Consumers are more aware and demanding of healthy food options, besides being concerned with environment-friendly consumption. This paper aims to evaluate nutritional, technological, and sensory characteristics of legumes and their products’ quality and versatility, considering potential applications in new food options. Legumes are foods that have a recognized nutritional group since they have high protein and fiber content. However, their consumption is still somehow limited for some reasons: in some countries it is not easy to find all the species or cultivars, they need an organization and planning before preparation since they need soaking, and there is the presence of antinutritional factors. Due to the different functionalities of legume proteins, they can be applied to a variety of foods and for different purposes, as grains themselves, aquafaba, extracts, flours, brans, and textured proteins and sprouts. These products have been inserted as ingredients in infant food formulations, gluten-free foods, vegetarian diets, and in hybrid products to reduce food costs as well. Foods such as bread, cakes, cookies, meat analogues, and other baked or cooked products have been elaborated with nutritional, technological and sensory quality. Further development of formulations focused on improving the quality of legume-based products is necessary because of their potential and protein quality. There is a wide variety of legumes: beans, soybeans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, lupins, carobs, and peanuts, which can be purchased green, dehydrated, in pods, sprouted, or in canned form .Pisum sativum L.) originating in the Mediterranean, especially in the Middle East, is one of the oldest domesticated crops in the world [Glycine max) has Asian origins and is one of the most versatile and nutritionally important legumes in the world [Cicer arietinum L.) is another legume with an important role in world food and is one of the most cultivated [Lens culinaris) is also a legume and it is estimated that in the year 2020 more than 6 million tons of lentils were produced in the world. Among the world’s largest producers, Canada and India can be mentioned, and much of this production is exported [Pea , and Capes Portal, between February of 2020 and December of 2022.The identification of the studies was performed, and the papers were selected considering the following keywords: “legumes”; “pulses”; “legumes flours”; “pulses flours”; “legumes proteins”; “protein functionality”; “technological properties”; “nutritional and technological properties”; “texture-modified foods”; “sensory quality”; “sensory properties”; “legumes plant-based”; “legumes products”; “new food options”.All the titles and abstracts of the articles were read in order to confirm if they addressed the study theme, and those that met all the inclusion criteria were read in their entirety. The targeted data included authors, legumes, food made, and outcomes. The inclusion criteria were (1) being compatible with the main subject; (2) free, online, digital access available for full reading and download. The exclusion criteria were (1) not being compatible with the main subject; (2) not addressing the topic of interest; (3) being an animal study; (4) being a dissertation, book, thesis, or literature review.Legumes consist mainly of carbohydrates 15–68%), proteins (15–40%), and dietary fiber (15–35%) and, depending on the legume, a varied content of lipids, especially soybean and chickpea. Cellulose is considered an important fiber component, found mainly in beans, peas, lentils, and green beans –68%, pro. These lIn legumes, the high amounts of protein deserve to be highlighted, which can vary from 20% in peas to 38–40% in soybeans and lupines . Legume The digestibility of legumes is lower than that of cereal proteins and this inferiority can be attributed to several factors that are related to the protein’s structure and functionality, such as relative solubility, compartmentalization, bean proteins structure compactness, cell walls permeability, and seed protective coating, in addition to the presence of substances in the seed coat, such as tannins and phytic acid, which can form insoluble complexes with amino acids, making them unavailable for absorption ,26. ThisDespite having nutritional, sensory, and versatility advantages in cooking , legumesLentil-based foods have been successfully produced and marketed in recent years. Lentils are known to induce severe allergic reactions; however, it is currently unknown whether new lentil-based pasta retains the same allergenic potential as lentil seeds. Valdelvira et al.  studied With regard to bioactive compounds, legumes have several types of compounds depending on the variety of species, color, and type of processing of the legume. For example, lupine seeds contain low amounts of carotenoids and high concentrations of tocopherols and phenolics. However, the chemical composition of Andean lupine flour was modified by the technological processes  applied ,33. AfteGermination, also known as sprouting, is the process of soaking the legumes in water and keeping them in moist conditions until they begin to germinate . LegumesB-complex vitamins, for example, can increase in germinated grains, such as lentil sprouts, of which some studies already found a significantly higher amount than in dry lentil seeds . The gerChickpea germination for 72 h followed by boiling, drying, and peeling was considered a useful technique for cooking or as a thickener for follow-on infant formulas fortified with minerals and vitamins . OhanenyBresciani and Marti  evaluatePerri et al.  germinatAhure and Ejoha  evaluateLegume flours have been inserted in diets with or without gluten to make breads , cookiesThe addition of legume flour also favors viscosity, dough volume, specific bread volume, cake tenderness, and texture of bakery . Legume Giuberti et al.  made spaHoehnel et al.  evaluateKomeroski et al.  evaluatePasqualone et al.  studied Joehnke et al.  studied Du et al.  studied Evangelho et al.  studied Ma et al.  evaluateRecent studies have shown that the viscous liquids that can be drained from cooked or canned legumes produce stable foams, emulsions, and gels. This liquid, called aquafaba, can be used as a gluten-free and cholesterol-free vegan rheological additive in many food products such as egg-free mayonnaise, meringue, mousse, whipped cream, ice cream, emulsified sauces, cocktails, and confectionery products. A recent study with chickpeas, beans, lentils, soybeans, and peas investigated the use of such ingredients ,63.Chickpea in aquafaba was studied by Mustafa et al. . AquafabStantiall et al.  also evaShim et al.  evaluateAquafaba’s physical properties, such as pH, density, viscosity, water, and oil absorption capacity, determine the functional properties of this new product. The lower pH of aquafaba can lead to an increase in foaming and emulsification properties ,63,66.Many consumers are concerned about aquafaba’s oligosaccharides, as such compounds can cause unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms such as flatulence, bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal pain . HoweverDue to its functionality, aquafaba can be used in food products, such as vegan mayonnaise and butter , and gluThe perspectives for consumption and marketing of legumes as substitutes for animal source foods also seem very promising due to the quality of the proteins in such grains, and the motivations are quite varied: for vegetarians, for nonvegetarians who respect animals, people who want to consume foods without cholesterol, or for religious or ethical reasons.Ma et al.  evaluateConsumers can have more than one motivation to replace meat with legumes and as an ingredient in processed foods, because of their promising processing qualities, since legumes can be included in many convenient products. In addition, the increased consumption of processed legumes products could reduce the use of meat in many dishes .Meat substitutes deserve to be further evaluated, especially regarding technological quality and acceptance, as some people who are interested in their consumption require that they be practical and have sensory characteristics close to the usual meat products such as appearance, texture, and general acceptability . Kim et Legumes can also be used for special diets like for people with dysphagia . The maiProtein aggregates result in thickening, increased viscosity, and the formation of a gel, whereas interactions between the denatured protein and the gelatinized starch of the legume grain contribute to the increase in apparent viscosity . ChickpeFood made with legumes as ingredients can profit from the quality of the proteins of these grains, since they may have functional properties such as solubility, water and oil retention capacities, gelling, emulsification, and foaming, among others, which are known to improve food texture ,77,78.Several minimal nonthermal processing methods are being used to induce significant changes in protein conformation and modulation without altering its native characteristics. Pulsed light, high-pressure processing (HPP), irradiation, ultrasound, supercritical carbon dioxide, plasma technology, and pulsed electric field (PEF) are emerging technologies. HPP treatment induces denaturation and aggregation or gelling of proteins with high textural properties. The functional properties of legume proteins such as hydration, gelling, and emulsification make legume proteins also suitable for industrial applications .Viscosity, water and oil retention capacity, and activity and stability of emulsions in legume preparations are influenced by the content of protein and soluble/insoluble carbohydrate ,80, polyWater absorption during immersion followed by high-temperature treatment during cooking leads to hydration and protein denaturation and starch gelatinization, in addition to solubilization ,81. ChanSoy protein has been widely used in the food industry for such purposes, in addition to peas, lentils, beans, and chickpeas ,84. In aAccording to their diverse functionalities and nutritional properties, legume proteins can be applied in a variety of foods and formulations and for different purposes. These functional properties make it possible to use legume proteins in the form of extracts, flours, textured proteins, and other derivatives in preparations such as soups, beverages, snacks, baked goods, or meat analogues . Some imThe secondary structure of legume proteins is directly linked to the functional characteristics and changes that occur in protein conformation, for example, emulsifying and foaming properties of legume proteins. High-pressure processing exposes the larger sites, which significantly improves protein digestibility due to structural loosening and protein unfolding .Different processing conditions can affect protein properties and functionality. In general, heat treatments such as cooking, microwave cooking, pressure cooking, and extrusion increase the digestibility of in vitro protein. In addition, an increase in cooking time was shown to be important for increasing in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD). Cooking resulted in better IVPD for lentils, chickpeas, peas, and soybeans, but soaking legumes before heating did not result in consistent effects. In microwave cooking, the lowest amount of energy (500 J/g) caused a significant increase in protein digestibility. A further increase in energy to 1000 J/g significantly improved protein digestibility. However, more energy input  during microwave cooking did not significantly affect protein digestibility. Soaking before pressure cooking reduced processing time and positively affected bean protein digestibility, as IVPD improved. With regard to the baking process, apparently, the process of mixing, kneading, rising, and baking the dough reduced IVPD in relation to cooking, except for the red lentil. The extrusion of common bean, pea seed, broad bean, and kidney bean flour significantly increased the IVPD up to 87% [Legumes have nutritional, technological, and sensory potential to be added to foods and become new options, and their low environmental impact should also be highlighted. However, some factors limit their use, in addition to the presence of antinutrients, which can be minimized through planning, hydration, and heat treatment. Germinated legumes have been used to improve the nutritional and sensory profile of preparations in addition to presenting lower levels of antinutritional factors.Due to the different functionalities of legume proteins, they can be applied to a variety of foods and formulations and for different purposes, whether in the form of the grains themselves, aquafaba, extracts, flours, brans, and textured proteins. From a technological point of view, the incorporation of legumes in cereal-based products has been welcome, whether for celiac individuals or people sensitive to gluten, as a strategy that adds nutritional value and expands food options. However, dough rheology and the technological quality of breads, cakes, and biscuits still need to be further investigated.Many people benefit from this increase in the consumption of legumes, such as people who do not consume gluten, vegans, vegetarians, allergic and dysphagic individuals, in addition to the world population that already has the habit of consuming such grains, which have culinary versatility. It is considered financially accessible and more sustainable than the consumption of animal source foods.For future perspectives, our research group is focusing on evaluating the behavior of different legumes associated with other vegetable options in meat analogues, as well as chemical, technological, and sensory quality of these final products.


