(Gendered) Language?: Examining CEO demographics during times of change and what the media has to say about it

Previous business research indicates that there is a glass ceiling and other obstacles that females face to get to top management positions, specifically a CEO position. The Glass Cliff Phenomenon is a theory coined by Ryan and Haslam (2007) that indicates females are more likely to be appointed to a CEO position in a firm that is in a precarious situation with a high probability of organizational failure. Female CEO representation in public firms, therefore, is incredibly small relative to male CEO representation. This lack of visible representation of women in positions of power, as compared to their male counterparts, is due to the fact that female CEO’s face an earlier exit circumstance because the companies in which they lead have a high probability of failure. The glass ceiling theory, in essence, is that women are more likely to be selected for more precarious situations. In other words, when companies are in times of crisis, they tend to select females for top management positions. How the media perceives these women, in contrast to men, determines the narratives written about women in positions of power

Understanding Tendencies of Aggressive Behavior and Cognition as Related to Alcohol Use and Intimate Partner Violence

The term intimate partner violence (IPV) refers to any act of aggression (physical or emotional) committed within an intimate relationship by one partner against the other, regardless of gender, sexual intimacy, or sexual orientation. One of the leading risk factors for IPV is the regular abuse of alcohol (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2014). High levels of alcohol consumption predict an increase in aggression in individuals with aggressive dispositions (Barnwell et al., 2006). Extensive research exists on the relationship between alcohol use and IPV, yet there is a dearth in the literature investigating the complexities of the alcohol use-IPV relationship with automatic aggression- and alcohol-related cognition as mediating factors. The current study sought to investigate these relationships in a sample of 126 college students (Mage = 19.66; SD = 1.46) who were characterized as “social” drinkers (based on the AUDIT screening questionnaire). Correlational analyses revealed a significant relationship between problem drinking and forms of IPV (e.g., sexual coercion and physical assault), as well as between problem drinking and anger as a form of aggression. Results revealed that the strength of negative attitudes associated with violence was relative to the context in which it is being evaluated (e.g., alcohol or recreational behaviors). Furthermore, we were unable to find a significant mediated link between problem drinking and IPV with aggressive tendencies as the mediator. These findings elucidate the complex relationships between cognitive processes, aggressive dispositions, problematic alcohol use, and IPV. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed

Sexual Assault Victims and How They Cope: A Creative Thesis From A Survivor’s Perspective

This thesis shows the creative process that fine artist Taylor Campbell went through while completing a painting show about the sexual assault epidemic on college campuses. Because she has been a victim of both sexual harassment and assault while attending college, she dives deeper into how she and other survivors cope with their trauma and uses her creative outlet to help get conversation started about the epidemic. She hopes with her research and her paintings that other survivors will realize they are not alone in their battles and are surrounded by people who are ready and willing to help. She also hopes that her work will inspire those who have not been affected by sexual violence will be inspired speak up when they see something unusual, and to be open and supportive to those who have been affected

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry - Application in the clinical laboratory

This review provides a concise survey of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LCTMS) as an emerging technology in clinical chemistry. The combination of two mass spectrometers with an interposed collision cell characterizes LCTMS as an analytical technology on its own and not just as a more specific detector for HPLC compared with conventional techniques. In LCTMS, liquid chromatography is rather used for sample preparation but not for complete resolution of compounds of interest. The instrument technology of LCTMS is complex and comparatively expensive; however, in routine use, methods are far more rugged compared to conventional chromatographic techniques and enable highthroughput analyses with very limited manual handling steps. Moreover, compared to both gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GCMS) and conventional HPLC techniques, LCTMS is substantially more versatile with respect to the spectrum of analyzable compounds. For these reasons it is likely that LCTMS will gain far more widespread use in the clinical laboratory than HPLC and GCMS ever did. In this article, the key features of LCTMS are described, method development is explained, typical fields of application are discussed, and personal experiences are related

Effect of Relaxation on Neuro-Immune Responses of Persons Undergoing Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy can be considered both a physiologic and a psychological stressor. Anxiety, nausea, emesis, and immunosuppression are commonly associated with chemotherapy, and may adversely affect the outcome or the process of treatment. Chemotherapy-related anxiety can exacerbate negative side-effects. Some psychological stressors, such as anxiety, can result in down-regulation of certain immune functions. Studies have demonstrated that behavioral interventions, such as specific relaxation strategies, can modify stress-related immune modulation. These behavioral interventions have also been shown to decrease the degree of nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to examine whether a relaxation intervention would result in decreased anxiety, decreased nausea and vomiting, and decreased immune modulation in persons undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. A baseline neuro-immune assessment, including immune function tests, state and trait anxiety, and serum catecholamines, was performed on 12 women diagnosed with breast cancer and slated to undergo four cycles of Adriamycin/Cytoxan (AC) chemotherapy. Subjects were assigned to an experimental or a control group. The control group underwent chemotherapy according to the prescribed AC regimen. The experimental group underwent the same chemotherapy and a relaxation intervention. The neuro-immune assessment was repeated just before subjects received the third and fourth chemotherapy infusions, with the addition of assessment of nausea and emesis. Study findings revealed that state anxiety was significantly lower at measure two for the experimental group (t = 3.20, p = 0.02). No significant difference in anticipatory nausea and vomiting was found between groups. Evaluation of immune function tests was inconclusive. These findings suggest that a relaxation intervention may lower anxiety in individuals who are undergoing chemotherapy. Future research efforts should continue to explore whether relaxation interventions can modify the degree of side effects associated with chemotherapy, and potentially improve the quality of life for persons requiring the treatment

