Eun Kim
Deadline for submission: 31 December 2024

Gastroenterology Insights
“Novelties in Diagnostics and Therapeutics in Hepatology: 2nd Edition”
Edited by Dr. Giovanni Marasco and Dr. Matteo Renzulli
Deadline for submission: 31 December 2024

Journal of Personalized Medicine
“Chronic Liver Disease: New Targets and New Mechanisms”
Edited by Dr. Theodoros Androutsakos
Deadline for submission: 20 February 2025

Livers
“Liver Fibrosis: Mechanisms, Targets, Assessment and Treatment”
Edited by Prof. Dr. Ralf Weiskirchen and Prof. Dr. Tilman Sauerbruch
Deadline for submission: 20 December 2024

Medicina
“Editorial Board Members’ Collection Series: Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Diseases”
Edited by Prof. Dr. Ludovico Abenavoli and Dr. Marcello Candelli
Deadline for submission: 24 December 2024

“Advances in Liver Surgery”
Edited by Prof. Dr. Jai Young Cho
Deadline for submission: 24 December 2024

“Novelties in Chronic Liver Diseases”
Edited by Prof. Dr. Ludovico Abenavoli
Deadline for submission: 30 September 2024

Metabolites
“Research on Pharmacotherapy of Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease”
Edited by Dr. Aleksandra Bołdys
Deadline for submission: 30 September 2024

“Metabolic Syndrome and Non-alcoholic Liver Disease”
Edited by Prof. Dr. Mircea-Catalin Fortofoiu, and Dr. Luigi Boccuto
Deadline for submission: 20 October 2024

“Liver Injury and Regeneration—Metabolic Research”
Edited by Dr. Miguel Suárez Matías
Deadline for submission: 31 December 2024

Microorganisms
“Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Vaccine”
Edited by Dr. Nishi N. Prabdial-Sing
Deadline for submission: 15 December 2024

Nutrients
“Metabolic-Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease at the Forefront: Confronting Nutritional Obstacles in Advanced Chronic Liver Disease and Portal Hypertension”
Edited by Dr. Angelo Armandi and Dr. Federico Ravaioli
Deadline for submission: 15 October 2024

“Prevention and Treatment of Liver Diseases by Dietary Habits and Lifestyle”
Dr. Marica Cariello and Dr. Raffaella Maria Gadaleta
Deadline for submission: 15 December 2024

“Managing Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease with Nutrition”
Edited by Dr. Nobuyuki Toshikuni
Deadline for submission: 25 December 2024

Pathogens
“Zoonotic Hepatitis E Virus: A Focus on Animals, Food and Environment”
Edited by Prof. Dr. Barbara Di Martino, Dr. Federica Di Profio and Dr. Andrea Palombieri  
Deadline for submission: 10 October 2024

Vaccines
“Vaccines and Vaccination: HIV, Hepatitis Viruses, and HPV”
Edited by Dr. Ivan Schietroma and Dr. Sonia Moretti
Deadline for submission: 28 February 2025

“Vaccination and Treatments against Viral Hepatitis: Achievements, Challenges and Perspectives”
Edited by Dr. Bárbara Vieira Do Lago and Dr. Vinicius M. Mello
Deadline for submission: 15 March 2025

Editor’s Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Animals’ Academic Editors worldwide. The journal’s Academic Editors select a small number of published articles that they consider will be of particular interest to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. We welcome you to read the Editor’s Choice Papers in the Section “Companion Animals”, a curated list of high-quality articles from 2022 to 2023 in this Section. The list of selected papers can be viewed below.

1. “Nutritional Composition and Untargeted Metabolomics Reveal the Potential of Tetradesmus obliquus, Chlorella vulgaris and Nannochloropsis oceanica as Valuable Nutrient Sources for Dogs”
by Ana R. J. Cabrita, Joana Guilherme-Fernandes, Inês M. Valente, Agostinho Almeida, Sofia A. C. Lima, António J. M. Fonseca and Margarida R. G. Maia
Animals 2022, 12(19), 2643; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12192643
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/19/2643

Editor’s Comments:
Food security is an increasing concern, and the environmental impact of pet food production is widely debated. The authors of the above study identified a novel, nutritionally balanced food suitable for dogs that can be made from microalgae.

2. “Babesia gibsoni Infection in Dogs—A European Perspective”
by Oliwier Teodorowski, Marcin Kalinowski, Dagmara Winiarczyk, Banu Dokuzeylül, Stanisław Winiarczyk and Łukasz Adaszek
Animals 2022, 12(6), 730; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12060730
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/6/730

Editor’s Comments:
The authors of the above review report confirmed cases of Babesia gibsoni infection in dogs in Europe. Most of these cases occurred in dog fighting breeds, especially American Pit Bull Terriers or related breeds, suggesting a breed-specific predisposition. Furthermore, rather than a tick bite, the main transmission route could be via wound contact with infected blood. The course of the disease is severe, and diagnosis and treatment are a challenge. The authors point out that B. gibsoni should be considered a possible emerging parasite in Europe.

3. “Expansion of Canine Heartworm in Spain”
by José Alberto Montoya-Alonso, Rodrigo Morchón, Sara Nieves García-Rodríguez, Yaiza Falcón-Cordón, Noelia Costa-Rodríguez, Jorge Isidoro Matos, Iván Rodríguez Escolar and Elena Carretón
Animals 2022, 12(10), 1268; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12101268
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/10/1268

Editor’s Comments:
Global warming favors the spread of vector-borne diseases, such as canine heartworm. The above study focuses on the epidemiology of heartworm in dogs and the impact of climate change in Spain. The study results show the expansion of canine heartworm in Spain, especially in northern regions where it has not been previously reported, such as the Basque Country. In some regions where the presence of Dirofilaria immitis has already been observed, its prevalence was not notable, probably because of the implementation of preventive measures in the dog population. The authors suggest that global warming, the mobility of animal reservoirs, and the modification of the landscape with high edaphic availability of water or stagnant water that provides suitable conditions for the presence of the culicid vectors have an impact on the expansion of D. immitis in Spain. The study results evidence the importance of the implementation of prophylactic programs in the canine population to control infection.

4. “Characterization of the Fecal and Mucosa-Associated Microbiota in Dogs with Chronic Inflammatory Enteropathy”
by David Díaz-Regañón, Mercedes García-Sancho, Alejandra Villaescusa, Ángel Sainz, Beatriz Agulla, Mariana Reyes-Prieto, Antonio Rodríguez-Bertos and Fernando Rodríguez-Franco
Animals 2023, 13(3), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030326
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/3/326

Editor’s Comments:
Disturbance of the intestinal microbiome (dysbiosis) is important in the pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation in dogs (and other species). However, most studies have only studied dysbiosis in fecal samples, which may not reflect what is happening in the small intestine where inflammation predominates. The authors of the above study compared the microbiota in the feces and duodenal biopsies of dogs with intestinal inflammation. The results showed dysbiosis in both areas compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, the results demonstrated greater changes in fecal samples compared to duodenal biopsies. These findings suggest that analysis of the fecal microbiota, which is much more accessible, can reflect dysbiosis within the small intestine.

5. “When and Why Cats Are Returned to Shelters”
by Vivian Mundschau and Malini Suchak
Animals 2023, 13(2), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13020243
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/2/243

Editor’s Comments:
The authors of the above study report the return-to-shelter rate of adopted cats of just under 12% within 4 years of adoption with approximately half being returned within the first month. The risk of being returned was found to increase with the age of the cat at the time of adoption and if there was a history of biting and decrease if the cats had spent time in foster care. Short-term returns were mainly due to unacceptable cat behaviour, but the reason for cats being returned after more than 30 days was mainly due to the owner’s personal reasons. An increased in-depth understanding of these reasons and the timing of returns can increase the likelihood of developing strategies to keep cats in their new homes.

