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Peer review declaration

All papers published in this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.☐ Type of peer review: Single-blind / Double-blind / Triple-blind / Open / Other (please describe) ☐ The selection of papers for the conference was two-stage. At the first stage, one-page abstracts submitted by participants were considered. The selection included meeting the requirements: the relevance of the conference topics, relevance and scientific novelty, meaningfulness of scientific results. s that received a positive review were included in the conference program. In disputable cases, the abstracts were considered additionally by the chairman of the organizing committee.☐ The authors of the abstracts included in the conference program were invited to submit full-text articles for publication in the proceedings of the conference; the presentation of a full-text report was optional.☐ Full-text reports were reviewed by members of the scientific committee of the conference, who are leading scientists in the field of the conference topics. The review substantiated the compliance of the report with the following requirements: relevance and scientific novelty, meaningfulness of scientific results, repetition and self-citation, formatting. Upon receipt of one strictly positive review, the report was included in the list for publication, in other positive decisions, the work was sent for revision to the authors. The papers that did not receive a strictly positive review were rejected. All reports were additionally reviewed for compliance with all requirements by the chairman of the organizing committee.☐ Conference submission management system: own system linked to the conference site Conference participants create personal accounts on the conference website (http://www.ptppe.ru/), through which they upload data to the website: abstracts, full-text reports, information about authors. The organizers have the ability to upload data, provide access to abstracts and reports for reviewers. The results of the review are sent to the authors and reflected in the personal account. Number of submissions received: 523 abstracts317 full papers Number of submissions sent for review: 523 abstracts317 full papers☐ Number of submissions accepted: 406 abstracts300 full papers Acceptance Rate (Number of Submissions Accepted / Number of Submissions Received X 100): 77,6 for abstracts57,4 for full papers☐ Average number of reviews per paper: 2 ☐ Total number of reviewers involved: 30 ☐ Any additional info on review process: Contact person for queries: Chairman of the organizing committee of the conference, Director of Institute of Thermal and Nuclear Power Engineering of National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute” Dr., Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Dedov Aleksey, dedovav@mpei.ru

Peer review declaration

All papers published in this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.□ Type of peer review: Single-blind / Double-blind / Triple-blind / Open / Other (please describe) Double-blindThe conference Program Committee chose 4 reviewers. The papers were distributed so that each was reviewed by two reviewers.List of reviewers:✓ Fedchenko L.M. – Grand PhD in geographical sciences, professor, research advisor, High-Mountain Geophysical Institute;✓ Senov H. M. – Grand PhD in physico-mathematical sciences, professor, Institute of Computer Science, Electronics and Robotics;✓ Kalov H.M. - Grand PhD in physico-mathematical sciences, professor, research advisor, High-Mountain Geophysical Institute;✓ Barekova M. V. – PhD in physico-mathematical sciences, scientific secretary, High-Mountain Geophysical Institute. Conference submission management system: Conference site:http://vgistikhiya.ru/index.php/konferentsiiConference secretary mail: sozaeva.lezhinka@yandex.ru□ Number of submissions received: 18 □ Number of submissions sent for review: 18 □ Number of submissions accepted:16 □ Acceptance Rate (Number of Submissions Accepted / Number of Submissions Received X 100): 88,88 □ Average number of reviews per paper: 2 □ Total number of reviewers involved:4 □ Any additional info on review process: □ Contact person for queries: Sozaeva Lezhinka Tanashevna, +7(928) 723 20 08, sozaeva.lezhinka@yandex.ru

Do Speakers Fully Disclose Potential Conflicts of Interest in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery?

