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

19 to 25 March 2007

MONDAY, 19 MARCH

"A Functional Genomics View of Phenylpropanoid Metabolism in Poplars: From Wood Formation to Tree Growth and Ecosystem Fitness," Chung-Jui Tsai, Michigan Technological University, 12:10 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: John Carlson, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology + Biomass Energy Center + Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics (863-3892).

"Screening Potatoes for Disease Resistance," Jose H. Santa-Cruz, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 112 Buckhout Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology (865-3761).

(title to be announced), Jorge Sofo, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 216 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Neural Coding and Information Theory: Grandmother Cells vs. Distributed Codes," John Collins, Penn State, 3:35 p.m., 203 Sackett Building, host: Lyle N. Long, Department of Aerospace Engineering (865-1172 or www.csci.psu.edu/springsem.html).

"The Temperature Sensitivity of Decomposition of Soil Organic Matter: Moving Beyond the Rate Constant, Q10," Eric Davidson, Woods Hole Research Center, 3:35 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology (865-5557).

"Astrophysical Constraints on Lorentz Violation," Ted Jacobson, University of Maryland, 4:00 p.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Impact of Copper Limitation on Expression of Mammalian Copper-Binding Proteins," Joseph R. Prochaska, University of Minnesota, 4:00 p.m., S-209 Henderson Building, Graduate Program in Nutrition (865-3448).

"Regulation of Transcription by the 6S RNA," Karen Wassarman, University of Wisconsin, 4:00 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Sarah Ades, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-1088).

TITLE ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"The Longwood Graduate Program in Public Horticulture: Myths, Facts, and Legends," Robert E. Lyons, University of Delaware, 4:00 p.m., 111 Tyson Building, Department of Horticulture (865-2571).

TUESDAY, 20 MARCH

"Online Markets and Optimal Stopping," Robert D. Kleinberg, Cornell University, 10:00 a.m., 333 Information Sciences and Technologies Building, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505).

(title to be announced), Kirrill Krasnov, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physcis (Canada), 10:00 a.m, 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Spallation Neutrons: The Spallation Reaction, Spallation-Neutron Sources, and Science with Pulsed Sources," Jack Carpenter, Argonne National Laboratory, 3:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Peter Schiffer, Department of Physics (865-7533).

"A Bayesian Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered (SEIR) Approach to Modeling Smallpox Epidemics," Vanja Dukic, University of Chicago, 4:00 p.m., 201 Thomas Building, Department of Statistics (865-1348).

"Geology, Taphonomy, and Flora of the Princeton-Chert Locality: A Three-Dimensionally Preserved Eocene-Wetland Environment," Stephan Little, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geosciences (865-2622).

"The Molecular Basis of Drug Resistance in Antibiotic Therapy: A Combined Raman and X-ray-Crystallographic Approach," Paul R. Carey, Case Western Reserve University, 4:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Philip Bevilacqua, Department of Chemistry (863-3812).

(title to be announced), Miroslav Micic, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

WEDNESDAY, 21 MARCH

"Dynamic Interfaces in Parallel Numerical Simulations," Xiangmin Jiao, Georgia Institute of Technology, 10:00 a.m., 113 Information Sciences and Technologies Building (Cybertorium), Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505)

"The Stem-Cell Toolbox: The Promise and Problems of Stem-Cell Research," Kent Vrana, Penn State, 12:00 noon, Penn State Downtown Theatre Center, 127 S. Allen Street, Office of Research Publications (865-3477 or www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/).

"Independent Oil" (video), 12:15 p.m., 105 Deike Building, Earth and Mineral Sciences Library (863-7073).

"Polymerized-Phospholipid Membranes for Chemical Sensing and Separations," Craig Aspinwall, University of Arizona, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Chris Keating, Department of Chemistry (863-7832).

"Transverse Spin of the Proton," Steve Heppelmann, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Stephane Coutu, Department of Physics (865-7533).

"Unconventional Light Propagation in Photonic Crystal Structures," Wounjhang Park, University of Colorado, 3:00 p.m., S-5 Osmond Laboratory, Center for Nanoscale Science/MRSEC (863-0007).

"Neuroscience/Neural Engineering 2007: Oscillatory Synchronization and Information Coding in the Olfactory System," Maxim Bazhenov, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 4:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: Steven Schiff, Department of Neurosurgery + Department of Engineering Sciences and Mechanics + Department of Physics (863-4210 or 321-4884).

THURSDAY, 22 MARCH

"Four-Dimensional (4-D) Cities: Spatio-Temporal Reconstruction from Images," Frank Dellaert, Georgia Institute of Technology, 10:00 a.m., 333 Information Sciences and Technologies Building, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505).

"Lamin and Lamin-Binding Proteins are Required for Centrosome Attachment to the Nucleus," Zhizhen Gao, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Christian Malone, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-6668).

"Selmer Groups and Tate-Shafarevich Groups for the Congruent-Number Problem," Maosheng Xiong, University of Illinois, 11:15 a.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Dynamics Personalities of Enzymes," Dorothee Kern, Brandeis University, 12:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, hosts: Sharon Hammes-Schiffer and Stephen Benkovic, Department of Chemistry (865-6442).

"Using Data from the Grading Process to Inform and Improve Student Learning," Virginia Johnson Anderson, Towson University, 1:00 p.m., 16 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Eberly College of Science and Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence (863-2599 or www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/Programs/TeachingConference/).

"Local Computation and Global Communication in Ad-Hoc Networks," Evangelos Kranakis, Carleton University, 4:00 p.m., 333 Information Sciences and Technologies Building, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505).

"Neural Dynamics Underlying Short Term Memory," David Tank, Princeton University, 4:00 p.m., 117 Osmond Laboratory, host: Alexay Kozevhnikov, Department of Physics (865-7533).

"State-Dependent Cyclic-Adenosine-Monophosphate (cAMP) Sensitivity of Feed-Forward Inhibition of the Hippocampal Mossy-Fiber Pathway," Chris McBain, National Institutes of Health, 4:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: June Liu, Department of Neurosurgery + Department of Engineering Sciences and Mechanics + 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 (863-8749).

(title to be announced), Andre Niemeijer, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 102 Research West Building, Department of Geosciences (865-7965).

(title to be announced), John Gordon, National Weather Service, 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Department of Meteorology (863-8566).

"Cryo-Electron-Microscopy Studies of the Eukaryotic Transcription Machinery," Francisco J. Asturias, The Scripps Research Institute, 4:15 p.m., 111 Wartik Laboratory, host: B. Tracy Nixon, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-4904).

FRIDAY, 23 MARCH

"Induced Plant Responses to Herbivory: More Than a Gut Feeling," Gregg Howe, Michigan State University, 11:00 a.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Entomology and Center for Chemical Ecology (865-1895).

"Local Bulk Operators in Anti-De-Sitter Space/Conformal-Field Theory (AdS/CFT)," Daniel Kabat, Columbia University, 11:00 a.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Obesity and Autonomic Function," Jill Kanaley, Syracuse University, 11:15 a.m., 127 Noll Laboratory, Noll Physiological Research Center (865-3453).

"New Ideas in Forage Weed Management," Bryan Dillehay, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (865-6541).

"Beach Physics: Experimental Studies of the Physics of Granular Materials," Peter Schiffer, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: John Asbury, Department of Chemistry (863-6309).

"Einstein’s Big Idea" (video), 3:30 p.m., 211 Davey Laboratory, Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library (865-7617 or www.libraries.psu.edu/pams/filmseries.html).

(title to be announced), David Ambrose, Clemson University, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Local Spectral Envelope," David Stoffer, University of Pittsburgh, 4:00 p.m., 201 Thomas Building, Department of Statistics (865-1348).

"What Have Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Done to Geography?" Michael Goodchild, University of California, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geography (865-3433).

(title to be announced), Luen-Chau Li, Penn State, 4:40 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

SATURDAY, 24 MARCH to SUNDAY, 25 MARCH

(none)

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

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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 Leta A. Krumrine and Kristen Devlin.