Cruciferous vegetables contain the bio-active compound sulforaphane (SF) which has been reported to protect individuals against various diseases by a number of mechanisms, including activation of the phase II detoxification enzymes. In this study, we show that the extracts of five cruciferous vegetables that we commonly consume and SF activate human salivary aldehyde dehydrogenase (hsALDH), whi...

The orphan nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) plays pivotal roles in the development and function of steroidogenic organs. It transcriptionally regulates an array of factors required for biosynthesis of steroid hormones and is also necessary for the expression of genes in the pituitary and the male reproductive tract. Here we describe the identification of a novel zinc finger protei...

BACKGROUND Serum fructosamine (SF) has been considered to be an indicator that estimates glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). There is increasing evidence that SF concentration and oxidative stress are significantly elevated in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the data about SF and its association with kidney function are lacking in nondiabetic individua...

During running at a constant speed, the optimal stride frequency (SF) can be derived from the u-shaped relationship between SF and heart rate (HR). Changing SF towards the optimum of this relationship is beneficial for energy expenditure and may positively change biomechanics of running. In the current study, the effects of speed on the optimal SF and the nature of the u-shaped relation were em...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the effects of exercise and osteochondral (OC) injury on type II collagen degradation products (collagenase cleavage neoepitope commercially known as C2C) in synovial fluid (SF) from Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses and to compare these results with radiographic and arthroscopic scores of severity of joint injury. METHODS Metacarpophalangeal/metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP)...

Objective: To investigate whether a shorter health status instrument, the short form (SF)-12, is comparable with its longer version, the SF-36, for measuring health related quality of life of patients with coronary heart disease. Design: Prospective cohort study with follow up at six and 12 months. Setting: 18 cardiac rehabilitation centres in Germany. Patients: Patients were enrolled at admiss...

In a rabbit model we investigated the efficacy of a silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite (SF/HA) composite on the repair of a segmental bone defect. Four types of porous SF/HA composites (SF/HA-1, SF/HA-2, SF/HA-3, SF/HA-4) with different material ratios, pore sizes, porosity and additives were implanted subcutaneously into Sprague-Dawley rats to observe biodegradation. SF/HA-3, which had characteristic...

In order to overcome the drawbacks of silk fibroin (SF)-based materials, SF has been blended with some polymers. Before using the blend material, understanding of the structures and phase behaviors of the blend is thought to be essential. In this study, solid-state (13)C CP-MAS NMR and Raman imaging techniques were used to study the structures and phase behaviors of blends of SF with polyethyle...

Blood coagulation reactions are strongly influenced by phospholipids, but little is known about the influence of sphingolipids on coagulation mechanisms. Lysosulfatide (lyso-SF) (sulfogalactosyl sphingosine) prolonged factor Xa (fXa) 1-stage plasma clotting assays, showing it had robust anticoagulant activity. In studies using purified clotting factors, lyso-SF inhibited >90% of prothrombin (II...

The zero-temperature phase diagram of the disordered Bose-Hubbard model is critically re-examined on the basis of a local mean field (LMF) theory. It is demonstrated that in LMF theory the superfluid (SF) order parameter is non-zero even inside the Mott-lobes and the Bose-glass (BG) phase and therefore does not indicate a sharp BG to SF transition. This is also true for the compressibility, whi...