List Placement Research Articles

Selecting and ranking female candidates under PR: Evidence from a two‐stage conjoint experiment with party elites

AbstractDoes gender affect candidate selection and list placement under proportional representation (PR)? Existing research argues that PR systems have a positive effect on women's representation due to a more inclusive candidate selection process. However, analysing the actual process of candidate selection under PR before observing the final party list is challenging, and little is known about the preferences and strategies of party elites when selecting and ranking candidates. To address this lacuna, we conduct a novel two‐stage conjoint experiment with party elites in Austria, which allows us to differentiate between two distinct mechanisms in candidate nomination under PR: selection and ranking. Our findings indicate that women generally have an advantage with respect to selection but find themselves subject to same‐sex preferences when it comes to ranking on the list, for which they otherwise benefit from being low in supply. These findings have important implications for understanding patterns of female under‐representation in PR systems.

Evaluation of pediatric patients for intestinal transplantation in the modern era.

To review recent evaluations of pediatric patients with intestinal failure (IF) for intestinal transplantation (ITx), waiting list decisions, and outcomes of patients listed and not listed for ITx at our center. Retrospective chart review of 97 patients evaluated for ITx from January 2014 to December 2021 including data from referring institutions and protocol laboratory testing, body imaging, endoscopy, and liver biopsy in selected cases. Survival analysis used Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards regression. Patients were referred almost entirely from outside institutions, one-third because of intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD), two-thirds because of repeated infective and non-IFALD complications under minimally successful intestinal rehabilitation, and a single patient because of lost central vein access. The majority had short bowel syndrome (SBS). Waiting list placement was offered to 67 (69%) patients, 40 of whom for IFALD. The IFALD group was generally younger and more likely to have SBS, have received more parenteral nutrition, have demonstrated more evidence of chronic inflammation and have inferior kidney function compared to those offered ITx for non-IFALD complications and those not listed. ITx was performed in 53 patients. Superior postevaluation survival was independently associated with higher serum creatinine (hazard ratio [HR] 15.410, p = 014), whereas inferior postevaluation survival was associated with ITx (HR 0.515, p = 0.035) and higher serum fibrinogen (HR 0.994, p = 0.005). Despite recent improvements in IF management, IFALD remains a prominent reason for ITx referral. Complications of IF inherent to ITx candidacy influence postevaluation and post-ITx survival.

Echocardiographic evaluation of myocardial structural and functional changes in patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease before and after kidney transplantation

Introduction. Chronic kidney disease, stage 5, leads to structural remodeling of the myocardium, and heart failure. Kidney transplantation promotes normalization of structural and functional parameters of the myocardium through reverse remodeling with an improvement of its systolic function.Aim. To evaluate structural and functional changes of the myocardium in patients before and after kidney transplantation, using echocardiography.Material and methods. A retrospective cross-sectional study included 111 individuals of whom 36 patients underwent evaluation for kidney transplant waiting list placement program (Group I), and 51 patients received kidney transplants from deceased donors (Group II). Group III consisted of 24 individuals without kidney pathology. All patients underwent transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiography using the Phillips Epiq 7 device to determine the structural and functional parameters of the heart, including the use of speckle-tracking technique to assess longitudinal and circumferential myocardial deformation of the left ventricle.Results. There were no statistically significant differences in transthoracic echocardiography results between patients in Group I and Group II. When compared to the parameters of patients in Group III, statistically significant differences were found in the following parameters: volume and volume index of the left atrium, end-diastolic volume index, left ventricular mass index, interventricular septum thickness and posterior wall thickness of the left ventricle, as well as diastolic function parameters (E/A). Patients in Group I and Group II had significantly higher values of left atrium diameter: 32 (26.0;38.0) mmHg and 31.0 (27.3;40.0) mmHg, respectively, (p1-2=0.949), while in Group III this parameter value was 22.5 (20.8;25.3) mmHg (p1-3<0.001, p2-3<0.001). Correlation analysis revealed statistically significant correlations between left ventricular mass index and global circumferential strain (r=0.41, p=0.0027), as well as between E/e' ratio and left ventricular mass index (r=0.323, p=0.00197). It was found that after 3 months post kidney transplantation, there was a decrease in the left atrium diameter, volume, and volume index. The values of left atrium diameter immediately after kidney transplantation and after 3 months were 40 (32.5;45) mmHg and 35 (25.5;41.0) mmHg (p=0.049); those of the left atrium volume were 62.5 (50.0;77.3) and 51.5 (47.5;64.5) ml (p=0.03); and those of the left atrium volume index were 33.4 (29.3;40.2) and 28.3 (25.5;33.6) ml/m2 (p=0.01) respectively.Conclusions. Patients with chronic kidney disease stage 5 have a high incidence of functional and structural abnormalities of the left heart chambers; left ventricular mass index positively correlates with E/e' and global circumferential strain. At 3 months after kidney transplantation, there was a slight positive trend manifested in the form of a decrease in left atrium diameter and a decrease in left ventricle volume. Further dynamic study of this group of patients in the long term after kidney transplantation is planned.

