Cross Species

"Soil samples were collected from ground, root and rhizosphere of 'Caesalpinia spinosa' ( “tara”) plants grown at the Canchacaya farm, in Huanuco, Peru. Samples of tara seedlings were taken as
well to analyze microbial populations in their rhizosphere and root zone. We evaluated bacterial and fungal populations, finding a higher microbial population in the root and surrounding areas.
Isolates of rhizobia, actinomycetes, 'Azotobacter' and 'Pseudomonas' were mantained in culture medium LMA (yeast manitol agar), casein - starch, broth for nitrogen fixers, and culture medium F respectively. All strains were purified and characterized phenotypically and biochemically before selection. Isolates from the fourteen-found nodules included 4 rhizobial strains: 2 from genus 'Rhizobium' spp., and 2 from genus 'Bradyrhizobium' spp., which turned to be NOD+ when these strains were inoculated in “beans” and “broad beans”, and NOD- when inoculated in “alfalfa”, “soy beans” and “tara”. These isolates showed no tolerance to high levels of NaCl or temperature variations, but most of them showed a good growing capacity at different pH levels (4 to 8.8). In addition, we obtained 3 'Azotobacter' spp. strains , 8 actinomycetes, and 13 'Pseudomonas' spp. that might correspond to: 'P. aeruginosa' (2), 'P. fluorescens' (6) and 'P. putida' (5). Based on the found microbial populations, soils in the Ambo province, (Huanuco, Peru) are considered moderately fertile, and could partially sustain tara cultivation."

Enhancement or induction of antimicrobial,
biosurfactant, and quorum-sensing inhibition property in
marine bacteria due to cross-species and cross-genera
interactions was investigated. Four marine epibiotic bacteria
(Bacillus sp. S3, B. pumilus S8, B. licheniformis D1, and
Serratia marcescens V1) displaying antimicrobial activity
against pathogenic or biofouling fungi (Candida albicans
CA and Yarrowia lipolytica YL), and bacteria (Pseudomonas
aeruginosa PA and Bacillus pumilus BP) were chosen
for this study. The marine epibiotic bacteria when co-cultivated
with the aforementioned fungi or bacteria showed
induction or enhancement in antimicrobial activity, biosurfactant
production, and quorum-sensing inhibition. Antifungal
activity against Y. lipolytica YL was induced by
co-cultivation of the pathogens or biofouling strains with the
marine Bacillus sp. S3, B. pumilus S8, or B. licheniformis
D1. Antibacterial activity against Ps. aeruginosa PA or
B. pumilus BP was enhanced in most of the marine isolates
after co-cultivation. Biosurfactant activity was significantly
increased when cells of B. pumilus BP were co-cultivated
with S. marcescens V1, B. pumilus S8, or B. licheniformis
D1. Pigment reduction in the quorum-sensing inhibition
indicator strain Chromobacterium violaceum 12472
was evident when the marine strain of Bacillus sp. S3 was
grown in the presence of the inducer strain Ps. aeruginosa
PA, suggesting quorum-sensing inhibition. The study has important ecological and biotechnological implications in
terms of microbial competition in natural environments and
enhancement of secondary metabolite production.

Evolutionary analysis exists in sociology from the time of its origin. Over nearly 200-year period, this approach has had ups and downs. Now evolutionary analysis has a new chance for a revival. It was made possible through the changes that have taken place in recent decades in biological and social disciplines initiated by the studying of sociobiological factors in human behavior. In sociology these changes were reflected in the development of neurosociology, evolutionary sociology, and social studies of genomics. Some sociologists continue the tradition of sociobiology, based on the assumption that modern humans reproduce behavioral, emotional, cognitive adaptations that our ancestors obtained in the conditions of the African savanna, and which are not obligatory so useful in the present new environment (mismatch hypothesis). Testing this hypothesis allows us to combine disparate sociological ideas about social inequality and potentially reveal general regularities of any processes associated with it. In turn, new sociological method – cross-species analysis – provides a tool to look into the animal world and look at the emotionality, megasociality of humans as part of natural evolution. Finally, reorientation towards the search for the ultimate causes of social inequality and social stratification, embedded in the heart of evolutionary analysis, allows sociologists to discover unknown areas and enhance existing ideas.

