Off on a Tangent
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A Fortnightly Electronic
Newsletter from the Hope
College Department of Mathematics
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Colloquium
speaker will present research in mathematical biology
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Title:
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Adventures in Biomath: From Cell Signaling
to Motility |
Speaker:
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Hannah Callender, Ph.D. |
Time:
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Thursday,
January 29 at 4:00 p.m.
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Place:
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VWF
102
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Abstract: I will present recent work
from two of my current areas of interest, cell signaling pathways and
cell motility. First I will discuss our construction and analysis of a
mathematical model of the G-protein signaling pathway in RAW 264.7
macrophages downstream of P2Y6 activation by the ubiquitous signaling
nucleotide uridine 5-diphosphate. The model is based on time-course
measurements of P2Y6 surface receptors, inositol trisphosphate,
cytosolic calcium, and with a particular focus on differential dynamics
of multiple species of diacylglycerol. Our modeling effort has
suggested new pathway components, and sensitivity analysis has provided
guidance as to where we should direct further study.
Next I will discuss initial efforts in developing a model of cell
motility. Cell motility is an essential process in the life cycle of
many organisms, as it plays a crucial role in a variety of areas such
as embryonic development, wound healing, the immune response, and
cancer cell metastasis. An essential process in the movement of many
types of cells involves the cells adhering to and moving across their
surroundings via protein complexes known as focal adhesions (FAs). FAs
serve both as mechanical links from the cell to its surroundings (via
transmembrane integrin receptors) and as biochemical signaling hubs to
concentrate and direct numerous signaling proteins within the cell.
Here I will present a mathematical model to describe the early dynamics
of these focal adhesions in mammalian cells to determine the necessary
components and the role of each (with a particular emphasis on the
activation of integrin receptors) in the growth and fate of the FAs.
Please join us for refreshments
in VWF 222 at 3:45 p.m.
Colloquium
will focus on modeling insect responses to global warming
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Title:
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Global
Warming, Evolution, and
Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreaks
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Speaker:
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Brian Yurk,
Utah State University |
Time:
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Monday, February 2 at 4:00 p.m.
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Place:
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VZN B30
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Note the non typical day and room for this colloquium
Abstract: How will insect
populations respond to global warming? The body temperatures of insects
and other ectotherms are directly controlled by their environment. For
these organisms the timing of important developmental events such as
oviposition and emergence depends on the temperatures that they
experience. The timing of developmental events relative to biotic and
abiotic factors is a critical determinant of survival and reproductive
success in insect populations. For example, it is necessary that
pollinator flight activity is timed to correspond with plant flowering.
Having been exposed to fairly constant climate conditions for many
generations, ectotherms have become well-adapted to their historical
local thermal environments. Consequently, warming temperatures will
likely disrupt insect populations, forcing them to adapt, migrate, or
face local extinction.
In this talk I will present a mathematical model of
temperature-dependent insect development that accounts for evolution in
response to climate change. I will discuss implications of this model
for mountain pine beetles and other insects; in particular the model
predicts temperature conditions under which populations are likely to
outbreak as well as conditions under which populations are likely to go
locally extinct. In both cases, the population dynamics are controlled
by the ability of individuals to evolve so that they can complete their
life-cycles in exactly one year (univoltinism).
The Math
in Action Conference is next month
|
The Math in Action Conference is intended for
those
interested in mathematics education at the K-12 level. The
conference is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday,
February 25 at the downtown campus of Grand Valley State University in
Grand Rapids. This year's theme is "Instructional Strategies for
Student Success."
Conference brochures are available online at http://www.gvsu.edu/math/events/mathinaction.
The mathematics department will pay the registration fee for any
mathematics majors or minors
attending. You simply need
to fill out a registration form that is part of the conference brochure
and
return it to Prof. Mary DeYoung by next Friday, February 6.
"Can we have class
outside today?" is a question that professors often hear on
beautiful spring days. They don't, however, usually hear this
question when the temperature is slightly above zero. Professor
Pennings didn't wait for the question to be asked, but thought
the frigid air might be good to wake up some tired brains a couple of
weeks ago for his students in Math 280. When the students
were dismissed to return to the classroom, they flew towards the
door. Elvis, however, took some coaxing to get back in the
building.
The
Lower Michigan Mathematics Competition
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The 33rd Annual Lower Michigan
Mathematics Competition will be held
at Albion College this year on Saturday, April 4. Students
from colleges and universities in Michigan will gather there to
challenge themselves on 10 interesting problems, working together in
teams of up to three people. The competition runs from 9:30 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. After the problem session in the morning, there will be a
break for lunch followed by a solutions session in the afternoon.
Further information about this event and how to sign up will be in a
future newsletter.
Hope has a history of strong showings at
the LMMC, including several
championships, and we'd like to regain the title this year and bring
the Klein Bottle Trophy back to Hope!
The
Statistics Showcase was held recently
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On Friday, January
16, the Mathematics Department hosted the 7th annual Statistics
Showcase. Lisa Heyboer, Sarah Sohn, and Chelsea Wiese examined
heart rates of swimmers. Jamie Bailey, Canielle Silletti, and
Ross Reynolds conducted a social experiment through Facebook and found
that students are more likely to accept a friendship from someone of
the opposite sex than someone from their own. Blair Riddle found
out that female students tend to call home more often than male
students. Dillon Fink determined that drivers of red cars drive
faster than
those of blue cars. Sandra Schneider looked at different types of
water
exercises and the effect on heart rates. Ariel Humphrey
examined parental support with Hope College swimmers.
Andrew Gehl, Michael Sit, Benjamin Kamps, and David Caplin wanted to
find out if those staying on campus during the noro virus outbreak were
more likely to get sick than those that left campus. Laura
Imbrock and Emily Feldhake compared humanities and science books in the
Van Wylen Library. All the
presenters did an outstanding job. They enlightened and
entertained
everyone present.
The
Problem of the Fortnight
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Integrate
∫
e 3√x dx
where 3√x denotes the cube root of
x. Be sure to show all
your work.
Write
your solution (not just the answer!) on a graph of the function y = e 3√x
-- between the x-axis and the curve, of
course -- and
drop it by Dr.
Pearson's office (VWF 212) by noon
on Friday, February 6.
As always, be sure
to write your name, the name(s) of your
professor(s), and your math class(es) on your solution (e.g. N.T.
Grate, Prof. M.T. Set, Math 172).
Good luck, and have
fun!
Problem
Solvers of the Fortnight
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The last problem of the fortnight was:
Suppose you have 8
straight metal
rods with lengths 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 inches. Suppose that 3
rods are selected at random. What is the probability that a triangle
can be constructed from the 3 selected rods?
Congratulations
to the following problem solvers of the fortnight, who determined that
the probability of constructing a triangle is 22/56 = 11/28:
Christina Bello, Mark Panaggio, Brad Lininger, David Schrock, Zach
Mitchell, Josh Borycz, Xisen Hou, Joel Blok, Laura Holaway, Nate
Martin, Evan VanHeukelom, Zak Rhode, Lean Patenge, Greg Hubers, Dale
Schipper, Tim Carter, David Jenkins, Forrest Gordon, Tara Hamming,
Ashley Wortelboer, Kristian Cunningham, Dan Waldo, Drew Reyelts,
Kyle McLellen, Elena Carthess, and Elvis. David Schrock's nice
solution is posted on the bulletin board.
Limitations
live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our
possibilities become limitless.
Jamie
Paolinetti - American Cyclist
The last problem of the fortnight was: