Prime Rate Research Articles

Legal support of cadastral value of agricultural land: problems and solutions

Land is a unique and irreplaceable natural resource. Therefore, it is always in the center of interests of the state. Purpose - methods of normative-legal regulation of pricing in the land legislation of Kazakhstan are investigated, factors determining the mechanism and cost of the right to use agricultural land are systematized, new approaches to their assessment are shown. Methods - monographic was used in the study of the current state of the land fund, detection of shortcomings, ranking of world experience in establishing the cadastral value of land, statistical-economic and analytical - to obtain the necessary information, abstract-logical, on the basis of which proposals and recommendations were developed. Results - the measures to control the estimated value of agricultural land have been substantiated. Potential threats leading to the loss of land use rights were identified. Conclusions - prices for land plots in the republic started to be formed since 2003, after the transition to private ownership. A number of legislative documents were adopted to involve them in the market turnover. The Land Code is assigned to immovable property and is under state registration. Initially, the payment for agricultural land was formed on the primary market, the state regulated the rates. For 21 years, the prime rates for land have not changed. During cadastral valuation it is necessary to recalculate the prime rate and take into account socio-economic, riscoecological, climatic conditions. This, in turn, requires improvement of agricultural land rates, assessment indices. Since the Republic of Kazakhstan has switched to a digital format of keeping the land cadastre, it is necessary to compile a map of prices of land plots cost in the context of regions and conduct their continuous monitoring.

Does transparency about banks’ lending costs lower firms’ borrowing costs? Evidence from India

We study the impact of transparency about banks’ costs on loan interest rates. The Indian Central Bank required banks to disclose a cost-based benchmark interest rate instead of the prime rate. The banks could price loans using any spread to the cost-based benchmark. We find that this change, which made banks’ cost structures more transparent, lowers the interest rates charged and leads to increases in debtor firms’ total borrowings and investments. We hypothesize that increased cost transparency reveals relationship rents to competitor banks and makes it difficult for incumbent banks to maintain high relationship rents because of increased threat of entry.

Economic Sentiment and Market Return of Indian Stock Market: An ARDL Approach

This study investigates the relationship between economic sentiment and the return of the BSE S&P 500 Index over a decade, employing an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. Using 12 macroeconomic variables as proxies for economic sentiment, the analysis reveals a high degree of correlation between these proxies and market return. The findings demonstrate that market return is significantly influenced by its own lags, economic corporate premium (ECORPREM), foreign direct investment (FDI), gross domestic product (GDP), inflation rate (INFLAT), prime lending rate (PLR), and short-term interest rate (SHORTINT). Specifically, market return shows both positive and negative correlations with its various lags, while ECORPREM, FDI, GDP, and SHORTINT exhibit significant relationships with market return at different lag intervals. Additionally, INFLAT positively influences market return at specific lags, and PLR is positively correlated with market return in the current period. The study identifies that ECORPREM, FDI, GDP, INFLAT, PLR, and SHORTINT, with -values below 0.20, are statistically relevant in explaining market return. Conversely, variables such as exchange rate (EXRATE), foreign exchange reserves (FEXRES), index of industrial production (IIP), liquidity in the economy (LIQECO), oil prices (OILPRICE), and terms of trade premium (TERMSPRE) do not significantly impact market return, as indicated by their higher -values. These results provide valuable insights for retail investors, policymakers, and other stakeholders in refining their decision-making processes in the Indian stock market. The study also challenges the classical finance theory of investor rationality, suggesting avenues for further research in international contexts.

Machine learning prediction of prime editing efficiency across diverse chromatin contexts.

The success of prime editing depends on the prime editing guide RNA (pegRNA) design and target locus. Here, we developed machine learning models that reliably predict prime editing efficiency. PRIDICT2.0 assesses the performance of pegRNAs for all edit types up to 15 bp in length in mismatch repair-deficient and mismatch repair-proficient cell lines and in vivo in primary cells. With ePRIDICT, we further developed a model that quantifies how local chromatin environments impact prime editing rates.

Extension and Revision of Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanisms and Domestic Real Investment in Nigeria: A Time Series Study Between 1981-2015 by Lucky Anyike Lucky & Uzah Cheta Kingsley.

