Latest Announcements from MDPI

A selection of recently published papers of note from MDPI journals. Continue reading →

We are living in an era of antibiotic resistance; fortunately, there is widespread recognition of the consequences of this dilemma. While scientists have long been fascinated by the impressive diversity of antimicrobial peptides (also called host defense peptides) that exist in bacteria, protozoa, fungi, plants, and animals, there is a current urgency to explore novel strategies to make use of these compounds as therapeutic antimicrobials. However, while these peptides can exhibit a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, their potential toxicity in systemic administration has represented a significant challenge for medicinal use. Continue reading →

Citations of papers published in Cells (ISSN 1999-4409) and Genes (ISSN 2073-4425) are now searchable in PubMed (e.g. Cells, Genes). Further, the full-text versions of the papers are deposited into PubMed Central (e.g. Cells, Genes).

PubMed comprises more than 23 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals in PubMed Central, and online books. It is a free resource developed and maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

A 2014 review article, “Recent Observations on Australian Bat Lyssavirus Tropism and Viral Entry“, has been recommended and rated by F1000. Broder et al. provide a summary of a recently emerged rhabdovirus considered endemic in Australian bat populations and furthermore, discuss the early pathogenesis of infection.

The article recommendation can be accessed via the F1000 website

During the last two decades the Central Dogma of Biology, which states that genetic information flows from DNA into messenger RNAs (mRNAs) via transcription, and from mRNAs into functional proteins via translation, has been shown to be far more complicated than what had long been accepted. Indeed, cells transcribe thousands of RNAs, which neither encode proteins nor have a structural function (like tRNAs or rRNAs), but which nonetheless play essential roles in the regulation of gene expression. These RNAs, which are collectively referred to as non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), vary greatly in their size (twenty to several thousand nucleotides), in their biosynthetic pathway and in their modus operandi. Found in virtually all organisms, ncRNAs, which coordinate the expression, stability and/or inheritance of genes either at the transcriptional or at the posttranscriptional level, continue to be an intense and exciting area of research. Continue reading →

MDPI, publisher of the journals IJMS and Molecules, is an official sponsor of the SCS (Swiss Chemical Society) Spring Meeting 2014, Fribourg, Switzerland, 24 April 2014. We would be pleased to welcome you at our exhibition booth.

SCS Spring Meeting 2014, Fribourg, Switzerland, 24 April 2014

Viruses is an official sponsor of the EMBO conference Viruses of Microbes: Structure and Function, from Molecules to Communities, Zurich, Switzerland, 14-18 July 2014. We would be pleased to welcome you at our exhibition booth.

EMBO conference - Viruses of Microbes: Structure and Function, from Molecules to Communities, Zurich, Switzerland, 14-18 July 2014

MDPI, publisher of Sensors and Biosensors, is an official sponsor of the 24th World Congress on Biosensors - Biosensors 2014, Melbourne, Australia, 27-30 May 2014.

Micromachines is an official sponsor of the 2nd International Conference on Microfluidic Handling Systems - MFHS2014, Freiburg, Germany, 8-10 October 2014. We would be pleased to welcome you at our exhibition booth.

2nd International Conference on Microfluidic Handling Systems MFHS2014, Freiburg, Germany, 8-10 October 2014

We are pleased to announce that the following two universities have joined MDPI's institutional membership program:

• University of Maryland, USA
• Duke University, USA

Primary authors from the University of Maryland will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges as of 1 April 2014. Primary authors from the Duke University will be eligible for a 10% discount as of 1 March 2014.

Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.

Our journals received nearly 20’000 manuscript submissions in 2013, or about 75 submissions per business day. It is a logistical challenge to handle this number of incoming manuscripts, to screen them appropriately, expedite them to external peer-review and to communicate with authors to keep them informed and advise them on revisions. More than 100 in-house editors are employed by MDPI to handle the manuscripts through peer-review, to manage the correspondence with referees and authors, and to guide accepted manuscripts through copy-editing, English editing and production. However, the most valuable part of the work is done by external academic editors and referees that generously donate their time to ensure that our journals publish high quality work. Continue reading →

The following is a list of the most cited papers published in IJERPH in 2012, based on data from Web of Science (accessed on 26 March 2014):

1. Physical Activity and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease-A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies
   by Jian Li and Johannes Siegrist (Times cited: 29)
2. Global Access to Safe Water: Accounting for Water Quality and the Resulting Impact on MDG Progress
   by Kyle Onda, Joe LoBuglio and Jamie Bartram (Times cited: 24)
3. Suicide in the World
   by Peeter Varnik (Times cited: 15)
4. Can We Modify the Intrauterine Environment to Halt the Intergenerational Cycle of Obesity
   by Kristi B. Adamo, Zachary M. Ferraro and Kendra E. Brett (Times cited: 13)
5. Physical Activity Associated with Public Transport Use—A Review and Modeling of Potential Benefits
   by Chris Rissel, Nada Curac, Mark Greenaway, and Adrian Bauman (Times cited: 8)
6. Genotoxicity of Silver Nanoparticles in Vicia faba: A Pilot Study on the Environmental Monitoring of Nanoparticles
   by Anita K. Patlolla, Ashley Berry, LaBethani May and Paul B. Tchounwou (Times cited: 8)
7. Socioeconomic Patterning of Childhood Overweight Status in Europe
   by Cecile Knai, Tim Lobstein, Nicole Darmon, Harry Rutter and Martin McKee (Times cited: 8)
8. A Systematic Review of Social Factors and Suicidal Behavior in Older Adulthood
   by Madeleine Mellqvist Fassberg, Kimberly A. van Orden, Paul Duberstein, Annette Erlangsen, Sylvie Lapierre, Ehud Bodner, Silvia Sara Canetto, Diego De Leo, Katalin Szanto and Margda Waern (Times cited: 8)
9. Media Roles in Suicide Prevention: A Systematic Review
   by Merike Sisask and Airi Varnik (Times cited: 8)
10. Health Risk Assessment for Cyanobaterial Toxin in Seafood
    by Vanora Mulvenna, Katie Dale, Brian Priestly, Utz Mueller, Andrew Humpage, Glen Shaw, Graeme Allinson and Ian Falconer (Times cited: 7)

