talks today

[Raghavan Komondoor <raghavan@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

4:00 pm, 2310 CS (Cookies: 3:30 pm, 2310 CS)
Computational Biology: Jacques Cohen, Brandeis University, "Compact Representa-
   tion  of Parses When Using Ambiguous Grammars: Applications in Computational
   Biology"

        The purpose of this talk is to  present  approaches  to  combinatorial-
   problem-solving  that  involve keeping compact representations of all parses
   of strings generated by ambiguous grammars. These situations are frequent in
   the  study  of  biological  sequences.  Two  representative examples will be
   described, one  involving  Finite-State-Grammars,  the  other  Context-Free-
   Grammars.

        It is known that DAGs offer convenient means to describe a large number
   of  possible  parses.  The problem then becomes how to select one (or a few)
   among all those candidates. That can be done either using optimization tech-
   niques  (like  Dynamic Programming,) or applying constraints that screen out
   undesirable parses.

        I will start by summarizing some concepts about  DNA,  its  translation
   into  proteins  and how they affect the function of living organisms. I will
   then review some of the current problems in Molecular Biology in which  com-
   puters  can  play an important role, including the two above-mentioned prob-
   lems.  They involve the detection of certain parts of DNA that are  signifi-
   cant to biologists.

        Other CS-related topics of biological interest will also  be  described
   (e.g.,  alignments,  protein  structure, and family trees).  No knowledge of
   Biology will be assumed, but the presence of biologists is welcomed.


5:00 pm, 2310 CS
UPL Seminar: Brad Koehn, Strategic Technology Resources,  "Rational  Software's
   Unified Modeling Language and Real World Projects"

        Rational Software's  Unified  Modeling  Language  offers  developers  a
   unique  way  to  model object-oriented software, from a user-centric view of
   its requirements to modeling the classes,  attributes,  and  operations,  to
   modeling  the  executables  and  their  processes. By modeling software in a
   visual way, developers cani analyze, design, and  generally  discuss  highly
   complex systems in a concise, elegant manner.

        Brad Koehn, a Technical Architect with Strategic Technology  Resources,
   an  Object-Oriented  consulting  firm with offices in Milwaukee and Chicago,
   will deliver a presentation on how UML is used in the real world to  develop
   software.  Attendees  will  learn  the  basics of UML, how it contributes to
   object-oriented analysis and design, and how it makes it easier  to  develop
   large OO systems.