Life Sciences Commons^™

Beauty Of Life In Dynamical Systems: Philosophical Musings And Resources For Students, Soumya Banerjee, Joyeeta Ghose, Tarakeswar Banerjee, Kalyani Banerjee

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Information plays a key role in life and in complex biological systems, and dynamical systems underlie and can be used to represent many complex systems. Indeed, dynamical systems and information processing capabilities may be the hallmarks of life-like systems. In this paper we combine dynamical systems with a computational framework to generate art. The framework can be used to generate aesthetically appealing forms of life-like systems. Our work suggests that we may need an ``aesthetic sense'' to recognize life that we have not seen before. We also provide teaching resources for students in schools and undergraduate institutions.

Integrating Theatre And Biology: How Embodied Performance Can Enhance Empathy Among College Science Students, Annika C. Speer, Begona Echeverria

The STEAM Journal

In these field notes, we examine the integration of the arts into a 20-person honors biology seminar at UC Riverside “Beyond Science: Being Humane Amid Human Rights Crises.” We held a four-hour workshop to examine the ways in which performance and theatrical storytelling can enhance science learning. The workshop provided a unique avenue for exploring how human activities result in downward consequences including refugee displacement, one of the course objectives. In addition to the workshop, we conducted surveys and a focus group with the students to better understand their experience incorporating the arts into their science class. A key concept …

Dear Duck-Billed Platypus, Michael J. Leach Dr

The STEAM Journal

This piece is a concrete poem that both shows and describes the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus).

Light Leaf: Observations Of Leaves In Light, Paul Kelley

The STEAM Journal

For me, spending time in isolation yielded some interesting findings, as I began to closely observe the various leaves that engulf my backyard. Every new day brought with it a new detail, a subtlety with every shift in light, revealing an endless array of abstractions, textures and colors. I was seeing the hidden life of leaves dancing in the sunlight. Naturally, I began documenting my observations.

Students Arts Participation Increases Stem Motivation Via Self-Efficacy, Stephen M. Dahlem

The STEAM Journal

This work found that there exists a correlation between student motivation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and student participation in the arts during high school with self-efficacy being a mediator. STEM is an important component of student success from a broad, national, perspective, as well as from a domain-specific point of view. The results of this work may provide aid to teachers, parents, administrators, and even students seeking to find ways to increase student motivation and performance in the STEM subjects. Additionally, this work may be of interest to advocates of the arts. This quantitative correlational study was …

Challenge-Based Learning & Steam Curriculum, Diana Lockwood

The STEAM Journal

STEAM education is being integrated into elementary schools as a way to engage more students in creativity, hands-on learning, and problem-based learning also referred to as Challenge-Based-Learning (CBL). This article focuses on elementary educators’ curriculum design for STEAM and presenting students with open-ended questions phrased as a challenge as a way to raise student interest and achievement (DeJarnette, 2018; Hunter-Doniger, 2018). When students received challenges to solve, they felt more open to sharing their ideas since there was more than one potential right answer (DeJarnette, 2018; Drake, 2012). When implementing CBL, teachers act as facilitators using a constructivist approach as …

Contents 41(1–2)

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

No abstract provided.

Dedication

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

No abstract provided.

Comparative Leaf Water Absorption Between Chaparral Island And Mainland Taxa: A Common Garden Experiment, Humera S. Mirza, Lauren M. Tucker, Rodrigo Méndez-Alonzo, Edward G. Bobich, Frank W. Ewers

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

In California and other Mediterranean-type ecosystems, island species are typically exposed to more fog but less rain than mainland species. Because adaptations to absorb water from fog may conflict with those to minimize water loss, we hypothesized that island species should have greater fog absorption than their mainland congeners due to foliar uptake but at the cost of modifying other leaf structural and functional traits. To determine whether foliar water absorption is an adaptation to insularity, we compared seven physiological and anatomical leaf traits between congeneric island and mainland species of two genera, Ceanothus and Arctostaphylos, in a common …

A Tribute To Gary D. Wallace

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

No abstract provided.

