Background: Cerebellar atrophy is characterized by loss of cerebellar tissue, with evidence on brain imaging of enlarged interfolial spaces compared to the foliae. Genetic ataxias associated with cerebellar atrophy are a heterogeneous group of disorders. We investigated the prevalence in Canada and the diagnostic yield of whole exome sequencing (WES) for this group of conditions. Methods: Between 2011 and 2017, WES was performed in 91 participants with cerebellar atrophy as part of one of two national research programs, Finding of Rare Genetic Disease Genes (FORGE) or Enhanced Care for Rare Genetic Diseases in Canada (Care4Rare). Results: A genetic diagnosis was established in 58% of cases (53/91). Pathogenic variants were found in 24 known genes, providing a diagnosis for 46/53 participants (87%), and in four novel genes, accounting for 7/53 cases (13%). 38/91 cases (42%) remained unsolved. The most common diagnoses were channelopathies in 12/53 patients (23%) and mitochondrial disorders in 9/53 (17%). Inheritance was autosomal recessive in the majority of cases. Additional clinical findings provided useful clues to some of the diagnoses. Conclusions: This is the first report on the prevalence of genetic ataxias associated with cerebellar atrophy in Canada, and the utility of WES for this group of conditions.

Background: Inadequate postoperative pain control is common and is associated with negative clinical outcomes. The objective is to identify preoperative predictors of poor postoperative pain control in the adult population undergoing inpatient surgery. Methods: Meta-analysis was performed according to MOOSE guidelines. Studies were included if they evaluated postoperative pain using a validated instrument in adults undergoing inpatient surgery and reported a measure of association between poor postoperative pain control and at least one preoperative predictor. Measures of association were pooled using random effects models. Results: A total of 33 studies representing 59,259 patients were included. Significant preoperative predictors of poor postoperative pain included sleeping difficulties (OR 2.32 [95% CI 1.46-3.69]), history of depressive symptoms (OR 1.71 [95% CI 1.32-2.22]), use of preoperative analgesia (OR 1.54 [95% CI 1.18-2.03]), smoking (OR 1.33 [95% CI 1.09-1.61]), -female sex (OR 1.29 [95% CI 1.17-1.43]), presence of preoperative pain (OR 1.21 [95% CI 1.10-1.32]], history of anxiety symptoms (OR 1.22 [95% CI 1.09-1.36)], younger age (OR 1.18 [95% CI 1.05-1.32)], and higher BMI (OR 1.02 [95% CI 1.01-1.03]). Conclusions: Nine significant predictors of poor postoperative pain control were identified and these should be recognized as important factors when developing pre- and peri-operative strategies to improve pain outcomes.

Mosquito communities across the globe frequently comprise a mix of native and cosmopolitan species. New Zealand's mosquito communities are no exception. Here we describe the abundance, distribution and phenological patterns for a community of six mosquito taxa resident across the Kaipara Harbour region of northern New Zealand. Adult mosquitoes were sampled using baited light traps, serviced biweekly for 3½ years. Seasonal fluctuations in abundance of adults were examined for correlations with temperature and rainfall over the preceding weeks. Four endemic species comprised over 98% of the total catch, with Coquillettidia iracunda being the most abundant. Two introduced species, Aedes notoscriptus and Culex quinquefasciatus were widely distributed, but each comprised <1% of the total catch. Culiseta tonnoiri was the only species that appeared geographically restricted, occurring at one-third of the sites. Distinct temporal peaks in adult abundance were evident: Aedes antipodeus was most abundant in spring, Ae. notoscriptus and Cq. iracunda were most abundant in summer and Cx. quinquefasciatus was most abundant in autumn. Culiseta tonnoiri and Culex pervigilans were of variable abundance throughout the year. For all species examined, temporal variations in abundance were more strongly associated with temperature in the preceding weeks than with preceding rainfall. A better knowledge of the factors driving patterns of spatial and temporal abundance will allow an improved understanding of how non-native species may integrate themselves into resident mosquito communities.

A number of laser facilities coming online all over the world promise the capability of high-power laser experiments with shot repetition rates between 1 and 10 Hz. Target availability and technical issues related to the interaction environment could become a bottleneck for the exploitation of such facilities. In this paper, we report on target needs for three different classes of experiments: dynamic compression physics, electron transport and isochoric heating, and laser-driven particle and radiation sources. We also review some of the most challenging issues in target fabrication and high repetition rate operation. Finally, we discuss current target supply strategies and future perspectives to establish a sustainable target provision infrastructure for advanced laser facilities.

Kodak Technical Pan (Tech Pan) emulsion is an extremely fine grained, high resolution, panchromatic negative film with extended red sensitivity. It has been produced under this name since about 1980 (Kodak P–255, 1981) and is available on Kodak's Estar base in a number of thicknesses and sizes. The thick ∗∗base Tech Pan is designated 4415 and has been used with great success by the amateur astronomical community for many years (e.g. Martys 1991). Its astronomical potential was recognised early by Everhart (1981). However, tests at professional telescopes (e.g. West et al. 1981) and early sensitometer tests at the UK Schmidt Telescope (UKST) in 1981 and 1987 were discontinued when the glass and film samples did not respond well to normal hypersensitisation techniques. These and other difficulties led to a lack of interest among the professional astronomical community until quite recently (Russell et al. 1992; Parker & Malin 1992). The first successful use of 14 × 14 inch hypered Tech-Pan 4415 film in the UKST was in March 1991. Films were obtained which exhibited excellent image quality and resolution. Furthermore, in good seeing these appeared to be about 1 magnitude deeper than the equivalent IIIa-F emulsion on glass but with considerably lower grain noise. This result was achieved because two main problems associated with Tech-Pan and film use in the UKST have been resolved. These were:

1. 1)obtaining Tech-Pan film with long exposure speed sufficient for deep astronomical photography (i.e. reduction of low intenstiy reciprocity failure);
2. 2)overcoming the practical difficulties of mounting large-format flexible film at the UKST's curved focal surface.

