Announcements

Dr. Kai Da Xu obtained a Ph.D. degree at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), and he worked at several well-known universities overseas for nearly six years, including Duke University, the City University of Hong Kong, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Tohoku University, and Yokohama National University. He received two fellowships from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), and in 2020, he joined Xi’an Jiaotong University, China.

The following is a short interview with Dr. Kai Da Xu:

1. Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little bit about your fields of interest?
   I have published 180 articles in peer-reviewed journals and over 50 papers in Conference Proceedings, where 13 papers were selected as ESI highly cited papers and 2 papers were selected as ESI hot papers. I was also included in the 2022 list of the most cited Chinese researchers announced by Elsevier. I was also included for 3 years in the list of the top 2% of the most cited scientists in the field of information, communication, and technology released by scientists from Stanford University. I am now serving as an Editorial Board Member for the journal Electronics (MDPI), and I have also been serving as an Associate Editor for IEEE Access, IET Microwaves, Antennas & Propagation, and Electronics Letters. I have organized several Special Issues in some international journals as a Guest Editor. My current research is focused on millimeter-wave and terahertz devices, such as filters and antennas.
2. Which research topics do you think are of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
   In the upcoming years, I plan to persist in my research with a specific focus on millimeter-wave and terahertz transmission lines and their applications in the design of components like filters and amplifiers for next-generation communication systems.

3. Have you had difficulties to overcome in your work? How did you approach those situations?
   I encountered some financial difficulties during my career, especially in the period between 2015 and 2019. After defending my Ph.D., it was difficult for me to get promoted, so I had to change several universities. The award and financial support received from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) were really helpful for me in my professional development. Additionally, in 2019, the birth of my daughter prompted me to maintain a balance between my professional and personal life.

4. What’s the secret to a happy scientific life?
   In my opinion, the key to a happy scientific life lies in a genuine passion for the research domain. Scientists should maintain their enthusiasm, even in the face of multiple unsuccessful funding applications over several years, recognizing that funding may be insufficient for that particular research field.

5. What qualities do you think young scientists need?
   A young researcher should exhibit motivation and a genuine interest in the project for which they are applying.

6. What is your opinion of the open access model of publishing?
   I have experience contributing to both open access and subscription journals. The open access model facilitates the widespread dissemination of knowledge by eliminating financial barriers, ensuring research outcomes are accessible to the public. Papers published in open access journals tend to garner greater readership and citations compared to the traditional subscription model. However, covering article processing fees can pose a challenge for authors with insufficient funding. When selecting a journal for publication, it is also important to consider the Impact Factor of the journal.

7. As the winner of this award, is there something you would like to express to our readers?
   I am very honored to be the winner of the Young Investigator Award, as it was my first application for such recognition. This award has important significance in bolstering my prospects for pursuing upcoming projects. Be more confident; perhaps the winner of this award will be you next year.

We wish Dr. Kai Da Xu every success in his current work, and we look forward to his future contributions to the journal.

Recently, Clarivate^TM revealed its 2023 list of Highly Cited Researchers^TM—individuals at universities, research institutes, and commercial organizations.

The scientists who were selected for this year’s list of Highly Cited Researchers published highly cited papers in the 11-year period from January 2012 to December 2022, with citation frequency in the top 1% of academic subjects and the same year of publication in the Web of Science^TM database. This year, 7,125 Highly Cited Researcher 2023 designations were issued to 6,849 individuals, representing just 1 in 1,000 researchers worldwide. 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. The list is truly global, spanning 67 countries or regions and spread across a diverse range of research sciences and social sciences.

According to our statistics, 8 members of the Editorial Board of Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) were selected for the list of Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate^TM in 2023. They are being recognized for their high-quality scientific research achievements and outstanding contributions to their professional fields. The Electronics Editorial Office sincerely congratulates all elected editorial members and hopes that they continue to have an academically productive relationship with the journal.

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Electronics 2022 Young Investigator Award is Prof. Dr. Kai-Da Xu from Xi’an Jiaotong University, China.

Dr. Kai-Da Xu received his Ph.D. degree in electromagnetic field and microwave technology from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu, China, in 2015. From 2015 to 2018, he was an assistant professor at Xiamen University, Xiamen, China. From 2016 to 2017, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. From 2018 to 2019, he was an Honorary Fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA. From 2019 to 2021, he was a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellow at Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. In 2020, he joined Xi’an Jiaotong University. From August to September 2023, he was a visiting professor at the Yokohama National University with financial support from the JSPS. He has authored and coauthored over 180 papers in peer-reviewed journals, and over 50 papers in conference proceedings. He was in the list of “2022 Most Cited Chinese Researchers” announced by Elsevier in March 2023. His current research interests include microwave/millimeter wave/THz devices and antenna arrays. This is an outstanding achievement in today’s competitive environment. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Kai-Da Xu for his outstanding achievements.

As the awardee, Dr. Kai-Da Xu will receive an honorarium of CHF 2000, an offer to publish a paper free of charge before 31 December 2024 in Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) after peer review, and an electronic certificate.

On behalf of the Assessment Committee Members—Dr. Giambattista Gruosso, Dr. Xiongfeng Ma and Prof. Dr. George A. Tsihrintzis—we congratulate the winner on his accomplishments. We would also like to thank all of the nominators from various fields of study for their participation as well as all of the Award Committee Members for their evaluation of the abundant excellent nominations.

Prof. Dr. Flavio Canavero
Editor-in-Chief of Electronics

The Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) “Quantum Electronics” Section publishes original and significant contributions to the theoretical and experimental implementations of quantum electronics. More specifically, the articles will consider superconducting circuits, semiconductor qubits, NV centers, and electron qubits in general. Connections to atomic, molecular, and optical physics, as well as to mechatronic systems (i.e., robots and drones) when combined with quantum science are also welcome. We will consider the relationship between quantum artificial intelligence, quantum machine learning, and electronic quantum systems. Reviews as well as Special Issues will also be published.

You have free and unlimited access to the full texts of all the open access articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021 and 2022 below:

1. “Automated Quantum Hardware Selection for Quantum Workflows”
by Benjamin Weder, Johanna Barzen, Frank Leymann and Marie Salm
Electronics 2021, 10(8), 984; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10080984
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/8/984

2. “Recent Advances in the Characterized Identification of Mono-to-Multi-Layer Graphene and Its Biomedical Applications: A Review”
by Nargish Parvin, Vineet Kumar, Sang Woo Joo, Sang-Shin Park and Tapas Kumar Mandal
Electronics 2022, 11(20), 3345; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11203345
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/20/3345

3. “Coreset Clustering on Small Quantum Computers”
by Teague Tomesh, Pranav Gokhale, Eric R. Anschuetz and Frederic T. Chong
Electronics 2021, 10(14), 1690; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10141690
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/14/1690

4. “Design of a 20 T Class REBCO Insert in a 15 T Low Temperature Superconducting Magnet”
by Liangjun Shao, Xintao Zhang, Yufan Yan, Haoyuan Wang, Huajun Liu and Timing Qu
Electronics 2021, 10(14), 1741; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10141741
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/14/1741

5. “Quantum Mechatronics”
by Lucas Lamata, Marco B. Quadrelli, Clarence W. de Silva, Prem Kumar, Gregory S. Kanter, Maziar Ghazinejad and Farbod Khoshnoud
Electronics 2021, 10(20), 2483; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10202483
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/20/2483

We wish to congratulate Mr. Jiahao Syu on winning the Electronics 2023 Travel Award Mr. Syu is a Ph.D. student at the National Taiwan University, Taiwan. His research is focused on artificial intelligence, including machine learning and data mining in the fields of energy, healthcare, and finance.

The following is an interview with Mr. Jiahao Syu:

1. Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little bit about your fields of interest?
I am currently involved in a project focused on the energy grid of a small factory. The basic concept is related to the power consumption of robots and the conversion of energy to assist with the power charging arrangement or the task arrangement and scheduling. I will consider submitting a new article to an MDPI journal with the latest findings from my Ph.D. research.

2. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
I consider that AI technologies are developing rapidly, and researchers should pay more attention to privacy and security issues. Relative technology like federated learning or school learning has potential for future research in the field of artificial intelligence.

3. Have you had difficulties to overcome in your work? How did you approach those situations?
I consider that the most difficult part of my work is related to data availability and data collection. The limitation in my research work results from concerns related to data privacy and data security at the factory level. Also, the data from websites are not always enough for complex research. Receiving funding is also a problem for my research work, especially because I am a Ph.D. student. Thus, I need to apply for many projects at the same time to support my studies.

4. What qualities do you think young scientists need?
I think that one of the main qualities that a young researcher should have is self-motivation. Junior scientists need to figure out their path and direction at the beginning of their journey. Sometimes they do not receive external guidance for future actions. It is also really important to keep a balance between one’s personal life and work. This is why I applied last year for a student exchange program in Norway. I enjoyed this experience because I could learn from the scientists there and travel at the same time.

5. What’s the secret to a happy scientific life?
In my opinion, the key to a happy scientific life is to have a positive mindset. It is really important to be open-minded to deal with different challenges during one’s research career, even when you have conflicts with other colleagues from the same project. Patience and passion are also important.

6. What is your opinion of the open access model of publishing?
I think that open access is a good opportunity to spread information using online resources when institutions are not willing to pay for subscriptions to access different scientific papers. It can offer more visibility for researchers, as their work is accessible to a wider audience.

7. As the winner of this award, is there anything you would like to express?
I was excited to receive this travel award and used the grant to travel to a conference in the USA. I appreciate MDPI for supporting young researchers in their endeavor to attend international conferences and I encourage other scientists to apply for future awards.

We wish Mr. Jiahao Syu every success in his current work, and we look forward to his future contributions to the journal.

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 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.

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!

The Section “Electronic Materials” of Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) reports on the science, technology, and applications of electronic materials that are used in electrical industries, electronics and microelectronics, and the substances used in the construction of integrated circuits, circuit boards, packaging materials, communication cables, optical fibers, displays, and various controlling and monitoring devices.

You have free and unlimited access to the full texts of all the open access articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021 and 2022 below:

1. “Strategies for Applications of Oxide-Based Thin Film Transistors”
by Lirong Zhang, Huaming Yu, Wenping Xiao, Chun Liu, Junrong Chen, Manlan Guo, Huayu Gao, Baiquan Liu and Weijing Wu
Electronics 2022, 11(6), 960; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11060960
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/6/960

2. “Calculation Methodologies of Complex Permeability for Various Magnetic Materials”
by Eun S. Lee and Byeong Guk Choi
Electronics 2021, 10(17), 2167; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10172167
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/17/2167

3. “Study of Thermal Stress Fluctuations at the Die-Attach Solder Interface Using the Finite Element Method”
by Luchun Yan, Jiawen Yao, Yu Dai, Shanshan Zhang, Wangmin Bai, Kewei Gao, Huisheng Yang and Yanbin Wang
Electronics 2022, 11(1), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11010062
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/1/62

4. “Microstructural and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Analyses on Argon Ion Implantations in Tantalum Thin Films for Microelectronic Substrates”
by Amir Hoshang Ramezani, Siamak Hoseinzadeh, Zhaleh Ebrahiminejad, Milad Sangashekan and Saim Memon
Electronics 2021, 10(23), 2941; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10232941
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/23/2941

5. “Broadband-Transmissive, Frequency-Selective Rasorber Design Using Characteristic Mode Analysis”
by Jie Xiong, Baoping Yang, Yanjie Wu, Xiongwei Zeng, Qiuyu Li, Rongxin Tang and Hai Lin
Electronics 2022, 11(9), 1418; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11091418
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/9/1418

6. “Complex Permittivity Measurement of Low-Loss Anisotropic Dielectric Materials at Hundreds of Megahertz”
by Chuanlan Li, Changying Wu and Lifei Shen
Electronics 2022, 11(11), 1769; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11111769
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/11/1769

MDPI Manchester, in collaboration with the Manchester Metropolitan University, is organizing an author training session aiming to elucidate the scientific aspects of writing and publishing scholarly articles. The workshops will facilitate scholars in enhancing their comprehension of academic publications through exploration and cultivation. The training will be conducted by proficient academic editors from MDPI and will include the incorporation of use-case scenarios. The event will additionally demonstrate MDPI’s regional vision, featuring a round-table discussion with field-leading academics and editors, and a quiz with an opportunity to win prizes. 

Date: 17 November 2023
Time: 2:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Venue: BS 6 35, Business School, Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom 

Schedule:

 MDPI speakers:

The Optics & Photonics Taiwan International Conference (OPTIC) serves as the largest annual meeting on optics and photonics in Taiwan. It aims to bring together great minds from around the globe to share the latest advancements in optical materials, optical technology, and metaverse photonics. OPTIC 2023 will be held from 1 to 3 December 2023, at the National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan, Taiwan.

