Methacrylate Cationic Nanoparticles Activity against Different Gram-Positive Bacteria.

Nanotechnology is a developing field that has boomed in recent years due to the multiple qualities of nanoparticles (NPs), one of which is their antimicrobial capacity. We propose that NPs anchored with 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) have antibacterial properties and could constitute an alternative tool in this field. To this end, the antimicrobial effects of three quaternised NPs anchored with DMAEMA were studied. These NPs were later copolymerized using different methylmethacrylate (MMA) concentrations to evaluate their role in the antibacterial activity shown by NPs. Clinical strains of Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, S. lugdunensis and Enterococcus faecalis were used to assess antibacterial activity. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined at the different concentrations of NPs to appraise antibacterial activity. The cytotoxic effects of the NPs anchored with DMAEMA were determined in NIH3T3 mouse fibroblast cultures by MTT assays. All the employed NPs were effective against the studied bacterial strains, although increasing concentrations of the MMA added during the synthesis process diminished these effects without altering toxicity in cell cultures. To conclude, more studies with other copolymers are necessary to improve the antibacterial effects of NPs anchored with DMAEMA.

Benefits of a multicomponent Falls Unit-based exercise program in older adults with falls in real life.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Multicomponent exercise programs are the cornerstone in preventing gait and balance impairments and falls in older adults. However, the effects of these programs in usual clinical practice have been poorly analyzed. DESIGN: 4-Month, twice-a-week multicomponent exercise program cohort study in real-life. SETTING: Falls Unit, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario of Albacete, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-seven participants who had experienced a fall in the previous year were included. MEASUREMENTS: Pre- and post-intervention measurements were collected for leg press, gait speed, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), the Falls Efficiency Scale International, fat mass percentage, body mass index, the Geriatric Depression Scale by Yesavage (GDS), the Mini Mental State Examination, and the number of falls. RESULTS: Fifty participants completed the program (adherence rate 75%, attendance 80%). Their mean age was 77.2 (SD 5.8) years; 39 were women. The participants reduced the mean number of frailty criteria from 2.1 to 1.3 (95%CI 0.4-1.1) and increased mean gait speed from 0.65 m/s to 0.82 m/s (95%CI 0.11-0.22), increasing their median SPPB scores from 8.5 to 10.0 points (p < 0.001), leg press strength from 62.5 kg to 80.0 kg (p < 0.001), and leg press power at 60% load from 76 W to 119 W (p < 0.001). There was also an improvement in GDS scores from 5.3 to 4.4 (95%CI 0.1-1.7). Body mass index did not change, but fat-free mass increased from 43.7 kg to 44.2 kg (95%CI 0.1-1.0), and fat mass percentage declined from 36.7% to 36.0% (95% CI 0.1-1.4). Seventeen patients (34%) had a fall during the six-month follow-up, and there was a reduction in the median number of falls from 3.0/year to 0.0/six months. CONCLUSIONS: A multicomponent Falls Unit-based exercise program as part of usual clinical practice in real life, improved physical function, reduced depressive symptoms, improved body composition and decreased the number of falls in older adults with previous falls.