Dr. Hamidah Hussain.Dr. Hamidah Hussain embodied everything that a global health researcher, advocate, and leader should be. Her work improved and saved countless lives across Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Indonesia, South Africa, and the Philippines. She was the co-founding Director of IRD Global in Singapore, and the founding Country Director for IRD Bangladesh. Her work included active case finding for susceptible and drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), childhood TB, TB preventive services, vaccine-preventable diseases, and malaria control programs. Hamidah previously worked at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, BRAC in Dhaka, and Aga Khan University in Karachi. She received her medical degree from Aga Khan University, her Master’s in Health Policy, Planning, and Financing from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and her PhD in health economics from the University of Bergen. She is survived by her husband, Shehzad Noorani, their son Hisbaan, her parents, and a brother. She was still raising funds while in hospital for the public health programs that she was passionate about. Hamidah’s extraordinary courage, graciousness, wisdom, generosity, and commitment to the underserved were widely admired. She was a bright star dimmed far too soon, a dedicated force when it came to saving lives. Hamidah will be greatly missed for her contagious smile and contributions to global health. A tribute to her beautiful life can be viewed here (tinyurl.com/tributetohamidah).


Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide. This study guides the prevention and diagnosis of NAFLD by analyzing its risk factors and the diagnostic value of each index for NAFLD.We collected the clinical information of adults individuals who underwent physical examination in the Physical Examination Center of Qingpu Branch of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, from January 2016 to January 2020, including gender, age, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL), direct bilirubin (DBIL), indirect bilirubin (IBIL), fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). We performed logistic regression analysis and ROC diagnostic analysis.p-values were less than 0.05). Among them, age, BMI, ALT, TG, and HDL had a predictive value for the occurrence of NAFLD in the adults . The combination of age, BMI, ALT, TG, and HDL had a diagnostic value for the occurrence of NAFLD (AUC = 0.881).The results showed that age, BMI, SBP, ALT, AST, FBG, TBIL, TG, and LDL were risk factors for NAFLD in adults, and HDL was a protective factor (all Healthy people should pay attention to their BMI levels, manage blood pressure, blood glucose, and lipid levels, and pay attention to changes in ALT and AST index levels to prevent NAFLD. Age, BMI, ALT, TG, and HDL indexes are helpful factors in the diagnosis of NAFLD. The prevalence of NAFLD is estimated to be about 25% .NAFLD is a progressive disease characterized by the accumulation of early liver fat (hepatic steatosis) and liver inflammation, promoting the transition from benign steatosis to more advanced NASH. Although the disease is reversible in its early stages, its treatment becomes more complex in the advanced stages. If left untreated, NASH may progress to cirrhosis, an irreversible disease state characterized by scarring of the liver tissue that may lead to HCC . The maiGiven that the majority of patients with NAFLD are predominantly asymptomatic, early diagnosis of NASH and accurate staging of fibrosis risk are critical for better stratification, monitoring, and targeted management of at-risk patients. To date, liver biopsy remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of NASH and NAFLD staging. However, its use is not widespread due to its invasive properties. In this study, we analyzed the general information, biochemical indexes, and risk factors associated with NAFLD and searched for significant, relevant diagnostic indexes from physical examination data from a population in Qingpu, Shanghai.2.2.1.The study subjects underwent physical examination in the Physical Examination Center of Qingpu Branch of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from January 2016 to January 2020. We collected their physical examination data. The inclusion criteria were patients diagnosed with fatty liver by B-ultrasound results, those with complete physical examination information, and patients aged ≥ 18 years. The exclusion criteria are viral hepatitis, drug-induced hepatitis, autoimmune liver disease, Wilson disease (hepatolenticular degeneration), liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, severe malnutrition, infection, bile duct infection, severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, other metabolic or immune diseases, cachexia and other malignant tumors, and long-term alcohol intake exceeding the standard . Duplicate samples were deleted.The patients were divided into a NAFLD group and a non-NAFLD (NO-NAFLD) group according to the criteria. Age, BMI, SBP, DBP, ALT, AST, TBIL, DBIL, IBIL, FBG, TC, TG, HDL, and LDL indexes were collected for comparison between the two groups. The diagnosis of fatty liver is based on the 2010 criteria of the Chinese Medical Association Society of Liver Diseases . Fatty l2.2.2 test. Data for skewed distributions were expressed as medians and quartiles and compared using the Mann–Whitney U test. When the results of the descriptive analysis were statistically different, the factor was regressed by binary logistic regression. p < 0.05 was considered a statistically significant difference.Data were statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS 26.0 software, and R software (version 3.6.3) was employed to visualize and graph the results of independent factors. Descriptive information was expressed as .A total of 31,718 physical examiners’ data were collected according to the above criteria, including 15,628 males and 16,090 females. In the 31,718-person sample, there were 16,968 patients with NAFLD and 14,750 people without NAFLD. There were differences in age, SBP, DBP, BMI, ALT, AST, TBIL, IBIL, FBG, TC, TG, HDL, and LDL between the NAFLD group and NO-NAFLD group  with a cut-off value of 125.50. The prediction of BMI was accurate  with a cut-off value of 23.25. The prediction of ALT was accurate  with a cut-off value of 16.50. The prediction of TG was accurate  with a cut-off value of 1.385. HDL was predicted with accuracy  with a cut-off value of 1.315. The accuracy of the predictive ability of the remaining indicators was poor ; Table 34.In this study, we analyzed the health data of 31,718 patients to study the risk factors associated with the occurrence of NAFLD. We found that age, SBP, DBP, BMI, ALT, TBIL, FBG, TG, and LDL were risk factors for the occurrence of NAFLD and age, BMI, ALT, TG, and HDL were valuable for diagnosing NAFLD. We also performed a combined analysis of several indicators with an AUC area above 0.7 and found that the combined five indicators of age, BMI, ALT, TG, and HDL had diagnostic value for the diagnosis of NAFLD (AUC = 0.881).Here we found age a risk factor for NAFLD development. The results of multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of NAFLD increased by 2.9% for each year of age, which is consistent with the results of several studies –11. The ALT is a common indicator of liver function. According to our study, ALT was an independent risk factor for the development of NAFLD , which is consistent with several other studies , 17, andOur study also identified SBP, DBP, BMI, FBG, TG, and LDL as risk factors for the development of NAFLD. Abnormalities in these indicators corresponded to each of the components included in METS. METS usually includes obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension . Some stObesity is a key factor in the development of NAFLD. In the present study, we found that BMI was a risk factor  and the best predictor (AUC = 0.836) of NAFLD, which is in accordance with several other studies , 25. RecDyslipidemia is also a risk factor for the development of NAFLD. In this study, LDL was the strongest risk factor for NAFLD. The risk of NAFLD increased 1.285 times for each unit increase in LDL level. TG has diagnostic value for NAFLD by a ROC analysis study (AUC = 0.78). The pathogenesis of NAFLD is thought to be related to hepatocellular fat accumulation and dysregulation of fatty acid metabolism, leading to steatosis, as well as hepatocyte inflammation and necrosis , Shanghai Health Care Commission (202040065), Research Project of Qingpu Branch of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University (QYM2020-06), the Scientific Research Foundation provided by Pudong Hospital affiliated to Fudan University , Fudan Zhangjiang Clinical Medicine Innovation Fund Project (KP7202105), and the Pudong New Area Clinical Characteristic Discipline Project (grant no. PWYts2021-11).The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.


Dear Editor,We read the article by Sun et al. published in Critical Care with great interest . The autAs is well known, antibiotics, especially broad-spectrum antibiotics, can cause significant disruption to the gut microbiota, including a 10,000-fold decrease in bacterial load and a decrease in diversity , 3. DiffFurthermore, there are also flaws in the analysis methods used in this study. Firstly, the authors used outdated OTUs for gut microbiota analysis, and ASV analysis was not performed, which weakened the power of this study. Secondly, the authors only used Lefse for differential analysis of gut microbiota between the two groups, without using more robust methods such as DESeq2. Thirdly, in this study, only a small proportion of the analysis results were adjusted for p-values, which can lead to many false positive results.Overall, this study has value of publication, but many issues still need to be addressed.


When chronic and intense, loneliness, in turn, may lead to distortions of sharing. For example, in less fortunate cases, the motivational force of loneliness is not so strong as to facilitate the sharing of our loneliness story with others or, even more, the sharing of the illusion of sharing (Kugiumutzakis, Third, I suggest that meaning. Acts of meaning (Bruner, emotional narratives with the Other (starting early in infancy; Stern, Fourth, because of the distortions of sharing, we cannot co-create  Bruner,  are impecultural membership, that is, finding one's place in the world as a doer and knower (Trevarthen, collective story-telling, which can be called ‘socionoesis”' (Trevarthen, symbolic and collaborative awareness (Trevarthen et al., cultural learning is facilitated and pride in meaning (Trevarthen, Finally, apart from the presence of an actual Other, synrhythmia, sharing and co-construction of meaning, it is The author confirms being the sole contributor of this work and has approved it for publication.


