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Parasite of genus Leishmania viz. L. donovani and L. infantum cause visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or Kala-azar, systemic disease with significant enlargement of the liver and spleen, weight loss, anemia, fever and immunosuppression. The silent expansion of vectors, reservoir hosts and resistant strains is also of great concern in VL control. Considering all these issues, the present study focused on in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial screening of ellagic acid (EA) against L. donovani. The in vitro study was performed against the protozoan parasite L. donovani and a 50% inhibitory concentration was calculated. The DNA arrest in the sub-G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle was studied. In vivo studies included the assessment of parasite burden and immunomodulation in response to treatment of ellagic acid in BALB/c mice. The levels of Th1 and Th2 cytokines and isotype antibodies were assessed in different groups of mice. EA showed in vitro parasiticidal activity with IC

The traditional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system depends on wired mechanical thermostats and regulators deployed at various points in the industrial environment for temperature monitoring. Due to ineffective dynamic changes according to the environment, the traditional HVAC system consumes more electrical energy. Next-generation wireless network (NGWN) systems play a vital role in improving the overall efficiency of the system by continuous monitoring and analysis. A small-scale industry using HVAC systems needs an active smart energy saver technique for maintaining an economical budget. This work uses MATLAB software to simulate and analyze the utilization of fuzzy-based NGWN to reduce the energy consumption requirements of small-scale manufacturing. In the model, a fuzzy rule is designed and applied to a small-scale enterprise divided into five sectors, one of which is temperature sensitive, with the goal of lowering the energy bill. The model employs fuzzy rules to enhance the NGWN, which minimizes the energy usage cost by 30% as compared with the traditional existing HVAC systems.

WC-10Co4Cr cladding over an austenitic stainless steel (SS-316) was fabricated by using a cost- effective microwave technique. Cladding was performed with 1.20 kW power and a frequency of 2.45 GHz in an industrial microwave oven. The XRD surveillance reveals a cluster of carbide phases adjunct to W-Cr-Fe based hexagonal matrix. The SEM examination reveals a solid microstructure and a homogeneous reinforced skeleton with porosity measures of less than 1% in the clad specimen. Tungsten (W) distributed equally in matrix and carbides, resulting in bulk hardness and matrix micro hardness increasing gradually and reaching a peak at 750HV, respectively, which is significantly greater than the base metal (SS-316) hardness (about 220HV). The clads erosive wear was measured at various impact angles (30°, 60°, and 90°) by utilizing a solid particle erosion with alumina as the erodent. In addition, corrosion testing found that in the NaCl solution of 3.5 wt% the cladded specimen exhibited the less corrosion resistance than that of the base metal.

In the issue of cyber security, block-chain, which is best known for crypto currencies, is providing an interesting answer. Block-chain has excellent safeguards against information manipulation. It supports securing access to Internet of Things (IOT) devices. Furthermore, it enables hacked IOT network instruments to be closed and unplugged. Block-chain serves as a distributed ledger system. It is used in conjunction with IOT to enable machine-to-machine interactions. It makes use of a database that contains a collection of transactions. These transactions are double-checked and recorded in a central ledger. On each node, these ledgers have been deployed. The idea of block chain is discussed in conjunction with the Internet of Things in this research study. Several studies in the fields of block-chain and IOT are considered in this paper. The necessity for block-chain and its development have been discussed in terms of its applicability difficulties. In addition, the significance of block chain in IOT-based research for online transaction security is examined.

