Author: Katrin Jivkova

New Journal of Scientific and Technological Innovations launches on ARPHA

The journal is an international, multidisciplinary academic journal supervised by Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUIT).

Pensoft Publishers is pleased to announce the publication of the first issue of the Journal of Scientific and Technological Innovations (STI), an international journal for cutting-edge research across the scientific and technological spectrum. 

The journal notably adopts Pensoft’s ARPHA platform, an innovative end-to-end full-featured publishing solution that streamlines the entire publication workflow – from initial manuscript submission to indexing, distribution, hosting and archiving through one coordinated platform. To date, ARPHA provides “a home” to about 100 open-access journals across scientific fields.

Table of Contents

About the journal

The Journal of Scientific and Technological Innovations is an international, multidisciplinary academic journal supervised by Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUIT). The journal publishes original, peer-reviewed research contributions.

Its editorial purview encompasses a broad range of scientific and technological domains:

  • Food Science – biotechnology, traceability, safety and quality assurance, chemistry and toxicology, packaging, nanotechnology, sensory evaluation, sustainability, health and nutrition, and product innovation
  • Environmental Science – catalysis and energy conversion, carbon capture and utilisation, hydrogen and biomass technologies, agricultural and environmental biotechnology, bioremediation and wastewater treatment, sustainable chemistry, and computational approaches
  • Chemical Engineering – green and sustainable chemistry, computational methods, analytical and synthetic chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, catalytic technologies, and process development
  • Materials Science – nanomaterials, biomaterials, ceramics and composites, electronic and optical materials, polymers, surface coatings, eco-materials, and semiconductors

Editorial board

The journal is led by an international team of scholars:

Editor-in-Chief: Thi Hong Anh Le, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, Vietnam

Deputy Editors-in-Chief: Tuyen Truong, RMIT University, Australia; Thanh-Binh Nguyen, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan

Featured articles

The first issue of STI presents six contributions spanning food science, materials science, and applied food technology:

A cost-benefit analysis of small-holder floating-house fish farming in Chau Doc City, Vietnamese Mekong Delta 

A study of 35 Mekong Delta fish farmers reveals significant disparities in farm profitability across different river reaches, with operations facing demographic vulnerabilities and heavy reliance on unpaid labour. 

Read more: Farzana H, Tran DD, Nguyen TD, Park E (2026) A cost-benefit analysis of small-holder floating-house fish farming in Chau Doc City, Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Journal of Scientific and Technological Innovations 1: e209236. https://doi.org/10.3897/sti.e209236

Ultrasound-assisted pullulanase modification increases resistant starch content and alters the structure–function properties of water caltrop starch 

A combined ultrasound and enzymatic treatment increased resistant starch content in water caltrop starch from 21.72% to 28.15%, whilst enhancing its water and oil absorption capacities. The approach offers potential for developing resistant starch-enriched functional food ingredients.

Read more: Phan VM, Ngo TMP, Do TTN, Luyen TTH, Duong TT, Tran NM, Tran CH (2026) Ultrasound-assisted pullulanase modification increases resistant starch content and alters the structure–function properties of water caltrop starch. Journal of Scientific and Technological Innovations 1: e209539. https://doi.org/10.3897/sti.e209539 

Effects of Melatonin/β-cyclodextrin Treatment on Physicochemical and Bioactive Attributes of Cherry Tomatoes during Storage

Melatonin complexed with β-cyclodextrin reduced cherry tomato weight loss by up to 56% during refrigerated storage and proved more effective than free melatonin in preserving colour, acidity, and polyphenol content. The complex formation provides a viable strategy for extending shelf-life in harvested produce.

Read more: Tran THC, Dong TT, Nguyen PH,Le NH,Kuo C-H (2026) Effects of Melatonin/β-cyclodextrin Treatment on Physicochemical and Bioactive Attributes of Cherry Tomatoes during Storage. Journal of Scientific and Technological Innovations 1: e212043. https://doi.org/10.3897/sti.e212043

Design, Functionalities, and Emerging Applications of Ti3C2Tx MXene-Based Composites: A Review 

This review synthesises current knowledge on titanium carbide-based MXenes, two-dimensional materials with exceptional conductivity and mechanical properties. MXene-based composites demonstrate applications in gas sensing, photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction, and energy storage devices.

