Seasonal variation, source apportionment and source attributed health risk of fine carbonaceous aerosols over National Capital Region, India

Deteriorating air quality with high levels of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) over National Capital Region (NCR) of India is one of the serious environmental and scientific issues. In this paper, PM_2.5 samples were collected for 24 h twice or thrice a week during December 2016-December 2017 at three sites [Delhi (IG), Modinagar (MN) and Mahendragarh (HR)] over NCR to analyse the carbonaceous aerosols. Source apportionment of PM_2.5 was attempted using Principal Component analysis (PCA) and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) based on the analysed carbonaceous fractions [Organic carbon, Elemental carbon, Secondary organic carbon (SOC)]. Organic compounds: alkanes, hopanes, steranes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, levoglucosan and n-alkanoic acids were analysed to distinguish the emission sources. Total Carbonaceous Aerosols (TCA) contributed significantly (∼26%) to PM_2.5 which revealed their importance in source apportionment. Estimated SOC contributed 43.2%, 42.2% and 58.2% to OC and 5.4%, 5.3% and 7.8% to PM_2.5 at IG, MN and HR sites respectively. PCA and PMF apportion five emission sources i.e., vehicular emissions (34.6%), biomass burning (26.8%), cooking emissions (15.7%), plastic and waste burning (13.5%) and secondary organic carbon (9.5%) for PM_2.5. Source attributed health risk has also been calculated in terms of Lung cancer risk (LCR) associated with PAHs exposure and concluded that vehicular emissions (40.3%), biomass burning (38.1%), secondary organic carbon (12.8%) contributed higher to LCR (503.2 × 10^-5; ∼503 cases in 1,00,000). Health risk assessment combined with source apportionment inferences signifies the immediate implementation of emissions reduction strategies with special target on transport sector and biomass burning over the NCR of India.

Role of biochar and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria to enhance soil carbon sequestration-a review

Global climate is undergoing significant changes due to extensive release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as CO₂ and methane in the atmosphere. These gases are produced and released as a result of anthropogenic activities and fossil fuel burnings which also result in depletion of soil carbon resources. Biochar has various distinctive properties, which contribute to make it an effective, economical, and eco-friendly approach for soil carbon sequestration. The versatility in physicochemical properties of biochar provides an opportunity to optimize its efficacy to obtain desired benefits. A critical review of the literature indicates that biochar and plant growth-promoting microbes have the potential to improve soil organic carbon (SOC). Recent studies have depicted a significant role of the combined application of plant growth-promoting microbes and biochar on SOC dynamics. In future, these areas need to be explored as these have the potential to improve SOC dynamics and it could be a better strategy to sustain natural resources and ultimately mitigation of the climate change.

The role of check dams in retaining organic carbon and nutrients. A study case in the Sierra de Ávila mountain range (Central Spain)

Soil organic carbon plays an important role in the global carbon cycle, accounting for 70% of the Earth's carbon. However, soil erosion can have a major impact on the stocks of soil carbon and other soil nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous. Soil and water conservation techniques, such as the building of check dams, are usually employed to control sediment yields and the losses of other soil components. The aim of this research is thus to quantify the soil organic carbon (SOC), soil nitrogen (SN) and soil phosphorous (SP) retained by the check dams of a hydrologic and forest restoration project in the Sierra de Ávila mountain range (Ávila, Central Spain). Soil samples were taken from the sediment wedges of 30 check dams and from 30 native soils. Soil texture, electric conductivity, pH, C, N and P were measured in all the soil samples. The volume of sediment retained by the check dams was calculated by the Sections Method, which is very accurate in estimating the real volume of the sediment wedges. The total sediment yield in the area was thus estimated at 6.40 Mg·ha^-1·yr^-1 and the mean SOC, SN and SP densities were respectively 13.76, 0.48 and 0.05 kg·m^-2. These findings thus are very reliable and allow us to conclude that check dams constitute an important instrument for controlling losses of SOC, SN and SP, and preventing these substances from passing into watercourses downstream of the area.