In the United States, disparities in gestational age at birth by maternal race, ethnicity, and geography are theorized to be related, in part, to differences in individual- and neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (SES). Yet, few studies have examined their combined effects or whether associations vary by maternal race and ethnicity and United States Census region.Race) on gestational weeks at birth using linear regression and on gestational age at birth categories  using multinomial logistic regression.We assembled data from 34 cohorts in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program representing 10,304 participants who delivered a liveborn, singleton infant from 2000 through 2019. We investigated the combined associations of maternal education level, neighborhood deprivation index (NDI), and Index of Concentration at the Extremes for racial residential segregation , and some college  relative to a master’s degree or higher. Those with a high school diploma or less also had an increased odds of preterm  and early term birth . In adjusted models, NDI quartile and ICERace quartile were not associated with gestational weeks at birth. However, higher NDI quartile (most deprived) associated with an increased odds of early term and late term birth, and lower ICERace quartile  associated with a decreased odds of late or post-term birth. When stratifying by region, gestational weeks at birth was lower among those with a high school education or less and some college only among those living in the Northeast or Midwest. When stratifying by race and ethnicity, gestational weeks at birth was lower among those with a high school education or less only for the non-Hispanic White category.After adjustment for NDI and ICERace.In this study, maternal education was consistently associated with shorter duration of pregnancy and increased odds of preterm birth, including in models adjusted for NDI and ICE It is wGestational age at birth is also an important determinant of cognitive and educational outcomes. Systematic reviews demonstrate that, relative to their full term peers, children born preterm are at increased risk for academic difficulties in reading and math  and thosWithin the United States, there are stark disparities in gestational age at birth, including by maternal race and ethnicity , 13. FroRacial, ethnic, and geographic disparities in gestational age at birth are theorized to be related, in part, to differences in individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) . Those ode facto) via historical and contemporary systemic racism  launched the ECHO program to investigate the influence of early life environmental exposures on child health and development. ECHO supports pediatric cohorts throughout the United States in the sharing of extant data and the collection of new data under a common protocol. This nationwide consortium is able to leverage demographic and geographic heterogeneity and a large sample size to answer important research questions about child health and development , 46. The2.2n = 8 cohorts were dropped). The secondary study population excluded three cohorts (n = 547) that enrolled only preterm births (< 37 weeks) and included 9,757 participants from 31 ECHO cohorts. This secondary study population was utilized to investigate the association between the exposures and gestational age outcome categories.The primary study population consisted of 10,304 participants from 34 ECHO cohorts who delivered a liveborn, singleton infant from 2000 through 2019 and who had the following outcome and exposure information available for analysis: gestational age at birth, maternal prenatal level of education, maternal race and ethnicity, and at least one geocoded residential address during pregnancy . We rest2.3in vitro fertilization or on artificial insemination (0%), obstetrical estimate from first trimester ultrasound (2%), obstetrical estimate from ultrasound taken in the second trimester with fetal biparietal diameter dating within 2 weeks of sure last menstrual period (LMP) (0%), ultrasound taken in the second trimester with unsure or no LMP date (0%), report from obstetrical medical record reporting “consensus” estimated date of delivery with no ultrasound documented during first and second trimester (8%), obstetrical estimate from LMP only (8%), neonatal estimate of gestational age at birth obtained from child medical records (39%), estimate from cohort research encounter (3%), report by mother (27%), and cohort-provided estimated date of delivery without further description (12%)  , 48.continuous measure  and a categorical measure . These categorizations were based on the definitions of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee Opinion  that addresses match to and the algorithms and code that attempt to select the most accurate latitude/longitude location for each address . To asseRace)   and the Race) , 55. We Race) , and preRace) , includiRace) . We chosortality . We calcortality , 57.NDI is a summary measure created through principal components analysis using the following eight census tract measures (as percentages): males in management and professional occupations, crowded housing, households in poverty, female-headed households with dependents, households on public assistance, households earning < $30,000 per year, adults with less than a high school education, and unemployed individuals . The cenRace was utilized to quantify the extent of racial segregation within the census tract and was calculated using the established formula  in the census tract.TRace ranges from −1 to 1; a value of 1 signifies that 100% of the population of the census tract is concentrated in the most racially privileged group, whereas a value of −1 signifies that 100% of the population of the census tract is concentrated in the least racially privileged group. The census tracts were matched to their corresponding ICERace value and categorized into quartiles, with the first quartile (lowest proportion of non-Hispanic White persons) representing those least racially privileged.For this analysis, the most racially privileged category was defined as non-Hispanic White persons and the least racially privileged category was defined as non-Hispanic Black persons. ICE2.6via self-report and then categorized as non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Other Race, and Hispanic. Non-Hispanic Other Race included non-Hispanic persons who identified their race as American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Asian, multiple races, or other race; these were collapsed into a single category due to small sample size.Maternal race and ethnicity were ascertained 2.7Geographic region was assigned according to United States Census regions  categori2.8Covariates for inclusion in statistical modeling were selected based on their association with SES and gestational age at birth in the literature , 56, 58 Maternal age in years (continuous), child sex , and parity  were based on medical record abstraction or maternal report. Prenatal marital status was based on maternal report and was categorized as married or living with a partner; widowed, separated, or divorced; or single, never married, and partnered not living together.via self-report or medical record abstraction with documentation of high blood pressure or anti-hypertensive medication use during pregnancy.Pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) was defined using measured or self-reported height and weight between 12 months prior to conception through the first trimester and was categorized as underweight, healthy weight, overweight or obese according to accepted definitions . GestatiPrenatal substance use was ascertained through self-report or medical record abstraction for substance use during pregnancy. Binary variables (yes/no) for tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use during pregnancy were created. Nicotine exposure was defined as cigarette smoking, use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Devices/ENDS , and other forms of tobacco . Alcohol use included the consumption of beer, wine, mixed drinks, spirits, shot liquor, or any other type of alcohol.2.9Race according to maternal race and ethnicity categories and United States Census regions  for continuous variables and the number of observations, missingness, and the percentage of total observations for categorical variables . Additio regions , 3. To e regions . We emplFor both linear and multinomial logistic regression modeling, we evaluated each SES measure of interest  using an unadjusted model (without adjustment for covariates), a co-adjusted model (adjusting the estimate for each SES exposure for the other SES exposures), and an adjusted model .Additionally, we conducted two types of sensitivity analyzes. In the first sensitivity analyzes, we explored the effect of further adjusting linear mixed effect models for maternal health conditions and behaviors previously associated with SES and gestational age at birth, including pre-pregnancy BMI and pregnancy-related conditions  and prenatal substance use , which could potentially confound or be on the causal pathway for any observed SES-gestational age at birth associations. In a second set of sensitivity analyzes, we performed ‘leave one out’ analysis in which we examined the point estimate for each SES measure of interest on completed gestational weeks in linear mixed effect modeling after excluding one cohort at a time.a priori hypotheses that there would be substantial variation by maternal race and ethnicity and United States Census region, adjusted linear models were stratified by maternal race/ethnicity categories  and by United States Census region  to examine differences by strata.We compared measures of association for unadjusted, co-adjusted, and further adjusted models to explore whether individual- and neighborhood-level measures of SES attenuate or potentiate observed associations by maternal health conditions and health behaviors. Based on Race; urbanicity; and Census region, with cohort membership as a classification variable. All statistical models were performed using non-imputed and imputed data. No substantial differences in estimated measures of association were observed when considering models based on non-imputed values  and multiple imputation values; thus, we chose to present models based on imputed data since parameter estimates were more stable. Estimates of association  by chained equations using the fully conditional specification with a discriminant function . Imputatociation –7 combinmice package . The  package  was usedgression , and the package  was used33.1Race values were lower  among mothers with lower educational levels  relative to those with higher educational levels (bachelor’s or master’s degree). Substantial proportions of the study population resided in the Northeast (41.2%) and West (28.0%) United States regions, with smaller proportions from the Midwest (15.9%) and South (14.9%). Overall, 18.4% of participants were Hispanic of any race; 54.5% were non-Hispanic White; 17.3% were non-Hispanic Black; and 9.9% were non-Hispanic Other Race. Participants’ mean age at birth was 30.5 years (SD 5.6) and approximately 35% had not given birth prior to the index delivery. Just over 40% of participants had a healthy BMI (18.5 to less than 25.0 kg/m2), with considerable variability by level of education .The primary sample consisted of 10,304 ECHO participants from 34 ECHO cohorts who delivered a liveborn infant from 2000 through 2019 with available participants’ residential address during the prenatal period . The disRace varied by maternal race and ethnicity  and after including age, marital/cohabitation status, parity, and child sex. In the unadjusted model, a significantly lower gestational age at birth was observed among those with higher levels of neighborhood deprivation (third and fourth quartiles) relative to the first quartile (lowest deprivation), with attenuation of the effect with co-adjustment for the other SES exposure variables  and virtually no change in the effect estimate with further adjustment for age, marital/cohabitation status, parity, and child sex. When considering the principal exposure of ICERace quartile, in the unadjusted model, a significantly lower gestational age at birth was found among those residing in census tracts in the first quartile  relative to the fourth quartile ; with co-adjustment and in the adjusted model, no significant associations were observed between ICERace and gestational age at birth.Gestational age at birth was significantly lower among those with up to a high school diploma or less  and some college  relative to those with a master’s degree or higher across all models , with minimal change in the effect estimate after adjusting for the other principal exposure variables  were associated with gestational age at birth outcomes  for the secondary sample in unadjusted, co-adjusted, and adjusted models . These r3.3.1In the unadjusted model utilizing the secondary study population, having a high school diploma or less vs. a master’s degree or above was associated with a significantly increased odds of preterm birth  and early term birth  and a decreased odds of late or post-term birth . Similarly, in the unadjusted model, having some college was associated with a significantly increased odds of preterm birth  and a significantly decreased odds of late- or post-term birth . With co-adjustment for other principal exposure variables, effect estimates from the unadjusted model were somewhat attenuated. In the models that were additionally adjusted for maternal age, parity, marital/cohabitation status, and child sex, having a high school degree or less vs. a master’s degree or above remained associated with a significantly increased odds of preterm birth  and early term birth . Similarly, in the overall adjusted model, having some college was significantly associated with an increased odds of preterm birth . In the overall adjusted model, having some college vs. a master’s degree or above was also significantly associated with a decreased odds of late or post-term birth .3.3.2For the secondary sample, an increased level of neighborhood deprivation (as indicated by the fourth NDI quartile) was associated with a significantly increased odds of preterm and early term birth in the unadjusted models. This association only remained significant after adjustment for the early term births . In addition, participants with increasing levels of neighborhood deprivation had a significantly increased odds of late or post term birth  in the adjusted model.3.3.3Race quartiles  vs. the fourth quartile  and preterm birth ; however, these findings became non-significant after adjustment for covariates. The unadjusted model showed a significantly increased odds of early term birth among those in the first, second, and third ICERace quartiles, with some attenuation of the effect estimate in the co-adjusted and adjusted models, resulting in some non-significant results. In the unadjusted, co-adjusted, and adjusted models, there