Pair Of Bands Research Articles

Alignment of UAV-hyperspectral bands using keypoint descriptors in a spectrally complex environment

ABSTRACTNear earth imaging spectroscopy has gained popularity in the recent past due to its increasing capabilities to acquire data with unprecedented abundance of spatial resolution and spectral purity. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based portable hyperspectral sensors employing snapshot based scanning mechanisms further advances these capabilities with improved spatial co-registration of pixels. However, unavoidable motion of UAV pose challenges in spectral co-registration which is pronounced in spectrally complex environments of heterogeneous ecosystems. In this study, the different feature descriptor techniques such as Harris-Stephens Features (HSF), Min Eigen Features (MEF), Scale Invariant Feature Transformation (SIFT), Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF), Binary Robust Invariant Scalable Keypoints (BRISK), and Features from Accelerated Segment Test (FAST) were evaluated to align hyperspectral bands in a spectrally complex environment. A band alignment workflow was devised and operated in different band-wise arrangements (spectral order and temporal order) of the acquired hypercube. The co-registration accuracy between the adjacent band pairs (reference-transformed) upon registration was estimated using Root-Mean-Square Error (RMSE) and Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient (PCC) based approaches. Furthermore, a standard transformation workflow was used to evaluate the efficiency of the different feature descriptor based band-to-band registration approaches.

Partitioning the regional and local drivers of phylogenetic and functional diversity along temperate elevational gradients on an East Asian peninsula

Species-centric approaches to biodiversity in ecological research are limited in their ability to reflect the evolutionary history and functional diversity of community assembly. Recently, the introduction of alternative facets of biodiversity, such as phylogenetic and functional diversity, has shed light on this problem and improved our understanding of the processes underlying biodiversity patterns. Here, we investigated the phylogenetic and functional diversity patterns of α, β and γ components in woody plant assemblages along regional and local elevational gradients in South Korea. Although the patterns of phylogenetic and functional diversity varied along regional and local elevational transects, the main drivers were partitioned into two categories: regional area or climate for phylogenetic diversity, depending on whether the transect was at a regional or local scale; and habitat heterogeneity for functional diversity, which was derived in elevational bands. Moreover, environmental distance was more important than was geographic distance for phylogenetic and functional β diversity between paired elevational bands. These results support the hypothesis that niche-based deterministic processes such as environmental filtering and competitive exclusion are fundamental in structuring woody plant assemblages along temperate elevational gradients regardless of scale (regional vs. local) in our study areas.

Spectral responses of linear grating filters under full-conical incidence.

To completely clarify the spectral responses of linear grating filters (LGFs) under full-conical incidence (where the incident plane is parallel to the linear grating bars), a bandstop LGF is implemented on an HfO2-on-silicon platform, and its spectral responses are comprehensively investigated. The measured spectra agree well with the simulated outcomes. For the TM- (or TE-) polarized wave under full-conical incidence, there exists a pair of resonance bands, whose spectral features differ significantly from each other. One resonance band has a high angular tolerance and is capable of accommodating divergent waves, whereas the other band presents a tunable spectral linewidth and can be used to achieve an ultra-high Q-factor. In particular, it is demonstrated that all of the resonance bands under full-conical incidence are degenerate regardless of what the value of the incident angle is. Our investigations reveal interesting spectral attributes of LGFs under full-conical incidence, which are highly beneficial for developing new filtering devices.

Age and growth of sharks: do vertebral band pairs record age?

Inaccurate age estimates can have severe consequences in the management of elasmobranchs. Numerous studies in shark age validation have demonstrated a disconnect between band pair counts and age, resulting in age underestimation, particularly in older individuals. To investigate the relationship between band pairs, vertebral shape and growth, we quantified intracolumn differences in centrum morphology (size and structure) and band pair counts in seven shark species: Squatina dumeril, Carcharodon carcharias, Lamna nasus, Isurus oxyrinchus, Alopias vulpinus, Prionace glauca and Carcharhinus obscurus. In all species examined, band pair deposition was closely related to body girth and the structural properties of the cartilaginous skeleton, relative to maximum size, and body type. These results have strong implications for accurately assessing age for fisheries management of these species.

