Legal Work and the Glass Cliff: Evidence that Women are Preferentially Selected to Lead Problematic Cases

Recent archival and experimental research by Ryan and Haslam has revealed the phenomenon of the glass cliff whereby women are more likely than men to be appointed to risky or precarious leadership positions in problematic organizational circumstances. This paper extends research on the glass cliff by examining the precariousness of the cases women are assigned in a legal context. An experimental study conducted with law students (N = 114) investigated the appointment of a candidate to lead a legal case that was defined as either low-risk or high-risk. Commensurate with patterns observed in other domains, results indicated that a male candidate was as likely as a female to be selected as lead counsel for a low-risk case but that there was a strong preference for a female rather than a male appointment for a high-risk case. The study also examines the way in which participants\u27 evaluations of candidates and their perceptions of risk and opportunity related to candidate selection. Implications and directions for future research are discussed

Expertise and Bias in Political Communication

Citizens minimize information costs by obtaining political information and guidance from other individuals who have assumed the costs of acquiring and processing political information. A problem occurs because ideal informants, characterized by the joint presence of political expertise and shared viewpoints, are often unavailable or rare within the groups where individuals are located. Hence, individuals must often look beyond their own group boundaries to find such individuals, but obtaining information from individuals located beyond their own groups produces additional information costs. Moreover, the availability of ideal informants varies across groups and settings, with the potential to produce (1) biases in favor of some groups at the expense of others, (2) varying levels of polarization among groups, and (3) context dependent patterns of informant centrality. The paper’s analysis is based on a series of small group experiments, each of which involves two groups of seven subjects who communicate with one another via networked computers in order to obtain information on candidates. The aggregate implications of the experimental results are analyzed using an agent-based model

Intra-Operative Experience using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Based Patient Specific Cutting Guides during Total Knee Arthroplasty

Background. The incidence of malalignment in total knee arthroplasty(TKA) using conventional instrument has beenreported as high as 25%. A relatively new TKA system involvesthe use of a preoperative magnetic resonance image(MRI) to obtain accurate implant placement more consistently.For broad acceptance of this new technique, it iscrucial to analyze the initial intra-operative experience. Thespecific aim of this study was to evaluate the initial intra-operativeexperience of a single surgeon using this new technique. Methods. A total of 15 knees (12 patients: 6 female and 6male) were reviewed from TKA procedures using the selectedmanufacturer’s patient specific cutting guides between January2011 and April 2013 at a single institution. Patient demographicand specific parameters and intra-operative alterationsof component positioning were recorded and evaluated.Results. The preoperative plan was able to predict correctly thesize of the implanted femoral component in 87% (n = 13) andtibial component in 80% (n = 12) of the cases. However, 60% (n= 9) of cases required additional intra-operative corrections onfemoral resection, and 73% (n = 11) required an additional 2 - 4mm correction on the tibial proximal resection. Twenty percent(n = 3) required additional tibial varus/valgus correction, butthere were no tibial slope corrections for any of the 15 cases. Conclusions. The initial intra-operative experience of a singlesurgeon using current patient specific cutting guides for a selectedmanufacturer to align femoral and tibial components duringTKA has raised some concerns. We agreed with previous studiesthat caution should be taken when using patient specific cuttingguides without supportive data. The findings of this study providedadditional evidence to contest the accuracy of patient specificcutting guides with respect to the initial experience of an orthopaedicsurgeon who is trained in total joint replacement. Theresults provided more evidence to assist orthopaedic surgeonsin the decision of whether to use these patient specific systemsversus conventional TKA methods. KS J Med 2016;9(2):22-26

Commercialisation and commodification of breastfeeding: video diaries by first-time mothers.

BACKGROUND: Many of aspects of our lives became increasingly commercialised in post-modern society. Although breastfeeding is perhaps a late comer to this process in recent years, it too has seen significant commercialisation facilitated by social media and our obsession with celebrity culture. This paper explores how the commercialisation and commodification of breastfeeding impacts mothers' experiences of breastfeeding. METHODS: In a qualitative study, five mothers in the United Kingdom recorded their real-time breastfeeding experiences in video diaries. Using a multi-modal method of analysis, incorporating both visual and audio data, a thematic approach was applied. FINDINGS: Women preparing for breastfeeding are exposed to increasing commercialisation. When things do not go to plan, women are even more exposed to commercial solutions. The impact of online marketing strategies fuelled their need for paraphernalia so that their dependence on such items became important aspects of their parenting and breastfeeding experiences. CONCLUSIONS: The audio-visual data demonstrated the extent to which "essential" paraphernalia was used, offering new insights into how advertising influenced mothers' need for specialist equipment and services. Observing mothers in their video diaries, provided valuable insights into their parenting styles and how this affected their breastfeeding experience