was consistently a significantly decreased odds of late or post-term birth among those residing in the first, second, and third ICERace quartiles compared to the fourth quartile .For the secondary sample, the unadjusted model showed a significant association between residence in a census tract in the first and second ICE3.4Race and gestational age at birth after stratification by maternal race/ethnicity.In our primary study population, the association between SES exposure variables and gestational age at birth differed when stratified by maternal race/ethnic category . We obse3.5Race and gestational age at birth after stratification by United States Census Region.Associations between maternal education and gestational age at birth varied by United States Census region . We obse3.6Race with gestational age at birth also did not differ after further adjustment.Estimates that incorporated adjustments for additional covariates related to maternal health conditions and substance use behaviors had a minimal impact on the results regarding the relationship between maternal education and neighborhood deprivation and gestational age at birth . SpecifiRace  may be more salient or may reflect that there were relatively few minority participants in the highest education category. Understanding the association between individual- and neighborhood-level factors with gestational age is critical for the identification and targeting of effective solutions to improve maternal and child health and health equity.Race quartile reflecting a lower proportion of non-Hispanic White individuals in the census tract) had an decreased odds of post term birth.In our analysis of the combined effects of individual- and neighborhood-level measures of SES, neighborhood-level measures of SES were not associated with pregnancy duration overall. However, individuals living in more deprived neighborhoods  had an increased odds of post term birth, and individuals living in higher racial privilege neighborhoods  on gestational age at birth; with the inclusion of these variables in the model, a lower ICERace quartile  associated with a decreased odds of preterm birth and attenuated the association with the increased odds of early-term birth. These findings suggest a complex relationship among pre-pregnancy BMI, pregnancy-related conditions, and racial segregation that warrants further investigation. For example, are neighborhoods with a lower proportion of non-Hispanic White individuals more communal or supportive in some way that influences gestational age at birth?Notably, in statistical models that additionally adjusted for maternal health conditions, including pre-pregnancy BMI and pregnancy-related conditions  and substance use behaviors, little change occurred in the effect estimates for maternal education level and NDI quartile on gestational age at birth. This observation may suggest that these individual- and neighborhood-level measures of SES exert their influence partly through pathways that are not directly related to maternal health status and/or behaviors, which may include pathways mediated by psychosocial factors, social support and stress, environmental exposures, and access to healthy food and recreation , 64, 65.The relationship between a higher level of maternal education and a lower preterm birth risk has been previously documented in the United States , 51. AltPrevious studies employing neighborhood-level measures of deprivation largely support an association between greater deprivation and preterm birth. In one study, NDI was found to associate with preterm birth in four United States between 1995 and 2001 . LikewisRace-Income) on health outcomes found five studies examining the outcome of preterm birth; these studies support a significant association between higher racialized economic segregation and preterm birth  being associated with an increased odds of preterm birth primarily among non-Hispanic Black individuals . A systerm birth . A meta-rm birth . Anotherrm birth . The autA growing body of research has assessed area-based measures of SES in conjunction with environmental exposures to investigate preterm birth from an environmental justice perspective. Such studies have found that exposures to air pollution and water pollution increase the risk for preterm birth, particularly among neighborhoods of low SES . Future 5This study addresses an important gap in the literature, namely the limited data on racial/ethnic and geographic variation in individual- and neighborhood-level measures of SES and gestational age at birth across the United States A strength of the ECHO-wide cohort is its heterogeneity with respect to race/ethnicity, geographic variation covering multiple states and regions, and SES. Another strength of the ECHO cohort data is the availability of maternal prenatal residential addresses, which allowed for geocoding and assignment of neighborhood-level measures of SES at the census tract. Publicly available birth record data does not allow for discernment of geography to the census tract level. Within the published literature, aside from our previously published disseminated meta-analysis , no otheAn additional strength of the ECHO cohort data is the availability and wealth of data on maternal health conditions and pregnancy complications that are linked with gestational age at birth outcomes. This rich data available across the ECHO cohorts offer a unique opportunity to expand on the analyzes of geographic variation in gestational age outcomes based on natality files. Conversely, the heterogeneity of the ECHO cohorts presents limitations. There was considerable variability in the measurement methods of the different variables , thus leading to the potential misclassification of outcomes  and exposures.An important limitation of this study and many other studies is that we were unable to examine the duration of exposure to neighborhood deprivation and racial segregation, which would require the construction of longitudinal residential address data over time. Neighborhoods where a mother has lived over the life course, encompassing childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, may have significant effects on health later in life. Living in a poorer neighborhood as a youth may expose a mother to chronic stress that later increases the risk for preterm birth . A studyA further limitation of the present study is the lack of investigation into the effect of interpersonal racial discrimination on gestational age at birth outcomes in the United States A substantial body of research suggests that racial discrimination is an important stressor, especially for Black Americans, and that physiological responses to chronic stress related to interpersonal and systemic racial discrimination contribute to an excess risk of preterm birth . A syste6The findings from this analysis indicate that both maternal education and neighborhood deprivation, representing individual- and neighborhood-level measures of SES, associate with preterm birth in the United States The findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing preterm birth should include the promotion of higher educational attainment among women of reproductive age and multi-level community initiatives that foster community development. Additionally, the findings reinforce that for some racial and ethnic groups and geographic regions, factors other than higher educational attainment, such as racism, may be more salient exposures such that higher educational attainment and neighborhood privilege are not protective. Thus, interventions are needed that focus on achieving equitable access to the social determinants of health. In particular, there is a need for innovative social and economic policies and programs that support equal benefits from social resources for racial and ethnic minority individuals, including educational attainment. Such policies should focus on optimizing access to resources and assets and reducing societal and structural barriers that hinder racial and ethnic minority populations, including residential segregation and fewer and lower-quality educational opportunities . The CenSelect de-identified data from the ECHO Program are available through NICHD’s Data and Specimen Hub (DASH) . Information on study data not available on DASH, such as some Indigenous datasets, can be found on the ECHO study DASH webpage . Further enquires can be directed to the corresponding author’s.The studies involving humans were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. The ECHO study protocol was approved by the local and/or central ECHO Institutional Review Board. Written informed consent was provided by the participants’ legal guardians/next of kin .AD, MB, LD, and MM contributed to conception and design of the study. MB and MM organized the database, performed the statistical analysis, and prepared tables and figures of results. AD and MM wrote the initial drafts of the manuscript. All authors contributed data for analysis and contributed to manuscript revision, read, and approved the submitted version of the manuscript.ECHO Components—Coordinating Center: Benjamin DK, Smith PB, and Newby KL, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina; Data Analysis Center: Jacobson LP*, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Catellier D and Parker CB*, Research Triangle Institute, Durham, North Carolina; Person-Reported Outcomes Core: Gershon R and Cella D, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.ECHO Awardees and Cohorts—Alshawabkeh AN, Northeastern University, Boston, MA; Aschner J, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Dabelea D. University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO; Koinis Mitchell D, Deoni S, D’Sa V, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence RI; Duarte CS, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY; Dunlop AL, Emory University, Atlanta, GA; Elliott AJ, Avera Research Institute, Sioux Falls, SD; Ferrara A, Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Oakland, CA; Breton C, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; Hipwell A, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Karagas M, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH; Karr C, University of Washington, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Seattle, WA; Leve L, Prevention Science Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR; Ganiban J, George Washington University, Washington, DC; Weiss ST, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA; McEvoy C, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR; Lyall K, AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Philadelphia, PA; Oken E, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA; O’Shea M, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Kerver JM, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; Herbstman J, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY; Schantz S, University of Illinois, Beckman Institute, Urbana, IL; Stanford J, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Wright RJ, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; Huddleston K, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA; Sathyanarayana S, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA; Gern J, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI; Merhar S, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Ren C, Indiana University, Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, IN; Reynolds A, University of Buffalo, Jacobson School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY; Keller R, University of California, San Francisco; Pryhuber G, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY; Duncan A, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX; Moore P, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Nashville, TN; Lampland A, Children’s Hospital and Clinic Minneapolis, MN; Wadhawan R, Florida Hospital for Children, Orlando, FL; Wagner C, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC; Keller R, University of Arkansas for Medical Science; Hudak M, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, FL; Mayock D, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Washburn L, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC; Canino G, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR; Croen L, Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Oakland, CA; Detroit, MI and Zoratti E, Henry Ford Health System; Seroogy C and Bendixsen C, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, WI; Johnson C, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI; Bastain T, Farzan S, and Habre R, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; Mason A, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN; Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence RI, Lester B; Carter B, Children’s Mercy, Kansas City, MO; Pastyrnak S, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI; Neal C, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, Providence, RI; Smith L, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles CA; Helderman J, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC; O’Connor G, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA; Zeiger R, Kaiser Permanente, Southern California, San Diego, CA; Bacharier L, Washington University of St. Louis, St Louis, MO; Volk H, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; O’Connor T, University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester, NY; Simhan H, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Magee Women’s Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA; Vaidya R, Baystate Children’s Hospital, Springfield, MA; Obeid R, Beaumont Health Medical Center, Royal Oak, MI; Rollins C, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA; Bear K, East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC; Pastyrnak S, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI; Lenski, M, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, MI; Msall M, University of Chicago, Chicago IL; Frazier J, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA; Washburn, L, Wake Forest Baptist Health , Winston Salem, NC; Montgomery A, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Barone, C, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI; McKane, P, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Lansing, MI; Paneth N, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; Elliott, M, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Woodruff T, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Porucznik C, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Silver R, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Trasande L, New York School of Medicine, New York, NY; Bosquet-Enlow M, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston MA; Bush N, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA; Nguyen R, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN; Rochester, NY and Barrett E, University of Rochester Medical Center; Miller R, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY.


