Announcements

Cancer impacts millions of lives worldwide, yet each person’s journey with the disease is uniquely their own. World Cancer Day reminds us that while the disease impacts individuals differently, our shared strength, innovation, and focus on holistic care bring us closer to a future where cancer no longer dictates lives. Every experience, challenge, and success story contribute to the broader fight against cancer, demonstrating the resilience and hope that unite us all. As we continue to make strides through innovative research, treatment advancements, and global collaboration, it is essential to recognize both the diversity of stories and our common goal of overcoming cancer together.

In observance of this day, we invite you to explore the following resources that delve into the field of cancer and the cutting-edge advancements shaping its care. By prioritizing people-centered treatment where patients’ voices and needs guide care, we can ensure personalized attention for all. It is our hope to foster a deeper understanding of the impact of cancer and encourage meaningful action to support patients, caregivers, and researchers in their pursuit of a world free from cancer’s hold. Together, we can inspire action and work toward a cancer-free future.

“Rare Variants of Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans: Clinical, Histologic, and Molecular Features and Diagnostic Pitfalls”
by Celestine M. Trinidad, Sintawat Wangsiricharoen, Victor G. Prieto and Phyu P. Aung
Dermatopathology 2023, 10(1), 54–62; https://doi.org/10.3390/dermatopathology10010008

“Nitrogen Containing Heterocycles as Anticancer Agents: A Medicinal Chemistry Perspective”
by Adarsh Kumar, Ankit Kumar Singh, Harshwardhan Singh, Veena Vijayan, Deepak Kumar, Jashwanth Naik, Suresh Thareja, Jagat Pal Yadav, Prateek Pathak, Maria Grishina et al.
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(2), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16020299

“Artificial Intelligence in Brain Tumor Imaging: A Step toward Personalized Medicine”
by Maurizio Cè, Giovanni Irmici, Chiara Foschini, Giulia Maria Danesini, Lydia Viviana Falsitta, Maria Lina Serio, Andrea Fontana, Carlo Martinenghi, Giancarlo Oliva and Michaela Cellina
Curr. Oncol. 2023, 30(3), 2673–2701; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30030203

“Triple Negative Breast Cancer Treatment Options and Limitations: Future Outlook”
by Onyinyechi Obidiro, Gantumur Battogtokh and Emmanuel O. Akala
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(7), 1796; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15071796

“Biomarkers in Breast Cancer: An Old Story with a New End”
by Lyvia Neves Rebello Alves, Débora Dummer Meira, Luiza Poppe Merigueti, Matheus Correia Casotti, Diego do Prado Ventorim, Jucimara Ferreira Figueiredo Almeida, Valdemir Pereira de Sousa, Marllon Cindra Sant’Ana, Rahna Gonçalves Coutinho da Cruz, Luana Santos Louro et al.
Genes 2023, 14(7), 1364; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14071364

“Could Microbiome Be the Common Co-Denominator between Type 2 Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer?”
by Marin Golčić and Andrej Belančić
Diabetology 2023, 4(4), 553–559; https://doi.org/10.3390/diabetology4040049

“Targeting Solute Carrier Transporters (SLCs) as a Therapeutic Target in Different Cancers”
by Ravi Bharadwaj, Swati Jaiswal, Erandi E. Velarde de la Cruz and Ritesh P. Thakare
Diseases 2024, 12(3), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases12030063

“Significance of TP53, CDKN2A, SMAD4 and KRAS in Pancreatic Cancer”
by Dimitrios Stefanoudakis, Maximos Frountzas, Dimitrios Schizas, Nikolaos V. Michalopoulos, Alexandra Drakaki and Konstantinos G. Toutouzas
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46(4), 2827–2844; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb46040177

“Metformin: From Diabetes to Cancer—Unveiling Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies”
by Emilia Amengual-Cladera, Pere Miquel Morla-Barcelo, Andrea Morán-Costoya, Jorge Sastre-Serra, Daniel Gabriel Pons, Adamo Valle, Pilar Roca and Mercedes Nadal-Serrano
Biology 2024, 13(5), 302; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13050302

“Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Fundamental Mechanisms, Current Status and Future Directions”
by Abdullah Younis and John Gribben
Immuno 2024, 4(3), 186–210; https://doi.org/10.3390/immuno4030013

“Breast Cancer Screening among African Immigrants in the United States: An Integrative Review of Barriers, Facilitators, and Interventions”
by Julian I. Rauch, Joseph Daniels, Alyssa Robillard and Rodney P. Joseph
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(8), 1004; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21081004

“Predicting Leukoplakia and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Using Interpretable Machine Learning: A Retrospective Analysis”
by Salem Shamsul Alam, Saif Ahmed, Taseef Hasan Farook and James Dudley
Oral 2024, 4(3), 386–404; https://doi.org/10.3390/oral4030032

On 31 May 2021, the World Health Assembly (WHA) recognized 30 January as World Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Day. This decision formalized 30 January as a day to create better awareness on the devastating impact of NTDs on the poorest populations around the world. The day is also an opportunity to call on everyone to support the growing momentum for the control, elimination and eradication of these diseases.