District Variation in Party System Competition and Women’s Candidacy in Proportional Representation Systems

Abstract This article examines the influence of district-level party system dynamics on the list placement of women candidates. As local district competitive realities change, the strategic considerations for party leaders regarding the selection of non-mainstream political candidate profiles vary in important ways. We measure these dynamics with a set of novel variables that better capture variation in competition from district to district: individual party magnitude, district dominance and district contagion. Turkey’s lower level of party system nationalisation between 2002 and 2018 offers a useful case for such an investigation, and results reveal both the significance and pattern of influence on women candidates for all three strategic variables.

The Influence of Paid Memberships on Physician Rating Websites With the Example of the German Portal Jameda: Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

The majority of Germans see a deficit in information availability for choosing a physician. An increasing number of people use physician rating websites and decide upon the information provided. In Germany, the most popular physician rating website is Jameda.de, which offers monthly paid membership plans. The platform operator states that paid memberships have no influence on the rating indicators or list placement. The goal of this study was to investigate whether a physician's membership status might be related to his or her quantitative evaluation factors and to possibly quantify these effects. Physician profiles were retrieved through the search mask on Jameda.de website. Physicians from 8 disciplines in Germany's 12 most populous cities were specified as search criteria. Data Analysis and visualization were done with Matlab. Significance testing was conducted using a single factor ANOVA test followed by a multiple comparison test (Tukey Test). For analysis, the profiles were grouped according to member status (nonpaying, Gold, and Platinum) and analyzed according to the target variables-physician rating score, individual patient's ratings, number of evaluations, recommendation quota, number of colleague recommendations, and profile views. A total of 21,837 nonpaying profiles, 2904 Gold, and 808 Platinum member profiles were acquired. Statistically significant differences were found between paying (Gold and Platinum) and nonpaying profiles in all parameters we examined. The distribution of patient reviews differed also by membership status. Paying profiles had more ratings, a better overall physician rating, a higher recommendation quota, and more colleague recommendations, and they were visited more frequently than nonpaying physicians' profiles. Statistically significant differences were found in most evaluation parameters within the paid membership packages in the sample analyzed. Paid physician profiles could be interpreted to be optimized for decision-making criteria of potential patients. With our data, it is not possible to draw any conclusions of mechanisms that alter physicians' ratings. Further research is needed to investigate the causes for the observed effects.

Electoral colorism: Candidate skin color and list placement in Ecuador

To what extent does candidate skin color influence party list placement in proportional representation systems? While candidate skin color is increasingly understood to play an important role in politics, the extent to which it shapes electoral opportunities and outcomes remains unclear. In this paper, we investigate whether party elites in list proportional representation systems place darker-skinned candidates in lower, less advantageous list positions than their lighter-skinned copartisans. Drawing on party lists from Ecuador’s 2021 National Assembly elections and an original measure of candidate skin color, we find evidence that candidate skin color is a significant determinant of list placement. This finding indicates that party lists reinforce color-based inequalities in political representation and reveals that a candidate’s skin color shapes their chances of winning elected office.

Geographic hot spots of kidney transplant candidates wait-listed post-dialysis.

