Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffery (Monk fruit), a nonwoody perennial vine indigenous to southern China, is a member of the family Cucurbitaceae. Due to its use in traditional medicine, beverages, and candies, it has high value in the international market. The main sweet components of this fruit are two cucurbitane-type triterpene glycosides, mogrosides IV and V. In vitro propagation offers a viable alternative for establishing this valuable crop species in India. A comparative assessment of light and dark incubation conditions during shoot proliferation led to the development of a simple, efficient protocol for direct regeneration of plantlets. The effect of light and darkness was measured in the current study. The morpho-physiological and biochemical parameters were decreased significantly under dark treatments after 30 days. Moreover, expression of auxin signaling-related genes (ARF8) was higher in light-treated plants. Furthermore, genetic stability was analysed using SCoT markers, before hardening under polyhouse conditions. However, genetic fidelity was maintained with a 100

The cement manufacturing process emits significant greenhouse gases and consumes substantial energy. The current situation demands alternative sustainable materials to cement in concrete production. On the other hand, rapid urbanization has led to the vertical expansion of modern structures, worsening daylight loss on lower floors, where artificial lighting is now essential. Innovative construction materials that enhance natural illumination are needed due to the energy crisis. A promising approach is light-transmitting concrete, which uses resin matrices, optical fiber, or polymer rods as light-guiding media. In the present study, plastic optical fiber was used as a light-transmitting material in the concrete. This study demonstrates the potential use of industrial by-products, including ground granulated blast furnace slag (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%) and micro silica (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%), as effective pozzolanic materials as cement substitutes in concrete to study the strength and durability properties of concrete experimentally. The economic and ecological feasibility of different concrete mix proportions was investigated. The optical fiber (1%) with the optimized percentage of industrial wastes, i.e., slag (20%) and micro silica (10%), was used in the concrete to study different properties of light-transmitting concrete. Results showed that the incorporation of industrial wastes with optical fiber (1%), used in the light-transmitting concrete, improved the performance and produced sustainable end products compared to the conventional concrete.

The present study focuses on the effect of elevated temperatures i.e., 150, 300, and 450 degrees C on the mass and compressive strength of cement mortar consisting of industrial wastes such as plastic waste, micro silica, and ground granulated blast furnace slag. Plastic waste as a sand substitute and industrial by-products such as micro silica and ground granulated blast furnace slag as a cement substitute were used in the different mix proportions of cement mortar. The plastic waste with or without supplementary cementitious materials was used in the mortar mixes. The environmental assessment and performance index of different cement mortar mixes were evaluated and compared with the conventional mortar mix. Results showed that plastic waste, micro silica, and furnace slag enhanced the residual compressive strength, whereas the wastes reduced the mass of mortar specimens. It was concluded that the use of industrial waste up to a certain extent improved the performance of the mortar mixes. The circular economy and sustainable development are embodied in this approach by conserving natural resources, minimising waste, and maintaining acceptable performance characteristics.

Ferula assa-foetida L. is a perennial herbaceous plant valued for its oleo-gum resin (asafoetida). Native to Iran and Afghanistan, this plant faces global cultivation challenges due to limited access to high-quality planting material. To address this constraint, a reproducible micropropagation protocol was developed through indirect somatic embryogenesis. Callus was induced from leaf explants using Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 1.0 mg L−1 naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) in combination with 1.5 mg L−1 kinetin (Kn) or 1.0 mg L⁻1 benzylaminopurine (BAP). Somatic embryos developed on callus were cultured with 2.0 mg L⁻1 Kn and 0.05 to 0.1 mg L⁻1 IBA, with various stages of somatic embryo development visualized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Shoot proliferation was optimized using 2.0 mg L⁻1 BAP and 0.2 mg L⁻1 NAA, while rooting was effective with 0.05 mg L⁻1 IBA. Acclimatization resulted in 100