The complete disclosure of conflicts of interest is critical to providing objective and ethical continuing education. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the disclosed financial relationships by speakers at an annual oral and maxillofacial surgery conference. This retrospective cross-sectional study compared speakers' disclosures on the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Dental Implant Conference 2018 website to the payments reported on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments Database. The predictor variable was the number of companies reported by the speakers. The outcome variable was the number of relevant companies discovered on the Open Payments Database. Other variables evaluated included total dollar sum transferred and the type of speaker (oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS) vs non-OMS). Companies providing payments to speakers on the Open Payments Database were deemed relevant if they had provided goods or services relevant to dental implants. Descriptive statistics were computed, and the Student t test was performed, with P<.05 considered to indicate statistical significance. A total of 43 speakers were included (32 OMSs; 74.4%). We found that 35 of the 43 speakers (81.4%) had received payments relating to dental implants on the Open Payments Database that had not been disclosed on the conference website. On average, the speakers disclosed 0.65±1.04 companies; however, 2.51±1.32 relevant companies per speaker were reported on the Open Payments Database (P<.0001). The OMS speakersdisclosed 0.47±0.95 company on the conference site but had 2.47±1.32 companies reporting payments on the Open Payments Database (P<.0001). Non-OMS speakers disclosed 1.18±1.17 companies, with 2.64±1.36 companies listed on the Open Payments Database (P=.0044). Continuing education conferences offer an avenue of knowledge transfer; however, the objectivity of the information presented could be affected by undisclosed conflicts of interest. The results from the present study have demonstrated that most speakers at an annual oral and maxillofacial surgery conference have underreported payments from companies relevant to the conference topic.

Conference Report The Second Tourism And Hospitality International Conference (Thic 2014)

Conference Report The Second Tourism And Hospitality International Conference (Thic 2014)

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Controllable Charge Capacity Using a Black Additive for High-Energy-Density Sodium-Ion Batteries

Introduction Sodium-deficient P2 or P′2 type layered materials are known to deliver high capacity with acceptable capacity retention. However, the initial charge capacity is substantially lower than the discharge capacity because of the insufficient amount of sodium in their crystal structure, hindering practical application of these materials as cathodes in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). This limitation can be overcome by introducing a sacrificial salt additive, which participates in the electrochemical oxidation reaction by releasing enough sodium ions to compensate for the insufficient sodium content in the cathode material. Herein, the sacrificial salt NaNO2 was blended with a high-capacity orthorhombic P′2 type Na2/3[Co0.05Mn0.95]O2 cathode material, increasing the initial charge capacity from 154 to 210 mA h g-1. During electrochemical oxidation, the NaNO2 was oxidatively decomposed by the following reaction: NaNO2 → NO2 + Na+ + e-, where NO2 is an oxidizer that enables full desodiation to Na0[Co0.05Mn0.95]O2. The first coulombic efficiency of Na2/3[Co0.05Mn0.95]O2 was improved from 1.38 to 0.98 by virtue of the sacrificing and oxidizing roles of NaNO2. Experimental P’2-type layered Na2/3[Co0.05Mn0.95]O2 was synthesized via spray pyrolysis. Stoichiometric amounts of manganese nitrate tetra-hydrate, cobalt nitrate hexahydrate, and sodium nitrate were dissolved in distilled water at 25 °C. Citric acid as a chelating agent and sucrose as a particle agglomeration inhibitor were added to the prepared aqueous solution at a molar ratio of the starting material : citric acid : sucrose of 1 : 0.2 : 0.05. The concentration of the starting solution was 0.08 M. The resulting aerosol stream was introduced into a vertical quartz reactor heated to 400 °C. The as-received precursor powders were calcined at 1200 °C for 10 h in a furnace in a dry air atmosphere with a flow rate of 300 mL min-1 and subsequently cooled to 25 °C. NaNO2 was intimately blended with the conducting agents by ball-milling at a weight ratio of 1 : 1, yielding a black-colored powder. The as-synthesized Na2/3[Co0.05Mn0.95]O2 and the mixture of NaNO2 and conducting agents were homogeneously blended in an agate mortar. Results and Discussion The introduction of a sacrificing agent, NaNO2, into sodium-deficient P2- and P’2-type layered cathode materials helped to overcome their intrinsic drawback of low charge capacities. The additive caused the release of additional sodium ions during electrochemical oxidation, which, in turn, provided additional capacity upon charging, bringing the first charge capacity closer to the discharge capacity. As a result, a high energy density of approximately 300 Wh kg-1 (calculated based on the cathode material) was achieved for the NaNO2/Na2/3[Co0.05Mn0.95]O2//hard carbon full cell. Supplementary experimental studies revealed that additional sodium ions were intercalated into the hard carbon. Hence, the high-capacity P’2 layered cathode can be used as a cathode material for high-energy-density SIBs. Details will be mentioned at the conference site. Figure 1

An Industry and Government Perspective on Challenges and Open Problems in Signal Processing [SP Forum

The majority of ICASSP presentations are given by professors and students. Perhaps resulting from its strategic location near a great deal of high-technology activity, the strong economy [the result of a focus on machine learning (ML) and in employment therein] and because of the energetic outreach by the organizing committee, ICASSP 2018 had an especially strong industry presence, both in attendance and sponsorship. Calgary, a cosmopolitan city in the Canadian province of Alberta, was the conference's site and provided the perfect opportunity for a panel focused on industry feedback. What spurs the interests of both industry and government, the entities who are actually making the products and know the competition? How can academia participate (and maybe even help)?