Age and growth estimates of the blue shark Prionace glauca in the central South Pacific Ocean

The age and growth of the blue shark Prionace glauca in the central South Pacific is described based on 267 specimens that were collected by scientific observers on board Taiwanese large-scale tuna longline fleets between May 2009 and May 2011. Growth band pairs (identified as translucent and opaque bands) were counted on images photographed from X-ray films of the vertebrae from the caudal peduncle region. The marginal increment ratio and centrum edge analysis indicated that a growth band pair was formed on the vertebral centrum once per year. The band pairs after the birthmark were counted from 2 to 11 for females and from 2 to 15 for males. The bias corrected Akaike information criterion indicated that the von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF) best fitted the observed total length (TL)-at-age data. The parameters of sex-specific VBGF were estimated as follows: for females, theoretical maximum length (L∞) mean±s.d.=330.4±46.6cm TL, growth coefficient k=0.164±0.057year–1 and theoretical age at length 0 (t0)=–1.29±0.78 years; for males, L∞=376.6±32.6cm TL, k=0.128±0.022year–1 and t0=–1.48±0.54 years. The longevities were estimated to be at least 16.8 and 21.6 years for females and males respectively.

Spectroscopic characteristics of chromium ions in PbO-Al2O3-P2O5 glass system

PbO–Al2O3–P2O5glasses containing different concentrations of Cr2O3 (ranging from 0 to 1.5 mol %) were prepared by melt quenching technique. The amorphous nature of the prepared glass samples conformed by X-ray diffraction method. A number of spectroscopic studies viz., infrared, optical absorption spectra, ESR and fluorescence of these glasses have been carried out. The analysis of these results point out that chromium ions mostly exist in Cr3+ state when the concentration of Cr2O3<1.0 mol% and above this concentration, these ions seem to exist in Cr6+ state in the glass network. The optical absorption spectra bands observed at about 450 and 650 nm are assigned to 4A2 → 4T1 (F), 4A2→ 4T2 transitions respectively. Additionally, a pair of weak bands at 690 and 700 nm observed due to 4A2 → 2T1 and 4A2 → 2E (spin and parity forbidden) transitions.

Comparison of Cloud Type Classification with Split Window Algorithm Based on Different Infrared Band Combinations of Himawari-8 Satellite

Cloud detection and classification form a basis in weather analysis. Split window algorithm (SWA) is one of the simple and matured algorithms used to detect and classify water and ice clouds in the atmosphere using satellite data. The recent availability of Himawari-8 data has considerably strengthened the possibility of better cloud classification owing to its enhanced multi-band configuration as well as high temporal resolution. In SWA, cloud classification is attained by considering the spatial distributions of the brightness temperature (BT) and brightness temperature difference (BTD) of thermal infrared bands. In this study, we compare unsupervised classification results of SWA using the band pair of band 13 and 15 (SWA13-15, 10 and 12 μm bands), versus that of band 15 and 16 (SWA15-16, 12 and 13 μm bands) over the Japan area. Different threshold values of BT and BTD are chosen in winter and summer seasons to categorize cloud regions into nine different types. The accuracy of classification is verified by using the cloud-top height information derived from the data of Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO). For this purpose, six different paths of the space-borne lidar are selected in both summer and winter seasons, on the condition that the time span of overpass falls within the time ranges between 01:00 and 05:00 UTC, which corresponds to the local time around noon. The result of verification indicates that the classification based on SWA13-15 can detect more cloud types as compared with that based on SWA15-16 in both summer and winter seasons, though the latter combination is useful for delineating cumulonimbus underneath dense cirrus regions

The COV defect in neutron irradiated silicon: An infrared spectroscopy study

We report infrared (IR) spectroscopy studies on defects in carbon containing neutron irradiated Czochralski grown silicon (Cz-Si). Prior to irradiation the material was subjected to high temperature treatments (HT) at 1000°C. Two weak bands at 842 and 852cm−1 were mainly investigated. It was found that their intensity depends on the oxygen and carbon content of Si. Additionally, the bands exhibit an annealing behavior similar to that of the 3942cm−1 optical band of the carbon-oxygen-vacancy (COV) complex, previously reported in electron irradiated Si. Semi-empirical calculations of the local vibration mode (LVM) frequencies of a proposed structure of the COV complex are in very good agreement with our experimental data. These findings led us to assign the pair of bands at 842 and 852cm−1 to the COV defect.

