Rajarshee Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Government Medical College and CPR Hospital Kolhapur

The demand for traditional dairy products in the form of ready to eat with extended shelf life has increased steadily, and to prepare them, minimum moisture has to be maintained by the application of different drying technologies. These technologies have some limitations and these can be overcome by application of foam-mat drying. This method has clear benefits, as it is capable of maintaining nutritional and sensory qualities, providing improved energy efficiency, and reducing costs. This paper covers the applications of foam mat drying in various dairy products, including yogurt, cheese, and whey powder. The challenges linked to foam stability and operational complexity need to be addressed for large scale implementation of foam mat drying.

The present study was carried out at the Bio-Control Laboratory, Entomology Section, R. C. S. M. College of Agriculture, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India, to assess the effect of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschn.) Sorokin strain AAI on the mortality and the larval protein concentration of fall armyworm. The investigation observed a 16.67% to 86.67% mortality in second instar fall armyworm (FAW) and 6.67% to 40.00% mortality in the third instar FAW in response to the tested conidial concentrations (1 x 104, 1 x 105, 1 x 106, 1 x 107 and 1 x 108 conidia/mL). On subjecting the larval mortality to probit analysis, a LC50 value of 1.43 × 106 conidia/mL and 5.53 × 108 conidia/mL was recorded against second and third instar FAW, respectively. A varied trend was observed with respect to the effect of entomopathogenic fungi on the protein concentration of FAW. The conidial concentration 1 × 106 conidia/mL decreased the protein content of third instar FAW to a greater extent than the other treatments, 96 and 144 h post treatment with respect to the control. 96 h post treatment, the larvae recorded a higher mean protein concentration (42.30 mg/g larval weight) than the control when treated by 1 × 107 conidia/mL of M. anisopliae. No treatment recorded a higher mean protein concentration than the control 144 h post treatment. Further, the protein concentration in FAW larvae decreased as the infection progressed.

To assess the efficacy and safety of oral melatonin in treating sleep problems in children with cerebral palsy (CP). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at a tertiary care government hospital in 120 children with CP (3 to 12 y) suffering from sleep problems and who failed to respond to non-pharmacological therapy (4 wk). Participants were randomized to receive oral melatonin (3mg escalated to 10mg)/ placebo for 12 wk. Sleep measures included the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC), and caregivers reported sleep and nap diaries (SND). Outcome measures included decreased sleep onset latency (SOL) and increased total sleep time (TST) calculated using sleep diaries at 4 and 12 wk. The mean (SD) total sleep time in the melatonin and placebo groups was 5.09 (0.76) vs. 4.90 (0.77) h [Mean difference (MD) 0.19; P = 0.17] at baseline; 5.66 (0.84) vs. 4.89 (0.83) h (MD 0.77; P < 0.001) at 4 wk; 6.29 (0.78) vs. 4.98 (0.85) h (MD 1.31; P < 0.001) at 12 wk, respectively. The mean (SD) sleep onset time in melatonin and placebo groups was 79.18 ± 17.89 vs. 76.78 ± 13.60min (MD 2.4; P = 0.41) at baseline; 63.70 ± 16.63 vs. 72.89 ± 15.38min (MD 9.19; P < 0.003) at 4 wk; 43.20 ± 15.57 vs. 70.92 ± 14.95min (MD 27.72; P < 0.001) at 12 wk, respectively. Melatonin was well tolerated with minimal side effects (n = 10). Melatonin, at a dose range of 3-10mg once daily can significantly reduce SOL and improve TST in children with CP who have sleep problems with minimal adverse effects.

Using activated carbon (AC) derived from used water filter cartridges (UWFC), we developed a waste-to-resource method to remove dyes from water. Mild reactivation at 400 ° C for 1 h produced AC-UWFC, which was subsequently transformed into magnetic activated carbon (MAC-UWFC) for efficient adsorption of methylene blue (MB). Characterization confirmed a mesoporous structure (BET: 404.78 m 2 g − 1 ) with high stability. Optimal adsorption occurred at a pH of 8, using 0.2 g of MAC-UWFC over 1 h. Adsorption followed the Langmuir isotherm (227.27 mg g − 1 ) and pseudo-second-order kinetics. MAC-UWFC maintained an efficiency of 92.32% after eight cycles, demonstrating its effectiveness in wastewater treatment. Preparation & applications of MAC-UWFC

Cole–Cole analysis reveals non-Debye-type relaxation , validating enhanced dielectric response in doped samples. • Dy 3 + and Ce 3 + co-substitution at Fe 3+ sites in BaFe 12 O 19 improves electromagnetic wave absorption and magnetic softness. • High saturation magnetization of 63.07 emu/g achieved at x = 0.06 composition, confirming enhanced spin alignment. • Strong microwave absorption with maximum reflection loss of − 17.64 dB at 9.54 GHz, indicating > 90 % absorption. • EMI shielding mechanism shifts from reflection to absorption with rare-earth doping, favoring stealth applications. • FTIR, ESR, and XRD confirm successful RE doping and retention of hexagonal magnetoplumbite structure. The growing demand for compact and efficient solutions in electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and microwave absorption has intensified research into advanced magneto-dielectric nanomaterials materials that exhibit both magnetic and dielectric loss mechanisms. Among these, M−type barium hexaferrites (BaFe 12 O 19 ) have gained attention due to their high magnetocrystalline anisotropy, thermal stability, and natural resonance properties. However, their limited absorption bandwidth and moderate efficiency in the X-band frequency range (8–12.4 GHz) restrict practical applications in modern communication systems and defense technologies. In this work, we report the synthesis of rare-earth co-substituted barium hexaferrite nanoparticles, specifically BaDy x Ce x Fe 12-2x O 19 (where x = 0.00–0.10), via the sol–gel auto-combustion method, a soft-chemical route known for producing fine, homogeneously doped nanopowders. The structural, morphological, and electromagnetic properties were systematically investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, electron spin resonance, vibrating sample magnetometry, and vector network analysis. The composition with x = 0.06 exhibited the most favorable performance, achieving a maximum reflection loss (RL) of − 17.64 dB at 9.54 GHz, along with a shift from reflection-dominated to absorption-dominated EMI shielding behavior. These improvements are attributed to enhanced magnetic softness, optimized dielectric and magnetic losses, and improved impedance matching between the material and free space. This study presents a promising dual rare-earth doping strategy for tailoring the microwave response of ferrites. While the present work focuses on fixed absorber thickness and ambient conditions, future research will explore flexible composite fabrication, broadband absorption behavior, and environmental stability for practical deployment in stealth and EMI shielding technologies.

This paper presents a comprehensive simulation study of a proposed 278 kWp grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system at Dr. D Y Patil Pratishthan’s College of Engineering, Salokhenagar, Kolhapur, India (16.67°N, 74.21°E). Using PVsyst V8.0.9 software and Meteonorm 8.2 weather data, the study evaluates the technical performance, energy yield, system losses, financial viability, and environmental impact of the project. The system comprises 540 WSMD-515 modules (515 Wp each) and 5 generic 50 kWac inverters, configured with a fixed tilt of 21° and zero azimuth. Simulation results indicate an annual energy production of approximately 433 MWh, corresponding to a specific production of 1557 kWh/kWp/year and a performance ratio (PR) of 79.20%. A detailed loss analysis identifies key areas of energy reduction. The financial assessment reveals a total investment of 8,380,000 INR, a Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of 1.50 INR/kWh, a payback period of 6.6 years, and an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 18.36%. The project is estimated to save 10,038 tCO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> over its lifetime. The findings suggest the project is technically sound and financially attractive under the simulated conditions.