Bücher veröffentlicht von Springer Verlag, Singapore

The book provides an overview on how the microbiome contributes to human health and disease. The microbiome has also become a burgeoning field of research in medicine, agriculture & environment. The readers will obtain profound knowledge on the connection between intestinal microbiota and immune defense systems, medicine, agriculture & environment. The book may address several researchers, clinicians and scholars working in biomedicine, microbiology and immunology. The application of new technologies has no doubt revolutionized the research initiatives providing new insights into the dynamics of these complex microbial communities and their role in medicine, agriculture & environment shall be more emphasized. Drawing on broad range concepts of disciplines and model systems, this book primarily provides a conceptual framework for understanding these human-microbe, animal-microbe & plant-microbe, interactions while shedding critical light on the scientific challenges that lie ahead. Furthermore this book explains why microbiome research demands a creative and interdisciplinary thinking¿the capacity to combine microbiology with human, animal and plant physiology, ecological theory with immunology, and evolutionary perspectives with metabolic science.This book provides an accessible and authoritative guide to the fundamental principles of microbiome science, an exciting and fast-emerging new discipline that is reshaping many aspects of the life sciences. These microbial partners can also drive ecologically important traits, from thermal tolerance to diet in a typical immune system, and have contributed to animal and plant diversification over long evolutionary timescales. Also this book explains why microbiome research presents a more complete picture of the biology of humans and other animals, and how it can deliver novel therapies for human health and new strategies.

This book examines the nature of the marketization of corporate boards following the introduction of the split share reform, corporate board and shareholder relations, corporate performance, and risk-taking conduct in China. The chapters cover topics such as determinants of corporate board size and independence, corporate risk-taking conduct under different controlling shareholder types. The book deepens our understanding of corporate governance mechanisms as most previous studies have limited their findings using mainstream perspectives grounded on neoclassical theory. It outlines that Chinäs corporate board composition is determined by the board¿s scope of operation, monitoring, bargaining power, and other governance mechanisms and regulations. It also offers a comparison between Chinäs experience with other economies in general and other transition economies in particular. As such, the book represents an essential overview of the current concerns regarding corporate governance in China. It is of great interest to legal researchers, policymakers, and legal practitioners working with business investments in China.

This book examines translanguaging pedagogy in Asiäs English-medium instruction (EMI) higher education. It presents an overview of concepts and common issues, and case studies from specific contexts in Asia. The book first interrogates macro-level English-medium instruction policies and implementation from English as a lingua franca (ELF) perspectives. Following this, implications of English as a lingua franca on English-medium instruction pedagogy will be explored, with a theoretical framework of 'translanguaging pedagogy' developed. The book concludes with a discussion on translanguaging and how the concept contributes to English-medium instruction in Asia. Through the book, the content focuses on the specificity of each Asian English-medium instruction context from a translanguaging lens. English-medium instruction policies and translingual practices from China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam are explored, and opportunities and challenges related to translanguaging pedagogy in Asian English-medium instruction classrooms are examined.

This book comprehensively covers the latest development in developing and deploying the genetically modified vectors, particularly Anopheles and Aedes mosquitoes responsible for transmitting malaria parasites and dengue viruses, the most deadly and/or debilitating among all the vector-borne diseases. It is considered timely and commensurate to bring about a book dealing with the various ecological, biological and social as well as regulatory aspects for the deployment of genetically modified vectors in special context with the biosafety of humans, his associates, and the environment. Written by an array of specialists and experts in various subjects of genetically modified organisms, this book centrally addresses the (i) basic principles of the genetic manipulation of vectors and they are potential impact on human and the environment, (ii) ecological, biological, ethical, legal and social implications of the use of genetically modified vectors, (iii) identification of potential hazards; assessment and management of risks for human and environment; risk/benefit analysis, (iv) principles and practices for the assessment and management of biosecurity and biosafety in laboratories (and in the field), (v) guiding principles for creation and management of institutional or national biosafety review boards and ethics review committees, and (vi) development and application of a biosafety regulatory framework and its related legal principles at national levels for securing the development and use of vector control methods based on genetic modification strategies.This publication will be useful to researchers, scientists, and professionals engaged in academic and research institutions, government or non-government, as well as students in universities and medical colleges.