Cross-Frequency Phase: Phase Coupling of EEG Signals During Near-Seizure Epochs

In the spirit of my two recent SSRN e-papers, this one investigates and illustrates quadratic phase coupling between different frequency bands of EEG at the same scalp electrode location during near-seizure epochs. The dual-seizure experience of the patient studied in my first paper is analyzed here, concentrating on the time segments the half-hour before seizure, during the seizure itself, then the half-hour right after. The phase-phase couplings of two specific pairs of frequency bands are investigated, delta-theta and theta-slow gamma. Both studies are based on and inspired by previous investigations of the possible significance of these specific couplings, perhaps including lower frequency band modulation of higher frequency oscillations.

Reconstruction of River Boundaries at Sub-Pixel Resolution: Estimation and Spatial Allocation of Water Fractions

Boundary pixels of rivers are subject to a spectral mixture that limits the accuracy of river areas extraction using conventional hard classifiers. To address this problem, unmixing and super-resolution mapping (SRM) are conducted in two steps, respectively, for estimation and then spatial allocation of water fractions within the mixed pixels. Optimal band analysis for the normalized difference water index (OBA-NDWI) is proposed for identifying the pair of bands for which the NDWI values yield the highest correlation with water fractions. The OBA-NDWI then incorporates the optimal NDWI as predictor of water fractions through a regression model. Water fractions obtained from the OBA-NDWI method are benchmarked against the results of simplex projection unmixing (SPU) algorithm. The pixel swapping (PS) algorithm and interpolation-based algorithms are also applied on water fractions for SRM. In addition, a simple modified binary PS (MBPS) algorithm is proposed to reduce the computational time of the original PS method. Water fractions obtained from the proposed OBA-NDWI method are demonstrated to be in good agreement with those of SPU algorithm (R2 = 0.9, RMSE = 7% for eight-band WorldView-3 (WV-3) image and R2 = 0.87, RMSE = 9% for GeoEye image). The spectral bands of WV-3 provide a wealth of choices through the proposed OBA-NDWI to estimate water fractions. The interpolation-based and MBPS methods lead to sub-pixel maps comparable with those obtained using the PS algorithm, while they are computationally more effective. SRM algorithms improve user/producer accuracies of river areas by about 10% with respect to conventional hard classification.

Are Pacific spiny dogfish lying about their age? A comparison of ageing structures for Squalus suckleyi

Historically, Pacific spiny dogfish (Squalus suckleyi) have been aged using dorsal fin spines, a method that was validated through bomb radiocarbon analysis and oxytetracycline tagging. However, ages generated using this method generally have poor precision and require estimation of missing growth bands in eroded spines, prompting a search for improved age determination methods. In the present study, spiny dogfish were aged using the historical spine method and a new method involving stained thin sections of vertebral centra. Results of an inter-laboratory exchange demonstrated the need for readers to calibrate ageing criteria with a reference collection before reading structures, a practice that yielded significant improvements in between-reader precision of spine band pair counts. After calibration, the primary readers examined the full sample set. The two structures yielded similar age estimates for younger animals, but centrum estimates were consistently younger than spine estimates after age-10. Although further work is necessary to fully explore potential reasons for the observed bias, such as centrum size and location within the vertebral column, at the present time centra are not a suitable alternative to dorsal fin spines for age determination of Pacific spiny dogfish &gt;10 years of age.

Age and growth of the banded guitarfish Zapteryx exasperata (Chondrichthyes: Trygonorrhinidae)

The banded guitarfish (Zapteryx exasperata) is the third most abundant ray species in the artisanal elasmobranch fishery of Baja California Sur, Mexico. However, there is no biological information about its age and growth parameters, limiting the application of some quantitative population assessment methods, such as demographic models. The aim of the present study was to estimate, for the first time, age and individual growth of Z. exasperata. Biometric data from 244 individuals and 236 vertebrae were analysed. The largest number of banded guitarfish in fishery landings was observed during April and August, with a female:male sex ratio of 1:1.8. The size range was 56.4–103-cm total length (TL) for females and 51.6–92cm TL for males, with females being significantly larger than males (P&lt;0.05). The periodicity of the vertebral edge suggests that growth band pairs form annually. The estimated age structure was 5–22.6 years for females and 4–19.6 years for males, with significant differences between sexes (P&lt;0.01). The goodness-of-fit of three models was evaluated. For the von Bertalanffy growth model, the parameters were as follows. For females: theoretical maximum length, L∞ = 100.71cm TL; growth coefficient, k = 0.144year–1; and theoretical age at length zero, t0 = –0.39years. For males: L∞ = 89.78cm TL; k = 0.174year–1; and t0 = –0.65years.