Scientific Reportshttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-34359-6, published online 06 May 2023.Correction to: The original version of this Article contained an error in the title of the paper, where the term “co-application” was incorrectly given as “co-inoculation”.In addition, the Article contained an error in the Acknowledgments section.“The authors thank Yasouj University, Iran, for providing the necessary material and facilities to perform this work and the Deanship of Scientific Research at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for supporting this work by Grant Code (Project Code: 22UQU4310387DSR12). The research fellowship granted by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Bonn, Germany, to AG is also gratefully acknowledged.”Now reads:“The authors thank Yasouj University, Iran, for providing the necessary material and facilities to perform this work and the Deanship of Scientific Research at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for supporting this work by Grant Code (Project Code: 22UQU4310387DSR002). The research fellowship granted by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Bonn, Germany, to AG, is also gratefully acknowledged.”The original Article has been corrected.


Protein matters and proteins matter in nutrition and health—why?Protein is one of the three macronutrients for the human body, providing amino acids and building blocks for cell, tissue, and organ maintenance and turnover. Proteins are the “molecular robots” in living systems implied in controlling, tuning, and executing molecular functions, from gene expression to metabolism.Nutrition and proteomics form a natural merger of health science with bioanalytical technology. Nutrition has the strongest life-long impact on human health, and the science has evolved from elucidating macro- and micronutrient requirements in populations to optimizing diets and delivering functional foods and ingredients for personalized nutrition, all to maintain health, prevent (chronic) disease, and enhance performance and wellbeing.Mass spectrometry-based proteomics and peptidomics are the leading platforms for the comprehensive analysis of proteins and peptides to assess food composition, quality, authenticity, and safety, and to identify biomarkers for nutritional predisposition and intervention. For this Special Issue, studies are collected on cutting-edge science about proteomics and peptidomics technology, including bioinformatics, and their deployment for (a) the analysis of food composition, quality, authenticity, and safety; (b) the identification and characterization of directional food–health relationships; and (c) the discovery and characterization of bioactives with specific health benefits, thereby leveraging food proteins beyond their purely nutritional value.Triticum aestivum. Ana G. Abril and Mónica Carrera et al. from the University of Santiago de Compostela, and the Spanish National Research Council, Vigo, Spain, present a “proteomic characterization of food-derived anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory peptides”. Mengzhen Hao, Huilian Che, and colleagues from the China Agriculture University, Beijing, identified “allergens in Pitaya seeds using proteomics and immunoinformatics”. Finally, Federica Farabegoli, Ignacio Ortea, and Celina Costas et al. from various research institutions across Spain explored “anti-inflammatory effects of inulin in a murine macrophage cell model by transcriptomics and proteomics”.Following this scope and logic, I herewith shortly introduce the contributions and the teams behind the work: Sarah Brajkovic, Claus Schwechheimer, Bernhard Kuster, and collaborators at the Technical University, Munich, and the Leibniz University, Leipzig, Germany, describe the technology and methods needed for “large-scale proteomics in crop plants”—the proteomes that feed the world. Jacqueline Monteiro from the University São Paolo, Brazil, and Jim Kaput et al. from Vydiant Inc., Madison, WI, USA, identified and analyzed “topic clusters in a nutri-, food-, and diet-proteomic corpus using machine reading”. I report on the “prediction, discovery, and characterization of plant- and food-derived health-beneficial bioactive peptides”. Salvatore Foti et al. from the University Catania, Italy, introduce “a manually curated database of the metabolic proteins of Nutrients editorial team for having made this Special Issue possible and bringing it to life.I hope you enjoy reading these articles, thereby receiving an update on a fascinating field of life science. I would like to thank all contributors, among who are many long-term colleagues and friends, and the


Camellia sinensis) is now grown commercially in more than 60 countries, where it has made great contributions to local economies [The origins of tea, a traditional beverage in China, can be traced back to the Shennong period, about 2737 years before the birth of Christ . NowadayTea’s long history and widespread popularity can be attributed to its unique and gratifying flavor, along with numerous health benefits such as its anti-oxidant, anti-obesity, and anti-microbial properties . An in-dThere are six categories of traditional tea in China, popularly known as green tea, yellow tea, white tea, oolong tea, black tea, and dark tea. Due to each one having its own specific manufacturing process, in which the degree of fermentation is a decisive factor, they are very different from one another in terms of their sensory appeal and physicochemical properties. For example, green tea, an unfermented tea variety, usually appears green in color both in terms of its leaves and the final infusion, as well as smelling refreshing and having an umami-dominated flavor. Meanwhile, black tea, with its reddish appearance and caramelized flavor, is made by applying full fermentation. Apart from the traditional teas mentioned above, since 2015 a range of “new tea drinks” have been setting off a burst of enthusiasm among young people around China, even becoming an emerging industry in their own right [A plethora of studies have been conducted to explore associations between tea’s sensory qualities, particularly its flavor, with the chemicals that emerge during tea processing. We have so far detected about 600 volatile components in tea leaves and tea drinks, each of them with different scents, like grassy, woody, floral, etc. . The flaThe healthcare functions of tea come from its rich bioactive ingredients, especially flavonoids. The exploration of tea’s functional components has always attracted a great deal of research interest. The therapeutic potentials of quite a few of tea’s components have been confirmed repeatedly, and the mechanisms involved, such as EGCG, have also been deeply studied. At the same time, however, the limits of these potentials have also been realized; like the low stability and bioavailability of these components, which limit their utilizability. Moreover, figuring out how to extract, separate, and concentrate those bioactive components in an environmentally friendly, low-cost, and high-performance manner is also worthy of focus.We launched this Special Issue of Foods, entitled “Advances in Tea Chemistry”, with the aim of publishing high-quality research on tea chemistry from a wide range of aspects, including but not limited to the sensory/flavor qualities of tea, tea processing and storage, the extraction, bioactivity, and utilization of functional components from tea, as well as new tea-based beverages or foods. This series will be useful for expanding our understanding of the associations between tea chemistry, flavor, and bioactivity.


Correction: Trials 24, 407 (2023)https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07394-xFollowing publication of the original article , we haveOriginally published Funding section:Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. Financial support for the study is provided by PENTAX Medical Europe, Julius-VosselerStraße 104, 22527 Hamburg, Germany. Specifcally, an expense allowance of 75 € will be paid for each patient recruited. In addition, the costs for applying for the ethical vote will be covered by Pentax. No further funding will be provided. The funder has had and will have no infuence on the study design, data collection, data management, data analysis, interpretation of the data, writing of the report, and the decision to submit the report for publication . Specifically, an expense allowance of 75 € will be paid for each patient recruited. In addition, the costs for applying for the ethical vote will be covered by Helios Kliniken GmbH, Germany. No further funding will be provided. The funder has, had, and will have no infuence on the study design, data collection, data management, data analysis, interpretation of the data, writing of the report, and the decision to submit the report for publication  from 31 December 2022.Additional file 3. Contract funder/coordinating study centre (translated in English) from 31 December 2022.


Epidemiology, risk factors and outcomes of prolonged mechanical ventilation with different cut-points in a PICU By Chongcharoenyanon T, Samransamruajkit R and Sophonphan J. (2023) Front. Pediatr. 11:1167595. doi: 10.3389/fped.2023.1167595A Corrigendum on Error in Author ListIn the published article, there was an error in the author list, and authors Jiratchaya Sophonphan and Rujipat Samransamruajkit are in the incorrect order. As a result the order of affiliations have also changed. The corrected author list and affiliations appears below.1, Rujipat Samransamruajkit2, Jiratchaya Sophonphan3Tatchanapong Chongcharoenyanon1Division of Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 2Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 3The HIV Netherlands Australia Thailand Research Collaboration (HIV-NAT), Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre, Bangkok, ThailandThe authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated.Error in CorrespondenceIn the published article, there was an error in the correspondence, and author Tatchanapong Chongcharoenyanon was stated as the corresponding author. The correct corresponding author appears below.rujipatrs@gmail.comRujipat Samransamruajkit, The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated.


