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4 October 2024
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #16 - UNGA79 Science Summit, OASPA, Peer Review Week

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

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


Opening Thoughts

MDPI Joins the Science Summit at UNGA79 (23–27 September 2024, New York)

On Friday 27 September, I had the privilege of giving the opening talk at the “Youth at the Science Summit” panel during the Science Summit conference, held in New York at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Together, we discussed the future of science, publishing, innovation, and sustainable development.

It was a great opportunity to learn from our young leaders, whose voices must be included in the conversation as science shapes the future of artificial intelligence, climate mitigation, healthcare, technology, and more. This was also a powerful reminder of how essential global collaboration is in solving the major challenges we face. I left inspired by the dedication of these young researchers to making the world a better place!

Today’s youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow – they are already leading the change today.

Stefan Tochev (second from left) at the UNGA Science Summit 2024: “A great opportunity to learn from our young leaders.”

MDPI Supports the Future Generation of Scientists

This aligns with MDPI’s mission to support the next generation of scientists and early-career researchers by recognizing their achievements through our various MDPI awards, including the Young Investigator Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, Travel Awards, and more.

Our presence at this global event showed our commitment to advancing Open Science as a key driver for sustainable development. As a leading Open Access (OA) publisher, MDPI’s role at the summit was to emphasize the critical importance of democratizing scientific knowledge, making it accessible to all, and promoting global collaboration.

Through OA publishing, we aim to address pressing global challenges such as climate change, public health, and inequality, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“We aim to address pressing global challenges”

MDPI and the SDGs

In 2020, the SDG Publishers Compact was launched to accelerate implementation of the SDGs by promoting content that informs, develops, and inspires action. MDPI joined this initiative in 2021 and subsequently launched the MDPI SDG Hub in 2022, offering free access to recent research within the scope of each of the 17 SDGs.

During the summit, we highlighted the connection between Open Science and the SDG Publishers Compact, supporting the core objective to “Leave No One Behind” (LNOB). The transformative promise of the SDGs relies heavily on the Open Access model, which serves as a fundamental enabler of Open Science. We advocate for the wider adoption of Open Science practices in order to achieve the SDGs by 2030.

Impactful Research

Presenting at the 1st International Conference of Environmental Medicine

In September, MDPI and our journals IJERPH and Diseases sponsored and participated in the 1st International Conference of Environmental Medicine: Environmental Threats to Human Health: From Genetics to Epigenetics, held in Chieti, Italy.

The conference was organized in collaboration with various societies, including the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA), one of more than 160 societies partnering MDPI journals.

The conference brought together influential figures from the Italian scholarly community, such as Antonio Felice Uricchio (President of the National Agency for University Research Assessment [ANVUR]), Alessandro Miani (President of SIMA), and Liborio Stuppia (Director of ‘Gabriele d’Annunzio’ University of Chieti-Pescara), among others.

MDPI was the sole publishing sponsor of the conference, at which I had the opportunity to present on behalf of the company. I provided an overview of MDPI, covering key facts and figures, the peer-review process, our strong collaboration with the Italian market, and insights into Nobel Prize winners who have published with MDPI, ahead of Sir Richard Roberts’ Nobel lecture.

“As at September 2024, 44 Nobel laureates have contributed to over 115 articles across 35 MDPI journals”

The keynote speaker at the event was Sir Richard Roberts, Nobel Laureate and 1993 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, recognized for his discovery of split genes.

Nobel Laureates’ Contributions to MDPI

As at September 2024, 44 Nobel laureates have contributed to over 115 articles across 35 MDPI journals. I’ll share more details on this in the October newsletter.

Hosting such prominent figures in their respective fields, who play a significant role in advancing the OA movement, of which we are leaders in, resonates deeply with our editorial teams.

Sponsoring and supporting academic conferences is something we do on a large scale, and it continues to grow. Attending and speaking about MDPI shows our commitment by taking the time to connect with the scholarly community in person.

MDPI’s Presence in Italy

Italy ranks third globally in total MDPI publications, with nearly 130,000 contributions. We collaborate with about 12,000 Editorial Board Members in Italy, over 6,100 of whom have an H-index of more than 25.

We have 83 Editors-in-Chief and 209 Section Editors-in-Chief from Italy. We also support 20 Italian universities through our Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) agreements with major institutions such as Sapienza University of Rome, the University of Milan, and the University of Pisa, among others.

Inside MDPI

Celebrating Peer Review Week, 23–27 September 2024

As we conclude another productive month at MDPI, I am pleased to highlight our participation in this year’s Peer Review Week (PRW), which took place from 23–27 September 2024. This global, community-driven celebration underscores the vital importance of peer review in maintaining the integrity and reliability of academic work. PRW provide a platform for institutions, publishers, and scholars to come together and reflect on the processes that uphold the quality of scholarly communication.