The study by Lucky Anyike and Uzah Cheta Kingsley examines the impact of monetary policy on domestic real investment in Nigeria, using Gross Fixed Capital Formation to Gross Domestic Product ratio as a proxy for domestic real investment. The study uses various independent variables, including the maximum lending rate, credit to private sector as a percentage of GDP, naira to US dollar exchange rate, savings rate, monetary policy rate, prime lending rate, and Treasury bill rate. The authors conclude that monetary policy has a significant effect on the domestic real investment rate. The extension of this paper examines the impact of both monetary and fiscal policy on domestic real investment in Nigeria, while also considering the influence of political biases and the fact that a significant portion of fiscal policy spending may be allocated to current expenditures rather than capital expenditures. While mainstream economic theory suggests that fiscal policy should have a positive effect on real investment rate, this theory may be challenged in Nigeria due to the specific context and allocation of fiscal resources. We also examine the effect of monetary policy on domestic real investment rate in Nigeria by incorporating additional variables in our analysis.

Enhancing prime editor activity by directed protein evolution in yeast

Prime editing is a highly versatile genome editing technology that enables the introduction of base substitutions, insertions, and deletions. However, compared to traditional Cas9 nucleases prime editors (PEs) are less active. In this study we use OrthoRep, a yeast-based platform for directed protein evolution, to enhance the editing efficiency of PEs. After several rounds of evolution with increased selection pressure, we identify multiple mutations that have a positive effect on PE activity in yeast cells and in biochemical assays. Combining the two most effective mutations – the A259D amino acid substitution in nCas9 and the K445T substitution in M-MLV RT – results in the variant PE_Y18. Delivery of PE_Y18, encoded on DNA, mRNA or as a ribonucleoprotein complex into mammalian cell lines increases editing rates up to 3.5-fold compared to PEmax. In addition, PE_Y18 supports higher prime editing rates when delivered in vivo into the liver or brain. Our study demonstrates proof-of-concept for the application of OrthoRep to optimize genome editing tools in eukaryotic cells.

Inflationsberechnung: Zinspolitik der EZB wird als Inflationstreiber statistisch nicht erfasst

Abstract After ten consecutive increases in the prime rate by the European Central Bank’s (ECB), the question arises: What significance do these measures have, both indirectly for the interest rates increased at all value-added levels on the corporate side, and for households? While the prices for rents, being the largest component, are factored into inflation calculations, the dramatically increased interest rates for real estate loans – specifically for owner-occupied housing – are not considered at all. In this article, an extension of the calculation scheme is demonstrated to make transparent the direct effect of the prime rate increase on real estate owners’ expenses.

Extension and Revision of Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanisms and Domestic Real Investment in Nigeria: A Time Series Study Between 1981-2015 by Lucky Anyike Lucky & Uzah Cheta Kingsley

The study by Lucky Anyike and Uzah Cheta Kingsley examines the impact of monetary policy on domestic real investment in Nigeria, using Gross Fixed Capital Formation to Gross Domestic Product ratio as a proxy for domestic real investment. The study uses various independent variables, including the maximum lending rate, credit to private sector as a percentage of GDP, naira to US dollar exchange rate, savings rate, monetary policy rate, prime lending rate, and Treasury bill rate. The authors conclude that monetary policy has a significant effect on the domestic real investment rate. The extension of this paper examines the impact of both monetary and fiscal policy on domestic real investment in Nigeria, while also considering the influence of political biases and the fact that a significant portion of fiscal policy spending may be allocated to current expenditures rather than capital expenditures. While mainstream economic theory suggests that fiscal policy should have a positive effect on real investment rate, this theory may be challenged in Nigeria due to the specific context and allocation of fiscal resources. We also examine the effect of monetary policy on domestic real investment rate in Nigeria by incorporating additional variables in our analysis.

SNAP25 disease mutations change the energy landscape for synaptic exocytosis due to aberrant SNARE interactions.

SNAP25 is one of three neuronal SNAREs driving synaptic vesicle exocytosis. We studied three mutations in SNAP25 that cause epileptic encephalopathy: V48F, and D166Y in the synaptotagmin-1 (Syt1)-binding interface, and I67N, which destabilizes the SNARE complex. All three mutations reduced Syt1-dependent vesicle docking to SNARE-carrying liposomes and Ca2+-stimulated membrane fusion in vitro and when expressed in mouse hippocampal neurons. The V48F and D166Y mutants (with potency D166Y > V48F) led to reduced readily releasable pool (RRP) size, due to increased spontaneous (miniature Excitatory Postsynaptic Current, mEPSC) release and decreased priming rates. These mutations lowered the energy barrier for fusion and increased the release probability, which are gain-of-function features not found in Syt1 knockout (KO) neurons; normalized mEPSC release rates were higher (potency D166Y > V48F) than in the Syt1 KO. These mutations (potency D166Y > V48F) increased spontaneous association to partner SNAREs, resulting in unregulated membrane fusion. In contrast, the I67N mutant decreased mEPSC frequency and evoked EPSC amplitudes due to an increase in the height of the energy barrier for fusion, whereas the RRP size was unaffected. This could be partly compensated by positive charges lowering the energy barrier. Overall, pathogenic mutations in SNAP25 cause complex changes in the energy landscape for priming and fusion.

SNAP25 disease mutations change the energy landscape for synaptic exocytosis due to aberrant SNARE interactions

SNAP25 is one of three neuronal SNAREs driving synaptic vesicle exocytosis. We studied three mutations in SNAP25 that cause epileptic encephalopathy: V48F, and D166Y in the synaptotagmin-1 (Syt1)-binding interface, and I67N, which destabilizes the SNARE complex. All three mutations reduced Syt1-dependent vesicle docking to SNARE-carrying liposomes and Ca2+-stimulated membrane fusion in vitro and when expressed in mouse hippocampal neurons. The V48F and D166Y mutants (with potency D166Y > V48F) led to reduced readily releasable pool (RRP) size, due to increased spontaneous (miniature Excitatory Postsynaptic Current, mEPSC) release and decreased priming rates. These mutations lowered the energy barrier for fusion and increased the release probability, which are gain-of-function features not found in Syt1 knockout (KO) neurons; normalized mEPSC release rates were higher (potency D166Y > V48F) than in the Syt1 KO. These mutations (potency D166Y > V48F) increased spontaneous association to partner SNAREs, resulting in unregulated membrane fusion. In contrast, the I67N mutant decreased mEPSC frequency and evoked EPSC amplitudes due to an increase in the height of the energy barrier for fusion, whereas the RRP size was unaffected. This could be partly compensated by positive charges lowering the energy barrier. Overall, pathogenic mutations in SNAP25 cause complex changes in the energy landscape for priming and fusion.

Extension and Revision of Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanisms and Their Impact on Domestic Real Investment in Nigeria: A Time Series Study from 1981 to 2015 by Lucky Anyike and Uzah Cheta Kingsley

The study by Lucky Anyike and Uzah Cheta Kingsley examines the impact of monetary policy on domestic real investment in Nigeria, using the Gross Fixed Capital Formation to Gross Domestic Product ratio as a proxy for domestic real investment. The study uses various independent variables, including the maximum lending rate, credit to the private sector as a percentage of GDP, the naira to US dollar exchange rate, the savings rate, the monetary policy rate, the prime lending rate, and the Treasury bill rate. The authors conclude that monetary policy has a significant effect on the domestic real investment rate. The extension of this paper includes an examination of the impact of fiscal policy on domestic real investment in Nigeria, while also considering the influence of political biases and the fact that a significant portion of fiscal policy spending may be allocated to current expenditures rather than capital expenditures. While mainstream economic theory suggests that fiscal policy should have a positive effect on the real investment rate, this theory may be challenged in Nigeria due to the specific context and allocation of fiscal resources. We also examine the effect of monetary policy on the domestic real investment rate in Nigeria by incorporating additional variables in our analysis.

CASH CRUNCH AND THE NIGERIAN ECONOMY

This study examined cash crunch and the Nigerian economy. To achieve this objective, relevant data used spanning from 1981-2022 were obtained for the review period from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin and World Bank Indicators. Descriptive statistics, Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) Unit root test, Granger causality and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression were the analytical tools for this study. Real Gross Domestic Product growth rate (RGDPgr) was used as the dependent variable, while Cash crunch proxy with prime lending rate (CC), Domestic credit by Banks to private sector (DCBPS), Loan to deposit ratio (LDR), Inflation Rate (INFR), Money supply growth rate (MSgr) as the independent variables. Based on the analysis, there exist positive relationship between RGDPgr, CC, DCBS, LDR, and M2gr and a negative relationship existed RGDPgr and INFR. The F-statistic of the regression output stood at 6.208930, this implies that the regression plane is statistically significant. It was also, revealed that cash crunch had negative and significant effect on the Nigerian economy C = -11.97721, P < 0.05 (0.0265 < 0.05), while the overall Prob.(F-Statistic) 0.000302 is less than the 0.05 level of significance implies that there is a statistical significant relationship between the variables. R2= 0.463044 implies that about 46.30% of the total variation in the model specified was accounted for by the independent variables. LDR is platykurtic, RGDPgr, CC, DCBPS, INFR and M2gr are leptokurtic, according to the descriptive analysis, which also showed that all the variables were normally distributed; All the variables were stationary and significant at their respective values. There is the existence of a long-run relationship between the variables indicated by Johansen co-integration equation. Therefore, cash crunch has negative effect on investment in an economy. In conclusion, cash crunch had negative and significant impact on the expansion of Nigerian economy for the period studied. The study recommended that the government through CBN should modified most of its tools and incorporate some of the macro prudential variables in its dealings so as to have robust grips of the economy with the intention of suppressing the adverse effect of inflationary pressure in the economy.
 Keywords: Cash Crunch, Domestic Credit By Banks To Private Sector, Inflation, Money Supply And Nigerian Economy.

Effect of Interest Rate on Savings Mobilization in Nigeria

The study examines the extent at which interest rate affects savings mobilization in Nigeria. The study is hinged on the modified variant of McKinnon and Shaw hypothesis that accounts for the link between savings mobilization and interest rate. ARDL model was used in the study to test for co-integration for the long run and the unrestricted error correction model for the short run contemporaneous dynamics. Data gotten from CBN annual report and World Economic Outlook covers the period; 1986-2022 was used for the study. Accordingly, the study finds out that savings mobilization is significant but have negative responsive to changes in nominal interest rate both in the short run and long run. Also, the study further finds out that the effect of prime lending rate on savings mobilization is significant but has positive response in long run as against its significant negative effect in the short run. Thirdly, it was observed that maximum leading rate had significant positive effect on savings mobilization in the short run while inflation rate exerted significant negative effect on savings mobilization contrary to the latter significant positive response to changes in M2-GDP ratio in the short run. The study recommended the need for government to consider a reduction from the current double digit to single digit particularly in nominal interest rate and prime lending rate in order to stimulate savings through investment in Nigeria. Finally, monetary authorities may consider a moderation rise in price level thereby encouraging people to save.

Regulatory Intervention Effectiveness and Performance of Financial Institutions in Nigeria.

Deposit Money Banks have over the years made good contributions to Nigeria’s economic development. However much remains to be done as various regulatory interventions implemented to ensure safe and sound financial services delivery have not achieved the expected results as Nigerian banks still carry poor credit portfolios, illiquidity, weak asset quality, and high interest rates and this may be attributed to sub-optimal increase in asset base, increasing loan loss provision, huge non-performing loan, poor earnings of non-interest income and return on assets. This study adopted ex-post facto design using multiple regressions estimation techniques to analyse the data which was extracted from annual financial statements of three (3) foremost DMBs in Nigeria (UBA, FBN and GTB). The study revealed that combined variations in the institutions intervention effectiveness (shareholders fund, reserve requirements, statutory reserve, asset quality and prime lending rate) have resulted into 60% changes in all the explanatory variables of bank performance. It is therefore recommended that the CBN should be more proactive in the exercise of their regulatory intervention functions when an indication emerges that any of the banks’ are experiencing liquidity crisis to avoid systemic distress in the banking industry as intermediation of funds can get disrupted and liquidity challenges turn into reputational damage.

Agricultural credit guarantee scheme fund and oil palm production in Nigeria: A vector autoregressive (VAR) approach

Oil palm has been identified as one of the key agricultural products that can diversify Nigeria’s economy. However, its production and export have been hampered by capital constraints. Consequently, the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF) was introduced to encourage lending to farmers and agro-processors to enhance agricultural productivity. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effectiveness of ACGSF allocations to the oil palm production subsector. Time series data on oil palm production, as well as data on ACGSF allocations to oil palm and cash crop production, prime lending rate and commercial banks' loans to agriculture were obtained from FAOSTAT and the Central Bank of Nigeria. Vector autoregression, Granger causality and impulse response functions were used to estimate the short-run relationship. The results reveal that ACGSF allocations to the oil palm subsector and commercial banks’ loans to agriculture have negative and positive effects, respectively, on oil palm production. There was unidirectional causality from ACGSF and commercial banks to agriculture to oil palm production. The findings suggest expansion and close monitoring of the ACGSF scheme, and the intensification and esterification of oil palm production. The study shows that estimating the effect of ACGSF on overall agricultural productivity does not provide deep insight into commodity-specific credit packages.

The Effects of Monetary Policy on the Contributions of Banks’ Lending to Economic Performance in Nigeria

Monetary policy typically focused on economic performance, price stability, and external balance (Balance of Payments Equilibrium), among other things. The study's goal is to look at how banks contribute to Nigeria's economic performance through lending. The study used an econometric method to examine the impacts of monetary policy on bank lending contributions to economic performance, using Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF), unit root test, and regression analysis as estimation techniques. Broad money supply, monetary policy rate, prime lending rate, and inflation rate were used as monetary policy indicators, whereas real gross domestic product was used as an economic performance metric. The information utilized came from the Nigerian Central Bank's Statistical Bulletin and the National Bureau of Statistics. Statistical evidence from the result regression outcome revealed that banks’ lending, money supply, monetary policy rate have positive contributions to economic performance in Nigeria while inflation rate contributed positively but insignificant to economic performance in Nigeria during the studied period. The result findings further strengthen and accommodate more investment and lucrative projects into the economy which on the long run will provide job creation, reduce unemployment, reduce poverty level and contribute to the economic development of Nigeria if put onto use. The study therefore concluded that monetary policy has positive contributions to banks’ lending towards Nigeria economic performance. It was recommended that the CBN needs to supervise thoroughly the banks’ activities to enable them comply with all the legal regulatory frameworks and monetary policies. Not that alone, the design of monetary policy and its implementation should be made in such a way that the conflict of target is avoided.

62 Repetition priming of novel geometric shapes is associated with cortical arousal in young adults but spatial attention in older adults

Objective:Repetition priming is a form of implicit memory in which prior exposure to a stimulus facilitates the subsequent processing of that stimulus. While explicit memory has consistently been shown to decline with age, the effect of age on implicit memory remains unresolved. Most studies examining age-related effects on priming have utilized words or pictures of real objects with pre-existing representations that may differentially involve implicit and explicit memory processes across age groups. Repetition priming may also be influenced by attentional processes during encoding that are differentially affected by age. In a previous study using word-stem completion, we found that individual differences in cortical arousal, but not spatial attention, influenced the magnitude and temporal dynamics of conceptual priming in healthy older adults. The objective of this study is to investigate whether cortical arousal and spatial attention play differential roles in the magnitude and temporal dynamics of repetition priming in young and older adults using novel shapes that do not have pre-existing representations within memory.Participants and Methods:Healthy young (n=25, M age=19.4) and older adults (n=54, M age=70.0) completed a perceptual repetition priming task that was followed by a recognition memory test and an alerting/spatial orienting task from which behavioral measures of cortical arousal and spatial attention were derived. Older adults also completed a battery of neuropsychological tests. In the perceptual priming task, participants made a speeded judgment on whether novel nonverbal shapes had “closed” or “open” perimeters. Each shape was presented twice: half following the first presentation (immediate repetition) and half after three intervening items (delayed repetition). Participants were then shown closed and open versions of each shape and asked to identify which version was presented in the previous task. In the alerting/orienting task, participants made a speeded response to the location of a visual target; on a subset of trials, either nonspatial alerting or spatial orienting cues were presented 300ms prior to the target.Results:Response times were slower and judgment accuracy greater in older adults (ps<0.05). However, the groups showed comparable levels of immediate and delayed repetition priming along with chance levels of recognition memory accuracy. Cortical arousal was reduced (p<0.001) and costs associated with spatial attention were larger (p<0.01) in the older adults. Despite comparable priming, cortical arousal and spatial attention were differentially related to priming across groups. In the young group, lower cortical arousal was associated with greater delayed priming (r=-.47, p=0.017) and slower decay rate (r=.44, p=0.03). In the older group, higher cost of spatial orienting was associated with greater immediate priming (r=.40, p=0.003) and faster decay rate (r=.29, p=0.03). Better category fluency performance was also associated with greater immediate priming (r=.32, p=0.035) and faster decay rate (r=.34, p=0.025) in older adults.Conclusions:These findings suggest that different attentional systems support repetition priming across age groups. Priming is modulated by the efficiency of cortical arousal in young adults, but by the costs of spatial attention in older adults with reduced cortical arousal, consistent with a shift from bottom-up to top-down attentional processes and broader attentional scope with age.

