Liminal Parenthood: A Qualitative Inquiry into The Work-Family Experiences and Evolving Self-Concepts of Lone Parents and Blended Families

This thesis explores the interplay of non-work and work identities in times of transition and seeks to explain why the outcomes of such identity transitions can be so diverse. I do so by focusing on non-traditional transitions to and within parenthood so as to illustrate the complexity of modern family life and to demonstrate how such parenthood transitions can trigger a change to both, individuals’ sense of selves as parents and workers. The transition to parenthood has been acknowledged as having major significance for individual’s life courses. Work-family scholars have explored how individuals make sense of their transition to parenthood, and how this shapes their relationship to paid work (e.g. Ladge, Clair and Greenberg, 2012; Ladge and Greenberg, 2015; Gatrell, 2013; Humberd, Ladge and Harrington, 2015). However, the vast majority of such studies are constrained to traditional transitions to parenthood, i.e. becoming a parent through pregnancy and childbirth. Furthermore, work-family research, and organisational policy and practice based upon such research, still treat family as a stable concept (Gatrell et al., 2015). My study seeks to redress this imbalance in work-family scholarship by focusing on non-traditional transitions to (and within) parenthood, specifically becoming a lone parent, repartnering and living in a blended family, and becoming a stepparent. All these parenthood transitions are increasingly common in the Western world but are hardly represented in organisational research (Schaefer, Radcliffe and Gatrell, 2020). My research shows that the work-family experiences of families in transition are marked by assumptions that families are likely to be stable entities with parents usually in intact, heterosexual relationships. I demonstrate how lone parents, repartnered parents and stepparents struggle to build new parent-worker identities when going through parenthood transitions such as divorce/separation and re-partnering due the influence of gendered parenting scripts and a perceived lack of organisational and social support. My study contributes to theory by showing how this lack of support and guidance leads to some individuals living in a liminal state in which they have neither fully let go of their old parent-worker identity nor were able to construct a new identity due to the aforementioned tensions. The uncertainty and powerlessness of being in a prolonged liminal state can have far-reaching implications not only for the individual but also their organisations. Practical recommendations are made for organisational policy and practice to enable individuals who have undergone a parenthood transition to construct a new, coherent parent-worker identity

Quantitative Research Methods and Data Analysis

A link is provided above and it will take you to the OER page.This OER (Quantitative Research Methods and Data Analysis Workshop 2020) consists of the syllabus that was used to teach quantitative research design and analysis methods to graduate Linguistics students in a blended course over a period of two weeks. Students worked through the topics included in the syllabus in preparation for live interactive video sessions. The links to live online sessions and course evaluations have been removed from the OER. The OER introduces students/researchers to the steps and decisions involved in quantitative data analysis of linguistic data, and explains common statistical terminology, such as ‘sample’, ‘mean’, ‘standard deviation’, ‘correlation’, ‘nominal’, ‘ordinal’ and ‘scale’ data. The OER further explains the use of common statistical tests (e.g. t-test, correlation, anova, regression) and demonstrates how one should perform these tests using jamovi. The OER finally leads students/researchers to understand how the results of statistical tests should be interpret and reported, and describes the various graphing options that are available in jamovi to display data.Linguistics and Modern Language

Fasting and postprandial remnant-like particle cholesterol concentrations in obese participants are associated with plasma triglycerides, insulin resistance, and body fat distribution

Elevated plasma concentrations of remnant-like particle cholesterol (RLP-C) are atherogenic. However, factors that determine RLP-C are not fully understood. This study evaluates which factors affect RLP-C in the fasting and postprandial state, using multiple regression analyses in a large cohort of lean and obese participants. All participants (n = 740) underwent a test meal challenge containing 95 energy % (en%) fat (energy content 50% of predicted daily resting metabolic rate). Fasting and postprandial concentrations of circulating metabolites were measured over a 3-h period. Obese participants (n = 613) also participated in a 10-wk weight loss program (-2510 kJ/d), being randomized to either a low-fat or a high-fat diet (20-25 vs. 40-45en% fat). Postprandial RLP-C was associated with fasting RLP-C, waist:hip ratio (WHR), HOMA(IR) (homeostasis model assessment index for insulin resistance) (P < 0.001), and age, independently of BMI and gender [adjusted R(2) (adj. R(2)) = 0.70). These factors were also related to fasting RLP-C (P < 0.010), along with gender and physical activity (adj. R(2) = 0.23). The dietary intervention resulted in significantly lower fasting RLP-C concentrations, independently mediated by weight loss, improvements in HOMA(IR), and the fat content of the prescribed diet. However, after inclusion of plasma triglyceride (TG), HDL-cholesterol, and FFA concentrations in the models, HOMA(IR) and WHR no longer significantly predicted fasting RLP-C, although WHR remained a predictor of postprandial RLP-C (P = 0.002). Plasma TG was strongly associated with both fasting and postprandial RLP-C (P < 0.001). In conclusion, plasma RLP-C concentrations are mainly associated with plasma TG concentrations. Interestingly, the high-fat diet was more effective at decreasing fasting RLP-C concentrations in obese participants than the low-fat diet

The effect of timing of the first kidney transplantation on survival in children initiating renal replacement therapy

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Background:&lt;/b&gt; Controversy exists concerning the timing of the first kidney transplantation for children who need to start renal replacement therapy (RRT). Our aim was to estimate the effect of timing of the first transplantation on patient survival in children, for the first time also taking into account the mortality on dialysis before transplantation.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Methods:&lt;/b&gt; We included 2091 patients who started RRT between the age of 3 and 18 years in the period 1988–2007, from 13 European renal registries. A multistate model was used to simulate patient survival assuming (i) pre-emptive transplantation, (ii) transplantation after 1 or 2 years on dialysis and (iii) remaining on dialysis.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; Over the 20-year period, the highest 8-year survival probabilities were achieved in children transplanted pre-emptively {living donor (LD): 95.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 93.1–98.8], deceased donor (DD): 95.3% (95% CI: 90.9–99.9)} rather than after 2 years of dialysis [LD: 94.2% (95% CI: 91.6–96.8), DD: 93.4% (95% CI: 91.0–95.9)], although these differences were not statistically significant.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/b&gt; Even after taking mortality on dialysis into account, the potentially negative effect of postponing transplantation for 1 or 2 years was relatively small and not statistically significant. Therefore, if pre-emptive transplantation is not possible, starting RRT with a short period of dialysis and receiving a transplant thereafter seems an acceptable alternative from the perspective of patient survival.&lt;/p&gt

Analysis of Outcomes in Ischemic vs Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation A Report From the GARFIELD-AF Registry

IMPORTANCE Congestive heart failure (CHF) is commonly associated with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF), and their combination may affect treatment strategies and outcomes