Publications by authors named "H-W Li"

Modular polyketide synthases (mPKSs) are multidomain enzymes in bacteria that synthesize a variety of pharmaceutically important compounds. mPKS genes are usually longer than 10 kb and organized in operons. To understand the transcriptional and translational characteristics of these large genes, here we split the 13-kb busA gene, encoding a 456-kDa three-module PKS for butenyl-spinosyn biosynthesis, into three smaller separately translated genes encoding one PKS module in an operon.

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Tearing of the subscapularis tendon is a common shoulder injury that typically requires arthroscopic repair. The suture-passing device is a standard tool for repairing the subscapularis tendon. However, it poses the risk of device breakage and may cause additional damage to the tendon.

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Purpose: Swelling in the lower limbs after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) affects surgical outcomes. Prolonged swelling requires monitoring and remote management during home-based rehabilitation. Causes of swelling vary but, so far, no indicators are available to monitor and identify causes of lower limb swelling, making it difficult to implement targeted interventions.

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Background: Metabolic syndrome heightens cardiovascular disease risk primarily through increased arterial stiffness. We previously demonstrated the involvement of YAP (Yes-associated protein) in high-fat/high-sucrose diet (HFHSD)-induced arterial stiffness via modulation of PPM1B (protein phosphatase Mg/Mn-dependent 1B)-lysine63 (K63) deubiquitination. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the role and mechanisms underlying PPM1B deubiquitination in HFHSD-induced arterial stiffness.

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Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging is a viable approach to promote corneal epithelium wound healing. This study created a single-component hydrogel (HA Gel) with a novel dual-functionalized hyaluronic acid derivative (HA-GA-PBA) containing gallol and phenylboronic acid (PBA) moieties. Both of these moieties were dual-functional.

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Microsatellite instability (MSI) detection using tumor tissue is a well-established prognostic and predictive biomarker for certain types of cancers. However, tumor tissue samples are less convenient to obtain than blood plasma samples. The main challenge facing next-generation sequencing-based MSI detection in blood plasma samples is the ultralow signal/noise ratio in plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA).

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Rationale And Objectives: To improve the diagnostic recognition of papillary renal neoplasm with reverse polarity (PRNRP) through comprehensive analysis of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective multi-center study was conducted on patients with pathologically confirmed PRNRPs from 2019 to 2024, encompassing six institutions. Clinical and pathological data were meticulously documented.

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Decades of research have established that mammalian transcription factors (TFs) bind to each gene's regulatory regions and cooperatively control tissue specificity, timing, and intensity of gene transcription. Mapping the combination of TF binding sites genome wide is critically important for understanding functional genomics. Here, we report a technique to measure TFs' binding sites on the human genome with a near single-base resolution by footprinting with deaminase (FOODIE) on a single-molecule and single-cell basis.

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Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key factor in the development of atherogenesis. METTL4 (methyltransferase-like protein 4) mediates N6- methyldeoxyadenosine (6mA) of mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). However, the role of METTL4-mediated mitoepigenetic regulation in atherosclerosis is still unknown.

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In the ongoing search for new vicinal diol natural products, four new (Migaones A-D, -) and four known (-) vicinal diol sesquiterpenoids were isolated from the branches and leaves of . Their structures were unequivocally determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses (HRESIMS, 1D, and 2D NMR), single-crystal X-ray diffraction, electronic circular dichroism calculations, and comparison with existing literature data. All compounds isolated from possess vicinal diol structural units except compound .

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Background: Unwanted angiogenesis is involved in the progression of various malignant tumors and cardiovascular diseases, and the factors that regulate angiogenesis are potential therapeutic targets. We tested the hypothesis that DCBLD1 (discoidin, CUB, and LCCL domain-containing protein 1) is a coreceptor of VEGFR-2 (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2) and modulates angiogenesis in endothelial cells.

Methods: A carotid artery ligation model and retinal angiogenesis assay were used to study angiogenesis using globe knockout or endothelial cell-specific conditional knockout mice in vivo.

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Background: Cannabis use severely affects the outcome of people with psychotic disorders, yet there is a lack of treatments. To address this, in 2019 the National Health Service (NHS) Cannabis Clinic for Psychosis (CCP) was developed to support adults suffering from psychosis to reduce and/or stop their cannabis use.

Aims: Examine outcome data from the first 46 individuals to complete the CCP's intervention.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers identified 21 human ITPR1 GOF variants and created a mouse model with one of these variants (ITPR1-W1457G), which was found to be prone to stress-induced ventricular arrhythmias.
  • * Both mouse models and human data suggest that ITPR1 GOF variants increase Ca handling abnormalities and arrhythmia risk, with 7 rare ITPR1 variants in a human database showing similar GOF behavior linked to cardiac
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Background: B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-cell ALL) is the most common childhood cancer. Despite a high overall cure rate, relapsed B-cell ALL remains a leading cause of cancer-related death among children. The addition of the bispecific T-cell engager molecule blinatumomab (an anti-CD19 and anti-CD3 single-chain molecule) to therapy for newly diagnosed standard-risk (as defined by the National Cancer Institute) B-cell ALL in children may improve outcomes.

