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

12 to 18 February 2007

MONDAY, 12 FEBRUARY

"Expression Analysis of Genes Involved in Early Anther Development," Asela Wijeratne, Penn State, 12:10 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology (863-3892).

"Strain-Release-Driven Pericyclic Reactions of Vinylaziridines," Ahmed Yimam, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Ken Feldman, Department of Chemistry (863-4654).

"Discontinuous Solutions for the Degasperis-Procesi Equation," Giuseppe Coclite, University of Bari (Italy), 3:30 p.m., 216 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Pinewood Nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus): Small Parasite - Big Problems," Mark Schall, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 112 Buckhout Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology (865-3761).

"The Ruthenium-Catalyzed Alkene-Alkyne Coupling Reactions," Jianfeng Li, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Ken Feldman, Department of Chemistry (863-4654).

"Climate Change and Agriculture: Impacts, Adaptation, and Mitigation," Allison Thomson, Joint Global Change Research Institute of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Maryland, 3:35 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology (865-5557).

"On the One-Sided Ergodic Hilbert Transform," Michael Lin, Ben-Gurion University (Israel), 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"The Open-Source-Software Paradigm for Software Development," Phillip Laplante, Penn State, 3:35 p.m., 203 Sackett Building, host: Lyle N. Long, Department of Aerospace Engineering (865-1172 or www.ics.psu.edu/springsem.html).

"Genomics for Tree Improvement," John Carlson, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 111 Tyson Building, Department of Horticulture (865-2571).

"The Origin and Spread of Photosynthesis in Eukaryotes," Debashish Bhattacharya, University of Iowa, 4:00 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Stephan Schuster, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-9278).

"What Gravitational Waves and Photon Astronomy Can Tell Us About Neutron Stars," Ben Owen, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

TUESDAY, 13 FEBRUARY

"Electron Microscopy of Block-Copolymer Electrolytes for Lithium Batteries," Enrique Gomez, University of California, 10:00 a.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering (863-1375).

"The Role of Insulator Elements in Genome Organization and Gene Expression," Pamela Geyer (department-head candidate), University of Iowa, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: B. Franklin Pugh, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-8252).

"Co-Stationarity of the Ground Model," Natasha Dobrinen, University of Vienna (Austria), 2:30 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Dynamics and Its Working Tools: Principal Results and Methods in Non-Uniform Hyperbolicity, Part Two," Yakov Pesin, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 216 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"High-Energy Physics with Ultracold Atoms and Molecules: Tabletop Searches for Symmetry Violation and Extra Dimensions," Aaron Leanhardt, University of Colorado, 3:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: David Weiss, Department of Physics (865-7533).

"Abrupt Climate Change: Would We See It Coming?" Klaus Keller, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geosciences (865-2622).

ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"How the Brain is Like, and Not Like, a Computer," Charles Stevens, Salk Institute,
100 Life Sciences Building —Berg Auditorium (with videoconferencing to Lecture Room D at College of Medicine), 4:00 p.m., Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences (865-1626).

(title to be announced), Mike Proia, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Erin Sheets, Department of Chemistry (863-0044).

WEDNESDAY, 14 FEBRUARY

"In Search of the Edge: An Inquiry into the Shape of the Earth and the Disappearance of Andrea Barns" (video), 12:15 p.m., 105 Deike Building, Earth and Mineral Sciences Library (863-7073).

"Concentration Profiling of Drugs in Animal Tissue Using High-Resolution Magic-Angle Spinning Nuclear-Magnetic-Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy," Amanda Bressler, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Anne Andrews, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Science (865-2970).

"On Adjoint Unity-Group SU(5)," Ilja Dorsner, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Irena Mocioiu, Department of Physics (865-7533).

"Time-of-Flight High-Resolution Electron-Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (ToF-HREELS): A Novel Approach to Increase Throughput," Daniel A. Brenes, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Nicholas Winograd, Department of Chemistry (863-0001).

ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"Spike Timing Amplifies the Effects of Electric Fields on Brain Function: A Potential Role for Field Oscillations," Marom Bikson, City College of New York, 4:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: Steven Schiff, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences + Eberly College of Science + College of Liberal Arts + College of Health and Human Development + Department of Biology + Department of Chemistry + Department of Physics + Department of Psychology + Department of Biobehavioral Health + Department of Kinesiology + Department of Nutrition (863-4210).

CANCELLED:
"Bose-Einstein Condensates: The Coldest Matter in the Universe" (Marker lecture #1 of 2), Wolfgang Ketterle, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 8:00 p.m., 112 Forest Resources Building, host: Ken O'Hara, Department of Physics (865-7533).

THURSDAY, 15 FEBRUARY

"Bugs on Drugs: Antibiotic-Induced Stress Responses in Escherichia coli," Mary Laubacher, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Sarah Ades, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-1088).

"Polymer Electronics for Chemical Sensors," Timothy Swager, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 12:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Harry Allcock, Department of Chemistry (865-3527).

"Brain States: Top-Down Mechanisms in Visual Processing," Charles Gilbert, Rockefeller University, 4:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: Michael Wenger, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences + Eberly College of Science + College of Liberal Arts + College of Health and Human Development + Department of Biology + Department of Chemistry + Department of Physics + Department of Psychology + Department of Biobehavioral Health + Department of Kinesiology + Department of Nutrition (863-6023).

CANCELLED:
"New Forms of Quantum Matter Near Absolute-Zero Temperature" (Marker lecture #2 of 2), Wolfgang Ketterle, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 4:00 p.m., 117 Osmond Laboratory, host: Ken O'Hara, Department of Physics (865-7533).

"Rethinking the San Andreas Fault," Kevin Furlong, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 202 Research West Building, Department of Geosciences (865-7965).

FRIDAY, 16 FEBRUARY

"The Quantum Nature of Spacetime Singularities: Part Two," Gravity Discussion Group, 11:00 a.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Race to the Moon: The Daring Adventure of Apollo 8" (video), 3:30 p.m., 211 Davey Laboratory, Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library (865-7617 or www.libraries.psu.edu/pams/filmseries.html).

"Gamma Limit of Folding-Energy Problem," Bo Su, Iowa State University, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Geographers Collaborating to Solve Complex Environmental Problems," Richard Marston, Kansas State University, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geography (865-3433).

"Limiting Distribution of the Maximum-Likelihood Estimator (MLE) for Current-Status Data with Competing Risks," Marloes Maathuis, University of Washington, 4:00 p.m., 201 Thomas Building, Department of Statistics (865-1348).

"Morse Theory, Old and New," Augustin Banyaga, Penn State, 4:40 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

SATURDAY, 17 FEBRUARY

"Schizophrenia: The Broken Brain and How to Fix It" (Frontiers lecture #4 of 5), Robert Levenson, Penn State, 11:00 a.m., 100 Thomas Building, Eberly College of Science (863-0901 or www.science.psu.edu/alert/frontiers).

SUNDAY, 18 FEBRUARY

(none)

**********

Additions or cancellations will be noted on weekly Science Seminar listings on the Web.

**********

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. Click here for additional information about Science Seminars, or for instruction on how to SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE.

Reporters for Science Seminars and the areas they cover are as follows: [agriculture: Kay Moore] [agronomy: Madeline Laubach] [anthropology: Alan Walker] [astronomy and astrophysics: SherryDawn Jackson and Christine Selders] [biochemistry and molecular biology: Tamara Housel] [biology: Paula Farwell and Stephanie Gookin] [gravitational physics and geometry: Randi Neshteruk] [ceramic science and engineering: April Benson] [chemical engineering: Sandra Brown and Kathy Peters] [chemistry: Clare Eckley] [computer science and engineering: Beth Kennedy and Karen Alise Corl] [earth and mineral sciences: Debra Lambert] [energy: Kelly Jo Rhoades] [entomology: Thelma Brodzina] [life sciences: Janice Kennedy] [mathematics: Flossie Dunlop] [nutrition: Judy Jones] [physical and mathematical sciences library: Emily L. Rimland] [physics: Cheryl Wagner] [physiology: Jenny Edwards] [plant physiology: Janice Kennedy] [poultry science: Linda Houtz] [Senior Vice President for Research: Emily Rowlands] [science, technology, and society: Karen Snare] [statistics: Bonnie Cain] [veterinary science: Loretta Muchinsky].

NOTICE: PRESS RELEASES AVAILABLE
Press releases occasionally are written for some of the lectures sponsored by the Eberly College of Science. If you would like to receive copies of these press releases in the future, send a note to Barbara K. Kennedy at SCIENCE@PSU.EDU. Your e-mail address will be added to a distribution list.

This publication is available in alternative media on request.

Penn State is an affirmative action, equal opportunity university. Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the office in charge of the seminar in advance of your attendance. U.Ed. SCI 07-82

This issue of SCIENCE SEMINARS was produced by Leta A. Krumrine and Kristen Devlin.