Pollen Levels Research Articles

Exploring the correlation between airborne pollen levels and respiratory conditions in Jaipur, India

ABSTRACT Airborne pollen, a significant natural pollutant, restricts outdoor activities and impacts quality of life for sensitive individuals with pulmonary disorders. This study examines trends in airborne pollen concentrations and explores whether air pollution, pollen concentration, or both impact patient counts. The annual pollen trend in Jaipur shows peaks in pollen concentration in March (due to trees, 66%), September (due to weeds, 45%), and December (due to grass, 50%). Among the fifteen taxa examined, Holoptelea integrifolia is the largest pollen emitter in Jaipur, followed by Poaceae, among others. The count of patients arriving for clinical consultations in a hospital shows a strong and positive correlation with weed (Asteraceae spp. and Argemone mexicana) and grass pollen. A linear regression equation is developed (R2 value = 0.835) for forecasting consulting patient counts based on Cassia siamea pollen concentration. This can assist hospital administration in resource management, especially during peak allergy seasons.

Ecological and allergenic significance of atmospheric pollen spectra from a Grassland-Savanna ecotone in North West province, South Africa

Southern Africa’s floral, topographic and climatic diversity manifests in distinctive bioregions where aerobiology studies are needed to manage allergenic health problems, especially in urban areas. Previous studies underline different seasonal pollen fluctuations for the biomes, encouraging regional studies. These studies have been previously restricted to large cities such as Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria whereas small cities such as Potchefstroom in the North-West province are understudied. The South African Pollen Monitoring Network (SAPNET) seeks to fill this lacuna, enhancing ecological and health-related knowledge, with regard to the allergenicity of the recorded pollen. Here, we investigate plant phenology and resulting pollen production within the Grassland and Savanna biomes around Potchefstroom, a fast-growing city in the North West province, comparing it with other SAPNET sites. As a SAPNET initiative, pollen monitoring in Potchefstroom involved monthly collections using a Lanzoni 7-day spore trap over 13 months from December 2022 to 2023. This facilitated the development of a preliminary pollen calendar and a pollen atlas, detailing pollen types’ morphology, ecology, pollination modes, and allergenicity. Initial findings revealed Potchefstroom’s pollen calendar, with tree pollen (60% of the Annual Pollen Index (API)) mainly from northern hemisphere species such as Cupressus (c. 11% of API) and Platanus (c. 18%), which released pollen in spring. Grass pollen was predominant from November to April (c. 18% of API). Potchefstroom recorded South Africa’s highest levels of Ambrosia pollen (c. 7% of API), a major allergen, in March and April. Noteworthy is the unusual abundance of pollen of the neophyte Ulmus (c. 14%) in December. This study highlights the pollen patterns of the Grassland and Savanna biomes around Potchefstroom. The region, with its mosaic of urban spaces, natural grass-/woodland, and agricultural land, exhibits distinct characteristics when contrasted with major, more densely populated cities such as Bloemfontein, Pretoria, and Johannesburg.

Pollen as a mediator between environmental greenness during pregnancy and infancy periods and childhood persistent asthma: A nationwide retrospective birth cohort study in Japan

The association between environmental greenness and childhood asthma remains unclear. Pollen has been proposed as a potential mechanism of detrimental associations. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the association between environmental greenness during the pre-, peri-, and postnatal periods and childhood persistent asthma. A nationwide retrospective birth cohort study was conducted using data from the Japan Medical Data Center (JMDC). Child-mother dyads between January 2010 and January 2017 were identified, and four subcohorts were developed based on the timing of exposure to the highest greenness season. The exposure of interest was environmental greenness levels between June and September, quantified using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The primary outcome was persistent asthma in children aged 4–5 years. Causal mediation analysis was conducted to evaluate pollen as a mediator between NDVI and asthma. In these analyses, linear and modified Poisson regression models were used to evaluate the association of NDVI with pollen levels and childhood persistent asthma. The analyses were stratified by metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. Clinically meaningful confounders and predictors of asthma were adjusted in the statistical models. A total of 100,273 child-mother dyads were included in the entire cohort, with 24.1% of the children having persistent asthma at the ages of 4–5 years. Higher environmental greenness was associated with higher pollen levels. The modified Poisson regression models showed higher environmental greenness was associated with a slightly higher risk of persistent childhood asthma. In metropolitan areas, significant detrimental natural direct effects of NDVI were observed; however, the natural indirect effects were uncertain. A large part of the association between environmental greenness and childhood persistent asthma in metropolitan areas was attributed to mechanisms other than those involving pollen. The associations in non-metropolitan areas remain uncertain. Further studies are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Disruption of Energy Metabolism and Reactive Oxygen Species Homeostasis in Honglian Type-Cytoplasmic Male Sterility (HL-CMS) Rice Pollen