Honey bee glue (HBG) or propolis is produced by honey bees and used as cementing material for sealing within the hive which is considered as a waste by the beekeepers. Due to its umpteen biological properties, it is having the potential for drug development against infectious diseases. The management of leishmaniasis relied wholly on injectable chemotherapeutic agents with a lengthy regimen and no vaccine is available. Moreover, the growing drug resistance alarming the entire community about the upcoming menace. Hence, it is of utmost importance to discover and explore new compounds against Leishmania infection, which are effective, safe, and cheaper. The present study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Indian honey bee glue (HBG), a natural, resinous by-product of the apiculture industry against the promastigote and amastigote forms of the sensitive and resistant strains of Leishmania donovani. HBG was characterized through GC-MS screening and phytochemical (qualitative and quantitative) analysis was done. In vitro (anti-promastigote) and ex vivo (anti-amastigote) activities against sensitive and resistant strains of L. donovani were assessed. Cytotoxicity, ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation, cell membrane integrity, and cell cycle analysis were evaluated. Chemical characterization by GC-MS revealed the presence of different biologically active components in honey bee glue (HBG). Our results showed the activity of HBG with an IC50 of 27.95 ± 1.53 μg/mL and 29.43 ± 1.54 μg/mL against the sensitive and resistant L. donovani promastigotes respectively. An IC50 of 20.93 ± 1.35 μg/mL and 20.22 ± 1.53 μg/mL was observed against the sensitive and resistant amastigotes of L. donovani. Moreover, the cytotoxicity test against the human cell line showed a CC50 value of 811.30 ± 73.44 μg/mL. In addition to this, it enhanced the ROS production and oxidative stress exhibited by the altered levels of lipid peroxidation, superoxide radicals, lipid bodies, and cell membrane integrity within the parasitic cells and mediated their killing by arresting the DNA in the sub-G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. The antiparasitic action together with GC-MS data revealed the importance of this by-product from the apiary industry. Therefore, HBG can be a good option to develop a new drug molecule against the deadly infection of Leishmania eventually.

Powders of Titanium Carbide (TiC) along with Cupronickel (70Cu-30Ni) and Chromium (Cr) as binders, were deposited over SS316 steel specimens by using High Velocity Oxy Fuel (HVOF) process for obtaining novel composite coatings. Characterization of the developed coatings were analyzed by using Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Surface hardness, surface roughness, and porosity values of the developed coatings were evaluated. High stream water jet rig was availed for cavitation erosion tests, in which submerged specimens were pounded by high velocity water stream of water under variable impingement conditions comprising of stream velocity, Stand-off Distance (SOD), and angle of attack. Cavitation Erosion was evaluated and compared with coated and uncoated specimens. From the acquired data, it was deduced that HVOF coated specimens were more effective in resisting cavitation erosion with contrasted to uncoated steel specimens, owing to better microhardness. Moreover, coatings with titanium carbide (TiC) + 50% of cupronickel-chromium (70Cu-30Ni)-Cr were found to be more repellent to induced pressure waves than any other proportion of coatings for cavitation erosion tests due to the intermediate hardness and better damping effect imparted due to higher porosity. Further, mixed manner of failure was analyzed in case of TiC+50%(70Cu-30Ni)-Cr coating.

Looming drug resistance cases of leishmaniasis infection are an undeniably serious danger to worldwide public health, also jeopardize the efficacy of available drugs. Besides this, no successful vaccine is available till date. Since the ancient era, many plants and their parts have been used as medicines against various ailments. Hence, the importance of drug development for new molecules against Leishmania infection is significant that is a cost-effective and safer drug preferably from the natural herbal resources. We evaluated the GC–MS screening and efficacy of Putranjiva roxburghii (PR) against the sensitive and resistant promastigotes of L. donovani. GC–MS profiling revealed that the extract was rich in myo-inositol-4-C-methyl, azulene and desulphosinigrin. Quantitative investigation of phytoconstituents confirmed that PR was rich in phenols, flavonoids and terpenoids. We found an IC50 25.61 ± 0.57 µg/mL and 29.02 ± 1.21 µg/mL of PR against sodium stibogluconate sensitive and resistant strain respectively. It was found to be safer in cytotoxicity assay and generated ROS mediated oxidative stress in the parasitic cells which was evidenced by the increased and decreased levels of superoxide radicals, lipid peroxidation products, lipid bodies and levels of thiol, plasma membrane integrity respectively. Therefore, our results support the importance of P. roxburghii as a medicinal plant against L. donovani and showed potential for exploration as an antileishmanial agent.