Composite Weyl nodes stabilized by screw symmetry with and without time-reversal invariance

We classify the band degeneracies in 3D crystals with screw symmetry $n_m$ and broken $\mathcal P*\mathcal T$ symmetry, where $\mathcal P$ stands for spatial inversion and $\mathcal T$ for time reversal. The generic degeneracies along symmetry lines are Weyl nodes: Chiral contact points between pairs of bands. They can be single nodes with a chiral charge of magnitude $|\chi|=1$ or composite nodes with $|\chi|=2$ or $3$, and the possible $\chi$ values only depend on the order $n$ of the axis, not on the pitch $m/n$ of the screw. Double Weyl nodes require $n=4$ or 6, and triple nodes require $n=6$. In all cases the bands split linearly along the axis, and for composite nodes the splitting is quadratic on the orthogonal plane. This is true for triple as well as double nodes, due to the presence in the effective two-band Hamiltonian of a nonchiral quadratic term that masks the chiral cubic dispersion. If $\mathcal T$ symmetry is present and $\mathcal P$ is broken there may exist on some symmetry lines Weyl nodes pinned to $\mathcal T$-invariant momenta, which in some cases are unavoidable. In the absence of other symmetries their classification depends on $n$, $m$, and the type of $\mathcal T$ symmetry. With spinless $\mathcal T$ such $\mathcal T$-invariant Weyl nodes are always double nodes, while with spinful $\mathcal T$ they can be single or triple nodes. $\mathcal T$-invariant triples nodes can occur not only on 6-fold axes but also on 3-fold ones, and their in-plane band splitting is cubic, not quadratic as in the case of generic triple nodes. These rules are illustrated by means of first-principles calculations for hcp cobalt, a $\mathcal T$-broken, $\mathcal P$-invariant crystal with $6_3$ symmetry, and for trigonal tellurium and hexagonal NbSi$_2$, which are $\mathcal T$-invariant, $\mathcal P$-broken crystals with 3-fold and 6-fold screw symmetry respectively.

Evaluation of a polymorphism in MYBPC3 in patients with anthracycline induced cardiotoxicity

Cardiotoxicity is the most serious side effect of anthracyclines (doxorubicin, daunorubicin or epirubicin). The incidence of anthracycline induced late cardiac toxicity (AIC) that is overt clinically is 3–5% in the Indian population. Polymorphism in intron 32 (deletion of 25bp) of MYBPC3 has been shown to be present exclusively in Asians and more so in South India (3–8%). The frequency of the polymorphism is significantly higher (13%) in patients with cardiomyopathy in India. Fifteen patients were identified to have cardiac dysfunction following treatment for malignant lymphoma with doxorubicin containing regimens. Peripheral blood DNA from control, amplified by polymerase chain reaction yielded a 467bp fragment while in the presence of the 25bp deletion only a 442bp fragment was detected. To confirm the presence or absence of the polymorphism, amplified DNA was restricted using Bgl1 in all samples. Bgl1 restricted amplified DNA only if the 25bp deletion was absent. A 467 base pair band was observed in all the 15 samples, which suggested the absence of polymorphism in MYBPC3. In a sample of DNA from a patient with a deletion in exon 33 (confirmed by sequencing) a 442bp fragment was detected. Amplified DNA from this patient was not restricted with Bgl1. Wild type MYBPC3 when amplified gave a distinct restriction banding pattern consisting of two bands of 401bp and 66bp. Amplified DNA from all peripheral blood samples restricted with Bgl1 suggesting the absence of the polymorphism. In this preliminary report, MYBPC3 does not seem to play a role in anthracycline induced cardiotoxicity.