В социологии эволюционный анализ существует со временем ее возникновения. За почти двухсотлетний период он пережил взлеты и падения, и сегодня получил новый шанс на возрождение. Это стало возможным благодаря переменам, которые происходят в последние десятилетия в области биологических и социогуманитарных дисциплин в связи с изучением социобиологических факторов человеческого поведения. В социологии изменения выразились в развитии нейросоциологии, эволюционной социологии, социальных исследований геномики. При этом, часть социологов исходит из предположения о воспроизводстве современным человеком поведенческих, эмоциональных, когнитивных адаптаций, которые приобрели наши предки в условиях африканской саванны, но которые необязательно являются столь же полезными в современных условиях (гипотеза несоответствия). Проверка данной гипотезы позволяет объединить разрозненные социологические представления о социальном неравенстве и потенциально выйти на общие закономерности любых ассоциированных с ним процессов. В свою очередь, новый метод социологического исследования – межвидовое сравнение – открывает возможности заглянуть в мир животных и посмотреть на эмоциональность, мегасоциальность человека как часть эволюции. Наконец, заложенная в сердце эволюционного анализа переориентация на поиск конечных причин социального неравенства и социальной стратификации, позволяет социологам открыть новые области исследований и углубить существующие представления.

Biofilms are a natural part of the ecology of the earth. Many biofilms are quite harmful and must be treated or controlled. Other biofilms are beneficial and can be used to help fix serious problems. Biofilms can grow on many different surfaces, including rocks in water, foods, teeth, and various biomedical implants. This bacterial colonization may present the need for additional operations, amputation, or it may even lead to death. The fundamental principles of bacterial cell attachment and biofilm formation are discussed. Biofilms represents a new, wide-open field practice and research that is only going to get hotter with time. Functional organic plasma polymerized coatings are also discussed for their potential as bio-sensitive interfaces, connecting metallic electronic devices with their physiological environments.

ABSTRACT Little is known about the ecology of soil inoculants used for pathogen biocontrol, biofertilization and bioremediation under field conditions. We investigated the persistence and the physiological states of soil-inoculated Pseudomonas protegens (previously Pseudomonas fluorescens) CHAO (10(8) CFU g(-1) surface soil) in different soil microbial habitats in a planted ley (Medicago sativa L.) and an uncovered field plot. At 72 days, colony counts of the inoculant were low in surface soil (uncovered plot) and earthworm guts (ley plot), whereas soil above the plow pan (uncovered plot), and the rhizosphere and worm burrows present until 1.2 m depth (ley plot) were survival hot spots (10(5)-10(6) CFU g(-1), soil). Interestingly, strain CHAO was also detected in the subsoil of both plots, at 10(2)-10(5) CFU g(-1) soil between 1.8 and 2 m depth. However, non-cultured CHAO cells were also evidenced based on immunofluorescence microscopy. Kogure's direct viable counts of nutrient-responsive cells showed that many more CHAO cells were in a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) or a non-responsive (dormant) state than in a culturable state, and the proportion of cells in those non-cultured states depended on soil microbial habitat. At the most, cells in a VBNC state amounted to 34% (above the plow pan) and those in a dormant state to 89% (in bulk soil between 0.6 and 2 m) of all CHAO cells. The results indicate that field-released Pseudomonas inoculants may persist at high cell numbers, even in deeper soil layers, and display a combination of different physiological states whose prevalence fluctuates according to soil microbial habitats. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Rather than being a recently invented practice, building homes and other architectural constructions, such as temples and monuments, are a perennial part of the human behavioral repertoire, which may have had an important impact on human cultural, genetic, and ecological evolution. Studying architecture from a biological and evolutionary perspective may thus be relevant to the understanding of human evolution; and vice versa, a biological and evolutionary perspective may enhance our understanding of architecture as a crucial part of human life. Yet, human architecture has hardly been investigated from a biological and evolutionary perspective. In this chapter, we aim to contribute to this much-needed approach to architecture. First, we investigate the evolution of human building aptitudes from a phylogenetic perspective. Then, we address the evolution of aesthetic aspects of architecture and its eventual signaling purposes from a comparative perspective relying on models from signaling theory.

