Announcements

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Prof. Dr. Giulio Cerullo as the new Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417).

Name: Prof. Dr. Giulio Cerullo
Affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: lasers; optical instruments; nonlinear optics; ultrafast optics; time-resolved spectroscopy

Prof. Dr. Giulio Cerullo is a Full Professor at the Physics Department, Politecnico di Milano, where he leads the Ultrafast Optical Spectroscopy laboratory. His research activity focuses on the generation of tunable few-optical-cycle light pulses and on their application to the study of primary photoinduced processes in molecules, nanostructures, and two-dimensional materials. He has published more than 550 papers which have received over 30000 citations (h-index 89 according to Scopus). He is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America and the European Physical Society, a member of the Accademia dei Lincei and past Chair of the Quantum Electronics and Optics Division of the European Physical Society. He was General Chair of the conferences CLEO/Europe 2017, Ultrafast Phenomena 2018 and the International Conference on Raman Spectroscopy 2022. He was the 2023 recipient of the EPS-QEOD Quantum Electronics Prize. He sits on the editorial boards of the journals Science Advances, Laser & Photonics Reviews, Journal of Physical Chemistry and Scientific Reports. He has received an ERC Advanced Grant and has participated in many European projects, including the supervision of seven Marie Curie Individual Fellowships. He is the co-founder of two spin-off companies (Cambridge Raman Imaging and NIREOS).

We are confident that his vision and leadership will steer Applied Sciences towards new heights of success.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Giulio Cerullo, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views of the research area and open access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take the role as its Editor-in-Chief?
Applied Sciences is one of the largest open access journals, covering a wide range of topics, from physical and chemical sciences to biology, engineering and environmental sciences. In terms of scope, impact, and number of published papers per year, it compares to other leading open access journals such as Scientific Reports and PLOS ONE. I see, therefore, the role of Editor-in-Chief as a challenge but also a unique opportunity to make an impact on the scientific community of which I am part.

2. What is your vision for the journal?
I aim to promote the visibility and the impact of the journal by attracting the best researchers to publish their results in Applied Sciences. The visibility of the journal can be promoted, for example, by influential invited review or perspective papers or by Special Issues dedicated to emerging topics and coordinated by leading scientists. At the same time, it is important to maintain, and even increase, the rigor of the peer-review process, which is the foundation on the reputation of the journal. As an author and Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I could appreciate the rigorous and efficient peer-review procedure, which ensures high scientific quality and credibility of the published articles. Nowadays, however, new challenges to scientific integrity arise, such as for example the use of artificial intelligence for writing papers, for which adequate countermeasures need to be developed.

3.What does the future of this field of research look like?
Applied Sciences covers an extremely broad and interdisciplinary field of research, which concerns all the applied aspects of natural sciences, from biology to physics, chemistry, and engineering. Nowadays the impact of science on society is becoming greater than ever, and therefore the translation of fundamental scientific discoveries into technological and industrial applications is of key importance. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations in 2015, identified 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), whose accomplishment will ensure peace and prosperity for the people and the planet, for the present and the future. Scientific research such as the one published in Applied Sciences will play a key role in the achievement of the SDGs.

4. What do you think of the development of open access in the publishing field?
Open access is very important as it enables all researchers, especially those from emerging countries who may have limited financial resources, to access all the novel generated scientific knowledge. Many funding agencies, including the European Union, mandate open access for all the publications which stem from their funded projects. For the authors, open access is also advantageous, as it increases the penetration of their research and consequently its impact.

The articles below have been selected as 2023 Issue Cover Articles by the Editorial Office of Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417). These articles came from multiple fields within the scope of Applied Sciences, and we hope that they can provide insights and references for scholars in related fields.

MDPI will be attending the 28th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences—Micro-Total Analysis Systems (µTAS 2024) held in Montréal, Canada, from 13 to 17 October 2024.

The µTAS International Conference series is the premier forum for reporting research results in microfluidics, lab-on-a-chip, organ-on-a-chip, wearables, BioMEMS, microfabrication, 3D printing, nanotechnology, integration, materials and surfaces, analysis and synthesis, and detection technologies for chemistry, life sciences, and biomedicine. µTAS 2024 will feature plenary and keynote talks from world luminaries and will offer an opportunity for students and scientists to deliver oral and poster presentations selected from submitted abstracts to a global audience of experts in their area. µTAS 2024 will also include networking and social session for students, minorities, young faculty, and an array of industry exhibitions and presentations, as well as a wonderful cultural experience in Montréal.

During this conference, MDPI will welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest views and research with us.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Micromachines;
• Applied Sciences;
• Bioengineering;
• Fibers;
• Molecules;
• JLPEA;
• Technologies;
• Chemosensors;
• Biosensors.

If you plan on attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth at #50. 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://microtas2024.org/.

MDPI will be attending the 2024 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO), which will be held from 5 to 10 May 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

With a distinguished history as the industry's leading event on laser science, the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) is the premier international forum for scientific and technical optics, uniting the fields of lasers and opto-electronics by bringing together all aspects of laser technology, from basic research to industry applications.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Photonics;
• Micromachines;
• Technologies;
• Optics;
• Chips;
• Sensors;
• Applied Sciences;
• Quantum Reports;
• QuBS;
• Spectroscopy;
• Metrology;
• Magnetism;
• Journal of Imaging;
• Physics;
• Instruments.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth #817. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

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:

Program:

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

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

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

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: