Self‐monitoring personality trait at work: An integrative narrative review and future research directions

In this narrative review, we provide an overview of the self‐monitoring literature as it applies to the workplace context. Our starting point to the review is a meta‐analysis of self‐monitoring literature published in 2002 by Day, Schleicher, Unckless, and Hiller. After providing an overview of the theoretical basis of self‐monitoring and its measurement, we present a summary of the broad literature on self‐monitoring to examine the implications of self‐monitoring for employees and organizations. Based on our review, we identify the main outcomes of self‐monitoring as well as findings of the literature treating self‐monitoring as a moderator. We provide evidence that self‐monitoring has potential downsides, which would benefit from further investigation. We conclude our review by identifying important potential future research directions.     

Soil organic matter and biological activity under long-term contamination with copper

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Organic matter (OM) and enzymes activity can act as indicators of the time and level of soil contamination with heavy metal. The goal of this study is...     

New concepts in product use for sustainable consumption

The paper presents the main results of a recent study on sustainable use of products. It reveals that strategies of use intensification and useful life extension are environmentally beneficial. Moreover, analysis of household washing and winter sports illustrated that successful implementation of sustainable use patterns occurs as a shift of use regimes. Such regimes are the result of a complex interplay of supply and demand side factors, relationship among actors, technical trajectories, organisational structures etc. One decisive factor is the presence of strategic players, so called “change agents”. In addition, four user types have been identified in a representative survey (“ownership-oriented”, “open-minded”, “consumption-oriented”, “low interest”) to which use intensification and useful life extension can be targeted.     

Nutrient status and plant growth effects of forest soils in the Basin of Mexico

The nutrient status of forest soils in the Mexico City Air Basin was evaluated by observing plant growth responses to fertilization with N, P or both nutrients combined. P deficiency was the most frequent condition for soil from two high pollution sites and N deficiency was greatest at a low N deposition site. Concentrations of Pb and Ni, and to a lesser extent Zn and Co, were higher at the high pollution sites. However, positive plant growth responses to P and sometimes to N, and results of wheat root elongation bioassays, suggest that heavy metal concentrations were not directly phytotoxic. Further studies are needed to determine if heavy metal toxicity to mycorrhizal symbionts of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh.) from high pollution sites may explain the P deficiency and stunted growth. P deficiency is expected to limit the capacity for biotic N retention in N saturated forested watersheds in the Basin of Mexico dominated by Andisols.     

Hexagonal comb cells of honeybees are not produced via a liquid equilibrium process

The nests of European honeybees (Apis mellifera) are organised into wax combs that contain many cells with a hexagonal structure. Many previous studies on comb-building behaviour have been made in order to understand how bees produce this geometrical structure; however, it still remains a mystery. Direct construction of hexagons by bees was suggested previously, while a recent hypothesis postulated the self-organised construction of hexagonal comb cell arrays; however, infrared and thermographic video observations of comb building in the present study failed to support the self-organisation hypothesis because bees were shown to be engaged in direct construction. Bees used their antennae, mandibles and legs in a regular sequence to manipulate the wax, while some bees supported their work by actively warming the wax. During the construction of hexagonal cells, the wax temperature was between 33.6 and 37.6 °C. This is well below 40 °C, i.e. the temperature at which wax is assumed to exist in the liquid equilibrium that is essential for self-organised building.     

Effects of benzo[a]pyrene toxicity on morphology and ultrastructure of Hordeum sativum

Many studies have been devoted to investigation of toxic benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) compound, but studies involving changes at the cellular level are insufficient to understand the mechanisms of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) effect on plants. To study the toxicity of BaP, a model vegetation experiment was conducted on cultivation of spring barley (Hordeum sativum distichum) on artificially polluted BaP soil at different concentrations. The article discusses the intake of BaP from the soil into the plant and its effect on the organismic and cellular levels of plant organization. The BaP content in the organs of spring barley was determined by the method of saponification. With an increase in the concentration of BaP in the soil, its content in plants also rises, which leads to inhibition of growth processes. The BaP content in the green part of Hordeum sativum increased from 0.3 µg kg^?1 in control soil up to 2.6 µg kg^?1 and 16.8 µg kg^?1 under 20 and 400 ng/g BaP applying in soil, as well as in roots: 0.9 µg kg^?1, 7.7 µg kg^?1, 42.8 µg kg^?1, respectively. Using light and electron microscopy, changes in the tissues and cells of plants were found and it was established that accumulation of BaP in plant tissues caused varying degrees of ultrastructural damage depending on the concentration of pollutant. BaP had the greatest effect on the root, significant changes were found in it both at histological and cytological levels, while changes in the leaves were observed only at the cytological level. The results provide significant information about the mechanism of action of BaP on agricultural plants.