“We remain committed to enhancing the peer review process”

The theme for PRW 2024 was ‘Innovation and Technology in Peer Review.’ At MDPI, we were proud to contribute through various online and in-person events, including webinars from Europe, Asia-Pacific, and a roundtable discussion on innovation and technology in peer review. These events offer an opportunity to explore new tools and technologies that are shaping the future of peer review, particularly the integration of AI. As a company, we remain committed to enhancing the peer review process with innovative solutions while preserving the essential human expertise that makes it effective.

Peer Review Innovation and Technology at MDPI

Our efforts to improve peer review extend beyond the activities of this week. We also released a blog article discussing New Tools for Advancing Research Integrity and Peer Review, where we highlight two tools that MDPI has developed to support research integrity: Eureka – Reviewer Recommender and Online Proofreader. We are continually refining SuSy, our in-house submission system, to provide a seamless experience for authors and reviewers alike.

Listening to MDPI’s Authors and Reviewers

We highly value the time of our reviewers, and so do the authors who contribute to our journals. Our editorial process is bolstered by a network of dedicated reviewers, a team of over 6,000 diligent, well-trained staff members, and an in-house article submission platform designed to ensure efficient processes.

We make it a point to continually improve the experiences of both our authors and our reviewers throughout the entire editorial process, from submission to publication. This is why we regularly ask for feedback by conducting surveys. Here is what some of our respondents recently had to say about working with MDPI:

 

Coming Together for Science

ICM 2024 – Advances in Material Innovation

I am pleased to share that we held The 5th International Conference on Materials: Advances in Material Innovation (ICM 2024) in Basel, Switzerland this past 25–27 September.

This intimate event brought together leading scientists, researchers, and industry experts to exchange insights on recent advancements in materials characterization, processing, and manufacturing. Key focus areas included nanotechnology in material sciences and engineering, optical, electrical, and magnetic materials, soft, biological, and biomaterials, fibres, membranes, thin films, sensing materials, as well as materials and devices for energy and solar fuels. In addition, discussions featured the integration of AI and machine learning in materials research.

We received 90 abstract submissions. Over the course of the three-day event, 18 posters were displayed, and 34 talks were delivered, including three plenary speeches, seven invited talks, and 24 selected oral presentations.

A special thank-you to our partnering societies The Polish Membrane Society and The North American Thermal Analysis Society, as well as our sponsor, Nanomegas, for their support of the ICM conference. I am also pleased to share that we presented three awards, including the Best Presentation Award and two Best Poster Awards, recognizing the outstanding contributions of our participants.

Upcoming In-Person Event

7–9 October 2024
Non-coding RNA World 2024: Exploring Mechanisms, Designing Medicines
Location: Basel, Switzerland

ncRNA 2024 will explore the latest advances in the field, covering topics from basic biology to medical and technological applications.

Find more upcoming MDPI events here.

Closing Thoughts

Reflections from OASPA 2024 Conference in Lisbon (16–18 September)

Amidst my September travels, I also had pleasure of attending the OASPA 2024 Conference in Lisbon from 16–18 September. It’s the first in-person Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA) event in five years, and being in the sunny city of Lisbon made it even better! MDPI has long been a member of OASPA, and attending this conference gave us an opportunity to connect with other key members of the organization to see the latest developments in the OA movement.

“I believe that publishers have a lot to offer in terms of data and insights”

Main Themes from OASPA 2024

The main themes covered were equity and inclusivity, diamond OA, AI and openness, OA books, research integrity, and how OA can address broader societal challenges such as climate change. While it was great to see the latest developments in these areas, it was also clear that certain voices were missing, particularly those of major publishers. Although it’s not easy to incorporate every perspective, I believe that publishers, including MDPI, have a lot to offer in terms of data and insights. During the membership meeting, a few of us raised the point that large-scale publisher input could add value to these discussions.

It’s important to participate in industry conferences such as OASPA in order to be part of the discussions and remain at the forefront of the OA movement.

It’s an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with organizations that share our commitment to OA.

While sponsorship is one way to show our support, it’s clear that being part of the conversation through participating in the OASPA groups and committee is what really makes a difference.

It took the last 20 years for more than 50% of the world's research to be published via open access. This provides a sobering reminder that flipping the remaining 50% will be a big challenge.

An important takeaway for me was that there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution for OA challenges: different regions and different stakeholders need different forms of support, whether it is infrastructure, funding, education, or policy, for example. I also enjoyed Rebecca Ross' presentation on how OA can drive action on climate. A few panellists shared the need for transparency in the peer-review process, advocating for open review reports, which is something we have been offering since 2014.

Speaking of openness, we are excited to celebrate Open Access Week 2024 with the scholarly community from 21–27 October. I look forward to sharing a recap of our activities in the next newsletter.