We report on version 1.0 of the Edinburgh/AAO/Strasbourg catalogue of new and possible Planetary Nebulae (PN) distributed via cdrom at this meeting. We provide accurate positions, designations, images and other descriptive parameters for the PN. In future releases this will be supplemented by inclusion of spectra and related material such as line ratios, velocities etc.

The 900+ PN have been discovered solely from visual scrutiny of narrow-band exposures taken for the AAO/UKST H-alpha survey of the Southern Galactic Plane. Most have classic PN-type morphologies (i.e. bi-polar, rings, shells or ovals). SuperCOSMOS data will soon supersede our visual scanning but it proved an effective preliminary technique to identify candidate PN on the basis of morphology, isolation and identification as an H-alpha nebulosity. We already have confirmatory spectroscopy for ~ 700 objects. Much of our new sample are of very low surface brightness, with no obvious central star, and so have remained undetected in previous surveys. They are revealed here due to the excellent depth, resolution, coverage and uniformity of the H-alpha survey. Many PN are also well extended. The average angular size is 51″ with the median of 27″ but examples extend to several arcminutes. This may indicate many are in a highly evolved state where the central star has faded from easy optical detection and the nebula itself is dissipating into the ambient ISM. Large numbers of candidate PN have also been found in the Galactic Bulge region, most of which have been confirmed via UKST FLAIR/6dF MOS spectroscopy (Parker et al, in preparation and these proceedings).

By version 2.0 (release in 2002) we will have doubled the number of Galactic PN accrued from all sources over the last 75 years. This new catalogue should have a profound impact on many aspects of PN research.

We report on an unprecedented source of Planetary Nebulae (PN) discovered from AAO/UKST Hα survey images of the Southern Galactic Plane. A pristine region of PN discovery space is being sampled due to the excellent depth, coverage, resolution and uniformity of the Hα survey. Large numbers of new PN are being found (~1000 so far). They are typically more evolved, obscurred and of lower surface brightness than in most other surveys. The doubling of known PN should have a significant impact on many aspects of PN research.

Using the 22-m ‘Mopra’ antenna (near Coonabarabran, NSW) of the Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF), we have observed emission from the 115-GHz J = 1−0 transition of CO towards the centre of each of the 1101 clouds listed in the Catalogue of Southern Dark Clouds (SDC) of Hartley et al. (1986). The velocity range covered was −96 to +70 km s−1, with a velocity resolution of 0· 120 km s−1. CO was detected at 1049 of the positions, with 367 spectra showing emission at more than one radial velocity. Here we present the most comprehensive general survey of the SDC catalogue, with the intensity, velocity and half-width of the CO detection and a code describing the profile shape. The presence of blue- or red-shifted wings in many observations can provide a starting point in searches for star-forming regions.

It is now clear that the epoch when the Universe was half of its current age is a crucial period during which galaxies assembled their mass and evolved into the galaxies we observe in the local Universe. However, so far only very few direct studies of mass assembly in action, hence galaxy merging, were conducted over z=1 and usually relied on very small or biased samples. Based on very deep near infrared survey data, the latest UKIDSS-UDS DR8, combined with the optical data conducted by Subaru and CFHT and Spitzer IRAC observations, we explored the evolution of the merging rate up to z = 2, over the largest volume of the Universe at 0.4<z<2 ever sampled. The pair fraction is found to decrease by a factor of two during this period, and wet (gas rich) mergers dominate largely. The dry mergers are very rare, ruling it out as the main mechanism for the mass assembly of passive massive galaxies. Also while massive galaxies undergo a decrease of their pair fraction during this period, less massive systems follow an increase during the same period.

A provisional species list for the insects galling willow in Britain is presented. Aspects of willow biology which may be important in gall-insect species diversity are briefly discussed and the process of gall formation is reviewed for one species of willow-galling sawfly. An experiment investigating willow defences against galling, by measuring phenolic levels in plant and gall tissue, is also described.

A review of the relationship between elastic moduli and interatomic force constants precedes the description of a method for determining the composition dependence of single crystal elastic moduli of disordered alloys having the face-centered cubic structure. The method treats the alloy as a virtual crystal, characterized by an effective pair potential between atoms. Results of calculations are presented using experimental data on Cu-rich Cu-Al alloys.

Vertical transmission of the protozoan parasite, Neospora caninum is highly efficient and can take two forms – endogenous transplacental transmission resulting from activation of the quiescent bradyzoite stage during pregnancy or exogenous transplacental transmission resulting from ingestion of oocysts during pregnancy. Calves born carrying infection derived from either endogenous or exogenous transplacental transmission are capable of infecting their offspring when they start to breed. This review considers firstly the frequency with which exogenous and endogenous transmission occur, secondly the role of the immune response in controlling N. caninum infection and thirdly how the parasite persists in an immune-competent host and is re-activated during pregnancy.

Fixed metaphase chromosomes of brown trout and Atlantic salmon were digested with various restriction enzymes and stained with Giemsa. C band-like patterns were produced in both species by Alu I, Dde I, Hae III and Mbo I. Alu I revealed extra chromosome bands in brown trout which allowed identification of additional chromosome pairs, while the other three enzymes produced patterns identical to C banding. In the Atlantic salmon Dde I revealed telomeric bands at all telomeres in addition to the conventional C bands and all four enzymes had differential effects on the nucleolar organizer-associated heterochromatin. The relevance of these findings to chromosome identification and constitutive heterochromatin organization in salmonid fishes is discussed.