Guest Post by Anamaris Colberg-Poley*

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the major cause of congenital birth infections in developed countries. HCMV can cause severe birth defects including microcephaly, mental retardation, sensorineural hearing loss, and intrauterine growth restriction. However, because of the potential for teratogenicity and toxic effects, no therapeutic treatment is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for congenital HCMV infection. The studies by Lenore Pereira and her colleagues (Zydek et al., 2014. Viruses Special Issue on Recent CMV Research) have significant implications for developing therapies for treatment of congenital HCMV infections, which are seriously lacking at this time. Continue reading →

Glycoproteins are formed through protein glycosylation, the post-translational addition and processing of covalently bound oligosaccharide chains. Variations in the glycoform of proteins result from multiple factors in this process, such as enzyme and substrate availability, and these differences can influence the stability and biological function of the protein. Continue reading →

We are pleased to announce that the following two universities have joined MDPI's institutional membership program:

• RWTH Aachen University, Germany
• University of Twente, The Netherlands

Primary authors from the University of Twente will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges as of 1 March 2014. Primary authors from the RWTH Aachen University will be eligible for a 10% discount as of 1 April 2014.

Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.

We are very pleased to announce that Columbia University has joined the MDPI institutional membership program. Primary authors from this university will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges as of 1 April 2014.

Additional details can be found at our institutional membership page.

In 2013 Materials started to award an annual price to recognize outstanding papers in the area of materials science and engineering published in Materials. We are pleased to announce the second Materials Best Paper Award for 2014. Nominations were solicited from the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board members, with all papers published in 2010 eligible for consideration.

Article Award

1st prize: Andreas Klein, Christoph Körber, André Wachau, Frank Säuberlich, Yvonne Gassenbauer, Steven P. Harvey, Diana E. Proffit and Thomas O. Mason
Transparent Conducting Oxides for Photovoltaics: Manipulation of Fermi Level, Work Function and Energy Band Alignment

2nd prize: Aneta Slodczyk and Philippe Colomban
Probing the Nanodomain Origin and Phase Transition Mechanisms in (Un)Poled PMN-PT Single Crystals and Textured Ceramics

3rd prize: Osama Shekhah
Layer-by-Layer Method for the Synthesis and Growth of Surface Mounted Metal-Organic Frameworks (SURMOFs)

Review Award

1st prize: Lutz-Christian Gerhardt and Aldo R. Boccaccini
Bioactive Glass and Glass-Ceramic Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

2nd prize: Koen Van den Eeckhout, Philippe F. Smet and Dirk Poelman
Persistent Luminescence in Eu2+-Doped Compounds: A Review

For more details, please refer to the Materials Best Paper Award 2014 Editorial.

Earlier Edition of the Award:
Materials Best Paper Award 2013

In 2013 Marine Drugs started to award an annual price to recognize outstanding papers published in our journal in the area of research, development and production of drugs from the sea, including marine natural product chemistry. We are pleased to announce the second Marine Drugs Best Paper Award for 2014. Nominations were solicited from the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board members, with all papers published in 2010 eligible for consideration.

Article Award

1st prize: Sheila Marie Pimentel-Elardo, Svitlana Kozytska, Tim S. Bugni, Chris M. Ireland, Heidrun Moll and Ute Hentschel
Anti-Parasitic Compounds from Streptomyces sp. Strains Isolated from Mediterranean Sponges

2nd prize: Ruth Harris, Elena Lecumberri and Angeles Heras
Chitosan-Genipin Microspheres for the Controlled Release of Drugs: Clarithromycin, Tramadol and Heparin

Review Award

1st prize: Leanne Pearson, Troco Mihali, Michelle Moffitt, Ralf Kellmann and Brett Neilan
On the Chemistry, Toxicology and Genetics of the Cyanobacterial Toxins, Microcystin, Nodularin, Saxitoxin and Cylindrospermopsin

For more details, please refer to the Marine Drugs Best Paper Award 2014 Editorial.

Earlier Edition of the Award:
Marine Drugs Best Paper Award 2013

In 2013 Energies started to award an annual price to recognize outstanding papers in the area of energy technologies and applications published in Energies. We are pleased to announce the second Energies Best Paper Award for 2014. Nominations were solicited from the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board members, with all papers published in 2010 eligible for consideration.

Article Award

1st prize: Manfred Lenzen
Current State of Development of Electricity-Generating Technologies: A Literature Review

2nd prize: Vladimir Alvarado and Eduardo Manrique
Enhanced Oil Recovery: An Update Review

3rd prize: Melanie Kuhn and Teko W. Napporn
Single-Chamber Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology—From Its Origins to Today’s State of the Art

For more details, please refer to the Energies Best Paper Award 2014 Editorial.

Earlier Edition of the Award:
Energies Best Paper Award 2013

We are pleased to announce that Biology (ISSN 2079-7737) was recently selected to be included in SciVerse Scopus, published by Elesvier B.V.

SciVerse Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature. This means that the research you publish with Biology is now more visible than ever. Biology, which was launched in 2012, publishes reviews, research articles, communications and short notes in all areas of biology and at the interface of related disciplines.

