Multifunctional Nanocarriers provides information on the concept, theory and application of multifunctional nanocarriers. The book covers current research, beginning with product strategy, targeted drug delivery, and advanced drug delivery approaches, along with numerous multifunctional nanocarriers and their regulatory considerations for product development. The book covers targeting, receptor mediated targeting, and recent advancements using multifunctional nanocarriers and their regulatory aspects. This is an important reference source for materials scientists and engineers who want to learn more about how multifunctional nanocarriers are applied in a range of biomedical applications.

Tribology of Additively Manufactured Materials: Fundamentals, Modeling, and Applications starts with a look at the history, methods and mechanics of additive manufacturing (AM), focusing on power bed fusion-based and direct energy deposition-based additive manufacturing. Following sections of the book provide a foundational background in the fundamentals of tribology, covering the basics of surface engineering, friction and wear, corrosion and tribocorrosion, and the tribological considerations of a variety of AM materials, such as friction and wear in non-metallic and metallic AM materials, degradation in non-metallic AM components, and corrosion and tribocorrosion in AM components. The book then concludes with a section covering modeling and simulation scenarios and challenges related to the tribology of AM materials, providing readers with the processing conditions needed to extend and strengthen the lifetime and durability of AM materials and components.

Environmental Resilience and Transformation in Times of COVID-19: Climate Change Effects on Environmental Functionality is a timely reference to better understand environmental changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdowns. The book is organized into five themes: (1) environmental modifications, degradation, and human health risks; (2) water resources-planning, management, and governance; (3) air quality-monitoring, fate, transport, and drivers of socioenvironmental change; (4) marine and lacustrine environment; and (5) sustainable development goals and environmental justice. These themes provide an insight into the impact of COVID-19 on the environment and vice versa, which will help improve environmental management and planning, as well as influence future policies. Featuring many case studies from around the globe, this book offers a crucial examination of the intersectionality between climate, sustainability, the environment, and public health for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in environmental science.

With the ever-increasing pressure and rivalry in the global business environment, businesses must develop sustainable practices that set them apart from the competition. Innovation and creativity are critical aspects of business that must be implemented in all areas for companies to not only survive but thrive. Embracing Business Sustainability Through Innovation and Creativity in the Service Sector provides comprehensive research about sustainable business through innovation and creativity in the service sector and aims to contribute to the knowledge of various sustainable business practices. Covering key topics such as tourism, hospitality, wealth creation, and entrepreneurship, this premier reference source is ideal for business owners, managers, industry professionals, researchers, scholars, academicians, practitioners, instructors, and students.

This book presents a compilation of case studies from different countries on achieving agricultural sustainability. The book stresses that, in order to meet the needs of our rapidly growing population, it is imperative to increase agricultural productivity. If global food production is to keep pace with an increasing population, while formulating new food production strategies for developing countries, the great challenge for modern societies is to boost agricultural productivity. Today, the application of chemicals to enhance plant growth or induced resistance in plants is limited due to the negative effects of chemical treatment and the difficulty of determining the optimal concentrations to benefit the plant. In the search for alternative means to solve these problems, biological applications have been extensively studied. Naturally occurring plant-microbe-environment interactions are utilized in many ways to enhance plant productivity. As such, a greater understanding of how plants and microbes coexist and benefit one another can yield new strategies to improve plant productivity in the most sustainable way. Developing sustainable agricultural practices requires understanding both the basic and applied aspects of agriculturally important microorganisms, with a focus on transforming agricultural systems from being nutrient-deficient to nutrient-rich. This work is divided into two volumes, the aim being to provide a comprehensive description and to highlight a holistic approach, respectively. Taken together, the two volumes address the fundamentals, applications, research trends and new prospects of agricultural sustainability.  Volume one consists of two sections, with the first addressing the role of microbes in sustainability, and the second exploring beneficial soil microbe interaction in several economically important crops. Section I elucidates various mechanisms and beneficial natural processes that enhance soil fertility and create rhizospheric conditions favourable for high fertility and sustainable soil flora. It examines the mechanism of action and importance of rhizobacteria and mycorrhizal associations in soil. In turn, section II presents selected case studies involving economically important crops. This section explains how agriculturally beneficial microbes have been utilized in sustainable cultivation with high productivity. Sustainable food production without degrading the soil and environmental quality is a major priority throughout the world, making this book a timely addition. It offers a comprehensive collection of information that will benefit students and researchers working in the field of rhizospheric mechanisms, agricultural microbiology, biotechnology, agronomy and sustainable agriculture, as well as policymakers in the area of food security and sustainable agriculture.

This book caters to the need of researchers working in the ever-evolving field of agricultural biotechnology. It discusses and provides in-depth information about latest advancements happening in this field. The book discusses evolution of plant tissue culture techniques, development of doubled haploids technology, role of recombinant-DNA technology in crop improvement. It also provides an insight into the global status of genetically modified crops, use of RNAi technology and mi-RNAs in plant improvement. Chapters are also dedicated for different branches of 'omics' science including genomics, bioinformatics, proteomics, metabolomics and phenomics along with the use of molecular markers in tagging and mapping of various genes/QTLs of agronomic importance. This book also covers the role of enzymes and microbes in agriculture in productivity enhancement. It is of interest to teachers, researchers of biotechnology and agriculture scientists. Also the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and postgraduate students of biotechnology, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, ecology, soil science, and environmental sciences. National and international biotechnologists and agricultural scientists will also find this to be a useful read.