Characterization and source estimates of primary and secondary carbonaceous aerosols at urban and suburban atmospheres of Düzce, Turkey

Düzce is one of the cities located in the western Black Sea region of Turkey with a population of 377,610 in 2017 (TUIK, 2017). There is no satisfying scientific information available to address the contribution of primary and secondary sources of carbonaceous aerosols to the observed PM₁₀ levels in the city. The main objective of the study is to determine the levels and sources of carbonaceous aerosols in PM₁₀. For this purpose, PM₁₀ samples were collected at urban and suburban locations in Düzce during winter and summer season in 2015. Average summer OC and EC concentrations in the urban area were 9.5 and 1.3 μg m^-3, respectively, while the corresponding concentrations were observed as 28.5 and 2.3 μg m^-3, respectively for winter season. Summer mean OC and EC levels at the suburban site were 5.46 and 0.37 μg m^-3, respectively, while those for winter were found as 6.68 and 0.61 μg m^-3.The contributions of OC and EC to measured PM₁₀ levels were found in the range of 10% to 60% and 1% to 7%, respectively, at the urban station while the associated contributions were in the range of 10% to 50% and 0.6% to 6%, respectively, at the suburban station. The concentrations measured during winter months in both areas were found to be higher than those measured during summer months. The EC tracer method was used in order to estimate the SOC contribution. The contribution of SOC concentrations to the total PM₁₀ mass was found to be higher during winter in the urban area and during summer in the suburban area.

Electrolyte-Supported Fuel Cell: Co-Sintering Effects of Layer Deposition on Biaxial Strength

The mechanical reliability of reversible solid oxide cell (SOC) components is critical for the development of highly efficient, durable, and commercially competitive devices. In particular, the mechanical integrity of the ceramic cell, also known as membrane electrolyte assembly (MEA), is fundamental as its failure would be detrimental to the performance of the whole SOC stack. In the present work, the mechanical robustness of an electrolyte-supported cell was determined via ball-on-3-balls flexural strength measurements. The main focus was to investigate the effect of the manufacturing process (i.e., layer by layer deposition and their co-sintering) on the final strength. To allow this investigation, the electrode layers were screen-printed one by one on the electrolyte support and thus sintered. Strength tests were performed after every layer deposition and the non-symmetrical layout was taken into account during mechanical testing. Obtained experimental data were evaluated with the help of Weibull statistical analysis. A loss of mechanical strength after every layer deposition was usually detected, with the final strength of the cell being significantly smaller than the initial strength of the uncoated electrolyte (σ₀ ≈ 800 MPa and σ₀ ≈ 1800 MPa, respectively). Fractographic analyses helped to reveal the fracture behavior changes when individual layers were deposited. It was found that the reasons behind the weakening effect can be ascribed to the presence and redistribution of residual stresses, changes in the crack initiation site, porosity of layers, and pre-crack formation in the electrode layers.

Carbon emissions induced by land-use and land-cover change from 1970 to 2010 in Zhejiang, China

Land-use and land-cover change (LUCC) is a crucial factor affecting carbon emissions. Zhejiang Province has witnessed unprecedented LUCC concomitant with rapid urbanization from 1970 to 2010. In this study, remote sensing, geographic information system (GIS) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) method were combined to quantify changes in both vegetation carbon storage and soil organic carbon (SOC) storage resulting from LUCC during 1970-1990 and 1990-2010. For both 1970-1990 and 1990-2010, the results showed successive decrease in farmlands (2.8 × 10⁵ ha or -9.15% and 5.9 × 10⁵ ha or -20.49%, respectively) and grasslands (3.4 × 10⁴ ha or -10.73% and 1.5 × 10⁵ ha or -54.1%, respectively), and continuous increase in forests (2.0 × 10⁴ ha or 0.33% and 1.7 × 10⁵ ha or 2.81%, respectively) and built-up lands (2.07 × 10⁵ ha or 78.41% and 6.49 × 10⁵ ha or 137.8%, respectively). From 1970 to 1990, approximately 8.3 Tg of the total carbon sink declined, including a 0.4 Tg reduction in vegetation carbon and a 7.9 Tg reduction in SOC. While from 1990 to 2010, approximately 17.5 Tg of carbon storage declined, comprising a 2.8 Tg of carbon accumulated by vegetation, and a 20.3 Tg reduction in SOC. Overall, LUCC has resulted in huge amount of carbon emissions in Zhejiang from 1970 to 2010. Efficient planning for LUCC and gradual mitigation of carbon emissions are indispensable for future urban development in China under increasing pressure from global warming.

Chronic stress, sense of coherence and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus

AIMS

The study was conducted to ascertain whether chronic stress and sense of coherence are associated with risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

Stress questionnaires - Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale (PSLES), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Sense of Coherence (SOC) - were administered to 500 Newly Detected Diabetes Mellitus (NDDM) cases and 500 Normal Glucose Tolerance (NGT) controls recruited following 75 g OGTT. Assessment of stress was completed before the diagnosis of diabetes was revealed to them.

RESULTS

PSLES and PSS scores were significantly higher and SOC score was significantly lower in NDDM subjects compared to those with NGT. PSLES and PSS correlated positively with anthropometric parameters (waist circumference, BMI), glycemic parameters (FPG, 2 hPG, A1C) and HOMA-IR and inversely with HOMA-β whereas SOC correlated inversely with glycemic parameters (FPG, 2 hPG, A1C) and HOMA-IR and positively with HOMA-β. In stepwise logistic regression analysis, SOC emerged as the strongest independent predictor of diabetes (OR: 0.774) after HOMA-IR (OR: 1.621) and BMI (OR: 1.288). Other significant predictors included PSS (OR:1.153), PSLES-LT (OR: 1.005) and HOMA-β (OR: 0.894).

CONCLUSION

Chronic stress and low sense of coherence are associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

[Variation of Soil CO2 Flux and Environmental Factors Across Erosion-Deposition Sites Under Simulation Experiment]

The CO₂ flux from soil is an important component of global carbon cycle, and a small variation of soil CO₂ flux can prominently influence atmospheric CO₂ concentration and soil organic carbon stock. Soil erosion significantly influences soil CO₂ emission. However, the process of soil CO₂ flux during soil erosion and soil deposition remains uncertain. At the present study, a simulated experiment on soil erosion and deposition was conducted at Changwu State Key Agro-Ecological Station, Shaanxi, China. From July to September in 2014 and 2015, soil CO₂ flux was periodically measured using an automated CO₂ flux system LI-8100 (LI-COR, Lincoln, NE, USA) and soil temperature and moisture were collected by series data collection system of soil temperature and soil moisture (EM50, DECAGON, USA). The measurement frequency of soil CO₂ flux was once a week during 09:00 and 11:00. Soil temperature and soil moisture of 10 cm topsoil were measured continuously (at an interval of 30 minutes) during the experiment. At the same time, runoff and sediment were collected as well in each rain event, and then SOC content in sediment was measured. The results showed that soil CO₂ flux between erosion and deposition sites had a significant difference (P<0.05), and soil CO₂ flux at deposition site [mean value 1.38 μmol·(m²·s)^-1] was 31% higher than that of soil CO₂ flux at deposition site [1.05 μmol·(m²·s)^-1], while temperature sensitivity at deposition site (Q₁₀:8.14) was 3 times as high as that at erosion site (2.34). Soil moisture at deposition site was 19% higher than that at erosion site (P<0.05). Soil temperature was slightly higher at erosion site. The average SOC content (7.26 g·kg^-1) increased by 6% in the sediment compared with the initial SOC content (6.83 g·kg^-1). Soil moisture and SOC redistribution across erosion and deposition sites were influencing factors for soil CO₂ flux under erosional environment. In conclusion, soil CO₂ flux showed a significant variation at erosion site and deposition site. Changes in soil moisture and SOC contributed much to the difference in soil CO₂ flux across erosion and deposition sites.

Patient-Specific iPSC-Based Models of Huntington's Disease as a Tool to Study Store-Operated Calcium Entry Drug Targeting

Neurodegenerative pathologies are among the most serious and socially significant problems of modern medicine, along with cardiovascular and oncological diseases. Several attempts have been made to prevent neuronal death using novel drugs targeted to the cell calcium signaling machinery, but the lack of adequate models for screening markedly impairs the development of relevant drugs. A potential breakthrough in this field is offered by the models of hereditary neurodegenerative pathologies based on endogenous expression of mutant proteins in neurons differentiated from patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Here, we study specific features of store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) using an iPSCs-based model of Huntington's disease (HD) and analyze the pharmacological effects of a specific drug targeted to the calcium channels. We show that SOCE in gamma aminobutyric acid-ergic striatal medium spiny neurons (GABA MSNs) was mediated by currents through at least two different channel groups, ICRAC and ISOC. Both of these groups were upregulated in HD neurons compared with the wild-type neurons. Thapsigargin-induced intracellular calcium store depletion in GABA MSNs resulted in predominant activation of either ICRAC or ISOC. The potential anti-HD drug EVP4593, which was previously shown to have neuroprotective activity in different HD models, affected both ICRAC and ISOC.

Are land use and short time climate change effective on soil carbon compositions and their relationships with soil properties in alpine grassland ecosystems on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau?

Fencing and grass plantation are two key interventions to preserve the degraded grassland on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Climate warming and N deposition have substantially affected the alpine grassland ecosystems. However, molecular composition of soil organic carbon (SOC), the indicator of degradation of SOC, and its responses to climate change are still largely unclear. In this study, we conducted the experiments in three types of land use on the QTP: alpine meadow (AM), alpine steppe (AS), and cultivated grassland (CG) under 2°C climatic warming, 5 levels of nitrogen deposition rates at 8, 24, 40, 56, and 72kg N ha^-1year^-1, as well as a combination of climatic warming and N deposition (8kg N ha^-1year^-1). Our findings indicate that all three types of land use were dominated by O-alkyl carbon. The alkyl/O-alkyl ratio, aromaticity and hydrophobicity index of the CG were larger than those of the AM and AS, and this difference was generally stable under different treatments. Most of the SOC in the alpine grasslands was derived from fresh plants, and the carbon in the CG was more stable than that in the AM and AS. The compositions of all the alpine ecosystems were stable under short-term climatic changes, suggesting the short-term climate warming and nitrogen deposition likely did not affect the molecular composition of the SOC in the restored grasslands.

Biochar alters microbial community and carbon sequestration potential across different soil pH

Biochar application to soil has been proposed for soil carbon sequestration and global warming mitigation. While recent studies have demonstrated that soil pH was a main factor affecting soil microbial community and stability of biochar, little information is available for the microbiome across different soil pH and the subsequently CO₂ emission. To investigate soil microbial response and CO₂ emission of biochar across different pH levels, comparative incubation studies on CO₂ emission, degradation of biochar, and microbial communities in a ferralsol (pH5.19) and a phaeozems (pH7.81) with 4 biochar addition rates (0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%, 5.0%) were conducted. Biochar induced higher CO₂ emission in acidic ferralsol, largely due to the higher biochar degradation, while the more drastic negative priming effect (PE) of SOC resulted in decreased total CO₂ emission in alkaline phaeozems. The higher bacteria diversity, especially the enrichment of copiotrophic bacteria such as Bacteroidetes, Gemmatimonadetes, and decrease of oligotrophic bacteria such as Acidobacteria, were responsible for the increased CO₂ emission and initial positive PE of SOC in ferralsol, whereas biochar did not change the relative abundances of most bacteria at phylum level in phaeozems. The relative abundances of other bacterial taxa (i.e. Actinobacteria, Anaerolineae) known to degrade aromatic compounds were also elevated in both soils. Soil pH was considered to be the dominant factor to affect CO₂ emission by increasing the bioavailability of organic carbon and abundance of copiotrophic bacteria after biochar addition in ferralsol. However, the decreased bioavailability of SOC via adsorption of biochar resulted in higher abundance of oligotrophic bacteria in phaeozems, leading to the decrease in CO₂ emission.

Sense of coherence is a predictor of survival: A prospective study in women treated for breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

Sense of coherence (SOC) reflects a person's overall orientation to life. Sense of coherence guides the person in finding and utilizing resources to maintain health and manage stress. Previously, we demonstrated SOC's stability over time among breast cancer (BC) patients, and in the present article, SOC's predictive value for survival is tested.

METHODS

A cohort of 487 women underwent surgery for invasive BC and completed preoperatively the SOC-13 within a multicenter trial. Hazard ratios (HRs) were performed to identify significant independent predictors and their association with increase in SOC.

RESULTS

Over a median follow-up time of 10 years, patients with a higher SOC had 63% lower risk of BC progression (HR 0.63; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.85, P .03), 80% lower risk of BC mortality (HR 0.80; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.96, P .00), and 80% lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.80; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.93, P .00) than patients with a lower SOC. The mortality risk declined by 2.3% for every 1-unit increase in SOC, both for BC mortality (HR 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96 to 0.99, P .01) and for all-cause mortality (HR 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96 to 0.99, P .00). The risk of progression declined by 1.4% for every 1-unit increase in SOC (HR 0.99; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.00, P .03).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence of SOC's predictive value for disease progression and BC-caused and all-cause mortality. Sense of coherence provides a complement when designing individual plans that aims to support patients during their treatment.

[Effects of trampling disturbance on soil organic carbon fractions and mineralization potential of biological soil crusts in the Loess Plateau Region, China]

The experiment was conducted in the plots that had been enclosed for nearly 20 years in the hilly Loess Plateau region. The effects of trampling disturbance on the biological soil crust (biocrust) coverage, soil organic carbon (SOC), soil easily oxidizable carbon (SEOC), SOC mineralization amount and mineralization rate were investigated. The biocrust SOC mineralization potential after disturbance in different soil layers were simulated by a first-order kinetic equation. The results showed that the coverage of cyanobacteria biocrust and moss biocrust significantly decreased with the increases of disturbance intensity. Compared to no disturbance, the cyanobacteria coverage declined by 264%-339% and moss coverage declined by 46%-127%. Compared to no disturbance, SOC content in biocrust layer significantly decreased by 211%-300%. No significant difference was found among the five disturbance intensities. Disturbance increased SEOC content in biocrust layer, and the variation amounted to 1.5-3.4 g·kg^-1, with 30%, 40% and 50% distur-bance differed significantly to no disturbance. Disturbance significantly increased biocrust SOC mineralization cumulative amount. However, SOC mineralization rate did not show any significant change. The SOC mineralization cumulative amount under 40% disturbance intensity increased by 77% compared to that under no disturbance. Disturbance significantly increased SOC mineralization potential in biocrust layer, but with no influence in 0-2 cm and 2-5 cm soil layers. The 40% disturbance intensity significantly increased SOC mineralization potential by 4.7 g·kg^-1. The results of principal component analysis showed that SOC, SEOC, SMC and mineralization rate explained 76.7% of the variation of SOC mineralization potential in biocrust layer. Disturbance might be a main factor driving the increases of biocrust SOC mineralization potential in this area.

[Stressors and the Sense of Coherence Related to the Mental Health of Nurses Assuming the Roles of Wives and/or Mothers - Investigation into the Effects of Leaving Jobs Because of Marriage, Childbirth, and Childrearing]

Many female nurses leave their jobs because of major life events. However, the mental health status and related factors among nurses who assume the roles of wives and/or mothers have been insufficiently examined. Therefore we examined the mental health levels and related factors among such nurse. We conducted a questionnaire survey on 763 female nurses working at general hospitals with over 200 beds in Fukuoka Prefecture. Of 402 responses, 108 were divided into two groups: nurses who had left because of marriage, childbirth, or childrearing (leaving group), and those who had not (non-leaving group). The following were assessed: work satisfaction level, the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire, The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) 28, and the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale. Results showed that nurses who had assumed the roles of wives and/or mothers had lower mental health status than general women, and nurses who retained their jobs had higher mental health status and sense of comprehensibility on the SOC scale than those who left. Multiple regression analyses using the total GHQ score as an objective variable showed that only the sense of comprehensibility on the SOC scale correlated with mental health status in the non-leaving group. For the leaving group, having support, high work and life satisfaction levels, and several work stressors were correlated. These findings strongly suggest that to maintain and improve the mental health of nurses who assume the role of wives and/or mothers, greater support, higher satisfaction, reduced stressors, and maintenance and improvement of the sense of comprehensibility are required.

Insights into the characteristics and sources of primary and secondary organic carbon: High time resolution observation in urban Shanghai

There is growing evidence suggesting that organic aerosols play an important role in the evolution of severe haze episodes. However, long-term investigations of the different characteristics of carbonaceous aerosols during haze and non-haze days are insufficient. In this work, hourly measurements of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in PM_2.5 were conducted in Shanghai, a megacity in Eastern China, over the course of a year from July 2013 to June 2014. Both OC and EC exhibited a bimodal diel pattern and were highly dependent on the wind speed and direction. The concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) analysis illustrated that primary OC (POC) and EC were largely associated with regional and long-range transport. Secondary OC (SOC) formation was the strongest during the harvest season owing to significant biomass burning emissions from the adjacent Yangtze River Delta and farther agricultural regions. Compared to OC (6.7 μg m^-3) and EC (2.0 μg m^-3) in the non-haze days, higher levels of both OC (15.6 μg m^-3) and EC (7.7 μg m^-3) were observed in the haze days as expected, but with lower OC/EC ratios in the haze days (2.4) than in non-haze days (4.6). The proportion of POC and EC in PM_2.5 remained relatively constant as a function of PM_2.5 mass loadings, while that of SOC significantly decreased on the highly polluted days. It is concluded that the haze pollution in urban Shanghai was influenced more by the primary emissions (POC and EC), while the role of SOC in triggering haze was limited.