Go figural: crop circle research and the extraordinary rifts of landscape

In recent years, cultural geographers have begun to scrutinize the relationships between the ‘ordinary’ and the ‘extraordinary’. These studies assert that the ordinary and extraordinary are not fixed and discrete, but rather, mutable and connected. The main goal of this article is to explore how landscape can combine the ordinary and the extraordinary by reflecting on my participation in the 2017 Summer Lectures Crop Circle Conference in Devizes, England, and drawing on Jean-François Lyotard’s work, Discourse, Figure (1971). My argument is that crop circles and the conference participants’ research practices landscape the ordinary and extraordinary by magnifying disruptive yet alluring rifts ( écarts) between textual acts of reading and visual acts of seeing. I illustrate how such rifts, which Lyotard aligns with ‘figural space’ ( l’espace figurai), occur on and off the conference site as follows: first, through an awkward slowness demanded by drawing crop circles in a sacred geometry workshop; second, as a result of the opaque thickness of the local countryside wherein researchers struggled to locate crop circles in fields and navigate country lanes; and third, in the operations of desire in group consciousness workshops that propelled disagreements over how to access the sacred. The article concludes by acknowledging some of the limitations of my reading of figural space, as well as some reasons why we should ‘go figural’ in cultural geography.

Symmetries in Science XVII

PrefaceThe international symposium “Symmetries in Science” (initiated by Bruno Gruber in 1979) continued with SIS XVII, July 30 - August 4, 2017 in Bregenz, Austria, following a break in 2015. Thirty-three scientists from 13 countries attended, again almost half of them from countries outside the European Union (from Mexico to South Korea, Brazil to Russia).For the first time since being in our charge, the conference took place at Gasthof Hotel Lamm, a location well-known to former participants and just across the road from the conference site of previous years. Gasthof Lamm was always a favourite meeting place for after-lecture and evening discussions (prolonged and inspired by one’s drink of choice) that sometimes went till well after midnight; this year was no exception.

Bio-Inspired Surface Layer for the Cathode Material of High-Energy Density Sodium-Ion Batteries

P2-Cathode materials for sodium battery are usually active in the range of 2–4.3 V, but the decomposition of the electrolytic salt above 4 V versus Na+/Na is common. Arguably, the one of the concerns is the formation of HF after the reaction of the salts with water molecules, which are present as an impurity in the electrolyte. This HF ceaselessly attacks the active materials and gradually causes the failure of the electrode via electric isolation of the active materials. In this study, we report a bio-inspired b-NaCaPO4 nanolayer on a P2-type layered Na2/3[Ni1/3Mn2/3]O2 cathode material. The coating layers successfully scavenge HF and H2O, and excellent capacity retention was achieved with the b-NaCaPO4-coated Na2/3[Ni1/3 Mn2/3]O2 electrode. This retention was possible because a less acidic environment was produced in the Na cells during prolonged cycling. The intrinsic stability of the coating layer also assisted in delaying the exothermic decomposition reaction of the de-sodiated electrodes. We suggest formation and reaction mechanisms for the coating layers responsible for the excellent electrode performance. The suggested technology is promising for use with cathode materials in rechargeable sodium batteries to mitigate the effects of acidic conditions in Na cells. P2-type layered Na2/3[Ni1/3Mn2/3]O2 powders were synthesized by a conventional solid-state method. Na2CO3, Mn2O3, and NiO were thoroughly mixed. And then it was calcined at 1,000 °C for 12 h in air and then quenched, after which the pellet was immediately transferred into an Ar-filled glove box to minimize the adsorption of water and exposure to the CO2 in the air. Calcium nitrate and phosphoric acid were first dissolved in anhydrous ethanol at room temperature, and the as-synthesized active materials were added slowly to the solution. Then, the solution containing the active material was stirred continuously at 80 °C in a dry room, accompanied by the slow evaporation of the solvent. The as-prepared and bare Na2/3[Ni1/3Mn2/3]O2 powders were heated at 700 °C for 2 h in air. Also, the coated powders were characterized by XRD, SEM, and HR-TEM. Electrochemical properties of coated powders were examined by galvanostatic cycle test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. b-NaCaPO4 coatings shows uniform coating layers, as observed by TEM. Thickness of coating layer is of about 10nm. Electrochemical test with half cells in voltage range of 2.5 - 4.3 V at 25 oC indicates that coated materials have better capacity retention and coulombic efficiency, rate capability, and low resistance. Thin coating layers seem to effective to improve the electrochemical properties. Also, b-NaCaPO4 coatings give decrease of residual sodium and byproduct on the surface of particle, as confirmed by ToF-SIMS. Details will be mentioned at the conference site. Figure 1

