Influence of Jute Fiber on Tensile, Electrical, and Permeability Characteristics of Slag Concrete: A Better, Cheaper, and Eco-Friendly Substitute for Conventional Concrete

This works promotes the idea of simultaneous incorporation of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and jute fiber (JF) to develop eco-friendly and ductile concrete. For this purpose, an experimental investigation was conducted, where two concrete families were produced using 0% and 25% GGBS as partial replacements for cement. JF was incorporated as 0%, 0.25%, and 0.5% by volume fractions. Effect of plasticizer was also studied on behavior of jute fiber reinforced concrete (JFRC) with GGBS. Compressive strength-CS, splitting tensile strength-STS, flexural strength-FS, water absorption-WA, chloride ion penetration depth-CIPD, and electrical resistivity-ER were studied. The results showed that with the increasing JF content the CS of concrete declined and STS and FS improved. However, the positive effect of JF on CS was observed in mixes containing GGBS with or without a plasticizer. Incorporation of 0.5% JF without plasticizer improved the STS and FS of concrete by 11% and 17%, respectively. However, after achieving the target workability using plasticizer, the net gains in STS and FS due to the 0.5% addition of JF were 24.3% and 29%, respectively. The negative effects of hydrophilic nature of JF on WA and CIPD resistance of concrete were minimized by using GGBS and controlling workability

Chitosan-Induced Physiological and Biochemical Regulations Confer Drought Tolerance in Pot Marigold (<i>Calendula officinalis</i> L.)

Severe water stress conditions limit growth and development of floricultural crops which affects flower quality. Hence, development of effective approaches for drought tolerance is crucial to limit recurring water deficit challenges. Foliar application of various plant growth regulators has been evaluated to improve drought tolerance in different floricultural crops; however, reports regarding the role of chitosan (Ci) on seasonal flowers like calendula are still scant. Therefore, we evaluated the role of Ci foliar application on morphological, physiological, biochemical, and anatomical parameters of calendula under water stress conditions. Different doses of Ci (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10 mg L−1) were applied through foliar application to evaluate their impact in enhancing growth and photosynthetic pigments of calendula. The optimized Ci level of 7.5 mg L−1 was further evaluated to study mechanisms of water stress tolerance in calendula. Ci application significantly increased biomass and pigments in calendula. Ci (7.5 mg L−1) resulted in increased photosynthetic rate (72.98%), transpiration rate (62.11%), stomatal conductance (59.54%), sub-stomatal conductance (20.62%), and water use efficiency (84.93%). Furthermore, it improved catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase by 56.70%, 64.94%, and 32.41%, respectively. These results highlighted the significance of Ci in inducing drought tolerance in pot marigold

Effect of Cellulose&ndash;Chitosan Hybrid-Based Encapsulation on the Viability and Stability of Probiotics under Simulated Gastric Transit and in Kefir

Encapsulation comprises a promising potential for the targeted delivery of entrapped sensitive agents into the food system. A unique combination of cellulose/chitosan (Cl-Ch)-based hybrid wall material was employed to encapsulate L. plantarum by emulsion technique. The developed beads were further subjected to morphological and in vitro studies. The viability of free and encapsulated probiotics was also evaluated in kefir during storage. The developed beads presented porous spherical structures with a rough surface. A 1.58 &plusmn; 0.02 log CFU/mL, 1.26 &plusmn; 0.01 log CFU/mL, and 1.82 &plusmn; 0.01 log CFU/mL reduction were noticed for Cl-Ch hybrid cells under simulated gastro-intestinal and thermal conditions, respectively. The encapsulated cells were found to be acidic and thermally resistant compared to the free cells. Similarly, encapsulated probiotics showed better viability in kefir at the end of the storage period compared to free cells. In short, the newly developed Cl-Ch hybrid-based encapsulation has a promising potential for the targeted delivery of probiotics, as career agents, in gastric transit, and in foods