New cytotoxic agents and regimens, as well as immunotherapeutics, have recently been introduced for treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC).To identify the patient-related and clinical and treatment-related factors associated with higher total health care expenditures in newly diagnosed patients with CRC who are receiving systemic therapy (biologic or chemotherapy) from a commercially insured population.A longitudinal, retrospective analysis was employed to estimate costs and determinants of CRC treatment in a U.S. claims database for health care services used by commercial patients aged 18 to 64 years, who were diagnosed with CRC between January 1, 2005, and June 30, 2009. Generalized linear regression modeling was used to estimate the influence of demographic, clinical, and treatment factors on medical expenditures.Among the 5,160 patients newly diagnosed with CRC, 99.6% of patients had chemotherapy; 32.6% had biologics; and 85.6% had other pharmaceuticals (excluding the chemotherapy and biologics of interest). The average annualized per patient cost of CRC treatment was $97,400 and consisted of chemotherapy , biologics , other pharmaceuticals , inpatient treatment , and outpatient treatment . From first line only, first and second lines only, and third+ lines, the cost per patient was $70,500, $100,100, and $152,900, respectively. After adjusting for health care inflation, the average treatment cost of CRC patients increased by 73% from 2005 to 2009. Adjusted analyses showed that the higher medical cost for CRC patients was associated with use of new regimens, metastasis, comorbidities, surgery, radiation, insurance plan, age, sex, and region.The health care cost of CRC treatment is increasing significantly over time, which is most likely caused by the use of new regimens, higher chances of surgery and radiation, and occurrence of various comorbidities and metastatic diseases due to increasing survival time.


Psychosis is a frequent complication in patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Characterized mainly by visual hallucinations and paranoid delusions, it occurs most frequently, but not exclusively, as an adverse effect of antiparkinson medications. Nevertheless, cognitive impairment and dementia, as a frequent feature of PD, needs to be considered for differential diagnosis.Our main objective is to report a case of PD Psychosis, its diagnosis and management and complement it with a non-systematic review of literature.Patient file consultation and an additional research, based on the key words “Psychosis” and “Parkinson’s Disease”, using Pubmed as database.A 53-year-old female, diagnosed with Juvenile Parkinson’s Disease since age 45 and, as expected, polimedicated with antiparkinson medication. Without any relevant psychiatric background, she was admitted to the emergency department for disorganized behaviour, with 2 weeks of evolution. There, it was also possible to determine the presence of auditive hallucinations and persecutory delusions, associated with marked anguish.After exclusion of any underlying cause for this symptomatology, inpatient treatment was proposed and accepted by the patient. In collaboration with the Neurology Department, a gradual reduction and optimization of antiparkinson drugs was conducted, associated with introduction of low doses of antipsychotic drugs, in this case Olanzapine. With this medication adjustments, clinical improvement was accomplished, with eventual fading and cessation of psychotic symptoms. Additionally, an irregularly intake of antiparkinson drugs was considered the most probably cause of this clinical decompensation.As present in literature, due to the chronicity and complexity of PD, stopping all antiparkinson drugs is not an option, even when psychotic symptoms, that could be a consequence of these drugs, are present. Therefore, a rigorous evaluation and management are mandatory, including the exclusion of other underlying causes and a careful therapeutic adjustment, with gradual reduction of antiparkinson drugs, addressing an eventual temporal relationship between the beginning of a specific drug and the onset of symptoms, and verification of therapeutic compliance, including an involuntary overdose. In cases of refractory symptoms, and after a risk-benefit assessment, pharmacologic treatment directed at these symptoms, low doses of anti-psychotics, may be necessary.None Declared


An affiliation for the second author was incorrectly omitted. In addition to institution number 1, Mingying Song is also affiliated to the following institution: Department of Physics, QMUL, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK.