Preemptive wait-listing of deceased donor kidney transplant (DDKT) candidates before maintenance dialysis increases the likelihood of transplantation and improves outcomes among transplant patients. Previous studies have identified substantial disparities in rates of preemptive listing, but a gap exists in examining geographic sources of disparities, particularly for sub-regional units. Identifying small area hot spots where delayed listing is particularly prevalent may more effectively inform both health policy and regionally appropriate interventions. We conducted a retrospective cohort study utilizing 2010-2020 Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) data for all DDKT candidates to examine overall and race-stratified geospatial hot spots of post-dialysis wait-listing in U.S. zip code tabulation areas (ZCTA). Three geographic clustering methods were utilized to identify robust statistically significant hot spots of post-dialysis wait-listing. Novel sub-regional hot spots were identified in the southeast, southwest, Appalachia, and California, with a majority existing in the southeast. Race-stratified results were more nuanced, but broadly reflected similar patterns. Comparing transplant candidates in hot spots to candidates in non-clusters indicated a strong association between residence in hot spots and high area deprivation (OR: 6.76, 95%CI: 6.52-7.02), indicating that improving access healthcare in these areas may be particularly beneficial. Our study identified overall and race-stratified hot spots with low rates of preemptive wait list placement in the U.S., which may be useful for prospective healthcare policy and interventions via targeting of these narrowly defined geographical areas.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings of the Asymptomatic Shoulder May Impact Performance, Not Future Injury List Placement in Major League Baseball Pitchers

PurposeTo evaluate preseason shoulder magnetic resonance images (MRIs) obtained from pitchers entering either major or minor league baseball (MLB) and correlate findings with subsequent injury, operative repair, and placement on the injured list (IL).MethodsPreseason-MRI of the throwing shoulders of professional-level baseball pitchers, taken during routine evaluations at a single organization (2004-2017) were retrospectively reviewed. Publicly available databases were queried to exclude pitchers with known injuries prior to pre-signing imaging. Three blinded reviewers reviewed all MRI scans independently to evaluate for the presence of abnormalities in the rotator cuff (RTC), labrum, capsule, long-head of the biceps tendon (LHBT), and humeral head. Binary imaging findings were correlated to future placement on the IL for subsequent shoulder complaints. Bivariate statistics using Student’s t-tests and Fisher exact tests (both α = .05) were used in this study.ResultsA total of 38 asymptomatic pitchers with shoulder MRIs were included. Pitchers had a mean (±SD) age of 28.2 ± 4.9 and had pitched an average of 119.6 ± 143.8 career games. Pitchers with partial articular-sided RTC tears (P = .04) or intra-articular BT hyperintensity (P = .04) on preseason MRI demonstrated an association with the need for future surgery. Pitchers with evidence of labral heterogeneity demonstrated greater total career pitch counts (10,034.1 vs 2,465.3; P = .04). Evidence of a posterior-superior humeral cyst was associated with decreased strikeouts per 9 innings (6.1 vs 8.0; P = .039) and total strikeout percentage (16.1% vs 23.2%; P = .04).ConclusionAlthough there was a significant difference in the percent of various radiographic findings between the injured and healthy cohort, no MRI findings were predictive of future IL placement or duration of placement. The presence of a posterior superior humeral cyst was associated with decreased strikeout rates at 2 and 3 years, the presence of a labral tear was associated with decreased earned run average (ERA) at 3 years and decreased career strikeout percentages, and increased capsular signal was associated with decreased 5-year ERA.Level of EvidenceLevel IV, retrospective study.

Nomination and list placement of ethnic minorities under open-list proportional rules: The centrality of ethnopolitical context

Do parties respond to ethnopolitical context when nominating and placing ethnic minority candidates in open-list proportional representation (PR) systems? Open-list PR is by nature candidate centered. Candidates need to attract preference votes to succeed. Political leaders, we argue, anticipate candidates' ability to generate support and the extent of anti-minority sentiment in districts when nominating and placing candidates. To test our arguments, we analyze data on 8945 candidates competing across 124 localities in Latvia's 2017 local elections. Few studies have explored open-list systems in countries like Latvia where preference voting routinely alters list order. Other studies stress the role that context plays in ethnic minority representation, but often lack data on crucial indicators. Our results show that parties nominated more minority candidates in localities with more ethnic minority voters and fewer in those with larger noncitizen populations. We did not, however, find that ethnopolitical context affected list placement.

Failure to Advance Access to Kidney Transplantation over Two Decades in the United States.