This year OPTIC 2023 comprises 10 parallel sessions covering a broad spectrum of optics and photonics:

• Nanophotonic Materials and Devices;
• Optical Waveguides and Communications;
• Quantum Electronics and Laser Technology;
• Optical Information Processing and Holography;
• Optical Design, Testing, and Engineering;
• Biophotonics and Biomedical Imaging;
• Display and Solid-State Lighting;
• Thin-Film and Photovoltaic Technology;
• Optical Sensing;
• Metaverse Photonics.

You can find more information about the conference at the following website: https://optic2023.conf.tw.

Prof. Dr. Enzo Pasquale Scilingo is a full professor of Electronic and Information Bioengineering at the University of Pisa, Italy. His main research interests are in wearable monitoring systems, human–computer interfaces, biomedical and biomechanical signal processing, modeling, control and instrumentation. He is the author of more than 150 papers in peer-reviewed journals, contributions to international conferences and chapters in international books.

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

1. How has your experience been as a Section Editor-in-Chief so far?
As Section Editor-in-Chief of the “Bioelectronics” Section, I've had the privilege of overseeing the publication of cutting-edge research in the field of bioelectronics. It's been a dynamic role that has allowed me to work closely with authors, reviewers, and our editorial team to ensure the quality and relevance of the articles we publish.

2. What made you choose to work with us knowing that we are an open access digital publisher?
Working with an open access digital publisher aligns with my commitment to advancing science and making research accessible to all. I appreciate the emphasis on transparency, accessibility, and the potential for broader impact.

3. We know that you are also working as the leading Guest Editor of many Special Issues. How do you feel about your experience as a Special Issue Editor?
It allows me to focus on specific themes or emerging areas within the field. What's particularly fulfilling is the opportunity to collaborate with experts in those areas, as well as with authors who are passionate about their research. It's a great platform for knowledge exchange and for driving innovation in specialized topics. I find it rewarding to bring together high-quality articles on a particular subject and contribute to the academic community's understanding of emerging trends and developments.

Prof. Dr. Elias Stathatos is a professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Deptartment at the University of Peloponnese, Greece and Head of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Laboratory (N&AML). His research interests are focused on third-generation solar cells and their characterization. In particular, Prof. Dr. Stathatos is interested in the conversion of solar energy to electricity using dye-sensitized, quantum dot and perovskite solar cells employing nanostructured materials.

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

1. How has your experience been as the Section Editor-in-Chief of “Optoelectronics” so far?
My experience as the Section Editor-in-Chief of “Optoelectronics” has been truly rewarding. I've had the opportunity to work with an exceptional team of experts in the field, and it's been a pleasure to help shape the content and direction of the journal.

2. We know that you are also working as the leading Guest Editor of a Special Issue. How do you feel about your experience as a Special Issue Editor?
Serving as a Special Issue Editor has been a unique experience. It allows me to focus on a specific area within optoelectronics and collaborate closely with authors who are experts in that domain. It's a fantastic way to bring together cutting-edge research and share it with our readers.

3. What made you choose to work with us knowing that we are an open access digital publisher?
Open access aligns with my belief in making research more accessible to a broader audience. It ensures that knowledge is not confined behind paywalls and can benefit researchers, students, and professionals worldwide. Joining an open-access publisher like “Optoelectronics” was a natural choice for me.

4. Do you have any new topics or new directions to which we should pay more attention?
Absolutely, I believe we should pay more attention to emerging areas such as quantum optoelectronics, integrated photonics, and sustainable materials and technologies in optoelectronics. These areas hold immense potential and can significantly impact various industries and applications.

Dr. Sergio Busquets-Monge is an academic researcher from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain. This author has contributed to research in the following topics: pulse-width modulation and converters.

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

1. How has your experience been as a Section Editor-in-Chief so far?
It's been an incredibly rewarding experience. I've had the opportunity to engage with some of the brightest minds in the field of electrical and autonomous vehicles. The role has allowed me to witness the rapid advancements and innovation in this sector up close, which has been truly inspiring.

2. What made you choose to work with us, knowing that we are an open access digital publisher?
Well, open access digital publishing aligns with the modern academic landscape. It enables broader access to research, accelerating the dissemination of knowledge. I believe in the democratization of information, and working with an open access publisher allows me to contribute to this mission. Additionally, it offers a platform to reach a global audience, ensuring our research reaches the widest possible readership.

3. We know that you are also working as the leading Guest Editor of many Special Issues. How do you feel about your experience as a Special Issue Editor?
Serving as a Guest Editor for Special Issues has been a highly enriching experience. It provides the opportunity to curate collections of articles that delve deep into specific topics of interest within our field. It's a chance to shape the direction of research and encourage collaboration among experts. I find the role both intellectually stimulating and a way to contribute to the field's growth.

4. Do you have any new topics or new directions to which we should pay more attention?
Given the dynamic nature of the field, it's important to stay attuned to emerging trends. Topics like electric and autonomous transportation in smart cities, sustainable energy solutions, and AI applications in autonomous vehicles are areas that warrant attention. Additionally, as technology advances, ethical and regulatory considerations in the field will become increasingly important to address.

MDPI will be attending the Asia Communications and Photonics Conference/International Photonics and OptoElectronics Meetings (ACP/POEM 2023) in Wuhan, China, from 4 to 7 November 2023.

Asia Communications and Photonics Conference (ACP), which began in 2001, is one of the largest conferences in the Asia–Pacific region on optical communication, photonics and relevant technologies. The International Photonics and OptoElectronics Meetings (POEM) is an annual international conference hosted by the Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (WNLO) of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), together with the Optics Valley Laboratory (OVL) in Hubei Province. ACP/POEM 2023 will be hosted by Huazhong University of Science and Technology. During this conference, MDPI will welcome researchers from different fields to visit and share their latest research.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Photonics;
• Fibers;
• Micromachines;
• Electronics;
• Sensors;
• JSAN;
• Optics.

The Electronics 2023 Best Paper Award has been granted to the following paper:

“Evaluating the Quality of Machine Learning Explanations: A Survey on Methods and Metrics”
by Jianlong Zhou, Amir H. Gandomi, Fang Chen and Andreas Holzinger
Electronics 2021, 10(5), 593; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10050593

The winners will receive CHF 500 and a chance to publish a paper free of charge after peer review in Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) in 2023.

 Dr. Jianlong Zhou is an Associate Professor at the School of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, Australia, leading the UTS Human-Centred AI research lab. His current work focuses on AI for social good, AI fairness, AI explainability, smart agriculture, visual analytics, behaviour analytics, human-computer interaction, and related applications.

The following is a short Q&A with Dr. Jianlong Zhou:

1. Could you please briefly introduce the main content of the winning paper?
The content of this paper is a literature review on the evaluation of the explanation quality in machine learning, and we carried out a deep literature review on different approaches to evaluate the quality of explanations, which include qualitative and quantitative research.

2. Could you describe the difficulties and breakthrough innovations in this research field?
The most difficult part of this article, in my opinion, is the design. In the beginning, there are many different approaches, and it's a mess. Somebody has treated this topic in this way. Somebody has treated this issue in a different way. And there are other people in different areas. For example, a social scientist, even a psychologist, will also have some discussions about this.

3. How was your experience submitting to Electronics?
My experience with Electronics is that it is very impressive, very good, and I can get feedback very quickly, which I like very much, and I plan to submit my work in the future.

4. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced?
We had to think about a very good idea for a framework to frame this literal view. How do we categorize this work or existing work, and how do we find interesting ideas or challenges in such a review. So, we finally divided the work into a qualitative and quantitative approach, and qualitative is also further divided into different areas to those in the quantitative approach. In each country, there are many explanations for machine learning itself. There are also many different categories, for example, local explanation and global explanation, for each explanation. Categories are also different methods. However, we don't know whether their explanation is a real explanation or not. This kind of work is very challenging, very difficult. And why? Because most of the time we don't have a ground truth, we don't have a ground truth for the explanation. So, it's very difficult work. They only state that they have developed a new explanatory method, but they do not evaluate the quality. They have evaluated some papers. They use some simulated data. They use very simple cases. For example, they just say that they know the ground truth of the explanation and just want to measure the weather. The explanations they generate are closer to the baseline data. For our literature review, we categorized these papers and divided them into qualitative and quantitative. We also found that the evaluation of explanations is more human-focused. We also reviewed a lot of work on human-centered assessment. The evaluation of the quality of machine-learning explanations belonged to two areas: the human-computer interaction domain and the machine-learning domain.

5. How do you think open access impacts authors?
I think that open access is challenging and helps to improve the impact of publications. Our work has to do with electronics, which fits within the scope of your journal, and when readers search for similar topics, they can easily download the full PDF of the article. This way, our work could be easily cited or read, increasing the impact of the work on the research community.

We want to congratulate Dr. Jianlong Zhou for winning the Electronics 2023 Best Paper Award.

MDPI will be attending the 7th Micro-Nano Optical Technology and Application Symposium in Hangzhou, China, which will take place from 17 to 19 November 2023. Micro-nano optics is one of the most active frontiers in the development of optical disciplines. It combines the cutting-edge results of photonics as well as nanotechnology and is an indispensable key science and technology in the 21st century. This conference aims to build a communication platform for scientific researchers and industrial application teams engaged in related research, as well as to promote the development of micro-nano optics and its application fields.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Electronics;
• Photonics;
• Coatings;
• Crystals;
• J. Imaging;
• Micro;
• Sensors.

If you are attending the conference, please visit 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 the following link: https://b2b.csoe.org.cn/meeting/MOTA2023.html.

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.

Conference: The 26th International Conference on Electrical Machines and Systems (ICEMS 2023)
Organization: China Electrotechnical Society (CES)
Date: 5–8 November 2023
Place: Zhuhai International Convention & Exhibition Center, 1663 Yinwan Road, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai, China
Booth: #A8

MDPI journals will be attending ICEMS 2023 as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in Zhuhai, China, from 5 to 8 November 2023.

ICEMS is an annual international conference on electrical machines and systems held since 1987, and it is jointly organized by the CES (China Electrotechnical Society), KIEE EMECS (KIEE Electrical Machinery and Energy Conversion Systems Society) and IEEJ IAS (IEEJ Industry Applications Society). It provides an extensive and exciting platform to gather the world's leading scientists, researchers and engineers in the field of electrical machines and systems together to showcase state-of-the-art ideas, methods and prototypes. We believe that this conference will benefit us by broadening our horizons, stimulating ideas and enhancing contacts with international colleagues.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Machines;
• Energies;
• World Electric Vehicle Journal;
• Electronics;
• The Journal of Low Power Electronics and Applications;
• Vehicles;
• Batteries;
• Technologies.

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, please visit the following website: https://www.icems2023.com/overview.html.

The “Artificial Intelligence Circuits and Systems (AICAS)” Section of Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) covers topics of interest within hardware-based deep learning AI and algorithmic deep learning AI using machine learning. It is dedicated to the publication of articles not only from the listed areas but also from similar or related areas. We encourage the submission of original contributions derived from theoretical and/or application-oriented research studies.

As they are of open access format, you have free and unlimited access to the full text of all the articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021 and 2022 below:

1. “FPGA Implementation for CNN-Based Optical Remote Sensing Object Detection”
by Ning Zhang, Xin Wei, He Chen and Wenchao Liu
Electronics 2021, 10(3), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10030282
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/3/282

2. “Accelerating Neural Network Inference on FPGA-Based Platforms—A Survey”
by Ran Wu, Xinmin Guo, Jian Du and Junbao Li
Electronics 2021, 10(9), 1025; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10091025
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/9/1025

3. “Recurrent Neural Network for Human Activity Recognition in Embedded Systems Using PPG and Accelerometer Data”
by Michele Alessandrini, Giorgio Biagetti, Paolo Crippa, Laura Falaschetti and Claudio Turchetti
Electronics 2021, 10(14), 1715; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10141715
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/14/1715

4. “Underwater Target Recognition Based on Improved YOLOv4 Neural Network”
by Lingyu Chen, Meicheng Zheng, Shunqiang Duan, Weilin Luo and Ligang Yao
Electronics 2021, 10(14), 1634; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10141634
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/14/1634

5. “Design and Implementation of Deep Learning Based Contactless Authentication System Using Hand Gestures”
by Aveen Dayal, Naveen Paluru, Linga Reddy Cenkeramaddi, Soumya J. and Phaneendra K. Yalavarthy
Electronics 2021, 10(2), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10020182
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/2/182

6. “Bringing Emotion Recognition Out of the Lab into Real Life: Recent Advances in Sensors and Machine Learning”
by Stanisław Saganowski
Electronics 2022, 11(3), 496; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11030496
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/3/496

7. “An Efficient FPGA-Based Convolutional Neural Network for Classification: Ad-MobileNet”
by Safa Bouguezzi, Hana Ben Fredj, Tarek Belabed, Carlos Valderrama, Hassene Faiedh and Chokri Souani
Electronics 2021, 10(18), 2272; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10182272
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/18/2272

8. “FPGA Accelerator for Gradient Boosting Decision Trees”
by Adrián Alcolea and Javier Resano
Electronics 2021, 10(3), 314; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10030314
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/3/314

9. “Relations between Electronics, Artificial Intelligence and Information Society through Information Society Rules”
by Matjaž Gams and Tine Kolenik
Electronics 2021, 10(4), 514; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10040514
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/4/514

10. “Ultra-Short Window Length and Feature Importance Analysis for Cognitive Load Detection from Wearable Sensors”
by Jaakko Tervonen, Kati Pettersson and Jani Mäntyjärvi
Electronics 2021, 10(5), 613; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10050613
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/5/613

The “Semiconductor Devices” Section in Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) publishes original and significant contributions to the theory and performance of semiconductor devices and related materials, including devices, fabrication processes, simulation, quantum devices, hybrid devices, flexible electronic devices, novel semiconductors, semiconductor material, and device physics. Reviews on these subjects are published, and Special Issues dealing with specific topics are also published.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

• Semiconductor device applications;
• Fabrication processing;
• Simulation (theory);
• Quantum devices;
• Hybrid electronic and semiconductor devices;
• Semiconductor devices for energy;
• Flexible devices;
• Semiconductor material and device physics;
• Novel semiconductor;
• 2D materials for devices;
• New technology for semiconductor devices;
• Semiconductor optoelectronic and photonic devices and processing.

