Publications by authors named "Ai-fang Li"

Currently, white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is one of the most serious pathogens that impacts shrimp farming around the world. A WSSV vaccine provides a significant protective benefit to the host shrimp. Although various types of vaccines against WSSV have emerged, the immune effects among them were not compared, and it remains unclear which type of vaccine has the strongest protective effect.

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High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) technology is becoming a potential noninvasive treatment for solid tumor. To explore whether HIFU can be applied to treat melanoma and its metastasis, we investigated the effect of HIFU on murine melanoma model. While there was little influence on cell survival, viability or apoptosis, HIFU exposure suppressed melanoma cell migration in vitro and metastasis in vivo.

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HIFU has been demonstrated to enhance anti-tumor immunity, however, the mechanism of which has not been well elucidated. Emerging evidence indicates that miRNAs play important roles in immune response. In this study, we used the B16F10 melanoma allograft mouse model to investigate the role of miRNAs in HIFU-enhanced anti-tumor immunity.

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Objective: To analyze cytochrome P450 (CYP) phenotyping for bakuchiol metabolism and study the mechanism of detoxification of bakuchiol by human liver microsomes (HLM) in vitro.

Methods: The CYP phenotyping for bakuchiol metabolism was determined using HLM combined with CYP specific inhibitors and recombinant human CYP isoforms. The relative activities of CYP isoforms were determined by analyzing the formation of the substrate metabolites using HPLC-MS/MS, in presence or absence of 1-aminobenzotriazole (ABT) which was CYP enzymes' broad spectrum inhibitor.

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This critical review highlights recent advances in the structurally modified (thio)urea-based receptors for anion complexation and sensing. Modifications of the (thio)urea structure are aimed at a better anion binding in terms of higher binding constant, anion selectivity and feasibility. Major (thio)urea receptors are reviewed as N-alkyl, N-aryl and N-amido/N-amino (thio)ureas.

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Hg(2+) was found to specifically induce the aggregation of perylene bisimide in a "thymine-Hg(2+)-thymine" binding motif and the resultant aggregates showed a highly selective and sensitive turn-on fluorescence response for cysteine, with a detection limit down to 9.6 nM.

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Organic molecular devices for information processing applications are highly useful building blocks for constructing molecular-level machines. The development of "intelligent" molecules capable of performing logic operations would enable molecular-level devices and machines to be created. We designed a series of 2,5-diaryl-1,3,4-oxadiazoles bearing a 2-(para-substituted)phenyl and a 5-(o-pyridyl) group (substituent X=NMe(2), OEt, Me, H, and Cl; 1a-e) that form a bidentate chelating environment for metal ions.

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N-(Acetamido)-N'-phenylthioureas (4-6) were found to be efficient anion receptors with higher anion affinity than their N-benzamido-N'-phenylthiourea counterparts (1 and 2). The N'-phenylthiourea moiety in 4-6 was shown to be the chromophore with an absorption maximum at ca. 270 nm.

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A series of N-acylhydrazones were synthesised and found to be "turn-on" fluorescent chemodosimeters for Cu(2+). Among the tested transition metal ions such as Cu(2+), Pb(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+), Hg(2+), and Ni(2+), a prominent fluorescence enhancement of up to 1000-fold was only observed for Cu(2+) in acetonitrile (CH(3)CN). This was indicated by an onset of unprecedented structured emission.

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We report here that N-anilino-N'-phenythioureas in general function as a new family of thiourea-based efficient anion receptors superior to classical N-alkyl(aryl)thioureas, when the N-anilino-NH proton is acidic enough; that is, the N-phenyl substituent is not less electron-withdrawing than m-Cl. Changes due to anion binding in the absorption spectra of these N-anilinothioureas are much more substantial than those of N-alkyl(aryl)thioureas, and anion binding constants in MeCN, at 10(6)-10(7) mol(-1) L order of magnitude for AcO(-) for example, are much higher despite a similar acidity of the thioureido-NH protons. Crystal structure and (1)H NMR data show that the N-aniline chromophore is electronically decoupled from the thiourea anion binding site by the N-N bond, and an intramolecular hydrogen bond exists in MeCN but not in DMSO between the N-anilino-NH nitrogen atom and the other thioureido-NH proton.

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