Radionuclides and soil properties as indicators of glacier retreat in a recently deglaciated permafrost environment of the Maritime Antarctica

Many ice-free environments in Maritime Antarctica are undergoing rapid and substantial environmental changes in response to recent climate trends. This is the case of Elephant Point (Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, SSI), where the glacier retreat recorded during the last six decades exposed 17% of this small peninsula, namely a moraine extending from the western to the eastern coastlines and a relatively flat proglacial surface. In the southern margin of the peninsula, a sequence of Holocene raised beaches and several bedrock plateaus are also distributed. A main issue in this environment is the role of glacier retreat and permafrost controlling the recently formed soils. To this purpose, a total of 10 sites were sampled along a transect crossing raised beaches and moraine materials following the direction of glacier retreat. At the selected sites surface samples were collected until 12cm depth and sectioned at 3cm depth intervals to analyse main properties, grain size, pH, electrical conductivity and carbonates. Besides, elemental composition and fallout (FRNs) and environmental radionuclides (ERNs) were analysed. To assess if profile characteristics within the active layer are affected by glacier retreat variations of organic carbon and carbon fractions and ¹³⁷Cs contents were examined. The presence of organic carbon (range: 0.13-3.19%), and ¹³⁷Cs (range: bdl-10.1Bqkg^-1) was only found at the raised beaches. The surface samples had abundant coarse fractions in rich sandy matrix with increasing acidic pH towards the coast. Significant differences were found in the elemental composition and the radionuclides between the moraine and raised beaches. Soil forming processes are related to the time of exposure of the landforms after glacier retreat. The results obtained confirm the potential for using geomorphological, edaphic and geochemical data to assess the influence of different stages of glacier retreat in recent soils and sediments.

SOC Strategies and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors toward the Benefits of Co-workers: A Multi-Source Study

Background: Individuals’ behavioral strategies like selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) contribute to efficient use of available resources. In the work context, previous studies revealed positive associations between employees’ SOC use and favorable individual outcomes, like engagement and job performance. However, the social implications of self-directed behaviors like SOC that are favorable for the employee but may imply consequences for coworkers have not been investigated yet in an interpersonal work context.

Objective: This study aimed to assess associations between employees’ use of SOC behaviors at work and their organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) toward the benefits of co-workers rated by their peers at work. We further sought to identify age-specific associations between SOC use and OCB.

Design and Method: A cross-sectional design combining multi-source data was applied in primary school teachers (age range: 23–58 years) who frequently teach in dyads. N = 114 dyads were finally included. Teachers reported on their SOC strategies at work. Their peer colleagues evaluated teachers’ OCB. Control variables were gender, workload, working hours, and perceived proximity of relationship between the dyads.

Results: We observed a positive effect of loss-based selection behaviors on peer-rated OCB. Moreover, there was a significant two-way interaction effect between the use of compensation strategies and age on OCB, such that there was a positive association for older employees and a negative association for younger employees. There were no significant main and age-related interaction effects of elective selection, optimization, and of overall SOC strategies on OCB.

Conclusion: Our study suggests that high use of loss-based selection and high use of compensation strategies in older employees is positively related with OCB as perceived by their colleagues. However, high use of compensation strategies in younger employees is perceived negatively related with OCB. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the age-differentiated interpersonal effects of successful aging strategies in terms of SOC in organizations.

The effect of different organic materials amendment on soil bacteria communities in barren sandy loam soil

