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This paper reports the initial findings of an exploratory, qualitative study of the life and work of people who are working full-time and also caring for a child with chronic illness. The demands of such a lifestyle are significant. Respondents-all women-often reported 'doing-it-all' while constantly being frustrated and challenged in their mothering role E a r l y C h i l d h o o d A u s t r a l i a I n c

As increased work demands and longer working hours become the reality for many employees, the concept of work-life balance has received increasing attention. This paper presents findings from an exploratory study of Australian middle managers, which investigated the impact of middle managers' daily organizational experiences on their lives both in and beyond the workplace. We focus on respondents' reports of the difficulty in achieving work-life balance, specifically, the organizational impediments to creating balance. Three particular areas where these impediments were apparent are: the impact of new technologies; limits to autonomy and control in the middle management role; and difficulties in taking advantage of flexibility initiatives in the workplace. As middle managers are caught in the middle between work and personal life, there is a need for organizations to support middle managers' efforts to achieve work-life balance if the organization's long-term goals are to be achieved. Key words flexibility . middle managers . work-life balance . workplace experiences Work-life Balance and the Middle ManagerThere has long been debate over how individuals can succeed in their working lives without sacrificing their personal lives (Lewis and Cooper 2005, p. 9). The interface between work and personal life (particularly family) has been characterised by terminology such as workEmploy Respons Rights J (

Maternal effects have the potential to affect population dynamics and evolution. To affect population dynamics, maternal effects must influence offspring vital rates (birth, death, or movement). Here, we explore the magnitude of nongenetic maternal influence on the vital rates of an insect herbivore and explore predictability of maternal effects with reference to published studies. We experimentally studied the effects of maternal age, host plant species (two Asclepias spp.), and density on offspring vital rates in Aphis nerii, the oleander aphid. Older mothers produced offspring that lived shorter lives, consistent with the "Lansing Effect." Older mothers also produced offspring that matured at a younger age. As maternal age increased, offspring mass at maturity decreased when mothers were on Asclepias syriaca. However, offspring mass was highest from intermediate aged mothers on A. viridis. The absence of maternal density effects seems to exclude maternal density as a potential source of delayed density dependence in A. nerii. Our results indicate that maternal effects have some influence on A. nerii vital rates. However, references to published studies suggest that only the Lansing Effect is a predictable response to maternal age in insects. Moreover, the magnitude of observed effects was generally low.

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