6. “Understanding the Factors Influencing Cat Containment: Identifying Opportunities for Behaviour Change”
by Gemma C. Ma and Lynette J. McLeod
Animals 2023, 13(10), 1630; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13101630
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/10/1630

Conference:  Aquaculture Europe 2024 (AQUA 2024)

Organization: European Aquaculture Society (EAS)

Date: 26–30 August 2024

Place: Ac Hotel by Marriott Bella Sky, Center Boulevard 5 2300, Copenhagen

MDPI journals will be attending AQUA 2024 as exhibitors. This meeting will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 26 to 30 August 2024.

AQUA 2024 will take place in the Danish capital of Copenhagen. It will comprise a scientific conference, trade exhibition, industry forums, workshops, student events and receptions. The event will highlight the latest in aquaculture research and innovations, underpinning the continued growth of this exciting food production sector. It will be a showcase for Denmark and its innovation leadership in several key technologies that are crucial for future aquaculture, but the event will also function as a meeting and exchange platform for experts from around the world.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Fishes;
• Animals;
• Antioxidants;
• Aquaculture Journal;
• Biology;
• Life;
• Diversity;
• Oceans;
• Sustainability;
• Water;
• JMSE.

If you will be 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, please visit the following website: https://www.aquaeas.org/.

It is our great pleasure to announce that MDPI will be attending the 49th World Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress (WSAVA 2024). This event will take place from 3 to 5 September 2024 in Suzhou, China, at the Suzhou International Expo Centre (SuzhouExpo).

The WSAVA World Congress is a unique opportunity for the profession to learn, share ideas, and build relationships with colleagues from all over the world. The 2024 WSAVA World Congress will emerge as a significant event, fostering extensive interaction amongst small animal veterinary professionals across the East and the West.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Animals;
• Veterinary Sciences;
• Vaccines;
• JZBG;
• Pets.

If you are considering attending this conference, we encourage you to visit our booth and speak to our representatives. We are eager to meet you in person and assist you with any queries you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit the official website at http://www.2024wsava.com/.

Five new journals covering multiple subjects have launched their inaugural issue in June 2024. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access.

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all the Editorial Board Members and each journal will ensure its high-quality output using excellent editorial and rigorous peer review processes, to ensure that the articles achieve high impact and visibility.

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

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal Topics (Selected)
	Prof. Dr. Marco Ranucci, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Italy | Editorial | view inaugural issue	anaesthetic medications; blood and fluid management; pain management; critical care; critical illness | view journal scope | submit an article
	Dr. Giovanni E. Cacciamani, University of Southern California, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	surgical/procedural complications; complications; perioperative adverse events; postoperative adverse events | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr.  Gassan Hodaifa, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Spain | Editorial | view inaugural issue	laboratory management; laboratory safety; protective equipment; laboratory problems and challenges; laboratory Innovation | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Jan S. Suchodolski, Texas A&M University, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	companion animals health and disease; veterinary care and nutrition; genetics and genomics; behavior and welfare; human-animal relations | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Pierfrancesco De Paola, University of Naples Federico II, Italy | Editorial | view inaugural issue	real estate appraisal; economic and financial valuation of real estate projects; sustainable real estate; housing and urban economics | view journal scope | submit an article

We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to send an application here, or contact the New Journal Committee (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com) if you would like to create more new journals.

Name: Mediterranean Life Sciences Union Annual Meeting (MedLIFE-24)
Date: 8–10 December 2024
Place: Congress Center of Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey/Hybrid
Submission deadline: 31 August 2024
Website: https://2024.med-life.org/index.php

It is a pleasure and an honor to invite you to attend the Mediterranean Life Sciences Union Annual Meeting (MedLIFE-24), which will be held in person and online from 8 to 10 December 2024, at the Congress Center of Istanbul Technical University. Researchers from all fields of life sciences, both in the Mediterranean area and throughout the world, are invited to present and discuss their most recent research discoveries at MedLIFE-24 and to publish their findings in the MedLIFE-24 proceedings.

