EDIT

    @Override

    public List<UuidAndTitleCache<TaxonNode>> getTaxonNodeUuidAndTitleCacheOfAcceptedTaxaByClassification(Classification classification, Integer limit, String pattern) {

        int classificationId = classification.getId();

        // StringBuffer excludeUuids = new StringBuffer();

         String queryString = "SELECT nodes.uuid, nodes.id, taxon.titleCache, taxon.name.rank FROM TaxonNode AS nodes JOIN nodes.taxon as taxon WHERE nodes.classification.id = " + classificationId ;

         if (pattern != null){

             if (pattern.equals("?")){

                 limit = null;

             } else{

                 if (!pattern.endsWith("*")){

                     pattern += "%";

                 }

                 pattern = pattern.replace("*", "%");

                 pattern = pattern.replace("?", "%");

                 queryString = queryString + " AND taxon.titleCache like (:pattern)" ;

             }

         }

         Query query = getSession().createQuery(queryString);

         if (limit != null){

             query.setMaxResults(limit);

         }

         if (pattern != null && !pattern.equals("?")){

             query.setParameter("pattern", pattern);

         }

         @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")

         List<Object[]> result = query.list();

         if(result.size() == 0){

             return null;

         }else{

             List<UuidAndTitleCache<TaxonNode>> list = new ArrayList<UuidAndTitleCache<TaxonNode>>(result.size());

             if (result != null && !result.isEmpty()){

                 if (result.iterator().next().length == 4){

                     Collections.sort(result, new UuidAndTitleCacheTaxonComparator());

                 }

             }

             for (Object object : result){

                 Object[] objectArray = (Object[]) object;

                 UUID uuid = (UUID)objectArray[0];

                 Integer id = (Integer) objectArray[1];

                 String titleCache = (String) objectArray[2];

                 list.add(new UuidAndTitleCache<TaxonNode>(TaxonNode.class, uuid, id, titleCache));

             }

             return list;

         }

    }