As we conclude the third quarter of 2024, we are excited to share the latest developments within the ScienceOpen network. This quarter saw the launch of several new collections, events, and innovative features.

Collections on ScienceOpen

Drug Repurposing Journal
In July, we launched the inaugural edition of Drug Repurposing, a journal that focuses on finding new therapeutic uses for existing drugs. Co-editors Harald Schmidt and Hermann Mucke lead the initiative, presenting cutting-edge research across bioinformatics, clinical trials, ethics, and more. The first issue highlights advancements in AI for drug discovery, COVID-19 drug repurposing, and philanthropic funding’s impact on drug repurposing initiatives. Read more here.

• An overview of the open-access strategy emphasizing shared data and resources by Stephanie Dawson – read here 
• Hermann Mucke’s honorary lecture at the 2023 2nd International Conference on Systems Medicine, AI, and Drug Repurposing (RExPO23), detailing the history and future potential of drug repurposing – read here 
• Advancements in AI and machine learning for accelerating drug discovery in a review by Sarah Bonnin and others – read here 

SBL-UNISA International Engaged Scholarship Conference on AfCFTA
The SBL-UNISA International Engaged Scholarship Conference on AfCFTA abstracts went live on ScienceOpen this quarter. This conference, which focuses on the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), provides a platform for policymakers and scholars to share insights on sustainable economies and trade interdependence in Africa. Read more here.

• An Empirical Analysis of the Impacts of Vegetable Imports Ban on the Botswana Tourism and Hospitality Sector
• Balancing the peace-trade equation in Africa through the African Continental Free Trade Area: Possibilities, Probabilities and Evidence
• Adoption of artificial intelligence to manage records in support of the claims management system at the Road Accident Fund in South Africa

Society for Endocrinology Collection
In August, the Society for Endocrinology launched a collection of journals on ScienceOpen, offering broad access to vital research on hormones and their role in physiology, growth, and disease. The collection includes high-quality research from Journal of Endocrinology, Endocrine-Related Cancer, Journal of Molecular Endocrinology, and more. Find more about the launch here.

• Etiology of combined pituitary hormone deficiency: GNAO1 as a novel candidate gene
• Histopathological analysis potential for unveiling hormone signaling in endocrine-related tumors
• Sidonia and Nicu de Barcsy: a famous mother with post-partum hirsutism after giving birth to a famous son with idiopathic short stature

Neuropharmacology and Therapy (NPT)
We launched Neuropharmacology and Therapy (NPT), a new platinum open-access journal hosted on ScienceOpen. NPT publishes high-quality research on neurological science, including the latest on drugs, therapies, and nervous system dysfunctions. This journal is dedicated to fostering collaboration between neuroscientists and clinicians. Learn more here.

• Neuropharmacology and Therapy: Rethinking the Brain Initiative Challenge for Neuroscience 
• Brain Pericytes — Crucial Regulators of Neuroinflammation in Ischemic Stroke 

Microbiota and Host & Redox Experimental Medicine
Two new Bioscientifica collections were introduced in August: Microbiota and Host and Redox Experimental Medicine. Microbiota and Host explores the relationship between microbial communities and their human/non-human hosts, while Redox Experimental Medicine focuses on the role of redox processes in human health. Both collections are fully open-access, with peer-reviewed research aimed at advancing scientific understanding in their respective fields. Read more here.

• Wildlife microbiomes and the city: A systematic review of urban impacts on wildlife microbiomes
• Contributions of the microbiota to the systemic inflammatory response
• Involvement of mTOR signaling in physiopathology and its potential therapeutic interventions
• Intake of palmitic acid and its association with metabolic flexibility in middle-aged individuals: a preliminary study

New DIPG/DMG Research Collection
This September we launched the DIPG/DMG Center Zurich research collection, focused on Diffuse Midline Gliomas, some of the most challenging pediatric brain tumors. This collection includes cutting-edge research on overcoming the blood-brain barrier and developing personalized treatments for DIPG. Read more about the launch.

• Real-time drug testing of paediatric diffuse midline glioma to support clinical decision making: The Zurich DIPG/DMG centre experience
• TIM-3 blockade in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma models promotes tumor regression and antitumor immune memory
• Integrated Proteogenomic Characterization across Major Histological Types of Pediatric Brain Cancer

The Journal of Physiology Joins ScienceOpen
We are proud to announce that The Journal of Physiology is now available on ScienceOpen. This journal, established in 1878, has a long history of publishing significant research on how the body functions in both health and disease. Recent articles cover topics such as motor unit recordings and extracellular vesicles in neural communication. See the announcement here.

• The neural control of movement: a century of in vivo motor unit recordings is the legacy of Adrian and Bronk 
• Regional associations between inspiratory tongue dilatory movement and genioglossus activity during wakefulness in people with obstructive sleep apnoea 
• Message in a bubble: the translational potential of extracellular vesicles 

ScienceOpen Supports HESI UN SDG Fellows Program
In September, ScienceOpen launched a collection in support of the HESI SDG Publishers Compact Fellows. This initiative works with academic publishers, editors, and researchers to integrate the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into research and publishing practices. Learn more about the initiative here.

Events

RExPO24: Systems Medicine, AI, and Drug Repurposing Conference
Held in Munich from July 3-5, 2024, RExPO24 brought together experts in systems medicine, AI, and drug repurposing. ScienceOpen CEO Stephanie Dawson and co-editor Harald Schmidt kicked off the event with the launch of the Drug Repurposing journal, highlighting its potential to accelerate innovative therapies. All conference abstracts are published on ScienceOpen.

SSP 46th Annual Meeting Posters
The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) hosted its 46th Annual Meeting in May, focusing on the future of scholarly communication. ScienceOpen continued to support the event by hosting the Annual Meeting Poster Collection, featuring highlights on research integrity, open science publishing, and AI’s role in scholarly communication. Explore the poster collection here.

ALPSP 2024
In September, ScienceOpen attended the ALPSP Conference in Manchester. The event offered insightful discussions on the evolving scholarly publishing landscape. Read more.

Features

ScienceOpen’s One-Click Submission System
Just in time for Peer Review Week, we introduced a one-click submission system for the ScienceOpen Preprint server and ScienceOpen Research. This new feature streamlines the submission process, enabling seamless transitions from preprint to peer-reviewed publication. Read more here.

INTEGRATOR Technology for Improved Discoverability
Several new collections, including Society for Endocrinology, Neuropharmacology and Therapy, and Journal of Physiology, implemented ScienceOpen’s INTEGRATOR technology, which embeds research directly onto publisher websites, improving user experience and content engagement. Learn more about the INTEGRATOR here.

Join Our Network 

At ScienceOpen, we are committed to fostering collaboration and innovation in scholarly publishing. We invite researchers, practitioners, and readers to join us in our mission to promote open access to knowledge and to facilitate the dissemination of groundbreaking research. Are you interested in exploring our publishing solutions or partnering with us? Contact us to learn more about how ScienceOpen can support your publishing needs. 

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