How do the Institutes on Teaching and Learning (ITLs) nurture the members of the Physiology Educators Community of Practice (PECOP)?

Do you teach physiology? Do you use best practices when you teach physiology? Have you ever thought about conducting educational research? Do you need collaborators to help with ideas for educational research or to expand your research populations? The American Physiological Society (APS) Teaching Section has developed a biennial Institute on Teaching and Learning (ITL) through the APS Conference Program to address these issues. The first institute was held in June 2014, and the second institute was held in June 2016. A Physiology Education Community of Practice (PECOP) was created to help connect the institute participants and other physiology educators and to share evidence-based teaching in physiology at all education levels. The 2018 APS ITL will be the next meeting to learn best practices, to share ideas with colleagues, and to find collaborators in improving the teaching of physiology for students. The meeting will include workshops modeling best practices, plenary talks about hot new issues in physiology and science education, and poster sessions and informal meals to discuss interests with colleagues. Even if one's primary responsibility is bench research or administration, the training from the institute will improve efficiency and effectiveness when teaching. The two prior ITLs (2014 and 2016) were highly evaluated by educators of both undergraduate and professional students who spent a week together emphasizing improvement in their teaching. This paper reports the outcomes of the 2016 ITL and encourages participation in the upcoming ITL in Madison, WI, June 18-22, 2018. Watch the APS Conference site for more information about the 2018 ITL (http://www.the-aps.org/mm/Conferences/APS-Conferences).

Impacts of regional transport on black carbon in Huairou, Beijing, China

The 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Conference was held near Yanqi Lake, Huairou, in Beijing, China during November 10-11, 2014. To guarantee haze-free days during the APEC Conference, the Beijing government and the governments of the surrounding provinces implemented a series of controls. Three months of Aethalometer 880 nm black carbon (BC) measurements were examined to understand the hourly fluctuations in BC concentrations that resulted from emission controls and meteorology changes. Measurements were collected at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences near the APEC Conference site and in Central Beijing at the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Synoptic conditions are successfully represented through analysis of backward trajectories in six cluster groups. The clusters are identified based on air mass transport from various areas such as Inner Mongolia, Russia, three northeastern provinces, and Hebei industrial areas, to the measurement sites. Air pollution control measures during the APEC Conference significantly reduced BC at the conference site (Huairou) and in Central Beijing, with greater reductions in BC concentrations at the conference site than in Central Beijing. The highest BC concentrations in Huairou were associated with air masses originating from Central Beijing rather than from the Hebei industrial region. The success of the control measures implemented in Beijing and the surrounding regions demonstrates that BC concentrations can be effectively reduced to protect human health and mitigate regional climate forcing. This study also demonstrates the need for regional strategies to reduce BC concentrations, since urban areas like Beijing are sources as well as downwind receptors of emissions.