Honglian type-cytoplasmic male sterility (HL-CMS) is caused by the inter-communication between the nucleus and mitochondria. However, the mechanisms by which sterility genes regulate metabolic alterations and changes in mitochondrial morphology in the pollen of HL-CMS remains unclear. In this study, we compared the morphological differences between the pollen of the male sterile line YA and the near-isogenic line NIL-Rf6 using hematoxylin and eosin staining as well as 4ʹ,6-diamidino- 2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. HL-CMS is characterized by gametophytic sterility, where the aborted pollen grains are empty and the tapetal layer remains intact. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to observe mitochondrial morphological changes at the microspore stage, revealing that significant mitochondrial alternations, characterized by the formation of 'large spherical mitochondria', occurred at the binucleate stage in the YA line. Additionally, metabolomics analysis revealed decreased levels of metabolites associated with the carbohydrate and flavonoid pathways. Notably, the decrease in flavonoids was found to contribute to an elevation in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Therefore, we propose a model in which rice fertility is modulated by the levels of pollen carbohydrates and flavonoid metabolites, with impaired mitochondrial energy production and reduced flavonoid biosynthesis being the main causes of ROS accumulation and pollen abortion in rice.

Temporal trends of seasonal pollen indexes in a region of Northern Italy (2001–2022)

Increasing trends in allergic respiratory diseases may be linked to climate changes affecting pollen levels. This study aimed to investigate the temporal trends in seasonal indexes of 9 allergenic pollen types in the Veneto Region, Northern Italy. Available daily data from 20 monitoring stations covered 2001–2022 for Corylaceae, Cupressaceae, Poaceae, Oleaceae, and Urticaceae (pollen families), and 2006–2022 for Alnus, Betula, Ambrosia, and Artemisia (pollen genera). The 95-percentage method was used to identify the start/end dates of pollen seasons annually, and the seasonal cumulative pollen concentration (Seasonal Pollen Integral, SPIn) was calculated. The non-parametric Theil-Sen median slope method was used to examine trends in pollen seasons’ start day, duration, and SPIn in the whole region and for climatic areas (alpine, subcontinental eastern, subcontinental western). The results showed a clear upward trend in SPIn for several pollens, with median slopes ranging from 326 (Alnus) to 1089 p/m3 per 10yrs (Corylaceae); exceptions were Artemisia, whose SPIn decreased over time (−26 p/m3 per 10yrs), and Ambrosia, Betula, and Urticaceae, which did not show a clear trend. For families, pollen seasons showed a trend for anticipation (from −4.7, Urticaceae, to −13.5 days/10yrs, Oleaceae) and extended duration (from 8.3, Cupressaceae, to 13.3 days/10yrs, Oleaceae). An evident heterogeneity across the climatic areas was seen for the SPIn, with the subcontinental western area exhibiting the highest loads and most prominent increases over time. In conclusion, increased levels and prolonged seasons for several pollen taxa observed in the Veneto Region, particularly in subcontinental areas, suggest increasing risks for individuals with pollen allergies. Addressing this issue requires measures of mitigation and adaptation to climate-driven changes in pollen exposure.