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Background: The occurrence of thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) is closely related to the transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from a contractile to a synthetic phenotype. The role of SGK1 (serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1) in VSMC phenotypic transformation and TAD occurrence is unclear.

Methods: Four-week-old male Sgk1 ( floxed) and Sgk1;Tagln (smooth muscle cell-specific knockout) mice were administered β-aminopropionitrile monofumarate for 4 weeks to model TAD.

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Background: Pulsed field ablation (PFA) has gained attention in cardiac electrophysiology, but data on its application to paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia are limited. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of PFA and its combination with radiofrequency ablation for treating paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

Methods: A prospective, multicenter, single-arm study was conducted across 8 centers in China.

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  • This study tests composite modification techniques to enhance the performance of recycled asphalt, using high-viscosity agents (HVA) and crumb rubber materials (CRM) combined with styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) to create modified asphalt samples.
  • The performance of four types of asphalt mixtures, including virgin and three recycled mixtures with 50% reclaimed asphalt content, was analyzed through various tests, revealing that higher kinematic viscosity leads to increased optimum asphalt content and enhanced adhesion in dry conditions.
  • Results indicate that while SBS-CRM significantly boosts moisture sensitivity and low-temperature cracking resistance compared to other modified asphalts, the choice of modification method should align with climate and loading conditions for optimal performance and sustainability.
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Immuno-oncology has revolutionized cancer treatment, with NKG2A emerging as a novel target for immunotherapy. The blockade of NKG2A using the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monalizumab has been shown to enhance the responses of both NK cells and CD8+ T cells. However, monalizumab has demonstrated limited efficacy in in vitro cytotoxic assays and clinical trials.

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Breast cancer is a heterogeneous malignant tumor, and its high metastasis rate depends on the abnormal activation of cell dynamics. Formin-like protein 3 (FMNL3) plays an important role in the formation of various cytoskeletons that participate in cell movement. The objective of this study was to explore the function of FMNL3 in breast cancer progression and endeavor to reveal the molecular mechanism of this phenomenon.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Cinnamomum migao H.W. Li, commonly known as migao (MG), is used in the Miao region of China for treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, attributed to its detoxifying (Jiedu in Chinese), activating blood circulation (Huoxue in Chinese), and promoting Qi circulation (Tongqi in Chinese) properties.

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Rationale And Objectives: This study investigated the preoperative predictive efficiency of radiomics derived from photoacoustic (PA) imaging, integrated with the clinical features of Ki-67 expression in malignant breast cancer (BC), with a focus on both intratumoral and peritumoral regions.

Methods: This study involved 359 patients, divided into a training set (n = 251) and a testing set (n = 108). Radiomic features were extracted from intratumoral and peritumoral regions using PA imaging.

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  • The study identifies KDM5A as an important oncogene in basal breast cancer, showing that its amplification and overexpression can be targeted to suppress cancer cell growth.
  • CRISPR knockout screens reveal that deleting the ZBTB7A transcription factor makes cells more sensitive to KDM5 inhibition, while the deletion of RHO-GTPases provides resistance.
  • The research highlights the role of ZBTB7A and KDM5A/B in regulating gene expression, particularly regarding NF-κB targets, and links high ZBTB7A levels to poorer treatment responses in triple-negative breast cancer.
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  • The study examined how mislabeled drug allergies, particularly to NSAIDs, affect stroke patients compared to the general population in Hong Kong from 2008 to 2014.
  • Patients with stroke had a higher prevalence of allergy labels for cardiovascular and diagnostic agents, impacting their treatment options and medication prescriptions.
  • Notably, those labeled with NSAID allergies were less likely to receive important medications like aspirin, faced higher mortality rates, and most could be delabeled successfully through testing.
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Background: Disturbed metabolism and transport of citrate play significant roles in various pathologies. However, vascular citrate regulation and its potential role in aortic aneurysm (AA) development remain poorly understood.

Methods: Untargeted metabolomics by mass spectrometry was applied to identify upregulated metabolites of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in AA tissues of mice.

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RNA modification has emerged as an important epigenetic mechanism that controls abnormal metabolism and growth in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). However, the roles of RNA N-acetylcytidine (ac4C) modification in AML remain elusive. Here, we report that ac4C and its catalytic enzyme NAT10 drive leukaemogenesis and sustain self-renewal of leukaemic stem cells/leukaemia-initiating cells through reprogramming serine metabolism.

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