Pollen Preparation Research Articles

Preparation of two-dimensional pine pollen derived carbon sheets by rapid microwave carbonization for efficient MCDI desalination

Membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) has garnered significant attention in recent years due to its ability to effectively mitigate the co-ion effect in traditional CDI desalination processes, thereby substantially enhancing the desalination capacity. In this study, pine pollen with unique natural morphology was used as a biomass precursor, and two-dimensional carbon sheets with hierarchical pore structures were prepared through a one-step rapid microwave carbonization and KOH activation process. Due to its wrinkled two-dimensional morphology, abundant defects and micropores, and chemical composition rich in oxygen-containing functional groups and nitrogen element, the carbon sheets exhibit excellent desalination performance. In the MCDI system (applied voltage of 1.8 V, flow rate of 11 mL min−1, and initial NaCl solution concentration of 700 ppm), an adsorption capacity of up to 89.86 mg g−1 was achieved, and the adsorption rate reached up to 1.50 mg g−1 min−1. Therefore, the pine pollen-derived carbon in this study exhibits outstanding capacitive deionization desalination performance and demonstrates great potential for practical applications.

A New Pollen Preparation Technique Using Technical Chemicals

A New Pollen Preparation Technique Using Technical Chemicals

A Workshop on the Utilization of Light Microscope for Biology Education Pre-Service Students of FKIP ULM through the Use of Wet Mount Preparations

Microscopes in learning biology are very important as a tool for students in studying microscopic organisms and objects that cannot be seen by the eye directly. The results of the needs analysis show that biology education students in the Year of 2022 have never received training in the use and maintenance of microscopes and have never used a microscope with a magnification of 1000x. therefore, 98% of the survey results to participants indicate the need for training in the use of microscopes. The training on the use of light microscope was trained to make wet mount preparations of Rhoeo discolor leaf stomata and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower pollen. The microscopes used were monocular microscope and electric binocular microscope. The microscope magnifications used were 10x10; 10x40; and 10x100. The training results show that students are able to use all microscope magnifications and figures of the results of microscope observations well and clearly. The results of the microscope proficiency test were 21.06%, very good; 45.61% good/adequate grades; 24.56 adequate grades, but there were 8.7% still getting poor grades. The next service can be trained in making preparations with the whole mount preparation method, squash method for mitosis observation, slice preparation method without embedding and slice preparation method with paraffin method.

Pollen Morphological Studies on Selected Species of Family Dilleniaceae in Sri Lanka

Dilleniaceae is an angiosperm family including 11 genera and about 500 known species with a pantropical distribution extending into Australia. In Sri Lanka, four genera and 16 species including one introduced species have been reported in the family Dilleniaceae. Most of these species are endemic or native, while Schumacheria is an endemic genus. Morphological characters of the pollen grains are a significant taxonomic identification tool in the systematics of higher plants. The aim of the study is to provide detailed palynological descriptions of selected pollen species and maintain pollen reference collection. Four plant species, Dillenia retusa, Dillenia suffruticosa, Dillenia triquetra, and Schumacheria castaneifolia of the family Dilleniaceae (Genus Dillenia and Schumacheria) were collected from different localities in the wet zone including Nugegoda and Baduraliya during the period from September 2022 to November 2022. The voucher specimens were authenticated using revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon and deposited in the Herbarium of the Department of Botany, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. Fresh flowers or dried flowers were taken to collect pollen. Pollen grains were acetolysed and observed under Optika microscope (BG-Italy) after mounting on a clean glass slide using glycerin jelly with Basic fuchsin. Thirty pollen grains were used to determine the pollen size for each selected species. All measurements were taken within seven days of pollen preparation using OptikalSview (3.9.0.604) software. The shape, size, and surface features of pollen grains, as well as the length and width of the pollen and apertures and Polar/Equatorial ratios, were observed. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using Minitab 18 software for the quantitative variables related to measurements of pollen obtained with light microscope. The ranges of variation were 15-22 μm for polar axis, 16-26 μm for equatorial axis, 0.8-3.5 μm for colpus width and 5.0-12.5 μm for colpus length. The pollen grains of all the species are monad, isopolar, and radially symmetrical. Pollen grains were identified as suboblate to oblate spheroidal, small or medium-sized, tricolpate (Dillenia spp.) or tetra-colpate (Schumacheria castaneifolia), with the surface ornamentation punctate to reticulate. The longest and widest pollen grains were reported in Dillenia suffruticosa (22.0×26.4 μm), while the smallest were observed in Schumacheria castaneifolia (15.2×16.4 μm). Based on the length of the longest spore axis, except D. suffruticosa all other species are categorized into small-size pollen. According to the results, the distinction between species can be determined using palynological features such as shape, size, and aperture type. 
 Keywords: Pollen morphology, Dilleniaceae, Palynology, Reference collection