Extensive research and policies have been developed to improve access to kidney transplantation among patients with ESKD. Despite this, wide variation in transplant referral rates exists between dialysis facilities. To evaluate the longitudinal pattern of access to kidney transplantation over the past two decades, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with ESKD initiating ESKD or placed on a transplant waiting list from 1997 to 2016 in the United States Renal Data System. We used cumulative incidence models accounting for competing risks and multivariable Cox models to evaluate time to waiting list placement or transplantation (WLT) from ESKD onset. Among the study population of 1,309,998 adult patients, cumulative 4-year WLT was 29.7%, which was unchanged over five eras. Preemptive WLT (prior to dialysis) increased by era (5.2% in 1997-2000 to 9.8% in 2013-2016), as did 4-year WLT incidence among patients aged 60-70 (13.4% in 1997-2000 to 19.8% in 2013-2016). Four-year WLT incidence diminished among patients aged 18-39 (55.8%-48.8%). Incidence of WLT was substantially lower among patients in lower-income communities, with no improvement over time. Likelihood of WLT after dialysis significantly declined over time (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.79 to 0.82) in 2013-2016 relative to 1997-2000. Despite wide recognition, policy reforms, and extensive research, rates of WLT following ESKD onset did not seem to improve in more than two decades and were consistently reduced among vulnerable populations. Improving access to transplantation may require more substantial interventions.

Home Run Derby Participation in Major League Baseball Players: Is There Associated Injury Risk and Impact on Second-Half Performance?

Background:The Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game (ASG) Home Run Derby (HRD) remains a highly anticipated event, during which contestants can take hundreds of maximum-effort swings en route to hitting a multitude of home runs. Critics have openly questioned the risk-benefit of HRD participation as it pertains to injury, alterations in swing mechanics, and timing.Purpose:To determine whether participation in the MLB ASG HRD was associated with both increased injury risk and decline in second-half performance in MLB players.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:MLB players who participated in the HRD between 2006 and 2019 were identified through publicly available internet databases. A control group of ASG participants who had the highest home run totals in the first half of the corresponding MLB season were selected as a control group. Multivariable linear regression was used to determine independent associations between HRD participation and batting metrics in the second half of the season. Multivariable logistic regression also assessed the impact of HRD participation on injured list placement during the second half of the concurrent MLB season.Results:A total of 114 HRD participants and 114 ASG participant controls competed during the study period. No statistically significant differences were seen in batting metrics in the second half of the MLB season between HRD participants and ASG controls, although HRD participants had a significantly lower wins-above-replacement statistic for the season compared with controls (4.69 ± 2.06 vs 5.33 ± 2.08; P = .021). HRD participation was not significantly associated with injury during the second half. The number of HRD rounds in which a player participated did not result in a statistically significant increased odds of injury during the second half of the MLB season.Conclusion:HRD participants did not have increased odds of being placed on the injured list during the second half of the MLB season compared with controls, nor did they experience second-half performance declines in offensive production versus controls when multivariable linear regression analysis was performed.

Kidney Transplant Evaluation and Listing: Development and Preliminary Evaluation of Multimedia Education for Patients.

BackgroundPatient knowledge gaps about the evaluation and waitlisting process for kidney transplantation lead to delayed and incomplete testing, which compromise transplant access. We aimed to develop and evaluate a novel video education approach to empower patients to proceed with the transplant evaluation and listing process and to increase their knowledge and motivation.Material/MethodsWe developed 2 theory-informed educational animations about the kidney transplantation evaluation and listing process with input from experts in transplantation and communication, 20 candidates/recipients, 5 caregivers, 1 anthropologist, 3 community advocates, and 36 dialysis or transplant providers. We then conducted an online pre-post study with 28 kidney transplantation candidates to measure the acceptability and feasibility of the 2 videos to improve patients’ evaluation and listing knowledge, understanding, and concerns.ResultsCompared with before intervention, the mean knowledge score increased after intervention by 38% (5.7 to 7.9; P<0.001). Increases in knowledge effect size were large across age group, health literacy, education, technology access, and duration of pretransplant dialysis. The proportion of positive responses increased from before to after animation viewing for understanding the evaluation process (25% to 61%; P=0.002) and waitlist placement (32% to 86%; P<0.001). Concerns about list placement decreased (32% to 7%; P=0.039). After viewing the animations, >90% of responses indicated positive ratings on trusting the information, comfort level with learning, and engagement.ConclusionsIn partnership with stakeholders, we developed 2 educational animations about kidney transplant evaluation and listing that were positively received by patients and have the potential to improve patient knowledge and understanding and reduce patient concerns.