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

29 September 2024
MDPI New Journal Proposal—Invitation to Shape the Future of Open Science Together


As a leader in open access publishing, MDPI is eager to explore new collaboration opportunities, including the launch of new journals and the transfer of existing ones. At present, MDPI publishes over 400 journals, more than 160 of which have established partnerships with academic organizations. Additionally, we publish 19 association journals.

In order to enhance exchange and cooperation with scientific researchers and share the results of open science, MDPI invites experts and scholars from various fields to submit proposals for new journal collaboration opportunities. If your proposal is approved, you could take on the role of Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, or Editorial Board Member of the journal. This position allows you to manage the manuscript review process alongside our editorial department, participate in calls for papers, strengthen your network with scholars in the field, expand scientific research cooperation, enhance your personal and academic influence internationally, and play a leading role in academia.

Once the new journal is online, MDPI will provide a variety of promotional channels to market the journal internationally.

MDPI will offer various promotional channels to enhance its visibility and promote it internationally.

How can you determine the theme of a new journal?

  • Assess research hotspots/academic frontiers;
  • Assess pioneers in the field/key research directions of universities;
  • Determine whether MDPI has already established a journal in the field.

You can browse MDPI’s existing journals at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals.

Advantages of collaborating with MDPI:

  • MDPI is a global leader in open-access publishing with extensive academic resources.
  • MDPI offers a professional publishing team that provides comprehensive support throughout the publishing process.
  • MDPI’s diverse promotional platforms and channels help journals quickly increase their international visibility and influence.

We invite you to submit new journal proposal here, and contribute to academic development! In addition, if your institution (university, institute, college, national key laboratory, society, etc.) intends to establish a journal, you can also submit a draft to MDPI on its behalf.

27 September 2024
MDPI’s 2023 Travel Awards—Winners Announced


MDPI journals frequently grant travel awards to empower junior researchers to showcase their latest research at academic conferences, thereby amplifying their impact within their research fields.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 103 recipients of MDPI's 2023 Travel Awards from different countries and territories for their exceptional presentations. These outstanding individuals were selected by the journal editors based on the strength of their research proposals and the anticipated impact of their presentations at academic conferences. We commend their exceptional contributions and wish them continued success in their academic endeavors.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community. To learn more about the list of awardees, please visit the following pages:

About MDPI Awards:

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.

25 September 2024
Topics Webinar | Reframing Strategies for a Low-Carbon Future in Agricultural Systems, 4 October 2024


This webinar, hosted by MDPI journals Agronomy (ISSN: 2073-4395), Climate (ISSN: 2225-1154), Crops (ISSN: 2673-7655), Grasses (ISSN: 2813-3463), Horticulturae (ISSN: 2311-7524), Land (ISSN: 2073-445X), and Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747), is open to all who enjoy conducting research on a variety of innovative strategies, such as precision agriculture, regenerative farming, and sustainable land management practices.

Our distinguished speakers will delve into the pivotal roles that diverse stakeholders play in shaping effective policy frameworks for a low-carbon transition in agriculture. By fostering collaboration among governments, farmers, and researchers, we can unlock pathways to a more sustainable and resilient food system that will serve not only our current needs but also those of future generations.

We encourage you to share any thought-provoking topics or speaker suggestions that could enhance our discussions and drive meaningful change in the agricultural sector.

Keywords: sustainability; climate change; agriculture; innovation; policy
Date: 4 October 2024 at 16:00 CEST | 10:00 EDT | 22:00 CST Asia
Webinar ID: 865 5083 9741

Register now for free!

Program:

Speaker/Presentation

Time in CEST
(4 October 2024)

Time in CST Asia
(4 October 2024)

Dr. Ibrahim Khalil (Chair)
Chair Introduction

16:00–16:10

22:00–22:10

Prof. Dr. Matt Bell
Real-Time Analysis: A Game-Changer for Low-Carbon Agriculture

16:10–16:30

22:10–22:30

Dr. Katja Klumpp
Carbon Farming Strategies: Benefits, Barriers, and Best Practices

16:30–16:50

22:30–22:50

Prof. Dr. Bruce Osborne
The Need to Account for the Totality of Impacts of Land Use Changes for Climate Mitigation Purposes

16:50–17:10

22:50–23:10

Q&A Session

17:10–17:25

23:10–23:25

Dr. Ibrahim Khalil (Chair)
Closing of Webinar

17:25–17:30

23:25–23:30

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

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

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

  • Dr. Ibrahim Khalil (Chair), UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland;
  • Prof. Dr. Matt Bell, Department of Animal and Agriculture, Hartpury University, Hartpury, UK;
  • Dr. Katja Klumpp, The Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRAE), Clermont-Ferrand, France;
  • Prof. Dr. Bruce Osborne, UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science, and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland.

