The risks and consequences of environmental change are increasing, leading to massive losses in terms of ecosystems and having a huge impact on human populations. As such, global thinkers, environmentalists, scientists and policy makers are focusing on finding solutions and ways to sustain life on Earth. Anthropogenic impacts on the climate system can only be mitigated by the restoration of existing natural resources and the sustainable development of the environment and society. This book discusses the potential of green technology in waste management, wetland restoration, presenting the latest developments in the field of bioenergy, green ecology, bioremediation and microbial management. Wetlands are one of Earth's most important ecosystems, and they provide valuable services to human societies, such as minimizing the impacts of floods, acting as a carbon sink, and offering water purification as well as recreational opportunities. Wetlands may be natural or constructed, and the effectiveness of wetland services largely depends on the diversity of macrophytes affecting the algal production, plant biomass and nutrient status of the system. In addition, they are one of the richest microbial ecosystems on earth: the rhizosphere, soil and water interface enhances wetland services with implications ranging from phytoremediation to microbial bioprospection. However, in order to function properly, they need to be effectively redesigned, reengineered, protected and maintained. The book addresses the dynamic relation between three global concerns: environmental pollution, resource exploitation and sustainability. It describes the utilization of resources like wastes (municipal, industrial, agricultural, mine drainage, tannery, solid, and e waste), plants, algae and microbes for production of renewable biofuel, biofertilizers and other value added products to achieve the goal of sustainable development. The book also discusses the current and future trends in employing wetlands in improving water quality. In addition it presents the latest international research in the fields of wetland science, waste management, carbon sequestration and bioremediation. Highlighting a broad spectrum of topics and strategies for achieving a sustainable environment, the book offers researchers, students and academics insights into utilizing resources in a sustainable way.

This book highlights recent advances in thin-film photonics, particularly as building blocks of metamaterials and metasurfaces. Recent advances in nanophotonics has demonstrated remarkable control over the electromagnetic field by tailoring the optical properties of materials at the subwavelength scale which results in the emergence of metamaterials and metasurfaces. However, most of the proposed platforms require intense lithography which makes them of minor practical relevance. Stacked ultrathin-films of dielectrics, semi-conductors, and metals are introduced as an alternative platform that perform unique or similar functionalities. This book discusses the new era of thin film photonics and its potential applications in perfect and selective light absorption, structural coloring, biosensing, enhanced spontaneous emission, reconfigurable photonic devices and super lensing.

This comprehensive book on Endocrine Surgery covers disorders of thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands along with neuroendocrine tumors of pancreas and gastrointestinal tract. It is a comprehensive, up-to-date treatise covering embryology, anatomy, etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnoses, and treatment modalities of surgical endocrine diseases. The authors explore the pertinent surgical endocrinology topics with a South Asian perspective. Color illustrations, flowcharts and tables make the topics lucid for professionals. This book provides the essential information surgeons require for evaluation and management of patients, both with straight forward, and complex endocrine problems. Key Features Focusses on concise yet comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of surgical endocrine diseases Discusses Robot Assisted Endocrine Surgery and explores its impact on healthcare finances Highlights the difference between practices used in western and resource limited countries by incorporating a South Asian perspective for region specific diseases.

This book highlights recent advances in thin-film photonics, particularly as building blocks of metamaterials and metasurfaces. Recent advances in nanophotonics has demonstrated remarkable control over the electromagnetic field by tailoring the optical properties of materials at the subwavelength scale which results in the emergence of metamaterials and metasurfaces. However, most of the proposed platforms require intense lithography which makes them of minor practical relevance. Stacked ultrathin-films of dielectrics, semi-conductors, and metals are introduced as an alternative platform that perform unique or similar functionalities. This book discusses the new era of thin film photonics and its potential applications in perfect and selective light absorption, structural coloring, biosensing, enhanced spontaneous emission, reconfigurable photonic devices and super lensing.

