scholarly journals Automatic Pollen Species Image Identification

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel Polling ◽  
Hugo De Boer ◽  
Timme Donders ◽  
Fons Verbeek ◽  
Barbara Gravendeel
Keyword(s):  
Accurate Method ◽  
3D Images ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Pollen Species ◽  
Pollen Types ◽  
Pollen Concentrations ◽  
First Results ◽  
Pollen Sample ◽  
Pollen Seasons ◽  
Recognition Software

Recent data shows increasing numbers of hay fever patients, with approximately 10-30% of the population affected worldwide (Pawankar et al. 2011). This increase is most likely caused by prolonged and intensified pollen seasons which in turn have been linked to increased CO2 concentrations (Ziska et al. 2003, D'Amato et al. 2007, Albertine et al. 2014). Apart from this, especially in cities, the so-called ‘heat island effect’ enables exotic plant species to establish themselves there. In the Netherlands alone, six new species settle in cities on a yearly basis and some of these are severely allergenic (Denters 2004). Pollen concentrations in the air are currently monitored using pollen samplers that collect pollen on sticky traps. These are checked manually under the microscope, a process that requires highly trained specialists. Moreover, microscopic pollen identification rarely allows discrimination of pollen types at species or even genus level even though the allergenicity may be very different. While there has been progress in automating the microscope using machine learning, automatic microscopes have not been able to systematically identify pollen to the species level. We designed an automated approach identify a predefined set of pollen on microscopic pollen samples. We use 2D light microscope images and a confocal fluorescence microscope for 3D images to create a reference dataset of highly similar pollen species to train automated image recognition software, and compare the results. The most accurate method will be used to apply to a pollen sample time series (1970-present) to find trends in allergenic pollen species over time. Here I present the first results of this research and the challenges to overcome.

scholarly journals Pollen concentrations of some plants in the air over Olszanica (Bieszczady Niskie Mountains) and Wrocław in the 2008 season

2012 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-103
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Malkiewicz ◽  
Kamilla Klaczak
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Season ◽  
Birch Pollen ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
Rural Environment ◽  
Pollen Allergens ◽  
Pollen Concentrations ◽  
Allergenic Activity ◽  
Birch Pollen Allergen ◽  
Burkard Trap ◽  
Pollen Seasons

This paper presents the results of an analysis of pollen season patterns for taxa which show the strongest allergenic activity (alder, birch, grasses, and mugwort) in 2008 in the air over Wrocław and Olszanica. The study was carried out using the volumetric method (Burkard trap). The results show variation in pollen seasons between the analyzed localities. An attempt was made to find out in which of the sites in question - the urban site or the rural one - there was a greater risk of allergens of the selected plants. The results of the present study show that the alder, birch and grass pollen seasons in 2008 started and ended earlier in Wrocław, and maximum pollen concentrations were definitely lower. But the mugwort pollen season started earlier and ended much later in Olszanica, while maximum pollen concentration of this taxon was more than twice lower than in Wrocław. In 2008 in the investigated localities, the highest pollen concentrations of the plants in question occurred in the following months: alder in February, birch in April, grasses in June, while mugwort in August. In 2008 alder and birch pollen allergen risk was comparable in the investigated urban and rural environment. However, grass and mugwort pollen allergens posed a significantly greater threat in the rural environment than in Wrocław.

scholarly journals Mugwort pollen season in the air of Poland in 2019

Alergoprofil ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 23-28
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Puc ◽  
Piotr Rapiejko ◽  
Agnieszka Lipiec ◽  
Małgorzata Malkiewicz ◽  
Katarzyna Dąbrowska-Zapart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Season ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Start Date ◽  
Airborne Concentration ◽  
Pollen Concentrations ◽  
Artemisia Species ◽  
Pollen Seasons ◽  
June July ◽  
Artemisia Pollen ◽  
Seasonal Pollen

