Predictive value of craniofacial and anthropometric measures in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis GroupBackground: Most individuals with OSA remain undiagnosed, mainly due to limited access to effective screening tools and diagnostic facilities. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify craniofacial and anthropometric measurements that predict OSA in an Indian population. Methods and Findings: Male subjects (n = 76) between 25 and 50 years of age were recruited for the study from the general population. The study measures consisted of home-based type IV polysomnography and a total of 40 anthropometric and craniofacial measurements. Key measures were identified, and a model was developed with these variables, which predicted the presence of OSA with a sensitivity, specificity and overall accuracy of 93.1, 20.0 and 74.4%, respectively. Conclusion: This preliminary study shows the utility of craniofacial and anthropometric variables in the identification of individuals at risk of OSA. These findings need to be further validated against the results of overnight polysomnography in a large independent population

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles and their versatile antimicrobial properties

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) have been used for over a century for many purposes including as germicides. Unique physical, chemical and biological properties of Ag NPs make them suitable for a wide range of applications in different industries and biomedical fields. Green nanobiotechnology with synthesis of NPs using biomolecules (protein, enzyme, DNAand plant extracts) have become a rapidly developing research area. Green synthesis methods have overcome the disadvantages of traditional physical and chemical synthesis approaches, such as high cost, long time scales and toxicity. In the green route, the biomolecules act as both reducing and/or stabilizing agents to produce biocompatible NPs. Promising results on antimicrobial activity of AgNP against several pathogenic microorganisms have been reported in literature. The growth of multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria could be inhibited by using Ag NP. This review mainly discusses the synthesis routes and characterization of biomolecules capped Ag NPs and their enhanced antimicrobial properties towards various human and plant pathogens