This book focuses on software sustainability, regarded in terms of how software is or can be developed while taking into consideration environmental, social, and economic dimensions. The sixteen chapters cover various related issues ranging from technical aspects like energy-efficient programming techniques, formal proposals related to energy efficiency measurement, patterns to build energy-efficient software, the role of developers on energy efficient software systems and tools for detecting and refactoring code smells/energy bugs; to human aspects like its impact on software sustainability or the adaptation of ACM/IEEE guidelines for student and professional education and; and an economics-driven architectural evaluation for sustainability. Also aspects as the elements of governance and management that organizations should consider when implementing, assessing and improving Green IT or the relationship between software sustainability and the Corporate Social Responsibility of software companies are included. The chapters are complemented by usage scenarios and experience reports on several domains as cloud applications, agile development or e-Health, among others. As a whole, the chapters provide a complete overview of the various issues related to sustainable software development. The target readership for this book includes CxOs, (e.g. Chief Information Officers, Chief Executive Officers, Chief Technology Officers, etc.) software developers, software managers, auditors, business owners, and quality professionals. It is also intended for students of software engineering and information systems, and software researchers who want to know the state of the art regarding software sustainability.

Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology provides detailed review articles concerned with aspects of chemical contaminants, including pesticides, in the total environment with toxicological considerations and consequences.

The aim of this book is to offer information about the Pharmacological Properties of Native Plants from Argentina to students, researchers and graduates interested in the fields of Ethnobotany, Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Pharmacy, and Medicine. The book includes summary information about the native plants from Argentina with medical activity comprising their botanical characteristics, distribution, characteristics of the regions where they grow, ethnobotanical information, chemical data, biological activity, establishment of in vitro cultures, toxicity, and legal status.

The 2nd edition of this comprehensive book provides one of the most complete overviews of the aquatic beetles in the family Dytiscidae, also known as predaceous diving beetles. Dytiscids constitute one of the largest families of freshwater insects with approximately 4,650 named species that come in a variety of sizes, colors, and habitat affinities. Although dytiscid adults and larvae are ubiquitous throughout a variety of aquatic habitats, and are important predators on other aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates, there are no compilations that have focused on summarizing the knowledge on aspects of their ecology, systematics, and biology. Chapters in this book summarize hitherto scattered topics, including their anatomy and habitats, chemical and community ecology, phylogenies and larval morphology including chaetotaxy, sexual systems, predation, dispersal, conservation, and cultural and historical aspects. The 2nd edition offers updates on the newest scientific findings on dytiscids and also includes a new chapter on the subterranean fauna from Australia. The information in this new edition is potentially beneficial to anyone working in aquatic systems where dytiscids are an important part of the food web. Moreover, readers will gain a greater appreciation of dytiscids as model organisms for investigations of fundamental principles derived from ecological and evolutionary theory. Contributed chapters are by authors who are actively engaged in studying dytiscids, and each chapter provides color photos and future directions for research.

In recent years it has become increasingly clear that chemical interactions play a fundamental role in aquatic habitats and have far-reaching evolutionary and ecological consequences. A plethora of studies have shown that aquatic organisms from most taxa and functional groups respond to minute concentrations of chemical substances released by other organisms. However, our knowledge of this "chemical network" is still negligible. Chemical interactions can be divided into two larger sub-areas based on the function of the chemical substance. First, there are interactions where chemical substances are toxic to other organisms and are used as a defence against consumers (including both herbivores and predators) or a weapon against competitors (allelopathy). Second, chemical substances may be used as a source for information of the environment; for example: how can I find the optimal habitat, the best food, the nicest partner, and avoid being eaten? Aquatic organisms are able to detect and respond to extremely low concentrations of chemical cues to answer all these questions. The book aims at connecting these intriguing chemical interactions with traditional knowledge of organism interactions. Chemical Ecology of Aquatic Systems covers a wide range of studies, both plant and animal, from different geographic regions and habitats - pelagic as well as benthic. Most of the chemical interactions are similar in freshwater and marine habitats and this book therefore strives at integrating work on both systems.

This original book explores how the principles of circularity, considered a law of nature but neglected within the materialistic orientation of the industrial age, are becoming attractive again in business and society. Investigation reveals enterprises small and large delivering a stimulating message, from changes in entrepreneurial mindsets to the inclusive use of new technologies and a push for innovation. Zucchella and Urban explore the novel concept of circular enterprise, showing how, with their capacity to innovate, these firms are becoming the most powerful actors of a new, sustainable social order. They examine two fundamental questions: why is this revolution occurring now, and how is it being implemented? Focusing on the most innovative practices, they demonstrate the potential of circular enterprise for industry and wider society, making clear that a new world is emerging.

Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology provides detailed review articles concerned with aspects of chemical contaminants, including pesticides, in the total environment with toxicological considerations and consequences.

This volume examines the importance of leadership in developing an effective sustainability strategy. It defines the sustainability mindset and surveys the primary motivations, conditions, or environment(s) that cause leaders to embrace sustainable practices. As described in the UN Sustainable Development Goal 8, embracing the sustainability mindset will lead to greater productivity and promote economic growth. Organized into themes of organizational operations, leadership competencies, and leadership practices, the chapters, written by contributors representing global perspectives, tackle topics such as strategy, culture, and leadership styles in developing a new form of mindfulness for leaders as well as organizations. Recognizing the need for accelerated change in organizations as well as society at large, this book presents scholars with a framework for establishing a mindset for sustainability to foster much-needed transformative leadership.

This book, the second volume in the series, continues to raise contextual issues and presents perspectives regarding multifaceted challenges in management and governance of water in India. This volume attempts to broad base and expand the dialogue started in the first volume and would touch upon issues that need immediate discussion but have been left unattended like politics and management of groundwater, efficient utilization of water in agriculture (irrigation) and improving water use efficiency and building resilience. As in the first volume, this book presents a set of suggestions and recommendations in each chapter that can help frame policy guidelines in the country.

This book is the first to approach healthcare informatics from the perspective of innovation. Drawing on the unique pairing of information and innovation, it offers an analysis to help readers rethink information technology, knowledge management, interprofessional collaboration and the generation of wisdom in the context of healthcare.The concept of "translational" research stems from the medical and health sciences, and features bidirectional and recursive information-generation processes involving bed-to-bench and bench-to-bed approaches. Based partly on this, translational systems science has become a new trend within systems sciences, motivated by the need for practical applications that help people by offering holistic systems solutions for complex ideas. Today, numerous innovations are emerging in diversified clinical practices, and there has been a remarkable convergence of new technologies in disciplines like genome therapy, immunotherapy, iPS cells, imaging diagnosis, personalized medicine, molecular targeted drugs, surgical robots, and remote nursing. Innovation is also occurring in health management fields, including health records, insurance reimbursement methods, quality control, and safety. In these areas, big data and machine learning are accelerating innovation. Behind these innovations are the creation, sharing, bridging, and translation of data, information, knowledge, and wisdom, and as such health informatics is critical in promoting health innovations.The book explores the horizons of health informatics, introducing cutting-edge practical cases and theoretical frameworks, including but not limited to fields such as big data, machine learning, drug discovery, interprofessional collaboration, electronic health records, robotics, telenursing, quality improvement, and safety.

This book analyzes different facets of anuran amphibian distribution in South America. We integrate alternative biological metrics employing cutting-edge methods to understand the dynamic processes underlying species distribution patterns. By using the modern biogeographic toolbox, we explore how richness gradients, phylogenetic diversity, functional diversity, and range size/endemism distribution of amphibians vary along the continent. Moreover, we present a robust proposal for priority areas for conservation of anurans in South America that maximizes representativeness of distinct biodiversity facets.

It has long been claimed that addressing biodiversity loss and other environmental problems demands a better understanding of the social dimensions of conservation; nevertheless, the active participation of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in conservation initiatives is still a challenging and somehow controversial issue. In this context, this book hopes to give voice to other perspectives related to biodiversity conservation beyond the "fortress conservation" model and emphasize one of the pillars of democracy - popular participation. It covers a wide range of environments and issues of special significance to the topic, such as the expansion of culturally constructed niches, protected areas and food security, community-based management, participatory agroforestry, productive restoration and biocultural conservation. The contents also explore the limitations and shortcomings of participatory practices in protected areas, the relationship between the global crisis of democracy and the decline of biocultural diversity, as well as present current discussions on policy frameworks and governance systems for effective participatory biodiversity conservation. In sum, this book provides a comprehensive and realistic perspective on the social dimensions of conservation based on a series of interrelated themes in participatory biodiversity conservation. The connections between biocultural conservation and the current political and economic environment are highlighted through the chapters and the book closes with a debate on ways to reconcile human welfare, environmental justice and biodiversity conservation.

This book examines the processes for the inclusion of women, and the role of women employees in Nepal's forestry bureaucracy. The book adopts a "gender lens" drawn from feminist institutionalism and is framed around the following four objectives: evaluating the effectiveness of current legislative and policy frameworks for the inclusion of women in the Nepalese forest bureaucracy; examining the dynamics of organizational culture, formal and informal institutions, and structure and agency in and around forest bureaucracy in Nepal; assessing power relations in forestry institutions focusing on influential participation of women forestry professionals in the bureaucratic structure; and gaining insights about the alternative space of feminist institutionalism in connection with women inclusive forest bureaucracy. Findings in the book inform and extend feminist institutionalism perspectives by applying it to a context which remains under explored, providing insights on the efficacy of public sector cultural change, especially as it relates to those areas within bureaucracies less in a position to adopt the changes mandated by society and principles of good governance.

The book reports on the great improvements in the information and knowledge management due to the digitalization of the building sector. By summarizing several research projects addressing the implementation of BIM in different stages of the building process, and the definition of standards at Italian, European and international levels for managing information relying on the implementation of BIM-based processes, it showcases the efforts, especially within the Italian building sector, to build a standardized structure of information and develop tools for collecting, sharing and exchanging information between stakeholders involved in different stages of the building process, so as to enhance the storage, traceability, usability and re-usability of information management. Further, it presents an enhanced use of information that relies on the adoption of the standardized structure of information, and proposes dedicated applications for automating the process of information fruition. Lastly, it features a digital platform for different stakeholders in the building sector, such as manufacturers, producers and construction companies.

This book covers state-of-the-art technologies, principles, methods and industrial applications of electronic waste (e-waste) and waste PCB (WPCB) recycling. It focuses on cutting-edge mechanical separation processes and pyro- and hydro-metallurgical treatment methods. De-soldering, selective dismantling, and dry separation methods (including the use of gravity, magnetic and electrostatic techniques) are discussed in detail, noting the patents related to each. The volume discusses the available industrial equipment and plant flowsheets used for WPCB recycling in detail, while addressing potential future directions of the field. This practical, comprehensive, and multidisciplinary reference will appeal to professionals throughout global industrial, academic and government institutions interested in addressing the growing problem of e-waste. Covers principles, methods and industrial applications of e-waste and PCB recycling; Details state-of-the-art mechanical separation processes and pyro- and hydro-metallurgical treatment methods; Describes the available industrial equipment used and plant flowsheets for PCB recycling and addresses potential future developments of this important field.

The impacts of the digital transformation on society in general, and particularly on people's lives, are the subject of increasing debate among policymakers, researchers and industry. This book explores the challenges of this new revolution, identifies solutions, and demonstrates how knowledge management can enable the transition process associated with the digital transformation, guided by the principles of sustainability. Featuring contributions by experts from diverse areas of science and business - on topics ranging from the digital transformation of knowledge management in the public sector, to the creation of sustainable smart cities, regions and countries, and from using AI for business models to food security - it provides a comprehensive discourse on the digital transformation's impacts on employment, education, governance, social life, sustainability, values, the economy and democracy.

This book offers a comprehensive guide to microcosms (N-systems) in multiple-species testing and aquatic ecosystem risk assessment. It provides standardized methods for creating the microbial ecosystem, and proposes a standardized microcosm system for environmental impact risk assessments. The book will be of interest to students and educators, researchers, government authorities, developers and manufacturers engaged in ecosystem preservation, water quality management personnel at sewage treatment or industrial effluent treatment facilities, and anyone involved in education, management and analysis evaluation for environmental standards and waste water quality standards.

This book provides a solid foundation for a comprehensive, systemic and water-centric approach to water management. Said approach integrates two performance principles essential for sustainable water use systems, namely equity and efficiency. Further, it decreases the policy space for decision-making encountered by water managers and makes it easier to arrive at reasonable solutions because of the bounded rationality inherent in its development. By combining the distributive and aggregative principles, the approach offers a transparent and autonomous structure for gathering water data and enabling stakeholder involvement. Lastly, it employs and promotes a unifying language for all types of water use systems, e.g. urban, agricultural and industrial.

Bats are highly charismatic and popular animals that are not only fascinating in their own right, but illustrate most of the topical and important concepts and issues in mammalian biology. This book covers the key aspects of bat biology, including evolution, flight, echolocation, hibernation, reproduction, feeding and roosting ecology, social behaviour, migration, population and community ecology, biogeography, and conservation.
This new edition is fully updated and greatly expanded throughout, maintaining the depth and scientific rigour of the first edition. It is written with infectious enthusiasm, and beautifully illustrated with drawings and colour photographs.