Pollen morphology of Ipomoea L. from Garhwal Himalaya, India

Pollen morphology serves as a valuable tool for identification, phylogenetic analysis and evolutionary studies. The present study aims to investigate the pollen morphology of 12 species of the genus Ipomoea L. (a diverse and economically important genus within the family Convolvulaceae) from Garhwal Himalaya, India. Fresh flower buds were collected from the study area and pollen preparation completed using the acetolysis method. The morphology of the pollen grains were examined using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Pollen grains of all the studied species were apolar, spheroidal, pantoporate, subtectate with fine reticulation and echinate, but they differed from one another in their size, number of spines and pores, spine length and spine types. The size of grains ranged from 53.3 to 128.7 μm. Cluster analysis was performed based on pollen characters to show the relationship among the species; a key was prepared and is discussed. The observed variation in pollen morphological traits gives important taxonomic information that is useful for distinguishing Ipomoea species and establishing taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships.

(200) Proposal to amend the definition of the word “duplicate” in the footnote to Article 8.3

Under the present wording of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Turland & al. in Regnum Veg. 159. 2018; see footnote 1 to Art. 8.3, and Glossary), a duplicate is defined as (any?) “part of a single gathering of a single species or infraspecific taxon”. That definition, if interpreted verbatim, may have important implications for nomenclature. For example, a separately preserved special pollen/spore sample or preparation such as a slide or other pollen/spore sample deposited in a pollen reference collection (see, e.g., https://globalpollenproject.org/Reference; Bezusko & Tsymbalyuk in Shiyan, Index Herbariorum Ucrainicum: 138–141. 2011), if taken from a type specimen such as a holotype, lectotype or neotype, may or even should be considered as an isotype, isolectotype or isoneotype, respectively. If the type specimen(s) is/are lost or destroyed, such a microscopic special preparation could be considered as an original specimen eligible for typification. However, it is evident that such special samples of microscopic or just very small parts (e.g. pollen/spore samples or preparations, small fragments or parts taken for DNA extraction, anatomical, micromorphological or biochemical studies, etc.) separated from a non-microscopic specimen, even if such samples or parts have a label duplicated from the label of that specimen, serve specific purposes and in most cases cannot represent all or at least the main diagnostic morphological characters of that specimen. Because of that, we propose the following amendment to the footnote in Art. 8.3. “1 Here and elsewhere in this Code, the word “duplicate” is given its usual meaning in curatorial practice. A duplicate is part of a single gathering of a single species or infraspecific taxon. However, separately preserved samples or preparations of pollen, spores, and/or other microscopic or small parts taken from herbarium or other specimens of non-microscopic organisms for specific purposes (e.g. for DNA extraction, anatomical, micromorphological, or biochemical studies) are not considered duplicates.” No changes to the Glossary are needed because the definition of the word “duplicate” in the Glossary refers to the footnote to Art. 8.3. The proposed amendment does not affect the nomenclatural interpretation of parts taken from specimens of microscopic organisms (e.g. duplicates of samples of microscopic algae preserved in jars, etc.). We are grateful to Nicholas J. Turland (Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany) and John H. Wiersema (Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.) for their comments and edits.