Amaranthaceae Pollen Trends in the Air

Understanding the trends of airborne pollen allergens is of great importance given the high prevalence and socioeconomic impact of pollen-related allergic diseases globally. To study the morphological features of Amaranthaceae pollen, assess its contribution to the aerobiological situation in the city of Karakol and identify periods of increased concentration in order to improve the diagnosis and prevention of pollinosis symptoms in patients. Aerobiological sampling using a Lanzoni pollen trap was carried out from April to October over a three-year period (2015–2017) in Karakol city. Pollen identification and differential counting were performed according to current standard methodology and specially developed guides and atlases. Pollen characteristics of 4 Amaranthaceae species were visualized using scanning electron microscopy (Hitachi) to provide a detailed understanding of the surface structure and ornamentation of pollen grains. The decadal curve of Amaranthaceae pollen concentration in Karakol is unimodal, with often overlapping quantitative characteristics: 6615 (2nd decade of August 2015), 1326 (1st decade of 2016), 444 pollen grains / m3 (1st decade of 2017). At the same time, strong interannual variability of atmospheric pollen levels was observed, depending both on the pollen production of the plants themselves and on meteorological parameters, especially temperature and precipitation, changes in the traditional farming system. The response of summer-flowering Amaranthaceae weeds to climate change was demonstrated, which consists in a decrease in the annual pollen index, which corresponds to the global trend. Peak concentrations of Amaranthaceae pollen many times exceeded clinical threshold values in the air. On the surface of the Bassia scopariapollen exine, the ultrastructure study revealed the smallest (1.5-2.0 μm) granules of sporopollenin or orbicules (Ubisch bodies), which play a role in the spread of allergens. The obtained data are important in terms of increasing public awareness of the dominant pollen of the Amaranthaceae family, optimizing diagnostics, treatment and prevention of pollinosis.

Paris air quality monitoring for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics: focus on air pollutants and pollen

BackgroundExposure to air pollution can affect the health of individuals with respiratory disease, but may also impede the health and performance of athletes. This is potentially relevant for people travelling...

Consumption of pollen contaminated with field-realistic concentrations of fungicide causes sublethal effects in Bombus impatiens (Hymenoptera: Apidae) microcolonies.

Bumble bees are declining across the globe. The causes of this decline have been attributed to a variety of stressors, including pesticides. Fungicides are a type of pesticide that has been understudied in the context of bumble bee health. As a result, fungicides are often applied to flowering plants without consideration of pollinator exposure. Recent work demonstrates that fungicides have sublethal effects in bumble bees, but little is known about how much fungicide it takes to cause these sublethal effects. To address this gap in the literature, we fed microcolonies of the common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens CressonHymenoptera: ApidaeHymenoptera: ApidaeHymenoptera: ApidaeHymenoptera: Apidae) pollen contaminated with a range of fungicide concentrations. We chose these concentrations based on the range of fungicide concentrations in pollen and nectar that were reported in the literature. Results revealed that later-stage pupae and newly emerged males are potentially sensitive to fungicide exposure, showing smaller size and reduced fat reserves at intermediate levels of contamination. Compared to the control, intermediated levels of fungicide-contaminated pollen led to increased pupal mortality and delayed male emergence. Contrary to expectations, higher fungicide levels did not exhibit a linear relationship with negative impacts, suggesting nuanced effects. Because body size and emergence timing are important aspects of bumble bee reproductive behavior, results have implications for mating success, potentially disrupting colony development.

Integrated analysis of remote sensing with meteorological and health data for allergic rhinitis forecasting in Tianjin.

Long time series of vegetation monitoring can be carried out by remote sensing data, the level of urban greening is objectively described, and the spatial characteristics of plant pollen are indirectly understood. Pollen is the main allergen in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. Meteorological factors affect the release and diffusion of pollen. Therefore, studying of the complex relationship between meteorological factors and allergic rhinitis is essential for effective prevention and treatment of the disease. In this study, we leverage remote sensing data for a comprehensive decade-long analysis of urban greening in Tianjin, which exhibits an annual increase in vegetative cover of 0.51 per annum, focusing on its impact on allergic rhinitis through changes in pollen distribution. Utilizing high-resolution imagery, we quantify changes in urban Fractional Vegetation Coverage (FVC) and its correlation with pollen types and allergic rhinitis cases. Our analysis reveals a significant correlation between FVC trends and pollen concentrations, with a surprising value of 0.71, highlighting the influence of urban greenery on allergenic pollen levels. We establish a robust connection between the seasonal patterns of pollen outbreaks and allergic rhinitis consultations, with a noticeable increase in consultations during high pollen seasons. our findings indicate a higher allergenic potential of herbaceous compared to woody vegetation. This nuanced understanding underscores the importance of pollen sensitivity, alongside concentration, in driving allergic rhinitis incidents. Utilizing a Generalized Linear Model, significant features influencing the number of visits for allergic rhinitis (P < 0.05) were identified. Both GLM and LSTM models were employed to forecast the visitation volumes for rhinitis during the spring and summer-autumn of 2022. Upon validation, it was found that the R² values between the simulated and actual values for both GLM and LSTM models surpassed the 95% confidence threshold. Moreover, the R² values for the summer-autumn seasons (GLM: 0.56, LSTM: 0.72) were higher than those for spring (GLM: 0.22, LSTM: 0.47). Comparing the errors between the simulated and actual values of GLM and LSTM models, LSTM exhibited higher simulation precision in both spring and summer-autumn seasons, demonstrating superior simulation performance. Overall, our study pioneers the integration of remote sensing with meteorological and health data for allergic rhinitis forecasting. This integrative approach provides valuable insights for public health planning, particularly in urban settings, and lays the groundwork for advanced, location-specific allergenic pollen forecasting and mitigation strategies.