Relevant Topic:
“Reframing Strategies for a Low Carbon Future in Agricultural Systems”
Topic Editors: Dr. M. Ibrahim Khalil and Prof. Dr. Bruce Osborne
Abstract submission deadline: 31 October 2024
Manuscript submission deadline: 31 December 2024

For more information about this webinar, please visit the following link: https://sciforum.net/event/topics-27.

13 September 2024
Horticulturae | Invitation to Read the 2022–2023 Highly Cited Papers in the Section “Developmental Physiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology”


It is our honor to present the highly cited papers published by Horticulturae (ISSN: 2311-7524) in 2022 and 2023 in the Section “Developmental Physiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology”. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding individuals and teams whose work inspires fellow researchers and profoundly influences the field of horticulture science. We invite you to read the outstanding works listed below.

1. “Effects of Light Intensity and Temperature on the Photosynthesis Characteristics and Yield of Lettuce”
by Jing Zhou, Pingping Li and Jizhang Wang
Horticulturae 2022, 8(2), 178; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8020178
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/2/178

2. “Enhancing Antioxidant Properties of Prunus spinosa Fruit Extracts via Extraction Optimization”
by Konstantina Kotsou, Magdalena Stoikou, Vassilis Athanasiadis, Theodoros Chatzimitakos, Martha Mantiniotou, Athanassios I. Sfougaris and Stavros I. Lalas
Horticulturae 2023, 9(8), 942; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9080942
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/8/942

3. “Essential Oils in Citrus Fruit Ripening and Postharvest Quality”
by Maria M. Salvatore, Rosario Nicoletti and Anna Andolfi
Horticulturae 2022, 8(5), 396; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8050396
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/5/396

4. “Phytochemical Composition of Red-Fleshed Apple Cultivar ‘Baya Marisa’ Compared to Traditional, White-Fleshed Apple Cultivar ‘Golden Delicious’”
by Jan Juhart, Aljaz Medic, Robert Veberic, Metka Hudina, Jerneja Jakopic and Franci Stampar
Horticulturae 2022, 8(9), 811; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8090811
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/9/811

5. “Effects of Girdling and Foliar Fertilization with K on Physicochemical Parameters, Phenolic and Volatile Composition in ‘Hanxiangmi’ Table Grape”
by Tianchi Chen, Tao Xu, Leyi Shen, Tianye Zhang, Liru Wang, Zhihui Chen, Yueyan Wu and Jian Yang
Horticulturae 2022, 8(5), 388; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8050388
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/5/388

6. “Effect of Flower Development Stages on the Dynamics of Volatile Compounds in Ylang-Ylang (Cananga odorata) Essential Oil”
by Abacar Chakira, Cyrielle Garcia, Christian Soria, Jérôme Minier and Marc Chillet
Horticulturae 2022, 8(11), 986; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8110986
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/11/986

7. “Impact of Pseudomonas sp. SVB-B33 on Stress- and Cell Wall-Related Genes in Roots and Leaves of Hemp under Salinity”
by Roberto Berni, Jean Hausman and Gea Guerriero
Horticulturae 2022, 8(4), 336; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8040336
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/4/336

8. “Supplemental LED Lighting Improves Fruit Growth and Yield of Tomato Grown under the Sub-Optimal Lighting Condition of a Building Integrated Rooftop Greenhouse (i-RTG)”
by Elisa Appolloni, Ivan Paucek, Giuseppina Pennisi, Gaia Stringari, Xavier Gabarrell Durany, Francesco Orsini and Giorgio Gianquinto
Horticulturae 2022, 8(9), 771; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8090771
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/9/771

9. “Volatile Compounds and Antioxidant and Antifungal Activity of Bud and Needle Extracts from Three Populations of Pinus mugo Turra Growing in Romania”
by Diana I. Popescu, Ecaterina Lengyel, Florian G. Apostolescu, Liliana C. Soare, Oana R. Botoran and Nicoleta A. Șuțan
Horticulturae 2022, 8(10), 952; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8100952
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/10/952

10. “Evolution of the Volatile Organic Compounds, Phenols and Antioxidant Capacity during Fruit Ripening and Development of Rubus ulmifolius Schott Fruits”
by Ricardo I. Castro, Mariona G. Cortiella and Patricio Ramos
Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010013
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/1/13

11 September 2024
MDPI’s 2023 Best PhD Thesis Awards—Winners Announced


MDPI’s Best PhD Thesis Awards are granted to promising young scholars whose PhD theses are deemed exceptional within their respective research fields. These awards aim to encourage young scholars to continue their outstanding accomplishments and further contribute to their field.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 54 winners of the 2023 Best PhD Thesis Awards and wish them success with their future research endeavors.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community. To learn more about all the awardees and their research projects in your field of study, please visit the following pages:

About MDPI Awards:

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.

