Modifications to the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index Predicts Complications after Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Background: Preoperative malnutrition is a known risk factor for postoperative complications following total joint arthroplasty (TJA), however, there is scant literature comparing which nutritional index is best at predicting these outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility of the Maastricht Index (MI), Onodera's Prognostic Index (OPNI), the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), and a novel, modified Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (mGNRI) in predicting periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), wound complications (WC), readmission, and reoperation rates after TJA.

Methods: A single-center, retrospective cohort study was performed of patients who underwent primary TJA from January 2016 to December 2021.

Plasticizer exposure in Germany from 1988 to 2022: Human biomonitoring data of 20 plasticizers from the German Environmental Specimen Bank.

The German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) annually archives 24-h urine samples since the early 1980s. In this study, we analyzed 420 of these samples from the years 2014 to 2022 for metabolites of 18 phthalates and two substitutes. We merged the new data with the data from previous measurement campaigns to a combined dataset of 1825 samples covering a 35-year period from 1988 to 2022 to investigate time trends, calculate daily intakes and perform an anti-androgenic mixture risk assessment.

Soft Tissue Coverage for Foot and Ankle Trauma.

Lower extremity trauma can result in extensive soft tissue loss, which can require a staged multispecialty approach. Flaps can be an excellent choice for significant soft tissue loss. A variety of variables goes into the selection of a flap including understanding what the recipient site needs, available donor sites, nature of trauma, and utilization of indices to predict limb salvageability in order to strategically select the correct flap option.

Developing tardigrade-inspired material: Track membranes functionalized with Dsup protein for cell-free DNA isolation.

When developing functionalized biomaterials, the proteins from extremophilic organisms, in particular unique tardigrade disordered proteins, are of great value. The damage suppressor protein (Dsup), initially discovered in the tardigrade Ramazzottius varieornatus and found to be an efficient DNA protector under oxidative and irradiation stress, has been hypothesized to possess a good potential for the development of the material, which can isolate cell-free DNA. With this in mind, DNA-nonadsorbing polyethylene terephthalate track membranes have been functionalized using the Dsup protein via covalent bonding with glutaraldehyde.