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Post-stroke survivors report that feedback helps to increase training motivation. A wearable system (M-MARK), comprising movement and muscle sensors and providing feedback when performing everyday tasks was developed. The objective reported here was to create an evidence-based set of upper-limb tasks for use with the system. Data from two focus groups with rehabilitation professionals, ten interviews with stroke survivors and a review of assessment tests were synthesized. In a two-stage process, suggested tasks were screened to exclude non-tasks and complex activities. Remaining tasks were screened for suitability and entered into a categorization matrix. Of 83 suggestions, eight non-tasks, and 42 complex activities were rejected. Of the remaining 33 tasks, 15 were rejected: five required fine motor control; eight were too complex to standardize; one because the role of hemiplegic hand was not defined and one involved water. The review of clinical assessment tests found no additional tasks. Eleven were ultimately selected for testing with M-Mark. Using a task categorization matrix, a set of training tasks was systematically identified. There was strong agreement between data from the professionals, survivors and literature. The matrix populated by tasks has potential for wider use in upper-limb stroke rehabilitation. Rehabilitation technologies that provide feedback on quantity and quality of movements can support independent home-based upper limb rehabilitation. Rehabilitation technology systems require a library of upper limb tasks at different levels for people with stroke and therapists to choose from. A user-defined and evidence-based set of upper limb tasks for use within a wearable sensor device system have been developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The learning landscape of the 21st century provides opportunities, challenges and multiple possibilities for librarians as educators, and as facilitators for communities in a world of knowledge and wisdom. Charted [...]

The ferrous [Fe(super 2+)] complexes of nitrophorin 4 (NP4) with nitric oxide (NO), CO, and H2O formed after chemical reduction of the protein and the characterization of these complexes by absorption spectroscopy are reported. The ferrous complexes exhibit absorption spectra that are similar to the analogous derivatives of myoglobin and exhibit heme coordination geometry that is consistent with a reduced form of the protein.

Results show that nitrophorin 4 complexed with nitric oxide show ruffling of the heme in the presence or absence of nitric oxide. Data indicate that this protein-assisted heme ruffling may give rise to an autoreduction resistant nitrosyl-heme complex.

In 1993-94, fifty-five clients at an adolescent residential drug treatment facility with an innovative tobacco prevention, education and cessation program reported their tobacco attitudes, intentions, and behavior at admission and discharge. Of entering clients, 93% were current smokers and 93% felt the facility should help clients quit smoking. Clients interested in quitting increased from 61% at admission to 87% at discharge, as measured by the precontemplation/contemplation ladder of Rustin and Tate (1993). Clients who wanted to immediately quit smoking increased from 15% to 29%. Sixty-five percent of the teens studied said the tobacco-free activities were extremely helpful. At discharge, 16% of the smokers reported having quit tobacco and all four nonsmokers remained smoke-free. During the preceding year there was a naturally occurring quit rate of 1%. As a result of this work, the facility required residential clients to be nicotine free as of July 1996.