We would like to recommend some related articles, Special Issues, and journals in the field of medicine & pharmacology as suitable communication platforms for you. We believe that sharing research like this can help raise awareness of NTDs.

“A Fatal Case of Presumptive Diagnosis of Leptospirosis Involving the Central Nervous System”
by Christina Alexopoulou, Athanasia Proklou, Sofia Kokkini, Maria Raissaki, Ioannis Konstantinou and Eumorfia Kondili
Healthcare 2024, 12(5), 568; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12050568

“Evaluation of an Artificial Intelligence-Based Tool and a Universal Low-Cost Robotized Microscope for the Automated Diagnosis of Malaria”
by Carles Rubio Maturana, Allisson Dantas de Oliveira, Francesc Zarzuela, Alejandro Mediavilla, Patricia Martínez-Vallejo, Aroa Silgado, Lidia Goterris, Marc Muixí, Alberto Abelló, Anna Veiga et al.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(1), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22010047

“Chagas Disease in the Non-Endemic Area of Rome, Italy: Ten Years of Experience and a Brief Overview”
by Maria Letizia Giancola, Andrea Angheben, Laura Scorzolini, Stefania Carrara, Ada Petrone, Antonella Vulcano, Raffaella Lionetti, Angela Corpolongo, Rosalia Marrone, Francesca Faraglia et al.
Infect. Dis. Rep. 2024, 16(4), 650-663; https://doi.org/10.3390/idr16040050

“Uptake and Effectiveness of Intermittent Preventive Treatment with Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine during Pregnancy in Africa: A Scoping Review”
by Gifty Osei Berchie, Patience Fakornam Doe, Theodora Dedo Azu, Joyce Agyeiwaa, Gifty Owusu, Christian Makafui Boso, Naomi Kyeremaa Yeboa, Dorcas Frempomaa Agyare, Irene Korkoi Aboh, Bernard Nabe et al.
Diseases 2024, 12(9), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases12090203

“Laparoscopic Management of Multiple Liver, Omental, Mesenteric, Peritoneal, and Round Ligament Hydatid Cysts—A Rare Report of a Case and a Systematic Literature Review”
by Alin Mihetiu, Dan Georgian Bratu, Ciprian Tanasescu, Bogdan Ioan Vintilă, Alexandra Sandu, Mariana Sandu, Dragos Serban, Dan Sabau and Adrian Hasegan
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(2), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14020205

“False-Positive Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test Likely Due to African Tick Bite Fever: A Case Report”
by Rahel T. Zewude, Syed Zain Ahmad, Tom Joseph and Andrea K. Boggild
Reports 2024, 7(4), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/reports7040100

“Increasing Risk of Tick-Borne Disease through Growth Stages in Ticks”
by Makoto Kondo, Yoshiaki Matsushima, Takehisa Nakanishi, Shohei Iida, Habe Koji and Keiichi Yamanaka
Clin. Pract. 2023, 13(1), 246-250; https://doi.org/10.3390/clinpract13010022

“Oral Chagas Disease in Colombia—Confirmed and Suspected Routes of Transmission”
by Norman L. Beatty, Catalina Arango-Ferreira, Lídia Gual-Gonzalez, Sara Zuluaga, Melissa S. Nolan and Omar Cantillo-Barraza
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2024, 9(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9010014

“Global Patterns of Trends in Incidence and Mortality of Dengue, 1990–2019: An Analysis Based on the Global Burden of Disease Study”
by Irena Ilic and Milena Ilic
Medicina 2024, 60(3), 425; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60030425

“DengueFog: A Fog Computing-Enabled Weighted Random Forest-Based Smart Health Monitoring System for Automatic Dengue Prediction”
by Ashima Kukkar, Yugal Kumar, Jasminder Kaur Sandhu, Manjit Kaur, Tarandeep Singh Walia and Mohammed Amoon
Diagnostics 2024, 14(6), 624; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14060624

“Global Fight against Malaria: Goals and Achievements 1900–2022”
by Marc Thellier, Ayawovi Arlene Jessicka Gemegah and Ilhame Tantaoui
J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(19), 5680; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13195680