Animals (ISSN 2076-2615) now endorses the ARRIVE guidelines by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) and has been added to their list of endorsing journals. According to the NC3Rs, “the ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting In Vivo Experiments) guidelines are intended to improve the reporting of animal experiments. The guidelines have been developed by the NC3Rs to improve standards of reporting and ensure that the data from animal experiments can be fully evaluated and utilised.” The NC3Rs is an independent organization aiming at reducing and replacing the needs for animals in scientific research.

Mr. Jeffrey Beall is a librarian at the Auraria Library, University of Denver, Colorado and has publicly criticized MDPI twice via his blog “Scholarly Open Access”.

First, in May 2013, Mr. Beall who has no PhD himself, published scholarly comments on a biophysics review paper that was published by a senior PhD scientist from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA. The paper was published after the usual procedure: it was refereed, revised and later approved by both peer-reviewers and an external, academic editor of the journal after major revisions. The paper is somewhat hypothetical and controversial—however, it is up to expert scholars in the domain of the paper to judge its merits and to provide critical, scholarly comments and follow-up research.

More recently, Mr. Beall redoubled his attack by publishing an incompetent general critique of MDPI. As someone forwarded an advance copy of Mr. Beall's post to MDPI, we have asked Mr. Beall to communicate with us before publishing his critique. Mr. Beall did not react. Mr. Beall has become known as the maintainer of a list of questionable open access journals. However, in December 2013 he expressed personal views highly critical of open access in general in a piece published in the open access journal TripleC.

Mr. Beall’s allegations against MDPI include:

• A serious claim that MDPI added Nobelists to its Editorial Board without their approval. We have provided evidence to Mr. Beall that this is not the case. In particular, a news story on eCampus News had reported that Professor Capecchi was not aware of his board membership. After writing to him, the Editor-in-Chief of Biomolecules obtained a written confirmation from Professor Cappechi that he was indeed aware of his membership. eCampus News has already updated its story.
• A bizarre statement criticizing the use of “one-word names” for journal titles. MDPI journals are appropriately named according to the scholarly domains that they cover and the journals and their websites are easily distinguishable from other journals covering similar domains. All journals are exclusively published on the www.mdpi.com website.
• A statement that MDPI regularly publishes controversial articles to boost the citations to its journals. MDPI has published a statement on publishing controversial articles, see http://www.mdpi.com/about/controversial-articles/. Possibly controversial articles are marked as such on the abstract page, and the note points to the above statement. These are few in number, and we do not deliberately seek controversy. Any reputable publisher sometimes handles such cases and makes a judgment call on what is interesting to publish. The decision to publish is always made by an external, academic editor.
• A discriminatory statement that the Publisher is “Chinese”, although MDPI AG is a formally registered Swiss company, managed in the head office in Basel, Switzerland. All rights to the journals are owned by MDPI AG.
• The posting of a picture of the fast food shop next door claiming these are the MDPI headquarters. MDPI occupies the entire second floor of the building Klybeckstrasse 64–70, owned and partially used by a major Swiss bank. The entrance to the staircase is at Klybeckstrasse 64.

Mr. Beall bases his questionable writing on a “report” that was published by Dr. Xin Ge. Dr. Ge has been harassing MDPI and its academic editors for several weeks, as MDPI twice sponsored a prize against academic fraud in China, which is awarded annually since 2012 by Dr. Shi-min Fang, see our statement http://www.mdpi.com/about/announcements/502/. The “report” is one of many open letters from Dr. Ge to Nature, after Nature co-sponsored the 2012 John Maddox Prize, which was jointly awarded to Dr. Shi-min Fang and Professor Sir Simon Wessely. Dr. Ge’s “open letters” have all been ignored by Nature.

Open access publishing is just one of the publishing models and it should maintain the same professional standard as advocated by societies such as COPE, STM and OASPA. MDPI strives to fulfill the high standard of publication ethics. We believe that open access has a significant advantage over other models of publishing: the scientific community can easily access the literature and make scholarly comments on the papers. Serious critique of any paper published in our journals is very welcome and should be addressed to the editors of the journal. Discussions, criticism and proposal to help to improve other aspects of open access publishing service are also appreciated.

We wish to conclude by expressing that Mr. Beall’s blacklist in its current form is unnecessary and unreliable. On the one hand, there are professional indexing databases operating as watchdogs of journal quality. Professional databases such as the Web of Science, Scopus or PubMed can be used as whitelists of good journals. Also, professional services and societies, such as the Directory of Open Access Journal (DOAJ) and the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), are putting in a great deal of effort to distinguish reputable open access journals and their publishers from scamming activities. On the other hand, Mr. Beall operates as an individual person and does not provide sufficient evidence for his claims, does not attempt to verify his statements for accuracy, nor operate a methodological approach to his appraisals. Mr. Beall also denies the right to defense to those that he attacks. Mr. Beall’s judgments are therefore to be considered as unreliable, unmethodical and his personal opinions.

Notes

Mr. Beall’s anti-open access comments can be accessed from the website of the journal TripleC:
http://triplec.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/525

Mr. Beall published a paper in the MDPI journal Future Internet in 2009:
http://www.mdpi.com/1999-5903/2/1/1

A chemist’s blog criticizing Mr. Beall’s attack:
https://blogs.ch.cam.ac.uk/pmr/2014/02/18/bealls-criticism-of-mdpi-lacks-evidence-and-is-irresponsible/

The news story on eCampus News:
http://www.ecampusnews.com/research/open-access-publisher-566/

(First published: 24 February 2014, last updated: 25 February 2014)

We are pleased to announce that Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304) was recently selected to be included in CAS - Chemical Abstracts, published by the American Chemical Society.