Combination of seed priming and nutrient foliar application improved physiological attributes, grain yield, and biofortification of rainfed wheat.

Seed priming and foliar application are two crop management practices that can increase grain yield and quality. The research aimed to assess the influence of seed priming and foliar application on rainfed wheat. Two field experiments with two seed priming rates (control and priming) and five foliar applications [control, urea (4%), silicon (4 mM), FeSO4.7H2O (0.6%), and ZnSO4.7H2O (0.4%)] at the anthesis/Z61 stage were conducted. Seeds were primed for 12h at 25 ± 2°C, by soaking in an aerating solution [urea (20g L-1) + FeSO4.7H2O (50 ppm) + ZnSO4.7H2O (50 ppm) + silicon (20 mg L-1)]. Seed weight-to-solution volume ratio was 1:5 (kg L-1). A pot experiment was also conducted to examine the effect of priming on root growth. Overall, combined seed priming and foliar application induced a positive impact on physiological traits and attributes. Maximum chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoid concentrations (1.58, 0.669, 2.24, and 0.61 mg g-1 FW), membrane stability index (77.31%), superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activity (0.174 and 0.375 Unit mg-1 protein), 1,000-grain weight (35.30g), biological yield, grain yield (8,061 and 2,456 kg ha-1), and minimum malondialdehyde concentration (3.91 µg g-1 FW) were observed in seed priming combination with ZnSO4 foliar application. The highest glycine betaine concentration (6.90 mg g-1 DW) and proline (972.8 µg g-1 FW) were recorded with the co-application of seed priming and foliar urea spraying. Foliar application of ZnSO4, FeSO4, and urea drastically enhanced grain Zn (29.17%), Fe (19.51%), and protein content (increased from 11.14% in control to 12.46% in urea foliar application), respectively. Compared to control, seed priming increased root length, root volume, and dry mass root by 8.95%, 4.31%, and 9.64%, respectively. It is concluded that adequate Zn, Fe, silicon, and N supply through seed priming and foliar applications of these compounds at the terminal stage of rainfed wheat alleviates drought stress and improves GY and biofortification.

Default Probabilities and the Credit Spread of Mexican Companies: The Modified Merton Model

This study aims to identify the model that best approximates the credit spread that should be fixed on debt instruments issued by both companies listed on the Mexican Stock Market, considering the particularities of the Mexican market. Five models were analyzed: Merton’s model, Brownian Motion Model, Power Law Brownian Motion Model, Bloomberg’s model, and the model presented in this paper, which includes the conformable derivatives, taking as a reference the change in the variable as other authors have done, and the Bloomberg corporate default risk model (DRSK) for publics firms. We concluded that the modified Merton model approximates, to a greater extent, the credit spreads that fix on a prime rate on the loans granted to Mexican non-financial companies.

Contrasting effects of different organic amendments on the microbial responses to extreme temperature changes

Soil organic amendments can change microbial communities, potentially impacting their resilience to environmental stresses and, consequently, their transformation of soil carbon and nitrogen. While several studies have investigated the impact of a few organic amendments on microbial resilience to stresses in the form of absolute change in environmental conditions, the potential stress effects of different rates of change have received much less attention. The rate of change in environmental properties such as temperature may induce different microbial stress responses, given the reliance of microbial defensive mechanisms on time-dependent signalling and activation processes. In this research, we explored the relevance of the rate of temperature change as a microbial stressor and evaluated the potential use of organic amendments in steering soil ecological response. We monitored the changes in microbial properties and concentrations of different carbon and nitrogen fractions to temperature change treatments of 2.5 and 30 °C/d after the application of three commonly available rural organic amendments to a podzol soil in a laboratory incubation study. Results showed significant effects of the temperature treatments on bacterial and total microbial DNA concentrations, as well as on dissolvable and insoluble carbon and nitrogen ratios regardless of the organic amendment treatment. Temperature impacts on respiration rates, priming rates and the concentration of soil hot water extractable carbon and nitrogen differed depending on the organic amendment treatment. Results demonstrated that compost-amended soils were least sensitive to the temperature treatments, while grasses and fermented grasses treatments were generally more sensitive while showing opposite responses. Our findings indicate that organic amendments might be utilized to manipulate the impact of environmental stresses on soil carbon and nitrogen concentrations, and highlight the need for future research to investigate the relevant ecological properties and mechanisms.