10 September 2024
Horticulturae | Invitation to Read the 2023 Highly Cited Papers in the Section “Genetics, Genomics, Breeding, and Biotechnology (G2B2)”


1. “Optimized Regeneration of Petunia Protoplast and Its Association with Tissue Identity Regulators”
by Luhua Tu, Saminathan Subburaj, Kayoun Lee, Yongsam Jeon, Fanzhuang Yan, Jian Yao, Young-Sun Kim, Ok-Jae Koo and Geung-Joo Lee
Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 216; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020216
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/2/216

2. “Micropropagation of Vaccinium corymbosum L.: An Alternative Procedure for the Production of Secondary Metabolites”
by Doina Clapa, Silvia-Amalia Nemeș, Floricuța Ranga, Monica Hârța, Dan-Cristian Vodnar and Lavinia-Florina Călinoiu
Horticulturae 2022, 8(6), 480; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8060480
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/6/480

3. “Selection Progress for Resistance to Fusarium Basal Rot in Short-Day Onions Using Artificial Inoculation Mature Bulb Screening”
by Suman Sharma and Christopher S. Cramer
Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010099
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/1/99

4. “Tomato Response to Fusarium spp. Infection under Field Conditions: Study of Potential Genes Involved”
by Joana A. Ribeiro, André Albuquerque, Patrick Materatski, Mariana Patanita, Carla M. R. Varanda, Maria do Rosário Félix and Maria Doroteia Campos
Horticulturae 2022, 8(5), 433; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8050433
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/5/433

5. “Biotechnologies and Strategies for Grapevine Improvement”
by Anca Butiuc-Keul and Ana Coste
Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010062
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/1/62

6. “Rapid Identification of Apple Maturity Based on Multispectral Sensor Combined with Spectral Shape Features”
by Mengsheng Zhang, Maosheng Shen, Yuge Pu, Yuge Pu, Bo Zhang, Zhongxiong Zhang, Xiaolin Ren and Juan Zhao
Horticulturae 2022, 8(5), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8050361
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/5/361

7. “Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of AMT Gene Family in Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.)”
by Linlin Huang, Jiazhen Li, Bin Zhang, Yanyan Hao and Fengwang Ma
Horticulturae 2022, 8(5), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8050457
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/5/457

8. “Inheritance of Apple (Malus × domestica (L.) Borkh) Resistance against Apple Scab (Venturia inaequalis (Cooke) Wint.) in Hybrid Breeding Material Obtained by Gene Pyramiding”
by Kristīne Zelmene, Katrīna Kārkliņa, Laila Ikase and Gunārs Lācis
Horticulturae 2022, 8(9), 772; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8090772
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/9/772

9. “Characterization of the Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis Sim) bHLH Family in Fruit Development and Abiotic Stress and Functional Analysis of PebHLH56 in Cold Stress”
by Yi Xu, Weidong Zhou, Funing Ma, Dongmei Huang, Wenting Xing, Bin Wu, Peiguang Sun, Di Chen, Di Chen and Shun Song
Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020272
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/2/272

10. “Insights into Factors Controlling Adventitious Root Formation in Apples”
by Muhammad Mobeen Tahir, Jiangping Mao, Shaohuan Li, Ke Li, Yu Liu, Yun Shao, Dong Zhang and Xiaoyun Zhang
Horticulturae 2022, 8(4), 276; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8040276
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/4/276

6 September 2024
Horticulturae | Invitation to Read the 2022–2023 Highly Cited Papers in the Section “Viticulture”

It is our honor to present the highly cited papers published by Horticulturae (ISSN: 2311-7524) in 2022 and 2023 in the Section “Viticulture”. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding individuals and teams whose work inspires fellow researchers and profoundly influences the field of horticulture science. We invite you to read the outstanding works listed below.

1. “Grapevine in the Ancient Upper Euphrates: Horticultural Implications of a Bayesian Morphometric Study of Archaeological Seeds”
by Javier Valera, Gonzalo Matilla-Seiquer, Concepción Obón, Francisco Alcaraz and Diego Rivera
Horticulturae 2023, 9(7), 803; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9070803
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/7/803

2. “Widely Targeted Metabolomics Provides New Insights into the Flavonoid Metabolism in ‘Kyoho’ Grapes under a Two-Crop-a-Year Cultivation System”
by Guo Cheng, Sihong Zhou, Jinbiao Liu, Qiyan Feng, Rongfu Wei, Huan Yu, Bo Wang, Ying Zhang and Xianjin Bai
Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020154
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/2/154

3. “Genetic Diversity and Core Germplasm Research of 144 Munake Grape Resources Using 22 Pairs of SSR Markers”
by Shiqing Liu, Haixia Zhong, Fuchun Zhang, Xiyong Wang, Xinyu Wu, Jiancheng Wang and Wei Shi
Horticulturae 2023, 9(8), 917; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9080917
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/8/917