NaCrO2 Cathode for High-Rate Sodium-Ionbatteries

Layered lithium intercalation compounds LiMeO2 (where Me is transition element) materials have been widely studied and applied as cathode materials for practical lithium ion batteries. Cost of lithium resource, however, has doubled since commercialization in 1991, and tight supply is expected due to the ever increasing demands of electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Indeed, the lithium resource is unevenly distributed in Southern America. Meanwhile, sodium resources are abundant and unlimited everywhere. Recently, layered NaMeO2 materials are being intensively studied because of reversible Na+ insertion/extraction, in particular, NaCrO2 (R-3m) in Na cell. Here, we report physical and electrochemical properties of NaCrO2. The NaCrO2 powder was synthesized by solid-state method. Stoichiometric mixture of Na2CO3 and Cr2O3 powders were pelletized, and the pellet was heated at 900 oC in Ar. All chemicals and products were handled in an Ar-filled gloved box to avoid air exposure. Phase identification of the products was made using X-ray diffraction (XRD) with Cu Kα radiation and the collected XRD data were analyzed by the Rietveld refinement. Electrochemical test were carried out in coin type sodium cells. Galvanostatic electrochemical charge and discharge tests in 1M NaClO4 in PC solution were carried out at room temperature. XRD pattern of the produced NaCrO2 demonstrated a phase-pure product and it was crystallized to O3 type layer structure with space group of R-3m. The delivered capacity was approximately 110 mAh (gNaCrO2) -1 in voltage range of 2 – 3.6 V and 97 % of the capacity was retained during 50 cycles. Also, the Na/NaCrO2 cell exhibited surprising high rate properties, namely, 84 % of capacity retention at 100 C-rates. Details will be discussed in the conference site. Figure 1

The Effect of Transition Metal(Al, Co) Ions Doping in α-MnO2 Materials As the Rechargeable Zinc Ion Battery

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been drawn significant attention as energy storage devices with high energy density and high power. However, nowadays, the attention of many researchers has been focused on exploration of new battery systems. The promising battery systems are sodium ion battery, all-solid state battery, zinc ion battery and so on. In this study, we report a zinc ion battery system which uses MnO2 materials as the cathode, because zinc metal have advantages such as natural abundancy, safety, un-poisonous, low cost and easy handling in open air. Also, manganese dioxide (MnO2) has been widely investigated as electrode materials owing to high natural abundance, low cost and non-toxicity. This MnO2 appears in various crystallographic polymorphs such as α-, β-, γ-, δ-, and ε-MnO2. Among these materials, α-MnO2 is comprised of the basic MnO6 octahedral units which are linked through edges and/or corners to forms crystallographic structures that correspond to different type of polymorphs. However, α-MnO2/Zn ion battery has drawbacks such as the formation of by-product, poor electric conductivity and capacity retention during cycling. To improve the some properties, we conducted the doping of Al, Co ion in the α-MnO2 structure and we anticipate that the doped transition metal Al and Co ions would affect not only electrochemical property but also structural stabilization. Therefore, we report on the effect of transition metal (Al, Co) doping in α-MnO2 materials on structure and electrochemistry. The Al∙Co-α-MnO2 nanorods was synthesized via hydrothermal method and the Al and Co source was added in molar ratios (5%, 15%, and 25%) to obtain Al∙ Co-α-MnO2 with various doping levels. The crystalline phase of the synthesized products was characterized by powder XRD using Cu-Kα radiation. Using these XRD data, lattice parameters were performed to identify the variation of a-,c- axis and volume. Also, ICP-AES was carried to measure the amount of Al and Co ion in the MnO2 structure. Also, SEM and TEM were employed to observe the surface and morphology of particle. The electrochemical tests were performed in coin type zinc cell. The used electrolyte solution was 1 M ZnSO4 (pH 4.0). The coin cells were charged and discharged between 1.0 and 1.8 V at room temperature. The XRD patterns of bare α-MnO2 and doped α-MnO2 obvious appeared single phase with I4/m space group and the XRD data of the Al, Co-doped α-MnO2 exhibited peak shift. The result of lattice parameter appeared change in values of a-, c-axis and volume. According to ICP-AES results, we could identify the amount of doped Al and Co ions. The electrochemical performances of the bare and Al, Co doped MnO2 electrode were tested in the voltage range of 1.0 – 1.8 V. Details will be discussed in the conference site. Figure 1

Relative impact of emissions controls and meteorology on air pollution mitigation associated with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in Beijing, China