Testing of the Efficacy of Bee Probiotic Lactobacilli Under In Vivo Conditions

Abstract American foulbrood is amongst the most dangerous diseases of the bee-family affecting many honeybee colonies worldwide. In countries of European Union, based on veterinary legislation, the bee colonies tested positive to American foulbrood are eradicated with high economic losses. It is therefore necessary to look for effective prevention, especially by the using of natural ingredients such as probiotics. In this study, we used lactobacilli isolated from digestive tracts of adult healthy honey bees and selected based on their good probiotic properties and ability to inhibit the growth of Paenibacillus larvae. These isolates were identified as Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus plantarum. Night cultures of both strains were used for the preparation of probiotic suspensions and pollen was selected as an appropriate carrier for application of probiotic lacto-bacilli to the hives. Half a litre of pollen suspension was prepared for each hive. The suspension for experimental hives contained probiotic lactobacilli in concentration of 107–108 CFU.ml−1. Bees in control hives received pollen suspension without addition of probiotic lacto-bacilli. The suspensions were supplied to bees three times, once a week. Before and during administration of probiotics, samples of honey bees from each hive were taken every week and numbers of lactobacilli, P. larvae, enterobacteria and coliform bacteria were determined in their digestive tracts. Four weeks after the first administration of probiotic-pollen solution the numbers of lactobacilli were increased approximately by 0.5 log. Before starting this experiment, P. larvae (approx. 107 CFU.ml−1) were detected in digestive tracts of honey bees. In the experimental group after 3 weeks and in the control group after 4 weeks, no viable counts of P. larvae were found. The numbers of enterobacteria, coliform bacteria and Bacillus sp. decreased in both groups. During the experiment the health and condition of the hives were monitored. In addition, also monitored were: the development of the bee colony, the number of dead bees, the amount of hive debris, the aggressiveness of the bees, and the amount of honey spun; later during the autumn treatment also the fall of Varroa jacobsoni was noted. In the experimental and control groups, we recorded a decrease in the amount of hive debris. Only in the experimental group was a slightly above-average development of the bee colony, slightly above-average honey yields and a 70 % lower drop of Varroa mites. Based on these results, we assumed that the probiotic-pollen solution had a positive influence on the composition of microbiota in bee digestive tracts and it can increase resistance to P. larvae. It also had a positive effect on the health and condition of the bee colony. Probiotic-free pollen solution showed similar but weaker effects.

The Preference of Trigona sp for pollen various plant species in Kawasan Rumah Pangan Lestari

Kawasan Rumah Pangan Lesatri (KRPL) is one of the efforts that can be done to manage food security in the face of climate change. The management of the potential contained in KRPL is by applying Trigona sp honey bee cultivation which is integrated with agricultural land. The success of honey bee cultivation is highly dependent on the availability of feed in the environment. This study aims to determine the preferences of pollen collected by Trigona sp at KRPL. This type of research is a qualitative research with Chi square analysis. The research sample was bee pollen contained in 14 stup. The research was conducted from July-November. Data collection was carried out in October and November by making observations at KRPL with an area of 784 meters then making plant reference preparations that have the potential to be Trigona sp pollen feed in KRPL and comparing reference preparations with pollen preparations in Trigona sp stup. The results of the research at KRPL showed that there were 20 types of plant pollen in KRPL. The results of the descriptive analysis with chi square showed that there was a preference for the type of pollen that was fed to Trigona sp bees with a value of x2h > x2t so that H0 was rejected and Ha was accepted.

Short Communication: Floral diversity of honey bee-collected pollen (Apis cerana) colonies in the Ir. H. Djuanda Forest Park, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract. Nuriyah S, Husodo T, Hermawan W, Yusuf AA, Kasmara H, Kusmoro J, Wulandari I, Shanida SS. 2021. Short Communication: Floral diversity of honey bee-collected pollen (Apis cerana) colonies in the Ir. H. Djuanda Forest Park, West Jawa, Indonesia. Nusantara Bioscience 13: 185-193. Honey bees, especially Apis cerana Fabr., need feed sources from nectar and pollen. Pollen is essential for sexual reproduction. Various plants in the forest park have not been supported by information on pollinated plants or as feed sources by A. cerana. This study should be conducted as essential information to reveal the pollens as feed sources of A. cerana in the Ir. H. Djuanda Forest Park, West Java. However, there is little information about those plants in the forest park, West Java. This study aimed to reveal the pollens as feed sources of A. cerana in the Ir. H. Djuanda Forest Park. Sampling collection was carried out on 45 honey bee-collected pollen from three cultivation areas. Pollen preparation was carried out using the acetolysis method. Based on the study results, 70 species of pollen flora of 36 families were found in Ir. H. Djuanda Forest Park vegetation also found in the A. cerana. However, further study is needed regarding the frequently visited plants used as feed sources or pollinating by A. cerana. In addition, considering that the honey bees cultivated in the forest park are dominated by A. cerana, further studies are needed on regularly pollinated plants to maximize the yield of honey cultivation.

