Discrimination between HER2-overexpressing, -low-expressing, and -zero-expressing statuses in breast cancer using multiparametric MRI-based radiomics.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the performance of multiparametric MRI-based radiomics in discriminating different human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expressing statuses (i.e., HER2-overexpressing, HER2-low-expressing, and HER2-zero-expressing) in breast cancer. METHODS: A total of 771 breast cancer patients from two institutions were retrospectively studied. Five-hundred-eighty-one patients from Institution I were divided into a training dataset (n1 = 407) and an independent validation dataset (n1 = 174); 190 patients from Institution II formed the external validation dataset. All patients were categorized into HER2-overexpressing, HER2-low-expressing, and HER2-zero-expressing groups based on pathologic examination. Multiparametric (including T2-weighted imaging with fat suppression [T2WI-FS], diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI], apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC], and dynamic contrast-enhanced [DCE]) MRI-based radiomics features were extracted and then selected from the training dataset using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression. Three predictive models to discriminate HER2-overexpressing vs. others, HER2-low expressing vs. others, and HER2-zero-expressing vs. others were developed based on the selected features. The model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS: Eleven radiomics features from DWI, ADC, and DCE; one radiomics feature from DWI; and 17 radiomics features from DWI, ADC, and DCE were selected to build three predictive models, respectively. In training, independent validation, and external validation datasets, radiomics models achieved AUCs of 0.809, 0.737, and 0.725 in differentiating HER2-overexpressing from others; 0.779, 0.778, and 0.782 in differentiating HER2-low-expressing from others; and 0.889, 0.867, and 0.813 in differentiating HER2-zero-expressing from others, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Multiparametric MRI-based radiomics model may preoperatively predict HER2 statuses in breast cancer patients. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The MRI-based radiomics models could be used to noninvasively identify the new three-classification of HER2 expressing status in breast cancer, which is helpful to the decision-making for HER2-target therapies. KEY POINTS: • Detecting HER2-overexpressing, HER2-low-expressing, and HER2-zero-expressing status in breast cancer patients is crucial for determining candidates for anti-HER2 therapy. • Radiomics features from multiparametric MRI significantly differed among HER2-overexpressing, HER2-low expressing, and HER2-zero-expressing breast cancers. • Multiparametric MRI-based radiomics could preoperatively evaluate three different HER2-expressing statuses and help to determine potential candidates for anti-HER2 therapy in breast cancer patients.

Balancing the Components of Biomass and the Reactivity of Pyrolysis Gas: Biomass-Assisted Recycling of Spent LiCoO2 Batteries.

Waste biomass is one of the promising feedstocks to supply syngas that can be used as fuels, chemicals, reductants, etc. However, the relationship between the component of biomass and the constituent of pyrolysis gas remains unclear. Here, we study the pyrolysis behaviors of various biomasses and reveal the relationship between the biomass components and gas compositions. Further, different pyrolysis gases are applied for the reduction of spent lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) below 500 °C. The pyrolysis gas with a higher concentration of CO has a higher reductivity to convert LiCoO2 to CoO and Li2CO3 with a conversion rate close to 100% in 1 h at 500 °C. The biomass rich in cellulose and with a lower content of lignin tends to produce pyrolysis gas with a high concentration of CO, which comes from the deliberate breakdown of carboxyl, carbonyl, ether, and ester linkages. Moreover, LiCoO2 exerts catalytic functions over the deoxygenation and enhancement of oxygenates and single-ring aromatics. Overall, this paper offers a tailored approach to regulating biomass pyrolysis gases, enabling highly efficient battery recycling and syngas production.

Global prediction for mpox epidemic.

The mpox epidemic had spread worldwide and become an epidemic of international concern. Before the emergence of targeted vaccines and specific drugs, it is necessary to numerically simulate and predict the epidemic. In order to better understand and grasp its transmission situation, and take some countermeasures accordingly when necessary, we predicted and simulated mpox transmission, vaccination and control scenarios using model developed for COVID-19 predictions. The results show that the prediction model can also achieve good results in predicting the mpox epidemic based on modified SEIR model. The total number of people infected with mpox on Dec 31, 2022 reached 83878, while the prediction of the model was 96456 with a relative error of 15%. The United States, Brazil, Spain, France, the United Kingdom and Germany are six countries with serve mpox epidemic. The predictions of their epidemic are 30543, 11191, 7447, 5945, 5606 and 4291 cases respectively, with an average relative error of 20%. If 30% of the population is vaccinated using a vaccine that is 78% effective, the number of infected people will drop by 29%. This shows that the system can be practically applied to the prediction of mpox epidemic and provide corresponding decision-making reference.

Effect of mixed fermentation of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactiplantibacillus pentosus on phytochemical and flavor characteristics of Wallace melon juice.

BACKGROUND: Melons (Cucumis melo L.) are among the most commonly consumed fruits but they are highly susceptible to mechanical damage and rot during storage and transportation. New processed products are needed to avoid postharvest fruit loss and to increase health benefits. Fermentation is an effective means of utilizing the nutrients and improving flavor. RESULTS: Fermented melon juice (MJ) was prepared using three potential probiotics Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CICC21824 (LP), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum GB3-2 (LG), and Lactiplantibacillus pentosus XZ-34 (LX). The nutrition, flavor characteristics, and digestive properties of different fermented MJs were compared. The results demonstrated that, in comparison with mono-fermentation, mixed fermentation by LG and LX could increase the level of organic acids and phenolic acids. Correspondingly, antioxidant capacity was improved significantly and positively correlated with p-coumaric acid and cinnamic acid content. The production of alcohols and acids was more strongly enhanced by mixed culture fermentation, whereas mono-fermentation reduced the content of esters, especially ethyl acetate and isopropyl acetate. Aldehydes and ketones increased significantly in fermented MJ, and damascenone and heptanal could be the characteristic aroma compounds. CONCLUSION: Mixed fermented MJ provides more beneficial phytochemicals, better flavor, and stronger antioxidant properties than mono-fermentation. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Study on Photochemical Properties of a Sr-SnS2/CaIn2S4 Heterostructure to Improve Cr(VI) Removal.

Compound semiconductor photocatalysis technology is considered to be a promising treatment for solving water problems efficiently. The point of designing high-efficiency catalysts is to optimize the band gap structure and facilitate the separation of charge carriers by establishing new electron migration pathways. Recently, 3D porous CaIn2S4 was found to have good photocatalytic ability. However, the quick recombination and agglomeration of carriers still limit its application. Herein, we prepared a heterostructure by introducing 2D Sr-doped SnS2 to 3D CaIn2S4 by a hydrothermal synthesis method. The optimal dosage of Sr-SnS2 is 3%, and the photocatalytic Cr(VI) removal efficiency of 3% Sr-SnS2/CaIn2S4 (SSCS-3) is 5.82 and 10.83 times those of pure CaIn2S4 and SnS2, respectively. According to the results of characterization tests and calculation verification, we inferred that the enhanced photocatalytic removal of Cr(VI) is due to the introduction of Sr-SnS2 that can promote the rapid transfer of photogenerated electrons to the surface of CaIn2S4, and the heterostructure formed between 2D Sr-SnS2 and 3D CaIn2S4 can also provide abundant reaction sites. The promotion of carrier separation is mainly due to the formation of a built-in electric field of the Sr-SnS2/CaIn2S4 heterostructure. This work provides new ideas and technologies for the treatment of Cr(VI) in wastewater.

Ligand-Mediated Regulation of the Chemical/Thermal Stability and Catalytic Performance of Isostructural Cobalt(II) Coordination Polymers.

Regulating the chemical/thermal stability and catalytic activity of coordination polymers (CPs) to achieve high catalytic performance is topical and challenging. The CPs are competent in promoting oxidative cross-coupling, yet they have not received substantial attention. Here, the ligand effect of the secondary ligand of CPs for oxidative cross-coupling reactions was investigated. Specifically, four new isostructural CPs [Co(Fbtx)1.5(4-R-1,2-BDC)]n (denoted as Co-CP-R, Fbtx = 1,4-bis(1,2,4-triazole-1-ylmethyl)-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzene, 4-R-1,2-BDC = 4-R-1,2-benzenedicarboxylate, R = F, Cl, Br, CF3) were prepared. It was found that in the reactions of oxidative amination of benzoxazoles with secondary amines and the oxidative coupling of styrenes with benzaldehydes, both the chemical and thermal stabilities of the four Co-CPs with the R group followed the trend of -CF3 > -Br > -Cl > -F. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggested that the difference in reactivity may be ascribed to the effect of substituent groups on the electron transition energy of the cobalt(II) center of these Co-CPs. These findings highlight the secondary ligand effect in regulating the stability and catalytic performance of coordination networks.

Heat waves accelerate the spread of infectious diseases.

COVID-19 pandemic appeared summer surge in 2022 worldwide and this contradicts its seasonal fluctuations. Even as high temperature and intense ultraviolet radiation can inhibit viral activity, the number of new cases worldwide has increased to >78% in only 1 month since the summer of 2022 under unchanged virus mutation influence and control policies. Using the attribution analysis based on the theoretical infectious diseases model simulation, we found the mechanism of the severe COVID-19 outbreak in the summer of 2022 and identified the amplification effect of heat wave events on its magnitude. The results suggest that approximately 69.3% of COVID-19 cases this summer could have been avoided if there is no heat waves. The collision between the pandemic and the heatwave is not an accident. Climate change is leading to more frequent extreme climate events and an increasing number of infectious diseases, posing an urgent threat to human health and life. Therefore, public health authorities must quickly develop coordinated management plans to deal with the simultaneous occurrence of extreme climate events and infectious diseases.

Classification of left-side hepatolithiasis for laparoscopic middle hepatic vein-guided anatomical hemihepatectomy combined with transhepatic duct lithotomy.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic middle hepatic vein-guided anatomical hemihepatectomy combined with transhepatic duct lithotomy (MATL) is an approach that can substantially improve stone clearance rates while reducing the rate of postoperative biliary fistula formation, residual stone rates, and rates of recurrence. In this study, we classified left-side hepatolithiasis cases into four subtypes based upon the diseased stone-containing bile duct, the middle hepatic vein, and the right hepatic duct. We then investigated the risk associated with different subtypes and evaluated the safety and efficacy of the MATL procedure. METHODS: In total, 372 patients who underwent left hemihepatectomy for left intrahepatic bile duct stones were enrolled. Based on the distribution of the stones, the cases could be divided into four types. The risk of surgical treatment was compared for the four types and the safety, short-term efficacy, and long-term efficacy of the MATL procedure in the four types of left intrahepatic bile duct stones were studied. RESULTS: Type II was found to be the most likely to cause intraoperative bleeding while type III was likely to cause biliary tract damage and type IV was associated with the highest stone recurrence rate. The MATL procedure did not increase the risk of surgery and was found to reduce the rate of bile leakage, residual stones, and stone recurrence. CONCLUSION: Left-side hepatolithiasis-associated risk classification is feasible and may represent a viable means of improving the safety and feasibility of the MATL procedure.

Theoretical study of graded-index fiber for beam quality improvement and SRS suppression.

A confined-doped graded-index fiber model was established with reference to Nufern's 42C ytterbium-doped fiber. The core NA of the fiber is ∼0.06; the doping/core/cladding diameter is 30/42/250 µm; and the gain ion doping distribution is double parabolic. Based on a forward tandem-pumped amplifier structure, the numerical simulation was carried out on the physics characters of the fiber model. The fourth-order Runge-Kutta method was used to solve the boundary value problem during the numerical simulation. The differences between the graded-index fiber (GIF) and the step-index fiber (SIF) were studied theoretically, and the results illuminated that the beam quality of the GIF was better than the SIF. The stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) power in the GIF was lower than that in the SIF. These results show that the GIF has great potential for increasing the laser output power while maintaining good beam quality and can provide theoretical guidance and reference to experimental research of the high-power fiber laser.

Integrative Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Landscape during Akebia trifoliata Fruit Ripening and Cracking.

Akebia trifoliata fruit is prone to crack after ripening, but little is known about the mechanism underlying the cracking process. This study integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic data, revealing significant changes in 398 metabolites and 8414 genes during ripening and cracking, mainly impacting cell-wall metabolism. Multi-omics joint analysis indicated that genes related to polygalacturonase, pectate lyase, α-amylase, and glycogen phosphorylase were up-regulated after cracking, degrading cell wall and starch. Concurrently, diminished photosynthetic metabolism and heightened phenylpropanoid metabolism suggested alterations in cuticle structure, potentially impacting cell-wall robustness. Numerous auxin and abscisic acid signaling-related genes were expressed, and we assume that they contributed to the promoting peel growth. These alterations collectively might compromise peel strength and elevate expanding pressure, potentially leading to A. trifoliata cracking. Transcription factors, predominantly ethylene response factors and helix-loop-helix family members, appeared to regulate these metabolic shifts. These findings provide valuable insights into A. trifoliata cracking mechanisms; however, direct experimental validation of these assumptions is necessary to strengthen these conclusions and expedite their commercial utilization.

Stabilizing Liquids Using Interfacial Supramolecular Assemblies.

Stabilizing liquids based on supramolecular assembly (non-covalent intermolecular interactions) has attracted significant interest, due to the increasing demand for soft, liquid-based devices where the shape of the liquid is far from the equilibrium spherical shape. The components comprising these interfacial assemblies must have sufficient binding energies to the interface to prevent their ejection from the interface when the assemblies are compressed. Here, we highlight recent advances in structuring liquids based on non-covalent intermolecular interactions. We describe some of the progress made that reveals structure-property relationships. In addition to treating advances, we discuss some of the limitations and provide a perspective on future directions to inspire further studies on structured liquids based on supramolecular assembly.

Optimization of a laparoscopic procedure for advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma based on the concept of "waiting time": a preliminary report.

INTRODUCTION: Clinicians increasingly perform laparoscopic surgery for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). However, this surgery can be difficult in patients with advanced-stage ICC because of the complicated procedures and difficulty in achieving high-quality results. We compared the effects of a three-step optimized procedure with a traditional procedure for patients with advanced-stage ICC. METHODS: Forty-two patients with advanced-stage ICC who received optimized laparoscopic hemihepatectomy with lymph node dissection (LND, optimized group) and 84 propensity score-matched patients who received traditional laparoscopic hemihepatectomy plus LND (traditional group) were analyzed. Surgical quality, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were compared. RESULTS: The optimized group had a lower surgical bleeding score (P = 0.038) and a higher surgeon satisfaction score (P = 0.001). Blood loss during hepatectomy was less in the optimized group (190 vs. 295 mL, P < 0.001). The optimized group had more harvested LNs (12.0 vs. 8.0, P < 0.001) and more positive LNs (8.0 vs. 5.0, P < 0.001), and a similar rate of adequate LND (88.1% vs. 77.4%, P = 0.149). The optimized group had longer median DFS (9.0 vs. 7.0 months, P = 0.018) and median OS (15.0 vs. 13.0 months, P = 0.046). In addition, the optimized group also had a shorter total operation time (P = 0.001), shorter liver resection time (P = 0.001), shorter LND time (P < 0.001), shorter hospital stay (P < 0.001), and lower incidence of total morbidities (14.3% vs. 36.9%, P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Our optimization of a three-step laparoscopic procedure for advanced ICC was feasible, improved the quality of liver resection and LND, prolonged survival, and led to better intraoperative and postoperative outcomes.

The impact of crowd gatherings on the spread of COVID-19.

Crowd gatherings are an important cause of COVID-19 outbreaks. However, how the scale, scene and other factors of gatherings affect the spread of the epidemic remains unclear. A total of 184 gathering events worldwide were collected to construct a database, and 99 of them with a clear gathering scale were used for statistical analysis of the impact of these factors on the disease incidence among the crowd in the study. The results showed that the impact of small-scale (less than 100 people) gathering events on the spread of COVID-19 in the city is also not to be underestimated due to their characteristics of more frequent occurrence and less detection and control. In our dataset, 22.22% of small-scale events have an incidence of more than 0.8. In contrast, the incidence of most large-scale events is less than 0.4. Gathering scenes such as "Meal" and "Family" occur in densely populated private or small public places have the highest incidence. We further designed a model of epidemic transmission triggered by crowd gathering events and simulated the impact of crowd gathering events on the overall epidemic situation in the city. The simulation results showed that the number of patients will be drastically reduced if the scale and the density of crowds gathering are halved. It indicated that crowd gatherings should be strictly controlled on a small scale. In addition, it showed that the model well reproduce the epidemic spread after crowd gathering events better than does the original SIER model and could be applied to epidemic prediction after sudden gathering events.

Modeling Full-Field Transient Flexural Waves on Damaged Plates with Arbitrary Excitations Using Temporal Vibration Characteristics.

We propose an efficient semi-analytical method capable of modeling the propagation of flexural waves on cracked plate structures with any forms of excitations, based on the same group of vibration characteristics and validated by a non-contact scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV) system. The proposed modeling method is based on the superposition of the vibrational normal modes of the detected structure, which can be applied to analyze long-time and full-field transient wave propagations. By connecting the vibration-based transient model to a power flow analysis technique, we further analyze the transient waves on a cracked plate subjected to different excitation sources and show the influence of the damage event on the path of the propagating waves. The experimental results indicate that the proposed semi-analytical method can model the flexural waves, and through that, the crack information can be revealed.

Comparison of PM2.5 and CO2 Concentrations in Large Cities of China during the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Estimating the impacts on PM2.5 pollution and CO2 emissions by human activities in different urban regions is important for developing efficient policies. In early 2020, China implemented a lockdown policy to contain the spread of COVID-19, resulting in a significant reduction of human activities. This event presents a convenient opportunity to study the impact of human activities in the transportation and industrial sectors on air pollution. Here, we investigate the variations in air quality attributed to the COVID-19 lockdown policy in the megacities of China by combining in-situ environmental and meteorological datasets, the Suomi-NPP/VIIRS and the CO2 emissions from the Carbon Monitor project. Our study shows that PM2.5 concentrations in the spring of 2020 decreased by 41.87% in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and 43.30% in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), respectively, owing to the significant shutdown of traffic and manufacturing industries. However, PM2.5 concentrations in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region only decreased by 2.01% because the energy and steel industries were not fully paused. In addition, unfavorable weather conditions contributed to further increases in the PM2.5 concentration. Furthermore, CO2 concentrations were not significantly affected in China during the short-term emission reduction, despite a 19.52% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the same period in 2019. Our results suggest that concerted efforts from different emission sectors and effective long-term emission reduction strategies are necessary to control air pollution and CO2 emissions.

Artificial selection in breeding extensively enriched a functional allelic variation in TaPHS1 for pre-harvest sprouting resistance in wheat.

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) causes significant losses in wheat yield and quality worldwide. Previously, we cloned a PHS resistance gene, TaPHS1, and identified two causal mutations for reduced seed dormancy (SD) and increased PHS susceptibility. Here we identified a novel allelic variation of C to T transition in 3'-UTR of TaPHS1, which associated with reduced SD and PHS resistance. The T allele occurred in wild wheat progenitors and was likely the earliest functional mutation in TaPHS1 for PHS susceptibility. Allele frequency analysis revealed low frequency of the T allele in wild diploid and tetraploid wheat progenitors, but very high frequency in modern wheat cultivars and breeding lines, indicating that artificial selection quickly enriched the T allele during modern breeding. The T allele was significantly associated with short SD in both T. aestivum and T. durum, the two most cultivated species of wheat. This variation together with previously reported functional sequence variations co-regulated TaPHS1 expression levels and PHS resistance in different germplasms. Haplotype analysis of the four functional variations identified the best PHS resistance haplotype of TaPHS1. The resistance haplotype can be used in marker-assisted selection to transfer TaPHS1 to new wheat cultivars.

High-resolution genome-wide association study and genomic prediction for disease resistance and cold tolerance in wheat.

KEY MESSAGE: High-resolution genome-wide association study (GWAS) facilitated QTL fine mapping and candidate gene identification, and the GWAS based genomic prediction models were highly predictive and valuable in wheat genomic breeding. Wheat is a major staple food crop and provides more than one-fifth of the daily calories and dietary proteins for humans. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) and genomic selection (GS) for wheat stress resistance and tolerance related traits are critical to understanding their genetic architecture for improvement of breeding selection efficiency. However, the insufficient marker density in previous studies limited the utility of GWAS and GS in wheat genomic breeding. Here, we conducted a high-resolution GWAS for wheat leaf rust (LR), yellow rust (YR), powdery mildew (PM), and cold tolerance (CT) by genotyping a panel of 768 wheat cultivars using genotyping-by-sequencing. Among 153 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) identified, 81 QTLs were delimited to ≤ 1.0 Mb intervals with three validated using bi-parental populations. Furthermore, 837 stress resistance-related genes were identified in the QTL regions with 12 showing induced expression by YR and PM pathogens. Genomic prediction using 2608, 4064, 3907, and 2136 pre-selected SNPs based on GWAS and genotypic correlations between the SNPs showed high prediction accuracies of 0.76, 0.73, and 0.78 for resistance to LR, YR, and PM, respectively, and 0.83 for resistance to cold damage. Our study laid a solid foundation for large-scale QTL fine mapping, candidate gene validation and GS in wheat.