If you are an active researcher in the field and are passionate about participating in cutting-edge research publications, please do not hesitate to contact us about joining the board and contributing to this Section.

For more information, please visit: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/electronics/sections/Semiconductors.

If you have any questions, please contact Section Managing Editor Ms. Hebbe Tian ([email protected]).

MDPI will be attending the 3rd International Forum & Exhibition on Precision Manufacturing (PreciMan 2023), which will be held from 9 to 11 November 2023 in Kunshan, China.

It is our great pleasure to invite you to participate in the 3rd International Forum & Exhibition on Precision Manufacturing (PreciMan2023), which will be held in the Kunshan Huaqiao International Expo Center from 9 to 11 November 2023. Kunshan is located right at the heart of the Yangzi River Delta Region (which includes the Shanghai Metropolitan Area, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang Provinces), which is the powerhouse for the modern Chinese economy. Kunshan has been ranked number one in the Chinese top 100 counties league over the last eighteen years in economy development, where there are thousands of engineering companies increasingly embracing precision engineering manufacturing and business.

The forum and exhibition will be a unique annual event aiming to bring engineering practitioners, researchers, industrialists, and academics together to discuss and interact with each other in the context of precision engineering manufacture and business.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Machines;
• JMMP;
• System;
• Electronics.

If you plan to attend this conference, please feel free to 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 and our booth, please visit the following link: http://www.preciman.com/.

The Section “Optoelectronics” of Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) addresses the following topics and considers mostly experimental work or theoretical/simulation work, either directly linked to or supporting the following fields:

• Nanoelectronic and photonic devices and their fabrication;
• Microsystems, microdevices (e.g., sensors and nanoenergy devices) and their fabrication.

You have free and unlimited access to the full texts of all the open access articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021 and 2022 below:

1. “A Review on Solution-Processed Organic Phototransistors and Their Recent Developments”
by Aybuke Tavasli, Betul Gurunlu, Dilara Gunturkun, Recep Isci and Sheida Faraji
Electronics 2022, 11(3), 316; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11030316
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/3/316

2. “Effects of Varying the Fin Width, Fin Height, Gate Dielectric Material, and Gate Length on the DC and RF Performance of a 14-nm SOI FinFET Structure”
by Nour El I. Boukortt, Trupti Ranjan Lenka, Salvatore Patanè and Giovanni Crupi
Electronics 2022, 11(1), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11010091
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/1/91

3. “Human Detection in Aerial Thermal Images Using Faster R-CNN and SSD Algorithms”
by K. R. Akshatha, A. Kotegar Karunakar, Satish B. Shenoy, Abhilash K. Pai, Nikhil Hunjanal Nagaraj and Sambhav Singh Rohatgi
Electronics 2022, 11(7), 1151; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11071151
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/7/1151

4. “Toward a Scalable Fabrication of Perovskite Solar Cells under Fully Ambient Air Atmosphere: From Spin-Coating to Inkjet-Printing of Perovskite Absorbent Layer”
by Aggeliki Karavioti, Dimitris A. Chalkias, Giannis Katsagounos, Argyroula Mourtzikou, Alexandros N. Kalarakis and Elias Stathatos
Electronics 2021, 10(16), 1904; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10161904
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/16/1904

5. “Fabrication of Large-Area Short-Wave Infrared Array Photodetectors under High Operating Temperature by High Quality PtS₂ Continuous Films”
by Yichen Zhang, Qingliang Feng, Rui Hao and Mingjin Zhang
Electronics 2022, 11(6), 838; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11060838
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/6/838

6. “Perylene Based Solution Processed Single Layer WOLED with Adjustable CCT and CRI”
by Volkan Bozkus, Erkan Aksoy and Canan Varlikli
Electronics 2021, 10(6), 725; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10060725
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/6/725

7. “Solar Energy Conversion and Storage Using a Photocatalytic Fuel Cell Combined with a Supercapacitor”
by Tatiana Santos Andrade, Vassilios Dracopoulos and Panagiotis Lianos
Electronics 2021, 10(3), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10030273
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/3/273

8. “Defect Detection for Metal Base of TO-Can Packaged Laser Diode Based on Improved YOLO Algorithm”
by Jiayi Liu, Xingfei Zhu, Xingyu Zhou, Shanhua Qian and Jinghu Yu
Electronics 2022, 11(10), 1561; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11101561
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/10/1561

9. “Spiking VGG7: Deep Convolutional Spiking Neural Network with Direct Training for Object Recognition”
by Shuiying Xiang, Shuqing Jiang, Xiaosong Liu, Tao Zhang and Licun Yu
Electronics 2022, 11(13), 2097; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11132097
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/13/2097

10. “Integrated Fiber-FSO WDM Access System with Fiber Fault Protection”
by Chien-Hung Yeh, Wen-Piao Lin, Syu-Yang Jiang, Shang-En Hsieh, Ching-Hsuan Hsu and Chi-Wai Chow
Electronics 2022, 11(13), 2101; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11132101
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/13/2101

11. “Global Maximum Power Point Tracking of Photovoltaic Module Arrays Based on Improved Cuckoo Search Algorithm”
by Kuei-Hsiang Chao, Long-Yi Chang and Kuan-Wen Wang
Electronics 2022, 11(8), 1247; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11081247
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/8/1247

12. “Routing and Spectrum Allocation in Spectrum-Sliced Elastic Optical Path Networks: A Primal-Dual Framework”
by Yang Wang, Chaoyang Li, Qian Hu, Jabree Flor and Maryam Jalalitabar
Electronics 2021, 10(22), 2809; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10222809
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/22/2809

13. “Hole Injection Role of p-Type Conjugated Polymer Nanolayers in Phosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Devices”
by Sooyong Lee, Hwajeong Kim and Youngkyoo Kim
Electronics 2021, 10(18), 2283; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10182283
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/18/2283

MDPI will be attending the 7th International Conference on Advanced Electromaterials (ICAE 2023) in Jeju, South Korea, which will take place from 31 October to 3 November 2023. ICAE 2023 will explore the latest progress in research on electromaterials serving as the basis for research and development in this discipline for many decades to come, such as ferroelectric and piezoelectric materials, green energy materials used for solar cells and fuel cells, functional materials for thin films devices, energy storage materials, or any new materials for display applications. The program will be a rewarding international platform for all participants and will contribute to the evolution of global science and technology.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Electronics;
• Energies;
• Materials;
• Electronic Materials;
• Micromachines.

If you are attending the conference, please visit 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 the following link: https://www.icae.kr/.

We cordially invite you to explore the annual selection of Special Issue Reprints from Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292). These reprints feature a compilation of impactful and influential articles published in our special issues throughout the year.

We welcome you to read the Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) annual selection of hot review papers. We have curated a collection of popular review articles published in 2021 and 2022. These articles have been carefully selected to provide an overview of the cutting-edge developments and trends in various subfields of electronics. Each review article offers a comprehensive analysis of the subject matter, highlighting significant breakthroughs, challenges, and future prospects. We invite you to delve into this collection of popular review articles and discover the exciting developments that have shaped the electronics landscape in recent years.

1. “CNN Variants for Computer Vision: History, Architecture, Application, Challenges and Future Scope”
by Dulari Bhatt, Chirag Patel, Hardik Talsania, Jigar Patel, Rasmika Vaghela, Sharnil Pandya, Kirit Modi and Hemant Ghayvat
Electronics 2021, 10(20), 2470; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10202470
Cited by 131 | Viewed by 11190

2. “Evaluating the Quality of Machine Learning Explanations: A Survey on Methods and Metrics”
by Jianlong Zhou, Amir H. Gandomi, Fang Chen and Andreas Holzinger
Electronics 2021, 10(5), 593; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10050593
Cited by 127 | Viewed by 16121

3. “Artificial Neural Networks Based Optimization Techniques: A Review”
by Maher G. M. Abdolrasol, S. M. Suhail Hussain, Taha Selim Ustun, Mahidur R. Sarker, Mahammad A. Hannan, Ramizi Mohamed, Jamal Abd Ali, Saad Mekhilef and Abdalrhman Milad
Electronics 2021, 10(21), 2689; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10212689
Cited by 92 | Viewed by 10998

4. “Artificial Intelligence-Based Decision-Making Algorithms, Internet of Things Sensing Networks, and Deep Learning-Assisted Smart Process Management in Cyber-Physical Production Systems”
by Mihai Andronie, George Lăzăroiu, Mariana Iatagan, Cristian Uță, Roxana Ștefănescu and Mădălina Cocoșatu
Electronics 2021, 10(20), 2497; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10202497
Cited by 85 | Viewed by 6176

5. “A Survey of Recommendation Systems: Recommendation Models, Techniques, and Application Fields”
by Hyeyoung Ko, Suyeon Lee, Yoonseo Park and Anna Choi
Electronics 2022, 11(1), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11010141
Cited by 78 | Viewed by 17562

6. “Machine Learning in Wireless Sensor Networks for Smart Cities: A Survey”
by Himanshu Sharma, Ahteshamul Haque and Frede Blaabjerg
Electronics 2021, 10(9), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10091012
Cited by 62 | Viewed by 9941

7. “Sentiment Analysis for Fake News Detection”
by Miguel A. Alonso, David Vilares, Carlos Gómez-Rodríguez and Jesús Vilares
Electronics 2021, 10(11), 1348; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10111348
Cited by 47 | Viewed by 12253

8. “Blockchain for IoT Applications: Taxonomy, Platforms, Recent Advances, Challenges and Future Research Directions”
by Abdelzahir Abdelmaboud, Abdelmuttlib Ibrahim Abdalla Ahmed, Mohammed Abaker, Taiseer Abdalla Elfadil Eisa, Hashim Albasheer, Sara Abdelwahab Ghorashi and Faten Khalid Karim
Electronics 2022, 11(4), 630; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11040630
Cited by 43 | Viewed by 10826

9. “Detecting Cybersecurity Attacks in Internet of Things Using Artificial Intelligence Methods: A Systematic Literature Review”
by Mujaheed Abdullahi, Yahia Baashar, Hitham Alhussian, Ayed Alwadain, Norshakirah Aziz, Luiz Fernando Capretz and Said Jadid Abdulkadir
Electronics 2022, 11(2), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11020198
Cited by 41 | Viewed by 14981

10. “Voltage Stability of Power Systems with Renewable-Energy Inverter-Based Generators: A Review”
by Nasser Hosseinzadeh, Asma Aziz, Apel Mahmud, Ameen Gargoom and Mahbub Rabbani
Electronics 2021, 10(2), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10020115
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 7833

11. “Recent Progress on 3D NAND Flash Technologies”
by Akira Goda
Electronics 2021, 10(24), 3156; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10243156
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 12349

12. “Stock Market Prediction Using Machine Learning Techniques: A Decade Survey on Methodologies, Recent Developments, and Future Directions”
by Nusrat Rouf, Majid Bashir Malik, Tasleem Arif, Sparsh Sharma, Saurabh Singh, Satyabrata Aich and Hee-Cheol Kim
Electronics 2021, 10(21), 2717; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10212717
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 18322

13. “Android Mobile Malware Detection Using Machine Learning: A Systematic Review”
by Janaka Senanayake, Harsha Kalutarage and Mhd Omar Al-Kadri
Electronics 2021, 10(13), 1606; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10131606
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 10822

14. “A Review on 5G Sub-6 GHz Base Station Antenna Design Challenges”
by Madiha Farasat, Dushmantha N. Thalakotuna, Zhonghao Hu and Yang Yang
Electronics 2021, 10(16), 2000; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10162000
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 9261

15. “Human-Computer Interaction in Customer Service: The Experience with AI Chatbots—A Systematic Literature Review”
by Luminița Nicolescu and Monica Teodora Tudorache
Electronics 2022, 11(10), 1579; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11101579
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 12064

In this captivating series, we had the privilege of interviewing the eminent Dr. Piero Cosseddu, Section Editor-in-Chief of the “Flexible Electronics” Section of Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292). Renowned for his groundbreaking contributions in the design, fabrication and characterization of organic semiconductor-based devices on flexible plastic substrates—such as organic field effect transistors, organic electrochemical transistors, nonvolatile memory elements and the development of innovative applications, from wearable electronics and artificial skin to sensing applications—Dr. Piero Cosseddu shares his invaluable insights and takes us on an exclusive journey into the inner workings of the journal. Through these interviews, our aim is to offer a unique perspective on the publishing process from the Editors themselves.

