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

9 to 15 February 2004

 

MONDAY, 9 FEBRUARY

"Master Constraint Programme for Loop Quantum Gravity," Thomas Thiemann, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (Canada), 12:00 p.m., 318 Osmond Laboratory, Center for Gravitational Physics and Geometry and Center for Gravitational Wave Physics (863-9605).

"Mate Choice, Inbreeding, and Population Structure in Great Frigatebirds," Don Dearborn, Bucknell University, 12:20 p.m., 104 Rackley Building, Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology (865-5557).

UPDATED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"Corn Versus Caterpillar: The Biology of Native Host Plant Resistance in Maize," Dawn Luthe, Mississippi State University, 12:20 p.m., 106 Wartik Laboratory, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Physiology (863-3892).

"String Theory, Field Theories, and Dualities," Radu Roiban, University of California, 2:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Murat Gunaydin, Department of Physics (863-0144).

"Equilibrium States for Unimodal Maps," Samuel Senti, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 3:30 p.m., 102 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

(title to be announced), Dehao Yu, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 3:30 p.m., 104 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"The Role of Calcium in Litchi Cracking," Xuming Huang, South China Agricultural University, 3:50 p.m., 108 Tyson Building, Department of Horticulture (863-3371).

"Building a Multicellular Fruiting Body: Gene Regulation and Sporulation in M. xanthus," Anthony Garza (faculty candidate), Washington State University, 4:00 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Donald Bryant, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-1851).

 

TUESDAY, 10 FEBRUARY

"Stress Tolerance and Endoplasmic-Reticulum Quality-Control Mechanisms of Misfolded Secretory Proteins," Eric Spear, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Davis T.W. Ng, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-5687).

"A New Playground for Many-Body Physics: Strongly-Correlated Atomic Gases," Ken O'Hara, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 3:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: David Weiss, Department of Physics (863-3076).

"Resurrected Ancient Proteins During Origins of Modern Bacteria Suggest Hot Environment: How Cool is Astrobiology," Eric Gaucher (faculty candidate), Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, 4:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:45 p.m.), 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: S. Blair Hedges, Department of Biology (865-4562).

(title to be announced), Juliet Lee, University of Connecticut, 4:00 p.m., S-5 Osmond Laboratory, host: Erin Sheets, Department of Chemistry (865-4041).

(title to be announced), David Sunderlin, University of Chicago, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geosciences (865-2622).

"Computational Cell Biology: From Molecular Networks to Cell Physiology," John J. Tyson, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 4:15 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory (with video conferencing to College of Medicine), Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences (865-3650).

 

WEDNESDAY, 11 FEBRUARY

"The Application of Single-Molecule Fluorescence Spectroscopy in DNA Sequencing" by Joseph Kozole and "Using Quantum-Dots-Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer" by Yanyan Cao, Penn State, 11:00 a.m., S-5 Osmond Laboratory, Department of Chemistry (865-6553).

ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"Exploring and Controlling the Atomic-Scale World" (Research Unplugged), Paul Weiss, Penn State, 12:00 noon, Penn State Downtown Theatre Center, Office of the Vice President for Research (865-3477, www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged).

"Mammalian Overlapping Genes," Izabela Makalowska, Penn State, 12:10 p.m., 317 Mueller Laboratory, host: Masatoshi Nei, Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics (863-7334).

"United States Regions: Contrasts of Land and People (video)," 12:15 p.m., 105 Deike Building, Earth Mineral Sciences Library (863-7073).

"Probing Neural Feature Selectivity with Natural Stimuli," Tatyana Sharpee, University of California, 3:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Reka Albert, Department of Physics (865-6123).

"Constraining Galaxy and Low-Mass X-Ray Binary Formation with Globular-Cluster Systems," Steven Zepf, Michigan State University, 4:00 p.m., 541 Davey Laboratory, host: Jane Charlton, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics (865-0419).

"Nuclear Positioning in C. elegans: A Genetic and Genomic Approach," Christian Malone (faculty candidate), 4:00 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, hosts: Robert Schlegel and Douglas Cavener, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-1851).

(title to be announced), John Hogenesch, Novartis Research Foundation, 4:00 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and Department of Veterinary Science (863-5786).

 

THURSDAY, 12 FEBRUARY

"Lethal Mutagenesis: Exploiting Error-Prone Replication of Riboviruses for Antiviral Therapy," Jason Graci, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Craig Cameron, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-8703).

"New Views of Binary Partition Functions," James Sellers, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 115 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Mechanisms of Regulation of Relapsing Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis (EAE) by CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T-Cells and Peripheral Tolerance," Stepehn D. Miller, Northwestern University, 12:00 p.m., 118 Agricultural Science and Industries Building, host: Channa Reddy, Department of Veterinary Science (865-7696).

"Surface Organometallic Chemistry," Susannah Scott, University of California, 12:15 p.m., S-5 Osmond Laboratory, host: Thomas Mallouk, Department of Chemistry (863-9637).

"Entropic Interactions and Self-Assembly in Suspension," Arjun Yodh, University of Pennsylvania, 3:50 p.m., 117 Osmond Laboratory, host: Peter Schiffer, Department of Physics (865-5982).

"Efficient Empirical Bayes-Variable Selection and Estimation," Ming Yuan, University of Wisconsin, 4:00 p.m., 102 Thomas Building, Department of Statistics (865-1348).

"The Gauss-Linking Integral on the 3-Sphere and in Hyperbolic 3-Space," Herman Gluck, University of Pennsylvania, 4:00 p.m., 102 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"Volcanic Eruptions and Climate: Winter Warming and Summer Cooling," Alan Robock, Rutgers University, 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Department of Meteorology (863-8566).

 

FRIDAY, 13 FEBRUARY

"Testing the Master Constraint Programme for Loop Quantum Gravity," Bianca Dittrich, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (Canada), 11:00 a.m., 318 Osmond Laboratory, Center for Gravitational Physics and Geometry and Center for Gravitational Wave Physics (863-9605).

"The Impact of Varroa Mites on Honeybee Immunity," Xiaolong Yang, Department of Entomology, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 118 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Diana Cox-Foster, Department of Entomology (865-1895).

"Research Challenges for Nitrogen Management in Agricultural Systems," John Schmidt, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 12:20 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, (863-1615).

"The Role of Tunneling Pathway and Solvation in Electron-Transfer Reactions" by Matthew Wilson and (title to be announced) by Nicholas Bianco, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., S-5 Osmond Laboratory, hosts: James Anderson and Albert W. Castleman, Department of Chemistry (865-7242 or 865-3933).

"Drought in Bulgaria—An Analog for Future Climate Change," Marieta Staneva, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 301 Steidle Building, Department of Geography (863-1806).

"Working the Room," Keith Whitfield, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 127 Noll Lab, Noll Physiological Research Center (865-3453).

 

SATURDAY, 14 FEBRUARY

"Atomic Clocks on Earth and in Space: Why We Need Them, How They Work, and What They Can Tell Us" (Frontiers lecture #3 of 5), Kurt Gibble, Penn State, 11:00 a.m., 100 Thomas Building, Eberly College of Science (863-8453 and <http://www.science.psu.edu/alert/frontiers>).

 

SUNDAY, 15 FEBRUARY

(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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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 04-83

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