4. “Vibration Analysis of Pulse-Width-Modulated Nozzles in Vineyard Blast Sprayers”
by Coral Ortiz, Antonio Torregrosa, Verónica Saiz-Rubio and Francisco Rovira-Más
Horticulturae 2023, 9(6), 703; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9060703
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/6/703

5. “Inter-Row Management and Clay Content Influence Acari and Collembola Abundances in Vineyards”
by Stefan Möth, Sarhan Khalil, Rudi Rizzoli, Magdalena Steiner, Astrid Forneck, Sven Bacher, Michaela Griesser, Pascal Querner and Silvia Winter
Horticulturae 2023, 9(12), 1249; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9121249
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/12/1249

6. “Identification of Vitis vinifera L. Local Cultivars Recovered in Andalusia (Spain) by Using Microsatellite Markers”
by Ana Jiménez-Cantizano, Anna Puig-Pujol and Rosa Arroyo-García
Horticulturae 2023, 9(3), 316; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9030316
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/3/316

7. “Characterisation and Identification of Vines from Fuerteventura (Canary Volcanic Archipelago (Spain)) Using Simple Sequence Repeat Markers”
by Francesca Fort, Qiying Lin-Yang, Carla Valls, Pau Sancho-Galán, Joan Miquel Canals and Fernando Zamora
Horticulturae 2023, 9(12), 1301; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9121301
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/12/1301

8. “Wild Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (C.C. Gmelin) Hegi)—Novel Species to the Israeli Flora”
by Oshrit Rahimi, Jotham Ziffer Berger, Ilana Shtein, Mafatlal M. Kher, Suembikya Frumin, Sariel Hübner, Ehud Weiss and Elyashiv Drori
Horticulturae 2023, 9(9), 998; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9090998
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/9/998

9. “Study of Molecular Biodiversity and Population Structure of Vitis vinifera L. ssp. vinifera on the Volcanic Island of El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain) by Using Microsatellite Markers”
by Francesca Fort, Qiying Lin-Yang, Luis Ricardo Suárez-Abreu, Pau Sancho-Galán, Joan Miquel Canals and Fernando Zamora
Horticulturae 2023, 9(12), 1297; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9121297
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/12/1297

10. “Dissecting Seed Proanthocyandin Composition and Accumulation under Different Berry Ripening Process in Wine Grapes”
by Aoyi Liu, Jingjing Wang, Xuechen Yao, Nongyu Xia, Qi Sun, Changqing Duan and Qiuhong Pan
Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010061
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/1/61

4 September 2024
Horticulturae | Top 10 Cited Papers in 2023


The journal Horticulturae (ISSN: 2311-7524) focuses on all areas and aspects of temperate to tropical horticulture. We invite you to read our most highly cited articles published in 2023 that are listed below.

1. “Effects of Exogenous Melatonin on Chrysanthemum Physiological Characteristics and Photosynthesis under Drought Stress”
by Yan Luo, Taotao Hu, Yunyun Huo, Lingling Wang, Li Zhang and Rui Yan
Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010106
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/1/106

2. “Bio-Fertilizers Reduced the Need for Mineral Fertilizers in Soilless-Grown Capia Pepper”
by Hayriye Yildiz Dasgan, Mehmet Yilmaz, Sultan Dere, Boran Ikiz and Nazim S. Gruda
Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 188; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020188
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/2/188

3. “Estimating the Ripeness of Hass Avocado Fruit Using Deep Learning with Hyperspectral Imaging”
by Yazad Jamshed Davur, Wiebke Kämper, Kourosh Khoshelham, Stephen J. Trueman and Shahla Hosseini Bai
Horticulturae 2023, 9(5), 599; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9050599
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/5/599

4. “Effect of Red and Blue Light on Cucumber Seedlings Grown in a Plant Factory”
by Dezhi Jin, Xiaofeng Su, Yuefeng Li, Mingming Shi, Bobo Yang, Wenchang Wan, Xing Wen, Shaojun Yang, Xiaotao Ding and Jun Zou
Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020124
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/2/124

5. “Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Several Blackberry (Rubus spp.) Fruits Cultivars Grown in Romania”
by Adriana Ramona Memete, Ioan Sărac, Alin Cristian Teusdea, Ruben Budău, Mariana Bei and Simona Ioana Vicas
Horticulturae 2023, 9(5), 556; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9050556
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/5/556

6. “Enhancing Antioxidant Properties of Prunus spinosa Fruit Extracts via Extraction Optimization”
by Konstantina Kotsou, Magdalena Stoikou, Vassilis Athanasiadis, Theodoros Chatzimitakos, Martha Mantiniotou, Athanassios I. Sfougaris and Stavros I. Lalas
Horticulturae 2023, 9(8), 942; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9080942
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/8/942