Assessment of Cassava Pollen Viability and Ovule Fertilizability under Red-Light, 6-Benzyl Adenine, and Silver Thiosulphate Treatments.

Understanding pollen and ovule fertility as factors influencing fruit and seed set is important in cassava breeding. Extended daylength with red light (RL) and plant growth regulators (PGRs) have been used to induce flowering and fruit set in cassava without any reference to effects on pollen viability or ovule fertilizability. This study investigated the effects of field-applied RL and PGR on pollen viability and ovule fertilizability. Panels of cassava genotypes with early or moderate flowering responses were used. RL was administered from dusk to dawn. Two PGRs, 6-benzyl adenine (BA), a cytokinin and silver thiosulphate (STS), an anti-ethylene, were applied. Pollen viability was assessed based on pollen grain diameter, in vitro stainability, in vivo germinability, ovule fertilizability, and ploidy level. Treating flowers with RL increased the pollen diameter from 145.6 in control to 148.5 µm in RL, 78.5 to 93.0% in stainability, and 52.0 to 56.9% in ovule fertilizability in treated female flowers. The fruit set also increased from 51.5 in control to 71.8% in RL-treated female flowers. The seed set followed a similar trend. The ploidy level of pollen from RL-treated flowers increased slightly and was positively correlated with pollen diameter (R2 = 0.09 *), ovule fertilization (R2 = 0.20 *), fruit set (R2 = 0.59 *), and seed set (R2 = 0.60 *). Treating flowers with PGR did not affect pollen diameter but increased stainability from 78.5% in control to 82.1%, ovule fertilizability from 42.9 to 64.9%, and fruit set from 23.2 to 51.9% in PGR-treated female flowers. Combined BA + STS application caused the highest ovule fertilizability, fruit, and seed set efficiency. These results show that RL and PGR treatments increase pollen viability and ovule fertilizability. This is important for planning pollination strategies in cassava breeding programmes.

Influence of inputs from foreign source regions on daily profiles of Olea pollen at an urban site in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula

The daily cycle of pollen concentrations reflects its genetic response to environmental conditions. The detailed study of these cycles was used to identify the influence of external sources on local pollen levels. In this work, three different daily profiles (Ci) of Olea pollen concentrations were identified in the city of Alicante (southeastern Spain) using cluster analysis. For this, 2-h data from 2010 to 2015 were used. The percentage frequency, pollen index and mean Olea pollen concentration (in pollen grains∙m−3) for each cluster were: C1 (∼91%, 8797, 26), C2 (∼7%, 4641,179) and C3 (∼2%, 1845, 308). C1 was the predominant pattern throughout the whole MPS, while C2 and C3 were only present in the middle of the MPS. Small variations in pollen concentrations throughout the day were observed for C1, while C2 and C3 showed the highest pollen concentration at ∼04:00 UTC and 10:00 UTC, respectively. C1 represented concentration patterns due to local pollen inputs, being influenced by precipitation events, sea breezes and the recirculation of air pollutants. On the other hand, C2 and C3 were strongly influenced by external pollen inputs from southwestern regions of Spain. The results of this study indicate that external inputs from these regions were associated with exposure of the population to high pollen concentrations for short periods of time. In contrast, inputs from the northwest were associated with exposure to lower pollen concentrations for longer periods of time.