To effectively improve soil productivity and optimize organic fertilizer management while reducing environmental pollution and resource wasting in farmland system, the present study was conducted in Wuqiao Experiment Station of China Agricultural University, Hebei Province. Taking crop straw treatment as control, four kinds of organic materials including pig manure (PM), biogas residue (BR), biochar (BC) and crop straw (ST) were applied to soil at the same nitrogen (N) level. The soil bacteria community characteristics were explored using Illumina Miseq high-throughput sequencing technologies. The results were as follows: (1) Compared with ST, PM, BR and BC had no significant effect on Chao 1 and Shannon index. The dominant bacterial groups include Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Chloroflexi in sandy loam soil after the application of different organic materials. The abundance of Proteobacteria in BC treatment was significantly lower than that of ST (control) treatment (p < 0.05). On the contrary, compared to ST, the abundances of Acidobacteria increased by 65.0, 40.7, and 58.7% in the BC, BR, and PM treatments, respectively. (2) Compared to ST, the BC treatment significantly (p < 0.05) increased in soil organic carbon (SOC) and pH in the arable layer (0-20 cm) in the farmland (p < 0.05), and significantly increased the soil pH with a value of 0.26 level (p < 0.05). (3) Pearson correlation analysis results showed that the PCoA1 scores and soil pH were closely correlated (R ² = 0.3738, p < 0.05). In addition, pairwise regression between PCoA1 scores and SOC (R ² = 0.5008, p < 0.05), PCoA2 scores and SOC (R ² = 0.4053, p < 0.05) were both closely correlated. In general, our results indicated that organic materials amendment shaped the bacterial community in sandy loam soil through changing the soil pH and SOC.

Trade-off between soil organic carbon sequestration and nitrous oxide emissions from winter wheat-summer maize rotations: Implications of a 25-year fertilization experiment in Northwestern China

The primary aims of this study were to (i) quantify the variations in nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions and soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration rates under winter wheat-summer maize cropping systems in Guanzhong Plain and (ii) evaluate the impact of organic amendments on greenhouse gas mitigation over a long-term period. We measured N₂O fluxes during the maize season in 2015 under four fertilizer regimes in a long-term fertilization experiment. Soil was treated with only synthetic fertilizers in the maize season and with synthetic fertilizers, synthetic fertilizers plus crop residues and synthetic fertilizers plus low and high levels of dairy manure in the winter wheat season from 1990. The SOC content (0-20cm) was collected annually at the same site between 1990 and 2015. Synthesis of our measurements and previous observations (between 2000 and 2009) within the investigated agricultural landscape revealed that cumulative N₂O emissions increased with the SOC content following natural logarithm models during both the maize and winter wheat seasons (r²>0.77, p<0.001), implying a trade-off between N₂O emissions and SOC sequestration. The SOC content increased under all fertilizer regimes, and the dynamics were well fitted by the linear and logistic regression models (r²>0.74, p<0.001), indicating that all the fertilizer treatments in this study sequestered SOC. By applying these regression models, we estimated that the two manure-amended treatments accumulated a negative global warming potential (ranging from -1.9 to -12.9tCO₂-equivalentha^-1) over the past 25years. However, this benefit would most likely be offset by high N₂O emissions at saturated SOC levels before 2020. Our estimates suggest that organic amendments may not be efficient for greenhouse gas mitigation in Guanzhong Plain over a long-term period. We recommend efforts to inhibit N₂O production via denitrification as being critical to resolving the conflict between SOC sequestration and N₂O emissions.

Adapting to Aging: Older People Talk About Their Use of Selection, Optimization, and Compensation to Maximize Well-being in the Context of Physical Decline

Objectives:

Selection, Optimization, and Compensation (SOC) may contribute to successful aging by helping older people maximize well-being in the context of physical decline. To explore this hypothesis, and to investigate the potential for narrative analysis to improve understanding of SOC, we analyze interviews conducted with 15 members of the 6-Day Sample, a cohort of Scots born in 1936.

Method:

Interviewees were chosen based on their physical function and well-being scores. Interviews were analyzed to investigate “SOC talk,” that is, older people’s talk about SOC behaviors in everyday life. Types and amounts of SOC talk were quantified, and talk was narratively analyzed. We hypothesized that older people who engaged in more SOC talk would have higher well-being.

Results:

Older people who engaged in high levels of SOC talk had high well-being despite low physical function. Those who engaged in little SOC talk had low well-being despite higher physical function.

Discussion:

The concept of successful aging is valuable in part because of its narrative quality: One must strive to keep one’s life story developing despite physical decline and other losses. We provide evidence, from the perspectives of older people themselves, of the ways in which SOC may play a role in that process.

Bridging the Dialectic: Diversity, Psychological Sense of Community, and Inclusion

Although, there are many times when P/SOC and diversity appear in opposition, I argue that this conflict is not inherent to the concepts or their joint value, but to social contexts in which they are enacted in real life. The primary values of community psychology-building and supporting positive communities, social change, and social justice within a framework that recognizes the centrality of diversity, culture, inclusion, power, and privilege-actually bind diversity and community together. Thus, we can bridge this seeming dialectic through deeper reflection about the real and intended meaning, operationalization, and application of these two terms, and a reliance on the central values of our field.

