Blue phases are liquid crystals made up by networks of defects, or disclination lines. While existing phase diagrams show a striking variety of competing metastable topologies for these networks, very little is known as to how to kinetically reach a target structure, or how to switch from one to the other, which is of paramount importance for devices. We theoretically identify two confined blue phase I systems in which by applying an appropriate series of electric field it is possible to select one of two bistable defect patterns.

The computation of n-point Gaussian quadrature rules for symmetric weight functions is considered in this paper. It is shown that the nodes and the weights of the Gaussian quadrature rule can be retrieved from the singular value decomposition of a bidiagonal matrix of size n/2. The proposed numerical method allows to compute the nodes with high relative accuracy and a computational complexity of O(n). We also describe an algorithm for computing the weights of a generic Gaussian quadrature rule with high relative accuracy. Numerical examples show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Blue phases are networks of disclination lines, which occur in cholesteric liquid crystals near the transition to the isotropic phase. They have recently been used for the new generation of fast switching liquid crystal displays. Here we study numerically the steady states and switching hydrodynamics of blue phase I (BPI) and blue phase II (BPII) cells subjected to an electric field.

We compute the metric fluctuations induced by a turbulent energy-matter tensor within the first order post-Minkowskian approximation. It is found that the turbulent energy cascade can in principle interfere with the process of black hole formation, leading to a potentially strong coupling between these two highly nonlinear phenomena.

Discussion on the meeting on "statistical approaches to inverse problem"

We consider the Schrödinger operator -?+V for negative potentials V, on open sets with positive first eigenvalue of the Dirichlet-Laplacian. We show that the spectrum of -?+V is positive, provided that V is greater than a negative multiple of the logarithmic gradient of the solution to the Lane-Emden equation -?u=u (for some 1<=q<2). In this case, the ground state energy of -?+V is greater than the first eigenvalue of the Dirichlet-Laplacian, up to an explicit multiplicative factor. This is achieved by means of suitable Hardy-type inequalities, that we prove in this paper.

Background Diagnosis and treatment of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) have led to improved life expectancy and achievement of adulthood. Limited data on long-term outcomes reported an increased risk of premature death for cardiovascular causes, even without congenital heart disease (CHD).

Motivation: Immune cells coordinate their efforts for the correct and efficient functioning of the immune system (IS). Each cell type plays a distinct role and communicates with other cell types through mediators such as cytokines, chemokines and hormones, among others, that are crucial for the functioning of the IS and its fine tuning. Nevertheless, a quantitative analysis of the topological properties of an immunological network involving this complex interchange of mediators among immune cells is still lacking.