As we face an increasing number of global crises,  the Information Age in which we are living can rise to the challenge of the evermore pressing need for innovative solutions. The continuously evolving field of technology also gives rise to a constant stream of new developments and discoveries, such as blockchain and electric cars, as explored in our previous articles.

Preprints and publication speed

Last month on the Insights from MDPI Blog, we focused on the key theme of technology. As well as this, we also touched on other aspects in articles including Preprints—The Future of Open Access Publishing?, which explains the significance of preprinting in academic literature, with an exclusive interview with Mila Marinkovic, the Managing Editor of Preprints.org, and Speed of Publication: Delivering Insight Faster, explaining the importance of fast publication in light of the pandemic era and for future disease outbreaks, and how MDPI considers the live-saving and research-advancing effects of speed in its practices.

Breast cancer survival

In the technology line-up was New Techniques to Improve Breast Cancer Survival, which describes just some of the MDPI-published research that has contributed to vital advances in the field, with specific reference to ‘Hyperactivation of MAPK Induces Tamoxifen Resistance in SPRED2-Deficient ERα-Positive Breast Cancer’ in Cancers. A co-author of this paper, Dina Hany, explains the scope of her research in light of the current gaps in breast cancer treatment. The article ultimately calls for the submission of relevant research with the potential to improve breast cancer prognosis worldwide.

We also published an article on a particularly hot topic, What Is the Metaverse and What Can We Expect from It?, which pinpoints the birth of the Metaverse and how far it has come since its inception, as well as gaining an expert insight from Stylianos Mystakidis, author of ‘Metaverse’ in the MDPI journal Encyclopedia. Some Special Issues dealing with the field of the Metaverse that are currently open for submission are also noted.

NFTs

Last but not least, Everything You Need to Know about NFTs discusses the benefits and drawbacks of non-fungible tokens and the ways in which they are influencing different external factors, such as the art world, the environment, and social media. However, there is still much we do not know about NFTs, and thus more in-depth research is required.

We hope our readers enjoyed this month’s articles, and welcome any suggestions based on what you’d like to see from us next!