Sense of Coherence (SOC) in Christian Orthodox Monks and Nuns in Greece

This paper aims to investigate the stress management skills of Christian Orthodox monks and nuns, as measured by Antonovsky's scale sense of coherence (SOC). A case-control study was designed to test the hypotheses whether monks and nuns have higher SOC than secular people. The study population consisted of 193 individuals, 96 monks and nuns (study group) and 97 secular men and women (control group). SOC score was higher in monks and nuns as compared to the secular population (p = 0.002), men as compared to women (p = 0.012) and persons of older age (p = 0.004) as compared to younger individuals.

Huntington's Disease: Calcium Dyshomeostasis and Pathology Models

Huntington's disease (HD) is a severe inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor dysfunction, cognitive decline, and mental impairment. At the molecular level, HD is caused by a mutation in the first exon of the gene encoding the huntingtin protein. The mutation results in an expanded polyglutamine tract at the N-terminus of the huntingtin protein, causing the neurodegenerative pathology. Calcium dyshomeostasis is believed to be one of the main causes of the disease, which underlies the great interest in the problem among experts in molecular physiology. Recent studies have focused on the development of animal and insect HD models, as well as patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (HD-iPSCs), to simulate the disease's progression. Despite a sesquicentennial history of HD studies, the issues of diagnosis and manifestation of the disease have remained topical. The present review addresses these issues.

Experimental Study of Thermal Runaway Process of 18650 Lithium-Ion Battery

This study addresses the effects of the SOC (State of Charge) and the charging–discharging process on the thermal runaway of 18650 lithium-ion batteries. A series of experiments were conducted on an electric heating and testing apparatus. The experimental results indicate that 6 W is the critical heating power for 40% SOC. With a 20 W constant heating rate, the thermal runaway initial temperature of the lithium-ion battery decreases with the increasing SOC. The final thermal runaway temperature increases with the SOC when the SOC is lower than 80%. However, a contrary conclusion was obtained when the SOC was higher than 80%. Significant mass loss, accompanied by an intense exothermic reaction, took place under a higher SOC. The critical charging current, beyond which the thermal runaway occurs, was found to be 2.6 A. The thermal runaway initial temperature decreases with the increasing charging current, while the intensity of the exothermic reaction varies inversely. Mass ejection of gas and electrolytes exists during thermal runaway when the charging current is higher than 10.4 A, below which only a large amount of gas is released. The thermal runaway initial temperature of discharging is higher than that of non-discharging.

Potential impacts of climate change on carbon dynamics in a rain-fed agro-ecosystem on the Loess Plateau of China

Although many studies have been conducted on crop yield in rain-fed agriculture, the possible impacts of climate change on the carbon (C) dynamics of rain-fed rotation systems, particularly their direction and magnitude at the long-term scale, are still poorly understood. In this study, the sensitivity of C dynamics of a typical rotation system to elevated CO₂ and changed temperature and precipitation were first tested using the CENTURY model, based on data collected from a 30-year field experiment of a corn-wheat-wheat-millet (CWWM) rotation system in the tableland of the Loess Plateau. The possible responses of crop biomass C and soil organic C (SOC) accumulation were then evaluated under scenarios representing the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5. The results indicated that elevated CO₂ and increased precipitation exerted positive effect on biomass C in CWWM rotation system, while increasing the temperature by 1°C, 2°C and 4°C had negative effects on biomass C due to opposite responses of corn and winter wheat to warming. SOC accumulation was enhanced by increased CO₂ concentration and precipitation but impaired by increased temperature. Under future RCP scenarios with dynamic CO₂, the biomass C of corn exhibited decrease during the period of 2046-2075 under RCP4.5 and the period of 2016-2075 under RCP8.5 due to reduced precipitation and a warmer climate. In contrast, winter wheat would benefit from increased CO₂ and temperature and was projected to have larger biomass C under both RCP scenarios. Although the climate condition had large differences between RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, the projected SOC had similar trends under two scenarios due to CO₂ fertilizer effect and precipitation fluctuation. These results implied that crop biomass C and SOC accumulation in a warmer environment are strongly related to precipitation, and increase in field water storage should be emphasized in coping with future climate.