  The Asteraceae family is one of the largest families, comprising 67 genera and 264 species in Poland. However, only a few genera, including Artemisia, are potential allergenic sources. The aim of the study was to compare the mugwort pollen seasons in Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Sosnowiec, Lublin, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Opole, Olsztyn, Szczecin, Warsaw and Wroclaw in 2019. The investigations were carried out using the volumetric method. Seasonal Pollen Index was estimated as the sum of daily average pollen concentrations in the given season. The mugwort pollen season is mainly observed in June, July and at the beginning of September. In 2019 the pollen season of mugwort started first in Opole, on the June 26th. At the latest, a pollen season ended in Bydgoszcz and Warsaw, at the end of September. The differences of pollen seasons duration were extremely considerable, from 35 to 83 days. The highest airborne concentration of 97 pollen grains/m3 was noted in Lublin on the July 31st. The maximum values of seasonal pollen count in Polish cities occurred between July 28th and August 12th, most often between in late July and early August. The highest mugwort pollen allergen hazard occurred in 2019 in Lublin, Warsaw, Opole and Wroclaw, and was 2–3 times higher than in other cities. The highest variability in the analysed seasons was found in start date, while the lowest in the peak value and SPI value. In the pollen season in 2019, 2 peaks of Artemisia pollen concentrations were observed as a result of the order of flowering of A. vulgaris and A. campestris. Information on the pollination of various Artemisia species will be used to avoid excessive exposure to allergens of these pollen grains.

scholarly journals Precise Pollen Grain Detection in Bright Field Microscopy Using Deep Learning Techniques

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (16) ◽  
pp. 3583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramón Gallardo-Caballero ◽  
Carlos J. García-Orellana ◽  
Antonio García-Manso ◽  
Horacio M. González-Velasco ◽  
Rafael Tormo-Molina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Network Architecture ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Pollen Grain ◽  
Average Value ◽  
Pollen Types ◽  
Pollen Concentrations ◽  
Pollen Counting ◽  
Estimation System ◽  
3D Information

The determination of daily concentrations of atmospheric pollen is important in the medical and biological fields. Obtaining pollen concentrations is a complex and time-consuming task for specialized personnel. The automatic location of pollen grains is a handicap due to the high complexity of the images to be processed, with polymorphic and clumped pollen grains, dust, or debris. The purpose of this study is to analyze the feasibility of implementing a reliable pollen grain detection system based on a convolutional neural network architecture, which will be used later as a critical part of an automated pollen concentration estimation system. We used a training set of 251 videos to train our system. As the videos record the process of focusing the samples, this system makes use of the 3D information presented by several focal planes. Besides, a separate set of 135 videos (containing 1234 pollen grains of 11 pollen types) was used to evaluate detection performance. The results are promising in detection (98.54% of recall and 99.75% of precision) and location accuracy (0.89 IoU as the average value). These results suggest that this technique can provide a reliable basis for the development of an automated pollen counting system.

scholarly journals Near-surface and columnar measurements with a micro pulse lidar of atmospheric pollen in Barcelona, Spain

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 6805-6821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaël Sicard ◽  
Rebeca Izquierdo ◽  
Marta Alarcón ◽  
Jordina Belmonte ◽  
Adolfo Comerón ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Airborne Pollen ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Vertical Motion ◽  
Surface Concentration ◽  
Correlation Study ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Pollen Types ◽  
Pollen Concentrations ◽  
Micro Pulse Lidar ◽  
Depolarization Ratios