Selective laser melting (SLM) has received huge attention recently by the research community due to feasibility of realization of tailored intricate metallic structures having applications in biomedical, aviation and energy industries. SLM of Ti6Al4 V is found to be one of the most demandable and potential area. Present work is aimed for critical review of noteworthy contributions in terms of SLM process parameters, defects and various post processing techniques considered by various researchers. Proper selection of process parameters can arrest the tendency of defect generation and appropriate post treatment results in improvement in mechanical behavior in comparison with as-built SLMed Ti6Al4 V components. Efforts have been made to identify correlations between SLM parameters, specially scan speed, laser power, hatch spacing and layer thickness, with prominent defects. Different post processing approaches considered by important research studies have been extensively analyzed and their impact on defects and mechanical behavior especially fatigue performance and biocompatibility of SLM-fabricated Ti6Al4 V alloy is revealed. Many remedies have been identified in the form of optimization of process parameters and post processing techniques. The outcomes of work have clearly facilitated in developing a better scientific understanding of SLMed Ti6Al4V alloy and have also opened many dimensions for future investigations.

Recently microwave assisted materials processing earningvoguedue to inherent gains in terms of time and energy efficiency, substantially reduced process cycle time, revamp mechanical properties, and beneath environmental hazards. During processing of materials through microwaves, equally electric and magnetic energy is linearly transferred within materials via interfacing interaction between molecules. Microwave processing is pertinent to vast variety of materials including metal matrix composites (MMC), fibre reinforced polymer (FRP), alloys, ceramics, metals, pulverize metallurgy, metal coating/ cladding etc. This paper presents several key fundamentals of microwaves and concisely depicts the studied microwave materials interaction mechanism. Microwave energy are extensively used, notably in the areas like coating, glazing and cladding on various metallic substrate materials like mild steel, and different grades of stainless steel (SS-316, SS-316L, SS-304, AISI-420) etc. Microwave applications in improving the surface properties of metallic materials are briefly reviewed in this paper.

Al-Zn-Cu alloy Al7050-T7451 is used extensively in the aero-space industries. Aerospace components are generally joined using riveting, which increases the overall weight of aeroplane. In this context, friction stir welding (FSW) process could be a potential solution. In this research work, Al7050-T7451 specimens were welded by FSW, using different parametric combinations of tool rotation and welding speed. The friction-stir weldments were further subjected to deep cryogenic treatment. Microstructure and some mechanical properties of the weldments were investigated for both cryo-treated and untreated conditions. It was observed that the grain size of the nugget zone (NZ) got refined after the cryogenic treatment. It was also revealed that microhardness was more in case of cryo-treated joints as compared to untreated. Micro-hardness of the NZ was observed to be highest due to formation of finer grains after exposure to cryogenic temperature. Deep cryogenic treatment has also improved impact toughness and tensile properties such as yield strength and % elongation of the FSW joints.

In the present work, Cr3C2-25NiCr and WC-10Co-4Cr coatings were deposited on AISI304 turbine steel using HVOF-spray process. Performance of these HVOF-spray coated and bare turbines steel was investigated under varied conditions of slurry erosion. Slurry erosion resistance was premeditated by using a laboratory developed slurry erosion test rig. Phases, microstructure and eroded surface were characterized using SEM and XRD analysis. It was observed that HVOF-spray WC-10Co-4Cr coating had shown remarkable erosion resistant feature due to the presence of dense, well bonded structure along with higher hardness followed by Cr3C2-25NiCr coated steel and AISI 304 bare turbine steel. It was observed that under erosion condition, bare steel and Cr3C2-25NiCr coating exhibited ductile followed by brittle mechanisms respectively. Similarly degradation mechanism for WC-10Co-4Cr coating exhibited mainly ductile behaviour

This work presents a novel insight into slurry erosion behavior of thin layer of carbon fiber–epoxy-based composite adhered on 16Cr5Ni steel (adhesive coating) to evaluate its viability as a feasible candidate for slurry erosion applications. Experiments were conducted on a laboratory-developed slurry erosion test rig under accelerated conditions to study the effect erosion parameters namely slurry concentration, impact angle, and impact velocity. Under all the experimental conditions, adhesive coating showed better slurry erosion resistance in comparison with bare 16Cr5Ni steel specimens. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that in the case of bare 16Cr5Ni steel; ploughing, micro-cutting, crater, plastic deformation, and lip formation were identified as main mechanism responsible for slurry erosion, whereas in the case of adhesive coating; pitting, cracking, fracturing, and shearing-off were found to be mainly responsible for material loss. It implies that adhesive coating showed a brittle mode of failure under slurry erosion conditions, whereas 16Cr5Ni steel exhibited a ductile mode of erosion.

