Correction to: Influence of cancer and acute inflammatory disease on taste perception: a clinical pilot study.

The Acknowledgement Statement was incorrect in the original publication of this article [1] and the previous correction note [2]. The correct statement is as follows.

Correction to: Influence of cancer and acute inflammatory disease on taste perception: a clinical pilot study.

The "Acknowledgment Statement" of the published paper is incorrect. The correct statement should be the below: Acknowledgements We thank Sarah Vogel for her support in taste test realization and Yvonne Sauermann for preparation of the tastant solutions. The present work was carried out by Ms. Schalk in order to meet the requirements for the awarding of the title of Dr. med. at the FAU.

Influence of cancer and acute inflammatory disease on taste perception: a clinical pilot study.

PURPOSE: Cancer patients are at high risk of malnutrition and tumor cachexia further increasing morbidity and mortality. Reasons for cachexia are not clear yet, but inflammatory processes as well as the occurrence of taste disorders reducing nutrient uptake are discussed to play key roles. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into causative factors of taste disturbance in cancer patients. Does the cancer itself, inflammatory processes or cancer therapy influence taste disorders? METHODS: To capture an underlying taste disorder patients with cancer (n = 42), acutely hospitalized inflammatory disease patients (n = 57) and healthy controls (n = 39) were examined. To assess the influence of chemotherapy, patients with and without chemotherapy were compared. Taste tests were performed according to DIN ISO 3972:2011. Inflammation was recorded using laboratory parameters. Statistical evaluation was conducted using the Software R. RESULTS: Cancer patients showed significantly increased taste thresholds for sweet, salty, and umami compared to healthy controls. There were no significant differences in taste detection and recognition between patients with former, current, or without chemotherapeutical treatment. Patients with an acute inflammatory disease showed an increased taste threshold for umami compared to healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: It could be shown that cancer patients suffer from taste disorders irrespective of an existing chemotherapeutical treatment. Cancer-related inflammation appears to have a greater impact on taste perception than an acute inflammatory process. Therefore, an adapted dietary adjustment should be carried out at an early stage for cancer patients in order to avoid nutritional disorders caused by a taste disorder.

[The application of interactive multimedia software in taxonomy and biological diversity studies]. / Aplicaciones de los programas multimedia interactivos a la taxonomía y a los estudios de diversidad biológica.

To study biodiversity and to monitor changes in our biological environment high quality taxonomic and distributional data are imperative. At present access to species information and identification keys is limited by the fact that literature is scattered over a vast amount of sources. Exchange of biodiversity data between various researchers is hampered by the lack of universal documentation tools. The introduction of PC's in biological sciences rendered thousands of small and medium sized databases in hundreds of different incompatible formats. Modern multimedia computer techniques, allowing nearly unlimited storage of graphic information in addition to text, will facilitate distribution of easy accessible data. The Linnaeus II software package for biodiversity documentation is an answer to these needs as it presents a universal tool for biologists to document biodiversity and exchange standardized data. Regularly updated electronic monographs on CD-ROM will form the basis for modern, fast accessible libraries.