When conducting a systematic review, screening the vast body of literature to identify the small set of relevant studies is a labour-intensive and error-prone process. Although there is an increasing number of fully automated tools for screening, their performance is suboptimal and varies substantially across review topic areas. Many of these tools are only trained on small datasets, and most are not tested on a wide range of review topic areas. This study presents two systematic review datasets compiled from more than 8600 systematic reviews and more than 540000 abstracts covering 51 research topic areas in health and medical research. These datasets are the largest of their kinds to date. We demonstrate their utility in training and evaluating language models for title and abstract screening. Our dataset includes detailed metadata of each review, including title, background, objectives and selection criteria. We demonstrated that a small language model trained on this dataset with additional metadata has excellent performance with an average recall above 95% and specificity over 70% across a wide range of review topic areas. Future research can build on our dataset to further improve the performance of fully automated tools for systematic review title and abstract screening.

The Variables and Slow Transients Survey (VAST) on the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) is designed to detect highly variable and transient radio sources on timescales from 5 s to $\sim\!5$ yr. In this paper, we present the survey description, observation strategy and initial results from the VAST Phase I Pilot Survey. This pilot survey consists of $\sim\!162$ h of observations conducted at a central frequency of 888 MHz between 2019 August and 2020 August, with a typical rms sensitivity of $0.24\ \mathrm{mJy\ beam}^{-1}$ and angular resolution of $12-20$ arcseconds. There are 113 fields, each of which was observed for 12 min integration time, with between 5 and 13 repeats, with cadences between 1 day and 8 months. The total area of the pilot survey footprint is 5 131 square degrees, covering six distinct regions of the sky. An initial search of two of these regions, totalling 1 646 square degrees, revealed 28 highly variable and/or transient sources. Seven of these are known pulsars, including the millisecond pulsar J2039–5617. Another seven are stars, four of which have no previously reported radio detection (SCR J0533–4257, LEHPM 2-783, UCAC3 89–412162 and 2MASS J22414436–6119311). Of the remaining 14 sources, two are active galactic nuclei, six are associated with galaxies and the other six have no multi-wavelength counterparts and are yet to be identified.

The Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS) is the first large-area survey to be conducted with the full 36-antenna Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope. RACS will provide a shallow model of the ASKAP sky that will aid the calibration of future deep ASKAP surveys. RACS will cover the whole sky visible from the ASKAP site in Western Australia and will cover the full ASKAP band of 700–1800 MHz. The RACS images are generally deeper than the existing NRAO VLA Sky Survey and Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey radio surveys and have better spatial resolution. All RACS survey products will be public, including radio images (with $\sim$ 15 arcsec resolution) and catalogues of about three million source components with spectral index and polarisation information. In this paper, we present a description of the RACS survey and the first data release of 903 images covering the sky south of declination $+41^\circ$ made over a 288-MHz band centred at 887.5 MHz.

Gravitational waves from coalescing neutron stars encode information about nuclear matter at extreme densities, inaccessible by laboratory experiments. The late inspiral is influenced by the presence of tides, which depend on the neutron star equation of state. Neutron star mergers are expected to often produce rapidly rotating remnant neutron stars that emit gravitational waves. These will provide clues to the extremely hot post-merger environment. This signature of nuclear matter in gravitational waves contains most information in the 2–4 kHz frequency band, which is outside of the most sensitive band of current detectors. We present the design concept and science case for a Neutron Star Extreme Matter Observatory (NEMO): a gravitational-wave interferometer optimised to study nuclear physics with merging neutron stars. The concept uses high-circulating laser power, quantum squeezing, and a detector topology specifically designed to achieve the high-frequency sensitivity necessary to probe nuclear matter using gravitational waves. Above 1 kHz, the proposed strain sensitivity is comparable to full third-generation detectors at a fraction of the cost. Such sensitivity changes expected event rates for detection of post-merger remnants from approximately one per few decades with two A+ detectors to a few per year and potentially allow for the first gravitational-wave observations of supernovae, isolated neutron stars, and other exotica.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) of parents are associated with a variety of negative health outcomes in offspring. Little is known about the mechanisms by which ACEs are transmitted to the next generation. Given that maternal depression and anxiety are related to ACEs and negatively affect children’s behaviour, these exposures may be pathways between maternal ACEs and child psychopathology. Child sex may modify these associations. Our objectives were to determine: (1) the association between ACEs and children’s behaviour, (2) whether maternal symptoms of prenatal and postnatal depression and anxiety mediate the relationship between maternal ACEs and children’s behaviour, and (3) whether these relationships are moderated by child sex. Pearson correlations and latent path analyses were undertaken using data from 907 children and their mothers enrolled the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition study. Overall, maternal ACEs were associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression during the perinatal period, and externalizing problems in children. Furthermore, we observed indirect associations between maternal ACEs and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems via maternal anxiety and depression. Sex differences were observed, with boys demonstrating greater vulnerability to the indirect effects of maternal ACEs via both anxiety and depression. Findings suggest that maternal mental health may be a mechanism by which maternal early life adversity is transmitted to children, especially boys. Further research is needed to determine if targeted interventions with women who have both high ACEs and mental health problems can prevent or ameliorate the effects of ACEs on children’s behavioural psychopathology.

