Announcements

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Vasilis K. Oikonomou has been appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of the “Engineering Science and Symmetry/Asymmetry” Section.

Name: Prof. Dr. Vasilis Oikonomou
Interests: cosmology; inflationary cosmology; modified theories of gravity; physics of the early universe; dark energy; dark matter; supersymmetry; mathematical physics; high-energy physics; theoretical physics; epistemic game theory; game theory
Website: https://www.physics.auth.gr/en/sections/1/people/237

Prof. Dr. Vasilis K. Oikonomou is a tenured member of the academic staff at the Physics Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His Ph.D. focused on theoretical high-energy and mathematical physics, but his research interests cover a large range of topics, including theoretical cosmology, theoretical astrophysics, mathematics, mathematical economics, game theory, complex systems, and applied mathematics, in which he has published over 230 research articles in leading high-impact factor journals and is highly cited. He is an honorary professor at the Tomsk State Pedagogical University and has been awarded silver and bronze medals for academic achievements.

Prof. Dr. Oikonomou is now leading the Special Issue "Symmetry: Recent Developments in Engineering Science and Applications", in which feature papers will be published. For more information about the “Engineering Science and Symmetry/Asymmetry” Section, please visit: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/symmetry/sections/engineering_science_and_symmetry_asymmetry.

In this multidisciplinary Section, we welcome original research articles with top-level mathematical modeling or experimental outcomes and a strong substantiation of the conclusions and results, as well as relevant analytical reviews, on all aspects of symmetry or asymmetry in engineering, materials, energy sciences, and other interdisciplinary areas.

The topics covered in this Section include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Materials engineering;
• Nanotechnology;
• Power systems and thermal engineering;
• Mechanical engineering, mechatronics, and robotics;
• Automation and control engineering;
• Electronic engineering;
• Communication engineering;
• Chemical and molecular engineering;
• Optical engineering and technology;
• Other areas of interest associated with engineering and materials science where a multidisciplinary approach is required. 

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Vasilis K. Oikonomou, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views of the research area and open access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take the role as its Section Editor-in-Chief?

The journal Symmetry has developed to become one of the leading journals in physics, engineering and computer science in the last 12 years, achieving high-impact factor and quarterly indices. Being Section Editor-in-Chief is a demanding and challenging task, in a field with continuous changes and considerable competition, but my main aim is excellence in the published research in the journal. Scientific excellence in scientific journals is the main aim of any successful editorial team.

2. What is your vision for the journal?

My vision is to further strengthen the appeal and soundness of the journal in engineering science. The academic developments in engineering science in our times are striking, and my vision is focused on publishing state-of-the-art articles in the journal, making Symmetry one of the leading journals in engineering science.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like?

Engineering science is constantly changing every year, and thus the future seems promising from a scientific point of view. My motivation is excellence in published research and, thus, our editorial team aims to make Symmetry a leading and up-to-date database of excellent research articles in the field.

4. What do you think of the development of Open Access in the publishing field?

The journal Symmetry supports Open Access science, and Open Access publishing schemes are, in my opinion, the future of scientific research, since the author holds the copyright of his research. Open Access schemes can be further modified with the synergy of journals and academic institutions, offering individual authors the possibility of retaining the copyright.

We wish Prof. Dr. Oikonomou every success in his new position, and we look forward to his contributions to the journal.

Conference: Journées de Chimie Organique (JCO 2022)
Date: 2–4 November 2022
Place: Palaiseau, France
Booth Number: 2

Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) and Molecules (ISSN: 1420-3049) will be attending the Journées de Chimie Organique (JCO 2022) as exhibitors from 2 to 4 November in Palaiseau, France.

The JCO is organized every 3 years by the Organic Chemistry Division committee. It aims to be a great opportunity for the sharing of science, gathering organic chemists from all over the world.

This year, the meeting will include 13 plenary lectures and 5 invited lectures given by French and foreign researchers from both academic and industrial backgrounds, and will also highlight awardees of the DCO prizes.

Numerous oral communications are open to young researchers in various areas, such as the following:

• Catalysis;
• New methods in organic synthesis;
• Total synthesis of natural products;
• Sustainable chemistry;
• Medicinal chemistry;
• Bioorganic chemistry;
• Chemobiology;
• Supramolecular chemistry;
• Applications in materials and energy.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Materials;
• Molecules;
• Compos. Sci.;
• IJMS;
• Molbank;
• Symmetry.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you plan on attending this conference. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions you might have.