Intravital Imaging of the Human Cornea Reveals the Differential Effects of Season on Innate and Adaptive Immune Cell Morphodynamics

Defining how the invivo immune status of peripheral tissues is shaped by the external environment has remained a technical challenge. We recently developed Functional invivo confocal microscopy (Fun-IVCM) for dynamic, longitudinal imaging of corneal immune cells in living humans. This study investigated the effect of seasonal-driven environmental factors on the morphodynamic features of human corneal immune cell subsets. Longitudinal, observational clinical study. Sixteen healthy participants (aged 18-40 years) attended 2 visits in distinct seasons in Melbourne, Australia (Visit 1, November-December 2021 [spring-summer]; Visit 2, April-June 2022 [autumn-winter]). Environmental data were collected over each period. Participants underwent ocular surface examinations and corneal Fun-IVCM (Heidelberg Engineering). Corneal scans were acquired at 5.5 ± 1.5-minute intervals for up to 5 time points. Time-lapse Fun-IVCM videos were created to analyze corneal immune cells, comprising epithelial T cells and dendritic cells (DCs), and stromal macrophages. Tear cytokines were analyzed using a multiplex bead-based immunoassay. Difference in the density, morphology, and dynamic parameters of corneal immune cell subsets over the study periods. Visit 1 was characterized by higher temperature, lower humidity, and higher air particulate and pollen levels compared with Visit 2. Clinical ocular surface parameters and the density of immune cell subsets were similar across visits. At Visit 1 , corneal epithelial DCs were larger, with a lower dendrite probing speed (0.38 ± 0.21 vs. 0.68 ± 0.33 μm/min; P < 0.001) relative to Visit 2; stromal macrophages were more circular and had less dynamic activity (Visit 1, 7.2 ± 1.9 vs. Visit 2, 10.3 ± 3.7 dancing index; P < 0.001). Corneal T cell morphodynamics were unchanged across periods. Basal tear levels of interleukin 2 and CXCL10 were relatively lower during spring-summer. This study identifies that the invivo morphodynamics of innate corneal immune cells (DCs, macrophages) are modified by environmental factors, but such effects are not evident for adaptive immune cells (T cells). The cornea is a potential invivo window to investigate season-dependent environmental influences on the human immune system. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Associations of pollen and cardiovascular disease morbidity in Atlanta during 1993-2018.

Pollen exposure is associated with substantial respiratory morbidity, but its potential impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains less understood. This study aimed to investigate the associations between daily levels of 13 pollen types and emergency department (ED) visits for eight CVD outcomes over a 26-year period in Atlanta, GA. We acquired pollen data from Atlanta Allergy & Asthma, a nationally certified pollen counting station, and ED visit data from individual hospitals and the Georgia Hospital Association. We performed time-series analyses using quasi-Poisson distributed lag models, with primary analyses assessing 3-day (lag 0-2 days) pollen levels. Models controlled for temporally varying covariates, including air pollutants. During 1993-2018, there were 1,573,968 CVD ED visits. Most pairwise models of the 13 pollen types and eight CVD outcomes showed no association, with a few exceptions potentially due to chance. We found limited evidence of the impact of pollen on cardiovascular morbidity in Atlanta. Further study on pollen exposures in different climactic zones and exploration of pollen-pollution mixture effects is warranted.

CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEM FOR MONITORING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALLERGENS USING GEOLOCATION DATA

The task of creating a cyber-physical system for monitoring the environment for allergens is relevant. Therefore, our study is devoted to the development of a method and a cyber-physical system for monitoring the environment for allergens using geolocation data. The developed cyber-physical system for monitoring the environment for allergens not only uses the available information on the activity of pollen sources in a given region, but also measures the concentration of pollen in the air in real time, which helps to monitor the level of pollen in the region where the user is located, and, taking into account the user's geolocation data, provides him with useful information for route planning to avoid staying in high-risk areas. Collecting and analyzing geolocation data allows you to track changes in the distribution of allergens over time and in space. This can be useful for understanding trends in allergenic reactions and for developing effective allergy management strategies. The cyber-physical system for monitoring the environment for allergens is useful for people with allergies by providing them with accessible and up-to-date information about the environment and the risks of allergic reactions, allowing them to better plan their activities and avoid areas with high levels of plant pollen concentration. Such a cyber-physical system enables an individualized approach to each user, taking into account their unique problems by performing allergen filtering. This allows for effective and personalized allergy management solutions. The proposed cyber-physical system can create a valuable database with allergic reactions and predictions that will be used to improve the methods of diagnosis, treatment and management of allergies. The proposed cyber-physical system can be used for global monitoring of pollen and allergen levels in different parts of the world. This will allow us to identify global trends in the distribution of allergens and develop effective strategies for managing allergies at the global level.