CAS is an abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed chemical literature. This means that the research you publish with Toxics is now more visible than ever and will be available through SciFinder. Toxics, which was launched in 2013, provides an advanced forum for studies related to all aspects of toxics. It publishes reviews, regular research papers and short communications.

We are pleased to announce that Fibers (ISSN 2079-6439) was recently selected to be included in CAS - Chemical Abstracts, published by the American Chemical Society.

CAS is an abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed chemical literature. This means that the research you publish with Fibers is now more visible than ever and will be available through SciFinder. Fibers, which was launched in 2013, publishes reviews, research articles, communications and short notes on the materials science and all other empirical and theoretical studies of fibers, providing a forum for integrating fiber research across many disciplines.

We are pleased to announce that the International Journal of Financial Studies (ISSN 2227-7072) was recently selected to be included in EconLit, published by the American Economic Association.

Econlit is an abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed economics literature. This means that the research you publish with the International Journal of Financial Studies is now more visible than ever. The International Journal of Financial Studies, which was launched in 2013, publishes reviews, research articles, communications and short notes on the financial market, instruments, policy and management research.

We are pleased to announce that Econometrics (ISSN 2225-1146) was recently selected to be included in EconLit, published by the American Economic Association.

Econlit is an abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed economics literature. This means that the research you publish with Econometrics is now more visible than ever. Econometrics, which was launched in 2013, publishes reviews, research articles, communications and short notes on econometric modelling and forecasting, as well as on new advances in econometrics theory.

In 2011 Sensors started to award an annual price to recognize outstanding papers related to sensing technologies and applications published in Sensors. This year, nominations were made by the Section Editor-in-Chiefs of Sensors from among all the papers published in 2010.

Article Award

1st prize: Heather K. Hunt, Carol Soteropulos and Andrea M. Armani
Bioconjugation Strategies for Microtoroidal Optical Resonators

2nd prize: Christian H. Schwalb, Christina Grimm, Markus Baranowski, Roland Sachser, Fabrizio Porrati, Heiko Reith, Pintu Das, Jens Müller, Friedemann Völklein, Alexander Kaya and Michael Huth
A Tunable Strain Sensor Using Nanogranular Metals

3rd prize: Rozalia Orghici, Peter Lützow, Jörg Burgmeier, Jan Koch, Helmut Heidrich, Wolfgang Schade, Nina Welschoff and Siegfried Waldvogel
A Microring Resonator Sensor for Sensitive Detection of 1,3,5-Trinitrotoluene (TNT)

4th prize: Andrea Mannini and Angelo Maria Sabatini
Machine Learning Methods for Classifying Human Physical Activity from On-Body Accelerometers

5th prize: Martin Nirschl, Arto Rantala, Kari Tukkiniemi, Sanna Auer, Ann-Charlotte Hellgren, Dana Pitzer, Matthias Schreiter and Inger Vikholm-Lundin
CMOS-Integrated Film Bulk Acoustic Resonators for Label-Free Biosensing

Review Award

1st prize: Eun-Hyung Yoo and Soo-Youn Lee
Glucose Biosensors: An Overview of Use in Clinical Practice

2nd prize: Yoshikazu Kobayashi, Masaaki Habara, Hidekazu Ikezazki, Ronggang Chen, Yoshinobu Naito and Kiyoshi Toko
Advanced Taste Sensors Based on Artificial Lipids with Global Selectivity to Basic Taste Qualities and High Correlation to Sensory Scores

3rd prize: George F. Fine, Leon M. Cavanagh, Ayo Afonja and Russell Binions
Metal Oxide Semi-Conductor Gas Sensors in Environmental Monitoring

For more details, please refer to the Sensors Best Paper Award 2014 Editorial.

Earlier Editions of the Award:

Sensors Best Paper Award 2011
Sensors Best Paper Award 2012
Sensors Best Paper Award 2013

In 2013 Entropy started to award an annual price to recognize outstanding papers in the area of entropy and information studies published in Entropy. We are pleased to announce the second “Entropy Best Paper Award” for 2014. The winners were chosen by the Editor-in-Chief and selected editorial board members from among all the papers published in 2010.

Article Award

1st prize: Alexander N. Gorban, Pavel A. Gorban and George Judge, Entropy: The Markov Ordering Approach

2nd prize: Andrzej Cichocki and Shun-ichi Amari, Families of Alpha- Beta- and Gamma- Divergences: Flexible and Robust Measures of Similarities

Review Award

1st prize: Katherine L. Brown, William J. Munro and Vivien M. Kendon, Using Quantum Computers for Quantum Simulation

For more details, please refer to the Entropy Best Paper Award 2014 Editorial.

Earlier Editions of the Award:

Entropy Best Paper Award 2013

Polymers is instituting an annual award to recognize outstanding papers in the area of polymer science published in Polymers. We are pleased to announce the first “Polymers Best Paper Award” for 2014. Nominations were selected by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board members of Polymers from all papers published in 2010.

Article Award

1st prize: Yuk-Hong Ting, Chi-Chun Liu, Sang-Min Park, Hongquan Jiang, Paul F. Nealey and Amy E. Wendt
Surface Roughening of Polystyrene and Poly(methyl methacrylate) in Ar/O₂ Plasma Etching

2nd prize: Mariano Pracella, Md. Minhaz-Ul Haque and Vera Alvarez
Functionalization, Compatibilization and Properties of Polyolefin Composites with Natural Fibers

Review Award

1st prize: Gilberto Siqueira, Julien Bras and Alain Dufresne
Cellulosic Bionanocomposites: A Review of Preparation, Properties and Applications

For more details, please refer to the Polymers Best Paper Award 2014 Editorial.