The Beijing government and its surrounding provinces implemented a series of measures to ensure haze-free skies during the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference (November 10th–11th, 2014). These measures included restrictions on traffic, construction, and industrial activity. Twelve hour measurements of the concentration and composition of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were performed for 5 consecutive months near the APEC conference site before (September 11th–November 2nd, 2014), during (November 3rd–12th, 2014) and after (November 13th, 2014–January 31st, 2015). The measurements are used in a positive matrix factorization model to determine the contributions from seven sources of PM2.5: secondary aerosols, traffic exhaust, industrial emission, road dust, soil dust, biomass burning and residual oil combustion. The source apportionment results are integrated with backward trajectory analysis using Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) meteorological simulations, which determine the relative influence of new regulation and meteorology upon improved air quality during the APEC conference. Data show that controls are very effective, but meteorology must be taken into account to determine the actual influence of the controls on pollution reduction. The industry source control is the most effective for reducing concentrations, followed by secondary aerosol and biomass controls, while the least effective control is for the residual oil combustion source. The largest reductions in concentrations occur when air mass transport is from the west-northwest (Ulanqab). Secondary aerosol and traffic exhaust reductions are most significant for air mass transport from the north-northwest (Xilingele League) origin, and least significant for northeast transport (Chifeng via Tangshan conditions). The largest reductions of soil dust, biomass burning, and industrial source are distinctly seen for Ulanqab conditions and least distinct for Xilingele League.

19th International Summer School on Vacuum, Electron and Ion Technologies (VEIT2015)

The International Summer School on Vacuum, Electron and Ion Technologies (VEIT) has been organized biennially since 1978, when the series of VEIT Schools was launched by the Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences with the aim to act as a forum for exchange and dissemination of knowledge and ideas on the latest developments in electron-, ion-, and plasma-assisted technologies. The organizers of the 2015 edition of the event were the Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria and the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. While the school has initially been providing a meeting place for researchers mainly from Eastern and Central European countries, its importance has grown issue by issue. The school is now a major scientific event and a meeting place for young scientists from Eastern and Western Europe involved in research and development associated with high-tech industries. Many former school participants have gone on to become leading scientists in research establishments and companies throughout the world. Leading international companies, such as High Voltage Engineering, Balzers, Varian, and Hauzer have used the VEIT forum to present their products through oral presentations, poster contributions or exhibits. The School Proceedings have been published in special issues of the international journals Vacuum, Plasma Processes and Polymers, Journal of Physics: Conference Series.The Nineteenth edition of VEIT was held in the Black Sea resort Sozopol, Bulgaria, on 21--25 September 2015. It was attended by 101 participants from 16 countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine and UK.Following the tradition of publishing the VEIT Proceedings, a selection of papers presented at the event are published in this special issue of Journal of Physics: Conference Series, under the originality and quality criteria of acceptance by the journal, including peer reviewing.The school comprised fifteen plenary and three poster sessions. At the plenary sessions, twenty-one invited talks of general interest were presented by highly renowned international experts in the field (5 invited talks and 16 progress reports), as well as ten progress reports by young scientists. In total, 74 contributed papers were presented during the poster sessions. There were several scientific highlights covering fundamentals of interaction of fast particles with solids and challenging practical applications ranging from novel techniques for creating hard coatings, optical/protective layers, biocompatible materials to nanosized structures produced by evaporation, sputtering or external irradiation. Latest results were presented on ion-beam synthesis and modification in both low-energy (deposition and film growth) and high-energy (sputtering, implantation) regimes, and processing of solid materials aiming at patterning the surface or at creating nanophase systems for electronic or tribological/wear resistant applications.Despite the busy scientific program, the atmosphere was relaxed and informal. The early afternoons of most conference days were free to stimulate both scientific and social interaction between participants, which often took place on the beach. The social program included a welcome party, an official dinner, and an outing to a winery in the town of Pomorie.VEIT 2015 owes its success to many people. The International Advisory Committee shaped the scientific program and ensured high-quality plenary presentations by careful selection of invited speakers. The Local Committee bore the brunt of the organization both at the conference site and in dealing with correspondence, abstracts, and manuscripts for these proceedings.We are grateful to our sponsors, the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, IUVSTA, and the Ministry of Education and Science of Republic of Bulgaria for there generosity that enabled us to support the attendance of students and provided support to deal with mailing, printing, renting the conference site, etc. We are also grateful to the members of the International Advisory Committee - Th. Czerwiec, M. Dimitrova, G. Dinescu, A. Ehiasarian, N. Guerassimov, V. Guerra, I. Katardjiev, H. Kersten, K. Larsson, D. Mataras, W. Möller, M. Mozetic, R. Panek, I. Petrov, Z. Petrovic, B. Rauschenbach, M.C.M. (Richard) van de Sanden, M. Ürgen, for their continuous concern about the high scientific level and the future of the event, as well as for their contribution to the formation of a new generation of scientists and experts in the field. And, last but not least, we would also like to thank all authors for their valuable contributions to these proceedings and to the school, and all reviewers for their hard and tedious, but very important, work.The next conference in the series will be held in September 2017.M.C.M. van de Sanden, Miglena Dimitrova, Chavdar Ghelev,Guest Editors

Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from travel – a GIS-based study

Abstract. Conferences, meetings and congresses are an important part of today's economic and scientific world. But the environmental impact, especially from greenhouse gas emissions associated with travel, can be extensive. Anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions account for the warming of the atmosphere and oceans. This study draws on the need to quantify and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with travel activities and aims to give suggestions for organizers and participants on possible ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, demonstrated on the example of the European Geography Association (EGEA) Annual Congress 2013 in Wasilkow, Poland. The lack of a comprehensive methodology for the estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from travel led to an outline of a methodology that uses geographic information systems (GIS) to calculate travel distances. The calculation of travel distances in GIS is adapted from actual transportation infrastructure, derived from the open-source platform OpenStreetMap. The methodology also aims to assess the possibilities to reduce GHG emissions by choosing different means of transportation and a more central conference location. The results of the participants of the EGEA congress, who shared their travel data for this study, show that the total travel distance adds up to 238 000 km, with average travel distance of 2429 km per participant. The travel activities of the participants in the study result in total GHG emissions of 39 300 kg CO2-eq including both outward and return trip. On average a participant caused GHG emissions of 401 kg CO2-eq. In addition, the analysis of the travel data showed differences in travel behaviour depending on the distance between conference site and point of origin. The findings on travel behaviour have then been used to give an estimation of total greenhouse gas emissions from travel for all participants of the conference, which result in a total amount of 79 711 kg CO2-eq. The potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by substituting short flights with train rides and car rides with bus and train rides is limited. Only 6 % of greenhouse gas emissions could be saved by applying these measures. Further considerable savings could only be made by substituting longer flights (32.6 %) or choosing a more central conference location (26.3 %).

Il silenzio della terra e dei volti: censura e narrazioni in After the Last Sky di Edward Said

In 1983 Edward Said, who was then serving as a consultant to the United Nations International Conference on the Question of Palestine suggested that photographs of Palestinians should be hung in the entrance to the main conference site in Geneva. The official response was that the photographs could be displayed, but with no caption or explanation. This form of censorship marks the beginning of After the Last Sky a book of pictures by the Swiss photographer Jean Mohr, commented and expanded by Said, who explores the ways and modes through which memory can, challenging censorship, interact with photographs and written texts, and thereby attempt to reconstruct a people’s past and current historical trajectory. The contribution also explores how Palestinians suffered censorship of their own experience through a systematic dispossession of territories, affiliations and, eventually, their identity as a national ethnic group, a brutal strategy of segregation against which Said’s philological approach provides a strong ethical argument.