The hashing is done by the block-chain technology during block creation. There are many hashing algorithms available, including SHA128, SHA256, SHA512, and MD5. It has been noticed that SHA256 is often utilized in block-chain. When selecting an effective hashing method, many variables such as storage space, time complexity, and collision ratio are taken into account. SHA256 is more resistant to collisions and takes up the least amount of space. The hashing method utilized in the proposed study is modified MD5. Traditional MD5, on the other hand, has a lower collision resistance than SHA256 but requires less storage space. The goal of this study is to offer a better modified MD5 method that is less time intensive and has greater collision resistance than conventional MD5. As a result, a system that is capable of providing security while also performing well is required. In this study, the modified MD5 was simulated for storage capacity and collision probability, as well as a CPU clock cycle simulation. When compared to MD5, SHA1, and SHA256, the modified MD5 results demonstrate improved collision resistance while using less storage space and time.

In the present study, in-depth characterization of the high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF)-spray WC-Co-Cr and CoNiCrAlY coatings deposited on CA6NM turbine steel was done using scanning electron microscope (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), roughness tester, microhardness tester, and optical image analyzer. Further, these coatings were tested under accelerated slurry erosion conditions using a high-speed erosion test rig. The effects of three different parameters related to actual operating conditions, namely erodent velocity relative to target surface, average erodent particle size, and slurry concentration on erosion behavior of these coatings, were investigated. SEM images on the specimen surface taken before and after erosion tests were carefully examined to understand the possible erosion mechanism. The study revealed that HVOF-sprayed WC-Co-Cr coating was found to impart higher erosion resistance in comparison with CoNiCrAlY coating under all the slurry erosion conditions. The reason for this behavior may be attributed to the higher hardness of HVOF-sprayed WC-10Co-4Cr coating in comparison with CoNiCrAlY coating.

In this study, we explored

Tropical and subtropical areas of the world are affected by leishmaniasis, which is caused by Leishmania spp. It has been categorized as an NTD (neglected tropical disease) because of its negligence. The sand fly of genus Phlebotomus acts as the vector for the transmission of the promastigote form of this protozoan parasite to the mammalian host where it converts to amastigote form in the macrophages. Visceral form of leishmaniasis (VL) is a deadly infection in the endothelial system of the human and other mammals. Only a few chemotherapeutic agents are available for the treatment of this infectious disease whereas no vaccine is available for the control of leishmanial infection. Therefore in the current study, we have tested the effects of gardiquimod (a TLR agonist) as an adjuvant in combination with the formalin-killed antigen of L. donovani as a vaccine. The mice were vaccinated thrice at an interval of 2 weeks and challenged with L. donovani promastigotes after 2 weeks of the last vaccination. We assessed the parasite load, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses, humoral and cell-mediated immune response in BALB/c mice before and after challenge infection with L. donovani. Immunized mice were found to have the least parasite load, high DTH response, elevated levels of Th1 cytokines, IgG2a, and nitric oxide than non-immunized and infected control mice. The efficacy of the vaccine was boosted with the use of adjuvant gardiquimod that depicts its potential as an adjuvant in this study. Our study is reporting the adjuvant effects of gardiquimod for the first time. Further studies using other Leishmania species can be performed to signify its role.