The following is a short Q&A with Dr. Piero Cosseddu, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views on the research area and open access publishing.

1. Can you share with us some information about your academic background?
I am an Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering of the University of Cagliari, Italy, where I currently teach analog electronics and wearable and flexible electronics. I hold a Ph.D. in electronic and computer science engineering, obtained in 2007, before continuing as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the DIEE from May 2007 to March 2010. I am also the author of more than 100 papers and book chapters of peer-reviewed international journals and conference proceedings.

2. What are your current interests?
My work primarily revolves around the field of organic electronics with particular attention toward the design, fabrication and characterization of organic semiconductor-based devices on flexible plastic substrates as organic field effect transistors (OFETs), organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) and nonvolatile memory elements. I have been particularly involved in the development of innovative sensing systems for different applications, including biochemical sensors, wearable electronics and artificial skin.

3. What made you choose to work with us knowing that we are an open access digital publisher?
In my view, I strongly believe that open access publishing has become increasingly popular in recent years as it allows for a wider distribution of academic research and promotes collaboration and innovation within the scientific community. Additionally, open access publishing aligns with the principles of accessibility and transparency, which are highly valued by many individuals and organizations.

4. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
I believe that in the coming years, the emergence of Industry 5.0 may affect the development and application of flexible electronics. Also, the creation of databases based on responses and opinions from customers and users could become a hot topic in artificial intelligence, which will involve flexible electronics. On the other hand, flexible electronics could play a bigger role in improving the quantity and quality of agricultural products through the monitoring of conditions where the products are produced. The field of flexible electronics is rapidly changing, so other possible hot topics could emerge in the future. The key is to identify targets and release more specific Special Issues, as well as to try to reach people with those interests and encourage them to submit to the journal through different means, such as advertising or asking them to become Editorial Board Members or Topic Advisors.

We wish Dr. Piero Cosseddu every success in his current position as Section Editor-in-Chief, and we look forward to his future contributions to the journal.

Welcome to the 2021 annual selection of articles, where we showcase some of the most notable and impactful research published in Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) over the past year. This collection represents a diverse range of topics and disciplines, highlighting the breadth and depth of scholarship within our academic community.

	“A Dynamic Conflict Analysis Method for EW Effectiveness Evaluation Based on Conditional State Space” by Jianhua Lu, Yanli Tang and Bin Tang Electronics 2021, 10(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10010024 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/1/24
	“A Horn Antenna Covered with a 3D-Printed Metasurface for Gain Enhancement” by Sujan Shrestha, Affan A. Baba, Syed Muzahir Abbas, Mohsen Asadnia and Raheel M. Hashmi Electronics 2021, 10(2), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10020119 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/2/119
	“Solar Energy Conversion and Storage Using a Photocatalytic Fuel Cell Combined with a Supercapacitor” by Tatiana Santos Andrade, Vassilios Dracopoulos and Panagiotis Lianos Electronics 2021, 10(3), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10030273 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/3/273
	“An Automated Method for Biometric Handwritten Signature Authentication Employing Neural Networks “ by Mariusz Kurowski, Andrzej Sroczyński, Georgis Bogdanis and Andrzej Czyżewski Electronics 2021, 10(4), 456; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10040456 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/4/456
	“Assessments of Real-Time Communications over TSN Automotive Networks” by Lucia Lo Bello, Gaetano Patti and Giancarlo Vasta Electronics 2021, 10(5), 556; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10050556 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/5/556
	“Simultaneous Voltage and Current Measurement Instrumentation Amplifier for ECG and PPG Monitoring” by Jongpal Kim Electronics 2021, 10(6), 679; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10060679 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/6/679
	“A Review of Data-Driven Decision-Making Methods for Industry 4.0 Maintenance Applications” by Alexandros Bousdekis, Katerina Lepenioti, Dimitris Apostolou and Gregoris Mentzas Electronics 2021, 10(7), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10070828 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/7/828
	“Open Source Languages and Methods for Cyber-Physical System Development: Overview and Case Studies” by Lena Buffoni, Lennart Ochel, Adrian Pop, Peter Fritzson, Niklas Fors, Görel Hedin, Walid Taha and Martin Sjölund Electronics 2021, 10(8), 902; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10080902 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/8/902
	“Agent-Based Coordinated Control of Power Electronic Converters in a Microgrid” by Maryam Nasri, Herbert L. Ginn III and Mehrdad Moallem Electronics 2021, 10(9), 1031; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10091031 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/9/1031
	“User State Classification Based on Functional Brain Connectivity Using a Convolutional Neural Network” by Seung-Min Park, Hong-Gi Yeom and Kwee-Bo Sim Electronics 2021, 10(10), 1158; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10101158 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/10/1158
	“A Real Application of an Autonomous Industrial Mobile Manipulator within Industrial Context” by Jose Luis Outón, Ibon Merino, Iván Villaverde, Aitor Ibarguren, Héctor Herrero, Paul Daelman and Basilio Sierra Electronics 2021, 10(11), 1276; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10111276 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/11/1276
	“Dual-Polarized Dual-Loop Double-Slot Antipodal Tapered Slot Antenna for Ultra-Wideband Radar Applications” by Guangyao Yang, Shengbo Ye, Feng Zhang, Yicai Ji, Xiaojuan Zhang and Guangyou Fang Electronics 2021, 10(12), 1377; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10121377 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/12/1377
	“Machine-Learning-Enabled Intrusion Detection System for Cellular Connected UAV Networks” by Rakesh Shrestha, Atefeh Omidkar, Sajjad Ahmadi Roudi, Robert Abbas and Shiho Kim Electronics 2021, 10(13), 1549; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10131549 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/13/1549
	“Analyzing Visual Attention of People with Intellectual Disabilities during Virtual Reality-Based Job Training” by Sungjin Hong, Heesook Shin, Younhee Gil and Junghee Jo Electronics 2021, 10(14), 1652; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10141652 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/14/1652
	“Project ARES: Driverless Transportation System. Challenges and Approaches in an Unstructured Road” by Pablo Marin-Plaza, David Yagüe, Francisco Royo, Miguel Ángel de Miguel, Francisco Miguel Moreno, Alejandro Ruiz-de-la-Cuadra, Fernando Viadero-Monasterio, Javier Garcia, José Luis San Roman and José María Armingol Electronics 2021, 10(15), 1753; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10151753 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/15/1753
	“FedResilience: A Federated Learning Application to Improve Resilience of Resource-Constrained Critical Infrastructures” by Ahmed Imteaj, Irfan Khan, Javad Khazaei and Mohammad Hadi Amini Electronics 2021, 10(16), 1917; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10161917 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/16/1917
	“Development of a Real-Time Magnetic Field Measurement System for Synchrotron Control” by Joseph Vella Wallbank, Maria Amodeo, Anthony Beaumont, Marco Buzio, Vincenzo Di Capua, Christian Grech, Nicholas Sammut and David Giloteaux Electronics 2021, 10(17), 2140; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10172140 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/17/2140
	“A 0.2-Terahertz Ceramic Relic Detection System Based on Iterative Threshold Filtering Imaging and Neural Network” by Yiqing Mao, Tianxiang Wu, Yong Chen and Shunli Ma Electronics 2021, 10(18), 2213; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10182213 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/18/2213
	“Empowering Commercial Vehicles through Data-Driven Methodologies” by Paolo Bethaz, Sara Cavaglion, Sofia Cricelli, Elena Liore, Emanuele Manfredi, Stefano Salio, Andrea Regalia, Fabrizio Conicella, Salvatore Greco and Tania Cerquitelli Electronics 2021, 10(19), 2381; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10192381 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/19/2381
	“Next-Generation Blockchain-Enabled Virtualized Cloud Security Solutions: Review and Open Challenges” by Mueen Uddin, Anjum Khalique, Awais Khan Jumani, Syed Sajid Ullah and Saddam Hussain Electronics 2021, 10(20), 2493; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10202493 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/20/2493
	“The Role of Front-End AC/DC Converters in Hybrid AC/DC Smart Homes: Analysis and Experimental Validation” by Vitor Monteiro, Luis F. C. Monteiro, Francesco Lo Franco, Riccardo Mandrioli, Mattia Ricco, Gabriele Grandi and João L. Afonso Electronics 2021, 10(21), 2601; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10212601 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/21/2601
	“An Improved Deep Convolutional Neural Network-Based Autonomous Road Inspection Scheme Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” by Syed-Ali Hassan, Tariq Rahim and Soo-Young Shin Electronics 2021, 10(22), 2764; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10222764 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/22/2764
	“Prospects of Wireless Energy-Aware Sensors for Smart Factories in the Industry 4.0 Era” by Olfa Kanoun, Sabrine Khriji, Slim Naifar, Sonia Bradai, Ghada Bouattour, Ayda Bouhamed, Dhouha El Houssaini and Christian Viehweger Electronics 2021, 10(23), 2929; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10232929 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/23/2929
	“A Traffic-Aware Federated Imitation Learning Framework for Motion Control at Unsignalized Intersections with Internet of Vehicles” by Tianhao Wu, Mingzhi Jiang, Yinhui Han, Zheng Yuan, Xinhang Li and Lin Zhang Electronics 2021, 10(24), 3050; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10243050 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/24/3050

The Section “Semiconductor Devices” of Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) publishes original and significant contributions to the theory and performance of semiconductor devices and related materials, including devices, fabrication process, simulation, quantum devices, hybrid devices, flexible electronic devices, novel semiconductors, semiconductor material, and device physics. Reviews on these subjects are published and Special Issues dealing with specific topics are also published.

As they are of open access format, you have free and unlimited access to the full text of all the articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021 below:

1. “Recent Progress on 3D NAND Flash Technologies”
by Akira Goda
Electronics 2021, 10(24), 3156; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10243156
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/24/3156

2. “Study of Quantized Hardware Deep Neural Networks Based on Resistive Switching Devices, Conventional versus Convolutional Approaches”
by Rocío Romero-Zaliz, Eduardo Pérez, Francisco Jiménez-Molinos, Christian Wenger and Juan B. Roldán
Electronics 2021, 10(3), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10030346
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/3/346

3. “In-Memory Computing with Resistive Memory Circuits: Status and Outlook”
by Giacomo Pedretti and Daniele Ielmini
Electronics 2021, 10(9), 1063; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10091063
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/9/1063

4.“Measurements and Computations of Internal Temperatures of the IGBT and the Diode Situated in the Common Case”
by Paweł Górecki and Krzysztof Górecki
Electronics 2021, 10(2), 210; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10020210
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/2/210

5.“Analysis of Electrothermal Effects in Devices and Arrays in InGaP/GaAs HBT Technology”
by Vincenzo d’Alessandro, Antonio Pio Catalano, Ciro Scognamillo, Lorenzo Codecasa and Peter J. Zampardi
Electronics 2021, 10(6), 757; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10060757
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/6/757

We are pleased to announce the winner of the Electronics 2022 Best Ph.D. Thesis Award. This award is for a Ph.D. student or recently qualified researcher who has produced a highly anticipated thesis with impressive academic potential.

The award has been granted to “An Innovative Data-Driven Reliability Life Cycle for Complex Systems” by Dr. Gabriele Patrizi, Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.

The winner will receive CHF 800, a certificate, and a chance to publish a paper free of charge after peer review in Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) in 2023.

We congratulate Dr. Gabriele Patrizi on his accomplishments. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the applicants for submitting their exceptional theses and the Award Committee for voting for and supporting this award.

Dr. Gabriele Patrizi is currently a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow of instrumentation and measurement and an Adjunct Lecturer of electric measurements at the University of Florence. His research interests include life cycle reliability, condition monitoring for the fault diagnosis of electronics, data-driven prognostic and health management, and instrumentation and measurement for reliability analyses.

The following is a short interview with Dr. Gabriele Patrizi:

Could you please give us a brief overview of your research topic and the main objectives of your Ph.D. thesis?
I graduated from a master’s course in electronics engineering, and then I started my Ph.D. in electronics and industrial engineering. The actual name of the course is industrial and reliability engineering. But, of course, I tried to bring my background in electrical and electronics engineering with me. My research topics may mainly relate to electric and electronic measurements and reliability engineering, and my thesis tried to merge these two aspects, trying to include data analysis and a measurement technique to improve the reliability analysis of different kinds of systems for hardware electronics tools. At this time, I tried to first study and search for different alternatives to improve the standard reliability analysis method. After some proposed optimization, I tried to implement this technique in different application areas.