Read more: Ta QTH, Pham NN, Tran QN, Lu TMT, Noh JS (2026) Design, Functionalities, and Emerging Applications of Ti3C2Tx MXene-Based Composites: A Review. Journal of Scientific and Technological Innovations 1: e205045. Design, Functionalities, and Emerging Applications of Ti3C2Tx MXene-Based Composites: A Review

Chemical Composition, Bioactivities, and Cosmetic Applications of Coconut Oil and Its Derivatives

Recent evidence demonstrates that coconut oil, when appropriately applied, offers dermatological benefits, with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. The research clarifies interactions between coconut oil and skin microflora and explains previous inconsistencies in published findings.

Read more: Dat NM, Phong DT, Long HB, Dat NT, Thy LTM (2026) Chemical Composition, Bioactivities, and Cosmetic Applications of Coconut Oil and Its Derivatives. Journal of Scientific and Technological Innovations 1: e205088. https://doi.org/10.3897/sti.e205088 

Retention of bilberry anthocyanins in wood hemicelluloses coated microcapsules under the impact of humidity and packaging conditions 

Storage at 8% relative humidity limited bilberry anthocyanin degradation to 17-22% over 24 weeks, with wood hemicelluloses providing comparable protection to conventional gum Arabic. The findings establish moisture control as important for developing shelf-stable natural functional powders with sustainable coating materials.

Read more: Halahlah A, Piironen V, Mikkonen KS, Ho TM (2026) Retention of bilberry anthocyanins in wood hemicelluloses coated microcapsules under the impact of humidity and packaging conditions. Journal of Scientific and Technological Innovations 1: e207689. https://doi.org/10.3897/sti.e207689

A platform for scientific advancement

The diversity of contributions in this first issue reflects STI’s multidisciplinary scope. Researchers interested in submitting manuscripts are invited to consult the journal’s guidelines and submission portal.

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Access the full first issue here.

New “demon flower” species discovered in Thai national park

Researchers have described a new species of plant in western Thailand, and its otherworldly appearance has earned it a dramatic name: Thismia daemona, the “devil flower”.

Researchers have described a new species of leafless flowering plant found on the forest floor of a national park in western Thailand, and its otherworldly appearance has earned it a fittingly dramatic name: Thismia daemona, the “demon flower”.

The species belongs to Thismia, a genus of small plants sometimes called “fairy lanterns”. Unlike most plants, they contain no chlorophyll and cannot photosynthesise, instead drawing nutrients from underground fungi and spending almost their entire lives hidden beneath leaf litter.

The new species was found by botanists from Chulalongkorn University and Prince of Songkla University during surveys of Thong Pha Phum National Park, growing at nearly 1,000 metres elevation, which is an unusually high and seasonally dry setting for the genus.

  • Thismia daemona in natural habitat. Credit: Sahut Chantanaorrapint.

“Finding Thismia daemona in Thong Pha Phum National Park was indeed a major surprise.

Typically, Thismia species are known to occur in perennially humid lowland rainforests, however, this population was discovered in a seasonal, montane evergreen forest at an elevation of nearly 1,000 metres above sea level.”

Dr Sahut Chantanaorrapint, Prince of Songkla University
Thismia daemona in natural habitat. Credit: Neeranuch Taosiri.

The find matters well beyond Thailand’s borders too. The new species belongs to Thismia section Geomitra, previously known only from Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra, so its discovery pushes the known range of the whole section northwards for the first time.

Its looks live up to the name. The flower is mostly black, with horn-like appendages crowning a dome shaped “mitre”, while patches of vivid reddish orange around its base recall a demon’s glowing eyes.

“Combined with its hidden, subterranean and mysterious lifestyle on the forest floor, our team unanimously agreed that naming it Thismia daemona perfectly captured its enigmatic and demon-like essence.”

Dr Chantanaorrapint

Despite its interesting appearance, its future is precarious. Known from a single population of fewer than 50 individuals in an area smaller than a football pitch, it has provisionally been assessed as Critically Endangered, partly because its habitat sits within a national park popular with tourists.

Thismia daemona. Credit: Tosak Seelanan.

Dr Chantanaorrapint sees community involvement as key to its survival:

“A key next step is adopting a sustainable conservation approach aligned with the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere concept, harmonising biodiversity conservation with human engagement.

Inspiring local people to take pride in their natural heritage not only safeguards the microhabitat, but also supports sustainable, community led ecotourism.”

The study, published in the open-access journal PhytoKeys, brings the number of Thismia species recorded in Thailand to sixteen.

Original source

Seelanan T, Chantapram I, Taosiri N, Chuchuea C, Chantanaorrapint S (2026) Thismia daemona (Thismiaceae), a new species from Thailand supported by morphological and molecular evidence. PhytoKeys 278: 177-189. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.278.202868

Make sure to follow PhytoKeys on Facebook and Bluesky for more interesting articles on plants.