Extremophiles have unique physiological properties, thus considered to be ideal candidates for industrial development. This book present concepts on cold-adapted microorganisms, centered on four different aspects - (i) diversity of cold adapted microbes (ii) their ecology, physiology and metabolism (iii) omics research in the field and (iv) their potential applications. This volume collates the recent developments and innovations with respect to these microorganisms. This book is meant for researchers, biochemists, industries, and government agencies interested in cold active microbes and their products. Also, would be of interest to NGOs and progressive farmers which are working for higher altitude ecosystems throughout the globe.

This book focuses on the impact and effectiveness of foreign aid or official development assistance (ODA) from several aspects, as in the exemplary case of Thailand¿factors that are important for formulating growth and fiscal policies to use foreign aid efficiently. Specifically, the book is devoted to analyzing the belief among aid practitioners that foreign aid, aimed mainly at wider access to social infrastructure, is one of the important elements for increasing living standards. Thailand has attained economic growth and poverty reduction while it has been receiving foreign aid for more than 50 years, with Japan providing one of the major portions of that aid. However, there is no established theory in the field of economics and related disciplines about whether foreign aid helps developing countries to improve the livelihoods of the poor. According to the analysis advocated in this book, foreign aid to Thailand contributes to economic growth. Moreover, the Thai government generally has governed foreign aid well and maintained sound management of finance primarily by reducing domestic borrowing as an alternative to foreign aid. The book shows that a kind of inter-dependent strategic relation has been established and managed well among aid agencies. These results, introduced by long-term data, are consistent with widely accepted ideas, while the effect of foreign aid itself is still under discussion. This book is intended to answer the needs of aid donors and policymakers as well as researchers and Ph.D. students. In addition, it suggests that other developing countries following similar policies should look to evidence from Thailand to reinforce their own cases.

The tourism and hospitality industry of Bangladesh as a South Asian country has potential. Sustainable development of this industry in this country is on the move. Still, there are some hindrances which appear to be stymieing this industry¿s overall development potential. Overcoming such hindrances can be partly enabled by applying digital innovation and introducing more Internet based platforms in the country¿s tourism and hospitality industry. The country is believed to have emphasized innovative technology application in this industry, but technology applications in this industry in Bangladesh have so far attracted very few researchers, resulting in insufficient contributions and very limited knowledge.This book, therefore, can make a significant contribution towards the very limited knowledge in this identified research area. On the specific ground of technology application in the tourism and hospitality industry, the book covers concepts and context, the present scenario, product and service offers, and an analysis of the roles of public and private institutions. On related issues, the book also covers social media, networking and connectivity; sustainability practices and climate change effects; tourist experiences; developments; and challenges, suggestions, and future research directions. The book is expected to appeal to general readers, as well as researchers with an interest in technology applications in the tourism and hospitality industry. This book is also an essential read for the relevant policy planners and industry professionals.

This book explores how ¿the sharing economy models present opportunities and also pose challenges in achieving sustainable development at the base of the pyramid. Through a 3S Framework (sharing, socialization, and social intermediation) and Reformative-Transformative classification, this book demonstrates how sharing economy models offer the potential for more inclusive and sustainable development.The book includes case studies on sharing economy models that offer products and services for free or at prices more affordable than traditional options, while also finding ways toward economic sustainability and inclusive growth. This book identifies how local resources, community social capital, and bricolage could be leveraged in the development of sharing economy models that take into account the specificities of particular communities while ensuring that the solutions can be quickly modified and replicated. Further, this book highlights that sharing economy models leverage the digital revolution to take advantage of cheaper computational capacity and global connectivity, while rapidly adapting to engage with those that have less digital literacy at the base of the pyramid.This edited book aims to present analyses of sharing economy models at the base of the pyramid, identifying characteristics that can be particularly important for sustainable development and barriers that would need to be overcome to realize its full potential. The chapters in this book are contributed by a wide range of academics and scholars who are experts in the field.

This book highlights state-of-the-art research findings on floating developments in both inland and coastal waters with focus on living, recreation and working offshore. It includes six themes: (1) business case and real estate development, (2) spatial planning and architecture, (3) food and energy production, (4) ecological impact and nature-based solutions, (5) governance and social impact and (6) design and engineering of (infra)structures. The book presents key issues addressed when utilizing water space. It gives an overview of findings and discussions from the world¿s leading experts from the industry, policymakers, entrepreneurs, researchers and identifies new opportunities as well as fosters collaboration on floating projects for a more climate-adaptive, socially inclusive, sustainable and better world.

