Publications by authors named "V Alistair Drake"

Objective: The cross-facial nerve graft (CFNG) is employed in facial reanimation surgery to restore neural connectivity from the nonparalyzed side of the face to the paralyzed side, facilitating spontaneous smiling. Typically, the sural nerve, due to its length, serves as the donor graft. Implantation involves functional facial branch transection to provide graft input.

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The East Asian Insect Flyway is a globally important migration route stretching from the Indochina Peninsula and the Philippines through East China to Northeast China and northern Japan, although most migrants utilize only part of the flyway. In this review, we focus on long-range windborne migrations of lepidopteran and planthopper pests. We outline the environment in which migrations occur, with emphasis on the seasonal atmospheric circulations that influence the transporting wind systems.

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Concerns about perceived widespread declines in insect numbers have led to recognition of a requirement for long-term monitoring of insect biodiversity. Here we examine whether an existing, radar-based, insect monitoring system developed for research on insect migration could be adapted to this role. The radar detects individual larger (greater than 10 mg) insects flying at heights of 150-2550 m and estimates their size and mass.

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Long-distance migrations of insects contribute to ecosystem functioning but also have important economic impacts when the migrants are pests or provide ecosystem services. We combined radar monitoring, aerial sampling, and searchlight trapping, to quantify the annual pattern of nocturnal insect migration above the densely populated agricultural lands of East China. A total of ~9.

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