In 2013 Remote Sensing started to award an annual price to recognize the most outstanding papers in the area of remote sensing techniques, design and applications published in Remote Sensing. We are pleased to announce the second “Remote Sensing Best Paper Award” for 2014. Nominations were selected by the Editor-in-Chief and selected editorial board members from among all the papers published in the year 2010.

Article Award

1st prize: E. Raymond Hunt Jr., W. Dean Hively, Stephen J. Fujikawa, David S. Linden, Craig S. T. Daughtry and Greg W. McCarty
Acquisition of NIR-Green-Blue Digital Photographs from Unmanned Aircraft for Crop Monitoring

2nd prize: Bernardo Friedrich Theodor Rudorff, Daniel Alves Aguiar, Wagner Fernando Silva, Luciana Miura Sugawara, Marcos Adami and Mauricio Alves Moreira
Studies on the Rapid Expansion of Sugarcane for Ethanol Production in São Paulo State (Brazil) Using Landsat Data

Review Award

1st prize: Xuelian Meng, Nate Currit and Kaiguang Zhao
Ground Filtering Algorithms for Airborne LiDAR Data: A Review of Critical Issues

For more details, please refer to the Remote Sensing Best Paper Award 2014 Editorial.

Earlier Editions of the Award
Remote Sensing Best Paper Award 2013

In 2013 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health started to award an annual price to recognize outstanding papers related to environmental health sciences and public health that meet the aims, scope and high standards of this journal. We are pleased to announce the second “IJERPH Best Paper Award” for 2014. Nominations were solicited from the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board members, with all papers published in 2010 eligible for consideration.

Article Award

1st prize: Mai A. Elobeid, Miguel A. Padilla, David W. Brock, Douglas M. Ruden and David B. Allison
Endocrine Disruptors and Obesity: An Examination of Selected Persistent Organic Pollutants in the NHANES 1999–2002 Data

2nd prize: Timothy C. Durazzo, Dieter J. Meyerhoff and Sara Jo Nixon
Chronic Cigarette Smoking: Implications for Neurocognition and Brain Neurobiology

3rd prize: Howard C. Chang, Jingwen Zhou and Montserrat Fuentes
Impact of Climate Change on Ambient Ozone Level and Mortality in Southeastern United States

Review Award

1st prize: Laura M. Plum, Lothar Rink and Hajo Hasse
The Essential Toxin: Impact of Zinc on Human Health

2nd prize: Barry Bogin and Maria Ines Varela-Silva
Leg Length, Body Proportion, and Health: A Review with a Note on Beauty

For more details, please refer to the IJERPH Best Paper Award 2014 Editorial.

Earlier Edition of the Award:
IJERPH Best Paper Award 2013

In 2012 International Journal of Molecular Sciences started to award an annual price to recognize outstanding papers related to chemistry, molecular physics and molecular biology that meet the high standards of this journal. We are pleased to announce the third “IJMS Best Paper Award” for 2014. Nominations were made by the Section Editors-in-Chief of IJMS from all papers published in 2010.

Article Award

1st prize: Parul Vatsa, Lisa Sanchez, Christophe Clement, Fabienne Baillieul and Stephan Dorey
Rhamnolipid Biosurfactants as New Players in Animal and Plant Defense against Microbes

2nd prize: Junko Okuda-Shimazaki, Saiko Takaku, Koki Kanehira, Shuji Sonezaki and Akiyohshi Taniguchi
Effects of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle Aggregate Size on Gene Expression

3rd prize: Giuseppe Calogero, Gaetano Di Marco, Silvia Cazzanti, Stefano Caramori, Roberto Argazzi, Aldo Di Carlo and Carlo Alberto Bignozzi
Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Red Turnip and Purple Wild Sicilian Prickly Pear Fruits

Review Award

1st prize: Kati Hanhineva, Riitta Törrönen, Isabel Bondia-Pons, Jenna Pekkinen, Marjukka Kolehmainen, Hannu Mykkänen and Kaisa Poutanen
Impact of Dietary Polyphenols on Carbohydrate Metabolism

1st prize: Sonia De Pascual-Teresa, Diego A. Moreno and Cristina García-Viguera
Flavanols and Anthocyanins in Cardiovascular Health: A Review of Current Evidence

For more details, please refer to the IJMS Best Paper Award 2014 Editorial.

Earlier Editions of the Award

IJMS Best Paper Award 2012
IJMS Best Paper Award 2013

In 2012 Molecules started to award an annual price to recognize outstanding papers related to synthetic organic chemistry and natural product chemistry that meet the high standards of this journal. We are pleased to announce the third “Molecules Best Paper Award” for 2014. The winners were chosen by the Editor-in-Chief and selected editorial board members from among all the papers published in 2010.

Article Award

1st prize: Marco Felici, Pablo Contreras-Carballada, Jan M. M. Smits, Roeland J. M. Nolte,René M. Williams, Luisa De Cola and Martin C. Feiters
Cationic Heteroleptic Cyclometalated Iridium^III Complexes Containing Phenyl-Triazole and Triazole-Pyridine Clicked Ligands

2nd prize: Ahmad Asadinezhad, Igor Novák, Marián Lehocký, František Bílek, Alenka Vesel, Ita Junkar, Petr Sáha and Anton Popelka
Polysaccharides Coatings on Medical-Grade PVC: A Probe into Surface Characteristics and the Extent of Bacterial Adhesion

3rd prize: Marina Soković, Jasmina Glamočlija, Petar D. Marin, Dejan Brkić and Leo J. L. D. van Griensven
Antibacterial Effects of the Essential Oils of Commonly Consumed Medicinal Herbs Using an In Vitro Model

Review Award

1st prize: Paul M. O’Neill, Victoria E. Barton and Stephen A. Ward
The Molecular Mechanism of Action of Artemisinin—The Debate Continues

2nd prize: Jin Dai and Russell J. Mumper
Plant Phenolics: Extraction, Analysis and Their Antioxidant and Anticancer Properties

For more details, please refer to the Molecules Best Paper Award 2014 Editorial.

