In this paper we report results of skin prick tests (SPT) using pollen extracts on 200 patients with clinical symptoms of asthma, and results of a parallel study in which pollen was collected and classified over a period of 18 months. The patients were outpatients from the University Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, while the pollen grains were collected with a spore trap placed in the campu...

Information about airborne pollen concentration is of concern for health authorities across Europe. The reliability of data estimates depends on the accuracy and precision of pollen counts. In Italy, pollen counts are carried out on slides for microscopic evaluation and are regulated by the national Standard UNI 11108:2004. Our results showed that counts performed according to the Italian stand...

In 1873, Charles Harrison Blackley recognised pollen as the cause of hay fever and ‘‘hay asthma’’ [1]. For the first time, he collected pollen grains with a kite that had a sticky tail and then he counted them. Being affected by seasonal asthma himself, he also performed the first skin prick test on his own arm. Since then, aerobiology (from Greek á r, aēr, ‘‘air’’; bioz, bios, ‘‘life’’; and -l...

BACKGROUND : Grass pollen grain, an important aeroallergen, can disperse in the environment pollen cytoplasmic granules (PCGs) able to release water-soluble allergens when they are washed out by rainfall. The allergenicity of these washed PCGs is, however, preserved. OBJECTIVE : The purpose of the study was to assess the allergenic potential of washed and unwashed PCGs, from Phleum pratense p...

The Asteraceae family is one of the largest families, comprising 67 genera and 264 species in Poland. However, only a few genera, including Artemisia and Ambrosia are potential allergenic sources. The aim of the study was to estimate how often and to what degree Artemisia and Ambrosia pollen seasons co-occur intensifying human health risk, and how synoptic situations influence frequency of days...

studies of postmeiotic chromosomes have been impeded by the thick exine of immature pollen grains. chromosome staining of immature and adult pollen grains through conven-tional acetocarmine procedure is tedious and often leads to unsatisfactory results. an acetocarmine stain, used in conjugation with carnoy’s solution as fixative for 72 hrs or until the chlorophyll-containing tissues of spike b...

The development of sperm cells (SCs) from microspores involves a set of finely regulated molecular and cellular events and the coordination of these events. The mechanisms underlying these events and their interconnections remain a major challenge. Systems analysis of genome-wide molecular networks and functional modules with high-throughput "omics" approaches is crucial for understanding the m...

Córdoba is one of the Spanish cities with the highest records of plane tree pollen grains in the air. Clinical studies have identified Platanus as a major cause of pollinosis. This fact provokes an important public health problem during early spring when these trees bloom. The objective of the study is to evaluate the correlation between airborne pollen counts and Pla a 1 aeroallergen concentra...

Pollen-mediated gene flow (PMGF) is the main mode of transgene flow in flowering plants. The study of pollen and gene flow of transgenic wheat can help to establish the corresponding strategy for preventing transgene escape and contamination between compatible genotypes in wheat. To investigate the pollen dispersal and gene flow frequency in various directions and distances around the pollen so...

This field study investigated the relationship between indoor and outdoor concentrations of airborne actinomycetes, fungal spores, and pollen. Air samples were collected for 24 h with a button inhalable aerosol sampler inside and outside of six single-family homes located in the Cincinnati area (overall, 15 pairs of samples were taken in each home). The measurements were conducted during three ...