This is the third special issue to cover recent progress in the field. As before, the usual definition of ceramic has been widened so as to include all forms of carbon, and also some nitrides whose primary use is not that of a classical ceramic. Bioceramics 13 contains the proceedings of the 13th International Symposium on Ceramics in Medicine organized by the International Society for Ceramics in Medicine . This society is an established forum for distinguished material scientists, bioengineers, molecular and cellular biologists, bone biologists, orthopedic surgeons, clinicians and manufacturers, to gather together and discuss the latest achievements in the field of bioceramic materials. As usual, the coverage also includes, in addition to 'traditional' semiconductors, the more important of the nitride and silicide semiconductors.
Magnesium alloys are among the most promising materials in various high-tech applications.
This applies whether we are dealing with automobiles, airplanes, space vehicles, bicycles or even submarines witness the titanium alpha class submarine in Hunt for Red October . Economic prosperity, life quality, and healthy environment are tightly connected with the improvements in the existing and the development of advanced materials and processing technologies. Understanding the behaviour of hydrogen in metals is one of the most pressing research tasks in the physical sciences. The embrittling effect of hydrogen in mild steel was recognised from the very beginnings of the Industrial Revolution, and its effects still plague modern alloys during either fabrication or use. At the same time, the tendency of certain alloys to form stable hydrides in a reversible manner holds out the promise of the safe storage of hydrogen in vehicles and therefore the prospect of non-polluting transport and a true 'hydrogen economy'.