Alvania spp. in the first site, and of Alvania and Schwartziella at Cape Verde. In spite of the large number of rissoids at Madeira archipelago, a large number of species are shared with Canaries, Selvagens, and the Azores, thus only about 8% are endemic to the Madeira archipelago. Most of the 542-rissoid species that live in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean are shallow species (323), 110 are considered as deep species, and 23 species are reported in both shallow and deep waters. There is a predominance of nonplanktotrophs in islands, seamounts, and at high and medium latitudes. This pattern is particularly evident in the genera Crisilla, Manzonia, Onoba, Porosalvania, Schwartziella, and Setia. Planktotrophic species are more abundant in the eastern Atlantic and in the Mediterranean Sea. The results of the analysis of the probable directions of faunal flows support the patterns found by both the Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity and the geographical distribution. Four main source areas for rissoids emerge: Mediterranean, Caribbean, Canaries/Madeira archipelagos, and the Cape Verde archipelago. We must stress the high percentage of endemics that occurs in the isolated islands of Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha, Cape Verde archipelago and also the Azores, thus reinforcing the legislative protective actions that the local governments have implemented in these islands during the recent years.The geographical distribution of the Rissoidae in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea was compiled and is up-to-date until July 2011. All species were classified according to their mode of larval development (planktotrophic and nonplanktotrophic), and bathymetrical zonation . 542 species of Rissoidae are presently reported to the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to 33 genera. The Mediterranean Sea is the most diverse site, followed by Canary Islands, Caribbean, Portugal, and Cape Verde. The Mediterranean and Cape Verde Islands are the sites with higher numbers of endemic species, with predominance of  Rapoport's latitudinal rule relates geographical distribution with latitude , 2. ThisAlthough studies relating biological diversity with latitude usually use higher taxonomical categories, recent papers restricted to checklists of marine molluscs have been used to address this issue –12. The The Rissoidae are a family of small-sized, marine to brackish-water gastropod molluscs. This very diverse family was taxonomically reviewed by Wenz , Coan 1, NordsiePublished information about the Atlantic and Mediterranean Rissoidae is vast and is scattered among a wide variety of journals but, with a few exceptions, these studies are typically geographically localized. Many species descriptions are usually based on shell morphology and on only a few specimens, most of them dead shells. At present, there is a lack of a background scenario of the geographical distribution for this family in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean. No phylogeny has been established for this family.To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to summarize present information about the geographic distributional pattern of this family in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, with the purpose of identifying the biotic similarities between areas.  The geographical distribution of the Rissoidae in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea was compiled through an exhaustive search of the primary literature and is up to date until July 2011. The following sites and references were considered:- ARC: Arctic: above 75° N: Warén , 25, Han- GRE: Greenland, western shores of Baffin Island, Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, and Labrador Sea: Bouchet and Warén , Hansson- ICE: Iceland: Warén , 29,- SCA: Scandinavia: Norway Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat, Baltic Sea and Faroe Islands: Fretter and Graham , Warén , 29, Han- BRI: British Isles: Smith , Fretter- POR: western Atlantic Iberian façade  and southern shores of Algarve, Portugal): Nobre , 34, Nob- MED: Mediterranean: Nordsieck , Aartsen- AZO: Azores: Watson , Dautzen- LUS: Lusitanian group of seamounts : Gorringe, Josephine, Ampère, Seine: Ávila and Malaquias , Beck et- MET: Meteor group of seamounts (located about 600 km south of the Azores): Great Meteor, Irving, Atlantis, Hyères, Plato, Tyro, Cruiser: Gofas , - MAD: Madeira, Porto Santo and Desertas Islands, Nobre , van Aar- SEL: Selvagens Islands: Verduin , Amati ,- CAN: Canary Islands: van Aartsen , Moolenb- CAP: Cape Verde archipelago: Rolán , Moolenb- STH: Saint Helena Island: Smith , MALACOL- TRS: Tristão da Cunha Island: Worsfold et al. , MALACOL- WAF: West African shores—Atlantic Morocco, from Straits of Gibraltar south, Western Sahara, and Mauritania, Cape Verde : Verduin , Gofas a- ANG: Angola: Rolán and Ryall , Rolán a- NSC: New Scotia biogeographical province—Atlantic shores of USA, between Newfoundland (50° N) and Cape Cod (42° N): MALACOLOG,- sensu Engle and Summers [VIR: Virginian biogeographical province  Summers —Atlantic- CRL: Carolinian biogeographical province–Atlantic shores of USA, between Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (35° N) and Cape Canaveral (28°30′ N): Rex et al. , MALACOL- TRO: Tropical biogeographical province —Atlantic shores of USA, south of Cape Canaveral (28°30′ N), including western and eastern shores of Florida, Gulf of Mexico , Bahamas, Caribbean Sea, south to Cabo Frio (Brazil) (23°S): Dall , Baker e- sensu Palacio [BRA: Biogeographical province of Brazil —from Ca- sensu Palacio [SSA: southeast of South America—biogeographical province of Malvinas  Atlanti Palacio , Ponder  Palacio ,- ANT: Antarctic—from 60°S south, including South Orkney Islands (Signy Island), South Shetland islands, Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea: Ponder . We have also consulted other bibliographical sources, with a wider systematical or geographical subject, such as Babio and Thiriot-Quiévreux , AartsenThe bathymetrical zonation considers shallow species  and deep species . The choice of the threshold at 50 m depth is related with the following reasons: (i) algal species to which Rissoidae are very often associated are rare below 50 m depth; (ii) direct sampling by scuba-diving is more frequent in waters less than 50 m depth; (iii) in waters deeper than 50 m depth, usually the samplings are obtained via indirect methodologies .The complete database was last updated in October 2011 and is available from the authors upon request. μm) and with several whorls , are associated with a planktotrophic mode of larval development. In most of the planktotrophic species, it is possible to discern between protoconch I and protoconch II. This is especially evident in species that possess a “sinusigera” larva, as is the case of Alvania cancellata [μm, typically more than 300 μm [All species were classified according to their mode of larval development and bathymetrical zonation. Rissoids lay ovigerous capsules in the substrate that originate larvae with different modes of larval development. The extension of the larval phase reflects on the capabilities of dispersal and this has important ecological and historical biogeographical implications, related with the geographical distribution of the species. Two types of larval development were considered: planktotrophic (with a free-swimming feeding stage) and nonplanktotrophic  , 153. Asncellata . Paucispn 300 μm , and witn 300 μm , 155–157Rosen and Smith  developeAlvania dorbignyi [Rissoina bertholleti, Rissoina spirata , and Voorwindia tiberiana [Four species considered as Lessepsian and thus reported to the Mediterranean were removed from the initial database: orbignyi , Rissoiniberiana . Unique iberiana . No cosmiberiana , 164. Triberiana  includiniberiana ), measurXA and XB) for each pair of areas (A and B) [The analysis of the historical relationships between the selected areas was complemented by using the following formulas (A and B) :A is the total number of rissoid species present in area A, and B is the total number of rissoid species present in area B. When a faunal flow happened in historical times, from a source area to the target area, we expect the target area to show a subset of the species present in the source area. So, different values of the two indices (XA and XB) are expectable, and the source area must have the smaller value [er value .Manzonia, Rissoina, Zebina, Stosicia, Pusillina, and Alvania), while others are geographically restricted. According to Ponder [Attenuata, Lamellirissoina, Lironoba, Lucidestea, Merelina, Parashiela, Striatestea, and Voorwindia are restricted to the Indo-Pacific. However, Leal [Lironoba from Brazil . Some genera solely occur in the Indian Ocean, for example, Fenella (Madagascar and Red Sea), while the genera Tomlinella is restricted to Reunion Island and Mauritius and the recently described Porosalvania is restricted to the Meteor group of seamounts [ Rissoidae family comprises 47 valid genera, some with a worldwide distribution , a widespread planktotrophic deep species; Lironoba sp., a nonplanktotrophic species restricted to the Atol das Rocas [Galeodinopsis tiberiana   , a shalstrigata , a speciiberiana , a shallThe Mediterranean Sea is the most diverse site, with 160 species of Rissoidae, followed by Canary Islands (89 species), Caribbean (77), Portugal (74), and Cape Verde (67). The lowest diversity sites are the Carolinian Province (18 species), Greenland (16), Arctic (13), Angola (11), New Scotia Biogeographical Province (10), Antarctic (8), Virginian Biogeographical Province, Tristan da Cunha Island, and Brazil , Rissoa (26), Setia (18), and Pusillina (11) are species-abundant in the Mediterranean and along the Portuguese shores. Boreocingula and Frigidoalvania (as the name indicates) are restricted to higher latitudes . Boreocingula also occurs in the British Isles, and Frigidoalvania is reported to the Atlantic shores of North America (NSC and VIR). Onoba is a genus with high number of species at Iceland and Greenland , but the most diverse sites are in the South Atlantic: 22 species at southeast of South America and 6 species at Tristan da Cunha Island and Antarctic . Crisilla and Manzonia are particularly species-diverse in the Macaronesian archipelagos, especially at Canary Islands, Selvagens and Madeira, Porto Santo, and Desertas Islands. Manzonia is a specious genus also at the Lusitanian group of seamounts. Schwartziella spp. is very abundant at Cape Verde archipelago (26 species) as well as in the Carolinian and Tropical Provinces, and at Saint Helena Islands . Porosalvania is a newly described endemic genus to the Meteor group of seamounts where it radiated into a number of species . However, fossil species of Stosicia are known from the Lower Miocene of the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean [c Region , with juaberrans , and Stoubricki    in the first site, and of Schwartziella (26) and Alvania (20) at Cape Verde. Caribbean also has a high number of endemisms (57 species), especially of the genera Alvania (19) and Rissoina (13). British Isles, Angola, New Scotia, and Virginian Provinces do not have endemic species, and Brazil, Greenland, and Scandinavia only possess a single endemic species , with predominance of  species . However species .In spite of the large number of rissoids at Selvagens (38 species), a large number of species are shared with Canaries (30) and Madeira (27) , thus on Most of the 542-rissoid species that live in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean are shallow species (329). One hundred and forty-six are considered as deep species, living in waters with more than 50 m depth, and 23 species are reported to both shallow and deep waters. It was not possible to establish the bathymetrical zonation of 44 rissoid species.Benthonella, Benthonellania, Frigidoalvania, Gofasia, Microstelma, and Pseudosetia typically are deep species, whereas Botryphallus, Crisilla, Manzonia, Peringiella, Pusillina, Rissoa, Rissoina, Rudolphosetia, Schwartziella, Setia, and Zebina are mostly constituted by shallow species. Some of these genera  are exclusively littoral. In the eastern-Atlantic shores and at latitudes higher than 55° N , Alvania genus is mostly made of deep species; in all the other sites, usually this genus is predominantly dominated by shallow species   ;shallow planktotrophic rissoid species are much more diverse along the European Atlantic shores, the west-African shores, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean than in the Atlantic islands, with the exception of Canaries ;Scandinavia, British Isles, Portugal, Angola, and the Carolinian Province are the only sites with higher numbers of shallow planktotrophic species relative to the number of shallow non-planktotrophs , 115 shallow species and 41 deep species of rissoids were analysed with the PAE methodology, using PAUP*.L = 180, Ci = 0.6389, Ri = 0.7005) with three main groups. The first one strongly clusters Portugal, the Mediterranean, British Isles, and Scandinavia, with bootstrap values higher than 91%. A second group subdivides in two: the first subgroup, the Macaronesian archipelagos of Madeira, Canary Islands, Selvagens, and the Azores clusters; the second subgroup has West-African coast, Angola, and Cape Verde Islands. In a third group, western Atlantic sites are clustered: Caribbean and Carolinian Province cluster to Brazil at 65% bootstrap value. Saint Helena Island weakly clusters to the previous sites . New Scotia and Virginian Provinces cluster in an independent group (66%), as well as Southern South America and Antarctic (95%)  .L = 82, Ci = 0.5000, Ri = 0.5816) that results from the PAUP* analysis of the deep rissoids is given in  The consensus tree  . This is By contrast, the low number of rissoids on the Virginian Province (only 7 species) is probably related with the predominance of sandy bottoms on the littoral of this biogeographical Province, and with the multiple lagunar and estuarine systems, which are inhospitable to the benthic algae where many species of these micromolluscs live . Van Rei By definition, “a species can be endemic to an area for two different reasons: (a) because it has originated in that place and never dispersed, or (b) because it now survives in only a part of its former wider range” . We do nAlvania, Crisilla, Onoba, Pusillina, Rissoa, and Setia at the Mediterranean; Benthonellania and Rissoina at the Caribbean; Manzonia and Crisilla at the Madeira, Selvagens, and Canaries archipelagos; Crisilla and Schwartziella at the Cape Verde archipelago; Onoba at Iceland; and Cingula at the geographically isolated Saint Helena Island. In some areas, a few genera went through a speciation process that led to a high number of both species and endemics, for example,  Mironov  proposedAX andB X indices) point to a faunal breakdown zone between Cape Verde archipelago and the nearest areas, with very weak relationships with the Canary Islands (7%) and West-African shores (14%), and a little bit higher similarities with Angola (27%). We must stress the high percentage of endemics that occur in the isolated islands of Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha, and at Cape Verde archipelago (more than 85% of endemics), and also at the Azores (44.7%) thus reinforcing the legislative protective actions that the local governments have implemented in these islands during the recent years. The Cape Verde islands probably received the first rissoids from West-African shores, from where it distances nowadays just about 500 km but must have undergone a long period of isolation, which explains such a high number of endemics. Also, our results  are known since the Early Miocene (Eggenburgian) of the Central Paratethys [Rissoa, Manzonia, and Alvania) are similar to their extant Mediterranean and NE Atlantic congeners, and, interestingly, all of these species possess a planktotrophic mode of larval development [ The first fossil record of the Rissoidae family is from the lower Jurassic of the Tethys Sea , 208 andratethys . The proelopment . The ancestral of the Rissoidae presumably had a planktotrophic mode of development . JablonsAlvania africana/A. beani, Alvania marioi/A. cancellata, Alvania gofasi/A. zetlandica, and Crisilla transitoria/C. semistriata.In the absence of a phylogenetic analyses for this family, one can only speculate that during geological times, the ancestral(s) (either planktotrophic or nonplanktotrophic) dispersed, reached an oceanic island by natural means  [As it is not possible to invert the loss of the planktotrophic phase, in a relatively short interval, the planktotrophic ancestral may originate one or several species, by adaptive radiation, each species occupying a different niche. This promotes the increase of the number of nonplanktotrophic species, usually with a restricted range of dispersion . Several examples are known from oceanic islands that elucidate the above-mentioned mechanisms: at Madeira, Selvagens, and Canary Islands, the rissoid genera examples . Similarspecies) , 226. Currently, we are unable to choose between the following hypotheses:colonization by an ancestral (either planktotrophic or nonplanktotrophic), followed by speciation with adaptive radiation;several independent colonizations, spaced in timed, by an ancestral that originates a different species, without adaptive radiation;both hypotheses above described.sensu strictum”: Azores, Madeira, Selvages, and Canaries), all computed pairs of areas show low relationships , especially during the sea level low stands associated with the Pleistocene glacial periods , 198, ousensu strictum” Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, and Canaries archipelagos, Another interesting feature is the isolation of the Cape Verde archipelago, which is very weakly related with the “


Correction to: British Journal of Cancer (2011) 104, 1822–1827; doi:10.1038/bjc.2011.154When originally published earlier this year in Volume 104, the authorship of this paper was incorrect. O Kirichek who is based, along with several of the other authors at Department of Medical Oncology, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK, was omitted from the author list.The full author listing is now shown, above. The authors would like to apologise for this mistake.


