Nectar resource limitation affects butterfly flight performance and metabolism differently in intensive and extensive agricultural landscapes.

Flight is an essential biological ability of many insects, but is energetically costly. Environments under rapid human-induced change are characterized by habitat fragmentation and may impose constraints on the energy income budget of organisms. This may, in turn, affect locomotor performance and willingness to fly. We tested flight performance and metabolic rates in meadow brown butterflies (Maniola jurtina) of two contrasted agricultural landscapes: intensively managed, nectar-poor (IL) versus extensively managed, nectar-rich landscapes (EL). Young female adults were submitted to four nectar treatments (i.e. nectar quality and quantity) in outdoor flight cages. IL individuals had better flight capacities in a flight mill and had lower resting metabolic rates (RMR) than EL individuals, except under the severest treatment. Under this treatment, RMR increased in IL individuals, but decreased in EL individuals; flight performance was maintained by IL individuals, but dropped by a factor 2.5 in EL individuals. IL individuals had more canalized (i.e. less plastic) responses relative to the nectar treatments than EL individuals. Our results show significant intraspecific variation in the locomotor and metabolic response of a butterfly to different energy income regimes relative to the landscape of origin. Ecophysiological studies help to improve our mechanistic understanding of the eco-evolutionary impact of anthropogenic environments on rare and widespread species.

Floral resource limitation severely reduces butterfly survival, condition and flight activity in simplified agricultural landscapes.

Agricultural intensification has a strong negative impact on farmland biodiversity (including flower-visiting insects), but understanding the mechanisms involved in this requires experimental work. We document the impact of nectar limitation on the performance of a flower-visiting insect, the meadow brown butterfly Maniola jurtina. We conducted two types of experiments: a field experiment in agricultural landscapes with grasslands of different management intensity and an experiment in outdoor flight cages in which the nectar supply was simulated. For the field experiment, we introduced an array of nectar resources in intensively managed, nectar-poor meadows and in extensively managed, flower-rich grasslands and counted flower visitors. Despite higher butterfly abundance in the extensive meadows, our introduced nectar sources were more frequently visited in intensive meadows, indicating the lack of floral resources. The 48-h confinement under nectar-poor conditions in the flight cages had a strong negative effect on body condition, flight activity and lifetime survival compared to butterflies under nectar-rich conditions. Female lifespan was reduced by 22% and male lifespan even by 43%. Agricultural landscapes that provide limited amounts of floral nectar, and no high-quality, preferred nectar sources relative to the needs of the flower-visiting species, may create ecological sinks. Regards an insect's performance, the simple presence of nectar is not necessarily functionally adequate. The effectiveness of agri-environmental schemes for flower-visiting insects (e.g. flower strips) could be improved based on ecological and evolutionary insights on the effects of specific nectar quantities and qualities.

Cultivating Comfort: Examining Participant Satisfaction with Hypnotic Communication Training in Pain Management.

Context: One in four Canadians experiences chronic pain, yet insufficient services and restrictions surrounding prevailing treatments result in inadequate management and significant negative consequences for these individuals. Previous work indicates that hypnotic communication represents a promising complementary treatment; however, training protocols for healthcare professionals are underdeveloped and understudied. Aim: To evaluate the level of satisfaction for a training program on hypnotic communication in pain management clinics. Design: Qualitative study. Methods: Six health professionals who first completed the hypnotic communication training participated in 30 minutes virtual semi-structured interviews. These testimonials allowed them to elaborate on their user experience and potential areas for improvement. Thematic analysis using qualitative data management software NVIVO was conducted on the interview data. Results: Two themes emerged from the interviews. 1) Satisfaction: Participants expressed satisfaction on various structural aspects of the training, including the provided materials, atmosphere, training structure, presentation modalities, practical workshops, acquired knowledge, trainer quality, and training duration. 2) Areas for Improvement: Five main improvement suggestions were identified (providing more material; more practical workshops, more concrete and adapted; testimonials from former patients; follow-up training meeting; and continuing education). Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care and Conclusion: The results improved the training program to help minimized inherent biases related to this technique, cut associated costs, and identify reasons that would explain its underutilization among medical professionals in Quebec. Our work highlights that healthcare professionals in chronic pain management clinics (eg, respiratory therapists, nurses) can incorporate this simple hypnotic communication technique into their usual care and contribute to the well-being of patients. Impact: This study aimed to address the lack of training protocols for healthcare professionals, that are underdeveloped and understudied. The main findings on participant' satisfaction and the areas of improvement for the training will help the refinement of the training to better suit healthcare professional's needs in hospitals and chronic pain facilities.

[Towards recognition of the role of analgesia nurse clinician, a Quebec perspective]. / Vers une reconnaissance du rôle d'infirmière clinicienne spécialisée en analgésie, une perspective québécoise.

Recognition of the role of the analgesia nurse clinician will ensure that people suffering from pain receive quality care and are more satisfied with their care. What's more, the length of their hospital stays is likely to be reduced, as is the associated economic impact. The deployment of analgesia nurse clinicians requires the concerted support of various organizational, professional and political bodies.

The dural vascular plexus in subdural hematoma: Illustration through a case of dural arteriovenous fistula.

Background: The initiation of chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) is traditionally explained by rupture of bridging veins. Recent descriptions of the embryology and anatomy of the meninges and their vascularization, however, point to the dural vascular plexus (DVP) as a plausible origin of cSDH. This dural plexus is supplied by meningeal arteries. Their endovascular occlusion is efficient in cSDH treatment. Dural arteriovenous fistulae (dAVF) may also present with subdural hematoma. Case Description: A 65-year-old female patient presented with parietal parasagittal dAVF and bilateral cSDH requiring surgical disconnection followed by complete clinical and imaging resolution of dAVF and cSDH. Conclusion: In common cSDH, pressure in the DVP may be normal and subdural bleeding may occur due to mechanical traction on the DVP. In the setting of dAVF, it may be the increase in pressure due to the fistula, within the DVP, that causes subdural hematoma. The DVP, supplied by meningeal arteries, thus not only allows for convergent pathophysiological explanation of subdural bleeding in both cSDH and dAVF but may also be the actual target of the emergent endovascular treatment of cSDH trough meningeal artery embolization.

Butterfly Density and Behaviour in Uncut Hay Meadow Strips: Behavioural Ecological Consequences of an Agri-Environmental Scheme.

Sparing zones from mowing has been proposed, and applied, to improve local conditions for survival and reproduction of insects in hay meadows. However, little is known about the efficiency of refuge zones and the consequences for local populations. We studied population densities of butterflies before and after mowing in the refuge zone of 15 meadows in 2009 and 2011. We also studied the behaviour of the meadow brown (Maniola jurtina) comparing nectar use, interactions and flights in the refuge zone before and after mowing. Densities of grassland butterflies in this zone doubled on average after mowing. The density of females of M. jurtina increased on average fourfold, while males showed a more modest increase. In line with the idea of increased scramble competition in the refuge zone after mowing, M. jurtina increased the time spent on nectar feeding, the preferred nectar source was visited more frequently, and females made more use of non-preferred nectar sources. Maniola jurtina did not interact more with conspecifics after mowing, but interactions lasted longer. Flight tracks did not change in linearity, but were faster and shorter after mowing. After mowing, only a part of the local grassland butterflies moved to the uncut refuge zone. The resulting concentration effect alters the time allocated to different activities, nectar use and movements. These aspects have been largely ignored for agri-environmental schemes and grassland management in nature reserves and raise questions about optimal quantities and quality of uncut refuge sites for efficient conservation of grassland arthropods in agricultural landscapes.