The consumption of natural resources for building infrastructure has significantly increased due to persistent population growth and limited urban and commercial spaces. Cement mortar has been the primary construction material throughout the years. The use of natural aggregates, which normally account for two-thirds of the entire volume of concrete and are primarily utilised in the construction of residential and transportation infrastructures, has led to substantial ecological changes and environmental problems. In the recent few years, the over-exploitation and extraction of natural resources have necessitated the identification of alternative materials to natural raw materials essential for the production of cement composites. One viable alternative is employing industrial wastes as cement and sand substitutes. In the present study, the different properties such as physical and mechanical properties of cement mortar consisting of plastic waste, blast furnace slag, and micro-silica at various percentages were studied. The design of Experiment of different mix proportions was prepared and compared with the control mix. A statistical correlation was derived. The laboratory results showed that the incorporation of additives improved the performance of cement mortar mixes and reduced the cost of construction. The results suggest that the additives upto a certain percentage can be efficiently utilized in the production of sustainable end products.

With the growth in civilization and industrialization, the higher consumption of cement leads to the consumption of natural resources and the emission of greenhouse gases. The disposal of waste from the stone industry has become a threat to the ecosystem, as it can lead to soil and water contamination, harming local wildlife and plant life. A possible solution is to utilize waste materials from the stone industry in construction. Accelerators are used to fasten the construction speed. In this study, calcium nitrate (0, 1, and 2

The plant Ferula assa-foetidabelongs to the Apiaceaefamily and containsoleo-gum resin, which is particularly rich inphenylpropanoids and sesquiterpenes.Due to its bioactiveconstituents, F. assa-foetidaholds considerable potentialas a source of pharmacologically relevantcompounds, primarily developing chemopreventive agents. Despite its recognized therapeutic value,the species remainsunderexplored at thebiochemical and biotechnological levels.Therefore, this study establishes,for the firsttime, a UV-C-mediatedin vitro elicitation strategyto enhance secondary metaboliteproduction in F.assa-foetida callus underlight and dark conditions at 15 °Cand 25 °C. Resultsshowed that the maximumphenolic content (147.53 ± 1.10 μg/mg)was recorded at25 °C in the dark with aUV-C dose of 8.95 kJ/m2on day 7,whereas flavonoid content (330.57 ± 0.75 μg/mg) was maximumat 15 °C in thedark with UV-Con day 7. Non-targeted qualitative profiling using LC-MS showedenhanced accumulation ofcoumaric acid, 4-hydroxycoumarin, 4-methylumbelliferone, trans-ferulic acid,flavonol, and theophylline incallus grown afterexposure to UV-C.The highest accumulation of trans-ferulic acidand related metabolitesoccurred at 25 °C in the dark with UV-C, while flavonoland coumaric acidwere elevated at 15 °C in the dark with UV-C. Furthermore, qRT-PCRanalysis revealed differentialexpression of phenylalanineammonia-lyase (PAL1), chalcone-flavanone isomerase(CHI), terpene synthase (TPS12),somatic embryogenesis receptor-likekinase (SERK 2), wuschel (WUS4),and cup-shaped cotyledon (CUC3) genes. Therefore, our findings indicate thatthe combined influenceof photoperiod and UV-Cexposure can significantly enhancethe metabolic activityof Ferula assa-foetida,highlighting its capacity for commercial-scale production ofbioactive secondary metabolites.

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel ex Houzeau de Lehaie) is a major forest crop in China and Asia. While tissue culture protocols for many sympodial bamboos have been established, there are very limited protocols available for monopodial bamboos, such as moso bamboo. In the current study, shoot initiation, shoot proliferation, root initiation, root proliferation, pre-hardening, and acclimatization protocols were established for moso bamboo using axillary buds as explants under a controlled laboratory environment. Among various plant growth regulators used, Murashige and Skoog’s medium supplemented with 9.0 µM BAP and 1.0 µM meta-topolin showed the highest effectiveness in promoting shoot proliferation, such as maximum number of shoots (81.67 ± 7.38) per explant, shoot length (2.09 ± 0.14), and leaves (68.11 ± 6.65). Healthy shoots were shifted to basal Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing rooting hormones IBA, NAA, and IAA at different concentrations. MS medium with 2.5 µM IBA induced the highest rooting percentage (66.63

