Announcements

In order to acknowledge our reviewers, who so generously dedicate their time to reviewing papers and demonstrate diligence, professionalism, and timeliness when reviewing manuscripts, MDPI journals regularly offer outstanding reviewer awards to scholars who participate in the peer-review process.

We are proud to recognize the winners for the year 2021 in the “Computer Science and Mathematics” for their outstanding contributions among extensive competition by presenting them with an Outstanding Reviewer Award.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the winners on their achievement.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Algorithms:

• Maxim A. Dulebenets, SA Florida A&M University-Florida State University, USA
• Artur Jez, University of Wrocław, Poland
• Dmitry Lukyanenko, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia

Forecasting:

• Juan Ramón Trapero Arenas, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Future Internet:

• Pedro Pablo Garrido Abenza, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Spain
• Roberto Saia, University of Cagliari, Italy
• Marek Bolanowski, Rzeszow University of Technology, Poland

Journal of Imaging:

• Jung Sun Yoo, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
• Josemaria Martinezo, University of the Basque Country, Spain

Mathematics:

• Maria Alessandra Ragusa, Università di Catania, Italy; DN University, Russia
• Endre Kovács, University of Miskolc, Hungary
• Roman Vavrek, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic
• Giacomo Ascione, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Italy
• Giorgio Sonnino, University in the City of Brussels, Belgium

Signals:

• Nina Golyandina, St. Petersburg State University, Russia
• Cataldo Guaragnella, Politecnico di Bari, Italy

Symmetry:

• Stefan Groote, University of Tartu, Estonia
• José Antonio Oller, Universidad de Murcia, Spain
• Kazuharu Bamba, Fukushima University, Japan

MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising junior researchers, acknowledge their contributions, and enhance communication among scientists. We are proud to present the winners for the year 2021 in the “Computer Science & Mathematics”, who were selected by the journals’ editors.

We warmly congratulate the awarded Young Investigators for their outstanding contributions.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Mathematics:

• Marina Murillo Arcila, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain

Symmetry:

• Tanmoy Paul, University of Burdwan, India

The purpose of our best paper awards is to promote and recognize the most impactful contributions published within MDPI journals.

The editors of each journal carefully selected reviews and research papers through a rigorous judging process based on the criteria such as scientific merit, overall impact, and quality of the presentation of the papers published in the journal.

We are honored to present the winners in the “Computer Science & Mathematics”, who were selected amongst extensive competition, and congratulate the authors for their outstanding scientific publications.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Axioms:

• A New gH-Difference for Multi-Dimensional Convex Sets and Convex Fuzzy Sets
  By Luciano Stefanini and Barnabas Bede
  Axioms 2019, 8(2), 48; doi:10.3390/axioms8020048

• Initial Value Problem for Nonlinear Fractional Differential Equations with ψ-Caputo Derivative via Monotone Iterative Technique
  By Choukri Derbazi, Zidane Baitiche, Mouffak Benchohra and Alberto Cabada
  Axioms 2020, 9(2), 57; doi:10.3390/axioms9020057

Future Internet:

• A review of Machine Learning and IoT in Smart Transportation
  By Fotios Zantalis, Grigorios Koulouras, Sotiris Karabetsos and Dionisis Kandris
  Future Internet 2019, 11(4), 94; doi:10.3390/fi11040094

Signals:

• Recognition of Blinks Activity Patterns during Stress Conditions Using CNN and Markovian Analysis
  By Alexandra I. Korda, Giorgos Giannakakis, Errikos Ventouras, Pantelis A. Asvestas, Nikolaos Smyrnis, Kostas Marias and George K. Matsopoulos
  Signals 2021, 2(1), 55–71; doi:10.3390/signals2010006

• An Educational Guide through the FMP Notebooks for Teaching and Learning Fundamentals of Music Processing
  By Meinard Müller
  Signals 2021, 2(2), 245–285; doi:10.3390/signals2020018

Symmetry:

• Hadronic and Hadron-Like Physics of Dark Matter
  By Vitaly Beylin, Maxim Yu. Khlopov, Vladimir Kuksa and Nikolay Volchanskiy
  Symmetry 2019, 11(4), 587; doi:10.3390/sym11040587