The genomics revolution has expanded from its origins in molecular biology to impact upon every discipline in the life sciences, including ecology. Several lines of ecological research can now be profitably addressed using genomics technology, including issues of nutrient cycling, population structure, life-history variation, trophic interaction, stress responses, and adaptation to environmental change. This new edition addresses a series of fundamental ecological questions: the relationship between community structure and ecological function in ecosystems; how variation in life-history patterns among species can be explained from interaction between the genome and the environment; the molecular responses to changing and toxic environmental conditions; adaptive phenotypes and their relationship to genetic variation. Each of these questions is evaluated in the light of recent advances in genomics research, paying particular attention to data obtained from sequencing and screening of environmental genomes (metagenomics), microarray-based transcription profiling, gene expression directed by signal-transduction pathways, and the analysis of genomic polymorphisms. The chapters covering these key areas are preceded by discussions of genomics methodology (including an overview of next-generation sequencing technologies) and comparative genomics, and the book concludes with a chapter on integrative approaches such as ecological control analysis. The authors also provide a comparative survey of the properties of genomes (genome size, gene families, synteny, and polymorphism) for prokaryotes as well as the main eukaryotic models. An Introduction to Ecological Genomics incorporates a balance of plant, animal, and microbial examples, and continues to define the new and exciting field of ecological genomics.

This edited book frames a new ethos of management that cares for society, future generations and nature whilst also serving the interests of business and the wider community. Employing the practical wisdom of faith traditions, the chapters develop the use of spirituality as a resource for creating business models that take pressing social problems - such as quality of life at work, over-consumption, environmental degradation and climate change - into account. Spanning entrepreneurship, leadership, management education and business models, the chapters in this book aim to develop a spiritually-based caring model of management to face the challenges and reality of the 21st century.

This book is an invaluable compilation of ecological information on 244 species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines found in the northern half of the Florida peninsula and in the Florida panhandle. It covers the full range of native species in the region as well as common exotic plants, drawing on original experience and field research by ecologist Robert Simons. For each species, Simons describes the plant's leaves, flowers, and fruit, geographical distribution, size, and lifespan. He also discusses its typical habitats, soil and light requirements, water needs and flooding tolerance, adaption to fire, economic importance, and the plants, insects, and diseases most often associated with it. Notably, the book focuses on each plant's relationship with wildlife, including which species eat the fruit or foliage or pollinate the flowers. It also features an introduction to the biological communities of northern Florida and a helpful glossary of botanical terms. The Ecology of the Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Northern Florida provides gardeners, landscapers, scientists, and students a foundational understanding of how these plants fit into the communities of organisms in which they live and how they have adapted to their place in their physical environment.

Essential themes in the biochemical cycling of mercury are the relative importance of anthropogenic versus natural sources, transformation and migration processes at the local, regional and global scale, global emission inventories of different mercury sources (both point and diffuse) of both natural and anthropogenic origin. In this regard, Siberia, with its vast territory and variety of natural zones, is of special interest in the global mercury cycle and in terms of the influence of geographical zones on source and sink terms in regional budgets. Siberia contains large areas of mercuriferous belts; natural deposits that emit mercury into the atmosphere and water. Siberian gold has been mined with the use of mercury since the early 1800s. But there, too, huge forest zones and vast areas of tundra and wetland (bogs) can act as efficient sinks for atmospheric mercury. Audience: Environmental scientists, legislators, politicians and the interested citizen wishing to gain a clear picture of the biogeochemical cycling of mercury.

The purpose of this book is to study the association of corporate environmental responsibility (CER) with financial performance, capital structure, innovative activities, corporate risk, working capital management and accounting quality. Undoubtedly, CER has been developed into a crucial corporate issue around the world. CER has been incorporated within various sectors, countries and includes many types of activities and dimensions. A fundamental issue that is addressed in this book, is how corporate finance and accounting are affected by CER activities and how it impacts company performance. In order to analyse this interrelation, the authors focus on a sample of firms from 28 EU member countries. The purpose of this book is to study the association of CER with financial performance, capital structure, innovative activities, corporate risk, working capital management and accounting quality. The book also intends to provide useful policy recommendations as well as to offer constructive impulses for future research.

This book explains how the traditional paradigm of private and public organizations is changing as a result of the multiple factors that are affecting the way in which goods and services are produced, and for whom they are produced. In view of these disruptive trends, the theory of the firm needs to be updated and to some extent rethought. Moreover, diverse challenges and opportunities such as climate change, aging populations, and new public accountability requirements are necessitating novel frameworks to ensure the long-term survival of public and private organizations. Against this backdrop, the authors contribute to the debate over the firm's primary interest by proposing a new way of viewing the nature of the firm and its relationship with stakeholders. In addition, they carefully analyze the challenges and opportunities mentioned above, evaluating their significance for various important aspects of organizations through different lenses. Global in scope, the book also takes the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals into account. Accordingly, it will be of interest to all readers seeking a better understanding of the evolving nature of firms and organizations in our changing world.