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      • Business, Economics & Law
        August 2018

        Pesticides and agriculture

        Profit, politics and policy

        by Dr Dave Watson

        Pesticides have played a critical but sometimes controversial role in the development of agriculture. This book provides an authoritative account of the development of the modern pesticides industry. It discusses the emergence of major pesticide companies such as Bayer, Monsanto, Rhone Poulenc, Dow, DuPont, Ciba-Geigy, Syngenta, BASF and ICI. It covers their competitive strategies such as product development, mergers/acquisitions and diversification. Individual company strategies are placed in the context of broader developments in agriculture which have driven the evolution of the industry, from the Pre-Productionist period to the contemporary world of Post-Productivism and the Sustainability Paradigm. It also reviews how companies have responded to changing national and international policy towards the role of pesticides in agriculture and efforts to regulate their use.This book will be a standard reference on understanding the growth structure, dynamics and major players in a hugely-important and influential sector in global agriculture. It will appeal to a wide range of readers, from policy makers and researchers in crop protection to financial and investment analysts focussed on agriculture, and to all those interested in the development and future of modern agriculture.

      • Management & management techniques
        September 2020

        The Power of Being Divisive

        Understanding Negative Social Evaluations

        by Thomas J. Roulet

        In the last decade, research on negative social evaluations, from adverse reputation to extreme stigmatization, has burgeoned both at the individual and organizational level. Thus far, this research has largely focused on major corporate risks. Corporate public relations and business executives intuitively know that a negative image deters important relationships—from customers and partners, to applicants, stakeholders, and potential funding. At the same time, business is conducted in an age of heightened connection, including digital platforms for criticism and a 24-hour news cycle. Executives know that some degree of public disapproval is increasingly unavoidable. Negative social evaluations can also put social actors on the map. In the era of identity politics, many political leaders express controversial views to appeal to specific audiences and gain in popularity. Through network and signaling effects, being controversial can potentially pay off. Thomas J. Roulet offers a framework for understanding not only how individuals and organizations can survive in an age of increasing scrutiny, but how negative social evaluations can surprisingly yield positive results. A growing body of work has begun to show that being "up against the rest" is an active driver of corporate identity, and that firms that face strong public hostility can benefit from internal bonding. Synthesizing this work with his original research, and drawing comparisons to work on misconduct and scandals, Roulet addresses an important gap by providing a broader perspective to link the antecedents and consequences of negative social evaluations. Moreover, he reveals the key role that audiences play in assessing these consequences, whether positive or negative, and the crucial function of media in establishing conditions in which public disapproval can bring positive results. Examples and cases cover Uber and Google, Monsanto, Electronic Arts, and the investment banking industry during the financial crisis.

      • October 2017

        Whitewash

        The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science

        by Carey Gillam

        It's the pesticide on our dinner plates, a chemical so pervasive it’s in the air we breathe, our water, our soil, and even found increasingly in our own bodies. Known as Monsanto's Roundup by consumers, and as glyphosate by scientists, the world's most popular weed killer is used everywhere from backyard gardens to golf courses to millions of acres of farmland. For decades it's been touted as safe enough to drink, but a growing body of evidence indicates just the opposite, with research tying the chemical to cancers and a host of other health threats.      In Whitewash, veteran journalist Carey Gillam uncovers one of the most controversial stories in the history of food and agriculture, exposing new evidence of corporate influence. Gillam introduces readers to farm families devastated by cancers which they believe are caused by the chemical, and to scientists whose reputations have been smeared for publishing research that contradicted business interests. Readers learn about the arm twisting of regulators who signed off on the chemical, echoing company assurances of safety even as they permitted higher residues of the pesticide in food and skipped compliance tests. And, in startling detail, Gillam reveals secret industry communications that pull back the curtain on corporate efforts to manipulate public perception.    Whitewash is more than an exposé about the hazards of one chemical or even the influence of one company. It's a story of power, politics, and the deadly consequences of putting corporate interests ahead of public safety.