Earlier Editions of the Award

Molecules Best Paper Award 2012
Molecules Best Paper Award 2013

MDPI has established an institutional membership scheme in the fourth quarter of 2013. We are very pleased to announce that the Wageningen University and Research Centre has now agreed to establish an institutional membership with MDPI. Primary authors from this university will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges as of 1 February 2014.

Additional details can be found at our institutional membership page.

The Viruses special issue "Recent Progress in Bacteriophage Research", guest edited by Graham F. Hatfull is now available in book format. The book contains all 14 papers available on the special issue website.

To order your copy, please contact the editorial staff at books@mdpi.com. One copy, hardcover, 356 pages, 170x240mm premium format, full color is CHF24 + shipping from Switzerland (Economy: CHF30/Europe; CHF38/International or Priority: CHF38/Europe; CHF50/ International).

The Viruses special issue "Chromatin Control of Viral Infection", guest edited by Thomas M. Kristie, is now available in book format. The book contains all 14 papers available on the special issue website.

To order your copy, please contact the editorial staff at books@mdpi.com. One copy, hardcover, 316 pages, 170x240mm premium format, full color is CHF23 + shipping (Economy: CHF30/Europe; CHF38/International or Priority: CHF38/Europe; CHF50/ International).

As we use the Web for social networking, shopping, and news, we leave a personal trail. These days, linger over a Web page selling lamps, and they will turn up at the advertising margins as you move around the Internet, reminding you, tempting you to make that purchase. Search engines such as Google can now look deep into the data on the Web to pull out instances of the words you are looking for. And there are pages that collect and assess information to give you a snapshot of changing political opinion. These are just basic examples of the growth of "Web intelligence", as increasingly sophisticated algorithms operate on the vast and growing amount of data on the Web, sifting, selecting, comparing, aggregating, correcting; following simple but powerful rules to decide what matters. While original optimism for Artificial Intelligence declined, this new kind of machine intelligence is emerging as the Web grows ever larger and more interconnected.

http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199646715.do

There has been a resurgence of interest in light-induced water splitting as the search for storable carbon neutral energy becomes more urgent. Although the history of the basic idea dates back more than four decades, efficient, economical and stable integrated devices have yet to be realized. In the continuing quest for such devices, the field of photoelectrochemistry is entering a new phase where the extraordinary interdisciplinary of the research and development efforts are opening new avenues. This aspect of current research effort is reflected in the chapters of this book, which encompass present thinking in the various disciplines such as materials science, photo-electrochemistry and interfaces that can contribute to realization of viable solar fuel generators. This book presents a blend of the background science and recent advances in the field of photoelectrochemical water splitting, and includes aspects that point towards medium to long term future realization. The content of the book goes beyond the more traditional approaches to the subject by including topics such as novel excitation energy processes that have only been realized so far in advanced photonics. The comprehensive overview of current activities and development horizons provided by the impressive collection of internationally renowned authors therefore represents a unique reflection of current thinking regarding water splitting by light.

http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/eBook/978-1-84973-647-3#!divbookcontent

The following journals are scheduled to release their inaugural issues within 2014.

Aerospace (ISSN 2226-4310)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/aerospace

Beverages (ISSN 2306-5710)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/beverages

Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/bioengineering

Children (ISSN 2227-9067)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/children

Chromatography (ISSN 2227-9075)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/chromatography

Cosmetics (ISSN 2079-9284)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/cosmetics

Environments (ISSN 2067-3298)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/environments

Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/fungi

Hydrology (ISSN 2306-5338)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/hydrology

Informatics (ISSN 2227-9709)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/Informatics

International Journal of Biogeography
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijbg

Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease (ISSN 2308-3425)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/jcdd

Journal of Physical and Chemical Gels (ISSN 2310-2861)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/jpcg

Languages (ISSN 2226-471X)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/languages

Logistics (ISSN 2305-6290)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/logistics

Medicines (ISSN 2305-6320)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/medicines

Optics (ISSN 2304-6732)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/optics

Transducers (ISSN 2075-4655)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/transducers

Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381)
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vetsci

We are pleased to announce that Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994) has been accepted for indexing in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Current Contents/Physical, Chemical & Earth Sciences according to a letter that we received from Thomson Reuters on 17 December 2013. The coverage will start with volume 1(1), 2009. Symmetry will therefore be available in Web of Science soon.

Symmetry is a journal covering research on symmetry phenomena wherever they occur in mathematical and scientific studies, including physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, computer science and other disciplines.

The Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) and Web of Science are Thomson Reuters' products.

We are pleased to announce that Life (ISSN 2075-1729) was recently selected to be included in SciVerse Scopus, published by Elesvier B.V.

SciVerse Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature. This means that the research you publish with Life is now more visible than ever. Life, which was launched in 2011, publishes reviews, research articles, communications and short notes about the origins of life, astrobiology and evolution of biosystems.