For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.jco2022.com/en/.

We are pleased to announce that we have selected the ten top articles on quantum entanglement and quantum science. You are welcome to read them!

1. “The Bipartite and Tripartite Entanglement in PT-ℱℐ Symmetric System”
by Vinh Le Duc et al.
Symmetry 2021, 13(2), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13020203
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/13/2/203

2. “Wilsonian Effective Action and Entanglement Entropy”
Satoshi Iso et al.
Symmetry 2021, 13(7), 1221; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13071221
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/13/7/1221

3. “A Spacetime Symmetry Approach to Relativistic Quantum Multi-Particle Entanglement”
by Abraham A. Ungar
Symmetry 2020, 12(8), 1259; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12081259
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/12/8/1259

4. “Highly Entangled Spin Chains and 2D Quantum Gravity”
by Fumihiko Sugino
Symmetry 2020, 12(6), 916; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12060916
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/12/6/916

5. “Quantum Retrodiction: Foundations and Controversies”
by Stephen M. Barnett et al.
Symmetry 2021, 13(4), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13040586
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/13/4/586

6. “Quantum Heat Engines with Singular Interactions”
by Nathan M. Myers et al.
Symmetry 2021, 13(6), 978; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13060978
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/13/6/978

7. “SU(2) Symmetry of Qubit States and Heisenberg–Weyl Symmetry of Systems with Continuous Variables in the Probability Representation of Quantum Mechanics”
by Peter Adam et al.
Symmetry 2020, 12(7), 1099; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12071099
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/12/7/1099

8. “Unsettling Physics in the Quantum-Corrected Schwarzschild Black Hole”
by Valerio Faraoni et al.
Symmetry 2020, 12(8), 1264; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12081264
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/12/8/1264

9. “The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle as an Endogenous Equilibrium Property of Stochastic Optimal Control Systems in Quantum Mechanics”
by Jussi Lindgren et al.
Symmetry 2020, 12(9), 1533; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12091533
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/12/9/1533

10. “Improving Quantum Search on Simple Graphs by Pretty Good Structured Oracles”
by Matteo G. A. Paris et al.
Symmetry 2021, 13(1), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13010096
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/13/1/96

A range of MDPI journals will be attending the Asia Communications and Photonics Conference. This meeting will be held in Shenzhen, China, from 5 to 8 November 2022.

The Asia Communications and Photonics Conference (ACP) is one of the largest conferences in the Asia-Pacific region on optical communication, photonics, and relevant technologies, which has been held annually since 2001 and jointly sponsored by OPTICA, SPIE, IEEE Photonics Society, The Chinese Optical Society, and China Institute of Communications. 

ACP 2022 will be held concurrently with the International Conference on Information Photonics and Optical Communications (IPOC). IPOC was founded by the State Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications in 2013.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Micromachines (leading journal);
• Photonics;
• Symmetry;
• Optics;
• Fibers;
• J. Imaging.

If you plan on attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have.

For more information about the conference, please see the following link: http://www.acp2022.org/.

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new Section titled “Engineering Science and Symmetry/Asymmetry” in the journal Symmetry (ISSN: 2073-8994).

In the multidisciplinary Section “Engineering Science and Symmetry/Asymmetry” of the Symmetry journal, we welcome original research articles with top-level mathematical modeling or experimental outcomes and a strong substantiation of conclusions and results, as well as relevant analytical reviews, on all aspects of symmetry or asymmetry in engineering, materials, energy sciences, and other interdisciplinary areas.

Our aim is to provide a virtual forum and database for experts, publishing papers with engineering significance that are dedicated to the most up-to-date issues and mainstream topics. The Section will fill the gap of mathematical modeling in these areas in the scientific literature, with emphasis on articles related to cutting-edge technologies and contemporary technology applications. Articles are expected to have original content and demonstrate clear scientific novelty.

