High stakes lies: Police and non-police accuracy in detecting deception

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Psychology, Crime and Law on 26 June 2014 available online: http://wwww.tandfonline.com/10.1080/1068316X.2014.935777To date, the majority of investigations in to accuracy in detecting deception have used low stakes lies as stimulus materials, and findings from these studies suggest that people are generally poor at detecting deception. The research presented here utilised real life, high stakes lies as stimulus materials, to investigate the accuracy of police and non-police observers in detecting deception. It was hypothesised that both police and non-police observers would achieve above chance levels of accuracy in detecting deception, that police officers would be more accurate at detecting deception than non-police observers, that confidence in veracity judgements would be positively related to accuracy, and that consensus judgements would predict veracity. 107 observers (70 police officers and 37 non-police participants) watched 36 videos of people lying or telling the truth in an extremely high stakes, real life situation. Police observers achieved mean accuracy in detecting deception of 72%, non-police observers achieved 68% mean accuracy, and confidence in veracity judgements were positively related to accuracy. Consensus judgements correctly predicted veracity in 92% of cases.ESRC grant number ES/I013288/

Temporal Patterns of Medications Dispensed to Children and Adolescents in a National Insured Population

This study aimed to comprehensively describe prevalence and temporal dispensing patterns for medications prescribed to children and adolescents in the United States. Participants were 1.6 million children (49% female) under 18 years old enrolled in a nation-wide, employer-provided insurance plan. All medication claims from 1999–2006 were reviewed retrospectively. Drugs were assigned to 16 broad therapeutic categories. Effects of trend over time, seasonality, age and gender on overall and within category prevalence were examined. Results: Mean monthly prevalence for dispensed medications was 23.5% (range 19.4–27.5), with highest rates in winter and lowest in July. The age group with the highest prevalence was one-year-old children. On average each month, 17.1% of all children were dispensed a single drug and 6.4% were dispensed two or more. Over time, prevalence for two or more drugs did not change, but the proportion of children dispensed a single drug decreased (slope -.02%, p = .001). Overall, boys had higher monthly rates than girls (average difference 0.9%, p = .002). However, differences by gender were greatest during middle childhood, especially for respiratory and central nervous system agents. Contraceptives accounted for a large proportion of dispensed medication to older teenage girls. Rates for the drugs with the highest prevalence in this study were moderately correlated (average Pearson r.66) with those from a previously published national survey. Conclusion: On average, nearly one quarter of a population of insured children in the United States was dispensed medication each month. This rate decreased somewhat over time, primarily because proportionally fewer children were dispensed a single medication. The rate for two or more drugs dispensed simultaneously remained steady

A population-based study of caesarean section in women with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Objectives: The literature on delivery methods in women with JIA is limited. Active inflammation is a risk factor for caesarean section (CS) in other arthritic diseases. A CS entails a higher risk for complications than vaginal delivery and restricted physical activity in the first weeks after birth. Our objective was to explore a possible association of inflammatory active disease and the proportion of CS in women with JIA. Methods: Data from the Norwegian nationwide observational register RevNatus were linked with data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN). Cases comprised singleton births in women with JIA (n ¼ 196) included in RevNatus from 2010 to 2019. Singleton births registered in the MBRN during the same period of time, excluding births in mothers with rheumatic inflammatory diseases, served as population controls (n ¼ 575 798). Results: CS was more frequent in women with JIA (20.4%) and in the subgroup of women with inflammatory active JIA (30.0%) than in population controls (15.6%). Women with active JIA had a risk for elective CS similar to population controls [risk difference 2.3% (95% CI -2.5, 12.9)] and a higher risk for emergency CS [risk difference 14.0% (95% CI 4.3, 27.4)] compared with population controls. Conclusion: Women with active JIA had a higher risk for emergency CS, but not elective CS, compared with population controls.publishedVersio

Comparing the effect of STan (cardiotocographic electronic fetal monitoring (CTG) plus analysis of the ST segment of the fetal electrocardiogram) with CTG alone on emergency caesarean section rates: study protocol for the STan Australian Randomised controlled Trial (START).

BACKGROUND: Cardiotocography is almost ubiquitous in its use in intrapartum care. Although it has been demonstrated that there is some benefit from continuous intrapartum fetal monitoring using cardiotocography, there is also an increased risk of caesarean section which is accompanied by short-term and long-term risks to the mother and child. There is considerable potential to reduce unnecessary operative delivery with up to a 60% false positive diagnosis of fetal distress using cardiotocography alone. ST analysis of the fetal electrocardiogram is a promising adjunct to cardiotocography alone, and permits detection of metabolic acidosis of the fetus, potentially reducing false positive diagnosis of fetal distress. METHODS: This study will be a single-centre, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial, conducted over 3 years. The primary hypothesis will be that the proportion of women with an emergency caesarean section on ST analysis will not equal that for women on cardiotocography monitoring alone. Participants will be recruited at the Women's and Children's Hospital, a high-risk specialty facility with approximately 5000 deliveries per annum. A total of 1818 women will be randomised to the treatment or conventional arm with an allocation ratio of 1:1, stratified by parity. The primary outcome is emergency caesarean section (yes/no). Statistical analysis will follow standard methods for randomised trials and will be performed on an intention-to-treat basis. Secondary maternal and neonatal outcomes will also be analysed. Additional study outcomes include psychosocial outcomes, patient preferences and cost-effectiveness. DISCUSSION: Approximately 20% of Australian babies are delivered by emergency caesarean section. This will be the first Australian trial to examine ST analysis of the fetal electrocardiogram as an adjunct to cardiotocography as a potential method for reducing this proportion. The trial will be among the first to comprehensively examine ST analysis, taking into account the impact on psychosocial well-being as well as cost-effectiveness. This research will provide Australian evidence for clinical practice and guideline development as well as for policy-makers and consumers to make informed, evidence-based choices about care in labour. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ANZCTR, ACTRN1261800006268 . Registered on 19 January 2018

