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

6 to 12 February 2006

MONDAY, 6 FEBRUARY

"Dielectric and Piezoelectric Nonlinearity in Ferroelectric Films," Susan Trolier-McKinstry, Penn State, 12:00 noon, S-5 Osmond Laboratory, Center for Nanoscale Science/MRSEC and Department of Physics (863-8999).

(title to be announced), Louis Derry, Cornell University, 1:25 p.m., 100 Life Sciences Building (Berg Auditorium), Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology (865-5557).

"Exotic Densities for Uniquely Ergodic Diffeomorphisms," Alistair Windsor, University of Texas, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Influence of Domain Size to the Properties of Ferroelectric Crystals," Wenwu Cao, Penn State, 3:35 p.m., 158 Willard Building, Institute for Computational Science (865-1172 or www.ics.psu.edu/springsem.html).

"Exploiting the Versatility of Fe-S Proteins in Biological Sensing and Transcriptional Regulation," Patricia Kiley, University of Wisconsin, 4:00 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Sarah Ades, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-3072).

"Farm-to-College Food Networking," Emily Cook, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 108 Tyson Building, Department of Horticulture (865-2571).

TUESDAY, 7 FEBRUARY

(title to be announced), Yunfeng Lu, Tulane University, 10:00 a.m., 111 Wartik Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering (865-2574).

"Scanning-Tunneling-Microscopy (STM) Observation of Vortex-Lattice Transitions in Superconducting," Maria Iavarone, Argonne National Laboratory, 3:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Xiaoxing Xi, Department of Physics (863-5350).

"Femtosecond X-ray Crystallography of Macromolecules," Jarod Younker, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Philip Bevilacqua, Department of Chemistry (863-3812).

"Genetics to Genomics: Embryogenesis, Sterols, and Homeodomain Transcription Factors in Plants," Kathrin Schrick (faculty candidate), Keck Graduate Institute, 4:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:45 p.m.), 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Hong Ma, Department of Biology (865-4562).

(title to be announced), Louis Derry, Cornell University, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geosciences (865-2622).

WEDNESDAY, 8 FEBRUARY

"Large Igneous Provinces, Volcanic Basins, and Abrupt Global Climate Changes," Henrik Svensen, Oslo University (Norway), 12:00 noon, 541 Deike Building, Office of the Dean of the Graduate School and Worldwide Universities Network (863-1274).

"Miracle on Black Mesa" (video), 12:15 p.m., 105 Deike Building, Earth and Mineral Sciences Library (863-7073).

"Grazing Incidence X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (GIXAFS)" by Michael Davis and "Single-Crystal Organic-Field-Effect Transistors" by Christopher J. Thode, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, hosts: Karl Mueller and Mary Beth Williams, Department of Chemistry (863-8674 or 865-8859).

(Mathematical Physics Seminar title to be announced), Youjin Zhang, Tsinghua University (China), 2:30 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Stalking the Wild Supernova Neutrino: One at a Time," John Beacom, Ohio State University, 2:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Irina Mocioiu, Department of Physics (865-3721).

"HIV-1 Replication in Treg Cells: Tipping the Immune Balance," Lishan Su, University of North Carolina, 4:00 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Andrew Henderson, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences (863-0340 or email ajh6@psu.edu).

ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"The Effect of Adipocyte-Derived Factors on Insulin Sensitivity and Cancer," Philipp E. Scherer, Yeshiva University, 4:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory (video conferenced from College of Medicine), host: Jason K. Kim, Intercollege Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (717-531-4819 or www.hmc.psu.edu/cellbiology/seminars/facultyseminars.htm).

THURSDAY, 9 FEBRUARY

"Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Large-Scale Production and Commercial Applications," Daniel Resasco, University of Oklahoma, 10:00 a.m., 111 Wartik Laboratory, host: Costas Maranas, Department of Chemical Engineering (863-9958).

"Combining Deterministic and Stochastic Models for Modeling, Estimation, and Prediction of Spatial-Temporal Environmental Processes," Montse Fuentes, North Carolina State University, 4:00 p.m., 201 Thomas Building, Department of Statistics (865-1348).

"Elucidating Carbon-Cycle Processes with Oxygen Isotopes: From Plant Cells to the Planetary-Boundary Layer," Brent Helliker, University of Pennsylvania, 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Department of Meteorology (863-8566).

"Geodynamic Modeling of the West-Antarctic-Rift System," or "Drainage of the East-Antarctic Ice Sheet Through the Transantarctic Mountains: The Role of Antecedent Streams," Audrey Huerta, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 202 Research West Building, Department of Geosciences
(865-7965).

"Geometry and Dynamics of Surface-Group Representations," William Goldman, University of Maryland, 4:00 p.m., 114 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"High-Energy Neutrino Astrophysics: Towards First Detections," John Beacom, Ohio State University, 4:00 p.m., 117 Osmond Laboratory, host: Irina Mocioiu, Department of Physics (865-3721).

"Mediators of RNA Metabolism and Plant Reproductive Development," Dmitry Belostotsky (faculty candidate), State University of New York, 4:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:45 p.m.), 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Hong Ma, Department of Biology (865-4562).

FRIDAY, 10 FEBRUARY

"Hydrogen Production by Soil Bacteria: The Secret to Increased Yields Through Legume-Crop Rotation?" Yonghua Luo, Penn State, 8:30 a.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Sjoerd Duiker, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (863-7637).

"Africanized Honey Bee: The Potential Threat to Pennsylvania and Plan of Action," Dennis van Engelsdorp, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, 11:15 a.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Entomology (865-1895).

"Recent Advances in Exercising-Muscle Metabolism," Lawrence L. Spriet, University of Guelph (Canada), 11:15 a.m., 127 Noll Lab, Noll Physiological Research Center (865-3453).

"Uniqueness of Weak Solutions of the Navier-Stokes Equations of Multidimensional Compressible Flow," David Hoff, Indiana University, 3:30 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Counting-House Geographies: Commercial Dictionaries and Merchant Knowledge in the Age of Sail," Deryck Holdsworth, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geography (865-3433).

SATURDAY, 11 FEBRUARY

"Something Old, Something New... The Human Body as an Evolutionary Patchwork" (Frontiers lecture #4 of 5), Alan Walker, Penn State, 11:00 a.m., 100 Thomas Building, Eberly College of Science (863-0901 or www.science.psu.edu/alert/frontiers).

SUNDAY, 12 FEBRUARY

(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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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-

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