• Role of Asymmetric Autocatalysis in the Elucidation of Origins of Homochirality of Organic Compounds
  By Kenso Soai, Tsuneomi Kawasaki and Arimasa Matsumoto
  Symmetry 2019, 11(5), 694; doi:10.3390/sym11050694

• Convenient Asymmetric Synthesis of Fmoc-(S)-6,6,6-Trifluoro-Norleucine
  By Haibo Mei, Zizhen Yin, Toshio Miwa, Hiroki Moriwaki, Hidenori Abe, Jianlin Han and Vadim A. Soloshonok
  Symmetry 2019, 11(4), 578; doi:10.3390/sym11040578

• CMB Tensions with Low-Redshift H₀ and S₈ Measurements: Impact of a Redshift-Dependent Type-Ia Supernovae Intrinsic Luminosity
  By Matteo Martinelli and Isaac Tutusaus
  Symmetry 2019, 11(8), 986; doi:10.3390/sym11080986

The 2021 citation metrics have been released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and we’re pleased to announce the following results for MDPI journals:

For more information on Impact Factors and what it means to index academic journals, please visit our related blog posts.

* Journals given their first Impact Factor in 2022

Source: 2021 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports ^TM (Clarivate, 2022)

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative—the Special Issue Mentor Program.

This program intends to provide an opportunity for early career scientists to enhance their editing, networking, and organizational skills, as well as to work closely with our journal to gain more editorial experience. Early career scientists who have novel ideas for new Special Issues in Symmetry (ISSN: 2073-8994) will act as Guest Editors under the mentorship of an experienced scientist; this mentor could be a member of the Editorial Board of Symmetry or be from other well-established research institutes or laboratories.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Symmetry Editorial Office (symmetry@mdpi.com) and we will discuss the process (i.e., mentor collaboration, Special Issue topic feasibility analysis, etc.) in further detail; alternatively, submit your proposal via the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/symmetry.

Symmetry Editorial Office

Universe (ISSN: 2218-1997) will be attending the 23rd International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation (GR23) and the 2022 Annual Meeting of Division of Gravitation and Relativistic Astrophysics, Chinese Physical Society as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held from 3 to 8 July 2022.

GR23 will be hosted by the Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. This conference series constitutes the principal international meetings for scientists working in all areas of relativity and gravitation.

Below are Parallel Sessions being held during the conference:

A1: Classical GR: Theoretical developments;
A2: Classical GR: Mathematical developments;
A3: Alternative and modified theories of gravity.

B1: Relativistic astrophysics;
B2: Numerical relativity;
B3: Approximations, perturbation theory, and their applications;
B4: Cosmology: Theory and observations.

C1: Pulsar Timing Arrays;
C2: Gravitational wave astronomy: searches, data analysis, parameter estimation;
C3: Astrophysics and multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational waves;
C4: Gravitational waves: Present and future of ground-based and space-based detectors;
C5: Experimental gravitation.

D1: Loop quantum gravity and spin foams;
D2: Gravitational aspects of string theory;
D3: Causal sets, causal dynamical triangulations, non-commutative geometry, asymptotic safety, and other approaches to quantum gravity;
D4: Quantum fields in curved space-time, semiclassical gravity, quantum gravity phenomenology, and analog models.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Universe;
• Symmetry;
• Astronomy;
• Galaxies;
• Physics;
• Particles.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an on-site conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

We are pleased to announce the ten most notable articles published in 2020 in Symmetry (ISSN: 2073-8994):

1. “Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory”
by Piotr Homola et al.
Symmetry 2020, 12(11), 1835; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12111835

2. “From Probabilistic to Quantile-Oriented Sensitivity Analysis: New Indices of Design Quantiles”
by Zdeněk Kala
Symmetry 2020, 12(10), 1720; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12101720

3. “Numerical Investigation of Forced Convective Heat Transfer and Performance Evaluation Criterion of Al2O3/Water Nanofluid Flow inside an Axisymmetric Microchannel”
by Misagh Irandoost Shahrestani et al.
Symmetry 2020, 12(1), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12010120

4. “Variation and Correlations in Departures from Symmetry of Brain Torque, Humeral Morphology and Handedness in an Archaeological Sample of Homo sapiens”
by Antoine Balzeau et al.
Symmetry 2020, 12(3), 432; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12030432