Plant development and growth are impeded by numerous abiotic and biotic stresses, posing a serious threat to food security. Plants protect themselves from these threats by deploying various defence mechanisms. Jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) are vital phytohormones that are key players in signalling pathways related to plant defence against biotic and abiotic stresses. JA is pivotal in defence against necrotrophic pathogens and herbivory, whereas SA is essential for resistance against biotrophic pathogens. They achieve this by regulating interactions with essential plant growth regulators (PGRs) such as abscisic acid (ABA), auxin, cytokinin, and ethylene (ET). This regulation maintains a balance between plant growth and defence against pathogen attacks by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity, improving disease resistance, and promoting the accumulation of various compounds. This review explores the biosynthesis, signalling pathways, and molecular interactions of JA and SA, emphasising their crosstalk with other phytohormones such as auxins, ET, and ABA. The antagonistic and synergistic interactions between JA and SA in modulating plant immunity and stress responses are highlighted. Additionally, the regulation of JA and SA by various transcription factors in response to environmental vagaries, including drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, heavy metals, and UV radiation, is discussed. Advances in CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-based genome editing for enhancing JA/SA-mediated stress tolerance and plant immunity are also reviewed to characterise SA/JA signalling dynamics across different plant species. Understanding the intricate regulation of JA and SA pathways offers promising strategies for developing climate-resilient crops with improved stress tolerance and productivity.

The swiftness in the speed of construction work is the present scenario's need to meet the infrastructure demand due to rise in industrialization and urbanization. Various admixtures are being used to produce mortar/concrete with acceleration in stiffening of cement composites and requisite strength at early age. However, due to industrialization, the generation and dumping of stone wastes in different forms from stone industries has become menace to the ecosystem. To overcome their ill effects, a possible solution can be reuse of these wastes into the construction sector as it can absorb huge waste. This study used stone slurry powder as cement substitution; calcium nitrate and triethanolamine as additives in different proportions individually and in combination to investigate their practicality in cement mortar. The environmental assessment of additives in mortar mixes was also carried out along with the microstructural analysis. Results demonstrated that water cured specimens had higher compressive strength and air cured specimens had higher electrical resistivity values. The stone powder was predominant among all additives in the performance enhancement in terms of strength, chemical resistance and environmental assessment of mortar mixes as compared to other additives.

The construction of high-rise buildings has been significantly affected by the growth in urban population and the scarcity of available land. With an increase in building height, lateral loads significantly impact the design. When designing tall buildings, safety and minimal damage should come first so that they can withstand lateral stresses. The structure should have enough lateral strength, lateral stiffness, and ductility to achieve these requirements. Designers may decide to focus on shear wall systems or moment-resisting frame systems among the many structural systems. Examining and monitoring how these systems behave when there is a seismic influence is crucial. In the present study, seismic response of structural system at different seismic zones was analyzed. The seismic reaction was quantified in terms of time, the largest story displacement, largest story drift, required amount of steel and concrete. Regardless of the building height and seismic zones, results showed that a shear wall system was more effective in terms of cost and lateral load resistance. The goal of the present study was to compare the seismic behavior of two bare frame systems and assess the working of shear walls work with moment-resisting frames. Shear walls and bare frames are combined in the first model, while shear walls are absent in the second model and are analyzed statically and dynamically using ETABS 2020 software.

Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey of the family Cucurbitaceae is a unique and precious plant of medicinal and economic importance in the international market. Due to the huge market potential and to narrow down the gap between demand and supply, an efficient in vitro propagation system using nodal explants was established. Shoot nodal segments were cultured in medium supplemented with different concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and kinetin (Kn 1.0–7.5 µM). A two-stage culture is recommended for micropropagation of S. grosvenorii. The highest shoot multiplication was observed in BAP-supplemented medium (5.0 µM), whereas rooting was observed in half-strength MS medium supplemented with 8.75 µM of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Fully developed plantlets were acclimatized with 100 % survival in sterilized sand. These hardened 15-day-old plants were successfully established under shade net conditions in fields. In vitro raised plants were found genetically stable using molecular markers, including RAPD and ISSR. The 2C nuclear DNA content using flow cytometry was observed to be 0.73–0.76 pg. Hence, the protocol developed for in vitro propagation of S. grosvenorii is cost-effective and can be efficiently used for the industrial production of this natural sweetener and pharmaceutically important plants.

Monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii) is a dioecious and perennial plant endemic to subtropical China. It has recently gained importance as a low-calorie natural sweetener due to the US Food and Drug Administration and European Food Safety Authority approving it as non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) for the food and beverage industry. NNS are sweet compounds with little or no energy, which can retain the sweetness of packaged edibles and are safe for human consumption, weight management and cardiometabolic disease prevention. To achieve mass-scale propagation and production of elite planting material, tissue culture technology has been used for the past several years. In the present study, we demonstrate that supplementation of citrate- and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-coated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in Murashige and Skoog medium positively impacts the in vitro development and multiplication of S. grosvenorii. The morpho-physiological and biochemical parameters of S. grosvenorii were found to be differentially regulated along the concentration gradients (10–100 µM) of citrate- and CTAB-coated AuNPs supplemented in MS medium. We observed that the morphological, physiological and biochemical parameters were maximum in S. grosvenorii proliferated on MS medium supplemented with 40-µM CTAB-coated AuNPs but minimum in S. grosvenorii propagated on MS medium containing 100-µM citrate-coated AuNPs. Moreover, auxin and jasmonic acid signalling-related genes (YUC9 and ARF8) were overexpressed in 40 µM CTAB-coated AuNPs plants, while their expression was reduced in 100 µM citrate-coated AuNPs plants. These findings provide an efficient protocol for AuNP-mediated elicitation of in vitro mass-scale monk fruit propagation.

The construction industry can use various industrial by-products as raw materials, including wastes from the stone glazing industry, thermal power plants, steel, and rubber sectors. Although the stone industry significantly contributes to the construction industry,it has some limitations regarding landfill disposal of slurry and dust from waste. Accelerators increase the rate of stiffening and hardening, which increases early strength and allows early striking and de-molding of outer formworks, which helps speed up the construction work. In the present investigation, properties such as slump, mechanical, chemical resistance, and microstructural characteristics of concrete specimens were investigated using calcium nitrate (1%), triethanolamine (0.05%), and stone waste powder (10%) alone and in combination. The ecological and economic analysis of concrete was also carried out along with performance evaluation. Results showed that when used separately in the concrete mixture, stone waste powder, calcium nitrate, and triethanolamine enhanced the performance, but their combination declined. Stone waste powder was an economical and eco-friendly concrete material.

The multi-story buildings are constructed to accommodate numerous residents in confined spaces due to the growing population and lack of available land. The population growth and industrial revolution caused a migration of people from rural to urban areas resulting in the need for the construction of multi-story buildings for both residential and commercial uses. The tall buildings, which are not adequately constructed to resist lateral stresses, result in the total collapse of the structure. Buildings that can withstand earthquake forces are created by considering different criteria such as the building’s inherent frequency, damping factor, kind of base, significance of the building and ductility of the structure. Because they have better moment distribution properties, structures designed for ductility need to be designed for lower lateral loads. To ensure safety against the seismic stresses of multi-story buildings, it is essential to understand seismic analysis in order to develop earthquake-resistant structures. Both a regular moment resisting frame and a special moment-resisting frame were taken into account for the seismic study. In the present study, a G + 8 storey reinforced concrete (RC) structure in three different seismic zones was compared in terms of percentage longitudinal steel, reinforcement details, and design base shear. The structure was examined for seismic zones III, IV, and V in accordance with the guidelines of IS 1893 (Part 1): 2016. Results showed that base shear increased with the change in the seismic zone from III to V.

