Dedication. Contributing Authors. Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgements. General aspects of pattern formation; A.A. Nepomnyashchy, A.A. Golovin. 1. Introduction. 2. Basic models for domain coarsening and pattern formation. 3. Pattern selection. 4. Modulated patterns. 5. Beyond the Swift-Hohenberg model. 6. Wavy patterns. 7. Conclusions. 8. Acknowledgement. References.- Convective patterns in liquid crystals driven by electric field; A. Buka et al. 1. Physical properties of nematics. 2. Electroconvection. References.- Dynamical phenomena in nematic liquid crystals induced by light; D.O. Krimer et al. 1. Simple setups - complicated phenomena. 2. Theoretical description. 3. Obliquely incident, linearly polarized light. 4. Perpendicularly incident, circularly polarized light. 5. Perpendicularly incident, elliptically polarized light. 6. Finite beam-size effects and transversal pattern formation. Acknowledgements. References.- Self-Assembly of quantum dots from thin solid films; A.A. Golovin et al. 1. Introduction. 2. Mechanisms of morphological evolution of epitaxial films. 3. Elastic effects and wetting interactions. 4. Surface-energy anisotropy and wetting interactions. 5. Conclusions. References.- Macroscopic and mesophysics together: the moving contact line problem revisited; Y. Pomeau. References.- Nanoscale effects in mesoscopic films; L.M. Pismen. 1. Hydrodynamic equations. 2. Thermodynamic equations. 3. Fluid-substrate Interactions. 4. Dynamic contact line. 5. Mobility relations. References.- Dynamics of thermal polymerization waves; V.A. Volpert. 1. Introduction. 2. Mathematical model. 3. Gasless combustion. 4. Analysis of base FP model. 5. Other thermal FP studies. 6. Conclusion. References.- Self-organization of microtubules and motors; I.S. Aranson, L.S. Tsimring. 1. Maxwell model and orientational instability. 2. Spatial localization. 3. Aster and vortex solutions. 4. Conclusion. Acknowledgements. References.- Physics of DNA; M.D. Frank-Kamenetskii. 1. Introduction. 2. Major structures of DNA. 3. DNA functioning. 4. Global DNA conformation. 5. The DNA stability. 6. Conclusion. References. Topic index.