5. “Symmetry in Nucleic-Acid Double Helices”
by Udo Heinemann et al.
Symmetry 2020, 12(5), 737; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12050737

6. “Complete Quantum Information in the DNA Genetic Code”
by Michel Planat et al.
Symmetry 2020, 12(12), 1993; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12121993

7. “Taxonomy of Three-Qubit Mermin Pentagrams”
by Metod Saniga et al. 
Symmetry 2020, 12(4), 534; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12040534

8. “A Discrete-Event Simulation of Claude Lévi-Strauss’ Structural Analysis of Myths Based on Symmetry and Double Twist Transformations”
by Jean-Francois Santucci et al. 
Symmetry 2020, 12(10), 1706; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12101706

9. “Towards A Global Cosmic Ray Sensor Network: CREDO Detector as the First Open-Source Mobile Application Enabling Detection of Penetrating Radiation”
by Łukasz Bibrzycki et al.
Symmetry 2020, 12(11), 1802; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12111802

10. “Finding and Breaking Lie Symmetries: Implications for Structural Identifiability and Observability in Biological Modelling”
by Gemma Massonis et al.
Symmetry 2020, 12(3), 469; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12030469

We are pleased to announce that we have selected the ten most notable articles published in Symmetry (ISSN: 2073-8994) in 2021. You are welcome to read them!

1. “Direct Esthetic Composite Restorations in Anterior Teeth: Managing Symmetry Strategies”
by Gaetano Paolone et al.
Symmetry 2021, 13(5), 797; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13050797

2. “Quantum Heat Engines with Singular Interactions”
by Nathan M. Myers et al.
Symmetry 2021, 13(6), 978; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13060978

3. “The Search for μ⁺ → e⁺γ with 10^–14 Sensitivity: The Upgrade of the MEG Experiment”
Alessandro M. Baldini et al.
Symmetry 2021, 13(9), 1591; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13091591

4. “Retrodeformation of the Steinheim Cranium: Insights into the Evolution of Neanderthals”
by Costantino Buzi et al.
Symmetry 2021, 13(9), 1611; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13091611

5. “Partitioning Pattern of Natural Products Based on Molecular Properties Descriptors Representing Drug-Likeness”
by Miroslava Nedyalkova et al.
Symmetry 2021, 13(4), 546; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13040546

6. “Non-Coding RNAs and Reactive Oxygen Species–Symmetric Players of the Pathogenesis Associated with Bacterial and Viral Infections”
by Zaki Milhem et al.
Symmetry 2021, 13(7), 1307; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13071307

7. “Symmetry, Combinatorics, Artificial Intelligence, Music and Spectroscopy”
by Krishnan Balasubramanian
Symmetry 2021, 13(10), 1850; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13101850

8. “Morphology of an Interacting Three-Dimensional Trapped Bose–Einstein Condensate from Many-Particle Variance Anisotropy”
by Ofir E. Alon
Symmetry 2021, 13(7), 1237; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13071237

9. “Fluctuating Asymmetry and Sexual Dimorphism in Human Facial Morphology: A Multi-Variate Study”
by Omid Ekrami et al.
Symmetry 2021, 13(2), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13020304

10. “Progress on the Stereoselective Synthesis of Chiral Molecules Based on Metal-Catalyzed Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of Alcohols with Lipases”
by Raffaella Ferraccioli
Symmetry 2021, 13(9), 1744; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13091744

We are pleased to report that the 2021 CiteScore for Symmetry (ISSN: 2073-8994) is 4.3. This represents a significant increase from our previous score of 3.4, meaning that the journal now ranks:

• 24/391 (Q1) in the “General Mathematics” category;
• 20/90 (Q1) in the “Computer Science” category;
• 18/63 (Q2) in the “Physics and Astronomy” category;
• 16/50 (Q2) in the “Chemistry” category.

The 2021 citation metrics have been officially released in Scopus!

We are pleased to announce that 182 MDPI journals are included, of which:

● 21 journals received their first CiteScore.
● 85% of journals increased their CiteScore from 2020.
● 155 journals (85%) ranked above average, in at least one category.

The following 65 MDPI journals (36%) ranked among the top 25% of journals, in at least one category:

Source: 2021 CiteScores™ (Elsevier)