Comparison between modified LST Fastfloat and conventional HF methods for pollen preparation in highly minerogenic sediments

Pollen analysis is a commonly used method to interpret vegetation and environmental change. The standard pollen preparation technique in minerogenic sediments involves the use of hydrofluoric acid (HF) which is highly toxic. Currently the European legislation requires that hazardous chemicals should be substituted with less hazardous or non-toxic chemicals if possible. In the present paper the authors introduce a safer pollen preparation method, based on the use of low-toxic heavy liquid lithium heteropoly-tungstate (LST Fastfloat) and provide instructions for pollen preparation with the LSTFastflow method. Furthermore, five paired samples were processed from clayey and silty sediments with LST Fastfloat and conventional HF methods and the pollen and spore counting results obtained from these two methods were compared to test if there is statistically significant differences between the taxa. Calculation of the 95% confidence interval revealed statistical agreement in all studied taxa except one taxon in one sample pair. However, the study revealed systematic differences within two taxa, Betula and Pinus. Thus caution is needed when comparing results obtained by HF and heavy liquid (LST Fastfloat) methods.

An Improved Method for Extracting, Sorting, and AMS Dating of Pollen Concentrates From Lake Sediment

High-resolution chronologies are crucial for paleoenvironmental reconstructions, and are particularly challenging for lacustrine records of terrestrial paleoclimate. Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon measurement of terrestrial macrofossils is the most common technique for building age models for lake sediment cores, but relies on the presence of terrestrial macrofossils in sediments. In the absence of sufficient macrofossils, pollen concentrates represent a valuable source of dates for building high-resolution chronologies. However, pollen isolation and dating may present several challenges, as has been reported by different authors in previous work over the last few decades. Here we present an improved method for extracting, purifying and radiocarbon-dating pollen concentrates using flow cytometry to improve the extraction efficiency and the purity of the pollen concentrates. Overall, the nature of the sediments and the abundance of the pollen represent major considerations in obtaining enough pollen grains and, consequently, enough carbon to be dated. Further, the complete separation of pollen from other forms of organic matter is required to ensure the accuracy of the dates. We apply the method to surface samples and sediment cores recovered from two contrasting lake basins on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada (California), and describe the variations that may be used to optimize pollen preparation from a variety of sediments.

Proxapertites from Walat Formation, Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia

Proxapertites have become one of the most significant indicators of ancient rock in Indonesia. Walat Formation is one of the oldest rocks exposed in Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia. These Proxapertites have not been described in detail about their characteristics in previous studies, especially on Walat Formation. Therefore, knowing the characteristics of Proxapertites becomes interesting, especially in Walat Formation, which can be a reference for the characteristics of the late Eocene Proxapertites (37.8 - 33.9 million) in Indonesia. Acetolysis method was carried out for the preparation of pollen and spores; description and determination were carried out to see the characteristics of Proxapertites that present in Walat Formation. Result, there are three types of Proxapertites. Proxapertites operculatus have sizes 23 – 86 µ with average 40.5 (P) and 51.1 (E) µ, index PE 0,43 - 1, Peroblate – Subspheroidal – Oblate Spheroidal, Fine-Reticulate ornamentation, and Asymmetric Monosulcate aperture. Proxapertites cursus have sizes 23 – 86 µ with average 39.8 (P) and 49.8 (E) µ, index PE 0.51 - 1, Oblate – Subspheroidal – Oblate Spheroidal, Reticulate ornamentation, and Asymmetric Monosulcate aperture. Whereas Proxapertites psilatus have sizes 29 – 75 µ with average 42.3 (P) and 52.5 (E) µ, index PE 0.58 - 1, Oblate – Subspheroidal – Oblate Spheroidal, Psilate ornamentation, and Asymmetric Monosulcate aperture. These three Proxapertites can be distinguished by their type of ornamentation. Meanwhile, other aspects have similar characteristics and are affected by the appearance of individual pollen on the slide during preparation.