This book provides a novel perspective on networks and innovation in the field of economic geography and presents new findings through theoretical foundations and empirical analyses. The book focuses on various temporary systems in industrial agglomerations such as joint R&D, trade fairs, business workshops, and international conferences. Following the introduction, Chapter 2 considers the mechanism of the innovation process in which networks function as institutions. Chapter 3 and succeeding chapters conduct empirical research centered on statistical data analysis such as social network analysis and covariance structure analysis, and they determine the real-world situations through interview surveys of related stakeholders. Chapter 3 considers the structure and spatial patterns of R&D networks in Japan by making the structure visible and calculating network indices. Chapter 4 concentrates on local trade fairs held in industrial agglomerations and examines the development of various relationships between related participants. Chapters 5 and 6 shed light on institutional thickness in industrial agglomerations. Chapter 7 spotlights quantitative and metrical examinations of inter-organizational relationships in terms of knowledge flows based on company-level data regarding technological alliances and ownership relationships between global corporations. The studies featured in Chapters 6 and 7 serve to evaluate how Japan¿s firms have adapted to radical changes under global competition.

This book gathers a selection of peer-reviewed papers presented at the Sustainable Concrete Materials and Structures in Construction 2020, held at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Malaysia, on 24th August 2020. The contributions, prepared by international scientists and engineers, cover the latest advances in and innovative applications with the theme ¿Towards Sustainable Green Concrete¿. The articles in this book cater to academics, graduate students, researchers, as well as industrial practitioners working in the areas of concrete materials and building construction.

This first volume describes 78 species of medicinal plants in 44 families, in which 7 families and 13 species are algae and fungi, 28 families and 52 species are ferns, 9 families and 13 species are gymnosperms. The algae include Laminaria japonica, Sargassum fusiforme, Ulva lactucam, Uiva pertusa et al.; the fungi include Calvatia lilacina, Calvatia lilacina, Cordyceps sobolifera, et al.; the gymnosperms include Ginkgo biloba, Pinus massoniana, Thuja orientalis, Ephedra sinica, Ephedra intermedia, Ephedra equisetina, et al. In each specie, it introduces the scientific names, herbal medicine names, characteristics, habitats, distributions, Acquisition and processing methods, medicinal traits, tastes, functions, use and dosages, and other information of medicinal plants. The color pictures of all species in their wild forms are presented, along with some pictures of medicinal products made of them. This book series has totally 10 volumes, which covers 2000kinds of Chinese medicines that are commonly seen or used. These volumes not only introduce the efficacy function and some prescriptions of the medicines, but also introduce the biological characteristics of them in detail with clear photos of the habitats, so that readers can identify them in the field. Apart from the growing environment, the books expound the distribution areas and other information to facilitate researches and other applications. The volumes are targeted at readers of general interests and it is also of high referential value for scientific researcher and teachers. It can be used as a guide to researchers, clinical doctors, and students in the department of pharmaceutics and traditional Chinese medicine.

This edited book set in the context of North East India explores issues concerning symbols, meanings, representations, and social implications of materiality and visuality, as well as the dynamics of power, social reproduction, ideological dominance and knowledge production, from an interdisciplinary perspective. It seeks to answer the question of why some things matter more than others or what happens when certain things are made more visible than others. The book provides valuable insights into the process of identity construction through the use of cultural sources, both material and visual. Following on the debates/discussions on material and visual culture in the 1970s and 1980s, the book argues that instead of viewing objects as mere representation(s), one should see them as active agents in creating perceptions, bodily practices, discourses and perceptions of our social world. Each chapter in the book unravels and engages with these pertinent issues in order to arrive at amore comprehensive understanding of the status quo. The book is of interest to scholars of ethnicity, identity construction, politics and state, cultural studies, media studies, visual, social and cultural anthropology and sociology, as well as lay readers who want to learn more about the region.

This edited volume discusses the role of various microbial products in healthcare, environment and agriculture. Several microbial products are directly involved in solving major health problems, agricultural and environmental issues. In healthcare sector, microbes are used as anti-tumor compounds, antibiotics, anti-parasitic agents, enzyme inhibitors and immunosuppressive agents. Microbial products are also used to degrade xenobiotic compounds and bio-surfactants, for biodegradation process. In agriculture, microbial products are used to enhance nutrient uptake, to promote plant growth, or to control plant diseases. The book presents several such applications of microbes in the ecosystems. The chapters are contributed from across the globe and contain up-to-date information. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, microbiologists and ecologists. Also the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture, forestry, ecology, soilscience, and environmental sciences.