Synthesis of trisubstituted hydrazine via MnO2-promoted oxidative coupling of N,N-disubstituted hydrazine and boronic ester.

A MnO2-promoted oxidative coupling process between N,N-disubstituted hydrazine and boronic ester is reported. A 1,1-diazene species is firstly generated upon oxidation of a hydrazine substrate in the presence of MnO2 which then interacts with boronic ester to form the key intermediate boron-ate complex, followed by migration from boron to nitrogen to form a new C-N bond. This new finding provides mild, scalable, and operationally straightforward access to trisubstituted hydrazine.

The role of seasonality in the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

It has been reported that the transmission of COVID-19 can be influenced by the variation of environmental factors due to the seasonal cycle. However, its underlying mechanism in the current and onward transmission pattern remains unclear owing to the limited data and difficulties in separating the impacts of social distancing. Understanding the role of seasonality in the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is imperative in formulating public health interventions. Here, the seasonal signals of the COVID-19 time series are extracted using the EEMD method, and a modified Susceptible, Exposed, Infectious, Recovered (SEIR) model incorporated with seasonal factors is introduced to quantify its impact on the current COVID-19 pandemic. Seasonal signals decomposed via the EEMD method indicate that infectivity and mortality of SARS-CoV-2 are both higher in colder climates. The quantitative simulation shows that the cold season in the Southern Hemisphere countries caused a 59.71 ± 8.72% increase of the total infections, while the warm season in the Northern Hemisphere countries contributed to a 46.38 ± 29.10% reduction. COVID-19 seasonality is more pronounced at higher latitudes, where larger seasonal amplitudes of environmental indicators are observed. Seasonality alone is not sufficient to curb the virus transmission to an extent that intervention measures are no longer needed, but health care capacity should be scaled up in preparation for new surges in COVID-19 cases in the upcoming cold season. Our study highlights the necessity of considering seasonal factors when formulating intervention strategies.

SNHG16 promotes tumorigenesis and cisplatin resistance by regulating miR-338-3p/PLK4 pathway in neuroblastoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (lncRNA SNHG16) has been revealed to be involved in the tumorigenesis of neuroblastoma. However, the role of SNHG16 in regulating cisplatin sensitivity in neuroblastoma remains largely unknown. METHODS: The expression of SNHG16, microRNA (miR)-338-3p and polo-like kinase 4 (PLK4) mRNA was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The protein levels of PLK4, multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1), multidrug-resistance gene 1-type p-glycoprotein (P-gp) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway-related proteins were detected by Western blot. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value, cell proliferation, migration and invasion were analyzed using Cell Counting Kit-8 assays or Transwell assay. Apoptotic cells were measured by Flow cytometry. The interaction between miR-338-3p and SNHG16 or PLK4 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assay. In vivo experiments were conducted through the murine xenograft model. RESULTS: SNHG16 was up-regulated, while miR-338-3p was down-regulated in cisplatin-resistant neuroblastoma tissues and cells. SNHG16 silencing weakened cisplatin resistance, reflected by the reduction of IC50 value, down-regulation of MRP-1 and P-gp protein expression, suppression of proliferation, migration and invasion, as well as enhancement of apoptosis in SNHG16 deletion cisplatin-resistant neuroblastoma cells. Besides that, SNHG16 could regulate PLK4 expression by sponging miR-338-3p and SNHG16/miR-338-3p/PLK4 axis could affect the activation of PI3K/AKT pathway in cisplatin-resistant neuroblastoma cells. MiR-338-3p inhibition attenuated SNHG16 deletion-mediated impairment on cisplatin resistance and PLK4 overexpression reversed the decrease of cisplatin-resistance induced by miR-338-3p re-expression. Furthermore, SNHG16 knockdown contributed to the anti-tumor effect of cisplatin in neuroblastoma in vivo. CONCLUSION: SNHG16 contributed to the tumorigenesis and cisplatin resistance in neuroblastoma possibly through miR-338-3p/PLK4 pathway, indicating a novel insight for overcoming chemoresistance in neuroblastoma patients.