      • Biochemistry
        July 2019

        Biochemistry and Human Nutrition

        by Manvesh Kumar Sihag

        The book will be helpful for those students, who study biochemistry and/or human nutrition as one of the subjects in Food Technology, Food Science and Technology, Food and Nutrition and other allied streams of under-graduate levels. This book is mainly divided into two sections: 1) Biochemistry; 2) Human Nutrition. First section comprises eight chapters based on metabolism of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and lipids), basics of vitamins, enzymes, hormones and nucleic acids. Second section deals with the digestion & absorption of macronutrients, nutritional requirements of different age groups, analytical methods for qualitative & quantitative determination of nutrients, milk intolerance & hypersensitivity, safety aspects of food additives, toxic elements and radionuclides and various nutritional polices.

      • Agriculture & farming
        October 2020

        Coastal Agriculture and Climate Change

        by M. Prakash, S. Arivudainambi, S. Rameshkumar & S. Babu

        Changing climate in micro and macro level attribute to influence and bring changes in productivity and production trend of every industry including agriculture and its ecosystem. The influence of climate change and its environmental impact on coastal ecosystem greatly influence the life and livelihood of agrarian communities and people involved in allied industries. The book has been authored with objectives of providing understanding on the environmental problems, features of coastal ecosystem, advanced strategies for environmental protection, mitigation strategies for environmental problems in coastal areas and augmenting agriculture income from coastal areas.

      • Nanotechnology
        January 2010

        Biotechnology in Animal Health and Production

        by Satish Kumar Jindal & M.C.Sharma

        This book describes and evaluates animal biotechnology and its application in veterinary medicine and pharmaceuticals as well as improvement in animal food production. Transgenic technologies are used for improving milk production and the meat in farm animals as well as for creating models of human diseases. Transgenic animals are used for the production of proteins for human medical use. Biotechnology is applied to facilitate xenotransplantation from animals to humans. Genetic engineering is done in farm animals and nuclear transfer technology has become an important and preferred method for cloning animals. Biotechnology has potential applications in the management of several animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease, classical swine fever, avian flue and bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The most important biotechnology based products consist of vaccines, particularly genetically engineered or DNA vaccines. Gene therapy for diseases of pet animals is a fast developing area because many of the technologies used in clinical trials humans were developed in animals and many of the diseases of cats and dogs are similar to those in humans. RNA interference technology is now being applied for research in veterinary medicine. Molecular diagnosis is assuming an important place in veterinary practice. Polymerase chain reaction and its modifications are considered to be important. Fluorescent in situ hybridization and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays are also widely used. Newer biochip-based technologies and biosensors are also finding their way in veterinary diagnostics. This book is an attempt to unravel the mysteries of biotechnology as it affects animal health and production."

      • Agriculture & farming
        August 2022

        Methods in Plant Biotechnology

        by K.R. Koundal

        The book deals with some of the important techniques of recombinant DNA technology including ; isolation of plasmids and transformation of bacteria, isolation and characterization of nucleic acids, construction and screening of gene libraries, DNA sequencing, RFLP and RAPD gene mapping, genetic transformation and molecular analysis of the transgenic plants. The book includes protocols of some the important techniques currently in use in the field of plant biotechnology. The book also includes methods used in RFPL and RAPD analysis and a practical example of actual research problem in the field of plant genetic engineering. A glossary of important terms is also included which will be helpful to understand the subject matter. The preparation of common buffers and reagents used in the different protocols is included in the appendix.

      • Microbiology (non-medical)
        June 2023

        Principles of Plant Breeding

        by Hari Har Ram

        The present book entitled Principles of Plant Breeding is an introductory text book covering all the basic principles of plant breeding distributed over 32 chapters including both conventional and innovative plant breeding approaches. The book has an exhaustive glossary capturing all aspects related to plant breeding.

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