Effekten av akutt sult og emosjonelt stress på vommiljø og kjøttkvalitet i rein

Resultatene er derfor hittil negative når det gjelder vår hypotese om at stress påvirkervommiljøet og dermed kjøttkvaliteten. Det er imidlertid tvilsomt om dyrene som var slaktet i Kautokeino var tilstrekkelig stresset til å gi et klart utslag. Det bør i denne sammenheng fremheves at det ikke ble påvist dårlig lukt eller andre subjektive tegn på dårlig kjøttkvalitet under slaktingen

Sales of oseltamivir in Norway prior to the emergence of oseltamivir resistant influenza A(H1N1) viruses in 2007–08

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An unprecedented high proportion of oseltamivir resistant influenza A(H1N1) viruses emerged in the 2007–08 influenza season. In Norway, two thirds of all tested A(H1N1) viruses were resistant to the antiviral drug. In order to see if this emergence could be explained by a drug induced selection pressure, we analysed data on the sales of oseltamivir in Norway for the years 2002–07.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used data from two sources; the Norwegian Drug Wholesales Statistics Database and the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD), for the years 2002–2007. We calculated courses sold of oseltamivir (Tamiflu^®) per 1000 inhabitants per year.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our data showed that, except for the years 2005 and 2006, sales of oseltamivir were low in Norway; courses sold per 1000 inhabitants varied between 0.17–1.64. The higher sales in 2005 and 2006 we believe were caused by private stockpiling in fear of a pandemic, and do not represent actual usage.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A drug induced selection pressure was probably not the cause of the emergence of oseltamivir resistant influenza A(H1N1) viruses in 2007–08 in Norway.</p

Caesarean section in women with axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: a population-based study

Background There is sparse documentation on pregnancy outcomes in women with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Data on disease activity are often lacking, preventing the direct investigation of the effect of inflammation on pregnancy outcomes. A caesarean section (CS) implies a higher risk for complications than vaginal delivery. It delays mobilisation after birth necessary to counteract inflammatory pain and stiffness. Objective To explore a possible association of inflammatory active disease and CS rates in women with axSpA and PsA. Methods Data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN) were linked with data from RevNatus, a Norwegian nationwide observational register recruiting women with inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Singleton births in women with axSpA (n=312) and PsA (n=121) included in RevNatus 2010–2019 were cases. Singleton births, excluding mothers with rheumatic inflammatory diseases, registered in MBRN during the same period time (n=575 798) served as population controls. Results CS occurred more frequently in both axSpA (22.4%) and PsA (30.6%) groups compared with population controls (15.6%), with even higher frequencies in inflammatory active axSpA (23.7%) and PsA (33.3%) groups. Compared with population controls, women with axSpA had higher risk for elective CS (risk difference 4.4%, 95% CI 1.5% to 8.2%) but not emergency CS. Women with PsA had higher risk for emergency CS (risk difference 10.6%, 95% CI 4.4% to 18.7%) but not elective CS. Conclusion Women with axSpA had higher risk for elective and women with PsA for emergency CS. Active disease amplified this risk.publishedVersio

What causes treatment failure - the patient, primary care, secondary care or inadequate interaction in the health services?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Optimal treatment gives complete relief of symptoms of many disorders. But even if such treatment is available, some patients have persisting complaints. One disorder, from which the patients should achieve complete relief of symptoms with medical or surgical treatment, is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Despite the fact that such treatment is cheap, safe and easily available; some patients have persistent complaints after contact with the health services. This study evaluates the causes of treatment failure.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twelve patients with GERD and persistent complaints had a semi-structured interview which focused on the patients' evaluation of treatment failure. The interviews were taped, transcribed and evaluated by 18 physicians, (six general practitioners, six gastroenterologists and six gastrointestinal surgeons) who completed a questionnaire for each patient. The questionnaires were scored, and the relative responsibility for the failure was attributed to the patient, primary care, secondary care and interaction in the health services.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Failing interaction in the health services was the most important cause of treatment failure, followed by failure in primary care, secondary care and the patient himself; the relative responsibilities were 35%, 28%, 27% and 10% respectively. There was satisfactory agreement about the causes between doctors with different specialities, but significant inter-individual differences between the doctors. The causes of the failures differed between the patients.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Treatment failure is a complex problem. Inadequate interaction in the health services seems to be important. Improved communication between parts of the health services and with the patients are areas of improvement.</p

Introduction to drug utilization research

Research in drug utilization began to develop in the 1960s. Some pioneering studies focused on assessing differences in drug utilization between countries or regions. Other studies focused on factors influencing the prescribing patterns of physicians. Drug utilization research (DUR) is significantly connected to clinical pharmacology. The original aims of clinical pharmacology were to develop new drugs and to determine the balance between drug benefit and risk in clinical trials. The eclectic nature of drug utilization research requires expertise in a broad range of research methodologies. Qualitative studies are also needed to explore the perceptions of prescribers, dispensers and patients in dealing with medicines. These studies are extremely important to gain a deeper understanding of various phenomena in drug utilization. The nature of the scientific questions and the types of drug utilization studies vary across the world.</p