Introduction: Diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE) can be challenging because the signs and symptoms are often non-specific. Studies have shown that evidence-based algorithms are not always adhered to in the Emergency Department (ED) and are often not used correctly, which leads to unnecessary CT scanning. The YEARS diagnostic algorithm, consisting of three items (clinical signs of deep vein thrombosis, hemoptysis, and whether pulmonary embolism is the most likely diagnosis) and D-dimer, is a novel and simplified way to approach suspected acute PE. The purpose of this study was to 1) evaluate the use of the YEARS algorithm in the ED and 2) to compare the rates of testing for PE if the YEARS algorithm was used. Methods: This was a health records review of ED patients investigated for PE at two emergency departments over a two-year period (April 2013-March 2015). Inclusion criteria were ED physician ordered CT pulmonary angiogram, ventilation-perfusion scan, or D-dimer for investigation of PE. Patients under the age of 18 and those without a D-dimer test were excluded. PE was considered to be present during the emergency department visit if PE was diagnosed on CT or VQ (subsegmental level or above), or if the patient was subsequently found to have PE or deep vein thrombosis during the next 30 days. Trained researchers extracted anonymized data. The rate of CT/VQ imaging and the false negative rate was calculated. Results: There were 1,163 patients that were tested for PE and 1,083 patients were eligible for our analysis. Of the total, 317/1,083 (29.3%; 95%CI 26.6-32.1%) had CT/VQ imaging for PE, and 41/1,083 (3.8%; 95%CI 2.8-5.1%) patients were diagnosed with PE at baseline. Three patients had a missed PE, resulting in a false negative rate of 0.4% (95%CI 0.1-1.2%). If the YEARS algorithm was used, 211/1,083 (19.5%; 95%CI 17.2-22.0%) would have required imaging for PE. Of the patients who would not have required imaging according to the YEARS algorithm, 8/872 (0.9%; 95%CI 0.5-1.8%) would have had a missed PE. Conclusion: If the YEARS algorithm was used in all patients with suspected PE, fewer patients would have required imaging with a small increase in the false negative rate.

Introduction: Diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE) can be challenging because the signs and symptoms are often non-specific. Studies have shown that evidence-based algorithms are not always adhered to in the Emergency Department (ED), which leads to unnecessary CT scanning. The pulmonary embolism rule-out criteria (PERC) can identify patients who can be safely discharged from the ED without further investigation for PE. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of the PERC rule in the ED and to compare the rates of testing for PE if the PERC rule was used. Methods: This was a health records review of ED patients investigated for PE at two emergency departments over a two-year period (April 2013-March 2015). Inclusion criteria were ED physician ordered CT pulmonary angiogram, ventilation-perfusion scan, or D-dimer for investigation of PE. Patients under the age of 18 were excluded. PE was considered to be present during the emergency department visit if PE was diagnosed on CT or VQ (subsegmental level or above), or if the patient was subsequently found to have PE or deep vein thrombosis during the next 30 days. Trained researchers extracted anonymized data. The rate of CT/VQ imaging and the negative predictive value was calculated. Results: There were 1,163 patients that were tested for PE and 1,097 patients were eligible for our analysis. Of the total, 330/1,097 (30.1%; 95%CI 27.4-32.3%) had CT/VQ imaging for PE, and 48/1,097 (4.4%; 95%CI 3.3-5.8%) patients were diagnosed with PE. 806/1,097 (73.5%; 95%CI 70.8-76.0%) were PERC positive, and of these, 44 patients had a PE (5.5%; 95%CI 4.1-7.3%). Conversely, 291/1,097 (26.5%; 95%CI 24.0-29.2%) patients were PERC negative, and of these, 4 patients had a PE (1.4%; 95%CI 0.5-3.5%). Of the PERC negative patients, 291/291 (100.0%; 95%CI 98.7-100.0%) had a D-dimer test done, and 33/291 (11.3%; 95%CI 8.2-15.5%) had a CT angiogram. If PERC was used, CT/VQ imaging would have been avoided in 33/1,097 (3%; 95%CI 2.2-4.2%) patients and the D-dimer would have been avoided in 291/1,097 (26.5%; 95%CI 24.0-29.2%) patients. Conclusion: If the PERC rule was used in all patients with suspected PE, fewer patients would have further testing. The false negative rate for the PERC rule was low.