A Vascular Flora Of The South Fork Tule River, Southern Sierra Nevada, Tulare County, California, Jessica M. Orozco

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

I conducted a floristic study of the South Fork Tule River watershed, located in the southern Sierra Nevada in Tulare County, California. The primary objectives of this floristic study were to document and catalogue all vascular plant taxa that occur in the watershed, describe the plant communities, analyze the flora and its affinities with other areas, and establish a herbarium for the Tule River Indian Reservation. The upper reaches of the South Fork Tule River originate on the western slope of Slate Mountain in the Sequoia National Forest and drain west through the Tule River Indian Reservation into Lake Success. …

Forty Years Of Change In Piute Cypress (Hesperocyparis Nevadensis), A Rare California Tree, After Frequent Fire And Drought, Amarina Wuenschel, Jim A. Bartel, Alexis Bernal

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Piute cypress (Hesperocyparis nevadensis) is a rare cypress species endemic to the Lake Isabella region in the southern Sierra Nevada in California. Piute cypress groves have not been quantitatively studied in the last 40 years and with recent fires (some in short succession) and observed mortality, we had questions surrounding conditions in groves recovering from fire compared to other groves with no recorded fire histories. Piute cypress rarely survive fire and are obligate seeders with serotinous cones and, as such, require sufficient time after fire to grow to reproductive maturity to be able to withstand future fire. We …

Sherwin Carlquist (1930–2021)—A Botanical Luminary, Thomas S. Elias, Mare Nazaire, Gary D. Wallace, Vanessa E. Ashworth

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Sherwin Carlquist (1930–2021) was an internationally respected and distinguished botanist who held faculty positions in botany at California Botanic Garden, Claremont Graduate University and Pomona College between 1956 and 1992. His legacy includes major scholarly contributions to plant systematics, plant anatomy, especially wood anatomy, island biogeography, evolutionary and ecological reasoning, and a prolific publication record. A loose collection of paragraphs by those who interacted with him addresses Carlquist's tremendous botanical output, teaching, mentorship, scientific scholarship, and his roles as a colleague and friend.

A Vascular Flora Of The Selkirk Mountains, Bonner And Boundary Counties, Idaho, Harpo Faust, Ben Legler, David C. Tank

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

The vascular flora described here covers ~2295 square kilometers (~886 square miles) of the Selkirk Mountains that lie in the Idaho Panhandle, covering an elevational range of 540–2330 m (1770–7670 ft). The majority of the mountain range is underlain by granitic rock of the Kaniksu Batholith, and is diversified by the rich glacial history of the Panhandle. The study area contains multiple pockets of alluvial and glacial deposition that serve as specialized habitat for present-day floristic diversity within the range. The Idaho Selkirks are part of the Northern Rocky Mountains and have floristic influences from the Pacific coast, boreal north, …

A Question Of Priority: Pterospora Andromedea Nuttall Vs. Monotropa Procera Torrey Ex Eaton (Monotropoideae, Ericaceae), Gary D. Wallace

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Clarity is lacking on the priority of the names Pterospora andromedea Nutt. versus Monotropa procera Torr. ex Eaton, both of which were published in 1818, and the suggested clear answer may not be the correct answer. Taxonomic Literature, second edition, provides a publication date of 14 July 1818 for Nuttall’s Genera of North American Plants and a publication date of June 1818 for Eaton’s Manual of Botany ed. 2. However, upon closer scrutiny, the situation is more complex. The sources for these publication dates are discussed in order to trace the likely sequence of events leading up …

Qualitative Analysis Of A Resource Management Model And Its Application To The Past And Future Of Endangered Whale Populations, Glenn Ledder

