CuO NANOPARTICLES: SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND THEIR BACTERICIDAL EFFICACY

Objective: In the present study copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized. The antibacterial activity of CuO nanoparticles was carried out against Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans.Methods: The synthesis was carried out by coprecipitation method using copper sulfate and sodium hydroxide as precursors. The synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-vis spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX) techniques. Besides, this study determines the antibacterial activity and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CuO nanoparticles against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans) and gram-negative (E. coli and Proteus vulgaris) bacteria.Results: The average crystallite size of CuO nanoparticles was found to be 19 nm by X-ray diffraction. FT-IR spectrum exhibited vibrational modes at 432 cm-1, 511 cm-1 and 611 cm-1were assigned for Cu-O stretching vibration. According to UV-Vis spectrum, two bands were observed at 402 nm and 422 nm. ED's spectrum shows only elemental copper (Cu) and oxide (O) and no other elemental impurity was observed. The antimicrobial assay revealed that Proteus vulgaris showed a maximum zone of inhibition (37 mm) at 50 mg/ml concentration of CuO nanoparticles.Conclusion: In conclusion, copper oxide is a good antibacterial agent against both gram positive and gram-negative organisms

Use of thiopurines in inflammatory bowel disease : an update

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), once considered a disease of the Western hemisphere, has emerged as a global disease. As the disease prevalence is on a steady rise, management of IBD has come under the spotlight. 5-Aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents and biologics are the backbone of treatment of IBD. With the advent of biologics and small molecules, the need for surgery and hospitalization has decreased. However, economic viability and acceptability is an important determinant of local prescription patterns. Nearly one-third of the patients in West receive biologics as the first/initial therapy. The scenario is different in developing countries where biologics are used only in a small proportion of patients with IBD. Increased risk of reactivation of tuberculosis and high cost of the therapy are limitations to their use. Thiopurines hence become critical for optimal management of patients with IBD in these regions. However, approximately one-third of patients are intolerant or develop adverse effects with their use. This has led to suboptimal use of thiopurines in clinical practice. This review article discusses the clinical aspects of thiopurine use in patients with IBD with the aim of optimizing their use to full therapeutic potential.Peer reviewe

Evaluation of Tensile Properties Using Uni-Axial Testing and Correlation with Microstructure of AA2014 alloy

AA2014 is most widely used metal among the aluminium alloy series due to its exceptional corrosion resistance, low density rate, and it can maintain high strength and toughness at various temperatures. So, these materials have their application in the aerospace, military and the automotive sector. The present work focuses on evaluating the mechanical properties such as ultimate Tensile strength (UTS), Yield strength (YS), and percentage of elongation using Uniaxial Tensile test. The three controllable factors used in the present study are temperature ranging from 200 to 300°C with 50°C increment, orientation 0,45,90 degree relative to the rolling direction and strain rate 0.001,0.01 and 0.1mm/sec. A total of 27 experiments were planned and conducted based on the design of experiments. Experimental results show that with increase in strain rate increasing of material properties furthermore with increase in temperature decrease of material properties and increase in the percentage of elongation was observed. In addition to that ANOVA analysis was carried out and noticed that strain rate is most effecting parameter for UTS and temperature is most effecting parameter for YS and percentage elongation. The fracture specimens from uniaxial test are investigated for type of fracture through microstructural studie