“Oropouche Virus Exposure in Febrile Patients during Chikungunya Virus Introduction in the State of Amapá, Amazon Region, Brazil”
by Raquel Curtinhas de Lima, Helver Gonçalves Dias, Thiara Manuele Alves de Souza, Débora Familiar-Macedo, Edcelha D’Athaide Ribeiro, Valmir Corrêa e Corrêa, Alex Pauvolid-Corrêa, Elzinandes Leal de Azeredo and Flávia Barreto dos Santos
Pathogens 2024, 13(6), 469; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13060469

“Adenovirus-Mediated Expression of Dengue Virus 2 Envelope Ferritin Nanoparticles Induced Virus-Specific Immune Responses in BALB/c Mice”
by M.S.B.W.T.M. Nipuna Sudaraka Tennakoon, Ji-Hoon Ryu, Yong-Sam Jung, Yingjuan Qian and Hyun-Jin Shin
Microbiol. Res. 2024, 15(3), 1913-1923; https://doi.org/10.3390/microbiolres15030128

“Evolution of the Quinoline Scaffold for the Treatment of Leishmaniasis: A Structural Perspective”
by Carlos F. M.Silva, Diana C. G. A. Pinto, Pedro A. Fernandes and Artur M. S. Silva
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(3), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17030285

“Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites, Protozoans and Soil-Transmitted Helminths, in Children from Communities of Northern Argentina after the Interruption of Deworming”
by Ernesto Candela, Rubén O. Cimino, Leonardo Sandon, Carla Muñoz-Antoli and María Victoria Periago
Parasitologia 2024, 4(2), 172-183; https://doi.org/10.3390/parasitologia4020015

“Global Lipidomics Reveals the Lipid Composition Heterogeneity of Extracellular Vesicles from Drug-Resistant Leishmania”
by Sehyeon (Erica) Kim, Ana Victoria Ibarra-Meneses, Christopher Fernandez-Prada and Tao Huan
Metabolites 2024, 14(12), 658; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14120658

The editorial team at Medicina extends our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated reviewers whose expertise and commitment have been key to the journal's success in 2024. Last year, Medicina received 10448 review reports from 5084 reviewers representing 103 countries and regions worldwide.

To recognize the invaluable time, effort, and attention to detail that each reviewer dedicates, Medicina expresses its sincere gratitude through an annual acknowledgment of reviewers. As a further token of appreciation, all reviewers are eligible for the Outstanding Reviewer Award, which honors their essential role in enhancing the quality of our publications.

We are honored to recognize the reviewers who allowed us to publish their names each year. The names of these reviewers are listed below in alphabetical order by first name:

Conference: The 102nd Annual Meeting for the Osaka Society for Dialysis Therapy
Date: 2 March 2025
Location: Osaka, Japan

MDPI will be attending the 102nd Annual Meeting for the Osaka Society for Dialysis Therapy, which will be held on 2 March 2025, as an exhibitor, and we welcome researchers from various backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

In the future, it is expected that the introduction of generative AI, IoT, and robotics will enhance medical services, expand and strengthen research support systems, and further improve medical technologies. The Osaka Dialysis Research Society has the mission of achieving sustainable development in the fields of dialysis and chronic kidney disease treatment, thereby improving the quality of life (QOL) and prognosis of patients undergoing dialysis and those with chronic kidney disease. To fulfill this mission, they aim to strive for the introduction of the latest research and technologies in dialysis therapy and chronic kidney disease treatment, as well as the education, professional development, and training of medical practitioners.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• JCM;
• Diseases;
• Clinics and Practice;
• Diagnostics;
• Healthcare;
• Medicina;
• Kidney and Dialysis.

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

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

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

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal Topics (Selected)
	Prof. Dr. Zhaoyang Dong City University of Hong Kong, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	energy storage technologies; energy storage system management; energy storage applications; strategies in renewable energy generation grid integration; distributed storage systems; economics and markets for energy storage View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Yang-Hui He 1. London Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Royal Institution, UK 2. University of Oxford, UK Editorial | View inaugural issue	Euclidean geometry; differential geometry; algebraic geometry; complex geometry; discrete geometry; computational geometry; geometric group theory;  convex geometry View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Michel Planat Université de Franche-Comté, France Editorial | View inaugural issue	differential topology; algebraic topology; manifold topology; homology theory; low-dimensional topology; fuzzy sets View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Rashid Al Abri 1. Sultan Qaboos University, Oman 2. Oman Medical Association, Oman Editorial | View inaugural issue	clinical practices as well as research and innovation in medical education, risk management in healthcare, and patient safety View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Ecevit Bilgili* New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA *Prof. Dr. Ecevit Bilgili passed away before the completion of the inaugural issue. His dedication and vision for JPBI will always be remembered and serve as a guiding inspiration. Editorial | View inaugural issue	early drug discovery and development; product characterization and pre-clinical testing; drug delivery systems and drug design; active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Weiyong Liu Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	theories, methodologies, technologies, and applications in the fields of laboratory medicine and clinical chemistry View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Manuel Pedro Rodríguez Bolívar University of Granada, Spain Editorial | View inaugural issue	scientometrics; informetrics; bibliometrics; altmetrics; webometrics; research evaluation View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Fei Fan Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	regional growth theory and methods; regional system modeling and optimization; regional development policy; regional spatial evolution; environmental policy and instrument choice View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Kevin Cianfaglione Université Catholique de Lille, France Editorial | View inaugural issue	wild species and their habitats; wild environments and biodiversity; natural environment management; wild land preservation View journal scope | Submit an article

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

Conference: The 145th Annual Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
Date: 26–29 March 2025
Location: Fukuoka, Japan

MDPI will be attending the 145th Annual Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan as an exhibitor, which will be held from 26 to 29 March 2025, and we welcome researchers from diverse backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

The conference is organized by the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan and chaired by Prof. Takashi Ohshima from the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University. The theme is Promoting the Ecosystem in Pharmaceutical Sciences: Future Innovation through Cross-disciplinary Collaboration. This conference will bring together around 5,000 scientists and students to share research advances covering a wide range of scientific topics. The sessions include, but are not limited to, the following: 1) Pharmaceutical Chemistry; 2) Pharmaceutical Physics; 3) Pharmaceutical Biology; 4) Pharmaceutical Health Science and Environmental Toxicology; 5) Pharmaceutical Health Care and Sciences; and 6) Others.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Biomedicines
• Pharmaceuticals
• Pharmaceutics
• Antibiotics
• Antibodies
• Antioxidants
• CIMB
• Diseases
• Future Pharmacology
• IJERPH
• IJMS
• IJTM
• JNT
• JPM
• Marine Drugs
• Medicina
• Medicines
• Metabolites
• Psychoactives
• Sci. Pharm
• Sclerosis

If you are planning to attend the above conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at the booth and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://pub.confit.atlas.jp/en/event/pharm145.

In order to further enhance the international influence of the journal Medicina (ISSN: 1648-9144), promote the exchange of academic ideas between young scientists, and support the Editorial Board with additional expertise, Medicina is inviting interested and eligible early career researchers to apply for Early Career Editorial Board (ECEB) membership.

We plan to recruit a total of 100 Early Career Editorial Board Members. Early Career Editorial Board (ECEB) members will hold the position for two years with the possibility of renewal for a second term.

Application Eligibility:

• Completed their doctorate/Ph.D. degree in the past 10 years (considering exceptions for career interruptions, including medical and family leave);
• Evidence of significant research achievements in the field of medicine;
• Willingness to dedicate their time to the development of the journal, and displaying passion and enthusiasm;
• Researchers that are active and engaged in their community (e.g., experienced at presenting at academic conferences or involved in professional organizations).

Benefits of Being an Early Career Editorial Board Member:

• A certificate of appointment as an Early Career Editorial Board Member will be provided;
• The achievements of Early Career Editorial Board Members are publicized on journal media platforms to improve academic visibility;
• An opportunity to be promoted to Editorial Board Member based on contributions;
• The journal will regularly acknowledge those who participated in the peer-review process on the journal website;
• Opportunities to participate in or host annual meetings and online seminars organized by the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board Members.

Responsibilities of an Early Career Editorial Board Member:

• Publicizing and promoting the journal at academic conferences and among peers;
• Selecting high-quality articles and preparing bilingual media content for promotion;
• Reviewing at least four manuscripts per year;
• Providing input on any new initiatives for journal development;
• Inviting submissions from local and overseas world-leading scientists in respective research fields.

Applications
Please fill in the application form here.

Please send the application form and your academic résumé to medicina@mdpi.com with the subject of “Medicina Early Career Editorial Board Application + Name + Institute + Research Expertise”.

Application deadline: 30 April 2025.

Selection Process and Announcement:
The selection process: initial screening of application materials → selection by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board Members → email notification → issuing a certificate of appointment.

The selection will be made within one month of the application deadline and the results will be announced on the journal website.