A Tenable Approach for Protection of Electronic Medical Records Using Thermal Image Watermarking

This paper presents a novel security architecture for protecting the integrity of facial signature images and templates using watermarking and Visual Cryptography (VC). The proposed scheme offers a complete protection framework for the facial signature biometrics consists of two stages: the first stage is for facial signature image protection while the second is for the facial signature template. Firstly, a watermark text which carries personal information of the patient is embedded in the middle band frequency region of the facial signature image using a novel watermarking algorithm that randomly interchanges multiple middle band pairs of the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). Secondly, the proposed algorithm is fully integrated and consolidates the critical steps of feature extraction. The novel approach at developing a thermal signature template ensured that unforeseen changes in the vasculature over time did not affect the biometric matching process as the authentication process relied only on consistent thermal features.

High-pressure modulation of the structure of the bacterial photochemical reaction center at physiological and cryogenic temperatures

The optical absorption and fluorescence response to external high pressure of the reaction center membrane chromoprotein complex from the wild-type non-sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides was investigated using the native pigment cofactors as local molecular probes of the reaction center structure at physiological (ambient) and cryogenic (79 K) temperatures. In detergent-purified complexes at ambient temperature, abrupt blue shift and accompanied broadening of the special pair band was observed at about 265 MPa. These reversible in pressure features were assigned to a pressure-induced rupture of a lone hydrogen bond that binds the photo-chemically active L-branch primary electron donor bacteriochlorophyll cofactor to the surrounding protein scaffold. In native membrane-protected complexes the hydrogen bond rupture appeared significantly restricted and occurred close to about 500 MPa. The free energy change associated with the rupture of the special pair hydrogen bond in isolate complexes was estimated to be equal to about 12 kJ mol−1. In frozen samples at cryogenic temperatures the hydrogen bond remained apparently intact up to the maximum utilized pressure of 600 MPa. In this case, however, heterogeneous spectral response of the cofactors from the L-and M-branches was observed due to anisotropic build-up of the protein structure. While in solid phase, the special pair fluorescence as a function of pressure exactly followed the respective absorption spectrum at a constant Stokes shift, at ambient temperature, the two paths began to deviate strongly from one other at the hydrogen bond rupture pressure. This effect was tentatively interpreted by different emission properties of hydrogen-bound and hydrogen-unbound special pair exciton states.

Torsion-rotation structure and quasi-symmetric-rotor behaviour for the CH3SH asymmetric CH3-bending and C-H stretching bands of E parentage

High-resolution Fourier transform spectra of the asymmetric methyl-bending and methyl-stretching bands of CH3SH have been recorded employing synchrotron radiation at the FIR beamline of the Canadian Light Source. Analysis of the torsion-rotation structure and relative intensities has revealed the novel feature that for both bend and stretch the in-plane and out-of-plane modes behave much like a Coriolis-coupled l-doublet pair originating from degenerate E modes of a symmetric top. As the axial angular momentum K increases, the energies of the coupled “l=±1” modes diverge linearly, with effective Coriolis ζ constants typical for symmetric tops. For the methyl-stretching states, separated at K=0 by only about 1cm−1, the assigned sub-bands follow a symmetric top Δ(K−l)=0 selection rule, with only ΔK=−1 transitions observed to the upper l=−1 in-plane A′ component and only ΔK=+1 transitions to the lower l=+1 out-of-plane A″ component. The K=0 separation of the CH3-bending states is larger at 9.1cm−1 with the l-ordering reversed. Here, both ΔK=+1 and ΔK=−1 transitions are seen for each l-component but with a large difference in relative intensity. Term values for the excited state levels have been fitted to J(J+1) power-series expansions to obtain substate origins. These have then been fitted to a Fourier model to characterize the torsion-K-rotation energy patterns. For both pairs of vibrational states, the torsional energies display the customary oscillatory behaviour as a function of K and have inverted torsional splittings relative to the ground state. The spectra show numerous perturbations, indicating local resonances with the underlying bath of high torsional levels and vibrational combination and overtone states. The overall structure of the two pairs of bands represents a new regime in which the vibrational energy separations, torsional splittings and shifts due to molecular asymmetry are all of the same order, creating a challenging and complex vibration-torsion-rotation coupling environment.