After the remarkable successes of the Mediterranean Geosciences Union Annual Meetings (MedGU-21 in Istanbul, MedGU-22 in Marrakech, and MedGU-23 in Istanbul) that were aimed mainly at highlighting the contributions of the Earth Sciences community in addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it became obvious that there is a need to expand this global scale initiative to create extensive and comprehensive international annual meetings for other science unions in order to connect researchers and enable them to present and discuss their most recent findings.

With this objective in mind and as a continuation of the tremendous success of the MedGU Annual Meetings, which have attracted overwhelming interest with over 4000 abstract submissions from 95 countries, MedLIFE-24 will be organized to provide a forum for life scientists from the Mediterranean region and all over the world. Researchers, particularly those in the early stages of their careers, can be informed about the latest studies and discuss their latest unpublished findings with experts from the wide-ranging fields of life sciences.

Connecting and communicating the impact of life science research on sustainability is critical for shaping and influencing the future of life sciences, including training next-generation life scientists, accelerating scientific innovation, and advancing our understanding of life, the planet, and beyond. In this regard, life sciences should continue to play their specific role in achieving the SDGs. For example, the life sciences have been used in the health, medicine, and pharmaceutical industries to improve people’s quality of life. In addition, several SDGs directly or indirectly address the water–food–energy nexus, which has been a focal point for life scientists throughout history. Life scientists are, therefore, critical to delivering the SDGs. Their vast knowledge of the function and interactions of living organisms and their environments, together with their ability to translate this knowledge into tools to inform policy and practice, may help to enlighten many important areas and inform many key aspects of sustainable development.

In this context, MedLIFE-24 seeks to highlight and strengthen the synergies and links between various domains of life science and the UN SDGs. For example, SDG 3, “ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being”, is one of the 17 goals and targets that is especially pertinent to life science. It represents the core of efforts towards sustainability in the field. Given their traditional focus on “purposive” research, life scientists have adopted and continue to pursue integrative approaches, for example, by complementing perspectives from natural and technical disciplines with those from the environmental and social sciences. They can thus offer expertise in integrating knowledge from the natural, technical, and social sciences to provide solutions for many of the global challenges posed by sustainable development.

MedLIFE-24, through engagement by life scientists in academia, research, industry, government, and civil society, working across sectors and in close partnership with other disciplines (e.g., engineering, earth science, environmental sciences, and social sciences), can inform many key aspects of sustainable development. MedLIFE-24 will host initiatives that allow life scientists to conduct transdisciplinary research with stakeholders. This could contribute to the development of theory since integrating academic and experiential knowledge from practitioners is crucial to achieving the transformation towards sustainability.

During MedLIFE-24, prominent speakers will be invited to give Plenaries. Moreover, we are planning a rich Conference Program, including regular and Special Sessions, a Social Program, and an Excursion to Cappadocia, where participants can take a little time out to explore the wonders of Turkey and discover new experiences and sensations.

As with the previous MedGU Annual Meetings (see SpringerLink), the research findings presented at MedLIFE-24 will be published in the conference proceedings by Springer in the IEREK Interdisciplinary Series for Sustainable Development ASTI Book Series (indexed in Scopus/SCImago) and in Special Issues; this is in order to encourage greater scientific cooperation and to open doors to new and enriching collaborations between life scientists on opposite shores of the Mediterranean and from all over the world.

MedLIFE-24 is looking forward to welcoming you to Istanbul. Your participation, in person or virtually, will support MedLIFE’s mission of ensuring a sustainable future for humanity in the region and the planet.

Join us for a memorable experience!