What motivated you to pursue this research topic, and how did you come up with your research questions?
I think the first motivation came from the acknowledgements gathered during my master’s thesis. I went to Spain for a four-month research project on reliability and maintenance, and during that period, I worked on a wind turbine with a professor at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden, and it was also at that time that the knowledge of a researcher at the Spanish Research Institute together with my professor's knowledge in Florence really directed my attention to the topic of reliability and maintainability of complex systems because, most of the time, we do not think about how important they are for lots of devices to be as reliable as possible. So, I think that, during that time, the general topic really caught my attention and basically just after my master’s graduation, my supervisors in Florence said that there could be the possibility of having a Ph.D. fellowship here in Florence. So, I submitted the application, and it went well. When I came to this laboratory, which is a two-topic laboratory on reliability and measurements, we decided: OK, let's try to come up with something that could merge these two aspects so that electric and electronic measurements could actually improve the reliability of all systems.

How did you manage your time and prioritize your tasks during your Ph.D. program, and what strategies did you use to stay focused and motivated?
I was still young, and it was obviously difficult to try and study all these aspects, go to work, and at the same time, try to move on with my personal life, and I think that the most important thing that allowed me to reach these results, and at the same time, to live let's say, a happy life was that I actually enjoyed what I was studying, I liked my research topic, and I liked what I was doing. So, I think this is the secret to achieving it, to manage your time properly during a Ph.D., even if sometimes the task seems enormous with respect to your resources. But if you enjoy it and you like what you are doing, you can find the motivation.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during your Ph.D. journey, and how did you overcome them?
I have to say that one big challenge was COVID-19 because I started my Ph.D. in November 2018, so I basically had one full year, one full year and a half in a normal situation, and then COVID-19 caused the university to close in Florence for at least four months completely. I mean, there was a possibility to go to the lab, but only for a very specific reason. This was motivated by supervisors, and not only supervisors, but also by the department. So, it was not easy to come to the lab and do the actual practical research. I have to say that I was also a bit lucky because some parts of my work were modeling and simulation, so I found a way to do them, at least partially, at home. But yes, that was one of the biggest challenges, and it was also one of the biggest regrets because it was not possible to go to conferences and workshops and meetings that usually, during a Ph.D., could bring you news, new ideas and new connections to improve your research and activities. So, I think the biggest challenge was probably that.

When and how did you access Electronics? What prompted you to apply for this award, and would you like to share your experience with the journal Electronics?
I discovered the MDPI award basically at the beginning of my Ph.D., trying to do some research on something others have done in my field, and then after, let's say one year, one year and a half, my supervisor received an invitation for a special session on Electronics about “Reliability and Maintainability of Industrial System and Electronic System”. We decided to reply to this invitation, and we sent a little bit of our work. It wasn't basically what was in my Ph.D. dissertation, it was like a little bit of extra work and work from others and from another Ph.D. student at the time. We had a good experience. We published the paper after a couple of review rounds, but everything was very fast and of a good quality, I believe, including the quality of the reviewers, and so on. When I was looking for the publication of the article, I looked a little bit more at the journal’s website because I have to say that I knew the MDPI website, and I knew that there are a lot of journals. I even already cited some papers published on electronics, but before publishing this paper, I had never actually looked into this. So, after the publication of the article, I looked into the website, and I saw that there was this annual reward for a Ph.D. dissertation, and I said: OK, let's make a note about this prize. Who knows? And then after one year, one year and a half when the thesis was finished, I looked into that and said: OK, let's try it. The research went well, so let's also try for the award. I think it was a good decision.

Finally, how do you plan to continue building on your research in the future, and what are your long-term career aspirations?
That's a very difficult question. After my Ph.D., I started a Post Doc-Fellowship here at the University of Florence, and so, basically, it's now one and a half years later that I'm doing the Post-Doc here and I like it. I also have done some teaching here at the Department of Information Engineering of the University of Florence on electrical measurements and electronic measurements, and the aspiration, I think, is to hopefully remain here doing research and teaching activities in Florence and try to explore a little bit more about the integration between these two worlds. I am starting something right now about integrating artificial intelligence to merge these two aspects of reliability and data analysis and electronic measurements. So, probably, I think in the future, I need to integrate artificial intelligence with my research to find a better way for reliability analysis in different fields.

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.

The “Bioelectronics” Section of Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) is dedicated to publishing high-quality articles that describe the most significant and cutting-edge research in all areas of bioelectronics sciences.

You have free and unlimited access to the full texts of all the open access articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2022 below:

1. “Depth Estimation Method for Monocular Camera Defocus Images in Microscopic Scenes”
by Yuxi Ban, Mingzhe Liu, Peng Wu, Bo Yang, Shan Liu, Lirong Yin and Wenfeng Zheng
Electronics 2022, 11(13), 2012; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11132012
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/13/2012

2. “Improved Image Fusion Method Based on Sparse Decomposition”
by Xiaomei Qin, Yuxi Ban, Peng Wu, Bo Yang, Shan Liu, Lirong Yin, Mingzhe Liu and Wenfeng Zheng
Electronics 2022, 11(15), 2321; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11152321
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/15/2321

3. “Wearable Circular Polarized Antennas for Health Care, 5G, Energy Harvesting, and IoT Systems”
by Albert Sabban
Electronics 2022, 11(3), 427; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11030427
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/3/427

4. “A Flexible Lightweight Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Protector and Scoring System in Taekwondo Competition Monitoring”
by Fengxin Sun, Yongsheng Zhu, Changjun Jia, Bowen Ouyang, Tianming Zhao, Caixia Li, Ning Ba, Xinxing Li, Song Chen, Tongtong Che and Yupeng Mao
Electronics 2022, 11(9), 1306; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11091306
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/9/1306

5. “A Review of Deep Learning Methods for Compressed Sensing Image Reconstruction and Its Medical Applications”
by Yutong Xie and Quanzheng Li
Electronics 2022, 11(4), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11040586
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/4/586

6. “Methods for Continuous Blood Pressure Estimation Using Temporal Convolutional Neural Networks and Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition”
by Kai Zhou, Zhixiang Yin ,Yu Peng and Zhiliang Zeng
Electronics 2022, 11(9), 1378; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11091378
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/9/1378

7. “Improving Cuff-Less Continuous Blood Pressure Estimation with Linear Regression Analysis”
by Valeria Figini, Sofia Galici, Daniele Russo, Ilenia Centonze, Monica Visintin and Guido Pagana
Electronics 2022, 11(9), 1442; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11091442
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/9/1442

8. “How to Assess the Measurement Performance of Mobile/Wearable Point-of-Care Testing Devices? A Systematic Review Addressing Sweat Analysis”
by Sarah Tonello, Giulia Abate, Michela Borghetti, Nicola Francesco Lopomo, Mauro Serpelloni and Emilio Sardini
Electronics 2022, 11(5), 761; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11050761
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/5/761

9. “A 1.8 V Low-Power Low-Noise High Tunable Gain TIA for CMOS Integrated Optoelectronic Biomedical Applications”
by Guido Di Patrizio Stanchieri, Andrea De Marcellis, Graziano Battisti, Marco Faccio, Elia Palange and Ulkuhan Guler
Electronics 2022, 11(8), 1271; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11081271
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/8/1271

10. “Active Mask-Box Scoring R-CNN for Sonar Image Instance Segmentation”
by Fangjin Xu, Jianxing Huang, Jie Wu and Longyu Jiang
Electronics 2022, 11(13), 2048; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11132048
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/13/2048

In this captivating series, we had the privilege of interviewing the eminent Prof. Dr. Alessandro Gabrielli, Section Editor-in-Chief of the “Microelectronics” Section of Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292). Renowned for his groundbreaking contributions in applied electronics for high-energy physics experiments, microelectronics, single-event effects (SEE), digital electronics, firmware design and general physics, Prof. Dr. Gabrielli shares his invaluable insights into the inner workings of the journal. The aim of these interviews is to offer a unique perspective on the publishing process, straight from the Section Editor-in-Chief himself.

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

1. Can you share some information about your academic background?
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Bologna, Italy. I hold a Ph.D. in physics, obtained in 2000, which I continued in the same year by becoming an Associated Member of CERN in Geneva for the ALICE and ATLAS experiments. I am the author of more than 900 peer-reviewed publications and over 50 presentations at international conferences. I was also the coordinator for the Bologna Section of the INFN since 2012 for the realization and commissioning of the ROD (ReadOut Driver) card electronics, as part of the Phase-0 upgrade of all the ATLAS Pixel Detector at CERN in Geneva. 

2. What are your current interests?
My work primarily revolves around the field of physics, with applications in the design of digital systems with programmable electronic frontier devices (Xilinx UltraScale+ FPGA) for trigger architectures and data acquisition for the ATLAS experiment at CERN in Geneva. I’m also interested in track recognition techniques involving the Hough transform.

3. What made you choose to work with us, knowing that we are an open access digital publisher?
I was initially a reviewer before being asked to join the editorial team. I gladly accepted the invitation because it was a niche area in which I had expertise. I still enjoy reviewing papers and I am generally good at accepting or orienting authors towards publishing. I am happy to have the opportunity to read papers and update myself in various research fields. I believe MDPI can help young researchers gain the necessary experience to publish quality papers. Another thing that I like is that MDPI provides feedback on papers submitted to them, which is helpful for inexperienced researchers. MDPI also has programs like young research awards and travel awards to support the young researcher community.

4. What is the main challenge you face when ensuring the integrity and quality of academic publications?
I will give you a short example: Engineers are closer to the applications of the journal, and they appreciate the speed of publications, the exclusivity of having only a few authors, and the quality of the impact factor. On the other hand, physicists have a more complex system with a publishing committee and policies that prefer publishing in different journals. The main challenge is to meet the intermediate space between science, engineering, and other topics, which the journal Electronics is already doing.

5. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
I suggest focusing on specific topics like artificial intelligence for security, cyber security, or databases for artificial intelligence. The concept of cyber diplomacy is another potential hot topic. We need to be aware of the changes that are happening around us. For example, I changed the name of my electronics course to "electronics for physics of things" to reflect the current trend of changing course names in universities and add new topics such as "electronics for Internet of Things" or "Electronics for Industry 4.0."

We wish Prof. Dr. Alessandro Gabrielli every success in his current position as Section Editor-in-Chief, and we look forward to his future contributions to the journal.

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative—the Electronics Special Issue Mentor Program.

This program is intended to provide an opportunity for early career scientists to enhance their editing, networking, and organizational skills and work closely with our journal to gain more editorial experience. Early career scientists who have novel ideas for new Special Issues will act as Guest Editors under the mentorship of an experienced scientist; this mentor could be a member of the Electronics Editorial Board or may be from other well-established research institutes or laboratories, etc.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Electronics Editorial Office ([email protected]), and we will discuss the process (i.e., mentor collaboration, Special Issue topic feasibility analysis, etc.) in further detail. When the Special Issue is closed, our office will provide certificates to all of the mentors and to those who complete the program. Younger scholars will be prioritized as candidates for our journal award.

In addition to the new Special Issue Mentor Program, Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) will continue to welcome all Special Issue proposals based on hot research topics in the field.

A range of MDPI journals will be attending the Building Simulation 2023 (BS2023). This meeting will be held in Shanghai, China, from 4 to 6 September 2023.

At BS2023, the main themes incorporate macroscope topics concerned with building simulation regarding policy on carbon emission and control, power systems at the metropolis level, energy flow among regional cities, or even mining petascale data.

The conference/technical program will continue to bring together the interests of academics and practitioners, and on top of that, they would like to invite policymakers, in an attempt to reshape the path forward. As a tradition, the themes keep expanding the frontier of building simulation techniques, such as the simulation module from the system to the city, a better understanding of human factors, AI-assisted decision making, and seamless interoperability in modeling and design.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Buildings (leading);
• Architecture;
• Sustainability;
• Electronics;
• Energies;
• Smart Cities.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth (#10-11). 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://bs2023.org/ or contact the Buildings Editorial Office at [email protected].

Flexible electronics have been gaining considerable attention in recent decades, not only at the academic level but also at the industrial level. The development of electronic components/systems on highly flexible and possibly conformable substrates could allow the integration of smart functionalities, such as sensing capabilities, communication units, etc., onto any type of surface (paper, fabrics, etc.), opening up a wide range of possible applications.

The aim of this Section is to provide researchers with a highly multidisciplinary platform where they can report and read about: (i) the synthesis and processing of novel materials for flexible electronics; (ii) the chemical and physical properties of materials, from small molecules to solution processable polymers; (iii) the design and fabrication of novel devices based on organic materials such as organic field effect transistors, organic solar cells, or light emitting diodes, but also memory elements, thermoelectric generators, and others; (iv) novel fabrication procedures, with particular attention towards high-throughput and cost-efficient approaches; (v) novel applications, from flexible circuits and displays to smart tags, flexible lab on chip, artificial skin, etc.

