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

28 November to 4 December 2005

MONDAY, 28 NOVEMBER

"Nanometer-Scale Microtubule Dynamics Studied with Optical Tweezers and Microfabricated Barriers," Henry Schek, University of Michigan, 12:00 noon, S-5 Osmond Laboratory, Center for Nanoscale Science (MRSEC) + Department of Physics (863-8999).

"Plagiogravitropic Growth of Basal Roots Regulated by Ethylene," Paramita Basu, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 105 Wartik Laboratory, host: Kathleen M. Brown, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Physiology (863-3892).

"Designing with Nature in Mind: Urban Ecology or Ecological Urbanism?" Michael Rios, Penn State, 1:30 p.m., 118 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology (863-5895).

"Group Actions, the Novikov Conjecture, and Index Theory," Shmuel Weinberger, University of Chicago, 2:30 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"The Versatility of Nickel Cycloaddition Catalysts," Janis Louie, University of Utah, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Xumu Zhang, Department of Chemistry (865-4221).

"Recent Advances in Quantum Cosmology," Parampreet Singh, Penn State, 3:00 p.m., 318 Osmond Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Nets and Lattices in Euclidean Spaces and Cocycles Over the Weyl Chamber Flow," Anatole Katok, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Nucleic-Acid-Based Analysis of Microbial Communities in Environmental Samples," Mary Ann Bruns, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 112 Buckhout Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology (865-6761).

"Evidence for Sugar Addiction in Rats," Bart Hoebel, Princeton University, 4:00 p.m., 209 Henderson South Building, Graduate Program in Nutrition (865-3448).

"Runx2 Transcriptional Mechanisms for Control of Skeletal Development and Bone Metastasis," Jane Lian, University of Massachusetts, 4:00 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Andrea Mastro, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-3072).

"Wake Up! You Are on the Wrong Side of the Road: Landscape-Contracting Garden Tour of England," Kaitlin Feeney and Jeff Erb, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 111 Tyson Building, Department of Horticulture (865-2571).

TUESDAY, 29 NOVEMBER

"An Analogue of the Novikov Conjecture in Complex Algebraic Geometry," Jonathan Rosenberg, University of Maryland, 11:00 a.m., 315 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"The Biogenesis and Assembly of Iron-Sulfur Clusters and Electron Transfer in Photosystem I," Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, hosts: Donald Bryant and John Golbeck, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-3072).

"Photolithography of Quantum Dots and Conducting Polymer Fibers," Massimo Bertino, University of Missouri, 3:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Renee Diehl, Department of Physics (865-9521).

"Carbon-Dioxide-Climate-Glaciation Link During the Late-Paleozoic Transition into a Greenhouse World," Isabel Montanez, University of California, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geosciences (865-2622).

"Novel Players in Tumor Metastasis," Xiao-Fan Wang, Duke University, 4:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:45 p.m.), 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Zhi-Chun Lai, Department of Biology (863-0479).

"On the Distance Between Homotopy Classes of S^1-Valued Maps in Multiply Connected Domains," Itai Shafrir, Rutgers University and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (Israel), 4:00 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Promiscuity and Gene Duplication in the Evolution of New Enzyme Activity," Laurie Heinicke, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Philip Bevilacqua, Department of Chemistry (863-3812).

WEDNESDAY, 30 NOVEMBER

"Signal-Transduction Events Induced by Apoptotic Cells Inhibit HIV Transcription in Monocytes/Macrophages," Bethsebah Gekonge, Penn State, 9:00 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Robert Schlegel, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-3072).

"Self-Organizing Maps and Climate Variability: A New Tool for Some Old Problems," David Reusch, Penn State, 11:45 p.m., 541 Deike Building, Earth System Science Center (865-0478).

"Ice-Age Crossing: Heritage of an Island" (video), 12:15 p.m., 105 Deike Building, Fletcher L. Byrom Earth and Mineral Sciences Library (863-7073)

"A New Approach to the Weinstein Conjecture in Dimension Three," Casim Abbas, Michigan State University, 3:30 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Spitzer Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy of Infrared-Luminous Galaxies at a Redshift Distance of z~2," Lin Yan, Spitzer Science Center, 4:00 p.m., 538 Davey Laboratory, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics (865-0418).

THURSDAY, 1 DECEMBER

"Cyclic Quotient Singularities, Integer Ratios of Factorials, and Nyman-Beurling's Approach to the Riemann Hypothesis," Alexander Borisov, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Fuel Cells: Many Materials, Challenges, and Opportunities," Francis J. DiSalvo, Cornell University, 11:15 a.m., 135 Reber Building, Department of Materials Science and Engineering (865-4992).

"Nanoscale-Process Systems Engineering: Towards Molecular Factories, Synthetic Cells, and Adaptive Devices" (Robb lecture), George Stephanopoulos, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, 11:30 a.m. (refreshments at 11:15 a.m.), 111 Wartik Laboratory, host: Jong-in Hahm, Department of Chemical Engineering (863-4801).

(title to be announced), Ian Hinder, Penn State, 12:30 p.m., 318 Osmond Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Marine Trace Metals Through Time and Their Importance to Astrobiology" by Aubrey Zerkle and "Thermophiles and Their Trace-Metal Requirements" by Vyll Cameron, Penn State, 2:00 p.m., 240 Deike Building, Penn State Astrobiology Research Center (865-4074).

"Different Facets of Linking Numbers," Boris Khesin, University of Toronto (Canada), 2:30 p.m., 113 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Flows Along Wild Arcs," Krystyna Kuperberg, Auburn University, 4:00 p.m., 114 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Holes and Entrainment In Stratocumulus," Hermann Gerber, Gerber Scientific Inc., 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Department of Meteorology (863-8566).

"Multidisciplinary Applications of State-Selected Atoms," Ronald Walsworth, Harvard University and Smithsonian Institution, 4:00 p.m., 117 Osmond Laboratory, host: Ken O'Hara, Department of Physics (865-7259).

"Practical Dynamic Software Updating," Michael Hicks, University of Maryland, 4:00 p.m., 113 Information Sciences and Technology Building, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505).

FRIDAY, 2 DECEMBER

"Aging and Control of Exercising Muscle Perfusion," Timothy Musch, Kansas State University, 11:00 a.m., 127 Noll Lab, Noll Physiological Research Center (865-3453).

"Discrete Non-Singular Geometry in Anisotropic and Closed-Loop Quantum Cosmology," Kevin Vandersloot, Penn State, 11:00 a.m., 318 Osmond Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Trade-Offs and Specialization in Ladybeetles," John Sloggert, University of Kentucky, 11:15 a.m., 118 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Ezra Schwartzberg, Department of Entomology (863-1810).

"Potential 10-to-15-Fold Increase in Seed Yield Due to Fungal Infection in Buffalograss," Ambika Chandra, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (863-1601).

ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"Photodissociation and IR Spectroscopy of Mass-Selected Metal-Containing Clusters," Michalel A. Duncan, University of Georgia, 4:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: W. Castleman, Department of Chemistry (865-7242).

SATURDAY, 3 DECEMBER to SUNDAY, 4 DECEMBER

(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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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.

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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 06-54

This issue of SCIENCE SEMINARS was produced by Barbara K. Kennedy, Leta A. Krumrine, and Kristen Devlin.