This is the second of two volumes containing peer-reviewed research and survey papers based on invited talks at the International Conference on Modern Analysis and Applications. The conference, which was dedicated to the 100th anniversary ofthebirthofMarkKrein,oneofthegreatestmathematiciansofthe20thcentury, was held in Odessa, Ukraine, on April 9-14, 2007. The conference focused on the main ideas, methods, results, and achievements of M.G. Krein. This second volume is devoted to the theory of di?erential operators and mechanics. It opens with the description of the conference and a number of survey papers about the work of M.G. Krein. The main part of the book consists of original research papers presenting the state of the art in the area of di?erential operators. The ?rst volume of these proceedings, entitled Operator Theory and Related Topics, concerns other aspects of the conference. The two volumes will be of - terest to a wide-rangeof readership in pure and applied mathematics, physics and engineering sciences. OperatorTheory: AdvancesandApplications,Vol.191, xi-xv c 2009Birkh. auserVerlagBasel/Switzerland The World Dimension of the Heritage of a Ukrainian Mathematician International Conference Modern Analysis and Applications (MAA - 2007) (April 9-14, 2007, Odessa) Yu. BerezanskyandV.Gorbachuk This forum has been dedicated to the centennial birthday anniversary of one of the most prominent mathematicians of the twentieth century Mark Gr- orievich Krein, a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukr. SSR (1907-1989).