Biotechnology, the study and application of engineering and science to improve the quality of life, can be an integral part of technology education. Numerous project ideas exist to expose students to the career possibilities of this field. (SK)

Evaluated self-management education program based on self-regulation principles in which older adults (n=324) were randomly assigned to program and control groups. Outcomes were measured using the Sickness Impact Profile. Twelve months after baseline data collection, psychosocial functioning of program participants was significantly better than…

To improve well-being of nursing home residents and ensure compliance with the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, programs aimed at improving quality of life must strive to satisfy higher level needs of the elderly as identified in Maslow's hierarchy. (SK)

Asked 97 elderly hospitalized patients about preferences for treatments under hypothetical levels of future cognitive functioning: 66 percent more likely to want treatment if expected to be cognitively intact than when future condition involved impaired cognition; 36 percent no treatment in at least 75 percent of conditions, and 16 percent…

This paper discusses what epilepsy is and what it is not, defines types of epileptic seizures, identifies epilepsy syndromes, discusses antiepileptic drugs, describes seizure surgery, and examines issues of quality of life. (JDD)

A vitality index that is understandable to a general audience yet captures the inherent complexity of economic development is constructed by transforming raw data for 24 categories into standard deviations from the state average. The categories represent demographic, economic, quality of life, geographic, and environmental measures. (SK)

Reviewed research on effects of breast cancer on 20 married pairs and extends results to practical aspects of doing such research and attempting treatment of breast cancer patients. Measures of individual psychological adjustment and dyadic adjustment found that both spouses appeared well adjusted and reported excellent quality of life. Interviews…

This critical literature review shows that studies of quality of life (QOL) for persons with disabilities follow a sharp dichotomy between subjective and objective approaches, whereas the phenomenon of QOL calls for a holistic approach. QOL is examined in terms of dynamic integration of the individual into the society. (Author/JDD)

Examined data from National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to investigate relationship between infant affect and quality of home environment. Found that infant irritability was negatively correlated with quality of home environment in both low-risk and high-risk families. Infant positive affect was more strongly related to quality of care in…

Expanded concept of family work to include emotion work as well as housework and child care. Survey data from 205 married women revealed that husbands' performance of emotion work, as compared to performance of both housework and child-care tasks, had strongest positive effect on wives' marital well-being. Emotion work was negatively related to…

Examines whether the human world is threatened by a decline in respect for life, questioning some of the convictions and assumptions which underlie this diagnosis and the concomitant demand for an education in the value of life. The paper discusses the meaning of life, human existence, the sacredness of life, and the question of meaning and…

Exercise can positively affect a broad range of quality of life parameters in people with cancer. The general exercise prescription is moderate-intensity exercise 3-5 days per week. Conditions that warrant prescription modification include fatigue during treatment, acute or chronic physical impairments, and presence of bone cancer. Research…

The "Millennial Generation" has grown up with prosperity, working parents, the Internet, divorce, and Columbine. They are fundamentally different in outlook and ambition from preceding generations and have their own ideas about how they want to live and work. (JOW)

The Total Literacy Project of Ernakulam District, India, sought to improve the skills of nearly 190,000 low-literate people through a mass campaign with 20,000 trained volunteers and thousands of local literacy centers. Its success was due to cooperation of government, nongovernment, and local agencies. (SK)

Using the Life Situation Survey, the perceived quality of life of 100 adults with spinal cord injury was compared with that of 120 adults with mental retardation. Comparison of descriptive statistics and a multiple regression analysis revealed possible differences in the impact of the two disabilities on specific life domains. (JPS)