You have free and unlimited access to the full texts of all the open access articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021 and 2022 below:

1. “Textile Triboelectric Nanogenerators with Diverse 3D-Spacer Fabrics for Improved Output Voltage”
by Dae-Hyeon Kwon, Jin-Hyuk Kwon, Jaebum Jeong, Youngju Lee, Swarup Biswas, Dong-Wook Lee, Sohee Lee, Jin-Hyuk Bae and Hyeok Kim
Electronics 2021, 10(8), 937; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10080937
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/8/937

2. “Development of Miniaturized Wearable Wristband Type Surface EMG Measurement System for Biometric Authentication”
by Siho Shin, Mingu Kang, Jaehyo Jung and Youn Tae Kim
Electronics 2021, 10(8), 923; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10080923
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/8/923

3. “Wash Analyses of Flexible and Wearable Printed Circuits for E-Textiles and Their Prediction of Damages”
by Shahood uz Zaman, Xuyuan Tao, Cédric Cochrane and Vladan Koncar
Electronics 2021, 10(11), 1362; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10111362
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/11/1362

4. “Temperature Measurement at Curved Surfaces Using 3D Printed Planar Resistance Temperature Detectors”
by Adam Steckiewicz, Kornelia Konopka, Agnieszka Choroszucho and Jacek Maciej Stankiewicz
Electronics 2021, 10(9), 1100; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10091100
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/9/1100

5. “Flexible Fluidic-Type Strain Sensors for Wearable and Robotic Applications Fabricated with Novel Conductive Liquids: A Review”
by Afaque Manzoor Soomro, Bushra Jawed, Jahangeer Badar Soomro, Jamshed Ahmed Ansari, Faheem Ahmed, Muhammad Waqas, Hina Ashraf and Suhail Almani
Electronics 2022, 11(18), 2903; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11182903
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/18/2903

1. “A Review of Data-Driven Decision-Making Methods for Industry 4.0 Maintenance Applications”
by Alexandros Bousdekis, Katerina Lepenioti, Dimitris Apostolou and Gregoris Mentzas
Electronics 2021, 10(7), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10070828  
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/7/828
Cited by 58 | Viewed by 9054

2. “Machine Learning-Based Data-Driven Fault Detection/Diagnosis of Lithium-Ion Battery: A Critical Review”
by Akash Samanta, Sumana Chowdhuri and Sheldon S. Williamson
Electronics 2021, 10(11), 1309; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10111309
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/11/1309
Cited by 48 | Viewed by 6545

3. “Voltage Stability of Power Systems with Renewable-Energy Inverter-Based Generators: A Review”
by Nasser Hosseinzadeh, Asma Aziz, Apel Mahmud, Ameen Gargoom and Mahbub Rabbani
Electronics 2021, 10(2), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10020115
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/2/115
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 7344

4. “Embedded Intelligence on FPGA: Survey, Applications and Challenges”
by Kah Phooi Seng, Paik Jen Lee and Li Minn Ang
Electronics 2021, 10(8), 895; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10080895
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/8/895
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 5993

5. “Estimation of Lithium-Ion Batteries State-Condition in Electric Vehicle Applications: Issues and State of the Art”
by Khaled Laadjal and Antonio J. Marques Cardoso
Electronics 2021, 10(13), 1588; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10131588
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/13/1588
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 5946

6. “Machine Learning in B5G/6G Networks - State-of-the-art and Future Trends”
by Vasileios Rekkas, Sotirios Sotiroudis, Panagiotis Sarigiannidis, Shaohua Wan, George K. Karagiannidis and Sotirios K. Goudos
Electronics 2021, 10(22), 2786; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10222786
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/22/2786
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 5135

7. “Review on Energy Storage Systems in Microgrids”
by Ramy Georgious, Rovan Refaat, Jorge Garcia and Ahmed A. Daoud
Electronics 2021, 10(17), 2134; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10172134
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/17/2134
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3740

8. “Machine Learning Methods for Histopathological Image Analysis: A Review”
by Jonathan de Matos, Steve Tsham Mpinda Ataky, Alceu de Souza Britto, Luiz Eduardo Soares de Oliveira and Alessandro Lameiras Koerich
Electronics 2021, 10(5), 562; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10050562
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/5/562
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3009

9. “Massive MIMO Techniques for 5G and Beyond - Opportunities and Challenges”
by David Borges, Paulo Montezuma, Rui Dinis and Marko Beko
Electronics 2021, 10(14), 1667; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10141667
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/14/1667
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 6814

10. “An Overview of Wearable Piezoresistive and Inertial Sensors for Respiration Rate Monitoring”
by Roberto De Fazio, Marco Stabile, Massimo De Vittorio, Ramiro Velázquez and Paolo Visconti
Electronics 2021, 10(17), 2178; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10172178
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/17/2178
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5065

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.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Sensors;
• Electronics;
• Drones;
• Remote Sensing;
• Applied Sciences;
• ASI.

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.

MDPI will be attending the China National Computer Congress 2023 (CNCC 2023) in Shenyang, China, which will take place from 26 to 28 October 2023. CNCC 2023 will explore the latest progress in computer science, artificial intelligence, big data drive, cloud database, quantum computer, and other related research topics. The three-day conference brought together Turing Award winners, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, top international scholars, and well-known entrepreneurs to discuss cutting-edge trends and share innovations.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Electronics;
• MTI;
• Algorithms;
• Computation;
• Cryptography;
• Future Internet;
• Information;
• Sensors.

If you are attending the conference, please visit 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 the following link: https://ccf.org.cn/cncc2023.

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

JMSE:

• Do Kyun Kim, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea

Machines:

• 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

Sensors:

• 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.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

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.

Biosensors:

• Dmitry Kireev, University of Texas at Austin, USA

Buildings:

• Danilo D’Angela, University of Naples Federico II, Italy

JMMP:

• Jungsub Kim, Texas A&M 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.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

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.

Actuators:

• 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, ¹University of Auckland, New Zealand; ²University 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

Biosensors:

• Carlos Torres-Torres, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico

Buildings:

• Paolo Blecich, University of Rijeka, Croatia
• Łukasz Ścislo, Cracow University of Technology, Poland

Fluids:

• Giorgio Sonnino, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium
• Luiz Antonio Alcântara Pereira, Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI), Brazil

JMSE:

• 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

Machines:

• Chao Fu, Northwestern Polytechnical University, China
• Eduardo Suárez, Universidade de Vigo, Spain
• Jordi-Roger Riba, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain

Processes:

• 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

Sensors:

• 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

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.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

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.

JMSE:

• “Mathematical Modelling of Wave-Induced Motions and Loads on Moored Offshore Structures”
  by Changqing Jiang, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

Machines:

• “Experimental Characterization of Frictional Hysteresis for Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis of Jointed Structures”
  by Alfredo Fantetti, Imperial College London, UK

Processes:

• “Sustainable Cultivation of Microalgae Biomass for Bioenergy Production”
  by Angela Paul Peter, Xiamen University Malaysia, Malaysia

Sensors:

• “Studying Protein Function with Fluorescent Nanoantennas”
  by Scott G. Harroun, Université de Montréal, Canada

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.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

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.

Actuators:

• “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

Applied Sciences:

• “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

Buildings:

• “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

Fluids:

• “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

JMSE:

• “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

Micromachines:

• “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

Processes:

• “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

Sensors:

• “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

WEVJ:

• “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

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.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here. 

The primary focus of the “Bioelectronics” Section are the topics that seek to exploit electronics knowledge and execution in the field of biology and medicine for health wellness with research efforts that cross disciplines such as chemistry, life science, physics, electrical engineering, and materials science. Bioelectronic research works in a wide context, encompassing, for example, biosensors, bionics and biomaterials, DNA chips, lab-on-a-chip, innovative devices, or advanced signal processes for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of physical and mental diseases, robotic devices for patient rehabilitation, bioelectromagnetics, artificial intelligence for improving health, conductive polymers, organic semiconductors, carbon nanotubes, graphene, wearable electronics, and implantable electronics, just to cite a few.

As they are of an open access format, you have free and unlimited access to the full text of all the articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021 below:

1. “CNN Variants for Computer Vision: History, Architecture, Application, Challenges and Future Scope”
by Dulari Bhatt, Chirag Patel, Hardik Talsania, Jigar Patel, Rasmika Vaghela, Sharnil Pandya, Kirit Modi and Hemant Ghayvat
Electronics 2021, 10(20), 2470; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10202470
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/20/2470

2. “Automated Workers’ Ergonomic Risk Assessment in Manual Material Handling Using sEMG Wearable Sensors and Machine Learning”
by Srimantha E. Mudiyanselage, Phuong Hoang Dat Nguyen, Mohammad Sadra Rajabi and Reza Akhavian
Electronics 2021, 10(20), 2558; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10202558
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/20/2558

3. “GaborPDNet: Gabor Transformation and Deep Neural Network for Parkinson’s Disease Detection Using EEG Signals”
by Hui Wen Loh, Chui Ping Ooi, Elizabeth Palmer, Prabal Datta Barua, Sengul Dogan, Turker Tuncer, Mehmet Baygin and U. Rajendra Acharya
Electronics 2021, 10(14), 1740; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10141740
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/14/1740

4. “Integration and Applications of Fog Computing and Cloud Computing Based on the Internet of Things for Provision of Healthcare Services at Home”
by Muhammad Ijaz, Gang Li, Ling Lin, Omar Cheikhrouhou, Habib Hamam and Alam Noor
Electronics 2021, 10(9), 1077; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10091077
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/9/1077

5. “State-of-the-Art Optical Devices for Biomedical Sensing Applications—A Review”
by N. L. Kazanskiy, S. N. Khonina, M. A. Butt, A. Kaźmierczak and R. Piramidowicz
Electronics 2021, 10(8), 973; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10080973
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/8/973

6. “An Overview of Wearable Piezoresistive and Inertial Sensors for Respiration Rate Monitoring”
by Roberto De Fazio, Marco Stabile, Massimo De Vittorio, Ramiro Velázquez and Paolo Visconti
Electronics 2021, 10(17), 2178; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10172178
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/17/2178

7. “Multiclass ECG Signal Analysis Using Global Average-Based 2-D Convolutional Neural Network Modeling”
by Muhammad Wasimuddin, Khaled Elleithy, Abdelshakour Abuzneid, Miad Faezipour and Omar Abuzaghleh
Electronics 2021, 10(2), 170; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10020170
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/2/170

8. “Smart E-Textile Systems: A Review for Healthcare Applications”
by Shahood uz Zaman, Xuyuan Tao, Cedric Cochrane and Vladan Koncar
Electronics 2022, 11(1), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11010099
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/1/99

9. “Innovative IoT Solutions and Wearable Sensing Systems for Monitoring Human Biophysical Parameters: A Review”
by Esteban Piacentino, Massimo De Vittorio and Paolo Visconti
Electronics 2021, 10(4), 389; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10040389
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/4/389

10. “Deep Learning Methods for Classification of Certain Abnormalities in Echocardiography”
by Imayanmosha Wahlang, Arnab Kumar Maji, Goutam Saha, Prasun Chakrabarti, Michal Jasinski, Zbigniew Leonowicz and Elzbieta Jasinska
Electronics 2021, 10(4), 495; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10040495
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/4/495

Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) is an international, peer-reviewed, and open access journal on the science of electronics and its applications. The journal is indexed within Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), CAPlus/SciFinder, Inspec, and other databases (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/electronics/indexing).

The Electronics Editorial Office is pleased to announce an open call for Special Issue proposals. Special Issues are a space where authors can present their research results with other relevant and exciting work, where readers can find a series of peer-reviewed research papers of interest, and where scholars can gain new knowledge in a research area or even find new collaborators.

Please feel free to write to the Electronics Editorial Office ([email protected]) with Special Issue topics that you wish to see in the journal and/or a proposal for a Special Issue if you are interested in becoming a Guest Editor of Electronics. The Editorial Office will respond to you as soon as possible.

The duties of Guest Editors are as follows:

• Defining the scope of the Special Issue;
• Inviting scholars to submit papers to the Special Issue;
• Promoting the Special Issue from your side;
• Making decisions for articles submitted to the Special Issue.

The benefits of being a Guest Editor include the following:

• A certificate of recognition as a Guest Editor of Electronics;
• A waiver for publication in Electronics;
• A printed book of the Special Issue if a sufficient number of papers is collected;
• An ideal venue for networking and communicating with scholars in the research field. The relationships that you develop will last beyond the publication of your Special Issue, establishing a network for future collaboration.

The Electronics Editorial Office will be responsible for establishing the Special Issue’s website, organizing peer review and author revisions, copy editing and English editing, Special Issue promotion, etc.

Please do not hesitate to contact us ([email protected]) for further details and clarification. We look forward to receiving your proposals.

Electronics Editorial Office

Welcome to the 2022 annual selection of articles, where we showcase some of the most notable and impactful research published in Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) over the past year. This collection represents a diverse range of topics and disciplines, highlighting the breadth and depth of scholarship within our academic community.