Despite the growing interest in the phenomenon of learning without intention, the incidental learning of phonological features, especially prosodic features, has received relatively little attention. This paper reports an experiment on incidental learning of lexical stress rules, and investigates whether the resultant knowledge can be unconscious, abstract, and rule based. Participants were incidentally exposed to a lexical stress system where stress location of a word is mainly determined by the final phoneme, syllable type, and syllable weight. Learning was assessed by a pronunciation judgment task. Results indicate that participants were able to transfer their knowledge of stress patterns to novel words whose final phoneme was not previously encountered, suggesting that participants had acquired abstract and potentially rule-based knowledge. The combined use of subjective and objective measures of awareness in the present study provides a strong piece of evidence of the acquisition of implicit knowledge.

Introduction: Diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE) in the emergency department can be challenging due to non-specific signs and symptoms; this often results in the over-utilization of CT pulmonary angiography (CT-PA). In 2013, the American College of Chest Physicians identified CT-PA as one of the top five avoidable tests. Age-adjusted D-dimer has been shown to decrease CT utilization rates. Recently, clinical-probability adjusted D-dimer has been promoted as an alternative strategy to reduce CT scanning. The aim of this study is to compare the safety and efficacy of the age-adjusted D-dimer rule and the clinical probability-adjusted D-dimer rule in Canadian ED patients tested for PE. Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of ED patients investigated for PE at two hospitals from April 2013 to March 2015 (24 months). Inclusion criteria were the ED physician ordered CT-PA, Ventilation-Perfusion (VQ) scan or D-dimer for investigation of PE. Patients under the age of 18 were excluded. PE was defined as CT/VQ diagnosis of acute PE or acute PE/DVT in 30-day follow-up. Trained researchers extracted anonymized data. The age-adjusted D-dimer and the clinical probability-adjusted D-dimer rules were applied retrospectively. The rate of CT/VQ imaging and the false negative rates were calculated. Results: In total, 1,189 patients were tested for PE. 1,129 patients had a D-dimer test and a Wells score less than 4.0. 364/1,129 (32.3%, 95%CI 29.6-35.0%) would have undergone imaging for PE if the age-adjusted D-dimer rule was used. 1,120 patients had a D-dimer test and a Wells score less than 6.0. 217/1,120 patients (19.4%, 95%CI 17.2-21.2%) would have undergone imaging for PE if the clinical probability-adjusted D-dimer rule was used. The false-negative rate for the age-adjusted D-dimer rule was 0.3% (95%CI 0.1-0.9%). The false-negative rate of the clinical probability-adjusted D-dimer was 1.0% (95%CI 0.5-1.9%). Conclusion: The false-negative rates for both the age-adjusted D-dimer and clinical probability-adjusted D-dimer are low. The clinical probability-adjusted D-dimer results in a 13% absolute reduction in CT scanning compared to age-adjusted D-dimer.

Introduction: Diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE) can be challenging because the signs and symptoms are often non-specific. Studies have shown that evidence-based diagnostic algorithms are not always adhered to in the Emergency Department (ED), which leads to unnecessary CT scanning. In 2013, the American College of Chest Physicians identified CT pulmonary angiography as one of the top five avoidable tests. One solution is to use a clinical prediction rule combined with the D-dimer, which safely reduces the use of CT scanning. The objective of this study was to compare the proportion of patients tested for PE in two emergency departments, who 1) had a CT-PE and 2) whose diagnosis of PE was missed. We compared these rates to those if the Wells rule and D-dimer had been applied as standard. Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of ED patients investigated for PE at two hospitals from April 2013 to March 2015 (24 months). Inclusion criteria were the ED physician ordered CT-PE, Ventilation-Perfusion (VQ) scan or D-dimer for investigation of PE. Patients under the age of 18 were excluded. PE was defined as CT/VQ diagnosis of acute PE or acute PE/DVT in 30-day follow-up. Trained researchers extracted anonymized data. The rate of CT/VQ imaging and the false-negative rates were calculated. The false-negative rate was calculated as the number of patients diagnosed with PE within 30 days as a proportion of those patients who did not have a CT/VQ scan at initial presentation. Results: There were 1,189 patients included in this study. 55/1,189 patients (4.6%; 95%CI 3.6-6.0%) were ultimately diagnosed with PE within 30 days. 397/1,189 patients (33.4%; 95%CI 30.8-36.1%) had CT/VQ scans for PE. 3 out of 792 who were not scanned had a missed PE resulting in a false-negative rate of 0.4% (95% CI 0.1-1.1%). 80 patients had an elevated D-dimer or high Wells score but were not imaged. Furthermore, 75 patients who did not have an elevated D-dimer nor a high Wells score were imaged. Had Wells rule/D-dimer been adhered to, 402/1,189 patients (33.8%; 95%CI 31.9-36.6%) would have undergone imaging and the false negative rate would be 0/727, 0% (95%CI 0.0-0.5%). Conclusion: If the Wells rule and D-dimer was used in all patients tested for PE, a similar proportion would have a CT scan but fewer PEs would be missed.