Looming drug resistance cases of leishmaniasis infection are an undeniably serious danger to worldwide public health, also jeopardize the efficacy of available drugs. Besides this, no successful vaccine is available till date. Since the ancient era, many plants and their parts have been used as medicines against various ailments. Hence, the importance of drug development for new molecules against Leishmania infection is significant that is a cost-effective and safer drug preferably from the natural herbal resources. We evaluated the GC–MS screening and efficacy of Putranjiva roxburghii (PR) against the sensitive and resistant promastigotes of L. donovani. GC–MS profiling revealed that the extract was rich in myo-inositol-4-C-methyl, azulene and desulphosinigrin. Quantitative investigation of phytoconstituents confirmed that PR was rich in phenols, flavonoids and terpenoids. We found an IC(50) 25.61 ± 0.57 µg/mL and 29.02 ± 1.21 µg/mL of PR against sodium stibogluconate sensitive and resistant strain respectively. It was found to be safer in cytotoxicity assay and generated ROS mediated oxidative stress in the parasitic cells which was evidenced by the increased and decreased levels of superoxide radicals, lipid peroxidation products, lipid bodies and levels of thiol, plasma membrane integrity respectively. Therefore, our results support the importance of P. roxburghii as a medicinal plant against L. donovani and showed potential for exploration as an antileishmanial agent.

Kinteoplastid protozoan parasite of genus Leishmania is the pathogen that causes leishmaniasis. Its prevalence is highest after malaria and visceral leishmaniasis is the most dreaded form of infection. No vaccine is available for the disease management and it relies wholly on a few chemotherapeutic agents which are toxic and besides drug resistance their costs are the limitations. Therefore, development of an effective vaccine is urgently required. In this study, Montanide ISA 201 and AddaVax were assessed for their adjuvant potential along with formalin-inactivated or killed vaccine for the immune induction. Immunological and parasitological studies were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of different vaccine formulations in BALB/c mice before challenge infection as well as 4, 8, and 12 weeks after challenge. The efficacy of vaccines was evidenced with reduced parasite burden, the higher DTH response, Th1 cytokines, and IgG2a isotype antibody in immunized mice. All the vaccines showed their potential against Leishmania donovani infection and vaccine formulated with Montanide ISA 201 exhibited maximum efficacy. Our results suggest the potential of these vaccine formulations in controlling Leishmania infection.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected tropical disease caused by Leishmania donovani or Leishmania infantum. Currently, the patients are treated with chemotherapeutic drugs; however, their toxicity limits their use. It would be desirable to develop a vaccine against this infection. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of different vaccine formulations at variable time points. Heat-killed (HK) antigen of Leishmania donovani was adjuvanted with two adjuvants (AddaVax and Montanide ISA 201) and three immunizations at a gap of 2 weeks (wk) were given to BALB/c mice. After 2 weeks of the last booster, mice were given challenge infection and sacrificed before challenge and after 4wk, 8wk, and 12 wk post-challenge. Significant protective immunity was observed in all the immunized animals and it was indicated by the notable rise in delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response, remarkably declined parasite burden, a significant increase in the levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-12, interleukin-17 (Th1 cytokines), and IgG2a in contrast to infected control mice. Montanide ISA 201 with HK antigen provided maximum protection followed by AddaVax with HK and then HK alone. These findings elaborate on the importance of the tested adjuvants in the vaccine formulations against murine visceral leishmaniasis.

In the present work, an attempt has been made to investigate the slurry erosion problem using numerical simulation approach. AISI304 steel has been chosen as the base material for the present study. Performance of AISI304 steel under the range of slurry erosion conditions such as an impact angle and impact velocity of the erodent particles are investigated using laboratory developed slurry erosion test rig. To simulate the similar conditions virtually as available in the hydropower plant, finite element analysis software named as Abaqus has been used. Model has been developed using explicit dynamic solver approach. For correlating the behavior of the material with real time conditions, Johnson cook material model and failure model has been used. To simulate the solid particles impact, general contact penalty method has been adopted. Erosive wear rate is correlated with material removal rate and depth of penetration. It has been observed that the simulated results using Abaqus explicit are in confirmation with the experimental results. Furthermore, to analyze the mechanism of erosion, substrate surface was analyzed with reference to stresses and plastic strains developed by the impact of erodent particles.