Abstract. We present for the first time continuous hourly measurements of pollen near-surface concentration and lidar-derived profiles of particle backscatter coefficients and of volume and particle depolarization ratios during a 5-day pollination event observed in Barcelona, Spain, between 27 and 31 March 2015. Daily average concentrations ranged from 1082 to 2830 pollen m−3. Platanus and Pinus pollen types represented together more than 80 % of the total pollen. Maximum hourly pollen concentrations of 4700 and 1200 m−3 were found for Platanus and Pinus, respectively. Every day a clear diurnal cycle caused by the vertical transport of the airborne pollen was visible on the lidar-derived profiles with maxima usually reached between 12:00 and 15:00 UT. A method based on the lidar polarization capabilities was used to retrieve the contribution of the pollen to the total aerosol optical depth (AOD). On average the diurnal (09:00–17:00 UT) pollen AOD was 0.05, which represented 29 % of the total AOD. Maximum values of the pollen AOD and its contribution to the total AOD reached 0.12 and 78 %, respectively. The diurnal means of the volume and particle depolarization ratios in the pollen plume were 0.08 and 0.14, with hourly maxima of 0.18 and 0.33, respectively. The diurnal mean of the height of the pollen plume was found at 1.24 km with maxima varying in the range of 1.47–1.78 km. A correlation study is performed (1) between the depolarization ratios and the pollen near-surface concentration to evaluate the ability of the former parameter to monitor pollen release and (2) between the depolarization ratios as well as pollen AOD and surface downward solar fluxes, which cause the atmospheric turbulences responsible for the particle vertical motion, to examine the dependency of the depolarization ratios and the pollen AOD upon solar fluxes. For the volume depolarization ratio the first correlation study yields to correlation coefficients ranging 0.00–0.81 and the second to correlation coefficients ranging 0.49–0.86.

scholarly journals Anthropogenic climate change is worsening North American pollen seasons

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (7) ◽  
pp. e2013284118
Author(s):  
William R. L. Anderegg ◽  
John T. Abatzoglou ◽  
Leander D. L. Anderegg ◽  
Leonard Bielory ◽  
Patrick L. Kinney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
North American ◽  
Airborne Pollen ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Anthropogenic Climate Change ◽  
Detection And Attribution ◽  
Pollen Concentrations ◽  
Pollen Seasons

Airborne pollen has major respiratory health impacts and anthropogenic climate change may increase pollen concentrations and extend pollen seasons. While greenhouse and field studies indicate that pollen concentrations are correlated with temperature, a formal detection and attribution of the role of anthropogenic climate change in continental pollen seasons is urgently needed. Here, we use long-term pollen data from 60 North American stations from 1990 to 2018, spanning 821 site-years of data, and Earth system model simulations to quantify the role of human-caused climate change in continental patterns in pollen concentrations. We find widespread advances and lengthening of pollen seasons (+20 d) and increases in pollen concentrations (+21%) across North America, which are strongly coupled to observed warming. Human forcing of the climate system contributed ∼50% (interquartile range: 19–84%) of the trend in pollen seasons and ∼8% (4–14%) of the trend in pollen concentrations. Our results reveal that anthropogenic climate change has already exacerbated pollen seasons in the past three decades with attendant deleterious effects on respiratory health.

scholarly journals Ash pollen season in Poland in 2019

Alergoprofil ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 17-22
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Puc ◽  
Daniel Kotrych ◽  
Agnieszka Lipiec ◽  
Kazimiera Chłopek ◽  
Dariusz Jurkiewicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Season ◽  
Pollen Allergy ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Cross Reactivity ◽  
Pollen Allergen ◽  
Airborne Concentration ◽  
Pollen Concentrations ◽  
Annual Total ◽  
Pollen Seasons ◽  
Seasonal Pollen

Pollen grains are one of the most important groups of atmospheric biological particles that cause allergic processes. Meteorological factors affect the occurrence of pollen allergen release in the air. In order to shed light on this phenomenon this study compares the ash pollen seasons in Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Sosnowiec, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Opole, Olsztyn, Szczecin, Warsaw and Lublin in 2019. The investigations were carried out using the volumetric method (Hirst type pollen sampler). Seasonal Pollen Index (SPI) was estimated as the sum of daily average pollen concentrations in the given season. The ash pollination is mainly observed in April. Diagnosis of ash pollen allergy is made difficult due to an overlapping pollination period with Betulaceae and some cross-reactivity with allergens from Betulaceae. It is not clear whether ash pollen is a primary cause of sensitization or whether it is implicated through cross-sensitization to other pollens. In 2019 the pollen season of ash started first in Opole, on the March 9th. At the latest, a pollen season ended in Bialystok, after mid may. The differences of pollen seasons duration were very considerable, from 28 to 50 days. The highest airborne concentration of 190 pollen grains/m3 was noted in Lublin on the April 21st. The maximum values of seasonal pollen count in Polish cities occurred between April 4th and 22nd, most often between April 18th–22nd. The highest ash pollen allergen hazard occurred in 2019 in Lublin, Warsaw, Piotrkow Trybunalski and Bydgoszcz, and was at least three times higher than in other cities. The highest variability in the analysed seasons was found in the peak value and annual total.