MDPI will be attending the 6th International Conference on Perovskite Solar Cell and Optoelectronics (PSCO 2023) in Oxford, UK, which will take place from 18 to 20 September 2023. The program will include a combination of invited talks, contributing talks and poster presentations in a meeting that will bring a broad spectrum of the community together to discuss and share knowledge on the latest advances in perovskite materials, devices and photophysical and optoelectronic properties and phenomena.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Electronics;
• Photonics;
• Energies;
• Materials;
• Nanoenergy Advances.

If you are attending the conference, please visit 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 the following link: https://www.psco-conference.org/.

The “Microelectronics” Section is dedicated to publishing original research articles and cutting-edge reviews on the applications of microelectronics in emerging and challenging technologies. Electronics operating in extreme environments, such as a vacuum, space, harsh radiation, extreme cold and other niche applications, advances microelectronic designs.

You have free and unlimited access to the full texts of all of the open access articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2022 below:

1. “Actively MEMS-Based Tunable Metamaterials for Advanced and Emerging Applications”
by Ruijia Xu and Yu-Sheng Lin
Electronics 2022, 11(2), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11020243
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/2/243

2. “Reliability of Commercial UVC LEDs: 2022 State-of-the-Art”
by Nicola Trivellin, Davide Fiorimonte, Francesco Piva, Matteo Buffolo, Carlo De Santi, Gaudenzio Meneghesso, Enrico Zanoni and Matteo Meneghini
Electronics 2022, 11(5), 728; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11050728
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/5/728

3. “Survey on Fatigue Life Prediction of BGA Solder Joints”
by Baojun Qiu, Jingang Xiong, Han Wang, Shuai Zhou, Xiuding Yang, Zhengpei Lin, Maolin Liu and Nian Cai
Electronics 2022, 11(4), 542; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11040542
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/4/542

4. “Compact CMOS Wideband Instrumentation Amplifiers for Multi-Frequency Bioimpedance Measurement: A Design Procedure”
by Israel Corbacho, Juan M. Carrillo, José L. Ausín, Miguel Á. Domínguez, Raquel Pérez-Aloe and Juan Francisco Duque-Carrillo
Electronics 2022, 11(11), 1668; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11111668
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/11/1668

5. “Comparison of Total Ionizing Dose Effects in 22-nm and 28-nm FD SOI Technologies”
by Zongru Li, Christopher Jarrett Elash, Chen Jin, Li Chen, Jiesi Xing, Zhiwu Yang and Shuting Shi
Electronics 2022, 11(11), 1757; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11111757
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/11/1757

6. “Small-Signal Analysis of All-Si Microring Resonator Photodiode”
by Yiwei Peng, Wayne V. Sorin, Stanley Cheung, Yuan Yuan, Zhihong Huang, Marco Fiorentino and Raymond G. Beausoleil
Electronics 2022, 11(2), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11020183
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/2/183

7. “Sensitivity Characterization of Multi-Band THz Metamaterial Sensor for Possible Virus Detection”
by Anja Kovačević, Milka Potrebić and Dejan Tošić
Electronics 2022, 11(5), 699; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11050699
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/5/699

8. “Simulated Hough Transform Model Optimized for Straight-Line Recognition Using Frontier FPGA Devices”
by Alessandro Gabrielli, Fabrizio Alfonsi and Francesca Del Corso
Electronics 2022, 11(4), 517; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11040517
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/4/517

9. “Study of Breakdown Voltage Stability of Gas-Filled Surge Arresters in the Presence of Gamma Radiation”
by Emilija Živanović, Marija Živković and Sandra Veljković
Electronics 2022, 11(15), 2447; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11152447
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/15/2447

10. “Investigation on High-Efficiency Beam-Wave Interaction for Coaxial Multi-Beam Relativistic Klystron Amplifier”
by Limin Sun, Hua Huang, Shifeng Li, Zhengbang Liu, Hu He, Qifan Xiang, Ke He and Xianghe Fang
Electronics 2022, 11(2), 281; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11020281
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/2/281

Industrial electronics can be used to improve the efficiency and productivity of industries like energy, transportation, petroleum, chemical, semiconductor, mining, agriculture, and others. As a branch of electronics dealing with power electronic switches, sensors, actuators, meters, intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), automation equipment, semiconductors, nanotechnology, etc., the current emphasis is placed on power conditioning using power semiconductor devices in modernizing industry technology. This Section is devoted to presenting emerging technologies and trends in the industrial electronics sector, publishing original research and state-of-the-art review articles.

You have free and unlimited access to the full text of all the open access articles published in Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292). We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2022 below:

1. “Performance of 5G Trials for Industrial Automation”
by Junaid Ansari, Christian Andersson, Peter de Bruin, János Farkas, Leefke Grosjean, Joachim Sachs, Johan Torsner, Balázs Varga, Davit Harutyunyan, Niels König et al.
Electronics 2022, 11(3), 412; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11030412
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/3/412

2. “A Systematic Guide for Predicting Remaining Useful Life with Machine Learning”
by Tarek Berghout and Mohamed Benbouzid
Electronics 2022, 11(7), 1125; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11071125
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/7/1125

3. “A Risk Curtailment Strategy for Solar PV-Battery Integrated Competitive Power System”
by Arup Das, Subhojit Dawn, Sadhan Gope and Taha Selim Ustun
Electronics 2022, 11(8), 1251; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11081251
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/8/1251

4. “An Automated Image Segmentation and Useful Feature Extraction Algorithm for Retinal Blood Vessels in Fundus Images”
by Aws A. Abdulsahib, Moamin A. Mahmoud, Hazleen Aris, Saraswathy Shamini Gunasekaran and Mazin Abed Mohammed
Electronics 2022, 11(9), 1295; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11091295
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/9/1295

5. “Evaluation of Production of Digital Twins Based on Blockchain Technology”
by Nada A. Nabeeh, Mohamed Abdel-Basset, Abduallah Gamal and Victor Chang
Electronics 2022, 11(8), 1268; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11081268
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/8/1268

6. “Use of Optical Emission Spectroscopy Data for Fault Detection of Mass Flow Controller in Plasma Etch Equipment”
by Hyukjoon Kwon and Sang Jeen Hong
Electronics 2022, 11(2), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11020253
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/2/253

7. “Emotion Recognition from EEG Signals Using Recurrent Neural Networks”
by M. Kalpana Chowdary, J. Anitha and D. Jude Hemanth
Electronics 2022, 11(15), 2387; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11152387
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/15/2387

8. “Feasible Evaluation and Implementation of Shunt Active Filter for Harmonic Mitigation in Induction Heating System”
by Rahul Raman, Pradip Kumar Sadhu, Ritesh Kumar, Shriram Srinivasarangan Rangarajan, Umashankar Subramaniam, Edward Randolph Collins and Tomonobu Senjyu
Electronics 2022, 11(21), 3464; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11213464
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/21/3464

9. “Microgrid Emergence, Integration, and Influence on the Future Energy Generation Equilibrium—A Review”
by Sabrina Lee Chartier, Vinod Kumar Venkiteswaran, Shriram S. Rangarajan, Edward Randolph Collins and Tomonobu Senjyu
Electronics 2022, 11(5), 791; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11050791
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/5/791

10. “Prototype of 5G Integrated with TSN for Edge-Controlled Mobile Robotics”
by Pierre Kehl, Junaid Ansari, Mohammad Hossein Jafari, Paul Becker, Joachim Sachs, Niels König, Amon Göppert and Robert H. Schmitt
Electronics 2022, 11(11), 1666; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11111666
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/11/11/1666

 In this captivating series, we had the privilege of interviewing the eminent Prof. Dr. Giovanni Crupi who was appointed Section Editor-in-Chief earlier this year for the Section “Microwave and Wireless Communications” of Electronics (IF 2.9, CiteScore 3.7, ISSN: 2079-9292). Bringing unparalleled expertise to drive innovation and advancements in the field and renowned for his groundbreaking contributions in microwave electronics engineering, focusing on the characterization and modeling of microwave transistors for circuit design and wireless applications, as well as that of microwave sensors for bioengineering applications, Dr. Crupi shares his invaluable insights and takes us on an exclusive journey into the inner workings of the journal. Through these interviews, our aim is to offer a unique perspective on the publishing process, straight from the Section Editor-in-Chief himself.

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

1. Can you share with us some information about your academic background?
I received my Ph.D. degree in 2006 from the University of Messina, Italy. Since 2005, I have had the privilege of being a repeat Visiting Scientist at KU Leuven and IMEC, both located in Leuven, Belgium. These experiences have enriched my academic journey significantly. At present, I hold the position of Associate Professor at the University of Messina, Italy. It is a role that I find fulfilling as I engage in various scholarly activities and contribute to the academic community. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to author or coauthor over 250 publications in esteemed international journals and conferences, enabling me to share my research findings and insights with a wider audience. I am also the Editor-in-Chief of the Wiley International Journal of Numerical Modelling: Electronic Networks, Devices and Fields, Section Editor-in-Chief of the MDPI Electronics, and Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Technology Letters, and IEEE Access.

2. What are your current research interests?
In terms of my current research focus, I am actively engaged in various areas of electronic engineering, particularly in microwave and wireless communications. My endeavors involve exploring theoretical concepts, developing practical applications, and contributing to the advancement of the field. It is an exciting journey, and I am fortunate to be involved in such meaningful and impactful research endeavors.

3. What made you choose to work with us knowing that we are an open access digital publisher?
I gladly accepted the invitation to lead the “Microwave and Wireless Communications” Section, since this is a vibrant and fascinating segment of the electronics, in which I have been working since my master’s thesis. I believe that all of us have the responsibility to contribute to the betterment of the publishing process by ensuring fairness, inclusiveness, multidisciplinarity, dissemination, and sustainability. Involvement at different editorial levels is an essential part of our commitment to support the global transition toward open access publishing in a healthy way, without leaving developing countries and emerging economies behind.
I really believe that open access is the way forward, as it presents a tremendous opportunity to provide free access to information for emerging nations. It is truly the future of academic publishing. In recent years, I have observed a positive trend where many universities have started funding researchers to publish their papers in open access formats. This shift towards open access not only promotes the dissemination of knowledge but also ensures that valuable research findings are accessible to a wider audience, including those in less privileged regions. By removing financial barriers and enabling free access to information, we can contribute to the growth and development of academic communities worldwide.

4. Electronics is an open access publication. How do you think open access impacts authors?
I am particularly enthusiastic about the impact this movement can have on emerging nations and authors, as it empowers researchers and students in those regions to benefit from the wealth of knowledge available. The ability to freely access information without financial constraints can foster innovation, collaboration, and ultimately contribute to bridging the knowledge gap between countries. Embracing open access as the future of publishing aligns with my vision of promoting equitable access to information and supporting the advancement of academic communities globally. Right now, we are entering a new era of scientific publications, mostly owing to global transition toward open access to make research openly and freely available. By opening new frontiers, open access publishing is rapidly and profoundly changing the traditional concept of research publication. The open access process is aimed primarily at facilitating the widest possible dissemination, at empowering the development of multidisciplinary research, and at maximizing the impact of research for future generations, but at the same time this might bring adverse side effects, just as any medication can.
To meet the new challenges and great opportunities brought by this extraordinary revolution, we all needed to keep an open mind, to not miss out on this amazing opportunity, while keeping eyes wide open, to minimize any potential side effect and to make sure that this transition provides access to a better future for us all, without leaving anyone behind.

5. What is your vision for the “Microwave and Wireless Communications” Section?
Throughout the years, microwave wireless communication technologies have greatly evolved and nowadays are experiencing a tremendous growth, driven by an explosive broadening of their applications. My belief is that competence, curiosity, passion, enthusiasm, experience, synergistic teamwork, and communication across disciplinary boundaries are essential for effectively strengthening the connectivity between the extraordinary progress of these amazing technologies and the market expansion of their fast-evolving applications. This would enable us to build together a better future for the benefit of humankind. In this dynamic and exciting scenario, I am of the opinion that “Microwave and Wireless Communications” Section can play a key role in the advancement of the journal Electronics.

6. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
From my perspective, I believe that three research topics will capture significant interest from the research community in the coming years. Firstly, microwave transistors are expected to be a focal point as scientists strive to enhance miniaturization and efficiency of electronic devices to support the ubiquitous development of green wireless communication systems. Secondly, microwave sensors for engineering applications are gaining momentum due to their wide range of practical uses, going from wearable smart sensors for IoT enabled personalized healthcare to remote sensing for structural health monitoring. Thirdly, quantum computing has emerged as a cutting-edge field with immense potential for solving complex problems, and I anticipate it will continue to draw substantial attention from researchers.
These are three important strategic topics, but my belief is that defining and developing each strategic research topic strictly requires a multidisciplinary approach to promote our unwavering commitment to the environment, society and the economy, which constitute the three intertwined pillars to ensure a responsible and sustainable progress for making the world a better place to live for our future generations to come.

