Postharvest Management of Fresh Produce: Recent Advances critically addresses the latest issues, challenges, and technological advancements in postharvest management of fresh commodities, especially fruits, nuts, and vegetables. The book covers the intriguing correlation of preharvest treatments, maturity indices and postharvest operations that significantly affect the postharvest quality of fresh produce. Further topics include packaging, logistics and storage technologies, the role of microbial communities, and ‘omics’ strategies in postharvest disease management. Special attention is given to the latest trends of nanotechnology, internet of things (IoTs), and blockchain technologies in food supply chain management of perishable products. The book is a great resource for young and experienced professionals in academia, industry, and UG/PG students to explore a diversified range of topics in postharvest strategies relevant to food processing, food technologies, agro-processing and quality control.

Pulses have played a major role in human diet and are considered a rich source of proteins. But, the major constraints in achieving the yield of pulses are the occurrences of various diseases and pests. Hence, there is a need to understand major fungal pathogens and their management strategies for sustainable agriculture. The major pulse crops in India and other Asian countries are bengal gram, pigeon pea, black gram, green gram, lentil and peas, which are attacked by several pathogens that cause considerable crop damage. Bengal gram is affected mainly by wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri), blight (Mycosphaerella pinodes) and rust (Uromyces ciceris-arietini). The main diseases of pigeon pea are wilt (Fusarium oxysporum) and Phytophtora stem blight (Phytophthora drechsleri f. sp. cajani). Powdery mildew (Erysiphe polygoni) and rust (Uromyces vicia-fabae) are the most important diseases affecting the production of pea. This volume offers details like symptoms, distribution, pathogens associated, predisposing factors and epidemiology, sources of resistance and holistic management of diseases with particular reference to those of economic importance. Several minor diseases of lentil, green gram and of black gram are discussed with their detailed and updated information. This volume provides pooled information regarding the management of major fungal phytopathogens affecting pulses.

Pulses have played a major role in human diet and are considered a rich source of proteins. But, the major constraints in achieving the yield of pulses are the occurrences of various diseases and pests. Hence, there is a need to understand major fungal pathogens and their management strategies for sustainable agriculture. The major pulse crops in India and other Asian countries are bengal gram, pigeon pea, black gram, green gram, lentil and peas, which are attacked by several pathogens that cause considerable crop damage. Bengal gram is affected mainly by wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri), blight (Mycosphaerella pinodes) and rust (Uromyces ciceris-arietini). The main diseases of pigeon pea are wilt (Fusarium oxysporum) and Phytophtora stem blight (Phytophthora drechsleri f. sp. cajani). Powdery mildew (Erysiphe polygoni) and rust (Uromyces vicia-fabae) are the most important diseases affecting the production of pea. This volume offers details like symptoms, distribution, pathogens associated, predisposing factors and epidemiology, sources of resistance and holistic management of diseases with particular reference to those of economic importance. Several minor diseases of lentil, green gram and of black gram are discussed with their detailed and updated information. This volume provides pooled information regarding the management of major fungal phytopathogens affecting pulses.

Perinatal and Developmental Epigenetics, Volume 32, a new volume in the Translational Epigenetics series, provides a thorough overview of epigenetics in the early developmental and perinatal stages, illuminating pathways for drug discovery and clinical advances. Here, over 25 international researchers examine recent steps forward in our understanding of epigenetic programming during perinatal and early development. The book opens with an in-depth introduction to known and newly discovered epigenetic marks and how they regulate various cellular processes. Later sections examine various prenatal and perinatal environmental experiences and their ability to derail the normal developmental trajectory via epigenetic reprogramming. Insights and suggestions for future research illuminate approaches for identifying individual disease susceptibility. Concluding chapters highlight preventative and targeted therapeutic pathways to improve quality of life into adulthood.

The aim of the present book is mainly to develop a series of hemi-calix 4]naphthalene like molecular systems based on 1,1'-methylene-bis(2-naphthol) (mbn) or 1,1'-thio-bis(2-naphthol)(tbn) conjugates possessing a variety of binding sites and study their binding and/or receptor properties and also to synthesize their metal ion complexes. Further, then focus of this thesis is to develop sophisticated metalloenzyme models particularly for catecholase activity using Cu2+ complexes. Thus all the studies reported in this book are concerned with the hemi- calix 4]naphthalene like molecular systems.

PMThe aminobisphosphonate zoledronic acid(ZOL) has elicited significant attention due to its remarkable anti-tumoral activity,though its detailed mechanism of action remains unclear. Here,we demonstrate the existence of a nuclear GSK3-NFATc2 stabilization pathway that promotes cancer growth in vitro and in vivo and serves as a bonafide target of ZOL. Specifically, the serine/threonine kinase GSK3 stabilizes nuclear NFATc2 through phosphorylation of the serine-rich SP2 domain, thus protecting the transcription factor from E3-ubiquitin ligase HDM2 mediated proteolysis. ZOL disrupts this NFATc2 stabilization pathway through two mechanisms, namely GSK3 inhibition and induction of HDM2 activity. Upon nuclear accumulation,HDM2 targets unphosphorylated NFATc2 for ubiquitination at acceptor lysine residues K-684/K-897 and hence labels the factor for subsequent proteasomal degradation. Conversely, mutagenesis induced constitutive serine phosphorylation of the SP2 domain prevents NFATc2 from HDM2 mediated ubiquitination and degradation by ZOL. In conclusion, this report demonstrates a critical role of the GSK3-HDM2 signaling loop in the regulation of NFATc2 protein stabilit

TGF has a dual role in carcinogenesis, acting as a growth inhibitor in early tumor stages and a promoter of cell proliferation in advanced diseases. Although this cellular phenomenon is well established, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we report that sequential induction of NFAT and c-Myc transcription factors is sufficient and required for the TGF switch from a cell cycle inhibitor to a growth promoter pathway in cancer cells. TGF induces the expression and activation of NFAT factors, which then translocate into the nucleus to promote c-Myc expression. In response to TGF, activated NFAT factors bind to and displace Smad3 repressor complexes from the c-Myc promoter. c-Myc in turn stimulates cell cycle progression and growth through up-regulation of D-type cyclins. Most importantly, NFAT knockdown not only prevents c-Myc activation and cell proliferation, but also partially restores TGF-beta-induced cell cycle arrest and growth suppression. Taken together, this study provides the first evidence for a Smad-independent master regulatory pathway in TGF -promoted cell growth that is defined by sequential transcriptional activation of NFAT and c-Myc factors.