7. “Exogenous Melatonin Application Induced Morpho-Physiological and Biochemical Regulations Conferring Salt Tolerance in Ranunculus asiaticus L.”
by Eman Abdelhakim Eisa, Péter Honfi, Andrea Tilly-Mándy and Iman Mirmazloum
Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020228
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/2/228

8. “Effects of Root and Foliar Application of Corn Steep Liquor on Pepper Plants: A Physiological, Nutritional, and Morphological Study”
by Iván Navarro-Morillo, Valeria Navarro-Perez, Rafael Perez-Millan, Eloy Navarro-León, Begoña Blasco, Jose Maria Cámara-Zapata and Francisco Garcia-Sanchez
Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020221
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/2/221

9. “Transcriptome Analysis of Ethylene Response in Chrysanthemum moriflolium Ramat. with an Emphasis on Flowering Delay”
by Hua Cheng, Min Zhou, Yuyang Si, Wenjie Li, Likai Wang, Sumei Chen, Fadi Chen and Jiafu Jiang
Horticulturae 2023, 9(4), 428; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9040428
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/4/428

10. “Transcriptomic Analysis of Salicylic Acid Promoting Seed Germination of Melon under Salt Stress”
by Miao Yan, Jiancai Mao, Ting Wu, Tao Xiong, Quansheng Huang, Haibo Wu and Guozhi Hu
Horticulturae 2023, 9(3), 375; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9030375
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/3/375

3 September 2024
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #15 - CHORUS, Best Paper Award, August Events

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

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


Opening Thoughts

I am pleased to share that MDPI is now an Affiliate Member of CHORUS, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring public access to articles reporting on U.S. government-funded research. This partnership highlights our long-standing commitment to advancing Open Access (OA) publishing and meeting funders’ open research requirements.

Read the full announcement here.

With the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) 2022 memorandum calling for immediate public access to all federally funded research by 2026, this partnership positions MDPI to further support academic institutions in adhering to national mandates while providing authors with fully compliant (CC-BY) OA journals.

The CHORUS platform went live in July 2014 and includes NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Science Foundation.

“This partnership positions MDPI to further support academic institutions in adhering to national mandates”

Joining CHORUS perfectly aligns our mission as the leading OA publisher, which is to drive transparency and innovation in scholarly publishing, with that of CHORUS itself, which is to advance Open Access research. It will also support MDPI publications from organizations such as NASA, with 1,200 research papers published by NASA-affiliated authors as at 31 August 2024.

Impactful Research

MDPI’s Best Paper Awards—Award-Winning Papers in 2023 Announced

MDPI is committed to supporting and recognizing the academic community and is proud to announce the recipients of the 2023 Best Paper Awards, which recognize high-quality papers of significant scientific merit and impact. Each year, the editors of our journals carefully select papers that showcase outstanding scientific achievement.

This year, 115 Best Paper Awards were presented, chosen from 346 exceptional papers in a highly competitive selection process. Congratulations to the authors for their remarkable contributions!

To learn more about all the awardees and their research projects, visit the following pages:

About MDPI Awards
MDPI regularly offers various awards to recognize researchers, particularly young scientists, and to promote communication within the scientific community. These awards exist to inspire and acknowledge talented scientists who have made significant contributions to advancing their fields.

To find out more MDPI awards, please click here.

“Our awards exist to inspire and acknowledge talented scientists”

Inside MDPI

MDPI AI Team Presented at EuroSciPy 2024 in Poland

As part of the CEO Letter, I hold dear this ‘Inside MDPI’ section, where I have an opportunity to highlight various projects, teams and updates within our organization. As such, I’m happy to showcase the following presentations from members of MDPI’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) team, which were recently presented at the EuroSciPy 2024 (16th European Conference on Python in Science). This conference took place in Szczecin, Poland from 26–30 August.

“This event was a great opportunity to reinforce our commitment to innovation and excellence in publishing”

MDPI colleagues Frank Sauerburger (AI Tech Leader) and Daniele Raimondi (Senior Data Scientist) both presented at the conference. Frank discussed MDPI’s AI infrastructure, while Daniele showcased a new methodological approach we have been developing to track the journey of rejected academic manuscripts. This approach combines AI, data science and analytics to improve the identification of manuscripts and authors, enhancing our understanding of publishing dynamics.

This event was a great opportunity to reinforce our commitment to innovation and excellence in publishing. It also allowed us to contribute to the academic discussion on integrating AI and data science into scholarly communication.

