Science Seminars is a weekly list of science-related seminars sponsored by colleges, research institutes, and other organizations throughout Penn State. Science Seminars is published by the Penn State Eberly College of Science as a service to Penn State and its surrounding communities

Science Seminars

25 February to 2 March 2008

MONDAY, 25 FEBRUARY

"Evolution of DNA Mismatch Repair and Recombination Genes," Zhenguo Lin, Penn State, 12:10 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: Hong Ma, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology (863-6414).

"A Paradigm for Sustainable Health Engineering," Steven S. Schiff, Penn State, 1:30 p.m., 404 Old Main (with videoconferencing to E306 Olmstead Building at Harrisburg Campus and CG624E at College of Medicine), Penn State Neuroscience Institute (863-4210).

"Metal Flux Synthesis of New Intermetallic Phases," Susan Latturner, Florida State University, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Thomas Mallouk, Department of Chemistry (863-9637).

"Ratoon Stunting Disease and Two Rusts: Just Some of the Pathogens Affecting Sugarcane," Maria Burgos, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 112 Buckhout Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology (865-6761).

"Density of SL(2, R)-Valued Cocycles With Positive Lyapunov Exponents in the Smooth Category," Mahesh Nerurkar, Rutgers University, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Quantifying Uncertainty in Climate Predictions," Chris E. Forest, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 3:35 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Meteorology (863-8566).

"Single-Strand Breaks (SSB): Central Organizer and Achilles' Heel of Bacterial Genome Maintenance," James L. Keck, University of Wisconsin, 4:00 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, hosts: Craig Cameron and Neela Yennawar, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-8705).

TUESDAY, 26 FEBRUARY

"Hybrid Quantization of the Gowdy Model," Guillermo Mena, Instituto de Estructura de la Materia and the Spanish National Research Council (Spain), 10:00 a.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Nanoscale Self-Assembly Via Electrostatic Interactions," Kyle J. M. Bishop, Northwestern University, 10:00 a.m., 102 Chemistry Building, Department of Chemical Engineering (865-2577).

(title to be announced), Paul Trulove, University of Alabama, 10:00 a.m., 301 Steidle Building, Department of Materials Science and Engineering (865-4992).

"Toward a Loop Quantization of Poisson Sigma Models," Martin Bojowald, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 315 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Holomorphic Dynamics in One Variable--Methods of Ergodic Theory, Part Two: Applications of Thermodynamical Formalism," Feliks Przytycki, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3:30 p.m., 216 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Heme and Tyrosyl Radical Containing Enzymes," Justine Roth, Johns Hopkins University, 4:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Sharon Hammes-Schiffer, Department of Chemistry (865-6442).

"The Monogamous Male Brain," Zuoxin Wang, Florida State University, 4:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:45), 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Kyung-An Han, Department of Biology and Penn State Neuroscience Institute (863-2753).

"New Tests of Strong-Field General Relativity with Black Holes and Neutron Stars," Dimitrios Psaltis, University of Arizona, 4:00 p.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Recycling of the Deep Lithosphere Beneath the North China Craton," Roberta Rudnick, University of Maryland, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geosciences (865-2622).

"Tracing Functional Changes in Gene Evolution," George Zhang, University of Michigan, 4:00 p.m., 100 Life Sciences Building (Berg Auditorium), host: Eddie Holmes, Department of Biology (863-4689).

WEDNESDAY, 27 FEBRUARY

"Regulation of T-Helper Cell Responses and Allergic Asthma by TEC Kinases, ITK and TXK," Nisebita Sahu, Penn State, 9:00 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Avery August, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-3539).

"Lime and the Earth: A Natural Balance" (video), 12:15 p.m., 105 Deike Building, Earth and Mineral Sciences Library (863-7073).

"Baryon Light-Cone Wave Functions and Properties in Chiral Quark-Soliton Model," Cedric Lorce, University of Liege (Belgium), 2:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Mark Strikman, Department of Physics (863-9759).

"Optical Traps: A New Strategy for Investigating Cells," Justin Smith, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Andrew G. Ewing, Department of Chemistry (863-4653).

"Chemical Ecology of Plant-Microbe Interactions and Effects on Insect Herbivores," Jenn Dean, Penn State, 3:00 p.m., 504 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Entomology (865-1895).

"Deep Brain Stimulation for Epilepsy: Some Results and a Potential Mechanism," Wytse Wadman, University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands), 4:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory (with videoconferencing to CG623 at College of Medicine), host: Steven Schiff, Penn State Neuroscience Institute (863-4210).

ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"Immunobiology of Ag-Specific Gamma Delta T-Cells," Zheng Chen, University of Illinois, 4:00 pm, 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Host: Na Xiong, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences (863-2933).

THURSDAY, 28 FEBRUARY

"Chemical Ecology of Interactions Between the Parasitic Plant Cuscuta pentagona, Its Host Plants, and Insect Herbivores," Justin Runyon, Penn State, 10:00 a.m., 504 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Entomology (865-1895).

"Lipid-Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticles for Targeted Therapeutics," Liangfang Zhang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 10:00 a.m., 102 Chemistry Building, Department of Chemical Engineering (865-2577).

"Regulation of Mammalian Mitochondrial Ribosomal Proteins--A Matter of Life or Death," Min-Joon Han, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Emine Koc, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-8300).

"Virasoro Algebras," Dmitry Fuchs, University of California, 11:15 a.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

TITLE CHANGE AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"Breeding Tomatoes for Disease Resistance and High Fruit Lycopene Content Using Traditional and Molecular Breeding Approaches," Majid Foolad, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 111 Tyson Building, Department of Horticulture (865-2571).

"Computer Experiments: An Overview and Some Design Strategies," William Notz, Ohio State University, 4:00 p.m., 201 Thomas Building, Department of Statistics (865-1348).

"Motion Estimation and Natural Visual Signals," Rob de Ruyter van Stevenick, Indiana University, 4:00 p.m., 117 Osmond Laboratory, host: Alexay Kozhevnikov, Department of Physics (863-9759).

(title to be announced), Marcelo Chamecki, Johns Hopkins University, 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Department of Meteorology (863-8566).

(title to be announced), Ray Durrheim, Witwatersrand University (South Africa), 4:00 p.m., 202 Research West Building, Department of Geosciences (865-7965).

(title to be announced), Jim Turner, Calvin College, 5:00 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

FRIDAY, 29 FEBRUARY

"Mechanisms of Postexercise Hypotension: Contribution of Histamine -1 and -2 Receptors," Jennifer McCord, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 127 Noll Laboratory, Noll Physiological Research Center (865-3453).

(title to be announced), John Roe, Penn State, 2:00 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Exploring How Confinement Affects Water: A Multifaceted Approach," Nancy Levinger, Colorado State University, 2:30 p.m., 110 Wartik Building, host: John Asbury, Department of Chemistry (863-6309).

"Weather, Water, and Malaria Mosquito Larvae," Krijn Paaijmans, Wageningen University (United Kingdom) and Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Entomology (865-1895).

"Bottling the Sun: The Quest for Nuclear Fusion" and "Invisible Universe" (videos), 3:35 p.m., 211 Davey Laboratory, Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library (865-7617 or www.libraries.psu.edu/pams/filmseries.html).

"Shock Reflection-Diffraction and Transonic Flow," Gui-Qiang Chen, Northwestern University, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Battle/Fields: Braceros, Agribusiness, and the Violent Transformation of the California Agricultural Landscape During World War II," Don Mitchell, Syracuse University, 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Department of Geography (865-3433).

"Integrating the Ecology and Evolution of Infectious-Disease Emergence," Leslie Real, Emory University, 4:00 p.m., 510 Mueller Laboratory, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics (863-5895).

SATURDAY, 1 MARCH

"Fuel Cells: Are We There Yet?" (Frontiers lecture #6 of 6), Matthew Mench, Penn State, 11:00 a.m., 100 Thomas Building, Eberly College of Science (863-0901 or www.science.psu.edu/alert/frontiers).

SUNDAY, 2 MARCH

(none)

 

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Cancellations and additions will be noted on weekly Science Seminar listings on the Web at
< www.science.psu.edu/scisem/scisem.htm > or
< www.events.psu.edu/cgi-bin/cal/webevent.cgi?cmd=opencal&cal=cal250& >.

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Science Seminars is a weekly list of science-related seminars sponsored by colleges, research institutes, and other organizations throughout Penn State. Science Seminars is published by the Penn State Eberly College of Science as a service to Penn State and its surrounding communities.

For more information about Science Seminars, or for instructions on how to SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE, visit the links at http://www.science.psu.edu/scisem/scisemData.htm

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This issue of SCIENCE SEMINARS was produced by Kristen Devlin and Sara LaJeunesse.