Data mining methods to detect airborne pollen of spring flowering arboreal taxa

Variations in the airborne pollen load are among the current and expected impacts on plant pollination driven by climate change. Due to the potential risk for pollen-allergy sufferers, this study aimed to analyze the trends of the three most abundant spring-tree pollen types, Pinus, Platanus and Quercus, and to evaluate the possible influence of meteorological conditions. An aerobiological study was performed during the 1993–2020 period in the Ourense city (NW Spain) by means of a Hirst-type volumetric sampler. Meteorological data were obtained from the ‘Ourense’ meteorological station of METEOGALICIA. We found statistically significant trends for the Total Pollen in all cases. The positive slope values indicated an increase in pollen grains over the pollen season along the studied years, ranging from an increase of 107 to 442 pollen grains. The resulting C5.0 Decision Trees and Rule-Based Models coincided with the Spearman’s correlations since both statistical analyses showed a strong and positive influence of temperature and sunlight on pollen release and dispersal, as well as a negative influence of rainfall due to washout processes. Specifically, we found that slight rainfall and moderate temperatures promote the presence of Pinus pollen in the atmosphere and a marked effect of the daily thermal amplitude on the presence of high Platanus pollen levels. The percentage of successful predictions of the C5.0 models ranged between 62.23–74.28%. The analysis of long-term datasets of pollen and meteorological information provides valuable models that can be used as an indicator of potential allergy risk in the short term by feeding the obtained models with weather prognostics.Xunta de Galicia | Ref. CO-0034-2021 00VTUniversidad de Vigo | Ref. INOU 2021Universidad de Vigo | Ref. OUR1 131H 64

Detección automática de momentos de risco alérxico da poboación ourensá

Na actualidade, o número de persoas que presentan reaccións alérxicas ao pole aumentou considerablemente, polo que é interesante contar con mecanismos que permitan determinar, coa maior precisión posible, a cantidade de pole que estará presente na atmosfera e reducir, deste xeito, o seu impacto na poboación. Para predicir a concentración de pole realizáronse estudos que utilizan modelos de regresión lineal e que, posteriormente, evolucionaron cara a modelos automáticos ou de aprendizaxe profunda. A pesar da aplicación idónea destes modelos para predicir a concentración de pole, os resultados obtidos dependen en gran medida da existencia de medicións previas de concentración e están influenciados pola calidade dos datos dispoñibles. A investigación conxunta das disciplinas de botánica e de informática trata de realizar unha estimación do risco de alerxias polo pole, de forma que permita a administración de antihistamínicos con anterioridade á súa exposición, posto que está demostrado que é moito máis efectiva ca unha vez aparecidos os primeiros síntomas. En concreto, esta estimación fíxose sobre Alnus, Betula, Platanus, Poaceae e Urticaceae, os cinco tipos de pole considerados máis agresivos na provincia de Ourense. O grupo de investigación da disciplina de botánica encargouse da captación de datos de concentración de pole, normalización e representación dos valores de recollida, calculou a estación polínica principal para cada tipo de pole e propuxo un calendario polínico para a cidade de Ourense. E o grupo de investigación de Informática centrouse na análise dos datos proporcionados e na comparación de diferentes técnicas de aprendizaxe automática para clasificar as concentracións de pole na atmosfera da provincia de Ourense e para facilitar a toma de decisións. Neste traballo móstrase a experimentación unicamente co tipo de pole Alnus; é de esperar que tamén será adecuada para cada un dos outros tipos de pole, adaptando en cada caso o modelo máis axeitado

Multicentre, randomised, single-blind, parallel group trial to compare the effectiveness of a Holter for Parkinson's symptoms against other clinical monitoring methods: study protocol

Introduction In recent years, multiple studies have aimed to develop and validate portable technological devices capable of monitoring the motor complications of Parkinson's disease patients (Parkinson's Holter). The effectiveness of these monitoring devices for improving clinical control is not known. Methods and analysis This is a single-blind, cluster-randomised controlled clinical trial. Neurologists from Spanish health centres will be randomly assigned to one of three study arms (1:1:1): (a) therapeutic adjustment using information from a Parkinson?s Holter that will be worn by their patients for 7 days, (b) therapeutic adjustment using information from a diary of motor fluctuations that will be completed by their patients for 7 days and (c) therapeutic adjustment using clinical information collected during consultation. It is expected that 162 consecutive patients will be included over a period of 6 months. The primary outcome is the efficiency of the Parkinson?s Holter compared with traditional clinical practice in terms of Off time reduction with respect to the baseline (recorded through a diary of motor fluctuations, which will be completed by all patients). As secondary outcomes, changes in variables related to other motor complications (dyskinesia and freezing of gait), quality of life, autonomy in activities of daily living, adherence to the monitoring system and number of doctor?patient contacts will be analysed. The noninferiority of the Parkinson's Holter against the diary of motor fluctuations in terms of Off time reduction will be studied as the exploratory objective. Ethics and dissemination approval for this study has been obtained from the Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge Ethics Committee. The results of this study will inform the practical utility of the objective information provided by a Parkinson's Holter and, therefore, the convenience of adopting this technology in clinical practice and in future clinical trials. We expect public dissemination of the results in 2022.Funding This work is supported by AbbVie S.L.U, the Instituto de Salud Carlos III [DTS17/00195] and the European Fund for Regional Development, 'A way to make Europe'