Wartime Violence and Post-War Women's Representation

AbstractHow does wartime violence shape post-war women's representation? Does past violence make women more or less likely to run for office? And if they do run, are they getting elected? This article argues that violence influences women's representation in contrasting ways at these two stages. In wartime, women have more opportunities to gain leadership skills, which likely increases the number of women running for office after the war. However, past violence also increases threat perceptions among voters. This, combined with gender stereotypes about male and female politicians, likely reduces voter support for female candidates. Using pre- and post-war electoral and wartime violence data at the municipal level from Bosnia, the authors present evidence that is consistent with their argument. The results hold across a number of robustness tests, including accounting for post-war demographic gender balance and women's party list placement.

Candidate Selection and Parliamentary Activity in the EU’s Multi-Level System: Opening a Black-Box

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have a multitude of parliamentary duties and, accordingly, have to prioritize some parliamentary activities over others. So far, we know comparably little about this prioritization process. Based on principal–agent theory, we argue first, that MEPs’ parliamentary activities are systematically determined by the “visibility” and usefulness of parliamentary instruments for their key principal; second, we expect the exclusiveness of candidate selection procedures of an MEP’s national party—the nomination and the final list placement—to determine her/his key principal (i.e., elites or members of national parties). Combining multi-level mixed effects linear regression models and expert interviews, we show that MEPs who are nominated and whose final list placement is decided by an exclusive circle of national party elites prioritize speeches, whereas MEPs who are nominated or whose final list placement is decided by more inclusive procedures prioritize written questions and opinions or reports. In other words, speeches seem particularly useful to communicate with national party elites, while other activities are used to serve larger groups of party members. These findings open up the black-box of the “national party principal” and illustrate how a complex principal–agent relationship stimulates very specific parliamentary activity patterns in the EU’s multi-level system.

Candidate Selection and Parliamentary Activity in the EU’s Multi-Level System: Opening a Black-Box

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have a multitude of parliamentary duties and, accordingly, have to prioritize some parliamentary activities over others. So far, we know comparably little about this prioritization process. Based on principal–agent theory, we argue first, that MEPs’ parliamentary activities are systematically determined by the “visibility” and usefulness of parliamentary instruments for their key principal; second, we expect the exclusiveness of candidate selection procedures of an MEP’s national party—the nomination and the final list placement—to determine her/his key principal (i.e., elites or members of national parties). Combining multi-level mixed effects linear regression models and expert interviews, we show that MEPs who are nominated and whose final list placement is decided by an exclusive circle of national party elites prioritize speeches, whereas MEPs who are nominated or whose final list placement is decided by more inclusive procedures prioritize written questions and opinions or reports. In other words, speeches seem particularly useful to communicate with national party elites, while other activities are used to serve larger groups of party members. These findings open up the black-box of the “national party principal” and illustrate how a complex principal–agent relationship stimulates very specific parliamentary activity patterns in the EU’s multi-level system.

Kidney Transplant Evaluation: Inferences from Qualitative Interviews with African American Patients and their Providers.

Completing pre-transplant evaluation is often a barrier to kidney waiting list placement among African American (AA) patients. Interventions are needed to provide AAs with culturally sensitive, understandable information that increases their capacity to achieve placement on the kidney transplant waiting list. Research about enabling and constraining factors for patients to complete the waitlisting process is necessary to inform such interventions; however, few such studies have been conducted specific to AA patient needs. Semistructured qualitative focus groups and interviews were conducted with 24 AA listed or transplanted patients (along with their caregivers when available) and 14 transplant providers to explore thoughts, feelings, and assumptions about transplant evaluation. Questions also probed participants' perceptions of enabling and constraining factors to wait-listing. Interviews were recorded and transcribed and inductive thematic analysis was performed to inform message content for a future educational video intervention. Three themes emerged from thematic content analysis: (1) transplant center support in navigating steps to wait-listing, (2) provider attitude and messaging, and (3) education about evaluation and the waiting list. Enabling factors for evaluation completion included staff assistance with completing testing, frequent communication, and positive staff messaging. Constraining factors were staff inaccessibility, patient scheduling difficulties, and misunderstanding/misinformation regarding the role of the transplant coordinator, process of and requirements for listing, and understanding allocation. We identified information based on patients' expressed needs and experiences managing evaluation completion. These findings are valuable in efforts going forward to empower AAs to achieve placement on the waiting list.

