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

15 to 21 March 2004

 

MONDAY, 15 MARCH

"Phenotypic Plasticity in Tadpoles: Changing Traits, Altering Communities, and Interacting with Pesticides," Rick Relyea, University of Pittsburgh, 12:20 p.m., 104 Rackley Building, Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology (865-5557).

"Trade-offs and Limitations of Root Architecture Plasticity," Mellisa D. Ho, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 106 Wartik Laboratory, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Physiology (863-3892).

"The Vacuum Einstein Equations, Twist, Shear, Principle, Null Vectors, The Goldberg-Sachs Theorem, Spin-Angular Momentum, Magnetic Moments, and a Little More," Ted Newman, University of Pittsburgh, 3:00 p.m., 318 Osmond Laboratory, Center for Gravitational Physics and Geometry and Center for Gravitational Wave Physics (863-9605).

"Identification of Deoxynivalenol and Nivalenol Chemotype in Gibberella zeae by Using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)," Hye-Seon Kim, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 112 Buckhout Building, Department of Plant Pathology (865-3761).

"Local Rigidity of Actions by Ergodic Toral Automorphisms—Analytic Version and Some Algebraic Aspects," Danijela Damjanovic, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 102 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Designing Novel Multi-Cellular Architectures and Quantifying Cell-Biomaterial Interactions," Padma Rajagopalan, Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital, 3:35 p.m., 114 Earth-Engineering Sciences Building, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (863-7966, ersanders@psu.edu).

"Hyperbolic Groups and Von Neumann Algebras III," Narutaka Ozawa, Tokyo University and University of California, 3:35 p.m., 103 Willard Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Marker-Assisted Improvement of Downy Mildew Resistance in Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) Elite Hybrid Parental Line," Arun Sharma, 3:50 pm, 108 Tyson Building, Department of Horticulture (863-3371).

"Linking the Epidemiological and Evolutionary Dynamics of Pathogens," Bryan T. Grenfell, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom), 4:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:45 p.m.), 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Peter Hudson, Department of Biology (865-0522).

 

TUESDAY, 16 MARCH

"Covariation in Rates of Evolutionary Processes and Its Impact on Functional Genomics," Shan Yang, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Ross Hardison, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-3072).

"Algorithmic Information Theory and its Applications in Geometry and Physics," Alexander Nabutovsky, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 307 Boucke Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Dancing Fluids in Simulated Microgravity," Charles Rosenblatt, Case Western Reserve University, 3:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Milton Cole, Department of Physics (863-0165).

"A New Perspective on the Gamma-Delta T-Cell-Receptor Complex," Sandra Hayes, National Institutes of Health, 4:00 p.m., 118 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Robert Paulson, Department of Veterinary Science (863-6306).

"Hand-Over-Hand Walking Model: Myosin V," Minjoung Kyoung, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., S-5 Osmond Laboratory, Department of Chemistry (865-5663).

"The Cell Biology of Developmental Signaling," Alan J. Zhu, Stanford University, 4:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:45 p.m.), 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Douglas Cavener, Department of Biology (865-4562).

(title to be announced), Maureen Feineman, University of California, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Gepartment of Geosciences (865-2622).

 

WEDNESDAY, 17 MARCH

"Processes in KaffeOS: Isolation, Resource Management, and Sharing for Java," Godmar Back, Stanford University, 11:00 a.m., 333 Information Sciences and Technology Building, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505).

"Superfluid Helium-3: The Early Days as Seen by a Theorist," Anthony Leggett, University of Illinois, 11:00 a.m. (refreshments at 10:30 a.m. in the Davey/Osmond overpass), 119 Osmond Laboratory, host: Moses Chan, Department of Physics (863-2622, http://www.science.psu.edu/alert/NobelLaureate3-2004.htm)

"Genetically Modified Foods: Is There Anything to Fear?" (Research Unplugged), Nina Fedoroff, Penn State, 12:00 noon, Penn State Downtown Theatre Center, Office of the Vice President for Research (865-3477, www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged).

"Balancing Wetlands and Industrial Development" (video), 12:15 p.m., 105 Deike Building, Earth and Mineral Sciences Library (863-7073).

"Evaluation of Energy and GeoEnvironmental Engineering 101 and 102," Sarma Pisupati and Jonathan Mathews, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 423 Earth-Engineering Sciences Building, John Dutton e-Education Institute (863-1590).

"Random Walk in an Eight-Plane and Other Rational Angles: Asymptotics of Equilibrium Probabilities," Yurii Suhov, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom), 3:30 p.m., 102 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"A Transgenic Mouse Model of Type-2 Diabetes: The Role of Lipotoxicity in the Progression of Disease," Derek LeRoith, National Institutes of Health, 4:00 p.m., Lecture Room D at College of Medicine (with video conferencing to 108 Wartik Laboratory), Department of Cell and Molecular Biology Department/Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences (717-531-8982).