We wish Dr. Giovanni Crupi every success in his new current position as Section Editor-in-Chief, and we look forward to his contributions to the journal.

Industrial electronics plays a vital role in improving the efficiency and productivity of industries like energy, transportation, petroleum, chemical, semiconductor, mining, agriculture, and others. As a branch of electronics dealing with power electronic switches, sensors, actuators, meters, intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), automation equipment, semiconductors, nanotechnology, etc., current emphasis is placed on power conditioning using power semiconductor devices in modernizing industry technology. This Section of the journal Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) is devoted to presenting the emerging technologies and trends in the industrial electronics sector, publishing original research and state-of-the-art review articles.

As they are of open access format, you have free and unlimited access to the full text of all the articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021 below:

1. “Artificial Intelligence-Based Decision-Making Algorithms, Internet of Things Sensing Networks, and Deep Learning-Assisted Smart Process Management in Cyber-Physical Production Systems”
by Mihai Andronie, George Lăzăroiu, Mariana Iatagan, Cristian Uță, Roxana Ștefănescu and Mădălina Cocoșatu
Electronics 2021, 10(20), 2497; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10202497
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/20/2497

2. “Smart Manufacturing and Tactile Internet Based on 5G in Industry 4.0: Challenges, Applications and New Trends”
by Dimitris Mourtzis, John Angelopoulos and Nikos Panopoulos
Electronics 2021, 10(24), 3175; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10243175
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/24/3175

3. “Solid-State DC Circuit Breakers and Their Comparison in Modular Multilevel Converter Based-HVDC Transmission System”
by Gul Ahmad Ludin, Mohammad Amin Amin, Hidehito Matayoshi, Shriram S. Rangarajan, Ashraf M. Hemeida, Hiroshi Takahashi and Tomonobu Senjyu
Electronics 2021, 10(10), 1204; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10101204
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/10/1204

4. “Review on Energy Storage Systems in Microgrids”
by Ramy Georgious, Rovan Refaat, Jorge Garcia and Ahmed A. Daoud
Electronics 2021, 10(17), 2134; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10172134
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/17/2134

5. “DC Nanogrids for Integration of Demand Response and Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructures: Appraisal, Optimal Scheduling and Analysis”
by Salwan Ali Habeeb, Marcos Tostado-Véliz, Hany M. Hasanien, Rania A. Turky, Wisam Kaream Meteab and Francisco Jurado
Electronics 2021, 10(20), 2484; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10202484
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/20/2484

6. “Discrete Human Activity Recognition and Fall Detection by Combining FMCW RADAR Data of Heterogeneous Environments for Independent Assistive Living”
by Umer Saeed, Syed Yaseen Shah, Syed Aziz Shah, Jawad Ahmad, Abdullah Alhumaidi Alotaibi, Turke Althobaiti, Naeem Ramzan, Akram Alomainy and Qammer H. Abbasi
Electronics 2021, 10(18), 2237; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10182237
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/18/2237

7. “Hybrid Workload Enabled and Secure Healthcare Monitoring Sensing Framework in Distributed Fog-Cloud Network”
by Abdullah Lakhan, Qurat-ul-ain Mastoi, Mazhar Ali Dootio, Fehaid Alqahtani, Ibrahim R. Alzahrani, Fatmah Baothman, Syed Yaseen Shah, Syed Aziz Shah, Nadeem Anjum, Qammer Hussain Abbasi et al.
Electronics 2021, 10(16), 1974; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10161974
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/16/1974

8. “IoT Security Challenges: Cloud and Blockchain, Postquantum Cryptography, and Evolutionary Techniques”
by Ondrej Gallo, Roderik Ploszek, Peter Špaček and Pavol Zajac
Electronics 2021, 10(21), 2647; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10212647
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/21/2647

9. “Design and Implementation of LoRa Based IoT Scheme for Indonesian Rural Area”
by Setya Widyawan Prakosa, Muhamad Faisal, Yudhi Adhitya, Jenq-Shiou Leu, Mario Köppen and Cries Avian
Electronics 2021, 10(1), 77; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10010077
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/1/77

10. “Wind Turbine Operation Curves Modelling Techniques”
by Davide Astolfi
Electronics 2021, 10(3), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10030269
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/3/269

The Section “Microelectronics” of Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) is dedicated to publishing original research articles and cutting-edge reviews for the applications of microelectronics in emerging, frontier and challenging technologies. The operation of electronics in extreme environments, such as a vacuum, space, harsh radiation, extreme cold and other niche applications, is pushing microelectronic design beyond the frontier of standard electronics.

As they are of open access format, you have free and unlimited access to the full text of all the articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021 below:

1. “Sheet Resistance Measurements of Conductive Thin Films: A Comparison of Techniques”
by Mira Naftaly, Satyajit Das, John Gallop, Kewen Pan, Feras Alkhalil, Darshana Kariyapperuma, Sophie Constant, Catherine Ramsdale and Ling Hao
Electronics 2021, 10(8), 960; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10080960
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/8/960

2. “AlGaN Channel High Electron Mobility Transistors with Regrown Ohmic Contacts”
by Idriss Abid, Jash Mehta, Yvon Cordier, Joff Derluyn, Stefan Degroote, Hideto Miyake and Farid Medjdoub
Electronics 2021, 10(6), 635; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10060635
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/6/635

3. “A Unified and Open LTSPICE Memristor Model Library”
by Valeri Mladenov
Electronics 2021, 10(13), 1594; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10131594
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/13/1594

4. “UV-Based Technologies for SARS-CoV2 Inactivation: Status and Perspectives”
by Nicola Trivellin, Francesco Piva, Davide Fiorimonte, Matteo Buffolo, Carlo De Santi, Viviana Teresa Orlandi, Fabrizio Dughiero, Gaudenzio Meneghesso, Enrico Zanoni and Matteo Meneghini
Electronics 2021, 10(14), 1703; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10141703
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/14/1703

5. “A New Cost-Efficient Design of a Reversible Gate Based on a Nano-Scale Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata Technology”
by Saeid Seyedi, Akira Otsuki and Nima Jafari Navimipour
Electronics 2021, 10(15), 1806; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10151806
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/15/1806

6. “A Novel OTA Architecture Exploiting Current Gain Stages to Boost Bandwidth and Slew-Rate”
by Francesco Centurelli, Riccardo Della Sala, Pietro Monsurrò, Giuseppe Scotti and Alessandro Trifiletti
Electronics 2021, 10(14), 1638; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10141638
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/14/1638

7. “Effects of Active Layer Thickness on the Electrical Characteristics and Stability of High-Mobility Amorphous Indium–Gallium–Tin Oxide Thin-Film Transistors”
by Hyun-Seok Cha, Hwan-Seok Jeong, Seong-Hyun Hwang and Hyuck-In Kwon
Electronics 2021, 10(11), 1295; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10111295
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/11/1295

8. “All-Dielectric Metasurface for Sensing Microcystin-LR”
by Binze Ma, Ao Ouyang, Juechen Zhong, Pavel A. Belov, Ravindra Kumar Sinha, Weiping Qian, Pintu Ghosh and Qiang Li
Electronics 2021, 10(11), 1363; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10111363
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/11/1363

9. “Low-Toxicity Perovskite Applications in Carbon Electrode Perovskite Solar Cells—A Review”
by Maria Bidikoudi, Carmen Simal and Elias Stathatos
Electronics 2021, 10(10), 1145; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10101145
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/10/1145

10. “Inner Spacer Engineering to Improve Mechanical Stability in Channel-Release Process of Nanosheet FETs”
by Khwang-Sun Lee and Jun-Young Park
Electronics 2021, 10(12), 1395; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10121395
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/12/1395

In this captivating series, we had the privilege of interviewing the eminent Prof. Dr. Flavio Canavero, Editor-in-Chief of the prestigious Electronics journal (ISSN: 2079-9292). Renowned for his groundbreaking contributions in signal integrity and EMC design issues, interconnect modeling, the black-box characterization of digital integrated circuits, statistics, and uncertainty quantification in EMC, Prof. Dr. Canavero shares his invaluable insights and takes us on an exclusive journey into the inner workings of the journal. Through these interviews, our aim is to offer a unique perspective on the publishing process, straight from the Editors themselves.

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

1. Can you share with us some information about your academic background?
I received my Ph.D. in 1986 from the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of authoring or co-authoring over 300 papers that have been published in esteemed international journals and conference proceedings. In addition to my research endeavors, I have actively engaged in various service activities both within my current institution and on an international scale. At Politecnico di Torino, I have held several prominent roles, including serving as the Director of the Electronics Department from 1993 to 1999, Vice Rector for Organization from 2001 to 2005, and Head of the Doctoral School from 2012 to 2018. Beyond my institution, I have contributed to the advancement of doctoral education as a member of the Steering Committee of the Council for Doctoral Education (CDE) of the European University Association (EUA).

2. What are your current research interests?
In my work, I am immersed in the fascinating realm of circuits and systems theory, with a strong focus on signal integrity and EMC design issues.

3. How has your experience been as an Editor-in-Chief so far and what made you choose to work with us, knowing that we are an open access digital publisher?
As the Editor-in-Chief, my experience with the journal has been quite positive so far. Being retired, I now have more time to devote to the development and management of the journal, which has been very rewarding in recent years.
Regarding my decision to work with an open access digital publisher, in the past, I was involved with other journals where I had to handle all the editorial work and I couldn’t give more time to promoting and developing the journal. Instead, in my current role as the Section Editor-in-Chief of the journal Electronics, I do not have to worry about many details of the editorial process, as they are effectively handled by the well-trained and capable staff of the journal. This is actually a positive aspect as it ensures a more transparent and inclusive decision-making process, leaving me with more time to handle more important issues within the journal. I am very satisfied with my current position and the expertise that I bring to the journal.

4. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
I think we should place more emphasis on integrated devices utilized in various domains. These devices play a crucial role in enabling advanced technologies and applications across different industries. By highlighting their importance, we can provide valuable insights and promote advancements in this area. Another captivating topic that warrants attention is the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) for storing and efficiently taking advantage of electric power. With the growing need for sustainable energy solutions, AI can significantly contribute to optimizing power storage and consumption. Exploring this intersection of AI and electric power management can lead to innovative approaches and solutions in the field.
Furthermore, it is essential to closely monitor the interface between humans and machines. As technology continues to evolve, the control and interaction between humans and AI-driven devices become increasingly significant. By focusing on the development of control devices for AI, we can enhance the user experience, ensure safety, and drive progress in this critical aspect of human–machine interaction. Overall, by concentrating on hardware equipment, integrated devices, AI-powered power management, and the interface between humans and machines, the journal Electronics can stay at the forefront of advancements in the field and provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners alike.

5. What are your expectations for Electronics?
I think that citations play a crucial role in assessing the influence and significance of published research. I expect that authors who have previously published with us and achieved good citation metrics will continue to contribute impactful papers. This creates a positive cycle, as their future publications are likely to generate further citations and contribute to the journal's success. I also expect authors to ensure that they provide a robust and well-explained methodology to support their findings. By emphasizing the need for good reports, focusing on completeness and structure in article writing, and emphasizing the importance of a clear methodology, we can enhance the quality of submissions and help authors to improve their chances of publication.

We wish Prof. Dr. Flavio Canavero every success in his current position as Editor-in-Chief, and we look forward to his contributions to the journal.

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.

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal topics (selected)
	Prof. Dr. Jun Ma, Peking University, China| Editorial | view inaugural issue	growth and development; diet and nutrients; school health promotion policies and practices; child health and care; adolescent health and wellbeing | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Bernd Rehm, Griffith University, Australia | Editorial | view inaugural issue	DNA and gene synthesis; synthetic transcription factors; protein engineering; viral engineering; metabolic engineering | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Varsha Gandhi, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	lymphatics; cancers associated with lymphocytes and lymphoblasts; lymphatic tissues; lymphoma; lymphoid leukemia | view journal scope | submit an article
	Dr. Bradley Turner, University of Melbourne, Australia | Editorial | view inaugural issue	multiple sclerosis; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; primary lateral sclerosis; atherosclerosis; systemic sclerosis | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Clemens Burda, Case Western Reserve University, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	Gamma ray, X-ray, and UV–Vis spectroscopies; NIR/mid-infrared/Raman spectroscopy; microwave and THz spectroscopy; high-resolution gas-phase atomic, molecular, and cluster spectroscopy; MS, NMR, and EPR spectroscopy | view journal scope | submit an article

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.

We are pleased to inform you that Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) received an updated Impact Factor of 2.9 in the June 2022 release of the Journal Citation Reports®.

Electronics now ranks as follows:

• 131/275 (Q2) in the "Electronical & Electronic Engineering" category;
• 71/159 (Q2) in the "Applied Physics" category;
• 99/158 (Q3) in the "Information Systems, Computer Science" category.

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

We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to all the authors, editors, and reviewers for their valuable contributions, which have enabled us to make great achievements!

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.