CODEE Journal

Observed whale dynamics show drastic historical population declines, some of which have not been reversed in spite of restrictions on harvesting. This phenomenon is not explained by traditional predator prey models, but we can do better by using models that incorporate more sophisticated assumptions about consumer-resource interaction. To that end, we derive the Holling type 3 consumption rate model and use it in a one-variable differential equation obtained by treating the predator population in a predator-prey model as a parameter rather than a dynamic variable. The resulting model produces dynamics in which low and high consumption levels lead to single …

Vascular Plants Of Northern Death Valley National Park (Death Valley, Last Chance Range, And Eureka Valley), Inyo County, California, Hester L. Bell, Sarah J. De Groot, Steve E. Schoenig

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

The northern portion of Death Valley National Park closely (but not entirely) corresponds to the northernmost portion of the Mojave Desert in California. From 2014 through 2019 we surveyed the vascular plants in the Eureka Valley, northern Last Chance Range, and northern Death Valley. This study area covers 1735 sq km and ranges in elevation from 810 to 2577 m; it contains the tallest sand dunes in California, a calcium-rich mountain range, and alkaline seeps. These features provide specialized habitats for narrowly and regionally endemic plants. Fossil data from packrat middens suggest that the local climate has become warmer and …

List Of Bryophytes Collected In The Northern Last Chance Range And Eureka Valley, Death Valley National Park, Sarah J. De Groot

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

A list of bryophytes occurring naturally in northern Death Valley National Park is presented. So far, 41 taxa have been documented, representing seven families and 24 genera. One species, Jaffueliobryum wrightii, is considered rare by the California Native Plant Society.

Evolution Of Island, Dominique Kongsli

The STEAM Journal

Evolution of Island emerged from the depths of an ocean of blue paint. My process involves observation of nature: I remember scuba diving in Thailand in the Andaman Sea and having a spiritual experience underwater while observing Christmas-tree worms pop in and out of the coral.

Animal-Human Art, Trace Johansson

The STEAM Journal

Art work that shows the bond between animal and human

What Can We Learn About Research Narratives From Professional Storytellers?, Kim Wilkins, Helen Marshall

The STEAM Journal

This short note on practice reflects on how “research narrative” is a much-used, but misunderstood term. Compelling stories about our research are important: for public-facing communications and for academic tenure confirmation and promotion. They are also important for researchers to gain a clearer sense of their own vision and values in the research process: they are not just a communication skill, they’re a career skill. But often researchers in STEM disciplines do not have the practical skills to write stories. We draw on our own practice as creative writers to share some simple and effective methods to bring arts expertise …

Visual Arts Enhance Instruction In Observation And Analysis Of Microscopic Forms In Developmental And Cell Biology, Max Ezin, Christina Noravian, Amira Mahomed, Adam Lyle, Aveleen Gill, Tamira Elul

The STEAM Journal

Two important skills for scientists in developmental and cell biology, as well as in fields such as neurobiology, histology and pathology, are: 1) observation of features and details in microscopic images of cells, and 2) quantification of cellular features observed in microscopic images. However, current training in developmental and cell biology does not emphasize observation and quantitative analysis of microscopic images, and it is unclear how best to teach students these skills. Here, we describe our experiences applying visual artistic approaches to instruct undergraduate and graduate students in how to observe and analyze cellular forms in microscopic images. At Loyola …

Extending Power Series Methods For The Hodgkin-Huxley Equations, Including Sensitive Dependence, James S. Sochacki

CODEE Journal

A neural cell or neuron is the basic building block of the brain and transmits information to other neurons. This paper demonstrates the complicated dynamics of the neuron through a numerical study of the Hodgkin-Huxley differential equations that model the ionic mechanisms of the neuron: slight changes in parameter values and inputted electrical impulses can lead to very different (unexpected) results. The methods and ideas developed for the ordinary differential equations are extended to partial differential equations for Hodgkin-Huxley networks of neurons in one, two and three dimensions.