Semiclassical theory of anisotropic transport at LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces under an in-plane magnetic field

The unconventional magnetotransport at the interface between transition-metal oxides $LaAlO_3$ (LAO) and $SrTiO_3$ (STO) is frequently related to mobile electrons interacting with localized magnetic moments. However nature and properties of magnetism at this interface are not well understood so far. In this paper, we focus on transport effects driven by spin-orbit coupling and intentionally neglect possible strong correlations. The electrical resistivity tensor is calculated as a function of the magnitude and orientation of an external magnetic field parallel to the interface. The semiclassical Boltzmann equation is solved numerically for the two-dimensional system of spin-orbit coupled electrons accelerated by an electric field and scattered by spatially-correlated impurities. At temperatures of a few Kelvin and densities such that the chemical potential crosses the second pair of spin-orbit split bands, we find a strongly anisotropic modulation of the (negative) magnetoresistance above 10 T, characterized by multiple maxima and minima away from the crystalline axes. Along with the drop of the magnetoresistance, an abrupt enhancement of the transverse resistivity occurs. The angular modulation of the latter considerably deviates from a (low-field) sinusoidal dependence to a (high-field) step-like behaviour. These peculiar features are the consequences of the anisotropy of both (intra-band and inter-band ) scattering-amplitudes in the Brillouin zone when the relevant energy scales in the system - chemical potential, spin-orbit interaction and Zeeman energy - are all comparable to each other. The theory provides good qualitative agreement with experimental data in the literature.

Detection of Apple Marssonina Blotch Disease Using Particle Swarm Optimization

<abstract> <b><sc>Abstract.</sc></b> Apple Marssonina blotch (AMB) is a devastating disease that is predominantly found in Asian countries, such as Japan, India, and South Korea. The disease has been known to cause huge economic losses in the regions where it has been found. AMB causes early defoliation, which ultimately leads to low quality and quantity of harvested apples. In this work, spectroscopic measurements were collected and analyzed for two datasets from 2014 and 2015. A stochastic algorithm called particle swarm optimization (PSO) was used to find optimal features for classification. A total of ten spectral features were found by the algorithm by selecting pairs of bands that resulted in the highest discrimination between every two classes. A support vector machine classifier resulted in 100% classification accuracy for both healthy and diseased samples. Abundance estimation and spectral unmixing analyses of early-stage AMB (ambE) samples were also conducted using PSO to extract symptomatic and asymptomatic endmembers. Results showed reasonable separation between healthy, seemingly healthy, and symptomatic classes. Quantitative analysis, using varying degrees of infection of ambE samples, was performed by applying a combination of partial least squares and stepwise multiple linear regression models, and coefficients of determination (R²) of 0.76 and 0.71 were achieved for the calibration and validation datasets, respectively. The results demonstrate the potential of using spectroscopic technology as a non-invasive method for early detection of AMB disease.

Occupational respiratory allergy in peach crop workers.

Occupational respiratory diseases in workers of peach tree crops have been reported punctually and have been associated with sensitization to proteins present in both pollen and leaf tree. We report the study of 37 workers with respiratory symptoms related to occupational exposure to peach trees. Prick tests and specific IgE determinations were performed with extracts from leaves and branches of peach tree. Immunodetection in leaf extract was realized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis SDS-PAGE-immunoblotting with patient sera and rabbit serum anti-Pru p 3. Immunodetection inhibition was performed with rPru p 3 and pollen profilins. The clinical relevance of sensitization was demonstrated by specific bronchial challenge test (SBCT) with peach leaf extract. Most patients suffered symptoms when peach trees had leaves, specifically during thinning and harvesting fruit (rhinoconjunctivitis: 100% and asthma: 67.5%). Sensitization to leaf extract was demonstrated in 86% of patients. IgE-immunoblotting with peach leaf extract revealed in six patient sera a pair of bands of 10 and 16 kDa, and in nine a 16-kDa band. Those bands could be two isoforms of peach leaf lipid transfer proteins( LTP), so the recognition frequency of some LTP isoform by our patient sera was 42%. 33% of the sera recognized a doubled band of about 14.5 kDa and this recognition was inhibited by nPho d 2. The SBCT with peach leaf extract was positive in the asthmatic sensitized patients tested. Sensitization to peach leaves was the cause of occupational respiratory symptoms in our patients. Some patient sera revealed IgE-binding proteins matching LTP and/or profilin.