The paper is exploring methodology within the work in progress research by design through teaching project called 'Synergetic Landscapes'. It discusses codesign and cocreation processes that are crossing the academia, NGOs and applied practice within so called 'real life codesign laboratory' (Davidová, Pánek, & Pánková, 2018). This laboratory performs in real time and real life environment. The work investigates synergised bio-digital (living, non-living, physical, analogue, digital and virtual) prototypical interventions in urban environment that are linked to circular economy and life cycles systems running on blockchain. It represents a holistic systemic interactive and performing approach to design processes that involve living, habitational and edible, social and reproductive, circular and token economic systems. Those together are to cogenerate synergetic landscapes.

The paper is exploring methodology within the work in progress research by design through teaching project called ‘Synergetic Landscapes’. It discusses codesign and cocreation processes that are crossing the academia, NGOs and applied practice within so called ‘real life codesign laboratory’ (Davidová, Pánek, & Pánková, 2018). This laboratory performs in real time and real life environment. The work investigates synergised bio-digital (living, non-living, physical, analogue, digital and virtual) prototypical interventions in urban environment that are linked to circular economy and life cycles systems running on blockchain. It represents a holistic systemic interactive and performing approach to design processes that involve living, habitational and edible, social and reproductive, circular and token economic systems. Those together are to cogenerate synergetic landscapes.

Complex vocal learning, the capacity to imitate new sounds, underpins the evolution of animal vocal cultures and song dialects and is a key prerequisite for human speech and song. Due to its relevance for the understanding of cultural evolution and the biology and evolution of language and music, the trait has gained much scholarly attention. However, while we have seen tremendous progress with respect to our understanding of its morphological, neurological and genetic aspects, its peculiar phylogenetic distribution has remained elusive. Intriguingly, animals as distinct as hummingbirds and humpback whales share well-developed vocal learning capacity in common with humans, while this ability is quite limited in nonhuman primates. Yet, solving this 'vocal learning conundrum' may shed light on the constraints ancestral humans overcame to unleash their vocal capacities. To this end I consider major constraints and functions that have been proposed. I highlight an especially promising ecological constraint, namely the spatial dimensionality of the environment. Based on an informal comparative review, I suggest that complex vocal learning is associated with three-dimensional habitats such as air and water. I argue that this is consistent with recent theoretical advances-i.e., the coercion-avoidance and dimensionality hypotheses-and with the long-standing hypothesis that mate choice is a major driver of the origin and evolution of complex vocal learning. However, I stress that multiple functions may apply and that quantitative phylogenetic comparative methods should be employed to finally resolve the issue.

The paper presents a practice-based systemic design project regenerating former gardening colony of Prague 22 district. Codesigned with local and transdisciplinary stakeholders, COLreg is integrating human and non-human communities, generating a bioregion for-and with-all. Our regions and economies are dependent on the overall ecosystem. However, recent models are not good at equally integrating other species and beings. The COLreg project is aiming at introducing a new, 21st century, model of symbiotic synergy of Post-Anthropocene. Introduction:

Biofilms are a natural part of the ecology of the earth. Many biofilms are quite harmful and must be treated or controlled. Other biofilms are beneficial and can be used to help fix serious problems. Biofilms can grow on many different surfaces, including rocks in water, foods, teeth, and various biomedical implants. This bacterial colonization may present the need for additional operations, amputation, or it may even lead to death. The fundamental principles of bacterial cell attachment and biofilm formation are discussed. Biofilms represents a new, wide-open field practice and research that is only going to get hotter with time. Functional organic plasma polymerized coatings are also discussed for their potential as bio-sensitive interfaces, connecting metallic electronic devices with their physiological environments.

In their appearance, the sexes differ from one another in many animal species. Males are often bigger and physically stronger than females. But sex differences in body morphology need not go along with sex differences in behaviour as a recent study on monkeys showed. In each of four species, stable individual behavioural differences-thus, "personality" differences-occurred but sex differences were largely absent. These findings shed new light on many evolutionary psychologists' assumption that sex differences in human behaviour inevitably result from the bodily differences between men and women and thus constitute an evolutionary heritage of humans.