His Hiding Place is Darkness explores the uncertainties of faith and love in a pluralistic age. In keeping with his conviction that studying multiple religious traditions intensifies rather than attenuates religious devotion, Francis Clooney's latest work of comparative theology seeks a way beyond today's religious and interreligious uncertainty by pairing a fresh reading of the absence of the beloved in the Biblical Song of Songs with a pioneering study of the same theme in the Holy Word of Mouth (9th century CE), a classic of Hindu mystical poetry rarely studied in the West.

http://www.sup.org/book.cgi?id=21453

There has been a resurgence of interest in light-induced water splitting as the search for storable carbon neutral energy becomes more urgent. Although the history of the basic idea dates back more than four decades, efficient, economical and stable integrated devices have yet to be realized. In the continuing quest for such devices, the field of photoelectrochemistry is entering a new phase where the extraordinary interdisciplinary of the research and development efforts are opening new avenues. This aspect of current research effort is reflected in the chapters of this book, which encompass present thinking in the various disciplines such as materials science, photo-electrochemistry and interfaces that can contribute to realization of viable solar fuel generators. This book presents a blend of the background science and recent advances in the field of photoelectrochemical water splitting, and includes aspects that point towards medium to long term future realization. The content of the book goes beyond the more traditional approaches to the subject by including topics such as novel excitation energy processes that have only been realized so far in advanced photonics. The comprehensive overview of current activities and development horizons provided by the impressive collection of internationally renowned authors therefore represents a unique reflection of current thinking regarding water splitting by light.

http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2013/9781849736473.asp

The Viruses special issue "Advances in Filovirus Research 2012", guest edited by Jens Kuhn and Sina Bavari, is now available in book format. The book contains all 25 papers available on the special issue website.

To order your copy, please contact the editorial staff at simon@mdpi.com. One copy, hardcover, 535 pages, 170x240mm premium format, full color is CHF35 + shipping (Priority mailing: CHF44 international / CHF32 Europa; Economy mailing: 32CHF/24CHF).

Citations of papers published in Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923) are now searchable in PubMed. Further, the full-text versions of the papers are deposited into PubMed Central.

PubMed comprises more than 23 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals in PubMed Central, and online books. It is a free resource developed and maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

MDPI today published a statement regarding controversial articles.

Citations of papers published in Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247) are now searchable in PubMed. Further, the full-text versions of the papers are deposited into PubMed Central.

PubMed comprises more than 23 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals in PubMed Central, and online books. It is a free resource developed and maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

Citations of papers published in Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694) are now searchable in PubMed. Further, the full-text versions of the papers are deposited into PubMed Central.

PubMed comprises more than 23 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals in PubMed Central, and online books. It is a free resource developed and maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

We are pleased to announce that Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263) was recently selected to be included in SciVerse Scopus, published by Elesvier B.V.

SciVerse Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature. This means that the research you publish with Geosciences is now more visible than ever. Geosciences, which was launched in 2011, publishes original papers, rapid communications, technical notes and review articles, and discussions about all interdisciplinary aspects of the Earth and Planetary Sciences.

We are pleased to announce that Games (ISSN 2073-4336) was recently selected to be included in SciVerse Scopus, published by Elesvier B.V.

SciVerse Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature. This means that the research you publish with Games is now more visible than ever. Games, which was launched in 2010, which provides an advanced forum for studies related to strategic interaction, game theory and its application, and decision making.

This book examines systematically both the theoretical and practical issues that have characterized the discipline over the past two centuries. Some of the historically most consequential mistakes in archaeology are dissected and explained, together with the effects of the related controversies. The theoretical basis of the discipline is deliberated in some detail, leading to the diagnosis that there are in fact numerous archaeologies, all with different notions of commensurability, ideologies, and purposes. Their various perspectives of what archaeology is and does are considered and the range of views of the human past is illuminated in this book. How humans became what they are today is of profound importance to understanding ourselves, both as a species and individually. Our psychology, cognition, diseases, intellect, communication forms, physiology, predispositions, ideologies, culture, genetics, behavior, and, perhaps most importantly, our reality constructs are all the result of our evolutionary history. Therefore the models archaeology—especially Pleistocene archaeology—creates of our past are not just narratives of what happened in human history; they are fundamental to every aspect of our existence.

http://www.archaeopress.com/archaeopressshop/public/defaultAll.asp?series=Other+Books

Atmosphere was recently added to the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). Based on the SCIE data an unofficial Impact Factor can be calculated. The unofficial Impact Factor for Atmosphere for 2012 is 0.9. Atmosphere published 40 articles (excl. editorial material) in 2010-2011 that were cited 36 times by other SCIE-journals in 2012. The first official Impact Factor for Atmosphere will be published in June 2014, and calculated with citations from 2013 to articles published in 2011-2012.

Micromachines was recently added to the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). Based on the SCIE data an unofficial Impact Factor can be calculated. The unofficial Impact Factor for Micromachines for 2012 is 1.53. Micromachines published 32 articles (excl. editorial material) in 2010-2011 that were cited 49 times by other SCIE-journals in 2012. The first official Impact Factor for Micromachines will be published in June 2014, and calculated with citations from 2013 to articles published in 2011-2012.

We are pleased to announce that Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X) has been accepted for indexing in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). Micromachines will therefore be available in Web of Science soon.

This means that the research you publish with Micromachines is now more visible than ever. Micromachines is a journal on micro- and nano-scaled machines, micromachinery and miniaturization.

The Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Web of Science are Thomson Reuters' products.

We are pleased to announce that Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050) has been accepted for indexing in both, the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). Sustainability will therefore be available in Web of Science soon.

This means that the research you publish with Sustainability is now more visible than ever. Sustainability is an international and cross-disciplinary journal of environmental, cultural, economic and social sustainability of human beings, and provides an advanced forum for studies related to sustainability and sustainable development.

The Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) and Web of Science are Thomson Reuters' products.