We want to share a happy development with you. On March 15, 2005, we set up the Mensanamonographs E-group. Within a span of two months, it had already crossed the half-century mark. It now has a seventy plus membership from all over India, and a number of oversees members too. Some prominent mental health specialists, medical professionals, researchers, educationists, and socially conscious members of society are its members. It's a no-obligations group, which even you can join where we can discuss issues concerning medicine, psychiatry, philosophy, religion, science, man and society. The only condition is ‘an honest effort to appreciate the others point of view and to indulge in a healthy give and take of ideas’.This is its home page:Mensanamonographs is an open forum to discuss psychiatric/ biomedical/ psychological/ philosophical consequences of social disorders/ issues and current events based on evidence and research studies. It is meant to provide a wide platform for serious discussion for psychiatrists, other medical scientists and clinicians, social scientists, philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, and other thinkers interested in exploring social issues with methodological rigour.Mensanamonographs is mainly interested in discussing issues concerning Psychiatry, Philosophy, Medicine, Science, Religion, Man and Society.It does not espouse any particular ideology or school of thought but invites discussion between scholars and the lay intelligent socially conscious members of all societies and cultures to discuss every possible issue under the sun but based on evidence and a healthy give and take of ideas. It encourages enquiry, openness of mind, and the ability to express and imbibe thought.Freedom of thought and expression with social commitment and the openness to discuss a wide array of subjects that concern man and society today regardless of ideological/ institutional/ political/ civilizational affiliations is its motive.All interested in honest open discussion on a wide variety of topics are welcome.If you think you enjoy serious discussion over issues and have some interesting views to share, why don't you join our mensanamonographs group where we attempt to discuss issues concerning medicine, mental health, philosophy, religion, science, man and society?We do not think it is necessary for us to agree on everything.Or on anything for that matter.The only condition is an honest effort to appreciate the others point of view and to indulge in a healthy give and take of ideas.The messages are not so many as to be overwhelming, and the group membership is moderated.http://mensanamonographs.tripod.comRelated Link: mensanamonographs-subscribe@yahoogroups.comSubscribe: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mensanamonographs/It has discussed a wide range of issues including Mental Health, Creativity, Delusions, Immunization, Thinkers in Mental Health, God, Religion, Terrorism, Bioethics, Ghazals, Einstein, Education, Buddhism, Pharmaceuticals, Suicide, Psychiatry and its Critics, Western and Indian Cultures, Patents, Implants etc. You can browse details at We would strongly recommend you visit it. And if you enjoy debates and discussion, and want to keep yourself intellectually stimulated, join it.www.msmonographs.org • http://mensanamonographs.tripod.com.We also have a website, which is worth a visit. All Monographs are available, free access on line, full text, at: We would surely welcome any feedback you may offer, by post or email:Correspondence:Dr. Ajai R. SinghEditor, MSM,Mens Sana Research Foundation14, Shiva Kripa, Trimurty Road, Mulund, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. 400080.mensanamonographs@yahoo.co.ukEmail: Meanwhile, all the best.Editors, MSM


Jocelyn Anne Rankin, PhD, (figure) chief of the Information Center at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), died on September 19, 2010, at age 63 in her Florida home. Similar to the health professionals in the organization Médecins Sans Frontières, Jocelyn was a humanitarian and a librarian sans frontières. Although some make a difference by what they do, others, like Jocelyn, also make a difference by how they do it. She was a true leader and a mentor to many librarians  throughout the nation. These colleagues will remain profoundly grateful for her contributions to the world of information science, and will, just as deeply, cherish memories of how she made her professional mark—quietly, respectfully, and selflessly, yet with clear vision, determination, and passion. Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, Dr Rankin achieved an education without borders as well: high school in Germany, a diploma in liberal arts from the American College in Paris, a BA cum laude in English from Hollins College in Virginia, an MLn in librarianship from Emory University in Atlanta, and a PhD in educational leadership from Georgia State University in Atlanta. Dr Rankin's career began at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, and continued at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, and at Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, Georgia. She designed and led the Georgia Interactive Network for Medical Information, the oldest statewide network of its kind in the nation. At CDC, she led in the creation of a state-of-the-art information center; guided implementation of an integrated, electronic information delivery system; helped create the US Department of Health and Human Services Library Consortium; and most recently, helped build the foundation for CDC’s Science Clips, a weekly digest of selected news pertinent to the public health community. Dr Rankin’s contribution as book review editor for Emerging Infectious Diseases was also highly valued.She leaves behind many who feel privileged to have known her. We offer our condolences to her husband, William Rankin; daughters, Stephanie Smith and Kimberley Macdonald; son, William Rankin III; brother, Howell Cobb; and 2 grandchildren.


Crocus sativus L. (a member of Iridaceae family) has a distinct color, flavor and smell. It is widely used as a spice, and as a coloring and flavoring agent in the preparation of foods and cosmetics. According to chemical analysis, more than 150 chemicals are present in saffron stigmas among which, the three main chemical compounds including crocins , picrocrocin , and safranal  are responsible for saffron exclusive color, taste, and odor, respectively , cardiovascular system , central nervous system , eye disease , gastrointestinal system , genitourinary system , infection disease , respiratory system , skin disease , and miscellaneous  . Saffron


What Medicine Means To Me is a first in many ways for MSM. This is the first Theme Monograph. It is also the first Monograph which has contributions from the Asian, Australian, American and African continents.Donelson Dulany, Professor of Psychology Emeritus at the University of Illinois and Editor, American Journal of Psychology, writes on, ′What Psychology Means To Me’ (p36 ).Sunil K. Pandya, who writes on ‘Where is Medical Practice In India Heading?’ (p50) and also on ‘Turning Points In My Medical Career’ (p154 ), is a Neurosurgeon and from the Dept of Neurosurgery, Jaslok Hospital And Research Center, Mumbai, India. He is also Editor Emeritus, Indian Journal Of Medical Ethics, and on the International Advisory Board of MSM.Shaukat Ali Jawaid, who writes on ‘What Medicine And Medical Journal Editing Mean To Me’ (p62 ), is Chief Editor, Pulse International, and Managing Editor, Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.Adamson S. Muula, who writes on ‘Medicine and Money: Friends Or Foe?’ (p78 ) is from the Department of Community Health, University of Malawi, College of Medicine, Malawi and Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States.Vance W. Berger, from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA, and J. Rosser Matthews, from the Virginia Commonwealth University, write on, ‘What Does Biostatistics Mean to Us’ (p89).Morten Hesse, who writes on ‘What Does Addiction Mean to Me’ is from Aarhus University, Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Købmagergade 26E, DK-1150 Copenhagen (p104).S.C. Panda, who writes on ‘Medicine: Science or Art?’ is Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, V.S.S. Medical College, Burla, Orissa, and Editor, Journal of Community Medicine (p127).Roy Sugarman, Acting Director of Psychology at Royal Rehabilitation Centre in Sydney, and Conjoint Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry at the University of New South Wales, writes on, ‘What Psychology Means to Me’ (p139).J. K. Trivedi, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, and Dishanter Goel, Junior Resident, both from the King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India, write on, ‘What Psychiatry Means To Us’ (p166). JKT has also been Past Editor, Indian Journal of Psychiatry, Past President, Indian Psychiatric Society, and is a Member of the International Advisory Board of MSM.S. Malhotra and N. Shafiq, from the Department of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, write on, ‘What Clinical Pharmacology Means to Us’ (p184).Ajai R. Singh, Editor and Shakuntala A. Singh, Deputy Editor, MSM, write Editorials on ‘To Cure Sometimes, To Comfort Always, To Hurt The Least, To Harm Never’ (p8), ‘Psychiatrists And Clinical Psychologists’ (p10), and ‘What Is A Good Editorial?’ (p14), besides writing for the Looking Mirror, ‘A look at CMAJ: A Misty Image Indeed’ (p21). Ajai R. Singh also writes Musings (p18), and in MSM Poems (p208).Avinash De Sousa, Consulting Psychiatrist, Mumbai, writes an Obituary for his mother in, ‘Dr. Mrs. Dhanalakshmi De Sousa.1938–2005.A Tribute’ (p211).K.P. Dave, retired Head, Dept. of Psychiatry, L.T.M.G. Medical College and Hospital, Sion, Mumbai, India, also writes an obituary on ‘Dr. Mrs. Dhanalakshmi De Sousa (p213).The writings present a rich and varied fare for the serious reader.


The affiliations for all authors are incorrect. The first three authors  are affiliated only with institution number 1, Milano-Bicocca University, Dept. of Geological Sciences and Geotechnologies, Milano, Italy, and not with institution number 2, and the last two authors  are only affiliated with institution number 2, Senckenberg am Meer, Marine Research Department, Südstrand, Wilhelmshaven, Germany, and not with institution number 1.


The first three authors, James R. Petrie, Thomas Vanhercke, and Pushkar Shrestha, should be noted as contributing equally to this work.