Bacteria adhering to surfaces exhibit nanoscopic vibrations that depend on the viscoelasticity of the bond. The quantification of the nanoscopic vibrations of bacteria adhering to surfaces provides new opportunities to better understand the properties of the bond through which bacteria adhere and the mechanisms by which they resist detachment. Often, however, bacteria do not adhere to bare surf...

Background: Respiratory problems are common after long bone fractures. The objective of the present investigation is to evaluate the effect of early fixation of femoral shaft fracture on the incidence of respiratory problems. Methods: The results of early and late stabilization of femoral shaft fractures were studied in 150 patients. The patients were divided into two groups according to the st...

A major route for hydrogen production by purple photosynthetic bacteria is biological nitrogen fixation. Nitrogenases reduce atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia with the concomitant obligate production of molecular hydrogen. However, hydrogen production in the context of nitrogen fixation is a rather inefficient process because about 75% of the reductant consumed by the nitrogenase is used to gener...

BACKGROUND INFORMATION Marine nematodes belonging to the Stilbonematidae (Desmodoridae) family are described as living in obligatory association with sulfur-oxidizing chemoautotrophic ectosymbionts. The symbiotic bacteria carrying out this chemosynthesis should contain elemental sulfur in periplasmic granules as sulfur granules of chemoautotrophic endosymbionts described in various marine inver...

Plant growth and development are significantly influenced by the presence and activity of microorganisms. To date, the best-studied plant-interacting microbes are Gram-negative bacteria, but many representatives of both the high and low G+C Gram-positives have excellent biocontrol, plant growth-promoting and bioremediation activities. Moreover, actinorhizal symbioses largely contribute to the g...

Sesarmid crabs play an important role in mangrove biogeochemical processes due to their leaf-eating and burrowing activities. How meet nitrogen (N) needs remains a puzzle, as N-poor leaf litter (<1% dry weight) cannot support the growth of most macrofauna. Several strategies for overcoming this challenge have been proposed, but actual mechanisms remain unknown. We identified two categori...

Soybean (Glycine max L. Merril) is among the key oil seed crops worldwide, providing several benefits from human consumption to enhancement of soil productivity. In Uganda, legumes are cultivated on roughly 1.5 million ha, with soybean being produced a lower production area 150,000 ha compared beans (925,000 ha) and groundnuts (253,000 ha). terms achievable yield, emerges highest at 1.2 t·ha−1 ...

Abstract Background Mosses in high-latitude ecosystems harbor diverse bacterial taxa, including N 2 -fixers which are key contributors to nitrogen dynamics these systems. Yet the relative importance of moss host species, and environmental factors, structuring microbial communities their -fixing potential remains unclear. We studied 26 boreal tundra species across 24 sites Alaska, USA, from 61 6...

The recent detection of heterotrophic nitrogen (N(2)) fixation in deep waters of the southern Californian and Peruvian OMZ questions our current understanding of marine N(2) fixation as a process confined to oligotrophic surface waters of the oceans. In experiments with Crocosphaera watsonii WH8501, a marine unicellular diazotrophic (N(2) fixing) cyanobacterium, we demonstrated that the presenc...

ABSTRACT Light, fluorescent, and field emission scanning electron microscopy, combined with microbial counts on culture media, revealed the presence of numerous microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and actimomycetes) living as rhizoplane populations of roots of at least three species of cactus and a wild fig tree growing in rocks without soil. These plants are responsible for weathering of volcanic...