Accelerated Dose Escalation with 3 Injections of an Aluminum Hydroxide-Adsorbed Allergoid Preparation of 6 Grasses Is Safe for Children and Adolescents with Moderate to Severe Allergic Rhinitis

A high-dose, accelerated escalation schedule during subcutaneous allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is safe and well-tolerated in adults. However, there are no data in children and adolescents. The aim of the present trial was to assess safety and tolerability of an accelerated dose escalation schedule of an AIT with a grass pollen allergoid in children and adolescents with moderate to severe seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis in a multicenter, open-label, randomized phase II trial. The dose escalation scheme for patients in the One Strength Group included 3 injections with 1 strength B (10,000 TU/mL), whereas the dose escalation scheme for the Standard group included 7 injections with 2 strengths A (1,000 TU/mL) and B (10,000 TU/mL) of an allergoid grass pollen preparation. Overall, n = 50 children (n = 25 in each group; mean age 8.9 + 1.54 years) and n = 37 adolescents (n = 20 and n = 17; 14.2 + 1.62 years) were randomized. For all patients, the mean treatment duration was 59.4 days in the One Strength group and 88.6 days in the Standard group. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) related to AIT were reported in 52 and 40% in children and 35 and 35.3% in adolescents, respectively. Systemic allergic reactions occurred in about 5% of our patients and were reported in more patients of the One Strength group (6.7 vs. 2.4%). All systemic reactions were classified as WAO Grade 1. Accelerated high-dose escalation with an aluminum hydroxide-adsorbed grass pollen allergoid can be initiated with a safety and tolerability profile comparable to the standard dose escalation schedule in children and adolescents with allergic rhinitis with or without asthma.

Testate amoebae as non-pollen palynomorphs in pollen slides: usefulness and application in palaeoenvironmental reconstruction

Abstract Testate amoebae are a frequently used palaeoecological proxy for reconstructing changes in palaeohydrological conditions, particularly in studies of Sphagnum -dominated peatlands. Their use in palaeoecological studies has increased following the development of transfer functions, allowing for the quantitative reconstruction of water-table depth changes through time. Increasingly, they are included in non-pollen palynomorph (NPP) studies alongside a wide range of other proxies, representing a valuable tool, particularly in multi-proxy studies. Testate amoebae have been used for qualitative assessment of palaeohydrology in NPP studies and may aid the verification of environmental interpretations of conditions inferred from curves of NPP with unknown ecology and taxonomy. Their usefulness in such studies is limited by the destruction of tests owing to harsh chemical treatments used in pollen preparation methods. This makes community distribution data of testate amoebae derived by these methods largely unsuitable for quantitative assessment of water-table depth. Furthermore, many palynological studies combine testate amoebae as one single curve, losing further ecological detail. Patterns of change of surviving species, most commonly of Assulina , Archerella , Arcella , Hyalosphenia and Archerella flavum , remain relatively unaffected and therefore can still be useful for interpreting qualitative changes in hydrological conditions through time, particularly when coupled with other proxies.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE METHOD OF BOTANICAL IDENTIFICATION OF HONEY