Identification of two mutant JASON-RELATED genes associated with unreduced pollen production in potato

Key messageMultiple QTLs control unreduced pollen production in potato. Two major-effect QTLs co-locate with mutant alleles of genes with homology to AtJAS, a known regulator of meiotic spindle orientation.In diploid potato the production of unreduced gametes with a diploid (2n) rather than a haploid (n) number of chromosomes has been widely reported. Besides their evolutionary important role in sexual polyploidisation, unreduced gametes also have a practical value for potato breeding as a bridge between diploid and tetraploid germplasm. Although early articles argued for a monogenic recessive inheritance, the genetic basis of unreduced pollen production in potato has remained elusive. Here, three diploid full-sib populations were genotyped with an amplicon sequencing approach and phenotyped for unreduced pollen production across two growing seasons. We identified two minor-effect and three major-effect QTLs regulating this trait. The two QTLs with the largest effect displayed a recessive inheritance and an additive interaction. Both QTLs co-localised with genes encoding for putative AtJAS homologs, a key regulator of meiosis II spindle orientation in Arabidopsis thaliana. The function of these candidate genes is consistent with the cytological phenotype of mis-oriented metaphase II plates observed in the parental clones. The alleles associated with elevated levels of unreduced pollen showed deleterious mutation events: an exonic transposon insert causing a premature stop, and an amino acid change within a highly conserved domain. Taken together, our findings shed light on the natural variation underlying unreduced pollen production in potato and will facilitate interploidy breeding by enabling marker-assisted selection for this trait.

The viability of microorganism of probiotic yogurt enriched with bee pollen

ABSTRACT It aims to offer an alternative product to the food industry for the increasing demands of healthy nutrition with production of yogurt containing bee pollen. Probiotic yogurt prepared with different levels of bee pollen (0.5%, 1.5%, 3% and 6%) were evaluated for antimicrobial properties, viability of S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, and Bifidobacterium spp. during 14 days of refrigerated storage, and resistance to in vitro gastrointestinal conditions. Yogurt samples showed antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes, S. Typhimurium, E. coli, E. coli O157:H7, and S. aureus at high level of cell concentration (108 CFU/mL). The viability of S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, and Bifidobacterium spp. decreased in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model depending on bee pollen content and bacterial species as the application time increased. The simulated gastric and intestinal juice tolerance of bacteria was strain dependent and pH-dependent. The addition bee pollen enhanced the survival of L. acidophilus in both simulated juices.

Trends in airborne grass pollen in Évora City (Portugal)

Aerobiology could be used as complementary data or proxy for studying phenology, especially in species which usually are not long-distance transported, such as grasses. This 21-year aerobiological study took place in Évora (South Portugal), using a seven-day recording volumetric pollen trap with the aim of analysing the temporal trends of grass pollen seasons. To this end, data were statistically tested for correlation and regression to determine the features and temporal trends of pollen seasons. Main results show that Poaceae pollen has a high representation in pollen spectrum, 20% (min: 7%; max: 44%), with a long season starting in March and lasting till August/September or October. There was an overall, but not statistically significant trend, towards an increase in the annual pollen integral and peak values, and also an overall non-statistically significant trend towards an earlier start and later end of the pollen season. Main and high pollen seasons have been lasting longer, and the days with allergenic potential have been rising in line with the local temperature rising trend. It seems that grass pollen production is being aided by warmer temperatures and increased grassland areas in Alentejo region. This could promote the increase in annual pollen levels and in the number of high pollen days over the years. In clinical terms, it means that grass allergic patients are exposed to longer periods of airborne pollen and to higher counts over a longer time. The climate conditions projected for Alentejo region, including rising temperature, and the changes in local grassland areas may help to clarify the trends of grass pollen seasons in the next decades.

Health-Related Quality of Life of Asthmatic Patients in Al-Baha City, Saudi Arabia.