"DRiPs and the Economics of Viral Protein Synthesis, Degradation and Antigen Processing," Michael Princiotta, National Institutes of Health, 4:00 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Robert Paulson, Department of Veterinary Science (863-6306).

RESCHEDULED:
"The SIMS Mission and Planet Detection," Michael Shao, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4:00 p.m., 541 Davey Laboratory, host: Jian Ge, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics (865-0418).

"Gravity is Geometry," John Roe, Penn State, 4:40 p.m., 116 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

 

THURSDAY, 18 MARCH

"Dissection of Leg-Specific Enhancers of the dAP-2 Gene and Trypsin-Like Serine Proteases in Drosophila Leg Development," Youngwook Ahn, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Pamela Mitchell, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-3072).

"Growth and Characterization of Gallium Nitride, Silicon Carbide, and Zinc Oxide based Thin Films," Robert Davis, North Carolina State University, 11:15 a.m., 26 Hosler Building, Department of Materials Science and Engineering (865-4992).

"Iwasawa Invariants of Arithmetically Equivalent Number Fields," Robert Perlis, Louisiana State University, 11:15 a.m., 115 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"The Chemical Physics of Photosynthesis," Graham Fleming, University of California, 12:15 p.m., S-5 Osmond Laboratory, host: Mark Maroncelli, Phi Beta Kappa and Department of Chemistry (865-0898).

"Issues and Approaches in Scientific-Componet Software Development," Boyna Norris, Argonne National Laboratory, 4:00 p.m., 333 Information Sciences and Technology Building, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505).

"Structures and Dynamics of Mid-Latitude Mesocale," Matt Parker, University of Nebraska, 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Department of Meteorology (863-8566).

(title to be announced), Jochen Brocks, Harvard University, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geosciences (865-2622).

"Photons and Femtoseconds—How Nature Converts Sunlight into Chemical Energy," Graham Fleming, University of California, 7:30 p.m., 112 Kern Building, Phi Beta Kappa and Department of Chemistry (865-6553).

 

FRIDAY, 19 MARCH

"Restructuring of Heterogeneous Catalysts," Abhaya Datye, University of New Mexico, 10:30 a.m., 110 Wartik Laboratory, host: Antonios Armaou, Department of Chemical Engineering (865-5316).

"A Quantum Group Deformation of Quantum Geometry I," Jerzy Lewandowski, University of Warsaw (Poland), 11:00 a.m., 318 Osmond Laboratory, Center for Gravitational Physics and Geometry and Center for Gravitational Wave Physics (863-9605).

"GRACE-OS: An Energy-Efficient Mobile Multimedia Operating System," Wanghong Yuan, University of Illinois, 11:00 a.m., 333 Information Sciences and Technology Building, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505).

"Dirt, Guts, and Muscles: Integrative Biology of Variation in the Competitive Ability of Male Dragonflies," Jim Marden, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 118 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Liwang Cui, Department of Entomology (865-1895).

"Slug Management in No-Till Field Crop," Ronald B. Hammond, Ohio State University, 12:20 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (863-1615).

"Conformal and Quasi-Conformal Realizations of Exceptional Groups and Their Minimal Unitary Representations," Murat Gunyadin, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 104 Osmond Laboratory, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"From Subduction to Mercury in Tuna: Mercury Mining and Contamination in the California Coast Range, USA," Gordon Brown, Stanford University, 3:30 p.m., Agricultural Sciences and Industries Lecture Hall, Center for Environmental Chemistry and Geochemistry (865-1178).

"mTOR and Skeletal Muscle Growth: Upstream Signaling and Downstream Functions," Karyn Esser, University of Illinois, 3:30 p.m., 127 Noll Lab, Noll Physiological Research Center (865-3453).

"Molecular Design of Peptidic Nanoparticles: From Simple Coiled Coils to Targeted Drug Delivery and Synthetic Vaccines," Peter Burkhard, University of Basel (Switzerland), 3:35 p.m., 114 Earth-Engineering Sciences Building, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (863-7966, ersanders@psu.edu).

 

SATURDAY, 20 MARCH

"Environmental Interfaces, Heavy Metals, Microbes, and Plants: Applications of Synchrotron Radiation Methods to Environmental Science at the Molecular Level," Gordon Brown, Stanford University, 2:30 p.m, Agricultural Sciences and Industries Lecture Hall, Center for Environmental Chemistry and Geochemistry (865-1178).

 

SUNDAY, 21 MARCH

(none)

 

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Additions or cancellations will be noted on weekly Science Seminar listings on this Web page and on the Penn State Web Events calendar at:
< http://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. Click here for additional information about Science Seminars, or for instruction on how to SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE.

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This issue of SCIENCE SEMINARS was produced by Barbara K. Kennedy and Kristen Devlin.