In research work variation of cutting performance with pulse on time, pulse off time, wire type, and peak current were experimentally investigated in wire electric discharge machining (WEDM) process. Soft brass wire and zinc coated diffused wire with 0.25 mm diameter and Die tool steel H-13 with 155 mm× 70 mm×14 mm dimensions were used as tool and work materials in the experiments. Surface roughness and material removal rate (MRR) were considered as performance output in this study. Taguchi method was used for designing the experiments and optimal combination of WEDM parameters for proper machining of Die tool steel (H-13) to achieve better surface finish and material removal rate. In addition the most significant cutting parameter is determined by using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Keywords Machining, Process Parameters, Material removal rate, Surface roughness, Taguchi method

Morbid infection of leishmaniasis is posing threat to humankind due to its exacerbating prevalence in newer emerging areas. Moreover, the availability of limited drugs, their toxicity, limited efficacy, the emergence of drug resistance, and unavailability of vaccines are the major obstacles in its elimination. This implies the demand for a prophylactic vaccine candidate to prevent this infection and resulting fatal disease. We evaluated gardiquimod (a toll-like receptor-7 agonist) for its action as an adjuvant with the heat-killed antigen of Leishmania donovani. BALB/c mice were immunized with a vaccine either with or without adjuvant and given challenge infection. The results depicted the low parasite burden, higher delayed-type hypersensitivity response, and higher levels of IgG2a, Th1 cytokines, and NO in immunized mice in contrast to infected control mice. Low levels of Th2 cytokines and IgG1 were also noticed in the vaccinated mice than in infected mice. The mice immunized with a combination of gardiquimod and heat-killed antigen showed maximum efficacy. The results from the present study reflect the potential of tested vaccine candidate with gardiquimod as an adjuvant.

Erosion due to slurry has an indispensable effect on the lifespan and operating efficiency of hydro machine components. To mitigate this effect, laser cladding may prove as a cost-effective choice to improve the surface properties of various hydro machine components. In this research work, a laser cladding of Colmonoy-6 + 50%WC powder on the surface of SS410 steel was deposited using high-power diode laser at optimized levels of operating parameters. The deposited coating was characterized with regard to different mechanical and metallurgical properties. The effect of various factors such as slurry concentration, erodent particle size, impact velocity, and impact angle on slurry erosion behavior of uncoated and laser cladded substrate was analyzed. The Colmonoy-6 + 50%WC cladded specimens exhibited significantly better slurry erosion resistance in comparison with uncoated SS410 steel specimens under all slurry erosion conditions. Impact velocity was observed to be a maximum contributor to slurry erosion, followed by impact angle, average particle size and slurry concentration. The SEM micrographs of eroded cladded surfaces showed signatures of lip formation & fracture sites, micro-cutting, ploughing, and wear marks at a shallow impact angle in Colmonoy-6 pool, however, for normal impact, the existence of cracks in WC particles were observed.

Hydrophobic materials have the potential to replace the existing surface modification materials to combat the problem of cavitation erosion (CE), owing to their various capabilities like self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, anti-fogging, anti-icing, anti-fouling, and drag-reduction. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a hydrophobic material exhibits specific combination of properties such as low friction coefficient, chemically neutral, good impact strength and considerable thermal firmness, that allow PTFE to be used in a wide range of applications. Therefore, in this work, an effort has been made to explore the effect of thickness of hydrophobic PTFE coatings on CE of the hydro-machinery SS410 steel. Hydrophobic PTFE coatings with three variable thicknesses have been prepared on the hydro-machinery SS410 steel using sintering process. Using high-velocity submerged water jet cavitation erosion test rig, CE behaviour of PTFE coated and bare SS410 steel was evaluated under various combinations of operating parameters: namely jet velocity, stand-off distance (SOD), and impact angle. Contact angle was reported to be increased with the decrease in the thickness of PTFE layer, which may be due to the increased surface roughness of PTFE layer with decrease in thickness. CE resistance of PTFE coated material with a maximum thickness of 121 μm, was found to be highest for all the combinations of operating parameters, which may be attributed to its lowest fracture toughness and better cushioning effect. Further, it was observed that CE of the coated and SS410 steel was found to be maximum at the chosen maximum velocity, normal impact angle, and intermediate SOD. The signatures of pits with circular and elongated morphology were observed for normal and shallow impact angles, respectively. In case of lowest PTFE layer thickness, overlapped pits with relatively higher depth were observed, which might be responsible for higher CE of the same amongst all the PTFE coatings.