Introduction According to disability-adjusted life years (DALY), bronchial asthma (BA) is rated 28th among the top causes of disease burden globally and among the most significant reasons for years lived with disability. Internationally, 300 million people have asthma, and another 100 million individuals may develop it by 2025. In Al-Baha City, where environmental factors such as dust and pollen levels can exacerbate asthma symptoms, understanding and addressing the health-related quality of life of asthmatic patients is crucial. Understanding the health-related quality of life of asthmatic patients can inform public health policies and initiatives aimed at reducing environmental triggers and promoting better asthma management in the city. Objectives The study aims to assess the impact of asthma regarding physical, emotional, and social activities that affect health-related quality of life. Subjects and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2023 to May 2023 at King Fahad Hospital in Al-Baha City, Saudi Arabia. The study used a Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire that measures physical, emotional, and social activities that affect health-related quality of life. Results One hundred and fifty-one out of 185 participants responded, yielding a response rate of 81.6%. The average age of the participants was 52, with a standard deviation of 15.4 years. Participants' responses regarding symptoms related to the environment during the last two weeks indicated "all the time" experiencing feeling bothered by or having to avoid cigarette smoke (n=104, 69%) and dust (n=92, 61%) in the environment. Moreover, considering emotion-related symptoms, 54% reported they did not feel afraid of not having their asthma medication available. Similarly, 46% reported never feeling frustrated because of asthma, whereas 3.3% of the participants documented hardly ever feeling frustrated. Regarding social activity limitations, 44 individuals (29%) reported no limits in these activities, while 43 (28%) reported being completely limited. While there were limitations in work-related activities, 42 participants (28%) reported no restrictions, whereas 34 (23%) reported being completely limited. Conclusion The study findings highlight a concern about suboptimal asthma control and the need to attain more satisfactory levels of asthma management.

Uncovering a Severe Patient Group With Pollen-Related Extrarespiratory Allergic Symptoms: A Year-Long Diary Survey in Japan

BackgroundThe most common symptoms of pollen allergy are rhinitis and conjunctivitis. However, in real-world clinical practice, we sometimes encounter patients with pollen allergy suffering from severe extrarespiratory symptoms including skin, gastrointestinal, or flu-like symptoms in relation to exposure to sensitized pollen. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to elucidate the extrarespiratory symptoms in patients with pollen allergy MethodsWe performed a non-drug-focused, prospective study of patients with pollen allergy (n=384). During the 1-year observational period, they were asked to complete a weekly e-diary consisting of visual analogue scale (VAS) scores to assess all symptoms experienced in various organs over the past week. An association between seasonal pollen levels and seasonal increase in VAS scores was evaluated using a mixed-effect model for repeated measures. A k-means cluster analysis was performed to identify a group of patients experiencing stronger extrarespiratory symptoms. ResultsIn patients sensitized to grass or birch pollen, higher seasonal levels of these pollen grains were associated with higher VAS scores for headache, gastrointestinal symptoms, skin symptoms, and fatigue. A cluster analysis identified a group of severe pollen-allergic patients with higher extrarespiratory symptoms (n=42). This group was characterized by a higher frequency of comorbid food allergy/atopic dermatitis, higher rate of IgE-sensitization to pollens, and higher impaired activity and work productivity. ConclusionThis 1-year survey identified a small but non-negligible group of patients with pollen-related extrarespiratory symptoms. More attention should be paid to this patient group considering their impaired activity and work productivity.

Distributed and explainable GHSOM for anomaly detection in sensor networks

The identification of anomalous activities is a challenging and crucially important task in sensor networks. This task is becoming increasingly complex with the increasing volume of data generated in real-world domains, and greatly benefits from the use of predictive models to identify anomalies in real time. A key use case for this task is the identification of misbehavior that may be caused by involuntary faults or deliberate actions. However, currently adopted anomaly detection methods are often affected by limitations such as the inability to analyze large-scale data, a reduced effectiveness when data presents multiple densities, a strong dependence on user-defined threshold configurations, and a lack of explainability in the extracted predictions. In this paper, we propose a distributed deep learning method that extends growing hierarchical self-organizing maps, originally designed for clustering tasks, to address anomaly detection tasks. The SOM-based modeling capabilities of the method enable the analysis of data with multiple densities, by exploiting multiple SOMs organized as a hierarchy. Our map-reduce implementation under Apache Spark allows the method to process and analyze large-scale sensor network data. An automatic threshold-tuning strategy reduces user efforts and increases the robustness of the method with respect to noisy instances. Moreover, an explainability component resorting to instance-based feature ranking emphasizes the most salient features influencing the decisions of the anomaly detection model, supporting users in their understanding of raised alerts. Experiments are conducted on five real-world sensor network datasets, including wind and photovoltaic energy production, vehicular traffic, and pedestrian flows. Our results show that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art anomaly detection competitors. Furthermore, a scalability analysis reveals that the method is able to scale linearly as the data volume presented increases, leveraging multiple worker nodes in a distributed computing setting. Qualitative analyses on the level of anomalous pollen in the air further emphasize the effectiveness of our proposed method, and its potential in determining the level of danger in raised alerts.