Allergic load in the atmosphere of the city of Ourense

El estudio de la carga alergénica es una herramienta de gran ayuda a la hora de prevenir eventos de alergia, ya que conociendo la cantidad de proteínas alergénicas de cada taxón en un área determinada anualmente, se podría realizar la elaboración de métodos predictivos para poder conocer con exactitud en qué momento se encontrarán presentes los alérgenos en el bioaerosol de la ciudad. En este proyecto de Tesis Doctoral, se realizará un estudio aerobiológico en la ciudad de Ourense, con el fin de cuantificar los alérgenos presentes en el bioaerosol y así poder evaluar la exposición real de las personas sensibles, detectando en concreto los alérgenos de Betula (Bet v1), Oleaceae (Ole e1), Parietaria (Par j1,2), Poaceae (Lol p1) y Platanus (Pla a1) y relacionarlos con los recuentos polínicos, así como elaborar métodos de predicción de la alergia, como son los calendarios polínicos, con el fin de prevenir la polinosis y minimizar los riesgos que ésta supone y, finalmente, evaluar el efecto de la variabilidad climática sobre la dispersión de los granos de polen y las proteínas alergénicas.O estudo da carga alerxénica é unha ferramenta de gran axuda á hora de prevenir eventos de alerxia, xa que coñecendo a cantidade de proteinas alerxénicas de cada taxón nunha área determinada anualmente, poderíase realizar a elaboración de métodos preditivos para poder coñecer con exactitude en que momento se atoparán presentes os alérxenos no bioaerosol da cidade. Neste proxecto de Tese de Doutoramento, realizarase un estudo aerobiolóxico na cidade de Ourense, co fin de cuantificar os alérxenos presentes no bioaerosol e así poder evaluar a exposición real das persoas sensibles, detectando en concreto os alérxenos de Betula (Bet v1), Oleaceae (Ole e1), Parietaria (Par j1,2), Poaceae (Lol p1) e Platanus (Pla a1) e relacionalos cos recontos polínicos, así como elaborar métodos de predición da alerxia, como son os calendarios polínicos, co fin de previr a polinose e minimizar os riscos que esta supón e, finalmente, avaliar o efecto da variabilidade climática sobre a dispersión dos grans de pole e as proteínas alerxénicas.The study of the allergic load is a very useful tool when it comes to preventing allergy events, since knowing the amount of allergic proteins of each taxon in a specific area annually, the elaboration of predictive methods could be done to be able to know accurately at wich moment allergens will be present in the bioaerosol of the city. An aerobiological research in the city of Ourense will be carried out in this Doctoral Thesis in order to quantify the airborne allergens, and thus be able to evaluate the real exposure of sensitive people, detecting Betula (Bet v1), Oleaceae (Ole e1), Parietaria (Par j1,2), Poaceae (Lol p1) and Platanus (Pla a1) allergens specifically and relating them to pollen counts, as well as elaborate methods of predicting allergy, such as pollen calendars, due to prevent the pollinosis desease and minimise the risks and, finally, make an assessment of the climatic variability effect on the pollen grains and allergic proteins dispersion

Tree allergen pollen-related content as pollution source in the city of Ourense (NW Spain)

Allergies became a major public health problem, identified as an important global pandemic with a considerable impact on the worldwide economy. In addition, a higher prevalence of pollen Type I sensitization cases in urban environments in comparison with the rural territories was detected. Our survey sought to assess the main biological pollution episodes caused by the aeroallergens of the major allergenic tree species in urban environments. A Hirst-type volumetric device was used for pollen sampling and a Burkard Cyclone sampler for the detection of tree atmospheric allergens over two years. The main allergens of Alnus, Fraxinus, Betula, Platanus and Olea, were detected in the atmosphere. Three peaks of important pollen concentrations were recorded throughout the year. The developed regression equations between pollen counts and allergen proteins registered great R2 values. The number of days with probability of allergenic symptoms was higher when the pollen and allergen data were assessed altogether. Fraxinus allergens in the atmosphere were detected using Ole e 1 antibodies and the Aln g 1 allergens with Bet v 1 antibodies, demonstrating the cross-reaction processes between the principal allergenic proteins of the Oleaceae and Betulaceae families. Long Distance Transport processes (LDT) showed that pollen from Betula populations located in mountainous areas increased the secondary peaks of pollen and allergen concentrations, and air masses from extensive olive orchards of North-Eastern Portugal triggered the highest concentrations in the atmosphere of Olea pollen and Ole e 1 allergens