This study investigated the relationship between psychopathy and the characteristics of criminal homicides committed by a sample of 125 Canadian offenders. It was hypothesized that the homicides committed by psychopathic offenders would be more likely to be primarily instrumental (i.e., associated with premeditation, motivated by an external goal, and not preceded by a potent affective reaction) or "cold-blooded" in nature, whereas homicides committed by nonpsychopaths often would be "crimes of passion" associated with a high level of impulsivity/reactivity and emotionality. The results confirmed these predictions; homicides committed by psychopathic offenders were significantly more instrumental than homicides by nonpsychopaths. Nearly all (93.3%) of the homicides by psychopaths were primarily instrumental in nature compared with 48.4% of the homicides by nonpsychopaths.

SummaryThe question of whether discernible differences exist between liars and truth tellers has interested professional lie detectors and laypersons for centuries. In this article we discuss whether people can detect lies when observing someone's nonverbal behavior or analyzing someone's speech. An article about detecting lies by observing nonverbal and verbal cues is overdue. Scientific journals regularly publish overviews of research articles regarding nonverbal and verbal cues to deception, but they offer no explicit guidance about what lie detectors should do and should avoid doing to catch liars. We will present such guidance in the present article.The article consists of two parts. The first section focuses on pitfalls to avoid and outlines the major factors that lead to failures in catching liars. Sixteen reasons are clustered into three categories: (a) a lack of motivation to detect lies (because accepting a fabrication might sometimes be more tolerable or pleasant than understanding the truth), (b) difficulties associated with lie detection, and (c) common errors made by lie detectors. We will argue that the absence of nonverbal and verbal cues uniquely related to deceit (akin Pinocchio's growing nose), the existence of typically small differences between truth tellers and liars, and the fact that liars actively try to appear credible contribute to making lie detection a difficult task. Other factors that add to difficulty is that lies are often embedded in truths, that lie detectors often do not receive adequate feedback about their judgments and therefore cannot learn from their mistakes, and that some methods to detect lies violate conversation rules and are therefore difficult to apply in real life. The final factor to be discussed in this category is that some people are just very good liars.The common errors lie detectors make that we have identified are examining the wrong cues (in part, because professionals are taught these wrong cues); placing too great an emphasis on nonverbal cues (in part, because training encourages such emphasis); tending to too-readily interpret certain behaviors, particularly signs of nervousness, as diagnostic of deception; placing too great an emphasis on simplistic rules of thumb; and neglecting inter-and intrapersonal differences. We also discuss two final errors: that many interview strategies advocated by police manuals can impair lie detection, and that professionals tend to overestimate their ability to detect deceit.The second section of this article discusses opportunities for maximizing one's chances of detecting lies and elaborates strategies for improving one's lie-detection skills. Within this section, we first provide five recommendations for avoiding the common errors in detecting lies that we identified earlier in the article. Next, we discuss a relatively recent wave of innovative lie-detection research that goes one step further and introduces novel interview styles aimed at eliciting and enhancing verbal and nonverbal differences between liars and t...

A central issue in the recovered memory debate is whether it is possible to "remember" a highly emotional incident which never occurred. The present study provided an in-depth investigation of real, implanted, and fabricated (deceptive) memories for stressful childhood events. We examined whether false memories for emotional events could be implanted and, if so, whether real, implanted, and fabricated memories had distinctive features. A questionnaire was sent to participants' parents asking about six highly emotional, stressful events (e.g., serious animal attack) which the participant may have experienced in childhood. Next, across three sessions, interviewers encouraged participants (N = 77) to "recover" a memory for a false event using guided imagery and repeated retrieval attempts. In the first interview, they were asked about one real and one false event, both introduced as true according to their parents. In two subsequent interviews, they were reinterviewed about the false event. Finally, after the third inquiry about the false event, participants were asked to fabricate a memory report. Results indicated that 26% of participants "recovered" a complete memory for the false experience and another 30% recalled aspects of the false experience. Real, implanted, and fabricated memories differed on several dimensions (e.g., confidence, vividness, details, repeated details, coherence, stress). These findings have important implications for the debate over recovered and false memories.

No abstract

CD4 ؉ CD25 ؉ T regulatory (T reg ) cells have been shown to critically regulate self and allograft tolerance in mice. Studies of human T reg cells have been hindered by low numbers present in peripheral blood and difficult purification. We found that cord blood was a superior source for T reg -cell isolation and cell line generation compared with adult blood. Cord blood CD4 ؉ CD25 ؉ cells were readily purified and generated cell lines that consistently exhibited potent suppressor activity, with more than 95% suppression of allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLRs) ( IntroductionNaturally arising CD4 ϩ CD25 ϩ T regulatory (T reg ) cells can restrict or alter most types of immune responses. 1 Initially they were described to be critical for the control of autoimmunity 2-3 and were found on adoptive transfer to prevent experimental autoimmune diseases. More recently, T reg cells have been shown to suppress allogeneic immune responses and can prevent transplant rejection. [4][5] In addition, these cells can restrain antitumor [6][7] and antimicrobial immune responses. 8 Thus, CD4 ϩ CD25 ϩ T reg cells appear to be central control elements of immunoregulation, and understanding their biology will be important for efforts aimed at therapeutically manipulating immune responses.T reg cells are best characterized in mice, where they constitute 5% to 10% of lymph node and spleen CD4 ϩ T-cell populations. They are generated both through central thymic developmental mechanisms in pathogen-free mice and also arise by poorly defined peripheral generation or expansion mechanisms. 9-10 To date they have primarily been defined by coexpression of CD4 ϩ and CD25 ϩ antigens on fresh isolation. CD25 as well as other markers of murine T reg cells, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA4 [CD152]) and glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like receptor (GITR), are all activation antigens on conventional T cells and therefore are not specific. FoxP3, a nuclear protein thought to function as a transcriptional repressor, is a newer marker considered to be more specific for T reg cells. 11 It has been demonstrated that after activation (T-cell receptor-based, antigenspecific, or anti-CD3), T reg cells can nonspecifically suppress proliferation of both CD4 ϩ and CD8 ϩ T cells. The mechanism of suppression is unclear and in vitro appears to require cell-cell contact. A functional result of suppression is impaired production of interleukin-2 (IL-2). [12][13] In vivo, the suppression mechanism is more controversial, with some studies showing dependence on immunosuppressive cytokines, 14 which are not required for in vitro suppression.Studies in mouse models of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) have shown that fresh or culture-expanded CD4 ϩ CD25 ϩ cells can delay or prevent disease. [15][16][17] Previous studies have shown that ex vivo polyclonally expanded T reg cells, with anti-CD3 plus IL-2 (for 10 days), can be effective in preventing graft versus host disease (GVHD). 15 Ex vivo expansion of T reg cells with irradiated allog...

No abstract

No abstract

Among US veterans, ST131, primarily its H30 subclone, accounts for most antimicrobial-resistant E. coli and is the dominant E. coli strain overall. Possible contributors include multidrug resistance, extensive virulence gene content, and ongoing transmission. Focused attention to ST131, especially its H30 subclone, could reduce infection-related morbidity, mortality, and costs among veterans.