Natural By Design, Craig Steele

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

I’m a professor in the Department of Biology and Health Sciences at Edinboro University, in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, a small, comprehensive liberal arts institution within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. My major teaching duties involve environmental biology, zoology, and ichthyology. I emphasize to my students how mathematics underlies the natural world of plants and animals, pointing out to them how many of “our” most amazing engineering and constructional achievements are copied from nature (from geodesic domes to the fusiform bows of modern commercial ships), as well as how plant and animal physiology and animal behavior (of individuals and of …

Justicieae Ii: Resolved Placement Of Many Genera And Recognition Of A New Lineage Sister To Isoglossinae, Lucinda A. Mcdade, Carrie A. Kiel, Thomas F. Daniel, Iain Darbyshire

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

We present phylogenetic results for Justicieae, the largest of the major lineages of Acanthaceae. With 300% more sequence data and a similarly increased but also more geographically representative taxon sample compared to the only previous study of the lineage as a whole, we confirm the existence of the Pseuderanthemum Lineage, Isoglossinae, the Tetramerium Lineage and the Justicioid Lineage. To the last three lineages, we add a number of taxa with the goal of advancing our knowledge of genera (e.g., Isoglossa, Rhinacanthus) and of geographic areas (e.g., Malagasy and Asian Acanthaceae). These added taxa are accommodated within the phylogenetic …

Vascular Flora Of Adobe Valley And Surrounding Hills, Mono County, California, Sophie E. Winitsky

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Adobe Valley and the Adobe Hills lie east of the Sierra Nevada in Mono County, California, and are within the Great Basin Floristic Province. The flora of Adobe Valley and the surrounding hills is influenced by the Great Basin Desert to the east, the Sierra Nevada to the west and the northern Mojave Desert to the south. Adobe Valley is surrounded by the Adobe Hills, Benton Range and Glass Mountain region, creating a circular closed basin with many small tributaries feeding into it. This topography contributes to the creation of a rare wetland complex, including alkali meadows, marshes, and lakes …

Wood Anatomy Of Argophyllaceae (Asterales): Adaptation In A Small Clade, Sherwin Carlquist, Mark E. Olson

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Argophyllaceae (Argophyllum, 14 spp.; Corokia, 6 spp.; Lautea, 1 sp.), are shrubs that occur in the southwestern Pacific and eastern Australia. They occur in habitats where moisture is relatively common but dry days and mild frost may occur. The woods of these genera show enough distinctive features to justify their grouping in a single family: perforation plates with 10–20 bars, vessel elements narrow and numerous per mm², imperforate tracheary elements about 50% longer than the vessel elements, axial parenchyma scarce, diffuse, multiseriate rays narrow and heterocellular (upright cells common in uniseriate rays), crystals absent, …

Krill Watching, Michael J. Leach

The STEAM Journal

This is a concrete, or visual, found poem about the scientific activity of observing krill in the deep sea. I discovered this concrete found poem in prose that Nicol (2019, p. 200) quoted from Ommanney (1938).

• Nicol, S 2019 ‘Oceans of krill’, in B Nogrady (ed) The best Australian science writing 2019, Sydney: NewSouth Publishing.
• Ommanney, FD 1938 South latitude, London: Longmans, Green & Co.

The Finch Effect: Evolutionary Metaphors And Illiberal Democracy In Central And Eastern Europe, Abigail Woodfield

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

In recent years, several states in Central and Eastern Europe have seen democratic digression. Such illiberal resurgences came as a surprise to the many political scientists who assumed that the future of these states was democratic. Indeed, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the world largely regarded liberal democracy as the predominant system of government. The future seemed bright, and it was tempting to understand that future in evolutionary terms—just as humans evolved under natural selection to become the dominant species, democracy had survived a similar competition and defeated all other systems of government to become the dominant regime. …

Third Voices Conference On Teaching Stem With Music, September 22-23, 2019, Lawrence M. Lesser

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

The third annual VOICES (Virtual Ongoing Interdisciplinary Collaborations on Educating with Song; https://www.causeweb.org/voices/) conference will be held online September 22-23, 2019. Chaired by Tiffany Getty, this conference will explore the use of song to teach STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) at the postsecondary (or secondary) level.