Impact of Navigators on First Visit to a Transplant Center, Waitlisting, and Kidney Transplantation: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Many patients with ESKD face barriers in completing the steps required to obtain a transplant. These eight sequential steps are medical suitability, interest in transplant, referral to a transplant center, first visit to center, transplant workup, successful candidate, waiting list or identify living donor, and receive transplant. This study sought to determine the effect of navigators on helping patients complete these steps. Our study was a cluster randomized, controlled trial involving 40 hemodialysis facilities and four transplant centers in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016. Four trained kidney transplant recipients met regularly with patients on hemodialysis at 20 intervention facilities, determined their step in the transplant process, and provided tailored information and assistance in completing that step and subsequent steps. Patients at 20 control facilities continued to receive usual care. Primary study outcomes were waiting list placement and receipt of a deceased or living donor transplant. An exploratory outcome was first visit to a transplant center. Before the trial, intervention (1041 patients) and control (836 patients) groups were similar in the proportions of patients who made a first visit to a transplant center, were placed on a waiting list, and received a deceased or living donor transplant. At the end of the trial, intervention and control groups were also similar in first visit (16.1% versus 13.8%; difference, 2.3%; 95% confidence interval, -0.8% to 5.5%), waitlisting (16.3% versus 13.8%; difference, 2.5%; 95% confidence interval, -1.2% to 6.1%), deceased donor transplantation (2.8% versus 2.2%; difference, 0.6%; 95% confidence interval, -0.8% to 2.1%), and living donor transplantation (1.2% versus 1.0%; difference, 0.1%; 95% confidence interval, -0.9% to 1.1%). Use of trained kidney transplant recipients as navigators did not increase first visits to a transplant center, waiting list placement, and receipt of deceased or living donor transplants.

Factors Associated with Residential Long-Term Care Wait-List Placement in North West Ontario.

This article is based on a study that investigated factors associated with long-term care wait list placement in Ontario, Canada. We based the study's analysis on Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care (RAI-HC) data for 2014 in the North West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). Our analysis quantified the contribution of three factors on the likelihood of wait list placement: (1) care recipient, (2) informal caregiver, and (3) formal system. We find that all three factors are significantly related to wait list placement. The results of this analysis could have implications for policies aimed at reducing the number of wait-listed individuals in the community.

Who Runs at the Top of Party Lists? Determinants of Parties’ List Ranking in the 2013 German Bundestag Election

In mixed-member proportional systems with closed party lists, such as the German Bundestag election, candidates’ electoral fate is widely determined by their placement on party lists. Despite its importance for the final composition of parliaments, candidates’ list placement in such systems is still under-researched. The literature on political careers has revealed a number of prevalent recruitment factors, but how these factors actually affect candidates’ placement on party lists has rarely been tested. This paper puts forward the question of what recruitment factors affected candidates’ chances to be allocated viable list positions in the 2013 German Bundestag election. The findings suggest that in particular candidates’ incumbency status, their number of prior candidacies and district nominations play key roles in shaping candidates’ electoral viability.

Incorporating explicit geospatial data shows more species at risk of extinction than the current Red List.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List classifies species according to their risk of extinction, informing global to local conservation decisions. Unfortunately, important geospatial data do not explicitly or efficiently enter this process. Rapid growth in the availability of remotely sensed observations provides fine-scale data on elevation and increasingly sophisticated characterizations of land cover and its changes. These data readily show that species are likely not present within many areas within the overall envelopes of their distributions. Additionally, global databases on protected areas inform how extensively ranges are protected. We selected 586 endemic and threatened forest bird species from six of the world's most biodiverse and threatened places (Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Central America, Western Andes of Colombia, Madagascar, Sumatra, and Southeast Asia). The Red List deems 18% of these species to be threatened (15 critically endangered, 29 endangered, and 64 vulnerable). Inevitably, after refining ranges by elevation and forest cover, ranges shrink. Do they do so consistently? For example, refined ranges of critically endangered species might reduce by (say) 50% but so might the ranges of endangered, vulnerable, and nonthreatened species. Critically, this is not the case. We find that 43% of species fall below the range threshold where comparable species are deemed threatened. Some 210 bird species belong in a higher-threat category than the current Red List placement, including 189 species that are currently deemed nonthreatened. Incorporating readily available spatial data substantially increases the numbers of species that should be considered at risk and alters priority areas for conservation.