What's New Elsewhere: Impressions from the Berlin Conference

What's New ElsewhereImpressions from the Berlin Conference Paul Horley The 9th International Conference on Easter Island and the Pacific (EIPC) dedicated to Cultural and Environmental Dynamics was held at the Ethnological Museum of Dahlem on June 21-26, 2015. The event was organized by Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, HafenCity Universität Hamburg, and the Easter Island Foundation. The organizing committee, headed by Dr. Burkhard Vogt, did a remarkable effort ensuring a smooth flow of the entire event. The choice of the conference site and lodging was just perfect: the Ethnological Museum of Dahlem features one of the most renowned collections of Easter Island artifacts in Europe, many of which date from the historic expedition of Wilhelm Geiseler onboard the HMS Hyäne in 1882. The principal conference hotel, Seminaris, was comfortably located just across the street from the museum. The canopy of linden trees abundantly growing in the area provided much desired shade on sunny days and a natural rain protection during the passing showers. The evening before the conference was heralded by the ice-breaker party held at the Lepsius-Kolleg, located within walking distance from the Seminaris Hotel. The friendly atmosphere and golden rays of the setting sun created a perfect background for discussions over a beer or two; everybody enjoyed meeting friends and seeing colleagues known for years, as well as making new acquaintances. Thus, the base for intense and fruitful scientific communication was firmly established during the first evening. The conference was opened by the Ambassador of the Republic of Chile in Germany, H.E. Mariano Fernández Amunátegui, followed by the welcome words by Dr. Richard Haas, the Deputy Director of the Ethnological Museum of Dahlem. The Easter Island Foundation's David Rose and Marla Wold addressed the participants with welcome words mentioning the news of the Easter Island Foundation and its successful scholarship programs. The keynote lecture on prehistoric ecological dynamics of Rapa Nui was presented by Dr. Christopher M. Stevenson. The Ethnological Museum kindly provided EIPC 2015 with two large conference halls and ample areas for coffee breaks, which catalyzed numerous important discussions in between the sessions. The scientific program of the conference was rich and diverse, with 15 sessions covering topics related to historical and present-day land use, Rapa Nui cultural identity, new issues of paleobotany, biology and the marine environment, lithic production and techniques, demography and anthropology, studies of moai and ahu, research of Rapa Nui art and artistic trends in small portable sculpture, new developments in rongorongo script studies, the role of museum collections and archives in Rapa Nui studies, cutting-edge technologies for documentation of Easter Island sites and objects, challenges and future of knowledge, education and cultural heritage, improvement of communication strategies, problems and peculiarities of archaeological site management, as well as the impact of tourism on [End Page 67] the fragile cultural heritage of the island. The intense scientific program of the conference was successfully fulfilled, with a total number of presented papers reaching 90. The participants also had the pleasure to see two recent documentaries "Buscando a Isla de Pascua: la película perdida" [Searching for Easter Island: the lost movie] and "Te Kuhane o te Tupuna, el espiritu de los ancestors" [The spirit of the ancestors], both of which attracted significant interest and loud applause. The participants of the conference attended the evening reception at the museum, which was opened with welcome words by Dr. Richard Haas (the Deputy Director of the Ethnological Museum of Dahlem), and Dr. Dorothea Deterts (the Curator of the Pacific and Australian Collection). After the reception, we had a rare privilege to experience a night at the museum – a breathtaking visit to the Oceania exhibition hall opened after regular museum hours only for the participants of EIPC. The permanent exhibition of Easter Island artifacts is magnificent: one of a few surviving painted 'ao paddles, two rapa with beautiful finishes, several well-preserved moai kavakava, moai pa'apa'a, two lizard carvings (moko), a reimiro, wooden pendants (tahonga), clubs carved as stylized eels, 'ua and paoa, and one of the largest surviving rongorongo artifacts (alas, collected in a considerably eroded state). There...

Safety of cotrimoxazole in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cotrimoxazole is widely prescribed to treat a range of infections, and for HIV-infected individuals it is administered as prophylaxis to protect against opportunistic infections. Some reports suggest that fetuses exposed to cotrimoxazole during early pregnancy may have an increased risk of congenital anomalies. We carried out this systematic review to update the evidence of cotrimoxazole safety in pregnancy. Three databases and 1 conference abstract site were searched in duplicate up to October 31, 2013, for studies reporting adverse maternal and infant outcomes among women receiving cotrimoxazole during pregnancy. This search was updated in MEDLINE via PubMed to April 28, 2014. Studies were included irrespective of HIV infection status or the presence of other coinfections. Our primary outcome was birth defects of any kind. Secondary outcomes included spontaneous abortions, terminations of pregnancy, stillbirths, preterm deliveries, and drug-associated toxicity. Twenty-four studies were included for review. There were 232 infants with congenital anomalies among 4196 women receiving cotrimoxazole during pregnancy, giving an overall pooled prevalence of 3.5% (95% confidence interval: 1.8% to 5.1%; τ² = 0.03). Three studies reported 31 infants with neural tube defects associated with first trimester exposure to cotrimoxazole, giving a crude prevalence of 0.7% (95% confidence interval: 0.5% to 1.0%) with most data (29 neural tube defects) coming from a single study. The majority of adverse drug reactions were mild. The quality of the evidence was very low. The findings of this review support continued recommendations for cotrimoxazole as a priority intervention for HIV-infected pregnant women. It is critical to improve data collection on maternal and infant outcomes.