OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect on snoring of structural nasal valve dilatation with butterfly spreader grafts in patients with nasal valve insufficiency. DESIGN Retrospective medical chart review and telephone follow-up; mean +/- SD follow-up time, 20.7 +/- 11.34 months (range, 3-48 months). SETTINGS Tertiary care referral center. SUBJECTS A total of 37 snoring patients with nasal valve...

PURPOSE To compare corneal reepithelialization, pain scores, ocular discomfort, and tear production after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and butterfly laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK). METHODS This prospective, randomized, double-masked study comprised 102 eyes of 51 patients who underwent laser refractive surgery. Each patient was randomized to have one eye operated on with PRK and...

Infection by endosymbiotic bacteria is an underappreciated threat to endangered arthropods with serious implications for captive management programs. We examined the nature of Wolbachia infection in the North American endangered Karner blue butterfly, Lycaeides melissa samuelis, as a case study. Screening for Wolbachia across the range of the species confirmed widespread infection in the wester...

Research has shown that the mere presence of stimuli that resemble eyes is sufficient to attract attention, elicit aesthetic responses, and can even enhance prosocial behavior. However, it is less clear whether eye-like stimuli could also be used as a tool for nature conservation. Several animal species, including butterflies, develop eye-like markings that are known as eyespots. In the present...

Based on the super light trapping property of butterfly Trogonoptera brookiana wings, the SiO2 replica of this bionic functional surface was successfully synthesized using a simple and highly effective synthesis method combining a sol-gel process and subsequent selective etching. Firstly, the reflectivity of butterfly wing scales was carefully examined. It was found that the whole reflectance s...

1. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) exerts considerable control on U.K. weather. This study investigates the impact of the NAO on butterfly abundance and phenology using 34 years of data from the U.K. Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS).2. The study uses a multi-species indicator to show that the NAO does not affect overall U.K. butterfly population size. However, the abundance of bivoltine...

B utterfly shaped macular dystrophy was first described by Deutman et al. in 1970. It is characterised by bilateral accumulation of pigmented or yellowish material at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium. Lesions consist of 3–5 ‘‘wings,’’ which resemble the wings of a butterfly. Affected patients present with a subnormal electrooculogram and normal or slightly diminished visual acuity. T...