The pollen spectrum of honey reflects the regional crops, forest plantations, all the diversity of the plant species near the apiary. That is why the use, adaptation, and improvement of various methods of pollen analysis and interpretation of its results are topical questions in the countries which produce original varieties of honey on the international market. Ukraine is a leader in manufacturing and exporting honey in Europe and worldwide. Usually, Ukrainian honey is exported not as a finished food product, but as a raw material. This is because the pollen spectrum of Ukrainian honeys is provided with no description characterising their botanical and geographical origin, which, in turn, is because there are no pollen analysis methods implemented in production laboratories. The purpose of this study was improving the pollen analysis method to identify the botanical origin of Ukrainian honeys. The research was conducted in the laboratory of the Department of Standardisation and Certification of Agricultural Products in the National University of Life and Environmental Science of Ukraine, and in the production laboratory of Ascania-Pack Company. The analysis of harmonised methods of melissopalynology and standardised pollen detection methods has allowed developing a botanical method of honey identification adapted to be introduced in Ukrainian laboratories. The method suggested is a complex of individual procedures, operations, and techniques. It has been detailed how to prepare solution to fix and stain pollen preparations obtained from honey. The method of preparing a suspension of pollen grains from honey has been improved: extra dissolution of crystals and a lower speed of the centrifuge reduce the time of making the preparation and improve its quality. The method of obtaining preparations of pollen grains from honey has been adapted to harmonised international melissopalynological methods. New methods have been developed to count pollen grains in prepared monofloral and polyfloral honey samples. It has been detailed how to identify step-by- step the botanical origin of honey by pollen grains using international databases. The method has been implemented in the production laboratories of leading enterprises in Ukraine and Belarus.

Identifying Counterfeit Cigarettes Using Environmental Pollen Analysis: An Improved Procedure.

Traditional pollen preparation techniques provide clear residues for pollen identification; however, such methods are time-consuming, requiring repeated centrifugation, heating, and digestion with high-concentration hazardous chemicals. Tobacco leaves can effectively trap environmental pollen due to hairy surface and terpene-rich exudates. A new tobacco sample processing method was developed by using different extraction chemistry with surfactant. Marlboro Gold cigarettes were employed as model samples for method development. Parameters critical for pollen extraction, which include number of cigarette sticks used, extraction solution, and extraction temperature, were optimized. By using 1% dishwashing detergent to treat three cigarettes at room temperature, the improved method was able to recover sufficient pollen for microscopic analysis in three repeated centrifuge-washing steps and omit hazardous chemicals involved in traditional methods. We focused on the pollen of common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), a plant native to North America, as an indicator to differentiate genuine and counterfeit U.S. brand cigarettes. Results from analyzing randomly purchased genuine (authenticated by forensic examination) and known counterfeit Marlboro Gold provided by law enforcement revealed that a significant amount (39%) of Ambrosia were consistently present in all genuine samples, while counterfeit contained none or only trace count. Similar results were found in other counterfeit U.S. brand cigarettes (all seized in the U.S.) involved in this study as well. Lack of Ambrosia in cigarette strongly indicates the product was not originated in the United States.

Density separation in pollen preparation: How low can you go?

In palynology and other laboratory-based disciplines, methodological literature often lags the development and adoption of new practices. Here we highlight the lack of literature on the application of heavy liquid density separation for pollen preparations, a technique that has become common practice in recent years. In a study of Holocene-age sediments from Lake Pupuke, northern New Zealand, we found that the density of the heavy liquid used to separate pollen from the minerogenic fraction, within the range of reported practice, affected pollen counts. When a relatively low density was used (2.0 g/cm3), buoyant pollen grains such as Prumnopitys taxifolia and Dacrydium cupressinum were overrepresented, whereas small, compact pollen grains such as Libocedrus and Metrosideros were underrepresented. This result raises wider concerns, as heavy liquid densities reported in the literature range from 1.88 to 2.40 g/cm3. We draw attention to this problem and recommend steps that palynologists can take to ensure that their enumerated pollen assemblages are representative and do not lead to spurious interpretations.