The topics covered in this Section include but are not limited to the following:

• Materials engineering;
• Nanotechnology;
• Power systems and thermal engineering;
• Mechanical engineering, mechatronics, and robotics;
• Automation and control engineering;
• Electronic engineering;
• Communication engineering;
• Chemical and molecular engineering;
• Optical engineering and technology;
• Other areas of interest associated with engineering and materials science in which a multidisciplinary approach is required;
• In all submitted papers, the major role of symmetry phenomena should be explicit.

Feature papers will be published in the Special Issue “Symmetry: Recent Developments in Engineering Science and Applications”.

For more detailed information, please visit the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/symmetry/sections/engineering_science_and_symmetry_asymmetry.

Symmetry Editorial Office

Peer Review Week began 19 September 2022 under the theme of “Research Integrity: Creating and Supporting Trust in Research”. Through various blog articles, podcast, and webinar, we discussed this crucial subject throughout the week, celebrating the essential role peer review plays in maintaining research quality.

To begin, we held a Webinar on the topic. Professor Peter W. Choate and Dr. Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi joined Dr. Ioana Craciun, one of MDPI’s scientific officers, for an in-depth discussion.

We invite you to view the event recording:

During the week, the MDPI Blog in a series articles highlighted how good Peer Review safeguards research integrity. The following topics were covered:

• Peer Review Week 2022
• Research Integrity
• What We’ve Learned About Peer Review Reports
• 4 Steps to the Perfect Peer Review Report
• How to Write the Perfect Peer Review Report: An Interview
• Inviting Great Peer Reviewers

In a new edition of Insight Faster, an MDPI podcast, we were delighted to talk to the co-chairs of the Peer Review Week committee, Jayashree Rajagopalan (Senior Manager of Global Community Engagement for CACTUS) and Danielle Padula (Head of Marketing and Community Development at Scholastica) to get their take on this year’s event and its related topics.

You can find the Podcast here.

We hope you enjoy the contents!

MDPI will be attending the Conference on Complex Systems (CCS2022) in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, which will take place from 17 to 21 October 2022. The CCS is the largest and most important annual meeting of the international complex systems community. It comes under the auspices of the Complex Systems Society. This edition, organized by IFISC, takes place after previous events held in Lyon, Singapore, Thessaloniki, and Cancun.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Entropy;
• Fractal and Fractional;
• Symmetry;
• Mathematics;
• Dynamics;
• Algorithms;
• Systems;
• Informatics;
• MAKE;
• Information;
• Future Internet;
• Applied System Innovation;
• Data.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.ccs2022.org/.

Symmetry (ISSN: 2073-8994) will be attending the 12th National Organic Chemistry Conference of the Chinese Chemical Society, held in Hefei, China, from 25 to 29 September 2022. This conference aims to achieve an in-depth exchange of the latest research results in organic chemistry and related disciplines and to discuss the frontier trends and future development trends of organic chemistry. During this conference, MDPI (at booth #26) will welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest inspirations with us.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Symmetry (leading journal);
• IJMS;
• Molecules;
• Catalysts;
• Sustainability;
• Pharmaceuticals;
• Molbank;
• Organics;
• Chemistry.

If you plan on attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth: #26. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have.

For more information about the conference, please see the following link: http://12noc.ustc.edu.cn/.

MDPI will be attending ASHG 2022, held in Los Angeles, USA, from 25 to 29 October 2022.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Genes;
• JPM;
• Biomedicines;
• Biomolecules;
• Cardiogenetics;
• Cancers;
• Brain Science;
• Symmetry;
• Diagnostics;
• Metabolites;
• Cells;
• Biology;
• Humans;
• DNA.

If you plan on attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth: #1844. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have.

For more information about the conference, please see the following link:

https://www.ashg.org/meetings/2022-annual-meeting/.

We are delighted to announce that Symmetry 2023—The 4th International Conference on Symmetry will be held again in person, from 21 to 23 June 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. The event is supported by MDPI’s open access journal Symmetry (ISSN: 2073-8994).

At the Symmetry 2023 conference in Barcelona, we want to address the interplay between symmetry and its breakdown, in the many different domains and situations where they appear. Specifically, we want to foster interaction between scholars working in different fields of science.

We are very enthusiastic about this conference and are relying on you to make it a successful event.

Prof. Dr. Emilio Elizalde
Prof. Dr. Juan Luis García Guirao
Prof. Dr. Sergei D. Odintsov
Symmetry 2023 conference chairs