Cortical reorganization associated with motor recovery in hemiparetic stroke patients.

We investigated the cortical activation changes associated with motor recovery in eight hemiparetic patients with cerebral infarct by using functional MRI (fMRI), which was performed at 1.5 T in parallel with finger flexion-extension movements at a fixed rate. The first fMRI was performed when the patient was able to flex and extend fingers of the affected hand against gravity, and the second fMRI was done when the motor function of the affected hand showed definite improvement.

Cortical reorganization induced by task-oriented training in chronic hemiplegic stroke patients.

We investigated the effect of task-oriented training (TT) on the cortical activation pattern in four chronic hemiparetic stroke patients. A TT program, consisting of six tasks, which were designed to improve hemiparetic upper extremity function, was performed for 40 min/day, 4 days/week for 4 weeks. The functional status of the affected hand and fMRI were assessed before and after the TT program.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of the Rv2002 gene product from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a beta-ketoacyl carrier protein reductase homologue.

A 260-residue protein (FabG3) encoded by the Rv2002 gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis shows amino-acid sequence similarity to beta-ketoacyl carrier protein (ACP) reductase, FabG. A soluble mutant (I6T/V47M/T69M) was produced by the green fluorescent protein-based directed-evolution method. It was crystallized at 296 K using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method.