Nutrients for Hydroponic Systems in Fruit Crops

Hydroponic systems for crop production are nowadays essential to maximize yields. Sometimes, the benefits of hydroponics have been questioned by the researchers as compared to growing of crops in other soilless culture. The growers raised the crops through hydroponics system get yields more compared to conventional practices as hydroponically grown plants dip their roots directly into nutrient-rich solutions. Therefore, the aim of the current chapter is to provide accurate and updated information about their different nutrients and their composition used hydroponically compared to conventional production mode. This chapter will be divided as the following sections: (1) rationale, (2) nutrient solution technique, and (3) work done on fruit crops. With this chapter, we hope to present an updated information, comparing hydroponic versus conventional technique

Fresh Cut Fruits and Vegetables Disinfection Pretreatment: A Novel Approach to Extend Fresh Cut’s Shelf Life

Fresh cut fruits and vegetable have gained penetration and popularity since last few years. These fresh cut commodities are in great demand among the consumers as these are ready-to-eat fresh and provide all essential nutrients. The increasing trend in fresh cut produce tends to increase the investment in research and development to address various issues regarding the product supply, refrigeration, packaging technology, processing and shelf life extension. Cutting and peeling causes physical damage to the raw fruit and vegetable that make them more perishable. In these review latest developments that plays the key role in extending the shelf life of the fresh cut are discussed. These technologies help in reducing the microbial load over the fresh cut without much altering the physicochemical properties. Future researches should consider various combined technologies which allow better preservation as well as supplemented with nutritional factors

An intramolecular salt bridge drives the soluble domain of GTP-bound atlastin into the postfusion conformation

Before ER tubule fusion, the atlastin GTPase undergoes a “prefusion” to “postfusion” conformational change that is mediated by an intramolecular salt bridge

Mechanistic Insights into Homotypic Fusion of ER Membranes by the Atlastin GTPase

A variety of diseases, including Hereditary Spastic Parapalegia (HSP), are associated with defects in Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) morphogenesis, highlighting the significance of forming and maintaining proper ER structure in the context of human health. While the overall shape and structure adopted by the ER is mainly influenced by the lipid and protein composition of its membrane, fusion plays an equally important role. Recent studies have implicated a conserved family of proteins called atlastin/Sey1 as the fusion machinery responsible for generating three-way junctions within the peripheral ER; however, the actual mechanism used by atlastin (ATL) to catalyze homotypic membrane fusion remains to be clarified. Structural and biochemical studies performed largely with the soluble domain of ATL, suggested that GTP binding facilitated membrane tethering between ATLs anchored in opposing membranes (pre-fusion), followed by GTP hydrolysis catalyzing a crossover conformational change that pulled opposing membranes together for fusion (post-fusion). Through structure-function analysis, I identified key residues that are required for stabilizing the post-fusion conformation, which assisted in elucidating the energy requirements for achieving the post-fusion conformational state of the ATL soluble domain. Using various nucleotides and analogs, I discovered that the soluble domain of ATL was capable of adopting the post-fusion dimer in the absence of GTP hydrolysis, suggesting that GTP hydrolysis may be required for another discrete step within the ATL fusion cycle, such as disassembly. However, this result appeared to be inconsistent with the requirement for GTP hydrolysis in the ATL-mediated fusion of synthetic liposomes and may perhaps be attributed to the different behaviors exhibited by the soluble domain verses membrane-anchored ATL molecules. Therefore, I extended our initial analysis of the ATL soluble domain to membrane-anchored ATL, specifically focusing on identifying the energetic and conformational requirements for ATL-mediated tethering. My investigation revealed that membrane tethering depended on GTP hydrolysis; but, unlike fusion, it did not depend on crossover.</p

Abundance, Morphological Features, and Economic Values of Selected Tree Species in Company Graden of Saharanpur District, Uttar Pradesh, India

This study aimed to assess the abundance, morphological features, and economic values of selected tree species (Mango, Eucalyptus, and Bottle brush) within Company Garden of Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Through systematic survey and analysis, the results showed that Eucalyptus emerged as the most abundant species, constituting 40% of the tree population. Mango trees, comprising approximately 35% of the population, were out for their economic importance and cultural significance. While their cultivation offers economic benefits, their influence on biodiversity and soil health warrants careful evaluation, particularly in the context of human cultivation practices. Bottle brush trees, though least abundant at 15%, contribute uniquely to the ecosystem by providing ornamental value and potential wildlife habitat. Their ecological contributions emphasize the importance of preserving biodiversity within the ecosystem. On the other hand, analysis of morphological and economic features highlighted the distinct characteristics of each species. Eucalyptus, with its remarkable height and girth, proves valuable for timber production and ecological functions such as erosion control. Mango trees, prized for fruit production and shade provision, play a crucial role in agroforestry contexts. While Bottle brush trees may not be extensively utilized for timber, their ornamental value and ecological contributions are noteworthy. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the abundance, morphological characteristics, and ecological significance of tree species within the Company Garden

Membrane tethering by the atlastin GTPase depends on GTP hydrolysis but not on forming the crossover configuration.

<p>The membrane-anchored atlastin GTPase couples nucleotide hydrolysis to the catalysis of homotypic membrane fusion to form a branched ER network. Trans dimerization between atlastins anchored in opposing membranes, accompanied by a crossover conformational change, is thought to draw the membranes together for fusion. Previous studies on the conformational coupling of atlastin to its GTP hydrolysis cycle have been carried out largely on atlastins lacking a membrane anchor. Consequently, whether fusion involves a discrete tethering step, and if so, the potential role of GTP hydrolysis and crossover in tethering remain unknown. Here, we used membrane-anchored atlastins in assays that separate tethering from fusion to dissect the requirements for each. We found that tethering depended on GTP hydrolysis; but, unlike fusion, it did not depend on crossover. Thus, GTP hydrolysis initiates stable head domain contact in trans to tether opposing membranes, whereas crossover formation plays a more pivotal role in powering the lipid rearrangements for fusion.</p

Gesture during political speech reflects and affects judgements of topic similarity

Understanding the relationships between gesture, speech, and thought bears on how we conceptualize language and embodied cognition. We asked whether the gestures U.S. politicians produced when presenting ideas as similar (listing) or different (contrasting) varied in handshape, form, or movement. We found that location was more likely to change during contrasting, while movement pattern was more likely to change during listing. In a follow-up experiment, we showed that these gestures impacted participants’ perceptions of how similar the items discussed by the politician were, even when the auditory information was unavailable. When participants could see politicians’ gestures, they rated listed topics as more similar and contrasted items as more different, even when the videos were muted. We conclude that gesture during political speech can both reflect and affect judgements of similarity and difference

Indole Acts as an Extracellular Cue Regulating Gene Expression in Vibrio cholerae▿ †

Indole has been proposed to act as an extracellular signal molecule influencing biofilm formation in a range of bacteria. For this study, the role of indole in Vibrio cholerae biofilm formation was examined. It was shown that indole activates genes involved in vibrio polysaccharide (VPS) production, which is essential for V. cholerae biofilm formation. In addition to activating these genes, it was determined using microarrays that indole influences the expression of many other genes, including those involved in motility, protozoan grazing resistance, iron utilization, and ion transport. A transposon mutagenesis screen revealed additional components of the indole-VPS regulatory circuitry. The indole signaling cascade includes the DksA protein along with known regulators of VPS production, VpsR and CdgA. A working model is presented in which global control of gene expression by indole is coordinated through σ54 and associated transcriptional regulators