MDPI AG has a new office location and address since 1 July 2013:

MDPI AG
Klybeckstrasse 64
4057 Basel
Switzerland

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We are pleased to announce that our journal Religions has been accepted for indexing in the Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI). This important index offers essential information on more that 1'700 arts and humanities journals and is available in Web of Science.

The Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI) and Web of Science are Thomson Reuters' products.

We are pleased to announce that Atmosphere has been accepted for indexing in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), available in Web of Science, the leading indexing and abstracting database in natural sciences.

This means that the research you publish with Atmosphere is now more visible than ever. Atmosphere is an international and cross-disciplinary scholarly journal of scientific studies related to the atmosphere. Covered subjects include atmospheric sciences, atmospheric physics and chemistry, air, and meteorology.

The Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Web of Science are Thomson Reuters' products.

We are pleased to report the first Impact Factor for Water for 2012. According to the newly released 2012 Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2013), the Impact Factor for Water is 0.973. Water enters the ranking in the category 'Water Resources' placed 53 out of 80 (Q2).

We are pleased to report the first Impact Factor for Toxins for 2012. According to the newly released 2012 Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2013), the Impact Factor for Toxins is 2.129. Toxins enters the ranking in the category 'Toxicology' placed 50 out of 85 (Q2). It is the highest ranking general toxinology open access journal, covering toxins from animal, plant or microbial origin.

We are pleased to report the first Impact Factor for Remote Sensing for 2012. According to the newly released 2012 Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2013), the Impact Factor for Remote Sensing is 2.101. Remote Sensing enters the ranking in the category 'Remote Sensing' placed 7 out of 27 (Q2). It is the highest ranking open access journal in this category.

We are pleased to report the first Impact Factor for Polymers for 2012. According to the newly released 2012 Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2013), the Impact Factor for Polymers is 1.687. Polymers enters the ranking in the category 'Polymer Science' placed 31 out of 83 (Q2). It is the highest ranking open access journal in this category.

We are pleased to report the first Impact Factor for Forests for 2012. According to the newly released 2012 Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2013), the Impact Factor for Forests is 1.094. Forests enters the ranking in the category 'Forestry' placed 25 out of 60 (Q2). It is the highest ranking open access journal in this category.

We are pleased to report an increased Impact Factor for Viruses for 2012. According to the newly released 2012 Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2013), the new Impact Factor for Viruses is 2.509. The 5-Year Impact Factor is 2.435. Viruses now ranks 19/34 (Q3) in the category 'Virology'.

Evolution of the Viruses Impact Factor since 2010:

Evolution of citations to Viruses since 2009:

We are pleased to report an increased Impact Factor for Nutrients for 2012. According to the newly released 2012 Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2013), the new Impact Factor for Nutrients is 2.072. The 5-Year Impact Factor is 1.908. Nutrients now ranks 41/67 (Q3) in the category 'Nutrition & Dietetics'.

Evolution of the Nutrients Impact Factor since 2011:

Evolution of citations to Nutrients since 2010:

We are pleased to report an increased Impact Factor for Materials for 2012. According to the newly released 2012 Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2013), the new Impact Factor for Materials is 2.247. The 5-Year Impact Factor is 2.338. Materials now ranks 54/234 (Q1) in the category 'Materials Science, Multidisciplinary'.

Evolution of the Materials Impact Factor since 2011:

Evolution of citations to Materials since 2008:

We are pleased to report an increased Impact Factor for the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) for 2012. According to the newly released 2012 Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2013), the new Impact Factor for the IJERPH is 1.998. The 5-Year Impact Factor is 2.197. The IJERPH now ranks 90/209 (Q2) in the category 'Environmental Sciences'.

Evolution of the IJERPH Impact Factor since 2011:

Evolution of citations to the IJERPH since 2006:

We are pleased to report an increased Impact Factor for Entropy for 2012. According to the newly released 2012 Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2013), the new Impact Factor for Entropy is 1.347. The 5-Year Impact Factor is 1.322. Entropy now ranks 37/87 (Q2) in the category 'Physics, Multidisciplinary'.

Evolution of the Entropy Impact Factor since 2010:

Evolution of citations to Entropy since 2006:

We are pleased to report an increased Impact Factor for Marine Drugs for 2012. According to the newly released 2012 Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2013), the new Impact Factor for Marine Drugs is 3.978. The 5-Year Impact Factor is 3.911. Marine Drugs now ranks 6/59 (Q1) in the category 'Chemistry, Medicinal'.

Evolution of the Marine Drugs Impact Factor since 2006:

Evolution of citations to Marine Drugs since 2006:

We are pleased to report an increased Impact Factor for Molecules for 2012. According to the newly released 2012 Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2013), the new Impact Factor for Molecules is 2.428. The 5-Year Impact Factor is 2.679. Molecules now ranks 23/55 (Q2) in the category 'Chemistry, Organic'. (Note added on 28 October 2013: after an update to the JCR, the title now appears on rank 24/57).

Evolution of the Molecules Impact Factor since 2006:

Evolution of citations to Molecules since 2006:

We are pleased to report an increased Impact Factor for Sensors for 2012. According to the newly released 2012 Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2013), the new Impact Factor for Sensors is 1.953. The 5-Year Impact Factor is 2.395. Sensors now ranks 38/75 (Q3) in the category 'Chemistry, Analytical', 15/26 (Q3) in 'Electrochemistry', and 9/57 (Q1) in 'Instruments & Instrumentation'.

Evolution of the Sensors Impact Factor since 2006:

Evolution of citations to Sensors since 2006:

We are pleased to announce the updated Impact Factors for the MDPI journals from the 2012 Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2013). This new edition reports a strong positive trend for most of MDPI journals’ Impact Factors. Five MDPI open access journals received their first Impact Factors.

Journals with Updated Impact Factors

Journals with First Impact Factors