Slurry erosion behaviour of high velocity oxy fuel (HVOF) and high velocity oxy liquid fuel (HVOLF) sprayed coatings on hydraulic turbine material (i.e. CA6NM steel) was investigated at different levels of various parameters. The 50 % (WC–Co–Cr) and 50 % (Ni–Cr–B–Si) coating powder was deposited on CA6NM steel samples by HVOF and HVOLF thermal spraying techniques. Erosion tests were conducted on self-made erosion test rig with various factors as explained in the "experimentation" section. Coated and uncoated samples of CA6NM steel were investigated by following a design of experiments based on the L9 Taguchi technique, which was used to obtain the data of erosion test in a controlled way. Four parameters used in L9 experiment were velocity, impact angle, slurry concentration and average particle size. The study revealed that the velocity, impact angle and slurry concentration were most significant among various parameters, influencing the wear rate of the coatings. The average particle size did not show any significant effect on both the coatings. In comparison, coated samples showed approximately two times better results in erosion resistance than uncoated samples. Scanning electron microscopy of eroded surface showed different mechanisms of erosion on different samples under various conditions.

The present work describes the application of High-Velocity oxy-fuel spray process with Ni-20Cr2O3 powder deposition on the various pipeline steels namely SS 202, SS 304, and mild steel. The slurry erosion wear tests were performed on coated and uncoated steels by considering slurry concentration, impact velocity, and erosion time as input parameters. It was concluded that for all materials, rpm (impact velocity of erodent's) influences on erosion wear the most. It was also noticed that the erosion resistance has been improved with SS 202 steel followed by to SS 304 and mild steel. Further, Ni-20Cr2O3 coatings showed maximum enhancement in slurry wear resistance of mild steel, followed by SS 304 steel and SS 202 steel.

The composite materials have received great attention due to their light weight, high performance, environment friendly and wear resistance properties and excellent tribololgical properties over the metals and their alloys. There is a good scope to develop new aluminum based composite material which will further improve these properties. Therefore in this research work, a new aluminum based composite material was successfully fabricated by reinforcing with fly ash and Silicon carbide and its mechanical properties like wear resistance, hardness and tensile strength were investigated.

Aluminum alloys are used in automobile and aerospace industries because of their low density and good mechanical properties, better wear resistance as compared to conventional metals and their alloys. In these industries there is continues demand to develop light weight, inexpensive and strong material which has led to the development of aluminum alloy metal matrix composites with ceramics as reinforcement particles. In this present work, aluminum based metal matrix composites have been fabricated using SiO2 and TiO2 as reinforcement materials by stir casting process and wear behaviour, hardness and breaking load have been evaluated.

Erosive wear behaviour of hydraulic turbine material i.e. CA6NM is investigated. The samples of CA6NM steel were coated by (50%) WC-Co-Cr and (50%) Ni-Cr-B-Si powder with plasma thermal spray technique. Erosion tests have been conducted on self-made erosion test rig which has varying factors. The comparison has been done for mass loss for coated and uncoated materials at different conditions. The study reveals that the impact velocity, slurry concentration and impact angle are most significant among various factors influencing the wear rate of these coatings. After a fix time weight loss on samples are compared. This technique helps in saving time and resources for a large number of experimental trials and successfully predicts the wear rate of the coatings both within and beyond the experimental domain. The coated samples show better results as compared to uncoated. SEM analysis gives the information about the surface topography of samples.