Evaluating the Needs of Cancer Survivors through Focus Groups and Surveillance Data

Abstract: Introduction As cancer prevention and treatment advances, cancer survival rates continue to increase. The growing population of cancer survivors have unique needs that must be addressed to improve quality of life throughout the cancer-care continuum. Methods Using data compiled from the 2015 Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (MiBRFS), the Cancer Registry, and focus groups, several areas of need amongst cancer survivors were identified. Results In focus groups cancer survivors identified the 27 needs that fell into three categories: improving health-related behavior, utilizing health care services, and receiving emotional support. The MiBRFS provided population estimates for 10 of the 27 needs that were identified by the survivors. Conclusions As the cancer survival rate increases, providers and public health workers must implement and promote services that provide care to patients from diagnosis to post-treatment. A population surveillance system, in conjunction with focus groups, can shed light onto the exact needs that must be addressed. Surveillance data can demonstrate the impact of public health interventions, like tobacco cessation policies and system change projects, which ultimately impact the health and quality of life of cancer survivors

Strategic Management Accounting practices in medium sized UK construction companies: a mixed-methods approach

This study examines the extent to which strategic management accounting (SMA) is used by medium sized UK construction companies, explains the rational for this and explores the contingent factors which affect its use in the construction sector. To the best of the Researcher’s knowledge the study is the first to investigate the use of SMA in this context. The use of SMA is considered as an aspect of the reality gap, the difference between management accounting theory and management accounting practice. Contingency theory is applied to examine the organisational contexts in which SMA techniques are deployed. Using the Researcher's own definition of SMA he identified a definitive list of twenty-five SMA techniques which satisfy this definition. The use of these SMA techniques is empirically tested using a mixed methods research design. An explanatory sequence design is used. The researcher started with a first phase in which quantitative data was collected and analysed. This was followed up with a second, qualitative phase, the results of which were used to explain the findings of the first phase. The study identifies a low level of use of the twenty-five SMA techniques, supporting the idea that a significant reality gap exists in relation to SMA theory and its use in practice. This reality gap is explained in terms of the non-relevance of many of the SMA techniques to senior executives in the participating businesses. It is also identified that quantity surveyors were often involved in SMA practices to the exclusion of their accounting colleagues, this is discussed as another aspect of the reality gap. The study identifies the 'strategic customer' to add to the list of contingent variables which affect the use of SMA. Specifically, the use of lifecycle costing and value chain analysis are highly relevant to the construction sector but will not be effective if the existing commercial practices of the sector remain. A case-study demonstrating where these techniques are productively used by a number of different businesses is presented which concludes that having a 'strategic customer' is one context in which these techniques are successfully deployed

Not even the past: The joint influence of former leader and new leader during leader successions in the midst of organizational change

Leader succession often occurs during organizational change processes, but the implications of leader succession, in terms of reactions to the change, rarely have been investigated. Employee attitudes and behaviors during organizational change may be influenced jointly by a former leader who recently has transitioned out of the team and the new leader who recently has transitioned into it. We predict an interaction between former and new leaders’ transformational leadership on employees’ behavioral resistance to and support for change. Based on contrast effect theory, a highly transformational former leader constrains the potential effectiveness of the new leader, but a former leader low in transformational leadership enhances this potential effectiveness. We also propose conditional indirect effects transmitted through commitment to the changing organization. Our research was conducted in a large Chinese hospitality organization that was implementing radical organizational change, during which virtually all aspects of processes and products are changed. We collected a 2-wave multisource data from employees who had recently experienced a leader succession and their newly assigned leaders. Based on a final sample of 203 employees from 22 teams, we find empirical support for the proposed interaction effects. The conditional indirect effects were also consistent with our expectations, but the effect on behavioral resistance to change was stronger than the effect on behavioral support for change.postprin

Research note: Urban street tree density and antidepressant prescription rates—A cross-sectional study in London, UK

This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Landscape and Urban Planning. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published at doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.12.005.Abstract: Growing evidence suggests an association between access to urban greenspace and mental health and wellbeing. Street trees may be an important facet of everyday exposure to nature in urban environments, but there is little evidence regarding their role in influencing population mental health. In this brief report, we raise the issue of street trees in the nature-health nexus, and use secondary data sources to examine the association between the density of street trees (trees/km street) in London boroughs and rates of antidepressant prescribing. After adjustment for potential confounders, and allowing for unmeasured area-effects using Bayesian mixed effects models, we find an inverse association, with a decrease of 1.18 prescriptions per thousand population per unit increase in trees per km of street (95% credible interval 0.00, 2.45). This study suggests that street trees may be a positive urban asset to decrease the risk of negative mental health outcomes.European Regional Development Fund Programme 2007 to 2013 and European Social Fund Convergence Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scill