Who Gets the Carrot and Who Gets the Stick? Evidence of Gender Disparities in Executive Remuneration

notes: Earlier versions of the paper appeared as http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1526948 - TILEC Discussion Paper No. 2009-046 and http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1526948 - CentER Discussion Paper Series No. 2010-02This paper offers a new explanation of the gender pay gap in leadership positions by examining the relationship between managerial bonuses and company performance. Drawing on findings of gender studies, agency theory, and the leadership literature, we argue that the gender pay gap is a context-specific phenomenon that results partly from the fact that company performance has a moderating impact on pay inequalities. Employing a matched sample of 192 female and male executive directors of U.K.-listed firms, we corroborate the existence of the gender pay disparities in corporate boardrooms. In line with our theoretical predictions, we find that bonuses awarded to men are not only larger than those allocated to women, but also that managerial compensation of male executive directors is much more performance-sensitive than that of female executives. The contribution of attributional and expectancy-related dynamics to these patterns is highlighted in line with previous work on gender stereotypes and implicit leadership theories such as the romance of leadership. Gender differences in risk taking and confidence are also considered as potential explanations for the observed pay disparities. The implications of organizations' indifference to women's performance are examined in relation to issues surrounding the recognition and retention of female talent. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Aerial survey and telemetry data analysis of a peripheral caribou calving area in northwestern Alaska

With industrial development expanding in the Arctic, there is increasing interest in quantifying the impacts of development projects on barren ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti). The primary data source to assess caribou distribution and predict impacts in remote areas of Alaska has shifted in recent decades from aerial survey data to telemetry data, but these techniques have different strengths and weaknesses. The ranges of two caribou herds, the Western Arctic Herd and the Teshekpuk Herd, overlap in northwest Alaska between Wainwright and Atqasuk, Alaska. Based on long-term telemetry data sets, this region was thought to be outside of the core calving ranges of both herds. Calving has long been reported to occur in this general area, but early reports assumed caribou were from the Western Arctic Herd and only one systematic aerial survey of caribou density and distribution during calving has been conducted in this area in recent decades. Following interest in industrial development in this area, we conducted aerial strip-transect surveys during early to mid-June 2013–2015 to directly assess the density and distribution of caribou in the area and we used existing telemetry data to compare our results to the seasonal distribution of both herds. Total caribou densities varied between 0.36 and 1.06 caribou/km² among years, and calf densities varied 0.04 and 0.25 calves/km² among years. Contrary to assumptions by early researchers in the area, telemetry data indicated that caribou in this area during early to mid-June were from the Teshekpuk Herd. The use of telemetry data alone underestimated the importance of this area for calving, but the combination of aerial surveys and telemetry data provided complementary information on caribou use of this area showing the importance of collecting the appropriate types of data for assessing potential impacts of development on caribou

One thousand days of SN 2015bn: HST imaging shows a light curve flattening consistent with magnetar predictions

We present the first observations of a Type I superluminous supernova (SLSN) at $\gtrsim 1000$ days after maximum light. We observed SN 2015bn using the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys in the F475W, F625W and F775W filters at 721 days and 1068 days. SN 2015bn is clearly detected and resolved from its compact host, allowing reliable photometry. A galaxy template constructed from these data further enables us to isolate the SLSN flux in deep ground-based imaging. We measure a light curve decline rate at $>700$ days of $0.19 \pm 0.03$ mag (100 d)$^{-1}$, much shallower than the earlier evolution, and slower than previous SLSNe (at any phase) or the decay rate of $^{56}$Co. Neither additional radioactive isotopes nor a light echo can consistently account for the slow decline. A spectrum at 1083 days shows the same [O I] and [Ca II] lines as seen at $\sim300-400$ days, with no new features to indicate strong circumstellar interaction. Radio limits with the Very Large Array rule out an extended wind for mass-loss rates $10^{-2.7} \lesssim \dot{M}/v_{10} \lesssim 10^{-1.1}$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ (where $v_{10}$ is the wind velocity in units of 10 km s$^{-1}$). The optical light curve is consistent with $L \propto t^{-4}$, which we show is expected for magnetar spin-down with inefficient trapping; furthermore, the evolution matches predictions from earlier magnetar model fits. The opacity to magnetar radiation is constrained at $\sim 0.01$ cm$^2$ g$^{-1}$, consistent with photon-matter pair-production over a broad $\sim$GeV-TeV range. This suggests the magnetar spectral energy distribution, and hence the 'missing energy' leaking from the ejecta, may peak in this range.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL, updated to match accepted versio

The mammalian cone visual cycle promotes rapid M/L-cone pigment regeneration independently of the interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein

Rapid regeneration of the visual pigment following its photoactivation is critical for the function of cone photoreceptors throughout the day. Though the reactions of the visual cycle in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) that recycle chromophore for rod pigment regeneration are well characterized, the corresponding mechanisms that enable rapid regeneration of cone pigment are poorly understood. A key remaining question is the relative contribution of the recently discovered cone-specific retina visual cycle and the classic RPE-dependent visual cycle to mammalian cone pigment regeneration. In addition, it is not clear what role, if any, the abundant interphotoreceptor matrix protein, IRBP, presumed to facilitate the traffic of chromophore, plays in accelerating mammalian cone pigment regeneration. To address these issues we used transretinal recordings to evaluate M/L-cone pigment regeneration in isolated retinas and eyecups from control and IRBP-deficient mice. Remarkably, the mouse retina promoted M/L-cone dark adaptation 8-fold faster than the RPE. However, complete cone recovery required both visual cycles. We conclude that the retina visual cycle is critical for the initial rapid regeneration of mouse M/L-cone pigment during dark adaptation whereas the slower RPE visual cycle is required to complete the process. While the deletion of IRBP reduced the amplitude and slowed the kinetics of mouse M/L-cone photoresponses, cone adaptation in bright steady light and the kinetics of cone dark adaptation were not affected in isolated retina or in intact eyecup. Thus, IRBP does not accelerate cone pigment regeneration and is not critical for the function of mouse M/L-cones in bright light