In the United States, chronic diseases currently account for 70 percent of all deaths, and close to 48 million Americans report a disability related to a chronic condition. Today, about one in four Americans have multiple diseases and the prevalence and burden of chronic disease in the elderly and racial/ethnic minorities are notably disproportionate. Chronic disease has now emerged as a major public health problem and it threatens not only population health, but our social and economic welfare. Living Well with Chronic Disease identifies the population-based public health actions that can help reduce disability and improve functioning and quality of life among individuals who are at risk of developing a chronic disease and those with one or more diseases. The book recommends that all major federally funded programmatic and research initiatives in health include an evaluation on health-related quality of life and functional status. Also, the book recommends increasing support for implementation research on how to disseminate effective longterm lifestyle interventions in community-based settings that improve living well with chronic disease. Living Well with Chronic Disease uses three frameworks and considers diseases such as heart disease and stroke, diabetes, depression, and respiratory problems. The book's recommendations will inform policy makers concerned with health reform in public- and private-sectors and also managers of communitybased and public-health intervention programs, private and public research funders, and patients living with one or more chronic conditions.

The Office of Technology Assessment reviewed the nation's literacy problem and the current and potential impact of using technologies in adult literacy programs. Data were collected from 2 workshops, 155 contributors and reviewers, 60 existing literacy programs, and 6 contractor reports. The information is summarized in this eight-chapter report. Chapter 1 is a summary and outline of policy issues and options. Chapter 2 examines the changing nature of literacy, the demographics of adult literacy, and the need for literacy education. The special needs of adult learners and the role of technology in meeting them is discussed in Chapter 3. Chapters 4 and 5 describe the existing system of literacy education and the federal role in it. Promising roles for technology in improving literacy education are outlined in Chapter 6. Chapter 7 deals with access/barriers to technology use in existing literacy programs, and Chapter 8 assesses the future role of technology in literacy education. Appendixes include the following: a list of the report's boxes, figures, and tables; information on major federal adult literacy/basic skills programs and key coordination provisions in literacy legislation; a glossary and list of acronyms; and lists of the study's reviewers and contributors. (MN)

"Provides an understanding of the basic concepts in stem cell biology and addresses the politics, ethics, and challenges currently facing the field"--From publisher description.

If the body of knowledge of a profession is a living landscape of practice, then our personal experience of learning can be thought of as a journey through this landscape. Within Learning in Landscapes of Practice, this metaphor is further developed in order to start an important conversation about the nature of practice knowledge, identity and the experience of practitioners and their learning. In doing so, this book is a pioneering and timely exploration of the future of professional development and higher education. The book combines a strong theoretical perspective grounded in social learning theories with stories from a broad range of contributors who occupy different locations in their own landscapes of practice. These narratives locate the book within different contemporary concerns such as social media, multi-agency, multi-disciplinary and multi-national partnerships, and the integration of academic study and workplace practice. Both scholarly, in the sense that it builds on prior research to extend and locate the concept of landscapes of practice, and practical because of the way in which it draws on multiple voices from different landscapes. Learning in Landscapes of Practice will be of particular relevance to people concerned with the design of professional or vocational learning. It will also be a valuable resource for students engaged in higher education courses with work-based elements.