Accelerated Dose Escalation with Three Injections of an Aluminum Hydroxide-Adsorbed Allergoid Preparation of Six Grasses Is Safe for Patients with Moderate to Severe Allergic Rhinitis

Only few data on safety during high-dose, accelerated escalation schedules during subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy (AIT) are available. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and tolerability of an accelerated dose escalation schedule of AIT in adult patients with moderate to severe seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis in a multicenter, open-label, randomized phase II trial. The dose escalation scheme for patients in Group I (1 strength) included 3 injections with 1 strength, B (10,000 TU/mL), whereas the dose escalation scheme for Group II (standard) included 7 injections with 2 strengths, A (1,000 TU/mL) and B (10,000 TU/mL), of an aluminum hydroxide-adsorbed allergoid grass pollen preparation. Overall, 72 of 87 randomized patients (83.7%) reported at least 1 treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE; 82.2 [Group I] vs. 85.4% [Group II]); 58.8% of all reported TEAEs were assessed as being related to AIT (60.0 vs. 48.8%). The most frequently reported AIT-related TEAEs were swelling (46.7 vs. 34.1%), erythema (28.9 vs. 36.6%), and pruritus (31.1 vs. 17.1%) at the site of the injection. Systemic allergic reactions occurred in 5 (5.8%) patients overall, with more being reported in the 1-strength group (4 [8.9%] vs. 1 [2.4%]). All systemic allergic reactions were classified as World Allergy Organization (WAO) Grade 1 or Grade 2 reactions. Accelerated high-dose escalation with an aluminum hydroxide-adsorbed grass pollen allergoid can be initiated with a safety and tolerability profile comparable to the standard dose escalation schedule in patients with allergic rhinitis with or without asthma.

ПОШИРЕННЯ ДЕЯКИХ ПРЕДСТАВНИКІВ SCROPHULARIACEAE sensu lato НА РІВНИННІЙ ЧАСТИНІ УКРАЇНИ ВПРОДОВЖ ГОЛОЦЕНУ: ПАЛЕОФЛОРИСТИЧНИЙ І ПАЛІНОМОРФОЛОГІЧНИЙ АСПЕКТИ

Results of the analysis of participation of pollen of some representatives of the fami­ly Scrophulariaceae sensu lato in palynofloras of the Holocene deposits of the plain part of Ukraine are considered. It has been demonstrated that fossil pollen of Scrophulariaceae occurs sporadically, in small quantities and, in most cases, its identification was reported at the family level, occasionally also at the genus level. Our main attention was focused on the generalization of our paleofloristic materials, with species-level identification of pollen grains of Scrophulariaceae, whenever possible. The data available at present can justify the participation of four species, Scrophularia nodosa , Verbascum phoeniceum ( Scrophularia­ceae s. str.), Veronica incana ( Plantaginaceae ), Melampyrum arvense ( Orobanchaceae ) in fossil palynofloras of the Ukrainian Holocene deposits. The data obtained for these types of paleofloristic data are consistent with the changes in the current taxonomy of Scrophularia­ceae , which must be taken into account when compiling specific lists of fossil palynofloras. Quantitative and qualitative diagnostic characters for these four species are generalized; these characters are recommended to be used in the practice of spore-pollen analysis for specific identifications of fossil pollen. Permanent pollen preparations on slides are deposited in the reference palynotheca of the National Herbarium of Ukraine ( KW-P ).

Nested cell strainers: An alternative method of preparing palynomorphs and charcoal

Centrifugation and sieving are essential techniques used in standard preparations of pollen and other palynological material. However, multiple centrifugation steps can potentially damage delicate palynomorphs and other microfossils, and the process of decanting after centrifugation can lead to loss of material. Traditional sieves often have a large surface area which makes manipulating smaller samples difficult and creates the need for potentially damaging techniques (e.g., sonication) to facilitate material through the sieve. We propose using stackable cell strainers as an alternative method for the preparation of pollen and charcoal samples. These sieves fit firmly on standard plastic 50ml centrifuge tubes and special rings allow the attachment of disposable syringes for suction. We demonstrate that the results of using cell sieves are comparable or better than those of traditional methods. Pollen counts from nine Holocene sites using the cell strainers showed similar concentrations of major palynomorphs in comparison to counts of samples processed following traditional methods. Visual comparison and counts of delicate pollen morphotypes, such as Pinaceae and Poaceae grains, indicated that fewer grains were damaged when cell strainers were used. Macrocharcoal preparations using cell strainers showed consistently lower counts than samples prepared using traditional methods, which may reflect lower rates of fragmentation of fossil charcoal during preparation. Finally, we demonstrate that nested cell strainers are also effective in processing lithified material and isolating and staining pollen from herbarium samples.