The risks and consequences of environmental change are increasing, leading to massive losses in terms of ecosystems and having a huge impact on human populations. As such, global thinkers, environmentalists, scientists and policy makers are focusing on finding solutions and ways to sustain life on Earth. Anthropogenic impacts on the climate system can only be mitigated by the restoration of existing natural resources and the sustainable development of the environment and society. This book discusses the potential of green technology in waste management, wetland restoration, presenting the latest developments in the field of bioenergy, green ecology, bioremediation and microbial management. Wetlands are one of Earth's most important ecosystems, and they provide valuable services to human societies, such as minimizing the impacts of floods, acting as a carbon sink, and offering water purification as well as recreational opportunities. Wetlands may be natural or constructed, and the effectiveness of wetland services largely depends on the diversity of macrophytes affecting the algal production, plant biomass and nutrient status of the system. In addition, they are one of the richest microbial ecosystems on earth: the rhizosphere, soil and water interface enhances wetland services with implications ranging from phytoremediation to microbial bioprospection. However, in order to function properly, they need to be effectively redesigned, reengineered, protected and maintained. The book addresses the dynamic relation between three global concerns: environmental pollution, resource exploitation and sustainability. It describes the utilization of resources like wastes (municipal, industrial, agricultural, mine drainage, tannery, solid, and e waste), plants, algae and microbes for production of renewable biofuel, biofertilizers and other value added products to achieve the goal of sustainable development. The book also discusses the current and future trends in employing wetlands in improving water quality. In addition it presents the latest international research in the fields of wetland science, waste management, carbon sequestration and bioremediation. Highlighting a broad spectrum of topics and strategies for achieving a sustainable environment, the book offers researchers, students and academics insights into utilizing resources in a sustainable way.

This comprehensive book on Endocrine Surgery covers disorders of thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands along with neuroendocrine tumors of pancreas and gastrointestinal tract. It is a comprehensive, up-to-date treatise covering embryology, anatomy, etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnoses, and treatment modalities of surgical endocrine diseases. The authors explore the pertinent surgical endocrinology topics with a South Asian perspective. Color illustrations, flowcharts and tables make the topics lucid for professionals. This book provides the essential information surgeons require for evaluation and management of patients, both with straight forward, and complex endocrine problems. Key Features Focusses on concise yet comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of surgical endocrine diseases Discusses Robot Assisted Endocrine Surgery and explores its impact on healthcare finances Highlights the difference between practices used in western and resource limited countries by incorporating a South Asian perspective for region specific diseases.

'Promoting Innovations in Clusters' is derived from the learning of the project 'Promoting Innovation Clusters' funded by the 'National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India' and implemented by Foundation for MSME Clusters during years 2007 to 2012 in 'Foundry', 'Life sciences' and 'Information & Communication Technology' clusters across different locations in India. The book analyzes the factors that facilitate promotion of innovation in Indian MSMEs. It aims at providing a roadmap for promoting innovations across MSME clusters using Cluster Development methodology.

Now days there is great deterioration in our ethical standards, loss of moral and social values resulting in great loss to families, society, nation and ultimately the entire world. The Constitution of India is the great source of human values and it emphasizes on promoting humanism through its legislative, executive and judiciary institutions. Education as supposed to be a powerful instrument of social change, has to be restructured and reoriented to promote the human values as enunciated in the Constitution of India, because the obvious need of mankind is to live in harmony and to nurture creativity so as to realize the goals of inclusive society.Multidimensional forces are working against the spirit of humanity what is embedded in the Constitution of India. Today, the status of our nation from the humanity point of view is very gloomy. Thus, a study of human values as enshrined in the Constitution of India of the adolescents has a great significance of its own. Adolescent phase of human life is very crucial for human values development. Here an empirical endeavour has been made to study the human values among adolescent students as enunciated in the Constitution of India.

Aureobasidium pullulans, popularly known as black yeast, is one of the most widespread saprophyte fungus associated with wide a range of terrestrial and aquatic habitats, in temperate and tropical environment. It is a polymorphic fungus able to grow in single yeast-like cells or as septate, polykaryotic hyphae showing synchronous conditions, with budding cells. This fungus has been exploited potentially for commercial production of various enzymes (amylase, xylanase, and pectinase etc.), single cell protein, alkaloids and a polysaccharide namely pullulan. In the light of the above facts, this review article has emphasized on the orientation, morphology, biochemical characteristics, habitats and its economic potentials with special reference to pullulan.

Toxins can be defined by many ways on basis of origin, chemical nature and site of actions. Any microbial product, when present at low concentration in cells or tissues of a higher organism, can cause injury by interfering with the structural and functional integrity of those cells or tissues. Toxins are produced by bacteria, fungi, algae and various other micro-organisms. This review will put some light on various types of microbial toxins their structure and function and how they affect the human body. The book is of benefit to all the students of microbiology, biochemistry medical science, biotechnology and to all individuals interested in the subject.

In recent years, a wide range of microbial metabolites have been used for industrial production world wide for human welfare. Pullulan is one of the important microbial metabolite produced by Aureobasidium pullulans, a polymorphic fungus, all over the world. Pullulan is a linear homopolymer composed of maltotriose subunits interconnected with glycosidic linkages. This polymer is being exploited in food, cosmetic, medical and pharmaceutical industries including manufacture of biodegradable plastics. This work aims at improvement of Aureobasidium pullulans strain through mutation as well as immobilization for increased production of pullulan in fermentation system. The book will shed some light on current industrial aspects of microbiology especially fermentation technology and will be of great use to students as well as all those interested in the subject.