More than 100 German universities and research institutions have entered into a national agreement with MDPI. The publication agreement negotiated by ZB MED comes into effect on 1 January 2025 and is valid until the end of 2026. Joining the consortium is still possible until the beginning of 2025. We are delighted by the high level of interest this agreement has already garnered, reflecting the strong demand for accessible and cost-effective open access publishing solutions among German research institutions.

This new cooperation aims to make scientific gold open access publishing more affordable and less administratively burdensome for researchers in Germany. The agreement includes substantial discounts on article processing charges (APCs) for corresponding authors from participating institutions. It offers flexible payment options, including centralized invoicing or individual payment of fees by researchers or their institutions. Additionally, the agreement features a flat-fee model that enables institutions to precisely plan expenses and optimize their library budgets.

"MDPI can look back on over a decade of successful partnerships with German research institutions," says Peter Roth, MDPI Head of Publishing. "The new agreement marks another milestone in the long-standing co-operation between MDPI and the German scientific community. It emphasizes our commitment to developing up-to-date and inventive solutions for the diverse needs of scientific institutions to promote open research for the benefit of researchers."

Petra Labriga, Head of Strategic License Management at ZB MED, highlighted the agreement's significance: "As one of the world's leading Gold OA publishers, MDPI plays a central role in the German publishing landscape. We are particularly pleased that we were able to achieve considerable potential cost savings for scientific institutions and their authors at a national level through our negotiations."

The partnership reflects a common goal of advancing the idea of open access and supporting researchers in making their scientific excellence internationally visible.

"We would like to thank the ZB MED consortium team for their excellent collaboration," added Adrian Stefan Zamfir, MDPI Institutional Partnership Manager for the DACH region. "We are delighted that this agreement will give even more researchers in Germany access to our tried-and-tested and reliable publication platform."

Franziska Fischer (right), Commercial Director at ZB MED, an Peter Roth (left), Head of Publishing at MDPI, celebrate the signing of the new national open access agreement between MDPI and the ZB MED Consortium.

More Information

• Conditions and participation opportunities (German): Link
• Frequently asked questions (German): Link

Contact

• ZB MED: Team Konsortiallizenzen (konsortiallizenzen@zbmed.de) - Website
  MDPI: Adrian Stefan Zamfir, Institutional Partnership Manager (zamfir@mdpi.com)
  
  

About ZB MED

ZB MED - Information Centre for Life Sciences is an infrastructure and research centre for life science information and data. Its aim is to support and strengthen research for people and the environment: from medicine to biodiversity and environmental protection.

The work of ZB MED is orientated towards the strategic guidelines:

• Research + Networking: We conduct research together with the regionally, nationally, European and globally networked research community.
• Data science: We enable data analyses and generate new knowledge through research.
• Access to information: We provide sustainable access to information, literature and data as a central information infrastructure.
• Open + FAIR: We promote open and reproducible science in line with open science and FAIR principles.
• Knowledge and skills transfer: We actively impart knowledge, competences and skills.

More information at www.zbmed.de.

About MDPI

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, MDPI is one of the world's leading open access publishers with a current portfolio of more than 440 journals in all scientific disciplines. MDPI‘s goal is to advance open science worldwide through greater transparency, efficiency and collaboration. To date, more than 3.7 million researchers have published their results in MDPI journals. The editorial process is overseen by a large network of dedicated reviewers and editors and supported by more than 6500 MDPI employees. MDPI currently works with over 800 academic institutions and 180 scientific societies worldwide, which benefit from a wide range of MDPI services and products.

We are pleased to announce a series of updates to our template, aimed at improving the readability and overall aesthetics of our publications. These changes have been meticulously designed to enhance the user experience and ensure consistency across all our publications. The updated template will be available for download from the Instructions for Authors page.

The following updates will be applied to articles published in the 2025 volumes, starting on 24 December 2024:

• Main text: The line spacing has been increased to improve the readability of publications;
• Header and footer: The link to the journal website will be removed, as a hyperlink has been integrated into the journal logo. Additionally, the DOI link will be moved from the left-hand side to the right-hand side, and both the header and footer will be slightly raised to achieve a better balance;
• Left information bar: The information provided here has been rearranged for better organization; the CC-BY logo will be removed;
• Font size: The font size used for the abstract, keywords, and first-level headings will be increased.

Furthermore, MDPI journals will continue to use article numbers. This approach enables us to maintain a rapid and efficient production process by being able to define pagination as soon as a paper is accepted.

We hope that the new version of the template will provide users with a better experience and make the process more convenient.

Please contact production@mdpi.com if you have any questions or suggestions.