From data analysis in Jupyter Notebooks to production applications: AI infrastructure at reasonable scale – Frank Sauerburger

Frank’s presentation on MDPI’s AI infrastructure provided a chance to showcase the advanced technological frameworks that power our operations. Given the technical and academic focus of EuroSciPy, this talk demonstrated how MDPI’s AI capabilities are not only cutting-edge but also central to driving efficiency and innovation in scholarly publishing. Engaging with the EuroSciPy community helps position MDPI as a leader in applying AI within the publishing industry, fostering potential collaborations and attracting interest from top researchers.

A Qdrant and Specter2 framework for tracking resubmissions of rejected manuscripts in academia – Daniele Raimondi

Daniele’s talk on the novel methodological approach that combines AI, Data Science, and Analytics was crucial in highlighting how MDPI is advancing the precision and effectiveness of manuscript and author identification. This approach is pivotal in enhancing our understanding of publishing dynamics and ensuring the quality and integrity of the academic content we manage. By presenting at EuroSciPy, we had the opportunity to engage with an audience deeply involved in scientific computing, gaining feedback and insights that could further refine our methodologies.

Thank you, Frank and Daniele, for representing MDPI so well!

I will share more about MDPI’s AI team and projects in upcoming CEO Letters, as we have a well-rounded AI and Data Team working on an exciting suite of AI products for MDPI and the scholarly community at large.

Coming Together for Science

The 1st International Conference on AI Sensors & The 10th International Symposium on Sensor Science

I am pleased to share the success of our MDPI conference The 1st International Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Sensors and the 10th International Symposium on Sensor Science in Singapore this past 1–4 August.

With nearly 400 attendees, the event brought together researchers and industry experts from China, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, India and other countries to share their findings on the latest developments in sensors, sensing technology, artificial intelligence for sensing applications and AI-enhanced sensing systems.

We accepted a total of 355 abstracts, featuring 772 authors from 28 countries. Over the course of the four-day event, 66 posters were displayed and 296 talks were delivered, including 4 plenary talks, 46 keynote speeches, 122 invited talks, and 124 selected oral presentations. View the event gallery here.

I am pleased to announce the winners of the four awards, including Best Presentation and Best Poster, recognizing the contributions of our participants during the conference.

Looking ahead, the 2nd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers is scheduled to take place from 29 July to 5 August, 2025, in Bangkok, Thailand.

Thank you to our Conference team, including Ionut Spatar, Teodora Nicoleta Cremene, Ang Kai Lin, Benjamin Tay, Leong Jin Yue Esther, Wong Jolin, Judith Wu, Alethea Liu and Flora Li, who were involved in making this event a success. A big thank-you also goes to our local MDPI colleagues for their support: Yu Nwe Soe, Hen Chu Yang, Kwah Zhi En Watcharapong, Zephan Yang, Daphne Neo, Huimin Cheng, Nathan Li and Ting Yin.

Upcoming In-Person Event

25–27 September, 2024
The 5th International Conference on Materials: Advances in Material Innovation
Location: Basel, Switzerland

ICM 2024 will unite experts to share insights on recent advancements in Materials Characterization, Processing and Manufacturing.

7–9 October, 2024
Non-coding RNA World 2024: Exploring Mechanisms, Designing Medicines
Location: Basel, Switzerland

ncRNA 2024 will explore the latest advances in the field, covering topics from basic biology to medical and technological applications.

Find more upcoming MDPI events here.

Closing Thoughts

The 2nd Sustainable Publishing Forum

In 2022, the International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM) outlined three goals to reflect the academic community’s shared aspirations: promoting Open Science, maintaining research integrity and fulfilling social responsibility. Open Science has evolved from the Open Access movement of the early 2000s to become a preferred model in academic publishing. Publishers and academic journals play a crucial role in ensuring research integrity, with efforts to prevent misconduct markedly on the increase now.

As the world faces sustainability challenges, the academic publishing industry is increasingly committed to contributing the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Many publishers are implementing strategies to support these objectives, including ours, which you can view here.

The 2nd MDPI Sustainable Publishing Forum provided a platform for global editors and publishers to discuss these themes, aiming to strengthen collaboration and advance the contributions that scientific publishing can make to academia and society.

“Open Science has evolved to become a preferred model in academic publishing”

The 2nd Sustainable Publishing Forum

We hosted MDPI’s 2nd Sustainable Publishing Forum in Beijing, China, on 15–16 August, attracting nearly 120 attendees from local and international publishers, university presses, scientific and technical journal associations, libraries and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The event focused on promoting Open Science, maintaining research integrity, and fulfilling social responsibility.

This was an excellent opportunity for us to share more with conference attendees about the approach of our research integrity team. Our Head of Publishing, Peter Roth, also participated, speaking on how to identify and avoid predatory publishers and about the principles that underpin ethical academic publishing.

I extend my thanks to all of our conference speakers, including Hylke Koers (STM Solutions), who presented on STM Trends 2028 and shared insights on the STM Integrity Hub, of which MDPI is a member.

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG


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