The MedLIFE-24 Steering & Organizing Committees

Animals (ISSN: 2076-2615), in collaboration with Universidad Zaragoza, Spain, is hosting an author training session to offer valuable insights into the world of open access publishing. This session will provide authors with a comprehensive understanding of MDPI's publishing process, current Special Issues, and opportunities tailored for different author groups. Esteemed academic editors will guide the session, ensuring participants gain the knowledge needed to maximize their publishing potential.

Date: 2 July 2024
Time: 12:00–13:30
Venue: Zoom
Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6317193046127/WN_WX_dc9XgS7eEywwiOhFGfQ

Schedule:

 MDPI speakers:

We are pleased to inform you that Animals (ISSN: 2076-2615) has received a heightened CiteScore of 4.9.

CiteScore provides transparent metrics that enable well-informed publishing strategy, library collection development, and the benchmarking of journal performance. It is now a standard citation metric alongside SNIP and SJR that gives an up-to-date view of a journal’s impact.

The 2023 CiteScore provides an assessment of the scientific influence of journals in the 2020 to 2023 period.

This is a reflection of the excellent performance, support, and dedication of all journal editors, reviewers, authors, and readers.

Animals’ CiteScore ranks as follows:

• Q1 (14 out of 194) in the “General Veterinary” category;
• Q1 (64 out of 490) in the “Animal Science and Zoology” category.

For more journal statistics, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/Animals/stats.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the journal.

Animals Editorial Office

It is our great pleasure to announce that MDPI will be attending the joint Congress for the Australian Association of Animal Science (AAAS) and the Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production (AAAP). Focusing on recent and future developments in animal science, this congress combines the 35th biennial AAAS conference and the 20th AAAP Congress into one meeting. This event will take place from 9 to 12 July 2024, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

This congress aims to bring together the brightest minds in animal science from the Asia and Australasia regions to discuss recent developments and research findings in the field. The theme of the congress is “Embracing Disruption as an Opportunity for Animal Science”. Topics of discussion will include animal genetics, breeding, nutrition, health, behavior, and welfare across a wide variety of species. We encourage participants to submit abstracts for oral or poster presentations that highlight their original research, innovative technologies, and best practices.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Animals;
• Veterinary Sciences;
• Applied Biosciences;
• Dairy;
• CIMB;
• Ruminants;
• JZBG;
• Agriculture;
• Pets.

If you are considering attending this conference, we encourage you to visit our booth #5 and speak to our representatives. We are eager to meet you in person and assist you with any queries you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit the official website at https://www.aaap2024.com/.

MDPI is pleased to announce the inclusion of 237 journals in the 2024 release of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) and share the key results (see above).

This year, journals covered in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) received category ranks together with journals in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). Overall, 139 MDPI journals indexed in ESCI are included in the new unified rankings for the first time.

Enhanced Comparability of Data

According to Clarivate, "the creation of unified category rankings [provides] a simpler and more complete category view for the evaluation of journal performance. [...] The category-first approach simplifies journal performance assessment with a holistic view of all journals in each subject category."

We are thrilled to announce that 72% of our ranked MDPI journals (171 of 237) are above average, in Q1 or Q2. Twenty-nine of our journals received their first Impact Factor this year, accounting for more than 5% of the journals accepted into the Web of Science last year.

MDPI Journals Ranked in JCR

The following data includes all MDPI journals indexed in SCIE, SSCI, ESCI and AHCI.

Source: 2023 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports ^TM (Clarivate, 2024)

About MDPI

A pioneer in scholarly, open access publishing, MDPI has supported academic communities since 1996. MDPI is leading the transition to open science by making more research free and accessible to everyone. Over 3.5 million researchers have entrusted MDPI with publishing their scientific discoveries. MDPI’s editorial process is bolstered by a network of dedicated reviewers, a team of 6000 professional, well-trained staff members, and an in-house article submission platform that was designed to ensure efficient processes within its 440 fully open access titles.