Chlorophytum comosum (Thunb.) Jacques var. comosum belongs to the family Asparagaceae and is unique for phytoremediation of indoor pollutants and tolerant to low light intensity. In the present study, we have taxonomically characterized the species using morphological characteristics and herbarium has been prepared for specimen identification. Further, an efficient in vitro propagation system was established using nodal explants. Maximum shoots were observed in MS medium containing 2 mg/l BAP. Subsequent sub-culturing of shoots in different concentrations of BAP, MT and combinations of BAP/NAA in MS medium resulted in floral induction. Highest rooting percentage was found in MS medium containing 0.5 mg/l PBZ. Well-rooted plants were acclimatized into the mixture of sand: soil: vermiculite::1:1:1 (v/v) ratio with more than 90% success. The in vitro system of propagation established in this plant could be successfully used as a model system to study floral morphogenesis and developmental studies. Moreover, this is the first report on in vitro flowering and genetic fidelity analysis using flow cytometry and molecular markers including RAPD, ISSR and SCoT. All the 8 RAPD markers, 4 ISSR markers, 9 SCoT markers and 2C nuclear DNA content indicates no genetic variation among regenerates with mother plant. The current standardized method of regeneration is not susceptible to genetic alteration and provides an unconventionally steadfast system for mass multiplication of genetically stable plants to meet the demand of foliage plant industry demand.& COPY; 2023 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The present study has focused on altering the properties of its composites to achieve robustness in concrete with high speed of construction. The different types of chemical admixtures are used to produce mortar/concrete with an accelerated setting time and early-age strength. Stone waste can be converted into mortar and concrete as an alternative to cementitious materials to overcome their ill effects, resulting production of sustainable end products. The present study investigated the influence of the stone slurry powder, calcium nitrate, and triethanolamine at various proportions in the different mortar mixes. The viability of using the additional materials in cement mortar based on strength, cost and environmental aspects was also investigated. The results demonstrated that incorporation of stone slurry powder in mortar enhanced the strength by 6–17%, which may be due to its pore filling ability. The cost of mortar construction also declined by 7% due to its free availability. The cost index and carbon emission index of mortar mix containing stone waste declined by 24% and 26%, respectively, compared to other mixes, due to reduced cement content.

The reckless consumption of natural resources by the construction sector is making propositions of the potential utilization of abandoned by-products of various industries, for example, stone glazing, steel, and rubber industries as raw materials for concrete manufacturing. Dumping industrial wastes into rivers and lagoons is detrimental to the environment, and landfilling has lots of adverse impacts. Every year, tonnes of stone waste are produced globally during the processing of stone. Use of stone waste in concreting not only resolves its disposal issue but also economizes the product with superior quality checks and aid in environmental protection. On the other hand, chemical admixtures, that is, accelerators, trigger strength within a short time span and allow early demolding. The current study experimentally demonstrates the effects of additives, namely calcium nitrate (1%), triethanolamine (0.05%), and stone waste powder (SWP) (7.5%), on the long-term mechanical strength and durability at 180 and 365 days. The experimental results have been validated through microstructural characterization. Also, economic and ecological analysis of concrete mixtures has been carried out along with the performance index. The utilization of SWP in concreting not only improves the performance but also minimizes the negative impact on the environment by reducing cement content and cost of construction.

Recent emerging developments in construction works have introduced many enormous and wonderful construction materials. But till now, cement based construction materials are being used in various activities e.g., masonry, lining, grouting etc. Cement, a key ingredient for various construction materials, needs to be replaced by another natural or artificial inert, due to its perilous effects in ecology. The present study has been conducted to evaluate the compressive strength, electrical resistivity, cost analysis and environment assessment of cement mortar after replacing the cement with various proportions of Kota stone powder. Calcium nitrate and triethanolamine were also added to the mortar mixes to control the parametric behaviours of the mixes. The Taguchi technique has been used to curtail the number of mix proportions for effort saving practices. Taguchi technique produces a data set of lesser experimental runs than a full factorial approach. Therefore, Taguchi method could be used to optimize the number of combinations to make the project cost-effective. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of cement mortar containing calcium nitrate, triethanolamine, and Kota stone powder in various proportions with respect to various attributes. An L9 (3^3) orthogonal array containing nine mortar blends was analyzed to optimize the process parameters on the basis of the laboratory responses. Results of the study positively affirmed that the efficacy of the incorporation of Kota stone powder in mortar has yielded as economic and ecological construction material over other additives.