scholarly journals Monitoring of Immovable Cultural Heritage Implementing 3D and Artificial Intelligence Technologies

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 151-166
Author(s):  
Rimvydas Laužikas ◽  
Albinas Kuncevičius ◽  
Darius Amilevičius ◽  
Tadas Žižiūnas ◽  
Ramūnas Šmigelskas
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Research Council ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Accurate Method ◽  
Heritage Management ◽  
Contemporary Society ◽  
Heritage Preservation ◽  
Cultural Heritage Object ◽  
3D Point Clouds ◽  
First Results

Preservation of immovable cultural heritage is one of the main challenges for contemporary society. Nowadays very often organizations responsible for heritage management constantly have to deal with lack of resources, which are crucial for proper heritage preservation, maintaining and protection.The possible solution of these problems could be automated heritage monitoring, based on the 3D and AI technologies. 3D scanning technology is the most accurate method to capture the situation of an evolving cultural heritage object or complex at a given time. As a cultural heritage object or complex is evolving continuously, AI based comparison of two 3D point clouds created at different time allow to reliably trace potential changes. Proposed solution is realized by project financed by Research Council of Lithuania „Automated monitoring of urban heritage implementing 3D technologies”. The first results of the project are presented at this article.

scholarly journals The threat of allergenic airborne trees pollen to pollinosis sufferers in a rural area (Western Pomerania, Poland)

2015 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Kruczek ◽  
Małgorzata Puc ◽  
Alina Stacewicz ◽  
Tomasz Wolski
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Season ◽  
Birch Pollen ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Daily Maximum ◽  
Pollen Concentrations ◽  
Diurnal Distribution ◽  
Annual Total ◽  
Total Pollen ◽  
Pollen Seasons ◽  
The Village

The aim of the study was to investigate the concentration of <em>Alnus</em> L., <em>Corylus</em> L. and <em>Betula</em> L. pollen in the village of Gudowo (Western Pomerania, Poland) in the years 2012–2014 in order to estimate the threat of allergenic tree pollen in this rural region. Measurements were performed using the volumetric method (VPPS Lanzoni 2000 pollen sampler). The duration of the pollen season was determined by the 98% method, taking days on which, respectively, 1% and 99% of the annual total pollen grains appeared as the beginning and end of the season. Pollen grains from hazel occurred in the air as the first ones, before pollen grains from alder and birch. The earliest beginning of the hazel pollen season was recorded in 2012, whereas alder and birch pollen seasons started the earliest in 2014. Daily maximum pollen concentrations of the investigated taxa were recorded in 2014. Birch pollen allergens posed the largest threat to pollinosis sufferers. In the years 2012–2014, pollen concentrations equal or higher than threshold values, at which people with pollinosis show allergic symptoms, were recorded most frequently for birch, hazel, and alder (25, 19, and 14 days, respectively). The highest hourly alder pollen concentration was recorded at 16:00 and in the case of hazel at 15:00. The diurnal distribution of birch pollen concentrations does not show any distinct peaks.