Bio-char has a potential to actively reduce the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and enhance the sustainability of agriculture. In present investigation, bio-char (less carbonization) considered as low rank char and charcoal (more carbonization) considered as high rank char were taken for assessment of soil carbon sequestration and as enhancer of soil properties (soil organic matter, available potassium and phosphorus, urease activity, and microbial population). Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) were applied on the data set. Study suggests that carbon sequestration is highest with high rank char, however, low rank char can improve the quality of soil more. Hence, bio-char used for soil amendment and carbon sequestration may have rational proportion of condensed ring and oxygenated functional groups.

In this study, Cr2O3 coatings were deposited on CF8M and CA6NM turbine steels by high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF)-spray process and analyzed with regard to their performance under slurry erosion conditions. High Speed Erosion Test Rig was used for slurry erosion tests, and the effects of three parameters, namely, average particle size, speed (rpm), and slurry concentration on slurry erosion of these materials were investigated. SEM micrographs on the surface of samples, before and after slurry erosion tests, were taken to study the erosion mechanism. For the uncoated steels, CA6NM steel showed better erosion resistance in comparison with CF8M steel. The HVOF-sprayed Cr2O3-coated CF8M and CA6NM steels showed better slurry erosion resistance in comparison with their uncoated counterparts. It may be due to the higher hardness as a result of HVOF-sprayed Cr2O3 coating in comparison with the uncoated CF8M and CA6NM steels.

Hydroturbine components generally suffer from severe wear due to slurry erosion caused by solid particles entrained in the flowing water. High-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spray process is known for depositing protective coatings on the materials. In this work, WC–10Co–4Cr and Al2O3+13TiO2 coatings were deposited on CF8M turbine steel by HVOF spray process and studied with regard to their performance under slurry erosion conditions. High speed erosion test rig was used for slurry erosion tests and effect of three parameters namely average particle size, speed (rpm) and slurry concentration on slurry erosion of these materials was investigated. The bare steel and Al2O3+13TiO2 coating followed ductile and brittle mechanisms respectively under slurry erosion, whereas the WC–10Co–4Cr coating exhibited mixed behaviour (mainly ductile). WC–10Co–4Cr coating was found to be useful to increase the slurry erosion resistance of steel remarkably.

Slurry erosion of turbine components is a serious problem in most of the hydraulic power plants all around the world. Although some counter measures such as catchment area treatment to reduce the amount of sand particles going through the turbine components and modifying the hydraulic shape of turbine to reduce slurry erosion have been taken, still slurry erosion is responsible for heavy economic losses. Research is also in progress for improving the surface properties of the turbine components by the application of thermal sprayed coatings. Among various thermal spray processes, high-velocity oxy fuel (HVOF) spray process is a relatively industrially established and economical process. In this paper, an attempt has been made to describe HVOF thermal spray technology. Further, this paper presents a tutorial introduction, comprehensive history, and review of research work done on the use of this technique to provide protection against slurry erosion of some metals and alloys with a special emphasis on the hydraulic turbine steels.

Oral cancer is the most common head and neck cancer, found in 270,000 patients annually worldwide. Some cancers develop from precancerous lesions; however, there is no definitive clinico pathological factor or biomarker that reliably enables malignant transformation to be predicted in an individual patient. Early detection and early treatment of oral cancer are important for improving the survival rate of patients; prevention of oral cancer will clearly contribute most to decreasing its death rate. So correct diagnosis and timely treatment of premalignant lesions with high risk of malignant transformation may help to prevent malignant transformation.

Degradation of surfaces of hydroturbine components caused by impact of abrasive particles carried by flowing water is a serious issue. To counteract the same, surface modification of turbine materials by the application of protective coatings is gaining popularity these days. In this work, Cr3C2–NiCr coating was deposited on CA6NM turbine steel by the HVOF spray process and studied with regard to its performance under different slurry erosion conditions. The effect of three parameters, namely average particle size of slurry particles, speed (rpm), and slurry concentration on slurry erosion of this coating material, was studied by using a high speed erosion test rig. The analysis of the surfaces of the samples before and after slurry erosion tests was done by using SEM. The HVOF sprayed Cr3C2–NiCr coating showed very good performance under slurry erosion in comparison with uncoated CA6NM steel.