Enzymes have interesting applications in our biological system and act as valuable biocatalysts. Their various functions allow enzymes to develop new drugs, detoxifications, and pharmaceutical chemistry. Research Advancements in Pharmaceutical, Nutritional, and Industrial Enzymology provides emerging research on biosynthesis, enzymatic treatments, and bioengineering of medicinal waste. While highlighting issues such as structural implications for drug development and food applications, this publication explores information on various applications of enzymes in pharmaceutical, nutritional, and industrial aspects. This book is a valuable resource for medical professionals, pharmacists, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, academics, and upper-level students seeking current information on developing scientific ideas for new drugs and other enzymatic advancements.

This book describes various aspects of modern microbiology including microbial enzymes, secondary metabolites, next-generation sequencing, microbial-based biopesticides, microbial-based cancer therapies, biodiesel, and microbial products from fermentation, biodegradation, bioremediation and wastewater treatment. Further, it explains how and why microbes play an important role in preserving the welfare of living beings and the environment. Many bacteria play a significant part in cleaning our environment by detoxifying various xenobiotic compounds, while several microbes produce secondary metabolites that are useful to human beings. The book is divided into 15 chapters that cover various aspects of microorganism-based biotechnology, including recent methodologies such as advanced molecular techniques, as well developments in classical microbiological techniques. The authors also explain how the latest and classical techniques are being used in modern-day microbial biotechnology. All chapters were written by experts from prominent universities, research laboratories, and institutes around the globe. Above all, they focus on recent advances in microbial technology that promote the welfare of living beings and the environment.

This book discusses the increasing use of contract labour in India that has accompanied attempts to liberalise the economy. After briefly examining Indian labour laws and public policy, it juxtaposes the country's labour market practices with international labour standards. The questions that are raised are then explored through a series of empirical studies investigating the use of contract labour in a variety of industries and locations, manifesting a wide-spectrum of concerns including labour standards, productivity and employment relations. The set of comparative research studies within India are supplemented with a field study from the Shenzhen and Guangzhou industrial regions of South China, which are in an advanced stage of industrial development. The unprecedented inflow of capital into China has captivated many developing countries, including India, which has gone on to mimic similar strategies particularly in terms of labour market deregulation. In this context, a set of crucial questions arise - can enforcing 'labour market flexibility' in itself provide the required impetus for a nation's industrial growth? Is the Chinese success in becoming the major destination for foreign direct investments (FDIs) a consequence of a flexible labour regime or is there some other concealed strength to be found in Chinese labour market institutions? In particular it needs to be noted that after double-digit growth for more than 25 consecutive years, China has recognised some of the fallacy of its development path and in 2008 adopted fairly stringent labour laws, which now regulate its labour market. This Chinese trajectory perhaps has lessons for India and other countries that are still struggling on the liberal path. In particular, the Chinese example helps put the Indian field studies in perspective and provides insights into India-specific policy recommendations that could also be useful for the developing world. The book concludes with the observation that where production entails long-term relationships, the interests of both the employer and the workers need to be maintained sustainably. As the title suggests, the book provides takeaways, not only for academics and researchers working in this field but also for lawyers, consultants, politicians, bureaucrats, and policymakers.

In the modern world, industries and factories are rising exponentially. This has led to the mass cultivation of non-biodegradable products, like heavy metals, that have polluted the environment and become a major threat to plant growth, crop yield, and human health. Conventional remediation technologies are expensive and may not remove contaminates effectively. Therefore, it is important to develop economically practical and more effective methods to decontaminate soils. Nano-Phytoremediation Technologies for Groundwater Contaminates: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a collection of innovative research on the methods and applications of the use of plants for remediating metal-contaminated soil and water. While highlighting topics including molecular mechanisms, nutrient interference, and fluoride accumulation, this book is ideally designed for environmental scientists, environmental engineers, agriculturalists, farmers, policymakers, government officials, research scholars, professors, and students studying in the fields of environmental engineering, biotechnology, nano-technology, bioscience, and environmental science.

This book presents the innovative ideas and technical expertise for the sustainable solution in the field of water resources. It covers various topics on sustainable water resources management under climate change where researchers and professionals have shared their experience, innovative ideas, issues, recent trends and future directions in field of water resources engineering, science and technology. This book culminates the importance of achieving the ways towards water security and espouse targets and measures that will allow the end-user to meet this challenge in conjunction. It is a compendium of research articles pertaining to the mitigation of water crisis, surface and groundwater management, watershed management and modelling, case studies related to wetland vulnerability, water pollution, water quality, extreme climate hazards and others issues and its sustainable diminution through ingenious ideas and technologies that will incur valuable information to the stakeholders in the society. Given its scope, this book will be useful for the researchers and professionals.

This book presents solutions to address water security in rapidly urbanizing cities, and explores the new paradigms of water security in changing contexts. Highlighting the latest developments in water research, changes in water policy, and current discourses on water security, the book also provides information and tools for local stakeholders, water managers, and policymakers to build the capacity for sustainable water governance. The book discusses a wide range of sustainable solutions and their implementation to ensure that the balance between water supply and demand remains sustainable in the long term, with a focus on local solutions to build capacity and developing policy awareness for a wide range of stakeholders. As the concept of urban water security in changing contexts is open to multiple interpretations, the authors set out various approaches. Providing an overview of the changing perspectives of urban water security in different contexts, the book is based on findings of the Asia-Pacific Network water security project at the United Nations University, Tokyo, as well as the authors' current research-based at Pokhara University, Nepal, Hosei University, Tokyo, Institute for the Global Environmental Strategies, Japan and the Australian National University, Australia. The book also includes the views of international authorities (such as water experts) on the subject. The solutions are complemented by analysis of case studies of various localized sustainable solutions at different scales. The book is a valuable resource for water professionals and policymakers around the globe, academics, teachers working in water-related areas, NGOs, think thanks, water research institutes, donor organizations, and international and local water utility services.