Influence of Saharan-Sahel dust outbreaks on pollen exposure in the Iberian Mediterranean areas

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Rojo ◽  
José María Moreno ◽  
Jorge Romero-Morte ◽  
Beatriz Lara ◽  
Belén Elvira-Rendueles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Mineral Dust ◽  
Airborne Pollen ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Dust Particles ◽  
Simultaneous Occurrence ◽  
Air Mass ◽  
Pollen Types ◽  
Pollen Concentrations ◽  
Pollen Exposure

&lt;p&gt;Airborne particulate matter such as mineral dust comes mainly from natural sources, and the arid regions of Sahara and Sahel in Africa release large amounts of the aerosols dispersed worldwide. There is evidence of concomitant presence of desert dust particles and bioaerosols such as pollen grains in the atmosphere, which produce a significant decline in air quality during the dust intrusions events. However, there is little knowledge about the influence of dust episodes on pollen exposure in allergy sufferers as well as the causes that may produce a potential effect of the intrusions on airborne pollen levels. This potential effect on the airborne pollen concentrations is analysed in the Iberian Mediterranean region in this study. Mediterranean countries are strongly affected by Saharan-Sahel dust intrusions, and the Iberian territory, specially the central and southern areas, suffer frequently great incidence of dust episodes due to its geographic location. In this study firstly, the simultaneous occurrence between airborne pollen peaks and Saharan-Sahel dust intrusions were analysed and compared with the behaviour in the days before and after the dust intrusions in the central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Secondly, the weather conditions favouring high pollen concentrations during dust episodes namely prevalent winds, air mass pathways and variations in other meteorological variables like air temperature, relative humidity or atmospheric pressure were studied.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Pollen peaks often coincided with dust episodes during the pollen season in the central Iberian Peninsula. The increase of the airborne pollen concentrations during the dust episodes is clear in inland Iberian areas, although this was not the case in coastal areas of the southeast where pollen concentrations could even be seen to decrease when easterly winds from the sea prevailed during dust intrusions. Total pollen concentrations and also pollen types such as Olea, Poaceae and Quercus showed an increase in the central Iberian Peninsula during the dust episodes when two meteorological phenomena occurred simultaneously: 1) prevailing winds came from large areas of the main wind-pollinated pollen sources at medium or short scale (mainly from western and southwestern areas); and 2) optimal meteorological conditions that favoured pollen release and dispersal into the atmosphere (mainly high temperatures and low humidity). Both these conditions often occur during Saharan-Sahel dust intrusions in the centre. The findings suggest that the proportion of long-range transport is lower than those produced in medium and short distance by dust intrusions of air masses. Therefore, maximum pollen peaks are most likely to occur during dust episodes in the central Iberian Peninsula dramatically increasing the risk of outbreaks of pollinosis and other respiratory diseases in the population. The negative effects of the mineral dust on public health are well known, even more so when allergenic biological agents are co-transported together by the air mass movements coming from desert areas. The findings of this study have very relevant implications for defining health-emergency alerts for severe Saharan-Sahel dust outbreaks.&lt;/p&gt;

Thirty-Year Survey on Airborne Pollen Concentrations in Genoa, Italy: Relationship with Sensitizations, Meteorological Data, and Air Pollution

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. e232-e241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arsenio Corrado Negrini ◽  
Simone Negrini ◽  
Vania Giunta ◽  
Silvana Quaglini ◽  
Giorgio Ciprandi
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Pollen Season ◽  
Meteorological Parameters ◽  
Airborne Pollen ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Pollen Allergy ◽  
Pollen Species ◽  
Pollen Concentrations ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Pollen Release

Background Pollen allergy represents a relevant health issue. Betulaceae sensitization significantly increased in Genoa, Italy, in the last decades. This study investigated possible relationships among pollen count, meteorological changes, air pollution, and sensitizations in this city during a 30-year period. Methods Betulaceae, Urticaceae, Gramineae, and Oleaceae pollen counts were measured from 1981 to 2010 in Genoa. Sensitization to these pollens was also considered in large populations of allergic patients. Meteorological parameters and pollutants were also measured in the same area. Results Betulaceae sensitization increased over time. All pollen species significantly increased over this time. Pollen season advanced for Betulaceae and Urticaceae. Only Urticaceae season significantly increased. Temperature increased while rainfall decreased over the time. Pollutants significantly decreased. There were some relationships between pollen changes and climatic and air pollution parameters. Conclusion This 30-year study conducted in an urbanized area provided evidence that Betulaceae sensitization significantly increased, pollen load significantly augmented, and climate and air pollution changed with a possible influence on pollen release.

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